Relationship Goals" explores celebrity romance as actress Abigail enters a fake relationship with soccer star Luke. The twist? Abigail believes it's real, while Luke sees it as a PR stunt.(Harden and Tessa vibes).The truth wasn’t revealed till around page 200 in a 300-page book, feels like a missed opportunity for a more intense character development for Luke.

Luke's character feels flat(to me), portrayed as emotionally unavailable, and his constant gulity conscience becomes tiresome when he could’ve just told her the truth. Abigail, despite some cringy dialogue, is a likable character and I actually liked her ADHD representation.

Ultimately, "Relationship Goals" evokes mixed feelings. The intriguing premise and entertaining characters are overshadowed by an unlikable male lead and the shaky foundation of their relationship. However, it offers a realistic glimpse into celebrity life that I never seen in a book before, making it a worthwhile read for fans of fake dating and celebrity romance.

If you sell a novel as Ted Lasso meets How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, I have no choice but to frantically request the ARC. Combining them successfully is a big task and one I was looking forward to as these are arguably a top 3 TV show and one my most beloved rom coms.

Unfortunately, while there were parts I enjoyed, there was a lot that fell short for me. Abigail’s personality grated on me and it often felt like her character was trying too hard to be quirky instead of it being natural. I would have liked to see the relationship play out over a longer period of time as I didn’t feel Abigail’s and Luke’s had good chemistry and that’s largely the buy-in I need in order to ignore insta-love plots where they go to pieces after they break up a week in.

I think the references to two very well liked shows/movies end up hurting this book. The plot is largely based off of lack of communication, I’d say even more so than it being a sports, acting, or fake dating romance. Unlike in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days where the characters couldn’t tell each other the truth as that was integral to the schemes, there was nothing here really preventing first Luke and then Abigail from being honest.

This was such a fun story! While I was reading it, I felt like I knew where the story was going to go. It is a little predictable but then at the same time, things took a turn I wasn't expecting. Abigail is such a fun character and she's a bit unhinged. I laughed so much with the quirkiness of Abigail. Luke was a great complement to Abigail's personality. I loved to see their relationship develop and deepen. There is a slight 3rd-act breakup but that's was somewhat expected with how the relationship occurred. I liked seeing their comeback and it was an enjoyable read.

Thank you NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to ARC read this romantic comedy.

as a rom-com and Ted Lasso lover, this was the perfect mash-up of both!

Relationship Goals is like if you dropped Roy Kent into How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. It’s over the top, laugh out loud funny where Abigail’s puts them in some outlandish situations that had me in tears 🤣

Luke has the roughest exterior but you quickly learn he is an ultimate soft boi who falls hard and I was LIVING FOR IT 👏🏻👏🏻

I feel like everyone can enjoy something from Relationship Goals, particularly if you are needing a low-stakes, hilarious, fluffy romance.

This is a very funny & entertaining opposites attract love story. Abigail Hunt is a famous actress & is absolutely adorable. She has quirks on top of quirks, she rambles, speaks her mind & is outright funny. She's irresistible to even the grump of the grumpiest star soccer player, Luke Wolfe. What starts off as a fake reason to ask her out soon turns into more. He realizes she's more. He wants more. They should be more.

As they become closer & things get spicier, Luke knows he has to come clean in order for things to move forward. He doesn't. Which turns into a BIG miscommunication that turns into some pretty funtastic shenanigans because Abigail finds out & said shenanigans ensue so he'll break up with her. Nothing turns Luke away, except maybe the Gollum mask, hmmm, no he was actually ok with that.

If you want to read a fun romance with laugh out loud moments, this is it!

First let me start by saying thank you to NetGalley, author Brittany Kelley and Berkley publishing group. In exchange for this E-ARC of Relationship Goals, I promised to give an honest review.
5/5 Stars⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’m never going to say no to a sports romance. Now give me a sports romance with a MMC that gives major Roy Kent vibes and FMC who is unapologetically herself, plus we get a How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days vibes and that mean it’s a five star read for me!

The whole book was good vibes and just a fun time, and while some might say a bit predictable, I found that comforting and the story kept me hooked the entire time. Our FMC Abigail, is quirky in the best ways, proving that the important people in your life will love you for being 100% yourself. Some of the things this woman does had me cracking up and cheering for the weirdos in the world. Luke, our MMC, is determined and broody, but is secretly a total softie that made my heart a puddle! The way this man cares for Abigail and is understanding when she is struggling with her anxiety is just beautiful.
Now, the chemistry between these two was off the chart and yes there is spice! There’s also sarcasm and banter straight from the start and I found myself laughing all the way to the end of this book.

I don’t want to give too much away but if you’re a fan of How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days, you know the type of mayhem that can occur and should be prepared to be entertained. This is a sports romance, that has a lot of laughs and a lot of love wrapped in a wonderful easy to read story!
So my recommendation is pick up this book when it comes out on July 8th 2025!!!⚽️♥️🎬

Oh, this one was such a blast! Luke, the grumpy soccer star, and Abby, the determined actress, are absolute fire together—like sparks flying on and off the field. Their fake dating scheme had me laughing, swooning, and yelling, “Just kiss already!” Abby’s fierce “get even” attitude was pure girl power, and Luke’s slow melt from grump to genuinely sweet had me melting right along with her. The chemistry was off the charts, the banter sharp and playful, and the whole social media frenzy added a modern, fun twist. If you want a rom-com that’s equal parts steamy, hilarious, and heartfelt, this is your game-winning goal! Four flirty stars all the way!

“Relationship Goals” is an absolutely adorable romance that had me hooked from the very first chapter. Brittany Kelley delivers a story full of heart, humor, and some of the best banter I’ve read in a while. The chemistry between Abigail and Luke Wolf is undeniable, and their dynamic kept me grinning like a fool.

Abigail, an actress diving into the behind-the-scenes world of football for a role, is vibrant, quirky, and completely unfiltered. Luke, the brooding football player with a hidden soft side, is tasked with showing her the ropes as part of a deal—but he never expected to actually fall for her. Their romance unfolds beautifully, balancing laugh-out-loud moments with genuine emotional depth.

That said, I did find myself wincing at a few of Abigail’s more outlandish comments. She’s portrayed as someone with ADHD who speaks her mind, which adds authenticity to her character—but occasionally, her dialogue felt so absurd that it pulled me out of the story. I found myself rushing through those scenes, eager to get back to the swoon-worthy moments and witty back-and-forth that made the book shine.

Despite that, Relationship Goals is a feel-good, bingeable read with all the hallmarks of a great rom-com. If you’re a fan of charming chaos, irresistible chemistry, and sports romance with a twist, this one’s definitely worth picking up.

This book gives off Ted Lasso vibes with the soccer theme. I loved the nostalgia feel of “How To Lose A Guy in Ten Days” this book gave. I mean, who didn’t love this movie?!? The theme of this book matches up great when Luke (the intimidating and grumpy soccer star) is bribed into dating Abigail by his bosses, but also Abigail (the outspoken, quirky actress) finds out her boyfriend is only fake dating her and plans to get even.

Overall, I liked and definitely had me laughing. I could have done with some parts like the Gollum scene. To me it was a lil cringe. You’ll know it when you get to it 🤣

This was so much fun! I loved the How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days vibes and while I can be hit or miss on quirky characters I adored Abigail. Her lack of filter and immediate consciousness about it was all too relatable. Luke is the definition of a grumpy man with a heart of gold. I loved how much he loved his family and how much he cared for Abigail. And I really hope we get a book about Gold and Michelle!

⚽️ Soccer Sportsmance
🎬 Athlete MMC x Celebrity FMC
🎻 Fake Dating (Him) to Revenge Dating (Her)
🐈‍⬛ Grumpy x Sunshine
🦞 Anxiety Rep

I love Brittany Kelley and the books she writes! This newest release might be her best romcom, I was constantly giggling! I couldn’t get enough of Luke and Abigail and how quickly they fall for each other. Luke is GRUMPY to his core but Abigail is the chaotic and hilarious sunshine that breaks through his storm cloud. If you are a fan of “How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days” you will get a kick out of this book when Abigail finds out Luke was forced into dating her. Seeing how hard Luke had fallen for Abigail while battling his guilty conscience for how their relationship started had me feeling a range of emotions from giddy to anxious. This story was the perfect balance of humor, mild angst, swoon and steam! It was a quick paced and fun read, that kept me engaged and wanting to race through the pages.

This was SUCH a good time! The banter was next level - it was so funny, I was kicking my feet/laughing the entire time. It was like Ted Lasso/How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days had a baby, and it was this book. I wish I could wipe my brain and re-read this book whenever I'm sad, I loved it so much. 1000/10.

Thank you Brittany Kelley and NetGalley for the arc!

Yo-Yo Ma? Stop. I can’t breathe. 🤣🤣🤣

As stated, this did have a Ted Lasso feel. It also had a hint of She's All That and How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days. It was all witty, sweet, a bit dirty, and so very swoonworthy. All good things which helped make a good story.

Abigail’s ADHA brain was incredibly relatible. Reading her internal monologues jumping from topic to topic to topic felt as if you were reading a narration from a normal fifteen minutes in my life. It was like reading my thoughts on paper, just without the paparazzi. Luke was harder to get a good read on. He was supposed to be an ass, but he wasn't. Instead, he came off as an introvert who is forced to be social because of his athleticism. It would have been nice to have more caveman and gruff tendencies spewing off of him seeing as he was labeled the bad child.

Their conversations of sexy time wants and needs had me howling. Not the nitty gritty parts, but the Q&A of how it all should go down. The baby would shoot me a look every time it happened that said “I am trying to be a gymnast here. Please refrain from making any anynoise.” 😆

When the guys were in Vegas and the reference was made to Savannah and Tyler, my face broke out into the biggest smile. Go Beavers!!! Still wanting a shirt to represent for the team. Or a hat. That would get more use with this Florida sun.

I digress…

Now time for a few things that were ehh for me. Abigail’s behavior after finding out Luke was forced into dating her was crap. Not saying Luke didn’t deserve some retaliation, but her way of doing it was more childish than justified revenge. Maybe taking him to a place to where they both donned those beautiful silicone mermaid tails would have been better. Still silly rules, the lobster can still be in the scheme, with some weird theatrics of course. The way she planned it here was annoying, making me want Luke to leave her. Not because she won, but because no one wants to date an unhinged adult adolescent. No one wants to date a child. Even if they were an ass who deserved to be taught a lesson.

Luke was a good boyfriend. He was dumb and wrong for agreeing to fake date Abigail, that is a fact. He could have come to her with the issue. She then could have made the decision if she wanted to help him out. Just think of the possibilities on how to piss off the owners if they worked together. By lying about it all, it made his temper tantrum when she came clean about it all seem selfish.

Having more sleazy, awkward moments with the owners would have made the reader hate them more. You could tell were crap humans from the small interactions we had with them. Truth, there wasn’t a lot of interaction with them which made it hard to feel for Luke when he said he “had to” agree to the fake dating. It would have been more impactful when Michelle dropped her truth bomb as well.

📚✨Book Review✨📚

Relationship Goals
Author: Brittany Kelley

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Notes: I received a copy of this book as an advanced reader, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

What I Liked:
⚽️ Ahhh there is just something about a sexy soccer player that reels me in. This book is no exception. 😉

What I Didn’t Like:
⚽️ I really wanted more of a grovel from Luke. Every good book deserves a massive grovel scene!

⚽️This sounds odd out of context, but the Gollum scene. Listen, I get the purpose but it was a bit TOO fake for me that it made the story go from kinda realistic to ridiculous.

Final Thoughts:
⚽️ Another fabulous sports romance from Brittany Kelley. Her books are always fun and spicy reads with strong female main characters.

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If you're looking for a true grumpy / sunshine, little bit of unhinged, overarchingly grade A rom-com, pick this book up! Brittany Kelley is absolutely hilarious and this heartwarming book makes you want to root for them from the get go.

Thank you to Brittany & the NetGalley team for the ARC!

Thank you to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are mine only.

FIVE STARS FOR THIS ONE! One of my top favorites of 2025.

What a breath of fresh air! This book is packed with so much fun and so many great moments. I laughed so much during this because Abigail Hunt is the most refreshing lead character I’ve read in such a long time. She had me laughing out loud so many times. Luke Wolfe, Mr Grumpy extraordinaire is the most squishy-est book boyfriend. (I may have made that up, but that’s how it felt for me) Rough around the edges but so damn sweet and caring under it all. These two vibed so much. I really really enjoyed this story. I didn’t want to put it down. This book was entertaining and so full of romance perfection.

Highly recommended!


I hope that the next book is the couple I’m hoping for but either way..I can’t wait for more books by this author.

Highly recommended

I love Ted Lasso and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days! That description immediately drew me in. Unfortunately, I believe the author was a little too on the nose with that description. I found the scenes to be unoriginal because they were too close to scenes in Ted Lasso. The story was so instalust it became unbelievable that all of this happened in the time frame described. I would have loved to delve deeper into Abigail's anxiety and Luke's family. There's nothing wrong with this book, I just wish it were more developed. I feel the more developed part was laying the bricks for what I believe the next couple would be.

This was nice fluff! It was cutesy and lighthearted but there wasn't much that made the characters feel more grounded or real. Was nice when I was reading it but not memorable.

During the first 30% of the book, I was sure this would be a five-star read, but in the end, it didn’t quite get there.

I really enjoyed the writing style and would love to see what else Brittany comes up with. I also really liked the characters—Abigail was such an interesting protagonist, and I had fun seeing what kind of wild ideas she’d come up with. She had a great sense of humor, and there were definitely moments that made me laugh out loud. I also loved Luke—I'm weak for grumpy male leads, especially when there's a kind, soft-hearted man underneath all the cold, annoyed layers.

I’m not usually a big fan of insta-love, but it didn’t bother me here at all. In fact, the chemistry between Luke and Abigail gave me butterflies. The plot was fun too, especially the part where Abigail tries everything to get Luke to break up with her. What didn’t work for me as much was how much of the conflict was based on miscommunication, which is a trope I rarely enjoy.

I was also a little disappointed that we didn’t get any resolution when it came to Luke’s mom. The epilogue didn’t mention how she was doing, whether she got better, or even show her meeting Abigail.

Aside from those two issues, everything else was really well done, and I’d definitely recommend it.

Thank you for the free book, Berkley Romance!

In this sports romance, up and coming actress Abigail is introduced to grumpy soccer star Luke. Unbeknownst to her, he has been pressured to date her to improve his image and bring publicity to the team. However, their chemistry and connection is undeniable. Abigail learns of Luke’s betrayal and decides the best way to deal with his duplicity is by getting even with a scheme of her own.

This rom com was a breath of fresh air and such a fun time! I was truly laughing out loud at the ridiculous antics of the characters, along with the top-tier banter. It is very reminiscent of How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days, combined with soccer and the grumpy/sunshine trope. I absolutely love when a guy is so gone for the girl and Luke personifies the “he falls first and harder” trope. If you want to laugh out loud, swoon, and escape reality for a bit, this is your book!