Book: Sidelined Souls by Sarah A. Bailey
Reviewed by Maggie Hayes
Rating: 4/5
Sidelined Souls by Sarah A. Bailey
⭐⭐⭐⭐¼ (4.25/5)
Archer and Allie PUT ME THROUGH IT with their right person, wrong time romance.
These are two people who deeply love each other but keep breaking their own hearts by insisting on friendship only, all in an attempt to make the other chase their dreams. It's noble and utterly heart-wrenching. They are genuinely best friends and clearly romantic soulmates. The dual timelines—showing them growing up together and in the present—were absolutely the right move, highlighting the way they have always been each other's person.
Archer, especially, stole my entire heart. I think he has dethroned August as my favorite Sarah A. Bailey MMC. His complete and utter devotion to Allie is the thing book husbands are made of. That's right—he is total husband material. He makes no secret of his belief that he and Allie will find their way to each other once they have achieved their respective dreams. I LOVE that he believes Allie's dreams are just as important as his, even as a teenager. He has an incredible maturity that goes well beyond his years. And he is totally DADDY.
I sympathized with Allie a lot. She is trying to live life without Archer because it's what they think is best, but it is clearly ripping her apart inside. Add in an accidental pregnancy, and her life is a disaster. I got a little frustrated with how she handled the pregnancy right after learning about it, but then I reminded myself that she is really young and feels alone in what she is going through, and it changed my attitude toward her. I love her complete lack of filter (she has some of the funniest lines) and her super-close relationship with her parents.
If the rest of the Celestia Cove series is as angsty as Archer and Allie's romance, I don't know if I will survive it!
Thank you to the author, Page & Vine, and NetGalley for providing an ARC.