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You Don't Have a Shot
A queer YA romance about rival soccer players from author Racquel Marie, perfect for fans of She Drives Me Crazy .
Valentina “Vale” Castillo-Green’s life revolves around soccer. Her friends, her future, and her father’s intense expectations are all wrapped up in the beautiful game. But after she incites a fight during playoffs with her long-time rival, Leticia Ortiz, everything she’s been working toward seems to disappear.
Embarrassed and desperate to be anywhere but home, Vale escapes to her beloved childhood soccer camp for a summer of relaxation and redemption…only to find out that she and the endlessly aggravating Leticia will be co-captaining a team that could play in front of college scouts. But the competition might be stiffer than expected, so unless they can get their rookie team’s act together, this second chance―and any hope of playing college soccer―will slip through Vale’s fingers. When the growing pressure, friendship friction, and her overbearing father push Vale to turn to Leticia for help, what starts off as a shaky alliance of necessity begins to blossom into something more through a shared love of soccer. . . and maybe each other.
Sharp, romantic, and deeply emotional, You Don’t Have a Shot is a rivals-to-lovers romance about rediscovering your love of the game and yourself, from the author of Ophelia After All .
Valentina “Vale” Castillo-Green’s life revolves around soccer. Her friends, her future, and her father’s intense expectations are all wrapped up in the beautiful game. But after she incites a fight during playoffs with her long-time rival, Leticia Ortiz, everything she’s been working toward seems to disappear.
Embarrassed and desperate to be anywhere but home, Vale escapes to her beloved childhood soccer camp for a summer of relaxation and redemption…only to find out that she and the endlessly aggravating Leticia will be co-captaining a team that could play in front of college scouts. But the competition might be stiffer than expected, so unless they can get their rookie team’s act together, this second chance―and any hope of playing college soccer―will slip through Vale’s fingers. When the growing pressure, friendship friction, and her overbearing father push Vale to turn to Leticia for help, what starts off as a shaky alliance of necessity begins to blossom into something more through a shared love of soccer. . . and maybe each other.
Sharp, romantic, and deeply emotional, You Don’t Have a Shot is a rivals-to-lovers romance about rediscovering your love of the game and yourself, from the author of Ophelia After All .
384 pages, Hardcover
First published May 9, 2023
About the author
Racquel Marie
6 books681 followersRacquel Marie grew up in Southern California where her passion for storytelling of all kinds was encouraged by her friends and big family. She received a BA in English with an emphasis in creative writing and a minor in gender and sexuality studies from the University of California, Irvine.
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June 25, 2023
“I play because it makes me happy. Because it connects me to other people and forces us to share our mistakes and successes as a team instead of experience them all by ourselves. Because when I make a tricky pass and my teammate receives it anyway or I’m in a tough spot and someone opens up for me, I feel like I can count on people. And they can count on me.” I take a deep breath. “I count on all of you. I believe in all of you. Winning matters; of course it does. But the spirit of playing, of working alongside the other players on the field and making something magical happen with just our bodies and minds and heart, that’s what really matters. I guess I just wanted to say thank you for showing me that again.”
And isn’t that what winning should be about? What it should feel like? Unfortunately for Vale, it wasn’t like that from the start.
You Don’t Have a Shot can be described with a few things—a YA sapphic romance, rivals to lovers, coming of age, and found family. It features complex relationships, authentic characters, new epiphanies, dysfunctional families, supporting friendships, and a sudden fondness for the person you least expected to like.
When we first meet Vale, she comes off as many things, none too good—prickly, arrogant, stubborn, proud. Although, while the reasoning behind characters acting the way they do are always related to either their childhood, parents, or personal struggles, I will say, Vale’s felt much more raw and personal. I think part of it has to do with Racquel Marie’s storytelling and way of writing her character. She’s aware of her behavior and how it comes across against others, but is unaware of how to fix it. Vale’s character is realistically flawed, showcasing layer upon layer of a teenager trying to make it through high school, a summer camp, taking care of her brothers, grief, and her manipulative, controlling and unsupportive father. She’s a teenager about to turn into young adulthood juggling the life she wasn’t supposed to be given. Her character development is slow, but we really see what’s inside her mind, which helps us become more understanding of her behavior. She unconsciously berates others, but it feels more personal than critical. Her only goal is to win, because all that is in her mind is winning. What bothered me at first became a position I stood on with full sympathy, only because I could even relate. Most of her reasoning behind her shitty personality and attitude came from her fathers unconscious controlling voice. She’s stubborn like her father, and her selfishness came for the sake of her future only. Although she does start off as someone who only cares about her benefit, Vale’s growth is beautiful to witness. We see her become the young woman she would’ve never been able to become had it not been for the people around her giving her that first taste of freedom and happiness without a care in the world. She finds a different sense of belonging and comfortableness with her teammates that she’s able to learn from them.
While Vale may be a courageous and strong midfielder, she’s emotionally weak, projecting her emotions onto others, without a second thought of how their feelings may be affected. However, we see her learn from her previous mistakes, and she allows herself to be taught by others. Her emotions become easier for her to grasp, and she’s able to have control of her own life outside of winning the tournament. Vale came off as entitled and discouraging. She was angry, cared about no one else but her, thought about what she wanted only and not others, and made it seem like the world would end if she didn’t win. But could I blame her entirely? No, not really. Her whole life seemed to be right in front of her but she couldn’t see it all. She only saw the parts she thought were the most important, not realizing the moment she was living was one of her most important moments of life. She was taught differently, and it took a summer camp training of soccer with her nemesis to see that. In short, she finally took out the stick that was up her ass.
And while Vale had a grumpy and colder exterior, Leticia is her complete opposite. She comes off as more care-free, supportive, and aware. She’s in the summer camp for the joyous feeling it produces, and for the benefit she gets for training and helping others. Her goal isn’t just to win like it is for Vale, but to make memories, have fun, and enjoy the time she has at the moment. She’s strong, fierce, selfless, and prickly, but her attitude comes off as useful both on the soccer field and outside. She’s a natural-born leader, one who helps others stand up and keep going forward. Even if I’d describe her as feisty, Leticia is warm-hearted, loving, and brave. She’ll have her own set of goals but will do her best to help others accomplish theirs, even if it means putting hers behind.
There’s a difference between criticism that’s constructive and criticism that’s cruel. The problem with living your entire life sitting on one side of that line is never really knowing what the other side looks like.
Even if there is a big focus on the characters, the romance between Leticia and Vale is worth mentioning. They’re rivals from the start, so being co-captains for the same team wasn’t looking like the best set up for Vale. But as they train together, their harshness towards each other mellows down. The relationship is sweet, to say the least. Even if the enemies and rivals to lovers tropes aren’t my favorite due to how loosely marketed it is, I thought Racquel pulled it off with these two. It’s pretty slow-burn, with the two unconsciously doing things for the other, which I gotta say, I was a huge fan of: Vale slowing down her jog so Leticia catches up; Leticia stopping her run and stretching her calves while Vale ties her shoes; Vale keeping Leticia’s jacket and Leticia not asking for it back; Vale trying to fix her messy morning hair when Leticia is in her bedroom; Leticia getting herself a red gatorade and Vale a yellow one even if she teases her about it (the only one she drinks); Vale letting Leticia call her Valentina despite the fact that she hates it; Vale knowing Leticia is a vegetarian because she noticed she never get meat in the cafeteria; Leticia standing up for Vale against her father and praising her as “one of the best player’s [I’ve] ever seen”; Vale sprinting to Leticia when she’s hurt; Leticia using Vale’s bruise on her face as an excuse to “check” and touch her face. When I say it’s the little things, this is what I mean.
Another thing I appreciated about their relationship is how their rivalry never really subsided. Their sassy banter was kept up, even in the epilogue, when they were dating but were still on opposite teams. The two also didn’t feel like it would be right if their rivalry was no longer a thing, which I think really made the relationship stand out more because of how it was always a part of the relationship to begin with. But instead of it being aggressive, it was loving, even if a little teasing. I was a huge fan of this, and I can even say that You Don’t Have a Shot takes the spot as my favorite rivals to lovers books. Besides the eye-rolling worthy moment of “I never hated you,” everything else was spot on. The banter. The sass. The confusion from rival to acquaintance to partner to friend. The unconscious care. The little actions. Their private shared moments. Shout out to Racquel Marie because this is not only my first sapphic rivals to lovers book, but also my current and new favorite.
“Well, I guess it’s just nice we haven’t grown out of the rivalry.”
She looks down at me, making a big show of the few inches of height separating us. “I don’t think you’ve grown out of anything.”
“Fuck you,” I laugh. “I’m practically five-eight.”
“On a good day, I bet.”
I stick my tongue out at her. “Bad days too.”
“And what’s today?”
“What?”
She smiles sideways at me. “A good day or a bad day?”
I match her smile, feeling my heart pick up pace. “The absolute worst.”
Although I was a big fan of Racquel’s characterization of Vale, the romance, and the character development, I do think one of my only niggles in the story is the lack of Leticia’s point of view. We don’t get Leticia’s pov, and I felt like this was something missing from the story because it felt like a disadvantage. We learn some of the basics of Leticia, such as why she and Vale had a rivalry (which I wasn’t surprised that Leticia never “hated” Vale *rolls eyes*), a little bit of how she was when she was younger, and how useful the summer camp is for her, but because we aren’t inside her head, we’re not able to get a full analysis of her character. There aren’t inner thoughts or actions she makes that are helpful to use for her characterization. Everything is seen through Vale’s point of view, and because there is a rivalry, some of the book’s portion is spent on Vale thinking not the best things about Leticia (which are valid, don’t get me wrong). But I didn’t feel like I got to learn Leticia as a person as much as I wish I did. There are enough scenes to give an idea of what type of person she is–caring, compassionate, reliable, sourceful, risk-taking, caring. But besides some of the traditional and basic components that make up people, there are things about Leticia that felt like they were missing–like things about her childhood and moments of her struggles–that would help her character development. I also think this story felt more like Vale’s than anyone else’s, and if that is the case, that’s perfectly fine. I guess I was expecting more of a balance between the two. This isn’t something that affected me a lot, per se, just something I noticed and wished it didn’t bother me as much. I also wish there was a little bit more focus on Vale being asexual. It’s not to say I’m not thankful there is some representation, but it felt like it wouldn’t have made a difference if Vale wasn’t ace. There were no stereotypes or anythink, thankfully, but I also think it was useless information that contributed nothing to the story.
