This book was cute but ultimately not for me. I like a bit more more mature relationships and this felt very young for me. Thank you for the early ARC!

I liked the idea behind the novel and the execution of that idea was impressive. The writing style was simple and effective and the overall flow of the story felt very smooth. I read this book in one sitting.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

I love second chance romances and this one was great. It was my first Blaufeld book and it definitely won't be my last!

I thought that this book had a good storyline and great, strong characters.

A little persuasion is needed to reconnect these two lovers and I loved seeing how the story unfolded.

It is a romantic and sexy story and very enjoyable.

It is 4 stars from me for this one – highly recommended!

This is a good book. The two main characters are James and Ford. They know each other all their lives. James is a project development for a hospital. Ford is a movie producer. They haven’t seen each other in over twenty years. There is an instant attraction. They each have issues but together they work them out and fall in love.

Absolutely loved this book!

Rachel you are amazing!

I was hooked throughout and couldn't put this book down.

Thank you for accepting my ARC request

I think this book had a really interesting premise, especially since I've never really read a romance novel with the protagonists over the age of 30. However, this interesting concept was overshadowed by characters (particularly Ford) that were so childish at times that it was really off-putting considering the entire plot is about how the two MCs are now in their forties and have finally matured enough to be with each other. The latter half of the story is largely devoted to Ford's mother and her crazy, obsessive antics, which become incredibly repetitive and uninteresting. I honestly would have preferred someone else to have been made the villain of the story. I really loved James and her character development felt natural. I can't wait to read Billy's story next!

I'm a sucker for a famous / celebrity romance and this was no exception. Add in the tropes - friends to lovers, second chance, cross country trip - and it gets even better. I felt the chemistry and connection between Jamie and Ford was a little lacking, and is something I always struggle with in second chance romances.

I wasn't expecting the live of steam with the cartoon cover but I'm not complaining! I loved the steam. A super quick read that I finished in one sitting. I'm looking forward to reading more of Rachel Blaufeld in the future!

3.5/5 stars!

Jamie Silver never quite belonged as a scholarship kid at a DC prep school. Now all grown up and a hospital administrator, she is still finding her life dictated by the extremely wealthy people she's been raised around her whole life.  Her one great love, Ford Conway III, was never going to be hers and after an uncomfortable morning after in college. When he literally stumbles into her at the hospital, she realizes that his father is in the hospital at the end stages of his life.  Ford has done all he can to separate himself from his family. As a Hollywood producer, he tends to call the shots. Now back home watching over his father, he finds himself under the control of his mother and his politically minded family.  Jamie is all grown up and Ford has noticed. He wants a second chance, no matter what his mother has to say about it. 

The Back Nine is a cute second chance mystery, but definitely one that relies on the fact that Ford makes bank and is able to bankroll the whole experience. Still, its a cute book and fun to read. The characters are older and more solid in their beliefs and personalities. Still, I found myself wondering how Ford could just sit back and let his mom cause so much chaos in his life. 

The Back Nine is now available.

This had such good second-chance romance potential, but fell a little flat for me. I felt like Ford and Jamie’s relationship was genuine to them, but we were left out of it because their interactions all felt a little flat. It was just hard to connect with them as characters, even with the dual-POV.

I liked seeing how they both came to terms with how their lives would change if they were together. It was hard to see them acting like teenagers hiding from Ford’s mom when they’re both middle-aged! Their age was addressed so often but their behavior didn’t reflect it at all, and that made it hard to see them as the adults they’re supposed to be.

I love a good second chance romance and this one gave me all the feels! Throw in older characters trying to figure out life and some opposites attract and I was sold. Highly recommended! Much thanks to NetGalley and the author for a early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

this book was sooo good! this is my first book by Rachel Blaufeld and i really liked her writing style! i loved their relationship and watching all of the characters develop. i liked how this was an older couple and i really really liked jamie! my only complaints are about how sometimes the writing made the book very confusing to read. i also wish we could’ve seen a deep connection between the two. overall, this was a very good book and definitely recommend!

This was my first time read this author and I really enjoyed this story. Its a wonderful second chance at romance with an older couple. Jamie and Ford grew up together and had one special night when he ran away and she didn't hear from him for 20 years. That is until his dad is sick and she works in the same hospital.

I loved Jamie so much. She was not rich but she was smart and she had self confidence and she was a go getter. Ford on the hand at times was immature and came from money and he ends up running away to Hollywood. It took a while for me to like Ford but by the end of the book I loved him.

If you like an older couples second chance at romance then you will love this book.

3.5 stars

I requested The Back Nine by Rachel Blaufeld from Net Galley because I noticed it was about an older couple, which is my favorite now that I’m in my fifties, and I enjoyed the other book I read by her.

Ford and James (Aka Jamie) were close childhood friends even though they were from opposite sides of the track. Ford’s nanny was best friends the Jamie’s mom, so the kids played together all the time. James always crushed on Ford, but she was poor, a little chubby and had frizzy curly red hair, and she never felt good enough for Ford’s upper class family.

