Review: Stealing for Keeps by Rebecca Jenshak (Frost Lake High #1)


Note: An advance reader copy (ARC) was provided by Bloom Books.

Rebecca Jenshak has done new adult and adult contemporary romances before--and I enjoyed them all--but now, she's venturing into young adult territory, and well, I'm happy to report that she did not disappoint! Her new series is Frost Lake High, and the first book is Stealing for Keeps, a story that involves the newest player on the soccer team, the ex-girlfriend of the team captain, and one dream he's chasing and another that has ended and left her adrift. Set in the fictional town of Frost Lake, Michigan, readers are introduced to Claire Crawford and Austin Keller, both seventeen and juniors of the local high school. Claire spent all summer recuperating from an injury that ended any hope of her pursuing a figure skating career. Add to that the fact that Vaughn Collins decided to break up with her because he couldn't be a boyfriend AND be an athlete. All Claire wants to do is get through the school year and figure out what comes next, but then Austin came along, stealing a kiss because of a teammate's dare during a bonfire. She thinks he wants to be with her, but when push comes to shove, will the new star  player choose her when the team captain himself didn't? Can Austin really make a play to steal Claire for keeps?

I haven't read young adult romance in a while, but Stealing for Keeps made me reminisce about all those years when the only genre on my bookshelf and in my hands was YA. Rebecca Jenshak delivers a heartfelt story about two teenagers who are experiencing changes in their respective lives and find love and friendship with each other when they weren't expecting it. Of course, falling in love and living happily ever after isn't as easy as it may sound, especially when Claire used to be the girlfriend of Austin's team captain. There's a bit of family drama as well, courtesy of Claire's relationship with her mother and Austin's antagonistic younger sister who hates the fact that the family moved from Arizona to Michigan for Austin. But that's balanced out with the lighter feel that's brought by Claire's and Austin's friends. These teens, particularly, Claire's best friend, Lacey, and her ex, Vaughn, and Austin's closest teammate and friend, Rowan, and his sister, Torrance, have piqued my interest, and while I don't know if they will get books in the series or who's going to be paired with whom, fingers crossed that Lacey and Vaughn will be coupled up. Long story short, I loved this series starter and can't wait for more. Five stars!

Release Date: 31 December 2024

Date Read: 21 December 2024

Learn more about Rebecca Jenshak.

Pre-order Stealing for Keeps on Amazon.

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