Coach by Devney Perry is live and it’s a 5-star read!
Oh, I love this book! A single dad sports romance, almost-second-chance, friends to lovers romance, it’s chock-full of some of my favourite tropes, with a hero that you cannot help but fall for, and a beautiful, functional, real romance that absolutely stole my heart. Devney Perry, you can do no wrong!
Amazon | Paperback
Blurb
A single dad, sports romance from Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author, Devney Perry.
Football star. Single dad. And once, a long time ago, mine.
I’ve spent the better part of a decade forgetting Ford Ellis. If he had just stayed away from Montana, I might have erased the memory of his striking blue eyes and rugged smile forever. Avoiding him was easy when the only place I saw his face was on ESPN—and a remote control could fix that problem.
Except my boss just hired Ford as the new head coach for the Treasure State Wildcats. Not only will I be stuck watching him on the sidelines this season, but avoiding him will be impossible now that we’re working together.
Maybe I haven’t forgotten Ford. Maybe I still dream about what we might have been. Maybe he hasn’t forgotten me either.
Except those maybes won’t change the fact that we were never meant to be. Maybe he was mine once. But as of today, the only thing I’ll be calling Ford Ellis is Coach.
Review
5 stars
Oh, I love this book! A single dad sports romance, almost-second-chance, friends to lovers romance, it’s chock-full of some of my favourite tropes, with a hero that you cannot help but fall for, and a beautiful, functional, real romance that absolutely stole my heart. Devney Perry, you can do no wrong!
Ford Ellis is an ex-NFL star whose career was cut short by injury, and he’s now uprooting his life to take up a position as coach of his old college football team. It’s a move across the country to Montana, which benefits his family as he is bringing his 9 year old daughter with him, and getting her away from her selfish, publicity-desperate mother. It’s a fresh start that they both need, and he’s excited for the opportunity, though he wasn’t expecting to be faced with a blast from the past.
Millie is the Assistant Athletics Director at Treasure State University. She loves her job, and she’s great at it, but she’s facing a whole heap of awkwardness with Ford coming on board. The two of them went to college together and were the best of friends. They had feelings for each other and were just on the cusp of becoming more, when Ford’s life was derailed and he left town, leaving Millie hanging. She’s not happy to see him, carrying a lot of hurt from their past, but Ford is shocked but thrilled, seeing this as his chance with the girl who got away.
Though not technically a second-chance romance, this book definitely has all the feels of one, and I was revelling in all of the built-up emotion, the chemistry of reconnection, and the epic, slow burning longing between these two. There is so much emotion, complicated by their messy past, and by the fact that there is a no-fraternisation policy at their workplace. So when all of that sexual tension becomes impossible to resist, we get a deliciously forbidden romance as well!
I loved watching Ford and Millie come together! Ford is such a sweetheart, and he holds absolutely nothing back in his pursuit of the girl he considers his. He’s open and honest, he’s beautifully understanding, and he’s all-in, and even though he’s sensitive to what she wants, I loved watching him chase her so determinedly.
“I don’t want to hurt you, Mills, I don’t know where this is going, but I’d like the chance to find out. If you’re up for it.”
It’s a gorgeous romance, which is sweet and so emotional, and also hot as all hell. There’s a lot of pent-up lust between these two, and they’re all over each other at every opportunity, which just adds to their effortless connection.
But they have to keep their relationship a secret, which may make it exciting for the reader, but it’s awful for them, and when combined with the fact that the Athletics Department is already recovering from a scandal, and somebody at work is clearly not happy with Ford being there, they have a difficult road ahead of them.
It’s a fun, steamy and emotional read, with just the right amount of drama to bring depth to the story without overwhelming it, and I loved every moment of watching Ford and Millie figure themselves out. They are smart and sensible grown-ups, there is so much love between them, and they are just beautiful together.
She’d be the last. The last woman I’d kiss until the end of my days. It was Millie. It always had been Millie.
There’s a great bunch of side characters introduced, and some potential there for spin-offs. Devney Perry hasn’t written off the possibility of making this a series, and if she does decide to treat us by revisiting this world, I will be all over it!
This is a great read, with all the feels, and I loved it!
5 stars!
An Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Treasure State Wildcats
Coach (#1) (Ford & Millie)
Review
Buy: Amazon
Blitz (#2) (Toren & Jennsyn)
Review
Buy: Amazon
Rally (#3) (Rush & Faye)
To be released 27 December
Pre-order: Amazon
Merit (#4)
To be released
About the Author
Devney is the USA Today bestselling author of the Jamison Valley series. She lives in Montana with her husband and two children. After working in the technology industry for nearly a decade, she abandoned conference calls and project schedules to enjoy a slower pace at home with her kids. She loves reading and, after consuming hundreds of books, decided to share her own stories. Devney loves hearing from readers! Connect with her on social media.
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