Just a Fling

Franklin Notch #2

by Sarah Everly

I wanted out of my hometown, and away from Cal McDonaghue

I'd done everything I could to escape my hometown, escape the awkward girl who’d always been too tall, too big, too strong. As a sports trainer, all the things that made me stand out also made me good at my job. Until I got fired.

Now I'm unemployed and back in my high school bedroom, reliving old crushes when I run into my best friend's brother. He needs help training for the Highland Games. How can I say no?

Rebecca Barton might just be my saving grace

When my rival says he's retiring from the Highland Games and wants one last chance to prove who's best, I'm in. But he's got personal trainers and fancy equipment, while I’ve got a parking lot filled with discarded junk.

Thankfully, my sister's best friend is back in town. She's trained some of the biggest stars in college football and she always liked me.

Only, she's not the girl I remember. She's grown into a gorgeous, self-assured goddess and this time around, I'm the one getting tongue-tied. I've convinced her to be my trainer and now I need to convince her to be my girl.

Just a Fling is a best friend’s brother sports romance. If you love obscure sports, sneaking around under your best friend's nose, and small town gossip, you'll love this standalone romance, part of the Franklin Notch series.

Genres: Romance, Small Town Romance, Contemporary

270 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 24, 2023

Reviews

[fahda sadiah]

mmc has a mohawk... like wtf

[Layla W · Rating 4 out of 5]

cal i adore you

[Hillary Townsend · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet story of MMC falling in love with his sister’s best friend. They have completely different lives and careers and they find away to make it work.

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rebecca "Becca" Barton has crushed on Cal McDonaghue, the older brother of her best friend, Nora, since high school. He was always friendly but she was like another sister to him. She's always felt awkward being too tall, too big and to strong. After graduating from Alabama, she's found her niche as an athletic trainer for a D1 football team. Unfortunately, the school hired a new head coach and he terminated everyone to bring in his own people. She's sent out applications but it's the off season so she's returned home to her parents in Franklin Notch, New Hampshire.

The McDonaghue and Stewart families were both early settlers in Franklin Notch. The 1st Highland  Games had been gifted with a large cast iron pig by the first family in Franklin Notch. The Stewarts due to their wealth, social standing and now owning the pig have gotten the founding title.

The Stewarts are well respected. This isn't true of the McDonaghues. In fact Cal, Nora and their older brother, Len, are about the only members of the entire family not to see the inside of a jail. Their father has been in the state prison for many years.

Cal is the local mechanic and the town charmer. He's dated about  every eligible woman in town but manages to remain friends with them after the break ups.

It's almost time for the Highland Games to be held. This is the last year his main rival, Andy Stewart, will be competing in the games. Andy has made a wager with him. If Cal wins, he gets possession of the pig. If Andy wins, he wants an end of the feud between the families once and for all. It's a bet!

Cal asks Becca to train him. She'll do in exchange for him finding her an inexpensive car. Before the training really gets going, she's hired by Diego, a quarterback she trained since the beginning of his freshman year in college. He hurt himself while kitesurfing, something he doesn't want the team to know.

Cal and Becca have become very close to each other but she wants the relationship kept secret. Diego gets her an interview with the pro team he's with. It's her dream job! Which dream will come true, Cal or a job with a pro team? It's not possible to have both, is it?

I received an ARC of this book from the author via Booksprout. I am voluntarily leaving this review.

[Moni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. This is book 2 of the Franklin Notch Series and can be read as a standalone, though reading Just Next Door will give you a better appreciation for some of the characters. The book's blurb is straightforward. It's a good best friend's brother dual pov romance.

Returning home is the last thing that Becca wanted to do but it's the only option she has while she looks for another job. & while Becca has had a crush on Cal, she convinces herself that she can help him train & keep things casual between them. When Cal learns that his longtime rival is planning on retiring after this last highland games, he's even more motivated to beat him. He makes a deal with Becca to have her train him. As they spend more time together, he can't deny the feelings he has for her. He was always aware of her crush in the past and, although he wants something more, he agrees to her suggestion of having a fling.

