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...

I was torn between a 3 and a 4. I did like this book. It wasn't my favorite ever, but I definitely felt like it didn't deserve the hate on the multiple one star reviews that I saw when I pulled Goodreads up.
**If you don't like romcom, don't request the ARC.
**If you didn't like the author's previous books, don't request the ARC.
It skews the reviews for those that do like Romcoms or have liked this authors books.

So I leaned towards a 4. I won't re read the book. The FMC was annoying. However, I loved the slow burn and the enemies to lovers. People said they weren't "enemies" which is why they didn't like the book being sold that way. Erm...they both represented what the other was trying to not be reminded of. So yeah they were "enemies" in a sense. I liked the grumpy to sunshine we see in the MMC, and the plot was actually sweet and interesting.

So minus one star for the annoying FMC.

I think this is a book that I’d call an okay read, I think it was a bit of a mixed bag for me - it had some glimmers and some parts that did not work for me as well. I definitely think it will have an appreciative audience, both in fans of the author and those that are looking for this mix of features / tropes.

+ I liked Cameron - unsurprisingly, I like a more reserved, grump, standoff-ish hero with a secret soft side. Going with the Ted Lasdo vibes promised, he delivers a Roy Kent vibe , which I was here for.

+ The animals - I’m a sucker for cute animal sidekicks. I loved the inclusion of the cats and goats 🐐

+ some of the banter / tension for Cam and Adalyn. I enjoy some quippyness and slower burn for any kind of romance build.

Bits that didn’t work as well for me - the initial premise and pacing. I had to convince myself to keep going at first, the beginning felt a bit slow and disjointed. The premise of being sent to a random small town, in a different state to work with a youth league? And just happening to have a retired, hiding out former pro player there? It just felt a bit too outside the realm and do that kept taking my focus out of the story. Finally, Adalyn was a hard character for me to really feel a connection with.

Overall, still a good read and one I would recommend to those I think would enjoy it. Glad I tried the author. I look forward to trying more from her in the future. Thank you to NG the publisher for the opportunity to try an early copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and freely offered.

I really loved Elena Armas' first two books. Her characters are always funny, interesting, and realistic. While the main characters in this book feel real, and they have nice chemistry, the plot of this one isn't as believable as I was expecting. I think you might have to know and care about soccer a lot more than I do. Adalyn is a soccer executive (and I still don't really know what that is) whose father treats are AWFULLY. There's a whole secrecy around why she has a fit of rage and disgraces her father's brand, but it doesn't seem necessary to keep it a big secret. I just wanted Adalyn to realize how terrible her father was more quickly. She was a very insecure character while also being a really mean one to Cam, the main love interest. How did she become and exec with her low self-esteem? Cam is unexplainably super attracted to Adalyn. There is a drawn out slow burn, which is enjoyable, and probably the best part of the book. I recommend this book if you are looking for a Romance with a sports angle.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book.

This was such a cute read!

If you like an enemies to lovers, forced proximity romance then this one is for you!

I loved how vulnerable both characters were despite their hardas* exteriors. The way they evolved throughout the story, separate and together just made me love them even more. There was banter and spice which kept things interesting from beginning to end!

3 stars.
It fell a little flat for me. I had a hard time connecting with the characters. It felt like they went from not liking each other to showing their feelings really quickly. Not a lot of build up in my opinion.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read an eARC of this book. All thoughts are my own.

This book was phenomenal. I finished it in less than 24 hours and I loved it significantly more than The Spanish Love Deception. Cam and Adalyn are my new favorites. Following a public relations nightmare with a viral video at her father’s Miami football club, Adalyn Reyes is shipped off to rural North Carolina to help revitalize a local football team. She’s “greeted” by the grumpiest grump of a football coach as well as the cheerful matchmaker mayor. The situations Adalyn ends up in are hilariously unrealistic yet 100% perfect. Manolos in the woods or a soccer field....no problem. For those who love the grumpy guy vs. I can do it all and don’t need your help gal tropes, this is perfect. Even if you don’t understand one bit of soccer like myself, it's more about the people than the sport so there is no learning curve. It’s a refreshing easy read with a slow burn.

3.5
The Long Game by Elena Armas was an all-around enjoyable read, even if I didn't get into it as much as her previous works. Although I was not too fond of the main character Adalyn, I did enjoy Cameron's character and the witty banter between the two of them. The little girl's soccer team was also super adorable and left a smile on my face every time they appeared in a scene. While I can't say that this book is a must-read, I still found it to be a pleasant read overall.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for providing an unbiased review.

