REVIEW: First Step Forward by Liora Blake

First Step Forward by Liora Blake is an entertaining read, filled with charming characters and plenty of humorous moments.

Cooper Lowry is a seasoned football player. All he knows is the game and he can’t imagine his life without football. When Cooper ends up with a concussion from their most recent game, he heads to the pharmacy for some Epsom salts and meets a free-spirited woman who lends him a hand.

Whitney Reed is only in town to secure a bank loan to save her organic fruit orchard. When the loan officer turns her down she heads back home, but not before giving Cooper a jar of her apple butter. The two exchange names and professions and not much else. When Cooper’s trainer tells him to get out of town for a bit and get some much needed rest, he tracks down Whitney. To say Whitney is surprised to see Cooper, is an understatement. He claims he needs more of her apple butter but that’s not all he ends up getting.

“What don’t you understand about ‘I have a concussion’? Then you go and punch me?”
“Exactly. You should have said something about that – oh, I don’t know – eight flipping hours ago! Instead, you spend all this time giving me a bunch of hot, smoldering looks while manspreading your way around my house, and I’m thinking there’s going to be some wocka-wocka action between us. But the whole time you knew nothing could happen.” She lands another gnat-like swing. ‘Which makes you a tease, Cooper Lowry.”

Whitney and Cooper decide to give into their attraction for one another and get to know each other better. Whitney doesn’t look at Cooper as her meal ticket, and that’s uncharted territory for Cooper. All women see when they look at him is money and fame. Even when he finds out how bad her farm is doing, she never asks for a thing.

I enjoyed both characters. Cooper and Whitney are both stubborn characters and neither is looking for love, but it sneaks up on them regardless. There is a thing in the beginning of the story right after Whitney leaves, where Cooper sleeps with a nameless woman because he can’t get Whitney out of his head, that didn’t set well with me, but in his defense he didn’t think he would see her again and he really is a good guy.

Overall, this story was enjoyable and I really appreciated the witty banter between the characters. There was never a dull moment with these two. If you enjoy heartwarming romances and/or sport romances, this is for you!

Book Info:

Publication: November 29th 2016 | Pocket Books | Grand Valley #1

Pro-football player Cooper Lowry is off the field and into some trouble—in the form of a very alluring, very free-spirited apple orchard owner named Whitney Reed—in the first installment in Liora Blake’s all new Grand Valley series.

After eight seasons playing pro-football, Cooper Lowry knows all the right answers.

Is he stubborn, short-tempered, and impatient? Yes. Are jersey chasers more trouble than they’re worth? Absolutely. Has he ever imagined a life beyond the game? Nope.

Cooper has built an enviable career—the result of staying focused, working hard, and keeping his head on straight—even as his body takes the brunt. So when a hard hit during a Sunday home game leaves him in a dazed heap on the field, it’s nothing more than another day at the office. The only thing that’s different about this Sunday is a chance encounter with a certain fascinating, beautiful free-spirited woman. And some sternly-worded instructions from his coach to take a little time off and give his body the TLC it craves—before he does lasting damage.

Whitney Reed is a few months away from losing the organic fruit orchard she bought three years ago in the tiny town of Hotchkiss, Colorado. At the time, she was just looking for a place to get lost. Instead, she found a home, somewhere she could finally put down roots. Now foreclosure is knocking on her door—along with a grumpy, gorgeous football player who might be just what she never knew she needed.

A charming love story for romance and sports fans alike, First Step Forward is a sexy, heartwarming romp perfect for readers of Jennifer Probst, Kristan Higgins, and Julie James.