Exactly What I Needed
5 out of 5 stars
Every once in a while, a book sneaks up and hugs your heart in all the right places. Those parts you didn’t realize needed holding. Too Forward by Krystina Rivers, brought beautifully to life by narrator Lula Larkin, was that book for me. Equal parts feel-good sports romance and emotional journey of self-worth, this story hit my sweet spot from the very first chapter—and I devoured it like a post-practice snack I didn’t know I was craving.
We follow Jane Gray, a once-promising basketball player who’s been burned by injuries and self-doubt. Her shot at redemption (both on the court and in life) begins with a spontaneous night with a stranger, who just so happens to be Kinzie Lancaster, a brand consultant. You can feel that they will be in each other’s orbit, but you’re not sure how. And when that pay-off happens, their chemistry is undeniable. But what makes this book soar is how it leans into healing, not just from injury, but from years of internalized negativity.
As someone who has worked (and is still working) to quiet that inner critic through therapy, Jane’s journey felt raw and real in the most affirming way. Rivers doesn’t sugarcoat the struggle, but she also reminds us that love—romantic and self-love alike—isn’t just a reward, it’s a right. Watching Jane learn that she’s allowed to want more, to dream again, and to be loved was genuinely moving (I paused the book a few times to allow for some healing tears to fall).
The romance? Swoon-worthy. There’s something so powerful about a love story where one person is working hard to rebuild themselves, and the other stands beside them, not to fix them, but to remind them they were never broken. Jane and Kinzie’s connection was tender, grown-up, and full of moments that made me smile like an absolute goofball.
And can we talk about Lula Larkin’s narration? She nailed it. Her performance brought both characters to life with nuance and warmth—I could practically hear the smirks and heart-thudding moments in her voice. She was the perfect choice for this emotionally layered and joy-filled audiobook. Absolutely nailing the business-first but flirty Kinzie and the WNBA self-doubting Jane.
If you’re into (queer) sports romances with heart, healing, and heaps of chemistry, Too Forward is more than worth the listen.
Book Description:
What happens when falling in love means loving parts of ourselves that we do not believe are worthy?
Jane Gray arrives in Chicago with a lot to prove and low expectations for success after her former collegiate coach persuades her to sign a WNBA training camp contract. She doesn’t usually throw caution to the wind, but that’s exactly what happens her first night in town, and she lands in bed with a beautiful stranger.
Jane is shocked to discover she slept with Kinzie Lancaster, brand consultant for Jane’s new team—the Chicago Pitbulls. And she’s even more stunned when her career begins to heat up after an ACL injury stalled her bright future and years of bouncing around the league destroyed her confidence. When passion and pleasure turn to promises of forever, the love and success she has always dreamed of is suddenly within reach and she must put everything on the line to discover she deserves love.
Too Forward by Krystina RiversNarrator: Lula Larkin
Length: 9 hrs and 15 mins
Published by Bold Strokes Books on March 20th 2025
Genres: Sports Romance
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