⚽️𝕊𝕥𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔽𝕠𝕣 𝕂𝕖𝕖𝕡𝕤 - 𝔽𝕣𝕠𝕤𝕥 𝕃𝕒𝕜𝕖 ℍ𝕚𝕘𝕙 𝟙 - ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨⚽️

Author: Rebecca Jenshak

Couple: Claire Crawford & Austin Keller

Tropes:
⚽️YA Romance
💙High school romance
⚽️Soccer romance
💙Captain’s ex-girlfriend
⚽️Friends to lovers
💙Figure Skater x Soccer Star
⚽️Sweet romance
💙Found family

Review: 𝕊𝕥𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔽𝕠𝕣 𝕂𝕖𝕖𝕡𝕤 brings you back to the angst filled and awkward days of high school crushes, cocky jocks and first love! Rebecca brought me back to the days where all you had to worry about was turning in your algebra homework or if your crush liked you back in this book and the sweet and feel good romance Claire and Austin had put me in the feels from start to end. 𝕊𝕥𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔽𝕠𝕣 𝕂𝕖𝕖𝕡𝕤 had me rooting for Austin Keller from the minute we meet the hotshot soccer star who falls head over heels for his Captain’s ex-girlfriend.

While this was a YA romance full of the teenage angst and awkward moments - Claire and Austin were also characters that had full stories with real problems and baggage. Rebecca was able to weave real life situations with both of their stories that helped to solidify their relationship together and I enjoyed how they both learned to lean on one another as they grew closer. I absolutely ADORED how Austin struggled with being 100% devoted to soccer but began realizing that Claire was someone who would easily become more important than a game. It was also heart warming to see him try and get her to be on the ice again even if she wasn’t able to compete.

𝕊𝕥𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔽𝕠𝕣 𝕂𝕖𝕖𝕡𝕤 was a 5 star binge-worthy romance and Rebecca outdid herself with Claire and Austin in this YA soccer romance. I enjoyed the blend of soccer, romance and friendships in this book and absolutely adored how she made sure to include the banter and razzing among the soccer team. The way she was able to balance the tension with Austin and Claire’s ex-boyfriend who was Austin’s tam captain had me anxious to see what would happen but also rooting for Austin to pull ahead since he won my heart over right away. 𝕊𝕥𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔽𝕠𝕣 𝕂𝕖𝕖𝕡𝕤 was the perfect step into Frost Lake High and I am so excited to get more of these soccer stars as they find their missing pieces!

Rating: 100+; I was unable to put 𝕊𝕥𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔽𝕠𝕣 𝕂𝕖𝕖𝕡𝕤 down until the very end when Austin and Claire finally got their swoony teenage angst filled HEA!

Thank you Rebecca & Bloom Books for the eARC!


⚽️𝕊𝕥𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔽𝕠𝕣 𝕂𝕖𝕖𝕡𝕤 - 𝔽𝕣𝕠𝕤𝕥 𝕃𝕒𝕜𝕖 ℍ𝕚𝕘𝕙 𝟙 - 𝔸𝕦𝕕𝕚𝕠𝕓𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨⚽️

Author: Rebecca Jenshak

Narrators: Abigail Reno & Max Meyers

Couple: Claire Crawford & Austin Keller

Tropes:
⚽️YA Romance
💙High school romance
⚽️Soccer romance
💙Captain’s ex-girlfriend
⚽️Friends to lovers
💙Figure Skater x Soccer Star
⚽️Sweet romance
💙Found family

Review: 𝕊𝕥𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔽𝕠𝕣 𝕂𝕖𝕖𝕡𝕤 was a sweet and swoon audiobook narrated by Abigail Reno and Max Meyers that brought back memories of high school crushes and teenage angst. Rebecca picked two narrators who were able to embody to voices, emotions and characters in this story and I adored how they both brought Claire and Austin to life! 𝕊𝕥𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔽𝕠𝕣 𝕂𝕖𝕖𝕡𝕤 has been one of my favorite audiobooks by Rebecca and the way Abigail and Max narrated this book was so in sync that I felt like I was right alongside them!

