XanaI’ve never needed a guy to be happy. A few close friends were all I really needed.Until him.From the moment we met, he was all I could think of. I let him into my world more than anyone else, giving him all of me. Sometimes life doesn’t go according to plan. Sometimes we’re left picking up the pieces. But even broken, I’ll never stop loving him.
Loving Noel (Wildcat Graduates Book 1)
By xanajordan
I haven’t read a book this innocent in a long time, but I was so glad I did! I’ve known Xana for a while now and just found out recently that she was an author. I LOVE sports themed books and I love that this book had band and baseball in it! I had so many friends in band and sports growing up and we always had a blast! This definitely took me back to that time!
I LOVED Xana and Noel. One, I LOVED their names, because who doesn’t love non-everyday names. Two, they were just too dang cute. I love that they both looked at each other from afar for so long. When she finally asked him to the dance I was so excited! I did a little wiggle in my seat. It was so refreshing seeing a relationship start so young and innocent. So many books today have insta-relationships and you don’t see the cute stuff at the beginning. They were just adorable.
Another thing I loved about these two, their feelings/reactions/actions WERE SO REAL! These are totally things I could have seen myself doing as a kid. From their interaction as a couple, to the interactions with their friends, I loved how real it all was. Speaking of their friends, they were all hysterical! I love how Stacy was the “take charge” person and Cade was the “goof.” Without these characters I think we really would have had a different story. Supporting characters are always so important and Xana did such a good job with them!
And we can’t forget conflict. We had the PERFECT amount of conflict in this story. Between Blaine and Mercedes, we got to see allll sides of it. Right up until the end! Which, that stupid damn conflict at the end. It got me. It got me alllll sorts of worked up and pissed off lol. Can’t wait to see what happens in the next book!
It’s rare that I pick up a YA book to read and end up enjoying myself.
Loving Noel is about two teenagers finding love and trying to overcome the obstacles that come with high school.
Xana has a hard enough time trying to trust people especially men after being the butt of a joke in junior high with her “boyfriend”. However, when it comes to Noel there is just something about him that keeps Xana’s interest and they share a connection that they believed would survive through anything high school put them through.
Noel knew from the first practice of high school band that there was something interesting about Xana. She’s been the only girl to keep his interest all through his high school years and he’s determined that they share a connection beyond friendship.
The book does end with a bit of a cliffhanger. You can’t help but be annoyed and hope that these two will get over the high school issues and find their way back to each other. While I enjoyed this book, it is a bit too YA for my taste and is a bit slow paced.
Noel is the star, then he gets in a predicament. Who hasn’t had this high school experience? Can Noel and Xana survive? You’ll want to read and find out.
Loving Noel is book 1 of Xana Jordan’s Wildcat Graduates series and the story continues in book 2, Claiming Xana, which is also available to purchase.
It’s summer and Noel is attending his first high school band practice with his best friend, Cade. Noel finds the experience ‘amazing’ and the day gets even better when he sets eyes on Xana for the first time. He’s immediately drawn to her and isn’t bothered about the fact that she’s a year ahead of him in school. However, Xana is still dealing with the pain of something that happened in junior high and even though she’s attracted to Noel, she’s not willing to take the chance of dating even for him. She’s content with the way her life is and she has her best friend, Stacy, who is always there for her. Once the school year starts, Noel and Cade become part of the same group of friends as Xana and Stacy, which means Noel and Xana get to know each other better. Noel has the patience to wait for Xana and eventually achieves in getting her to give him a chance but will they last or will Xana’s inability to fully trust destroy what has the makings of being a beautiful relationship.
“The way she smiled at me when I was introduced in our sectionals, made my breath hitch, and I almost forgot to say hello.” – Noel
“As much as I seem to be attracted to him, I know there will never be anything more between us then friends.” – Xana
After reading Nixon, which Xana Jordan co-wrote with Michelle Rene, I couldn’t wait to read Loving Noel and I’m so glad that I did because it’s a truly amazing story that pulls you right in. I loved seeing Noel and Xana’s friendship and then relationship progress until he became the closest person to her. Despite their age, they handle their relationship with maturity and discuss every step they take. However, the usual teenage/high school issues sometimes get in the way and both of them struggle to deal with the things that come up. I’m not sure if they’re mature enough yet to handle their deep feelings for each other.
Xana and Noel don’t rush into anything and I’m so glad that they don’t jump straight into bed with each other like so many other teenagers seem to in books. I enjoyed reading about how their relationship naturally progressed and their make out sessions became steamier as they became closer to each other. I feel this allowed them to mature even more and grow together. It also gave Xana time to trust Noel and her own heart as she still doubted why a guy like him would want her when he could have his pick of girls. I loved having the different POVs between Noel and Xana as this allowed me to get to know each of them better and I was right there with them both experiencing their thoughts and feelings. Towards the end, Xana Jordan wrote such powerful words that my stomach became all twisted and I was left wanting to cry.
Stacy has to be one of my favourite characters after Noel and Xana as she’s confident and determined to achieve at whatever she does. I loved seeing her relationship with Cade develop and I feel he’s the perfect boyfriend for her as he calms her but also challenges her when needed. I wasn’t sure what to think of Blain but ended up liking him as he steps up when Xana needs him and proves that despite what may happen, he’ll support her like he always has since they were children. I disliked Mercedes who only seemed to care about herself and set out to get what she wanted at the cost of others.
Xana Jordan is a talented writer and I wouldn’t have known this was her debut novel if someone else hadn’t mentioned it in their review. I just know that this series is going to continue taking me on a journey filled with hope; hope for Noel and Xana, and hope for myself that one day I find my own Noel! I can’t wait to see what Xana Jordan has planned next for Noel, Xana and the other characters. Will these 2 soul mates reunite or is their love story over? I know what I’m hoping for and will be getting straight into book 2.
“Noel, if you find a girl that makes you feel ten feet tall, that no matter who you’re with all you can think about is her, then you’d better grab onto her and never let her go. She’s the one that will make you a better man.” – Noel’s Grandpa
This book is worth the 5 stars I’ve awarded it and I recommend that you get this book today!