Sixteen years is a long time. In a marriage, it’s a milestone. On the gridiron, it’s a miracle. Reed Johnson wants more time for everything, but time is funny that way.It can be cruel.With a body that can’t quite take the hits it used to and a heart tired of being torn in two different directions, Reed is faced with a reality he’s not quite ready for-life without the game. He became a man under … under Friday night game lights and in college stadium tunnels, and without the grit and the glory that’s earned ten yards at a time, he’s afraid of what kind of man he’ll be.But there’s more than a game at stake now. Reed’s wife, Nolan, is afraid too. She’s seen what can happen when the love of her life pushes himself too hard, and she can’t escape the nightmares she relives after almost losing her entire world to one single play on the field.There is no compromise when it comes to football. Same goes for the heart. You’re either all in, or you get crushed. For Reed and Nolan, the clock is ticking down. Time¿it does that. One way or another, they’re going to have to make a choice. This is their hail Mary. This is win or lose.(The Hail Mary is book 3 in The Waiting Series, which follows high school sweethearts Reed Johnson and Nolan Lennox through football, life, love and everything messy that goes along with it. The series begins with Waiting on the Sidelines and Going Long.)
more
Highly recommend this uplifting sports romance.
5 HAIL MARY COMPLETION STARS!! What a beautiful way to complete this series. I absolutely loved this series….we went from high school in book one to college book 2 and adulthood book 3 with Reed and Nolan. This author did a fabulous job with these characters and completed all of them. This is a series you definitely should read.
It’s really not often that I like to read about a married couple. With the exception of husband redemption reads, I’m ALL about those. But that isn’t what The Hail Mary is. Or, not in the way I usually look for them to be.
It is a little bit of a redemption book.
See, Reed and Nolan have been together for years. Marriage, however, isn’t working out quite how either planned.
Reed is struggling with his place not only as an aging and ailing NFL QB but also as a father and husband.
Nolan struggles as well. With her fear for Reed and the way to balance that with wanting to support him.
I’ll tell you the reason I don’t normally like reading married couples is because I find them boring. That didn’t happen with The Hail Mary. Scott kept me completely interested and invested. I love this couple more now then I did when I read their first books.
I will throw it out there that I really want Peyton’s story though…that better be on a future list, Ginger!
4.5 Stars
Ginger has outdone herself with this conclusion to the series. The strong pull that Reed and Nolan has had from the very beginning is still there but a little less strong. The distance that Football has caused in their life has also caused some distance in their hearts. Will they be able to get it back?
Reed is struggling with leaving his second love behind and leaving football. Not totally sure where that leaves him if he leaves the game. But he misses his wife and daughter, the relationship that they used to have.
Nolan is thriving in her career and loves being a mom. She spends much of her time worrying about Reed playing the game he loves. She worries for his health and is afraid of loosing him.
Ginger does a wonderful job of sharing the emotion of the amazing characters we have watched from High school to college to parenthood.
*** Advanced copy provided in exchange for an honest review. ***
4.5/5 STARS
See my review in French here
This was the perfect ending of the Waiting On The Sidelines Series.
Ginger Scott did an amazing job, again, dealing with topics like marriage, aging, sacrifices, communication issues, in such a realistic and beautiful way.
Nolan and Reed are no longer college sweethearts anymore, they’re husband and wife, and this book is about the huge battles a married couple have to face through the years.
It’s real, and like every single story Ginger Scott wrote, it’s beautiful.
If you haven’t already, you NEED to read the whole series.
Coming of Age, NA, Adult…
Ginger Scott knows how to write all those genres, and she created an amazing couple, both making decisions, doing mistakes, but always loving each other.
THE HAIL MARY is no exception, but like I said, this time Reed and Nolan have to overcome a huge change in their lives, since Reed has dedicated his whole life to football and he’s not the young player he used to be.
I won’t tell you more.
If you read the previous books, you need to read this one.
If you haven’t read them yet, you’re missing one of the best YA/NA/Adult Series.
Go, grab it!!!!
***ARC kindly provided by the author and WordSmith Publicity in exchange for an honest review***
Visit my French blog: https://isalacroqueusedelivres.wordpress.com
What a ride!
This is the end. The final chapter of Reed & Nolan and their journey and what a journey it has been. I read Waiting on the sidelines not long after it came out and instantly fell in love. I fell in love with the characters and with Ginger Scott as a writer. The story of Reed and Nolan is both a romance and a love story. Their story is complicated and heartbreaking and beautiful.
This book had me captivated from the first line to the very last. It never lets up. I was so scared to start and then I didn’t want it to end. At the same time I had to know how this was going to turn out. What their final chapter would look like. I am in awe of this book, of this story, of how incredibly well it is told. Every book I read by this author is special. I still have a soft spot for Reed & Nolan. They were the beginning and this is their perfect ending.
5 Hail Mary Stars
Review by Lisa
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night w/ Books Blog
Hail Mary is the third and final installment in the Waiting on the Sidelines series by Ginger Scott and it is absolutely brilliant! I found this book a little different than your typical romance stories. It is more about life and relationships weathering the storm; about the struggles and the ups and downs of relationships. Things are not always easy and tough decisions must be made regarding life changes, emotions, and growing pains.
This book will make you experience all the feels you want as a reader. It will make you nod your head and say: “I feel that too.” or “I get it!!!” Ms. Scott has done a remarkable job in bringing this story full circle and giving you little surprises that you just don’t expect!!!
I just love the synopsis that we get for this book:
”Sixteen years is a long time. In a marriage, it’s a milestone. On the gridiron, it’s a miracle. Reed Johnson wants more time for everything, but time is funny that way.
It can be cruel.”
At times I felt the story was moving a little slow but then I came to realize that I wanted it to move faster because I was that hooked and needed more.
Hail Mary is very well written. The story flows and has so much information but you don’t feel lost and are happy with all the “cleaned” up details from all three stories.
I enjoyed every minute reading this one!!!
What an amazing ride! “Waiting On The Sidelines” was my FIRST Young Adult (YA) book ever. It’s sequel, “Going Long,” has the distinction of being the FIRST book in my lifetime to actually make me CRY. That’s how DEEP these books go. They reach right down into your heart and soul and squeeze tightly. “The Hail Mary,” the conclusion of this series does the same only it goes deeper and the emotional ride is…well, hold onto your heart and soul because it’s going to get squeezed again.
“The Hail Mary” finds Nolan and Reed, now married for 16 years, with a daughter of their own. Nolan is working with special needs children and Reed is heading toward the end of his professional football career. And that’s where Ginger Scott starts us off. We find Nolan and Reed, mostly due to Reed’s refusal to retire from football, in a dire situation. Their marriage is in trouble.
The coming and going of my own 20th wedding anniversary took place while I was reading this gorgeous conclusion for Nolan and Reed. So, I was sucked in right from the first few pages. In my own marriage, it’s NOT 50-50. That would be falling short. Marriage is 100-100. It’s 100% of each spouse working on it every single day. So one of my first questions to myself was, “are both Nolan and Reed giving 100% or, are they falling short?” The answer is “yes” to both because that’s marriage.
This amazing book shows what can happen when two people who started out as friends with mutual unspoken crushes on each other, finally fall in love, marry, and enter into real life. With real life problems, real life tragedies, real life hard work, and real life commitment to resolve, regroup, and rebuild. Reed will annoy the hell out of you just like he’s done before. Even Nolan will annoy the hell out of you just like she’s done before. But in the end, these two work their backsides off to get right with each other.
“The Hail Mary” is packed with all of the emotion of the first two books and then some. It has angst but it also has extremely JOYFUL moments that anyone who read the first two books will want to read about. Ginger Scott doesn’t just put words on a page, she actually writes that invisible hand that comes out and grabs your heart and squeezes it tightly. And that’s just the first chapter.
And while I worried through most of the book that there would be no HEA, Ginger Scott peppers in the WORK throughout the book that brings them to their inevitable HEA. Resolving real issues in marriage don’t just fix themselves and Ginger Scott embraces that fact, and shows you the real life work while still being entertaining. It is a book after all. You cannot get through this book without feeling what Nolan and Reed were feeling, and Ginger Scott writes ALL of her books that way. “The Hail Mary” simply exceeds all of the other books before it.
