Girl at Heart

'Girl at Heart' by Kelly Oram is a sweet, entertaining, easy read that any lover of YA romance will adore. Charlie Hastings, the main character, is the only girl on her high school's baseball team. Her dad, a former baseball player himself, is the only parent in her life since her mother died when she was six, and her best friends are all guys, so she doesn't know much about being a girl. When she decides she wants to learn how to embrace that part of herself, her whole being is called into question, especially by her best guy friend, Eric, on whom she is harboring a crush.

The unpredictability of the story was refreshing, as it wasn't abundantly clear how the relationships would pan out. While feeling out of place when her best friends react poorly to the idea of her even considering attending the prom, it hurts her. She can't understand why the mere thought of her in a dress would be so horrible to them. It hurts even more when Eric asks someone else to prom. All of these things together are enough for her to question who she is, and in doing so, she decides that maybe the team isn't for her. Yet, she finds a keen sense of understanding in her team captain, Jace, who has been harboring his own crush on Charlie for years. Jace is the stuff book boyfriends are made of – sweet, intelligent, and extremely attractive.

When Charlie confides in Jace about how she feels about always being seen as only the tomboy, he helps her find herself. When he brings his twin sister Leila into the mix, Charlie finds out just how much fun being a girl can be. This makes her friends – especially Eric – upset that she's changing, but she finds the process cathartic. Needing a push in a different direction is just what Charlie needed, and it satisfies her more than she ever thought possible.

'Girl at Heart' has a healthy mix of emotion, from pained to lovestruck, and it encapsulates so much of what people nowadays wish for but don't necessarily get. Everyone longs for something. This hope is what makes us human. If we would just reach out and try to take it, like Charlie does in this book, maybe we'd all be a little bit happier. If Charlie had only listened to her friends, she might never have found a part of herself that allowed her to learn and grow and gain new perspective. May everyone have such good fortune! A must read!

What I loved:

Just about everything. This was an adorable YA Contemporary Romance with a surprisingly well-rounded main character. Charlie's relationship with her father felt sweet and real. Watching her form her first female relationship equally so.

The plot was fun and right on par with the genre, all culminating in that HEA we all know and love from Oram.

Where I Wanted More:

I could have used just a little more from nearly all of the side characters, but they were entertaining and served their purposes perfectly well.

Overall:

This is a perfect feel-good, pick-me-up, perfect for a long, sleepless night or a rainy day kind of book.

I know better than to start a Kelly Oram book at bedtime. I know better, yet I do it with every release. The lack of sleep was worth it. Girl at Heart is Kelly Oram's first release in over two years, and it is perfect! I have never picked up one of her books and not had a smile at the end. Girl at Heart broke my heart, put it back together, and reminded me of the sweet butterflies that come with first kisses and first loves.

“As the daughter of a successful Major League pitcher, Charlie Hastings has baseball in her blood.” This first line of the blurb says it all. Charlie is a catcher, top in her league as her team enters the playoffs. She’s happy with this life, but as a senior in high school, she knows the likelihood of playing in college is low. Baseball is a boys’ sport. She isn’t bitter about it, she accepts it. But she is now having a bit of an identity crisis. She’s always been just one of the boys, her three best friends are boys, and they treat her like a boy, not a girl. But Charlie is a girl, she just doesn’t have anyone to show her the girly things in life. When her secret crush on her best friend is (for lack of a better word) crushed, she’s ready to throw in the towel. Then enters the team captain Jace King.

Jace isn’t like Charlie’s friends. He’s kind and empathetic. As the older brother of four sisters (I think that’s the right number), he gets girls and understands Charlie’s dilemma. Not to mention he may be harboring his own crush. I love Jace. He is exactly what Charlie needs when her world seems to fall in on itself.

The plot of this one reminds me a lot of the movie She’s All That. Now Charlie isn’t the shy nerd from that movie, but the transformation and how her friends react to it are similar. Like all of Kelly Oram's books, Girl at Heart explores the emotions and struggles of the character in a realistic, natural way. I knew Charlie, she felt real. I cried with her, laughed with her, and shared her joy as she discovered herself. I may have even fell in love with the King boy. Shhh…don’t tell Brian ?

Overall I love Girl at Heart. I read it in one sitting and really want to pick it up and read it again. Set in the same world as Robin Daniel’s One of the Girls, it makes for a fun tie-in to the others at Roosevelt High. Not only do you have a cameo from that series, there is at least one easter egg from Kellywood, and I may have squealed and giggled as Charlie learns to do in this one. What makes this book stand out above her others is the relationships that Charlie establishes. Not just with Jace, but with Leila and her dad. I love how well built and real they feel. If you enjoy YA contemporary or you’re looking for a fun, sweet romance, I highly recommend you grab a copy of Girl at Heart.

**This review first appeared on Mom with a Reading Problem. To see it and other reviews, visit https://www.momwithareadingproblem.com