Thanks to netgalley for the Arc! All opinions re my own. While I always appreciate LGBTQ lit for young people, this one didn’t end up being one I would recommend to young people as it had some things I don’t care for in YA romance, including when you have enemies to lovers romance where one (or both) show cruelty I can’t look past. I know they’re teens and maybe not comfortable with their sexuality, but treating someone the way these girls do just rubbed me the wrong way. So, while I appreciate stories like these making it into turn ends of teens so they can see love is love and people “just like me,” I want more for YA romance. FYI profanity and sexual situations

Kit Rosewater wrote the YA/New Adult sports romance of my dreams. Field hockey is such an unusual and unknown sport to most Americans so to see it front and center was a delight. I'm sure some readers will have issues with the conversations regarding identity and queerness, but I remained focus on the true audience of this tale....young ones who are still trying to work it out themselves. I applaud Rosewater's efforts to elevate this as a means of introducing the concept of gender studies to the reader as well. Go get this book now! Overwhelmingly enjoyed!

Thank you to Random House Children's | Delacorte Romance and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

As a bisexual person this hurt to read. I was very excited about this book just for it to be wry disappointing. Why are we still talking about whether or not there’s more then a gay and straight person.

I was hooked from the beginning!!
It was amazing and engaging.
I was instantly sucked in by the atmosphere and writing style.
The characters were all very well developed .
The writing is exceptional and I was hooked after the first sentence.

A lovely coming-of-age book with a hefty romantic subplot. I felt like the representation about being bisexual felt authentic and messy in the best way possible.

I love queer sports books and I love queer awakenings, however this one was kind of a flop. I thought that Evelyn and Rosa had clear chemistry and I was rooting for them. But I found myself frustrated with so many decisions by Evelyn. I know she was trying to live up to some promise made before her mom died, but man it took her too long to realize that she needed to live for herself and not what her mom wished she had accomplished. Also, I really disliked Evelyn and Katie's friendship. Like both of them were awful friends to one another. I think the book would've been better served by acknowledging that maybe their friendship wasn't meant to last.

Anyway, this was cute enough if you don't think too much about it. Definitely not a new favorite, and I feel there are many other better books covering the topics in this one.

*3.5 Stars*

This was pretty good. I liked the characters overall but I didn't feel much. I did like the field hockey setting, it's not something I'm not used to read about. I still felt like this lacked a little depth. I just wished for more. It still wasn't bad. I liked Rosa more than the MC to be honest and it was a fast read. I do love a fast read, I just wished there was a bit more!

No. Why are we, in the year 2025, still acting like there’s gay & there’s straight & if you’re bi you just haven’t chosen yet. Bisexuality is not fake and I’m tired of having to say this.

This is just one of the things I did not like about this book. I didn’t find that there was any chemistry between Rosa & Evelyn. Why did the author feel the need to include open door sex scenes in a YA book? Why did these characters sound like they’re in college instead of sound like high school?

Ultimately this book was not my thing and I’m really sad it wasn’t because I was looking forward to it.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

I don't read a lot of romance, let alone YA romance, so I wasn't sure this was going to be up my alley, but I am so glad I gave it a shot. Evelyn is a messy baby gay with mama trauma and an undue amount of responsibility on her shoulders. She's facing a gay awakening, battling compulsive heterosexuality, confronting the potential difficulties of living as an openly queer person, grieving the idea of what her family "should" be, discovering intersectional feminism (!), and learning that there's more to being a person than living up to the expectations of others. I can't help but see part of myself in her, and I'm proud of both of us for the journey we've been on. And then there's Rosa, your dream girl's dream girl. She's smart, confident, dedicated, and she knows her worth. I wish we'd gotten more of her story, there's so much more to say about the role racism plays in women's sports, and I want to see Rosa tear those walls down. Maybe there's a sequel there?
I do want to address something I noticed in some of the other reviews. There are two moments of sexual intimacy in this book. Neither gives physical anatomical descriptions, and no sex acts are described. They both focus more on how the intimacy affects Evelyn emotionally. They both are completely grounded in consent, setting an excellent example of how to give and withdraw consent, and how to ask your partner for theirs. I don't think either scene was explicit or graphic, and though they may not have been detrimentally necessary to the plot, I think they added depth to Evelyn's story and character development.
Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC, I will be looking out for Rosewater's next book!

As well-intentioned Evelyn barrels through her senior year with all of the deftness of a hockey goalie in full padding, her riotous misadventures peel back the layers of her identity, revealing a nuanced exploration of individuality beneath parental expectations, friendships and relationships, and personal aspirations. Within this rousing tribute to women's sports, Rosewater calls for inclusivity of all those overshadowed by "men's sports" culture and gives readers a lens into one girl's attempt to find her sexuality when the labels don't quite fit. An essential addition to your queer YA rom com shelf!

