The Sidelined Wife: does she get back in the game or does she stay on the sideline?

The Sidelined Wife is the first book in the More than a Wife series by Jennifer Peel. Samantha Higgins heard her husband’s conversation by accident through his car’s bluetooth and now she is divorced and at loose ends. She writes on a blog post that goes viral and she reinvites herself as The Sidelined Wife. Life becomes a bit more interesting when her younger brother’s best friend, Reed Cassidy, moves back to town as her son’s new head football coach. Reed was an adolescent annoyance and has harbored a crush for Samantha for years. However, Samantha isn’t looking to date, not even the attractive younger man. As she navigates the single life, Reed makes her wonder if she wants back in the game or if she prefers the sidelines. 

The premise of the book was intriguing that I was excited to dive in. However, from the get go, I was annoyed by Samantha. Her internal monologues were annoying and eyerolling. Her constant complaining about the unfairness of not being represented in the name of the family business, her grandmother’s scorn for her divorce, and how horrible Reed was in the past. Her grandmother throwing holy water on her was supposed to be a funny gag but I cringed and rolled my eyes from the first time it happened. I did like the relationship between Samantha and her teenage son. The romance between Samantha and Reed was disappointing. Her constant worrying about their age difference was tiresome. Overall, I did not enjoy this story. I will not be continuing the series. I do not recommend The Sidelined Wife. 

The Sidelined Wife is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook