samchase112's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I’m always blessed to have another Elena Armas romance in my hands! While I didn’t enjoy this one as much as her last, and certainly not as much as her first, the chemistry between the characters and the slow-burn buildup were still top-notch. There was a lot going on here, and sometimes I think we lost the plot for a bit, but nevertheless I really enjoyed my time spent in Green Oak :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Stalking
Minor: Death of parent
rickireadss's review against another edition
4.0
ahhhh elena did it again. was it my favorite? no i think that it reserved for lucas and rosie, but i still had a great time with this one.
i really just wanted them to both get the f*ck out of their own ways because i just knew they would be fire together. i loved the small town aspect. LOVED the girls on the team so much, especially maria <3 i will say the ending??? through me for a curve, i did NOT see that coming
it was slow burn but boyyyyy was it hot
ALSO, i am very excited for the next book between josie and matthew - like i have a really good feeling about it because of their little interaction there at the end ;)
⚠️: panic attacks/disorders, emotional abuse, toxic relationship (FMC & father), gaslighting, misogyny, injury/injury detail, stalking, death of parent, violence, house break-in, car accident
i really just wanted them to both get the f*ck out of their own ways because i just knew they would be fire together. i loved the small town aspect. LOVED the girls on the team so much, especially maria <3 i will say the ending??? through me for a curve, i did NOT see that coming
Spoiler
the fact that adalyn and josie were still trying to talk to the a**hole they call a dad in the epilogue made me mad -like f*ck that dude but whateverit was slow burn but boyyyyy was it hot
Spoiler
i was taken out of the moment though when the whole discussion around protection came up and she was like "i'm clean" - like can we PLEASE change this wording in romance novels??? every time it happens, i'm instantly taken out of the scene. you can easily say "i'm negative" or "all my tests came back fine" - it''s just my hate for the stigmization of STDs/STIs, mini rant overALSO, i am very excited for the next book between josie and matthew - like i have a really good feeling about it because of their little interaction there at the end ;)
⚠️: panic attacks/disorders, emotional abuse, toxic relationship (FMC & father), gaslighting, misogyny, injury/injury detail, stalking, death of parent, violence, house break-in, car accident
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Misogyny and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent, Stalking, Violence, and Car accident
purplepenning's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Strong Roy Kent / brunch daddy vibes, but alas — the story as a whole didn't work for me. I'm not sure how a book with a growly retired soccer player coaching a quirky small town U10 girls team while dealing with a menagerie of mischievous farm animals managed to both bore and annoy me, but it did. I couldn't connect with the boss babe main character, thought the story was slow-going until the last quarter, yet still felt the characters were under-developed.
I think I'll just have to accept that this author isn't for me. A previous title was a DNF and this one was one goat and a spunky 8-year-old away from the same fate.
I think I'll just have to accept that this author isn't for me. A previous title was a DNF and this one was one goat and a spunky 8-year-old away from the same fate.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, and Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent, Violence, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Abandonment
thewritebooks's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I'm truly heartbroken that this one just didn't do it for me :(
I loved The Spanish Love Deception no matter what anyone says, but in this one the cringe was more than I could stand. This is set in America (as you'd expect) but Cam was English...as was made abundantly clear through the overuse of "love", "darling" etc, not to mention his overhyped green eyes. Was I actually reading a Harry Styles football fanfic? Hard to tell. Also, maybe Elena Armas knows some particularly eloquent 9 year olds but I was not convinced by the powerful monologue our adorable 9 year old gives in support of Cam following his heart :/
As a quick read, it was easy to get through - there were no heavy, convoluted plot lines, and the third act conflict was brief and not painful (which wins quite a few points in its favour). But really, this was not my cup of tea (from an actual English girl).
I loved The Spanish Love Deception no matter what anyone says, but in this one the cringe was more than I could stand. This is set in America (as you'd expect) but Cam was English...as was made abundantly clear through the overuse of "love", "darling" etc, not to mention his overhyped green eyes. Was I actually reading a Harry Styles football fanfic? Hard to tell. Also, maybe Elena Armas knows some particularly eloquent 9 year olds but I was not convinced by the powerful monologue our adorable 9 year old gives in support of Cam following his heart :/
As a quick read, it was easy to get through - there were no heavy, convoluted plot lines, and the third act conflict was brief and not painful (which wins quite a few points in its favour). But really, this was not my cup of tea (from an actual English girl).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Death of parent
britwalsh16's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I’ve loved Elena’s other books, & this one was no different. I have a new view & love of soccer from this book. Carmen is so perfect! From Darling to Love, I was hanging on every word he said! Where can I find a man like him? And I feel for Adalyn so much! Her dad is a piece of work, all she ever wanted was his love & he made it conditional, only ever caring about himself, she doesn’t deserve that! I’m so glad she found a man like Carmen! She deserves happiness!
Spoiler
and once he finally admitted his feelings for Ada, he never wavered & stood by her side no matter what!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, and Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic relationship
Minor: Death of parent and Violence
beckyyreadss's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I loved the American Roommate Experiment and I've been waiting for Elena’s next work, so when this was announced I was jumping at the bit for it to be released and this book was slightly hit and miss for me.
This book has two points of view, the first is Adalyn Reyes and she has spent years perfecting her daily routine: wake up at dawn, drive to the Miami Flames FC offices, try her hardest to leave a mark, go home and repeat. So when her routine is disrupted after a video of her in an altercation with the team’s mascot goes viral. Rather than fire hr, the team’s owner – who happens to be her father – sends Adalyn to middle-of-nowhere North Carolina, where she’s tasked with turning around the struggling local soccer team, the Green Warriors, as a way to redeem herself. Her plans start to crumble before she gets started as she discovers that the players wear tutus to practice, keep pet goats, and are terrified on Adalyn and are nine-year-old kids. The second point of view is Cameron Caldani, a goalkeeping prodigy whose presence in North Carolina is somewhat of a mystery. He is currently hiding away after his sudden retirement. Cameron is the perfect candidate to help Adalyn, but after one very unfortunate first encounter involving a rooster, Cam’s leg and Adalyn’s bumper, he is set on getting rid of her as soon as possible. But banishment is not an option for Adalyn. Not again. Helping this ragtag children’s team is her road to redemption, and she is playing the long game. With or without Cam’s help.
It hurt me to say that this book dragged. I thought I would love it because it’s involving football and it’s a sexy British goalkeeper. This was supposed to be the book I enjoyed – it's British humour, broody dark man and I was just wanting more. Adalyn was all over the place – now I love messed up characters and usually relate to them often. But she was described as a mean Ice Queen but was then instantly crying the second that something nice happened to her or someone insulted her.
One of my favourite things about this book is Josie. She was so funny and just such a small-town person where she’s in everyone’s business, but she only wants the best for everyone. I loved the girls football team in this. I am glad it was a girl’s football team and not a male football team where they are all pining over Adalyn. I love the tension in this book and Elena always manages to write the men that everyone is wanting, but I felt that the plot was just all over the place and that both of the MCs have personality disorder – both of their moods were giving me whiplash.
I really hope the second book is to do with Josie. I love her and I want more of her and this town.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Cursing, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, and Misogyny
Minor: Infidelity, Death of parent, and Stalking
vicixyz's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Sexual content, Cursing, and Panic attacks/disorders
kendra_taylors_version's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, Gaslighting, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Stalking
Minor: Death of parent
savvyrosereads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Out today! [Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy for review!]
Adalyn is a soccer executive facing scandal when she’s sent to rural Green Oak, North Carolina to manage a children’s soccer team—alongside retired goalkeeper Cameron Caldani.
Cameron Caldani is the perfect man. That’s it, that’s the review.
No but seriously—I LOVED this book. The vibes (Ted Lasso meets Schitt’s Creek) are impeccable, the characters are amazing, and the small touches (the goats! The cats!) add a layer of depth that just makes you want to sink into this novel and live there forever. The ending was also perfection (even though I didn’t want it to ever end) and I adore the way the third act conflict was handled—which is one of the biggest compliments I can give a romance novel, honestly.
Elena Armas is one of my favorite authors, and she’s proven why all over again with The Long Game.
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: sports romance, small town romance, grumpy hot cat dads with British accents
CW: Panic attacks/mental health; mentions of death of parent
Adalyn is a soccer executive facing scandal when she’s sent to rural Green Oak, North Carolina to manage a children’s soccer team—alongside retired goalkeeper Cameron Caldani.
Cameron Caldani is the perfect man. That’s it, that’s the review.
No but seriously—I LOVED this book. The vibes (Ted Lasso meets Schitt’s Creek) are impeccable, the characters are amazing, and the small touches (the goats! The cats!) add a layer of depth that just makes you want to sink into this novel and live there forever. The ending was also perfection (even though I didn’t want it to ever end) and I adore the way the third act conflict was handled—which is one of the biggest compliments I can give a romance novel, honestly.
Elena Armas is one of my favorite authors, and she’s proven why all over again with The Long Game.
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: sports romance, small town romance, grumpy hot cat dads with British accents
CW: Panic attacks/mental health; mentions of death of parent
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Death of parent and Stalking
emmas_bookshelf's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The tension between Adalyn and Cam was absolutely off the charts and the story was also amazingly funny and heartwarming in some parts. I loved the community building in the small town setting, the cats and baby goats, and really just everything about the book! 10/10 would recommend!!!
Content Warnings
Minor: Stalking and Death of parent