Main Character: Jordan Woods
Love Interest:
Series: n/a
Author: Website|Facebook|Twitter|Goodreads
What girl doesn’t want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn’t just surrounded by hot guys, though – she leads them as the captain and quarterback on her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that’s just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there’s a new guy in town who threatens her starring position on the team… and has her suddenly wishing to be seen as more than just a teammate.I was drawn to this book because it features a female football player. I have never come across such a character in YA before and it intrigued me.
Jordan Woods is the star quarterback of her high school football team and also one of the top quarterbacks in Tennessee. She’s respected by her male team members and she dreams of going to play college ball for Alabama. But when the new guy shows up, Jordan is hit doubly hard. First of all, he’s also a quarterback, and a dang good one. Second, he’s also the first guy that Jordan reacts to in a lusty way. This freaks her out. Will he take her spot on the team? Will the guys lose respect for her if they realize she is indeed a girl and has girly feelings for a fellow player?
I am not going to lie, I loved this book. It all focuses on Jordan and she’s such an interesting, layered character. I understand why she was afraid to like Ty. She thought the guys on her team would think differently of her and she didn’t want to lose their respect. And this is despite the fact that they hook up willy-nilly. She knows there’s a double-standard. And for someone who rejected everything feminine about herself, she was freaked out about how she was feeling. She wanted to look good for Ty. And she really struggled with this new girly side to herself. I liked that. It was all growing pains for Jordan and she was such a likeable character that I enjoyed going through it all with her.
What else made this book a winner for me was her group of friends. She was really close to a few football players and they had her back – always. Even though she didn’t understand their tom-cat ways, she worried about them and they worried about her. Even as she explored her more feminine side, she made a few female friends as well, and I thought that was a good development for her.
What clinched it all was Jordan’s family, her dad especially. But her brother was cute too – super supportive of her dreams. A big conflict for Jordan through this book was her father, who is also a pro ball player. He’s against her playing football and he never shows up to her games, and he always tries to get her to change her mind about going to Alabama to play college ball. This hurts Jordan because he comes across as supportive to everyone else, her friend Sam Henry, her brother, even Ty, the new quarterback. But let’s just say I like the evolution of their relationship and I had a lump in my throat when things settled between them.
Now, the thing I loved the most about this book is also something that got on my nerves a wee tiny bit. Jordan’s best friend, Sam Henry. I looooved him. Right from the get go I enjoyed his character. And when that friendship turns sour, Jordan kind of crumples under the loss. Sam is her rock. And she turns into a downright weepy watering pot when she feels he isn’t there for her. That kind of got on my nerves – just how much she cried. I would think a girl like Jordan wouldn’t cry so much, especially in front of the guys. LOL
All in all, I really enjoyed Catching Jordan. Jordan was a unique character in that she was a true blue tomboy, which I loved. Everything else was icing on the cake. A-
Book cover and blurb credit: http://barnesandnoble.com
I absolutely LOVED this book! It was so awesome! It has been awhile since I’ve read about a character like Jordan and I felt it was refreshing. Such a good book.
My only issue was how fast Jordan had sex! Girl gets her first kiss and gives up her virginity?? If I met her I’d slap her face. *shakes head*
Great review Ames 🙂 I agree with you, I really liked Jordan with her friends and family. They were great 🙂 LOL, the dinner where everyone had to hurry to score food? LOL.
I liked the direction the romance took… but just felt it took too much time.
I also think that Jordan turned too easily into a super emotional, ultra feminine character towards the later half of the book… the change was a little sudden and unexpected for me!
Great review!
– Alyssa of Redhead Heroines
Book Review of “Catching Jordan” by Miranda Kenneally