- robindanielswriter
Review: Girl at Heart by Kelly Oram
Attention all Kelly Oram fans...after more than two years, we are finally getting another book! It's her very first sports romance and it's adorable. It releases Nov 4th so PRE-ORDER today.
Summary - As the daughter of a successful Major League pitcher, Charlie Hastings has baseball in her blood. Unfortunately, being the only girl on her high school baseball team, Charlie has always been just one of the guys. When her best friend, and secret love of her life, asks another girl to the prom, Charlie is devastated. She’s tired of being overlooked by boys because she’s not like other girls. Suffering a massive identity crisis, she decides to hang up her cleats and finally learn how to be a girl. But with only two weeks until the state championships, the Roosevelt High Ravens can’t afford to lose their star catcher. Team captain Jace King makes her a deal: Don’t quit the team, and he’ll help her become the girl she’s so desperate to be. After all, he’s got four sisters, one of whom happens to be a cheerleader. He knows a thing or two about girls. (And if he can win her heart in the process, all the better.)
What I Liked About The Book - Kelly is one of my favorite authors (biases aside) so I liked everything about it. It does feel slightly different than her other books in that there isn't as much witty banter. Don't get me wrong, there are still funny parts, but the main focus is on Charlie's self-discovery. The romance is almost a B plot, though you won't feel like it. Kelly is great with male leads, which means Jace is obviously swoon-worthy. But Charlie is really likable too. She isn't just trying to fit in; she's trying to figure out what kind of person she is. Her character is mature without beeing unrealistic and that gives the story a little drama, without making it heavy. On a side note, this book is set at the same high school attended by Nick and Mia from my book One of the Girls. I think you'll enjoy the hint of references and character crossover. Roosevelt High is stacked with amazing athletes... lol. If you haven't read One of the Girls yet, you don't need to read it to appreciate Girl at Heart, but you might want to read that one first.
About The Author - Kelly Oram wrote her first novel at age fifteen--a fan fiction about her favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which her family and friends still tease her. She's obsessed with reading, talks way too much, and likes to eat frosting by the spoonful. She lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona with her husband, four children, and her cat, Mr. Darcy.