Man, oh man, oh man. What a book! I was totally addicted from the first page. This book goes in swinging and doesn’t stop. The amount of times I wanted to punch Ford in the face though, were extremely high. I loved that the book didn’t mess around and there wasn’t too much of a slow burn. I like that it was fast paced and seemed to move along quickly. This was a VERY quick read and I appreciated that. I read it in one sitting (mostly cause I couldn’t put it down.) Highly recommend and I actually love that there was an excerpt from the next book as part of this ARC and now I can’t wait for that one!

The Back Nine is a fantastic second chance romance. Jamie and Ford were childhood friends turn couple whose timing wasn't right. Fate has a way of throwing Jamie and Ford together for a second chance. It may not be an easy reconnection but no relationship is meant to be easy. Jamie has a big heart and has been in love with Ford forever. Ford finally sees the light and is tired of being controlled to do right by his family name. I love how Ford stands up for his love of Jamie. Jamie has her walls up for all the right reasons when it comes to Ford and as you read you will get why. Their love is worth fighting for and it is wonderful to watch. I loved this one so much and cannot wait for Ford's sister Billy's book next.

"The Back Nine" was the first novel I have read from author Rachel Blaufield so I went in with no expectations. I thought it was a very endearing book. I liked that Jamie and Ford were rediscovering each other at middle age. It's refreshing to read a book that documents a romance in the over 20 something crowd. I love a second chance romance novel and if you do as well you need to check this out. Without giving spoilers I would say this was a solid novel and I would read more of Rachel Blaufields books in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rachel Blaufield Publishing for allowing me to receive an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Back Nine is a wonderful middle age, second chance romance. Jamie and Ford were best friends as children throughout college. They had one night together and Ford got cold feet and ran. Jamie hasn't seen him since until she bumps into him once day. It's been 20+ years but Ford is insistent on making things right.

The spice is a 10/10!! I loved the characters and their chemistry is off the charts!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed this RomCom! This was my first book by the author and it definitely won’t be my last. James and Ford were great, had amazing chemistry and I loved reading their love story.

I love second chance romances and this was no exception! James and Ford were childhood best friends who lost touch after college and now 20 years later they quite literally bump into each other and reconnect.

Jamie’s character was wonderful and witty and I loved seeing her gradually get more confident and stand up for herself. Ford had his swoon-worthy moments but overall I’m sad most of his growth and development happened in the 20 years off page. I wanted to see more from him and he fell a bit flat for me. What saved him was mostly his chemistry with James.

I adored everything else about this book. It’s very spicy and I love that the main characters are not the standard 20 something year olds we typically see in romance novels. I really can’t wait for the next installment in this series!

Thank you so so much to NetGalley, Rachel Blaufield, and Publishing for allowing me to receive an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion!

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

This was such a great book! I loved Jamie & Fords story so much. It was a great live story that shows you love someone for who they are not by class. I love how Ford pursued his passions and became a producer and didn’t go the political route that was predetermined for him. Will be sharing much more soon. This was a great book to get a reader out of a slump. I hope to read my h more from this author again soon.


James “Jamie” Silver is all grown up, working for the same high-profile, überwealthy people she’s spent her entire life surrounded by—as the outsider. With a new hairstyle and a sliver of confidence, she attacks the role daily…because since she was the scholarship kid at a hoity-toity District of Columbia prep school, Jamie has never quite belonged. Especially when it comes to her longtime BFF and secret crush, Ford Conway III.

As the oldest son of a Supreme Court justice and the world’s savviest society lady, Ford Conway was meant to attend prep school and grow into someone great. His mom never predicted he’d befriend the charity case. Much to her chagrin, as young kids and college classmates, Ford and Jamie were inseparable.

The duo shared all their secrets, until graduation, when they shared a magical night.

That is, until Ford forced himself to run away from his family’s political ties and his growing feelings for Jamie Silver.

Now a famous Hollywood producer, Ford makes his own rules. Except when his father becomes gravely ill, he’s forced to come home and runs head-on into the only woman who ever captured his heart. Although Jamie doesn’t remotely resemble the girl he fell for decades ago, his heart doesn’t care. But his mom certainly does…

In a cross-country second chance love story, the pair embark on discovering one another as adults and finding happiness in their back nine.

Pheeeew-ee, what a spicy second-chance romance novel this is!

Synopsis: Jamie (James) and Ford were childhood best friends up through college, when on one of the final nights before graduation, took their friendship to the romantic level. Jamie though it would turn into something, but Ford got scared and "ran," and the two didn't speak for twenty years. But when Ford's father is in the hospital that his family is deeply entrenched in, he runs smack dab into Jamie, the director of development at the hospital. Jamie instantly wants to pick things back up and pursue a second-chance fated connection, but there are a few bumps in the road, leading her to fear that she doesn't belong in Ford's life and his big family name, or that he'll always run away when things get real. However, we see Ford grow into the love connection and strengthen himself to stand up to his controlling family, and although that journey doesn't come without bumps, the love story by the end is one that I delighted in reading, It's a realistic look at a love and relationship that doesn't always come easy, but one that is worth the effort - and it doesn't hurt that the steamy scenes, of which were abundant, were reeeeally steamy.

I love Jamie's character - the fact that she found her way up into a big career on her own and the way she doesn't cower in what she expects from a partner. I do wish, however, that there wasn't SO much focus on her age - she's 44, not 84! It just felt like the age was being brought up a lot (and I know, that's the premise of the book's title), and that her insecurity about her body type was heavily mentioned as well, despite dreamy Ford saying over and over that he loved her body. I totally understand body insecurities, it just felt like overkill in a shorter book. The only other complaint I had was that I really didn't understand WHY Ford's mom hated Jamie so much. It was never really clear why she had such an aversion to their coupling.

But other than that, I LOVED this book. Finished it in one sitting! The love story moved quickly (the sexual chemistry started in chapter two, I swear!), and that chemistry was palpable. It's always fun to read a Hollywood-style romance, at times it felt almost 50 Shades-esque with how dominant Ford was in bed and in his "sexy talk" which was scintillating to read. And having read the preview of the following novel about Ford's sister Billy, I cannot wait to read more of Rachel Blaufeld!

Thanks to Rachel Blaufeld and NetGalley for the ARC for a review.