Practice Makes Problematic (A YA Queer Romance Novel)

By Marissa K. Nelson

Riley Vale has exactly three priorities:

keep her head down, survive senior year, and help the Bellweather High girls' soccer team avoid complete collapse.

Falling for her fake girlfriend was never part of the plan.

June Moreno is loud when she's nervous, affectionate without thinking, and somehow determined to save both the struggling soccer program and Riley's entire emotional existence at the same time. Their fake relationship starts as a fundraiser stunt meant to bring attention to the underfunded team, but somewhere between rainy bus rides, shared hoodies, crowded bakeries, late-night practices, and playoff chaos, pretending stops feeling pretend.

Now Bellweather Cove is watching them.

The team is finally winning.

And Riley is realizing that letting herself be loved might be far more terrifying than losing.

Set in a foggy coastal Oregon town filled with warm bakeries, messy teammates, cold field lights, and emotionally chaotic girls who love each other very loudly, Practice Makes Problematic is a heartfelt slow-burn sapphic YA romance about vulnerability, found family, emotional safety, and the people who slowly become home before you even notice it happening.

Perfect for readers who love:

fake datingteammates-to-lovers romanceemotionally immersive YAslow-burn sapphic relationshipsfound family dynamicscozy coastal settingsawkward emotional tensionchaotic team energyheartfelt humorcomfort reads with emotional depth

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0H21Y8D95
• ISBN13: 9798197133892
• Release Date: May 2026
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 387 Pages
• Weight: 1.14 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.9" x 6.0"