I’ve read books before that follow characters in the same basic manner and I have found that at some point, an author tends to get lazy by falling back on previous material as “filler.” The flashbacks in this book do NOT do this at all. They’re all new scenes. And while one or two are situations from the first two books, they’re written in another character’s point of view. The flashbacks are not there just to fill up pages, they’re there to show us how they got to where they are now, and how reflecting back to those times can help to resolve the present. In every marriage, whether 16, 20, or even 50 years, it is inevitable that one goes back to the time when you loved each other so hard that it hurt, in order to fix the present.
“The Hail Mary” was FIVE PLATINUM STARS right out of the gate. Ginger Scott’s challenge here was holding it up to that standard throughout the entire book. Congrats Ginger, you did every single thing you needed to do to keep this one up on the pedestal on which it sits. I fell in love with these two characters from page one of “Waiting On The Sidelines.” I’ll be in love with them always.
One last thing. Secondary characters? They all come back. They’re a fantastic support network for Nolan and Reed. However, Reed’s father, BUCK, is and always will be DA MAN!
FIVE AMAZING, FANTASTICAL, AND MAGICAL STARS!
Original review for “Waiting On The Sidelines”: https://arethafreak.blogspot.com/2013/08/book-review-of-waiting-on-sidelines-by.html
Original Review for “Going Long”: https://arethafreak.blogspot.com/2013/09/spoiler-alert-i-have-been-bookworm-for.html
The Hail Mary is the fantastic third book in Ginger Scott’s The Waiting series. This book is the quintessential arc from a YA novel to a NA novel to a realistic adult romance. It is perfection! The series started with the over-the-top angsty Waiting on the Sidelines and Going Long. Those two books are quintessential Young Adult and New Adult romance novels.
While the first two novels in the series were filled with dramatic highs and lows, the latest novel’s drama and vibe is much more mature. Nolan and Reed are married. They have parents who need help. They have a teenaged child and careers, and one of those careers is taking a lot out of their relationship. Ms. Scott has beautifully transitioned Nolan and Reed’s love story in The Hail Mary. The naïve hopefulness is gone, and in its place is the weight of everyday life.
Football is a tough career. It is tough on the body and it is tough on relationships. While Reed will remain QB1 in Nolan’s heart, how long will he remain physically with her if he continues to make himself a tackling dummy on the field? As Nolan and Reed have seen both on and off the field, life can change in an instant. They have been in a long push-pull battle of their wants and needs. This creates a highly emotional read. I deeply felt all the stressors weighing down on their relationship.
I loved this mature, realistic series conclusion; it is a fabulously crafted story. The flashbacks are a perfect reminder of why these two got together and stayed together. I absolutely adored Reed’s memories of their budding relationship in high school. The alternating POV narrative perfectly reflects all the unsaid hopes and resentments between a long-married couple. The Hail Mary is Ms. Scott’s most genuine novel to date. It lovingly shows how much effort goes into a marriage and a family, and it beautifully depicts the difficult challenge of conflicting needs and life choices.
Whether you’re a long time fan of Nolan and Reed or you’re new to their love story, you can’t help but be affected by the beauty of this tale. The saying about nothing worthwhile coming easily comes to mind when I think of Nolan and Reed in The Hail Mary. Their respective and collective victories and losses changed them but not their love and devotion for one another. This beautiful love story needs to be on the big screen!
Hail Mary was just perfection!! Definitely a 5 star read
You know those stories that have you sighing, nodding your head and smiling to yourself. This is that book. My heart was in my throat for a lot of the story and I was tears eyed a lot. It’s a beautifully honest read and I adored it.
As someone who married her high school sweetheart 23 years ago, this story really resonated with me. The way every day life and the decisions you make individually can impact you as a couple. How it’s easy to forget what you mean to each other. To lose your way. It’s a seemingly simple storyline that is in fact very complex. It’s just told in such a beautiful way that it flows effortlessly.
