Scoring Forever

Central State Football #3

by Jaqueline Snowe

When former childhood best friends turned enemies are stuck working together in the fast-paced world of college football, anything is possible.

Ivy Emerson has always been a force to be reckoned with. After a life-changing childhood injury, she's determined to follow her dreams of breaking into the world of football. Now, she's landed an internship at the prestigious football stadium, where she's ready to show the world that she belongs in this male-dominated arena.

Callum O'Toole has spent his life as the quintessential pretty boy and the life of the party. But beneath the charming exterior lies a man yearning to be more than just a smooth talker. He's back at the stadium for his senior year when he runs into his former childhood best friend, and he’s desperate to make amends for a colossal mistake three years ago. Because she hates him now.

He’s desperate to earn her forgiveness for what happened three years ago, but as far as Ivy is concerned, time doesn’t heal all wounds.

With Callum’s sights set on winning her friendship back, things get complicated when attraction between them rises. However, when deeper feelings surface, will Ivy have to choose between her future ambitions or the boy who always felt like home?

Genres: Sports Romance, Romance, Sports, Friends To Lovers, Football, Enemies To Lovers, College

326 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 14, 2025

About the author

Jaqueline Snowe lives in Arizona where the "dry heat" really isn't that bad. She prefers drinking coffee all hours of the day and snacking on anything that has peanut butter or chocolate. She is the mother to two dogs who don’t realize they aren’t humans and a = mom to the sweetest boy. She is an avid reader and writer of romances and tends to write about athletes. Her husband works for an MLB team (not a player, lol) so she knows more about baseball than any human ever should.


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Reviews

[booklover1816 · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 26%

Look. I’m all for forgiveness and groveling and whatnot, but no groveling actually happened. Add in the fact that Ivy lets Callum have his way and basically forgives him so quickly? Yeah no. I just can’t forgive the fact that Callum said all of those horrible things because he found something out about his dad.. and makes Ivy feel guilty??! What the hell?!

I also cannot stand the fact that if Callum is such an empath why is he forcing things on her knowing that it actually hurts her? And why is Ivy letting him?!

I just can’t see how I can finish this book when it’s already this mind-blowing.. and not in a good way.

[Jill (readinginpjs) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute one, I was looking forward to it from the teasers in the previous book!

📖 Scoring Forever
📝 Jaqueline Snowe
🗓️ 04/28/2024
🏈 sports romance
📱 arc read on kindle
📚 book 3 • Central State Football series

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

💭 overall thoughts:
I love a childhood friends to lovers story, and I enjoyed how Callum & Ivy were broken apart and then found their way back to one another.

I feel like it’s rare and I loved that Callum was the one who was insecure in their relationship, not Ivy.

tropes + topics:
💛 childhood friends to enemies to lovers
🏈 football player + athletic trainer
🏫 college
🙃 opposites attract
🔗 forced proximity
🐈‍⬛ black cat/golden retriever
🤫 secret/forbidden
🧢 reformed playboy
🫶🏼 found family
💞 dual 1st person pov

Thank you to author Jaqueline Snowe for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

*Connect with Me*
🤍 Instagram 🤍 Blog 🤍 Email 🤍

[Madeline K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow wow wow!!! This is definitely the best one yet! Ivy and Callum’s story is so amazing, I cannot recommend this enough! I was gigging and kicking throughout this whole book. The emotions I felt reading this were so strong, I felt like I was there in the rooms or on the field with the characters.

I’m so thankful I was able to get an ARC so I can tell anyone and everyone to RUN to read this book as soon as it comes out!

If you’re a fan of friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, black cat/golden retriever, grumpy/sunshine, or sports romance, you will love this book! Definitely don’t want to miss out on this one!

[Kkusumpreet Kaur · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW
an honest review in exchange for the ARC, here we go
Oh my God. The world is not ready for their love story. This was soooo fucking good. The anticipation. The fucking sexual tension. Jacqueline Snowe you kept on my toes for these two days and God I loved it. I can't wait for the world to get to know Callum and Ivy.

[Hanna Zabski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Update: I was being so dramatic giving this 5 stars LOL I need to be humbled

One tik tok quote and 5 hours later and we have ourselves a 5 star read WOW guys childhood friends to lovers always hits!! I was waiting for the third act breakup to ruin this for me but it didn’t. Is this the greatest literary masterpiece that will have the literary greats shaking in their boots? No but it was FUN!!

[Cece Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third book in the Central State Football series & yet another great read! I loved the first two so much & i literally yelled when I was accepted to receive this as an ARC.

Meet Ivy & Callum, former best friends turned “enemies” (they didn’t speak for like 3 years) turned friends again. Ivy, the dark haired, hair bow wearing, lover of fun facts, strong minded FMC who’s working hard & making a name for herself in the NFL industry at her internship in a prestigious football stadium.
Callum, our happy go lucky party boy, free spirited, charming smooth talker who works hard at football & being the best he can be. He’s also working hard to make amends with sweet Ivy & winning her friendship back 🤭

I was waiting for this book & LOVED learning more about Callum who we’ve been introduced to in the earlier books of the series. I absolutely ADORED that we got more of his “girls night” with Lo & Mack from book 1 & 2 & their other friends AAAAAND seeing the invite being extended to Ivy & her friends made my heart so happy! (that’s the only mini spoiler y’all will get out of me 😂)

I was on a rollercoaster of emotions while reading this book! Best believe I laughed, cried & kicked my feet. I was so excited for this ARC that I woke up at 4am New Zealand time & read the whole book before the afternoon 😂

I highly recommend this book & can’t wait to get Book 1, 2 & 3 of the Central State Football series for my bookshelves! 📚

Thank you Jaqueline for the ARC in exchange for an honest review ✨

[Arlette · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.28 stars ✨

What was even the point of this?

Ivy and Callum were annoying as individual characters, but I guess they make sense together…?

I expect more angst and yearning from a friends-to-lovers romance, and this did not deliver. They were moving too quickly, and it was not in an “aw, young love, so cute” kind of way. Callum especially comes off too strong, and it feels disingenuous. Considering that we have no sense of what their friendship was like before their separation, it would've helped to see them ease back into that dynamic while amping up their underlying romantic feelings.

We also just seemed to forget about the obstacles pretty quickly. We move on from Callum’s family problems without seeing him actually work through those emotions. The resolution is randomly thrown in at the end, but it doesn’t hold any meaning since it isn’t reflected in his character development. Then there’s Ivy and Callum’s near disregard for the “no fraternization” team rule. They were way too cozy in public for anyone not to think they’re hooking up. This internship is a big deal for Ivy, and as much as she says it is, she doesn’t act like it.

The dialogue was very cringey. It’s like the author tried to make them sound sweet, but it was just a no from me.

Overall, this was pretty boring. The romance had no substance, there was no real conflict, and the writing was cringey.

Audiobook side note: J.D. Tomlinson and Melody Muzljakovich were okay narrators.

________________________________________________

Annotations from the audiobook:

Ch 21: They’re not very secretive at the bar, even though she could get fired.

[Sarah~Book Obsession Confessions · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fans of friends to lovers and especially estranged friends to lovers will love this sweet, low drama, NA sports romance.
Ivy is focused on her future career, she’s strong and independent. She has big goals.
Callum is uncertain in a sense about his future, he has things he needs to really look at. He’s dedicated to his football teammates. He’s a team player versus a player who craves the spotlight.
They are former besties, Callum ghosted Ivy with no explanation at the end of high school.
The reason was not big enough for me to agree with his behavior, I felt it was immature.
Years later at college they are forced into each other’s presence. They become friends again and then they notice some me new feelings. Chemistry that they ignored becomes an issue they have to face as they are constantly around each other. And, it would be forbidden to be romantically or physically involved as she is an intern on the football staff and he’s a player.
Callum is a very sweet guy, he says what he feels and goes for things hard. It’s not my personal preference in a romance hero. I felt he was actually a bit “too much, too soon”.
If you love a super sweet guy who goes over the top for his girl this book is for you.
It’s low angst, low drama and on the sweet side of romance with some steam.
I’m not a fan of super sweet relationships that don’t have some tension, roadblocks or rough times. They fell back into a very easy relationship, they were childhood friends so, this makes sense…. Just not my cup of tea. This one wasn’t my favorite by this author because of those personal preferences. I look forward to future books by this author as I’ve absolutely loved her previous books.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
1.5🌶️

🏈 Football romance
🏈 Second chance romance
🏈 Former bffs to enemies to lovers
🏈 Forced proximity
🏈 Forbidden workplace romance
🏈 Groveling

This is Ivy and Callum’s book. Honestly it was tough for me to get through. It felt like there was a lot of immaturity throughout the book. I pushed myself to get through it because I had hopes that it would get better. At the halfway point it did start to get better. I hate to not finish a book, but I was close with this one as it just wasn’t it for me. Both main characters had their own sets of issues to work through, but they almost seemed like they were high school age and not seniors in college. Them coming back together and reconciling was cute, but some of it seemed rushed and some of it seemed to come out of left field.

[Bookspawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC conditional on an honest review, and I can honestly say thank you Jaqueline Harvey and really well done.

I loved the characters, both Ivy and Callum. They were funny, honest and real characters. I felt like I was reading something original, not at all a knockoff of a popular trope with different names.

Ivy was a great MFC, smart and relatable. She and Callum had a fallout 3 years before the book takes place, and their mutual split, whilst somewhat due to minor miscommunication, was for good reason. Their 3 years apart served as a learning and growing experience for both, and set the eventual scene for the romance that took place between returning character Callum and Ivy.

I greatly enjoyed the novel. The romance was done well, and not overloaded by 'spice'. And Jacqueline Harvey allowed room for a great example of healthy career ambition and healthy family relationships, particularly working towards the cultivation of said relationships.

There was jealousy (the good kind), open communication and great writing. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend to anyone looking for a nice, spicy, heart-warming read to enjoy at the end of the day with some snacks and a beverage of choice.

-> Sports Romance
-> Friends to Lovers
-> Enemies (?) to Friends/Lovers
-> Slow Burn (?)

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Callum and Ivy so much! I liked learning about their history and how well they really knew each other. Callum was so gone for Ivy and would do anything for her. This college/sports/childhood best friends turned enemies to lovers/protective romance was everything. I did not want this book to end! All the stars

[Emily Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book 3 in the Central State Series, and I have read books 1 and 2! I was obsessed with The Summer Playbook, so when I found out I could get an ARC copy of Scoring Forever I jumped at the opportunity!

This was my favorite book out of the 3 so far!!! I loved Callum as a side character, but his golden retriever energy was so amazing to read. He fit so well as a main character. Ivy was such a strong woman and I loved learning more about her after having the brief introduction to her in Dean and Mack’s book! His and Ivy’s dynamic was just so good! I’m a sucker for a good enemies to lovers trope but add in that they were best friends before too?? SO good!!

I loved reading the girl’s nights from Callum’s POV and loved that Ivy and her best friend were invited too! As someone whose boyfriend’s friends have embraced her just like this, I loved reading this and connecting with Ivy!

I’m so glad that this could be my first ARC book and first review ever!! I can’t wait for everyone to read it!

[Laura Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review- Leave it to Jaqueline Snowe to keep giving me book boyfriends! Callum and Ivy’s story had me hooked the whole time! Childhood best friends reconnect, and it’s so sweet to read about their relationship in the past and how it unfolds now. I’ve been in a reading slump and the last book I physically read (not listened to) was the previous book in this series. I love this friend group and I hope we get more books in the future!

[Anekakhanna · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 45% their chemistry seemed so forced and was painful to read

[LAJordan Leigh Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to the author for the eARC. Available now—happy release day!

Scoring Forever
By Jaqueline Snowe

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (0-5)
Steam: 🔥🔥🔥 (0-5)

What I’m Starry-Eyed Over:
🤩 This book is my happy place! It made me laugh, cry, love, feel all the lusty goodness, and I’m totally bumping Jaqueline Snowe’s backlist way up. Sports romance lovers, you need her in your life.
🤩 Childhood best friends, to enemies, to lovers.
🤩 That need-to-know feeling about their history—captivating from the start.
🤩 College workplace-type romance: he’s on the Central State football team and she’s a PT intern.
🤩 Sports romance/football romance with field and physical therapy action on the page! I love to be in on the action, all the action!
🤩 I love an introvert FMC because it’s rare and hits home. Ivy Emerson is resilient, fun, and absolutely amazing at what she does. I love how she interacts with the guys on the team. “Okay, Emerson. Talk nerdy to me while I torture myself.”
🤩 Who knew an ice bath scene could make me melt!?
🤩 This book totally works as a standalone (interconnected series) but I really fell in love with Callum as a side character in book 2—The Summer Playbook. Callum O’Toole is a magnetic, fun-loving extrovert, playboy, but also a really good friend and teammate. Book 1 (First Meet Foul) is still TBR for me.
🤩 I cried at the weirdest times in this book because of how much I love and adore Ivy and Callum. These two are picture perfect grace and grit!!
🤩 The surprising physical attraction, desire, and tension between these two is fantastic!! Whew
🤩 That first kiss—when a first kiss is this good!
🤩 The sneaking around, forbidden romance.
🤩 The self-talk and conversations are perfect—I can feel every thought they have and every word they say to each other. So much love, regret, and need.
🤩 Amazing life lessons in books: “One thing my sisters engrained in me was that when someone shared feelings or expressed vulnerability, you thanked them for sharing. Even though I wanted to say a million things back and argue with her, doing that wasn’t right. ‘Thank you for being honest with me and trusting me with the truth.’”

What I’m Wishing/Dizzy About:
💫 I wasn’t sure Callum could come back from their past. I doubted Jaqueline Snowe could get me to forgive him. Silly me, I 100% forgive him and love and adore him.

[Kristina Maysonet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scoring Forever is book 3 in the Central State Football series and is Ivy and Callum’s story. Ivy & Callum were best friends in high school until one day a fight separated them for years. This here is the only reason this was not 5 stars for me. I just couldn’t understand why Callum did what he did and I couldn’t forgive him. Present Callum was actually really sweet though and hard not to love. Callum is reunited with Ivy when she gets an internship as an athletic trainer for Callum’s team. With Ivy back in his life, Callum is determined to make amends and get things back to how they used to be. I like that Ivy made him work for it, but even when she forgave him, she still held onto the pain that he caused her.

I really enjoyed the way they were together. The fun spirited, party boy football player and the strong, caring athletic trainer who has a fact for every situation. They balanced each other out and they just had this chemistry from being so close for years. They had some bumps in the road and obstacles to figure out but together they are able to get through it.

I also really loved seeing more of Callum and his girl nights. And then bringing Ivy along just made her part of the group.

[Ehva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my God
Callum and Ivy 😫😫😫🔥 Holy ish
I'm obsessed, friends to enemies then enemies to lovers

This was such a journey and so well worth it. I couldn't put it down from the second I read the first line. Callum and Ivy pull you in immediately. She's sassy and feisty and he's completely obsessed with her. He loves and lives for her comebacks and sassy mouth and she loves how attentive he is towards her, how much he knows her even after years apart.

It's always been you 😫😍🔥❤ my favourite trope ever. Love that there was no 3rd act breakup. They resolved their issues like adults and it was so great to see. Their bond grew so much, it was heart warming to see these two people who love each other so much, finally let go of everything holding them back and fight for each other.

Definitely need to read them if you haven't already ❤

Fiery romance, attentive hero
Sassy heroine, sports romance, college football, 2nd chance well worth it, you're my whole world 😫 I love you forever

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jaqueline has done it again! This book was everything I wanted and more. I was so excited for Callum’s book after how fun he was in the first 2 and he exceeded my expectations.

Callum is the most golden retriever book boyfriend to ever exist. He is so lovable, caring and hilarious. I loved the relationship between him and Ivy. Their bestfriends to enemies to lovers story was so well written. The growth and communication they had to get over the past issues was everything. Ivy was such a relatable character. She is so strong and sassy. She knew exactly what she wanted in life. I loved her friendship with Esme and then eventually with Mack, Lo and the other girls. I adored how they accepted her into the girls night so quickly!

I was kicking my feet, laughing and blushing the entire book. The banter, tension and spice was perfect. The Central State serious just keeps getting better and better. I can’t wait to see whose book is next.

Thank you so much to Jacqueline for allowing me to read this ARC

[Abby (booksinthefreetime) · Rating 5 out of 5]

*ARC Review*

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️/🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Jaqueline!!! THIS BOOK IS PERFECTION 😍

I have fallen in love with each book in this series but this one has taken my number 1 spot! This book had the perfect amount of tension, banter, and spice 🥵. Callum is such a lovable and kind character and reading his story with Ivy who is this strong minded and sassy attitude gave me all the feels! I read this book at 10 pm and couldn’t put it down till I finished it early in the AM the next day!!

If you love…

-Opposites Attract
-Friends to Enemies to Lovers
-College Romance
-Sports Romance
-Childhood Best Friends
-Reformed Playboy
-Forbidden Workplace/Secret Relationship

READ THIS BOOK!!!

Thank you Jaqueline for the ARC!! 🤗

[Lee ✨✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so excited to read Ivy and Callum’s story after reading The Summer Playbook, so my eyes nearly popped out of my head when I received an ARC of Scoring Forever last month!

I really loved Callum and how all in he gets with different aspects of his life, sports, friends, IVY!! His dedication is so swoon worthy 🥰🥰 I loved how him and Ivy were able to build trust after not speaking for so long and just how obsessed he is with her. I also really liked Ivys dedication to her goals and her opening up as the book progresses.

Absolutely loving sports romances this year, would definitely recommend for the sports romance girlies!!

Thanks to Jaqueline Snowe for providing me with an eARC for an honest review!

[Clara Gilleland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Callum is down badddddd for Ivy! I loved that she held him accountable and made him work for her forgiveness, and I also appreciated that Callum rose to the challenge - he knew she was worth it and didn’t stop fighting to earn her trust. This book featured a few of my favorite tropes (childhood friends to lovers, forbidden workplace romance, golden retriever MMC, my future wife) and I loved their banter and spice!

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

jaqueline freakin did it again!! i love this series so much & this was easily the best book in it <33

ivy & callum are everything to me and i honestly cried throughout like half of this (it’s fine i’m fine)

i really hope we get more central state football books bc i’m so obsessed with them

thank you jaqueline for the arc!!

[Karly Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Callum & his inner monologue had me cackling.
Callum & Ivy were childhood best friends, until 3 years ago. But now Ivy is working as an intern for Callum’s college football team. Callum is desperate to make amends with
Ivy.
I loved seeing Ivy blend in with Mack and Lo and the girls. I loved how it was all connected with Dean and Luca also. I’m really hoping there’s a story for Oliver!

[Sarah Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

IVY AND CALLUM! I repeat, IVY AND CALLUM! I love their love!!!! I was lucky enough to receive an ARC for this book and it was truly such a treat to read! Kicking my legs and blushing from start to finish. Loved it!

[Emily pistel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love ivy & callum so much!! 🥰 I love a good ex best friends turned lovers! ❤️

[Valeria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has to be my favorite book in the series so far.

Callum and Ivy were best friends until something happened that ended their friendship for three years now Callum will do anything to get her forgiveness and gain back her friendship, but in the process they start to develop feelings.

I love how they had very good communication once they started being friends again. Like anytime one of them had an issue, they obviously had their inner monologue where they freaked… but they would go to each other as soon as possibly and discuss it. I thought this was refreshing because miscommunication is such a common trope in romance books that it sort of feels like it’s being normalized?

Knowing Callum from the previous books, made me so excited to get to his book and it did not disappoint.

Thank you Jaqueline Snowe for the arc!🙏🏼

[Hannah Bariola · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 ⭐️Truthfully I thought I’d love this one the most, but it wasn’t my favorite of the series. They’re both super insecure and overly needy. Like I get it they have been best friends since they were 5 but shoot, did they have to be overly needy and bleh. Still a good story but the typos annoyed the heck out of me. Still a great read and all the characters feel like people I know personally, so I like the series.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Childhood best friends become enemies..reconnect and became lovers. I love this trope lol and really enjoyed this book.

Ivy and Callum were both fun to read. They had fun personalities and quirks. I think their fallout was shitty and could’ve been avoided but the 3 years apart from each other, although shitty, I felt it helped because they needed to grow and experience life without each other. So when they finally reconnected it was like discovering someone new but it was their person and while apart for 3 years, no one ever became what they were to each other, it was amazing. Especially reading about the strong attraction they felt for each other only realizing they’ve always had feelings for the other but always kept it in the friend zone because they didn’t want to lose the friendship they had. When they finally gave in and decided to give their relationship a shot, I loved Callum’s inner thoughts of chaos. He was completely gone for Ivy it was hilarious. He thought about babies, marriage…anything in the future didn’t matter as long as he was with Ivy lol. Great read!

[Nicole Doherty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been WAITING for this one! I love a good friends to lovers story but mix in a little hatred too…yes. please. Jaqueline has not missed once and I am utterly obsessed with her work and her stories and her characters. The Central State FB series is by far my fave and each book just gets better and better. The love Ivy and Callum have for each other is fueled by a lifetime of history and that just makes it all the more better when they finally realize whats really happening between them! Callum also being utterly obsessed with Ivy is just magical and cute and everything good.

So happy I was able to get an ARC of this and will be telling everyone and their mother to read this series!

[Mallory Lauder · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Callum and Ivy are hilarious. Could not put it down. Are up every page.

Friends to lovers not typically my thing, but this version is perfection.

Jaqueline Snowe may be my new fav sports romance author.