Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Nerd & the Quarterback | 2019 | M.L. Collins | Buy |
| 2 | The Good Girl & the Bad Boy | 2020 | M.L. Collins | Buy |
| 3 | The Tomboy & The Movie Star | 2020 | M.L. Collins | Buy |
| 4 | The Shy Girl & the Jock Next Door | 2022 | M.L. Collins | Buy |
M.L. Collins’s Jackson High series features opposites-attract romances set at Jackson High school. The Nerd & the Quarterback (2019) launched the series, followed by The Good Girl & the Bad Boy (2020), The Tomboy & The Movie Star (2020), and The Shy Girl & the Jock Next Door (2022).
Each title tells you exactly which pairing the book explores. The character types are familiar from the YA romance genre, but Collins uses them to build stories around characters who challenge each other’s assumptions. The Tomboy & The Movie Star (2020) adds a celebrity element that sets it apart from the other high school pairings. The two-year gap before The Shy Girl & the Jock Next Door (2022) suggests the series was concluded after four books.
These are clean YA romances aimed at teen readers. The books share a school setting but each focuses on a different couple, so readers can start with whichever pairing interests them most. That said, reading in order will catch recurring background characters across the series.