Play Nice

I couldn't wait to get the third book in this series. Although I couldn't really remember the story line as I read the books over the summer, it only took a few pages for the story to come back to me.  Once again, a baseball story that really isn't about baseball.  It's about people - their struggles, their misconceptions, their laughs, their tears, and their hopes.  

Ashley, the mean girl in the first book, is back to tell her story.  Everyone is advised to stay away from her, but Hayes realizes that there might be more to Ashley than her mean exterior.  

Read it; you won't regret it!

Under the Lights

I guess it is time to admit that I pre-ordered this book on Amazon, and I had it read by the end of the weekend.  Thanks to the hot Phoenix weather, I also got a nice tan.  Oops, I digressed...

The characters are what I love most about these books.  The plot isn't as developed as the characters which is a nice twist to teen novels.  I loved Willa and Gunner and Brady and pretty much every other character in the book. It isn't as much about football as the cover and title allude; it is more about how these normal teenagers cope with the lives they have been given: money doesn't always mean happiness, parents aren't always good people, friends aren't always forever, everyone has a dark secret, but hope always exists.  Although it is a sequel to Under the Lights, it follows a new story. They can definitely be read together or separately.

If you like the Hundred Oaks series or the Play series, you will love this one.  I just wonder when the next book will be released.

Until Friday Night

Thanks to Microsoft for the book grant last fall! I still have about 15 books to read to add to the RC list.  I was inspired to read this book because I love football, and I am ready for it to be football season (2 more weeks!).  

I must admit...I wasn't in love with the synopsis of this book, but I decided to give it a try anyway.  I loved every moment of it.  It's not your typical high school football player/cheerleader combo.  The author does a great job of developing the characters and adding intensity to the situation through minor characters.  

The scenarios are a bit extreme - father dies of cancer/father kills mother, but the focus is not on the incident rather how people cope with situations and how important relationships are. I also must admit that I did cry at one point in the novel; it was worth every tear.