Hotshot

by Clare Lydon

Sloane Patterson is the ultimate a US soccer sensation whose arrival in the UK causes quite the stir. She’s got the game, the fame, the looks, the fiancée. But looks can be deceiving.
When Sloane’s life starts to unravel, Salchester Rovers’ new hire, Ella Carmichael, helps her pick up the pieces. But as the lines between their professional and personal lives blur, tensions surface. Now, Sloane’s goal of helping the team win the league and FA Cup has a significant win Ella’s heart.

If you love women’s football, you’ll adore this blistering summer blockbuster oozing with goals, desire, and scorching first kisses. An irresistible romance about the beautiful game!

Genres: Romance, Lesbian, Sports, LGBT, Queer, Contemporary, Sports Romance

374 pages, Paperback

Published April 13, 2023

About the author

Clare Lydon is a London-based writer of contemporary lesbian romance. She's a No.1 best-seller on lesbian fiction charts around the globe with five full-length novels to her name, as well as writing the All I Want series, set to continue throughout 2016. If you love romantic comedies, prepare to fall head over heels in love.

If you like books shot through with witty dialogue, 3D characters and sharp observations of modern lesbian life, why not give Clare's books a try?

More at: www.clarelydon.co.uk

Get a copy of my free Christmas novella 'It Had To Be You' by signing up to my mailing list here:

www.clarelydon.co.uk/it-had-to-be-you

Reviews

[Della B · Rating 5 out of 5]

American World Cup winner and soccer superstar Sloane Patterson needs to venture into the unknown for a year. Sloane wants to explore her family roots in Britain as well as giving herself distance from her unfaithful fiancé. Signing on to play with the Salchester Rovers and for a coach she respects is the ideal plan.

Retired footballer Ella Carmichael has found her dream job. She has been hired as the Salchester Rovers club performance and lifestyle coach. Ella is looking forward to meeting her idol Sloane Patterson as well as working one on one with each athlete to help them achieve their true potential.

Clare Lydon is magically combining her first love, happy ever after romance, with her adoration of all things football. All of Lydon’s usuals are on display. The slow burn attraction, conflicted main characters and the bust before the reconciliation. The setting of professional football heightens all these events and brings with it public stressors and cultural differences in being a footballer and in sexual identity. As well as being gifted the thrilling play by play and locker room motivational speeches, it just seems so real. This is a master craftsmen’s work, have no doubt.

Hotshot will have you all warmed up for The World Cup being played down under this summer. Even if you are not a fan of the sport, romance and love is still the heart of this book. Make sue you don’t miss out.

I received an advance review copy from the author and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Corporate Slave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some chapters were amazing but overall this wasn’t for me.. I got slightly bored but still like I said some chapters were really good!

[pipsqueakreviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Football romance.

This romance novel centers around the relationship between a football player and a lifestyle coach and it's a great read for anyone looking for a romantic escape into the world of sports and love.

This story revolves around Sloane, an American professional football player, who has a great career but is having a tough time in her love life. She has been cheated on by her fiancée and has signed on with a new team and moved to a whole new country. This is where she meets Ella, her new lifestyle coach and finds herself drawn to Ella. Meanwhile, Ella is starstruck by Sloane and develops a crush.

Clare Lydon does a great job developing the characters, not only in terms of their relationship, but also in building other storylines like family. The chemistry between Sloane and Ella is pretty good but one thing that made me cringe was that Sloane makes questionable decisions at times. That being said, the book is still generally good to read.

While I do watch the World Cup, I don't watch women's football so the whole football thing feels a bit foreign, yet not foreign to me. But if you're a fan, this book is definitely a great choice for an afternoon read!

I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Kexx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book - really good story and what Clare does so well, create an atmosphere of life going on. Please no follow up (that would mean Ella & Sloane were having issues) but perhaps Nat’s story…? Highly recommended.

[Leah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hated the use of the miscommunication trope here. Lydon made Sloane seem like an idiot and an asshole. And then Ella was so ooc and over the top with her refusing to talk after the miscommunication that by the end I don’t see these two staying together. Guess we can call this a happy for now because they sure weren’t forever.

[currentlyreadingbynat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a huge women's soccer fan and cannot wait for this year's soccer World Cup. I've got tickets to go to friendlies and World Cup matches and I am sooooo pumped! To make things even better, there's been a few new lesfic romances that are set around this year's World Cup. For me, this is way better than Christmas novels!

Clare Lydon's newbie was one of my most anticipated novels for 2023 as I know she's a soccer fan herself and writes great lesfic romances. Thankfully, she did not let me down - Hotshot was a great soccer romance novel as it featured the perfect amount of match play, romance and a decent amount of angst to keep you engaged.

I will admit though that I spent the majority of the book quite cold towards Sloane. I wasn't overly impressed with her romantic decisions and wasn't quite sure if she'd be good enough for Ella, who was a sweetheart. Thankfully, by the end of the novel she had (just) won me over.

Many thanks to Clare Lydon for providing me a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was just the right book to help me get over the void left by the end of the Women's Football European Championship. A sweet romance set in the English Women's Super League.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovers of romance and football will savor Lydon's latest book. Her behind the scenes look at Club operations and League play and the pressures faced by players are on point.
Hotshot superstar Sloane Patterson has a bag full of accomplishments including being part of the American World Cup winning team but she has crossed the pond to England to play for the Salchester Rovers. The impetus - a cheating fiancee and the need to get away. The club's newly hired performance and lifestyle coach is Ella Carmichael (herself an ex player) and Sloane is one of the players she can't wait to meet. Their first meeting establishes an easy connection but rough roads lie ahead.
The thoroughly enjoyable storyline has a slow build romance, search for family roots, social media intrusions, endorsements and freebies and oh so wonderful game of football from the grassroots level to League Clubs. Lydon's characters both main and supporting are fully formed with flaws, anxieties, arrogance, family and sexual dynamics and the play of football all beautifully realistic. Learning to drive on the "wrong" side and narrow roads....such fun!
I highly recommend this romance with heat, wrapped in football, topped with a bow of love and a HEA.

I rec'd a copy from the author however my review is voluntary and unbiased.

[Lesbereading · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I saw this cover I knew I wanted to read it as I love women’s soccer (sorry European friends), and it was as good as I had hoped. The story had a perfect balance of soccer and romance. There was some angst but thankfully it didn’t drag on and their communication was fluid. Can’t forget to mention there are some very steamy scenes 🔥🔥

Thank you to the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Henriette · Rating 5 out of 5]

US vs UK: Warm-up for the Women’s World Cup
Clare Lydon gifts us again with a wonderful book which was difficult to put down (the pesky job was trying to interfere but I persevered. Go me!): the setting, the sport scenes, the characters, the chemistry and attraction - a great package of plain good story telling.
The setting is women‘s football (soccer) in the UK. The US-American star striker Sloane just joined a British team. She is a bit unmoored: an injury is irking her, her fiancée cheated on her, she is not close to her family and is looking for a fresh start. Enter: drizzle, Northern England (what kind of language is this?), a different culture, found family and … Ella. Ella who carries her own scars and is now on the cusp of realizing her dreams.
I really loved how Lydon makes us feel the character‘s stories and vulnerabilites. There are layers which are explored leisurely and then there are those explosive sport‘s scenes where the pages vibrate with the excitement of the moment where greatness and great failure are only separated by an inch or a split second. I loved how Lydon brings her love for football/soccer across. If I had not already caught the football virus, I might have it now
There are some big nods to those female giants who came before today - who paved the way for the new normal of female players who play professionally nowadays and there is a lot about family - found and by blood. The f/f love story is a welcome addition to a book which has already plenty of well-told themes which are all blended into one great book.

PS.: Lydon takes great pains including little pokes at both sides of the pond to stick to Sloane‘s American English (sneakers on the field when you are in uniform to play soccer) and Ella‘s and the football team’s UK English where you have tea with wine when you are not on the pitch kitted out for football. So no need to get your panties in a twist - it is all good and on purpose.

[Seb · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know how people have given this 5 stars.I normally enjoy Clare Lyndon books and easy gng romances especially sports one but this one both the main characters where annoying but mostly Sloan was literally all over the place and kind of mean and the resolution of the issues was kind of non existent Ella just gave in and this is really not a way for any healthy relationship to be apart from that I completely struggled to find interest to either of the main characters at all and wasn't sure I would even finish the book but I did and was highly disappointed.

[Sher✩･*˚⁺‧͙ · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn't bad, just didn't feel the spark with it. So it was a meh for me

[gracie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love soccer and I was excited to read a sapphic soccer romance, but this was just...meh. I didn't hate the story, didn't love it either and I didn't care much for the characters.

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. I really wanted a women’s soccer (or football as it’s referred to in this book) romance after ’Cleat Cute’ that would land for me this one definitely did. I loved this and I’m glad that I’ve finally picked it up.

The writing was really good, it’s paced well, the characters are wonderful, and the romance is so swoon worthy. I loved the way the romance between Ella and Sloane played out and how much they had to personally overcome to get to their HEA. Especially on Sloane’s end. She was engaged but her fiancee cheated on her and she’s a bit jaded when it comes to romance rightfully so. She and Ella start hooking up even though Sloane is trying to keep everything at a distance and I loved watching her work through her issues. Ella for her part is awesome because I loved that she put her foot down and let Sloane know how she felt about how she was handling everything. They were so good together and while it may sound like there’s a lot of drama and angst this is a pretty low angst read. Some fun football action and talk in this mixed with the lovely romance made this a breeze for me to get through and I thoroughly enjoyed this from beginning to end.

[Silvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and endearing

As someone who follows the WSL and the Lionesses as often as possible I was really looking forward to this book. And it did not disappoint. Ella and Sloane were fun and endearing to read. And it’s football not soccer.

[A:) · Rating 4 out of 5]

lesbians! soccer!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a bad lesbian romance, but i can tell the author really loves socc...errr football. The game description is so well done it was like listening to an actual match. I like that. The romance is hot with a touch of angst due to an ex showing up and found family with interesting history is touching. I like the way Lydon writes and I love her love of football.

[emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

sweet if you have any interest in women's football, particularly the wsl. if you don't, i think you'd find all chapters boring, as opposed to the occasional few.

[Bridget Bell · Rating 2 out of 5]

every single plot point was predicted in the first chapter and even then still felt like the slowest plot in the world.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

US football star transfers to a fictional WSL club where she immediately meets the new lifestyle and performance coach. And guess what, they're both queer.

It's one of those frustrating books where the setbacks to immediate relationship success are so minor that they wouldn't exist if the characters just had normal levels of communication. I mean, for gay women, talking about your exes is usually first date stuff so 🤷‍♀️

But, I enjoyed it nonetheless. Some slightly cringe dialogue was made up for by a fun football theme by a genuine fan. ⚽

[Annine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just wasn't 𝓯𝓮𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰 the romance in this one. Love the focus on women's football and how different it is to men's.

Also, is it just me being ace-spec or do people actually get super wet from just kissing and feel their clits pulse from thinking of a person???

CW: previous death of a parent, homophobic parents, sexist parents, injuries, explicit sexual content

[liv · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the soccer setting but honestly didn't really love either of these characters, I feel like they didn't have any personality other than being lowkey annoying sometimes? also the writing was a little off, some of the dialogue just didn't sound like things people actually say

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was quite underwhelming but not in any way offensive. Which is a longer way of saying "meh," I suppose.

[Grace Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 - i was so severely bored this entire time and it's about one of my special interests

[Carol Hutchinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

So Good!

Sloane meets Ella on her first day at Salchester Rovers and they instantly have a spark. Despite Sloane's fame, her life is falling apart. Ella is there to help Sloane through all the difficulties and adjusting to life in the UK but as they get closer, professional and personal lines start to blur.

Loved this so much. Sloane was going through a lot of change then had a ton of emotional upset tipped on top by her fiancée. Without Ella for support I'm sure her experience of a chance of a lifetime would have been really different. Despite everything I had to admire Sloane's spirit. She was working through everything while maintaining a lust to enjoy her new life and achieve her goals, both personal and for the team.

Sloane and Ella's relationship was so sweet. How they went from friends to lovers flowed so naturally and they were patient with one another when things got tough or one of them faced a challenge. They had loads of great moments, especially with Sloane being American and having to learn some things about being in the UK. But what I loved most were their more heartfelt moments where Sloane opened up about what was happening personally and Ella could really get to know her and what was causing her pain. Ella was super infectious, since she was also a bit of a fan, so she was empathetic and determined to help Sloane, not just professionally. She was really giving and kind, which you could really feel in all her interactions.

A great story with lots of heart, passion, and a great balance between career and personal lives. Such a feel good sports romance that I highly recommend.

[Sidereal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ella wants stability. She also wants Sloane. She knows what she wants and what she deserves, and she knows where her priorities lie. Sloane's coming off a betrayal, and she wants a new start. She also wants Ella and wants to get herself sorted out without inconveniencing Ella, all while the uncertainty of her football prospects hangs over her head.

Sloane has her priorities—she just can't seem to get them in the right order. She's well-intentioned, but it doesn't always translate well in her actions. I like this imperfection of her, and when this leads into a misunderstanding that could've been solved by talking, Sloane isn't equipped to handle it. So when the other shoe finally dropped, Ella understandably wasn't happy. This usually puts me off on a book, especially when it happens so late into the story, but it's so baked into Sloane's and Ella's characters that it feels organic.

I don't watch soccer/football (my apologies), but playing it in my childhood and watching other sports/esports helped me appreciate the sporty parts of the story. It's enjoyable whether you're into the sport or not. I felt every missed and every made shot, as well as the hype from the pre-game motivational speeches. My heart goes out to Nat, who didn't have her family to share her successes with-at least in the beginning. There's also a little voice in me that wishes that the events in the camp game between Sloane and her ex had been written into the book as they happened. It would've been the perfect closure to that.

It's one of those stories whose future I want to see bits and pieces of. It's not incomplete, but I get the "one more epilogue" itch from it. I wish Sloane would make an appearance in future novels. And I want a book of Nat.

I received an ARC for Hotshot. I leave this review freely.

[Fran Sappharc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do not be put off if you are not a football fan!
Great start. Good establishment of character and backstory. As you would expect with a Lydon novel, loads of laughs.
75% in and it looks like one main is going to make a stupid decision and not tell the other main something. I trust the writer but will admit to being a teensy bit disappointed in the main. She obviously doesn’t read romance novels or she would know this never goes well. If the ex opens the door half dressed, pretending they are back together I will be disappointed in the writer! (Spoiler I’m not disappointed in the writer!)
It is to the writers credit that, despite me clenching my teeth and rolling my eyes at the stupidity of Sloane, I am still gripped. These characters seem real to me. Sloane is making really stupid decisions and I am so annoyed at her.
I loved the whole thing and even welled up a bit at the happy ending.
Clare Lydon continues to write amusing romances, populated with real characters.
My only slight issue, and it was my issue, was I mixed up Layla and Lucy quite a lot. Possibly because they are secondary and pivotal at moments but not that much page time….. plus I was reading fast to get to the next bit.

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved it

[Amelia]

dnf
i really wanted to like this book and i was so excited to read it but unfortunately it didn’t really live up to my expectations

[Dunja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fijn om een keer een lesbische romance te lezen en dat het dan niet draait om homofobie en het boek gewoon lief en leuk is.