“This story will be on every girl’s night book club list this year.” – Farmhouse Reviews ★★★★★“Fiercely honest, brave but lighted-hearted, The Sidelined Wife by Jennifer Peel is one of the best romance novels I have read in a long, long time.” – Readers Favorite ★★★★★She’s getting back in the game, one blog post at a time. Samantha Higgins never thought driving her husband’s car would forever … husband’s car would forever change her life. But one conversation later, heard through his Bluetooth, and Samantha is changing her last name. While trying to figure out who Samantha Decker is, she writes what she thinks is one final post on her blog, announcing her divorce. When the post goes viral, she finds herself with a new title, The Sidelined Wife, and an unbelievable following.
Then her younger brother’s best friend, Reed Cassidy, who she used to babysit, moves back to town as the new head football coach for her son’s high school team. Reed has harbored a crush for his old babysitter all these years. But, Samantha isn’t keen on dating anyone, much less a younger man who used to booby trap her bedroom with firecrackers.
While Samantha is doing her best to learn the rules of single life and being a semi-celebrity, Reed comes in and changes the game. Now Samantha must decide if she should get back on the field or if she prefers the sidelines.
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I enjoyed every minute reading this romantic comedy, edged with sweetness.
I really connected with this book! Though I’ve never been divorced I really connected with the main character in the story. The emotions and different situations were so well done. I’m excited to read more from Jennifer soon!
Wow I loved this book . The way this author speaks to women who have been through a divorce , or how they feel afterwards . I just can not say enough good things about this book
Wow this story is so raw and real. So real in fact I wondered if the author was writing from experience or wonderful empathy. This story has divorce, self doubt, family, football and what sounds like an amazing butt. I laughed and may have shed a tear or two for the amazing raw emotion I felt. It gave me insights to feelings I have not had to experience. Don’t get me wrong there was also some serious swooning in this great story too.
I didn’t want it to end! Absolutely loved this book. If you’re looking for a book boyfriend, Reed is your man. Sam is a breath of fresh air. I can’t say enough good things about this book. This book stole my GREAT JOB JENNIFER PEEL
This book was heartbreaking but powerful at the same time. I think that there is a bit of Samantha in all of us. Samantha is learning to navigate her new life after almost 20 years of marriage and as a single mom. You will laugh with her, cry beside her and revel in her strength to move on. You will meet a family who loves hard and has no boundaries at all.
This is a clean romance and it was perfect.
Story: 5.5 stars (yes, this book is that good!)
Jennifer Peel doesn’t disappoint in this touching, humorous and romantic story.
The story of Samantha and her feelings of betrayal and anger and her indignation over her ex ignoring their son are so human and raw. Ms. Peel has written a real person, not some perfect saintly character. Even the ex turns out to be a complex character, not the vilified norm that sometimes happens. The new love interest isn’t perfect, either, he, too makes mistakes. I love that Ms. Peel takes the time to develop all the characters!
The Delaney family is HILARIOUS but is not without issues. Mimsy is my favorite! She’s the comic relief to the pain Samantha is experiencing. Speaking of which; I love that Ms. Peel gives her character the time she needs to cope and to grow as a person.
I’m a huge romantic and so the arrival of Reed on the scene was fun and oh, so sigh-worthy! But I like that Ms. Peel doesn’t have him “fix” Samantha. Samantha has to deal with complex emotions and the fact that she did love her husband for 18 years. She doesn’t just get over him; she has to work through her pain, her feelings of betrayal, her insecurities and get to a place where she can forgive enough to move forward with a healthy new relationship.
The journey we go on with her is wonderful and there is much wisdom imparted by the author. (Along with hands-down, THE most romantic kiss scene ever written!)
Narrator: 4.5 stars
Melissa Moran does an amazing job of voice acting! She has a low enough voice that the male characters sound authentic. She also does an excellent job with the older voices of Mimsy and Mrs. Higgins. Ms. Moran’s voice creates a wonderful atmosphere and the sincere emotions of the characters she acts shines through. I will happily listen to her anytime!
*poor, **ok, ***good, ****very good, *****something special
I love-love-love this book! There’s no cliffy but I’ve already jumped on the next one.
After overhearing a shocking conversation not meant for the unsuspecting wife, Samantha Higgins is not a Higgins any longer. Newly divorced and going through the motions of life with her teenage son, Sam Decker needs to figure out what to do with her future. That future certainly didn’t contain entertaining the attentions of another man. A hot, irresistible, younger man at that.
Whether you can relate to divorce or not, if you enjoy comical family drama with an endearing cast of characters, except for her sorry ex husband Neil, you will be glad you read this one.
I can’t say enough about Sam’s divorcee journey and Reed, her younger brother’s bestie.
Jennifer Peel, a new to me author, has me on a mission to read this entire series and check out her others. The writing is great!
Jennifer Peel is one of my favorite authors. I liked this book, but it was somber. I have read it twice…so far. Loved the ending.
Peel delivers all the feels in a heartfelt novel that rings true in the hearts of many Sidelined Wives. I highly recommend this book to fans of contemporary women’s fiction.
I loved this book!! Can’t wait to read the next book in the series!
Divorced. Samantha never would have thought her marriage would end in a divorce. But it has. Her ex-husband is off having a baby with another woman. For 19 years she has been Samantha Higgins, wife and mother. But now she’s Samantha Decker, mother. It’s time to pick herself back up, figure out who she is meant to be and bring light and laughter back into her’s and her son, Cody’s life.
She needs an outlet. A place to let all her hurt, anger, frustration, disappointment, fear and loneliness go. She will beat this and she will become better for it. She turns to her blog to post what she thinks is her last post. It’s time to end one book and start a new story.
But something terrifyingly wonderful happens. Her favorite author shares her blog post and she has gone viral. She can’t believe the outpouring of love, encouragement and comradery she has received. It saddens her that there are so many women out there who have gone through what she is. Maybe being The Sidelined Wife will not only give her the outlet she needs but also allow her to be a voice for all those who are going through the same thing.
As if she doesn’t already have enough on her plate, life decides to add more. Enter Reed Cassidy. Her younger brother’s best friend and kid she used to babysit. Reed has been in love with Samantha since he was 13 years old. Now that they’re older and she’s divorced, maybe he’ll actually have a chance with her. But will she ever look at him and see the man he has become? Or will she always see him as the kid she used to babysit?
Samantha has no desire to date… ever again. What she needs the most is a friend. Someone that she can talk to and be herself with. Reed proves to be just that. But somewhere along the way she starts falling for him. It may have been those spine-tingling kisses, or their clandestine meetings, or the shoulder he freely offers for her to cry on. Whatever it is has their feelings for each other growing.
However, the closer they get, the more scared Samantha becomes. What will Cody think? Would he be okay with her dating his coach? And what about her family? She can’t get involved with her younger brother’s best friend! It will never work! Her first marriage ended because her husband cheated, who’s to say that Reed wouldn’t cheat as well? Life will be safer for all involved if she just stayed single.
But life would also be miserable. Can she take that leap of faith and give Reed a chance? She owes it to herself, Reed and Cody to figure out if there’s a happily ever after in their future.
Oh how I loved The Sidelined Wife! I knew from the moment I started it that it would be an emotional rollercoaster! It was beautiful, tragic, hilarious, perfect and did I mention beautiful?! I laughed, I cried, I growled in frustration, let out little dreamy sighs and loved every single minute of it! I absolutely adore Samantha and Reed! And that epilogue… *dreamy sigh* You guys are going to LOVE it!
I have to say that this is a perfect start to what I know will be an amazing series! I am SO excited! I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!
I know I say this all the time but Ms. Peel has done it again! I absolutely love all her books! There is a reason she is one of my favorite authors. If you haven’t read any of her books that you are seriously missing out!
This a must read. I loved this book. I love this author and her books. 12/17/19 I just finished reading a second time and loved it even more. It’s an emotional roller of ride romance. I can’t express how great this book is.
Delightful!!
Raw and honest are the words I’d use to describe this book. Divorce isn’t a theme I generally enjoy in a book, but the author skillfully wove in a new relationship with fun romance while also focusing more on Samantha finding herself after being redefined by her new status of single. There is angst and grief over her loss, but I loved her attitude of looking forward and exploring how she wants her life, personality, and priorities to shift. Her family is hilarious and while the Sunday dinners are not always easy, there is a strong sense of loyalty there. Her brothers and sister-in-laws especially came to life and were a dynamic supporting cast.
Reed came into the picture immediately after her divorce finalizes, and his childhood background with Samantha provided a foundation that made their developing friendship in the midst of her personal drama work. I loved how she didn’t pick up on his attraction to her and his subsequent frustration, it brought humor with the awkwardness and embarrassment, especially when she unwillingly realized how much chemistry they had. And boy did they have chemistry! Reed’s pursuit of Samantha made him endearing and I loved the creativity of their “clandestine” dates.
Samantha’s voice brought a wry humor throughout the book that’s part sassy and part snarky and part self-deprecation. That humor also made the exploding popularity of her brutally honest blog posts believable, and the therapeutic outlet gave her a confidence boost as well as a new direction to pursue. I loved that her number one priority remained the happiness of her teenage son, and I admired the relationship she had with him- expressing that love without being too overbearing, and being his anchor through the disinterest and betrayal of his father.
Overall I think this book isn’t about being single or divorced- it’s about the feelings that inevitably come during change and transition, about self-care and not losing oneself in an unbalanced relationship, about rediscovery and redefining. It made me evaluate my own life and think about if the things I spend my time doing are worthwhile, productive, and bring joy. Highly recommend!
(I received a complimentary copy of the book; all opinions in this review are my own)
I devoured this book. Even though it’s about a divorcee find life afterward and I’m a happily married mom of two teenagers it had many relatable moments. Teaching teens to drive ugh. It was great to read a stirring romance from the 40 set that was so real. Definately one of my new favorite authors!
I love this author. She never disappoints.
The Sidelined Wife is an awesome book!!
It is Book one, in the new series,
More Than A Wife, by Jennifer Peel.
This is an intense, emotional, & wonderful story.
It is about Samantha, a woman recently divorced, raising her teenage son. She blogs about her divorce, life, & everything in between.
Reed, is a very good friend of her younger
brother. She has known him forever. He just moved back to town, to take over as
head Coach at his alma mater. Reed has
always cared about Sam.
It is so well written. I could not stop reading, till I was done. You will feel her tears, & her happiness. I loved this story, & thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
Can not wait for Book two!!
A MUST READ FOR EVERYONE!!!
I haven’t posted a review in a couple of days, but I have been reading. I’ve been trying to work my way through Jennifer Peel’s books and I’m on week two.
The Sidelined Wife was really good. Samantha’s husband Neil cheats on her with a younger woman and she gets pregnant and Sam divorces him. She struggles with the aftermath of the divorce and pours out her frustrations in a blog she posts, which when it is liked by a famous author ( no one knows the true identity of the author. I speculated to my daughter several times about who I thought it was) her life starts to change. Reed (the perfect book boyfriend) enters the picture and at first she doesn’t know how she feels about the boy she used to babysit when she was a teen. ( FYI he is only five years younger) Reed has been in love with her all of these years and he’s coming after her.
Let me just say, he is totally romantic and makes grocery shopping as romantic as a candlelit dinner. He is everything a man should be.
There are spine-tingling kisses, that go no further than that. A mom and grandma that have no filter whatsoever! Iol there are a a few curse words such as d*** or h*** but nothing bad.
I borrowed this book via Kindle Unlimited but will probably buy it soon.
Now I have to post two other reviews of her books that I have read the past couple of days. ( My daughter and I are totally addicted to reading so we go through a ton of books and are so grateful for Kindle unlimited. Lol)