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Breaking Barriers
Beyond the Court
Not yet published
Expected 19 Feb 26
Nothing will stand between this tennis player and her grand slam. Not even love...
Maggie Taylor didn't get to be one of the best tennis players in the world by throwing out all her rules. She sticks to her routines and works hard to keep her heart from getting broken.
After all, "love" means nothing to a tennis player and Maggie knows first hand how complicated and messy relationships can be. Even her parents ended up getting a divorce. Instead of looking for love, she keeps her eye on the prize and her heart firmly locked away...even though it beats wildly for a certain best friend.
Rowan Amory has worked hard to make a name for himself and now he’s one of the best players of his generation. But lately, all he cares about is spending time with his loved ones and wondering if his best friend, Maggie, loves him back.
He was young and stupid when he agreed to a no-strings-attached agreement, not realizing a decade would pass and he still wouldn't have the courage to ask for more. But now, he's more than ready for the next step. All he has to do is convince Maggie to abandon the list of rules between them and trust that he'll be there to break her fall.
Will throwing out the rules result in a double fault? Or will taking the relationship to the next level be as easy as "game, set, match"?
Beyond the Court is a friends to lovers tennis romance and the second book in the Breaking Barriers series. This book can be read as a standalone.
Maggie Taylor didn't get to be one of the best tennis players in the world by throwing out all her rules. She sticks to her routines and works hard to keep her heart from getting broken.
After all, "love" means nothing to a tennis player and Maggie knows first hand how complicated and messy relationships can be. Even her parents ended up getting a divorce. Instead of looking for love, she keeps her eye on the prize and her heart firmly locked away...even though it beats wildly for a certain best friend.
Rowan Amory has worked hard to make a name for himself and now he’s one of the best players of his generation. But lately, all he cares about is spending time with his loved ones and wondering if his best friend, Maggie, loves him back.
He was young and stupid when he agreed to a no-strings-attached agreement, not realizing a decade would pass and he still wouldn't have the courage to ask for more. But now, he's more than ready for the next step. All he has to do is convince Maggie to abandon the list of rules between them and trust that he'll be there to break her fall.
Will throwing out the rules result in a double fault? Or will taking the relationship to the next level be as easy as "game, set, match"?
Beyond the Court is a friends to lovers tennis romance and the second book in the Breaking Barriers series. This book can be read as a standalone.
218 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication February 19, 2026
79 people want to read
About the author
Stef C.R.
7 books72 followersProject leader by day, romance author by night, Stef C.R. lives in West Michigan with her husband and not one, not two, but three cats.
When she's not working or writing stories, she spends her time reading fantasy and romance, endlessly cheering on the Red Wings, Charles LeClerc, and listening to Noah Kahan.
When she's not working or writing stories, she spends her time reading fantasy and romance, endlessly cheering on the Red Wings, Charles LeClerc, and listening to Noah Kahan.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
January 16, 2026
For the past 10 years Maggie and Rowan have had an arrangement: no kissing, no cuddling, no telling anyone, no PDA and definitely no falling. Their chemistry in the bedroom is just as explosive as their singles records in the tennis world.
The problem with friends with benefits, is eventually someone wants more. Rowan has been in love with Maggie (Mags) for years but fears admitting to wanting more will push her away forever. Maggie has seen one too many relationships end in flames and wants to spare herself the eventual heartache; but maybe she’s ready for more with Rowan.. and why is the thought of him playing tennis with anyone else make her jealous?
In a series of flashbacks we get to watch this pair fall for each other, neither brave enough to ask for more… which brings us to now.. post Maggie’s sisters wedding.. with massive games ahead of us, a run at doubles tennis and a secret that Rowan been holding onto for the past year. If Rowan wants more, is it time for Maggie to let him go for good?
I was hooked from page one! While there were times I would scream at Maggie for not admitting her feelings, I could understand her fears of commitment. This was a spicy, fast paced book that I found hard to put down!
The problem with friends with benefits, is eventually someone wants more. Rowan has been in love with Maggie (Mags) for years but fears admitting to wanting more will push her away forever. Maggie has seen one too many relationships end in flames and wants to spare herself the eventual heartache; but maybe she’s ready for more with Rowan.. and why is the thought of him playing tennis with anyone else make her jealous?
In a series of flashbacks we get to watch this pair fall for each other, neither brave enough to ask for more… which brings us to now.. post Maggie’s sisters wedding.. with massive games ahead of us, a run at doubles tennis and a secret that Rowan been holding onto for the past year. If Rowan wants more, is it time for Maggie to let him go for good?
I was hooked from page one! While there were times I would scream at Maggie for not admitting her feelings, I could understand her fears of commitment. This was a spicy, fast paced book that I found hard to put down!
