Relationship Goals by Brittany Kelley is a laugh out loud, adorable sports romance take of Ted Lasso meets How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Abigail is an actress preparing for an upcoming role by shadowing a professional soccer player. The team owners have decided that Luke will be the one giving her a tour, but also forces Luke’s hand. In order to be placed on waivers, so he can get traded, needing to return to Seattle so he can take care of his sick mom, he needs to pretend to date Abigail. Only, instead of being fake, the relationship starts to feel real as feelings and attraction grows. Abigail has no idea that Luke was originally forced into faking the relationship, but once she finds out about it chaos and hijinks ensue.

This story was the perfect balance of humor, sarcasm, banter, mild angst, swoon and steam; as the characters complemented each other. The chemistry between these two was off the chart and sizzling. This was a quick paced and fun read.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
#Berkley #NetGalley #RelationshipGoals

I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ARC provided by Berkley Publishing Group.

Abigail Hunt’s Hollywood dreams could best be described as slow burn but she is about to graduate from TV sidekick to dramatic actor. When the esteemed director of her breakout role suggests a deep dive for her part by shadowing the head of a struggling pro soccer team, she jumps at the chance to prove she is ready.

Getting asked out by notorious grump and gorgeous star player Luke Wolfe was not in the plan, but suddenly her research is getting a lot more hands-on. Their relationship quickly sets social media on fire, and Luke seems determined to prove he is more than his villainous reputation. But just when Abigail is happier than ever—her name in lights and her heart in good hands—the other cleat drops: Luke’s been coerced into faking their relationship to improve the team’s ticket sales.

Furious, Abigail refuses to give Luke the satisfaction of dumping him—she decides to get even. Over-the-top dates, treating his games like fashion shows, and befriending the fan club he hates? Count her in. It is only a matter of time until she pushes the right buttons.

She just did not expect him to keep putting up with it—or to say I love you.

Relationship Goals is about a famously grumpy star soccer player who is forced to fake date a Hollywood starlet, only to develop real feelings for her—just as she learns he was pretending and vows to get even. So apparently, this book had a lot of Ted Lasso vibes, which I have never watched and cannot judge. But it was a pretty decent romance. The truth, however was not told till about 75%-80% of the book which was disappointing and definitely could of been resolved a lot earlier. Luke's character also felt flat. He was portrayed as emotionally unavailable, and his constant guilty conscience becomes tiresome when he could of just told Abigail the truth. Abigail, on the other hand is a likable character and I actually liked her ADHD representation. I do think the insta lust/ insta love involved between Abigail just did not work for me. I never got the sense that they were really into each other on a real, deeper level. Everything was just purely physical and there was not enough time to develop their relationship for me to believe that they were a true long-term couple. Overall, it was okay, but I do think people who love Ted Lasso and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, may enjoy it more than I did.

I didn’t enjoy this read as much as I thought I would. I wish there were more soccer scenes. I felt bad for the FMC when she found out the MMC was just dating her so he can get traded. There was parts that was cringey especially when she was doing everything she can to have him breakup with her.

I really connected with the heroine … she was struggling with her life and career but she never lost her motivation and drive. The love story of course was a fun ride but the character growth of the heroine was my favorite.

Thank you to Berkley for the eARC and PRH Audio for the ALC.

Relationship Goals had big Ted Lasso vibes, Luke being the aloof and grunty Roy Kent-ish soccer player.

Abigail and Luke have a bit of an anti-meet cute, but they are so cute together (despite the fact that Luke was forced into asking her out initially). Once Abigail learns that them dating wasn’t real, she goes all in on trying to get Luke to break up with her, with crazy and crazier antics that literally made me laugh out loud.

But the best part is Luke is so smitten for her, he accepts all her weird and ridiculousness and it doesn’t even phase him.

The dreaded miscommunication trope is very present here, and so much heartbreak could have been avoided had Luke and Abigail just T.A.L.K.E.D but Relationship Goals was still a fun and enjoyable read. I appreciated the realness of ill family members, the behind the scenes reality of being a celebrity, and ADHD and panic attack representation.

Will definitely look out for more from Brittany Kelley.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
🌶️🌶️🌶️

As a former soccer player and millennial who loves 2000s rom coms, this book is everything I never knew I needed.

I was instantly charmed by Luke and Abigail. The grumpy bad boy of soccer and the fun loving leading lady!! They had chemistry right from the start and I was immediately rooting for them.

I normally am not a fan of the miscommunication trope, but because it felt like an homage to How to Lose a Guy in 10 Day (one of my all time favorite movies!), I was here for it. And honestly, it was just so fun and earnest?

The whole book was a joy and managed to weave in more serious topics like anxiety and family health crises into a true romcom (heavy on both the romance and the comedy!)— which gave the characters depth.

Brittany Kelley was a new to me author and she definitely has a new fan!

Read if you like:
- Grumpy/Sunshine
- Fake Dating
- Sports Romance
- Hollywood Romance
- 2000s romcoms
- Ted Lasso
- Mental Health Rep

Thanks to Berkley for the free eARC and finished copy!

Abigail Hunt is on the cusp of her breakout Hollywood moment, finally stepping out of sidekick territory and into the spotlight. To prepare for her dramatic new role, she agrees to shadow a professional soccer team—only to catch the attention of the team’s broodiest, most infamous player: Luke Wolfe.

Luke, a man of few words and many rumours, shocks everyone—including Abby—when he asks her out. Their whirlwind “romance” lights up social media, his reputation begins to thaw, and Abby starts to wonder if the grump really does have a heart of gold.

But everything crashes when she finds out the truth: their relationship was fake… for him.

Cue the revenge plan. Abby’s not going to be the girl who gets dumped in the headlines—she’s going to turn the tables. The problem? Luke doesn’t seem to mind. At all. In fact, the more she pushes, the more he digs in, with soft smiles, genuine apologies, and three little words she never expected to hear.

Tropes:
🥰Fake Dating
🥰Grumpy x Sunshine
🥰Revenge Plot
🥰Sports x Hollywood Crossover
🥰Slow Burn to Swoon

Relationship Goals is a sparkling blend of revenge, redemption, and reluctant love. Brittany Kelley balances fake dating tropes with genuine emotional depth and addictive banter, delivering a romance that’s equal parts spicy, swoony, and satisfying. Perfect for fans of The Hating Game or The Cheat Sheet, this one scores all the right goals—on and off the field.

My first book by Brittany Kelley was Against The Clock and I knew then that I'd read her future books. Relationship Goals was my first five star read of July. This book had me laughing out loud so many times and the spice was 100% spicing between Luke and Abigail. This was such a fun spin on Ted Lasso x How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Abigail becomes so unhinged wanting to get revenge on Luke that the date she set up is going to make me look at lobsters differently for a while. The side characters were great! I really enjoyed the friendship between Abigail and Michelle and Luke's teammates were hilarious. I'm glad Abigail and Luke were able to clear the air with each other and eventually get their happy ending. I'm ready for Brittany's next book! Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the gifted eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Tagged as Ted Lasso meets How to lose a guy in 10 days and it's the perfect mashup description for this manic pixie dream girl actress x bad boy soccer player romance that goes from fake to real VERY fast only for Abigail to discover Luke was coerced into asking her out in the first place.

I loved the ADHD and panic attack rep, the HILARIOUS encounters and just how up Luke was for anything Abigail threw at him. Equally laugh out loud funny and emotionally deep, I couldn't help cackling while listening to this first trad pubbed book by formerly indie author Brittany Kelley.

This was a delightful dual POV sports romance sure to delight fans of books like Lizzie Blake's best mistake by Mazey Eddings. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Abigail Hunt is doing some in depth research for her next role, when getting a tour of the stadium from Luke Wolfe the last thing she expects is for the grumpy soccer player to ask her out. While he didn’t make the greatest first impression Abigail’s willing to give him a shot. But Luke has his own reasons for asking out the starlet and if he had it his way this date wouldn’t be happening. He also didn’t expect to fall so fast for Abigail.

The two hit it off and begin to spend more time together…and then Abigail finds out it’s not real, and she wastes no time in trying to drive Luke crazy in retaliation.