3.5

If you read the Spanish Love Deception books, you’ll be right at home with Elena Armas’s, newest book, the Long Game. True, there isn’t the Spanish element to identify with, and, although the story starts in Miami with a half-Cuban main character, we soon end up in backwoods North Carolina.

Adalyn Reyes (she took her mom‘s last name) is a character you’d be quick to judge as spoiled and a train wreck. We soon learn that there’s more going on behind the scenes and doesn’t have a stage crew in her corner to help her overcome those things. Instead, she ends up as a viral video that gets her banished to a random North Carolina town to do something charitable with the local soccer team. Wouldn’t you know it?! That’s the same tiny town is where Cam, a former MLS star-turned-hermit, is hold up…but also still involved in local soccer. I guess since he played in LA and is from England, he decided to go somewhere in the middle, despite never having been there. Totally. Or maybe he just threw a dart at a map.

I think if you are reading a Rom Com where a spoiled rich girl gets in trouble and is banished to a small town to atone and get a dose of reality (who would have known that would such a standard trope), there’s going to be a lot of absurdness. Of course, Adalyn doesn’t know exactly where she’s going, what she’s doing there, have time to shop for warmer clothes, and can, for some reason, not drive her car to an area mall for a new wardrobe (especially sneakers) or not-yet-infested household items.

Do you expect to get annoyed with how closed off Adalyn is, despite her wanting to be with Cam and how much he keeps trying after each rejection. Do expect to be charmed by a team of little girls, especially the young Maria, who sees Adalyn as a type of mother figure, possibly because of a shared Latin background. This book isn’t Pulitzer material, but it is a good romcom to fit into your current collection.

What a great romance from Elena Armas. This took me by surprise! I definitely did not expect to love this book so much just from its synopsis. I've read many sports romances and this one got it so right. I loved the relationship between Cameron and Adalyn... they were so sweet. Would recommend this over and over again!

This enemies to lovers romance book with a hint of soccer is breathtaking. The characters are hilarious, it’s exhilarating. Grumpy hero and a bad ass fmc is a recipe for success. It also is set in a small town which makes this book much more charming.

This is an Elena Armas book, so u know what to do, right?
Elena never disappoints me. Ever since reading The Spanish Love deception, I’ve been deeply in love with books of hers. The long game is a sweet, slow-burn, small town romance, and the whole book is on fire.
I enjoy reading this book so much. Te Amo mucho,

Adalyn follows the same routine every day: wake up, work, sleep, repeat. That is until a video of her losing her sh*t goes viral. Rather than fire her, her boss (her father) ships her off to a small town in North Carolina to help their struggling soccer team. It’s not until she arrives that she realizes the soccer team is made up of 9 year old girls…and are coached by Cameron Caldani, a VERY famous goal-keeping prodigy.

When I say I devoured this book, I devoured it. This book had it all. It was funny. It was sweet. It was sad but had an amazing HEA. The banter between Adalyn and Cameron was perfect! There was so much angst! It was the best slow burn build up. I don’t know how many times I said to myself “if these people don’t kiss already I am going to lose it!”

Adalyn has a really tough time in this story, but no matter what, everytime she is pushed down she gets right back up. She definitely isn’t a woman who needs saving. She can absolutely save herself. She never asks for help. She does everything herself…because that’s the way she’s always done it.

When Cameron comes along, not only does she realize she does need him in order to get her life back on track, but that she also needs him in a way that she has never needed anyone before.They butt heads over and over again, each trying to one-up the other. But slowly, around the edges you can see them falling for each other in the best possible way.

Cameron (my newest book boyfriend) is finally able to show Adalyn that just because you CAN do everything on your own, you don’t HAVE to do it alone. Time after time he shows her that she can let him in, she can trust him, and ultimately she can allow him to shoulder some of her burdens.

The spice in this book was amazing. It may take a while to get there, but once it’s there it is HOT.

Overall, sweet and spicy read that had everything you want, from lovable side characters, witty banter, and laugh out loud moments! PLUS: I think some of those loveable side characters are going to get their own book! A special thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC.

Adalyn loves the Miami Flames soccer team and strives to take over the team when her dad retires. After finding out her boyfriend had a deal with her dad, she blew up and took it out on the team mascot. Her dad sends her to a remote town in North Carolina to turn the local soccer team, the Green Warriors, around as her punishment. The team is made up of 9-year-old girls, they are not used to practicing and are scared of her. Cam is a goalkeeper and a prodigy, hiding out in the town, and would be the logical one to help her turn the team around but they do not hit it off. She wants to do this on her own, he wants her gone from his life. I really liked this book. The community in the small town is endearing. Watching the girls somehow get their act together is fun. I had to admire both Adalyn and Cam as they tried to make the most of their work. Their understanding of each other and their relationship made for a great love story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for an e-galley of The Long Game.

