Sunday 24 July 2016

BLOG TOUR & GIVEAWAY: From the Sideline (The Wake-Up Series Book 2) - Amy Avanzino



After losing her marriage, life savings, and waistline, Autumn Kovac is terrified of being hit by more heartache. So when her only child decides to try out for the football team, the overprotective, sports-illiterate mom has a near phobic reaction. But Zachary hasn’t smiled since his father left, and she’s desperate to make him happy (and doing nothing and hoping for the best hasn’t been working). She reluctantly enters a new world of youth competitive sports, full of overzealous coaches with Vince Lombardi dreams and fanatical parents trying to achieve vicarious glory.

Unexpectedly, Autumn begins transforming within this strangely addictive new culture, finding her voice, facing her past, tackling her fears…and uncovering the secret that’s been keeping her from her son. After meeting her ideal catch, she finds herself back in the dating game and discovers some fierce competition of her own. Will Autumn make it off the sideline? Can the underdog finally win? 

What did I think?

A bit like Autumn Kovac, I didn't know the first thing about American Football although I certainly got into the excitement of the game through Amy Avanzino's enthusiastic writing.

Autumn is a single-mom just trying to do the best for her son Zachary.  When Zachary shows an interest in joining the football team, Autumn puts on her best cheerleader-mom face and takes him to the trials.  As the list goes up announcing who has been picked for the team, Autumn is all prepared to sympathise with Zachary but somehow he got picked.  Life as she knows it will never be the same for Autumn.

It's so easy to like Autumn.  She's an amazing Mom, doing everything she can to support her son - being both mother and father has taken it's toll and Autumn had, let's face it, let herself go.  As she commits to get fit with Zachary, you can really see her changing and she certainly catches the eye of a few men involved with the football team, but which one will win Autumn's heart and indeed which one wants to win it?

It was lovely to see Zachary gaining confidence as he progressed in the team.  I felt as if he grew up during the duration of the book as he can finally see everything that Autumn has done for him.  It's so hard for children of broken families but sport really helps in making them feel like an important part of team.  As the saying goes: it's not the winning, it's the taking part that counts.

From the Sideline is a really fun and heart-warming read; it's an amazing testament of a mother's love for her son.  Whether a child is from a single or two-parent family, I don't think it's ever really appreciated how much has been sacrificed or how much unconditional love has been given so freely.  From the Sideline isn't simply chick lit, it's empowering chick lit.

I received this e-book from the publisher, Henery Press, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am releasing my review as part of the blog tour and if you'd like the chance to win an e-book, I have a wonderful giveaway for you at the end of my post, courtesy of Amy Avanzino.

My rating:




Buy it from Amazon


About the author:

Amy Avanzino received a Bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley and a Master’s from the University of Washington. She is a former special education teacher who has spent the last several years writing and doing extensive hands-on research for her Wake-Up Series, the first of which is Wake-Up Call. She’s a contributing writer of Hap Scotch, a play performed at the 2008 Frigid Festival in New York, which won two Audience Choice Awards. Amy currently lives in the stands above the football fields, basketball courts, and baseball diamonds around Folsom, California with her husband and four children. 

Visit her at www.AmyAvanzino.com.



Amy is very kindly offering 2 e-books of Wake-Up Call and 2 e-books of From the Sideline.

For the chance to win one or both, enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below.  Open internationally.  Good Luck!

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