CATCHING JORDAN by Miranda Kenneally

I've been busy with revisions, and my girls had their first competition/convention this weekend (the teachers threw a lot of choreo at us, but didn't teach very much, and the comp ran until midnight).  Just wanted to let you know why I haven't been posting as regularly.  But today, I'm back with a good book and a new review J

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally is a book I heard about long before the release date.  This is both good and bad.  Good because I got to add it to my mental TBR pile long before most people knew about it (fun fact: Score was the book's original title).  Bad because I had to wait…and wait…and wait some more.  But it was worth it.  The book delivered on all counts: relatable characters, angsty romance and a fresh take on the whole girl-in-a-man's-sport premise.

Seventeen-year-old Jordan Woods wants to play college ball.  With a football legend as a father and a brother who plays for the University of Tennessee, getting into Bama should be a cakewalk.  There's just one problem: Jordan Woods is a girl.  No matter how talented she is--and Jordan is incredibly talented, one of the best high school QBs in the state of Tennessee--that's one obstacle she'll have to overcome over and over again if she wants to play in the NCAA.

Her team's behind her one hundred percent.  They're out to win a state championship, and Jordan is too--until Ty Green moves to town.  With his killer spiral and sexy grin, Ty throws Jordan completely off her game.  Is he there to take her spot?  What's up with all the flirting?  And why's her best friend and best wide receiver, Henry, acting so weird all of a sudden?

The mixing of YA sensibilities, sports action, and romance was so seamless I burned through the pages lightning fast.  My favorite parts were the ones with JJ, Carter, Henry and Jordan.  Her friendship with her teammates, the camaraderie there, never felt forced or fake.  I absolutely bought the fact that Jordan preferred hanging out with her boys--even with their cursing and hooking up and eating everything in sight--over hanging with girls who didn't know a thing about football.  The humor in those scenes was infectious.  Made me wish I had guy friends like that J  Plus, I learned more about Jordan's character and liked her more b/c of her interactions with the guys.

 Loved the bit with the father.  Football Dad not wanting his little girl to play in college b/c he's afraid she'll get hurt and Jordan taking that as he doesn't believe in her?  It was great to see both sides of that story, watching Dad and Jordan find their way toward understanding each other.  Heart wrenching, but definitely one of the best parts of the book imo.

The one issue I had was with the Jordan/Henry dynamic.

*****Spoiler*****  When Jordan finds out that Henry's been in love with her all this time, and then confronts Henry, offering to give their relationship a try, he turns her down.  That's where the book went a little off for me.  Unlike Anna and the French Kiss (where Etienne's had a longtime girlfriend and--more importantly--he's just found out his mom has cancer), I didn't understand what was holding Jordan and Henry apart.  They both admitted to wanting each other.  There was no huge chasm, both characters seemed to be on the same page…but Henry pushed her away…toward Ty???  *****End Spoiler*****

I liked Henry as the supportive best friend, and I really disliked it when he kind of abandoned her.  But they got it together in the end.  It was great to see Jordan find a place that wanted her for the player she was.  It was great seeing her get her guy.  Overall, the book was a really fun read, and I enjoyed it.  The side characters (especially JJ, Carter, and her brother Mike) were wonderful.  Jordan was focused and driven and inexperienced in love, and I liked watching her go for her goals.

Have any of you guys read the book?  I'd love to hear your thoughts :D

Happy reading, 

Ninja Girl