The Long Game

Elena Armas hit another one out of the park! I absolutely loved this book. As per usual, the book places you directly in the action, but I didn't feel confused as I played catch up. When the book opens up, Adalyn is almost immediately banished from her job as a high-up executive at her father's soccer team, and it takes quite a while to find out what exactly happened to cause this extreme punishment. The reward, however, for the reader is worth it as it brings many of the characters in the book together the more details about Adalyn's "incident" gets revealed. The viral incident (No spoilers!) is equal parts funny and heartbreaking as you realize the implications of what it means. The best part of the entire book is the characters. Adalyn is portrayed as an uptight, Type-A personality, but it becomes clear that she has just never been given the chance to be herself when she meets Cam. Cam is an ex-pro athlete hiding out, but he brings Adalyn's personality (and snark!) to the surface with each explosive, yet humorous encounter. This brings be to the second best part of this book: the dialogue or should I say the banter? Adalyn and Cam had such good quips and comments that I flew threw the pages. While both the main character's personalities are very unique and intense, I feel that everyone will be able to connect to a part of Adalyn's personal journey throughout this book. Overall, I highly recommend this book, and I can't wait to read the next one!

He's a famous footballer hiding out in a small town. She's "banished" by her dad to the same small town. They find joy in the local youth girls soccer team.

2.5 ⭐️ - I really wanted to like this book. Some parts weren't that bad. But other parts?

 Good writing. Insufferable characters.
 
The Long Game by Elena Armas is a romance following Adalyn, a woman who knows what she wants and sticks to her routines, and Cameron, a former soccer goalie who weirdly attracts animals. They have to work together on a children's soccer league, where their feelings for one another begin to grow.
 
The premise being a sports romance is something I typically enjoy reading, but I had quite a few issues with the characters of the book. This story was 95% her falling over and him catching her. It was ridiculous. This is supposed to be a strong-willed woman that's a hard worker with a serious personality, yet she couldn't stand upright for longer than two seconds.
 
Now Cameron is even worse. He does the bare minimum and is praised for it. She constantly asks him not to call her pet names, yet he ignores her. It's infuriating seeing these actions getting romanticized. If I took a shot every time he called her “darling” I would have died by the 50% mark. Also, everything they do is sexual. I don't mind spice in my books, but these scenes were just plain awkward.
 
The only redeeming characters were the kids. They were hilarious, witty, and a breath of fresh air after constantly reading about the main characters weird romance.
 
Despite everything, the writing was good. Elena Armas is a best-selling author for a reason. Even though her characters don't do it for me, I have to acknowledge she is a decent writer.
 
Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book to be your first introduction to Armas' books. If you've read her others, maybe give this one a shot. However, if you plan to start with this one, don't.

I have very conflicting thoughts about this romance. I certainly enjoyed it more than The Roommate Experiment, and I might even like it more than The Spanish Love Deception, but I did not love it as a whole.What I loved about it:- I liked that they were both involved with a kid's football practice. The little girls were mostly adorable and a great addiction to the story.- Their interactions were quite good, with a easily flowing dialogue, and the tension was off the charts.- I am always a fan of the small-town settings, although here it does not affect the story much as we do not have all the small-town people shenanigans. We do have a lot of activities, and some of them were fire! This book just confirms I have a thing for couple's yoga, it works as a charm to me. And the intimate pottery scene? Uff. (If this is your thing as well, check out [b:Nobody Puts Romcoms In The Corner 65008541 Nobody Puts Romcoms In The Corner Kathryn Freeman https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1670677591l/65008541.SY75.jpg 99272412] )- I loved every bit of the story after they succumb to their feelings and attraction. At that point, Cameron becomes my favourite Elena Armas MMC. He shows he is there always and for the Long Game: ”I'll always give you more than what you ask for, love. Even when you don't know what you want.”“You are who you are. And I love that. Let those goddamn smiles be rare as long as they're mine. Mine.” Elena certainly knows how to write fictional smitten men! What I think it could have been done better:- I did not particularly like Adalyn, which does not come off as a surprise since I did not like any of Elena Armas female characters so far. I've found her annoying, disrespectful, childish, and spoiled, and I wish we could have seen a greater character growth. - The middle was too slow, and I wish their interactions were shown in a more consistent way. Adalyn and Camero were spending most of their time together since they were living in the same property, working at the same place, and participating in the same activities. However, most of their interactions end suddenly, and often with Adalyn being quite vulnerable, followed by time jumps of 3 to 5 days, and no replies or thoughts by Cameron. This would certainly contribute to her insecurities and, personally, I did not feel it contributed positively for the romance.- Although the romance includes both POV, Cameron always feels distant and not at all attracted with Adalyn, until he is almost professing eternal love to her. I wished we could have seen his love grow throughout the book instead of just imagining his barriers breaking.The Long Game has great yoga and pottery scenes, good dialogue between the leads, and I liked the last third enough to be able to overlook all the bits that annoyed me until there. Read if you like Ted Lasso and can't get enough of grumpy Roy!

3.75/5

Honestly the way she writes slow burn just scratches my brain in the perfect way. I love complicated characters and the FMC definitely was one.

• Sports
  - Smalltown
  - Grumpy x Grumpy
  - Neighbors
  - Workplace
  - Forced Proximity
  - Slow Burn
  - Dual POV
  
  https://www.instagram.com/p/Cx8dQ6irKvD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

there was absolutely no chemistry, no spark and nothing that exciting happening between the two main characters. It started out less promising and became even more less promising, does that make sense?

the book began with adalyn who was shamed and banished after a video had gone viral. now, many companies and firms go through such shit but this just didn't make much sense to me. It felt exaggerated and stretched. Her father was a grade A asshole. So she moves into this small town for an assignment where she meets or almost runs over her love interest. The love interest is an absolute ass to her. He proudly admitted that he is mean and selfish, and i'm supposed to fall for his “charm” or lack thereof? He literally tells her several times that he wants her gone because she has disrupted his peace. She literally shows him her booking but he is still a bitch about it. And then few chapters in, all of a sudden he wants to fuck her. He is now into her. I got super confused, did i miss a chapter here? Did i misread this entire half of the book? What is going on? Suddenly, he is so protective of her, and wants to care for her??!!

And the third act conflict, my god. That was “bloody” stupid if you ask me. Because cameron literally said tell me more about the rumor and he literally didn't hide it from adalyn, he said he would have told her later. Her reaction was uncalled for. Fine get upset and what not, but really.