Breakaway Books

Authored by Elena Armas; Published 2023; Romance

⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🏖️🏖️🏖️🏖️🏖️

Have you watched Ted Lasso? Do you love the incredibly grumpy Roy Kent? Have you imagined him as the hero of a romance novel? Don’t worry, Elena Armas has done the work for you in The Long Game.

In The Long Game, Adalyn, the communications executive for a professional soccer team, is sent to rural North Carolina to manage a children’s soccer team affiliated with her league after a public relations debacle. She is dismayed to discover that this team is quirky at best, and at worst, just a mess. Determined to make the best of a bad situation, she teams up with retired soccer player Cameron to improve the team’s luck. Cameron may not be the most welcoming co-conspirator, but sparks fly anyway.

Maybe I do just really love Ted Lasso, but for me, it was impossible to picture Cameron as anyone but Roy Kent. Adalyn can’t help but fall for that gruff charm, and you won’t be able to keep the smile off your face either with all the hijinks that these two get into. But it felt like there was something missing in the novel—like the couple skips straight from meeting to being in love. No getting to know each other, no awkward interactions. It feels a little odd, but if you can put that aside, the story will warm your heart. The way that the little girls on the soccer team start to look up to Adalyn, Adalyn embracing the community in this small town, and de facto mayor Josephine who seems to run just about every business, all add to the charm.

The precise circumstances that get Adalyn (And Cam, now that I mention it) banished to North Carolina feel a little thin, but whoever said romances are realistic? Forget that and enjoy all the romantic dates (Star gazing!) with a soccer star. The novel is chock full of heart-throbbing and/or warming moments.

Enjoy falling in love with Roy Kent. In fact, watch Ted Lasso before reading The Long Game to get the full effect.