Throw Like a Girl

by Sarah Henning

[Sam@WLABB]

Though her reasoning was solid, Liv should not have thrown that punch, or as she liked to call it, "the punch heard round the world." She acted impulsively, and now, she might have lost everything. But, she had a plan. She was going to prove, that she could be a leader, a teammate, and someone who could be relied on. With the help of the current QB, and support from some likely and unlikely sources, Liv was ready to set her plan in motion.

This was pretty much love at first page for me. Henning immediately immersed me in Liv's world, and her head, giving me keen insight into who this young woman was. I knew right then and there, that I was #TeamLiv. Throughout the story, I saw how dedicated Liv was to so many things. She sacrificed for her team and family, and she constantly pushed herself to her physical and mental limits. Drive and determination are things I admire about many elite level athletes, and Liv had a seemingly limitless supply of both.

Aside from Liv, there were many other things I loved about this story, but three stood out: sports, family and friends, and romance.

I have a unending love for sports books. Oddly enough, as a non-sporty-sport, I get frustrated, when the book features no actual sports play. That was not a problem with Throw Like a Girl. Not only did I get to attend some championship softball games, I also got to monitor Liv's progress via her grueling workouts, and catch some of her football games. I read Henning's bio, and was not surprised to discover, that she was a sportswriter, because she did an incredible job bringing me into the action and excitement of a game, the pain and suffering of injury, and the agony of defeat.

However, I am not sure Liv would have survived her season as QB without the love and support of her family, friends, and community. Liv really did have a wonderful family, and though they were dealing with a LOT, and maybe didn't have as much as they needed in terms of material things, they had so much love, and this was evident throughout the story. Sharing moments with Liv and her brother, as well as with her whole family, brought me so much joy. These were some very special moments, and I am glad Henning gave them to me. Liv also had a stellar best friend, and the support of her teammates. I was glad Henning didn't go the sexist route, and have the team resist her as QB. It was actually refreshing to see a female in a male dominated sport being respected for her skill, instead of opposed because of her sex.

And, the romance. Grey was a great and swoon-worthy love interest for Liv. They were such a power couple, and I really enjoyed watching their friendship blossom. I wouldn't say I was a fan of some of the drama encountered by these two, but I did like the pairing, and watching them grow and change together was fantastic for me.

Overall: This was the feel-good story I was looking for. I wholeheartedly rooted for Liv, as she fought for the the people and things she loved, while also finding her way back to herself. Henning delivered the perfect balance of drama, romance, and sports, which left me feeling like I, myself, had won a championship.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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