There is a different sense of beauty in being able to relate to characters in young adult novels. People constantly mention how they’re too old for them, but I disagree. I don’t think there’s ever an age for these books, not because you may not be able to relate at the moment, but because you’re able to look back at how these “kids” would fumble and stumble, making stupid decisions you wish you could tell them to not make. But when you think about it all, you realize you were like that at some point. There may be a lot of scenes and sections that make it more dramatic than it should be, but I don’t think we can deny that we can see our teenage selves in these teenagers and put ourselves in their shoes. With a brain still developing and real life to catch up to them, it’s no wonder they’re being rash and irresponsible. Not only that, but sometimes I even learn from them. Maybe it’s because I’m only in my 20s and it wouldn’t be the same if I was in my 30s or 40s, but young adult stories provide a different sense of comfort for me. I’m thankful that queer stories like this exist.
August 16, 2023
**'The anticipation of any writer's storytelling defeats the notion of blandness but opens readers up to being flexible with whatever the storyline involves..'
Delightful read!
A really nice diverse NA/YA story that focuses more on friendship, teammates and family then lean a bit towards relationships.
A highly recommended book!
Delightful read!
A really nice diverse NA/YA story that focuses more on friendship, teammates and family then lean a bit towards relationships.
A highly recommended book!
October 15, 2022
hey I wrote this!!! here are some content warnings, stay safe loves <3
off-page maternal death by breast cancer, maternal grief, mentions of underage drinking, depictions of paternal emotional abuse, depictions of anxiety/panic attacks, discussions and depictions of sports-related injuries (primarily a sprained wrist), condemned homophobia, condemned xenophobia, off-page teenage cancer patient, condemned mention of exclusionary transphobia in sports
off-page maternal death by breast cancer, maternal grief, mentions of underage drinking, depictions of paternal emotional abuse, depictions of anxiety/panic attacks, discussions and depictions of sports-related injuries (primarily a sprained wrist), condemned homophobia, condemned xenophobia, off-page teenage cancer patient, condemned mention of exclusionary transphobia in sports
Want to read
March 8, 2023If you say "ace rep" then I'll read it. I don't care. I'm in.
November 17, 2023
racquel marie is kinda the best writer of this generationnn 🩷 (thank you to the publisher for the free copy!)
Want to read
September 7, 202224.10.2021 the main character is ace and it's a sapphic rivals to lovers soccer romance (!!)
June 1, 2023
Can Racquel write a bad book? It's not looking like it.
I'm not going to lie to y'all and act as though that little Keira Knightley/Parminder Nagra movie was at all formative for me... or that I remotely understand the differing soccer positions. Honestly before I picked up this book I could have only told you that someone was a goalie... But you set a book at a summer camp in the Santa Cruz mountains? I'm there.
Unlike their debut, this is a story with a romance at the center. Though just like the debut Vale's friendships and the connection that she has with her family is also incredibly important and the narrative does a really good job of balancing all of the platonic and romantic ramifications that the plot sets up.
After a not so great playoff game Vale's friends convince her that they should spend the summer back at the soccer camp that they attended when they were younger. Unhappy with the fact that she might not get to be captain when she returns for her senior year and the tense home situation at home Vale agrees. Once there an opportunity to reverse some of the sting of that final playoff game is made apparent we get to watch as Vale grows as a person.
While I'm not a soccer person I really loved getting to watch Vale's connection to the sport evolved. I enjoyed getting to see the narrative really take the time to explore how her home life and that impacted how she played and viewed the sport; not only for herself but for her teammates.
The book definitely touches on some tougher moments, like the way that Vale and her father don't really have a healthy relationship [ though honestly all of the Castillo-Green children are gonna need therapy after being raised by that man, and getting to see Vale and her brother connect in a way that they hadn't in a long time in the third act made me feel all of the things ], the fact that Vale's mother passed away from cancer which is something similar is happening with her camp teammate.
The roance of course was just excellent. I like to think of myself as a friendship to lovers person, but this soccer girl rivalry really did speak to me. The banter? The barbs. It was everything I needed. But also Leticia's third act revelation? PEAK ROMANCE.
Y'all should be reading this all year. I know it came out at the beginning of the month, but it's perfect for a nice spring day, excellent to read for Pride... The children are really lucky to have top tier stories like this. The sapphics won.
I'm not going to lie to y'all and act as though that little Keira Knightley/Parminder Nagra movie was at all formative for me... or that I remotely understand the differing soccer positions. Honestly before I picked up this book I could have only told you that someone was a goalie... But you set a book at a summer camp in the Santa Cruz mountains? I'm there.
Unlike their debut, this is a story with a romance at the center. Though just like the debut Vale's friendships and the connection that she has with her family is also incredibly important and the narrative does a really good job of balancing all of the platonic and romantic ramifications that the plot sets up.
After a not so great playoff game Vale's friends convince her that they should spend the summer back at the soccer camp that they attended when they were younger. Unhappy with the fact that she might not get to be captain when she returns for her senior year and the tense home situation at home Vale agrees. Once there an opportunity to reverse some of the sting of that final playoff game is made apparent we get to watch as Vale grows as a person.
While I'm not a soccer person I really loved getting to watch Vale's connection to the sport evolved. I enjoyed getting to see the narrative really take the time to explore how her home life and that impacted how she played and viewed the sport; not only for herself but for her teammates.
The book definitely touches on some tougher moments, like the way that Vale and her father don't really have a healthy relationship [ though honestly all of the Castillo-Green children are gonna need therapy after being raised by that man, and getting to see Vale and her brother connect in a way that they hadn't in a long time in the third act made me feel all of the things ], the fact that Vale's mother passed away from cancer which is something similar is happening with her camp teammate.
The roance of course was just excellent. I like to think of myself as a friendship to lovers person, but this soccer girl rivalry really did speak to me. The banter? The barbs. It was everything I needed. But also Leticia's third act revelation? PEAK ROMANCE.
Y'all should be reading this all year. I know it came out at the beginning of the month, but it's perfect for a nice spring day, excellent to read for Pride... The children are really lucky to have top tier stories like this. The sapphics won.
August 22, 2024
➥ 5+ Stars *:･ﾟ✧
Buddy read with Jackson! 😊 Get ready for the adoration I have for this book to hit everyone around me with full force.
I don't think I've ever read a book that came this close to perfection. We follow rival highschool college captains as they join a summer camp in which they have to work together as co captains. Valentina (h) is my baby. She's half irish, half colombian and she's got two younger brothers. The eldest daughter syndrome is real. She's 17, she's imperfect, and we see her grow so much as character. She's pansexual, if I remember correctly. Leticia (h) needs to marry me immediately !! She's part cuban, a lesbian, and she is so...dreamy. Sure, she knows how to wind Vale up, but omg what a fucking woman.
This book is so so special to me. I only wish I had read it sooner, when I was in highschool. They're latinamerican and sapphic and play football?? What more could I possibly ask for? The spanglish and flawless sprinkling of latinamerican customs just made me feel so warm and fuzzy. You Don't Have a Shot somehow ticked every box I could think of.
Sometimes YA can feel overly-juvenile, but I'd say this book was just the right amount. The writing is good, and the humour is plentiful. It's a lighthearted read, with a steady pace that makes you not want to take your eyes off the page. It felt like a warm embrace of girlhood and how it intertwines with things like sports, friendship, romance and even things as simple as fun.
The romance in this book is what I would confidently call perfect, but it brings so much more to the table too. As aforementioned, we follow Valentina and her personal growth. She's imperfect, the way teenage girls inevitably are when they're navigating a time of pressure (college applications) and change of all sorts. She grows from it beautifully though, and although this book did have a 3rd act conflict, it was one that was resolved beautifully.
Even the emphasised importance of remembering to have fun was so moving. Seeing these girls sometimes put everything behind them, to enjoy a moment of giggly, unbridled fun with other girls was so heartwarming. Playing football at the beach, swimming, teasing each other, letting go of that seriousness that they're sometimes made to feel they have to be. They're all things I know now, because I've gone through the process myself.
just like that, the best ya book i’ve ever read is OVER, im DEVASTATED.
this is the closest to perfection a book has ever gotten for me.
WATCH ME buy a billion copies of this and stick them in every single library and home.
REQUIRED READING FOR MY CHILDREN!!
i fear nothing will top leticia/valentina, my latina BELOVEDS.
UGH!!!!!!!!!
it is a tragedy and a privilege to have finished this
💕💞💓💗💝💘💖
“Good luck out there,” she says.
I accept her shake. “I don’t need it.”
“Are you sure?” she asks, running her thumb lightly over the back of my hand. “I had a really good trainer over the summer.”
“And don’t you forget it.”
━━━━━━━━━━━ ⚽︎ ━━━━━━━━━━━
Buddy read with Jackson! 😊 Get ready for the adoration I have for this book to hit everyone around me with full force.
I don't think I've ever read a book that came this close to perfection. We follow rival highschool college captains as they join a summer camp in which they have to work together as co captains. Valentina (h) is my baby. She's half irish, half colombian and she's got two younger brothers. The eldest daughter syndrome is real. She's 17, she's imperfect, and we see her grow so much as character. She's pansexual, if I remember correctly. Leticia (h) needs to marry me immediately !! She's part cuban, a lesbian, and she is so...dreamy. Sure, she knows how to wind Vale up, but omg what a fucking woman.
This book is so so special to me. I only wish I had read it sooner, when I was in highschool. They're latinamerican and sapphic and play football?? What more could I possibly ask for? The spanglish and flawless sprinkling of latinamerican customs just made me feel so warm and fuzzy. You Don't Have a Shot somehow ticked every box I could think of.
Sometimes YA can feel overly-juvenile, but I'd say this book was just the right amount. The writing is good, and the humour is plentiful. It's a lighthearted read, with a steady pace that makes you not want to take your eyes off the page. It felt like a warm embrace of girlhood and how it intertwines with things like sports, friendship, romance and even things as simple as fun.
Marley smiles, looking adequately consoled. It boosts my already high spirits. “Leticia is right though.”
“First time for everything,” Leticia says. Kiko and Anita laugh, having caught on to our dynamic by now.
