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About this item
Highlights
- A joyful summer romance that Jason June, New York Times bestselling author of Out of the Blue, calls "Swoon-worthy!
- 352 Pages
- Young Adult Fiction, Romance
Description
About the Book
"This is not how soccer star Zack Martin thought his summer would go. When the captain's prank means trouble for the whole squad, Zack's left with no choice but to take one for the team and cover for him. Now he's trading parties and beach days for community service at a seaside conservation center--fair enough. But thanks to his new reputation, the cute intern, Chip, won't even give him a shot. Still, Zack finds himself falling for Chip between dolphin encounters and shark costume disasters, which means he suddenly has way more on the line than he ever expected. Zack may be good at winning on the field, but can he keep up the lie without losing himself?--Jacket flap.Book Synopsis
A joyful summer romance that Jason June, New York Times bestselling author of Out of the Blue, calls "Swoon-worthy!"This is not how soccer-star Zack Martin thought his summer would go. When the captain's prank means trouble for the whole squad, Zack's left with no choice but to take one for the team and cover for him.
Now he's trading parties and beach days for community service at a seaside conservation center--fair enough. But thanks to his new reputation, the cute intern, Chip, won't even give him a shot. Still, Zack finds himself falling for Chip between dolphin encounters and shark costume disasters, which means he suddenly has way more on the line than he ever expected.
Zack may be good at winning on the field, but can he keep up the lie without losing himself?
Review Quotes
Praise for I Like Me Better "Full of swoon-worthy flirtation, a great cast of characters, and all sorts of aquatic shenanigans, I Like Me Better joyfully reminds us that coming into your own and falling in love don't have to be mutually exclusive." --Jason June, New York Times bestselling author of Out of the Blue "Robby Weber has delivered yet another bright and bubbly, can't-help-but-turn-another-page summertime romp. I Like Me Better is fun, heartening, and had me smiling from ear to ear." --Robbie Couch, New York Times bestselling author of If I See You Again Tomorrow "Weber's characters pop off the page in their sunny Florida setting... Zack and Chip's slow-burn relationship and the easygoing acceptance of their sexuality by their peers are delightful... A sweet story of soccer and summer romance with a lovable protagonist." --Kirkus Reviews "Weber ambitiously blends environmental activism and lighthearted romance in this frothy summer read... Zack's insecurities and yearning to fit in, both at school and in soccer, are skillfully juxtaposed against his budding relationship with Chip." --Publishers Weekly Praise for If You Change Your Mind "A romantic hero's journey with a happy ending that will leave you smiling and swooning. If You Change Your Mind shows readers they have the power to write their own stories, even when their hearts are pulling them in different directions. I loved it!" --Adam Silvera, #1 New York Times bestselling author of They Both Die at the End "Fresh, funny, and full of heart--I adored If You Change Your Mind. The perfect summer romance!" --Morgan Matson, New York Times bestselling author of Take Me Home Tonight "A summer-sweet, dreamy rom-com, If You Change Your Mind is a heartfelt debut readers will instantly fall for. Weber delivers all the classic tropes with charm, wit, and a fresh voice. My heart is still caught in the pages." --Julian Winters, award-winning author of Running With Lions "Robby Weber's If You Change Your Mind is everything we love about a summer read. Sundrenched, swoony, and dripping with chemistry and charm." --Jenna Evans Welch, New York Times bestselling author of Love & Gelato "Effervescent with sun and Hollywood sparkle, Weber's debut rom-com charmingly captures the intricacies of love and the perfect feeling of summer. An utterly delightful read that had us soaking up the pages." --Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka, authors of If I'm Being Honest "This debut is a light beach read that scratches an itch for readers craving a gay romance that incorporates classic romance tropes... A cute story populated with appealing characters." --Kirkus Reviews "Genuine and funny debut populated by classic romance tropes and plenty of summertime fun." --Publishers Weekly "Everything from the meet-cute to the makeup kiss is sweet and satisfying." --School Library Journal
Dimensions (Overall): 8.48 Inches (H) x 5.85 Inches (W) x 1.07 Inches (D)
Weight: .84 Pounds
Suggested Age: 13 Years
Sub-Genre: Romance
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Number of Pages: 352
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Theme: LGBT
Format: Hardcover
Author: Robby Weber
Language: English
Street Date: May 2, 2023
TCIN: 87648987
UPC: 9781335453648
Item Number (DPCI): 247-44-0563
Origin: Made in the USA or Imported
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Shipping details
Estimated ship dimensions: 1.07 inches length x 5.85 inches width x 8.48 inches height
Estimated ship weight: 0.84 pounds
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3.8 out of 5 stars with 4 reviews
75% would recommend
4 recommendations
Not For Me
2 out of 5 stars
Thumbs down graphic, would not recommend
ReadwithCassey - 2 years ago
This book had me feeling old and like I was phasing out of this genre. I like YA contemporary novels but this had me turned off for multiple reasons. It was bit of a slow read for multiple reasons. The main character, Zack, was unlikable. Not because he was a jock or being influenced by others, though those had factors, but because it just seemed to be his personality. In some novels that can work, but for most of this I just found him selfish, unthinking, and superficial. There was growth on his part throughout, but I don't think there was enough. It felt like there should have been more depth and conversation about his past, his feelings, and why he was acting the way he was. It needed more reflection. While the story was moving, it felt like nothing was happening either. I will say that I liked Chip very much and I feel like if this book had been from his point of view I would have enjoyed it more. He was cute throughout the whole story and I felt like we actually learned more about his family dynamics than we did Zack. Their relationship was very natural feeling and I enjoyed the times they spent together. Zack being a soccer athlete was also nice to read about. It's not a sport I read or know much about, but I like how it showed how chaotic being an athlete during the summer can be. I'm sure others would enjoy this, but it wasn't for me. It took me so long to get through this and in the end I just wasn't satisfied.
Adorable Summer Romance
5 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Raaven H - 2 years ago
Awwww everyone was so cute! The cover was what drew me towards this book and it didn’t disappoint. After he takes the blame for a prank he didn’t do, Zack is forced to do community service over the summer. At first he’s going to go to the library, but then he meets a cute boy on the beach. Chip is an intern at the conservation center and Zack is inspired to change his community service in order to see Chip more. Zack had to grow on me. I’m really glad he was able to grow as a character and learn about his flaws and be a better person. He had some normal struggles as a teenager and him finding his place was amazing to see. He learned so much about himself in a few months time. Chip was so cute. I’ve never seen someone as passionate as him. He was truly like the perfect little activist. The way he was able to reach Zack was sweet. I’m glad the character development was there and the characters you think are mean are just insecure kids. That’s what happens in high school! You start to learn who you really are. I’ll have to read Robby Weber’s other book because this one has my heart.
A fun, swoony, summer romance which explores important issues
4 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
lurkykitty - 2 years ago
I Like Me Better follows Zack in the summer before Senior year. Zack is hoping to become captain of his soccer team. He looks up to the graduating captain, Ryan, and takes the blame for a stupid, insensitive prank that Ryan pulled, to prevent the whole team from getting into trouble. The consequence is community service which leads to him volunteering at a marine institute, after meeting Chip, a cute guy who is an intern there. As well as community service, Zack is also in charge of organizing soccer practices for his team, for a summer charity match. I Like Me Better focuses on Zack's character growth, as well as Zack and Chip's romance. Zack is a good-hearted guy, but he is immature and tends to be a people pleaser. As the summer and the relationship between Zack and Chip progresses, Zack discovers a lot about his values, being a good friend, boyfriend and teammate, coping with expectations and being true to himself. I like how there is a strong theme of ocean conservation and environmentalism throughout. It was refreshing to read a gay romance story with no homophobia. We know it is not the reality for young queer people (especially in Florida) but it is a world we should strive to create. I did find that the internships held by some of the students were unrealistic. It is almost impossible for college students to get summer placements such as these and a marine institute would never give building keys to a 10th grader, no matter how responsible he is. I Like Me Better is a fun swoony, heartwarming summer romance, which explores some important issues in a sundrenched, beach setting.
Lighthearted yet heartfelt
4 out of 5 stars
Thumbs up graphic, would recommend
Mishale - 2 years ago
Zack is pretty focused on one thing only: soccer. He’s a rising senior and he’s most likely to be captain next year. The graduating senior Ryan, currently captain, basically guarantees Zack that he’s next. When Ryan does something stupid, Zack takes the fall for him. Ryan says his chance at college will be jeopardized if anyone finds out he was responsible for the prank. So, Zack claims it was him. He thinks it’s what’s best for Ryan and best for the team. Zack gets assigned community service. He winds up working at seaside conservation center with his new crush Chip. If he must spend his summer doing community service, he can’t think of anything better than spending it with Chip. But Chip won’t give him a chance at a date. Because Chip thinks Zack pulled the prank. And the prank involved a dead shark. And Zack idolizes Ryan, who Chip dislikes. Ryan is Chip’s cousin. He doesn’t like that Zack seems like Ryan’s go to. In addition to things being rough with Chip, Zack finds out that the team is upset with him. Because of the prank and Zack’s community service hours, everyone has to do soccer practice at about six am every day all summer. This isn’t what anyone wanted. And Zack doesn’t even know what matters to him beyond soccer because of the amount of pressure he feels from his parents about being a soccer star. Poor Zack is feeling a lot of pressure from all directions. His parents aren’t happy that he’s devoting less energy to soccer, his friends are upset that he’s keeping secrets from them, his team is upset that he’s being selfish and also screwing up their summer plans, and even as things improve with Chip he still feels like he’s being kept at a distance. And nobody has even bothered to ask what Zack wants, even Zack hasn’t put any time towards his own happiness. I thought Zack was a kindhearted guy. He has good intentions. He makes mistakes sometimes. But he’s lovable. I like Chip too and Zack’s best friends. I also think the background character Foster could do with a story of his own. He seems like he’d have an interesting story. I received an ebook arc of this book from NetGalley and won a physical copy of the book from BookishFirst. Thank you! I look forward to seeing what the author writes next.