Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally
Publisher-Sourcebooks Fire
Released-Oct 1st 2012
Parker Shelton pretty much has the perfect life. She’s on her way to becoming valedictorian at Hundred Oaks High, she’s made the all-star softball team, and she has plenty of friends. Then her mother’s scandal rocks their small town and suddenly no one will talk to her.
Now Parker wants a new life.
So she quits softball. Drops twenty pounds. And she figures why kiss one guy when she can kiss three? Or four. Why limit herself to high school boys when the majorly cute new baseball coach seems especially flirty?
But how far is too far before she loses herself completely?
My Thoughts
Parker Shelton loves softball, but she gave up the sport when her mom left her family for another women. Embarrassed and shattered by her broken family, Parker gives up on the game just to spite her mom and then goes out of her way to prove that she's nothing like her, and does in fact like boys. She loses the butch look and drops 30 pounds and hooks-up with random guys, earning her a bit of a rep that she's not exactly comfortable with, but doesn't really do anything about it. She losses her friends and is scared to really commit. But when Brian, the new assistant coach starts to pay some much craved attention to Parker she starts to feel things that she shouldn't be feeling for a guy who's six years older then she is. It's forbidden but it still feels good. But then there's Will Whitfields (aka Corndog) who use to be her academic archrival but lately he's been a friend and someone she can depend on.
But soon enough Parker doesn't recognize herself when she looks into the mirror and when her world comes crashing down she begins to realize that she's more lost then she realized.
I absolutely adored Kenneally's debut novel, Catching Jordan. It stars a female football star who's friends with a bunch of guys. I don't know why but I found that concept extremely sexy. Stealing Parker is a lot like Catching Jordan, but in ways it also felt very different. But one thing remains the same, Kenneally really know how to combine sports with heart-soaring romance that is edgy and warm at the same time.
This book features another hit of characters that I just adored.
Parker is the kind of character you really want to see through to the very end. She's confused and hurt about what her mom put her family through. She's not mad that her mom left her for another women, she's just mad cause she left. So when her church turned on her family and her friends started to act different around her as well, she just snapped. You can't lose anyone if you don't actually get to close. So hook-ups are the next best thing. She may not always make the best decisions but I still love that she's an athlete and a valedictorian. I love that she's not intimated by a bunch of guys and that's she's strong and kind and has a big heart.
Will is the kind of guy that grows on you. I didn't like him at first, but once he and Parker became friends and started to hang out I started to enjoy their chemistry. I love the way he takes care of his brother Bo and I loved how he stands up for Parker and I really loved that he didn't wig-out when he found out about Drew.
Brian isn't a bad guy, I think he did care about Parker in his own way, but he was all wrong for her. It felt like he was only with her to live out his 'high school day' again. She reminds him of better days and I think he kinda used her to compensate for being a failure in his own life.
I also loved Drew, but I was a little sore with him at the very end. He shouldn't have acted the way he did. But he does score cool point for the HP love, so I'll find it in my heart to forgive him.
Sam Henry and Jordan fan's will be happy to see them appear in this book. We see Sam more then Jordan and it's very little scenes, but it was still nice to see them together and happy.
But what I really loved most about these characters were the fun carefree spirit that they all have with each other. Playing baseball, the banter and digs. Playing childhood games like MASH or freeze tag or even watching Harry Potter. It was just a lot of fun to read about a great group of characters living large when it's good and being there for each other when it's bad.
The story line was filled with good old fashion angst and drama. The good kind, the kind that curls your toes and completely consumes you till the story is done, which is why I read this in one sitting.
But I have to be honest, the only thing that I didn't really care for was the religious aspects of the story. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but I dunno, it just...didn't fit the flavor of the story-line. When I hear- sports and hook-ups and drinking and swearing and lusting- the last thing I expect is a girl who's very Christian and I wasn't prepared for how largely religion played into the story.
With that said, I still think this was another amazing book by Kenneally. Everyone losses themselves at one point of their lives. Everyone. This was a brilliant portrayed story about finally knowing what you really want in life and even though you may feel like your world is coming undone, you just have to keep moving before you find yourself again. And it doesn't hurt when you have real friends to back you up, family that's always been there to support you and finally finding someone you can love.
Stealing Parker stole my heart! Another win by Miranda Kenneally. I can't wait to read her next book; Things I Can't Forget.
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