Two rival hockey players, an unlikely romance, and so much high school drama. Evelyn has wanted one thing only: to follow in her mother's hockey footprints and make a name for herself. Evelyn is determined to beat her school's rival and finally win a scholarship to her mother's alma mater... the only problem is that her school's rival team has a new talented recruit... Rosa Alvarez, a stunning, talented, and sweet girl who gets under Evelyn's skin in a way she never expected. Evelyn finds her game thrown off when she begins to fall for her and yet this means facing her team, facing everyone else in her life, and finally falling for a girl for the first time in her life. This one was okay, but it just wasn't for me. The romance didn't really feel there and I just wasn't as invested as I had hope. The story just kind of fell off for me and the third act breakup was meh. I really do think that Rosa was too good for Evelyn. Overall, I think maybe some younger YA readers looking for a sapphic hockey romance will like thi8s.

Release Date: May 6, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's | Delacorte Romance for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you to Netgalley for the free Arc!

A fun sports romance book. Evelyn's goal her entire life has been to go to Duke for field hockey . She has been obsessed with field hockey ever since her mom passed away from cancer when she was 12 and her mom wanted her to follow in her footsteps. This makes her feel close to her mom. During her senior year, a new field hockey player starts at a rival school, Rosa, who is the first to challenge Evelyn's field hockey prowess. She also gets under Evelyn's skin in a way that makes her question her relationship with her boyfriend, Caleb.

Overall, All's Fair in Love and Field Hockey had wonderful potential and set up, but it fell woefully flat for me. Having been a queer and confused fifteen-year-old ice hockey player at one point in my life, a sapphic romance between a forward and a goalie on rival teams couldn't have been more up my alley. The story was engaging and I finished it in one sitting. Evelyn's backstory was touching, the conflicts were interesting, and the character's voice felt spot-on for a teenager. I just had too many issues with the book to rate it highly.

Firstly, I am exhausted of bisexuality being portrayed as merely a stepping stone to becoming "real gay." Evelyn struggles with this terror that she might be gay, "or even worse, fake gay, and I don't even like the idea of being bi anyway" (Ch 12). I hoped that the sentiment would eventually get addressed through the course of the story's development (we all have to start somewhere), but it doesn't. Not adequately, anyway. Instead, the novel is full of off comments like Evelyn asking Rosa, "'You put a queer icon on your thigh that only partially shows under a field hockey uniform. Isn't that, like, the definition of queer baiting?' 'Ah, no.' Rosa wags a finger. 'It's only queer baiting if I don't follow through. But I always reel in my catches, viejito" (Ch 18). Like… excuse me? I hate to break it to everyone, but queer-baiting is not a thing that real people can do, in real life. It's a misleading marketing strategy whose purpose is to sell fiction. This idea that bisexuals aren't "really gay" or are "baiting" people if they don't prove themselves via specific sexual acts or by suffering in a particular way is ludicrous. All of this was explained away with one line at the end: "It was homophobic… and it's harmful to dismiss bisexuality" (Ch 28). No way, really? This resolution served as more of a tell than a show, since there was no scene or inciting incident that led Evelyn to this conclusion. It just came out of nowhere, like an afterthought meant to tie everything up neatly, except it was not compelling or convincing.

This undealt-with internalized homophobia is not a good example for young queer teens. As an aside, the emphasis on an aversion to labels, which does have its merits in certain contexts, begs the question why the term lesbian is treated like a dirty word that is only suited to the unsavory, one-dimensional characters in the book.

Secondly, this was uncharacteristically sexually explicit for a YA novel. My usual opinion on this neverending contentious debate is that teens deserve education. That could look like many different things, whether it's demonstrating what consent looks like or helping to identify and navigate unfamiliar feelings. But sex whose only purpose is the readers' titillation belongs in the adult aisle. It's hard to understate how uncomfortable it was to read about how minors are grinding on each other, or moaning into each others' mouths, or biting each other's bare hips. I feel that a lot of those scenes or descriptions were mostly unnecessary, and therefore inappropriate. There are many ways to reflect teens' experiences with sexuality and provide them with insight without treating it like erotica.