The way Abigail was able to voice Claire’s worries and also make us feel like we were immersed inside her story had me going though all the ups and downs in her POV. Add that onto Max narrated Austin as the perfect player, sweetheart and teenage boy and we had a perfect balance of sweet and cozy romance. While they both were terrific narrators, Max truly shined with Austin’s character since I felt like Austin was who drew me in the most to this book. 𝕊𝕥𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔽𝕠𝕣 𝕂𝕖𝕖𝕡𝕤 had me unable to hit pause while listening and I loved my time entering the Frost Lake High soccer team and inside Claire and Austin’s romance!

Rating: 5/5; 𝕊𝕥𝕖𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔽𝕠𝕣 𝕂𝕖𝕖𝕡𝕤 had me giggling like a high schooler and the narrator truly brought the A game to this audiobook production!

Thank you Rebecca for the ALC!

Great start for this new series!

Rebecca Jenshak is entering into the YA genre and starts off with a great book! In fact, I often forgot these were HS kids, this book was so good and pulled me right into the story.

Austin has moved with his entire family to live his soccer dream and play for Frost Lake High's premier soccer team and legendary coach. Claire is starting her junior year in a bit of a tailspin as she lost her dream career when an injury derailed her figure skating dreams AND her boyfriend broke up with her at the start of the summer while he was pursuing his own dreams.

Not only that, but those two had been best friends for years, so that's a double whammy. She meets Austin in a hilarious, sparkly way and then meets him again after one of his teammates dares him to kiss her....not realizing she is the ex of his team's captain. Oh my!

This starts an awkward relationship that turns into a sweet friendship that turns into something more. I really loved these two together and how they brought out the best in each other. Their love was more mature than most YA stories even with the requisite angsty moments.

A thoroughly enjoyable read and I can't wait to read more from this series!

I voluntarily requested, read, and devoured this uncorrected advance reader copy.

This really is a teen romance. I hadn’t realised just how teen/ya it would be, however I did enjoy getting back to the young angst and teenage dilemmas faced in high school!

When a new soccer star comes to Frost Lake High, he doesn’t just find a place on the team but also in the heart of his captains ex-girlfriend….!
I liked the care Ms Jenshak has taken with these young characters. They are all well developed and the dynamic between them is believable.

This story isn’t steamy but it is a nostalgic indulgence with all the high school drama and first love butterflies!!
As with all her books, the authors writing flows really nicely, some lovely cute touches and the importance of the best friend role is brilliantly portrayed. This is perfect for the targeted audience.

STEALING FOR KEEPS By Rebecca Jenshak

When Austin Keller's family moves across the country for his chance to play with the prestigious Frost Lake soccer team, he's ready to seize the opportunity. But on his first night out with the team, a dare to kiss the team captain's ex-girlfriend sets in motion a rivalry that threatens his future.
Claire Crawford was once an aspiring figure skater, but a recent injury has changed everything. To make matters worse, her boyfriend dumped her. Starting her junior year, she's unsure of her next steps. One thing she knows for sure: she's not falling for the new guy. That electrifying kiss at the bonfire? Already forgotten…almost.
He's chasing his dreams. She's lost hers. The more Claire tries to push him away, the harder he works to win her over. He's stealing her heart, and he's doing it for keeps.

😊What i liked -

✔ Friends To Love/Young Adult/Sports.
✔ I loved the whole first meet and the way Austin gets his 'Disco' nickname.
✔ I felt really bad for Claire. But I loved the way she turned it all around.
✔ I feel this will not be a popular opinion but I did like Vaughn. (not throughout, but i did like him)
✔ It's a sweet, cute, swoony read.

