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 her first trip to high school results in a broken heart from the first boy to ever make her heart flutter and cruel words from an older girl she once thought a family friend, Nolan starts to question the very person she thought she was and wonders if her humble upbringing can compete with the afforded luxuries of her privileged peers.
Throughout the next four years, Nolan struggles to maintain herself throughout her path of discovery, learning just how cruel teenagers can be through the pressures of underage drinking, sexuality and class. And despite how life seems to continue to work against her, she still manages to listen to her heart, falling deeper and deeper for the guy the entire town adores, even if he only sees her as a friend. Can Nolan strike a compromise between her own integrity and the boy she loves? And can she make him
notice her before it’s too late?
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?
Waiting on the Sidelines explores young love to its fullest, exposing how real young heartbreak and passion is and how important it is to discover yourself and hold onto your own identity. The story follows two young characters as they deal with mature situations, including the prevalence of bullying and promiscuity in today’s high school setting. Ultimately, Waiting on the Sidelines is a story of hope, honesty and those powerful, first true loves—the ones worth holding onto at any cost.
4 Angst and Second Chance Stars
I LOVE Ginger Scott books. When you read Ginger Scott books, you will get an epic story. I’m talking about, massive drama, big love and Heroes you love to hate.
This will be an audio review of Waiting on the Sidelines. This is a standalone novel, however, there is a sequel which continues the story.
In full disclosure I am not a fan of angst. It’s something I’m slowly working on and I think I am making progress. I am liking it a bit more because come on, as much as I rant, pulling out your hair while you read is kind of fun. I mean, it makes the ending much more rewarding right? Waiting on the Sidelines reminds me a lot of how KA Linde writes. Very angsty and very romantic.
This is not an easy story to listen to, BUT I couldn’t imagine it any other way. I am glad I did the audio version because I GOT emotions, the pain, the hardships and EPIC love.
Nolan and Reed are two high school teenagers. The story is about their high school experiences. I LOVE high school reads. There’s something about young love that makes it so innocent and more intense. This book is YA, so there’s nothing hanky panky about it, BUT I really like that.
Nolan is a true fifteen year old. As much as I love reading my NA books where sixteen year olds are having relations, I love how sweet and naive Nolan is at first. She hasn’t even had her first kiss. I can completely relate! I didn’t have mine until I was nineteen. When Nolan and Reed first meet, Nolan has a mega crush on Reed.
Reed is the star football player and heartthrob of the school. He’s a “good” guy, but he’s also a teenage boy and full of hormones. He’s dating a mean girl and doesn’t really care as long as she puts out.
Nolan and Reed forge this odd friendship at first and I have to say, it’s addictive. Nolan’s unrequited love was painfully consuming to read. Nolan hides her feelings for Reed very well, but Reed’s girlfriend knows better and tries to make Nolan’s life not so great.
I couldn’t get over the Nolan and Reed dynamics. It was a roller coaster of feelings. There would be tender moments between Nolan and Reed, but something always happens and it’s like they make progress in their relationship and then take two steps back. This happens throughout the book.
Reed is the Hero you will hate. I’m just being honest. He’s not an easy character to read or love. I secretly like these Heroes because they don’t fit into the simple male hero box. You have to remember he’s a teenage boy and doesn’t understand his reaction towards Nolan is somewhat harmful.
I love how strong Nolan is and what type of woman she grows to be. She slowly gains her independence and stands up for herself. There are moments that I’m shouting at Nolan. She loves Reed so deeply she almost does everything and anything for him.
Nolan and Reed’s relationship isn’t healthy by any means, but that what makes this story even more vibrant. They play this dance of cat and mouse of who can hurt and love each other the most.
Waiting on the Sidelines is definitely for the angst lovers. You will be rooting for Nolan and Reed to the end of the book.
If you like angst, if you want a back and forth epic love story that is filled with tension, hate and love, then this one is for you.
I LOVE Ginger Scott books. When you read Ginger Scott books, you will get an epic story. I’m talking about, massive drama, big love and Heroes you love to hate.
This will be an audio review of Waiting on the Sidelines. This is a standalone novel, however, there is a sequel which continues the story.
In full disclosure I am not a fan of angst. It’s something I’m slowly working on and I think I am making progress. I am liking it a bit more because come on, as much as I rant, pulling out your hair while you read is kind of fun. I mean, it makes the ending much more rewarding right? Waiting on the Sidelines reminds me a lot of how KA Linde writes. Very angsty and very romantic.