I think that this story would've done significantly better if it were aged up to New Adult, as a college-aged sports romance. The tone and many of the events, like the incessant swearing, the graphic dorm-room sex scenes, the tattoos, and the complete autonomy the characters enjoy already read like this was intended for an older age demographic. All that would have needed to be replaced was the "which college will I get into?" issue with a "will Evelyn make it pro or not?" issue. Rosa could still attend a rival school and retain her ambivalent attitude about the sport if she needed to play field hockey for scholarship money, which would've retained the conflict she and Evelyn have about their differing investment in the game.

Anyway, I have more to say, but that's probably enough from me for now. If you're looking for a story about queer teens dealing with heavy issues in a healthy way, you're better off with Alice Oseman's Heartstopper. If you're looking for a book that digs into what it means to be a woman and Latina in professional sports, Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid is wonderful. And if you're looking for a YA coming-of-age sapphic rom-com about a bisexual girl trying to figure out what it means to fit into the queer community as a questioning or closeted person, Imogen Obviously by Becky Albertalli is a fantastic choice and a personal favorite of mine.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the eARC in exchange for my honest voluntary review. Quotations were checked against the final printed copy.

"All's Fair in Love and Field Hockey" was a very enjoyable YA read. I enjoy Kit Rosewater's writing style. It's engaging and heartfelt, and I absolutely flew through the book. I really loved the characters and I was rooting for them all! This is more than just a fluffy queer romance. The tension was palpable right from the start. I liked that this didn’t really have the enemies vibe these kinds of books often have. They were rivals AND lovers, and they also had so much else going on outside of their secret relationship. I especially loved the parts where Evelyn was finding herself and realizing field hockey wasn’t the only thing she could do. I loved her and Rosa together. I loved that Rosa challenged her to view things differently, to really think about what she wanted. I also really enjoyed her brother, Seth, and the relationship they had. Thanks to Netgalley, Kit Rosewater, Random House Children’s and Delacorte Press for an e-arc in exchange for my thoughts. I look forward to reading what Kit writes next.

A lovely YA romance featuring the importance of women in sports.

I definitely struggle with miscommunication tropes, especially being outside of the target audience and wanting to gently push characters back together. However, I pushed through it, and it felt rewarding.

This was an interesting book. I enjoyed the romance and it was cool seeing her accept the fact that she liked girls pretty easily. My one thing with the book is the fact that it had random time jumps. They hung out once and then all of a sudden it was a regular thing but we weren't being shown it. Overall I had a good time.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Evelyn's whole life is field hockey. It's in her blood and it's her family legacy. Even more so in the wake of her mother's passing. Now it's her senior year and her time to shine on the field. Only she never counted on a distracting player from a rival team.

Read if you like:
-YA Coming of Age
-Finding Your Own Path
-Rivals to Lovers
-Queer Romance

All's Fair in Love and Field Hockey was entertaining but it wasn't deep. It stayed very surface level until almost the very end. I wish there had been stronger emotions because the setup would have lent itself well toward some great teenage angst. The third act was the strongest part of the book and I really enjoyed reading about Evelyn finally forging her own path.

dnf’d at 30%. maybe YA isn’t for me anymore? i’m not giving with the writing, it’s truly not standing out to me and these characters thus far are very sports oriented (as is the point, i wholeheartedly understand) but i wish these rivals were together more often for me to believe in their chemistry

There’s a lot to love about this. The rivalry and sexual tension between Evelyn and Rosa was great. I was rooting for them to get together from that first cheeky wink. The development of their relationship from competitors to training partners to lovers was so much fun. I got a kick out of their banter and thought the way they were able to open up to each other was very sweet.

One thing I didn’t buy was that a teen with an LGBTQ+ sibling, sapphic friends, and full access to the internet would have no idea how two girls have sex, even if I fully believe her ex boyfriend was the type not to take care of her needs beyond getting his own met. At the very least, I’d expect her to Google sapphic sex before her hot date with the girl she’s super into, even if reading about something isn’t exactly the same as doing it.

I also was a little thrown by a high schooler having a tattoo. Though, I don’t remember Rosa’s age being given, so maybe she was eighteen?

The last quarter of the book went a little off the rails for me. The breakup felt a forced, and I didn’t agree with Katie being forgiven. But I did like the Evelyn’s epiphany and her reconciliation with Rosa.

Overall, I enjoyed this and would recommend it to anyone who enjoy sporty sapphic YA romance.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher and am voluntarily leaving this review.

Thank you Kit Rosewater, Random House Children’s, and NetGalley for the ARC.

This definitely reads YA especially for the third act break up due to miscommunication. I unfortunately didn't feel much chemistry between the two FMC.

This is a book depicted for 12+ anyone who may be reading this review and wondering if it's right for your preteen, there is detailed sexual scenes between these two minors.