Perhaps the plot was overly simple and stakes a little too low for my taste, but I still overall enjoyed this read.

This was such a fun and adorable read. The main character was a bit of a disaster, but that was his point. It’s not my usually go-to for a book but still found it entertaining and got through it relatively quickly. Definitely a perfect summer read.

I loved Webber's first book, and while I enjoyed this one I did not like it as much as the first one. I felt I could not really connect with the main characters very well, and did not really care for them. This is a fun summer read as long as you go into it knowing it is not going to be deep.

Read if you enjoy
• lighthearted
• flawed characters
• soccer
• ya

While I've veered away from YA as I've gotten older, this book really grabbed me with both hands and didn't let go! I've been a fan of Robby Weber's other work, but this one really took it for me. I love sport's romance, and this one was so sweet and fun.

I Like Me Better is a story that I do feel I would have enjoyed more when I was closer to this age group. Reading it now, there were so many moments when I was taken out of the story due to how young it felt. Not a bad thing, simply not for me.

Zack is trying to balance a lot. There is a lot on his plate, and he doesn’t seem to know how to handle any of it. Between balancing his parents’ divorce and trying to be the best leader for the team, he’s strung tight. Making a lot of decisions that even he knows aren’t the best ones, but to they feel like they are his only option. Due to his decision-making and how he is trying to handle things, I believe he would be a relatable character for a lot of people, especially teens.

Throughout the whole book, I wondered if there was going to be a romance here. The cover and the synopsis made me believe that, but I really never felt the chemistry between the two characters. There was no pull between them. I really got the feeling that Zack and Chip were platonic and would have been better if they stayed that way.

The summer vibes were great throughout this, though. In fact, if there was one thing this book did do extremely well, it’s oozing summer vibes. The constant beach scenes added to it and really made me long for the warm beach.

For older individuals, this might feel a little too YA for you. Otherwise, go ahead and give this a chance as it could be a book for you.

I haven’t read a book that made me so immediately mad at a main character the way this one did, but I’m happy to say the author is managed to write an honest and funny story about a teenage boy growing and learning. This follows Zack, a rising senior who takes the fall for a prank his former soccer captain actually did in order to solidify their friendship and his own shot at being captain. I was completely shocked at this stupidity, but so were the few soccer teammates that caught on to this lie. There some great supporting characters in this, that really tell Zack how it is. Zack also manages to learn a lot by doing some community service for his prank, meeting a boy, and deciding to help with a single-use plastic initiative. I was surprised with how many small lessons the author, Robby Weber, managed to pack into this about peer pressure, friendship, the environment, and having more than one passion. I don’t think this was perfect or really did anything new, but it was sweet and fun.

I Like Me Better by Robby Weber is a fun YA summer romance. What keeps this one from being a total goal for me (is that a working soccer pun?) is that the foundational premise of the book is just a bit weak. That said, back to my first point, it's a fun YA summer romance.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book, as this book has already been published, I will not share my review on Netgalley at this time.

I think this is just an alright gay summery romance, but I think I despised the main character so much that I couldn't in any good conscience root for the romance.

I like me better was a cute story of finding one’s self during the summer and standing up for what is right and wrong. The romance was sweet and the summer vibes were definitely felt with this one I will be recommending it to everyone as I’ve started falling in love with Robby webers books!

This was such a cute and fun read! Can‘t believe I waited so long to finally read it.
I recently got out of my young adult era so I wasn’t too sure about this book but it was so wholesome and I enjoyed reading it.
The struggles in relationships and friendships felt so real and believable!

Thanks NetGalley for an earc

This story was really cute, it was a light read and had low stakes. I've read this author before and I actually quite enjoyed his previous books, however, this wasn't the most remarkable book I've read. Don't get me wrong it was really good and I would definitely recommend it, however, it wasn't revolutionary. This book goes over dealing with difficult encounters and is very well written.

I would recommend this cute book :)

Robby Webber can do no wrong to me so I obvi enjoyed this. I liked it way more then his first book. It was so good.

I was very excited for this one. I’m a big soccer fan and am always looking for more LGBTQ books to read so i thought that this one would be great to check out. It started off interesting. The characters were seamless and the LGBTQ aspects were worked into the story in a great way. What made me DNF the story was Zach. I could see what was trying to happen with him taking the blame for the prank but I didn’t think it was executed properly. His complete lack of involvement in the prank made his confession so unbelievable. And after he took the blame, I found him to be whiny about his consequences. He could’ve just told the truth to get out of the consequence sooner but he didn’t and just complained. I just couldn’t handle his character anymore. The writing itself was easy to follow along with but the characters and plot were not there for me.

I Like Me Better is the second book from Robby Weber, and I had a lot of conflicting emotions about this one.

Zack wants to be captain of his soccer team so he takes the fall for a prank in the hopes that the leaving captain will put in a good word for him. His community service lands him at a marine conservation center, with a cute intern named Chip capturing his attention.

I like Weber and his work but this one just didn’t do It for me. It was sweet but almost a little too simple. This one is pretty much right down the middle.

3 stars

I don't read a lot of YA but I love a queer romance. This was good. The main character was well developed but the love interest was pretty boring and lacked depth. I would have liked to see him developed more with some vulnerability. Loved the outcome though, especially the comeuppance for the antagonist.

I Like Me Better by Robby Weber combines soccer and ocean conservation in a sweet summer romance. The main character discovers a lot about himself throughout the book, and I enjoyed the discussions about marine life and the environment. This is a great read for those looking for a beach read with the enemies to lovers trope.

When soccer star Zack takes the blame for a prank his captain orchestrated, he finds himself stuck with community service for the summer. However, when he meets a cute boy at the beach and negotiates his way into volunteering with the marine institute, where the boy from the beach turns out to be the head intern, Zack’s summer starts looking up, minus the fact that Chip resents him for the prank. As Zack and Chip get closer but Zack’s reputation looms, Zack must sort out his priorities and decide what kind of future he wants for himself.

To be honest, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Zack. While I appreciate that him taking the blame was what he thought was best for the soccer team, I struggled with the lying aspect. Zack does learn a lot throughout the book, and his changing relationship with soccer makes him relatable, but I had a hard time rooting for him as I was reading.

One of my favourite aspects of this book is the marine conservation theme. While the prank Zack took credit for involves a dead shark, a significant part of the book involves passing an ordinance to help marine life, and the marine institute setting is a great backdrop promoting ocean education. This is such an interesting element that adds an extra layer of meaning to the story.

I Like Me Better by Robby Weber is a sweet summer romance about finding yourself. While I struggled to root for the main character, I enjoyed the setting and the marine conservation elements throughout the book. Those looking for something beachy that touches on timely topics will not want to miss this one.

Zack is a rising senior at his highschool and expected to be the next soccer captain. He takes the fall for the previous captain's prank in hopes that it will make him look more like a team player. Zack is forced to do community service, where he meets Chip and falls for him instantly. Zack deals with these feelings for Chip, tough relationships between his parents, fights with his long-time best friends, and trying to hold the soccer team together, all while navigating what he really wants for his future.

I really enjoyed I Like Me Better! It was packed with references to books, games, movies, and Taylor Swift that I found hilarious. It was a perfect queer beach read that had some adorable banter between Zack and Chip. I love this setting of sea-side Citrus Harbor and their Marine Institute. It was such a colorful place and I'd love to get a spinoff with Zack's friends finding love. A lot of mistakes were made by Zack and while it's frustrating to read at times, that's not only typical of the genre but of teenagers. The read was overall happy and cute and I am so glad I got the opportunity to read it.

I received a free advanced reader's copy from Netgalley and Inkyard Press and am voluntarily reviewing it with my honest opinion.

What a cute summer read. Really enjoyed the marine life aspect of it being a water lover myself. Low angst, but enough to keep the plot interesting.

Much like his debut novel "If You Change Your Mind" last year, Robby Weber's "I Like Me Better" is the perfect summer read.

But this time with sharks.

After taking the fall for a heinous prank in order to maintain his shot at being voted captain, romance blossoms between conflicted soccer-star Zack and devoted intern Chip at the local seaside conservation centre.

Plus sharks.

Occasionally repetitive and at times far-fetched, this story about finding yourself and leadership and responsibility and young love is flawed but fun.

Did I mention sharks?