Women succeeding in a male-dominated industry without question is an ongoing theme in today’s society, which can be a struggle for some, if not most. The sparks between Connor (one of Blake’s best friends in Baltsar’s prior novel Trouble Brewing) and Charlie, the new female head coach of the high school football team that’s got something to prove, are undeniably raw, their chemistry real. They’re clearly just normal people (other than the fact that Charlie was a badass women’s football player), which makes this romantic story not only believable, but also relatable.

It’s always nice when the author can convey the perspectives of both the guy and girl in a way that’s not repetitive, or annoying (for lack of a better word). I personally enjoy Baltsar’s writing style, the short chapters, the fluidity of the storyline, and the clear development of the characters. If you’re looking for an easy, fun read, with a side of woman power, then Sidelined is for you.

4/5 ⭐️

I loved the concept of this story and was excited to see how it all played out. A female football coach fighting her way through what is still considered a man’s world. All in all it was just okay for me. The story really did not grip me and there were times I almost did not finish. I wanted so hard to find the story or characters relatable and I just could not. I encourage others to read his book because it may be just the motivation they are looking for and it turns out to be one their favorite reads.

Sidelined by Suzanne Baltsar introduces Charlotte “Charlie” Gibb, the daughter of a legendary Georgia Tech football coach, and a great former player in her own right. After a successful college career and trip through the Independent Women’s Football League (the real deal - a tackle football league for women, check them out), Charlie is looking to break from her father’s shadow and coach on her own accolades. Any school would kill for male coach with this kind of resume, but the unfortunate brand of sexism that plagues football means that she’ll have to prove herself in a much smaller market. Taking the head coaching job at a struggling Minnesota high school, Charlie ends up turning heads in both good and bad ways. One of these bad ways as you might expect, lies with the other members of the coaching staff. Connor McGuire, Offensive Coordinator for “The Otters” was seemingly a sure thing for the new head coach opening, but alas Charlie won the gig much to his chagrin. Connor, by his own admission, isn’t sexist out in the real world, he’s fine with the ladies getting the vote and all, but football?! There’s just no way this is going to work. How can high school boys possibly be coached by a woman with such...feminine features? Clearly it’s going to be a rough season, but who’s going be the one to crack first?

From the outset, the novel is equal parts hard hitting sports fiction, and slow burn romance, and I mean a VERY slow burn, mind you. Charlie’s coaching style is tough as nails, and rightfully so. If she’s going to succeed in a “man’s world” like big time football, there’s no room for her to take any guff. Getting the coaching staff, players, but most importantly Connor on side is no easy task, and some pleases and thank-you’s from a pretty face aren’t going to cut it here. In classic sports movie fashion Charlie's team starts to come together, and the former laughing stock of a school enters the state playoff discussion. With a healthy amount of football jargon and high intensity moments, the sporting elements of the novel are worth the price of admission alone. But at its core, this is still a romance novel.

As the season progresses, Charlie and Connor develop a relationship from enemies, frenemies, strong co-workers, to finally being lovers. What starts with Charlie frankly bullying the hard-headed Connor into submission, both characters develop quite nicely when things settle down. Connor learns that gender is a non-factor when it comes to football knowledge, and Charlie learns that there's more to Connor than meets the eye. Some of the better non-football elements of the novel are with the mutual friends the pair hangout with between games. The proceedings have the feel of the very best parts of a good Hallmark Channel film, without the cheesy predictability weighing it down. Neither the football or the romance elements play out exactly the way you might think, despite the objective happy ending that finally graces the characters at the novel's conclusion. Despite the unique setting and character elements, the story plays out in a satisfying fashion with solid developments and exciting moments to case around the football team and the romantic partners alike.

Verdict: Sidelined by Suzanne Baltsar is an addictive sports/romance novel that shares equal parts of each element to produce a satisfyingly complete story. The author knows football, and the story makes no compromise even though enjoyment won't require the reader having a full understanding of the ol' game of pigskin. Within these pages, there's indeed something for everyone. I suppose the only real problem with the story is how much it still feels like fiction. It's high time something of this nature goes into mainstream practice in the real world. Well...the coaching part of it I mean. Dating your subordinate, let's try to keep that part solely in the world of this wonderful piece of fiction.

Game on!

Special thanks to Gallery Books for supplying a review copy of Sidelined to TehBen.com. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sidelined by Suzanne Baltsar is the story of Charlotte “Charlie” Gibb, who gets the position of head football coach at a high school in Minnesota, much to the chagrin of the existing coaching staff, especially the offensive coordinator Connor McGuire. Charlie has to navigate being the coach to a group of high school boys who don’t have much respect for her, parents who don’t believe she can do her job, and a coaching staff who wanted someone else to get the job. But Charlie is determined to prove her worth, on and off the field.

I thought this book was a fun, cute read. I like the way that Charlie was handling the situations that arose from being a woman in her job. The book didn’t shy away from an accurate description of being a woman in a male dominated space, which I appreciated. I thought that Charlie and Connor were pretty well-rounded characters, and enjoyed the supporting cast of friends as well. I was just as invested in the football storyline as I was in the romance plot. The ability of the character to acknowledge and then battle with their own emotional shortcomings was refreshing. Overall, I enjoyed this book and would read more by Suzanne Baltsar.

ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for honest and thoughtful review.

When Connor doesn't get his dream job as the high school football coach, he's forced to endure the media spectacle of the school hiring a female head coach, a first, which leads to building resentment toward the new coach, Charlotte "Charlie" Gibb. Connor quickly realizes that Charlie is the real deal and knows football, but he still has a hard time supporting her even though he is quickly becoming attracted to her. Their relationship is put in jeopardy when Charlie is fired, and Connor is given her job. Can they overcome their differences or will their relationship be sidelined?

"This wasn’t about proving anything to anyone. I didn’t care what people thought of me anyway. I’d been raised in the game. I was good at the game. I just wanted to do what I was best at."

Charlie finally has her dream job of new head coach at Douglass High School in Minneapolis, but as she expected, not everyone was happy with it. 

"It was equally irritating and ironic that the players and their guardians had come to know me as the de facto coach. I’d expected—hell, everyone had expected—me to get the job."

Connor was angry they gave the head coach job to a woman and daughter of Lloyd Gibb, head coach at Georgia Tech. The job he should have received.

I chose to read my first Suzanne Baltsar book because I was interested in how a female football coach would fair in a male-dominated sport.

This enemies to lovers story is told from Charlie's and Connor's perspectives. The hostile and flirtatious banter between them made me cringe and laugh at the same time. Charlie's potty mouth is a hoot and found it refreshing she said what she felt. 

It was definitely a unique storyline that I couldn't put down. The characters are relatable not only with their strengths but with their vulnerabilities as well. My Gram had a lot of similar Southern sayings as Charlie's Gram which brought back a lot of good memories for me.

An enjoyable read with an interesting plot and badass female characters. 

Thank you to Ms. Baltsar, Gallery Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book with no expectations of a positive review given.

This was only okay for me. I enjoyed reading it for sure and didn't consider not finishing it, but it wasn't something I'd gush over or that would be at the top of my list of must-read recommendations.

A new to me author. One that I would definitely read again. I enjoyed this book, but there were a few things that I didn’t enjoy. I loved the idea of the plot female empowerment, a few male in a mans world. And all that was great I knew there would be struggles and Charlie did great dealing with them even if she was a little exasperating a few times.

I enjoyed the hate to live relationship with Connor, their banter was fun to read. I just wished that Connor came around a little quicker, I didn’t feel like he was as honest as a Hero should be.

Overall, it was good read with a great ending.

What an enjoyable story Sidelined was. Suzanne Beltsar wrote a smart and sassy story that was funny in places, serious in others but a very pleasant surprise from a new-to-me author.
Charlie had to have a chip on her shoulder being a woman in a man's world. She's made a name for herself in spite of who her father is. But, she is seriously afraid that hiring her was a publicity stunt. No one is behind her except for the athletic director and the principal so she has her work cut out for her bringing the Otters from the worst team in the league to a play-off team. Now, to see where she fits in Minneapolis. She was never any good at making friends so doesn't expect Sonja and Piper coming at her like a train.
Connor couldn't believe that he didn't get the Head Coach position and now he has to put up with a woman telling him how to do his job. On top of it all, she's infiltrated, not only the locker room but his circle of friends. He can't seem to get away from her. But, there is a part of him that respects her and she is very easy on the eyes. She is not what he expected … she knows her stuff … she's sexy as hell and he can't get enough of her or her attitude.
The banter between Charlie and Connor was unbelievable. They were funny on and off the field. They knew how to push the other's buttons. They couldn't help but fall in love since they were so much alike. I loved how Connor called her his pain in the ass but said it with so much love that you couldn't help but smile.
Suzanne Beltsar really wrote some wonderful characters. Not only were Connor and Charlie a pleasure to read but the supporting characters were wonderful as well. I loved the female empowerment that all her female characters exuded. They were strong, independent women who knew what they wanted in life and went after it with guns blasting. I loved her writing style, her knowledge of football and the way she built the plot. You knew the ending would be explosive and she didn't disappoint me in the least.

Girls can be badass, dominate in a man's world and still be feminine enough to find love! Charlie finds friends that she never knew she needed but so glad she did. She finds out you can have it all great job, good friends, and your true love!

Daughter of a well-known college football coach, Charlie Gibb wants to prove that she got to where she was without the help of her father’s reputation. Accepting a job as a physical education teacher and coach of a highschool football team, Charlie thinks she’s finally found a way to do just that. The position as head coach is her chance to do what she does best - the game.

Moving from Atlanta to Minnesota, Charlie discovers that she’s taken the job from someone who doesn’t think she deserves it - Connor McGuire. Connor thought he had his dream job in the bag and now he believes that it’s been handed to Charlie because of her father.

In this adult, contemporary romance by Suzanne Baltsar, sparks fly - on and off the field - as Charlie Gibb and Connor McGuire bicker and squabble right into each other’s arms. Sidelined is a sweet romance with an underlying message about the struggles women face. It features strong, supportive female characters who hold each other up instead of viewing one another as competition.

I really enjoyed these characters and their relationships but I think my favourite thing was the juxtapose of who people think Charlie is and who she really. I think everyone expected her to be either very masculine or very feminine but she pampered herself and talked about her feelings and stood up for herself even when others told her that she shouldn’t. It was refreshing to have a character who wasn’t a “tomboy” stereotype. Watching her dominate and hold her ground was the best thing about this book.

However, there were a couple of things I didn’t like that, in the end, earned it three stars from me instead of five. Something about Connor rubbed me the wrong way. I can see that his ideals were mostly from his upbringing in a very patriarchal sport and town but, even when Charlie proved herself to be the real deal, he continued to question her. He didn’t stand up for her when he should have. He just wasn’t the kind of guy I would have chosen as a love interest. I can’t decide if that was maybe the point since Baltsar spent a great deal of time showing how different Charlie was from what you expected or not. I also did not enjoy the way it ended. Charlie was an excellent coach and should have been given her job back. Giving her the job of athletic director was a total cop-out.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this book. The characters were interesting. The writing was witty and romantic. And, as someone who doesn’t know a thing about football, this was relatively easy to keep up with. I only had to ask my husband what something meant a couple times. If you enjoy sporty romance novels, Sidelined by Suzanne Baltsar is just the read for you!

I tried several times to get into this book but unfortunately I just never connected with it. It was well written with a refreshing concept, I just never felt felt captivated the way I needed to be. At some point I just started skimming and came away feeling indifferent.

Even though I haven't read the first book in this series, it was easy to follow. I still enjoyed this book. Not only about gender inequality, this story dealt with other issues whilst having a sports element to the storyline.

What a fun, empowering romance! As a former jock in what used to be a male-dominated sport, I appreciated what Charlie faced as she began her career as a head coach of a high school football team. She had all the right qualifications but faced all the ignorance. Thankfully, she quickly won over her rival Connor, despite the fact he'd wanted that head coach position. He might have been angry at the loss of position, but he was quick to recognize talent... and his attraction to her. Sparks fly from the friction between these two, and it's satisfying to watch them fall for each other. Bonus for all the actual football throughout the book.

I have read a lot of romance novels in my day and none have been so empowering for women as this one. I absolutely loved the entire book. I laughed, I cried, I felt empowered...Sidelined made me want to unleash my inner baddy and let it shine.

Coach Charlotte "Charlie" Gibb is just a bad ass (can I say bad ass in a review?). Her entire life has been an uphill battle because of her gender. She has spent all of it pushing the fold as a player, as a daughter, as a coach. Men don't like her because she is good at what she does. Most women don't accept her because they assume she isn't feminine enough. All of this forces Charlie to be in her own box.

Honestly, Charlie shines in her own box. She rolls with the punches. She stands up for herself. She is tough and fierce and motivating. The more I read the more truly amazing Charlie became.

The banter between Carter and Charlie is priceless. Their pushing and pulling causes so much sexual tension. Their banter is just enough to not be overwhelming, too. When they fight, readers won't know if it will end it a kiss or with one walking away. I'm not sure Carter and Charlie even know!

As a first time reader, I am impressed. So very impressed by the works of Suzanne Baltsar. Her one liners about the opposite sex had me in hysterics. Charlie had me inspired. Once finished, I immediately added Trouble Brewing to my TBR shelf. I can't wait to read Sonja and Bear's story too.

I LOVE football romances, unfortunately Sidelined was just not for me. I had a hard time getting into the story and characters. I was really excited to see an author write about a woman trailblazing into a man's profession!

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.