He’s a rebel with a cause… to make my life a misery
Mitchell Finlayson has it in for me All because I snitched on him Well, he deserved it, but I didn’t count on his punishment being to help the volleyball team. Now he seems to be there at every turn, Pushing me Taunting me Trying to break me… As if I don’t have enough issues Trying to manage my diabetes
Yeah, Mitchell acts tough, Like he’s a bad boy But he has secrets Can it be that the boy with the cold, hard heart Is hiding a softer side?
I loved this story. The whole thing came together perfectly. Every chapter was like a puzzle piece giving us the whole image at the end. I loved the way the portrayal of how the characters were creeping around their feelings, too afraid to come close. There was a lot of information on diabetes which added to the story. I’ll be able to tell my parents that I learned from a romance novel. It was the perfect balance of everything. While I wished Mitchell would tell his mother about the abusing, I understood his reasons behind it. This shows that I was involved with the characters more than expected.
Being the silly person I can be, I read this book before the previous book but was enamoured by the story that I didn’t put down this one and read the previous book first.
This story follows Mitchell and Harper. Harper has diabetes. It can lead to several issues. Only her closet group of friends and the school officials know outside of her family. She doesn’t want looks of pitying or having someone else treat her like she isn’t able to do something. While she knows that everyone acts out of the goodness of her heart, she’s a bit overwhelmed by always being asked if she was okay or if she needs a break. Mitchell has his own set of problems at home. He keeps the bad boy persona at school with only his best friend knowing the truth.
They’ve known each other for a while but never travelled in the same circles. Mitch and his best friend mess up the storage room right after two of the girls on the volleyball team play. Harper learns this after hearing that the two girls have been suspended from playing at the tournament. She tells her coach that this happened. Mitch and his friend are forced, as punishment, to help the volleyball team out. Mitch promises Harper payback. Why does Harper feel excitement rather than fear?
I wrote this voluntary review in exchange for a review copy.
This is book four of the River Valley High Boyfriend series and this story is about the relationship between Mitchell and Harper. Harper is part of the school’s volleyball team, who have been doing very well, but misses out on having to drop athletics and running in her junior year, after she fell ill and was later diagnosed with type 1 diabetics. This severely curtailed her sporting activities and with a mother who didn’t even want her to continue with volleyball and was overly protective of her after this diagnosis and didn’t even let her have a car to drive to school and back! When the volleyball team are about to be punished for leaving the gym in a mess and not putting away equipment after using it. When Mitchell and his best friend are overheard talking about it, by another member of the volleyball team who tells Harper, she calls him out on it and tells him he needs to tell the coach and take the blame.
When he doesn’t, the matter is taken out of her hands when the other girl picks up the courage to inform the coach. Mitchell and his friend, both basketball stars and really tall, are then given the punishment of helping out during the girl’s practise sessions after school, in the run up to a big game. Their height will help the girls work out how to play against teams with taller girls on them, but also improve by using different training skills used by the basketball players. In the first session, one of the other girls reveals that Harper was the one who told the coach it was them who left the mess and was responsible for them being punished. This doesn’t go down well with Mitchell and when Harper tries to do the easier option of push ups, he pushes and taunts her!
Mitchell acts out as a bad boy, but he has a lot of problems at home with his step-dad and he has been keeping it all secret, mainly for the health and safety of his mother. Harper struggles with her control of diabetes and certain events put her control out of her hands and lead to her becoming ill, having hypos and collapsing. Her possible participation at the big game, where there will be scouts from universities, which may give her a chance of a sporting scholarship and placement, is being put at risk. After being pushed by Mitchell, she comes to dread seeing him in their sessions, but also comes to the conclusion that she can do it and more, realising she has let her diabetes rule her life for far too long. If she can control it properly, there should be no reason she can’t do what she wants.
A tale of two seemingly opposite teens, both playing at a high level in their respective high school teams, one wanting to get to play at college as a way out of his abusive home life and the other wanting to have the sporting life they thought had been left behind. Getting sudden butterflies in their stomach, they each are getting feelings for the other, no matter how hard they try to ignore them. Harper asks Mitchell for extra training help for her big game and he starts her off in the gym, but his best friend and a girl he is interested in are also along for the session. Harper gets to see evidence of the beatings Mitchell is receiving and turns up at his home at Thanksgiving with a pumpkin pie and meets his parents. Ending up in his stepdad’s garage gym, brings about a slight cooling of animosity when his keen record keeping records are revealed and gets Harper doing weight training to help build up her strength.
