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The Rook Crew #1
Missing Variables
Alternative title for SOCCER SWEETHEART (final version of "Craving U")
A heartfelt YA about true love, friendship and the pain of growing up. A story of young love that starts as a friendship but grows deep, set in the Montagues and Capulets land.
A heartfelt YA about true love, friendship and the pain of growing up. A story of young love that starts as a friendship but grows deep, set in the Montagues and Capulets land.
Kindle Edition
First published June 19, 2014
18 people are currently reading
1512 people want to read
About the author
Mirella Muffarotto
4 books77 followersMirella Muffarotto is an international screenwriter, published author, middle and high school teacher, both Spider-Man and Peter Parker. In 2014 she self-published her debut young adult novel, later self-adapted into a spec script that led her to work with Hollywood professionals. Her writing goal is to reach a generation, creating content that inspires and motivates people, especially young people.
Mirella received her PhD summa cum laude in Economics, Law and Social Sciences from the University of Milan.
Mirella received her PhD summa cum laude in Economics, Law and Social Sciences from the University of Milan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
March 21, 2015
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to author Mirella Muffarotto.)
“How long have you been in love with her?”
Matteo lifted his eyes from the ground and sucked in all of his pride and insecurities. “I don’t know,” he exhaled, telling the truth. “I don’t know how long it’s been.”
This was a really cute YA contemporary romance!
I liked both Marika and Matteo in this story, although they didn’t always make the best decisions for their relationship. It was admirable the way that Matteo wanted to give Marika up so that she would be happy, but I really wanted them to give the relationship a chance.
“I would never be around, and she would always be alone.”
The storyline in this was about both Marika and Matteo’s relationship, as well as Matteo’s football/soccer career. I did find the book quite slow at the start, because the amount of details in there seemed to be suffocating the storyline, this did improve as the story went along though.
“You two are friends, right? Just friends…?”
There were lots of twists and turns in the story, and it seemed like the odds were really stacked against Marika and Matteo. Their love story was sweet and cute though, and I really wanted them to get together properly.
The ending to this was good, and I was happy with the way things turned out.
7 out of 10
“How long have you been in love with her?”
Matteo lifted his eyes from the ground and sucked in all of his pride and insecurities. “I don’t know,” he exhaled, telling the truth. “I don’t know how long it’s been.”
This was a really cute YA contemporary romance!
I liked both Marika and Matteo in this story, although they didn’t always make the best decisions for their relationship. It was admirable the way that Matteo wanted to give Marika up so that she would be happy, but I really wanted them to give the relationship a chance.
“I would never be around, and she would always be alone.”
The storyline in this was about both Marika and Matteo’s relationship, as well as Matteo’s football/soccer career. I did find the book quite slow at the start, because the amount of details in there seemed to be suffocating the storyline, this did improve as the story went along though.
“You two are friends, right? Just friends…?”
There were lots of twists and turns in the story, and it seemed like the odds were really stacked against Marika and Matteo. Their love story was sweet and cute though, and I really wanted them to get together properly.
The ending to this was good, and I was happy with the way things turned out.
7 out of 10
October 5, 2015
I received a copy from the author, in exchange for an honest review.
Actual Rating: 4.25
Thank you Mirella Muffarotto for giving me the opportunity to read your book. I enjoyed it very much. It was a cute YA contemporary romance with sports involved as well. The story was great because of the plot twists. They characters were well-developed and great as well.
Marika was my favourite character. She has loved Matteo since they were in diapers. Matteo is the athletic best friend who also likes her. They have amazing chemistry. I also like Federico because he made Marika feel beautiful. However, she would never love him because of her love for Matteo.
This story is about the relationship between Matteo and Marika. During the course of the book, I saw that they have made a lot of mistakes along the way. This book should that every relationship has its ups and downs. It is a relatable topic. The ending was great. I am glad that things worked out.
Actual Rating: 4.25
Thank you Mirella Muffarotto for giving me the opportunity to read your book. I enjoyed it very much. It was a cute YA contemporary romance with sports involved as well. The story was great because of the plot twists. They characters were well-developed and great as well.
Marika was my favourite character. She has loved Matteo since they were in diapers. Matteo is the athletic best friend who also likes her. They have amazing chemistry. I also like Federico because he made Marika feel beautiful. However, she would never love him because of her love for Matteo.
This story is about the relationship between Matteo and Marika. During the course of the book, I saw that they have made a lot of mistakes along the way. This book should that every relationship has its ups and downs. It is a relatable topic. The ending was great. I am glad that things worked out.
June 4, 2015
Craving U is a really cute contemporary YA romance. Marika and Matteo have been best friends since they were children but soon begin to realise that their feelings for one another run much deeper than just friendship. Unsure if their feelings are requited, things become more complicated when Matteo is offered the chance of a lifetime to play for a top league football club which means leaving his home town, and Marika, behind.
Marika and Matteo are both very likeable characters and I couldn't help but root for them the entire time. It was frustrating at times that they were so bad at communicating with each other though. They both made some bad decisions and could have avoided a lot of confusion and heartache if they just took the time to really listen and speak to each other. The love triangle was an interesting aspect as Federico was very likeable so we didn't have one good guy and one bad guy. It was clear that Marika and Matteo were made for each other though.
I found the story to be a little slow to begin with but it soon picks up and becomes exciting with many twists and turns. I do think there is a little too much detail in places though. We are given a lot of background information on characters, settings etc. Whilst the writing is excellent, and I can appreciate the knowledge that the author has, it tended to overcrowd the rest of the plot.
I was pleased with the ending and the way things worked out for the characters.
A really great, well written, YA contemporary that should appeal to a lot of different tastes. I would recommend to anyone who likes a cute contemporary, football (soccer) or Italy.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Marika and Matteo are both very likeable characters and I couldn't help but root for them the entire time. It was frustrating at times that they were so bad at communicating with each other though. They both made some bad decisions and could have avoided a lot of confusion and heartache if they just took the time to really listen and speak to each other. The love triangle was an interesting aspect as Federico was very likeable so we didn't have one good guy and one bad guy. It was clear that Marika and Matteo were made for each other though.
I found the story to be a little slow to begin with but it soon picks up and becomes exciting with many twists and turns. I do think there is a little too much detail in places though. We are given a lot of background information on characters, settings etc. Whilst the writing is excellent, and I can appreciate the knowledge that the author has, it tended to overcrowd the rest of the plot.
I was pleased with the ending and the way things worked out for the characters.
A really great, well written, YA contemporary that should appeal to a lot of different tastes. I would recommend to anyone who likes a cute contemporary, football (soccer) or Italy.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
June 18, 2015
I received a copy in exchange for my honest opinion. This does not influence my opinion in any shape or form.
Cravin' U is a different kind of love story. It is one of those friends to lovers story but one that was developing for a long time before either one realized they were in love with each other. It took me a long time to read this book and I know it was because I couldn't get past all the useless details but once I did I realized that this was such a cute contemporary novel.
I seriously cannot get over that ending. I was worried that the book would end in a cliffhanger but it actually didn't. And I was very happy with how things ended. I am so glad I stuck this book out it was adorable and I keep re-reading the ending because I loved it so much.
Our Story
The first couple of chapters of Cravin’ U I found extremely boring. There was just so many details I found completely unnecessary. I did end up skipping pages if I’m being totally honest. And this was in the beginning at least within 20% I skipped pages.
But after I got over all those details I found unnecessary I totally fell in love with this story. Like I said I cannot get over the ending. It was just perfect and left me wanting more.
Our story follows Marika and Matteo. Both have been friends for as long as they can remember and then one day they start to see each other as more then friends. Neither one wants to ruin the friendship. Especially Matteo who is offered an opportunity of a lifetime – to play professional soccer. He knows he’ll never be home and Marika will always be by herself and he doesn’t want that for her. He’s doing the right thing, letting her go because he doesn’t want to risk hurting her but can you really live without knowing if things could have worked out even with the obstacles at hand?
Despite too many details, I enjoyed Llàrjme’s writing. I enjoyed how I felt hurt, in love, sad and angry. Every emotion either from Marika or Matteo was feeling, I felt too. I loved that she was able to drive me into the story where I felt like I was truly apart of it.
I know this is book one of the series so I’d love to see what else is in story for all these characters. I’d especially love to see what happens with Mateo, Marika and Federico.
Our Characters
Marika is a bit like every teenage girl. She has her insecurities and often believes that one boy she’s had a crush on forever would not like her back. At times this definitely held her back. Other times I really disliked her and wanted to smack her because she was so stubborn but at the end of the book I thought she really grew as a person.
Matteo now the boy is not perfect by any means. He had a lot of pride and he also wouldn’t admit his feelings but would show them and that really won me over. I loved seeing him go from hard to read or even understand what he was thinking to being someone you could easily fall in love with. Like I said he had a lot of flaws. It was hard to not want to slap him because he was so stubborn but I think he turned out to be an amazing guy.
Federico he was the shoulder to cry on for Marika when Matteo wasn’t around and it was so hard not to love him and so hard not to cheer for him to. I really enjoyed his sensitive side and I loved how you could easily see yourself either being best friends with him or falling head over heels in love with him. He was perfect.
Overall
I almost DNF this because of all the details in the book that I had no idea where the story was but after getting over that 20% I seriously fell in love with this story. THE ENDING WAS PERFECT. I enjoyed seeing the characters grow, it wasn’t insta-love it was a love that grew over the years and finally blossomed. I also learned quite a lot about soccer because to be honest I don’t know much about soccer other then Cristiano Ronaldo and that’s about it.
Like I said there is a lot of details in this book but once you get passed that the story is really good. It is a long book but it is good. I’d recommend it if you like the whole friends to lovers kinda stories.
Cravin' U is a different kind of love story. It is one of those friends to lovers story but one that was developing for a long time before either one realized they were in love with each other. It took me a long time to read this book and I know it was because I couldn't get past all the useless details but once I did I realized that this was such a cute contemporary novel.
I seriously cannot get over that ending. I was worried that the book would end in a cliffhanger but it actually didn't. And I was very happy with how things ended. I am so glad I stuck this book out it was adorable and I keep re-reading the ending because I loved it so much.
Our Story
The first couple of chapters of Cravin’ U I found extremely boring. There was just so many details I found completely unnecessary. I did end up skipping pages if I’m being totally honest. And this was in the beginning at least within 20% I skipped pages.
But after I got over all those details I found unnecessary I totally fell in love with this story. Like I said I cannot get over the ending. It was just perfect and left me wanting more.
Our story follows Marika and Matteo. Both have been friends for as long as they can remember and then one day they start to see each other as more then friends. Neither one wants to ruin the friendship. Especially Matteo who is offered an opportunity of a lifetime – to play professional soccer. He knows he’ll never be home and Marika will always be by herself and he doesn’t want that for her. He’s doing the right thing, letting her go because he doesn’t want to risk hurting her but can you really live without knowing if things could have worked out even with the obstacles at hand?
Despite too many details, I enjoyed Llàrjme’s writing. I enjoyed how I felt hurt, in love, sad and angry. Every emotion either from Marika or Matteo was feeling, I felt too. I loved that she was able to drive me into the story where I felt like I was truly apart of it.
I know this is book one of the series so I’d love to see what else is in story for all these characters. I’d especially love to see what happens with Mateo, Marika and Federico.
Our Characters
Marika is a bit like every teenage girl. She has her insecurities and often believes that one boy she’s had a crush on forever would not like her back. At times this definitely held her back. Other times I really disliked her and wanted to smack her because she was so stubborn but at the end of the book I thought she really grew as a person.
Matteo now the boy is not perfect by any means. He had a lot of pride and he also wouldn’t admit his feelings but would show them and that really won me over. I loved seeing him go from hard to read or even understand what he was thinking to being someone you could easily fall in love with. Like I said he had a lot of flaws. It was hard to not want to slap him because he was so stubborn but I think he turned out to be an amazing guy.
Federico he was the shoulder to cry on for Marika when Matteo wasn’t around and it was so hard not to love him and so hard not to cheer for him to. I really enjoyed his sensitive side and I loved how you could easily see yourself either being best friends with him or falling head over heels in love with him. He was perfect.
Overall
I almost DNF this because of all the details in the book that I had no idea where the story was but after getting over that 20% I seriously fell in love with this story. THE ENDING WAS PERFECT. I enjoyed seeing the characters grow, it wasn’t insta-love it was a love that grew over the years and finally blossomed. I also learned quite a lot about soccer because to be honest I don’t know much about soccer other then Cristiano Ronaldo and that’s about it.
Like I said there is a lot of details in this book but once you get passed that the story is really good. It is a long book but it is good. I’d recommend it if you like the whole friends to lovers kinda stories.
August 11, 2016
I got a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis.
This book was awesome. It was packed with swoon-worthy moments and parts that made me a little angry. It was slow-paced for me at the beginning but I became invested in these characters quickly.
Love:
The feels are real. Marika loves Matteo. Simple, right? Wrong. Matteo and Marika are best friends and they already have a beautiful and sweet relationship. But when Matteo gets this great opportunity, he just has to take it. And thus a love triangle is born. Ms. Llàrjme did an amazing job at this love triangle. Well, technically Marika constantly says that she still loves Matteo, but the other guy is so sweet and awesome that you just can't help but root for him.
If there is one thing that this book taught me, it's love. Love is unconditional and everlasting. I appreciated this message more than you can realize. The ending proved this very well even though I was a little upset. As most romance books I really wanted another chapter just so I could continue with this story but it was very well-done.
(Little Rant: Since this book takes place in Italy wouldn't soccer be called football? It makes more sense and there are a lot of Americanisms in this book. Not like I mind but I did stop every once in a while so I could truly think on this topic.)
This book was awesome. It was packed with swoon-worthy moments and parts that made me a little angry. It was slow-paced for me at the beginning but I became invested in these characters quickly.
Love:
The feels are real. Marika loves Matteo. Simple, right? Wrong. Matteo and Marika are best friends and they already have a beautiful and sweet relationship. But when Matteo gets this great opportunity, he just has to take it. And thus a love triangle is born. Ms. Llàrjme did an amazing job at this love triangle. Well, technically Marika constantly says that she still loves Matteo, but the other guy is so sweet and awesome that you just can't help but root for him.
If there is one thing that this book taught me, it's love. Love is unconditional and everlasting. I appreciated this message more than you can realize. The ending proved this very well even though I was a little upset. As most romance books I really wanted another chapter just so I could continue with this story but it was very well-done.
(Little Rant: Since this book takes place in Italy wouldn't soccer be called football? It makes more sense and there are a lot of Americanisms in this book. Not like I mind but I did stop every once in a while so I could truly think on this topic.)
June 6, 2015
Craving U is a cute YA romance. Matteo and Marika have been good friends forever. They are both very likeable characters, but they don’t always make the best decisions. They could communicate better between themselves too. But ah young love, … they realize that their feelings for each other go beyond friendship. Marika is in love with Matteo. Matteo’s soccer career takes off, and he has to leave. I want to see them end up together, but will Matteo cut Marika loose? Will he try to continue the relationship? Do they end up together?
The story was a little slow for a while there, but then it picks up. I liked the book because the story didn’t always go the direction I thought it might. I don’t like books that are predictable, and I was not disappointed with Craving U.
The story was a little slow for a while there, but then it picks up. I liked the book because the story didn’t always go the direction I thought it might. I don’t like books that are predictable, and I was not disappointed with Craving U.
April 4, 2015
This was actually an interesting read and different. I like where the setting take place.
I think my only problem but that's just me is the writing style and it was kind of dragging but not so much in the end. Still this was a sweet kind of heart ache romance.