🤔What could have been better-

✔ She is one of my Favorite authors and I love her books. I liked this but I did not love it. (I know this is her first YA, so i am 100% sure her next YA will be wow)


📚Who Should read :
👶Beginners
💝Romance Lover
💕Friends To Lovers Romance
⚽Sports Romance


📈My Rating : 3/5

Thank you, Rebecca Jenshak, for a copy.

This book was so cute. I loved Claire and Austin’s instant chemistry and how they became such good friends. This sports/ex boyfriend’s teammate/high school romance was so fun. Four stars

SFK is a YA romance that will have you hooked from start to finish! I absolutely LOVED Austin and Claire. Their meet cute left me with all the warm and fuzzies and to top it off they have so much in common! Then there is the problem..her ex and to top it off he is the captain of the soccer team. The same team that is the sole reason Austin’s entire family has moved so he could attend Frost Lake High. I can’t wait to see where this new series will go.

It was such an amazing start to this new YA romance series by one of my favorite authors, Rebecca Jenshak.

Claire's and Austin's chemistry was palpable from the start. We get to read all about what it's like to be in high school, finding our first love and the pressure of thinking about the future. It was such an amazing read, and I can't wait to read more books of the Frost Lake series.

This is my first book by Rebecca. This is an easy read that I got hooked on right away. Took me right back to my high school days. I really enjoyed this read. If you enjoy high school romances or sport romances this is a sweet book to go with. I will definitely be reading more book by Rebecca!!

“I like the way he sees me. The way he draws me. The way he always seems to know exactly what I need.”

Stealing for Keeps was definitely Rebecca Jenshak’s cutest book to date. I felt like I was reading, instead of watching, one of my favorite young adult coming of age sitcoms. There’s drama, there’s angst, there’s the sweet butterflies in your stomach feeling of truly falling in love for the first time, but there’s also some relatable real stuff that happens in this story. The dynamics between some of the characters and their families and friends, and just how different teens have different expectations thrust upon them by others/themselves and how that impacts them.

I truly enjoyed Austin and Claire’s story and I’m excited to see there is at least one more book in the series. So many great characters that I fell in love with in SfK, and some who I’d love see get a little redemption with their own stories. I think this story is perfect for anyone who enjoys romance reads, but with the sweetness of young love.

I definitely see why this got DNF'd but another reviewer. It felt very underwhelming. It has the ability to be more but just wasn't there. It was a little too young for me. I have read a good amount of YA but this was more YYYA.

I ended up DNFing this book at 46% in.

The book starts out with Claire entering her Junior year of high school after a truly horrible summer. She's injured her foot and this has resulted in her essentially losing the ability to ever compete in figure skating again, which was her passion. At the same time, her boyfriend of two years, Vaughn, decides he wants to prioritize soccer over their relationship, her mother is very emotionally distant, her father lives in a different house and her best friend, Lacey, is so overly positive that Claire doesn't want to bring her down with her sour mood.

Enter Austin, who has moved from Arizona to Claire's school so that he could be coached by an ex-professional soccer player (which just so happens to be Vaughn's father) for his Junior Year. At his first high school party in his new town, he's dared to kiss Claire, unaware that she is Vaughn's ex and that Vaughn isn't over her. This causes issues within the team and despite having feelings for Claire, Austin decides he'd rather save face with Vaughn than pursue Claire, since soccer is his passion and his whole family was just uprooted for that goal.

Starting off with what I liked from what I read - Claire's plight with the aftermath of her injury was palpable at moments. Lacey is a really good friend and a great side character; I found myself rooting for her more than I did the main characters. The scenes between Claire and Austin's little brother were heart-warming and really helped flesh out her character and make it apparent why Austin would fall for her. I loved Claire's backbone when it came to how she dealt with Vaughn and Austin.

