Bad and Dirty Books: First and Goal by Kata Čuić

Eva Papageorgiou has one goal:

to make it through her senior year of high school unseen and unscathed. But when her strategy to stay out of the limelight is derailed by rampant rumors, she’s forced to change tactics. Her new game plan is to keep everyone at arm’s length. Especially boys. So when she’s partnered up in class with the hot as hell varsity quarterback, she pushes and pushes.

Until he pushes back.

Rob Falls just wants to fit in. With his teammates, with his friends, with everyone. His image as the quintessential jock makes him feel like a fraud. Especially since it’s the only reason all the girls at school want him, except the one girl he dreams about. She wants nothing to do with him. When he’s forced to tutor the class pariah, he realizes it’s time to get in the game instead of standing on the sidelines.

She’s going to help him get exactly what he wants, whether she knows it or not.

Life doesn’t come with a playbook, but Rob knows this could be the most important play he’ll ever make.

First and Goal is book one in The Moving the Chains series. It ends on a cliffhanger.

I finished First and Goal while

I was on a quiet night shift.

I'm still thinking about this fabulous story from Kata Čuić, as I sit her writing this review,

and it's her debut none the less.

I wouldn't have thought since her writing felt effortless and confident.

Her words jumped off the page with such ease and I was captured.

First and Goal was intriguing, filled with

strong flawed characters who had an important story to tell.

I was invested in Rob and Evie

from the first page. I really liked how Čuić chose to tell their story which began from their first meeting freshman year.

It made their connection and friendship believable and real. So was the story.

It was relatable and the whole high school environment authentic

which added drama to the story.

I seriously loved Rob and his shyness but most definitely also his patience

and respect towards Evie.

He was the sweetest guy with a big heart and a bright head on his shoulders.

Evie just like Rob was a great character.

She had her guard up against everyone but with reason. She was loyal to the people she trusted. I loved and enjoyed how they went from hating each other to being friends.

It was a roller coaster ride of emotions

and I felt them all.