This was the first book by Suzanne Baitsar that I've read and I really enjoyed it. The book is all about female empowerment and I loved the storyline. The characters were well developed and likable. The supporting cast of friends was a nice addition. Overall, I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a sports romance with a delightful twist.

Suzanne Baltsar manages to pull of something difficult in Sidelined. Charlotte (Charlie) and her two best girlfriends have careers that are non-traditional, or at least not traditionally for women. As a result, we see Charlie being isolated, and often lonely, but unrelenting in her pursuit of her football coaching dream. It is truly uplifting. The reason I think this is difficult for an author to accomplish as well as Ms. Baltsar has is that the women are not "masculine," and although I wouldn't say that the author is subtle in her Girl Power message, it enhances the story without hitting us over the head with it.

The attraction between Charlie and Connor is also not subtle, and both of them trying to resist their attraction was sometimes simultaneously aggravating and endearing. The evolution of their romance flowed smoothly, so much so that I took a break and realized that I'd completed 75% of the book! The love scenes get mildly steamy, and are largely PG. As conflict in the story amplifies, largely around sexist behavior by others who can't accept a female football coach, Connor becomes increasingly more protective of Charlie, and aware of his own misconceptions about Charlie. This is where the story becomes even more compelling.

I totally enjoyed Sidelined, and can't wait to read the next in the series.
*Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. This is my honest review.*

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This was my first book by this author. As I began reading I got the sense that Sidelined was book two in a series. It was not hard to follow so it can be read as a standalone but I do want to read book one to learn more about the first couple.

I am not a fan of football at all but reading a story about a female football coach named Charlie Gibbs was refreshing. Even for a person like me who gets a glazed look in their eyes when there is even the mention of football. Charlie moves to Minnesota from Atalanta to coach a high school football team. Of course, there is major resistance from the all-boys club at the school and football community. Connor McGuire felt he should have been the next coach of the Otters when the old coach retired. So you can only imagine the tension when he loses the position to a woman.

Charlie knew her stuff and she was badass. I can't comprehend how tough it would be to work and lead a bunch of boys and men in such a male-dominated sport. The author did not try to make the book all hearts and rainbows for Charlie.

Where would we be if there was not a love story that blossomed between Connor and Charlie? I think the love between the two caught them by surprise. The conflict in the book and between Charlie and Connor demonstrated the struggles of trying to balance a relationship and working relationship simultaneously.

I enjoyed this book and the football references did not bother me as much as I thought. The added bonus of well-developed characters may this a quick fun read.

I love a good enemies-to-lovers book, so it's no surprise that I was rooting for this romance and rivalry between two football coaches. But mostly I loved Charlie. She's tough, confident in her abilities as a head coach, and smart, but she's also vulnerable in relatable ways. It's a pleasure to see her grow and decide what she wants for herself.

This was a wonderful storyline with exceptional characters. The author did an excellent job of developing this story from the very first page.

This was such an interesting novel to read- yet refreshing because of the content that is present. This empowering female character that takes the place of a boy's football team as the coach is one hundred percent something you do not see everyday. I am actually glad I read it, though did not enjoy it completely because of the male character being so... so... hmmm... indifferent? Not sure if this is the appropriate word to use because he was always up or down, changing his mind about the way he viewed Charlie. Not really a fan of characters that keep changing their ideas of another character. Overall for me this was a fun ride and I did enjoy it for sure, I just do not think I would read it again. Thank you so much to Gallery for providing an advance copy!

I actually received this book a while back from the publisher via Netgalley, but help off posting the review because I wanted to wait until closer to the publication date. But...I couldn’t wait so here it is! Make sure to pre-order the book at the links above, and let me know if you’re excited!