However, I found it very cutesy, but falling flat of being entertaining. I get that it's a Young Adult novel, but it read more middle-grade to me. At the same time, it felt very drawn out. By 46%, I felt like it should be nearing the end of the story, but it seemed there was a lot of page turning happening but not a lot going on. It felt super circular - one step forward and three steps back. Austin's entire reasoning for liking Claire was "she's pretty" for a good majority of the book - up until she sits with his little brother and talks about Legos, but by that time, I'd already found myself bored.

I was SO pumped to get my hands on this ARC! Rebecca Jenshak is an auto-buy author for me, and I was super curious about this new YA romance. The characters feel incredibly real and mature, even though they're navigating the high school scene.

Claire and Austin- absolutely adorable. Their romance is sweet and believable, and their glitter bomb meet-cute is chef's kiss. I could totally relate to both of them – their feelings, their thoughts, the whole deal. Even the side characters were awesome.

I'm already craving more of this series and can't wait to see what happens with Claire and Austin in the future.

For fans of:

Rebecca Jenshak
YA romance
Sports romances (especially soccer!)
Friends-to-lovers
Secret relationships
Soccer star & former figure skater
Teammates' ex-girlfriends (the drama!)
This book has something for everyone!

Thank you so much to Rebecca Jenshak, NetGalley, and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for an ARC of this book. I voluntarily read it and gave an honest review.

I have read basically all of Rebecca's books this year, and have absolutely loved every one of them. This is her first YA book, and I thought it was fantastic!

I am excited for the rest of the series

Stealing for Keeps is a super cute young adult sports romance by Rebecca Jenshak. Although YA is not my preferred genre, if Rebecca writes it, I will read it. I adored Claire and Austin and am completely invested in Frost Lake High. Claire and Austin's story begins when they literally bump into each other in the hallway on Austin's first day and sparks fly. Later, Austin is dared to kiss Claire at a party. He soon finds out Claire used to date the captain of his new soccer team. Despite being told Claire is definitely not a girl he should pursue, Austin and Claire have undeniable chemistry and can't seem to stay away from each other. I enjoyed the development of Claire and Austin's relationship from strangers to friends to something more. It was fun witnessing them navigate the everyday challenges of high school while trying to keep their forbidden romance a secret. The characters are relatable, their dilemmas are realistic, and their romance is age-appropriate. I look forward to what comes next in this series.

Thanks to Rebecca Jenshak, Blooms Books/Sourcebooks, and NetGalley for providing me with a gifted advanced reader copy. Opinions expressed are my own.

Stealing for Keeps was a cute quick read. I had not read a "young adult" romance in a while and it did take me a minute to get into. I can see myself enjoying this book more if I was younger. Overall, this was a cute read, it made me laugh throughout. Their chemistry was undeniable. I am excited to see if we are getting a Lacey and Rowan book.

4 stars!

When I heard that Rebecca Jenshak was writing a YA book, I knew I had to get my hands on it! I have loved all the NA books I’ve read by her, and I was so curious about this new adventure. Needless to say, I really liked this one. I actually read it in so little time, and since December was a terrible month because I read so little (I was in a terrible slump), I consider this a huge win! But honestly, all her books always keep me hooked, so it was no surprise.

Austin Keller is the new guy at Frost Lake High. He and his family have moved from Arizona to Michigan because he’s a soccer player, and he wanted to be trained by his soccer hero. On his first day, he meets Claire Crawford in a very "meet cute" moment. At a party, he has to kiss Claire for a dare, little does he know she’s his team captain’s ex-girlfriend, who still wants to get back with her. Because of this, Claire and Austin start a secret relationship—but what happens when secrets inevitably come out?

This story was very enjoyable and I def recommend it. And honestly? There are so many characters I want to read more about! Especially Austin’s sister—I’m so curious about her story.

If you like sports romance, the new-guy-at-school trope, secret relationship trope or high school romance books, you have to pick this one up!

Arc received by Valentine PR and Rebecca Jenshak, thank you so much!