I have to make mention of the flashbacks – my heart almost burst with how much I loved them. Reed and Nolan are what romance stories should be
It’s Book 3 in the series & you must read the first two – but that’s no hardship as they are both amazing.
Nolan and Reed are PERFECTION!
I read an ARC of The Hail Mary by Ginger Scott. If you know me, her Waiting On The Sidelines series is one of my all-time favorites. Reed and Nolan are such wonderful characters, they overcome so much, and now we get to see them as adults.
“Me and that field have unfinished business, and I know pretty soon the game is going to decide for me.”
I KNEW Ginger would blow me away with this book–and she did. This book was everything that we’ve come to know and love about Nolan and Reed. It took me back to that very first book, the memories, seeing things through Reed’s eyes we didn’t get to see before. Oh the feels!!!
“This life, it’s hard on a marriage. It’s hard on the mind and the soul. You have to be something rare just to survive it, and I did. We did.”
I know better than to start a book at bedtime–especially one from my best girl, G. I knew I was starting it too late, but I didn’t care. I stayed up all night because I just couldn’t put it down. Then, I lay there, processing a few things, smiling and crying at the same time–smiling because this story was everything I needed for closure–crying because it was, indeed, a form of closure–yet not. The thing about books is you can reread them anytime you want and take the journey with the characters time and time again–and I honestly can’t tell you how many times I’ve tagged right along with Nolan and Reed in first two books–Waiting On The Sidelines and Going Long–but I know it’s over 20.
“I loved Reed recklessly. I loved him blindly. I loved him despite every little and big thing that got in our way. And when I made mistakes of my own, Reed loved me right back.”
My friend Crystal read the first two books and she nicknamed Ginger the “emotional terrorist” and lol in a way that is so very true. She’ll rip your heart right out of your chest, but eventually she puts it back albeit slowly, delicately, so you heal right along with the characters.
“This life, with this girl–it’s my passion. I’m nothing without her, and everything when I’m wherever she is. All the games couldn’t compare. She’s my hail Mary.”
Perfection.
This book was absolutely beautiful and a perfect ending to Nolan and Reed’s amazing love story. I hated seeing it end because I love these two so much. But this book was so beautifully written. Absolutely loved Everything about this book and it felt good to catch up with some of my favorite characters. This will be one series I’ll be reading over and over again because it’s so beautiful. I couldn’t put this book done until I was finished. The author hooked me with this book just like she did with the other two. One must read series.
ALL THE STARS!!! This book is EVERYTHING!
The Hail Mary. One of the most difficult plays to pull off in football. As you watch that ball soar through the air, you hold your breath, heart pounding, waiting to see if it winds up in the end zone.
Ginger Scott pulled off The Hail Mary . Every word, every scene—I’m honest to god in tears as I write this review. Her novel is why I read. I laughed, I cried, I held my breath. I watched from the sidelines as if it were a movie… that’s how real this novel was for me.
The journey of Reed and Nolan started with On the Sidelines—young love with all its heartache, magic, and the journey of discovering if that one person is “your person”. Going Long, book two in the series, was just as amazing as OTS. They weathered the storm and I cheered for them just as hard as I did when I first “met” them.
After learning Ginger Scott was writing a third book in the series, I was so happy. More Nolan and Reed?!! Sign me up.
I didn’t expect to fall so hard and so completely. I didn’t realize how much I longed to reunite with this couple I’ve grown to love so deeply. I don’t know why, it’s Ginger Scott after all. She has a way with words—pure perfection that stole my heart and my breath and won’t ever let it go.
Reed and Nolan are older now, facing more challenges and more heartache. You get some flashbacks, which I adored. You live their lives right along side them—you’re on the field hearing the cheering crowd, watching the whole story play out like a movie on the big screen.
“The setbacks.
The milestones.
The ride.
The motherf***ing ride.”
What a ride it was! It was everything!! Trust me on this—if you haven’t read this series, you need to get on that. The Hail Mary is that book. The one you spend hours searching for. The love I have for this series is endless and I hope that someday my own daughters experience a love so deep and so strong. Absolutely beautiful!!
