Review: Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally (Flashback Friday #6)

Flashback Friday was originally an idea I came up with - or thought I came up with at any rate. Since I'm a new book blogger with dozens of reviews on GoodReads, I thought Flashback Friday would be a great way to feature some of my older reviews on my blog. However, it turns out that there are tons of different bloggers out there who feature a Flashback Friday of their own. So, I am taking ideas from two such bloggers - Clean Teen Fiction and Skyla11377 - and meshing them together to create my own version of Flashback Friday - a version which features some of my favorite books from the past year and provides a review for them. You don't have to be a new blogger to participate in Flashback Friday though. This is simply an opportunity to showcase novels we've read in the past and enjoyed, even if there is no written review for it, so feel free to grab my button or make your own and participate! :)

Today's Flashback Friday Pick: Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

I picked this novel to review this week for a couple of reasons, but mostly because I've been pining after the companion novel to this story, Stealing Parker, so I figured I'd make you all pine with me! ;)

Title: Catching Jordan 

Author: Miranda Kenneally 

Rating: 4/5 Stars 

Catching Jordan was the perfect mix of just about everything! It was a cute and utterly fun read that had me rooting for Jordan and Henry the wholee way through. Yes, even before Ty came into the picture. 

Jordan is THE tom-boy. Her father is a major league football player and she herself is the captain of the football team. You'd think this would make her the ladies man; yet, despite being beautiful, she's never been kissed. The closest she's ever been with a guy is Henry, her best friend for the past ten years. When Ty, a new quarterback from Texas moves in, Jordan can't help but feel attracted to his lazy smile and Chace Crawford looks. But why can't Jordan let herself be with Ty? Why is her life, that used to be so perfect, spiraling out of control? That too just days before the biggest match of her life?

I loved Jordan. Although she was brave and strong, her break downs felt utterly relate-able and her decisions were realistic. I loved her evolving relationship with just about everyone - her parents, her team mates, other girls at school, Ty, and, of course, Henry. There was a lot of chemistry in this book - not the scientific kind, but not the romantic type either. There was chemistry with her friendships - the ease she had with her team mates, yet the difficulty she had in truly confiding to them. There was chemistry with her class mates - girls who she never really spoke to but came to trust and confide in. There was chemistry with her parents - her father who had never encouraged her to pursue football but finally found a way to express his love for her. Of course, there was also chemistry with Ty, her boyfriend, but more than that, there was chemistry with Henry, her best friend. An easy and friendly relationship that blossomed into something more without Jordan even realizing.

I think the best part of this book was the lack of a love triangle. Yes, there were two amazing guys in Jordan's life, but she chose who she wanted to be with pretty quickly. No long, drawn out drama. The difficulties came in overcoming hurdles to be with the guy she loved. That type of romance is so hard to come by in a society where YA Fiction is all about lust driven protagonists who want two guys at the same time. Not only that, but how can you not love the typical best friend romance? Kenneally writes from a fresh, realistic point of view that was fun and easy to read, yet managed to break your heart as well. Also, she managed to make me love football - a feat that half a dozen gym teachers and years of skipping the SuperBowl have failed to do(;

I devoured Catching Jordan in one sitting and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Needless to say, I'm eagerly awaiting the two companion novels to this one. If you're looking for something fun and easy to read with love-able characters and a heart-wrenching love story, Catching Jordan is the book for you!