So premise of this story is...we’re focusing on a BADASS LADY BOSS. Being one of the only girls out on the field, and especially in a higher level position in football takes a lot of balls, and that is what Charlie has. She is overcoming all the barriers and will not stand down to those that think that she isn’t capable. As the first female coach at this school, she has a lot to prove and no doubt, a plan to execute them. I was very, very excited to read the summary because in this day and age, I want to see more female empowerment. Charlie isn’t exactly a likeable person, but that makes sense given her background as the only female on the field, she has to grow a tough exterior. But we never saw a soft side to her that made us sympathize.

The way that Connor reacted to the situation was very immature. Like, dude, I get that you didn’t get a job, but stop being a dick (sorry for the wording here but it seems appropriate). Face the fact that a girl (OMG WHAT? A GIRL CAN DO THE SAME JOB AS A MAN??) got your ‘dream job’ but if you’re so hung up over this, maybe set your sights higher. So this is really a testament to the author’s writing, to be able to convey this and the douche-iness of the character. He was a little flat, though, as a character and kinda left more to be desired.

I like how the big upset in the plot wasn’t very predictable. There were a lot of ways that Suzanne Baltsar could have gone with the plot, but I feel like the way that it was executed was new and different, which is good. But the rest of the book was a little overdone, with them going back and forth over and over again.

The way the book ended left me wanting more. It wasn’t exactly like everything was resolved, and I was a little disappointed in the way that Baltsar left it. I give the book a 6/10 (3/5 stars). It was a good plot, but there was a little that left more to be desired, and a little more in depth wanted in the characters.

Such a fun romance read. The banter between Connor and Charlie made this book! I love their characters and the storyline of them being thrown together to coach the school football team it was so cute and so funny to watch them tug back and forth and then end up getting feelings for each other. I love enemies to lovers romances. The witty dialogue and fun characters made this book so easy and fun to read you can just fly through it! Perfect for a light read between bigger heavier books! Loved it!

Thank you Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this sporty romance. I admired Charlie's toughness and determination to prove that she can be a football coach despite the opposition. She was tough, fair and good at what she did. With that said I wasn't very convinced about the romantic elements of her relationship with Connor, the assistant coach. They often butted heads since he resented her for taking his job. it just felt random that they all of a sudden had the hots for each other. I guess they're romance needed more development. But it was a good read nonetheless.

After 8 years of waiting for the current head football coach to retire so that he can be promoted, Conner is furious when the job he thinks he deserves is given to someone else...and a woman, no less! A woman can’t be a decent football coach, right?! When he least expects it, Conner realizes that not only does Charlie know football, she may also know the way to his heart!

I finished Sidelined in one afternoon...couldn’t stop reading. I loved Conner and Charlie and their playful banter, but I also loved the secondary characters and the cast of strong women! The perfect mix of laugh-out-loud and heart melting moments!

Thank you to Gallery, Pocket Books and NetGalley for an opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sidelined will be published on August 27, 2019

I looked forward to reading this book after seeing the premise of the story. A women dealing with a position in a strongly male dominated environment sounds like a great read. I can’t put my finger on it but I did not find any of the main characters completely likable. They were nice. The banter was cute but something felt missing. I felt that they were a bit immature. Making out in a truck would have been ok if it had a funny consequence but at their age it just seemed out of place. Trouble with parents and other coaches was expected but it did not appear to go anywhere.

This was an enjoyable read that just fell a bit short of my expectations.

Such an enjoyable read! I was provided this ARC by NetGalley and Galley Books for an honest review. I LOVED it.
The author truly portrayed the roles of her characters with honesty, banter and competition as they work together with a failing high school football team. Charlie is competitive and has always felt she needed to prove herself and her talents in guiding players in sports. Charlie meet Connor who was supposed to have the job you applied for and won.. From their first contact, walls are erected and their defenses are up to prove they are worthy of their positions. Charlie comes from the south and brings her A game. She, indeed, has an outstanding understanding and strategy that proves she is worthy of being head coach. Connor and the other coaches fight to accept Charlie...…. and the games begin.

Grab this one.....Ms Baltsar is an author to follow.

Clean and wholesome romance for the women who enjoy football. Little drawn out, but a fun and light read.