Ginger Scott excels at sports romance no matter the sport in which she finds her focus. This third book in the Waiting on the Sidelines series came as a surprise and what a delightful one at that. Fans of the series will know we saw the tumultuous relationship if these two through high school and college. Now Scott has given us a glimpse into the adult lives of Nolan and Reed through the Reed’s time in the pros. It’s perceptive view of an adult marriage with two characters we’ve grown to love.
I just adore Reed and Nolan. They certainly aren’t always easy but they always persevere in unexpected ways. The hardships are heavy for these two. The love they need to protect and maintain through a celebrity lifestyle wears on each of them. But it’s always there and it’s always strong even when it seems like it’s gone and I enhoy them all the more for that.
These two are angsty. They’ve always been full of top notch drama. In The Hail Mary though Scott makes the angst about the two of them and the strains within their marriage and how life gets so tough within that realm of their lives relating so well to all of us that married. It’s not contrived drama because of outside forces and that felt so good in this series conclusion, so natural to what this couple really needed. I finished it thinking – yes, we did need this book; this is where Reed and Nolan’s journey was truly meant to end. A testament to the the fact that Ginger Scott always gets to the hearts of her characters and knows them profoundly.
This is my favorite of the series for sure. It’s full of hope. It depicts a marriage so concisely, the ebb and flow of that commitment and how love can be so resilient, forgiving, and powerful.
What happens AFTER the HEA, when life threatens to tear down all that has been built? For Reed and Nolan, their tumultuous past is proof that love isn’t always enough. In fact, when it comes to this couple’s relationship, communication has always been key. But even after 16 years of marriage, revealing the truth that lives within their hearts, still doesn’t come easy. Now, with a teenage daughter and a career that is on the brink of ending, Reed and Nolan’s relationship is put through yet another test. And despite their previous ups and downs, this couple now faces their biggest challenge to date. Thus, within the pages of Ginger Scott’s latest addition to her Waiting on the Sidelines series, “The Hail Mary” begs the burning question: Will Reed and Nolan rise to the challenge? Or will they ultimately fall victim to their precarious circumstance?
As I eagerly delved between the pages of this intermediate chapter in the life that Reed and Nolan built, one word kept leaping out at me, unspoken, but plain as day—FEAR. Quite early on, it became very apparent that both Reed and Nolan’s actions (OR, inactions) were motivated by fear. And it was that fear that prevented them from being truly honest about their feelings—both with themselves and with each other. But then Reed totally took me by surprise by doing the unexpected. He found a uniquely romantic way for Nolan to open her heart; to give voice to every one of her thoughts and concerns. And in that moment, I found myself falling… hard! Once again, Reed had managed to capture my heart!!
Putting her own special spin on the intent behind Reed’s thoughtful gift, Nolan focuses on the positive and all that she has to be thankful for. Clearly, this Nolan is no longer the insecure girl I met so long ago, but a strong and confident woman, who loves her family fiercely. And so she willingly shoves her fears aside and seals away her thoughts, standing by Reed–through thick and thin; right or wrong; good or bad.
In the midst of all this turmoil, Reed and Nolan contend with a teenage daughter and the angst of her budding romance with a young, up-and-coming “Reed wannabe.” Oh, how I did enjoy karma nipping at Reed’s delectable butt!! But also enjoyable, are the little snippets from the past that are sprinkled throughout this book, reminding me of why I fell in love with this couple to begin with. It filled me with a sense of calm that only comes from the knowledge that their love has always been strong and will continue to endure.
Other heartfelt highlights include Reed and Nolan’s familial relationships, which have vastly changed since we last took a peak. But first and foremost, I am appreciative of the fact that Ginger Scott avoided easy pitfalls and delved deep below the surface to expose raw emotions, while simultaneously underscoring just how much this beloved couple have grown and matured.
Love, family, career… for Reed and Nolan, they were lucky to experience it all. Now, they have a second shot to do it all again. “The Hail Mary” is the HEA that comes AFTER the HEA. And, oh, what a happy ever after it is!!
