This didn’t work for me, unfortunately.

I love sports romance and I’ve been looking for romances specifically about football for so long; this seemed perfect!

We follow Lily as she, her dad and her sister set up a new football club in their town as their local team is moving to a ground elsewhere. Our love interest Ben ends up being a coach for this new team, so I thought the forced proximity, kind of forbidden romance would work for me.

The main issue I had was Ben not being introduced early enough, his name is mentioned occasionally, but we don’t meet him until far too late in the novel. For me, I need there to have been some kind of interaction between the characters within the first 10% to give me something to go on. The fact it was almost 20% through the book when we meet Ben left me slightly bored and I considered putting this book down.

The writing was fine, but I felt some of the dialogue to be unnatural. A big pet peeve of mine is reading dialogue that people in real life just wouldn’t say out loud, I find it really off-putting and awkward.

Overall, this didn’t work for me as a romance. I think if I’d gone into this expecting a cute contemporary story, I’d have perhaps enjoyed it more, but it unfortunately ended up being a bit lacklustre, in my opinion.

Great romance book by a great author. Loved the story and plot line. The cover is beautiful and will definitely read from this author again

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Cutesy rom-com, also nice to have a sports romance that isn’t centered around ice hockey!! Ben and Lily have such chemistry and I loved the found family aspect of the team 🤍

I thought this was really cute! I loved the family dynamics and seeing a community come together to rally behind the team, I know nothing about football but found I got really into how they started a new team and got it going. Ben and Lily were really cute and I enjoyed their chemistry, I just didn't enjoy the third act breakup but that's nothing new, it's my least favorite trope!

This is the first book I’ve read by this author

A light hearted easy read with a sports theme which is a little different from other books like this I’ve read

Enjoyable and fun

A story filled with laughter, love and a great family bond.
The characters were very likeable and relatable.
I enjoy a good sports romance and this one has solidified that fact for me.
The main characters were very sweet.
A great romance.

A fun sports romance. Filed with drama and fast-paced! If you like romcoms and sports themed then this is fun!

I really liked this book at first, but unfortunately I had to DNF it about halfway through. The plot went 0 to 100 too quickly too much, and I felt that there wasn't enough conflict/dynamics in the storyline to keep me engaged. I was very unconnected and just felt I couldn't continue reading. Thank you so much for the eARC!

The beginning was so promising for this book but it ended up very lackluster.

Strangely the most promising part of this story was the goal and buildup of creating a new FC football club. While VERY not realistic, it was a fun hallmark-ish work itself out plot.

Our MMC was very distant in my opinion, due to the narrator/writing style of the story. We were so completely in Lily’s head, being told things and never shown that it really kept the romance at arm’s length. There was a disconnect and in a book that is marketed as romance that isn’t a good thing. This was more football storyline than romance.

It was an easy read and I can see a few people enjoying this but I was not one.

Could not get into this book. Hated the main male character and couldn’t not root for them to be together which in turn make me dislike lily as well. In the end, had to force myself to finish it.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

For Lily and her family, the news that their local football team's home ground is being moved 50 miles away, with no thought given to the fans, they decide to form their own team. It's not going to be easy, but somehow Crawford United is born, and Lily is ready to use her marketing skills to make the team the best it can be. However, when notorious professional player Ben Pryce turns up at practice, and wants to help the team, Lily is torn between letting him, and wanting him as far away from the team as possible. Especially when she starts to develop feelings for him.

I'm going to say that while this isn't my favourite football sports romance, it definitely was something special. The idea of a homegrown, local team, being founded and run by a family, with all the successes and failures inherent in football, was new and fantastic. I really enjoyed the family dynamic between the Crawford's, and then the team when they were formed. That was truly the best part of the story. However, though the romance was fine, I didn't like the lying and really bad miscommunication between Ben and Lily. The third act breakup was hard, and I wasn't invested that much that I was desperate to know what came next.

Thank you NetGalley, Avon Books UK, and Becky Ward for the early access copy of Playing the Field.

Playing the Field follows Lily and Ben in a forbidden love story. When Lily’s football team is relocated 50 miles away, Lily, her father, and coach sister take matters in their own hands, and start a new club. Ben is a professional footballer, who needs to change his image after a bad interaction with a fan that landed him suspended. When Ben begins to help coach at the new club, sparks fly between Lily and Ben. But, what happens when the new clubs number one rule is not to mix business and pleasure?

Playing the Field is a great fit for those who love football, forbidden love stories, and great chemistry.

"Playing the Field" by Becky Ward is a fun and fast-paced romantic comedy that perfectly captures the excitement, drama, and unpredictability of modern dating. Ward’s writing is witty and relatable, making this novel an entertaining read for anyone who enjoys stories about love, sports, and the complexities of relationships.

The novel follows a protagonist who finds themselves navigating the often treacherous waters of love while balancing their passion for sports. Whether it’s on the playing field or in the dating world, the challenges and surprises keep coming, and Ward deftly mixes humor with heartfelt moments as the characters deal with the highs and lows of romance and competition. The protagonist’s journey is filled with self-discovery, as they learn to balance their personal ambitions with the pursuit of love.

Ward’s characters are vibrant and relatable, each bringing their own quirks and energy to the story. The chemistry between the leads is palpable, and the romance develops in a way that feels both natural and engaging. The sports setting adds an extra layer of excitement, with the competitive atmosphere paralleling the tensions and passions of the romantic plot.

"Playing the Field" is perfect for readers who love a good rom-com with a sporty twist. Becky Ward has crafted a story that is as entertaining as it is endearing, making it a must-read for fans of contemporary romance who enjoy a mix of humor, heart, and a little bit of competition. Whether you’re a sports fan or just love a good love story, this novel is sure to score a home run with readers.

I really enjoyed this story!

I found that the story was really well written and it was certainly a book that had me hooked.

If you love football this will be a book for you.

It has dedication, belief, romance and hard work - it all combined in to a good storyline.

It is 4 stars from me for this one - highly recommended!

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up

I really enjoyed lots about this book - Ben and Lily are strong lead characters and I was so invested in their relationship and rooting for them. I just felt that there were some parts that didn’t feel as engaging to the story.

I enjoyed the chemistry between the two characters and watching their relationship blossom. Was a bit too technical for me at the beginning as I am not someone who knows football at all but I got used to things soon after. It was a sweet read and good for a summer romance.

This is a fun read and one which has you rooting for them to make a success of it and that everyone has a happy ending.
Great holiday read.

Playing the Field is a completely predictable love story, and I am here for every moment of it. I wanted a book that I could curl up with and know that I was in for a cute rom com moment. It was a fun and light read.

This was my first book from Becky Ward and I am obsessed. I cannot wait to read more this book was perfect balance of romance and comedy. 5 stars