Is there anything worse than being coached by your ex?
Actually yes, watching your nemesis hit on him.
When Emersyn packed her bags for soccer camp, her only plan was to win MVP and the attention of a few scouts. But when she runs into her ex, it throws off her game.
As if seeing him isn’t hard enough, the boy who broke her heart is going to be coaching her for the next three weeks. To make matters worse, her rival has just been assigned to her team and made it her mission to land him.
Emersyn may have more to lose than just a trophy. This is not how she wanted to spend the last few weeks before senior year. But if she wants to win, she’s going to have to take her heart out of the game and ignore her confusing feelings for her cute ex-turned-coach long enough to crush the competition.
Determined not to crumble under head games and heartache, it’s GAME ON!
Award-Winning author, Christina Benjamin, lives in Florida with her husband, and character inspiring pets, where she spends her free time working on her books and speaking to inspire fellow writers.
Christina is best known for her wildly popular Young Adult romance novels, The Boyfriend series.
The Boyfriend series proves that book boyfriends are like Chocolate… you can never have enough. Check out the Boyfriend series for fast, fun, YA romance reads. These destination novels let you fall in love in a new city with new character every time.
Christina loves to read and write across genres. YA is her favorite but she's a sucker for a good love story. Don't miss her YA Fantasy, The Geneva Sommers series under her pen name CJ Benjamin as well as the multiple anthologies she's been a part of.
Emersyn ‘Em’ Elizabeth Keene’s summer was suppose to be the best time of her life. Attending Camp Neon for the final time, she was planning to go out with a bang with plans to win MVP and catch the attention of some scouts. However upon arrival she finds not only is Delia her enemy attending, but they will be playing on the same team too. And if that wasn’t bad enough, her ex-boyfriend Lennox who broke her heart is there too. And just so happens to be her coach. Could it get any worse than this? Only time will tell.
Despite everything that Emersyn suffers and endures throughout her time at the camp. The fact that she didn’t let it deter her from what she wanted, by stopping or quitting proved she truly was a fighter. Even when the going got tough, or she reached her lowest point, she proved how much of a fierce strong warrior she truly was. The fact that she somehow always found the strength in staying on the right path, regardless of how hard Delia tried to sabotage her. With never giving up or in, indicating her pure heart which she followed throughout. Especially when it came to Lennox. Overall, I had to commend her by giving her the props she deserved for how she handled everything thrown her way. Emersyn was truly one of a kind.
The adventure that this story leads you on was like going on a wild rollercoaster ride filled to the brim with emotions, feelings and a whole heck of angst unsurprisingly so given all the drama that occurs. Plus the suspense surrounding the build up on anticipation of where Emersyn and Lennox’s story will take you. It was what madeOffsides with My Ex-Boyfriendsuch a cute, sweet, adorable and at times romantic story seeing Best Friends getting a Second Chance at their love after having been broken hearted when their relationship had come to an end the first time round. While still giving space of emotional growth given the sadness and pain that they endure too.
All in all, I enjoyed reading Emersyn and Lennox’s story inOffsides with My Ex-Boyfriend.It was such a sweet story with Christina Benjamin pulling through yet again with another great YA book.
So this was a new to me author, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this story! The premise sounded interesting; having an ex as a coach seems like it'd be so awkward. The ups and downs in this book were interesting. Em and Nox sure are cute. Good, but flawed kids. There love story is sweet and heartwarming and believable. There were a few moments where Em seems to just be really getting in her own way and I just wanted to tell her STOP and LISTEN, but luckily those moments don't last too long and Nox is thankfully persistent enough to not let her wallow in misery too long because she for some keeps letting Delia get into her head. Ugh, Delia. I know the plot needed you, but you were so annoying!
Actually, the biggest mystery to me was whether or not Delia, the horrid mean girl, would get any sort of redemption (I'm not spoiling this for you haha, mystery in YA contemporary romance is hard to come by). But regardless, the ending is satisfying and I'm happy I read this book. It's a quick read and I definitely recommend it if you enjoy YA sports romances.
This is Emersyn's summer to shine. This year she and her bestie Max are seniors at Camp Neon, a sport's summer camp. Even better, her arch-nemesis won't be there, so she can finally be in the spotlight, win MVP, and grab the attention of the college scouts. But it all goes wrong from the beginning. Delia, her nemesis is there, and so is Nox, her ex-boyfriend, the love of her life is there as her coach. Now, not only can she feel the MVP trophy slipping away but her future too.