I am thrill to get a third chance to get a peek into Nolan and Reeds lives. They’re older now with a teenager of their own and a strained marriage. Football takes a toll on families with missed time and constant worry about injury. Thirty-eight is dang old in professional football and Reed is still on a team after a serious neck injury and two years of not playing, he’s a back-up QB to a hot shot rookie. That’s hard on a mans ego. He’s facing all the things that are ultra touchy for older players, the possibility of serious injury, what damage will be lasting that he’s already sustained, retirement, what will he do after football and mostly a wife who is terrified and wants him to retire. That is the biggest issue at this point in time. Nolan has a rewarding business right there on the ranch thank keeps her busy along with raising Payton mostly on her own. I love how Reed loves Nolan that he knows he’s nothing without her to keep him centered. I love how Nolan loves Reed so much that she’s desperate for him to just come home and be her man. I love how they love their daughter and her new teenaged boy drama.
Ginger has given us the gift of being on the sidelines watching and now in the head of Reed as he plays and she’s done it beautifully. His POV throughout the book was so telling. The cast of characters is basically the same as they’ve stayed lifelong friends. There is some loss that comes along with living a life and some that is unexpected and breaks their hearts and shakes them. I couldn’t have dreamed for a more perfect final book in this series. My heart is full and I’m completely satisfied.
This is book #3, in the Waiting On The Sidelines series. This book can be read as a standalone novel. To avoid spoilers, and have a greater understanding of the series, I recommend reading this amazing series of books in order.
Reed & Nolan’s story continues in this book with their relationship and where they are now. What was life like for them after college? Where is Reed going after football? Are they doing well? Is there love still strong?
Nolan is a good match for Reed. This story is so perfect on many levels. First of all, it shows some of the hardships they face. It highlights how they work things out. What support system they have, and more. I loved reading about some familiar faces and encourage you to read this incredibly emotional and sexy series.
This is a really good story with a lot of honesty. I loved how real the characters feel to me. Like if they were here in the room, we would be conversing about the story itself together. I also really love that there was no holds barred. These characters have been through quite a bit – and no I won’t give spoilers – so I ABSOLUTELY encourage you to read.
***This ARC copy was generously given in exchange for an honest review only.
The Hail Mary is book 3 in The Waiting Series. It continues the journey of high school sweethearts Reed Johnson and Nolan Lennox. Now married 16 years, they have experienced it all; love, loss, happiness, disappointment and difficult decisions. Reed is a professional football player, husband and father. Nolan wears many hats. Mother, business owner and caregiver to Reed’s dad, Buck.
“…this game is like family. It’s life. It’s air. It’s what I know.”
Reed fears what will happen when he no longer plays professional football. Will he have a purpose? Will he be lost? His whole life, his identity has been football. This fear is carried through the story. When tragedy strikes Reed’s fear is amplified. All of the “what if’s” come rolling in. His focus is off and as a quarterback he needs to be 100%. But Nolan has fears and insecurities as well. She too has the “what if’s.”
“I’ve told her that I’m nothing without her but the thing is, I’m nothing without this game either.”
The Hail Mary is an emotional, slow burn. Reed and Nolan’s marriage is strained as decisions are made and fears come to the surface. I loved the flashbacks of Reed and Nolan’s youth. It was also great to see the old high school crew! Friendships and friends who are there to support you in your toughest times.
“I loved Reed recklessly. I loved him blindly. I loved him despite every little and big thing that got in our way.”
Things change direction at about 70 percent and a few surprises are thrown in (no spoilers!). That final part had me on the edge of my seat! I love how Ginger takes us to completion. And the road is not always easy or perfect! Emotional, angsty and raw.
The story is well written. The words flow. You can feel all of the love and tenderness that is shown. My heart was full! There is also a much more grown up feeling. The intimacy between Reed and Nolan was beautiful. And the sexy times were HOT! Ginger Scott has written a beautiful, contemporary romance. I loved the epilogue too!
“This girl, she’s my reason…period.”
4.5 stars
#AuthorGingerScott #TheHailMary #WaitingOnTheSidelines #GoingLong #Love #Angst #FootballRomance #Contemporary #ReedAndNolan #Blogger #BlushingBabesAreUpAllNight #Emotional #ComingOfAge