Adalyn's life has been turned upside down in a matter of minutes and a video that went viral. Betrayed, confused, and hurt, her father exiles her to the mountains of North Carolina to help a local soccer team. What Adalyn finds in NC is nothing like she imagined. She's in the middle of no where, the soccer team turns out to be a bunch of 9 year old girls, and the coach? Well...it turns out he's a famous goalie who had dropped of the map a couple months ago.

With a plan of attack to prove her worth to her father and former co-workers, Adalyn digs in her heels as she adjusts to life in NC and working with Coach Cam. However, both Adalyn and Cam have a journey ahead of them that neither could have imagined.

Elena knocked it out of the park again - with relatable characters, a healthy dose of spice, and an engaging story line.

The Long Game is a very Ted Laso-esque, slow burn swoon romance. Disgraced soccer exec Adalyn Reyes is forced into exile to middle-of-nowhere, North Carolina to help coach a children’s soccer team where she finds herself paired up with grump of a retired soccer star Cameron Caldani, who has been hiding away. Cameron had real Roy Kent energy and I loved him from the second I saw him coaching the kids. The enemies-to-lovers in this shifts kind of abruptly, but I love how Cameron falls for Adalyn, having his POV in addition to hers, and I loved Adalyn gently falling for him and letting her walls down. Adalyn is so ambitious and guarded and smart and I loved having Cameron push her to let him in and let him take care of her. It’s sweet and heartwarming. And the team of girls they were coaching was just precious. I was swooning hard for Cameron. Both of these leads are so vulnerable and resilient and striking. It did take some time for me to really get into this book, it kind of slow for me. But once I was in it, I couldn’t put it down and I just wanted to be a part of this charming small town with its eccentric and kind townsfolk. The Long Game is endearing and romantic and just a really enjoyable romcom.

Well it’s the Women’s World Cup tournament and what better way to honor and celebrate the occlusion than than to read a slow burn small town soccer romance? There is none! I adored this book. It was perfectly cozy and made me want to go visit a cabin (and I’m a certified beach girlie). Cameron and Adalyn are a perfect match. The grumpy x grumpy to I’d do anything for you and to support you vibes were *chef’s kiss* Cameron may be the swooniest book boyfriend. I lost count at the amount of times I gasped or squealed while reading because of his quotes or internal monologue. Adalyn is super relatable, I could identify with not feeling like you fit in and having such high standards for yourself that you can hurt your own feelings. These two really brought out each other’s softer sides, the vulnerability was portrayed well. Honorable mention to Maria she was both hilarious and insightful. She nearly brought me to tears at the end describing how Brandy the goat acts when she realizes it’s Maria hugging her. Out of the mouth of babes! I highly recommend this book. This is a must read this fall.

*I received the ARC for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

This was a mix between fine and good. It was not anything special to me.

Maria was absolutely my favorite character in this book. I just loved how she bonded with Adalyn & really helped Adalyn grow.

The reason for Adalyn & Cameron to be "enemies" was not a reason. I feel like Adalyn was supposed to be portrayed as someone who didn't need to be taken care of and that she could do things herself, but I think it was VERY obvious that she needed someone to take care of her. The way she strived to impress her father was not her being independent or headstrong to me.

I didn't enjoy the overuse of pet names by Cameron to Adalyn ESP when they were supposed to be enemies.

I don't feel like the back story of this book was strong enough to be the baseline. I feel like she should have gone after David instead of the mascot because the mascot was just talking.. He wasn't the one hurting her.

Cameron was indeed swoonworthly, while a little cringe with his use of pet names. He just genuinely felt like a good dude. So why was it so hard to get along with her in the first place. Also why hate on her clothes SO MUCH. Let her wear what she wants. IDC if you're in the mountains.

Anyways, I thought that it was fine as long as you don't think about things too much. The more I thought about this book when I sat down to write the review, the more I found I questioned it.

Thanky ou to Netgalley and Atria books for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way.

This fits into your stereotypical romance women gets "punished" and sent to random small town where she meets a "celebrity" in hiding. DNF AT 23%





**********************************I received an ARC for my honest review from NetGalley. **************************************