Just One of the Boys
by Leah Rooper
Synopsis:
Alice Bell has one goal: to play for the elite junior hockey team the Chicago Falcons. But when she’s passed over at tryouts for being a girl, she’ll do anything to make her dream a reality…even disguising herself as her twin brother. With her amazing skills on the ice, Alice is sure she’ll fit in easily. That is, until she starts falling for one of her teammates…
Hayden Tremblay, star of the Falcons, can’t keep himself out of the penalty box. Constantly living in the shadow of his older brother, Hayden’s losing his passion for hockey. But when he gets shown up on the ice by the Falcons’ new rookie, Hayden’s determined to teach the kid a thing or two. Little does he guess that “Al’s” surprises on the ice are just the beginning…
Disclaimer: This Entangled Teen Crush title proves that wonderful things can happen when you’re brave enough to go after your dream. Dream hockey player, that is! Warning–a few locker room scenes are included…
Review:
Such an adorable story!
Just One of the Boys was a super-cute, super-quick read that if you liked She’s the Man, you’ll absolutely love. (It’s not quite as obviously a retelling of Twelfth Night as the movie is, but it’s the same general idea. With hockey. So really, a win-win.) Like StM’s Viola, Alice is told she can’t play the sport she loves because of her gender; also like Viola, she takes her twin’s place on the team, though for different reasons. All kinds of girl-pretending-to-be-a-boy hijinks ensue, and she develops a crush on the team’s (formerly? maybe…) star player–but also becomes his best friend, which complicates things all over the place.
Meanwhile, her twin is hiding a secret, her mom is making extra demands on her time, and did I mention she’s got a crush on her new BFF? Not quite everything that isn’t right get fully resolved by the end (what is her coach’s response to her news???) but the book still leaves you with a happy glow anyway.
Here’s hoping the Ms. Ropers have plenty more books in them!
Rating: 4 stars / B+
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