I really loved this book. It showed the struggles of being a teenager that I had forgotten. You have to be the best, have good grades , but still have fun with friends and not get into trouble.
As a mother of a teenager now it showed me how I want them to succeed, but still be there for them whatever they choose.
Claire and Austin were great together. They got along so well.
Lacey was perfect! I hope her and Rowan get together!
I can’t wait to see the rest of this book world!

Rating: 2.5⭐️

Okay, so this was not my favourite book the author has put out.

At the beginning, I really liked our two leads, Austin and Claire. However, they got on my nerves the more I read. My biggest issue was how they handled the whole situation with Claire’s ex-boyfriend, Vaughn. I wished Claire had more of a backbone and held her ground when it came to him. He treated her terribly by breaking up with her immediately after the injury that ended her figure skating career. But now all of sudden he wants her back and Claire never conveys how much he hurt her and just lets him continue claiming to everyone that they’ll eventually get back together.

As for Austin, it’s obvious from his POV that he has feelings for Claire, but he denies this when Vaughn asks him directly which leads to so much unnecessary drama. Miscommunication trope continues to be one of the worst tropes ever… Claire and Austin constantly gave each other mixed signals. One moment they were into each other and the next they’re acting cold and avoiding each other. It was super frustrating.

I do think that their behaviour stems mainly from the YA genre. There were a lot of moments that felt childish and juvenile and that’s not something I usually see in the author’s new adult/adult romance books. I have read YA books where characters have more maturity, but I don’t know if this was the author’s way of differentiating between YA and adult. It didn’t really work for me though.

Despite those issues, I liked Austin and Claire’s meet cute. They also had good banter and chemistry. There was definitely some insta-love, but that wasn’t my biggest problem with the book. It honestly didn’t bother me as much here.

The supporting characters really elevated the story though. I loved the friendships that were shown throughout the book. Austin’s little brother Wyatt stole the spotlight every time he showed up as well. He was so freaking cute. I also appreciated how the author didn’t make Vaughn a major jerk. There was more to him. I still didn’t really like him, but he wasn’t one-dimensional. He might be the lead for the next book?

All in all, this was not a perfect book but there were some aspects I enjoyed and I’m interested to see what the author does with Vaughn’s book.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Stealing for Keeps is a YA contemporary, sports romance from Rebecca Jenshak and this was so cute! Rebecca Jenshak is already one of my favorite romance authors, and this high school romance was such a delight.

He’s the new soccer star and gets dared to kiss a cute girl on his first day…which happens to be his new team captain’s ex-girlfriend!

Soccer is everything to Austin Keller, in face he and his family moved from Arizona to Michigan specifically for him to play for the prestigious soccer team there. On his first day at Frost Lake High School he runs into—literally runs into, Claire, and gets doused in sparkle. That moment earns him the nickname “Disco” from his new teammates and a crush on the cute girl he ran into.

Claire has been a figure skater her whole life, but a recent injury has her second guessing her future plans. I really liked her character and seeing the complicated relationship between her and her mother. I liked seeing Claire and Austin feel pulled to one another but also him trying to push her away because of her being his team captain’s ex.

“I dare you to kiss me.”

I just really loved this one! There is just something about a high school setting and that coming-of-age aspect to the story where the options feel endless for what you can do with your life…the friends, the hobbies and sports you are into, the relationships, all the highs and lows of that self discovery happening. So good and this was just such a great YA romance debut from an existing romance author!

This was a great book the end 2024 and start 2025 with. Rebecca Jenshak's writing was just as fun and addictive as always. I love that she tried something a little new with Stealing for Keeps being YA. She did a great job making the characters feel authentically like teenagers who do sometimes stupid teenager things while keeping the story on the lighter side. I loved how Frost Lake High school, the sports, and the students came to life. Claire and Austin's story was adorable, and all their friends and family added to that. Their romance wasn't without teen drama, but it wasn't over the top and fit the story well. I can't wait to see what is next in this series.