*Received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Super fast read with characters' hate turning to love.
Charlie is hired as a high school football coach, but some people are upset because she's a woman and her dad is a big time college football coach. Connor, the assistant coach, believes that he should have gotten the job, so is resentful, but it's a romance so we all know where this is headed.
It was cute, but also talks about women empowerment and has a character with a disability. It's a perfect beach read. Plus The Little Giants is quoted in the acknowledgements and N'SYNC is mentioned a few times.

I expected a fluffy romance and that's what I got.

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to read this because I wanted a story about a woman succeeding in a position that discriminates against her because of her gender.

I liked how the main character stood her ground but honestly, both the leads are pretty badly characterized.

The protagonist was abrasive and overly eager to prove herself to the point of being desperate. She desperately needed the approval of her assistant coach, instead of wanting to show that she was capable for the position.

I wish that it had been written to show her defying peoples' expectations of her and not her wanting to prove herself to someone who opposes her.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m sure we’ve all come across a recipe at some point that sounded like an excellent combination of ingredients, but the final result was just...okay. You know it would be better if you added the right spice, but you can’t figure out what that spice is.

That’s EXACTLY how I felt about this book. Enemies to lovers? My fave. Sports? Nice! Realistic, likable characters? YES, please (teacher/coach - perfect!). It had several components that I typically love in a book, but I couldn’t help but feel that something was missing. Days later, I’m still at a loss for what that something was. This was a quick read, but to me it was just okay and needed a touch of that mystery spice.

Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was pretty excited to read Sidelined because I love sports and to see a woman in a "man's world" is empowering, especially when she kicks butt at it too. Charlie gets chosen to be the first female high school football coach in Minnesota. She has a great resume, really knows football, and truly deserves the job. Unfortunately, no one else in the good boy's club thinks so, especially not Connor. He felt he deserved the job especially over a girl. From the first day they meet, they butt heads. I had high hopes for this book but it ended up being a bit overwhelming. Charlie and Connors relationship that is. They go from frenemies to lovers but I felt they didn't have any chemistry, I didn't feel it. They would start to get along and you'd want to like their relationship but then another argument or disagreement. Charlie is a strong, independent woman but was very pushy and stubborn. Connor didn't know how to open up with his feelings and was also stubborn. I really wanted to love this story but I was disappointed, especially with the ending. I give this one 2 stars. 

I want to thank Netgalley for providing me an Arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was really special. Show casing a woman in a role that you do not see often. I really enjoyed reading the story all about how she was treated and the over arching meaning of doing what you love and what you are passionate about will get you through the tough times.

This story made me smile from the outset. A woman succeeding in a male dominated field is always put to the test and Charlie Gibb is experiencing it first hand. Good friends can be hard to come by and I enjoyed reading the friendships in this story. The "frenemy" banter between Charlie and Conner was fun and the increasing sparks between them were undeniable. A fun, light read!

I received a free ARC eBook from the publisher and NetGalley. The honest opinions expressed in my review are my own.

New author for me, but I would read anything by her again! Charlie and Connor are both strong characters whose past has shaped their view of life in all aspects: friendship, family, job, career, and relationships. As a female and top coach/trainer in the football arena, Charlie knows its an uphill battle. Her decision to leave home, working in a top notch football program under her Dad's legacy and guidance to take on a new challenge excites her.

Enter the coaching staff she inherits and there are a few choice words. She has to be tough to show the world what she is capable of accomplishing, sometimes to the detriment of her personal relationships. She has conflicting feelings for Connor, who feels he should have gotten the head coaching job.

But they both learn to admire and respect the characteristics that make them great coaches and in the meantime start a relationship. At Charlie's request their relationship is kept secret from the school staff and their friends. They soon realize that might not be the best decision. As all hell breaks loose on the football field we learn the true nature of these characters. Charlie makes amends with her dad and the ending had a bit of a surprise. Great all around read!