I absolutely ADORE anything that Jonny writes, and this book is no exception! They're writing is so vibrant and full of life, and it always feels completely immersive, I don't know how anyone could read this and not feel it in their heart. I will say, there was a lot of inner monologuing, but I almost didn't mind because of how much I loved the story and the rest of the characters. Their writing just keeps getting better and better, and I can't wait to see what comes out next!

I liked this one. It wasn't my favorite Jonny Garza Villa book but I liked it quite a lot. I liked the team spirit (some of it really) and the side characters and I just had a good time seeing Gabriel growing and getting to know himself better. I really enjoyed the setting and even the sports aspects to this. I really got into the game and I was so invested in all of it. I really liked the writing too and I cannot wait for Jonny Garza Villa's next book.

Thank you so much to Levine Querido and Netgalley for providing an advanced copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions are still my own.

Did I listen to the last 45 minutes of this audiobook while lying in the dark crying? yeah. yeah I did 🥲

This was my first book by this author and it most definitely won't be my last. I've heard nothing but praise for their previous books, but this was their first [new] adult novel. And I really, really hope they continue to write in this age range! Because this gave me everything I was looking for in a queer, college romance.

As an older reader (not old but I'm definitely not college age anymore 😅), I loved how the author handled the relationships outside the romance. I not only fell in love with the 2 MCs (obviously) but this had really beautiful depictions of family and friendship as well. Particularly Gabi's father! There were so many beautiful moments between them and there will never be enough representation of men openly showing affection.

This was a very slice of life, realistic (imo) depiction of what it's like heading to college for the first time. Gabi was so sure he knew it all (because no one has it more "figured out" than an 18 year old heading to college 😅). Until life threw him some curve balls.

Between changing relationships, messy friendships, self discovery, and finding your place and purpose, this book hit on all the big moments of this age. And it did it exceptionally.

Queer smut at its finest. No notes.
This book told the story of a young adult entering college and finding himself in a way I never did myself. This one tugged at me in a special way for that reason. NB representation as always from Jonny Garza Villa. Thanks for the opportunity to read!

I love everything written by Johnny Garza Villa. Their characters feel so alive. The emotions are so accessible that sometimes I have to take a break because I am experiencing the emotions so intensely with the characters. I love falling in love alongside their characters because it feels like I am a part of the story and not just an observer with no stake in the outcome.

Oh my goodness, what a fantastic book! FUTBOLISTA is easily my new favorite JGV.

Futbolista has all the exhilarating emotional build-up and catharsis I expect from a sports romance and also rings so true to the kind of big self-discoveries that are so common in the first year of college, living independently for the first time and being forced to consider new perspectives and information. Gabi—romantic, earnest Gabi—is such a great protagonist, and I love love loved the wholesome masculinity of his character in this setting. Gabi cries; he's comfortable and confident expressing his emotions; and his comfort with physical closeness and affection with Vale, even before he realizes he's crushing hard, is satisfying. The single POV works really well here, with the strong coming-into-self focus of the story.

I was also really pleased with how JGV wrote the almost-romantic arc with Leana. Gabi is still pursuing Leana a full 30% into the story, and I was admittedly skeptical of this, worried that the development of Gabi's relationship with Vale would suffer for it. But I am happy to have been so wrong! JGV writes a convincing, satisfying arc for Gabi and Vale, without ever dismissing or devaluing Gabi's earlier feelings for Leana. This last point, that the queer-presenting relationship is not written as more worthy than the straight-presenting one (that never came to fruition), is so important for a bi-awakening book, and I commend JGV for that.

I love when queer sports romances tackle the near-compulsory heterosexuality and performative masculinity ("give your team jacket to a girl to wear") of sports, especially male sports, and that JGV gives us this exploration in combination with that of homophobia in Mexican fútbol fans and at the college, rather than professional, level is both unique and satisfying. JGV has this special affinity and talent for writing super specific Tejane Mexican-American communities, and, as a native Texan myself, I love getting this kind of insight into my home state. Truly, where else are you going to read about the Texas A&M-Corpus Christie fútbol team?

For those who are interested: this book is horny and open door, but not particularly explicit in its descriptions of what you can see through that door.

Major, MAJOR thanks to Levine Querido and Netgalley for the advance copy of this title!

✨ Review ✨ Futbolista by Jonny Garza Villa

Thanks to Levine Querido and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

In Jonny Garza Villa's new adult debut, this steamy sports romance features first-year college student Gabi Piña, the star goalkeeper for his college football team. He meets Vale at a party, when Vale asks to kiss him to complete a task in the game he's playing.

There's lots of coming-of-age queer angst as Gabi comes to terms with his attraction to Vale and the homophobia of his team captain, his community, and the sport in general.

As always, Garza Villa's writing is unapologetically Mexican American and queer 💜 🇲🇽 and shows a great pride for Mexican American Texas. (And, I will find a cheeto filled burrito before my days are through).

