Throw Like a Girl by Sarah Henning on January 7, 2020
Genres: Young Adult Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Sports & Recreation, Football, Romantic Comedy, Baseball & Softball, Family, Parents, Siblings
Pages: 368
Format: Audiobook
Length: 9 hours and 14 minutes
Source: Library
Buy on Amazon | Buy on Barnes and Noble
Goodreads
Friday Night Lights meets Morgan Matson's The Unexpected Everything in this contemporary debut where swoonworthy romance meets underdog sports story.
When softball star Liv Rodinsky throws one ill-advised punch during the most important game of the year, she loses her scholarship to her fancy private school, her boyfriend, and her teammates all in one fell swoop. With no other options, Liv is forced to transfer to the nearest public school, Northland, where she'll have to convince its coach she deserves a spot on the softball team, all while facing both her ex and the teammates of the girl she punched... Every. Single. Day.
Enter Grey, the injured star quarterback with amazing hair and a foolproof plan: if Liv joins the football team as his temporary replacement, he'll make sure she gets a spot on the softball team in the spring. But it will take more than just a flawless spiral for Liv to find acceptance in Northland's halls, and behind that charismatic smile, Grey may not be so perfect after all.
With well-drawn characters and a charming quarterback love interest who's got brains as well as brawn, Throw Like a Girl will have readers swooning from the very first page.
Why Did I Read?
Sporty YA contemporaries are 100% my jam and football? That’s a no brainer for me!
My Thoughts:
Ladies and gentlemen, we have another book to add my to 2020 favorites list! Throw Like A Girl was such a delight – I absolutely loved it and it was exactly what I needed to read right now.
There is so much to love about this one and the first thing I have to address is, I love when an author writing sports actually knows sports and you can tell in how the story is told and scenes are described. That was such a highlight for me! I could envision all of the practices and games perfectly with the detailed drills and play call descriptions. The football talk was on point and it made me so happy.
In Throw Like A Girl, we have Liv who, due to an unfortunate incident at her old private school, has to start at the public high school where she doesn’t know anyone. More importantly, she isn’t on the softball team and she needs that spot in order to have a chance at college scholarships. To prove herself a team player to the softball coach, Liv agrees to join the football team when she’s recruited by Grey, the team’s injured quarterback.
While Liv is a girl playing a boy’s sport, I really enjoyed that the plot didn’t evolve around that fact. Instead, the story is more about her relationships with her family, with Grey, and with the rest of the team which is infinitely more unique and interesting! I absolutely loved Liv and her confidence in herself and her sports abilities. It’s refreshing!
I loved her family and really enjoyed seeing the dynamics of her relationship with her parents and her siblings. I love me a good sibling focus and Sarah Henning does such a great job showing the sibling bonds between Liv and her older sister and younger brother.
I adored Grey and Liv together and their chemistry. So perfect. Honestly every single character in this book was brilliant and it made me love it all so much. It’s the sort of story that just makes you happy. It made me wish I could live in its world for a while longer, even as I turned the last page. This was actually my first book by Sarah Henning and I’m definitely looking forward to reading her backlist!
In Short…
I highly recommend this one! A fantastic YA contemporary with a strong MC and swoony boy you’ll love. Sports fans – this will fill the sports-less hole in your life! Family dynamics are perfect and I loved the friendships and high school atmosphere. It’s definitely one that I would reread in the future!
Do you tend to gravitate toward a particular theme, ie sports, in your book choices? Do you also love sporty romances like me? Tell me some of your faves!
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This was such a feel good read. Like you, I loved her family, and I loved how they rallied around Liv. The romance was wonderful too. I was all in on this one. A fave.
I’m so glad you loved it too! Definitely a fave 🙂
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed this one. I’ve read several good reviews and have been very tempted to snag a copy. I love sports themed books.
Yes, you definitely need it especially if you love sports themed books!