Jason Jennings made a tough call two years ago when he left behind his status as a hard-partying star quarterback in order to serve the Lord. Recently returned from a mission now, he’s ready to get back on the football field at UCAL. But despite turning his life around, his bad-boy reputation is proving hard to shake.Allie Hollis is everything a cheerleader should be—beautiful, outgoing, and … outgoing, and smart—but her brilliant smile hides a devastating secret. So when Jason begins to show interest in her, there’s no question: her answer is no.
Yet, in the face of Allie’s chilly response, Jason’s gentle persistence pays off, and a tentative friendship grows. Their chemistry is obvious, but Allie’s determination to steer clear of a relationship with Jason goes deeper than he realizes. When the truth of her painful history comes to light, the couple must decide whether they will remain on the sidelines or jump back into the game of love.
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This book is wonderful! I loved the back-and-forth chapters between the two main characters. Filled with deep emotions of love, hope, healing, and learning to overcome the past, this book will tug at your heartstrings!
Meet Jason Jennings, returned missionary and quarterback at UCAL. Jason seems to have it all–he comes from a wealthy family, he’s super smart, and incredibly good looking. He’s got it made, right? Well looks can be deceiving. Jason hasn’t always made the correct choice, but he repented and worked hard to get back on the right track so he could serve a mission. The problem is his ‘friends’ haven’t forgotten who he was 2 1/2 years ago and think that JJ is back.
Allie Hollis is a cheerleader for UCAL. She knows the type of guy Jason is–the football star who has girls hanging on him all the time, who gets whatever he wants–and Allie stays far away from those type of guys. Well, Allie THINKS she knows who Jason is, and it’s going to be hard for her to stay away from Jason considering Allie’s best friend and roommate Harper is seriously dating Jason’s cousin Ben.
I thought Allie and Jason’s first meeting in the kitchen at the chapel was cute, and loved Jason’s joking manner as they washed dishes. I also liked that Jason and Allie didn’t have perfect lives just because they go to church. Allie has a secret that she carries deep within her and Jason’s still dealing with the consequences from choices he made before serving his mission.
I really like the characters of Jason and Allie and their friends Harper and Ben. I loved Harper’s advice to Allie “the person you choose to be in a relationship with should still make you light up inside. They should bring out the best in you and inspire you and make you feel like you are the most precious person to ever walk the face of the Earth.”
There are a lot of lighthearted scenes and dialogue in this book, the author deals with a couple of serious issues in this story–attempted rape and drinking–and although she doesn’t go into detail it affects the main characters in the story. Jason struggles with being a football player and a “valiant member of the Church”, and I especially liked the scene where he realizes what he needs to do to fix that.
I liked that the chapters alternate between Jason and Allie and that on Jason’s chapters the author defined a football term that defined that particular chapter. This is the third book in the series but each is a standalone story.
Love Sidelined is so much more than a love story, it is a story of life struggles, redemption, and moving forward. One thing this author does so well is writing characters that are real and very relatable. I also like how through the course of the story both Allie and Jason’s past struggles come to light. The reader goes through an emotional journey right along with the characters.
Love Sidelined is told from both Allie and Jason’s POV. I love it when an author does this, especially in a romance. This novel is told from the perspective of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There are many things mentioned that pertain to the culture of the church that you may not be familiar with. But, any person who likes reading Christian fiction will understand and appreciate the tone of this book about turning your life around and back towards God.
There are moments when I was frustrated with Allie and Jason as they danced circles around each other instead of admitting their feelings. As you come to understand what happened in their lives, readers will have more compassion for why it took so long for the two main characters to come together. This book is one that shows the healing process and that takes time.
I love this series of books and Jason is now one of my favorite characters. I recommend reading all of them in the order written, but you really don’t need to…I’m just anal that way. It must be the teacher in me.
This book is recommended for teens 18+ and adults. There is mention of underage drinking, rape, and some violence but nothing graphic. This story is one that will touch the lives of those recovering and healing from things in their past and also shows the beauty of when redemption comes.
