I thought this was a good book. It had a cute small town feel and follows the enemies to lovers trope well. Elena Armas is great at that trope. I really enjoyed the twist at the end and did not see it coming.

Adalyn gets shipped off by her dad for an incident involving a mascot that puts the company to shame. I will say that I found it a bit unbelievable about all the controversy and publicity that followed her attacking a mascot. While she’s at this small town helping this child’s soccer team, which is extremely competitive for a group of 9 year olds who suck at soccer, she meets Sawyer. He’s a retired goal keeper and just wanting anonymity. They bicker and do not get along until after Adalyn sprains her ankle.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review! I was slightly excited for this book given how much I loved The American Roommate Experiment, however I was fully prepared for it to not be right up my alley since I’m not a soccer fan. But since Armas strayed farther from sports romance and closer to small town themes I found that the premise of the book wasn’t what I disliked. I loved the setting of the story; small town, enthusiastic side characters, and lightheartedness surrounding the community’s little league soccer team; but when it came to Adalyn and Cameron there was a sense of emptiness in my opinion. I also struggled to pick up on when things seemed to click between them romantically. We see them go from ‘enemies’ to friends to lovers, but it felt choppy and wasn’t executed as well as I think it could have been. Especially given that the story is dual-pov, I expected to not be left questioning the intentions of the main characters toward each other and how they really felt when we’re inside both of their heads. Also I have to mention, as it very quickly left a bad taste in my mouth, that the attitude Armas creates for Cameron in the beginning of the story as he’s grumpy and mean to Adalyn is distasteful and misogynistic and it made it difficult to continue in my opinion. Lastly, there are many times in which Cameron falls into the male savior archetype although Adalyn is portrayed as a strong independent character, which contributes to the amateur feel of this story as a whole.

This book was SO much fun to read. I was supposed to be picturing Roy Kent as Cameron the whole time, right???

The Long Game felt really long. It took forever for me to get invested and after that it felt like things moved at a snail's pace. I liked the premise and loved the soccer setting, but this book just didn't blow me away like I hoped it would.

Adalyn Reyes has long dreamed of running the professional soccer team that her dad owns, but when an unfortunate video of her assaulting the club mascot goes viral, she gets shipped off to North Carolina to manage a girls' little league team instead. There she meets soccer great Cameron Caldani and they get off on the wrong foot. Can they figure out a way to work together and perhaps even bring out the best in each other?

There was a lot to like about this book. I loved Adalyn's journey to discovering her self worth. I loved how Cam valued and protected her, while also letting her stand up for herself. I loved the soccer setting especially because it's not the typical sports romance. Cam also sounded super hot. Unfortunately there were also quite a few things that didn't quite work for me. The slow burn is too slow. This is coming from someone who loves a slow burn. I was tired of reading about goats and small town life, and ready for Cam and Adalyn to have a little more chemistry. Since there was a big reveal about a particular character at the end, I felt like she was way under utilized in this book. There were also too many other story lines in this book. Her dad drama and the soccer club he owns, the ex-boyfriend, the PTA mom and her meddling, the chicken, the energy drink, the soccer tournament, etc... it was just too much and I ended up not caring enough about anything. There were also some pacing and time jump issues. Cam says something monumental at the end of the chapter and the next chapter starts "One week later...". I just feel like this book could have used another round of strong edits.

This book was fine, but it's not my favorite Elena Armas book, and I was really hoping it would be. Obviously we should be getting Matthew and Josie's book next. I will probably give it a shot and hope for the best.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the e-book in exchange for my honest review!

The Long Game had a promising beginning but I found myself just flipping the pages to finish at the 30 percent mark. I LOVED the Ted Lasso vibes that were being put off throughout, who wouldn't want to root for a young girls soccer team?! While I semi believed in the relationship between Adalyn and Cameron, I also lost interest in it at the 66 percent mark when there was too much tension, not enough action. As a reader, I felt scenes were unfinished at parts and wasn't interested in the "end game." Readers of Elena Armas's other reads or those who enjoy Marina Zapata may enjoy The Long Game however; this wasn't the one for me.

Adalyn Reyes has her whole routine down, grinding at Miami Flames FC to make her mark. But when a video of her clashing with the team's mascot goes viral, her dad (who also owns the team) doesn't fire her. Nope, he ships her off to the middle of nowhere in North Carolina! Her mission? To save the struggling Green Warriors soccer team and prove herself.

But damn, the Green Warriors are not what she expected. Tutus at practice? Pet goats? Yeah, not exactly the pros she's used to. And to make things worse, there's this soccer prodigy named Cameron Caldani giving her major side-eye. First meeting? Rooster, Cam's leg, and Adalyn's bumper. But Adalyn's not backing down. Redemption is her game, and she's got a plan - with or without Cam's help.

This is an absolute gem of a book that captivated me from start to finish. The characters were so well-developed and I found myself loving each and every one of them, especially Adalyn, her mom, and Cameron. The slowburn romance and chemistry between Adalyn and Cameron had me swooning and giggling throughout the entire story. This book is a standout in the author's collection, with a fiery love story set in a charming small town that felt incredibly genuine and heartwarming. Adalyn's journey from a major embarrassment to finding love and redemption in the unexpected town of Green Oak Warriors Young Club was beautifully written. The fiery banter and hate-at-first-sight relationship between Adalyn and Cameron added a layer of tension and excitement to the story. Both characters carried their own demons and insecurities, making them incredibly relatable and endearing.

The supporting characters in the book were equally delightful, with memorable personalities like Brandy, the blind and socially anxious goat, Sebastian Stan, the rooster with nine lives, and the possessive cats, Willow and Pierogi. Little Maria was an absolute cutie with her brilliant mind and hilarious nicknames for Cameron.

Elena Armas's writing style is captivating and enchanting, transporting readers to the charming town of Green Oak and making us fall in love with its residents. I couldn't put this book down and was left yearning for more. I can't wait to read future works by this talented author. Overall, "The Long Game" is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a captivating and heartwarming romance with well-crafted characters and a delightful small-town setting. It's a perfect reading experience that will leave you wanting more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with a digital reviewer copy of this amazing book in exchange for my honest opinions. Elena Armas's talent shines through, and I can't wait to see what captivating stories she'll weave next. I am eagerly looking forward to the potential spin-off book featuring Matthew and Josie.

Gosh, I absolutely LOVE the story line in this book. I've been reading romcom's like this heavily for the last two years and I have noticed everything is just sound the same these days. But Elena Armas comes in and gives a storyline I have never heard of and it was so fun!

The characters were the perfect mixture of messed up but lovable, and the side characters were down right adorable. And probably my favorite thing about a romcom is when the man comes in to save the day.

However, my problem with the book is this: it felt clunky. I felt like there were pages worth of build up between each interaction between the main characters. Like the book needed an extra 50-100 pages to bridge the gaps. One minute Cameron was avoiding her at all costs, then the next interaction he was running his hand down her arm and the entire book continued that way until Adalyn gets hurt and they come together the way they do. It was a total 5 star read for me besides the clunkiness.

This is my first Elena Armas book and it was cute! ⚽️

I have been spoiled lately reading some amazing romcoms, so my standards are pretty high when it comes to banter and steam. This book was a slow burn and not as entertaining as I was hoping. Our two MCs were also so mean to each other most of the book that it was hard to root for them. I loved that Cameron, the main guy, was a former goalkeeper and that Adalyn worked for an MLS team. The soccer references were fun!

Some highlights in this book were the adorable girls soccer team and my fav, lovable animal side characters. I have yet to read The Spanish Love Deception and have seen a ton of mixed reviews, but I am going to give it a try next!

The Long Game comes out September 5th. I've seen some amazing reviews for it, so give it a try!
⭐⭐⭐

I enjoyed this book enough, but not as much as her other two. I enjoyed it in the beginning, but as I kept reading I found myself getting distracted easily.

Embarrassed and embattled by a media nightmare, Adalyn Reyes must serve her out her sentence helping with a little league soccer team in Nowheresville, along side coach and neighbor Cameron Caldani. (Did we mention he's very handsome, very fit, very British, and oh yes, she hits him with her car at their very first meeting?) Sparks of hate ensue which very quickly turn to sparks of a different kind! A fun, sexy slow burn perfect for fans of It Happened One summer!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This book was small town and sports romance perfection!!! Hands down my favorite book of Elena Armas!

Adalyn is an exec of a soccer team, and goes viral after an altercation with the Miami Flames mascot. Her father is the owner of the team, and banishes her to a small town in North Carolina, to run a girls youth soccer team. Cameron is a grouchy retired soccer star who lives next door,who just wants to avoid the public. Adalyn needs to redeem herself to her father, so she asks Cameron to help her with coaching the team.

This was a slow burn, but worth it!! I couldn’t put this book down! I loved the character growth. I thought it was very well done! I loved the dual pov. The supporting characters were amazing. I absolutely adore Armas writing style. She keeps things interesting and keeps me fully engaged. This was just an overall great book! Looking forward to the next Elena Armas book!


📘: The Long Game by Elena Armas
🗓️: September 5, 2023

Thank you to NetGalley, Elena Armas, and Atria for this ARC!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

*Reviewed on NetGalley and Goodreads.

I don’t really feel as though this book accomplished what it intended. Cameron was pretty much a knock off of Roy Kent, but Roy Kent was only interesting because the people around him were fun. So with the MC being grumpy and him being grumpy it was hard to be invested. There also didn’t feel like there was any chemistry between the two of them besides the physical attraction. The side characters all blended together and some were pointless. I just think this reallly fell flat for me. It’s marketed as Ted Lasso-ish, but it’s missing all the goofiness and fun that makes that show good.

An Elena Armas book, with soccer stars and slow burn? YES. Elena Armas has created such dynamic characters, I started off this read annoyed by the entitlement and out of touch mentality and grew to love the shift in character the small town exposure led to. We all know Elena can write a grumpy, forlorn man, but Cameron Caldani takes it to the next level.

This story begins when an exec for the MLS Miami Flames FC is banished to nowhere-ville NC because of a blow up moment at a public event. Adalyn’s father, the owner of the team, said he needs time with her away from the office to sort the disaster out.Her task is to manage a little girl’s soccer team to the county championship game, and get some good press for Miami’s outreach projects. When she arrives she finds a decrepit little shed in place of her cabin, and things continue to go downhill. Her now neighbor is an angry man who she despises at first look.
She arrives at the team’s practice only to find her terrible neighbor as the team’s coach and finds herself between a rock and a hard place trying to get back in Miami’s good graces while also having to deal with this man. She soon realizes just who this guy is, Cameron Caldani, retired professional goalkeeper.
Between goat yoga, seasonal coffee drinks and team tracksuits she finds herself warming up to the team, the town and Cameron himself all while learning more about the man that sent her to this place to begin with.

I could not put this book down and savored every moment of Cameron on the pages! Having read Elena Armas’ other novels, this is by far my favorite, and I can’t wait for the spin off stories I am begging Elena to give us!

When Adalyn finds herself the center of a media fiasco involving an incident with her soccer club's mascot, her dad/boss sends her to the middle of nowhere, North Carolina to hide out on assignment while he does damage control for the club's image. But when she arrives in North Carolina and discovers she's become the new manager of a girl's soccer team, led by a recently retired Cameron Caldini, star goalie in the MLS and abroad. If working for the MLS club in Miami has taught her anything, it's that soccer stars have an ego and are nothing but a headache. But gradually Cameron's banter is becoming friendly, and his smile has her lowering her guard. Perhaps temporarily living in a shack in the middle of the mountains isn't so bad -- until she finds out news from Miami that is going to change the course of her life forever.

Let me address the elephant in the room real quick: What is with the ellipses?????? There are so many, and I'm actually a fan of fruitfully done ellipses from time to time. But there are so many in this book that it's literally and seriously distracting. There are also glaring grammatical errors, that I assume will be taken out by publishing time.

Okay, all of that aside, this is such a fun and quirky grumpy-sunshine romance book. The story was original and I loved the subtle soccer references. Cameron was super sexy with his British accent, athletic body, and sly smirk. Mixed with Adalyn's underlying feistiness and the chemistry was super hot and steamy! I loved the dynamic between Cam and Adalyn, the slow burn was frustrating but so well done. Adalyn had a hard exterior to crack and it makes sense that it took that long for Cam to break through it. The ebb and flow of the book is perfect for these two characters as they are both in an uncertain time of their lives, both facing a forked road ahead of them. Adalyn is ultra-protective of Cam and his hidden identity; and Cam stars as the supportive partner that Adalyn needs, allowing her space to dominate the dragons in her story on her own.

We are also introduced to two fun side characters, Josie and Matthew, who I foresee having their own book as perhaps a companion novel to this one. Overall this book was super enjoyable and easy to get into. Adalyn can be offputting with her hard exterior, and other is several little twists that you aren't expecting that make this book exciting to read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for providing this Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for my honest Opinion.

I love a good RomCom, and this one had a lot of sweet parts. Forced proximity is always a fun trope! And a grumpy MMC! Yes please! Unfortunately, I don't feel comfortable reading books with open door romance. Because of this, there were parts I had to skip through. It's not bad, it just wasn't the best fit book for me.

3.5⭐ The Long Game didn't live up to my Spanish Love Deception expectations, but it was still a fun read that hit the spot. While I didn't get Ted Lasso vibes (I almost thought in the first chapter that Matthew would be her grumpy/sunshine interest, although obviously I lovedddd Cameron) it was still a cute topic for the story. I didn't feel invested in the MLS business part of the story and I wish I had gotten more of that. I also wish there hadn't been so many time jumps. Otherwise, still enjoyable, and I am excited for Armas's next book - hopefully Matthew and Josie?!?

With The Long Game, Elena Armas brings us out of the universe of Aaron Blackmore and into the reign of her newest sultry hero, Cameron Caldani. Cameron, once a world famous footballer, is hiding out coaching a U10 girls soccer team in rural North Carolina. His world gets rocked when Adalyn Reyes comes to town, with her seasonally inappropriate footwear and her rough edges. Adalyn is also hiding out, trying to ride out the notoriety that came alongside her lowest moment going viral online.

I adored the chemistry and budding friendship between Cam and Adalyn. But the star of this book is the town of Green Oak and all its characters. From the members of the soccer team, to Josie the town meddler/barista, I loved every scene where the town came together. This one is a super slow burn, and honestly the pacing was a bit of a struggle for me to go from first kiss at 82% to third act conflict at 84%. When characters don’t admit their feelings and have enough time to settle into them before the conflict, I struggle to root for them as much. That said, the grand gesture/grovel in this book is one of the best I’ve read. Cam is just ass over chaps gone for Adalyn and we love to see it.

Content warnings: Adalyn’s father and ex boyfriend are emotionally manipulative and gaslight her on occasion; Cam recounts a traumatic experience involving a home invasion in his past

I voluntarily read an early copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to net galley for this arc.
This book is a cute slow burn romance. If you love a slow burn than this might be your cup of tea. I liked the plot and it contained some really sweet memorable moments. The ending had a small plot twist but it wasn't fundamental to the plot. This was my first book I've read from Elena Armas and I'm interested.

This was a really great summer read! I loved the small town characters, and the side-character development! I did think the relationship became super intense really quickly, which was a little unrealistic for me, but the plot kept me guessing— which I always like. The biggest thing that bugged me was the mystery behind the “angry video” went on too long for me. It was hard for me to feel bad for the main character without knowing why she freaked out in the video. Other than that, I loved it!

I did enjoy this one, but I think it was weaker than her previous novels. I felt like the ending twist, in particular, was rushed? Would have liked to see more of Adalyn working through the various revelations...