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Playing the Field
Fun, sexy and full of heart, Playing the Field is perfect for fans of Icebreaker and The Cheat Sheet as well as shows like Welcome to Wrexham and Ted Lasso.
Grumpy/Sunshine, Forbidden Romance, Secret Dating, will-they-won't-they
When business student Lily’s local football club relocates to a city fifty miles away, she’s just as devastated as everyone else in her town. Determined to keep the community’s love of football alive, Lily, along with her dad and football coach sister, set up a brand-new club, Crawford United, with the dream of making it big.
When notorious professional player Ben Pryce shows up out of the blue to help coach their new team, everyone is shocked. Despite being a top Premier League striker, he's been temporarily suspended from his team for an altercation with a fan. Ben’s here to revamp his image, and the attraction between him and Lily is as deep as it is instant.
But rule number one of Crawford strictly no mixing business with pleasure.
Despite his bad-boy reputation, Lily’s convinced there’s more to Ben than meets the eye. Embarking on a secret whirlwind romance, she soon finds out that this player has a heart of gold.
But will everyone else be convinced?
Grumpy/Sunshine, Forbidden Romance, Secret Dating, will-they-won't-they
When business student Lily’s local football club relocates to a city fifty miles away, she’s just as devastated as everyone else in her town. Determined to keep the community’s love of football alive, Lily, along with her dad and football coach sister, set up a brand-new club, Crawford United, with the dream of making it big.
When notorious professional player Ben Pryce shows up out of the blue to help coach their new team, everyone is shocked. Despite being a top Premier League striker, he's been temporarily suspended from his team for an altercation with a fan. Ben’s here to revamp his image, and the attraction between him and Lily is as deep as it is instant.
But rule number one of Crawford strictly no mixing business with pleasure.
Despite his bad-boy reputation, Lily’s convinced there’s more to Ben than meets the eye. Embarking on a secret whirlwind romance, she soon finds out that this player has a heart of gold.
But will everyone else be convinced?
384 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 5, 2024
33 people are currently reading
412 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
August 15, 2024
3.4 ˖⁺‧✮
“I scan the room, taking in all the happy faces, until I realise I’m subconsciously looking for the one person who to my mind has a bigger smile than everybody. But of course I don’t find him, because Ben isn’t here.”
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ i was expecting a completely different story; i wasn’t expecting to be invested in characters, experiencing tropes from the other side and for the first time ever hoped for fmc(lily) to chose herself over the mmc(ben)!
ben’s little brother trains under lily’s family new-created football team. and while team just starts their first practices, ben offers his professional help. that how lily meets ben for the first time. their relationship starts pretty fast and by 50% they had strong chemistry with big attraction and even love. yeah… love at 50%. it didn’t bothered me as much as it usually does in books. i just kept going with the flow, at this point. their free time was usually spend doing fun or eating. and while it was cute, love after 2 weeks was unexpected. but, i’m not to say, maybe they were in love. good for them?
ben is know for his “bad reputation” which honestly i didn’t see. i mean, unless last 10 chapters (but it’s later). there were no mentioning of him being “too public” or often being seen with girls. he looked sweet from chapter 1. he had great manners, was good speaking and definitely wasn’t secretive with his attraction to lily. on random day, he gets phone calls… so now he’s moving far away from lily to play for another team. but + that, he has to fake date some random popular, gorgeous girl.
lily is people pleasing, hard working sunshine. she definitely deserves all the success her team achieved and she definitely doesn’t need ben!
spoilers ahead!!!! please consider reading other part of my review if you’re not interested in reading the book yourself. there are some plot discussions.
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ben meets his “fake girlfriend” who doesn’t know that she’s fake! she thought that ben actually liked her!! ben can’t tell her that this relationship, is fake. because he’s weak!!! there so many ways for him to prove himself. to show that he actually sweet guy. he, also, never mentioned to the pr time that there is a lily?… so ben casually carries on with an original plan. lily all this time suffers from not receiving any affection from ben. he constantly ignores her, his meetings always come up instead of her and he practically slows down communication.
lily go away!! yeah. he comes back. and they stay together. the end. uhhhh lily…. noooo. ben genuinely seemed uninterested in lily on his trip. he would tell her about his new girlfriend, how cool and fun she is. the writing was made so obvious for me to hate him. but yeah… that it. disappointed with ben and hoping for lily to find better.
pre-read
loved the book, hated the ending…
“I scan the room, taking in all the happy faces, until I realise I’m subconsciously looking for the one person who to my mind has a bigger smile than everybody. But of course I don’t find him, because Ben isn’t here.”
