Qualifying for Nationals. It’s all I can think about, and I’m willing to do anything it takes to make it happen. I can handle long miles and hill sprints in cross country, but guys? That’s an entirely different challenge.I’ve kept my feelings hidden from the boy next door all this time. My longtime friend, Jace Wilder doesn’t see me that way. He has the personal magnetism and good looks to hook … looks to hook just about any girl in town — and he has. Our friendship stands apart from high school social circles, and I’m fine with that, or so I keep telling myself.
That is, until running star Ryan Harding moves to town and bridges the gap. Apparently, I’ve caught his eye and suddenly Jace starts seeing me in a different light. Everything changes, for all of us.
On the trails, my goals are clear. Train, run, breathe, run, win. But when it comes to Jace and Ryan, it’s nowhere near as simple. This battle can’t be won by crossing a finish line, this war is in my heart.
more
I love this book! Perfect beginning to a wonderful series.
This series has been on my list to read for a while with book six coming out soon I thought it was a good time to start reading it. I really loved this one. Pepper is a cool girl. She runs cross country and track. She’s really good at it and is focused on running the cross country nationals. She has a crush on her best friend Jace for a while but she doesn’t think Jace has those feelings for her. Jace is the star football player at school. A new guy, Ryan, moves to town. Ryan runs cross country too. He shows an interest in Pepper. I really liked Ryan and thought he would make a better match for Pepper then Jace but Jace already had her heart. I’m hooked on this series and I’m going to jump right into book two.
R-rated YA/NA girl-power, sports novel with romantic-triangle subplot
Sixteen-year-old Pepper Jones loves running, and she’s fantastic at it, even though she’s only been running a little over two years. In fact, she’s well on her way to achieving her goal to become a national cross-country champion this year, while still a junior in high school. The only thing complicating her life is her long-term crush on her best friend, seventeen-year-old senior, Jace Wilder. They’ve been neighbors since they were toddlers. Pepper’s parents died in a car accident when she was a baby, and Jace’s mother deserted him and his father when he was four. Pepper’s grandmother, Bunny, became her guardian, and she became Jace’s chidlcare provider, too, when he lost his mother. Pepper regarded Jace in a sisterly light until the summer Pepper was thirteen and Jace was fourteen, and she suddenly became aware of how gorgeous he had become–and the unsettling reality that girls were flocking around him, vying for his attention, many of them physically pawing him in the process.
Unfortunately for Pepper, the odds of her ever being more than a little sister to Jace are slim to none. He’s never flirted with her or in any way indicated that he has any romantic interest in her. And at the end of the previous school year, she overheard Jace telling one of his friends that he could never date her, because she’s like family to him. As a result, Pepper has done her best to hide her true feelings from Jace, not wanting to lose him as a friend. But it’s a constant, painful struggle to accomplish that, because her heart is shredded anew every time she’s forced to witness womanizing Jace accept the latest of an endless string of eager offers of sex from girls Pepper considers far more attractive and sophisticated than herself. He’s so in demand, in fact, that he’s recently begun enjoying the sexual favors of college girls from the nearby University of Colorado (UC), as well. Yet, in the midst of all this debauchery, it’s evident to everyone who knows Jace–except Pepper–that he’s never gotten emotionally involved on any level with any female other than Pepper.
In contrast to Jace, Pepper is practically a nun. She’s never dated, other than a fellow member of her track team escorting her to the prom last year as “just friends,” and she’s never even been kissed. But suddenly, her lack of a love life might actually change, because Ryan Harding has come to town.
Ryan is a new student at Pepper’s high school who is a star, cross-country runner like Pepper. He’s moved to Colorado from California because his father is the new coach at UC, which Pepper hopes to attend after graduation. He’s almost as handsome as Jace, and certainly as athletic and ripped. And where Jace is a talented football player courted by numerous top-drawer university football coaches, Ryan is a potentially world-class runner, equally pursued by athletic departments at prestigious universities all over the country. Ryan is also almost as fawned on by every girl in sight as Jace.
But there are major differences: Where Jace refuses to see Pepper as a romantic partner, Ryan admits what all the boys at school know–and have never said to Pepper’s face because of Jace’s over-protectiveness–that Pepper is a beautiful girl and ideal girlfriend material. In addition, where Jace is a classic “man whore,” Ryan has only dated one girl in his life, and he was faithful to her for the entire three years of their relationship, up until just before Ryan’s family moved across the country and Ryan ended the relationship. Also, unlike Jace, Ryan only drinks the occasional beer and does not get drunk or do drugs. Additionally, Ryan doesn’t spend his time, as Jace does, hanging with the popular crowd at school, even though he is eagerly accepted in their ranks from the start. Instead, he chooses to socialize with Pepper’s laid-back, track-team friends. Best of all, he shares Pepper’s passion for running.
Pepper realizes her choice should be perfectly clear between these two boys: forget her unrequited crush on Jace and accept a relationship with a high-class guy, and she does try her best to carry out that decision. But unfortunately, as soon as Pepper begins dating Ryan, Jace suddenly starts acting like he’s anything but Pepper’s pseudo-brother, and more like he’s–could it be?–jealous.
What I liked:
This author is clearly a very talented writer. Her writing is smooth, and her characterizations are vivid and three dimensional. Pepper is a dynamic, extremely sympathetic heroine. I enjoyed the use of first-person point of view, and I found the window into Pepper’s running world fascinating. It is obvious the author knows that world very well but, more than that, she conveys it in such a way that, even if the reader knows nothing about running and could care less about it, Pepper’s experience of it is exciting enough to inspire readers young and old to jump into a pair of running shoes and take off. The setting in Colorado also comes alive on the page and makes the reader long to visit that amazing, mountain-filled state.
What isn’t suited to my own individual taste:
First, while listing what I didn’t enjoy, I want to make clear that I am not grading this book down for not being entirely to my own personal taste (as you can see by the 5-star rating), because I don’t consider that a literary crime. Many other readers may find the aspects of this book that did not suit me to be a perfect match for their reading interests.
First, I’m not myself a fan of YA romantic triangles because, as is the case in this book, sometimes the guy who ends up with the heroine is not who I had hoped she would choose. It is a testament to how great the rest of the book is and what a wonderful heroine Pepper is, though, that I found it impossible to put the book down, in spite of its romantic triangle. Just in case I didn’t make it absolutely clear from what I said already, Pepper is one of the most terrific heroines in YA/NA I’ve encountered, whether in indie or mainstream YA/NA novels.
Second, I’m not a fan of R-rated YA/NA novels, which is what I consider this book to be, and I had many squeamish moments at the various bacchanalian activities portrayed onstage or mentioned as occurring offstage in this book. Pepper, herself, though, truly respects her own body as her vehicle for the passion of her life, her running, and as the book is in first-person point of view, the reader is not encouraged to see either drinking, drugging, or mindless sexual activity as a positive choice.
If you enjoyed this book’s girl-power, sports plot, you might also want to read:
Cinderella Steals Home by Carly Syms (baseball)
Cinderella in Cleats by Carly Syms (football)
Cinderella in Skates by Carly Syms (hockey)
Falling Hard (Roller Girls #1) by Megan Sparks (roller derby)
Hooked by Liz Fichera (golf)
Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally (softball)
Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally (horse-racing jockey)
In particular, if you liked the platonic, “man-whore,” best-friend subplot of this story combined with a girl-power, sports main plot, you’ll love:
Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally (football)
I rate this book as follows:
Heroine: 5 stars
Subcharacters: 5 stars
Setting: 5 stars
Girl-Power Sports Plot: 5 stars
Romantic-Triangle Plot: 3 stars
Writing: 5 stars
Overall: 5 stars
High school love stories are always a fun read when you have all the teenage angst and confusion in the mix. I really liked this book. Pepper’s grandmother is hilarious and may be one of y favorite characters to read in quite a while. I look forward to listening to the next book soon.
A quick, well-written read that leaves an aftertaste. I picked this up looking for a lighter read and found myself quickly glued to the pages. The story was deeper than I expected and I loved the way Dean portrayed Pepper. Her love of running was contagious and I admired her passion, dedication, and focus. I loved the team and friend support and Buns was quite the character. While I loved the beginning relationship with Jace, as the story evolved, I struggled to accept his behavior as readily as Pepper. Enter Ryan, a handsome, sweet, charming example of relationship goals and the contrast made it harder to swallow all the drama with Jace. While I liked, and even appreciated the realism, Jace doesn’t apologize once for his actions towards Pepper. For me, this soured their relationship and somewhat diminished my interest in continuing the series. I also felt the ending was abrupt and ended at an awkward point, even though I’m a big fan of cliffhangers. Overall, I enjoyed the read in the moment but after reflection, this isn’t the series for me.
