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“This thing between us is unexpected for me…”

With her professional basketball career seemingly in her rearview, Micaiah Kennedy is trying to figure out what the future holds for her. Despite working tirelessly through her adolescence and adult years, she’d never quite accomplished the one thing in life that was the highest on her bucket list - playing for the Women’s National Basketball Association. Dreams of hooping in the W dashed, she instead set her sights on playing professionally abroad, going on to excel and make a name for herself outside of the States.

Victor Covington is a full-time single father and professional athletic trainer whose only concerns are making sure his baby girl is doing well and that the players within his care remain healthy and active. The looming unknowns of the pandemic however keep both of these precariously hanging in the balance, compounding his stress.

A serendipitous call from the Nashville Nymphs and an opportunity to check the last item off her bucket list sends Micaiah off to Florida where she reconnects with Victor, a former childhood crush. All grown up and still feeling the draw of attraction from their youth, Micaiah and Victor get reacquainted with one another in the confines of the WNBA bubble. Learning how to navigate in an unprecedented environment while getting closer to one another, Micaiah and Victor embark on a journey and discover that the road to getting what you've always wanted isn't always the easiest.

316 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 14, 2020

182 people are currently reading
302 people want to read

About the author

Nicole Falls

62 books546 followers
Nicole Falls is a contemporary Black romance writer who has taken entirely too long to complete her first project. She's also a ceramic mug and lapel pin enthusiast who cannot function without her AirPods constantly blaring music. When Nicole isn't writing, she spends her time trolling her friends and family while drinking coffee and/or cocktails or checking off yet another of these great United States visited in her quest to see some land! She currently resides in the suburbs of Chicago.

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5 stars
400 (66%)
4 stars
143 (23%)
3 stars
50 (8%)
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5 (<1%)
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4 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
Profile Image for Kameel.
1,053 reviews290 followers
June 19, 2022
This Was A Really Good Story

I Really Enjoy A Good Second Chance Story….although, Vic & Mickey were young kids when the two had a crush on one another….they still had feelings for each other….So a second chance for the two of them to start hanging out and becoming reacquainted was a no brainer….But, Vic 8 year old daughter Navi actually stole the show…I really enjoyed her in this story and her developing relationship with Mickey as well as her dad’s budding relationship with her. This was an awesome tale. I hope we get more from this series.
Profile Image for ReadnliftwithShar.
1,851 reviews
March 12, 2023
👏🏾

I loved Bounce Back! I really think the author did a good job creating a second Chance romance surrounded by the love of basketball. Vic & Mica we’re so cute and their chemistry was everything!! So sweet!!🥰
Profile Image for WellReadRuby.
532 reviews111 followers
March 9, 2023
Kismet? Meant to be? Second Chance for career and love? this is the book!!

Micaiah and Victor are what dreams are made of! Micaiah is coming to play in the WNBA bubble as a rookie but is older than most of the team since her career started overseas! Coming to the bubble she had no clue that her childhood love would be there while accomplishing a childhood dream. It only takes Micaiah one game and one confession of her past to get everything that’s meant for her and honestly I loved to see it! Micaiah playing lights out and reconnecting with Victor was such a feel-good story! Even when drama tried to come their way they both knew nothing else mattered. I loved that! 🥰 also idk if y’all know but Nicole watches basketball and it is shown in how she describes the game in detail which is something else I loved in this book! Heavy detail in the play-by-play action and heavy pov from Micaiah which worked. This book was different in the best way and has me ready for the next books to come out! Hopefully, we get updates from this couple in the next book! I definitely recommend this book and series!
Profile Image for thebookcritic_.
859 reviews25 followers
July 23, 2025
cool read

Second chance romance for childhood friends (puppy love). Found family. I’m usually not a fan of bringing up the pandemic, but with this being a sports romance during this time I got it. I also don’t particularly care for mixing real sports teams with fictional ones. Overall, this one was cool. Didn’t love but still a good story.

Quite a few additional words added to sentences or missing that weren’t supposed to be there. Definitely needed a run through with editing.
Profile Image for Genel F.
157 reviews6 followers
May 6, 2024
ok

3.75
This was easily my least favorite thus far. I am usually a fan of Nicole Falls, I just wasn’t a fan of. The series jumping to different authors.

Vic and MK story was fine, I love childhood rekindle, but I didn’t want to read about pandemic times and it moved too slow for me.
Profile Image for Tsholonki .
441 reviews7 followers
January 11, 2023
As the final book, I just wanted more. Yes, it's cute, yes I was swooning but as the last book I just needed more.
Profile Image for *Ebony I*.
1,399 reviews158 followers
August 27, 2022
Micaiah aka Mickey aka OBOT had been playing basketball all of her life. Her dream of being in the WNBA had long since passed her by...until the opportunity actually fell in her lap. She is excited to go ball out in the bubble and help her temporary team secure another championship. What she doesn't expect to find is love. When she runs into her childhood friend and crush Vic, the chemistry is wild. As much as she vows to stay locked in on ball she ends up being just as locked in on Vic and his sweet daughter Navi. They embrace their situation and create a bond none of them are ready to let go of. I'm always here for an unproblematic couple and these two were just that.

It moved a little slow for me though, I think some of the fluff could've been removed to keep the attention of the reader. I was confused as to why Vic and Mickey never discussed what happened with Navi's mom, that seemed to be a miss to me. Also, I didn't understand why THAT career move at the end, she was at the top of her career and there was no interest elsewhere?? I found that hard to believe.

I'd say this was about a 3.75, but I rounded up for the characters and the premise was really a sweet story.
Profile Image for Dédé.
304 reviews32 followers
November 21, 2020
Bounce Back (Nymphs and Trojans #4) by Nicole Falls is about professional basketball player Micaiah Kennedy and athletic trainer Victor Covington. Mickey has been playing professional basketball in Spain since graduating college, at 33 she receives a surprising call. The Nashville Nymphs want her to play for the team while in the wubble (WNBA Bubble)! The OBOT is the rookie! In the wubble she reunites with her childhood best friend Victoria (who plays in the WNBA on another team) as well as her childhood crush Victor. From the first moment Mickey and Victor are alone together you can feel something brewing! It doesn’t help that Victor’s 8 year old daughter Navijah has taken a liking to Mickey. The reunion of Victor and Micaiah is fate, kismet or whatever else you’d like to call it. From the moment Victor sets his eyes on Micaiah for the first time in 20 years, he doesn’t stop pursuing her. Victor and Mickey’s morning jogs which often started with a great stretch or a very therapeutic massage 🥵. You know it goes down in the wubble! I enjoyed seeing them together as a couple as well as an instant family. That Navi is a character 😂 she repeats everything she hears even things she shouldn’t. Victor and Navi’s father-daughter relationship is so cute and he don’t play about his daughter 👏🏽 Both the Covington and Kennedy family exhibit positive family dynamics which is a definite plus. This book is very full circle, life doesn’t always unfold when & how you want but when you least expect it! This is a sweet story, that will leave you feeling warm & fuzzy 🥰.
P.s. There are so many intriguing secondary characters, I can’t wait to see what next season brings!  
 
Profile Image for Jen's Quick & Dirty Reviews.
665 reviews69 followers
February 19, 2024
2 Stars, All Ball with No Bounce

✔️ Dual POVs (Mickey x Victor)
✔️ Set in Florida during the WNBA bubble
✔️ Open-door, contemporary sports romance (3/5 🌶️)
✔️ Tropes: Sports, basketball, childhood friends to lovers

First, sports romances can fall into a “too many characters” trap, which this one did immediately in the first chapter. Not only are there multiple teams and staff within the WNBA bubble, but EVERYONE has multiple nicknames. (FOR REAL THE MAIN CHARACTERS ARE VICTOR WHO IS A TWIN TO VICTORIA, yikes!)

Second, the only thing bringing these characters together was a childhood crush from when they were 10 years old. There was absolutely no other chemistry or connection besides their basketball-related careers. The spicy scenes were fine, but did not bring them closer together or further the relationship. Honestly, they could have been cut altogether.

I appreciate what this author was trying to do in capturing the COVID-induced WNBA bubble (where players and staff were sequestered together during the entire length of the season). It was a unique time, and maybe I wasn’t quite ready to see the testing, quarantines, and avoidance of strangers during travel fictionalized.
1,013 reviews17 followers
January 28, 2021
Almost a 4 star

I really enjoyed the story. A woman athlete ? Very unusual story in the genre. Unfortunately although she left the game on a high, it’s actually my problem with the book. Why did she have to retire? I understand not being able to find a long term contract in the WNBA but I couldn’t understand why she couldn’t finish her career properly in Spain. It felt unfinished mainly considering it was just one year. I can see how the author tried to sell the whole she didn’t give up on her dreams, she just went for new dreams, but it still rubbed me the wrong way. Also as an athlete whose career span is short, turning down a lot of money for a one year contract didn’t make sense. I guess I just don’t like it when women behave like having a long distance relationship for a « short » period of time is a deal breaker. If that’s the case then how are they going to deal with serious issues like illnesses etc.
Anyway apart from that, I liked all the characters and particularly adored Navi.
Profile Image for Crystal Luckey.
744 reviews31 followers
March 29, 2021
Getting all she deserved!!!

Micaiah has always wanted to play in the WNBA so when she finally gets the call, she takes the opportunity. Having a bad first day in practice, Mickey just wants to be alone, until she saw her old childhood friends and went to catch up. After running into Victor again, Mickey and Vic became more than old friends. When Mickey felt she was getting to close to Vic and his daughter Navi, she backed away, upsetting them both. Once she talked to Vi about it, he made himself clear, she was it for him.
This was a great read. Mickey had dreams and they came true, but also doubted herself as well, but having the support she did, she removed them doubts. I loved how Mickey and Vic were each other and having Navi in her life was perfect. I loved their entire dynamics. I was sad to see them go and wanted more from them. Nicole wrote such a great read!!!
Profile Image for Aline Monteiro-Bovell.
269 reviews1 follower
August 30, 2022
(2.75) I enjoyed reading this book. However, there were a lot of things that I didn’t really like.
I feel like there was no real build up to them getting together. I wanted more tension, more moments of them talking, to make their chemistry more believable. I was struggling to see it in the beginning. And towards the end everything felt rushed.

And the Caila thing. I am a bit confused about that. I guess she liked Vic but I wanted to know more about what happened with her and Tori. And I felt like that part of the story wasn’t explained properly/done well.

And when I got to the end I wanted more. I actually want more from all the couples in this series. And also I am interested in reading more about the side characters. I don’t know if there will be more books in this series but I think We could get something about Zed and Kyra. Or the other girls from the team. Even Kat. She is intriguing to me.

I guess I will wait and see.
Profile Image for Monique.
733 reviews73 followers
December 18, 2022
What I Loved

1. Basketball and romance. Two of my favorite tropes combined.
2. Black love with no TOXIC MADNESS. Victor and Micaiah were so good together. Thank you for two fully formed human beings with good relationships with their families.
3. A single black father doing the damn thing after a tragic loss. Victor did the damn thing.
4. The fact that both Victor and Micaiah were twins. Loved it.
5. My favorite, Victor and Micaiah finding their way back to each other. They had major crushes on each other as kids.

What I didn't Love

1. Good editing matters. There were typos and incorrect word usage in places, missing words that slowed me down and I had to reread sentences to make sense of what was being conveyed. This caused this book to be a 3 star for me. Unfortunate.

2. When it was brought to Victor's attention that Calia was ATTEMPTING to cause issues in his relationship with Micaiah, he didn't address it at all. I was so irritated.
Profile Image for Tracy - loves to read .
1,012 reviews
April 6, 2022
took a L and then I bounced back

Micaela had a series of instances where she bounced back - in her dreams of going pro, I’m her overseas basketball career, in her love life and more. You can only take so many hits before self doubt steps in.
Victor had to bounce back from a life altering heartbreak. There was no time to wallow because he had a life depending on him.
Who ever thought two people who were childhood crushes would reunite on a bounce back of their own.
I enjoyed their journey to each other and happiness. Victor didn’t play no games. Mickey needed his self assurance, consistency and encouragement.
Great read!
Profile Image for Malaika.
870 reviews4 followers
January 27, 2021
Okay Ponytail! I see you!

Who knew all this swag and vibrato could be embodied in a ponytail? All jokes aside, Victor was definitely book bae. material. I mean he was fine, full of swag and had the cutest sidekick ever. I loved Navi simply because she was about that life. Don’t mess with her or her daddy. OBOT was my girl! It was good to see a character achieve a dream that society said she was too old for. She showed that dreams never die and there is no age limit on greatness.
Profile Image for CaroMommie.
668 reviews8 followers
December 23, 2020
If basketball is your thing then this is a pretty good hoops story for you. It dug deep in the intricacies of the sport which is a good thing.

While that part of the story was spot on the relationship between the MC’s was more surface than deep. There wasn’t any sparks or push pull in the passion department.

The supporting cast was fun especially Navi she played her part to perfection 🙂. I do look forward to Ky’s story & hopefully Zeb’s 🙂
637 reviews
February 8, 2021
Better late than never!

Wow I hadn’t known what to expect from Bounce Back but I truly enjoyed how Ms. Falls captured the female side of being a professional athlete and how sacrifices and dreams could not only force your life on trajectory that many had to settle and some got it all! Mickey and Vic are cutest couple 101 and from the initial reconnect spotting to them finding forever love I truly enjoyed their journey 🥰
174 reviews1 follower
March 27, 2021
Slow start...

This book was different for this reader. Once it reeled me in (after a longer than usual start) the sports story was as good as the romance. The game settings were so detailed it was like sitting on the edge of a seat in an arena. It was great cheering for the team as hard as cheering for Victor and Mic. Their going forward with their feelings without any game playing in part due to their own maturity was spot on. This book was a refreshing treat.
1,700 reviews7 followers
March 18, 2023
This is a fabulous series 😍

This was such a wonderful story. Love how real the characters were and how seamlessly their story flowed. I couldn't help but smile when I was reading about Victor and his daughter Navi. She has such a big personality, and it shines through this book. I also enjoyed Victor and Micaiah backstory and how they ran into each other again. It was wonderful. It's always a pleasure reading your books 🥰
Profile Image for darrian sade.
37 reviews
January 11, 2025
i loved this book. it was just a cute, fluffy addition to a series i’m having so much fun with already. really loved exclusion of a 3rd act breakup or miscommunication! it didn’t need it and their small hurdles just added to the strength of the relationship. after being on the fence with the pandemic aspect last book, i knew this one was entirely in the wubble but it wasn’t distracting for me at all at times i really forgot. also lovedddd navi, that little cutie!
111 reviews
November 18, 2020
Nothing but net!

Nicole wrote the f*ck outta this book. It was a great romance story - super sweet, funny, easy love. But the research it must have taken to write this took it over the top! Details of the Wubble, play-by-plays, and even anatomy for the therapy pieces were so realistic.
1,202 reviews3 followers
November 20, 2020
I enjoyed Vic and Micaiah reconnecting. Navi was adorable. Mik had me irritated in the beginning. CP I liked her then hated her. Loved Ky’s crazy but. Loved the Vic and micaiah’s relationship with their twins. And I love the Kage mentions. His personality remained in tact in those very brief comments. Still my fave out the series.

I hope the series isn’t over bc I thoroughly enjoyed
Profile Image for Gemini.
1,645 reviews
November 22, 2020
So Good!

I absolutely loved this installment. The way Victor was so straightforward and loving was just great. The backstory for Victor and Mickey was super cute. I really enjoyed the way everything unfolded with the team and the other players. The epilogue was perfect! I wanted to clap for that ending.
Profile Image for Alicia Sims.
1,141 reviews3 followers
November 24, 2020
That's it I'm moving to Tennessee!

I love this series so.much. I'm not sure if it's the 🏀angle or the love story angle but either way I'm here for it! I was hoping Mickey fired off on Caila for her disrespectful comments, but when you know it's real that ain't necessary😁 I love Victor 😍 he's a really good man.
Profile Image for Micaiah.
Author 4 books19 followers
November 25, 2020
Loved it

Let me just say I loved the character Micaiah's name, because it's my actual name too lol. Plus she was a character I could vibe with. Loved how it was a crush from childhood revisited. Sometimes it takes someone of advanced age to truly appreciate the opportunities given in life and in love. Great read
Profile Image for Mica Robinson.
174 reviews6 followers
December 3, 2020
HEA

Yes!!! Vic and Micaiah had their childhood crush blossom into an full of heat bubbleship. The fact that they both shared the love of basketball adding in Lil Miss Navi, this story was great from beginning to end. Another great book from this author and looking forward to reading more.
Profile Image for Fanita Pendleton.
Author 11 books28 followers
Read
December 24, 2020
Read The Entire Series

Nicole did it again. She really brings characters and their worlds to life. As a reader you are so engaged you hate to see it come to an end. Like right now I want her to keep building in this world until I see KY and Zeb together. But anyway readers you will not be disappointed.... Moon
Profile Image for Mary.
915 reviews3 followers
May 1, 2021
Sweet story

Love this series. Victor and Mickey were childhood crushes. They met again about twenty years later at the Bubble in Florida. Mickey played for the Nymphs and Victor was a trainer for another team. This resulted in a grownup romance. Very good story. Loved Navi (still laughing at that fight between her and Niy). Would love a story on Zeb.
1,022 reviews1 follower
August 26, 2021
From childhood to eternity

In grade school they had a crush on each other and twenty years later the attraction was just as strong. Who knew they would run into each other after all that time and just click but of course there are haters. Navi fell for Macailah right from the start just like her daddy. Great story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews

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