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Bayou Dreams #1

A Forever Kind of Love

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In Gauthier, love isn’t just found. It’s forever.

Mya Dubois left Gauthier, Louisiana determined never to look back. Broadway gave her the career she dreamed of, but coming home means facing the one thing she cannot design her way around… the man who shattered her heart.

Corey Anderson was once the town’s reckless bad boy, the one everyone warned her about. He chased glory on the baseball field, became a professional, and has since returned to the bayou with scars, wisdom, and unfinished business. Seeing Mya again reignites the kind of passion neither time nor distance could dim.

In a town where family ties run deep and every neighbor has an opinion, Mya and Corey collide in a second chance romance that burns hotter than ever. But forever does not come easy, and this time it will take more than sparks to claim the love they both walked away from once before.

Publisher’s First released in 2012, A Forever Kind of Love introduced readers to the Bayou Dreams series. This re-release brings the novel back in print with a fresh edition for new readers to discover and long-time fans to revisit.

219 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

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403 people want to read

About the author

Farrah Rochon

74 books2,552 followers
A native of south Louisiana, Farrah Rochon officially began her writing career while waiting in between classes in the student lounge at Xavier University of Louisiana. After earning her Bachelors of Science degree and a Masters of Arts from Southeastern Louisiana University, Farrah decided to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a published novelist. She was named Shades of Romance Magazine's Best New Author of 2007. Her debut novel, Deliver Me, the first in her Holmes Brothers series, garnered rave reviews, earning Farrah several SORMAG Readers' Choice Awards.

In September 2010, Farrah joined the Kimani Romance family with the launch of her new series that follows the life of the fictional New York Sabers football team.

When she is not writing in her favorite coffee shop, Farrah spends most of her time reading her favorite romance novels, hanging around on Twitter, and trying to attend as many Broadway shows as her budget will allow. An admitted sports fanatic, Farrah feeds her addiction to football by watching New Orleans Saints games on Sunday afternoons.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
Profile Image for Beeg Panda.
1,624 reviews578 followers
May 5, 2023
What nonsense is this, then? ⚠️SPOILERS⚠️
The usual:
1. Small town 17-year-old high school sweethearts break up and get back together 15 years later.
2. He drunk
3. Lots of predictable small-town stuff.

Then some deviation from the usual:
1. She she had places to go and a life to live away from the small town she grew up in.
2. She leaves for NY and becomes a strong successful career woman, who, even though she hasn't found the great love of her life there, did have relationships with other men. She slept with 4 other men during the 15 years apart.
SURPRISE! SURPRISE: she's not our usual failure of a heroine. Beeg, you know those down-and-out loaded with baggage, broke, trampled on by bad friends and evil om. etc. etc....heroine?
Not this one.

Then the cliched usual : (Because why get our hopes up...)
1. The 4 guys she slept with didn't come close to satisfying her the way the H did WHEN HE WAS 17 YEARS OLD.
2. He had other lovers (not loves) during their time apart. His longest relationship lasted just over a year.
3. Her body betrays her to the point that within 2 weeks of seeing each other she can't resist him.
4. Instead of groveling he inserts himself in her life; makes excuses: I only cheated once; I was drunk; sorry I hurt you but now we have another chance.
5. He, who shouldn't even have a high horse, gets on said high horse about the h keeping her a secret for the past 15 years.
6. SHE pleads with HIM (and she was doing so well...) to forgive her for keeping this secret from him and he WALKS AWAY (after insulting her and her likeness to her mother who couldn't care less about her) near the END OF THE BOOK.
7. She catches him
8. He didn’t follow her when she left town.

Barron's Second Chance: A Cheating Redemption Story is very similar to this book BUT the grovel is epic and the hero is worthy.
Profile Image for sraxe.
394 reviews487 followers
May 15, 2016
Damn...my second DNF within the same day.

I DNFed at the end of Chapter One right after it's revealed he'd cheated on her. I don't like Big Misunderstandings, but that's one situation in which I'd prefer it because legit cheating (unless it's some special circumstance) is a no-go for me. It should've been mentioned in the blurb that he cheated.

This is a second chance romance, so he cheated on her 15 years ago. I skimmed ahead to see what the reason was (and to decide whether or not I should DNF). Sorry, but I need a better reason than it being a "drunken mistake" for why he cheated on her with her RIVAL on graduation night! And, to top it all off, .

I DNFed, so I don't know if either moved on in those years, but if it's revealed that he did (or that she didn't), it'll piss me off even more. Sooo...I'm just quitting while I'm ahead.
Profile Image for Madison Warner Fairbanks.
3,463 reviews495 followers
November 29, 2025
A Forever Kind of Love by Farrah Rochen
Bayou Dreams series #1. Diverse romance, own voices.
Mya Dubois returns to her small hometown in Louisiana because of a family tragedy. She left for career and from heartbreak. She’s keeping a secret still that she should share.
Corey Anderson doesn’t know if he is happy that Mya is back but now that she is, he’s not letting her go a second time.

Secrets, sorrow and heartbreak are the past. Can they get past it? Cheating, career goals, 17 vs 30 something. Family demands. Third act drama.
It’s a complicated set of circumstances. I liked the subsequent books in the series more.
Profile Image for Mrs Giggles.
138 reviews28 followers
March 9, 2014
Small town romances can be the sweetest thing or the most painful tragedies ever, depending on how the author approaches it. After all, we need a reason for the city heroine to stay, and often, authors resort to forcing the heroine using all kinds of contrived reasons while, inexplicably, having the rest of the folks in town shame the heroine for having dared to venture outside the borders of the small town even as these people celebrate the hero for making it big in the city. In other words, small town romances can easily be throwbacks to the more annoying anti-feminist notions, and such stories should be approached with caution.

Farrah Rochon is normally an author whose plotting tend to be riddled with gaps in logic, but, to my pleasant surprise, A Forever Kind Of Love is a pretty decent small town romance. It is only in the last few chapters that the author loses control of her story and resorts to some unimaginative use of clichés that end up sabotaging her story. I'd be discussing this matter, so this means there would be major spoilers present in this review. You know what to do.

Mya Dubois and Corey Anderson were the classic good girl/bad boy pairing fifteen years ago, until she found him happily enjoying the cavorting of a half-naked hussy. In a pretty unusual twist to the usual "it's all a misunderstanding" scenario, this time around, the hero really did cheat on the heroine back then. They were teenage brats back then, so perhaps this can be chalked up to youthful stupidity on his part.

At any rate, she decided to leave Gauthier ASAP. Shortly after, she found out that she was pregnant, but she soon miscarried. Mya never told Corey, and given that he was cheating on her and planning to head out of town on his own, I don't blame her.

That was then. Today, Mya returns to the Louisiana small town after the death of her grandfather. Her grandmother collapses shortly after the funeral, and Mya can't help getting involved in some local small town drama subsequently, so Mya isn't going back to New York City anytime soon. She also learns that Corey has come home to stay, and even became close to her family in the recent months. Can they have a successful second chance this time around?

One thing that really stands out to me here is how well Mya stands out as a well-drawn character in her own right. Sure, she can be abrasive, but I can understand that. She didn't have many happy memories in Gauthier, and the few happy memories she had with Corey are tainted by the events leading up to the break-up. Mya's reasons for leaving and coming back feel real rather than contrived. I can certainly relate to the poor dear.

What is interesting here is that Mya may have issues, but she also comes off like a normal person. She isn't a case of walking baggage. Her career in the city isn't portrayed as a negative - she is not desperately unhappy living there. The people here don't treat her like dirt. In fact, there is a powerful scene where the heroine meets an old friend, who ended up working behind a pharmacy counter because she became pregnant young and ended up unable to make use of the scholarships she was offered. When Mya claims that she needed to leave Gauthier, or else she'd end up making compromises that she would regret for the rest of her life, she's not lying.

I like that the author can create scenes like this to make the heroine's issues resonate with me, and I especially appreciate how the author doesn't just pile on the heroine like many authors of small town romances tend to do. This isn't a "blame the ho for leaving the small town - how dare she spurns her duty to be a wife and mother to the hero!" story, that's for sure.

I'm not keen on the hero, however. He knows he was in the wrong back in those days, but instead of being remorseful or super romantic in order to win the heroine back - that would be too easy, I guess - he just prods and pokes and pushes at her hot buttons. I guess annoying one's way into the heroine's panties is the way to go if you are a romance hero? I don't see any hint of convincing maturity that would make me think of him as a suitable husband material.