I’ve been looking forward to this book for months, watching it move up the pile as I got closer. It’s been tough to wait but finally, FINALLY, I got to read it!
I think one of the things I love most about Tiffany Odekirk’s books is how she is able to make her characters feel so real. They are imperfect. They struggle. There are good moments and bad moments but all the while I feel like I know them. I am invested in them and I’m rooting for them. Jason and Allie could be any one of us. There is bits in each of their stories that every person can relate to in some way or another. I love when I can connect with characters emotionally and with Jason and Allie it came gradually as I got to know more and more about them. It was fantastic.
There is real struggle in this book. Not just between Jason and Allie but in their own personal lives as they battle their own demons. Even though there was struggle, it never felt overwhelming to me as a reader. It was balanced nicely with happy moments of fun and love. There was always hope threaded through every page and I really felt that. Jason really stole the show for me. He was so endearing and so all in with Allie. He was persistent, fun loving and kind. I loved how those same attributes crossed over to his family and teammates as well. Yeah, I just loved Jason.
I’m a fan of Tiffany Odekirk’s stories. I’d love to see her branch outside her LDS specific writing and delve into a more secular contemporary clean romance genre. But, until then, I will continue to enjoy the Jennings series and hope another book is coming! Baby brother needs a book, I think!
Content: LDS religion specific, Christian (talk of God, praying, attending church), talk of after effects of rape and alcohol abuse, kissing
– I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
No one promised that the pathway to love would be easily traveled. Jace and Allie’s story is one of pain, repentance, forgiveness, healing, and holding on to love. Their path is not easy, but it is beautiful.
I fell in love with the characters from the beginning. The way they met and the easy back and forth between them made this book a fun one to read. Both have a painful past that they have to cope with, at times it pulls them apart. The truth is that I preferred them together rather than separate, but the way that Tiffany Odekirk wrote their stories, the pain is worth the reward. I couldn’t help but cheer from the sidelines and hope that the team I wanted to win was victorious.
I am grateful that I was given the opportunity to read this book. It was just what I needed to be reminded of the goodness of life and that good things can come to those that are in pain. Sometimes it takes a lot of prayers and finding help. This book contains kissing, substance abuse, and references to rape.
Source: I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
4.5 Stars
This was an excellent addition to Odekirk‘s other books, and while it makes me want to re-read her other stories, this can be read as a stand-alone novel. It’s just nice knowing a bit about some of the supporting characters.
I started this late afternoon and read until I was finished (around 2 AM). So it’s a page turner with characters I enjoyed and was rooting for.
It deals with some hard issues (dealing with the mental repercussions of sexual assault, addictions, lack of self esteem, etc.). It seemed tastefully done and held my attention.
This is one I’d re-read and recommend. I’m happy to add it to my Tiffany Oderkirk collection.
I was excited to receive and advanced reader copy of this book from Covenant, and I really loved this book! I was excited to read Jason’s story, and was not disappointed. “Love Sidelined” caught my attention from the beginning and kept it. It was funny and entertaining. Something I love about Tiffany Odekirk’s books is that she doesn’t just create nice characters who face some problems; they have flaws. They aren’t perfect people, but they are good people who are trying. I think it makes them more relatable, and as a reader I’m more invested. I want to see them them succeed, and fall in love along the way. Just like Tiffany Odekirk’s other books “Love Sidelined” is a great story that pulls you in and has you cheering all the way through it! Can’t wait for Tiffany Odekirk’s next book!
Fun romance. Beautiful themes.
Written with rich characters who have both depth and personality, this story pulls at the heartstrings. Be prepared to ride the roller coaster of emotions as both the main and secondary characters grow and muddle their way through their past fears and their hopes and dreams for the future. I alternated between laughing out loud and holding my breath as the author skillfully crafted a world I couldn’t leave until the story was over.
Navigating a traumatic experience and learning to trust and giving oneself the chance to live and love is not easy to do. This book dives into a difficult experience beautifully! And brings us the happily ever after.
