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mlottermoser's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Slow burn romance set in a rural town in the US. A retired UK goalkeeper meets his match in a big league exec banished to the small town where he is hiding. Sparks fly, baggage is discussed, and love conquers all.
Spicy. 3/5 chili peppers
Spicy. 3/5 chili peppers
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Misogyny
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, and Sexism
Minor: Abandonment and Stalking
carefulfearanddeaddevotion's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
It took me about a chapter to go from "God this woman is insufferable" to "won't someone please swaddle her, bury her under a mountain of pillows, and bring her whatever she wants?????". Cameron Caldani, you're so valid, because I, too, would protect Adalyn Reyes at all costs. What a sad little kicked puppy of a woman (affectionate) <3<3 Andrew Underwood, David whatever the fuck your last name is, sleep with one eye open.
Enemies to lovers trope? check. NO(!!!!) miscommunication trope? check check check. I cannot stress ENOUGH how happy I am with how that final fight went down. It was so so clear that Adalyn's reaction was coming from her past trauma, it wasn't out of nowhere, but at the same time, it wasn't really portrayed as being justified. The whole time she was thinking "damn why am I acting like this, stop pushing him away" (same queen) and Cameron, for his part, tried his hardest not to let her push him away. A tiny bit disappointed it didn't work, but happy it was resolved so quickly. Given both their pasts, it wasn't a conflict that made me go "this relationship won't last," but one that made me think it would.
Also Maria Vasquez? You will always be famous. What a fantastic little girl, loved her so so much. Perfect, no notes.
Also kinda glad we never found out why Cameron is so scared of goats? He just is, and that was funny and quirky and didn't really need explanation imo.
Not really sure I can explain why it's not a 5, but it was a very good R (X?) rated romcom. Not a frustrating read at all (looking at you, Sincerely Yours). Also didn't realize until the end that it was written by the same person who wrote The Spanish Love Deception which has been in my tbr for ages and I now own. This book def made me look forward to that one.
ETA: therapy mention? What a dub. More romcom characters should consider therapy
Enemies to lovers trope? check. NO(!!!!) miscommunication trope? check check check. I cannot stress ENOUGH how happy I am with how that final fight went down. It was so so clear that Adalyn's reaction was coming from her past trauma, it wasn't out of nowhere, but at the same time, it wasn't really portrayed as being justified. The whole time she was thinking "damn why am I acting like this, stop pushing him away" (same queen) and Cameron, for his part, tried his hardest not to let her push him away. A tiny bit disappointed it didn't work, but happy it was resolved so quickly. Given both their pasts, it wasn't a conflict that made me go "this relationship won't last," but one that made me think it would.
Also Maria Vasquez? You will always be famous. What a fantastic little girl, loved her so so much. Perfect, no notes.
Also kinda glad we never found out why Cameron is so scared of goats? He just is, and that was funny and quirky and didn't really need explanation imo.
Not really sure I can explain why it's not a 5, but it was a very good R (X?) rated romcom. Not a frustrating read at all (looking at you, Sincerely Yours). Also didn't realize until the end that it was written by the same person who wrote The Spanish Love Deception which has been in my tbr for ages and I now own. This book def made me look forward to that one.
ETA: therapy mention? What a dub. More romcom characters should consider therapy
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Sexual content
Moderate: Stalking, Abandonment, and Sexism
Minor: Death of parent and Car accident
katiejohns's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual content, and Sexism
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders
purplepenning's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Strong Roy Kent / brunch daddy vibes, but alas — the story as a whole didn't work for me. I'm not sure how a book with a growly retired soccer player coaching a quirky small town U10 girls team while dealing with a menagerie of mischievous farm animals managed to both bore and annoy me, but it did. I couldn't connect with the boss babe main character, thought the story was slow-going until the last quarter, yet still felt the characters were under-developed.
I think I'll just have to accept that this author isn't for me. A previous title was a DNF and this one was one goat and a spunky 8-year-old away from the same fate.
I think I'll just have to accept that this author isn't for me. A previous title was a DNF and this one was one goat and a spunky 8-year-old away from the same fate.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, and Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent, Violence, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Abandonment
meredith_williams_'s review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
What is it about Elena Armas’s mediocre romcoms that continue to draw me in!? I liked the Spanish Love Deception (despite it’s complete lack of editing) and absolutely despised The American Roommate Experiment (so much so that it is the only book I’ve ever rated one star). And yet, The Long Game caught my eye while in line at Barnes and Noble and the next thing I know, it is being rung up with my other purchases. Is it the fun candy color covers? Is it the cutesy descriptions on the back? Or is it my own unique combination of optimism and masochism? At this point, I don’t know!
Overall, The Long Game is consistent with much of Armas’s previous writing style. There are a lot of overused pet names, bad millennial humor, slap stick physical comedy, and overall lack of subtlety when it comes to the actual romance aspect of the book. However, I do think Armas wrote a much better character arc for the FMC in this novel than she has done for those in her other books. Adalyn was a much more developed character and I think the pacing of her emotional journey was well done. The logistics of the plot as a whole flowed much better in this novel. (Although I still have a few questions. For example, why is a random family mystery being brought up 320 pages in?) I also thought the small town setting and slow burn romance were spot on.
I would say this is the author’s best work, but is that really saying much? I think I need to accept that Armas’s style just isn’t my personal favorite. If you’re looking for a light fall read, I would recommend The Long Game, but just know that you’ll have to set the book aside every 50 pages or so to physically cringe.
Overall, The Long Game is consistent with much of Armas’s previous writing style. There are a lot of overused pet names, bad millennial humor, slap stick physical comedy, and overall lack of subtlety when it comes to the actual romance aspect of the book. However, I do think Armas wrote a much better character arc for the FMC in this novel than she has done for those in her other books. Adalyn was a much more developed character and I think the pacing of her emotional journey was well done. The logistics of the plot as a whole flowed much better in this novel. (Although I still have a few questions. For example, why is a random family mystery being brought up 320 pages in?) I also thought the small town setting and slow burn romance were spot on.
I would say this is the author’s best work, but is that really saying much? I think I need to accept that Armas’s style just isn’t my personal favorite. If you’re looking for a light fall read, I would recommend The Long Game, but just know that you’ll have to set the book aside every 50 pages or so to physically cringe.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual content, and Cursing
Moderate: Misogyny and Sexism
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