While the feelings & attraction are there from the start, their romance is a slow burn because of how long it takes them to accept their feelings. I loved the fact that Becca liked him first before but Cal fell harder when they were reunited. & although it's a slow burn romance there is enough spice in the meanwhile so that readers won't be upset though I guess some could complain about Becca & Cal not being honest about their true feelings. There was a small bit of angst but not much conflict. I wondered how things would happily be resolved between them & I was satisfied with the outcome. Overall, I think this was a great second book of the series that will make readers want to continue reading more. I know that I can't wait for Nora's story next!

[RedReviews4You Susan-Dara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Great Second Showing for Franklin Notch

🌟🌟🌟🌟 🌶️

2️⃣Dual POV
🛣️Small Town
😁Brother’s Best Friend
💞Friends to Lovers
😘Her Childhood Crush
🎉He Falls First

In Just a Fling, Everly returns to Franklin Notch with a new romantic pairing that I was delighted to read. Although this book can easily be read as a stand alone, I found that having read Book One Just Next Door and being introduced to the town made the secondary characters just a little more fun to read because I felt like a member of the town and was catching up with friends. The story is very solid and has a slow burn to it in terms of the romantic pacing, but there is a just enough spice to keep things interesting as Becca and Cal move away from the brother’s best friend and Becca’s childhood crush tropes to discover that they can be something more than training for Highland games together. What I loved most about this story is how it built on these initial feelings of Becca’s and reframed the story so that it really was a He Falls First story when Cal begins to give in and accepts the way he feels and moves the story to a strong Friends to Lovers story. With all this it creates an interesting dynamic to watch play out on the page and creates a little but healthy dose of angst. One of the things that I particularly like about this series is that Love is something that both parties in a relationship work on, this is not an Instalove or Hearts and Flowers story, but rather a book that shows what you can find together if you are both willing to work for it. This was a good read that I did enjoy, and I will be returning again to see where Book Three will take Franklin Notch.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tima · Rating 4 out of 5]

Becca, the female lead, had an unrequited crush on Cal, the male lead and her best friend’s older brother, when they were in high school. Though she’s left their small town for college and been working away for years, that crush never resolved itself. Now back in town whilst looking for her next job, she’s still finding him attractive…

Cal didn’t think much of Becca’s crush when they were younger and he’s shocked to walk into the local bar and find her very attractive before he recognises her as his sister’s friend. But she is a personal trainer and he could use her help to win the local Highland Games…

As they work together, their attraction becomes more, but Becca is determined to keep it a secret no matter what Cal might want from the relationship. Anyway, she’s leaving town for work and a long distance relationship isn’t really feasible, is it?

This story is dual POV, well written, and a fun contemporary small town romance. I appreciated Becca’s reluctance to be known to be in a relationship with flirty Cal. I empathised with Cal’s growing emotions and his sadness that Becca didn’t appear to want more than a secret friends with benefits situation. I enjoyed the relationship development. I enjoyed that Becca pursued her career whilst looking to balance her relationships. I enjoyed the supporting cast of characters.

I received a complimentary copy from the author and this is my voluntary honest review.

[Shelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

After getting to know Len, Millie, and several other characters in Franklin Notch, I fell in love with the small town and it’s quirks. Honestly, it reminds me of the place I grew up in as well as where I live now. Everyone knows everyone else’s business. Although this can be a standalone read, I highly suggest reading the first book – Just Next Door – to get a feel for the family dynamics and more of their background.

Cal is practically the opposite of his brother, Len. He enjoys being social and is pretty laid back. Although he’s known his sister’s best friend since they were kids, he looked at her as a kid. Now she’s back in town and has this play-the-field guy falling all over himself to keep her.

Becca is trying to think of her stop in Franklin Notch as temporary. But then her teenage dream comes true and she finds things heating up with Cal. She attempts to stay grounded by placing a rule on their relationship that it’s just a fling. She attempts to keep to this agreement, but both soon find themselves falling in love.

I loved how everything wasn’t picture perfect, but they were willing to make some sacrifices for one another to make their love work. Such a fun read and looking forward to the next book!

I received a complimentary copy for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t think this is very clear in the details about this book, so for readers’ information: this is a detailed open-door romance with a moderate amount of harsh language throughout the book. This is a dual POV, best friend’s brother/friends to lovers story. Becca is back in her hometown after losing her college football trainer position when a new coach comes in. Cal, her best friend’s older brother who she was infatuated with, asks her to help him train for the Highland Games competition. Needless to say, Cal feels the attraction too and their friendship progresses into a relationship. The difficulty is, Becca, afraid of ending up hurt or humiliated, fights hard to keep the relationship casual and secret…”just a fling”… even as they both tumble into love. This is further complicated by Becca’s future career prospects, which will most certainly take her far away. I found all the characters engaging and I’m interested in their stories. The book was well-written and, as an unsporty individual, I appreciated that the training and athletics, while still important in the storyline, were not overwhelming or boring. The story definitely held my interest. If you like an open-door romance and aren’t bothered by harsh language, this is an enjoyable book.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the first book in this series better than this one. I did like Cal a lot. Honestly, more than I expected to. I didn’t dislike Becca or their romance, but I found it thinner than the first book. Basically, there’s little holding them apart. They get together quickly and easily. The only issue is her desire to keep it secret, which doesn’t make a whole lot of sense (except that she’s human and humans don’t make a whole lot of sense a lot of the time, so I didn’t really question it, but in retrospect - what was the big deal?). Eventually that issue becomes too much for Cal and he says as much, leading to the third act breakup, which I thought completely appropriate, really. She realizes maybe she made a mistake and everything’s fixed. It just…was a little thin. I felt like there was more depth to the first book. More information about characters separate of the romance. More backstory and complexity. And the miscommunication that pulled the first couple apart made so much sense to me! Like I understood what drove each character’s insecurity and how those separate insecurities fed the miscommunication causing the separation. I’ve lived stuff like that. It was perfect. This one didn’t have any of that depth.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What to expect: sports romance, small town, best friend’s brother, friends to lovers, dual pov

Becca left her hometown years ago and has become a trainer for college football stars. Unfortunately she gets fired and goes home only to run into her high school crush, Cal, who is also her best friend’s brother. Cal runs his own garage and has decided to compete in the local Highland Games. He decides to get Becca as his trainer but their old friendship quickly ignites into something more.

This is my first time to read a sports romance and I finished it in less than a day! It was sweet reading about how Becca and Cal fell for each other. The characters were interesting and their interactions felt real. I also enjoyed reading about the town of Franklin Notch, the Highland Games, and the side characters. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I’ll be reading the other books from this series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Harriet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun, flirty and sporty read that I read in one sitting.

I loved the dynamic between Cal and Becca. They were friends before, Becca being Cal's sister's best friend. She had a huge crush on him for years. He saw her as a lovely person but felt the two year age gap and didn't see her as anything else. Now she has been away for 7 years and that connection is still there but attraction has joined. Buckle up, it's about to get heated.

I loved the Highland games, the sports aspect to the book was so interesting and gave it another dimension. All the characters are well rounded, likable and keep you engaged. I can't wait for Nora and Andy's story.

I loved this book, I would have liked to see a more full epilogue but assume we will see or hear about Cal and Becca in book 3 and that will satisfy my craving.

This is part of a series but can be read as a standalone. If you like sports, best friends brother tropes, secret relationships and fun personalities you can't go wrong.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ash Juillet · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were quite a lot of places where i just wanted to sigh and swoon like an idiot. For instance, when both the main characters started to realise their 'fling' meant more to them than they had assumed. Another favorite scene of mine was Len being aggressively himself. He's still my absolute favorite in this series.

Another thing I loved about this book was that the main characters were BOTH extremely tall. Most of the time, when we read romance novels, the girl is half the size of the guy, which is absolutely adorable, of course. But in this book, the girl wasn't half the size - she was practically six feet tall and it didn't really affect their relationship either. Her height didn't matter.

I liked the easy-going chemistry between the main pairing too. They obviously had history before the book began, so it was easy to read them getting back into a similar dynamic before falling in bed AND for each other.

[Noreen Hussain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Sarah Everly and Franklin Notch.
This is Cal and Becca's romance.
Becca has lost her job and comes home to Franklin Notch until she can figure out what to do next.
She has had a crush on Cal since high school and that has not changed.
When Cal sees Becca he is very attracted to her.He tries to stay away as she is his little sister's best friend.
He is competing in the highland games against his rival and needs help training.Becca offers to help him.
Both their feelings grow as they spend time together.Becca gets an offer she can't refuse and is torn between love and her career.Cal wants Becca to be happy and tells her to choose what is right for her,even though it breaks his heart.
An enjoyable read with love,laughter,tears,friendships,
family support and a happily ever after.
Cannot wait for Nora and Andy's romance next.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Training With the Best . . .

Becca Barton has had a crush since high school days on Cal McDonaghue, her best friend Nora’s older brother. He treated her like another sister back then, so nothing ever came of it. Becca went on after graduation to become a sports trainer and was quite good at her job. But when the new coach fired everyone in order to use his own staff, she had no more job. So Becca came home for the summer.

Cal is surprised that Becca is no longer the kid he remembered, now a lovely young woman he is definitely interested in. And that suits Becca just fine! However, she still wants to keep things quiet between them, labeling it “just a fling”. And when he needs her help training to compete in the Highland Games, will she agree? Can he convince her along the way that the two of them already seem to make a good team… and perhaps should make it permanent?

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm lucky to have received an ARC copy of this book and this is my own honest opinion. Becca is still trying to get over peoples opinion of her height and always trying to hide and blend into the background. Making a name for herself as a sports trainer, losing her job returning to her hometown. Cal has finally got his garage and flat and preparing for the highland games. The twists and turns of them trying to hide feelings for each other acting happy to just have a fling. Will the finally admit how they each feel. All I'll say is this book keeps you guessing and hoping hea's do exist. I loved this book and am looking forward to the next in the series, I hope you'll enjoy it just as much as I have

[Naomi Kovach · Rating 3 out of 5]

I preferred book one to this but it wasn’t bad. The end of the story was super rushed and jumped all over the place.
Becca and Cal have been friends forever. Bec is best friends with Cal’s younger sister Nora but has also had a secret crush on Cal since forever.
She loses her job and has to come home for the summer until she finds something new and Cal stumbles upon her and seems interested. So instead of having a grown up conversation about feelings and what they want from each other, they spent the entire summer hooking up in secret which obviously leads to one of them being hurt and calling it off. Both become miserable, she almost misses his competition and decides to word vomit that she loves him and now happily ever after.

[Ulli Zaiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Becca has always had a crush on her best friend's brother Cal. Now she's a football trainer who is currently between jobs and she decides to spend the summer in her hometown. Cal is competing in the Highland games and he wants Becca to help him train.
I enjoyed reading this book but I couldn't really understand what the big problem was. Also: how can you keep a relationship secret when you repeatedly get picked up by the same man and don't return until the next day? Apart from that this book definitely had me entertained.

I received an ARC from the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Linda Olinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Becca Barton is home for the summer. An athletic trainer at the college level she finds herself unemployed when the head coach is replaced so she heads home to New Hampshire’s White Mountains. Her best friend’s older brother is still as gorgeous as ever, and Becca’s teen crush comes roaring back. As a kid she had been “sister zoned” but Cal can only see the beautiful woman she has blossomed into!
An endearing story about a strong, accomplished woman and the “town playboy”. Can a friends to lovers shift take place? Or would it be a “ best friend’s brother “ trope!
I loved this book! I think you will too!