And this is where I come to the real problem of this story - the part where the author loses the plot. Remember the miscarriage? Well, the heroine is conflicted about telling him, and I can understand her fear. By this point, the author has two choices: have the hero behave like a mature fellow and mourn with the heroine of what could have been, or be a colossal asshole and accuse the heroine of being all kinds of whore, putting her city career over her dead baby and other bizarre nonsense.

Perhaps the author believe that the hero behaving this way would create some fireworks for the obligatory conflict moment before the happy ending. Even if this is the case, the hero's behavior isn't just ridiculous, it's also predictable and clichéd. Despite my reservations about Corey up to that point, I thought this book was shaping up to be a pretty good read and it certainly deserved something better than this lame and overused late stage conflict. The author introduces this conflict shortly before the happy ending, so the hero doesn't even need a good grovel to back into the heroine's panties.

Worse, the author has the heroine's family bludgeoning her with the fact that she "belongs" to the small town, so the heroine ends up staying, her realistic reservations about everything else all swept under the rug for this convenient happy ending. I don't know why the author took the pains to create a heroine with realistic insecurities if she's just going to have Mya run like Mary Poppins on crack for the happy ending, shrieking that she is finally home or something like that.

At any rate, A Forever Kind Of Love is a pretty unexpected kind of good read, one I never suspected that the author is capable of delivering, until somehow the last dozen or so pages got switched with those from a more cliché-addled "small town is best if you are the heroine - BEST, YOU HEAR ME, BECAUSE EVERYTHING ELSE WILL NOT DO - SMALL TOWN OR DEATH!" story.
Profile Image for Kim.
740 reviews81 followers
August 22, 2012
This book was seriously lacking in the romance department. The whole book was essentially about the revitalization of this small town. Every book needs a good backdrop for the romance to build upon, but in this book the backdrop was basically the whole story. I was really waiting and waiting for something, anything to happen between Mya and Corey, other than thinking about the past and what could have been. When they finally got going it was just a little too late for me. I felt like I knew more about the town than about Mya and Corey. Their whole relationship was really about the past, because they didn't build any type of foundation in this book. This is the first book that I really didn't enjoy from Farrah. I am though looking forward to reading a story between Philicia & Jamal. It seems like they can have a really great storyline. Hopefully it is an improvement one.
Profile Image for Farisa.
733 reviews5 followers
January 5, 2026
DNF after ch 1, 22 minutes (7%) into the audiobook. Second chance romance where he cheated on her in the past. Lol NOPE no thanks fuck him.
Profile Image for SassyMama.
1,016 reviews4 followers
August 27, 2012
This is first book I've read by this author...it's an OK read...just NOT quite what I expected...there is TOO much focus on the small made-up town of Gauthier...even though I like the WHOLE idea of the small close-knit community...I wish the author focused more on the REKINDLED romance between Mya and Corey because it was EXTREMELY slow in developing...many times I wanted to skip ahead...and the BIG secret Mya kept from Corey is UNEXPECTED, maybe...but not so SHOCKING in the whole scheme of things...I also felt like the ending was bit RUSHED...I ENJOYED most of the cast...and DEFINITELY hope to read more about Jamal and Phylicia.
Profile Image for Lacy.
556 reviews9 followers
November 5, 2025
In Farrah Rochon’s A Forever Kind of Love (Bayou Dreams #1), Broadway costume designer Mya Dubois returns to her hometown, Gauthier, Louisiana, that she left intending never to return, for her grandfather’s funeral. She’s unprepared to face retired professional baseball player Corey Anderson, her first love, who broke her heart. Unlike Mya, Corey’s excited to see Mya again. But neither expects the depth of passion that being close ignites between them after all these years. Can they overcome their fears and the past for a second chance together?

Mya’s mother abandoned her as a baby, leaving her to be raised by her grandparents. Beautiful, stubborn, and audacious, Mya left Gauthier 15 yrs ago desperate to escape the town as soon as she could, determined not to become stuck there for the rest of her life. Mya never returned because she still feared that, and now she fears heartbreak/heartache because her attraction to Corey is as strong as ever. Because of their past, her feelings for him are complicated. A macho, pretty, reckless bad boy, Corey Anderson, proved himself on the baseball field to become a professional athlete and not follow in his twin brothers’ criminal footsteps. Corey moved back to Gauthier wiser, scarred with unfinished business and unresolved feelings for Mya. He became the high-school baseball team coach.

I love Rochon’s authentic, lively, and emotional portrayal of small-town Southern life via Gauthier, Corey, Mya’s Family, and the town’s citizens. Scenic, emotional, and filled with nostalgia, it draws you in and keeps you reading until the end. The snarky banter, humorous, and emotional interactions between the characters are my favorite part of the novel. So, many scenes made me think about past times with my family as a child. I love the interactions between the characters, which contribute to the characters’ development, strengthen their relationships, and evolve the story. My favorites, however, are between Mya and Corey, Mya and Phyl, Mya and her family, and Corey and his young mentees/team. Rochon’s writing, storytelling, and world-building are down-to-earth and descriptive, incorporating the character’s senses to make you feel present in each scene with the characters. Her dialogue and language use are colorful, authentic, and fit her character, setting, and theme perfectly.

Corey and Mya’s attraction and connection are still as strong as before, but secrets and years stand between them. She develops Mya and Corey’s relationship by alternating between the present and their memories of the past and steamy, humorous, passionate, intimate interactions and love scenes. Other than secrets that characters are keeping from each other, unresolved issues, and secondary character conflict, the novel is fairly free of unnecessary drama and conflict.

I love Phyl and hope she gets a book because I’m looking forward to her story. A Forever Kind of Love (Bayou Dreams #1) is a sweet, steamy, humorous, sexy, emotional, nostalgic, melancholy, and fast-paced romance recommended for second-chance romance, Black love, forced proximity, family-centered, childhood friends, first love, friends-to-lovers, steamy rom-com, small-town romance fans.

3.5 stars

Thanks to Farrah Rochon and Grey’s Promotions for the ARC.
Profile Image for J Bridge.
366 reviews7 followers
October 30, 2025
I received an advanced copy of this audiobook for review. All opinions are my own. Thanks to Dreamscape Media for the alc!

I didn't know Farah Rochon had such an extensive backlist! I believe this is a rerelease, with a few updates.

Mya returns home for her grandfather's funeral, and after a health scare from her grandmother, she decides to stay. A run in with the woman who ran off to New York with his heart leaves former badboy Corey wanting to get under her skin again.

This was short and sweet and a little spicy. It packs a lot of punch between emotional revelations and discoveries and the heat between the two MCs. I would recommend this if you enjoy contemporary romance, and I intend to check out more of Rochon's previously released books.

The narrator also did a great job, bringing life to the characters.
Profile Image for Ashley Hie.
35 reviews12 followers
November 5, 2025
Second chance • small town • black history • reformed bad boy • high school sweethearts

"Everything I learned about seduction I learned from you"... "I taught you well" 

Thank you for Farrah Rochon and Grey promo. This is on the shorter side for a romance book, but rest assured this still packs in all of the small town feels. As soon as you meet the FMC and MMC you can feel the lingering tension... I will say even though Corey is a reformed bad boy... he is still bad in all the right ways. This book was the perfect mix of spice and small-town sweetness. I also love the mix of hometown history weaved into the storyline.  I cannot wait to read the rest of the series and continue to fall in love with Gauthier. If you don't mind spice and are looking for a quick read that is the perfect palate cleanser... definitely add this on to your tbr. 
Profile Image for Inês Gomes.
147 reviews1 follower
November 11, 2025
✨Arc Review✨
Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me. I was expecting a love story full of connection and emotion and got a lame excuse for cheating, secrets being kept and more story about the town than the actual main characters. I didn’t felt connected to them, Mya didn’t love herself enough, it doesn’t make sense to be with someone who cheated on you with your rival because he was drunk just two weeks after you miscarried his baby. And Corey? He cheated on her and then 15 years later and had the nerve to judge her for leaving and the audacity to not grovel even a little for her forgiveness and being mad at her. He’s right that she should’ve told him about the baby but what right he had to treat her bad after everything he’s done? Nope I didn’t like it at all. They should’ve just stayed both single or gotten with someone else.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Bárbara Moody.
86 reviews1 follower
November 14, 2025
ARC review

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m always grateful for the books I get to ARC read. However, this one simply didn’t do it for me.
I didn’t love the writing, but the main thing was, I simply was not rooting for the characters to get together. They both messed up so badly that they really shouldn’t have. There was also absolutely no grovelling on either of their parts to try to make up for past mistakes, and neither of them really grew much as characters.
Also, all the characters were SO stereotypical. Listen, while it doesn’t bother me that every single character is a person of colour, it does bother me that at least 3 characters got pregnant in high school and all they ate was grits and fried food and every stereotypical thing they could’ve done, they did.🫣

1,5🫖
Profile Image for Beckiezra.
1,265 reviews12 followers
January 31, 2026
Hoopla bonus borrow, typical romance, high school romance rekindled, a bit too spicy for me (which would be anything more than closed door though I could do without graphic making out as well…). It’s set in a Louisiana small town fighting back against big box stores coming to town and instead trying to become a tourist destination because they discovered a stop on the Underground Railroad. Be aware the relationship first ended after secret miscarriage (FMC) and drunken cheating (MMC), plus the FMC not wanting to get stuck in a small town and the MMC going off to be a baseball star. Also some family drama with dying grandpa, sick grandma, long-suffering aunt, and deadbeat mom.
Profile Image for Heidy.
340 reviews3 followers
January 31, 2026
Damn, she looks light and fluffy but these characters have gone through it…all their break up circumstances, cheating, secret miscarried babies, woa woa woa. Honestly, I did not vibe with Cory, I just don’t trust him and his POV gave me the ick and the way he reacted to Maya’s miscarriage, helllllll nah. Nostalgia and naivety kept me reading. 💙
Profile Image for Jay Dionne.
295 reviews14 followers
December 11, 2025
3.5⭐️ This was a cute little second chance romance.
Profile Image for Lynn Spencer.
1,437 reviews84 followers
June 29, 2015
This book was a good, solid read. It's the first in Rochon's Bayou Dreams series, and I liked both the characters and the setting. The story centers on Mya Dubois, a woman who grew up in Gauthier, Louisiana, and got out as soon as she possibly could. Having been away 15 years, she is now home for the funeral of the grandfather who raised her. Before you roll your eyes, though, I'll point out that this is definitely NOT a "good girl comes back to small town and decides to repent of her big city ways" type of story.

Mya starts to appreciate Gauthier in a whole new way throughout the book, but that doesn't mean she stops loving her life and successful New York career. It just gets more complicated.

The chief complication? Corey Anderson, Mya's high school boyfriend who has experienced success in his own right before returning to teach and coach in Gauthier. Mya and Corey never forgot each other, and given the circumstances laid out in Rochon's novel, I found it believable that they would still be unable to completely move on, despite each of them having had other relationships since becoming adults. The unfinished business between Mya and Corey provides instant tension, and even though it takes a little time, it does spark into a hot and quite satisfying romance.

I thought Mya was a little quick to forgive Corey given what happened between them and given that there wasn't too much explanation for why he did what he did all those years ago. However, even with that quibble, I loved this story and have already bought the next in the series.
Profile Image for Dafort.
623 reviews19 followers
Read
August 30, 2012
A Forever Kind of Love was the first installment to Farrah Rochon's Bayou Dreams series. Mya Dubois returns home to Gauthier, LA after 15 years to attend her grandfather's funeral. While there she is reunited with an old flame retired baseball player Corey Anderson. Sparks are still explosive between these two and there are unresolved issues and a secret that need to be addressed. Corey realizes he has a second chance and pursues Mya but not without overcoming some challenges and Mya's urgency to flee the small town life and her fears. With trying to revitalize the community will these two lovebird rekindle a long lost love or will fear and secrets continue to keep them apart.

Good start to the series and cannot wait for book 2.
Profile Image for Nikita Isaac.
354 reviews24 followers
August 29, 2012
I just finished reading "A Forever Kind of Love". I loved it!!!!! It was sooooo gooooood!!!!!!
Profile Image for Marilyn Diamond.
717 reviews43 followers
December 10, 2012
It was the perfect love story.. it was the bomb diggity.. Maybe because I live in a small town like Gauthier, La. Can't wait to read the next upcoming story.. Loved it.. Bravo..
Profile Image for Alyssa Milburn.
26 reviews
January 28, 2026
Okay… Corey cheating on her a little over a week after she got out of the hospital from having a miscarriage AT SEVENTEEN where he “didn’t leave her side” and how she was the love of his life then and now and using getting drunk as an excuse?? lol HELL NO 🤮

Granted he didn’t know she was pregnant at the time but even with what he did know… your girlfriend just got out of the hospital the week prior and you’re cheating on her with her enemy on the night of graduation? HA may that “love” never find me 👎

Also, I don’t see this talked about in the reviews I’ve seen but his behavior towards her when he was trying to win her back made me extremely uncomfortable. She said “no we can’t do this” and he ultimately guilt tripped her into kissing him again. It went past the “you love me and you’re scared to admit it.” This man cheated on her after she was pregnant with his child and he just gave her “it was a bad judgement. It was forever ago. My bad” and expected her to put herself out there with him all over again(including moving from New York to Louisiana). Then whenever she had some pushback to his advances or he found out about the miscarriage he would throw her mommy issues in her face AND SHE AGREED WITH HIM AND SHE WAS THE ONE GROVELING. OH YUCK. What an asshole. Also her family blaming her for all their unresolved problems with her mom and acting like her wanting a career in fashion(which she couldn’t get in a small town) was her being like her mom. Yes she should have told him about the baby, but she was a child that went through something traumatic and maybe she wasn’t at the point where she could talk about it yet and less than two weeks later he had sex with her enemy in his car. I wouldn’t have told him after that either because if he truly loved her he would have never betrayed her like that. Do you realize how embarrassing that conversation would be? Like “hey I know I just caught you having sex with my enemy because of your “lapse of judgement”, but when I was in the hospital a week ago it’s because I was pregnant with your baby.” Ugh. I only count books I complete towards my reading goal, so I stuck it out for my time to not be wasted. The only save for this book was the side characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Desirae Harper.
4 reviews
October 23, 2025
I really only have one major issue with this book-- I wasn't ready for it to end! Mya returns to her hometown after 15 years of chasing her dreams in New York for her grandfather's funeral. She runs into her first love, Corey, and it kicks up old betrayals, secrets, family drama, and feelings she thought she was over. She gets roped into helping with her town's restoration project which forces her to work with Corey even though she's trying to avoid that man like the plague the entire time. And while we are on the subject of Corey, that's a MAN! He's a reformed bad boy so he's made some mistakes but I really loved the banter between he and Mya. He ain't playing with her. She comes back to town and he knows right away, he's gotta get her back! Mya's fear of being trapped in her hometown often gets in the way of an easy second chance at love for her and Corey but I appreciated that she wasn't willing to completely drop her dreams and aspirations for a man she clearly still loves. It speaks to the very real and very complicated dance many women do in the name of decentering men while also trying to be up under one! While the ending did feel a little rushed, I say that as someone who wants to see the "happily ever after"-- I'm talking give me several epilogues and I want them like 5 and 10 years out-- and I get mad when the movie goes dark right as they get together so take that "critique" with a grain of salt. I really enjoyed this one!
Profile Image for Alexia Gauthier.
130 reviews9 followers
October 24, 2025
A second chance that didn’t quite hit home

3.25 ⭐️ | 1 🌶️

This was my first Farrah Rochon novel, and while I can absolutely see why she has such a loyal readership, A Forever Kind of Love was a bit of a mixed experience for me.

The story follows Mya Dubois, who returns to her Louisiana hometown after years away, and Corey Anderson, the one who got away (and maybe the one who never should have). It’s got all the makings of a solid second-chance romance: small-town meddling, deep family roots, and that undeniable spark that never really dies. And honestly, Rochon writes with warmth and vivid detail: I loved getting lost in the Louisiana setting. You can almost feel the humidity, smell the food, and hear the gossip.

Where it lost me was in the character dynamics. The book uses a sort of blended third-person dual POV, which sometimes made it hard to stay emotionally connected. And while I appreciate flawed characters, Mya’s choices made it difficult for me to root for her at times. Corey, on the other hand, felt like he got the short end of the emotional stick—he deserved better, both from her and, maybe, the story itself.

That said, the overall arc works. It’s heartfelt in places, the chemistry is there (though mild), and the small-town romance vibe is strong. I just wish the emotional payoff had matched the setup.

Thank you to Grey’s Promotions for the e-ARC, and best of luck to Farrah Rochon on the re-edited release of A Forever Kind of Love (out November 4th).
Profile Image for Jen Bean.
64 reviews1 follower
November 26, 2025
As soon as I signed up to become an ARC reader for A Forever Kind of Love, I knew that I would devour it! There’s never been a second chance, small town romance that I didn’t love, and A Forever Love is at the top of my list.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What worked for me: A Forever Kind of Love is a romance novel, no question about that, but the focus on the town of Gauthier, where Corey and Mya’s love bloomed, draws the reader in and shows the ways in which people can fall in love with a town (and not just each other). The author’s inclusion of minor (but memorable) characters and other crises in the lives of the main characters makes the book that much more realistic. True love between real people doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and A Forever Kind of Love is a perfect example of that. I also appreciated how honest Corey and Mya were with each other about their pasts, fears, dreams, and feelings for each other. The love that they built is truly a forever kind of love.

What might not work for you: I loved every page of this book, but if spice is not for you, you’ll need to skip some scenes. Personally I think that those scenes can be skipped without losing perspective of the relationship between Corey and Mya, but that’s a choice for the reader to make.

I received a copy of this book from the author and their publishing company.
Profile Image for Norell Alesse.
68 reviews6 followers
January 9, 2026
I’ve realized it’s not small town romance as a sub genre that I don’t like, it’s a specific type of small town romance. I don’t like the type where the FMC has left the small town to go to a larger city and follow her dreams, but is guilted by family members for leaving, and then she gives up those dreams to live in the small town for a man. You know, the basic plot line to almost every Hallmark movie. That’s exactly what this book was.

Mya has left the small town of Gauthier, La and has made it as a Tony award nominated costume designer on Broadway in NYC. She returns to her small hometown to attend her grandfather’s funeral, and from there is a whole lot of gaslighting by both her family and the MMC Corey. They convince her that she was selfish for leaving town, that she thinks she’s better than everyone else, and that she didn’t find success in New York (She’s a Tony award nominee! That’s a big deal! What are they talking about?).

Corey goes on and on about how if she loved him she would stay in town. Never once does he consider if he really loved her, he would move to New York. Never mind that Corey left town to follow his dreams and no one is calling him selfish. The only reason he’s back in town is because his MLB career has ended.

I’m so glad this wasn’t my first Farah Rochon novel, because this would’ve completely turned me off her writing.
Profile Image for Laura Black Reads.
654 reviews12 followers
October 29, 2025
This is angsty small town romance with all the tension between Mya Dubois and Corey Anderson and their history, and the town of Gauthier, Louisiana pulling them together and pushing them apart.

Tender and bittersweet – Mya and Corey were lovers in school, and now they have a lot of catching up to do - and a reckoning. I loved the tension between them and the way that they were able to work together for the good of Mya's grandmother, and the town, while feeling a familiar and irresistible attraction.

First published in 2012, Farrah Rochon has szoozhed this up a little, but I'd be surprised if she has changed the heart of it. My quibble is that the dialogue is clunky and this frequently took me out of the moment, but apart from that I was fully engaged in the town's drama, and Mya's dilemma - does she stay in Gauthier for Corey, or go back to her successful job and home in New York? Corey meanwhile is all in. He has settled in Gauthier and now he has a second chance with Mya and he's doing everything he can to keep her ...

Thank you Farrah Rochon and Greys Promotions for the ARC. Opinions are my own.
Profile Image for ReadwithKenzie_.
83 reviews7 followers
October 29, 2025
ARC REVIEW!

Thank you so much to Farrah Rochon and Grey’s Promo for sending me this arc!

I’m going to give this a 3.5⭐️! This is technically a release as this series is being traditionally published after being indie published! This was a short and sweet story. It’s just a little over 200 pages and at first I was concerned bc with everything that was happening I wasn’t sure how they’d wrap everything up in that little amount of pages. I think it wrapped up nicely. Was it still a tad rushed yes, but I do think it was resolved realistically.

This is a second chance small town romance. Mya and Corey were high school sweethearts who had quit a bit of baggage and trauma during their relationship. After something took place after graduation, Mya left her small town of Gauthier Louisiana for NYC. She hadn’t returned in 15? Years until her grandfather passed away. Once Corey and Mya saw each other again after 15 years apart everything just started to fall back into place.

If you’re looking for a pallet cleanser that will slightly tug on your heartstrings, I would definitely recommend this book. I had a good time reading it.
Profile Image for Rosie.
824 reviews32 followers
November 4, 2025
Mixed feelings about this one. I love a small town second chance romance, I don't mind some form of miscommunication but what I don't like is cheating, which is what Corey did to Mya, albeit 15 years ago, but still he cheated.

The whole plot of coming together to save their cute independent town from being taken over by the big conglomerate was right up my street, as was the meddling Grandma and townsfolk, but I just wasn't sold on the dynamic of Corey and Mya, I wanted more of them than just oh I've loved you for 15 years. I needed more of her life in New York, her friends and the argument at the end where it all comes out was baffling. The things Corey said so close to the end of the book, and then no groveling (?!) made me even more unsatisfied with the very quickly resolved end. Where is the epilogue? Where is them working out how they are going to work their relationship? I just needed more!

Overall, cute small town romance, and probably up until 80% I could forgive the cheating bit as it happened so long ago, and Corey had proven how much he was all in at making Mya stay in town, but the argument at then end had me knock off a star.
342 reviews3 followers
November 1, 2025
ARC Review – Thank you to Farrah Rochon for the opportunity to read this early!

This book was really cute! I was so excited to dive into it, and it absolutely delivered that small-town warmth I love. Watching Mya fall back in love with both Corey and the town she once left behind was such a treat. Her grandmother completely stole the show for me—wise, funny, and full of heart. I also adored Mya’s best friend and the way their friendship added depth and grounding to the story.

While I wasn’t the biggest fan of Mya’s mom and the ending felt a bit abrupt, it still wrapped up in a sweet, satisfying way. The chemistry between Mya and Corey was lovely to watch unfold—he so clearly cared for her, and their slow-burn reconnection hit all the right emotional notes.

If you’re into second chance romances, small-town settings, dual POV, and reformed bad boys, this one’s worth picking up.

Spice (for reader awareness): Chapters 9 and 10 — not overly descriptive but not closed-door either.
Profile Image for Safiya Ade.
8 reviews
November 2, 2025
This is an ARC Review. ✨️

I was excited to read A Forever Kind of Love because I've never read a Farrah Rochon book that I didn't like. This one delivered a slow-burning second-chance romance in the most delicious way. I felt every hesitation and every unspoken word between Mya and Corey.

What I loved most was how the romance wasn’t just about rekindling attraction. There were so many obstacles to overcome and they seemed impossible (to me at first). Despite the deep love they still carried for each other, they had to face old wounds and learn to trust again. That journey of rebuilding slowly, and carefully made their eventual connection feel like it was earned. Mya and Corey didn't just fall back in love, they found a home in one another once more.

I have to admit though that I was disappointed by the ending. After such a heartfelt journey, the ending felt rushed and incomplete, as if a few final chapters were missing. I wanted more closure, more time to savor the payoff of everything they had gone through.
Profile Image for Treasure.
434 reviews7 followers
November 8, 2025
Trope: Small town romance , Second chance romance and found family

Initial Thoughts: Cute small-town romance with black history laced into it.
Loved the chemistry between the characters.
A cozy read for this autumn weather.

Book Overview:
Mya returns to her small town after being away for 15 years, when she left, she left with a major secret and breaking the heart of her high school sweetheart Corey.

Corey was the star baller of the town, who had a bright future ahead of him. He unfortunately suffered an injury which cut his profession short. He returned to his small town as a coach and history teacher. When the love of his life return to grief her grandfather, his aims is to rekindle their love.

On the other hand, Mya wasn’t expecting to meet Corey at her grandfather funeral. Seeing him brings back old feelings. Can she handle the short time she is back in town and return to her home in New York or will she give love a second chance and share the secret she hid from him?

Read this cozy small-town romance
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