They spent one amazing night together the night they graduated college, then Ford ghosted her. For 20 years.

Now he’s back in town because his dad is in the hospital, and who does he run into? Jamie. He almost doesn’t recognize her because she slimmed down and straightened and dyed her hair. But he remembers, and he wants his old James back
“Aren’t we a little old for that?”
“You need to cut it out with that. We’re not too old for anything… Is there a rule book?”

Ford is a famous Hollywood producer, no kids. His sister Billy is a famous actress, no kids. James is a hospital administrator, no kids. So it kind of feels like none of them has a lot of baggage, except for Ford’s mom, who is completely horrible, and it bothered me that Ford tolerated her at all. We learned very little about the intervening 20 years, so I never really felt that passage of time, felt them missing big chunks of each other’s lives.

Likes:
•I love an older couple.
•I really loved Jamie.
•Her friend Val.
•I’m intrigued by Billy’s story.
•Spicy scenes that included her insecurities about her age and weight.

Dislikes:
•In real life I love boy’s names for girls, but every time I read ‘James’ and ‘Billy’ my brain did a little skip and I had to think about it for a second. This never went away for me, and it pulled me out of the story every time.
•I sometimes had trouble following who was speaking, it needed some more ‘she said’/‘he said’.
•None of these people in their forties seem to have kids or much personal baggage at all.
•There was very little discussion of the 20 years they missed and I felt like I never really got to know them.
•OMG Ford was such a pussy with his mom, and Jamie kept taking him back.

The Down & Dirty:
I enjoyed The Back Nine by Rachel Blaufeld. It’s rare to find books about older couples and I so appreciate when an author writes a sexy one. I’m curious to read Billy’s story, and I hope that’s next, because I will grab it.

Rating: 3.5 Stars, 4 Flames

This book was cute and so much fun. My rating is actually a 3.25 - it just had something lacking to make it a 4 but overall I did enjoy this book and liked the writing style. I didn't fee
connected to the characters, but still enjoyed their story nonetheless.

The Back Nine by Rachel Blaufeld was just ok for me. While I enjoyed the book, it wasn't a favorite. This story follows two high school friends rekindling their relationship. The relationship happened fast between Jaime and Ford making it unbelievable. Overall a decent story.

I enjoyed this book but I did not love it. This story followed two high school friends in their journey to rekindling their relationship. For me, the speed in which Jamie & Ford get together seemed a bit hard to believe. I also wish the character development for Ford had happened earlier in the book. I felt the story was a little repetitive with Ford messing up, Jamie taking him back and then them making up. Overall a cute story though!

The Black Nine is the first book in her 40s, Love, and Romance series. When I heard this was a middle aged friends to lovers romance who are reacquainted years later, I couldn't wait to pick this one up. As childhood friends, they both know intimate and secrets with one another. Even though years passed and they have grown up, Jamie's heart doesn't care and he still loves her. Will they discover happiness and finally get together after all these years?

Thank you to the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Back Nine
by Rachel Blaufeld


Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: romance, women's fiction

Gah, I hate that category, we're way past times when only women read books like this.

Got that off my chest so on to the book ;-) I love Rachel's writing, and was really excited to see a story with characters in their forties.
Jamie, she's lovely, worked so hard to get where she is despite her background, and she's now in a career where she's much admired, respected and she loves. Shes a few close friends, and seems to be doing OK in life, especially after a short lived disastrous marriage. She's the kind of MC I can really get behind, empathise with, want a happy ending for.
Ford treated her shamefully, after being such close friends when they were teens. His actions then mirror his actions now in my view, he's scared to face up to his parents, his background, to say what he wants out of life. Even as a grown man he's still a coward. You can tell already cant you, that I think he's just not good enough for Jamie ;-) But sigh....she wants him again when they accidentally bump into each other.
As usual the writing is excellent, the characters well fleshed out, feel so real. I love a good b itch character like Ford's mother, they add such drama and emotion to a story. She really was a Queen B. Horrible as she was she was a favourite character for me, I love people like her in a story, we see them ever day in life, so in stories where they can get knocked back it makes me feel good!
Its a interesting read, steamy and spicy without being OTT, I want story not just pages of sex ;-) and sadly too many novels are sex first with just a thin plot line carrying through. That's fine for some but not what want. I need a strong story that authors like Rachel deliver.
So overall I was thinking this was a three for me but, as ever Rachel's writing is solid, its a great story, fabulous characters, it was just Ford that let it down so maybe my first thoughts three is too harsh. It was great to get older characters, lovely to have a solid “bad” person, I love the dichotomy of rich v poor backgrounds and the issues that brings, and of course the struggles Jamie and Ford went through.

Stars: Four, I love the story, but Ford I felt was selfish, immature and needed to grow a backbone. He'd got there in the end but he put poor Jamie through a lot,

ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers