When I saw the cover for this on Netgalley, I was pretty much sold. The only soccer I care about is fictional soccer from "Ted Lasso", so our hero on the cover with the beard and all – I see you, American Roy Kent!

Abigail is an actress who is researching a part in a movie by shadowing an exec at an American soccer club. Luke Wolfe – the LA Wolf! – is a grumpy soccer player who just wants to get transferred to Seattle, so he can be with his mom who has cancer. The owners of the LA Aces have a plan to make that happen and Luke’s desperate enough to go along with it. But Abigail doesn’t know that the owners asked him to date her.

The fake dating becomes real dating almost immediately, even though he’s hiding it all from her. He’s Grumpy, but also worried about his mom, tired of being The Wolf, and not quite as mean as everyone thinks he is. She’s Sunshine, but also impulsive, funny, and a little bit broken from her last relationship. There’s “let’s make out for the cameras,” “she’s wearing my shirt and it makes me feel things” and even a kitten adopted from the side of the road.

I actually forgot about the second part of the "Ted Lasso meets X" description, until it started happening. Abigail goes all "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" on Luke once she finds out about his deception. It’s well-written and pretty funny, even making me feel bad for Luke, even though he’s been lying the whole time. I just kinda hate that movie, so I was ready for it to be over as soon as Abigail started it.

I love the grand gestures, the team of LA Aces himbos (no soccer star can go without his team of himbos!), the friendships created along the way. The epilogue works way better than most, not rushing their progress and maybe even leaving it open to revisit this universe in the future. Great read and I’m excited to check out other books by this author!

I appreciate the arc from Berkeley. Everything was so ridiculous. The dialogue was so cringey and the personalities of the two characters were so exaggerated. Abigail came off as a girl who tries to be super quirky and silly but is just a loser. Luke was clearly written to be a grump but he had no substance. He just grunted and was super rude. That is NOT grumpy. I understand this was a rom-com, but it was too much. Abigail even did a grand gesture even though Luke deceived her for so long. Also, Luke kept mentioning how he was lying to her almost every chapter. Kelley somehow took inspiration from an iconic and wonderful rom-com but made it worse.

Brittany Kelley always delivers with the funny little rom-coms! I loved the Ted Lasso vibes this book was giving. A grumpy soccer player mmc, and a bubbly fun outgoing fmc. Perfection.

Relationship Goals is a charming romcom that hits the sweet spot between heart and humor. I absolutely loved the characters—especially the dynamic between grumpy, guarded Luke and the whirlwind that is Abigail. Luke might come off as cold at first, but his softer side creeps in at just the right moments, making him completely endearing.

Abigail, an up-and-coming starlet with sky-high anxiety, feels both relatable and lovable. Watching her navigate fame, feelings, and the rollercoaster of romance kept me hooked.

The story doesn’t break new ground, but it doesn’t need to—it delivers exactly what you want from a feel-good romance. Smart banter, emotional growth, and just the right dose of drama.

Relationship Goals by Brittany Kelley was such a fun and relatable read. The story really nailed the ups and downs of modern dating without feeling cliché or forced. I found myself laughing at some of the awkward moments and rooting for the main characters as they navigated their way through all the usual relationship drama.

What I liked most was how real the characters felt. They’re not perfect, and their flaws made them easy to connect with. The dialogue was sharp and natural, which kept the story moving and made it feel like you’re eavesdropping on a real conversation between friends.

If you’re in the mood for a light, entertaining read about love and all its messy moments, Relationship Goals is worth checking out. It’s the kind of book that feels both fun and honest, and it left me smiling long after I finished it.

Relationship Goals is about Luke, a pro soccer player, and Abigail, a Hollywood actress who find each other while she is studying for a new role. What starts out as something forced turns into real feelings.

I really enjoyed reading their story and thought they had some sweet, genuine moments (like Princess the cat). However, if miscommunication bothers you in a story steer clear of this one! Even with that though I do hope this isn’t the end of this universe and I hope some of the side characters we met get their own stories in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC!

Let me start by saying that this is a new to me author and I was completely unfamiliar with her style of writing. I debated whether to give this a 1 star or a 2 star, that's how much this book really did not work for me. If you have ever said to yourself, I would love a book where Roy Kent from Ted Lasso falls for Andi, the Kate Hudson character from How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, then have I got the book for you! Unfortunately, I have never, not once in my whole life, asked for that. But alas, here we are.

First of all, the characters seem so immature to me. I can't recall if they ever mention their ages, they are adults but their actions make them seem so incredibly young and foolish. The back matter of the book explains that pro soccer star Luke has been asked by his team owners to date up and coming movie star Abigail, so the premise is a fake relationship....except that Abigail isn't in on it. For almost the first 70% of the book, Abigail is in the dark about Luke's true impetus for asking her out even though he feels terribly guilty and almost immediately catches real feelings for her.

Then, when she does find out (from a drunk phone call from one of Luke's teammates), she decides to get even and act like the kind of girl he would hate, thereby forcing him to dump her. Except, he doesn't dump her even when she engages in some really weird behavior, including but not limited to dressing up in full makeup as Gollum. It's a whole thing.

Secondly, Abigail experiences on page panic attacks but is adamant that that's not what they are and I wish the mental health aspects of this story were handled with greater sensitivity and nuance. She ends up having a full blown panic attack while in her Gollum getup and her friend calls her doctor and gets her prescription drugs and....THAT IS NOT HOW THINGS WORK and were I so inclined I could parse out the nuances of HIPAA in this review but I will refrain. NOTHING about how her panic attacks were dealt with made a lick of sense.

Third, the hero's motivations for going along with this fake dating plan involve his sick mother who has stage 3 cancer BECAUSE OF COURSE SHE DOES. Would really love a romance novel where the author didn't rely on a cancer subplot for character work.

Fourth, the owners of the soccer club Luke plays for are misogynistic drunk meanies and honestly, it's like a caricature of a villain. Every character in this book from the two mains to the side characters feels fake and over the top ridiculous. The scene where Abigail and Michelle take on the owners to help Luke get released from the team is so ridiculous and Abigail keeps referring to Michelle as being in business-bitch mode which is basically like calling someone a girl boss.

The writing is clunky and the pacing is weird and the dialogue is awkward. There's a long running gag about the hero masturbating to Yo-Yo Ma which I guess is SUPPOSED to be funny but just doesn't land.

I've maybe said more than I intended to about this book but it all boils down to the fact that this was an empty shell of a romance. If you love Ted Lasso and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days but the problem is, when the character work is lazy and the plot points don't make sense, the book doesn't work, because relying on a catchy premise isn't enough.

Idk, I'll stick with 2 stars but I think that's being generous.

Content Notes: MMC's mom has stage 3 cancer, abandoned by dad, FMC has panic attacks and professional problems related to an interview she gave.

ARC from publisher, review is all mine.

3 stars.

I am so bummed to say that I did not love "Relationship Goals" by Brittany Kelley. I have read some of Kelley's other books and loved them, but I think the insta-lust involved between Abigail, an unfiltered actress, and Luke, a brooding soccer player, just didn't work for me. I never got the sense that they were really into each other on a real, deeper level. Everything about their relationship was purely physical. Not enough time was taken to develop their relationship for me to believe that they were a true long-term couple destined for a happily ever after. It very much felt like a happy-for-now type of story. While there was some good banter between the two of them, it wasn't enough to save this book for me. Abigail's persona came off as way too try-hard. She's the *sUpEr QuIrKy GiRl* all. the. time., and it got a little grating, to be honest. The Gollum mask did make me laugh out loud, though! On top of this, it feels like the author was merely trying to capitalize on the Ted Lasso hype-train because Luke is *obviously* an Americanized version of Roy Kent. The brooding grump trope typically does it for me, so I liked his character just fine. I also liked the storyline involving Luke's sick mother because we got to see what a caring son he is. "Relationship Goals" is not poorly written by any stretch of the imagination, though sometimes, it moved a little too fast, and sometimes, it dragged here and there. I just think this is not the book/story for me. That being said, this book will likely go crazy viral and will have tons of fans!

Thank you to NetGalley, Brittany Kelley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

Y'know, I wasn't really sure I'd love this as much as I ended up loving it. I really do love Brittany Kelley books though, and she sure can write em all. Treasure chasing cop thriller romance? Check. Spooky romance? Check. Sports romance? Triple check. I'm happy to add another wonderful ARC to my growing repertoire of Brittany Kelley ARCs.

This was funny, witty, swoony, and definite romcom material. I loved the anxiety representation, and while I'm not too keen on the lying forefront, I loved the romcom revenge element and the big realization moment, as well as the "bad guy" takedown. It was the perfect cliche sweet romcom and made me feel all floaty and happy after I finished. I think others may be a lot more scrutinizing over the MMC and the way the FMC reacted in return, but it's a romcom! Unrealistic and borderline toxic stuff is probably bound to happen. Go rewatch your fave early 2000s romcoms and tell me that you'd give them a 1 star review on letterboxd for portraying a relationship unhealthily. I won't take any slander.

I am a huge fan of the fake relationship trope, and have read it done a hundred ways or more at this point
Turns out the one way I don’t like it? When only half the couple is aware is it’s fake at the start
And he’s doing it for his job, under coercion, which also gave me the ick

Real feelings do develop, so if you aren’t bothered by how they begin, then you might love it.
I’ve seen some good reviews on it from others, but I’m afraid this one isn’t for me.

Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for the arc

If, like me, you miss Ted Lasso, you’ll love Relationship Goals. Luke is 100% an American version of Roy Kent, and I was here for it. Abigail is the sunshine to his grump, an actress who’s studying the soccer team to prepare for a role.

Their relationship moved a little too fast for my liking, and the revenge plot felt over-the-top. But overall, this was a fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, which was provided in exchange for an honest review.

This book was literally so unhinged and hilarious that I would recommend it just because of that I think anyone who reads this book would enjoy it because they’re absolutely insane. It’s like watching a movie in your head.

Who could pass up a romcom described as Ted Lasso meets How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days?

Things I liked:
- The MMC (hello, Roy Kent)
- Michelle, the LA Aces’ resident badass. I want her story!
- Actually, make that all of the friendships. The teammates and makeup artist were all so charming and supportive.

Things I struggled with:
- The FMC. A bundle of insecurities heightened by ADHD, Abigail was kind of grating until her mental health came to a tipping point. I felt for her in that moment, but overall wanted more for and from her!
- The pacing was chaotic at times and dragged at others.

This was a 3.5-star read for me: a promising premise and a fun time, hampered by some execution quirks.

Thanks to NetGalley & Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley for access to the ARC!

#RelationshipGoals #NetGalley

This was an okay read but not a top read. I was expecting a lot more with the sports soccer player mmc and the actress fmc plot. We have a fake dating plot between the mcs and the mmc is hiding something from the fmc which ends up blowing up and causing some drama. The mmc is grumpy and moody while the fmc is quirky and struggles with anxiety. A big thing for me was the pacing, there are kinda 2 parts to the story and it was oddly paced. I liked the relationship and how close they got even though some parts were cringy. Overall it was okay but I needed and wanted more. Thanks to Berkley for this arc.

3.75 rounded up?????

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for the ARC of Relationship Goals.

I WANTED TO LOVE IT. This book has so many things I love:
- a soccer playing grump who falls hard and fast for the FMC
- an actress who has been a PR nightmare and is trying to make her comeback; she's absolutely silly and definitely has ADHD, and she usually masks that side of her in romantic relationships - but not in this one!

The near misses:
- mmc/fmc hit it off and go on a date the day they meet... almost insta-love? insta-obsession?
- mmc wants to go play professional soccer closer to his family, because his mom is sick, and his out is drumming up press with the FMC, so he asks her out but actually ends up liking her? but doesn't tell her the truth? (we all know where this is headed)
- fmc finds out what mmc is dating her for publicity, and she goes ALL HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS (except it's like... 3 very extremely ridiculous things that I think were supposed to be funny but I just thought they were a little cringe?)
- this ruins ALL MOMENTUM THE COUPLE HAD BUILD IN THEIR INSTA-LUST FIVE DAY RELATIONSHIP WITH EACH OTHER

Other things I have thoughts on (lol):
- I liked the writing... which is usually not the case (I'm so picky and I usually enjoy a well-written book)
- the plot jumped the shark
- the mid-book breakup/relationship sabotage really broke up the flow for me
- the timeline of the book is only like.... 8 days. that really bothered me.

Now that I've written this entire review, this is firmly a 3 star read for me. It was fun once. These are my honest thoughts.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes:
* Fake dating (she just doesn’t know it at first!)
* Mental health and neurodiversity awareness
* Instalust to love
* Grumpy soccer star x Sunshine Hollywood Starlet
* He’s an American Roy Kent and I’m here for it! 🤬
* She’s like Kate Hudson’s sweet n sassy younger ingenue 💛

Thank you to NetGalley, Brittany Kelley, and Berkley Romance for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I love the dual POV for Luke and Abigail. It lets us know they both are feeling this very fast attraction to each other, as well as their ulterior motives. But especially, their genuine care about each other and fears of rushing things too fast. That made the instalust a little more understandable and I could handle it with all of their thoughts so clearly detailed.

Michelle gives Rebecca vibes from Ted Lasso and I love it! I really hope we get to see her and a certain other player in the next book of this series!

Luke is actually good at communication with Abigail AND has an incredibly dirty mouth. Love that, and it pairs well with how free spirited and honest Abigail is.

Multiple chapter steamy scenes are hot and steamy, but also sweet and romantic between them. They’re silly, they’re thoughtful of each other, and whew, are there some great details in each one 🤭🔥

How she finds out the awful truth really is awful. While I understand her reasoning for revenge, I wish she would talk to him and hear that it’s real from him. It would take a while for her to believe him, but he wouldn’t give up. Would have been better than wasting all that negative energy, but I get it! (Side note: her dressing up as Gollum as her kink had me cackling!! So funny to pull that stunt on him…even if it was disastrous for her in the end!)

I loved their quirky personalities and how well-suited they are for each other. Her grand gesture of forgiveness, apology, and love for him was so spot on and just what he needed, and I loved their happy ending that they both got the success and love they wanted and deserved.

This was so fun and chaotic and weird in such a refreshing way. I wish that I had a makeup artist friend who could fully transform me in both good and monstrous ways whenever the vibe struck.

I chose this because it was described as Ted Lasso vibes and I love Ted Lasso. I had a very hard time not picturing Luke has Roy, merely because of the eyebrows and the grunting, and involuntarily gave everyone British accents in my head (I am not complaining).

If you’re into insta-love, sheer chaos, tiny cats, and revenge facial prosthetics, this is the one for you 😌

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗:
Actress Abigail Hunt enters a fake relationship with soccer star Luke Wolfe. The twist? Abigail believes it's real, while for Luke it’s a PR stunt.

𝙼𝚢 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎:
If you love the grumpiness of Roy Kent from Ted Lasso and ridiculous antics from How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, then this one is for you!

I will say that miscommunication (just lack of communication, in general) does play a big part in this one, so that does get frustrating. All of the antics & shenanigans don’t start until about 70% of the book & boy does Abigail do her best to get Luke break up with her! The Gollum scene was a bit TOO much in my opinion though.

The highlight of this one for me was definitely the side characters. I loved Luke’s teammates!

“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜.”
“𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚. 𝙔𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣.”

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁:
⚽️fake dating
⚽️actress x soccer player
⚽️grumpy vs Sunshine
⚽️he falls first
⚽️miscommunication

Thank you to Berkley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

If there is one thing you can always count on Brittany Kelley to deliver – it’s comedy! She’s got the whole rom-com thing down to a formula. The banter and shenanigans in this book were top tier. And in addition to all of that, Luke will have you swooning by chapter two! This man is grumpy on the outside but a sweet cinnamon roll when it’s just him and Abigail. Add in some kindle melting heat, like palpable on page chemistry, and you’ve got yourself a fun and spicy beach reach for the summer!

Relationship Goals is a super fun and surprisingly heartfelt read. There were several moments that had me laughing out loud, and Luke and Abbey have such great chemistry. Their banter is sharp and charming, and it really keeps the story moving. What stood out the most, though, was how thoughtfully Abbey’s anxiety was shown. It felt honest and relatable without taking over the whole story, which made her character feel really real.

The first half of the book felt a bit rushed. Things between them moved quickly, and I wished there had been more time to build up their connection. But the second half found a much better rhythm. Everything felt more natural and emotionally grounded, which made the story even more satisfying. It’s a quick read with lots of laughs and just enough heart to make it stick with you.