Thank you to Atria Books for the advanced reader copy and to Simon Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

The Long Game introduces a new world from Elena Armas. After an embarrassing viral video at work, Adalyn's boss (who is also her father) exiles her to a small town to work with a soccer team there. And she literally runs into grumpy ex-soccer star, Cameron.

I enjoyed seeing the love of soccer. And there were so many amazing animals from goats to chickens to cats and more. The small town was a great place with so many characters.

I most appreciated the romance. It had strong enemies-to-lovers vibes with a tough start between Adalyn and Cam. Both had such deep backstories, and Cam made a great grump hero. Theirs was. Slow burn that kept me interested.

There were parts of the family drama that felt a bit unnecessary and insufficiently resolved. But my hope is they will prove a strong start to book 2.

My only life goal is to have a grumpy British soccer player whisper "good girl" into my ear during sex. Is that too much to ask? I mean, my husband might take exception, but this dream won't die.

I'm the only reader on earth who didn't love this author's debut book, The Spanish Love Deception, so I was hesitant to read THE LONG GAME, but it was so damn good! The hate-banter between Cameron and Adalyn is wicked-hot. I loved these two characters and their slow burn chemistry. I thought my kindle might overheat by the time these two finally boned. The near-misses were everything. I was beginning to wonder at 50% if this book would have any steam at all, but just WAIT FOR IT.

THE LONG GAME had a very Ted Lasso feel, with a ragtag girls soccer team and a grumpy growly coach. Adalyn was a heroine with something to prove and I loved the many times she took responsibility for her own actions in this book and worked her ass off in a really sucky situation. And Cameron will absolutely melt your heart (and your panties). Once he starts to realize who Ada is deep down he turns into the mushiest, best hero.

This book had a feminist feel (in the very best way). Cameron wasn't trying to fight ada's battles for her, he was trying to support her as she fought her own battles. I adored this aspect of THE LONG GAME. More of this in romance novels, please!

I almost took off a star for the truly ridiculous and completely unrealistic motivational speech that a 10yo girl gives towards the end of the book. This kid, who makes jokes about butts throughout the book, is suddenly a deeply philosophical spirit guide. It was so out of place and so cheesy I just couldn't. But THE LONG GAME is such a fantastic read otherwise I'm just going to pretend that scene never happened.

You MUST read this book! You can thank me later when you love it too.

Adalyn Reyes is very comfortable in her predictable yet orderly life, which is why it’s such a shock to everyone when she loses her cool and attacks the mascot of her father’s soccer team, the Miami Flames, for whom she also works. Unfortunately, the video of her mascot attack goes viral, and Adalyn is given an assignment in North Carolina to atone for the PR nightmare and to get her out of the spotlight until things calm down. When Adalyn arrives in the middle of nowhere (aka Green Oaks, NC), she learns that the team she is supposed to help turn around is a u10 (under age 10) soccer team whose coach is Cameron Caldani, a retired Major League Soccer goalkeeper who doesn’t want anyone to know who he is. Sparks fly and tensions are high between buttoned-up Adalyn and grumpy-on-the-outside Cam, but things shift when they start letting their guards down and being real with each other. Adalyn’s resilience is tested more than once, but she is determined to play the long game and succeed in North Carolina so that she can make her father proud and get back to her real life.

This is the epitome of an enemies to lovers slow-burn. I adored both main characters, but Cameron had to be based off the one and only Roy Kent from Ted Lasso, and I was 100% there for it. The secondary characters—especially 9-year old Maria and her many clever nicknames for Cam, the blind socially anxious goat Brandy, as well as Josie and her myriad of festival activities—seem to have stepped right out of the set of Stars Hollow in The Gilmore Girls and onto the pages of The Long Game. My only criticism of The Long Game is that sometimes chapters ended abruptly, leaving readers to imagine how certain scenes ended, but overall this is my favorite Elena Armas novel yet.

Recommended for adults. Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A decent time was had. I liked the banter and the shenanigans that ensued as soon as the main characters, Adalyn and Cam, met for the first time. It was in a way that sparked my intrigue. The story definitely could've been tighter. I was scratching my head here and there but it wasn't bad. The best parts in my opinion were the interactions with the kids, especially Maria in the first half.

I haven't seen Ted Lasso yet so I can't compare it with the book but I did get the vibes of two movies I grew up watching, The Mighty Ducks and The Big Green. A grumpy person who has no choice but to be in charge of a unsuccessful sports team (The Mighty Ducks) and a small town soccer team of funny kids led by a duo who fall in love (The Big Green).

I was honestly leaning more towards a four star but certain plot points felt unfinished. The last 10-15% was so rushed and random. The team was kind of tossed to the side in the second half. Plus, there’s a particular moment in there that a lot of stories use that I don’t really care for at all.

Cam was fine and actually communicated for the most part but I definitely could’ve lived without some of the savior complex. Adalyn is a prime example of someone that's smart in their career but has what I call '2+2=5 behavior and decision-making skills' in their personal lives. Some of the things she would do didn't make any sense or felt overdone. Like when someone tells a joke and then keeps repeating it to make sure you heard it. Speaking of repetition, I was tired of her mentioning his crooked middle finger and the signet ring on his pinky. Also, I definitely could've lived without him saying 'darling' almost sixty times. He's British, I get it. Enough.

If you're into books that are slow burn then I think this will be more for you then me. When any form of intimacy doesn't happen until almost the end, I just don't care about it by that point. In this case, it kind of felt out of nowhere when it finally occurred. It could've been left out entirely and got the same overall result of the story.


Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing a copy for an honest review.

I have read all of Elena Armas' books and was so looking forward to this next installment.

I love sports romance and grumpy mc so I was very excited to read this book. The story follows Adalyn and Cameron who both end up in a small town in NC running away from their various problems. This story contains a lot of forced proximity, cozy small town vibes and a quirky cast of supporting characters (and animals!).

I enjoyed this story, though at times it felt a little long. I do typically enjoy a slow burn, but this book seemed especially long. The last quarter of this book was what I was hoping for the first 75% of the story!

If you are looking for a cute, small town, cozy, fall read I would recommend this book!

Polished, structured Adalyn Reyes finds herself banished to small-town North Carolina after a video of her attacking her professional soccer team’s mascot goes viral. She thinks she’s in town to drum up good PR for her organization by assisting a female soccer team, and, well, she is. The team just isn’t what she’s expecting.

Cameron Caldani, retired pro goalkeeper, is hiding out in the same small town, and he has been roped into assisting with that team.

After a meet-disaster, can the two work (and live) side-by-side? Will the prickliness and antagonism of the enemies vibes between them turn into something more?

This one serves up steamy goat yoga, some sensual pottery sculpting, a matchmaking mayor, “I don’t understand why I’m attracted to you / fascinated by you” vibes, forced proximity, caretaking, a gaggle of entertaining and endearing animals, an elementary-aged soccer team, mental health rep, tattoos, terms of endearment, and heat.

Strap in for a slow burn. I enjoyed the tension and adore it when he falls first, but for me, this long game felt a little too long. I’m glad that in the end, our two main characters figure out exactly where they belong, but for me, the journey was a weird mix of there’s so much going on (activity-and background-wise) and there really doesn’t feel like there’s much happening. 

That being said, I am glad Adalyn and Cameron found their happily ever after and am excited about reading the next installment in this series, Matthew and Josie’s story, in 2024.

I received an advance copy from Atria Books and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

Cameron is a grumpy retired goalkeeper who lives in a small town in North Carolina. After an embarrassing video of her goes viral, Adalyn's boss (who is also her father) sends her to the same town to help coach a girls soccer team. Between being next door neighbors and coaching together, you better believe there are loads of forced proximity between these two.

There were so many scenes between Cameron and Adalyn where the chemistry was on fire! It's always one of my favorite things about this author's writing - feeling the sparks between the main couple. As the book progressed, Cameron became so swoony let me tell you. Not only with his protective actions, but with his words. He made Adalyn feel cherished, safe and protected. She needed someone in her life like him after how terrible she had been treated back home in Miami.

At times I had trouble connecting with the book. One of the plot points in particular was a bit odd. It also took me some time to warm up to Adalyn. Once she softened up, I enjoyed the book a lot more.

3.5 stars

2.5 Stars
It was really hard for me to get into this, neither of the characters were appealing from the beginning to me, they both came off arrogant and their conflict would've been resolved right at the beginning if either of them were able to take accountability for their actions... The side characters weren't enough to redeem this story for me either and though all the elements are there for it to be a fun romance read, it just fell a bit flat for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

The CUTEST read. May be my favorite from this author.

Cam and Adalyn meet in the small town of Green Oaks, North Carolina. Cam is running away from other problems, Adalyn is banished on assignment by her father. Slowly, they fall in love.

This book has some of my favorite tropes: grumpy x grumpy, small town, overprotective MMC, he falls first, etc. I loved the way Cam focused on helping Adalyn feel safe and how he loved her for her rough edges, not in spite of them.

This book comes out TOMORROW - THANK YOU @netgalley and @atria for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. I can’t wait to read Matthew and Josie’s story!

This was really cute!

I’m a big big fan of soccer so this soccer romance just hit in all the right places

Things to look forward to:
-a grumpy retired soccer player coaching a girls little league team
-cozy small town vibes
-fall festivals
-a cat daddy
-a blind goat with anxiety
-the cutest outspoken little girls

I loved the banter and all of the supporting characters! I did think the book was a little long but other than that it was a great sports romance and it’s perfect for a fall read!

Pub date: 9/5

This eARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

A fun and swoony sports romance from Elena Armas. Great banter, good chemistry, and two very likable protagonists. Some casual ableism thrown around to consider, but otherwise non problematic. I think previous fans will love this new addition to their Armas collection, and it’s sure to garner up some new fans who want to give her a try for the first time. Nice nod to international characters.

i was really hoping this book was going to change how i feel about elena armas books. unfortunately, i was wrong.

my biggest problem with her books is that she constantly writes about overly confident, female main characters who try to come off as “independent”, but are just downright annoying. adalyn was no exception - she was rude, boring, and unlikeable.

cameron was no better. mans needed some glasses because he was interested in said woman who was clearly disrespecting him left and right. send help.

overall this story was pretty flat. i didn’t believe in their chemistry, there were too many “huh” moments that were thrown in there to build plot. it was just way too chaotic (and not in a good way).

This book made me SO happy! This was such a slow burn. I was rooting for Cam and Adalyn the whole book. The small town aspects were amazing. The girls on the soccer teams, the farm, the goats, the rooster, the fall festivities. It gave me a Stars Hollow with a farm vibe. The nicknames that Maria gave Cameron cracked me up! This book was such a great read..

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

If slow burn is your trope then this is the one for you. The main characters have so much chemistry throughout the book, and it will have you kicking your feet when they finally get together. Cameron Caldani and his green eyes is literal goals. This book has become my new favorite of Elena’s and it’s a must read for any contemporary romance readers who enjoy a slow burn, sports romance, or small down vibe.
I’m already looking forward to the next installment!

The Long Game is the start of a new series by Elena Armas, and I absolutely adored it! I was because I DNFed The American Roommate Experiment last year, but The Long Game was a delightful read that I won’t forget about anytime soon.

Reading vibes:
-if Ted Lasso & It Happened One Summer had a book baby, it would be this book!

-Grumpy retired soccer hero (think Roy Kent in Ted Lasso!) and a soccer club manager heroine, who falls from grace and is sent to small town Green Oak, NC when she is involved in a team controversy

-the romance develops very, very slowly so if you’re not into that, I’d skip this one. However, the tension is off the charts. There were so many times I wanted Cameron and Adalyn to just kiss already!

-the side characters were all wonderful. I loved Josie (who is getting her own book!) and Maria, the spunky little girl on the Green Oaks soccer team!

-so many cute animals in this one! We have some ornery goats, some sweet cats, and a wild chicken who almost gets into trouble at the beginning of the story

-the 3rd act conflict was different than most. It was more introspective, and not based on an asshole move by the hero, which was refreshing. Both Cameron and Adalyn had things to work through, and seeing the focus on mental health and therapy was really refreshing.

-the steam was well worth the wait 🔥 lots of dirty talk (“good girl”) and some really sweet, intimate moments between Cameron and Adalyn were some of my favorite parts.

Bottom line? I loved Cameron and Adalyn and can’t wait to hopefully see them again in Josie and Matthew’s book which is coming next!

3.75 ⭐️
This book was a tough one for me to rate. I am a huge Spanish Love Deception fan and I think my expectations were to have the same feeling about The Long Game that I do for TSLD. What I’ve come to realize is that Elena Armas loves her heroes. She writes heroes that women will love and that appeal to every fantasy. Cameron Caldani is no exception and he is the epitome of grumpy, hot, ex-futbol(soccer) star, who wants to do nothing more than take care of his woman. I thoroughly enjoyed Cameron for this very fact, knowing this about him, but it was a stretch to imagine that he would wait for thirty seven chapters (!!!!) to fully act on his desires for Adalyn.
And I guess that’s why it’s called The Long Game—Cameron is willing to prove to her that she is worthy of receiving care and attention and love even if it takes a long time to do it or for her to believe it. This is the slowest of slow burns and while I really do love the tension typically built up from a slow burn, it frustrated me to come to the end of multiple chapters where the MCs are ultra flirty and touchy and dropping hints as to how they feel and then turning the page just to see that the timeline jumps to the next day or a week out. It just felt like that tension was lost and I couldn’t believe that they wouldn’t have acted on it sooner than they did. There is, however, one very memorable scene in a she-shed office of sorts and Armas is at her best when writing a sex scene, so I think I was disappointed to see that it was past the 85% mark before we get her in her prime. Once Adalyn and Cam act on their mutual pining, the chemistry was spot on and the sexual energy was everything I love from Armas’s writing. There’s a nice little plot twist at the end that I didn’t see coming and I’m curious to see how Matt and Josie’s story plays out. Ultimately what happened in the last 20% of the book is what I wished I got more of in the beginning—can’t live without you attraction, I’ll do anything for you devotion, and karma seeking its revenge. Tell me Armas’s next book starts out the way this one ended, and I’ll be back for more.
I received this book as an advanced copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I thought this book was super cute and would definitely recommend it for students to get for their parents if they were into a romance genre. It really enjoyed reading it and read it all in one morning.

I LOVED this. The slow burn burned so good. Everything about this was top tier for me and I loved every second reading this. Elena Armas is an autobuy for me.

So fun! This is not a life-changing book by any means, but just a carefree, easy read. The pacing felt spot-on.

The Long Game by Elena Armas was a delightful story. I feel so honored to have the opportunity to read and review it before its release!
This was really cute and fun! I loved the chemistry between Cam and Adalyn and thought they worked well together.
TLG has well-developed, likable characters and is one of my favorite romance books I’ve read this year. I look forward to reading other books written by the author.
The perfect summer romance read!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Atria Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!