This is a story about Australian soccer player Keeley McGee. Keeley loves soccer and her freestyle easy going life. In college at FSU she meets a new team mate, Christine Delacourt. Christine is a very uptight ice queen who is extremely serious about soccer. They have a love/hate relationship from the start. And enjoy a month together before Christine breaks it off and Keeley is devastated. Four years later they meet up in Australia for the World Cup games.

I liked the soccer parts of this book especially taking place during the real WWC in Australia. Keeley was a down to earth nice person. Christine was 100% self centered. I never felt the connection between the two MCs and I would have liked way more background and character development on Christine. Their infatuation was not realistic for me.

Read other reviews, I’m sure others enjoyed the very frosty Christine.

ARC received from NetGalley for an honest and voluntary review.

3.25 ⭐️
What more could you wish for than a book on the subject of the Women's World Cup when this very World Cup is about to begin? Unfortunately, "Onside Play" is not quite convincing in my opinion.

The Australian defender Keeley McGee and the American forward Christine Delacourt have a common past when both played for the same college team and also had a relationship. However, Christine ended it out of the blue from one day to the next.

After a few years, both players have now established themselves in the highest leagues in the USA and Australia, and both have been called up for their respective national teams and are participating in the World Cup in Australia/New Zealand. At the very first reunion, old feelings push back to the surface and the two meet in secret. And exactly this part of the story doesn't really work for me. On the one hand, I felt no chemistry between the two and on the other hand, there was hardly any mention of why Christine left Keeley. I can't imagine that a simple sorry is enough when you have been dumped without a real reason. But maybe that is just my feeling. But I didn't get the impression that two soulmates had found each other again here.

The story is told from Keeley's POV and so we learn a lot more about her and her two best friends Fletch and Viv. I liked Keeley from the beginning, but as mentioned she got involved with Christine again way too quickly in my opinion. Fletch and Viv are the secret stars of the story, wonderful friends that everyone could only wish for. Because of this way of telling the story, we don't get to know much about Christine and her thoughts and feelings, which I find a bit unfortunate in this case, I would have liked to know more about her, then, maybe I would have understood her better. So she seemed a bit superficial to me and I couldn't connect with her.

The best part of the story is everything that revolves around football, I liked that a lot. All the excitement and tension before the games and also the game scenes were exciting and showed that Liz Rain knows the game. And it's kind of exciting to simultaneously watch the first games of the World Cup in real life and imagine the two MCs on the field. The story is fluidly written and entertaining, only the romance fell a little too easy and flat.

However, none of this will stop me from reading Liz Rain's next book.

ARC received from Ylva Publishing through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ok, so I should admit I had never watched a game of soccer until a couple of nights ago when Australia beat Ireland in Sydney. And Onside Play by Liz Rain is the book that made me curious, so dropping this new release at the same time as the FIFA World Cup was a great marketing strategy.

Australian soccer superstar Keeley began her career as a college player in the USA. It was there that she met Christine. It was far from love at first sight, but after being forced to work together, friendship, and then love followed. A few years later, having gone their separate ways, it’s World Cup time and Keeley’s team is about to face off against the USA. As soon as they interact again, sparks fly, and Keeley is left contemplating Christine’s feelings toward her.

The romance between the two MCs is hot and fast, as neither wants to hold back or miss opportunities to be together. As they navigate secret rendezvous while playing the most important matches of their lives, the question of whether they can be more is at the forefront of Keeley’s mind.

I learned a lot about soccer while reading Onside Play, and not once did it bore me. Having the romance weave in and out of the matches, kept the pace fast. It became easy to imagine how these situations could easily transpire in the real world, making the connection with the characters all the better.
Liz Rain has written a fantastic sports/second-chance romance; now is the perfect time to read it!

It’s great timing for a women’s soccer romance just as the World Cup is starting. Keeley is on the Australian National Team and is about to have to play against her ex, Christine, who plays for the Americans. Cue the drama, told through events happening in the present and flashback to the past.

I really wanted to love this book - I enjoyed Liz Rain’s debut, Perks of Office, quite a bit. Keeley was a delightful goof, with great friends in Viv and Fletch. Christine, however, was like a selfish ice queen who just didn’t thaw. It is kind of unclear why Keeley was so hung up on her when Christine was pretty mean and narcissistic throughout the whole thing. I just couldn't root for them as a couple, which made it not work well as romance, even if it was a decent sports book.

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley and Ylva publishing, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

If you love footie then you’ll enjoy this second/third chance romance with the complications of being teammates and rivals and having to navigate or not a romance as well.
Not being a footie fan I enjoyed reading a well written love story with a little angst - will they, won’t they and an Easter egg.
This was an ARC with a honest review

I have to say I really enjoyed this book, so much better than any of the previous football romance books I have read. You got a real sense for the games being played and a real feeling for the emotions playing out from Keely's point of view. The story was a whole, immersing you in the atmosphere surrounding the world cup and showing the comraderie between the teammates but also giving you the highs and lows of the romance as it played out. This the first book I have read by Liz Rain and I have already put her on my to read more list

this was a super cute wlw romance and a super quick read!! i really enjoyed getting to know the characters and the story flew by so quickly that i never got bored of it!!

To start, I am queer and a huge women’s football fan so I was so excited for this book.
This book started off so strong but I feel like from there it just went downhill. I wasn’t really a fan of the two timelines, at least not the way it was set up. Their enemies to lovers to ex’s to lovers again just wasn’t for me. The pacing also felt very off to me.
Additionally I fully agree with other reviewers that a sensitivity reader would’ve been a great addition and kept from the way in which Christine was continually described.

Very sweet!

Keeley and Christine knew each other before they ended up playing soccer in the Australian and US teams at the World Cup. Being back in one another’s lives not only presents a distraction neither of them needs but Keeley is drawn to Christine again in a way that has her daring to hope that they can perhaps get back what they one had back in college.

I loved the contrast between Keeley and Christine’s relationship, then and now, beside the big moments of both their careers. There was a great balance between them reconnecting and the games they were playing to get to the World Cup stages where hopefully one of their teams would win. As Keeley reflected on moments that transpired between them in the past, we got the opportunity to better understanding the dilemma she was facing over Christine now.

They instantly just seemed to click despite some initial hesitance. The story was very personal from Keeley, so it was easy to empathise with her views and thoughts about the situation, but there were hints that provided more insight into Christine’s decisions sometimes. It kept me hooked on whether they were going to be able to figure this out and get to a place where being in a relationship was actually going to work out for them. It wasn’t without personal and professional bumps in the road, but each and every one was a great moment.

As a sports romance this ticked all the boxes for drama, steamy moments, and intense passionate opportunities for Keeley and Christine to really be intimate and consider what they’d be missing if they didn’t sort everything out.

Just finished in time for the start of the women's World Cup. Great story of attack and defeat in soccer and romance.

This book started out pretty good but quickly devolved to the point where I was unable to keep reading.

The writing is unpolished and choppy, The main character Keeley isn’t very likable and the relationship between her and Christine is confusing and lacked chemistry.

I do love a good sports romance but sadly this was a DNF for me.

I received an ARC copy of this ebook from NetGalley and all opinions are my own.

Onside Play by Liz Rain was a novel I was looking forward to reading. I love watching women’s soccer. I can’t play it worth a damn, but I love watching it, especially the national teams. I have to admit that I ended up having mixed feelings about this book though.

First of all, there are some really good things I can say about the story. This is a well-written and edited novel. The subject matter is interesting, and the author obviously knows their soccer. Their descriptions of the game, the plays on the pitch, and the practices are written so well that even those who don’t know the sport can follow along. The idea of two competing players falling in love creates the opportunity for a lot of friction, angst, and of course passion. I also loved that the author made the three top teams in their Women’s World Cup my three favorite national teams.

My problem is with the two main characters and their romance. I actually had trouble liking Keeley McGee and Christine Delacourt. They both seemed too immature and sometimes even selfish, which turned me right off. I had trouble seeing a romantic connection between them. Desire, yes…lust, definitely, but not love. It was difficult to believe in a Happy-For-Now ending for these two, much less a Happily-Ever-After.
I can recommend this book to those who enjoy stories set around women’s soccer. I don’t think I can recommend it to those who are just looking for a romantic tale. I’m giving this novel a 3.5 star rating.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and Ylva Publishing for an honest review.

Onside play is an opposites attract, second chance romance about two women who play for opposite teams on the field but the same team off it.

Keeley McGee has dreams to play in the women’s World Cup. After spending a semester in college playing with Christine Delacourt she now has to play against her in the biggest games of their careers. But it’s not just history on the pitch they share. Keeley and Christine had a brief but passionate college relationship off the pitch too, a relationship that still keeps Keeley up at night. So what will happen when these women meet once again? Can Keeley look past their history of hurt and attraction and keep her head in the game or is the pull Christine has on her too strong to resist?

I adore this book. I couldn’t put it down. The writing is witty and funny but also sweet and tender and full of all those wonderful delicious feels.

The story is told from Keeley’s point of view and flips between her college years and now- the 2023 women’s World Cup. It’s not flash backs, it’s just that some chapters are written as things happened in 2019 and others in 2023.
I had so much fun getting to know this goofy, fun women. She has a huge heart, is loyal and hard working. It was fascinating getting to see the changes in her between 2019 and 23.
Although this book is full of longing it is low on anguish and filled with beautiful friendships that left me longing to be part of the characters world.
Keeley is a wonderful character she has that cheeky charisma which warms you to her instantly. She’s interesting, and funny, and I fell in love with her.
Christine is a tough nut to crack at the start, she’s aloof and slightly icy but as the story unfolds and I got to know her through Keeley, I was smitten. She’s strong and super focused but has this adorable soft side that will melt you.
As I read how their past and present relationship panned out I loved getting to know how they were compared to how they are now. It’s funny because in terms of a romance book the main characters actually don’t spend a lot of time physically together yet this book is full of swoon worthy romance that had me smiling and sighing throughout, it’s amazing how much can be felt and said during a phone call. That being said when these two ladies are together be prepared for fireworks people because it is HOTT hot.
This book is a romance between two amazing characters that you will fall in love with, but it’s also a love story about the game of women’s football/soccer. This author knows her stuff about what happens before and during a match. I was there on the field, I heard the crowd, felt the adrenaline spike and celebrated the victories.
Onside Play has left me with a huge book hangover. I went back and re-read part’s because I’m not ready to let these characters and their world go. It’s superbly written and will leave you longing for more.

This is Liz Rains second book and it is just as fabulous if not better than her first. She writes well rounded characters who stay with me and stories that I want to read again and again.

5 stars plus from me. This is the perfect time to grab this book just in time for the Women’s World Cup- you won’t be disappointed.

(Arc received from NetGallery)

While I’m not a sports enthusiast, I do love Bend It Like Beckham, so I’m thrilled to see several sapphic soccer (aka football) romances coming out in 2023.

This story was really cute with a couple dashes of spice. Keeley was immediately lovable, as were her friends Viv and Fletch. I never truly warmed to Christine though. While I wanted Keeley to be happy, Amber seemed like a much better match for her. I wouldn’t mind reading a spin-off book centering on Amber and perhaps a one night stand of hers who becomes more.

Overall a fun read for anyone who enjoys sporty romances and second chances.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher and am voluntarily leaving this review.

With the 2023 FIFA World Cup on the horizon I looked forward to reading this romance with soccer players.
Main characters Christine Delacourt and Keeley McGee knew each other in college when they were on the same soccer team then coldly parted ways. Now years later Aussie Keeley and American Christine are facing off for the World Cup as part of their national teams. I wanted to care but sadly wasn't hooked by the writing. The back and forth not enough to hold my attention and I found Christine's character robotic. For me, there was no chemistry between the two women with the "romance" appearing forced and the ending abrupt. Oh, the book cover didn't help either. A bright light, the supporting characters of Viv and Fletch were interesting - perhaps a book with the two as M/Cs?
I really enjoyed Rain's debut "Perks of Office" this one not so much. However, I am sure others will enjoy this second chance sports based romance so please read other reviews.

This was a good, easy read. The second soccer related story I’ve read recently and this one was able to get enough sports in plus the rest of the story. I was a little surprised at the need for a third act, but it was ok. I think we could have passed by the second act break.
All in all I would recommend this, just don’t take it all too seriously

3/5
This should had worked, so why didn't it worked?!?!We got sport romance with rivals AND a second chance, so what's the problem?

That they weren't working together.I'm serious no matter the timeline I just can't bring myself to believe they were any kind of soulmates ,I couldn't see a connection or anything between them that was worth exploring.

I liked Keeley's character individually, she's likeable,which can't be said the same about Christine.

The reason for they "enemies-lovers " was stupid,their interactions were awkward, either that or cringe.

Most of this book I was like "this can't get worse?" And then "oh fuck why did it got worse?"

It wasn't obviously for me,but I did see potential for the author, I might have to check another book.

*ARC recieved from the publisher (Ylva Publishing) through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. *

Thank you NetGalley and Ylva Publishing for the ARC of Onside Play!

Keely McGee is heading into the 2023 World Cup, playing for Australia's national team. Come to find out she will be playing her former college teammate and ex-girlfriend, Christine Delacourt, face-to-face after a messy breakup and zero communication for years.

I had extremely high hopes for this book being such a fan of women's soccer, and the timing of this release is perfect with the women's world cup starting in just a few days. Unfortunately, the characters fell flat and the dialogue was clunky. The MC's did not seem to really.. like each other? I could not find the chemistry they are supposed to have, and while I love a bitchy love interest, Christine just seemed downright mean.

I have yet to read Liz Rain's first novel, Perks of Office, and I still plan to - I've heard nothing but great things. I am slightly disappointed that this was my first foray into Rain's work, but not every book will work for everyone.

ARC received from the publisher (Ylva Publishing) through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a big women's football/soccer fan, and this book seemed like the perfect read for the upcoming world cup. Unfortunately, this just wasn't for me. I didn't really like the love interest and the story was a bit confusing. However, I think it's great that we get more storys about women's sport! Thank you to NetGalley and Ylva Publishing for the ARC.

With the World Cup on my very doorstep, this story immediately caught my eye. What better way to kick off the tournament with an Aussie author writing a fictional romance set in the “Tilly’s “own country trying to win the World Cup on home soil an one of them also trying to win the heart back of her American rival.

Rain wisely uses this glorious country (biased West Aussie here) as a back drop to rekindle the romance between défense Aussie player Keely, woman about town and star American forward, the seriously dedicated player Christine. With a complicated past, a action packed present and a future that is solely focused on hoisting the Cup above their head, finding time to nurture their budding relationship is proving difficult and the two have to get inventive.

With a delightful truely Aussie tone, this story with thrill the soccer (football) fans as well as those who enjoy a second chance romance. Thank you NetGalley for an advanced reader copy.