Right from the start we get thrown in to Finlay's world as a water girl for a college football team. How accurate that is I'm not aware. We don't get why she is at first but from the blurb it seems she's atoning for something. Plus she seems to hate the quarterback for whatever reason.

Soon enough it becomes clear why she has some beef with Caden. He was pretty much as expected cocky and pretty full of his jock status. But that's just part what's causing the chip on her shoulder. Slowly she gets to know him, her initial impression and reasons seem to not be as significant anymore. The guy she is getting to know seems decent even for all his ego and status. One of those love to hate relationships going on.

When all gets revealed, I admit that part got me emotional for them. That was some closure for Finlay. Although that drama was partly expected it was done in a way that fits the characters. Some communication and honesty would've solved ot but then there would be no conflict. Finlay is pretty cool after you getter to know her, I still don't think her running at night on campus alone is the smartest and her being in the boys locker rooms. I like that she can hang with the boys though, mentally tough, knows her football.

One thing that till the end that struck me as odd. Finlay was so hesitant to tell Caden she loved him back. I realize she thinks it and feels it. But he was more vocal. Sure actions and all that jazz, she does use other words that convey the same meaning but felt off and stood out to me. This one turned out muchmore than expected and I quite enjoyed it. A pretty solid sports romance. This is my first book by the author and definitely won't be my last!

Finlay has always felt alive in the shadow of her twin Cole. After his death, she begins to work on the team he trained to try to make up for the guilty feeling that haunts her life. She's a tough, serious, and so sweet girl. She hates with all her strength, Cade Brooks.

Cade Brooks is at the peak of professional success, has all the girls at his feet and a bright future. Loyal, struggling and passionate about challenges, he sees Finlay as the ideal girl to test him to the limit and does not understand why she despises him so much.

.... of course we know that the line between love and hate is very tenuous and both Cade and Finlay will learn together to overcome their differences to see beyond appearances and find the strength to forgive.

"After believing lies, forgiveness wasn't easy."

The book has a fluid and sexy story that caught me and made me devour the book to try to understand what was afflicting Finlay and how Cole died because the writer does not explain it right away. Alternating moments of Finlay's past with the present, the first-person narration of both Finlay and Cade led me slowly to understand the reason for their attitudes.

" And making new memories didn't mean replacing the old ones."

The two live like cat and mouse, which brought lightness to the plot that in no time was heavy even with the mourning and the feeling of guilt prowling the chapters. The challenges that each of them makes for each other are very fun and I find myself laughing in many situations.

"Fan-freaking-tastic"

Highlight for Cade's teammates, Forester and Grady and Finlay's best friend, Sabrina. These ones deserves more stories and I'm hoping for each one have a book full of love and humor like that was for them too.

I loved this cover full of affection and showing very well the importance of Cade's protective figure in Finlay's life.

4,5/5 stars.
Highly recommended.
Kisses, Myl

Finlay Thatcher is a lost soul, guilt-ridden after the death of her twin brother. When Alabama's football coach gives her the opportunity to work for him, she knows it's her chance to move on, even if it means living her brother's dream.

Caden Brooks is Alabama's star quarterback. He's got it all. The attention of adoring fans. A girlfriend who'd do anything to hold on to him. And a future in the pros. He's getting along just fine until Finlay steps into his life, despising him at first sight and pushing his buttons like no other.

Unfortunately for Finlay, and her attempt to keep Caden at arm's length, there's nothing Caden loves more than a challenge. The problem with this challenge is she comes with a secret that has the power to destroy everything.

This is exactly the kind of book I like to sit down to on a weekend when I'm resting and read. I would put J. Nathan up there with Amy Harmon on my list of authors that I would want to be trapped on an island with to fight off zombies!! That is no lie y'all! They both know how to write heart-tugging, heartwarming romance that settles in your soul and doesn't let go. I will no more be forgetting For Finlay than I will be forgetting Making Faces for the some of the same reasons and some different..

You have a very strong heroine (Finlay) and a hero (Caden) who doesn't really see himself as a hero but sees himself like everyone else sees him...Quarterback that everyone wants to be. Winning all the games, making all the grades, dating the head of the sorority but he likes Finlay because she speaks to his soul in a way that no one else does. Finlay is the teams water girl and she's there to heal from what's happened in her past. She can't make the past go away and she can't make it better but maybe she can learn to live with the mistakes of yesterday. What she can't live with is that she hates the quarterback with a passion and that he's living a life he doesn't deserve, one her brother should have had if he had been alive. What she didn't count on is liking him when she thought she hated him.

This is a story of a young woman who's trying to come to terms with the fact that her mistakes can't be fixed, she can't say sorry to the one person that was a part of her and how is she supposed to move on when she doesn't really know who she is without him? Her brother was with her for her whole life and now he's not and dealing with that when you're a twin is even harder than Finlay thought. She's handling life but she isn't living it.

For me, this book had it all - sorrow, angst, love, romance, humor, and that one person that you can't stand no matter what you do. You'd rather stab her with a hot poker than read about her but you know the author threw the girlfriend in there just so you'd have someone to kick the cat over. I didn't really kick the cat because 1) I don't have a cat 2) That would be wrong 3) Cats should be swung gently LOL :)

Everyone that reads my reviews knows I hate misunderstandings and there's one in this but it works because it gives Caden that needed "Pow!" to get him to follow through on telling Finlay how he feels and also to move the story along. I found the writing to be superb, witty, the pacing was well-timed, sometimes the romance part was rushed and could have used a little bit of a slow build but it was sufficient. The language wasn't terrible or overrun with profanity. I would definitely buy this and let my mother read it and I probably will. I will probably keep this on my reread shelf when I want something that speaks to my heart, yet doesn't make me cry my face off all night long.

Well done J. Nathan! You did a splendid job with this book and I'm really looking forward to your book with Forester's story because I thought he was a stand up guy. I hope I get to read his story as an ARC because I'm chomping at the bit for more about the team, Sabrina, Finlay and Caden.

I was given a copy of this ARC from the publisher on Netgalley for a honest review. All of the above comments are my express opinions and no one else's.

3.5 Stars

Finlay Thatcher was used to living in her twin brothers shadow since he was the big football star that everyone wanted to know. She used to hate it and started to resent him for all his fame in their town, but after his death she's lost without him. Two years later she's finally ready to move on, even if it's to live her brothers dream of football.

Working for the Alabama college football team was never where she saw her future going, but it brings her closer to her brothers spirit so she's not going to give up. Even if it means being around Caden Brooks, a man she hates with a passion. Or she thought she did because now that hateful passion is turning into a much more sexual passion for the star quarterback.

I actually almost passed on this book because I haven't been in the mood for NA recently, but after a few of my books didn't go too well for me I decided I needed a change. I'm really happy that I finally picked this one up because I ended up enjoying the hell out of these characters. I can't say that the plot was very unique but there were certain things that the author handled in ways I haven't seen in NA before and it kept this book interesting.

Both Finlay and Caden were good characters and I liked reading about them putting their differences aside to be with one another. Finlay has a long standing hatred of Caden for reasons she found inexcusable. But watching her get to know him and realize he wasn't the bad guy she made him out to be was fun and I loved seeing them grow from enemies to more.

The ending was a little tough for me and there seemed to be too much drama thrown into the mix all at one time. Up until the last end of the story there wasn't much angsty drama and I would have been fine with some, but what it all seemed like one dimensional angst that wasn't explained well so I didn't understand the significance of some of the scenes thrown into the book.

Overall, if you're a fan of NA, sports, or just want to read a fun story of two people discovering the good in each other, then read this book. This is my first read from J. Nathan but it won't be my last and I hope there will be more to come from the secondary characters featured in this book.

Add J. Nathan to your list of favorites!
I loved this one. I loved the last few. I couldn't put it down.
Finlay is recovering from a huge loss 2 years ago that knocked her world off it's axis. Losing your other half, the person you grew up with, your best friend, your twin changes your life. You realize things some matter more than they should and regrets start to pile up. Finlay and her brother Cole weren't as close as they used to be when you passed away suddenly. That is something she can't get past, the way things were left. She decides it's time to live his dream, being on the football field at Alabama. She knows guys like Caden are playboys and she knows he's much to happy in the position her brother should have filled as quarterback. Caden loves football, he doesn't know his future, but he wants to enjoy his time now. He's not some playboy jerk like you'd expect. Caden and Finlay run into each other because of football, class and a little fate. Finlay and Caden keep skirting around their feelings, not letting things go to far. Things between them are just easy and they get to know more of each other. Avoiding their feelings becomes to hard and things change, but things from the past change their easy relationship to heartbreak.

I already said I loved it, but I'll say it again. it was just good. A good sweet story, that builds you and breaks your heart in more than one way. It was written so well that you don't realize you're reading or how much time has passed. Looking forward to the next one!

This was the first book I had ever read by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Both the story and the characters were engaging. I will definitely have to read more by J. Nathan. Finlay was a great character but I liked Caden even more than her.

I am reviewing this book based on an ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

This was seriously a beautiful story that I read at the exact moment, I loved both characters and how the story turned out! Seriously it was beautifully written!

Loved this emotional about forgiveness and love. Finlay is grieving the lost of her brother. A misunderstanding leads her hatred of Cole. Cole is a quarterback on her brothers former team. While working for the team she gets to spend time with Cole and discover that he's the link to help her overcome her grief. As the relationship progresses secrets, jealous ex and distrusputs a distance between the two. Finlay and Cole learned to trust n their love and future. Recommended read

Perfection! J. Nathan gives the reader everything they could want from this story. I love reading a book where you want, no, need, the story to go a way your heart leads. Such a sorrowful story at times with the perfect amount of love, romance, and, most of all, FOOTBALL.

I would like to thank J. Nathan and Netgalley for giving me this book for my honest review.
Review by Stephanie
4.5 Stars
I LOVE J. Nathan! I have read and LOVED the three books that came before For Finlay and I swear she out does herself each time!
Finlay has been lost ever since she lost her twin brother. She has been wondering around trying to figure out her life without her best friend. She is trying to do whatever she can to “live” for him and feel closer to him. So she starts working at the water girl for the football he dreamt of playing for. She is trying so hard to be all smiles whiling fulfilling her brother’s dreams, but the walks in Caden Brooks, the cocky, full of himself and hot asshat that took her brother’s spot on the team. She hates to hate him so very much….but remember I did say HOT!

