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fkshg8465's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
After the cuteness and fun of Spanish Love Deception and The Roommate Experiment, this was a big let down - super cheesy, terrible storytelling, and everything I hate about the romance genre.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship
capybooks's review
funny
hopeful
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: Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Gaslighting
Minor: Stalking and Injury/Injury detail
kcochrun1401's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Bullying
thecuriousbean's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Toxic relationship and Emotional abuse
callidoralblack's review
lighthearted
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, and Cursing
Minor: Alcohol, Medical content, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, and Bullying
macykey's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
4.0
I loved this book! There were parts I wish had been condensed and other parts I wish had been expanded upon. But overall, I enjoyed it. The underlying issue didn’t feel too small to me and the third act break up was understandable from both sides.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Cursing
lovelymisanthrope's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I picked this up because it is the latest release from Elena Armas and I wanted to see if the magic of "The Spanish Love Deception" would be in this book.
"The Long Game" is a dual perspective romance that follows Adalyn Reyes and Cameron Caldani. After a messy PR disaster involving the mascot for the team she works for, the club owner, who is Adalyn's father, sends her to the middle of nowhere North Carolina to help whip a mystery team into shape. It is to her complete shock that this mystery team is actually a bunch of 9-year-old girls. Cameron is the couch of the girls' team, and he has a past he is running from as well. He used to be the star goal keep for a very successful team, but he left all of that behind so that he could live in anonymity.
This story took me about a third of the way to finally get into. Adalyn's and Cam's chemistry did not feel real until they started to get to know each other, because at the beginning they both truly lamented one another. Hate to love is such a delicate line to walk, but by the end of the book I was rooting for them to have their happily ever after.
My biggest gripe with this book is that the plot felt thin. Adalyn was sent to this place and given no preparations as to what she was getting into, but she dove headfirst because she wanted to appease her father and make amends for the team she loves. I found it infuriating and slightly unbelievable that her father did not try to defend her at all, and rather than talk to her or hear her out, he just sent her away. And even more shocking, Adalyn did not question him or try to fight to keep her job. Cam wanted to leave the world of professional sports behind and lead a quiet life, which is believable, but NO ONE recognized him in this small town. That I find highly unlikely, and the only real explanation the reader is given is that he has a beard now, so people do not recognize him. It did not take Adalyn long to realize who he was, and I think in retrospect that should have been happening more frequently for him.
Cam is a very possessive man, but in a good way. He wants to take care of Adalyn so that she can feel loved and protected, like someone is in her court. I did enjoy seeing him become so quickly invested in her and her well-being. This possessiveness also translated into some very hot scenes between the pair.
Adalyn felt unoriginal to me. She came from a wealthy family and because of that things were handed to her and now she wants to prove to everyone that she is independent and can make it on her own. Because of that, she continually puts herself in bad situations. She is really bad at asking for help, and believes she is unworthy of love. Rather than these qualities adding to the tension between her and Cam, I just felt annoyed by her because it was so cliche.
The end of the epilogue leaves a bit of a cliffhanger for a new character's story, and I am VERY intrigued and hopeful that we will get that book next.
Overall, this is my least favorite from Elena Armas, but I still had a good time reading it, and I would recommend it to those who enjoy sports romances.
"The Long Game" is a dual perspective romance that follows Adalyn Reyes and Cameron Caldani. After a messy PR disaster involving the mascot for the team she works for, the club owner, who is Adalyn's father, sends her to the middle of nowhere North Carolina to help whip a mystery team into shape. It is to her complete shock that this mystery team is actually a bunch of 9-year-old girls. Cameron is the couch of the girls' team, and he has a past he is running from as well. He used to be the star goal keep for a very successful team, but he left all of that behind so that he could live in anonymity.
This story took me about a third of the way to finally get into. Adalyn's and Cam's chemistry did not feel real until they started to get to know each other, because at the beginning they both truly lamented one another. Hate to love is such a delicate line to walk, but by the end of the book I was rooting for them to have their happily ever after.
My biggest gripe with this book is that the plot felt thin. Adalyn was sent to this place and given no preparations as to what she was getting into, but she dove headfirst because she wanted to appease her father and make amends for the team she loves. I found it infuriating and slightly unbelievable that her father did not try to defend her at all, and rather than talk to her or hear her out, he just sent her away. And even more shocking, Adalyn did not question him or try to fight to keep her job. Cam wanted to leave the world of professional sports behind and lead a quiet life, which is believable, but NO ONE recognized him in this small town. That I find highly unlikely, and the only real explanation the reader is given is that he has a beard now, so people do not recognize him. It did not take Adalyn long to realize who he was, and I think in retrospect that should have been happening more frequently for him.
Cam is a very possessive man, but in a good way. He wants to take care of Adalyn so that she can feel loved and protected, like someone is in her court. I did enjoy seeing him become so quickly invested in her and her well-being. This possessiveness also translated into some very hot scenes between the pair.
Adalyn felt unoriginal to me. She came from a wealthy family and because of that things were handed to her and now she wants to prove to everyone that she is independent and can make it on her own. Because of that, she continually puts herself in bad situations. She is really bad at asking for help, and believes she is unworthy of love. Rather than these qualities adding to the tension between her and Cam, I just felt annoyed by her because it was so cliche.
The end of the epilogue leaves a bit of a cliffhanger for a new character's story, and I am VERY intrigued and hopeful that we will get that book next.
Overall, this is my least favorite from Elena Armas, but I still had a good time reading it, and I would recommend it to those who enjoy sports romances.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Stalking
bgaffer's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
4.25
Love Elena Armas’ writing style and humor. Funny, sweet, and sappily romantic this book was a fun read for when you’re in the mood for something fluffy.
Content Warnings
Minor: Toxic relationship and Panic attacks/disorders
samchase112's review
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I’m always blessed to have another Elena Armas romance in my hands! While I didn’t enjoy this one as much as her last, and certainly not as much as her first, the chemistry between the characters and the slow-burn buildup were still top-notch. There was a lot going on here, and sometimes I think we lost the plot for a bit, but nevertheless I really enjoyed my time spent in Green Oak :)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Stalking
Minor: Death of parent
rickireadss's review against another edition
4.0
ahhhh elena did it again. was it my favorite? no i think that it reserved for lucas and rosie, but i still had a great time with this one.
i really just wanted them to both get the f*ck out of their own ways because i just knew they would be fire together. i loved the small town aspect. LOVED the girls on the team so much, especially maria <3 i will say the ending??? through me for a curve, i did NOT see that comingthe fact that adalyn and josie were still trying to talk to the a**hole they call a dad in the epilogue made me mad -like f*ck that dude but whatever
it was slow burn but boyyyyy was it hoti was taken out of the moment though when the whole discussion around protection came up and she was like "i'm clean" - like can we PLEASE change this wording in romance novels??? every time it happens, i'm instantly taken out of the scene. you can easily say "i'm negative" or "all my tests came back fine" - it''s just my hate for the stigmization of STDs/STIs, mini rant over
ALSO, i am very excited for the next book between josie and matthew - like i have a really good feeling about it because of their little interaction there at the end ;)
⚠️: panic attacks/disorders, emotional abuse, toxic relationship (FMC & father), gaslighting, misogyny, injury/injury detail, stalking, death of parent, violence, house break-in, car accident
i really just wanted them to both get the f*ck out of their own ways because i just knew they would be fire together. i loved the small town aspect. LOVED the girls on the team so much, especially maria <3 i will say the ending??? through me for a curve, i did NOT see that coming
it was slow burn but boyyyyy was it hot
ALSO, i am very excited for the next book between josie and matthew - like i have a really good feeling about it because of their little interaction there at the end ;)
⚠️: panic attacks/disorders, emotional abuse, toxic relationship (FMC & father), gaslighting, misogyny, injury/injury detail, stalking, death of parent, violence, house break-in, car accident
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Misogyny and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent, Stalking, Violence, and Car accident