In a world full of conflict, there is a need for sweet stories like this one. When you need to step away and escape, this is the perfect book. You can step back to the days when life was more simple. When heartbreak from your first love, the mean girl taking her shots, and the pit in your stomach you get watching your ex and the mean girl together are the problems that rule your world. Everyone can relate to Emersyn, her self-doubts and her heartache. Everyone can root for her to best Delia. Everyone can root for Nox to win the girl. Set in the world of soccer, this story allows Emersyn to shine. She proves what dedication, hard work, and support can accomplish. She proves it's possible to shine as an individual and still be a team player. Nox is a sweetheart. He proves even good guys make mistakes but that they can also work hard to fix them. And of course, best friends are everything. Max and newcomer Nicole show women work better as friends rather than enemies. Shared giggles should outweigh mean girl insults in every girl's life. Emersyn and her friends will leave you with a smile on your face and a new appreciation of narwhals and milkshakes.
I really adored this story! It was really adorable with these two characters who were forced apart by circumstances not of their making. They are definitely meant to be together and truly love each other but Emersyn has been hurt in the past by her father and after having her heartbroken by Nox isn't quite sure how to let him back in. She still has those feelings but has spent the last year trying to get over them since Nox left. There was a lot more to the situation but it is hard to see through the pain. Now they have been tossed back together and Nox is realizing that he wants to figure out a way to make things work but he proves pretty quickly how well he knows Emersyn and knows that he has to be patient and show her. I loved how on her side he was, it didn't matter what he got out of it, of course he wanted her back but he wanted what was best for her regardless of if that happened. These two were so sweet and I truly loved this story. Once I started reading it, I didn't want to put it down as I had to figure out what was going to happen next and how they were going to work things out. Great story and I am super excited for the teasers that I got it the story for potential next books. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
Excellent Series Starter. This is a romance that manages to be both first-love *and* second-chance, as HS sweethearts who had been friends then best friends since forever before finally dating had broken up a year before the events of this book - and this book is as much about the fallout/ reconnecting there as it is about soccer. And yet, the actual soccer does indeed play a prominent role in this tale - which is not exactly a common feature of many of the previous Tomboy tales Benjamin and friends had worked on in the previous couple of years. So a marked improvement in the balance there, and in integrating both sports and romance. The secondary couple here being so prominently displayed throughout this particular story shows quite blatantly who Book 2 will be about, and this reader is looking forward to that tale as well. Very much recommended.
Such a sweet romance! As a tomboy, I so love the idea of this series focusing on strong, sporty women and these amazing guys who love them. Nox was adorable, and the way he believed in and supported Emersyn even when they were at odds. The side characters, especially Max and Nicole, were great too. I can’t wait to read Max’s story next!
This story was really sweet, the romance between Emersyn and Lennox was great and you could really feel the attraction and the push and pull between them.
They started as best friends when they were kids then in the older classes they became more, but suddenly he just broke up with her and moved to New York with his father without giving her any notice. Now Emersyn is going to her last football camp before her senior year in high school. These three weeks of camp is going to be amazing and her nemesis Delia is in Paris so nothing can go wrong. But suddenly Delia is right next to her spreading her poison and getting to Emersyn as always but even better Lennox is there too as an assistant trainer to the football teams. Everything falls apart for Emersyn but can she pick herself up again before she is thrown out on the sidelines and can Lennox help her find her footing again both on and off the field;-)?
I swooned over Lennox. He would do anything for Emersyn and got so angry when she was treated so badly by Delia and others. Even though he broke up with her in such a rotten way he thought he did the right thing and he figured out very quickly that he would do anything just to become her friend again and if she wanted more he was right there with her. She was very much in her own head and was very quick to judge Lennox and sometimes she annoyed me. At other times I really felt for her and felt so much of her frustration and feelings and just wanted to cry with her and hit a few pillows to get rid of those frustrations. But you can just feel their attraction and her fighting it because of what happened in their past.
I can definitely recommend this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was a good story, from the beginning you have a lot of empathy for both characters and you’re rooting for them. Emersyn was a sweet girl, very driven but so naive. It really bothered me that she made such a big deal of the break up with Lennox (Nox). If you hear his reason, it’s totally acceptable. And every time Delia says or does something, she believes her right away… Doesn’t she know better after all this time. I’m left with mixed feelings.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
G-rated, YA, reunion romance between two elite soccer players
It is the summer before Emersyn Keene’s senior year. She is a star soccer player from Virginia who is attending an elite, co-ed, summer sports camp called the Northeastern Ohio Athletic Academy. It is nicknamed “Camp Neon” because it is hosted on a college campus in Northeast Ohio and their school mascot is a Narwhal whale. Only the best of the best from the whole USA are invited to attend Camp Neon, and this is Em’s fourth year in a row attending. Her goal is to get a full ride playing soccer for the Berkeley Golden Bears. Her immediate plan to assist in achieving that objective is to win the Neon Cup, a championship trophy awarded by the camp each year. Winning this cup is a prestige shared by 10 Olympians, 3 World Cup winners, a Cy Young winner and numerous other athletic champions.
Em’s closest friend and roommate at Camp Neon, for as long as she’s been coming there, is a star softball player, Maxine McNally from Georgia, who is also a rising senior. Though they see each other in person only the three weeks a year at camp, they maintain their close friendship the rest of the year by contacting each other electronically every day.
Em is anticipating a great camp experience until two shocking surprises throw her life into turmoil. First, her long-time enemy, whom Em thought was safely out of the way on vacation in Europe, shows up at camp. Delia (Dee Dee) DuBois, is a fellow elite soccer player from Em’s high school in Virginia who is a classic, spiteful, sneering, manipulative Mean Girl—physically beautiful on the outside and evil to the bone on the inside. Dee Dee has been mercilessly bullying Em since elementary school, taking vicious delight in sabotaging Em’s life any way she can dream up. Second, the guy who broke Em’s heart a year ago, her ex-boyfriend, 17-year-old, recent high-school graduate, Lennox (Nox) Grey, has turned up at Camp Neon, too. Even worse, he’s an assistant coach in a leadership position! When Em confronts Nox about invading what is a near-sacred space to her, Nox informs her that his coach in New York got him a paid internship at this camp. When Nox further states that he has a partial soccer scholarship for Berkeley, and that this job is a chance to earn much needed money to fund college expenses not covered by that scholarship, Em is even more incensed. She can’t believe that, after dumping her, he is still intending to attend her dream school. But Nox declares that it was never just her dream—it was always their mutual dream.
Nox has been through hell during the past five years. The deaths of his brother and his mother were excruciating blows, but the thing that truly broke him was having to say goodbye to Em a year ago. She had been his BFF since she was in fifth grade and Nox was in sixth grade. The year she was in ninth grade and he was in tenth grade, Nox instigated their first kiss, and from then on, Em was his girlfriend. But two years later, the previous summer when Em was 15 and Nox was 16, his father got a job in New York, and their relationship ended. Nox had no one to stay with in Virginia and had no choice but to leave Em behind. Nox ended their relationship completely, because he believed his departure would allow Em to find a better boyfriend than himself because he was convinced he wasn’t good enough for her. For her part, Em saw his leaving as a cruel abandonment on a par with when a few years back her father cheated on her mother and deserted them. She has never gotten over Nox—or he her—though these two have not been in touch at all until now.
Things I enjoyed about this book:
1. Active female protagonist with a strong Story Goal, earning a soccer scholarship to her ideal university. 2. Excellent personal growth arc for Em, paired with strong repentance and restitution on the part of Nox for the way in which he broke up with her (which is not revealed until late in the book). This is essential for Nox to be worthy of forgiveness and for Em to be able to forgive him without being a doormat. 3. Excellent growth arc for Em in her approach to soccer as a star athlete. 4. Nox is a wonderful, metrosexual, Beta Hero. 5. This novel’s structure follows the conventions long established in the adult romance genre, offering the dual point of view of both the heroine and hero. This allows the reader to deeply get to know Nox’s personality and motivations, which is great, because he is well worth knowing. At the same time, though, fans of the YA convention of first-person POV will not be disappointed, because both protagonists speak in first person. 6. Excellent female BFF, Max, who admirably fills the crucial role of Confidante and who, clearly, has been set up to be a fun heroine in a subsequent book in this series. 7. Well-written, engaging sports training and game scenes. 8. Authentic, entertaining sports camp setting. 9. A heartwarming, HFN ending that believably could lead to an eventual, permanent HEA.
Things that are not my personal preference:
1. The Dee Dee, Mean Girl character is so extreme in her never-explained hatred of Em, her actions become downright self-destructive. As such, she is a one-dimensional type of Villain, the type who is simply evil for the sake of being evil. In addition, it is not explained why Dee Dee has been allowed by teachers, school administrators—and through most of this novel the camp leaders, including her coach, who is supposed to promote teamwork—to get away with her blatantly egregious acts of bullying Em verbally and physically. Given all the school shootings over the past 40 years, school districts all over the country, including in Virginia where Em and Dee Dee are from, have a zero tolerance for bullying because it can potentially lead to criminal assault, up to and including deadly mass shooting, perpetrated by either the victim or the bully. 2. I find the claim that a year ago Nox did not feel worthy of Em to be both out of the blue in the context of their longtime, mutually supportive, devoted, BFF relationship and entirely unmotivated. From age 14 to the present, Nox has continuously been a disciplined, dedicated, star athlete who has never been in any trouble. In addition, he is gorgeous, charismatic and popular. During the entire time he was dating Em, he consistently used his popularity to shield Em as much as possible from bullies like Dee Dee, by raising Em right along with him to the stratosphere of the high school hierarchy. Thus, it doesn’t make sense to me that an individual of such high social status, who has always treated Em with the utmost affection and respect, would have any reason to feel unworthy of remaining her friend, at the very least. In addition, if he did not feel unworthy of his BFF, and later girlfriend, Em, from their ages of 10/11 to ages 15/16, why would he suddenly turn on a dime and decide he doesn’t deserve her at the moment he is forced, by difficult, familial, financial circumstances, to move only a little more than 300 miles away (with regular Amtrak train service readily available to allow them to mutually visit each other)? The only thing Em “deserved” that he did not offer her, or himself, was a chance to continue their relationship long distance.
This books is G-rated and suitable for all ages because it has no cussing, no drinking, no wild parties, and no sex, only a few kisses.
Emersyn returns to her annual summer soccer camp to find that her ex-boyfriend is one of the coaches. She is determined to earn MVP and a college scholarship. He is determined to win her back.
Christina Benjamin is one of my go-to authors for sweet, wholesome romance. This book did not disappoint! I loved the chemistry between Em and Nox. Highly recommend!!
I also loved Max and I hope she will be the heroine in the next book.
Teenage Romance Second Chances Short and Sweet Tomboy/Sports Romance (Soccer)
First impression: Girl Power! Game on! This is a fun YA romance with spunk and heart.
Emersyn and Max have the summer of their lives all planned out. Best friends looking to their senior year in high school, they’re headed to an elite sports camp. Two huge problems pop up for Emersyn the very first day. First her nemesis who moved to Paris shows up and second, her ex-boyfriend does too. Even worse, the nemesis is dead set on hooking her ex.
The author tells the story with a surprising POV which adds depth and suspense to this story. I love how the MC and ex’s history is divulged throughout the story. In addition to the will they, won’t they work it out, the MC struggles with focusing on her goals for being at the camp, to win a scholarship to her preferred school’s soccer team.
In addition to the ex and sports drama, her nemesis is determined to make her life a living hell. Emersyn’s struggle to deal with this bad-girl is realistic and raw, as is the emotion throughout the story. If you like a YA romance with heart and spunk, then this is a definite good read. Play along with Emerysn, Nox, Max & Logan. I am guessing that other books in the series will highlight maybe Max and other friends in book.
Fighting For Their Second Chance - Neither Nox nor Emersyn had gotten over their breakup, so their first interaction after their breakup was weird, as their chemistry was still palpable. It was evident through their interactions as I turned each page, that their feelings for each other was still burning bright. Unfortunately, Emersyn heart and head were warring with each other, which made it difficult for Nox’s plan to get a second chance with Emersyn. It would take the negative interference of Emersyn’s nemesis to make them realise that they were meant to be together.
It was great to see how the other characters in the story rallied round Emersyn when she was being bullied, which gave her the determination and confidence to rise up and achieve success without resorting to retaliation or underhanded methods. This is a beautifully written second chance story, which takes you through a myriad of emotions, but ends up with a happy ending. I would definitely recommend this to romance readers who are looking for an enjoyable reading experience.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Booksprout and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
First impression: Girl Power! Game on! This is a fun YA romance with spunk and heart. Emersyn and Max have the summer of their lives all planned out. Best friends looking to their senior year in high school, they’re headed to an elite sports camp. Two huge problems pop up for Emersyn the very first day. First her nemesis who moved to Paris shows up and second, her ex-boyfriend does too. Even worse, the nemesis is dead set on hooking her ex.
The author tells the story with a surprising POV which adds depth and suspense to this story. I love how the MC and ex’s history is divulged throughout the story. In addition to the will they, won’t they work it out, the MC struggles with focusing on her goals for being at the camp, to win a scholarship to her preferred school’s soccer team.
In addition to the ex and sports drama, her nemesis is determined to make her life a living hell. Emersyn’s struggle to deal with this bad-girl is realistic and raw, as is the emotion throughout the story. If you like a YA romance with heart and spunk, then this is a definite good read. Play along with Emerysn, Nox, Max & Logan. I am guessing that other books in the series will highlight maybe Max and other friends in book.
Emersyn and her best friend, Max, are seniors attending Camp Neon, a soccer summer camp, to improve their skills. Emersyn is hopeful that she can put herself out there for MVP and perhaps win a scholarship. But immediately potential trouble arises when Delia, her enemy, is on her team. Worse yet, Lennox (“Nox”), her ex-boyfriend who broke her heart, is the assistant coach! And of course Delia makes it her primary intention to win Nox over. This is going to be a tough summer.
Emersyn is going to have some tough lessons to learn. To reach her goals, she needs to take her heart out of the game and concentrate on being the best she can be for the sport. Can she do it? Will she prioritize what has to be first in her life right now?
I really enjoyed this story and the lead characters were likable sorts that the reader can cheer for as they struggle to do the right thing. With everything stacked against her, can Emersyn show she has what it takes to be MVP? And will there be a winner to claim the coach’s heart?
Christina Benjamin's books are what we need in this moment, they are always a place to go when we need to take a break of our hectic lifes.
This is Lennox and Emersyn sweet, romantic and delightful second chance love story. Loved the chemistry and banter between Nox and Em, and how they struggle with their doubts and insecurities but fight for their dreams. All the characters in the book, whether you like them or not (and belive me, there will be one in particular you will not like at all) are amazing and enrich the story.
If what you are looking for is an incredible story that you will not be able to stop reading and enjoy every second of it; this is your book. Don't let it pass.
This is the story of Emerson who was heading off to her last year of soccer camp with the intention of winning MVP and gaining the attention of some scouts. She very quickly runs into her ex which in turns puts her off her game.
Not only will he be coaching her for 3 weeks but her arch nemisis Delia will also be on her team. This is not how she had planned her last year of camp but if she wants to succeed she has to put everything aside and play the best she can.
This is such a fun story that will leave you wanting more! I laughed, I cringed and I found myself really rooting for Emersyn. A fun light read that will u entertained from start to finish. Well worth it!
I volunteered to read this ARC for an honest review. I enjoyed this story about Lennox and Emersyn. They were best friends until he was forced to move to NY with his dad, after his mom died. Emersyn keeps trying to move on, but everyone always leaves her. Now she's going to Camp Neon and then get senior year of HS. But she gets a surprise at camp, Lennox is one of the assistant coaches and her arch nemesis Dee Dee is there to. Nox still had feelings for Em but she is fighting it. But when they are forced to work together, he gets her up find love of the game again. Great beginning to a HEA.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I really enjoyed this novel. The chemistry between Nox and Em is awesome. They are so sweet and the way they care for each other is amazing. I usually am not keen on second chance romance in YA, but this book blew my expectations. I loved seeing the side characters from other series. Additionally, Nox is just such a swoon worthy book boyfriend. He really did make some mistakes, but how he grovels and begs for forgiveness is nice. I loved the rivalry between Em and her teammates. One of my favorite things about Em is that she is so proud and works hard for her sport. I loved the sports aspect. The training and the hard work is extremely realistic.
She is off to a football training school, hoping someone will spot her and she can make it big. There are going to be more problems than she expected to find. Her coach is her ex boyfriend while a girl on her team who wants him and she is not sure how she feels about it. Can she concentrate on the football? Will she get spotted by scout? Will he take up with her teammate? See how the camp will go
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a cute and clean second chance romance. Nox moves away to support his Dad, but he has to leave his best friend, come girlfriend, behind. Emersyn has had to deal with her Dad leaving her and her Mum, and doesn't handle Nox's departure well. Camp Neon gives them a chance to reconnect, and follow their dreams.
The first book in the Falling For A Tomboy series a well written fun story to read. I want to read more in this series. I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Ok honestly I was expecting more romance than this book offered. The romance only just started around 65% through. So I did read this book a lot faster than usual because of that. It was just over 200 pages so this a perfectly fun read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
thank goodness it’s a light read, and fast because deep down they knew something so bad couldn’t be endless. obviously i read because there’s second chance trope, but not even for a minute it felt like it, so poorly developed. awful!!
I did enjoy the first 70% of the book more than the last bit. It does read like a highschool romance though so if you're not into pettiness, then maybe this isn't for you. I did enjoy the emphasis on the sports and reading about the history between Em and Lennox.