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ i was expecting a completely different story; i wasn’t expecting to be invested in characters, experiencing tropes from the other side and for the first time ever hoped for fmc(lily) to chose herself over the mmc(ben)!
ben’s little brother trains under lily’s family new-created football team. and while team just starts their first practices, ben offers his professional help. that how lily meets ben for the first time. their relationship starts pretty fast and by 50% they had strong chemistry with big attraction and even love. yeah… love at 50%. it didn’t bothered me as much as it usually does in books. i just kept going with the flow, at this point. their free time was usually spend doing fun or eating. and while it was cute, love after 2 weeks was unexpected. but, i’m not to say, maybe they were in love. good for them?
ben is know for his “bad reputation” which honestly i didn’t see. i mean, unless last 10 chapters (but it’s later). there were no mentioning of him being “too public” or often being seen with girls. he looked sweet from chapter 1. he had great manners, was good speaking and definitely wasn’t secretive with his attraction to lily. on random day, he gets phone calls… so now he’s moving far away from lily to play for another team. but + that, he has to fake date some random popular, gorgeous girl.
lily is people pleasing, hard working sunshine. she definitely deserves all the success her team achieved and she definitely doesn’t need ben!
spoilers ahead!!!! please consider reading other part of my review if you’re not interested in reading the book yourself. there are some plot discussions.
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ ben meets his “fake girlfriend” who doesn’t know that she’s fake! she thought that ben actually liked her!! ben can’t tell her that this relationship, is fake. because he’s weak!!! there so many ways for him to prove himself. to show that he actually sweet guy. he, also, never mentioned to the pr time that there is a lily?… so ben casually carries on with an original plan. lily all this time suffers from not receiving any affection from ben. he constantly ignores her, his meetings always come up instead of her and he practically slows down communication.
lily go away!! yeah. he comes back. and they stay together. the end. uhhhh lily…. noooo. ben genuinely seemed uninterested in lily on his trip. he would tell her about his new girlfriend, how cool and fun she is. the writing was made so obvious for me to hate him. but yeah… that it. disappointed with ben and hoping for lily to find better.
pre-read
loved the book, hated the ending…
May 9, 2024
Title: Playing the Field by Becky Ward
Release Date: June , 5th, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Stars
Lily, a business student, is devastated when her local football club relocates, so she starts a new one, Crawford United, with her family. Ben, a suspended Premier League player, joins as a coach to rebuild his image.
Lily and Ben have instant chemistry, but their romance is forbidden by club rules. They secretly date, revealing Ben's softer side, but they face scrutiny from others. The will-they-won't-they tension surrounds their relationship as they navigate the challenges of love and football.
This book stole my heart! It's not just your typical sports romance; it brilliantly showcases the power of found family as the community rallies behind the team. The characters are absolutely delightful, and the sparks flying between Lily and Ben? Pure magic!
Thank you to The Publisher Avon Books UK | Avon , The Author Becky Ward & NetGalley for an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review.
Release Date: June , 5th, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Stars
Lily, a business student, is devastated when her local football club relocates, so she starts a new one, Crawford United, with her family. Ben, a suspended Premier League player, joins as a coach to rebuild his image.
Lily and Ben have instant chemistry, but their romance is forbidden by club rules. They secretly date, revealing Ben's softer side, but they face scrutiny from others. The will-they-won't-they tension surrounds their relationship as they navigate the challenges of love and football.
This book stole my heart! It's not just your typical sports romance; it brilliantly showcases the power of found family as the community rallies behind the team. The characters are absolutely delightful, and the sparks flying between Lily and Ben? Pure magic!
Thank you to The Publisher Avon Books UK | Avon , The Author Becky Ward & NetGalley for an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review.
May 29, 2024
After going back and forth on ratings, I decided on 2 stars.
Just starting the book was boring. There was too much information being thrown at you that I couldn't enjoy the story properly. I get that the book centers around this small family, creating their own team after their home team moved locations away from the fans. It just felt off with all the info being thrown in your face.
While the steam and spice were ok, I felt like the romance between the MMC and the FMC was so so. The book, in general, felt like a sports movie where the little guy wins but had a small secondary storyline of a romantic interest that he kisses at the end. My point with that analogy is that I would definitely not classify the book as a romance, and would I definitely not compare this book to Icebreaker!
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an ARC!
Just starting the book was boring. There was too much information being thrown at you that I couldn't enjoy the story properly. I get that the book centers around this small family, creating their own team after their home team moved locations away from the fans. It just felt off with all the info being thrown in your face.
While the steam and spice were ok, I felt like the romance between the MMC and the FMC was so so. The book, in general, felt like a sports movie where the little guy wins but had a small secondary storyline of a romantic interest that he kisses at the end. My point with that analogy is that I would definitely not classify the book as a romance, and would I definitely not compare this book to Icebreaker!
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an ARC!
June 4, 2024
This wasn’t the book for me. The opening of the book is very exposition heavy and some of the writing felt a bit clunky and the dialogue wasn’t always natural. The plot took a while to get going and this is where I hit my main issue with the book overall, which was the romance. This has been marketed as a romance book but I didn’t personally feel that it was, the romance felt like an afterthought and the MMC isn’t actually introduced on-page till 19% of the way through, which for me personally felt far too late for a romance.
Anyway, the romance itself is perfectly nice. They had decent chemistry and some cute scenes together. The love scenes didn’t entirely work for me, but overall the romance was fine, even if it didn’t blow me away. I really didn’t like the main conflict between them though – this felt very forced and his decisions didn’t make a lot of sense to me. I sort of understood what this part of the plot was going for but I didn’t get why as a grown adult Ben didn’t put his foot down about it, considering how much hurt it was causing. It didn’t make sense to me.
The main focus of this book, in my opinion, was the external plot of setting up the football club. By necessity this plotline was quite complicated and it required a lot of set up. Whilst I understood this I didn’t find it very fun to read and the writing was very much telling, not showing.
It wasn’t that it was a bad book – it’s a very gentle, easy read and I think if you’re a fan of Ted Lasso then this could work for you. It has a lot of similar themes to that show, such as the underdog story and some of the characters felt similar in tone. But it didn’t really work for me unfortunately. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy of this book.
Content Notes: Sports (football/soccer), celebrity.
Warnings:
Other: .
Anyway, the romance itself is perfectly nice. They had decent chemistry and some cute scenes together. The love scenes didn’t entirely work for me, but overall the romance was fine, even if it didn’t blow me away. I really didn’t like the main conflict between them though – this felt very forced and his decisions didn’t make a lot of sense to me. I sort of understood what this part of the plot was going for but I didn’t get why as a grown adult Ben didn’t put his foot down about it, considering how much hurt it was causing. It didn’t make sense to me.
The main focus of this book, in my opinion, was the external plot of setting up the football club. By necessity this plotline was quite complicated and it required a lot of set up. Whilst I understood this I didn’t find it very fun to read and the writing was very much telling, not showing.
It wasn’t that it was a bad book – it’s a very gentle, easy read and I think if you’re a fan of Ted Lasso then this could work for you. It has a lot of similar themes to that show, such as the underdog story and some of the characters felt similar in tone. But it didn’t really work for me unfortunately. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy of this book.
Content Notes: Sports (football/soccer), celebrity.
Warnings:
Other: .
May 22, 2024
3/5 stars ⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books Becky Ward for the e-ARC.
I thought this was a well written story especially the football element; the romance, however, did feel secondary to the plot.
Lily and her family decide to start their own football club, after their home team announces that they're moving away. With very little, to none experience of how a football club works, it's literally building a team from the ground up; there is a lot of info dumping and world building with how it's led as a sports narrative, for the first half of the book. There, she meets Ben Pyrce, who has landed himself in the headlines recently, for brutish behaviour that has resulted to him being suspended from the team he plays for.
With the newfound time that he now has available, he offers to be an advisor, as someone who has experience with being in the Premier League, and how the ins and out work within a team. From there, the budding romance between him and Lily starts. They're instantly smitten with one another and date in secret, as they don't want to draw more attention to him (with how the media already portray him) nor affect how early things are starting out for the club.