I loved this book and the journey of Finlay and Caden. I honestly think these two were my favorites. J. Nathan is seriously one of my go to writers and I cannot wait for more!

This book was just wow. I have never read this author and wow am I missing out. While this book had some serious moments it was really a great from hate to love to hate to love story with a sports theme thrown in there. It was a very fun story and I absolutely loved it, though is had some very serious moments as well.

This story has three main characters. Cole, Caden and Finley. Cole and Finley are twins who are not close anymore. Largely that has to do with Finley but then something happens to Cole and he dies, it destroys Finely and she wastes two years of her life trying to recover.

Two years later she is now at Alabama college when she works as water girl for the football coach. She meets Caden, who replaced her brother as quarterback and she saw him at Cole's funeral and thinks he was pretty much dancing on his grave and so she has a HUGE hate for him.

But Caden and Finely have a lot in common, football and insomnia and so even with Caden dating another girl they cannot resist each other. I do want to stress that Caden is with Leslie from the beginning to 30-40% of the book. But he never cheats with his body. He realises his heart and mind are with Finley and so he ends it before he gets romantic with Finley.

My favorite part of the book is their romance. They are so sweet and cute together and I loved it. But the ex girlfriend stirs up trouble and before you know it Finley is back to hating Caden. Luckily this is a very small part of the book and I loved what happens after .

This is a very sweet and romantic book. I really LOVED Caden and Finley especially together and I look forward to the next book in the series.

For Finlay,  J. Nathan

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre:  Romance, New Adult

I’ve enjoyed some terrific NA reads, despite being well past NA age....I’d read Until Alex and had mixed feelings, some of it felt really slow and very YA as opposed to NA, but there was a section that had me gripped, so I requested this book hoping the writing had evolved that way.
Sadly for me its not, well not with this book. That's fine, everyone wants different stories, different types of writing styles and this already has lots of 5* reviews so clearly its perfect for other readers.
For me though it still felt very YA, with the protagonists being very immature in their actions and reactions.

I did feel for Finlay, what an awful thing to happen, and understood perfectly her feelings towards Caden, based on what she saw. Thats it though isn’t it – its what she thought she saw not what actually was happening, there’s always more to a story...and its a long while before she discovers that.
Meanwhile she’s so attracted to Caden despite her feelings and that was fun, seeing how the boy she thought he’d be matched up to the one in front of her...or rather didn’t. There was some snappy dialogue that was fun.

He was a typical football Jock except for his anti cheating stance, I was pleased to see that, and understood his reasons. He kind of stretches credulity though when it comes to how he breaks with the girlfreind and gets with Finlay, he's sticking to the letter of his morality but not really the essence of it. Still, its a typical YA/NA reaction, do what you want and convince yourself you're in the right :-)
His girlfriend was a great b itch, I do so love characters like hers. I’d have liked to have seen more of her and the nastiness, perfectly drawn, rich b itch type wanting a rich and famous husband....there's a lot of them around.

Overall, though the story was moving forward, for me it felt a bit too YA, the characters kind of immature in their actions, and I wasn’t hooked into what was happening, gripped with the story, didn't have the can't-put-it-down feeling.
And of course when Caden finds out what he thinks is the truth his reaction was just that, like  a thwarted schoolchild rather than an adult.
In some ways I was kind of having mixed feelings, the drama of it was perfect, the ex was wonderfully vindictive, but believing he’d really react like that? On the say so of someone who he knows a) doesn’t like Finlay b) wants him back c) got her knowledge in a strange way, its not as if Finlay was hiding it.
Somehow that reaction felt OTT even though it led to some perfect drama. I felt the Caden we’d been led to believe in wouldn’t have acted that way, would have looked a bit harder for the truth. Still then I guess we wouldn’t have this book....

So the drama of it was perfect even though the reasons for it fell down a bit. The storyline was ok, more or less believable, but for me the characters felt a little immature at times, backed up by Caden’s reaction.
Its me more than the book, its a perfectly decent read, and has lots of readers who love it, but for me its between a three and a four star not a five. If you love typical storm in a teacup YA romances this is perfect, I need a bit more maturity in my characters and their actions though.

Stars: 3.5, a good read, perfect for others, but a bit on the YA side for me.

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers

That was beautiful! My heart cannot take how perfect this sweet NA romance was. It was simple and real. I laughed, I cried, and I hoped right along with each protagonists. I loved this story so much!!!

Rating: 5/5
Recommend: Yes
Chemistry/Intensity: Yes
Conflict/Drama: Yes
Humor/Wit: Yes
Family Dysfunction: Yes
Strong Protagonists: Yes
Interesting Supporting Characters: Yes
Stand Alone: Yes
Series Potential: Yes
Re-read: Yes
Keeper: Yes
HEA: Yes