This book was eye opening. I knew a bit of how pro-sports work and how difficult it is for women in them, but reading this really cemented what I thought. I was appalled at what Blake had to go through and the treatment she received from her boss of all people. They are supposed to lift you up and help you succeed and instead they set her up for failure. I think almost every female can relate to things that Blake had to face and conquer. It's a great read.

I was excited to read this book as it's all about a female journalist who has joined a football team to report on that coverage. But right from the beginning she is being singled out with the bus and not being allowed to go in the locker room. I was hoping for more from this book and I just felt it was the same ole everyday thing with the bosses treating employees like garbage. It also gave an insight to how the NFL works but that's common knowledge that they are like that if you just watch the sport. I hope others like this book but this book wasn't for me.

Thank you to netgalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my opinion and review. I will not be posting my review anywhere else.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book. I really enjoyed the insights as to what goes on in professional sports. I appreciate the authors viewpoint of discrimination and favoritism. I love that the main character had friends on the inside who held her up and supported her.

Blake is fresh out of school and has landed her dream job as a sideline reporter for an NFL team in her hometown, Oklahoma City. She’s hit with double standards and sexism at every turn, and struggles to figure out how to effectively do her job, when being liked is a key piece. This was a really fascinating look behind the scenes of sports journalism, a world I previously knew nothing about. While Blake was a bit naive and immature at times – and made some poor decisions at times that made her less likeable – it was still a fascinating and speedy read that really shed light on how far women still have to come to succeed in male-dominated environments. I REALLY enjoyed this and highly recommend it; my star off is because the author has an odd habit of not using contractions in dialogue (e.g., “I will do that” instead of the much-more-common-in-speech “I’ll do that”), which made the dialogue feel rather stilted.

Not a bad story, but not extremely unique or well-written. The main difference is the NFL setting. I didn’t feel that there was anything necessarily groundbreaking there as other novels have covered similar topics in other industries with more nuance.

Being a huge sports fan I thought this sounded like a entertaining read. And have zero doubt lost the stuff mentioned in this book happens in real life. The problem? It just isn’t written well. So much of this book feels like it was originally written as a novella that someone wanted to turn into a full novel. So they just were like “what can we add to the book” then they add it and then ask “so how many pages is it now? Crap still not enough. What more can we add.”

So much if it just seems to add nothing to the story, just a way to get from point a to point b. I felt no connection nor did I care about any of the characters. Only one I half way liked was Ryan and he’s just kinda cast aside never to be heard from again. Lol

Overall it was a ok read. Not horrible but not anything I’ll remember in a week.

Sideline Confidential by Brooke Bentley is the story of Blake as she tries to make her way as a professional reporter in the NFL. I enjoyed the peek inside an NFL team and sadly the sexism seems all too possible. I also appreciated the mentoring and support offered by another more experienced reporter though some of the access offered seemed a bit idealistic. All in all an entertaining read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. Sideline Confidential is available now.

Being an avid reader and a follower of many different sports, I found this attempt to portray the hardships and roadblocks encountered by women in sports journalism to be “tensionless” and, at times, juvenile in writing. All the stereotypes are included — misogynist bosses, “playboy” football players, a strong woman role model, and “beaten down” interns! It read as if it was written to be a Disney movie, not a sports drama.
Thanks to NetGalley and Greenleaf Publishing for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

So my husband worked for espn for a while and I always asked him what it was like from the female perspective and I love what this book brought to the table. I know it’s kind of fiction kind of not and I loved that about it. It also makes me hope for more female everything in sports newscasting. I loved this book

I loved this book which follows Blake Kirk, a female sports reporter fresh out of grad school, as she takes on her first big girl job as a reported for her home town football team. Like Blake, I also love football... the angst, the physicality, and the mind game of play design. I can only imagine how hard it is for a woman to break into that testosterone-fueled environment while also staying true to and sticking up for herself. The author Brooke Bentley is a former football reporter, so I like to think some of this fictional story is also influenced by her own story. Regardless, it felt very real. Blake is a likeable character. She is young and makes mistakes along the way but is smart and learns from them. She eventually learns to advocate for herself but in a way that is meaningful for all women and not just herself.

Ladies, this is a perfect book to kick off the college and pro football season this month! And if you're doing the Popsugar book challenge and struggling to find a book about an athlete or sport, Sideline Confidential would be a perfect book for that prompt even if you are not so sporty. Yes, it's about football, but it is also about being a woman in a historically man's world and finding yourself as you start your career.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Greenleaf Book Group Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

This book was spot on! To be a woman in a traditionally men’s world has always been tough. This book shows a true behind the scenes look. The characters are deep and easily connected to. My husband is Pittsburgh Sports Nation so I live sports 24/7. I was rooting for her the whole time! It also gave my husband and I great discussion points as he is a behind the scenes guy too. I read this book as a Net Galley ARC.

Blake is the rookie media journalist for Oklahoma City pro football. She’s the first female to work directly with the players and coaches. Her boss Johnny has strict rules for her that seems to make sense at first.

As each week passes, Blake sees the double standards for specifically her. She’s forced to go to a strip club with the media team of men but she’s not allowed to go into the locker room to interview players. She has to ride a separate bus from players and coaches.

She’s working early mornings until late at night. She’s living off coffee and Twizzlers. Blake has a few female mentors who work with the team. They encourage her and she works towards building strong relationships with them in order to build her career. They’re all aware of Johnny being the way he is and no one seems to care.

Except one day Blake decides to defy Johnny’s rules. She asks questions at press conferences without his permission. He practically screams at her. She doesn’t take it anymore and throws all the things he’s said or done back at him. He acts like he’s better than her. Bigger and stronger. Blake recorded the exchange on her laptop. And she later learns one of the media tapes was still recording.

It is rare for me to read even part of a book and pause to feel like I’m living the life of the main character. More than once I paused my reading and it took me a good half hour to get back into my reality. I totally give this 5 out of 5 tiaras!! Thank you so much NetGalley and Greenleaf Book Group Press for access to this work! Among my 2023 favorites!

This novel gave a behind the scenes look of what it’s like to be a female working for an NFL team. I’m not a huge football fan but I loved learning more about the people who work for the team and the team dynamics. I also enjoyed watching the main character navigate tricky dynamics with her boss and stand up for herself.

Sideline Confidential is a very thought provoking novel that gave great insight on the behind the scenes aspect of women working in media/communications in the football industry.

Blake Kirk works for a football team in the media/communications dept, and unfortunately was treated very differently because she is a woman working in a male-dominated field. She wasn’t held to the same standards as her male counterparts and we learn what she has to go through and the decisions that she must make in order to try to be seen and heard. It is so unfortunate what she has to go through and how she must silence her voice at times in order to keep her job.

This book is a must read!!

Sideline Confidential follows sports journalist, Blake Kirk as she embarks on her career in a male dominated field. Throughout the story, Blake experiences blatant sexism from her boss Johnny and expresses the hardships that women face in in the sports industry.

Overall, this book just wasn’t for me. I found the plot to be dull and the read very slow. Giving 3 stars because I think it touches on important topics of work place inequality, misogyny, and double standards.

Thank you to Brooke Bentley and NetGalley for the ARC 🫶🏼

Brooke Bentley did a phenomenal job! I’m so glad I read this book. It just proves how empowering women can be and this story can hype every woman up to follow their dreams and gain the respect they deserve.

Blake had it tough, but it didn’t stop her from performing her very best despite how much of a bully her boss, Johnny, was.
It can be a difficult time being the “outsider” and I was sympathizing with Blake throughout the whole book. I did not like how she was getting treated and if I could, I’d hop into the story and protect Blake at all costs!! But I already knew I wouldn’t be disappointed with how this story would end!

Brooke shared with us the realities of what women face today when it comes to the workplace or the general public overall. The fact that Brooke has experience in this scenario makes this book so real and relatable! She speaks the truth and her writing really touched me. Blake’s character was great and I loved her in the book so much!

Sideline Confidential is a must-read! I recommend it to everyone! It’s a genre I’m not used to reading, but it honestly made me really like this type of writing. It’s clean, full of truth, and encouraging. Please experience the beauty of this book for yourself if you haven’t already. Thank you, Brooke, for creating this masterpiece!!

I really enjoyed this book. Though it was a little predictable I was happy to find that it wasn't romance that got Brooke what she wanted. I enjoyed the building of the female friendship and overall this was a great read.

When I attended Steel Valley, a high-school in Pittsburgh, PA, I was a big Steeler fan and even became the first female "water boy." That spaked my dream of becoming a sports reporter. Thus, Brooke's account from behind the scenes resonated with me, evoking a mix of emotions.

Back then (1982) my high school counselor laughed at me when I told him the career I wanted to pursue and even went as far as talking to my parents to influence me to change my mind. I didn't pursue that career and after reading Brooke's story, I'm not sure I was really cut out for the challenges. However, the fact that those barriers still exist today is infuriating to me.

I hope that one day, everyone can dream big dreams and feel free to pursue them because no barriers exist!! That's the kind of inclusive world we all need and want.

Although this a fictional story, it has happened to many females and males as well.

So, basically, the premise for this book is about a young female journalist, Blake, who gets hired by a professional NFL franchise. Running the show is a high-ranking executive, Johnny.

He forbids her to go in the locker room for interviews, for the fear that she will distract the players. He has strict rules in place for her as well, like she can’t ask questions in post-game press conferences and anything she wants to post or do, has to go through him. He encourages her to go with coworkers to a strip club. Johnny left a note on her desk about how great she looks in pants. He also gives her a backstage pass to the country’s top country musician, and even thought she did have some drinks, she ends up sleeping with that country musician. Johnny suspends her for that, but yet, when the boys sleep with ladies, nothing happens, but a praise.

Blake does have two strong key female allies; one works for the league and the other is a co-worker. That co-worker is the girlfriend of the star wide receiver.

He treats her much differently than then most of the males in the book. Some of the male characters do stick up for her. But, ultimately, in the end, something does happen between Blake and Johnny, and it gets publicized everywhere.