Matteo and Marika have been best friends for like ever but one day they both seemed to notice one another as more than friends. You'd think that everything would go well but no. There's always something that separates them. Like Marika's insecurities and Matteo's fear about his feelings and he has to leave for Milan because of an opportunity to play in the league. They made a lot of wrong choices regarding their relationship. When I thought they would be okay it turns out differently although their love for another is true and everlasting.
The other characters were okay but I wasn't a fan of Carlotta. I hated it when she pushes Marika to do things that she is not ready for. Although I'm happy that Carlotta realizes what was important was in front of her. I really liked Dario but I pitied his situation since he's stuck in the middle of siding with his girlfriend and best friend. I liked that he protects Marika when Matteo wasn't around. I really don't know how he puts up with Carlotta but that's love for you.
I hated the almost love triangle in this situation. The other guy was just so sweet and understanding. Plus, he was there for Marika. I pitiid his situation but I loved how he doesn't pushes Marika but it's understandable when he's angry and hurt because of Marika's decision. I hope he finds the right girl for him. He deserves his own HEA.
What I'm glad about the ending is that both Matteo and Marika stopped running in circles and finally they both made the right choice in their relationship. That reunion was just touching.
I was kind of scared because I thought it would end in cliffhanger since I didn't notice that it can be read as a stand alone. I can't wait to read the next book in this series. I wonder who's story is next?
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I think my only problem but that's just me is the writing style and it was kind of dragging but not so much in the end. Still this was a sweet kind of heart ache romance.
Matteo and Marika have been best friends for like ever but one day they both seemed to notice one another as more than friends. You'd think that everything would go well but no. There's always something that separates them. Like Marika's insecurities and Matteo's fear about his feelings and he has to leave for Milan because of an opportunity to play in the league. They made a lot of wrong choices regarding their relationship. When I thought they would be okay it turns out differently although their love for another is true and everlasting.
The other characters were okay but I wasn't a fan of Carlotta. I hated it when she pushes Marika to do things that she is not ready for. Although I'm happy that Carlotta realizes what was important was in front of her. I really liked Dario but I pitied his situation since he's stuck in the middle of siding with his girlfriend and best friend. I liked that he protects Marika when Matteo wasn't around. I really don't know how he puts up with Carlotta but that's love for you.
I hated the almost love triangle in this situation. The other guy was just so sweet and understanding. Plus, he was there for Marika. I pitiid his situation but I loved how he doesn't pushes Marika but it's understandable when he's angry and hurt because of Marika's decision. I hope he finds the right girl for him. He deserves his own HEA.
What I'm glad about the ending is that both Matteo and Marika stopped running in circles and finally they both made the right choice in their relationship. That reunion was just touching.
I was kind of scared because I thought it would end in cliffhanger since I didn't notice that it can be read as a stand alone. I can't wait to read the next book in this series. I wonder who's story is next?
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 3, 2018
I love everything about this book!
Every time I read it, I find myself on an emotional rollercoaster that gives me the coziest feeling ever. I can't help but read and smile, swoon and sigh over it :) Seriously, I can't stop thinking about it. It's like I've been obsessed.
It might be a little slow paced at the beginning, and I might even have wanted to skim the first pages to see “what happens next”. Glad I didn't, because this story is totally worth reading, and its gradual - not rushed - developments are something beautiful to behold.
I really liked Marika's character because she is so normal, perfectly imperfect, and relatable. Besides, this book boyfriend is totally swoonworthy!! It's kind of hard not to have a crush on him. I love him no matter what, whether he's stubborn, impulsive or passionate, I simply love him.
The connection between Marika and Matteo is undeniable, even when they are not together. They belong with each other!
The love triangle is perfect, and by perfect, I actually mean that it could drive you crazy. Both of these guys are absolutely awesome. I found myself silently rooting for one while loving the other.
But the way Matt loves Marika is one of those things that makes me love him more.
The ending was everything!
As soon as I finished the last page, I wanted to pick it up and start all over again :))
One of the best BFF to Lovers YAs I've ever read.
Definitely a must-read!
Every time I read it, I find myself on an emotional rollercoaster that gives me the coziest feeling ever. I can't help but read and smile, swoon and sigh over it :) Seriously, I can't stop thinking about it. It's like I've been obsessed.
It might be a little slow paced at the beginning, and I might even have wanted to skim the first pages to see “what happens next”. Glad I didn't, because this story is totally worth reading, and its gradual - not rushed - developments are something beautiful to behold.
I really liked Marika's character because she is so normal, perfectly imperfect, and relatable. Besides, this book boyfriend is totally swoonworthy!! It's kind of hard not to have a crush on him. I love him no matter what, whether he's stubborn, impulsive or passionate, I simply love him.
The connection between Marika and Matteo is undeniable, even when they are not together. They belong with each other!
The love triangle is perfect, and by perfect, I actually mean that it could drive you crazy. Both of these guys are absolutely awesome. I found myself silently rooting for one while loving the other.
But the way Matt loves Marika is one of those things that makes me love him more.
The ending was everything!
As soon as I finished the last page, I wanted to pick it up and start all over again :))
One of the best BFF to Lovers YAs I've ever read.
Definitely a must-read!
March 2, 2016
This was a pretty cute read. While it did take me a while to get fully invested in this book, I am glad I stuck through until the end.
The beginning seems very long with some information that seems irrelevant to the story, and I found myself skimming over some bits and pieces. However, about 40-50% into the book, I got hooked. The romance story picked up and it became much more about the main characters involved in the story and the character development increased. There was a good mix of drama, but all very realistic and not over the top dramatic.
The story follows two main characters as they continue through high school in two different cities. It was fun seeing them grow together, but apart. One of the main characters is a soccer player, and I really enjoyed that aspect because it was a nice break from the rest of the book.
Overall, while this book was slow to start, I am glad I finished it. It is a cute young adult book that is very realistic and keeps you going until the last page.
The beginning seems very long with some information that seems irrelevant to the story, and I found myself skimming over some bits and pieces. However, about 40-50% into the book, I got hooked. The romance story picked up and it became much more about the main characters involved in the story and the character development increased. There was a good mix of drama, but all very realistic and not over the top dramatic.
The story follows two main characters as they continue through high school in two different cities. It was fun seeing them grow together, but apart. One of the main characters is a soccer player, and I really enjoyed that aspect because it was a nice break from the rest of the book.
Overall, while this book was slow to start, I am glad I finished it. It is a cute young adult book that is very realistic and keeps you going until the last page.
October 13, 2023
Have you ever been afraid of letting someone love you the way you are? Marika has!
She is the unpopular neighbor girl. He is the high school soccer star. To her, he's her best friend. Until "just friends" isn't enough anymore. But fate has different plans for them and offers him the chance to play for a top league club far away from her. Afraid of being herself and risking their friendship, terrified of fallen deeply for him and getting hurt, she rides an emotional rollercoaster of romantic highs and painful losses, discovering herself.
She is the unpopular neighbor girl. He is the high school soccer star. To her, he's her best friend. Until "just friends" isn't enough anymore. But fate has different plans for them and offers him the chance to play for a top league club far away from her. Afraid of being herself and risking their friendship, terrified of fallen deeply for him and getting hurt, she rides an emotional rollercoaster of romantic highs and painful losses, discovering herself.
June 6, 2017
Missing Variables was a cute contemporary romance set in Italy. I really enjoyed the characters, especially Marika and thought both Matteo and Federico were great guys. As a bonus I learned a lot about football (aka soccer)!
December 12, 2018
My feels!!!! Swoon-tastic, adorable YA romance!
The Rook crew, named for The Rook Café where they get together. Marika can’t think of anything better than all of them together, just hanging out and doing nothing. She has a great relationship with her crew of friends, especially with Matteo, her best-friend forever. They’ve formed a lifelong friendship, and they have an amazing chemistry since the beginning. Marika was different from the other girls, and Matteo loved that about her. They are complicated characters, so relatable, to root for. She's a tomboy, the girl-next-door who fangirls over tons of book boyfriends, while he is the high school soccer star, the hot guy that makes girls swoon. And I was definitely one of those girls swooning over him! I simply adored the connection between them and how he was protective of her. I loved watching their friendship blossom into something deeper. They are just perfect together. I totally ship them!
If you are not a big soccer fan, don’t worry about getting lost in the sports aspect of it. It’s mainly a coming of age story about following your dreams and managing the consequences of your own choices. This story felt so real to me. At times, I was sure I thought I knew how it would end and by the next chapter I had no clue.
Great book!
The Rook crew, named for The Rook Café where they get together. Marika can’t think of anything better than all of them together, just hanging out and doing nothing. She has a great relationship with her crew of friends, especially with Matteo, her best-friend forever. They’ve formed a lifelong friendship, and they have an amazing chemistry since the beginning. Marika was different from the other girls, and Matteo loved that about her. They are complicated characters, so relatable, to root for. She's a tomboy, the girl-next-door who fangirls over tons of book boyfriends, while he is the high school soccer star, the hot guy that makes girls swoon. And I was definitely one of those girls swooning over him! I simply adored the connection between them and how he was protective of her. I loved watching their friendship blossom into something deeper. They are just perfect together. I totally ship them!
If you are not a big soccer fan, don’t worry about getting lost in the sports aspect of it. It’s mainly a coming of age story about following your dreams and managing the consequences of your own choices. This story felt so real to me. At times, I was sure I thought I knew how it would end and by the next chapter I had no clue.
Great book!
February 13, 2019
I've read this book twice now, both ebook and paperback, and I seriously cannot get over it.
I totally fell in love with this story ♡♡♡♡
I totally fell in love with this story ♡♡♡♡
February 13, 2019
Every Boy is a Book is the first title I've devoured and loved in 2019. Awesome is not a big enough word to describe how much it made me smile and feel and fall in love with the writing and the characters. It was so much fun and extremely cute. I loved the storyline, as well as the sub plots, but my favorite part was the slowly developed friends-to-more romance. I just couldn't get enough of it and I didn't put it down until I was done with it and even then, I had a huge smile on my face and I was thinking about Marika and Matteo for a long time afterward.
It's not a very quick and easy read, but definitely a well-written contemporary YA. Started off slow, but finished with a bang!!! Family and friendship dynamics were real, Marika's link with Federico was heartbreaking, and the slow-burn romance between her and Matteo, her BFF, was totally adorable and intense with lots of sweet-swooning moments. Not only did I like Marika, but I loved the supporting characters as well. Matt made my heart and stomach flutter. I fell madly in love with him right away, but I was in love with Federico as well.
Marika's stubborn streak could get annoying at times, and it drove me crazy when she and Matteo had misunderstandings, but I also couldn't help shipping them. They were perfect together, both as best friends and as lovers. A connection like that can withstand almost anything, even fame, success, and drama.
Just my kind of book! Fans of My Life Next Door, Kasie West's romances, Hundred Oaks and The Field Party Series, will adore this book.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. If you don't like insta-love stories, but die for sweet slow-burn romances about people who obviously belong together, this is a great pick!
It's not a very quick and easy read, but definitely a well-written contemporary YA. Started off slow, but finished with a bang!!! Family and friendship dynamics were real, Marika's link with Federico was heartbreaking, and the slow-burn romance between her and Matteo, her BFF, was totally adorable and intense with lots of sweet-swooning moments. Not only did I like Marika, but I loved the supporting characters as well. Matt made my heart and stomach flutter. I fell madly in love with him right away, but I was in love with Federico as well.
Marika's stubborn streak could get annoying at times, and it drove me crazy when she and Matteo had misunderstandings, but I also couldn't help shipping them. They were perfect together, both as best friends and as lovers. A connection like that can withstand almost anything, even fame, success, and drama.
Just my kind of book! Fans of My Life Next Door, Kasie West's romances, Hundred Oaks and The Field Party Series, will adore this book.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. If you don't like insta-love stories, but die for sweet slow-burn romances about people who obviously belong together, this is a great pick!
December 3, 2018
I just wanted to read this book forever!!
I loved this story so much I didn’t want to stop reading... I wish this book never ended!
It’s such a sweet, intense story. Beyond adorable, romantic, deep, so much more than a YA romance. I love the way I feel while reading.
There are some laugh-out-loud scenes and a lot of sweet, breathtaking moments. The characters are real. I easily made friends with Marika and felt all her emotions. Besides, this book boyfriend is totally swoon-worthy! It’s kind of hard not to have a crush on him. I love him no matter what, whether he’s stubborn, impulsive, protective or passionate, I simply love him.
Marika and Matteo had been best friends since forever, but their connection was SO strong and intense that it was impossible for me not to feel. They belonged with each other! I’d shipped them pretty much from page One. But Federico was cute as well, kind and so vulnerable, I couldn’t help but loving him too!!
I liked the messages in the book. The characters’ insecurities and immaturity, their fear of being who they really are, were very realistic and I think the way they dealt with them was just how a lot of teens would.
The ending was everything! This novel was so beautifully written and the characters are just so memorable.
One of the best YAs I’ve ever read.
I loved this story so much I didn’t want to stop reading... I wish this book never ended!
It’s such a sweet, intense story. Beyond adorable, romantic, deep, so much more than a YA romance. I love the way I feel while reading.
There are some laugh-out-loud scenes and a lot of sweet, breathtaking moments. The characters are real. I easily made friends with Marika and felt all her emotions. Besides, this book boyfriend is totally swoon-worthy! It’s kind of hard not to have a crush on him. I love him no matter what, whether he’s stubborn, impulsive, protective or passionate, I simply love him.
Marika and Matteo had been best friends since forever, but their connection was SO strong and intense that it was impossible for me not to feel. They belonged with each other! I’d shipped them pretty much from page One. But Federico was cute as well, kind and so vulnerable, I couldn’t help but loving him too!!
I liked the messages in the book. The characters’ insecurities and immaturity, their fear of being who they really are, were very realistic and I think the way they dealt with them was just how a lot of teens would.
The ending was everything! This novel was so beautifully written and the characters are just so memorable.
One of the best YAs I’ve ever read.
December 3, 2018
The friends to lovers trope is one of my FAVs, and this did hit all the boxes. It's the kind of best friends to lovers romance every girl in the friend zone has dreamed of ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
March 14, 2016
I got the free Kindle copy from Llarjme in exchange of an honest review, which I shall proceed to give.
First I shall point out that romance books are totally out of my league, but being a writer-looking-for-publisher myself, I guess I do understand the feeling of the suspense you have when people are reading your books and the desperateness of finding an audience.
"I tried to hate you, to forgive you, all just to forget you, but I'm only capable of loving you. You're tattooed onto my skin, and the more I try to erase you, the deeper you sink in."
The two lines which caught my attention. It was a great pity but it really made me want to read the book; my attention was arrested. I really, really loved the book--loved it like hell. The characters were excellently created and the narration was also very good--it was fine enough for me to picture the characters in front of me. And I am a great football fan as well--sometimes play it with my friends in the apartment.
I really loved the way the author wrote the football information--the information about the matches, the info about what the San Carlo crew thought about Matteo, the way he played--it all was awesome--I mean you could read it, understand it, all without getting bored. It was truly very good. And the plot was excellent--and I really admire the smooth way the narration went from one person's point of view to another's point of view. And no character was neglected and it all was excellent, well and truly excellent.
I honestly say that I do not read romance books, and I really enjoyed this change of genre. I am looking forward to more new books by Lljarme. I must say, this book is a must read for romance lovers and readers like me who need a break from their usual reads.
First I shall point out that romance books are totally out of my league, but being a writer-looking-for-publisher myself, I guess I do understand the feeling of the suspense you have when people are reading your books and the desperateness of finding an audience.
"I tried to hate you, to forgive you, all just to forget you, but I'm only capable of loving you. You're tattooed onto my skin, and the more I try to erase you, the deeper you sink in."
The two lines which caught my attention. It was a great pity but it really made me want to read the book; my attention was arrested. I really, really loved the book--loved it like hell. The characters were excellently created and the narration was also very good--it was fine enough for me to picture the characters in front of me. And I am a great football fan as well--sometimes play it with my friends in the apartment.
I really loved the way the author wrote the football information--the information about the matches, the info about what the San Carlo crew thought about Matteo, the way he played--it all was awesome--I mean you could read it, understand it, all without getting bored. It was truly very good. And the plot was excellent--and I really admire the smooth way the narration went from one person's point of view to another's point of view. And no character was neglected and it all was excellent, well and truly excellent.
I honestly say that I do not read romance books, and I really enjoyed this change of genre. I am looking forward to more new books by Lljarme. I must say, this book is a must read for romance lovers and readers like me who need a break from their usual reads.
December 12, 2018
Such a great best-friend romance!!!
The connection between Marika and Matteo is SO cute and intense.
This is an amazing YA with a perfect mix of lightness and depth of feelings.
The connection between Marika and Matteo is SO cute and intense.
This is an amazing YA with a perfect mix of lightness and depth of feelings.
September 19, 2019
First of all, I want to say sorry to the author Miss Mirella for this review is long overdue. 😭 Thank you so much for letting me read the story of Matteo and Marika. 💚
--
"How long have you been in love with her?"
"I don't know how long it's been. All I know is that she is everything to me. I love her more than i'm wilking to admit."
Actual Rating: 3.75 stars.
At first, I was really having the difficulty to grasp the story because I don't know anything about soccer. The whole story revoles around it and after reading it, I somehow learned a bit about the positions in the sports. 😅
I'll be talking about the ones I love first..
I love the slow-burn story of the two bestfriends and all of their conflicts.
I love the side story of Carlotta and Dario.
I LOVE THE SETTING! Honestly, I feel like i'm in Italy. 💚
For the things I've encountered a problem...
Matteo and Marika beating around the bush.
LUCREZIA!!! DEFINITELY!
And I just don't grasp all of the Rook's members name for they were introduced almost in one go.
I love the whole MarikaXMatteo thing. 💚💚💚
--
"How long have you been in love with her?"
"I don't know how long it's been. All I know is that she is everything to me. I love her more than i'm wilking to admit."
Actual Rating: 3.75 stars.
At first, I was really having the difficulty to grasp the story because I don't know anything about soccer. The whole story revoles around it and after reading it, I somehow learned a bit about the positions in the sports. 😅
I'll be talking about the ones I love first..
I love the slow-burn story of the two bestfriends and all of their conflicts.
I love the side story of Carlotta and Dario.
I LOVE THE SETTING! Honestly, I feel like i'm in Italy. 💚
For the things I've encountered a problem...
Matteo and Marika beating around the bush.
LUCREZIA!!! DEFINITELY!
And I just don't grasp all of the Rook's members name for they were introduced almost in one go.
I love the whole MarikaXMatteo thing. 💚💚💚
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 27, 2017
***THIS BOOK WAS RECEIVED FROM A GOODREADS GIVEAWAY***
Usually, when I enter a Goodreads Giveaway, I have an expectation for what the book is about via the title and the cover. With The Rook Crew, my expectations were way off. With the cover, I was expecting a shoujo (a Japanese term signifying an audience comprised of female teenagers) light novel. I didn’t know what to think about the title, but I honestly can’t say it has anything to do with this book. “The Rook Café” is a location in this book that’s visited maybe a half-dozen times, with no indication of why it’s significant or unique. Likewise, the “crew” that visits The Rook Café regularly was never fleshed out beyond the main characters and one or two minor ones. If it were me, I’d title the book something like Soccer Sweetheart, which would accurately convey the sports/romance aspects of the book.
I will admit that the pacing is pretty good (albeit heavily weighted toward either one of the characters at a single time) and the style is easy to read. There were also a few, well-described and realistic situations, including a cyber-bullying incident. However, I would have appreciated more “scene breaks” in each chapter, as everything just kind of blended together with no clear demarcation. In fact, as this book was two books combined, I couldn’t honestly tell you where that break between the two books occurred. And while the occasional proofreading or formatting error wasn’t too distracting, the author’s “narrator” became a bit difficult to read, especially when it was contradicting what the characters were saying or when it was breaking the fourth wall.
While the book is classified as Young Adult (YA), I seriously question this as there was quite a bit too much hard swearing and sexuality to be in a book that should be marketed toward, well, young adults. If anything, this book sits on the edge between Young Adult and New Adult for these same reasons. Unfortunately, because it is classified as YA, it follows all of the clichés of the genre, even to the point of having an ending that realistically shouldn’t have happened. Maybe it’s because I’m not in the core demographic, but I cringe at reading characters who obsess over shows from The CW, are in Emo bands who have one original song and twenty covers, and can’t get enough of the Twilight saga. In the end, I felt the characters were mostly flat, especially the women. While the two male “love interests” had passions that defined them (like soccer or music), the female protagonist’s only defining feature was that she had an irrational love for the soccer player. Her focus could have been on reading or dancing, or anything else, but all she ever talked about was her attraction to Matteo. These privileged characters rarely made any sense and caused me to roll my eyes more often than not.
A standard YA book with all its clichés and foibles, I give The Rook Crew 3.0 stars out of 5.
For more reviews of books and movies like this, please visit www.benjamin-m-weilert.com
Usually, when I enter a Goodreads Giveaway, I have an expectation for what the book is about via the title and the cover. With The Rook Crew, my expectations were way off. With the cover, I was expecting a shoujo (a Japanese term signifying an audience comprised of female teenagers) light novel. I didn’t know what to think about the title, but I honestly can’t say it has anything to do with this book. “The Rook Café” is a location in this book that’s visited maybe a half-dozen times, with no indication of why it’s significant or unique. Likewise, the “crew” that visits The Rook Café regularly was never fleshed out beyond the main characters and one or two minor ones. If it were me, I’d title the book something like Soccer Sweetheart, which would accurately convey the sports/romance aspects of the book.
I will admit that the pacing is pretty good (albeit heavily weighted toward either one of the characters at a single time) and the style is easy to read. There were also a few, well-described and realistic situations, including a cyber-bullying incident. However, I would have appreciated more “scene breaks” in each chapter, as everything just kind of blended together with no clear demarcation. In fact, as this book was two books combined, I couldn’t honestly tell you where that break between the two books occurred. And while the occasional proofreading or formatting error wasn’t too distracting, the author’s “narrator” became a bit difficult to read, especially when it was contradicting what the characters were saying or when it was breaking the fourth wall.
While the book is classified as Young Adult (YA), I seriously question this as there was quite a bit too much hard swearing and sexuality to be in a book that should be marketed toward, well, young adults. If anything, this book sits on the edge between Young Adult and New Adult for these same reasons. Unfortunately, because it is classified as YA, it follows all of the clichés of the genre, even to the point of having an ending that realistically shouldn’t have happened. Maybe it’s because I’m not in the core demographic, but I cringe at reading characters who obsess over shows from The CW, are in Emo bands who have one original song and twenty covers, and can’t get enough of the Twilight saga. In the end, I felt the characters were mostly flat, especially the women. While the two male “love interests” had passions that defined them (like soccer or music), the female protagonist’s only defining feature was that she had an irrational love for the soccer player. Her focus could have been on reading or dancing, or anything else, but all she ever talked about was her attraction to Matteo. These privileged characters rarely made any sense and caused me to roll my eyes more often than not.
A standard YA book with all its clichés and foibles, I give The Rook Crew 3.0 stars out of 5.
For more reviews of books and movies like this, please visit www.benjamin-m-weilert.com
May 4, 2015
A roller coaster romance
Okay so I have mixed feelings about this book. I love the setting and the idea of the story. However, there was just way too much unnecessary detail which I felt like took away from the enjoyment of the story. Plus, I felt like there was a lot of drama caused by the characters jumping to conclusions or misinterpreting what the other person meant. It kind if frustrated me. A lot of pain could have been avoided if they had just listened to each other.
Let me start off by commenting on the authors writing style. I think she's a great author. She writes well, filling her book with complicated and effective sentences. I enjoy the way she structured her story. However, there was just too much. I felt like half of the details could have been left out and the book would still be just as good. She went off on a lot of tangents about historical aspects of the city or details about a characters past that wasn't needed. Not that I'm saying they weren't interesting or well written. It just made the book more difficult to get through. I will say that they show how well she knows the Italian setting, adding to the authenticity of the world she created.
The plot was exciting too. A little slow to start with, but still good. I enjoyed the whole soccer world created. Being a soccer player myself, I liked reading about someone who loves the sport as much as I do. It was really well described, showing that the author knows exactly what she's talking about. I also loved the Italian setting. I have family who lives in Italy so it's nice reading about my ancestral home. My only problem with it was the authors Americanization of some aspects of Italy. I realize she might be trying to appeal to her audience, but I would have liked it to stay true to it's Italian roots. Of course I have to mention that I loved the love story. I so ship Matteo and Marika together.
The characters were pretty good too. Both Matteo and Marika were very complicated and deep characters. I enjoyed following their growth into strong people who deserve each other. The only thing that frustrated me about them was their poor communication with one another. They are constantly misinterpreting the other person, causing pain for both if them. Marika had doubts about EVERYTHING and Matteo sucked at expressing EVERYTHING. I realized it added to the story, but there were times where I just wanted to strangle both if them. Dudes, you LOVE EACH OTHER. ugh. The other characters were great too, adding their own drama to the story.
I guess I did enjoy reading this book. It wasn't my favorite, but I would definitely recommend to those who love romances and soccer. Oh and if you were in an Italian phase like me. Enjoy!
***I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review***
Okay so I have mixed feelings about this book. I love the setting and the idea of the story. However, there was just way too much unnecessary detail which I felt like took away from the enjoyment of the story. Plus, I felt like there was a lot of drama caused by the characters jumping to conclusions or misinterpreting what the other person meant. It kind if frustrated me. A lot of pain could have been avoided if they had just listened to each other.
Let me start off by commenting on the authors writing style. I think she's a great author. She writes well, filling her book with complicated and effective sentences. I enjoy the way she structured her story. However, there was just too much. I felt like half of the details could have been left out and the book would still be just as good. She went off on a lot of tangents about historical aspects of the city or details about a characters past that wasn't needed. Not that I'm saying they weren't interesting or well written. It just made the book more difficult to get through. I will say that they show how well she knows the Italian setting, adding to the authenticity of the world she created.
The plot was exciting too. A little slow to start with, but still good. I enjoyed the whole soccer world created. Being a soccer player myself, I liked reading about someone who loves the sport as much as I do. It was really well described, showing that the author knows exactly what she's talking about. I also loved the Italian setting. I have family who lives in Italy so it's nice reading about my ancestral home. My only problem with it was the authors Americanization of some aspects of Italy. I realize she might be trying to appeal to her audience, but I would have liked it to stay true to it's Italian roots. Of course I have to mention that I loved the love story. I so ship Matteo and Marika together.
The characters were pretty good too. Both Matteo and Marika were very complicated and deep characters. I enjoyed following their growth into strong people who deserve each other. The only thing that frustrated me about them was their poor communication with one another. They are constantly misinterpreting the other person, causing pain for both if them. Marika had doubts about EVERYTHING and Matteo sucked at expressing EVERYTHING. I realized it added to the story, but there were times where I just wanted to strangle both if them. Dudes, you LOVE EACH OTHER. ugh. The other characters were great too, adding their own drama to the story.
I guess I did enjoy reading this book. It wasn't my favorite, but I would definitely recommend to those who love romances and soccer. Oh and if you were in an Italian phase like me. Enjoy!
***I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review***
October 24, 2018
Mirella, you have done it again! I LOVED the original story but you did an amazing job with “Every Boy is a Book”. The first time I heard that you were going to edit the “The Rook Crew” i had doubts but you proved me wrong! The story is as amazing as the first book! You still brought me to those wonderful places which now is in my bucket list to visit. I loved how you tackled what kids now go through- the bullying & how both Mateo & most specially Marika handled the situation. Thank you for bringing a strong character that hopefully your young fans can relate to & learn from. You are an amazing writer & thank you so much for sharing your epic stories with us.
Congratulations Mirella! I am so proud of you!!! 🤗
Congratulations Mirella! I am so proud of you!!! 🤗
April 16, 2016
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review by the We love YA group.
I'm sorry to say that I didn't enjoy this book and it dragged on for ages.
The writing was ok, don't get me wrong, but it was the story, that didn' t move at a rapid enough pace. The plot was really poor.
Regarding the characters, I found the main couple very annoying. The only character I liked was Federico, as he seemed the three dimensional one.
There was too much ass licking in this book. It was absolutely ridiculous! Even in the professional team, come on!
I finished this out of stubborness, had I been less so, I would have left it on page 20.
Sorry, author, this book was not for me. I hope other readers like your work better.
I'm sorry to say that I didn't enjoy this book and it dragged on for ages.
The writing was ok, don't get me wrong, but it was the story, that didn' t move at a rapid enough pace. The plot was really poor.
Regarding the characters, I found the main couple very annoying. The only character I liked was Federico, as he seemed the three dimensional one.
There was too much ass licking in this book. It was absolutely ridiculous! Even in the professional team, come on!
I finished this out of stubborness, had I been less so, I would have left it on page 20.
Sorry, author, this book was not for me. I hope other readers like your work better.
January 16, 2019
Although this book had a good premise, I regret to say that I did not enjoy reading it. I liked the setting in Italy, but I thought the story was bogged down with constant extraneous details and the pacing was extremely slow. I found the dialogue unnatural and ultimately never developed an interest or investment in the characters.
This is an example of dialogue spoken by one high school boy to another, "At the end of the day, a kiss is hardly a punishable offense. Like I told you before, you two are indissolubly linked to each other."
I often felt as if I were reading something written to show off as many allusions as possible, and at times they were jarring to the point of being nonsensical. Two examples are: "And so, while Matteo was publicly declaring his feelings in Lonigo, she was drifting along obliviously in the comfort of her host’s home, drinking a glass of water from the River Lethe that erased all of her memories" and "She wasn’t ready to confront the consequences of his long absence, nor did she want to hop back onto that streetcar named Desire."
I also did not enjoy what I would best describe as an invisible narrator's random commentaries, such as "If – as many claim – victory is sweeter after extended battle, then that kiss must have tasted like vanilla and sex."
There are other reviewers who enjoyed this story. I dislike writing a negative review, but I received a copy through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. This book will appeal to some readers. I will close out by including three more examples of things typical of what I did not enjoy in order to help others decide whether they might like this book more than I did.
"It wasn’t their first time ever in Milan, but it wasn’t the third either."
"Federico stared at the road in silence, while drops of dew, which nature uses to dress the bare branches of trees at dawn, shone in his eyes. Only it wasn’t condensed water vapor, but hot tears that sparkled in the waning rays of the sun."
“I’m scared of the power that he still holds over me, and I shouldn’t...,” she paused, loading up a Kantian hypothetical imperative, “I don’t want to want him any more.”
This is an example of dialogue spoken by one high school boy to another, "At the end of the day, a kiss is hardly a punishable offense. Like I told you before, you two are indissolubly linked to each other."
