Throw Like A Girl, written by Sarah Henning, is a swooning young adult romance published by Little, Brown Company. This is officially my third review for this author and I thoroughly enjoyed reading each one of her books. Sea Witch and Sea Witch Rising were both young adult fantasy novels, so I was curious about this switch to a contemporary romance.
The author did not let me down.
Thank you The Novl for gifting me an advanced copy of this book!
ARC REVIEW – Throw Like A Girl by Sarah Henning
Synopsis
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 their 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 the perfect spiral for Liv to find acceptance in Northland’s halls, and behind that charming 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.
- Author: Sarah Henning
- Publisher: Little, Brown Company
- Publication Date: January 7, 2020
- Book Length: 320 pages
- Genre: YA Romance, Sports romance, Contemporary
Book Review
This is the story of softball star Liv Rodinski. After a hateful comment from a rival team, Liv loses control at the most important game of the season. She punches the girl who made the comment and then loses her scholarship. Liv is forced to start the year in a new school, which also happens to be the school against which she had played that game.
Liv is determined to do everything she can to join the softball team, even after the punch, which gave her more enemies than she can count. The new coach asks her to prove that she can be a team player again, so when Grey, quarterback of the football team, asks Liv to replace him during the time he is on the bench, she accepts. Grey helps her navigate through the tough times, but as she gets close to him, she finds out that not everything is as it appears.
I read this book in one sitting because it was everything I’d hoped and more. Liv is a very driven character, and though I’m not as competitive as she is, I found myself rooting for her. She also has a wonderful support system, which is fundamental to her character. It was nice to read about her family and her friends. I also loved her connection to Grey and how brave she is when obstacles keep arising.
Liv’s character was inspiring. I could tell that the author is a former sports journalist because half of the technical terms flew over my head, but this made the story credible. The author perfectly depicts the mindset of an athlete. Throw Like a Girl is a powerful story, both swooning and inspiring. This page-turner was a five-star read for me.
Thank you, The Novl, for gifting me this advanced copy. This book will be released in January 2020, and I can’t wait for you to read it.
Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
About the Author – Sarah Henning
Sarah Henning is a recovering sports journalist who has worked for The Palm Beach Post, Kansas City Star and Associated Press, among others. When not writing, she runs ultra-marathons, hits the playground with her two kids, and hangs out with her husband Justin.
Sarah lives in Lawrence, Kansas, hometown of Langston Hughes, William S. Burroughs, and a really good basketball team. She is the author of Sea Witch and Throw Like a Girl, and invites you to visit her online at sarahhenningwrites.com
I’m so happy you liked this one so much. I’m definitely looking forward to it.
It was a great read for sure. 😃
🙂