Backstroke: A Dark College Sports Romance

by L B Martin

284 pages, Paperback

Expected publication June 2, 2026

Reviews

[ambs · Rating 3 out of 5]

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.


this was a 3.5 stars for me. i honestly loved the ship so much, and did not expect to genuinely be invested into their stories. my only critique was i didn’t feel too attached to either main character and honestly felt like i wanted more as i kept reading. this book was definitely written very well and was honestly such a fun time. i love dark romances written in college which was another aspect i really loved in this book!! i would definitely love to read from this author again.

[Locdgalreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a dark, addictive college romance that will absolutely pull you under, Backstroke completely delivers! 🖤💦

The Tropes:
🔥 College sports romance
🔥 Enemies-to-lovers energy & forced proximity
🔥 Step-sibling dynamic
🔥 "Touch her and die" possessive obsession

Why You Need to Read It:
• The Chemistry is Unhinged: From chapter one, the tension between Fallon and Remy is incredibly intense. Remy is the ultimate toxic in the best way, arrogant and controlling morally gray MMC. You’ll either love him or hate him, but his absolute obsession with Fallon makes it impossible to look away. 🌶️👀

• A Strong FMC: I loved that Fallon doesn't just immediately fold to the attraction. She pushes back hard, creating a fantastic power struggle that keeps the enemies to lovers vibe alive throughout the entire book.

• Dark but Grounded: While it’s definitely a darker romance, the book handles heavy themes and trauma without being insensitive, delivering a resolution that feels surprisingly realistic.

• Note on Content: There are some BDSM themes mentioned in the warnings, but it’s not strictly a BDSM book; it’s more about two characters finding common ground in their unique, unhinged preferences. 😉

The Verdict:
This is a standalone story, though it sets up a broader connected world with different couples that I can't wait to read! If you devour darker BookTok romances filled with heavy angst and a possessive antihero, add this to your TBR immediately.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

[Ecem Esen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Backstroke was such a dark, addictive college romance. From the first chapter, the tension between Fallon and Remy was intense, and the story fully leans into that obsessive, dangerous dynamic in a way that keeps you hooked.

Remy is definitely one of those morally grey MMCs that you’ll either love or hate, but I honestly thought his character worked really well for the tone of the book. He’s controlling, possessive, arrogant, and fully aware of the effect he has on people, but there’s also this constant underlying obsession with Fallon that made their dynamic impossible to look away from.

I also liked that Fallon pushed back against him instead of immediately folding to the attraction between them. Their relationship had a constant power struggle that kept the enemies-to-lovers aspect feeling strong throughout the story.

The step-sibling element and forced proximity added even more tension, and LB Martin really committed to the darker atmosphere of the romance instead of trying to soften it too much. The chemistry between them was intense from the start, and the emotional and physical tension carried the story really well.

Overall, this was a dramatic, toxic-in-the-best-way dark college romance with strong enemies-to-lovers energy, lots of angst, and a possessive antihero readers of darker BookTok romances will probably devour.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Britney Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

A true dark sports romance and it’s not hockey.

I think this author did an amazing job on this story. The true distain for one another, the way her trauma is represented.

It is the stereotypically, it not on campus and she’s the new firl with baggage that doesn’t back down to him like everyone else. From their first meeting, you knew that there was going to be an interesting dynamic pull between the two. I really think the author did the enemies to lovers troupe justice. Unlike a lot of stories there was tension, and a constant pull and push between them the whole way through the book. It wasn’t a few pages in and their into each other like other stories.

And to those who are put off by the “step siblings” it just aided the story. Adding tension through forced proximity, just creating a new level of messiness to these characters which helped with keeping it a dark romance. There was no light, it was all dark, and I think it worked perfectly.

Personally I so badly wanted to get into this book, I wanted to love it so much and there’s so many aspects of it I did love. There was just something missing though. The hook that just engaged me from the beginning wasn’t there. But I would still recommend this book to anyone who wants a true dark sports romance and you’re bored of all the same ones being pushed out

[Ecem · Rating 3 out of 5]

*****Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am honestly still not completely sure how I feel about this book. On one hand, it pulled me out of a reading slump, and for that reason, I do want to give it credit. The story is definitely dark, and I think that aspect worked well. It had the right atmosphere and enough intensity to keep me reading.

However, there were also several moments where the plot became too chaotic for me. At times, I found myself wondering why I was still continuing, especially because the story had so much potential but did not always manage to use it properly. Some parts felt rushed, while others felt either confusing or underdeveloped. Because of that, I struggled to stay fully connected to the story.

I also had a hard time connecting with the characters. They felt like characters with strong potential, but they were not explored deeply enough for me to truly care about them. I wanted more emotional depth, more development, and a stronger reason to become invested in their choices and relationships.

Overall, this was not a bad book, and I can see why readers who enjoy dark college sports romance might like it. It had a strong concept and some engaging moments, but the execution did not fully work for me. For now, I can only give it 3 stars.

[Katie Quiroz · Rating 3 out of 5]

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have some mixed feelings here. This book is definitely dark and fast paced, with a mix of mystery, thrill, and suspense. I enjoyed the plot of this story and I liked Fallon’s character. She has some good inner conflict and I was intrigued in her back story. Overall, the suspense was what kept me reading.

What didn’t work for me:
Remy gave me the ick- his constant self ego stroking, his dialogue was off-putting (“emo smurfette”), calling women holes, and just his general meanness to Fallon.
I also kind of wish his obsession timeline had some more build up and length to it. He redeems himself a bit overtime but more often than not I found myself cringing.

I also felt like spicy scene after Fallon gets pushed in the pool was less CNC and more….NC. We didn’t really get Fallon’s perspective there so to me it felt like it was really walking on a fine line between CNC and NC.

I wish we got some more of the college & sports aspect. I think it would have really helped the timeline and overall plot.

Lastly, a very minor personal preference of mine is I wasn’t vibing with the names Rowyn and Lyndsy- just too many y’s lol

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this early.

[Jess H · Rating 5 out of 5]

5*
Omg 😦

So I got this for a ARC read…

I don’t even know how to begin to tell you how much I LOVED this book!

Masked men…. Chasing through the woods, ice play 😜 and sooo much more ( I won’t spoil it )

I ate this book up! I loved it so much. I literally can not wait for the second book. I need it now. Because I know the second book will be everything too!

There are trigger warnings so please check them out.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book for a honest review 🖤

🖤

[Lol · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a girl doing psychology major she really didn’t see any red flags. ​Very insta "love" like they just met, ”dislike” each other and at night she drowned then all the sudden started blowing him. It literally went from 0 to 100 so fast.
​Some parts definitely needed more development and felt a bit rushed. but despite that, i will definitely check out book two for rowyn, phoenix and gray.

[Laura Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

BACKSTROKE BY L.B. MARTIN
Boys Of Framption University
BOOK 1
4 ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨s
Release date set for the 2nd of June 2026.

The cover is 🔥
I have literally read this book in two sittings I was laid reading this into the very early hours of this morning.
Looking forward to book 2 coming out.
Always check your triggers

[darling.of.chaos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good!!!! The spicy scenes where chefs kiss, I can’t wait to read the next book! If you love a good collage romance this is the book for you, I loved the characters backstories, I will definitely be reading again.😍😍