[Wendy Livingstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Becca could not wait to leave town when she was younger, and now she is a sports trainer, but when she is fired, she has no choice but to return home. Cal is Becca’s best friends’ brother, who she has a crush on in high school. Cal needs Becca’s help to train for the Highland Games, and the chemistry between them is undeniable.
This is a well written story which is action packed, with heartbreak, rivalry, humor, witty banter, secrets, family, friendships, and love, which leads to an entertaining, and steamy small-town sports romance.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lauren Keith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was pretty underwhelmed by Just a Fling. The romance felt superficial, relying more on old feelings / lust than emotional development, which made it hard to invest in the relationship. Becca was a frustrating FMC, and her choices and lack of growth made her difficult to root for. I felt like Cal deserved better than what he was given. The ending didn’t actually resolve anything meaningful about their relationship, leaving things feeling unfinished. And to top it off, the number of typos was off-putting and frequently pulled me out of the story. Overall, the book had potential but didn’t deliver.

[Caroline Burt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a thrilling small town read. Packed with fun, laughter, secrets, friendship, heartache, passion, family, rivalry and more. Becca and Cal have known eachother forever. Cal was Becca's childhood crush and still is, only now Cal feels the same. Their chemistry is too intense to ignore so they enter into a secret casual fling. When feelings inevitably deepen, will they come out into the open or end it?...

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Dawn Litwiller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Becca has had a crush on her best friends big brother Cal since they were kids. When she returns to town, they reconnect and she helps him train for Highland games. She wants a fling while in town and he catches feelings. The chance for Becca to get a great new trainer job comes along and Cal isn't sure how he can keep Becca while letting her get her dream.
It was refreshing to have MC that don't change their life goals for the other and to communicate and compromise and most of all learn to love each other the way that works best for them.

[Catherine Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

great read

I really enjoyed this book, the setting was great as was the well thought out storyline.
With Cal and his rivalry with Andy for the local town Highland Games, with Becca returning home and her background in personal training she offers to train Cal.
Then there’s Diego that also hires Becca to train him/ support his return from injury - lots of secrets.
Loved the small town setting.
Overall a great read with a perfect ending

[Beka · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick, nice read. Sweet characters and I liked the small town setting. It was nice to see more of Cal and get to know Becca. Things progressed pretty quickly and there was small bits of conflict but it felt obvious it would be sorted relatively easily.

Similarly to the last one, I wanted more from the ending, it just felt a little abrupt and the epilogue gave a little look into their lives but honestly I have questions about how their situation is working.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a small town brother's best friend romance following Becca and Cal. Their story is beautiful and sweet. Cal and Becca both are likable and their interaction felt realistic. I really enjoyed the dirrection that their story and relationship took. This might be my first story from this author but it certainly will not be my last.

[Jacqueline Johnston Cotton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was a well written, great story that kept my interest. It had a wonderful mix of characters that will keep you reading until the very end. It was a book that showed how life’s twists and turns can show up when least expected.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second in the Franklin Notch series. Could be read as a stand-alone, though. Dual POV. She’s been in love with her bestfriend’s older brother all throughout growing up together. He only really notices her when she’s “grown up.” Hooking up behind everyone’s back. This was meh. The revealing of the relationship at the end was anticlimactic.

Spice level: 🌶️

[Emma-Rose Nixon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute story of a girl returning to her home town, spending time with her crush from school and things develop…

It was a fun read, a cute small town romance. I enjoyed the storyline and characters. I particularly liked the fact that the FMC didn’t change her life goals and dreams for the man in the end!

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never read this author before so I was looking forward to reading this book. I was not disappointed. The story was easy to follow and I really enjoyed reading about the main characters Becca and Cal. I am going to read all the books in this series.