(Waiting on the Sidelines #1)
Published: April 14, 2013 by Ginger Scott
Source: I received this from the publishers for review via NetGalley. All of the opinions stated in this review are 100% honest.
Summary from Ginger's website: Girls can be cruel. Young love can be devastating. And high school can make you question everything you thought you knew about yourself. Nolan Lennox had things figured out. Named after a baseball legend, she enjoyed being the Tomboy, her closet filled with her brother’s hand-me-downs, cut-off jeans and soccer shorts. But when she overhears the first boy who ever made her heart flutter and a girl she once thought a family friend verbally attack her, Nolan starts to question the very person she thought she was and wonders if being plain, humble and simple can compete with fast, rich and aggressive.
Reed Johnson came to Coolidge High School with a lot of fanfare. The son of a hometown football legend and the brother of a local football hero, Reed wore all the pressures of carrying a town without hope into the spotlight. Thankfully, he had the talent to back it up. But when he meets a girl who makes him think twice about exactly what being a hero means, he starts to wonder if following in his brother’s footsteps might be all wrong. Nolan Lennox was everything that was opposite of expected. She didn’t flirt, she didn’t drink and she didn’t sleep around. Nothing about her was easy, but something about her made Reed want to try harder. Though she didn’t look the part, she seemed to be spending a lot of time in Reed’s thoughts, and he wondered if she could be the one who made it all worthwhile. But could Reed handle letting her down? And would breaking her heart break him beyond repair?
Because I don't want to kick this mini-review off with negativity, let me preface by saying I did enjoy this novel. I think that it could have used a lot of work, but I did like this. Now, I think this story could have (and should have) been tweaked a little and broken into separate novels. It takes place over all four years of high school if that tells you anything. I just think that it would have been paced better over two novels, at the least. Also, while there was nothing fundamentally bad about the writing in this story, it could have used some trimming and some more polishing.
But like I said, I truly enjoyed this reading experience. I stayed up into the wee hours of the night finishing this book. I became very invested in the characters and the romance, and I could not wait to see how it all played out. Reed and Nolan had some infuriating traits, but I still wanted the best for them. There was teenage angst and melodrama--but they were the kind that I like. The moment I finished this novel, I went on to request the sequel.
In a sentence: This is the book for you if you're looking for a simply interesting read about a girl trying to figure life out.
(Waiting on the Sidelines #2)
Published: September 25, 2013 by Ginger Scott
Source: I received this from the publishers for review via NetGalley. All of the opinions stated in this review are 100% honest.
Summary from Goodreads: They fell in love in high school and found their way back to one another despite the odds. But can first loves really be forever? For Reed Johnson, the dream was always football. But then Nolan Lennox took over his heart. Is he willing to give up his first love just to keep his true love? Or will he be too late?
The sequel has a lot of the same elements as the first novel, but I did not like this book nearly as much as it's predecessor. Once again, I still liked it. Despite all my problems with it, Reed and Nolan's story kept me interested and I had troubles putting it down. There's a lot more angst and melodrama in this installment, however it grows tiresome. Reed and Nolan are supposed to be in a mature, loving relationship but it doesn't feel very mature. I began to wonder if the only reason they worked so well together is because they kept crawling back to each other no matter how much they shouldn't have. I just felt like I should have been seeing more growth in the two of them. I'm not saying there is no character development, but their core issues were things we saw in the first novel.
This duology had a very predictable, "sparkly ribbon" ending. A happily-ever-after, so to speak. This was totally okay by me, but I question the sparkly ribbon. I'm not completely convinced that Nolan and Reed aren't going to revert back to their old ways and just keep going through the dramatic cycle. Still, I am satisfied with the way everything turned out for these characters. I have a sense of closure.
In a sentence: Though I experienced some frustrations, I think that it was definitely worth it to read these characters' conclusion.
Side note about these books: It's been weeks since I've read this series. Even still, when I think back on this story and the characters, I get that ache in my chest that comes after finishing a series. I'll probably re-visit this series in the future.
