Catching Jordan

Jordan Woods is the captain and quarterback of her high school football team in Franklin, Tenn. (“I mean, obviously I think Justin Timberlake is a megahunk, but I’m also over six feet tall and can launch a football fifty yards,” she boasts). Jordan single-mindedly pursues her dream of getting a football scholarship to the University of Alabama until Ty, a hot quarterback from Texas, moves to town and throws her off her game. In addition to Jordan’s instant crush on the new competition, her father (a starting NFL quarterback) won’t come to her games; she is under the scrutiny of recruiters; and her longtime best friend is in love with her. When Jordan breaks her own rules and starts dating Ty, she must re-evaluate her priorities. Jordan’s team’s wholesale acceptance of a female quarterback strains credibility, but debut author Kenneally does a solid job of depicting Jordan’s conflicted emotions, the pressure she is under, and her testy relationship with her father. Despite the gridiron setting, this is at its heart a romance—most of the action and drama takes place off the field. Ages 13–up. (Dec.)