The romance in this book is what I would confidently call perfect, but it brings so much more to the table too. As aforementioned, we follow Valentina and her personal growth. She's imperfect, the way teenage girls inevitably are when they're navigating a time of pressure (college applications) and change of all sorts. She grows from it beautifully though, and although this book did have a 3rd act conflict, it was one that was resolved beautifully.
Even the emphasised importance of remembering to have fun was so moving. Seeing these girls sometimes put everything behind them, to enjoy a moment of giggly, unbridled fun with other girls was so heartwarming. Playing football at the beach, swimming, teasing each other, letting go of that seriousness that they're sometimes made to feel they have to be. They're all things I know now, because I've gone through the process myself.
just like that, the best ya book i’ve ever read is OVER, im DEVASTATED.
this is the closest to perfection a book has ever gotten for me.
WATCH ME buy a billion copies of this and stick them in every single library and home.
REQUIRED READING FOR MY CHILDREN!!
i fear nothing will top leticia/valentina, my latina BELOVEDS.
UGH!!!!!!!!!
it is a tragedy and a privilege to have finished this
💕💞💓💗💝💘💖
Want to read
July 3, 2021QUEER BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM??? RIVALS TO LOVERS???
(although I do take issue with the assumption that bend it like Beckham is not a queer movie thank u)
(although I do take issue with the assumption that bend it like Beckham is not a queer movie thank u)
June 23, 2023
This was an entertaining rivals-to-lovers romance. Vale is also ace so there’s that rep that makes this slightly different than other queer YA romances out there.
I’m not a soccer fan and there is a lot of soccer here. Soccer is an area where you see Vale’s growth so I didn’t mind it.
The relationship between Vale and Leticia was my favorite! They’re long time rivals and them going from rivals to more was sweet and funny.
I’m not a soccer fan and there is a lot of soccer here. Soccer is an area where you see Vale’s growth so I didn’t mind it.
The relationship between Vale and Leticia was my favorite! They’re long time rivals and them going from rivals to more was sweet and funny.
January 15, 2024
this made me want to play soccer (i have the coordination of a 5 yo)
August 24, 2022
valentina i love you
March 14, 2024
5 stars. Combining an intense sapphic rivals to lovers sports romance with elements of the DCOM classic Camp Rock and the supremely underrated movie Bend It Like Beckham, You Don't Have a Shot is a shining example of how reading amazing queer YA contemporary can feel like making the winning goal of a championship game.
August 1, 2023
4.5/5 stars
I must admit, I’ve never been a sports gay. *gasp* I know. everyone is shocked.
however, during my reading of this book I not only fell in love with Ted Lasso, went to my first women’s soccer game (and any live sports game at that), determined refs were cops, and became heavily invested in the women’s World Cup (go lynn williams!!!!) — all coincidently, I might add.
suffice to say I loved this YA soccer romance way more than I could have imagined and that is a testament to Racquel’s talent as a writer.
val & leticia and the friends they had/made along the way make this book special. the family dynamics make me ache. and the romance made me swoon.
brb gonna go join a recreational team now to find my gf
I must admit, I’ve never been a sports gay. *gasp* I know. everyone is shocked.
however, during my reading of this book I not only fell in love with Ted Lasso, went to my first women’s soccer game (and any live sports game at that), determined refs were cops, and became heavily invested in the women’s World Cup (go lynn williams!!!!) — all coincidently, I might add.
suffice to say I loved this YA soccer romance way more than I could have imagined and that is a testament to Racquel’s talent as a writer.
val & leticia and the friends they had/made along the way make this book special. the family dynamics make me ache. and the romance made me swoon.
brb gonna go join a recreational team now to find my gf
May 29, 2023
I saw this author had a new book and I had to read it asap because I loved her first, Ophelia After All, so much. Valentina “Vale” Castillo-Green captains her high school soccer team to the playoffs but can never seem to get past the other great team and their captain, Leticia Ortiz. They are arch rivals since grade school and now they find themselves at the same soccer camp prior to Senior year.
You Don’t Have a Shot is a another very good book. The author is unafraid of writing a flawed main character. Vale has a lot to learn about compassion and understanding but she’s also been through a tough past few years, the kind of events that change you from being a child to being an adult overnight. She’s a good person who has to learn to trust herself and those who love her. It’s a straightforward YA read with a fun group of friends and a few cameos by adults. There are no real surprises because you see what is coming but it’s all about enjoying the banter and the blossoming romance. Without a doubt, the soccer action is on point. I did not have to read the acknowledgments to know the author has first hand expertise. I do want to mention that Vale’s relationship with her father is toxic and their interactions are tough to read so just an fyi there.
So if you are looking for an authentic soccer story with YA queer representation and a cute romance, look no further, You Don’t Have a Shot is the perfect choice.
4.5 star which I am going to round up.
You Don’t Have a Shot is a another very good book. The author is unafraid of writing a flawed main character. Vale has a lot to learn about compassion and understanding but she’s also been through a tough past few years, the kind of events that change you from being a child to being an adult overnight. She’s a good person who has to learn to trust herself and those who love her. It’s a straightforward YA read with a fun group of friends and a few cameos by adults. There are no real surprises because you see what is coming but it’s all about enjoying the banter and the blossoming romance. Without a doubt, the soccer action is on point. I did not have to read the acknowledgments to know the author has first hand expertise. I do want to mention that Vale’s relationship with her father is toxic and their interactions are tough to read so just an fyi there.
So if you are looking for an authentic soccer story with YA queer representation and a cute romance, look no further, You Don’t Have a Shot is the perfect choice.
4.5 star which I am going to round up.
June 30, 2023
3.5 - I loved the concept of this as a sapphic YA enemies to lovers romance. Vale and Leticia are rivals on different high school soccer teams. When they both end up at the same soccer camp they are made to be co-captains of a team of misfits. Vale has to learn how to be a more supportive captain, create a more healthy relationship with soccer, and also start a romance with Leticia.
I enjoyed how this book showed Vale really fucking up. She’s not a good captain initially and doesn’t always treat people the best because she’s so determined to win and get a scholarship. So I liked seeing her journey of realizing how she can help others and also act differently instead of repeating harsh behavior patterns because of the way her dad treats her.
While I loved the idea of the romance, I ended up being a tiny bit let down by it. There’s a very slow build up, which I enjoyed. But it seemed like the actual page time for the romance was so compressed at the end. Also, there was just way too much time spent on play by play recountings of practices and games. Yes, this is a sports romance so the sport is important to the story. But it sometimes felt like that overtook the personal and romantic storylines instead of it feeling more balanced.
I definitely still do recommend checking this one out. There’s a lot to love within the sapphic YA plot. I thought that the way that Vale’s relationship and conflict with her family members was handled added a lot to the story. And while I wasn’t head over heels for the way the romance played out, I still did enjoy the connection between the two girls.
I enjoyed how this book showed Vale really fucking up. She’s not a good captain initially and doesn’t always treat people the best because she’s so determined to win and get a scholarship. So I liked seeing her journey of realizing how she can help others and also act differently instead of repeating harsh behavior patterns because of the way her dad treats her.
While I loved the idea of the romance, I ended up being a tiny bit let down by it. There’s a very slow build up, which I enjoyed. But it seemed like the actual page time for the romance was so compressed at the end. Also, there was just way too much time spent on play by play recountings of practices and games. Yes, this is a sports romance so the sport is important to the story. But it sometimes felt like that overtook the personal and romantic storylines instead of it feeling more balanced.
I definitely still do recommend checking this one out. There’s a lot to love within the sapphic YA plot. I thought that the way that Vale’s relationship and conflict with her family members was handled added a lot to the story. And while I wasn’t head over heels for the way the romance played out, I still did enjoy the connection between the two girls.
November 4, 2022
this was such an impulsive choice but i have no regrets at all because it was incredible. i will be posting a full review closer to the pub date, however any book that can make a 6 hour flight feel short is a 10/10 in my books!!
May 21, 2024
╰┈➤ 4.5 stars
April 5, 2024
Somewhat repetitive in reiterating character points but fun plotting!
June 29, 2023
Rep: aspec MC, lesbian MC, lesbian LI
TW: death of a parent, mentally abusive parent, injury
Hello I loved this!!!
Valentina is a real asshole and I was screaming „No Valentina!“ at least 10 times while reading, because some of her comments and actions are just plain horrible. But this is exactly what this story is about.
Valentina just lost her mother a few years ago and ever since, her father is putting expectations on her she can’t ever meet. No person ever can, because anything other than perfection isn’t good enough for him. Maybe not even that.
She still desperately tries to meet them, even though she knows deep down he’ll never be content.
I hated him so so much. He’s an abusive asshole, making her doubt herself, work herself to death and never says anything even remotely nice to her or her two brothers.
Trying so hard to be perfect and make him proud leaves her being a terrible friend and also a terrible team captain. She puts all her energy into it, until it’s all she can think about, making her act completely irrational.
.
The last thing she needs is losing her captain status, the only thing keeping her sane, her only change to get a scholarship to go study somewhere far far away. So she decides to go to soccer camp over the summer…only there’s her arch nemesis Leticia with her stupid lovely face and her stupid beautiful hair. You know what I’m saying. 😌
.
This is a story about finally realising what you’re worth, what’s important for you, how to prioritise yourself, your friends and the things you love. Sometimes family isn’t worth suffering for, especially when your parents expectations of you turn so toxic you have to find out if you want to continue trying to meet them.
This book is all about the character development and I loved it so much! The romance is also very cute and I loved all the queer soccer girls.
.
I would have liked the see a little more of a solution to Vales problem with her father, a confrontation or at least a kind of pact between her and her brothers.
I also would have liked to have a little more conversation about Vales asexuality. It’s not mentioned again and I’d have loved for her to talk about it with Leticia.
TW: death of a parent, mentally abusive parent, injury
Hello I loved this!!!
Valentina is a real asshole and I was screaming „No Valentina!“ at least 10 times while reading, because some of her comments and actions are just plain horrible. But this is exactly what this story is about.
Valentina just lost her mother a few years ago and ever since, her father is putting expectations on her she can’t ever meet. No person ever can, because anything other than perfection isn’t good enough for him. Maybe not even that.
She still desperately tries to meet them, even though she knows deep down he’ll never be content.
I hated him so so much. He’s an abusive asshole, making her doubt herself, work herself to death and never says anything even remotely nice to her or her two brothers.
Trying so hard to be perfect and make him proud leaves her being a terrible friend and also a terrible team captain. She puts all her energy into it, until it’s all she can think about, making her act completely irrational.
.
The last thing she needs is losing her captain status, the only thing keeping her sane, her only change to get a scholarship to go study somewhere far far away. So she decides to go to soccer camp over the summer…only there’s her arch nemesis Leticia with her stupid lovely face and her stupid beautiful hair. You know what I’m saying. 😌
.
This is a story about finally realising what you’re worth, what’s important for you, how to prioritise yourself, your friends and the things you love. Sometimes family isn’t worth suffering for, especially when your parents expectations of you turn so toxic you have to find out if you want to continue trying to meet them.
This book is all about the character development and I loved it so much! The romance is also very cute and I loved all the queer soccer girls.
.
I would have liked the see a little more of a solution to Vales problem with her father, a confrontation or at least a kind of pact between her and her brothers.
I also would have liked to have a little more conversation about Vales asexuality. It’s not mentioned again and I’d have loved for her to talk about it with Leticia.
Read
November 27, 2023I loved this... even more than Ophelia After All actually (I think because I found the soccer element so fun?) Racquel Marie does it again!
May 5, 2024
Valentina Castillo-Green, known as Vale, lives and breathes soccer. However, after a fight with her longtime rival, Leticia Ortiz, during playoffs she loses her title of Team Captain. Frustrated and seeking an escape from her controlling father, she heads to her childhood soccer camp for a summer of recovery, only to discover that she and Leticia must co-captain a team that could attract college scouts. To salvage their chances, they must unite their rookie team despite personal differences and high-stakes pressure. As they navigate this new partnership, can they put aside their differences and lead their team to victory with their shared passion for soccer?
This was a fun read that almost felt like a queer re-imagining of Bend It Like Beckham set over a single summer. Vale is introduced to the reader as a complex character with flaws rooted in her upbringing and struggles with forming friendships. Honestly, Vale was hard to like initially as she’s prickly, stubborn, and self-centered due to her father's controlling influence and her drive to win at all costs. However, as the narrative progresses, we witness her gradual transformation and growth. Her journey involves confronting the realities of her father’s influence on her life and deciding what kind of person, player, and friend she wants to be. I really loved Vale’s development over the course of the novel because it serves as an excellent example for YA readers that you have to take accountability and responsibility for the parts of your life that you are in control of.
Additionally, Vale's character development is highlighted by her interactions with Leticia, her rival turned co-captain. Leticia, in contrast to Vale, is carefree, supportive, and emotionally aware. Despite their differences, they form a deep bond through soccer and shared experiences. The relationship between Vale and Leticia evolves from rivalry to friendship and eventually to romance, characterized by their subtle understanding of one another. Their banter and rivalry remain a core part of their dynamic even as their relationship deepens, and remained one of my favorite aspects of the book. Besides Leticia and Vale, there is a core group of friends that is created through their rookie team. I loved these characters so much and felt that most of the teammates were fleshed out and interesting to learn more about beyond their immediate connection to Vale and Leticia. The antagonists of the story were also well-developed and truly made me incredibly angry at many points throughout the book - a sign of a good bad guy! I only felt that the resolutions to some of the issues in the story were a little too convenient and not explored enough for my liking. There’s one part of the story that I really expected more from, but sadly it was kind of pushed to the side in the end.
Overall, this was a story with a lot of personal growth that encourages breaking the cycle of generational trauma, and embracing new friends that I really enjoyed. The backdrop of this story being a soccer summer camp was a great setting as someone who loves watching a good soccer game - and what a great series of games here to enjoy!
This was a fun read that almost felt like a queer re-imagining of Bend It Like Beckham set over a single summer. Vale is introduced to the reader as a complex character with flaws rooted in her upbringing and struggles with forming friendships. Honestly, Vale was hard to like initially as she’s prickly, stubborn, and self-centered due to her father's controlling influence and her drive to win at all costs. However, as the narrative progresses, we witness her gradual transformation and growth. Her journey involves confronting the realities of her father’s influence on her life and deciding what kind of person, player, and friend she wants to be. I really loved Vale’s development over the course of the novel because it serves as an excellent example for YA readers that you have to take accountability and responsibility for the parts of your life that you are in control of.
Additionally, Vale's character development is highlighted by her interactions with Leticia, her rival turned co-captain. Leticia, in contrast to Vale, is carefree, supportive, and emotionally aware. Despite their differences, they form a deep bond through soccer and shared experiences. The relationship between Vale and Leticia evolves from rivalry to friendship and eventually to romance, characterized by their subtle understanding of one another. Their banter and rivalry remain a core part of their dynamic even as their relationship deepens, and remained one of my favorite aspects of the book. Besides Leticia and Vale, there is a core group of friends that is created through their rookie team. I loved these characters so much and felt that most of the teammates were fleshed out and interesting to learn more about beyond their immediate connection to Vale and Leticia. The antagonists of the story were also well-developed and truly made me incredibly angry at many points throughout the book - a sign of a good bad guy! I only felt that the resolutions to some of the issues in the story were a little too convenient and not explored enough for my liking. There’s one part of the story that I really expected more from, but sadly it was kind of pushed to the side in the end.
Overall, this was a story with a lot of personal growth that encourages breaking the cycle of generational trauma, and embracing new friends that I really enjoyed. The backdrop of this story being a soccer summer camp was a great setting as someone who loves watching a good soccer game - and what a great series of games here to enjoy!
June 2, 2023
racquel marie my beloved!!!!!!!
June 10, 2023
4.5 stars
wow this was so good
wow this was so good
May 22, 2023
Content warnings: (from the author): off-page maternal death by breast cancer, maternal grief, mentions of underage drinking, depictions of paternal emotional abuse, depictions of anxiety/panic attacks, discussions and depictions of sports-related injuries (primarily a sprained wrist), condemned homophobia, condemned xenophobia, off-page teenage cancer patient, condemned mention of exclusionary transphobia in sports.
Rep: queer asexual biracial (Colombian, Irish) protagonist, lesbian Latine love interest, trans girl side character, bisexual Nigerian-American side character, pansexual Thai-American side character, other POC characters, other queer characters.
This book was not what I was expecting. I am so glad that this book's focus was more on the friendships that Vale so desperately needed to form.
Vale has a lot of issues that she works on throughout the book, which we love to see. I hate her father so much. He has done so much damage to his kids and he just doesn't give a fuck about it.
Vale spends her summer at a soccer camp and her ground in instincts is to win, win, win and it's hard for her to realise that while winning is good, it isn't everything.
Watching her develop relationships with her teammates and become a better person because of the camp was absolutely wonderful.
And it was even better to hear a character say out loud that they needed to get a therapist to work through their stuff. I loved that addition oh so much.
This book does feature a lot of soccer talk, so if you love sports/soccer, this is definitely for you.
I talk about books at these places: Instagram / Twitter / TikTok / Blog
Rep: queer asexual biracial (Colombian, Irish) protagonist, lesbian Latine love interest, trans girl side character, bisexual Nigerian-American side character, pansexual Thai-American side character, other POC characters, other queer characters.
This book was not what I was expecting. I am so glad that this book's focus was more on the friendships that Vale so desperately needed to form.
Vale has a lot of issues that she works on throughout the book, which we love to see. I hate her father so much. He has done so much damage to his kids and he just doesn't give a fuck about it.
Vale spends her summer at a soccer camp and her ground in instincts is to win, win, win and it's hard for her to realise that while winning is good, it isn't everything.
Watching her develop relationships with her teammates and become a better person because of the camp was absolutely wonderful.
And it was even better to hear a character say out loud that they needed to get a therapist to work through their stuff. I loved that addition oh so much.
This book does feature a lot of soccer talk, so if you love sports/soccer, this is definitely for you.
I talk about books at these places: Instagram / Twitter / TikTok / Blog
January 31, 2023
Racquel Marie is an auto-buy, auto-read author for me at this point. Ophelia After All was one of my favorite books of last year, and You Don't Have a Shot is probably going to be one of my favorites of this year. It's beautiful. It's adorable. It's so unbelievably messy but in a good way. I still know nothing about how soccer works. I love the soccer gays, though.
June 12, 2023
3.5
can't believe I willingly read a book about football and enjoyed it!! the power of sapphics and aces
can't believe I willingly read a book about football and enjoyed it!! the power of sapphics and aces
April 21, 2023
Fine, Racquel Marie knows her YA niche and thrives in it. It has many of the elements that made Ophelia a great book and only some that made me dislike Ophelia (mainly some friendship dynamics).
As always Marie knows how to write flawed protagonist you identify with and root for. Like I'm sorry but Vale's inner conflicts made sense and I disagree with the book presenting her as bitch. Like if you were under that much pressure all the time you would definitely snap at people especially if you have a big part of your future depending on whether or not they perform well. Like Dina and Ovie were a lot more annoying than Vale honestly. I'm surprised that "her closest friends" don't understand how bad her relationship with her dad is and can't empathise with what she's obviously going through. And then they both do the thing I hate in romance which is best friends teasing all the fucking time like shut the fuck up.
Letitia was great and so was the rivalry but I was disappointed by how quickly it all fizzled out I expected more rivalry and dislike
And I really appreciated that a story that focuses on a group of girls playing sports includes a trans girl who's an important and beloved character and no one questions whether or she should be playing sports especially in the current political climate
As always Marie knows how to write flawed protagonist you identify with and root for. Like I'm sorry but Vale's inner conflicts made sense and I disagree with the book presenting her as bitch. Like if you were under that much pressure all the time you would definitely snap at people especially if you have a big part of your future depending on whether or not they perform well. Like Dina and Ovie were a lot more annoying than Vale honestly. I'm surprised that "her closest friends" don't understand how bad her relationship with her dad is and can't empathise with what she's obviously going through. And then they both do the thing I hate in romance which is best friends teasing all the fucking time like shut the fuck up.
Letitia was great and so was the rivalry but I was disappointed by how quickly it all fizzled out I expected more rivalry and dislike
And I really appreciated that a story that focuses on a group of girls playing sports includes a trans girl who's an important and beloved character and no one questions whether or she should be playing sports especially in the current political climate
May 22, 2023
I can just tell this book was a labor of love and it made it even better because of it
June 2, 2023
Could not have asked for a better book to begin Pride month with
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