This is not an easy story to listen to, BUT I couldn’t imagine it any other way. I am glad I did the audio version because I GOT emotions, the pain, the hardships and EPIC love.
Nolan and Reed are two high school teenagers. The story is about their high school experiences. I LOVE high school reads. There’s something about young love that makes it so innocent and more intense. This book is YA, so there’s nothing hanky panky about it, BUT I really like that.
Nolan is a true fifteen year old. As much as I love reading my NA books where sixteen year olds are having relations, I love how sweet and naive Nolan is at first. She hasn’t even had her first kiss. I can completely relate! I didn’t have mine until I was nineteen. When Nolan and Reed first meet, Nolan has a mega crush on Reed.
Reed is the star football player and heartthrob of the school. He’s a “good” guy, but he’s also a teenage boy and full of hormones. He’s dating a mean girl and doesn’t really care as long as she puts out.
Nolan and Reed forge this odd friendship at first and I have to say, it’s addictive. Nolan’s unrequited love was painfully consuming to read. Nolan hides her feelings for Reed very well, but Reed’s girlfriend knows better and tries to make Nolan’s life not so great.
I couldn’t get over the Nolan and Reed dynamics. It was a roller coaster of feelings. There would be tender moments between Nolan and Reed, but something always happens and it’s like they make progress in their relationship and then take two steps back. This happens throughout the book.
Reed is the Hero you will hate. I’m just being honest. He’s not an easy character to read or love. I secretly like these Heroes because they don’t fit into the simple male hero box. You have to remember he’s a teenage boy and doesn’t understand his reaction towards Nolan is somewhat harmful.
I love how strong Nolan is and what type of woman she grows to be. She slowly gains her independence and stands up for herself. There are moments that I’m shouting at Nolan. She loves Reed so deeply she almost does everything and anything for him.
Nolan and Reed’s relationship isn’t healthy by any means, but that what makes this story even more vibrant. They play this dance of cat and mouse of who can hurt and love each other the most.
Waiting on the Sidelines is definitely for the angst lovers. You will be rooting for Nolan and Reed to the end of the book.
If you like angst, if you want a back and forth epic love story that is filled with tension, hate and love, then this one is for you.
Audio Questions
What did you love best about Waiting on the Sidelines?
Honestly, I love how each book Ginger Scott writes is completely different. She has this angst epic high school story and then she has her warming coming-to-age college series I love as well. You never know what kind of characters you will get and I love that.
What other book might you compare Waiting on the Sidelines to and why?
I would compare the writing style to KA Linde. That is the best way I can compare Waiting on the Sidelines to other books. Because of the angst and intense love story between the two main characters. Also, the main characters use secondary characters to hurt each other (very typical of KA Linde books).
Have you listened to any of Laura Darrell’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
This is my first Laura Darrell’s narration and she has a very unique voice. It’s youthful but it’s not girly. I thought she fit Nolan perfectly. I didn’t want a too girly voice for Nolan. I also like Laura’s transitions to other characters. I am a fan of dual POV books, but from start to finish I enjoyed Laura’s voice. She was a great narrator.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I had reactions all over the place. I was happy, stressed, anxious and I pulled a lot of my hairs out, but I couldn’t image it any other way.
I was lucky to meet Ginger at the RT convention in Dallas. She's is incredibly sweet and generous. I told her how excited I was for This is Falling in audio. I love meeting authors and it's extra special when they are humble and nice. More photos HERE
Falling Series
This is Falling - AUDIO REVIEW - AMAZON
You and Everything After - AMAZON
The Girl I was Before - AUDIO REVIEW
Other Books by Ginger
Wild Reckless - AMAZON
Ginger Scott is an Amazon-bestselling author of seven young and new adult romances, including Waiting on the Sidelines, Going Long, Blindness, How We Deal With Gravity, This Is Falling, You and Everything After and Wild Reckless.
A sucker for a good romance, Ginger’s other passion is sports, and she often blends the two in her stories. (She’s also a sucker for a hot quarterback, catcher, pitcher, point guard…the list goes on.) Ginger has been writing and editing for newspapers, magazines and blogs for more than 15 years. She has told the stories of Olympians, politicians, actors, scientists, cowboys, criminals and towns.
Facebook Page: Twitter: Pinterest: YouTube: Google: Goodreads: Website:
Facebook Page: Twitter: Pinterest: YouTube: Google: Goodreads: Website:
No comments:
Post a Comment