Jason Jennings made a tough call two years ago when he left behind his status as a
hard-partying star quarterback in order to serve the Lord. Recently returned from a mission now, he’s ready to get back on the football field at UCAL. But despite turning his life around, his bad boy reputation is proving hard to shake.
Allie Hollis is everything a cheerleader should be–beautiful, outgoing, and smart–but her brilliant smile hides a devastating secret. So when Jason begins to show interest in her, there’s no question: her answer is no.
Yet, in the face of Allie’s chilly response, Jason’s gentle persistence pays off, and a tentative friendship grows. Their chemistry is obvious, but Allie’s determination to steer clear of a relationship with Jason goes deeper than he realizes. When the truth of her painful history comes to light, the couple must decide whether they will remain on the sidelines or jump back in the game of love.
I read a pre release of this book and thought it was so good! It gave me all the feels, I seriously ended up tearing up at some parts. Tiffany Odekirk has a way with words that really helps you relate to her characters. If you like books with The Church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints prominently part of the plot this is a great read. Such a sweet love story of overcoming the past so a person can be free to truly love. While Covenant Communications gave me the chance to read this book before it’s released, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
A wonderful story about dealing with your past and learning to have hope for the future.
This is the author’s third book in this series, and I have loved every one of them. She does a great job tackling serious issues without making the story too heavy and depressing. The characters in her stories are far from perfect, but they’re continually trying to be better people, and sometimes they fail and have to start again. I love that about these stories, it really brings the characters to life for me.
This book was really hard to put down, and I had to make a bargain with myself that I could dive back in to the story for awhile as soon as I finished the “gotta do’s” for the day. I’m not gonna lie, sometimes those “gotta do’s” just didn’t happen.
I enjoyed getting to know Jason and Allie and their back stories. I’m really glad we got to find out more about her relationship with her mom. I also enjoyed seeing past characters. I feel like the reader gets to know Jason’s parents much better in this story than in either of the previous books. Now that I’ve finished this book, I am looking forward to re-reading the other two books in this series. I’m also hoping for a story for Drew.
I think Odekirk nailed the star quarterback, confident, return-missionary characteristics and personality, but I don’t typically feel comfortable around overconfident people so it was a little hard to relate to him. I enjoyed Allie’s character, perspective and insights. It was also fun to see revisit the other Jennings family members. I felt like this book dealt with some tough issues and wasn’t a light fluffy read. The topics were things that need to be addressed in society and understood. A couple of the characters struggled with change, repentance, forgiveness, acceptance and introspection. There was a lot of different dynamics in this story and it would be interesting to talk about in a discussion or book club. There were several surprises in the story that I wasn’t expecting. It was a page turner that I stayed up a little too late reading.
Please note that I received a free copy of this book, however my opinions are my own.
I love a story that really shows how people can grow and change, especially through their life experiences as they come of age and mature. Jason is an up-and-coming football star, yet he turned his life around to serve a mission for his church and in doing so, grew tremendously, which completely turned his life around for the better. But try telling Allie that. A chance encounter was like throwing gasoline on the fire, but Allie just can’t get over Jason’s reputation. These two characters are opposite in so many ways, but they are grounded in things that matter and I loved watching them discover their true selves.
This author does a fantastic job of crafting an engaging story that was hard to escape from. I savored every interaction and even found myself wanting to give Jason and Allie advice. The little snippets of thoughts and letters at the beginning of each chapter added so much more dimension to the story and I loved how the reader was treated to alternating points-of-view. I was able to discover so many deeper layers to these characters from these tactics.This book played like a movie in my head and I loved it!
There are a lot of instances, situations, and lingo specific to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and while the story is still very inspiring, it might be a big confusing if you’re not familiar with the talk.
At the end of the day, I did not want to leave these characters. I loved being immersed in their lives for a few hours and hope there’s more to come.
Content: mild romance (vague talk of past situations); moderate+ religion elements; very mild violence (talk of a past incident)