Futbolista
Futbolista
A classmates-to-friends-to-lovers romance that's equal parts raunchy, heartfelt, queer, and Mexican-American, centered on college football (the REAL football)!
Gabriel Piña knows who he is: a college goalkeeper, a future Liga MX or MLS star, and definitely straight. He’s starting his freshman year with a lot of eyes on him and even more potential, but he’s got this. Nothing will have him straying off the path to greatness.
That is, until his philosophy classmate Vale volunteers to tutor him. Vale, the same guy who Gabi, in a moment of history repeating itself, might’ve kissed very briefly—and only once—just to help him out at a party. Vale, the smart, supportive, compassionate new friend with beautiful brown eyes and a smile that keeps Gabi, for completely inexplicable reasons, constantly in a daydream.
As a friendship blooms and the two spend more and more time together, Gabi finally begins to recognize something about himself: maybe he’s not as straight as he thought he was. But a larger and darker realization lingers. Someone like Gabi—a brown, Mexican futbolista with dreams of playing for El Tri—can’t also be bisexual. He’s seen the way his teammates and community react to queerness in their sport. It would be the exact type of straying off path that destroys his future.
Or, maybe Gabi could be brave enough to embrace all those parts of himself and forge his own path, one that includes a boyfriend and the beautiful game.
A sports romance for those who keep rewatching Bend It Like Beckham and rereading Red, White & Royal Blue and the incredible collection of queer soc—football romances out there, Futbolista follows the first semester of one guy's freshman year of college, navigating who he is, who he’s allowed to be, and who he wants to be.
PRAISE for jonny garza villa
Pura Belpré Honor winner
Stonewall Honor winner
★ “Garza Villa’s debut is buoyed by tenderness and humor amid moments of deep pain…An open-hearted expression of love in its many forms.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
★“Tender, touching, hopeful, and hilarious; enthusiastically recommended for all collections.” —School Library Journal (starred review)
★ "In their third teen romance, Garza Villa orchestrates another masterpiece about queer youth redefining traditional customs in Texas." —Booklist (starred review)
“Emotional, heartfelt, and at times heartbreaking, this vulnerable and ultimately hopeful story is healing. Jonny writes with clear care and intention for their younger readers. Beautifully done.” —Kacen Callender, author of Felix Ever After and This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story
“Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun is the gay happily-ever-after romance I longed for as a teen! With its fun and refreshing voice, the book depicts a long-distance relationship that is sweet and incredibly authentic for teens nowadays. This book tackles the intense, nuanced struggles queer Latinx kids face with care and compassion. It’s a story of love, hope, and healing that we all need right now.” —Aiden Thomas, New York Times bestselling author of Cemetery Boys
"This book is a living, breathing love letter, and I felt every beat of it. Jonny Garza Villa’s fiercely vulnerable writing leaves a permanent mark." – Becky Albertalli, award-winning author of Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda
"With a swoony romance full of sex positivity, humor, and PAIN, Jonny Garza Villa will destroy your heart and piece it back together and you will thank them for it." – Sonora Reyes, author of The Lesbiana's Guide To Catholic School
Jonny Garza Villa is a product of the Great State of Texas, born and raised near and along the Gulf Coast, and currently living in San Antonio. They are a Sagittarius sun, Capricorn everything else, a former very bad baseball player, and a former pretty good drag queen. Jonny is an author of contemporary young adult novels inspired by their own Tejane & Chicane and queer identities including their debut novel and Pura Belpré Honor Book Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun, the Stonewall Honor Book Ander & Santi Were Here, and Canto Contigo, publishing in 2024. Futbolista is their first New Adult contemporary romance.
Author residence: San Antonio, TX
