by Mary Van Winkle

A Romance, Independently Published in 2026, 433 Pages 

What I Didn’t Like:

• The dialogue is a bit clunky and unnatural. Especially in the beginning, it’s not reflective of the way people speak.
• Call it a content warning if you must. This is a ssslllooowww slow burn. These two take a long time to realize their feelings and even longer to admit to them. 
• Some weird jumps. Within a chapter, heck on the same page, we sometimes take big jumps in time or location without warning or formatting change. It’s jarring. 

What I Did Like:

• The jump forward was necessary and well done. When I started this book I worried they’d be those ages for a long time. I’m really glad it flashed forward. 
• The enemies to lovers thing was well done. The readers understand what happened but also completely believe these two genuinely hate each other. It doesn’t read like a fake “we hate each other” but more realistic. 
• The ending works. Cute and believable. 

Who Should Read This One:

• Sports romance fans who don’t mind a slow burn.

My Rating: 3 Stars