January 16, 2026
I received this ARC from Victory Editing #NetGalley Co-Op
Beyond the Court was such a fun, bingeable read—the kind you pick up “just for a few chapters” and suddenly you’re halfway through. It’s on the shorter side (around 180 pages), but it still delivers strong character development, smooth writing, and spice that shows up early with just the right amount of heat.
This friends-to-lovers tennis romance follows Maggie and Rowan, two tennis players who have been tangled up in each other’s lives for years. Maggie grew up in the public eye as the daughter of a famous tennis player, and her parents’ very public divorce played out all over the media. That experience made her cautious when it comes to love, so she sticks to what feels safe and uncomplicated. Rowan, meanwhile, comes from humble beginnings and has worked his way up through pure determination and talent.
They agree to a no-strings setup back in college (fun from the start 😏), but Rowan has always wanted more. Fast forward ten years, and he’s still quietly in love with Maggie, still terrified of rocking the boat and losing her altogether. The emotional tension between what they are and what they could be was done really well.
And Rowan? Peak golden retriever MMC. If you want a possessive, grumpy alpha, this isn’t the book for you—but if you love a soft, loyal, emotionally open guy who’s completely gone for the FMC, Rowan will absolutely win you over.
Overall, this was a well-written, fun, spicy romance with heart, great chemistry, and a MMC you’ll be rooting for from page one. Perfect if you love friends-to-lovers, sports romance, early spice, and men who fall first. 🎾💛
Beyond the Court was such a fun, bingeable read—the kind you pick up “just for a few chapters” and suddenly you’re halfway through. It’s on the shorter side (around 180 pages), but it still delivers strong character development, smooth writing, and spice that shows up early with just the right amount of heat.
This friends-to-lovers tennis romance follows Maggie and Rowan, two tennis players who have been tangled up in each other’s lives for years. Maggie grew up in the public eye as the daughter of a famous tennis player, and her parents’ very public divorce played out all over the media. That experience made her cautious when it comes to love, so she sticks to what feels safe and uncomplicated. Rowan, meanwhile, comes from humble beginnings and has worked his way up through pure determination and talent.
They agree to a no-strings setup back in college (fun from the start 😏), but Rowan has always wanted more. Fast forward ten years, and he’s still quietly in love with Maggie, still terrified of rocking the boat and losing her altogether. The emotional tension between what they are and what they could be was done really well.
And Rowan? Peak golden retriever MMC. If you want a possessive, grumpy alpha, this isn’t the book for you—but if you love a soft, loyal, emotionally open guy who’s completely gone for the FMC, Rowan will absolutely win you over.
Overall, this was a well-written, fun, spicy romance with heart, great chemistry, and a MMC you’ll be rooting for from page one. Perfect if you love friends-to-lovers, sports romance, early spice, and men who fall first. 🎾💛
January 18, 2026
4.5 stars! Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and Stef C.R. for this advanced copy! You can pick up Beyond the Court on February 19, 2025.
Stef is back at it with another DELICIOUS sports romance, this time of the tennis variety! From the first page, I felt immersed in the story, following along with Maggie and Rowan as they navigated their individual tennis careers and budding friends to lovers romance.
Maggie is the type of no-nonsense, will-keep-my-emotions-on-lockdown protagonist who we love to see break out of her shell throughout the course of the story. The only one she even remotely lets in is her best friend Rowan, a fellow tennis player who agreed to keep things platonic while also pursuing a physical relationship with Maggie.
Their sexual chemistry was off the charts from the get-go, but I love how we also see Rowan and Maggie's friendship grow throughout the years. Despite promising to just be friends, the two can't help but develop deeper feelings for one another (despite Maggie's refusal to date ANYONE after her parents' messy and public divorce).
There were admittedly several times when I wanted to shake Maggie by the shoulders and scream, "JUST DATE HIM ALREADY GIRL." But overcoming her fear of public scrutiny was something Maggie had to come to terms with on her own time.
All in all, if you want a steamy friends to lovers tennis romance, this is your book!
Stef is back at it with another DELICIOUS sports romance, this time of the tennis variety! From the first page, I felt immersed in the story, following along with Maggie and Rowan as they navigated their individual tennis careers and budding friends to lovers romance.
Maggie is the type of no-nonsense, will-keep-my-emotions-on-lockdown protagonist who we love to see break out of her shell throughout the course of the story. The only one she even remotely lets in is her best friend Rowan, a fellow tennis player who agreed to keep things platonic while also pursuing a physical relationship with Maggie.
Their sexual chemistry was off the charts from the get-go, but I love how we also see Rowan and Maggie's friendship grow throughout the years. Despite promising to just be friends, the two can't help but develop deeper feelings for one another (despite Maggie's refusal to date ANYONE after her parents' messy and public divorce).
There were admittedly several times when I wanted to shake Maggie by the shoulders and scream, "JUST DATE HIM ALREADY GIRL." But overcoming her fear of public scrutiny was something Maggie had to come to terms with on her own time.
All in all, if you want a steamy friends to lovers tennis romance, this is your book!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was my first Stef C.R. book, and I will definitely be going back for more. Beyond the Court tells the story of Maggie Taylor and Rowan Amory in the form of a dual timeline, year's long situationship, professional tennis players, spicy, friends to lover's romance book.
I love when a book includes a dual timeline, it's always interesting to see what the MC's have experienced in their past's and how those experiences have shaped them. Because of the insights Stef has given us of Maggie and Rowan's past, I was able to better understand and connect to the MC's and it made reading this book even more enjoyable. The quiet yearning portrayed by both Maggie and Rowan, mainly Rowan, is absolutely perfect. This is another book where the banter between the MC's and other characters and the emotional moments were on point. When it comes to a spicy book, sometimes the spice can overtake the plot. That was not the case with this book, it has the perfect balance of spice that compliments the plot.
Overall, I really enjoyed this well written, sports romance book and definitely recommend giving it a read. Thank you to Stef C.R., Victory Editing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I love when a book includes a dual timeline, it's always interesting to see what the MC's have experienced in their past's and how those experiences have shaped them. Because of the insights Stef has given us of Maggie and Rowan's past, I was able to better understand and connect to the MC's and it made reading this book even more enjoyable. The quiet yearning portrayed by both Maggie and Rowan, mainly Rowan, is absolutely perfect. This is another book where the banter between the MC's and other characters and the emotional moments were on point. When it comes to a spicy book, sometimes the spice can overtake the plot. That was not the case with this book, it has the perfect balance of spice that compliments the plot.
Overall, I really enjoyed this well written, sports romance book and definitely recommend giving it a read. Thank you to Stef C.R., Victory Editing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
January 22, 2026
I DNF’d at 30%. As a reader who’s really into tennis, the first two chapters pulled me in because the tennis scenes felt exciting and I was really looking forward to more of that. Unfortunately, after that, the story quickly shifted almost entirely to sexual content. It’s not that I don’t mind spicy scenes, sometimes they can be fun or well-written, but here I found myself skimming because I didn’t know or care about the characters yet. Usually, when a book does spicy scenes well, I’m giggling or invested, but here it felt like I was learning about the characters’ private parts before I even knew who they were.
I also wanted far more actual tennis throughout the story. Some of the tennis writing felt off, like the author might not really know the sport, which was disappointing as a reader who is obsessed with tennis. Parts of the writing felt very generic, almost like AI might have been used, which made it harder to connect with the story. Overall, I couldn’t continue reading because it wasn’t giving me what I expected from a “tennis romance,” and I didn’t feel invested in the characters.
I also wanted far more actual tennis throughout the story. Some of the tennis writing felt off, like the author might not really know the sport, which was disappointing as a reader who is obsessed with tennis. Parts of the writing felt very generic, almost like AI might have been used, which made it harder to connect with the story. Overall, I couldn’t continue reading because it wasn’t giving me what I expected from a “tennis romance,” and I didn’t feel invested in the characters.
January 18, 2026
ARC Review!!
I’d like to thank Stef C.R for the opportunity to ARC read this!
tropes:
-professional tennis player
-golden retriever mmc and his actual golden retriever
-strong and independent fmc
-secret agreement between mc’s (and a list of rules 🤭)
-pining
warnings:
-explicit scenes
-swearing
-mentions of injuries
-daddy issues
-and mentions of pregnancy (side character)
favorite quote: I close my eyes and let his words sink in. He won’t give up on me. But why does it feel like I might lose him anyway?
I absolutely loved this book and I can’t wait to read the others in the series. I love the fact there’s an athletic fmc which is hardly ever shown in books (that i’ve seen)
And the rules?!
I feel like there’s a perfect balance between storyline and explicit scenes which is perfect.
I’d like to thank Stef C.R for the opportunity to ARC read this!
tropes:
-professional tennis player
-golden retriever mmc and his actual golden retriever
-strong and independent fmc
-secret agreement between mc’s (and a list of rules 🤭)
-pining
warnings:
-explicit scenes
-swearing
-mentions of injuries
-daddy issues
-and mentions of pregnancy (side character)
favorite quote: I close my eyes and let his words sink in. He won’t give up on me. But why does it feel like I might lose him anyway?
I absolutely loved this book and I can’t wait to read the others in the series. I love the fact there’s an athletic fmc which is hardly ever shown in books (that i’ve seen)
And the rules?!
I feel like there’s a perfect balance between storyline and explicit scenes which is perfect.
January 22, 2026
This book was so much fun! Thank you to the author for giving me an ARC for this book! This friends with benefits to lovers sports romance book was a light, fast read! The chemistry between the main characters were off the charts even if they didn’t always know it at times. The main characters Maggie and Rowan were very likable characters. There were times I wanted to scream at them so they would see their connection in the best way possible…I almost felt like I was one of their friends and family members seeing them from the outside. I enjoyed the side characters and the side storylines and could absolutely see some spin offs happening. Overall this was a great, fun read!
January 17, 2026
Beyond the Court is told in flashes between present day and moments in the past, showcasing the history of Maggie and Rowan’s relationship. Through these flashbacks we see the yearning over YEARS as what starts as a best friendship turns to a friends with benefits agreement which, of course, develops into love.
Oh this was so sweet. I absolutely loved the evolution of the “list”shown throughout the story and the ending was so much icing on the cake it’s giving me a cavity.
Thank you to the author for the chance to read this early! Be sure to check it out on Feb 19 2026
Oh this was so sweet. I absolutely loved the evolution of the “list”shown throughout the story and the ending was so much icing on the cake it’s giving me a cavity.
Thank you to the author for the chance to read this early! Be sure to check it out on Feb 19 2026
Review of advance copy received from Author
received as ARC.
The story of Maggie and Rowan is such a relatable story. I really enjoyed the present day vs past to help elaborate and explain their story.
Each character is relatable in their own unique ways and you find yourself rooting for that happy ever after early on.
The way complex feelings are explained is right on the money.
I will definitely be recommending this book to my book club!
The story of Maggie and Rowan is such a relatable story. I really enjoyed the present day vs past to help elaborate and explain their story.
Each character is relatable in their own unique ways and you find yourself rooting for that happy ever after early on.
The way complex feelings are explained is right on the money.
I will definitely be recommending this book to my book club!
Review of advance copy
Thankyou for the opportunity to read an advanced copy
Things the first book I have read by this author and would definitely read more of her work.
I did enjoy this book but wasn’t a fan of it bouncing back and forward to different times as I was getting confused of where is was up too that’s just a personal choice apart from that the book was a good read
Things the first book I have read by this author and would definitely read more of her work.
I did enjoy this book but wasn’t a fan of it bouncing back and forward to different times as I was getting confused of where is was up too that’s just a personal choice apart from that the book was a good read
Review of advance copy
Thankyou to the author for the opportunity to arc read.
This book was ok. Storyline was good but it kept bouncing back and forth to different time lines which had me confused of where I was up too. So it was like whiplash
I would read another from this author to give it a go though as the writing itself was good it was the back and forth which I didn’t like
This book was ok. Storyline was good but it kept bouncing back and forth to different time lines which had me confused of where I was up too. So it was like whiplash
I would read another from this author to give it a go though as the writing itself was good it was the back and forth which I didn’t like
January 21, 2026
This was a cute tennis romance that I finished it one day. Loved the relationship between the FMC (Maggie) and MMC (Rowan). I did want to scream at them multiple times though to communicate their feelings!!
Thank you to the author, Stef C.R., for this e-book ARC! I rated this one 4 ⭐️, and I’m enjoying this series!
Thank you to the author, Stef C.R., for this e-book ARC! I rated this one 4 ⭐️, and I’m enjoying this series!
Review of advance copy received from Author
This best friends romance is amazing. You're rooting for both characters from the very beginning. Always helping and pushing each other in their professional careers, will they have what it takes for a happily ever after?
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This is a great friend’s to lovers story. Rowan and Maggie have been intertwined in each other’s life for a long time. Rowan falls hard for her. Maggie wants to focus on her sport. These two have chemistry and spice.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I instantlv fell in love with Maggie FMC) and her bestie Rowan! I couldn't put this beautifully written romance down! I could really picture all the characters come to life and had all the laughs, anxiety and love for them. I absolutely can't wait to read Stef's other books.
January 23, 2026
Such a cute little romance book! I really enjoyed the yearning and how it showed their relationship over 10 years! the mixture of romance, sports and friendship was done so well! I really enjoyed the relationships between the competitors and the banter.
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September 9, 2025Alpha/Beta Read RTC🩷
Read
October 7, 2025🌟
|BETA READ|
YES!! 🤭
|BETA READ|
YES!! 🤭
Review of advance copy received from Author
I loved the relationship between these two friends. Also the fact that the story bounced back and forth was really nice so you can see their background while also learning where they are currently.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews