I literally haven’t laughed this hard because of a book… ever. Brittany Kelley ALWAYS has the funniest banter and snark - but she outdid herself this time and add in all the pop culture references and you’re going to be laughing out loud. I literally had to TRY and contain myself so I wouldn’t wake my husband up since it’s 1 AM and I could not put the book down. I LOVE characters who say what they’re thinking and have little filter - so Abigail I loved instantly. Pair her with a handsome, grumpy soccer player who unbeknownst to everyone else is actually just a big softie… and you have a recipe for an AMAZING romance and story. I loved Luke right away. I’m not sure how Brittany was able to make us fall in love so quickly with the characters but she did. The story moves quickly and although the characters are witty and say hilarious things…. There is still so much depth to them and we get to see them dealing with some difficult things - ie anxiety, past relationship trauma, sick family members, etc - and it makes them so much more relatable. I honestly already cannot wait to reread this story. I’ll never be able to hear or think Yo Yo Ma or Gollum again without laughing - IYKYK!

When I saw this mentioned as being like Ted Lasso meets How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days I was in need of this book 😂 and luckily it hit the mark for me. The build up of the romance between Abby and Luke was great. They are both great characters and clearly meant to be together. I enjoyed the soccer parts of the book and Luke definitely gives off Roy Kent vibes, but the highlight for me was when it started having the How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days vibes. I was literally laughing out loud while I read this book. It had the perfect amount of similarities to the movie. It was completely its own story but it had those unhinged moments of Abby doing her best Kate Hudson moments. This book is the perfect blend of romance and comedy.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC!

Abigail, an actress studying for her new film role, begins shadowing a soccer team and is shocked when the grumpiest player asks her out on a date. Luke is being forced by his managers to fake date Abigail, and is devastated when he discovers real feelings for her. When Abigail finds out it was fake, she plans to get her revenge on Luke any way that she can.

✨soccer player & hollywood starlet
✨grumpy & sunshine
✨fake dating

"My feet follow her almost of their own accord, as if they can't stand the idea of being away from her any longer."

I liked this one, but I felt like the revenge plot was unnecessary! After the insta-lust/love it seemed a little out of the blue, considering they were together the whole book. I did like the style of writing though & the spice was SO good! I've heard great things about Brittany Kelley's other books and I will definitely be checking them out!

Thank you so much to Brittany Kelley, NetGalley & Berkley Publishing Group for an ARC 🫶🏼

Abigail Hunt, a bubbly aspiring Hollywood star with ADHD, falls for a soccer hooligan Luke Wolfe in this Ted Lasso-inspired novel-length fanfiction piece told in dual points of view. To prepare for a role in a film about US pro-soccer industry scandals, Abigail is assigned to shadow the LA Aces team for a month or so; her assigned escort is soccer's bad boy, the taciturn Luke, who unbeknownst to Abigail has agreed to date her to pull more tickets. Luke asks her out, hoping she'll say no, then tries to act like a mean asshole so she won't want to see him again, but she gives him the benefit of the doubt. Long single Luke is immediately attracted to Abigail’s refreshing uncensored speech and emotions, while she’s dazzled by the hot athlete and is convinced his gruff exterior hides a warm, gooey marshmallow center, and its shyness and anxiety that presents as introversion. Both are a charmingly weird and find they can let their freak flags fly together, whether it's doing Gollum impressions or fostering kittens; both have an unfiltered way of speaking that gets them into trouble, but that the other finds refreshing.

The physical intimacy and the insta-love are exceeding quick, and I didn't find the fast pace of the relationship plausible (The budding friendship between Abigail and Michelle, the team's new director of operations, is more appropriately paced and believable, and a nice counterpoint to the romance). Honestly, it was unconscionable that Luke doesn’t come clean sooner about his directive to fake a relationship as he’s actually falling for Abigail—especially after she discloses that her emotionally abusive ex made it clear he was with her only for what it could do for his own career, and dumped her at the first whiff of a scandal which started her on a downward trajectory. If Luke follows his boss's directive and dates the starlet, he can get off the no-trade list he's been relegated to, and potentially move to the Seattle team and be closer to his mother, undergoing treatment for cancer. And he definitely feels bad about withholding the information that he was told to date Abigail, just not bad enough to be honest--yet. When she discovers what he's done, instead of confronting Luke, she decides to be the worst girlfriend ever so he'll break up with her, but he continues to be accepting and kind to her. And THIS is why I only like very specific enemies to lovers romances: I can't stand people behaving badly on purpose, I find the behavior immature, and the reconciliations unbelievable. Miscommunication or misperceptions giving way to grudging respect, then admiration, then love--that's the key to my heart.

I found it particularly odd that though Abigail knows nothing about soccer, there is little to no explanation of the game, neither rules, traditions, history nor gameplay, just a passing mention of how complicated the concept of “offsides” is. We don’t even know what position Luke plays (I assume striker, since he scores goals). If the soccer part is so unimportant, why is it present at all? Finally, Luke’s character is lifted straight from the award-winning phenomenon Ted Lasso: he’s grumpy Roy Kent to a T, from the ice baths to the knee injury, and his language is decidedly British (he describes himself at one point as a “shit player” and calls the goalie the keeper, instead of the goalkeeper) with no explanation.

There are some great lines, like describing a rescue kitten as "all knives and spitting hisses" and "I did not have "small angry Frenchman shouts potato at me on today's bingo card, but here we are." There's a militant Pilates instructor, an assortment of seemingly foreign (not American?) teammates, and a fantastic couples in-joke involving cello music. A tiny plot thread about a hospital emergency room and fake marriage comes full circle in a very satisfying way. These brilliant moments are eclipsed by incredibly repetitive word selections: I lost count of how many times Luke grunted (over 40) or Abigail winked (a dozen), and details of Abigail’s ADHD and Luke’s guilt and longing for Seattle are hammered home over and over. The writing is unsubtle and does not give the reader enough credit for their ability to infer; for example, we are told “they could not be more polar opposites,” which was obvious without the author literally pointing it out. Do we need to be told that Abigail served white wine “she grabbed from the store?” No, not unless the details of where she shopped add to her characterizing further the plot, or add detail to setting. It’s extraneous filler. It's the editor's job to point out when the author slips into telling instead of showing, and to impress upon the author the need to vary vocabulary, and to fill in plot holes and missing details. It cost the book a half-star, bringing it's rating to 2 stars instead of 2.5. Relationship Goals has it's issues, but I did want to see how it would get resolved, and I pushed through to finish it.

For better Ted Lasso inspired enemies to lovers romance, try Everything for You (Bergman Brothers #5) by Chloe Liese, which ships a Roy Trent type with a Jamie Tartt lookalike who talks like Ted Lasso, or The Long Game by Elena Armas, which imagines what if Roy and Keely didn’t like each other and got paired up to coach a U-10 girls soccer team. If you want a romance that contains dramatic sportsball play-by-play, try the Him series by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy, or even Pickleballers by Ilana Long.

I received an advance readers review copy of #RelationshipGoals via #NetGalley courtesy of #Berkley in exchange for a fair and honest review; a review will post to HLBB on 7/14/2025.

“Shut up,” I tell him. “Only one of us gets to be the neurotic mess, and I called dibs today. You can be Debbie Downer tomorrow.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

Relationship Goals is one of my top sports romances. I love Brittany Kelley’s writing and her trad pub debut is contemporary romance perfection.

A grumpy soccer star. A sunshiny actress. He’s the picture of seriousness and control. She is chaotic, silly, and says whatever thought pops into her head.

There is a fake dating situation that leads to the FMC giving “How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days” vibes to try to end things. The relationship is so cute and sweet and spicy.

I love the chemistry between Luke and Abigail. They bring out the best in each other and are a great example of how you can just be your weird self when you find the right person.

While the book is light, fluffy, and romantic, it also tackles some serious issues, such as ADHD, anxiety, and issues within the world of professional sports.

I could not stop reading Relationship Goals. I am really hoping that there is another book coming because there is definitely a couple brewing amongst the side characters in the story.

Thank you to Berkley and Brittany Kelley for the arc. All opinions are my own.

ARC review in exchange for my honest opinion I really liked that the main female character wasn’t trying overly hard to be quirky but I also like that she was a little bit and the main male character loved that about her! I liked the overall premise of this story but the miscommunication ugh

"𝑯𝒆'𝒔 𝒎𝒚 𝒓𝒂𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒖𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒓𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒅 𝒖𝒑 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒎 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒅."

If you've ever watched Ted Lasso, then you know who Roy Kent is. If you know who Roy Kent is, you now know the personality of our MMC, Luke Wolfe. Luke is a star soccer player who is prickly and even a little mean. But he's also funny and blunt & the banter between him and Abigail is spot on. Abigail is weird and quirky and I kind of loved it!

Miscommunication always frustrates me but there were some hilarious scenes because of it! 🦞

This was a cute, light-hearted, and funny story that went from Ted Lasso vibes to How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days!

🚨Huge thank you to Brittany, Berkley, and Netgalley for this ARC!

This book started out so strong for me! I love the Roy Kent/Keeley vibes it was giving for the Ted Lasso fan in me! That and the whole starlet/athlete dynamic was giving Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce and I love an athlete romance. Unfortunately, I just felt like the chemistry here was lacking for me, and it fell flat. I think the book did well when it came to representation in the soccer community and how hard it is for females working in that field! I think there was just more backstory and development needed for the characters to really flesh out their connection!

Sunshine/Grump is one of my favorite tropes and this book delivered. I loved the humor in the book and the witty banter back and forth between the main characters. Fun read!

As a woman with ADHD, this is one of the most relatable books I've ever read. There were so many lines where Brittany Kelley just really nailed what it is like liking with a little chaos goblin in your head that is often hellbent on escaping at the worst possible moment. And how incredibly lovely and romantic to have Luke adore that part of her!

Ted Lasso is a great comp for the grumpy/sunshine romance - Luke is major Roy Kent vibes - but also the team camaraderie between the players. I loved the little peeks at their conversations, the way they all rallied around Luke once he finally opened up to them. Abigail's antics were laugh out loud funny, and yet also filled with tender vulnerabilities she can't always quite manage to hide.

Funny, silly, sweet, and spicy, I had a great time and am looking forward to (hopefully) Tristan and Michelle's story next!

It was very instalove, but there was a lot of fun banter and their characters were sweet. It's always fun to read about a movie star and a sports star falling in love!

4.5 Stars A sports romance between a soccer star and actress inspired by Ted Lasso and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days? Yes please!

In order to be released from the roster so he can head home to Seattle and care for his sick mother, grumpy soccer star Luke Wolfe is ordered by the team’s owners to fake date Hollywood starlet, Abigail Hunt. After her career took an unexpected turn due to Abigail’s inability to not speak her mind, she has a second chance with a juicy new part in a movie about a soccer scandal. To prepare for the role, Abigail will be following the LA Aces soccer team. She wasn’t expecting the gorgeous but grumpy Luke Wolfe to ask her out, but something about him intrigues her, so she says yes. Sparks fly and real feelings develop faster than either expected, especially Luke, since this was all supposed to be fake. Luke can’t come clean now and when Abigail finds out, she decides to make Luke’s life hell so he’ll be forced to break up with her.

Relationship Goals is a totally unhinged and hilarious romance and I loved it! I have a soft spot for grumpy MMCs who are secretly cinnamon rolls and down bad for their girls. I loved reading Luke’s POV as he fell for Abigail, especially since he appreciated her quirks that her previous boyfriend and friend made her feel insecure about. Their conversations and banter were hilarious, with Luke’s serious, grumpy demeanor making an excellent complement to Abigail’s wild and weird thoughts. The only thing I didn’t like is that we didn’t get a longer epilogue! I wanted to see Luke’s mother doing better, Abigail get her Oscar, and see them further down the road, still together in the future. Here’s to hoping we get a second book (Tristan and Michelle?) and get to see more of Luke and Abigail!

Thank you Brittany Kelley and Berkley for the ARC! Relationship Goals releases July 8th!

Unfortunately this didn’t do it for me, it felt cringey and overall the MMC gave me bad vibes. Lying the whole book despite being cut up about it kind of put me off, and I’m sad because how to lose a guy in ten days is such a fun movie!

I think if that premise of the book happened sooner I might have come around a bit more.

~Grumpy x sunshine
~Soccer player MMC x actress FMC
~Anxiety rep
~Revenge plot

Overall, this was a sweet read, just not my favorite from this author. I loved a lot of the side characters, but I honestly wasn't the biggest fan of the FMC. As someone who struggles with anxiety and panic attacks, I really did appreciate seeing this mentioned. On the other hand, I wasn't the biggest fan of the revenge plot. I did enjoy the MMC; even though he was a grump, he definitely had some sweet intentions and really did care about her.

Since I have read all of Brittany's books, I did enjoy the quick mention of a previous couple! I'm also excited to see some future books in this universe!!

Thank you Brittany, NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the arc!

This sports romance completely swept me off my feet in the best possible way. It’s fun, it’s sweet, steamy, witty, with a solid dose of humor and depth. and it’ll have you rooting for these two to get their happily ever after even when everything seems stacked against them. So, if you’re in the mood for a perfect rom-com with a bit of sports flair, this one will definitely deliver.

A must read!!

Okay I don’t think I have read a book where the main FMC is really quirky and says the most random and weirdest things ever because of her adhd.
It was honestly a different read and I liked it. The big bad Wolf known for always having a resting grump face and bad attitude falls for the Quirky silly actor despite him being blackmailed.
This book was made me laugh soo many freaking times more than aweee moments & I honestly didn’t mind that. I haven’t laughed out loud reading a book in a while and this book did that!!
Omg like the freaking Gollum scene!!! I freaking diedddd and then before that the whole “date” situation I was like wth omg😮🤣🤣 and can’t forget the PILATES CLASS!!🤣🤣
I would def recommend this book!

This was a classic Brittany Kelley-fun, flirty, and spicy! I would call this a super fun summer and/or sports read, and I was laughing out loud all throughout the book. I loved the representation of Abigail’s ADHD, and the genuine affection and admiration that Luke had for her, even though he was initially forced to ask her out. I did get the feeling that the story kind of started halfway through, when Abigail found out about Luke’s initial intentions with her, so it kind of felt like the conflict kind of started halfway, leaving a heavy exposition feeling for the large majority of the first half. However, I think the characters are funny, likable, and sweet, and I also really enjoyed the setup of the series with two side characters, Michelle and Tristan. I am looking forward to that story!

If you want a rom-com that stars an American Roy Kent, look no further! Beautifully paced, laugh out loud funny, and SO sweet. Also, as someone with ADHD, it was so so nice to see a FMC have ADHD that felt extremely realistic.

Thank you to Berkeley and NetGalley for a DRC!

My 2000s rom com heart is so full after reading Relationship Goals 😍 Brittany, you killed this one! Thank you to the author and Berkley for this ARC 🫶🏻

Abigail is an up and coming actress in Hollywood who has a new acting part. She needs to learn more about soccer for the role. She is set to shadow a local pro soccer team and meets Luke Wolfe. ⚽️

Luke is forced to ask out Abigail for publicity if he wants to move closer to his mom. When he asks her out, he’s surprised she says yes. He’s even more surprised that they continue seeing each other and they’re falling fast. But Abigail finds out about Luke not truly wanting to date her and decides to be so awful that he has to break up with her. But Luke is so down bad for her that he takes her and her antics with no issue! She was Gollum and he didn’t care!

I absolutely loved the grumpy soccer star Luke and laughed at Abigail’s pranks! These two were meant to be! If you love Meghan Quinn rom coms, then this one is 100% your next 5 star read!

This sports romance completely swept me off my feet in the best possible way. It’s fun, it’s sweet, steamy, witty, with a solid dose of humor and depth. and it’ll have you rooting for these two to get their happily ever after even when everything seems stacked against them. So, if you’re in the mood for a perfect rom-com with a bit of sports flair, this one will definitely deliver.