Published December 1st, 2011
Sourcebooks Fire
281 pages (Paperback)
ONE OF THE BOYS
What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though-she leads them as the captain and quarterback of her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university.But everything she's ever worked for is threatened when Ty Green moves to her school. Not only is he an amazing QB, but he's also amazingly hot. And for the first time, Jordan's feeling vulnerable. Can she keep her head in the game while her heart's on the line? (From Goodreads)
Catching Jordan mixes two of my favourite things: romance and sports. However, there is also a love triangle and excessive teenage girl hormones.
Our main character Jordan is the quarterback on her high school football team. Fantastic! I love this. Beating boys at virtually anything is one of my favourite hobbies. When a new QB comes to town, it provides Jordan with a challenge. Even better! This story is really heading somewhere as Jordan tries to deal with being seriously attracted to a guy for the first time. The first half of the book had some serious potential.
Then the love triangle, that I *really* should have seen coming, takes center stage. This was the point that Catching Jordan lost momentum for me. I get that Jordan had the blinders taken off, so to speak, and had to deal with emotions and hormones and all that. Let's face it, any of us who have graduated high school/are currently in high school have dealt with this. I just didn't enjoy reading it. It became too much of the same page after page.
Characters make the story for me, and none of the characters here did much of anything for me. I admired many of the qualities in Jordan, but Henry, Ty and the rest of the main characters were sort of meh and not memorable. I did like the development with Ty, but honestly can't remember a thing about Henry beyond how badly I wanted to smack him one.
I didn't hate Catching Jordan, but I didn't love it either. The excess teenage drama just didn't do anything for me. I am hopeful about the "girls in sports" theme though, and will likely give Stealing Parker a read sometime in the future (y'all know I love my baseball).
Much love, Samantha
Published May 28th, 2013
Harlequin Teen
462 pages (Hardcover)
Ryan lowers his lips to my ear. "Dance with me, Beth."
"No." I whisper the reply. I hate him and I hate myself for wanting him to touch me again....
"I dare you..."
If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk's home life, they'd send her mother to jail and seventeen-year-old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom's freedom and her own happiness. That's how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn't want her and going to a school that doesn't understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn't get her, but does....
Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock-with secrets he can't tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn't be less interested in him.But what begins as a dare becomes an intense attraction neither Ryan nor Beth expected. Suddenly, the boy with the flawless image risks his dreams-and his life-for the girl he loves, and the girl who won't let anyone get too close is daring herself to want it all.... (From Goodreads)
Let's take a moment to admire this cover. THIS COVER IS FANTASTIC!
I loved this book. I loved everything about this book. I don't know if I can say anything negative or constructive about this book.
The characters really drive this story, so it's a good thing that they are amazing! I loved Beth in Pushing The Limit, and was pumped that this book was about her. The development here is epic and we learn so much more about her and her past. It's impossible not to feel for her and her story. Then there is Ryan, the classic my-life-looks-perfect-but-really-isn't character. He doesn't feel like a cardboard cutout character. Again, his emotions are brought to life so vividly. Their relationship is all over the place and brings ALL THE EMOTIONS! The secondary characters are also very well written, which only makes the book even better!
The story as a whole is well developed and well written. It helps that I love books that incorporate sports, but the addition of baseball and competitiveness brings a flare that really appeals to me. If you don't know baseball, some of the lingo may throw you off, but none of that is essential to the story.
The book progresses in a way that really makes you understand Beth. Her story is so complex and, at first, I couldn't undersstand her actions. They will make sense though. You still may not agree, but it does all come together to make her reactions understandable.
I give this book a must read. Seriously, go buy it now. Dare You To is heart-wrenching and wonderful.
Much love, Samantha
Published December 1st, 2011