I’ve read great high school romances before and with this being my first book from this author I was excited to read it. It was a good read but I was expecting something in this story to wow me and it didn’t happen. There really wasn’t anything special about this story to make it stand out and some parts of the story were a bit slower than I liked. I enjoyed Pepper and her grandmother Buns, Jace, Ryan and some of the side characters. Buns was one of my favorites; she definitely made the story interesting. Pepper and her childhood friend Jace have shared everything but things are changing in more ways than one. There were times I thought Jace was a bit selfish but there was no doubt he cared about Pepper. I enjoyed the moments they had together, there was no denying their chemistry. Ryan was sweet, caring and supportive, but definitely a bit too understanding about certain things. However, that made me love his character even more and I’m hoping he finds someone for him but who knows, it might still be Katie. The story was good and I do want to read the second book in this series to get the rest of the story, but I think this story will be a one time read for me. Was it worth reading? Yes. Would I give other books from this author a try? Yes.
Pepper and Jace have been best friends and neighbors since they were toddlers. As they grew older, she realized she wanted more than just be friends. Jace was the high school football star! Girls were throwing themselves at him. How could she compete with them? She decided to keep him on the friend zone instead of losing him altogether. Pepper loved to run. It helped her to think and clear her head. She was the cross country track star heading for state championships. To complicate the story more, in comes a new student, Ryan. A good looking cross country runner. He wants to become more than friends with Pepper. Jace complicates her life, he’s needy, jealous for her attention, even though he has college girls after him. Ali Dean tells This story of teenage angst at its best. jealousy, sports, partying, drugs and rekindled friendship.
Stacey Glemboski narration flows from one character to another with ease. She brings the angst, raw emotion and personality to each character. I enjoyed listening to this story.
audiobookobsessionreviewer
Pepper Jones is on the cross country team and the one thing she has her mind set on this year is qualifying for nationals and she won’t let anything stand in her way.
Jace Wilder is the typical boy next door, he is gorgeous and popular, him and Pepper have a “secret” friendship. They have been best friends practically all their lives. Things changed when they got to high school, as it always does.
There is a new kid in school and he is a legend in the cross country world. Him and Pepper instantly hit it off and things start heating up, but then things start to fall apart before they ever truly start. Jace starts acting different and Pepper doesn’t know what to think anymore.
Pepper struck a chord with me, I was torn as much as she was between the two guys, who to choose? Which is the better choice? Who is sincere?
I was engulfed in this book! I couldn’t walk away from it. I loved it! The emotions, the feelings, the drama was unexpectedly good for them to only be in high school. I was amazed at how many real life, true problems the characters had.
And can we talk about Bunny, or Gran as Pepper calls her, I couldn’t get enough of her! She was seriously the best!! I loved her wit and charm and spunk. She made these books so much more. I mean a grandma who goes to smoke dope with her friends? I mean come on who doesn’t want her as their Granny?!
First I will say I loved Bunny, she is a hoot, not your typical grandmother. My heart goes out to Pepper, I admire her even with all the turmoil in her life she holds it together where it counts. I found it a shame however that she can’t make the right decision in the two boys that are vying for her attention, Ryan steady, stable, Jace troubled, not reliable.
Will move on maybe, it’s not to late!
Stacey, did a wonderful job with all the characters in this audible book.
Reviewed for Audiobook Obsession
Outstanding Story & Narration Pepper Jones!
Pepped Up
Pepper Jones Book 1
By: Ali Dean
Narrated by: Stacey Glemboski
I loved everything about this book, from Ali Dean’s wonderful writing style to the storylines and characters she created to the fabulous narration. This book captivated me from start to end and and now I am “Pepped Up” for what comes next for Pepper Jones. Pepper Jones is definitely the star of this series but she has some terrific co-stars too, including her Gran who I adored and her best friend Jace Wilder and a new friend Ryan Harding. Pepper Jones a HS student and champion track runner. Jace, has been her best friend since they were young, her feelings have morphed into more but he only sees her as a sister, though he does send her mixed signals. He watches over her and is very protective of her. They’ve always share everything with each other but he starts to drift away, he has some new friends and has things going on that he hides from her. Ryan transfers into their school is also a runner and track champion, he and Maisie are friends and have an attraction to each other, they want to take their relationship to the next level. He is ready but is she, will her friendship and feelings for Jace continue to hold her back. Will Jace? I loved how well plotted this story is, there is a lot going on and it all plays out nicely. There is plenty of drama and emotions, angst, twists and some great triumphs and other ups and downs. It is a great young adult book for both young and old, it is about young love, friendship, HS sports, young adults dealing with life and so much more. Ali Dean thank you for this great story, I loved every word of it.
I listened to the Audible edition, narrated by the talented Stacey Glemboski. She brings these characters to life, giving each their own unique voice and personality. I loved her take on these characters, you could hear how much heart and emotion she gives each one. She is an entertaining storyteller and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for another amazing listen
Thank you @AudiobookObsession #AudiobookObsession #AudiobookObsessionReviewer great listen
Pepped Up (Pepper Jones Series, Book One) is a ya sport romance about a cross country runner and her best friend. A perfect balance between school days and private spere. The narrative flows through smoothly without filler. The sport aspect about cross country runners was well researched and detailed, giving it a realism sense. An intriguing glimpse of the mind of a athlete. Well developed, compelling characters with complex personalities. Supporting character Gran was my favorite character & accentuated the narrative. A bit of lock stock and barrel with angst, high school drama, family, romance, and a bit of mystery. One of the best parts is the change in dynamics between Pepper and Jace and Peppers ability to not sacrifice her life and stays true to herself. The writing style is explicit, vivid and flows through smoothly. Looking forward to listening to the next audiobook in this ya sports romance.
Narator Stacey Glemboski did a wonderful performance with this audiobook. It was so easy to listen to, went so quickly and smoothly as her voice soothing.
“I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.”
Lets just start off by saying WOW!! This book was great. It keeps you intrigued and wanting to know more about what will happen. It is INTENSE, HEARTWARMING, AND EMOTIONAL. Once I started reading, I could not put it down. That is how entranced I was with this book. You read about Pepper Jones and her life as a high school teenager who has goals and wants to be with her friend who she crushes on. Then there is a new guy in town that she meets and finds out he is not the Cross Country team with her. He seems interested in her but then her best friend Jace is not too happy. She deals with a lot of emotions when it comes to Jace and this could lead a lot of stress, which is not good since she is in training to get to the national meet for cross country. Whew, the chemistry with these two guys is crazy. I don’t know how she maintains her sanity but she does. Peppers is super grounded but seems to be oblivious to Jace since they are in the friend zone and doesn’t see what others see when they are around each other. Only time will tell if she gets a happily ever after. I cannot wait to read the next book to see what happens.
This is a YA sports novel with a love triangle.
Pepper is in love with best friend Jace and thinks he doesn’t return the same feelings. She meets Ryan, who is also a runner, and share a connection. But she can’t quite let Jace go. I liked the plot but felt like the characters were missing a little something. Pepper somehow doesn’t know that Jace shares the same feelings, but everyone else does. Pepper still wants to be with Jace over Ryan even though Jace has a lot of things going on that most girls wouldn’t want to deal with or get involved with. Then Jace magically pushes all those things aside and gives them up for Pepper?!?!? Really?! With that said I still want to read the next book in the series and see what goes on with them next.
The narration by Stacey Glemboski was very well done. Looking forward to the next narration.
#AudiobookObsession
AudiobookObsession
Pepped Up
Pepper Jones Book 1
By: Ali Dean
Narrated by: Stacey Glemboski
There is something about the writing style of Ali Dean that I adore. While this is younger than my normal listen, I am sucked in and now have to continue to see where Pepper ends up going! The story of Pepper is not much different than a lot of high school students in most ways. She is on the track team and is a gifted runner. With winning Nationals as her goal, she is interested in training. But that does not keep her attraction to her long time best friend Jace from popping in. Though they run in different social circles, they have a bond that keeps bringing them back together. And now with Ryan, the new kid in town that is a runner as well, Pepper has some conflicting feelings. The question is what will she do? And what will happen to her relationships with these two? It’s full of teenage angst and problems, family issues and the advice of a wise grandmother who makes the book so much fun! Bring on book 2 so I can see what happens next!
Stacey Glemboski brings it all to life with her versatile voices. From Gram to Ali, she gives the different ages the appropriate character and makes the listen both realistic and so enjoyable!
https://adbl.co/2ZHjuwD
4 stars for Pepped Up by Ali Dean. This is book 1 in the Pepper Jones Series. I am in love with all of the characters in this book. Yes, this series is based around Pepper Jones and he love for Jace Wilder. It is also about so much more than that. We meet several side characters that we will see through-out the series. We meet Ryan, Wes, Zoe and so many more. If you have a love for sports romance, friends to lovers and coming of age romances then this is the book for you.