'The Long Game' by Elena Armas follows the story of Adalyn, a woman with a tough exterior who finds herself working with a small town under 10 girls' soccer team, led by the grumpy coach Cameron. As Adalyn and Cameron clash over running the team, they both realize their initial assumptions were wrong. The story unfolds as they navigate major changes in their lives and find unexpected support and connection in each other, leading to a slow burn romance filled with tension, vulnerability, and deep emotional connection.

Characters:

The characters are well-developed, with Adalyn displaying complexity and vulnerability, while Cameron is shown to be loving and multi-faceted, making for a relatable dynamic.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style effectively combines emotional depth with relatable character arcs, emphasizing their growth and vulnerabilities throughout the story.

Plot/Storyline:

The narrative revolves around Adalyn, who faces a career setback and has to manage a girls' soccer team, encountering Cameron, a retired player, as they navigate their differences and develop a connection.

Setting:

The setting is a small town focused on youth soccer, providing a thematic context for the characters' development and relationship.

Pacing:

The pacing is deliberately slow, especially at the beginning, which allows for deep character development and builds anticipation for the romance.

Notes:

The Long Game features a slow burn enemies-to-lovers romance.

Adalyn, the female lead, has a difficult relationship with her father, who owns a professional soccer team.

Cameron, the male lead, is a retired soccer star and coaches a team of young girls.

The story balances humor and emotional depth, with a touch of real-life issues like reputation and personal growth.

The audiobook version received praise for its narration, especially Frankie Corzo's performance.

Some readers appreciated the character development, particularly Adalyn and Cameron's bond as they peel back each other's layers.

The book is noted for its witty dialogue and relatable characters.

There are multiple secondary characters, like Maria and Josie, who add to the story's charm and entertainment.

The novel explores themes of vulnerability, support, and overcoming personal challenges.

Some readers found the pacing too slow or the romantic tension extended too long, leading to mixed feelings about the book.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

The book includes medium content warnings primarily related to emotional vulnerability, complex family relationships, and social challenges faced by the characters.

Has Romance?

Yes, The Long Game is rich in romance, characterized by a significant focus on the development of a love story between the main characters.

explicit steam level

From The Publisher:

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

A disgraced soccer exec reluctantly enlists the help of a retired soccer star in coaching a children's team in this small-town love story in the vein of It Happened One Summer -from the New York Times bestselling author of The Spanish Love Deception .

Adalyn Reyes has spent years perfecting her daily routine: wake up at dawn, drive to the Miami Flames FC offices, try her hardest to leave a mark, go home, and repeat.

But her routine is disrupted when a video of her in an altercation with the team's mascot goes viral. Rather than fire her, the team's owner-who happens to be her father-sends Adalyn to middle-of-nowhere North Carolina, where she's tasked with turning around the struggling local soccer team, the Green Warriors, as a way to redeem herself. Her plans crumble upon discovering that the players wear tutus to practice (impractical), keep pet goats (messy), and are terrified of Adalyn (counterproductive), and are nine-year-old kids.

To make things worse, also in town is Cameron Caldani, goalkeeping prodigy whose presence is somewhat of a mystery. Cam is the perfect candidate to help Adalyn, but after one very unfortunate first encounter involving a rooster, Cam's leg, and Adalyn's bumper, he's also set on running her out of town. But banishment is not an option for Adalyn. Not again. Helping this ragtag children's team is her road to redemption, and she is playing the long game. With or without Cam's help.

Ratings (12)

Incredible (2)
Loved It (5)
Liked It (3)
It Was OK (1)
Hated It (1)

Reader Stats (24):

Read It (11)
Want To Read (11)
Did Not Finish (1)
Not Interested (1)

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The Long Game

Elena Armas