Falling for the Forward Angel Lawson

 

Published October 19th 2023

Read July 30th - August 5th 2026

Angel Lawson | Review

After blasting through a couple of shorter books, I was in the mood for something with a little more meat on its bones, but not so heavy that I'd need emotional support and a recovery snack afterward. Enter Falling for the Forward, a college hockey romance featuring fake dating, forced proximity, attractive people making questionable decisions, and enough feelings to keep the pages turning. 

Was it groundbreaking? Not really. 

Did I have a generally good time? Absolutely. 

Let's lace up the skates and get into it. 

🏒 Characters: 7/10

The real MVP of this book is Twyler. 

She's an intern trainer for the Whitmore University hockey team, and she's determined to make something of herself. As a woman trying to break into a male-dominated profession, she's convinced that hard work has to come before everything else. School, career, goals, ambition... those come first. 

A boyfriend? 

Yeah, that's not currently on the schedule. 

Twyler has built walls around herself that would make medieval castle architects jealous. Some of that comes from her fear of abandonment, and some of it comes from simply not wanting to risk everything she's worked so hard for. 

Then there's Reese, the hockey team's captain and resident heartthrob. 

On paper, he has everything. Looks. Popularity. Talent. 

Unfortunately, he also has an ex-girlfriend who seems to have mistaken "we're done" for "I'll just keep showing up until you change your mind." 

What I appreciated most was that neither character stayed frozen in place. Twyler slowly learns that letting people in doesn't automatically end in disaster, while Reese discovers that being a good partner isn't just about showing up when things are easy. Relationships require empathy, communication, and compromise. 

It's always nice when character growth feels earned instead of downloaded directly into someone's brain during the final chapter. 

❄️ Atmosphere: 7/10

One thing this book does well is make Whitmore University feel like an actual place. 

Sure, hockey is the centerpiece, but the story extends beyond the rink. The team dynamics felt believable, and the friendships added a lot of warmth to the overall experience. 

I especially enjoyed the bond between Twyler and the players. She wasn't simply standing off to the side as "the female love interest." She felt like a genuine part of the team's world, which helped the setting come alive. 

The hockey romance girlies will probably feel right at home here. 

✍️ Writing: 7/10

This was my first Angel Lawson book, so I wasn't entirely sure what I was getting into. 

Thankfully, the writing was easy to sink into. 

The pacing was smooth, conversations flowed naturally, and the romance developed at a believable speed. Nothing felt excessively rushed or dragged out. The story simply moved from point A to point B in a way that felt comfortable. 

Not every romance needs to reinvent literature. Sometimes you just want a story that knows exactly what it is and delivers it well. 

💕 Plot: 6/10

Let's be honest. 

This is fake dating. 

If you've read one fake dating romance, you've probably seen at least a few of these story beats before. 

And that's okay. 

Tropes are popular for a reason. 

While Falling for the Forward doesn't exactly break new ground, Twyler's position as an intern trainer adds a fresh element to the familiar formula. It helped separate the story from the endless pile of "college athlete meets random girl" romances. 

The breakup near the end was visible from several miles away, but it made sense. Twyler wasn't simply creating drama for the sake of drama. She was struggling with fears and emotional baggage she hadn't fully dealt with yet. 

Predictable? 

Yes. 

Forced? 

Not really. 

The one storyline that genuinely frustrated me was the Nadia situation. 

Without going into spoiler territory, seeing her become a target online while the creep behind it seemed to escape meaningful consequences absolutely drove me up the wall. 

I spent a good chunk of that section muttering at the book. 

The book did not care. 

🤷 Intrigue: 6/10

Was I hooked? 

Kind of. 

I was enjoying myself and moving through the story at a solid pace until the Nadia incident popped up. 

Then my annoyance level reached critical mass. 

I actually put the book down for several days because I was so irritated by how everything played out. 

That's never a great sign. 

The frustrating part is that I had genuinely been invested up until then. The book was doing exactly what it needed to do, and then one storyline completely knocked me out of my reading groove. 

✅ Logic: 8/10

One area where the book really shines is consistency. 

From the opening fake kiss in the equipment cage all the way through the job opportunity in Hartford, everything felt believable within the story's world. 

There weren't any random twists appearing from another dimension just because the plot needed excitement. 

Character actions made sense. 

Conflicts made sense. 

Resolutions made sense. 

Even when I wasn't thrilled with what was happening, I could understand why it was happening. 

That's worth points. 

😊 Enjoyment: 7/10

I'm actually giving this a slightly higher score than my frustration might suggest. 

Why? 

Because if I'm being fair, I enjoyed most of the book. 

One annoying storyline shouldn't completely erase several hundred pages of entertainment. 

And that ending? 

The scenes at Twyler's mother's house absolutely landed for me emotionally. Those moments brought some much-needed heart and reminded me why I'd been rooting for these characters in the first place. 

⭐ Final Verdict: 6.85/10 | ⭐⭐⭐

Falling for the Forward is a charming, familiar college hockey romance that succeeds largely because of its characters. 

Twyler is easy to root for, Reese turns out to be a genuinely decent guy, and watching them grow together was the strongest part of the story. The intern trainer angle adds a fun twist to the fake-dating formula, even if many of the plot beats feel familiar. 

Unfortunately, the Nadia storyline took a big chunk out of my enjoyment and completely stalled my momentum. For me, putting a book down for several days is usually a pretty bad sign. It's the literary equivalent of a hockey player heading to the penalty box and never quite recovering the rhythm of the game. 

In the end, I liked this book more than I loved it. 

The characters were great. 

The romance was sweet. 

The growth was satisfying. 

The overall experience? 

A little bit of a shrug and a little bit of a smile. 

I'm still standing at the crossroads wondering whether to continue the series. Part of me wants more time with these characters, and part of me is eyeing my ever-growing TBR pile like, "Maybe next season." 

Favorite Thing: Twyler's character growth and her role as the team's trainer. 

Least Favorite Thing: The Nadia storyline and the lack of consequences for the creep involved. 

Would I Recommend It? If you're a fan of college sports romances, fake dating, and lovable characters, this is definitely worth a look. Just don't expect it to reinvent the playbook.