Futbolista is Jonny Garza Villa’s new adult romance debut, but their writing feels perfectly at home in the genre. The novel follows the story of Gabriel Piña, an 18-year-old Mexican-American college soccer star in the making. His life gets complicated, however, when he has to come to terms with his bisexuality, and with his feelings for his friend Vale.
Gabi is a wonderful character. He starts out confident in his straight identity and sure that he has himself figured out, but after he kisses Vale as a favor at a party, his latent bisexuality comes back in full force. As the protagonist, Gabi has a great voice, one that’s playful, horny, and endearing. His passion for football (NOT soccer) comes through on the page, and so does his love for Vale. He also has some great friends, who were always a fun presence in the story.
I was completely invested in Gabi and Vale’s relationship. Their interactions from the first time they meet are sexy and loaded with chemistry. It’s hard to say that I know much about Vale as a character, though. He’s an English major, he’s gay, and he loves Gabi, but beyond that, his personal life isn’t really explored in depth. I would have loved to see further into Vale’s history and interests outside of Gabi.
Futbolista is heartfelt, funny, sexy, and occasionally painful. Although I did want more from Vale’s characterization, it’s a great debut, and I will be checking out Jonny Garza Villa’s future releases.
Avi Reads Books 
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