Book Spotlight: Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally

Parker Shelton pretty much has the perfect life. She’s on her way to becoming valedictorian at Hundred Oaks High, she’s made the all-star softball team, and she has plenty of friends. Then her mother’s scandal rocks their small town and suddenly no one will talk to her.

Now Parker wants a new life.

So she quits softball. Drops twenty pounds. And she figures why kiss one guy when she can kiss three? Or four. Why limit herself to high school boys when the majorly cute new baseball coach seems especially flirty?

But how far is too far before she loses herself completely?

From Goodreads.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 comes out October 1, 2012! Get it, read it, love it!

Happy reading, 

Valia