Brittany’s books they’re always such a fun read! The banter between Luke and Abigail was great. And I loved that Luke breaks down his tough guy shell in front of Abigail, and how she feels free to be herself around him.

This book has such a great balance between laugh out loud moments and sweet swoony swoons.

Thank you so much to Brittany Kelley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC of this book.

This is the second book I have read by this author. I don’t think her writing is for me. This book was just so predictable and I just felt like it was super cringe.

I love Brittany Kelly and was so excited to recieve this ARC! While I didn't relate to the FMC I could get behind how quirky she was I loved the ADHD representation as a ADHD girly. This book wasn't one of my favorites by her but, overall it was a enjoyable read and I'd reccomend it to my other sports romance lovers!

I need to start off by saying that the FMC has ADHD, anxiety, and panic attacks. As someone with ADHD, I can’t remember ever reading a romance with an FMC with ADHD. Abigail was so well written and I understood her so well. Her struggles with saying the right thing, looking back with regret at things said or done, and her hilarious and quirky sense of humour. I feel like she was so well portrayed.

In this book you can expect:
⭐️grumpy x sunshine
⭐️ ADHD/anxiety rep
⭐️soccer bad boy
⭐️actress
⭐️black mailed into dating
⭐️how to lose a guy in 10 days

I was already recommending this book only being half way through. It truly is a special one!

💖Thank you so much to NetGalley and the amazing Brittany Kelley for this ARC. I’m going to have to go out and buy it on release day!

I think this is a cute sports romance book. The main character Luke is reminiscent of Roy Kent from Ted Lasso, and plays the grumpy soccer player well. Abigail is an actress who’s looking for her big break. He’s asked to giver her a tour of the soccer facilities for her upcoming role, under the pretense that he asks her out to boost ticket sales. He reluctantly agrees, because he’s trying to be traded to Seattle to be closer to his sick mother. But he quickly realizes that he really like her, and wants to spend as much time with her as possible. When the truth comes out about their first date, Abigail is hurt and wants to get even. She pulls a How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and tries doing things so absurd that he breaks up with her. Eventually they both come clean and breakup, only to realize how much they miss each other and find their way back to each other.
I thought they have good banter with each other which was entertaining. You get to see a side to Luke that no one else really knows or sees except Abigail. They both share things they’ve never shared before about their life and past relationships. It is a short book but a good fun book to read in between longer more serious books. This cute book hits all the marks of a typical sports romance book, I only wish it could have been longer.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC!

As soon as I read the synopsis for “Relationship Goals,” which described this delightful romcom as a blend of “Ted Lasso” and “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days,” I knew it would be a must-read for me! Brittany Kelley has a talent for crafting romance novels that I can't get enough of, and this book captivated me from the very first page.

The characters are absolutely charming, each with endearing personalities and relatable quirks that made me root for them throughout the story. Brittany Kelley masterfully weaves together laugh-out-loud moments and heartfelt scenes, creating an engrossing reading experience-I genuinely found it impossible to put the book down!

I truly believe that every romance fan would enjoy this gem as much as I did! I am hoping that Brittany Kelley has more installments planned because I would love to explore the backstories of the supporting characters and discover their journeys as well!

this was so unhinged and i loved everything about it! how to lose a guy in 10 dates meets ted lasso and it is GENIUS!!! i truly think this book was executed so well and i instantly fell in love with these characters. i would definitely recommend to everyone!

4/5⭐️
2/5🌶️

Abigail Hunt is doing a deep-dive into a role for a movie about a scandal in the soccer world when she meets Luke Wolfe, the infamously grumpy star soccer player, who gives her a tour of the stadium and winds up asking her out. She thinks it’s real… but he’s only faking it. Their relationship is idyllic until the truth comes out… and Abby takes retribution into her own hands.

I absolutely ADORED this book! I finished it in record time after not being able to put it down. Abigail is an example of my favorite FMCs in a story… overwhelmingly endearing, a little awkward and so incredibly “herself” you just can’t help but fall in love with her. Our MMC felt the same way, and the way he immediately melted for her gave me all of the heart eyes for this story! I loved the Ted Lasso influence, the LOTR references, our side character Michelle (do I detect the star of our sequel…?) and would love to hear more about Luke’s teammates in the future. This was so cute and funny read, and I highly recommend it!

What I Loved About This Story:
✨Ted Lasso meets How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
✨Extreme grumpy / sunshine
✨The quirkiest of FMCs whom I loved DEARLY
✨A little bit of insta-lust… MOMMY LIKEY
✨Brittany’s “real” writing style… I couldn’t get enough!

Thank you for the free book @BerkleyRomance! I am grateful to be a Berkley Romance 2025 Influencer and given the opportunity to read this book early; my review is all my own.

This totally gave me Ted Lasso vibes but the pacing wasn’t for me. It’s light and fun but I got whiplash numerous times at the break neck speed the characters were moving.

I wasn’t really a fan of the female lead character but I’m happy to see the series potentially expand. I think I want a bit of a serious tone in the future and hope we get more invested in soccer. It felt like a background story and I wanted it to shine more.

Thank you so much Berkley Publishing for the digital arc!!

Abigail Hunt is trying to get her acting career back on track after the unfortunate incident that happened with her TV show, Blood Siren. So when THE director, Richard Grace wants her to star in his next big movie about the International Football Federation scandal where the team owners and league officials were taking bribes from cities who wanted to host the international soccer finals, she is all on board. Richard suggests she shadow people at the IFF team LA Aces.

At the LA Aces office, Abigail meets with owners Charles Treadwick and John Pugilisi as well as Michelle Oxford the director of operations. Abigail and Michelle hit it off. When Luke Wolfe, star of the Aces walks in, Abigail is stunned by his looks. Of course until he opens his mouth. After all he did earn the nickname a$$h*le because of the way he acts! When Luke agrees to give Abigail a tour of the facilities she's excited to go. By the end of the tour, Luke asks Abigail to dinner and she accepts. What Abigail doesn't know is that the owners are forcing Luke to try and date her so they can sell more tickets. Luke is only agreeing to this farce because he wants to be traded to Seattle where he can be closer to his family, while his mom is battling cancer.

So after Luke and Abigail are outed as a couple now known as "Wolfhunt", they start spending more time together. Before too long, Luke starts to realize that he really likes Abigail and their relationship starts to change. Now they are a real couple and having fun but when Abigail finds out about why Luke first asked her out, everything in her world implodes. Abigail decides she wants to get back at Luke and asks for her best friend, Darren's help. Together they come up with really crazy ideas to get Luke to break up with her. Of course none of it works....Luke is still there. When certain things finally come into the light, everything blows us. Abigail finally realizes what she has lost and has to find a way to get it all back again. When Michelle and Richard of all people helps Abigail make a grand gesture to win Luke back everything finally falls back into place and WolfHunt finally get their happy ever after.

I really enjoyed this fake relationship, opposites attract love story. Luke and Abigail were both really fun. I enjoyed their banter with each other and the silly things they did. Overall this was a cute read.

If How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days took a few tequila shots, let its intrusive thoughts win, and got absolutely unhinged in the best way possible, you’d get Relationship Goals by Brittany Kelley. Brittany truly delivers a romcom so funny I laughed until I cried, almost peed my pants, and had to explain to my husband what was wrong with me while I was reading.

This book is a fake dating rollercoaster with quite the twist. Luke is the hard ass soccer play that is the blueprint of a rough exterior with a warm gooey center that will have you melting, while Abigail is chaotic, sharp-witted and so relatable it hurts. Their banter is top tier and the chemistry between them is off the charts. One minute I was wiping tears of laughter, the next I was blushing and sweating like I’d just run a marathon thanks to all the heat these two bring to the page.

The fast-paced, whip-smart writing kept me hooked from page one. It’s the kind of book you devour in one sitting because you have to know what nonsense they’ll get up to next.

If you love laugh-out-loud romcoms, fake dating gone deliciously wrong and oh-so-right, and a hero who is absolutely down bad, Relationship Goals is your new obsession.