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First Down
All’s fair in love and football…
Elliot Graves thought he knew what the goal was. Until he fell for his best friend.
Elliot has everything a high school Junior could ask for. A sweet cheerleader girlfriend, a supportive family, and a spot as the starting receiver on the Crystal Falls football team with his best friend, Camden Holt. These are supposed to be the best days of his life, so why does it feel like he’s missing something?
When Elliot and his long-time girlfriend have a falling out, he's forced to face feelings for his friend Camden that run deeper than he realized. Feelings that could jeopardize more than just their friendship. If he’s wrong he could lose his football prospects, his friends, the respect and acceptance from people around them… But what if he’s not?
He soon finds himself falling fast for his best friend… and Camden’s falling too. The closer they grow, the more right their new relationship feels to them both.
Can they take their love to the endzone? Or will their play fall apart in the first down?
Elliot Graves thought he knew what the goal was. Until he fell for his best friend.
Elliot has everything a high school Junior could ask for. A sweet cheerleader girlfriend, a supportive family, and a spot as the starting receiver on the Crystal Falls football team with his best friend, Camden Holt. These are supposed to be the best days of his life, so why does it feel like he’s missing something?
When Elliot and his long-time girlfriend have a falling out, he's forced to face feelings for his friend Camden that run deeper than he realized. Feelings that could jeopardize more than just their friendship. If he’s wrong he could lose his football prospects, his friends, the respect and acceptance from people around them… But what if he’s not?
He soon finds himself falling fast for his best friend… and Camden’s falling too. The closer they grow, the more right their new relationship feels to them both.
Can they take their love to the endzone? Or will their play fall apart in the first down?
322 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 30, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
May 31, 2024
4 stars
A very sweet YA coming of age story.
Elliot is a total obliviot, but it doesn't go on for too long and once he and Cam sort things out they're a great couple.
I appreciated the slightly messy break-up with Elliot's girlfriend Casey, it was definitely not drama but it felt realistic based on the characters' ages and circumstances.
I really appreciated that Elliot stood his ground when he said he wasn't ready to have sex, and really liked that Cam didn't put any pressure on Elliot to move too fast either to have sex or come out out of the closet.
I also liked the interactions with the parents which I felt were well-balanced.
I'm not the biggest fan of the trope but I'm not too mad at it here, it did seem like a fitting reaction from these guys.
One thing I am confused about is the driving: does this kid have his license??? I don't know how it works in the US but in Australia you certainly can't learn to drive with someone who's (surely, at 17) on a provisional license.
Anyway, I'd definitely recommend this to fans of YA romances, I thought the characters were relatable and their romance was very believable.
A very sweet YA coming of age story.
Elliot is a total obliviot, but it doesn't go on for too long and once he and Cam sort things out they're a great couple.
I appreciated the slightly messy break-up with Elliot's girlfriend Casey, it was definitely not drama but it felt realistic based on the characters' ages and circumstances.
I really appreciated that Elliot stood his ground when he said he wasn't ready to have sex, and really liked that Cam didn't put any pressure on Elliot to move too fast either to have sex or come out out of the closet.
I also liked the interactions with the parents which I felt were well-balanced.
I'm not the biggest fan of the trope but I'm not too mad at it here, it did seem like a fitting reaction from these guys.
One thing I am confused about is the driving: does this kid have his license??? I don't know how it works in the US but in Australia you certainly can't learn to drive with someone who's (surely, at 17) on a provisional license.
Anyway, I'd definitely recommend this to fans of YA romances, I thought the characters were relatable and their romance was very believable.
Did Not Finish
October 15, 2026DNF @ 1% - Okay, I feel like I'm giving up a little early, but at least I attempted an additional page after nearly DNFing at the end of the first paragraph. I don't think I can deal with the writing style. I mean...
Yes, that was just one sentence. But I can handle that. What I cannot handle is a mobile phone being called "the rectangle". For one thing, it's not a rectangle, it's a phone. And for another, it's seriously not a rectangle.
And then on the next page I got a thorough description of the main character's morning routine, except all I can think is "He didn't brush his teeth?!" (In hindsight, he didn't use the toilet, either. So weird.
I kind of appreciate the effort that has gone into writing this (the first two pages, anyway), but it is clearly not for me.
Muttering curses under my breath, I roll over and extend one long arm to fish blindly under the bed, grabbing the rectangle and successfully turning off the alarm before setting it on the pillow next to me as my eyes drift closed again.
Yes, that was just one sentence. But I can handle that. What I cannot handle is a mobile phone being called "the rectangle". For one thing, it's not a rectangle, it's a phone. And for another, it's seriously not a rectangle.
And then on the next page I got a thorough description of the main character's morning routine, except all I can think is "He didn't brush his teeth?!" (In hindsight, he didn't use the toilet, either. So weird.
I kind of appreciate the effort that has gone into writing this (the first two pages, anyway), but it is clearly not for me.
March 10, 2025
This was described as a sweet romance, and that’s exactly what it was.
I am a total sucker for lifelong friends to lovers trope, and this one worked really well. The two main characters, Elliot and Camden, were just sooo adorable and so clearly made for each other that I was rooting for them from the start. I liked the progress of their story together, with Camden very clearly in love and Elliot taking a little longer to figure it out. It made it all the more satisfying when they finally ended up where they belonged.
The side characters were great in this book too, especially Casey and Beth. Sometimes I find it difficult when one of the love interests is already attached, but I loved the way it worked with Casey, who valued friendship and loyalty over everything else, and proved it at the end. I also loved Beth as the headstrong, sassy, sometimes annoying, always loyal little sister. We knew she’d have Elliot’s back through anything.
I really did love this story, as a hella cute happy ending between two lifelong friends.
📱🎵🏈
I am a total sucker for lifelong friends to lovers trope, and this one worked really well. The two main characters, Elliot and Camden, were just sooo adorable and so clearly made for each other that I was rooting for them from the start. I liked the progress of their story together, with Camden very clearly in love and Elliot taking a little longer to figure it out. It made it all the more satisfying when they finally ended up where they belonged.
The side characters were great in this book too, especially Casey and Beth. Sometimes I find it difficult when one of the love interests is already attached, but I loved the way it worked with Casey, who valued friendship and loyalty over everything else, and proved it at the end. I also loved Beth as the headstrong, sassy, sometimes annoying, always loyal little sister. We knew she’d have Elliot’s back through anything.
I really did love this story, as a hella cute happy ending between two lifelong friends.
📱🎵🏈
Did Not Finish
August 20, 2026I wasnt actually able to finish this story. There are a lot of errors within the audiobook. Whoever engineered this or proofed it, did not do their job properly.
I imagine it would have been a really good story the narration was great and its rare to have an MM stold by a woman. I was a really interesting take. Just disappointed that the production let it down
I imagine it would have been a really good story the narration was great and its rare to have an MM stold by a woman. I was a really interesting take. Just disappointed that the production let it down
May 15, 2025
Overall, it’s a sweet story. Despite my problems as noted below, I did appreciate the subtle character development of the two protagonists. They were very likable.
Clearly the author knows how to write for the most part. What lowered the rating for me was the extraordinary extraneous descriptive details of things (not people) written in scenes that ultimately had nothing to do with building emotion or the actions that were occurring. I kept waiting for a reference to these details later in the chapter or anywhere in the book thinking they might be significant such as foreshadowing might do, but that never happened. I wound up skimming pages of details just to get to the dialogue or action.
In fact, I almost did not finish the book but persisted, and when the protagonists were finally - finally - seeing one another, I was able to continue forward, but still had to suffer the needless extraneous details to the end.
With better editing and trimming, it would be a shorter book, but it would be so much better IMO.
Clearly the author knows how to write for the most part. What lowered the rating for me was the extraordinary extraneous descriptive details of things (not people) written in scenes that ultimately had nothing to do with building emotion or the actions that were occurring. I kept waiting for a reference to these details later in the chapter or anywhere in the book thinking they might be significant such as foreshadowing might do, but that never happened. I wound up skimming pages of details just to get to the dialogue or action.
In fact, I almost did not finish the book but persisted, and when the protagonists were finally - finally - seeing one another, I was able to continue forward, but still had to suffer the needless extraneous details to the end.
With better editing and trimming, it would be a shorter book, but it would be so much better IMO.
June 8, 2024
Camden (Cam) and Elliot are best friends. And Elliot has been dating their other friend, Casey. But Elliot is starting to realise there is something different about him.
This is a superb story about self-discovery and courage. I loved Cam and Elliot's friendship. I loved how Cam kept changing Elliot's ringtone. :)
So many elements are brought together so well in this story, that is a heart-warming coming out story, that I absolutely loved.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a superb story about self-discovery and courage. I loved Cam and Elliot's friendship. I loved how Cam kept changing Elliot's ringtone. :)
So many elements are brought together so well in this story, that is a heart-warming coming out story, that I absolutely loved.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 8, 2026
4.5 stars! This book was so cute!
October 6, 2025
Unnecessarily Wordy
The plot is cute but the author is overly descriptive of mundane details and it kinda felt like she was trying to reach a word count. Good story, has potential. The author just needs to work on getting to the point.
The plot is cute but the author is overly descriptive of mundane details and it kinda felt like she was trying to reach a word count. Good story, has potential. The author just needs to work on getting to the point.
October 16, 2026
sweet coming-of-age romance Elliot and Camden are the kind of best friends you can't help but root for, and watching their friendship turn into something more had me smiling the whole way through. ❤️
This is such a sweet coming-of-age romance about self-discovery, friendship, and realizing the person you've been looking for might have been right beside you all along. Their connection feels natural, built on years of knowing each other and those little acts of service that say I know you, I see you, and I've got you. And honestly, it was refreshing to get a sports romance that wasn't all alpha-athlete attitude, but instead focused on friendship, football, and falling in love when you least expect it.
I listened to the audiobook, and Tes Sharvelle deserves a round of applause for voicing the entire cast so seamlessly that I genuinely forgot it was one narrator. The character distinctions were incredible!
A heartwarming, feel-good romance with two absolutely adorable leads. Elliot and Camden had me rooting for them from the very beginning!
This is such a sweet coming-of-age romance about self-discovery, friendship, and realizing the person you've been looking for might have been right beside you all along. Their connection feels natural, built on years of knowing each other and those little acts of service that say I know you, I see you, and I've got you. And honestly, it was refreshing to get a sports romance that wasn't all alpha-athlete attitude, but instead focused on friendship, football, and falling in love when you least expect it.
I listened to the audiobook, and Tes Sharvelle deserves a round of applause for voicing the entire cast so seamlessly that I genuinely forgot it was one narrator. The character distinctions were incredible!
A heartwarming, feel-good romance with two absolutely adorable leads. Elliot and Camden had me rooting for them from the very beginning!
July 19, 2025
Cute
I thought this one was really cute and sweet! Elliot enjoys playing football but it’s mostly because of his friend Camden. This year they both made varsity so it’s going to be great. Also his other best friend turned girlfriend Casey is a cheerleader so she’ll be there to0. But something has shifted in their relationship and it just doesn’t feel like it’s supposed to for Elliot. When they break up Camden is there for him and he starts to see his best friend in a new light, like wondering what it would be like to kiss Camden. And maybe Camden feels the same? As the two grow even closer will keeping who they are to each other a secret destroy them or will it be the best things that’s ever happened to Elliot. A slow burn friends to lovers romance with sports mixed in and a discovering of sexual orientation! It’s tender and romantic and worth the read!
I thought this one was really cute and sweet! Elliot enjoys playing football but it’s mostly because of his friend Camden. This year they both made varsity so it’s going to be great. Also his other best friend turned girlfriend Casey is a cheerleader so she’ll be there to0. But something has shifted in their relationship and it just doesn’t feel like it’s supposed to for Elliot. When they break up Camden is there for him and he starts to see his best friend in a new light, like wondering what it would be like to kiss Camden. And maybe Camden feels the same? As the two grow even closer will keeping who they are to each other a secret destroy them or will it be the best things that’s ever happened to Elliot. A slow burn friends to lovers romance with sports mixed in and a discovering of sexual orientation! It’s tender and romantic and worth the read!
June 11, 2024
So often people drift through life and do the expected and think they are happy and fine. Until they realize they are not. Elliot is in a good position as the story starts. He is starting on his football team, his girlfriend is a cheerleader, his family is supportive, and he is playing on the team with his best friend Camden. Life is good, until he starts to realize that his feelings for Camden are more than just friendly. When his relationship with his girlfriend falls apart he and Camden become even closer and it turns out that he is not the only with feelings. A good story about two guys who come to realize that they are learning new things about themselves and how they feel about each other.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 6, 2024
Young adult, otherwise known as teenagers. This goes back to high school, specifically junior year. It follows one young man, his best friend, his girlfriend and his little sister gets thrown in as well. It is well written with some struggles common to most teens, other struggles more unique and how it is handled by this young man. Technology has changed but the touchdowns, the cold shoulders and the ability to figure out what that look means is still the same. Unfortunately the school year hasn’t gotten any shorter either. Although it wasn’t hard to read it was something that could put down and was possible to delay picking back up.
June 11, 2024
This was a super cute coming out book for a young HS couple. I absolutely loved how real the feelings felt for the boys as they navigated their new relationship. Kaleigh made me feel like I was a dash of Casey (their best friend) and Bethie, El’s little sister, as I became protective of them in their journey when their secret came out. I truly think this is a wonderful book for anyone and I love that this came out during Pride Month ❤️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2024
Nothing like a sports book 🤭 Life got busy but once i started reading this arc I couldn’t put it down. I’m glad I got to read this book because i loved it!!! At one point I had to get up and walk around my room while reading 😂😂.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 18, 2024
A really good book told from the perspective of Elliot who slowly comes to realize his best friend is the person he loves not his girlfriend. This is a witty well-written story and highly recommended reading.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 27, 2025
A bit chaste
This is a cute story about finding love and finding out about ourselves, but it could've been a little more in depth about the physical relationship between tbd main characters. Not a bad read.
This is a cute story about finding love and finding out about ourselves, but it could've been a little more in depth about the physical relationship between tbd main characters. Not a bad read.
June 15, 2024
3.5 stars
This was very sweet, but an idealized not realistic portrait of 17 year olds today.
This was very sweet, but an idealized not realistic portrait of 17 year olds today.
August 27, 2024
4.25 stars
April 14, 2025
Great Book!
I really enjoyed this story! I had trouble putting the book down to do anything else. Thanks for sharing 😊
I really enjoyed this story! I had trouble putting the book down to do anything else. Thanks for sharing 😊
September 19, 2025
ts was boring but cute
December 12, 2025
first down
This was a cute read. I loved all the characters and the story was really sweet. Hopefully we get a sequel
This was a cute read. I loved all the characters and the story was really sweet. Hopefully we get a sequel
February 3, 2026
This was such a cute book🥹
June 24, 2026
Get yourself a hot cheerleader ex to defend you from homophobia
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2026
I love these characters. They have so much confusion about them in the beginning. I adore their story and how they made the decisions they made. A fantastic performance.
February 20, 2026
This book deserves to be famous! This is friends to lovers done perfectly. I have a theory the reason it isn’t as famous is just because it’s young adult but don’t let that stop you from reading! It’s such a comfort book.
December 28, 2025
This book was really sweet. I was really rooting for Elliot and Camden the entire book. The characters were very sweet and the plot was never boring.
June 5, 2024
This is a great coming out YA novel.
It’s about a group of friends and how their relationships change over the year as members of the group figure out who they are.
All of the different relationships are great and fully fleshed out. I loved seeing how they all interact with each other.
I had all the feels with this book as Elliott learns about himself and comes to terms with that.
It’s about a group of friends and how their relationships change over the year as members of the group figure out who they are.
All of the different relationships are great and fully fleshed out. I loved seeing how they all interact with each other.
I had all the feels with this book as Elliott learns about himself and comes to terms with that.
September 26, 2026
First Down is a sweet, best friends to lovers, MM romance featuring Elliot Graves and Camden Holt.
When Elliot and his long-term girlfriend break up, he is forced to examine his feelings. He wasn't heartbroken, as one might have anticipated. When he takes a closer look he comes to see that he much prefers his time spent with his best friend, Camden. He starts to question his feelings towards Camden, and is surprised to find that his feelings may suggest there's more at play than a simple friendship.
This is coming of age story between two boys in high school who have been friends forever. While not my usual read, I enjoyed the audiobook narrated by Tes Sharvelle. I thought they did a great job bringing both Elliot and Camden's characters to life. I appreciated how Elliot might have been the one most surprised to learn of his feelings as it is easier to just go with the flow than to take a closer look at things. Overall, it was an enjoyable listening experience.
When Elliot and his long-term girlfriend break up, he is forced to examine his feelings. He wasn't heartbroken, as one might have anticipated. When he takes a closer look he comes to see that he much prefers his time spent with his best friend, Camden. He starts to question his feelings towards Camden, and is surprised to find that his feelings may suggest there's more at play than a simple friendship.
This is coming of age story between two boys in high school who have been friends forever. While not my usual read, I enjoyed the audiobook narrated by Tes Sharvelle. I thought they did a great job bringing both Elliot and Camden's characters to life. I appreciated how Elliot might have been the one most surprised to learn of his feelings as it is easier to just go with the flow than to take a closer look at things. Overall, it was an enjoyable listening experience.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews