Fumble Into Forever

by Elle Madearis

Bryce Prescott

There was only one thing on my mind this football season. Revenge. Last season, my number one wide receiver had patted me on the back, then walked away with my fiancée. I’d become the laughingstock of the entire sports world, with my face being splashed across gossip sites. As I watched my ex, Shaunie, walk down the aisle to Vick, I vowed everybody was going to pay. The only person laughing this season would be me.

Kindness Jordan

Peace and happiness were my motto. After four traumatic college years, I took some time to find myself. Backpacking through Europe had given me the tools I needed to return to Houston. For a while, things moved at a comfortable pace, so I thought. The outside world refused to allow me to stay on the sideline when my parents come knocking. They were demanding I take on a more active role in the family business. My integration back into the corporate world brought me front and center with the star quarterback.

Genres: Sports Romance, Sports, Romance, African American, Audiobook, African American Romance, Football

276 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 31, 2024

Reviews

[jutunn hays · Rating 1 out of 5]

unpopular opinion

I don’t like Kindness. I feel like Bryce was a project she thought she could fix with half truths and manipulation. She asked for honesty and transparency but she lied about everything. When he found out about her parents she acted like he was wrong for calling her on her shit. She made him be transparent and geld him accountable when she was anything but. This was not a good read.

[*Ebony I* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet Revenge

I really enjoyed this story! A solid 4.5 🌟s

I loved the original take on a football story. Bryce finds himself navigating serious blow to his ego after losing his fiance to his teammate. He wanted his revenge badly. What was odd is he didn't seem to be heart broken, but instead he was more embarrassed than anything. That should tell you all you need to know about his former relationship. His get back plan is underway until he runs into Kindness and she knocks his whole world off kilter. 

Kindness was the highlight of this story. I love how multifaceted she was. We got to experience her no nonsense as a boss, her caring and supportive as a girlfriend and friend, a free spirit in her garden and bright colors, her nerd ways creating video games, and an artist painting and sketching beautiful pictures. Like sis was literally everything. Although she was misleading I love that she gave her and Bryce a chance. They were so good together and the amount of growth between both of them was just so sweet, and sometimes that is the best revenge.

P S. Ms. Serena...checkmate girl.

[Shakyrah James · Rating 1 out of 5]

This Book Made My Blood Boil

I did not like Kindness at all. The way she was caping for Vick and punishing Bryce for his revenge plan, while trying to force him to work with a man that not only betrayed him but took pleasure in rubbing it in his face made me want to throw my phone. Bryce was expected to be the bigger person while Vick and Shaunie got a pass. The baby comment alone was enough for me to on board with whatever he planned. Then Kindess lied to him then tried to gaslight and flip it on him. Then when she went on to get her own revenge against Russell I was furious. I guess she’s the only one with the right to get her lick back. Bryce deserved a better woman.

[perfectlyamberb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kindness and Bryce's love story was so sweet. When they meet, Bryce is angry, scorned, and hell-bent on revenge when he literally bumps into Kindness, who is running from a persistent ex-boyfriend. From then on, their forbidden romance develops, and Kindness was such a good influence in his life. She spoke so much life into him and helped him literally find himself. Bryce, for his part, was an excellent love interest; even when he misstepped, he took the steps to correct himself. This is a really low angst romance about two people discovering love while helping each other discover themselves as well. Now I might be a little toxic because I really wanted Bryce to get his revenge, and I was a smidge disappointed when Kindness got him off that path because Vick deserved some comeuppance.

['The Book Queen' · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75 A good read...

My goodness, this was so good. It is my first book by this author, and for sure it will not be my last. I enjoyed this football story. And the characters were amazing. Bryce was too cute. He lost his girl to a teammate, and man, he held a grudge fiercely. Kindness held her role to the letter. This is a very good story, you should read it.

[ReadnliftwithShar · Rating 5 out of 5]

💕

I devoured this book in under 24hrs after being in a crazy slump. Bryce was a man scorned, after what his teammate did but Kindness was truly the light he needed. She saw him for him, and helped him to find his true identity. I enjoyed this book - it was a little forbidden, chemistry out of this world, and two people who needed healing. ❤️‍🩹

[nidia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bad always prevails in this book

His revenge plan was diabolical, and he needed to let it go, so say they all... the villains get to live happily ever after at his expense, figuratively and literally. All these people betrayed him, and nothing happens to any of them. He just exists with them. Then the very last and maybe biggest slap in the face is the revelation that it was all engineered. A cute little chapter that just highlights how upsetting this book really is. Just feels like he should have never met her and started anew with a different group of people, period. Career switch, if you will.

Two positives: this book has good writing, and the author knows how to engineer a story that will keep your mind. The storyline is… I hope this isn’t a theme in all of this author’s books.

I hope all who read this don’t let revenge overtake their lives but know that they don’t have to play nice because the ones they care about deem them the problem. If that’s the case, they must be God; I would love to see what they do if they were in your shoes.

[Whit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of secrets and shocking twists and turns in this captivating page turner! Absolutely loved this story!

It's one thing for people to laugh and make fun of you behind your back. But in front of millions of fans, as a Quarterback of a NFL championship team, the humiliation is heart breaking!

Vick not only stole Bryce's fiancee but married her in a huge wedding and invited the rest of the team to attend. That sucker had more nerve than a toothache!!!!!

Nevertheless, Bryce has a huge plan for revenge and it's a doozy!!!! However, Kindness is afraid that more than Vick will be damaged when all is said and done!

What an awesome and well written story!

[Arnell Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was soo good. I really enjoy how this author writes. She sprinkles real life issues in the storyline to make it more enjoyable.

[Oreee💋]

TO BE CLEAR, THIS IS NOT ABOUT ALL BLACK AUTHORS, JUST RECENT POPULAR ONES I HAVE PICKED UP. I recognize that there are PLENTY Black authors in MANY different genres, this is about ONE aspect that I have been seeing recently.

This is the last time I pick up a popular Black romance book for a while. I am Black too, but why is it that some of the Black romance novels that are trending RECENTLY surround toxic relationships, stupid stereotypes, and double standards? I mean, is my algorithm just wrong? I am sick and tired of trying to find Black love that is not under the guise of STRUGGLE LOVE. BLACK PEOPLE CAN BE HEALTHY (relationships, dynamics...) TOO. I have read and favorited many Black Romance like these that do not disrespect women or have unhealthy themes (being normalized) being protrayed.

TO BE CLEAR, THIS IS NOT ABOUT ALL BLACK AUTHORS, JUST RECENT POPULAR ONES I HAVE PICKED UP.

FOR FUCKING GOODNESS SAKE. Someone recommend a Black love that is HEALTHY AND FLUFFY, PLEASE.

Kindness and Bryce... let me just say, they are not my fav couple. I am quite pissed that I picked this up. Wish I could take back the time and energy I wasted on this book.

I will be addressing a few things about this novel that I detested.

One: If I was on a football team with a bunch of other women (like these people are my FAMILY and my supposed "sister" went behind my back, to fuck on my fiancé, and then marry him in the offseason, inviting ALL OTHER members of my family, to sing and dance and write speeches to celebrate their marriage. No one checked on me or reached out at all in the offseason, Both my "sister" and "my man" are RUBBING IT IN MY FACE, and I came back with a plan for revenge (VALID) , and other people are, essentially, telling me that "things happen" "let it go" "stop being immature" "I'm grown" BLAH BLAH FUCKING BLAH. YOU BET YOUR ASS I AM GETTING MY DAMN REVENGE TF? Maybe l'm petty or whatever, but I don't care. Nothing will ever make me get over this type of betrayal.
NOT EVEN FOR ANOTHER MAN. I am so disappointed that Bryce didn't get his damn revenge. Yeah, it won't make him feel better but shittttt it would feel good as it is happening HAHAHHHHHHHH
Two: 1 did not like Kindness AT ALL. She was VERY MANIPULATIVE. She had this "wiser-than-my-years" thing going on and it DID NOT work for her. I don't know what the author was trying to do with her character but it came out ALL kinds of wrong. Her whole "tryna figure out who Bryce is/ I can fix him" mentality was fucking disgusting. Not even 30/40% into the book, she's yelling at Bryce about not being second to football. Girl he just met you, Y'ALL AREN'T EVEN TOGETHER and if he was wise, he WOULD NOT throw away YEARS of his career to come see you because you wanna see him? Kindness, you claim to have a job, but because your man is busy, you're mad at him and you start ignoring him? FIND SOMETHING TO DO HONEY. He has a job and he was doing it. And, in retaliation, you ignore him and go to a club to piss him off? For a 28-year-old, you seem AWFULLY childish. I mean OMG. She is also a hypocrite because she claimed that Bryce always made her second to football when, simultaneously, she was keeping her relationship a secret from her father who BASICALLY HAD THE REINS ON HIS DAMN CAREER. You know what her reason for keeping it a secret was..."l've always kept stuff like that to myself" SON OF A BITCH, ARE YOU SERIOUSLY ILL?? Your man could have lost his job and you were willing to let it happen because of a simple thing that could be cleared up in 5 mins?? Yeah, despised her. When Bryce was going ahead with his revenge plan, she had the DAMN AUDACITY to ask why Bryce would try to do something as malicious as that. Malicious...MALICIOUS? © Malicious is fucking on my man as my "sister" and then fucking off to go marry and inviting other members of my tamily. Malicious Is going out of your way to RUB IT IN MY FACE. Malicious is having the fucking GALL to ask me to grow up and forget about it. NAHHHHHH I would have left the damn team Imao. I also hate men that talk about the female character in a crude way for their damn egos. You're talking to Russell, yeah nobody likes Russell but shouldn't you feel uncomfortable if a man said to another man that when he's "raw-dogging" you that your ex will forget you? Gross. On top of that, she acts like she has a backbone and she literally does not lol. You offer your body to him in exchange for revenge? HAVE YOU NO SELF RESPECT? Let's write more women that stand on business please (pls recommend me some if you have any) GUESS WHAT HE DID? STILL TRIED TO GET HIS REVENGE. Are you not embarrassed? Oh and when this man was dealing with his feelings, you decide that "yes, now is the time to suck his
" Are you insane?
@ Additionally, you were recently in
an abusive relationship and missed the red flags which seriously sucks and I am sorry you went through that girl. You claimed to have learned your lesson but it seems that you haven't because why are you ignoring Bryce's red flags too?
This man said he doesn't wanna hear a no from you when it comes to sex (COERSION), Always trying to know where you're at and not for safety reasons (CONTROLLING), demanding to not use a condom and for you to get on birth control. You don't want to get on birth control because of the complications that come with it. You claim it is unnatural and he tells you that he is going to go ahead and not use condoms whether you like it or not (HELLO? CONSENT? ARE YOU THERE? NO!!). You tell him to get a vasectomy and he laughs you off and throws "it's unnatural" in your face? How are those even the same things Bryce? Hm, dumbass? One procedure compared to ongoing life complications?? Not to mention, who is going to have to carry the baby when you all are irresponsible? The woman, so why is this even a conversation? If she says she is not getting on birth control, LEAVE IT BE NIGGA So, Kindness, these flags are not...red to you...? Whatever, you live and you learn girl. DO YOU.
I don't even wanna talk about the other characters. Three: I am so pissed Bryce did not get his revenge and went off to go heal and that was the last fucking straw for me. I would have gotten my revenge and fucked off to get over it Imao. This giving up my revenge for the person I love storyline is very cruel to me. I thought Kindness was going to join him in his plan and I thought it was a pun-play at her name. BOY WAS I WRONG. Taking a break from reading for a while. This shit put me in a goddamn slump. Hell no.

[Crimson · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cute

I truly enjoyed this book. This was a feel good novel. I love, love and this, my dear, is nothing but love. Just read the damn book. 💗

[Danielle Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the perfect read on playoff Sunday 🏈 good palate cleanser too! It gave “The Game”! And ok Serena!!

[The Urban Fiction Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a re read BUT it reminded me just how much I loved the way Elle Maderis wrote Bryce and Kindness. I mean Kindness was EVERYTHING Bryce didn’t know he needed. The friendship they built. The way they learned each other. The communication. The care. The healing. The love. This story was beautiful from beginning to end.

Kindness helped Bryce heal though his trauma and hurt and he showed up for her in ways no man had ever. The support. The push. The care. They were truly perfect for each other.

So much is taught through this story, it will leave you smiling.

Stamped,
The Urban Fiction Librarian

[Lisareadsromance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Baby the yearning....ohhhh, that is what I always want to see. Kindness out here doing God's work, shit, Bryce don't know what hit him. He ball might be life, but Kindness out here playing for keeps. I just felt the energy radiating off the page while listening to the audio book, baby the male narrator was doing wonders for me. Chapter 4 her painting studio scene with Bryce for the first time is def a fave. haha, my girl kindness knows her worth, I love that she is giving Bryce a run for his money. Love that he is like a lost puppy, trying to get at her gold, but also her as a woman. His revenge scheme is def smart, but def could lead to disaster. Kindness is def a one of a kind, with the secret that she is holding about Russell ass, I needed her to tell her father and when she did, he deserved that spiral. He dad though was pissing me off too, like not acknowledging how much talent she had in her field, I know that shit left doubts in her, till the end I was side eyeing the hell out of him, but he def was making up for his fuck up. This was def a wonderful journey of self-reflection and discovery/healing. ALL I WILL SAY IS THAT KINDNESS MOTHER IS THE STAR OF THE SHOW, LIKE I DID NOT SEE THAT PHENOMENAL PLAY BY HER....DANG, SHE CONCOCTED QUITE THE PLAN....SHE WAS DEF MVP OF IT ALL 💜😍

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

well done

My first book of 2025. It was masterfully written very well curated the twist and turns or twist and turning, and the emotion was there. There was not toxic drama, but drama from a place of growth and healing the last chapter before the epilogue, you won’t see it coming.

[ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love and football

The storyline was really nice and I enjoyed the depth of the FMC got the mmc in ways of opening up and communicating.
The pace was very slow to me and some of the extras felt not needed. I will say that being a football fan and front Hou I enjoyed all the references in the story.

[🩷🦋Nisha BrownSuga Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing Read!!!

I absolutely loved this book!! Character development great. I loved the connection between Kindness and Bryce. The journal entries and app were wonderful ideas. Couples should implement this task in real life and maybe the divorce rate would go down. 10/10 highly recommend. I’m about to enjoy book 2 because I know Marcus and Mia are some fools.

[Shahtia Gay-hairston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fumble into forever

Perfect Sunday football 🏈 read. I was all for the revenge. Serena was mother of 5he year. Kindness was not a Jordan she was the Jordan. I love how Bryce came into his own!

[Jazz💋 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished Fumbled Into Forever by Elle Madearis and I’m still recovering 😭❤️ The chemistry? Top tier. The writing? So damn good. And that plot twist at the end?? I audibly gasped. Elle really fumbled me right into my feelings with this one.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5⭐️

[Shalana · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐

Soooo good.

Bryce was focused on football and revenge and Kindness was exactly what he needed to find purpose and see himself as something other than a footballer.

loved them both!!

[Jasmine VanDross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kindness and Bryce’s story was cute. This is my first read from this author and I enjoyed it.

[Carissa G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one! It was full of drama, but great character development! Bryce and Kindness relationship started with them trying to get away from their past! Bryce wanted revenge on his teammate for walking away last season with his fiancée! Kindness was healing from a past situation that was still very present in her life!

This book had lots of twists and turns but kept you on your toes! I loved the immediate chemistry between the two main characters! I also loved that Kindness held Bryce to his BS and a lot of times called him on it because he was often doing THE MOST!

I also loved that it was a true football romance! It was so much more than a girl falling in love with a football player!

[Melise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was phenomenal, now some of the editing issues left that last star off the table. How you got the wrong form on one page but immediately using the correct word on the next page.

Now onto some personal issues I had, while I’m happy that everything worked out perfectly the whole mom orchestrating the situation threw me off a whole lot sorry I don’t like a puppet master at all. Next up while I’m glad our MMC was able to see the big picture the two sneaky MFers really annoyed me the entire book. Like why include apologies for them to include BUT, once you toss but into and apology it’s no longer valid. You can’t say sorry for doing you dirty BUT I DON’T regret it…. Like girl FAWK YOU AND YA BALHEAD husband. I really felt like they were playing in Bryce face and Vick still deserved a slap. Additionally while we learned of Bryce’s shortcomings I feel like it fell flat on Shaunie’s side. We have Bryce saying he didn’t cherish her, listen to her desires or prioritize her career over his own, yet all she got to show for it is a man and a baby??? Like huh sure Bryce is the bad guy but after the abortion why she ain’t break up with him? Went on and popped that cat for Vick but still in the same place as a sunbeam just a wife of a player ??? Sorry that really ain’t do it for me.

I also struggled with our FMC being sneaky, like sorry if we switched it and made it that the MMC lured her out into the backwoods to confess something it wouldn’t have gone over well. Like you want vulnerability while being decidedly deceptive?!? Like sure don’t tell him day one but once you told him to turn that revenge plot off you should’ve spilled the beans and in the house at that cus girl you brought him out there and forced him to listen to you or else he wasn’t getting home… lmaoo like I get it but yeah no. I also was thrown off a bit by her calling him an experiment, like yeah yall fell in love but your intention going in was a fixer upper? Lmaoo like he was very much an abandoned home to renovate huh?

Overall this author is very talented they definitely need to go through the future stories with a fine tooth comb because some of the issues were glaring and popping out at important portions of the story. The mistakes were minor but again changed the overall feel and vibe of the story IMO. I look forward to reading more of her work for sure.

[Tisha · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️

Overall the storytelling was fair, but I felt like something was missing. I didn’t like the manipulative games Kindness played with Bryce. She intentionally held something vital from him for over 60% of the story. I found the journaling thing to be odd- especially because she referenced this actions as experiments. It was faux life coaching and pretty invasive. Also, that part of the plot just fell away.

I also found the mid- introduction of another couple to be odd. All of a sudden we’re supposed to get invested in Mia and Marcus. Yes, they both were around- but solely as a filler character. So, why add them as a couple? By introducing them midway, their story felt rushed. Which sucked because I enjoyed their meet cute. Why not allow their story to unfold along with Kindness and Bryce?

The conflicts created were too big to be handled so simply. Her father was that demeaning and all it took was one conversation, and for her mother FINALLY stand up to him. Also, what happened to the tension between Bryce and his dad? It was emphasized and then slowly went away.

I love a sports romance and this had good bones. I just wish it would’ve been flushed out more.

[CoCo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kindness didn't exactly live up to her name

I really wasn't feeling her for most of the book. Imagine being the owner of a team and trying to convince the starting quarterback he spends too much time thinking about football
Lol What??? A lot of things didn't make sense. Somehow she was responsible for draft picks and contracts but they kept saying she wasn't involved enough with the team. She was making the most important decisions. How much more involved could one be? Also, I feel like she was manipulating Bryce. He was vulnerable and she took advantage of that. How are you going to be making demands when you're lying to this man every day? And, it should have been a way bigger deal that she was the owner and didn't tell him. How can she say that her being an owner wasn't affecting their relationship when she stayed on his head about icing Vick out. That was the owner talking, not his girlfriend lol Please. Bryce was annoying too always needing her location and etc. I was in favor of his revenge plot btw. Vick deserved it. Idc lol. As far as Kindness and Bryce, I really wasn't rooting for them. They both got on my nerves. And then... out of nowhere Mrs. Jordan orchestrated this all. I can't think of a more unnecessary "twist" in all my years of reading.

[Kennedi · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 59 bc wtf??

The FMC Kindness was a condescending, manipulative liar that treated men as literal projects. She demanded honesty from this man while the whole time she literally did nothing but lie. I had to stop reading after his punishment was to journal. Who the hell does she think she is?

Then her along with everyone else in the book thinking this man was in the wrong for wanting revenge after being betrayed by two people he trusted and even one he planned to spend the rest of his life with. Are you serious right now?

I’m really shocked that I made it this far but I cannot go any further simply because this book is ass backwards. This is my first book by this author and like is she well? In what world did it make sense to intentionally write something so, well, stupid.

[Raquel (BookishRaquel) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️ | 3 🌶️ | 5 🎧

What to Expect:
- Black Romance
- Sports Romance (Football)
- Secret Identity
- She's the Owner
- He's the QB
- Family Drama
- Revenge Plot
- Personal Growth
- Dual 1st Person POV
- Dual Narration

My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book and loved Kindness and Bryce together. Bryce starts off wanting revenge after his fiancée leaves him for his teammate, then Kindness comes into his life and completely changes his plans. Their friendship felt genuine, and I loved watching it naturally grow into something deeper.

Kindness helped Bryce realize there was more to him than football and gave him space to work through his feelings. I loved how Bryce gave Kindness the space to be herself. He supported her as she faced her fears and her complicated relationship with her father. These two challenged each other, opened up to one another, and grew both individually and as a couple.

I loved witnessing Bryce let go of revenge and realize he had found something so much better. Their journey was emotional and a bit messy, but they were exactly what each other needed. This was such a fun football romance. The characters had amazing chemistry, I loved their banter, and the spice was perfect. I'm excited to read book two.

Narration:
J. Shani Michaels and Midnite Michael are an amazing narrating duo, and they absolutely nailed this one. They were the perfect voices for Kindness and Bryce, and did a wonderful job bringing their story to life. I was pulled into the characters' world and felt every single emotion. This story is already so good, but their performances made it even better.

💔 Rest in paradise, Elle Madearis

[Jalisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is definitely for the sports romance lovers as it is heavy on the sports scenes. I will say that the characters did have me frustrated quite a bit at different times but I really enjoyed the comedic relief that was brought by side characters, especially Marcus.

The FMC, Kindness felt like a few characters in one and I'm still struggling to see how all of it fit together. Closet football exec, video game maker, artist etc. I'm all for being well rounded but it was unclear how any of that was happening, she just showed up with an agent or invited him over to demo her game. Like ma'am - what?!

I would have appreciated the story bringing more resolution or being realistic about the complexities. One family dinner where Kindness airs her daddy out in front of company and all is well? I don't know about that...

The power dynamics between the FMC & MMC were sometimes cringe worthy and if the genders were reversed this likely would have been a DNF for me.

ALSO - that random chapter (iykyk) could have been left out. It actually made me mad because it came out of left field and there was literally nothing else in the story that made that make sense.

I would have rated this higher but I had a few moments where it felt like I was being dropped in the story without all of the context so I would go back to re-read and see if I missed something but it just wasn't there. Even with the story wrapped up there were some things that remained fully unresolved for me. Unlikely that I would read this again, but the story kept me engaged.

[Yasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was great! Really good. It was an easy read, things progressed rather quickly and the characters were great. I loved Bryce and Kindness together. Their chemistry was everything. Their relationship moved quickly with them going from strangers to friends to lovers to soul mates but it was amazing to read about. The humor in the book was also top notch. I really have no complaints except...Bryce deserved to get his revenge. Sorry not sorry.

I understand that Elle wanted the message to be forgiveness and not letting revenge ruin you but fuck that. There's nothing wrong with getting payback. I haven't reached the level of maturity where I'm above the BS yet. I believe in doing the opposite of Michelle Obama and taking it to hell. Shaunie and Vick were wrong and did not deserve a happy ending. They deserved to be ruined. It really bothers me that the author wouldn't just let him get even. Let's be real, if Bryce were a woman this would've been a lick back book but because he's a man he has to be talked out of vengeance. It didn't sit well with me and this is why I gave the book 4 stars instead of 5.

Bryce should've been able to get his revenge and his HEA. Besides that, this was a very enjoyable book that I will definitely reread. This was my first read by the author and I will definitely be reading more from her. I need Marcus and Mia's book now! I want all the BTS exclusive on them.