I often felt as if I were reading something written to show off as many allusions as possible, and at times they were jarring to the point of being nonsensical. Two examples are: "And so, while Matteo was publicly declaring his feelings in Lonigo, she was drifting along obliviously in the comfort of her host’s home, drinking a glass of water from the River Lethe that erased all of her memories" and "She wasn’t ready to confront the consequences of his long absence, nor did she want to hop back onto that streetcar named Desire."
I also did not enjoy what I would best describe as an invisible narrator's random commentaries, such as "If – as many claim – victory is sweeter after extended battle, then that kiss must have tasted like vanilla and sex."
There are other reviewers who enjoyed this story. I dislike writing a negative review, but I received a copy through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. This book will appeal to some readers. I will close out by including three more examples of things typical of what I did not enjoy in order to help others decide whether they might like this book more than I did.
"It wasn’t their first time ever in Milan, but it wasn’t the third either."
"Federico stared at the road in silence, while drops of dew, which nature uses to dress the bare branches of trees at dawn, shone in his eyes. Only it wasn’t condensed water vapor, but hot tears that sparkled in the waning rays of the sun."
“I’m scared of the power that he still holds over me, and I shouldn’t...,” she paused, loading up a Kantian hypothetical imperative, “I don’t want to want him any more.”
March 15, 2019
3.5 stars
I didn't know anything (storywise) about this book other than it being set in Italy (which is one of my fave settings in books), but I'm glad that I read it! A slow burn romance about Matteo and Marika who were best friends since they were kids. Matteo will eventually have to choose between a professional career in soccer and the girl he loves.
Matteo and Marika may be the protagonists, but I wasn't very fond of them in the beginning, especially Matteo. I saw him as a selfish jerk. I was also tired of Marika having second thoughts/doubts about Matteo's feelings about her, but thankfully as the story progressed, I began to understand them more.
For me, Carlotta and Dario (side characters) were far more interesting, and they're the reason why I liked this book. Dario is the good, loyal friend and Matteo's voice of reason, while Carlotta is the ever supportive cousin of Marika. I would really love to see more of their story by being the main characters maybe in another book in The Rook Crew series.
I must admit that at first, I had the same feeling that I had when I was reading Anna and the French Kiss (which was not an enjoyable one for me) but this book had redeeming parts and enough interesting characters that led me to enjoy reading it. I also loved the music/song lyrics that were inserted in the story as they made me feel the emotions of the characters more.
If you love reading books by Jennifer E. Smith and Kasie West, then I recommend that you read this book! Thanks to the author for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
"But while you cannot control destiny, you can choose how to live your life...."
"Fear is helpful, because it keeps you on your toes," he continued, gently, "so long as you don't let it stop you from growing."
"All relationships are difficult, and if you are truly in love, you run the risk of getting hurt. But you can't let the fear of that keep you from moving forward."
Soundtrack: More Than Friends by Jason Mraz feat. Meghan Trainor
I didn't know anything (storywise) about this book other than it being set in Italy (which is one of my fave settings in books), but I'm glad that I read it! A slow burn romance about Matteo and Marika who were best friends since they were kids. Matteo will eventually have to choose between a professional career in soccer and the girl he loves.
Matteo and Marika may be the protagonists, but I wasn't very fond of them in the beginning, especially Matteo. I saw him as a selfish jerk. I was also tired of Marika having second thoughts/doubts about Matteo's feelings about her, but thankfully as the story progressed, I began to understand them more.
For me, Carlotta and Dario (side characters) were far more interesting, and they're the reason why I liked this book. Dario is the good, loyal friend and Matteo's voice of reason, while Carlotta is the ever supportive cousin of Marika. I would really love to see more of their story by being the main characters maybe in another book in The Rook Crew series.
I must admit that at first, I had the same feeling that I had when I was reading Anna and the French Kiss (which was not an enjoyable one for me) but this book had redeeming parts and enough interesting characters that led me to enjoy reading it. I also loved the music/song lyrics that were inserted in the story as they made me feel the emotions of the characters more.
If you love reading books by Jennifer E. Smith and Kasie West, then I recommend that you read this book! Thanks to the author for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
"But while you cannot control destiny, you can choose how to live your life...."
"Fear is helpful, because it keeps you on your toes," he continued, gently, "so long as you don't let it stop you from growing."
"All relationships are difficult, and if you are truly in love, you run the risk of getting hurt. But you can't let the fear of that keep you from moving forward."
Soundtrack: More Than Friends by Jason Mraz feat. Meghan Trainor
November 8, 2024
FROM BOOK TO SCREEN: Film Adaptation
I recently self-adapted my debut YA novel into a spec script transposing the book's characters and events from the Italian Montagues and Capulets land, where my dad's side of the family is from, to Hillside, a fictitious town in the Napa Valley, Northern California. Loosely based on Soccer Sweetheart, DON'T KISS JULIET GOODBYE film tells the story of two young lovers on the surface more different than alike, perfect together and incomplete when apart, who discover their own selves in each other.
"Endless Love" meets "West Side Story" in this teen dramedy movie. In a mix of gangster superiors, high school bullies, family drama, and post-graduation planning, DON'T KISS JULIET GOODBYE tells the story of two teenagers from different social classes, races and education, who fall for each other while their different backgrounds threaten to keep them apart.
Soccer Sweetheart was originally self-published as Craving U under the pen name Llarjme (anagram of the author's real name, with j instead of i)
I recently self-adapted my debut YA novel into a spec script transposing the book's characters and events from the Italian Montagues and Capulets land, where my dad's side of the family is from, to Hillside, a fictitious town in the Napa Valley, Northern California. Loosely based on Soccer Sweetheart, DON'T KISS JULIET GOODBYE film tells the story of two young lovers on the surface more different than alike, perfect together and incomplete when apart, who discover their own selves in each other.
"Endless Love" meets "West Side Story" in this teen dramedy movie. In a mix of gangster superiors, high school bullies, family drama, and post-graduation planning, DON'T KISS JULIET GOODBYE tells the story of two teenagers from different social classes, races and education, who fall for each other while their different backgrounds threaten to keep them apart.
Soccer Sweetheart was originally self-published as Craving U under the pen name Llarjme (anagram of the author's real name, with j instead of i)
November 7, 2024
«The French poet Mallarmé claimed that “everything in the world exists to end up in a book,” and if that’s true, and that even every boy is a book, Federico was undoubtedly created by the pen of Keats or some other tormented Romantic poet; while Matteo was pure passion, like Shakespeare’s Romeo: spontaneous, intense, and impetuously real.»
Both my book boyfriends have places in my heart. It’s impossible to imagine how I could ever choose between them. It’s definitely okay to love them both. I do ;)
Both my book boyfriends have places in my heart. It’s impossible to imagine how I could ever choose between them. It’s definitely okay to love them both. I do ;)
October 19, 2023
Is this ℒℴѵℯ worth losing the chance of a lifetime and their friendship?
SOCCER SWEETHEART (originally self-published as "Craving U" under the pen name Llarjme, anagram of the author's real name with j instead of i) is a slow burn YA romance set in the Montagues and Capulets land, where my dad’s side of the family is from. Love in all its forms is the leading trope, but SOCCER SWEETHEART is also about following your dreams and managing the consequences of your own choices, friendship and family, fear of loving and being who you really are.
And to everyone who is reading this book right now, lots and lots of thank-you ❤
SOCCER SWEETHEART (originally self-published as "Craving U" under the pen name Llarjme, anagram of the author's real name with j instead of i) is a slow burn YA romance set in the Montagues and Capulets land, where my dad’s side of the family is from. Love in all its forms is the leading trope, but SOCCER SWEETHEART is also about following your dreams and managing the consequences of your own choices, friendship and family, fear of loving and being who you really are.
And to everyone who is reading this book right now, lots and lots of thank-you ❤
Read
May 11, 2021DNF.
Every Boy is a Book. Some of them are boring.
Predictable teenage romance and soccer.
I received this book free from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review.
Every Boy is a Book. Some of them are boring.
Predictable teenage romance and soccer.
I received this book free from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review.
July 26, 2019
STORY: (I won this in a Goodreads giveaway! The title really drew me in)!
Every Book is a Boy by Mirella Muffarotto (413 pages) is set in Italy and begins with Marika coming to terms with her growing feelings for Matteo, her best friend. A romantic relationship is just around the corner until a soccer team tries to scout him. Now, Marika’s world has been turned upside down and a series of (unneeded drama) events break her heart. Will Marika and Matteo ever get together?
Let me be honest. The first five chapters were torture, but this story slowly, slowly (it’s a snail’s pace) starts getting interesting. Of course, there’s constant drama. SO MUCH DRAMA!
I find the drama so frustrating because of misunderstandings. I almost never enjoy drawn-out misunderstandings in stories because they take forever to resolve and the other characters react stupidly as a result.
I enjoyed the Italian setting, Carlotta and Dario, and the book title. I’m not really into soccer/football/fútbol, so I skimmed over the games and terminology, but I enjoyed reading the business side of things, seeing how players dealt with their agents, training camps, and meeting potential teammates. It was nice and a lot of detail has been put into it.
Now, one of the things I didn’t enjoy about Every Book is a Boy is the long passages of details. People are always stressing for writers to add more detail, but I kept skimming through a lot of it.
So, about the romance … Listen, I’m no stranger to YA romances but Marika’s thoughts about Matteo are drenched in syrup. For example:
I don’t mind “oh my gosh, my heart almost stopped because he touched my hand” love if I have a connection with the characters. Because I found Matteo so annoying and unlikable, I was left only rooting for ½ of the couple. This doesn’t mean there aren’t any aww-worthy or some oh-my-wink-wink moments. The cute moments are just filtered through mountains of text of Marika pining for Matteo, Matteo being upset for words he can’t convey, Federico trying to woo Marika, and historical and architectural information about Italian cities.
By the way, there’s a minor subplot about the dangers of teen sexting and webcamming. There’s some harsh language (F bombs, bull****, sluts, “easy girls,” etc) and a brief mention of a love scene, but it’s not constant if that’s a worry.
CHARACTERS:
Marika is bland. She has a slight touch of “not like other girls” because she’s such a tomboy. She cries a lot too, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but it’s prevalent.
Carlotta is very self-absorbed but nice. She’s got a big mouth but a big heart to go along with it.
Dario is a decent guy.
Matteo, the most wishy-washy character alive, couldn’t decide between water and H2O. Hopefully, you get where I’m coming from. He ain’t have no communication skills!
Lucreiza and Marcello and Valerio are 1-dimensional villains who only think with their genitals. In the beginning, I feel like there is subtle programming to dislike Lucrezia because she wears ridiculously short skirts and flirts with boys and goes “further with boys.” Of course, she does turn out to be a horrid mess of a person, but I didn’t even get a chance to discover her nastiness. I was already predisposed to dislike her.
Federico is my favorite character, but it’s for a sad reason. I only like him because he doesn’t have any of Matteo’s bad qualities. Since we don’t see any bad aspects of him, he’s the seemingly perfect guy. He COMMUNICATES his feelings and doesn’t treat Marika’s heart like a RAGDOLL and APOLOGIZES when he messes up quickly.
Eve was cool but then just awful at times. I don’t mind brash characters, but she played a nasty joke that I didn’t care for. Still, she had a lot of personality more than I can say for Marika.
OVERALL:
One of the most frustrating stories I have read in a while with the most wishy-washy male lead ever. This story could’ve been cut by like 200 pages. Maybe I feel so tough on this story because the length exhausted me? I don’t know. On the positive note, I love the title. This is a 2.5 for me, but let’s round it up to 3.
If you like slow burn romance (?), soccer, and friends to lovers stories, then this story is for you. Keep in mind if you don’t enjoy chick-flicks or cheesiness, then you might be annoyed the entire time.
“He was afraid, not because he thought she wasn’t the one. He was terrified because he knew she was.”
Every Book is a Boy by Mirella Muffarotto (413 pages) is set in Italy and begins with Marika coming to terms with her growing feelings for Matteo, her best friend. A romantic relationship is just around the corner until a soccer team tries to scout him. Now, Marika’s world has been turned upside down and a series of (unneeded drama) events break her heart. Will Marika and Matteo ever get together?
Let me be honest. The first five chapters were torture, but this story slowly, slowly (it’s a snail’s pace) starts getting interesting. Of course, there’s constant drama. SO MUCH DRAMA!
I find the drama so frustrating because of misunderstandings. I almost never enjoy drawn-out misunderstandings in stories because they take forever to resolve and the other characters react stupidly as a result.
I enjoyed the Italian setting, Carlotta and Dario, and the book title. I’m not really into soccer/football/fútbol, so I skimmed over the games and terminology, but I enjoyed reading the business side of things, seeing how players dealt with their agents, training camps, and meeting potential teammates. It was nice and a lot of detail has been put into it.
Now, one of the things I didn’t enjoy about Every Book is a Boy is the long passages of details. People are always stressing for writers to add more detail, but I kept skimming through a lot of it.
So, about the romance … Listen, I’m no stranger to YA romances but Marika’s thoughts about Matteo are drenched in syrup. For example:
“I know … you’re right, but all I want to do is score. It’s the only thing I can think of out there.
‘He was to die for, even though his only desire was to score (pg 18).’”
I don’t mind “oh my gosh, my heart almost stopped because he touched my hand” love if I have a connection with the characters. Because I found Matteo so annoying and unlikable, I was left only rooting for ½ of the couple. This doesn’t mean there aren’t any aww-worthy or some oh-my-wink-wink moments. The cute moments are just filtered through mountains of text of Marika pining for Matteo, Matteo being upset for words he can’t convey, Federico trying to woo Marika, and historical and architectural information about Italian cities.
By the way, there’s a minor subplot about the dangers of teen sexting and webcamming. There’s some harsh language (F bombs, bull****, sluts, “easy girls,” etc) and a brief mention of a love scene, but it’s not constant if that’s a worry.
CHARACTERS:
Marika is bland. She has a slight touch of “not like other girls” because she’s such a tomboy. She cries a lot too, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but it’s prevalent.
Carlotta is very self-absorbed but nice. She’s got a big mouth but a big heart to go along with it.
Dario is a decent guy.
Matteo, the most wishy-washy character alive, couldn’t decide between water and H2O. Hopefully, you get where I’m coming from. He ain’t have no communication skills!
Lucreiza and Marcello and Valerio are 1-dimensional villains who only think with their genitals. In the beginning, I feel like there is subtle programming to dislike Lucrezia because she wears ridiculously short skirts and flirts with boys and goes “further with boys.” Of course, she does turn out to be a horrid mess of a person, but I didn’t even get a chance to discover her nastiness. I was already predisposed to dislike her.
Federico is my favorite character, but it’s for a sad reason. I only like him because he doesn’t have any of Matteo’s bad qualities. Since we don’t see any bad aspects of him, he’s the seemingly perfect guy. He COMMUNICATES his feelings and doesn’t treat Marika’s heart like a RAGDOLL and APOLOGIZES when he messes up quickly.
Eve was cool but then just awful at times. I don’t mind brash characters, but she played a nasty joke that I didn’t care for. Still, she had a lot of personality more than I can say for Marika.
OVERALL:
One of the most frustrating stories I have read in a while with the most wishy-washy male lead ever. This story could’ve been cut by like 200 pages. Maybe I feel so tough on this story because the length exhausted me? I don’t know. On the positive note, I love the title. This is a 2.5 for me, but let’s round it up to 3.
If you like slow burn romance (?), soccer, and friends to lovers stories, then this story is for you. Keep in mind if you don’t enjoy chick-flicks or cheesiness, then you might be annoyed the entire time.
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