You Broke Me First

by Lorraine Brown

For journalist Ava Whitfield, landing an exclusive with tennis’s most infamous bad boy, Marcus Taylor, is a career boost she can’t refuse—and the perfect distraction from her recent break-up. Her assignment? Find out why the world-class star is such a world-class grouch.

But when a viral photo sparks rumours they’re dating, both stand to benefit from the lie: Marcus gets a PR glow-up, and Ava gets to make her ex feel a teeny bit jealous. Win-win…in theory.

As the line between truth and fiction blurs, Marcus lets Ava see the man behind the headlines—funny, driven, and disarmingly kind. The more she gets to know him, the harder it is to keep her professional distance.

Amid the champagne and bright lights of Wimbledon, Ava must decide: is a relationship worth the leap? Or will tennis always come first for Marcus? Can she lower her guard, or will falling for him leave her heart in pieces all over again?

Genres: Romance, Sports Romance

327 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 1, 2026

About the author

Lorraine previously trained as an actress and works as a student counsellor alongside her writing. She lives in London with her partner and their young son.

Reviews

[libbie! ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

You Broke Me First is a fun, emotionally charged romance built around fake dating, career ambition, and second chances. Journalist Ava Whitfield’s assignment to profile tennis bad boy Marcus Taylor turns into a mutually beneficial PR romance boosting his image while helping her spark a little jealousy in her ex.

As rumors blur into reality, Ava begins to see the man behind the headlines: funny, driven, and unexpectedly kind. With feelings deepening and boundaries fading, the story asks whether love is worth the risk when tennis may always come first.

overall i enjoyed this book and it’s great for fans of emily henry, the perfect summer read i can’t wait to see more .

ARC received via NetGalley. Opinions are my own.

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for me.

Ava Whitfield can't mope forever,dumped by her longtime boyfriend and living in her pajamas is not the answer.Her best friend found a gig that may help her out of this misery,an exclusive with tennis’s infamous bad boy,Marcus Taylor.Arrogant and really grumpy Marcus really don't make it easy for her.But the more she travels,the more she starts to understand tennis and..Marcus.A tentative friendship forms and fake dating Marcus should not be hard,but it may be turning to something unexpected and more.

Will Ava give Marcus a chance?

I really liked this story.Having absolutely no idea about tennis I found myself after a while right along Ava cheering for Marcus to win.It was one of the most long slow burn romance,but I will be honest it worked great.The way they started to open up and form a kind of friendship first was cute and emotional,I got understanding the way Marcus is the way he is,and why Ava let her family treat her like she's less.A sweet in moments,a emotional in some this sport romance was worth the read.My first book by this author and hope to read more.

Great read for sport romance fans.

Thank you netgalley and Montlake for my copy,my review is honest and my own.

[Anna-Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A single perspective, sports romance ideal for those interested in tennis, the appeal of travelling frequently and journalism.

When a journalist who knows nothing about tennis is asked to write an article on him, it's safe to say that racquet smashing Marcus is not the happiest he could be. In comes Ava, prepared to make the best of a less than ideal situation.

I really enjoyed reading this book and felt whisked away with all the travelling, along with the romance too. An easy read that made me want to keep reading on and didn't want to put the book down!

[Paola Gomez · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️ Arc received from Netgalley!!!

I really enjoyed You Broke Me First by Lorraine Brown. It combines two of my favorite tropes, fake dating and slow burn, and does it so well.

The chemistry between Ava and Marcus was so good. Every moment they shared felt intentional, and all of their emotions the doubts, the hesitation, the vulnerability, felt completely valid. Their relationship progression was realistic and honest, which made it even more satisfying to read. I especially loved how Marcus treated Ava. Even when he was frustrated or upset, he never took it out on her, and that stood out to me.

Ava’s family definitely tested my patience at times, I hated how they treated her, but honestly, that just speaks to how strong the writing was. It made me feel something.
One thing I didn’t expect to enjoy as much as I did was the tennis aspect. I went into this knowing almost nothing about the sport, but I ended up really engaged in that world. It never felt info-dumpy or dragged out, it all blended naturally into the story.

This is such an easy, fun, and fast read. I genuinely found myself giggling at multiple scenes. And while the book isn’t spicy, it truly doesn’t need to be. The romance is built through chemistry, connection, and meaningful interactions rather than just physical attraction, which felt really refreshing.
My only complaint is that I wish it were a bit longer. I would’ve loved a few more chapters to better wrap up Ava’s relationship with her family and Marcus’s relationship with his mom. And I definitely wanted to see what happened after Wimbledon.
That said, this book played out like a movie in my head, and when I think about it that way, the ending works.

Overall, I’d highly recommend it, and I’m excited to read more from Lorraine Brown.

[Arianne (morenathereader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC review - You Broke Me First by Lorraine Brown

Star rating: 3/5 🌟
Spice rating: 0/5 🌶️ (fade to black/closed door)

Thank you so much to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is such a cute romcom. The author obviously researched the heck out of tennis to write this book, to which I appreciate as someone who knows absolutely nothing about the sport. It felt like I was learning alongside Ava (who was also clueless about tennis); her being a journalist makes sense with the amount of detail put into explaining what she learned.

There were pretty clear themes of going for what you want. The foundation was there, unfortunately, the writing could’ve been stronger imo. For me, there was too much telling and not enough showing. I wish the pacing were slowed down to let me feel what these characters felt in the moment instead of telling me point-blank.

This made me feel less connected to Ava’s struggles. There were moments that shone through, but I wish there were more. Also, wished this story was dual POV because it felt like Marcus did a complete switch of personality overnight, and his story deserved more attention.

There was great potential here. It just wasn’t for me, unfortunately.

Still recommend if you like a quick and fun sports romance! 💗

[Ash · Rating 3 out of 5]

You Broke Me First by Lorraine Brown is a slow-burn, close proximity romance. The story follows Ava, a journalist writing a piece on professional tennis player Marcus Taylor, who is grumpy and struggles with anger issues.
I enjoyed the story overall, particularly the dynamic between Ava and Marcus. The slow-burn pacing worked well to build their relationship, and I enjoyed that he falls first. The twist at the end was genuinely shocking and elevated the story in an unexpected way.
However, I did find that the book leans heavily into the tennis world, so it would be best suited to readers who have an interest in the sport. At times, this focus made it harder to stay fully engaged with the romance itself.
I also struggled with the punctuation and grammar throughout the novel. There was a frequent use of brackets that felt unnecessary, as the information was either already implied or didn’t add anything meaningful. Unfortunately, this distracted from the flow and took away from the overall integrity of the writing.
Despite these issues, it’s an enjoyable read with strong character dynamics and a memorable twist, especially for readers who enjoy sports romances centred around tennis.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lorraine Brown for allowing to read this arc!

[ReccosbyRucha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of You Broke Me First from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and it turned out to be everything I was hoping for and more.
This was my first book by Lorraine Brown and also my first sports romance and I am happy to say it was a wonderful introduction to both. Since I love watching tennis, I really enjoyed how naturally the sport was woven into the story. The writing had an easy flow and the story progressed in a very organic way without feeling rushed or forced.The romance is a slow burn—light, gentle, and not overly fluffy—which made it such a pleasant break, especially after all the emotional heartbreak I was going through while reading Throne of Glass. This book felt like a soft, comforting pause: simple, tender, and sweet. I loved the storyline and the lead characters. There weren’t too many characters to keep track of, no unnecessary subplots, and no chaos—just a straightforward love story that focused on connection and growth. Sometimes, simplicity really is the most beautiful thing, and this book captures that perfectly. Overall, You Broke Me First was a calm, heartfelt read that left me smiling and I will definitely be picking up more from this author in the future.

[Marion Curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

You Broke me First - what a roller coaster ride, from Heartbroken to ...

Ava is in a slump after her 4 year relationship with Charlie suddenly ended, when he announced 'I'm not doing this anymore', and after packing his things, walked out. After days of slouching and barely doing any freelance work, her best friend Zoe told her that her editor-in-chief of Luxe magazine would like her to do a profile piece of Marcus Taylor, a professional tennis player. Marcus had a reputation as being 'difficult' and was also called Racket Man by the press. After much persuasion Ava agrees to give it a try . She's to meet him in Monte Carlo but he actually sits right beside her on the flight over, first impressions are not good.

I learnt a lot more about tennis, as did Ava, their 'fake' relationship slowly built, despite their own personal problems. Totally engrossing, wasn't ready for it to end quite so abruptly.

[Charly Murg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I’ve read in a really long time. I’ve had mixed feelings on Lorraine brown books over the years, the Paris connection blew me away but her other books haven’t. This one was a return to form, I absolutely devoured it. What Lorraine Brown does best is travel writing, she always makes you want to be wherever the characters are and I think that’s what ruined her last book for me because it was just so localised, it was nice to get back out into the world with her. The only reason there was a lost star is because I didn’t really feel like the toxicity of the relationship between Ava and her mum/sister was ever fully addressed, I didn’t feel like Ava came to a true realisation that she deserved better than what they gave her and when her mum admitted she was trying to dull her shine it felt like it was only there to draw a quick conclusion. I’m looking forward to more books from this author

[Aga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Amazon Publishing UK | Montlake and NetGalley for this ARC. You Broke Me First is out today.

This was such a fun, addictive romcom and honestly, exactly the kind of book I needed to kick off May.

We have a grumpy, temperamental tennis player who would probably rather face a brutal five-set match than talk about his feelings, and a sweet journalist who needs to write a piece about him. Naturally, things get complicated. Because where would the fun be if everyone simply behaved like mature adults?

Add in a fake relationship, an ex-boyfriend, family drama, and plenty of tension, and you get a really entertaining romance with great chemistry and plenty of romcom sparkle.

I loved the grumpy/sunshine dynamic, the forced closeness, and the way the story balanced humour, romance, and a little emotional messiness. It was fun, easy to fly through, and a great start to my May reads.

[52kaosangel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this and I loved the relationship that grows between Marcus and Ava.
I was riveted by the different relationships in this story, between Ava and her family, Marcus and his, and how messy and real it felt, how they can cause hurt but also show tremendous love. I loved the relationship and chemistry between Ava and Marcus, the rocky start, the respect that comes from having spent time getting to know and understand each other, and how when there was an issue, they actually talked about it like adults. They seemed to bring out the best in each other and I was rooting for them. 
The end came a little abruptly for me, I guess I just wanted more of the story because I was enjoying it so much! I didn't think I would care about a tennis story, but I couldn't put this book down!

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Julianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, so I did really enjoy this book. The humour, tension and longing really stood out and it was written in a way that made it feel natural to read. However, something had been niggling away at me as a huge swiftie - the book mentions 'afterglow' by Taylor Swift to be 'naff'. Now, I wholeheartedly disagree with this and for me this took away something from my experience of reading this book (I know it may sound silly - but I would still recommend this book nonetheless. Now, I understand that everyone has different views and opinions but it just bothered me. Nonetheless, you should read this book if you love enemies to lovers romance with not too much spice.

Thank you to net galley, Lorraine Brown and Amazon Publishing UK for allowing me to receive an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Elia Winters · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love sports romances but this may be one of my first centered around tennis! It was such a fun backdrop and I loved reading all about this world!

I loved how we didn't just get surface level MCs. Both Ava and Marcus had so many layers and real issues they were dealing with. It helped me understand them so much more and fall in love with them individually and together.

I need an epilogue 🥹! Not that I didn't like the ending, I just love having a peak into the future!

You Broke Me First is a sweet, emotional, and fun read!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

[Hanne Healy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got this book from Amazon First Reads. I was expecting your run-of-the-mill cliché, basic sporty rom-com, but I really enjoyed this book! I did skip over a fair few of the match descriptions, but that didn't take away from the book in my opinion. I could see the twist near the end coming from a mile away, but that didn't bother me that much. The romance felt realistic, it's a closed-door romance (which I prefer) and a very satisfying happy ending.

[Cam · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
NetGalley ARC!

You Broke Me First introduces Ava, a journalist in a hard transition period in her life. She is thrown into a job following Marcus Taylor, a professional tennis player. He is known for his high temper on the court, and they don't see eye to eye immediately upon meeting. With some fake dating and family troubles along the way, they find their way to each other in the end.

I was drawn to this book by the bright, fun cover and intriguing title. But after reading, I'm honestly left wondering why the title of this book is "You Broke Me First?"

I enjoyed the inciting incident of Ava being broken up with and leaning into this article about Marcus. I appreciated their romantic moments, though they were few and far between. Ava doesn't know anything about tennis, and I was excited to learn alongside her, but we didn't get a lot of that. There was a heavy focus on the tennis matches and lingo, so I guess that's reader error on my end. I am usually quite fond of sports romances, but this ratio favours the sports a lot more than I would like. It feels like the romance was not priority, which is obviously not the goal for a romance novel. Maybe they should have used that one bed moment a little bit more strategically? Lol

This book would have benefitted from an epilogue or a few more chapters. The ending felt very abrupt, and we never got to see Ava's article come to life.

My time spent reading this was enjoyable, and I can suspend my disbelief for some of their respective family drama, but I was definitely left a little bit confused.

[Shaztwirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really Good

I really enjoyed this story. Fake dating is a well used trope but this felt fresh. A touch of humour and low angst are going to make this the perfect 2026 summer read. The ending is abrupt but kind of perfect. The story didn't need an epilogue but I would have loved one just to have more of Ava and Marcus.

[Amy Batchelor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Copy obtained via Amazon Prime First Reads

I really enjoyed reading this. The story is very Tennis heavy compared to other sports romances but I really enjoyed that aspect. The Grumpy x Sunshine trope is well done.

However, the ending was very rushed - I felt i still had questions at the end, around Avas article and her friend Zoes odd behaviour

[Frances Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review

Great book. As I am an avid tennis fan and have actually been to Queens, loved the and aura of the tennis as well as two strong main characters. Ice little twist with Cassie and Charlie romance, although I had sussed it out earlier in Book. Would have liked a little more input with Marcus’ mother and Ava.

Will certainly look out for more from this author

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t know how I’ve managed to read this if it’s not yet published but here we are


I loved the premise but felt a bit robotic and I wanted more, I was scan reading paragraphs of tennis jargon to get to the good bits which were few and far between, I think if there’d been more focus on the romance and not the sport I’d have enjoyed it a lot more

[Alexandra Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read! 4 stars! I found the book to be a breeze to read through with an engaging story. I even learned quite a bit about tennis!
Marcus and Ava definitely had good chemistry, but I think this book could have been even better with Marcus’ point of view as well because I felt we didn’t really see much of his feelings.

[Rashmi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A poignant and beautifully written contemporary read. Lorraine Brown does a fantastic job of exploring the messy aftermath of a breakup, balancing heavy emotional stakes with a hopeful journey toward self-discovery. The protagonist’s healing process felt grounded and relatable, making it easy to root for them throughout. A strong recommendation for fans of character-driven fiction!

[Petra ☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review of advance copy received from Netgalley

I liked bits of the book. the execution for the Fm and ML was good but i wanted moore romance. and i can say with my whole heart that tennis is not for me. its a good book just not for me.

[Cass☀️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨You Broke Me First by Lorraine Brown✨
4✨

First of all, thank you Loraine Brown, Amazon Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC!

I recommend this book if you:
🔹enjoy romances that explore heavy topics too such as family dynamics and vulnerability in relationships.
🔹enjoy sports romances — I know absolutely nothing about tennis, but neither did the protagonist. I enjoyed learning about it along with her.
🔹enjoy grumpy MMCs —- I love grumpy MMCs, so I had the best time with Marcus!

I had the best time reading this one! I honestly gravitated towards this because I thought the cover was adorable and the premise of the novel sounded intriguing. I was not expecting to devour it the way that I did!

I haven’t read a lot of sports romances, I think my experience comes mostly from the Windy City series and I would say this is more sports heavy than those. However, I enjoyed learning about tennis and the competitive world, so I wouldn’t say that should turn you away if you enjoy tennis or don’t know anything about tennis. As I mentioned before, our FMC knew nothing about tennis at the beginning of the book, so it was fun learning along with her.

I thought the dialogue between Ava and Marcus was so fun! I love good banter and both characters are so stubborn and witty in this. There meet cute was so entertaining and I loved the chemistry between them. If I have one complaint, it’s that this novel ended! I also really enjoyed Ava and Marcus’ character arcs as well, the journey of growth that both characters go on was compelling.

If you enjoy stories where walls from past trauma are broken down to reveal unexpected layers of personality while also healing from heartbreak and exploring how to put yourself first, then I highly recommend this book.

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I predicted the plot twist from the first few pages and the third act split was a bit of a nothing burger but overall very cute, I love the fact they actually communicated with each other about problems.
Also girl, Zoe is NOT your friend, bad vibes all round.

[Gee - All Booked Up]

Thankyou to for the arc opportunity.

You Broke Me First is messy yet heartfelt. That “oh no, i still have feelings” chaos is fun, making this the perfect easy read.

3.75 ***

[lucy · Rating 2 out of 5]

actually thought the book cut off early with that ending, also who goes to black tie gala in zara

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

actual rating 4⭐

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice easy read. Really liked that there was no miscommunication trope. Will probably read the author's other books.

[Lucy Alice (Author) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet

After a slow start I really loved this book. It was really sweet, closed door romance and a very sweet read with emotional highs and lows.

[Mrs J Elaine Weaver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! 🤍

What a lovely easy read.
Read it in 2 days and evenings.
Really liked the Marcus & Ava characters 👍