A lovely tale of two opposites who manage to work out together, even though they hate the other, for one purpose and end up liking each other in the end. A few others from previous books have a mention as well, so you get to keep up with their relationships as well, which is nice if you have read the previous books, but isn’t essential to read this one. There is physical abuse mentioned in this book and also the issues of a teen dealing with type 1 diabetes and trying to maintain control over an issue that goes against all the freedoms they want in their life. Both are important issues and some may find part of this hard to read, but it was dealt with in a very realistic and sensible manner. I have loved each book in this series and this one is my favourite so far, as it dealt with two normal teens who were having to deal with issues way outside of their own control and shows how they deal with it and grow together. I would recommend it to all who enjoy a little teen clean romance and teen issues. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
'My High School Rebel Boyfriend' by Kylie Key follows main characters Harper and Mitchell as they have to find a way to work together. While Harper is on the volleyball team, Mitchell is a basketball player. Besides sports, they don't seem to have much in common, and Mitchell doesn't try to be friendly when Harper's around. Harper's diabetes adds to the issues between them, since Mitchell doesn't know about it and she has no reason to want to explain it to him due to his unkind nature toward her.
Yet, she's also bombarded by too much caring about her diabetes, as her mother is fiercely protective of her, worried that she may be pushing herself too hard. When Harper unknowingly sets up her fate of bringing Mitchell and his friend on as student trainers for her volleyball team, she starts to have her work cut out for her. Mitchell pushes her hard, and when she responds well to his direction, she surprises not only herself, but him. He realizes that there may be more to Harper than meets the eye, and at the same time, Harper finds herself having trouble getting Mitchell out of her thoughts.
Besides learning about Harper's home life, including her diabetes and her mother's protective nature, we learn that Mitchell's home life is not all sunshine and roses. He is dealing with troubles that no adult, let alone child, should have to conquer, especially when one is so young. His mother is sick and his step-father takes out his frustration on Mitchell. Readers learn that even though someone might seem strong on the outside, what's inside matters, too. Mitchell is just a little boy inside, trying to protect his mother and save her from any more struggle or worry.
Kylie Key has done a nice job setting the stage for two characters who are determined to make their mark, but have troubles keeping them from shining as much as they'd like. The story is one of determination, strength, and learning to cope with troubles one may never have seen coming.
Beth Rodgers, Author of 'Welcome to Chanu-Con!,' a Children's Picture Book, and Freshman Fourteen' and 'Sweet Fifteen,' Young Adult Novels
The story: My High School Rebel Boyfriend stars a high school senior, Harper, who is struggling living with type one diabetes. She’s had to give up so much in her life and now just wants a chance at a volleyball scholarship. Enter Mitchell. Along with another boy, he receives a punishment to help the volleyball team train for an upcoming tournament. Harper and Mitchell don’t get along for most of the book, each misunderstanding each other in many ways. But as secrets come out, they slowly realize neither of them is the person they thought they were.
What I loved: That the book was heavily focused on illness and disability. As someone who lives with both, it was refreshing to see it done in a realistic way. I know from experience the worry and anxiety and embarrassment Harper faced every day and this author managed a perfect representation of what that’s like. Harper and Mitchell were cute together and you can’t help rooting for them to go all the way. Their connection is palpable. The writing flows easily, making this a quick read.
What left me wanting more: There are some pretty offensive judgements made about type two diabetes in this book that were completely uncalled for. It’s categorized as a disease only overweight people get for eating too much junk food, completely discounting all other factors and causes. It was a comment that stayed with me through the entire book. I think some of the nuances of child abuse were also missed, especially in the end when it’s seemingly getting better because of Harper’s involvement. I’d have loved a more complete ending where we find out if Harper reaches the goal she’s been striving for the entire book.
Final verdict: A well-written story that excels in entertainment factor with real, easy-to-root-for characters who face relatable problems in realistic ways.
I was curious about this book about how it was going to be. It was good. Was it different yes; I felt like Mitch and Harper were made for each other because they both were dealing with something that was in their life. Harper with her diabetes and Mitch with his stepfather abuse and his mother's arthritis.
The only problem with this book I had was the repeat of Harper's diabetes and what she had to do to keep herself good. I was like that was too much (not about diabetes) but the repeats of it. I’m not wording it right, but I felt I understood her situation and felt like the food intake, etc didn’t need a repeat in every chapter.
What I did felt bad about what Mitch and his friends did with her foods. They didn’t save any for her. I felt like you don’t go in someone's bag. When you don’t know if there’s a reason why that person may have things in their bag. Dude to their health. I was waiting on Mitch to get a clue on how he been treating her. After her diabetes scare.., he got himself together and realize that he shouldn’t be mean to her.
I felt like he always carried out an attitude towards people, because of what went on at home. I was glad that he had Harper in his life. Because I felt like MAYBE his stepdad would get a clue; I just wish that Harper could’ve told her parents at least about Mitch and his abuse...
But she wanted to keep his secret and see if his stepfather Wade would change. Also, I think with the training, his mom probably would move around more. Harper to me brought LIGHT into Mitch family because no one seems happy until Harper popped up.
I easily read this in one day! I am never disappointed by these High School Boyfriend stories and this one hit close to home more than I thought it would. Harper has Type 1 diabetes or hypoglycemia and is a volleyball player. She doesn’t think she will be able to compete at college level volleyball and isn’t managing the diabetes as well as she should be. Mitchell pushes her to do more without realizing Harpers condition. I loved that she pushed herself and wanted to do better without hurting herself. I loved the chemistry between these two and the bickering. Mitchell has secrets of his own that he wants to keep from everyone but Harper manages to find out. These two helped each other when they needed people the most. I wish they could have talked to each other sooner instead of thinking the other hates them. I wanted more with these two like a first date or more romantic settings but the epilogue was pretty great. Thankfully we seen some good character development! I’m excited to read the rest in this series!
All teenagers are dealing with something most of the time. However, most of them are not serious issues. Both Mitchell and Harper have very serious problems that they have to deal with. Mitchell's classmates would never guess what his life is really like. He acts like a tough guy. While Harper acts like nothing has changed in her life. She thinks people would look at her with pity if they knew.
Circumstances have brought Mitchell into Harler's world of volleyball. He isn't her biggest fan. He makes comments like she is weak and her workout is pathetic to her during practice. There is definitely no love lost between them. So why is it they both get butterflies when they are around each other?
Overall this book was well written, but I’m not comfortable with the ending. There is a character dealing with an abusive step-father in here and he never actually gets help. Harper try’s to help by being nice to his step-father and showing him phone a good human being behaves, but I’m not fully comfortable with that.
If your friend is in an abusive situation you need to get them help. I said what I said. I’ve seen something like this okay out in real life and that step-father needed to be confronted.
The author did include a disclaimer, telling people that abusive situations and health maters like diabetics should not be taken lightly, but I still would have liked to see the situation in her book resolved better than it was.
I enjoyed reading this high school romance. It was well written and clean. I loved getting to know Harper & Mitchell. I know this is all about high school characters, but you can still have romance between them. The kissing scene was more of a fade to black moment. I wish that would have been more detailed, just to feel more of the romance. So this was more like an enemy to a slightly more than friends book for me. The book did pull at my heartstrings for both Harper & Mitchell’s situations. I just wanted a more romantic feel. I would read more by this author though. I received an ARC and have voluntarily chosen to review it.
Harper’s diabetics is getting in her way to achieve and scholarship to play volleyball in college. She needs to face her illness and learn to live her life and achieve her goals. Mitchell is playing basketball hard as a way out of his house’s problems. CAn HArper and Mitchell help each other even when they seem to dislike each other? A great story about facing your fears, doing your best with your circumstances and finding love in the process.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I really loved this books and how it talked about hypoglycemia and diabetes. It would have been really tough for Harper to achieve her goals but like the book showed not impossible. I have hypoglycemia and know that that alone can be tough I can’t imagine have both and still doing sports. I also liked how Mitchell and Harper both change and develop as the story goes on and they learn why the other is how they are. He’s got family issues and her mom tries to keep her in this protective bubble. It was very realistic and a great read.
I enjoyed this high school romance. I liked getting to know more about type 1 diabetes and the struggles it entails. I liked the lesson woven in this book about limits. I really enjoyed our two mains and their connection and how it developed. This is my first book by this author but definitely won’t be my last!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
It took a while for Harper and Mitchell to connect with each other. But it was realistic. I liked that they were dealing with real life problems and that they worked them out in their own ways. It was great that they each had good supportive friends. The story moves along smoothly and the author has shown the depth of the characters, who are well rounded and relatable.
I loved the transformation from "enemies" to love. you felt all the emotions and the transition was very believable. some stories jump from one extreme to the other, but Harper and Mitchell grew. very well written.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Harper has type 1 diabetes, which she , mostly, manages fine. Mitchell is a basketball player, also with huge hidden problems. As he doesn't know about Harper's illness he pushes her, she accepts it and realizes that she could be doing more. A good thought provoking read. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I've read several books written by Kylie Key; she has done a great job at writing a good book; she is becoming one of my favorite authors. I can’t wait to read more of books her books.
The story line was well written and I loved how Harper was learning to deal with her diabetes & Mitch’s character.
I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
I'm not entirely sure what all I think. I like the book, but I feel like Mitchell's story is a little underdeveloped. There could have been so much more. What there is, I like; and Harper is better fleshed out, but I feel like Mitchell just needed more time to properly tell his story, to really understand him.
The book is a good teen and young adult sweet romance read. The story has a good story line. The characters are good, and they have good chemistry. The story is an enjoyable sweet romance read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I absolutely loved this book! There are some books that pull you in and you will enjoy the story. This book not only pulls you in but makes you wish the story never ends. I loved this book and cannot wait to read more by this author! This is a must read!
This story hit home to me as a mom of a diabetic. So it was with some horror I read the scenes where they messed with her in such a misbegotten way. I did like the premise and the play out of the story. Each had their problems and goals. The attraction between them was believable.
Okay, at first I was kinda mad that she was getting close Mitch because he was getting on my nerves. But as the book went on he got a lot better and I like how he was worried about Harper, so sweet. I recommend 12 and up
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
See, the thing I liked best about this story, is that it was so realistic. Things don’t always turn out perfect. Real life has its ups and downs. People have problems and they don’t always have happily ever afters. This story doesn’t end on a cliffhanger, but it does make you think. And it has an element of hope for the future. I thought it was original and well-rounded. It reminded me of some of Anna Catherine Field’s work and I highly recommend it. Excellent.