Book Review: Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally

Stealing Parker

By Miranda Kenneally 

Release Date: October 1, 2012

Source: Author

Summary: Red-hot author Miranda Kenneally hits one out of the park in this return to Catching Jordan's Hundred Oaks High.

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?

Review: I absolutely LOVE Miranda Kenneally's books. Seriously. I could read her books forever and never get bored. After Catching Jordan, I didn't know it could get better. But, oh boy, can it! Stealing Parker definitely hit it out of the park (yes, that pun was definitely intended :) ) 

Parker pretty much had the perfect life before her mom left. She was Valedictorian, started as a freshman on the varsity softball team, had tons of friends, and loved being a part of her Church. But when her mom leaves her dad for a woman, her world comes tumbling down. She quits the softball team, loses twenty pounds, and devotes herself to making it perfectly clear she is nothing like her mom. Her reputation is torn apart by the girls at school, so Parker only finds solace from her best friend Drew. When he asks her to be manager for the baseball team, she decides to try it out. Little did she know she'd be managing for the most gorgeous guy she'd ever laid eyes on. Too bad he's the 23-year-old coach. Dealing with her mixed feelings about her mom, her newfound fascination and horribly inappropriate crush on the baseball coach, and her budding friendship with her archival and baseball player named Corndog, Parker really has no idea what to do with her life. 

Parker deals with a lot in this story, but I absolutely love her character. She embodies the raw reality teenagers are facing today and anyone reading this can't help but connect with her. She's dealing with issues with everything: her family, body image, reputation, friends, boys, and even her religion. If something could go wrong, you can bet that Parker has been there. I could not put this book down because I just had to know how things would work out with Parker. I stayed up all night to finish this one and don't regret a second of the missed sleep! 

My absolute favorite part of this book, though, had to be Will (aka Corndog as mentioned before). He is so freaking sweet and I just wanted to go into this book and steal him for myself. He watches chick flicks with girls? Plays baseball? Second smartest in the school? Incredibly attractive? You know, Christmas is only a month and a half away....and he's definitely on my wish list! *sigh* Why did Miranda have to create such an amazing guy?? Forget just one amazing guy, why did she have to create such an amazing cast of guys for this book? Mmmm it's an absolute dream for a romance lover like me :)

So basically every single thing about this book is awesome. I could have done with a little less religion talk, but I get that that's a big part of what Parker is dealing with. But I loved all of the elements to Parker's life and how she had to cope with everything going on with her. Miranda sure knows how to get into the mind of a teenager and show their darkest, most sensitive secrets to the world. Why did this book have to end??? I can't wait for her next book because I know it's going to be as utterly amazing as this one was.