This book made me laugh and it made me cry (a rare occurance), as I fell in love with these characters and the journey that they were on. I will read anything JGV writes!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: m/m new adult sports romance
Setting: Corpus Christi
Reminds me of: Garza Villa's other books, Rachel Reed's hockey books
Pub Date: Apr 15 2025

Read this if you like:
⭕️ sports romances
⭕️ grappling with homophobia in sports
⭕️ Mexican American pride
⭕️ supportive friend / family groups

I found this book to be an enjoyable read. The story kept me engaged from start to finish and had some moments that really stood out. Overall, it offered an entertaining reading experience.

DNF at 35%

I genuinely wanted to embrace this book. As a Mexican-American, there’s something profoundly uplifting about seeing my culture represented in literature. However, despite this heartfelt connection, I found the pacing sluggish, the dialogue lacking in authenticity, and the integration of Spanish into the conversations felt forced rather than natural. On a brighter note, I had the pleasure of meeting the author at a local event; he exudes warmth and kindness. I truly wish him all the best with his future literary endeavors.

I will read anything this author writes! 🥹🫶🏼
-🇲🇽Mexican Romance
-Achilean (bi x gay)
-New Adult (18yr college students)
🗣️DO THE AUDIOBOOK!!!
🥹🥲I love the queer Mexican representation SO FREAKING MUCH! I was cheesing and giddy for this couple the whole time! A little messy as Gaby was figuring out his sexuality and coming to terms with it. Vale was such an amazing character! I loved his personality and he was so patient 😭 the cutest!! I loved their banter & flirty-ness with each other! As well as with the new friend group 🥺😩 I loved Gaby’s HS friends but these felt just as amazing! I loved the transition from the old to the new group! They’re jokes were hilarious and it really just feels so homey reading all the Spanish y la carrilla throughout the book!

Somehow every JGV book I read takes over the top spot as my favorite! I love a good sports gay book and this one sure did not disappoint. I loved watching these characters find themselves and fall in love and live their sweet little lives. I could not put this down and I’m already begging JGV to write another book that will ruin my life.

Futbolista is a fast-paced, inspiring read that celebrates the power of passion, teamwork, and self-belief. Whether you're a football fan or not, this story draws you in with its heart, energy, and relatable characters. It’s a great reminder that chasing your dreams—on or off the pitch—is always worth it. A fun and empowering book for young readers!

This is somewhere between four and five stars for me. I suspect if I read it with my ears, I would be rounding up but in reading with my eyes, there were a few things that didn't work great for me that I noticed enough to have me rounding down to four. But let's see where I land when I re-read in audio later! Let me be clear, I will read whatever Jonny Garza Villa writes and I am confident I will find myself enjoying it most of the time. Their voice always hits for me. And in Futbolista in particular, I loved spending time with Gabi and his crew and I very much enjoyed this transition to new adult. The things that didn't work great for me were a bit logistical (which took me out of the story) and I am a bit sensitive to the depictions of villains (it's really hard to get the nuance right). But overall I had a very good time reading and will be re-reading for sure and won't miss whatever the author puts out next.

I'm convinced no one writes queer YA the way Jonny Garza Villa does. They seem to be in a mission to dismantle homophobia and transphobia in all the intersections of being Latinx and queer, one stunning coming of age story at a time. Four books in, I now know why his use of single POV does not bother me as much as other romances -- his stories are not just love stories, they are coming of age stories which are essentially about learning to love yourself. I was a little worried I wouldn't relate to an athlete POV, but somehow Gabi may be one of my favorite protagonists of author's so far. Perhaps because I also grew up in a football (the real one) culture, and his journey to his bisexuality is not so different than my own. He is also a math student dabbling in philosophy, much like my own study of engineering and philosophy. I related a lot to his internal conflict of knowing he isn't homophobic but taking so long to connect the dots of his own queerness. Not to mention the fear of losing people and cultural identities that so deeply define him. But once he does accept it, he spends no time in any kind of shame and lets himself love and hold on to Vale as hard as he could. There was something so refreshing about a character, coming out of denial of his own queerness and immediately honoring and embracing the beauty of the love and the lover, without spending any time in internalized shame. In any other queer YA romance, I would be upset at not having Vale's POV, but somehow in this I was able to love Vale completely even without it because Gabi's POV was one of clarity and self-actualization, triggered by his love for someone's entire being exceeding his fear of rejection. I loved how he loves and I loved how he opened himself up to grow in love. I ADORED his group of futbolista roommates and nonbinary friend, and even a character who could easily have been a source of ex drama. I was a little surprised by how much sex there was in this, but I guess college freshmen be horny like that, and this IS a book about the journey of sexuality and machismo. They never felt gratuitous in description, and there was so much joy in this. Both about falling and being in love not just with someone unexpected, but also a lifelong dream and most importantly, the undiscovered parts of yourself.

Oh my god, y’all this book is incredible 😭 like the kind of book that makes me question other books I’ve rated 5 stars recently because none of them come close to how good this one is 😅 Jonny is one of those authors that I don’t think it’s possible for me to love a new book as much as I loved their last but they prove me wrong every time! I honestly don’t even have the words to explain how much I loved this right now but wow, wow, wow! Incredible, highly recommend!!!

Thank you NetGalley for providing this book, this is my honest review.

Futbolista follows mexican-american football (soccer!) player Gabo through his first semester in college, who started the school year thinking he had everything figured out, who he was and who he wanted to be. An encounter with Vale during a party and then later in philosophy class sets him in an unexpected journey of self discovery. The book draws visible parallels between Gabo's internal struggles and his philosophy class' subject, and Vale is there to guide him like some sort of Virgil to Gabo's Dante.
It's overall a great book, profoundly funny and real. The side characters play a really strong part, so much so that I'd love to read books about every single one of them, especially Kat. But it's Gabo's voice that sets the tone for the playful and sarcastic narrative style. The tension between the two main characters was really fun to read, almost better than when they do finally get together. Gabo's voice is so powerful that I do think we lose a little bit of Vale's personality, but he still stands out as a strong character throughout the book, his calmness and understanding balance Gabo's energy really well.
overall a really strong book, for lovers of horny football players, obtuse bisexual men, the best ex-almost-girlfriend, and gay philosophy students.

I LOVED THIS BOOK! Futbolista is a new adult queer romance about new college student Gabi, a star soccer (sorry, football!) player who begins to fall for his classmate Vale — and in the process, realizes he's bi. He has to deal with the fear of being an out Mexican football player (as well as really nasty backlash from some other players) while trying to stay true to himself and really growing to care for Vale. The chemistry between the two leads was SO GREAT, and the spice level was HIGH! This is the first book I've read from this author, but now realizing that Piña was in their debut novel too, I'm definitely going to go back and read this. Loved it and highly recommend!

Jonny is back in a major way. To be clear: they never left, but with this book they are still back and better than ever, and I loved it so much.

First, just to get this out of the way: yes, Piña is a side character we meet in “Fifteen Hundred Miles From the Sun.” However, you do not need to have read that book to enjoy this one. It fully stands on its own. There are a few brief, incredibly veiled references to “Fifteen Hundred Miles From the Sun,” but there’s enough context to understand them whether you’ve read the book or not. There’s not even character names referenced. If you weren’t told that this character appears in a different book, you would never know.

Another thing you should know about Jonny’s writing, is they very much lean towards the “no plot, all vibes” end of the spectrum, and this is very much that. There is a plot, there are things happening, but it’s most just queer romance, self discovery, and vibes, which I love.

As a Chicane writer, Jonny’s work holds a very special place in my heart. The way they write about family, Mexican culture, queerness, and the intersection of all those things is very specific. There’s an ease, there’s a freedom, there’s an openness to the way those things show up on the page that just make me feel so incredibly seen. I know when I read something from Jonny I’m gonna laugh my ass off, it’s going to be so unholy and so chaotic, but it’s also gonna be driven by something real, something tangible, something meaningful.

I love how this story is somehow able to find the bridge between philosophy, soccer, and queerness. It’s very much questioning not only how we define the self and how we distinguish free will from social patterns and expectations, but it’s also connecting those questions to the pressure Gabi feels on the pitch and also whether he can hold equal space for both sports and his newly-discovered queerness.

The world, society, the people around him make him feel like those two things are inherently incompatible, that quote-unquote “politics” have no place in sports, that he can only be successful if he presents himself as neutral. And I love how Gabi is gradually knocking down those barriers for himself and realizing that he can only ever be truly successful if he shows up with his full self.

Not only that, but humans aren’t meant to be compartmentalized in the first place. We can’t just decide to leave parts of ourselves at the door. Every part of ourselves is with us in everything we do and therefore everything we accomplish is achieved because of everything we are—the good, the bad, the messy, and everything in between — not in spite of it.

That is such a powerful message that so many young queer folks, especially, need to hear right now. And Gabi is also showing them how, yes, we need to show up and fight for our communities, even and especially when it’s not easy to do so, but we also deserve that same energy and that same fight for ourselves.

I loved this so much. I had such a great time with it. It reminded me of how special and powerful Jonny’s voice really is and I can’t wait for more people to experience it for themselves. I had no choice but to give this five stars.

5 Stars!

What a delightful new adult debut from Jonny! They weaved a beautiful story that I haven't read before from a new perspective, and I couldn't believe how much I loved Gabi's story of not only discovery of self, but realizing that sharing the truth is just sharing who they already are. This message was so powerful!

I truly loved the showing of a message that is very prevalent to many young adults throughout the country in a world that isn't always the best about it. They created a true view of what it looks like as a freshman in college as well and how young adults act. Being a teacher, I can see my students learning and growing just like this and it was so fun.

The way that all of the side characters added into Gabi's story was even more special. Vale, Leana, Perez, and Kat were some of my favorites because they all were unapologetically themselves, which gave Gabi the courage to be himself.

The love story between Vale and Gabi was special. It showed how that one person can make a difference.

Thanks to Levine Querido and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

This was such a wonderful story of love and self discovery. It was my first Jonny Garza Villa read, but it will not be my last. Some moments brought me to tears but I really enjoyed the journey. I was hooked and invested from the start. Gabi and Vale's relationship was so sweet and this was a surprisingly steamy novel. I highly recommend!