Stealing Parker

I don't think I could have loved this book anymore than I did. I can honestly say that Miranda Kenneally is becoming one of my favorite authors. I am a sucker for a good love story and this story did not disappoint How could a story with a character named Corndog (yes I said Corndog) be anything but amazing?


I loved Catching Jordan so I was super excited to read the next in the series. Parker Shelton loved playing softball but quit the team after there was a scandal that rocked her family. This scandal not only resulted in her quitting the team but in her parents divorce and her bothers reckless behavior. Parker joins the boys baseball team as the manager where she meets the new coach Brian Hoffman a very good looking 23 year old who Parker finds herself attracted to. Then there is Will aka Corndog who is super sweet. Will Parker cross the line with the coach or will she fall for Corndog? You will just have to read to find out.

There are definitely some laugh out load moments in this story. At one point Parker plays M.A.S.H with Brian which took me back to my middle and high school days. However perhaps the funniest part of this story is when Parker's dad cannot get Corndogs name right and keeps calling him Corn Fritter!

I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it. I am already looking forward to the next in the series! I cannot wait. Happy reading!

Review originally posted on my blog: http://www.ramblingsofabooknerd.com/2012/12/review-stealing-parker-bu-miranda.html

I am a big fan and proud to say
This book is amazing, and that's it I am no lyrical artist but I can say that out of most the books i have read from you. You are one of the best authors I have seen in a LONG time.
So I state this and this alone.

You are an amazing author, with a amazing series. Nice job.

- Sincerely, Korben R. Fisher

Miranda Kenneally is one of those authors you can grow comfortable with. Meaning you can hear she's coming out with a new title and automatically pre-order it without even having to read the synopsis. Her words in this title have proven my point. Stealing Parker is an amazing read and it will leave you breathless.
After Parker's mom announces that she's a lesbian and leaves her family to join her girlfriend, rumors begin to fly. And what's worse, they stem from her former best friend. From there, everything begins to spiral out of control and Parker decides to leave the softball team and make out with guy after guy. All to prove that she's nothing like her mother. She then decides to manage the baseball team thanks to her best friend for life, Drew. From there she meets the baseball coach intern Brian. And from there, her life falls out control.
One of my favorite things about Kenneally's books is that in each one she teaches life lessons. In this one, she tackles one of the biggest issues in teen society right now, homosexuality. A lot of times, people that are homosexual find it hard to come out and find it harder to find friends to stick with them. They become embarrassed about what they like. Kenneally portrays this situation with expertise. She shows that it is ok to be however you want and do whatever you want. She shows that "sometimes you have to do what's best for you." Another lesson that can be taught from this book is hypocrisy. But I won't go in detail for fear of spoilers. Just know that the lesson is there.
I also loved the characters Parker is strong willed, believes in her Christian values, and is a very good friend. She just made some mistakes along the way. Also, all the guys that she befriended are all characters. (No pun intended lol) They provided the comic relief and I was grateful through all the drama with her family and her church. And I loved that it was a companion novel that features Jordan and Sam. It's so interesting to me when an author can provide us with another story and feature them in it without it being a whole story about them.
As far as the romance, I was very happy with it. I must admit tho, Kenneally kind of scared me towards the end. I was so close to the end and the issue hadn't be resolved yet so I got nervous lol I'm ashamed to say I cried for a little bit when everything was finally fixed. I had just connected with Parker so much and I was happy things begin to fall in place for her.
Stealing Parker is a quick read, but its content makes up for the lack of pages. Things move very fast and you'll find yourself swept to the dug out, chewing gum, and listening to the crack of the baseball connecting with a bat.

Originally posted on http://wordsareinnermusic.blogspot.com

Parker is your average girl. She goes to high school, she goes out with boys, she loves sports. Softball to be exact. But when her life is turned upside down, she turns herself upside down. She quits softball, drops weight, and becomes a little friendly with the boys. Then, a new baseball coach steps into her life, and she’s more than happy to add him to her kissing list. She thinks this is what she wants, but is it really?
I read Catching Jordan a while back and fell in love with Miranda’s writing. You know I’m not big on contemporary at the moment, so I’m super picky about the stories I read. At the beginning of the book, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about this one, but it took me by surprise. Stealing Parker was a definite win for me.
I loved Parker as a character. She was real and personal from the very beginning. She could’ve been any girl from my high school or even college. I love when a character makes you sit up and pay attention and Parker was that for me. Sure, there were parts where I kind of wanted to strangle her a little, but that just makes her more human.

Yep, pretty much this :)
While I loved Parker, I was insta-love-beyond-all-love with Will! Seriously, the moment he stepped into the pages, I was a gonner. This boy was a gorgeous, smart, caring specimen of amazingness. His relationship with Parker and those around him was great. I got a feel for his character right off the bat, and I couldn’t help but cheer him on in everything throughout the book.
Miranda discusses some important issues in this book, woven into the sweet romance. I really didn’t expect the story to talk about religious issues. As a Christian myself, it’s hard to read something that may not bring Christianity into the best light. It saddens me to see that people view Christians as judges, because there are a select few who take on that job themselves. I loved Miranda for showing a contrast to people who gave Christians a bad light versus those of us who try their best to live their lives according to His Word. (Not all Christians are bad. Some of us may even surprise you :)
Overall, I loved this book. The chemistry between the characters Miranda created was outstanding. The tension, the longing, the perfectly placed little phrases, all of that made the book just that much more. This high school is one I wish I could’ve gone to, just so I could meet all these fabulous people. I can’t wait to see what Miranda has for us next!

Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally
eARC received by Sourcebooks
Release Date: October 1st—On Shelves Now!
Reviewed by: Middle Sis Jenn
The Sisters Say: A poignant story about heartbreak, forgiveness, and first love

This is my first book by Miranda, and I had no idea what to expect. Just from reading the blurb, I thought it sounded interesting, but I didn’t know how I would like the sports aspect of the story. Don’t get me wrong---I love sports, but I’m more of a watch ‘em, not read ‘em type of girl. Surprisingly, the sports part was one of my favorite parts of the story. It wasn’t overly boyish and I didn’t find myself saying, “Go on…get on with it.” Their sports world was like an entirely new setting within the high school life, and I enjoyed being opened up to a YA book that touched on sports.

The best part of the book was the growing friendship between Parker and Corndog. It was sweet and innocent, and it just felt right. I found myself laughing at loud at some of Corndog’s jokes, but at other times, he was a real jerk. Just like a high school guy! It was endearing to see him struggle with his own problems and then take them out on Parker—a realistic and heartbreaking truth about high school relationships. I found myself waiting for Parker’s next encounter with Corndog, just to see what would happen next.

I also really liked Drew, Parker’s best friend. He is the type of guy that you just automatically like. He sticks by Parker when her mother comes out as a lesbian and the entire town turns on her family. It’s a very religious town, so this caused quite a scandal. While everyone else looked at Parker like she was the plague, Drew stood up for her and stood by her. Such a sweetie!

I was really surprised by the mature content level of this book—it didn’t bother me at all, but I think I was expecting the fade to black type of love scenes. At first, I enjoyed these small scenes between Parker and Brian (the coach). It wasn’t really creepy, and I felt like they really liked each other. However, as their physical relationship progressed, I found myself getting really annoyed by Parker and the way she discussed their relationship. She seemed very crude to me, and by the end unfortunately, I was really wishing she would just zip her mouth.

What else bugged me?

The entire book was preachy to the extent of annoyance. I’m from a small town, and I understand the role religion plays in the lives of people there, but I just don’t believe that an entire town would turn against someone instead of trying to save or help them. But instead of doing that, they hurled accusatory glares and Bible verses. It just became too much for me, and I think it took away from the book.

Most of the reviews I have read said they really enjoyed Parker as the main character, but I was on the other side of the fence with her. She seemed very vain and immature to me, and I found her very annoying. There were times she was so self-involved that I ended up rooting against her, hoping things would fall apart so she would look around, wake up and quit her self-loathing.

Overall, there were some very cute parts to this tale of discovery, and I think that many people will enjoy this book. I liked that Miranda ventured into an area that many other authors might be afraid to write about, and I liked that she did it in a non-creepy way. However, I thought that Parker and Brian (both major characters) were too wishy-washy, and this wavering made them unrealistic and frustrating to me.

Final Judgment: While this book was not my favorite, I do plan to read more of Miranda’s books in the future.

Content Warning: I would rate this for mature teens for somewhat explicit sexual situations. (Riding the line somewhere between YA and NA).