As expected, Ben is soon returning to Millford, the team he plays for, and one of the agreements set by his management, is that he's get a girlfriend, someone whom they already have in mind for the role. It led to an inevitable third act break up, and understandably so, insecurities on Lily's part. I really wasn't a fan of those turn of events; I think the plot was strong enough to survive a third act break up; they could have just done the long-distance thing, which was already a contributing factor for them, as a narrative. I just cannot even begin to imagine how it would feel; to pretend to be ok with seeing your partner date someone else, for publicity. I get why Lily agreed to it, but I was also frustrated because of it.
While I enjoyed the story for the most part for what it was, I didn't really connect with the characters much. I feel like things could have been executed a bit better, in terms of the character development, which I think would have enhanced the plot and narrative more.
Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books Becky Ward for the e-ARC.
I thought this was a well written story especially the football element; the romance, however, did feel secondary to the plot.
Lily and her family decide to start their own football club, after their home team announces that they're moving away. With very little, to none experience of how a football club works, it's literally building a team from the ground up; there is a lot of info dumping and world building with how it's led as a sports narrative, for the first half of the book. There, she meets Ben Pyrce, who has landed himself in the headlines recently, for brutish behaviour that has resulted to him being suspended from the team he plays for.
With the newfound time that he now has available, he offers to be an advisor, as someone who has experience with being in the Premier League, and how the ins and out work within a team. From there, the budding romance between him and Lily starts. They're instantly smitten with one another and date in secret, as they don't want to draw more attention to him (with how the media already portray him) nor affect how early things are starting out for the club.
As expected, Ben is soon returning to Millford, the team he plays for, and one of the agreements set by his management, is that he's get a girlfriend, someone whom they already have in mind for the role. It led to an inevitable third act break up, and understandably so, insecurities on Lily's part. I really wasn't a fan of those turn of events; I think the plot was strong enough to survive a third act break up; they could have just done the long-distance thing, which was already a contributing factor for them, as a narrative. I just cannot even begin to imagine how it would feel; to pretend to be ok with seeing your partner date someone else, for publicity. I get why Lily agreed to it, but I was also frustrated because of it.
While I enjoyed the story for the most part for what it was, I didn't really connect with the characters much. I feel like things could have been executed a bit better, in terms of the character development, which I think would have enhanced the plot and narrative more.
June 11, 2024
"Playing the Field" by Becky Ward is a contemporary sports-themed romance novel story that follows Lily, a football enthusiast, who, after her local club relocates, teams up with her Dad and her sister to establish a new football club, Crawford United. The plot thickens when the arrival of Ben Pryce, a Premier League striker with a notorious reputation who has been suspended, makes an offer to help coach the new team in order to improve his tainted public reputation.
The chemistry between Lily and Ben is immediate, leading to a classic "will-they-won't-they" dynamic that drives the story. Lily's steadfast rule against mixing business with pleasure is tested as she navigates her growing attraction to Ben, who, despite his bad-boy exterior, shows depth and potential for change.
While the romance was what I initially came for, I actually found myself far more interested in the football club plot line. As a football fan myself, I was really intrigued by the whole idea of them starting a football club from scratch. I love the way their community came together, shared though the love of the sport, and it almost gave cosy small-town vibes. I love how we saw Lily's relationship with her sister and her father, and how it was only strengthened when they all decided to take on such big commitment.
I enjoyed the blend of football and the build up of their romance. With its mix of grumpy/sunshine trope, forbidden romance, and secret dating, the novel successfully combines elements that romance readers would enjoy.
"Playing the Field" is recommended for those looking for a fun and heartfelt romance with a sporty twist.
2.5 stars
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Star ratings and their meanings:
★★★★★: I loved everything about this book! I would re-read it and would highly recommend it to you, your family and your cat!
★★★★: I liked it. I didn’t love it but I still liked it enough to still rate it highly. I could see myself still recommending this book to a lot of people
★★★: It was an okay book. There maybe have been a few things that bothered me while reading this book but for the most parts the likes outweigh the dislikes.
★★: the cons outweigh the pros, unfortunately. There might be some things that were lacking in some areas—writing, characterisation, plot etc, but there may have been a few moments that I liked.
★: Nope. I should've just appreciated this book from afar.
The chemistry between Lily and Ben is immediate, leading to a classic "will-they-won't-they" dynamic that drives the story. Lily's steadfast rule against mixing business with pleasure is tested as she navigates her growing attraction to Ben, who, despite his bad-boy exterior, shows depth and potential for change.
While the romance was what I initially came for, I actually found myself far more interested in the football club plot line. As a football fan myself, I was really intrigued by the whole idea of them starting a football club from scratch. I love the way their community came together, shared though the love of the sport, and it almost gave cosy small-town vibes. I love how we saw Lily's relationship with her sister and her father, and how it was only strengthened when they all decided to take on such big commitment.
I enjoyed the blend of football and the build up of their romance. With its mix of grumpy/sunshine trope, forbidden romance, and secret dating, the novel successfully combines elements that romance readers would enjoy.
"Playing the Field" is recommended for those looking for a fun and heartfelt romance with a sporty twist.
2.5 stars
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Star ratings and their meanings:
★★★★★: I loved everything about this book! I would re-read it and would highly recommend it to you, your family and your cat!
★★★★: I liked it. I didn’t love it but I still liked it enough to still rate it highly. I could see myself still recommending this book to a lot of people
★★★: It was an okay book. There maybe have been a few things that bothered me while reading this book but for the most parts the likes outweigh the dislikes.
★★: the cons outweigh the pros, unfortunately. There might be some things that were lacking in some areas—writing, characterisation, plot etc, but there may have been a few moments that I liked.
★: Nope. I should've just appreciated this book from afar.
May 31, 2024
I don't usually like to give low ratings but this book failed to hook me from the very start. Suffice to say I got to 20% of the book and the characters only talked about how to set up a new football team, how to get sponsorship and stuff like this. It felt more like an how-to book than a romcom.
When we got the romantic portion of the books - very, very little romantic portion - I didn't care for it. It didn't sweep me off my feet, it was not the centre of the book.
I hate third act break up trope, but this one was really stupid and pretty avoidable with a simple conversation.
I don't think this book should be compared to Icebreaker, The Cheat Sheet and Ted Lasso. The first two focused on the romance portion a lot, and Ted Lasso was funny end enjoyable. Everything this book is not.
Still, thank you NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the ARC, sorry it wasn't my cup of tea
When we got the romantic portion of the books - very, very little romantic portion - I didn't care for it. It didn't sweep me off my feet, it was not the centre of the book.
I hate third act break up trope, but this one was really stupid and pretty avoidable with a simple conversation.
I don't think this book should be compared to Icebreaker, The Cheat Sheet and Ted Lasso. The first two focused on the romance portion a lot, and Ted Lasso was funny end enjoyable. Everything this book is not.
Still, thank you NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the ARC, sorry it wasn't my cup of tea
July 27, 2024
If you're going into this more for the Ted Lasso vibes rather than the romance, you might be a fan. However for me Ted Lasso could sometimes be a bit cheesy and overly hopeful , and this book was very much the same.
I felt the book tried to focus so much on the creating the club aspect on top of the romance that as a result, both aspects felt slightly underdeveloped. The romance parts were pretty bland with no real buildup to the relationship, to the point that the third act breakup (which was so annoying) actually was the only interesting thing about their relationship. I would also definitely not describe this as grumpy/sunshine. On the other hand, regarding the club storyline, there was a lot of football talk, which would be fine if you were an avid football fan EXCEPT as a football fan, it felt SO unbelievable (yes I know it's fiction) that it became unenjoyable. I think I was maybe just not the right reader for this and like I said, if you liked Ted Lasso, this might be the book for you!
Thanks NetGalley for the eARC!
I felt the book tried to focus so much on the creating the club aspect on top of the romance that as a result, both aspects felt slightly underdeveloped. The romance parts were pretty bland with no real buildup to the relationship, to the point that the third act breakup (which was so annoying) actually was the only interesting thing about their relationship. I would also definitely not describe this as grumpy/sunshine. On the other hand, regarding the club storyline, there was a lot of football talk, which would be fine if you were an avid football fan EXCEPT as a football fan, it felt SO unbelievable (yes I know it's fiction) that it became unenjoyable. I think I was maybe just not the right reader for this and like I said, if you liked Ted Lasso, this might be the book for you!
Thanks NetGalley for the eARC!
October 1, 2024
I never thought I’d get hooked on this but I absolutely loved it, the ted lasso vibe of a football club hero story alongside the love story & will they won’t they got me right away!!
I never expected the story to go as it did & when I had around 50 pages left felt like I’d be longing for more at the end it couldn’t be further from the truth, the ending closed all the gaps and I loved the story from start to finish!
I never expected the story to go as it did & when I had around 50 pages left felt like I’d be longing for more at the end it couldn’t be further from the truth, the ending closed all the gaps and I loved the story from start to finish!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2025
‘We’re Crawford till we die’
Absolutely bowled over by how much I loved this little sports rom com!
Lily and her family are true football fanatics and when their home team is bought off and moved away, they come up with the idea of making their own team!
A lot of fundraising, love, laughter and a sexy premier league bad boy in the mix.. and the story heats up, very quickly 🫢
Such a sweet little feel good romance read, really enjoyed this one!
Absolutely bowled over by how much I loved this little sports rom com!
Lily and her family are true football fanatics and when their home team is bought off and moved away, they come up with the idea of making their own team!
A lot of fundraising, love, laughter and a sexy premier league bad boy in the mix.. and the story heats up, very quickly 🫢
Such a sweet little feel good romance read, really enjoyed this one!
September 29, 2024
3,5⭐
At like 65% I had such a down and wasn't sure if I should continue. I did and I had mixed feelings. I liked it and hated it at the same time. The miscommunication is crazy... If she just told him earlier she felt not comfortable with the whole stuff going on. This was btw the first football book I've read. Side fact I love football besides reading so I knew what was going on.
At like 65% I had such a down and wasn't sure if I should continue. I did and I had mixed feelings. I liked it and hated it at the same time. The miscommunication is crazy... If she just told him earlier she felt not comfortable with the whole stuff going on. This was btw the first football book I've read. Side fact I love football besides reading so I knew what was going on.
January 14, 2025
Unfortunately, this book was so boring. I have to DNF at 60%. The MMC doesn’t even show up until 30% into the book and then it’s only a couple of chapters before the couple has gone all the way with each other. This book feels more like a book about sports than romance. I just lost interest too fast and I am pulling teeth to finish so I’m DNFing for that reason. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 10, 2025
This was super cringe and super shit
May 16, 2024
This entire book gave me very strong Ted Lasso vibes.
Ted Lasso is mostly about the game, the players/owners as individuals, and the drama within the league, with only a segment here and there dedicated to on-screen romance.
And that is exactly how I felt reading Playing the Field. There was so much detail in the beginning of the book about how they were starting their own team that it almost felt like reading an instruction manual. The book picked up the pace with the player tryouts, which I did find interesting because it at least provided us with more details about something other than the sport itself, but I kept waiting for the romance. For this to be a true sports romance, I feel like the characters needed to meet long before they did. By the time Ben finally walked into the picture, it started feeling a lot more like sports fiction than a true sports romance.
Which was unfortunate for me, as I do not love sports. I love sports romance, and the actual in-depth details of the sport had me skimming heavily over certain sections. My eyes glazed over very often, and I just never felt excited to pick it up and continue reading. A sports romance should have more giddy excitement and banter. As it was, there was not enough established tension between Ben and Lily before they got together for me to find their relationship timeline believable.
While there were a handful of good scenes of the two of them together, I feel like we didn’t get enough of that before the club and studying started to overshadow it. While the steam was decent, they went from staring at each other in a mirror for some post-shower coitus, to the comfort of monogamously studying on the couch too soon to feel realistic.
All that said, I would have still given this book 3 stars if not for what transpired next.
🙈🙈🙈🙈 SPOILERS BELOW 🙈🙈🙈🙈
I hate a third act breakup when it’s well done. But I hate nothing more than a third act breakup that was an absolute mess. It was unnecessary, and if I were Lily, I would have never taken Ben back.
Ben’s PR team setting him up with a fake girlfriend to fix his image was absolute nonsense. They could have used his real relationship to help his PR, and it would have been honest and significantly less risky. “But Georgie is the country’s latest sweetheart.” GUESS WHOSE ENTIRE FAMILY IS ALSO BECOMING THE COUNTRY’S SWEETHEART FOR STARTING THEIR OWN FOOTBALL TEAM? HIS ACTUAL GIRLFRIEND. And then for Ben to go along with it—it proved to me he is actual garbage that never deserved Lily in the first place. She should have never taken him back. She should have just lived her happily ever after dating a coach from another team just like Phoebe suggested.
Or better yet—the couple doesn’t break up. They could have just struggled along for a while doing the long-distance thing and hating it, and then Ben could have done what he ends up doing in the end anyways, getting transferred to another team that’s closer to Lily.
Thank you to NetGalley and AvonBooksUK for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2024
First I would like to thank Avon Books UK for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This is the story of Lily, university student, who starts a local football (soccer) team with her dad and sister to replace the higher league team who abandoned the town. As the new team, Crawford United, starts to develop in walks Ben Pryce, Premiere League striker and brother to a teammate, who volunteers to help the team in whatever way he can. As Lily and Ben start spending more time together they start a secret relationship as they don't want to distract from getting the team ready to play. When Ben goes back to his Premiere League team, him and Lily have to decide what is best for them, a long distance relationship or is it to hard to be so far apart.
What I Loved:
- Crawford United, its a team that was developed after frustration with the business of "big football" and it was a family affair throughout always thinking about the town
- Lily, she is in charge of the business of starting a new club before she even finished her business degree I was really impressed by her ability and just her overall desire to do everything right with the club even when it affected her personally
- The team, the group of guys they bring together to make up the team are a rag tag group of lads who really do love the sport and want to make the town proud, they also step up to help when needed and just want what is best for each other
- Secret Romance, when Ben and Lily decide to officially date they want to keep it on the DL to make sure it doesn't distract from the team but I love when have the people can tell right away and this was definitely one of those situations
Overall as a huge football/soccer fan I really enjoyed this book. There were parts specifically when Ben goes back to his Prem team that got me pretty frustrated since the situation was kind of absurd. Other than that I just loved the story of development of the team, business and even the town's support. If you are a person who likes Welcome to Wrexham or any underdog story with a side of romance then I would absolutely recommend you pick this up and then want to watch all of the soccer/football games you can.
This is the story of Lily, university student, who starts a local football (soccer) team with her dad and sister to replace the higher league team who abandoned the town. As the new team, Crawford United, starts to develop in walks Ben Pryce, Premiere League striker and brother to a teammate, who volunteers to help the team in whatever way he can. As Lily and Ben start spending more time together they start a secret relationship as they don't want to distract from getting the team ready to play. When Ben goes back to his Premiere League team, him and Lily have to decide what is best for them, a long distance relationship or is it to hard to be so far apart.
What I Loved:
- Crawford United, its a team that was developed after frustration with the business of "big football" and it was a family affair throughout always thinking about the town
- Lily, she is in charge of the business of starting a new club before she even finished her business degree I was really impressed by her ability and just her overall desire to do everything right with the club even when it affected her personally
- The team, the group of guys they bring together to make up the team are a rag tag group of lads who really do love the sport and want to make the town proud, they also step up to help when needed and just want what is best for each other
- Secret Romance, when Ben and Lily decide to officially date they want to keep it on the DL to make sure it doesn't distract from the team but I love when have the people can tell right away and this was definitely one of those situations
Overall as a huge football/soccer fan I really enjoyed this book. There were parts specifically when Ben goes back to his Prem team that got me pretty frustrated since the situation was kind of absurd. Other than that I just loved the story of development of the team, business and even the town's support. If you are a person who likes Welcome to Wrexham or any underdog story with a side of romance then I would absolutely recommend you pick this up and then want to watch all of the soccer/football games you can.
May 14, 2024
After their favorite football club announces that it is moving sixty miles away, Lily Crawford’s father comes up with a brilliant idea, as father’s do: we’ll just create and operate a new local football club ourselves. Are they qualified to do this? No, but they have an incomplete business degree, experience coaching children, a GoFundMe page and moxie for days. Ben Pryce is a professional football player best known for his temper. While on suspension due to an altercation with a fan, Ben decides to pop by and peruse his brother’s new amateur club. In an attempt to clean up his image, Ben ends up assistant coaching Crawford United.
The first 20%ish is very much dedicated to building and establishing the football club. So the romance between sports fans and the game is present right out of the gate, but the romance between the MCs doesn’t begin until later in the book. It can feel a little slow at the beginning, but I didn’t mind this because it was absolutely necessary to lay the foundation for this football club being a community effort.
Ben and Lily are instantly smitten with each other, but she does not want to tell her father she’s spending any time with the well known (and combative) playboy of the Premier League. After all of the world building around the football club, their relationship seems to creep up on the story REALLY fast. And then it takes off REALLY fast. And everything else happens REALLY fast. I sort of wish Ben showed up in person just a little bit sooner.
Overall this is pretty cute sports romance and very Ted Lasso-esque! If that’s one of your shows I think you’ll dig this quick read.
Playing the Field is out on June 5th!
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this eARC via NetGalley! All opinions are my own
The first 20%ish is very much dedicated to building and establishing the football club. So the romance between sports fans and the game is present right out of the gate, but the romance between the MCs doesn’t begin until later in the book. It can feel a little slow at the beginning, but I didn’t mind this because it was absolutely necessary to lay the foundation for this football club being a community effort.
Ben and Lily are instantly smitten with each other, but she does not want to tell her father she’s spending any time with the well known (and combative) playboy of the Premier League. After all of the world building around the football club, their relationship seems to creep up on the story REALLY fast. And then it takes off REALLY fast. And everything else happens REALLY fast. I sort of wish Ben showed up in person just a little bit sooner.
Overall this is pretty cute sports romance and very Ted Lasso-esque! If that’s one of your shows I think you’ll dig this quick read.
Playing the Field is out on June 5th!
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this eARC via NetGalley! All opinions are my own
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2024
Playing the Field by Becky Ward
Rating: 3.5/5
Release Date: 5 June 2024
Lily faces a dilemma as her feelings for Ben Pryce deepen. She knows that mixing business with pleasure could jeopardise everything she's worked for with Crawford United. Yet, the magnetic pull between them seems unstoppable. As they navigate their growing attraction, Lily discovers layers to Ben beyond his bad-boy image.
Their secret romance adds another layer of complexity, especially as they strive to keep it hidden from the rest of the team and the community. But as they spend more time together, Lily begins to see Ben's genuine intentions and the struggles he faces, both on and off the field.
Meanwhile, Crawford United faces its own challenges as they strive to make a mark in the football world. With Ben's expertise and guidance, the team starts to show promise, but internal conflicts and external pressures threaten to tear them apart.
I found immense pleasure in this book; it eloquently depicts the concept of 'found family' as the community joins forces to back the team. The special bond shared between Lily and Ben is tangible. Though it starts off leisurely with a strong emphasis on football, the narrative quickly becomes engrossing, and the characters are irresistibly endearing.
Thank you so much to Netgalley, Avon Books UK, and the author, Becky Ward, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.
Rating: 3.5/5
Release Date: 5 June 2024
Lily faces a dilemma as her feelings for Ben Pryce deepen. She knows that mixing business with pleasure could jeopardise everything she's worked for with Crawford United. Yet, the magnetic pull between them seems unstoppable. As they navigate their growing attraction, Lily discovers layers to Ben beyond his bad-boy image.
Their secret romance adds another layer of complexity, especially as they strive to keep it hidden from the rest of the team and the community. But as they spend more time together, Lily begins to see Ben's genuine intentions and the struggles he faces, both on and off the field.
Meanwhile, Crawford United faces its own challenges as they strive to make a mark in the football world. With Ben's expertise and guidance, the team starts to show promise, but internal conflicts and external pressures threaten to tear them apart.
I found immense pleasure in this book; it eloquently depicts the concept of 'found family' as the community joins forces to back the team. The special bond shared between Lily and Ben is tangible. Though it starts off leisurely with a strong emphasis on football, the narrative quickly becomes engrossing, and the characters are irresistibly endearing.
Thank you so much to Netgalley, Avon Books UK, and the author, Becky Ward, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.
May 26, 2024
Rating: 4/5
Spiciness: 2/5
If you've a fan of Ted Lasso and romance, this is the perfect book for you! Lily's family football team is moving out of their city, but Lily's dad is determined to create their own team to keep the friendships and good times going. Ben is a professional footballer with a bad boy reputation who just happens to be the older brother of one of Lily's new players.
This book has great characters not just the leads. I love all the players, the friends, and the fans. This may sound shallow of me but I normally hate when a contemporary romance book goes on and on about the main character's life outside of the romance part. But I actually really enjoyed Lily's family and reading about the team's journey so I wasn't mad when I didn't meet the MMC until later. I love how easy and fun Lily and Ben's relationship was and I was about to rate this book 5 stars but sadly there was some OWD at the end and I kinda lost interest in the MMC. To be clear, there is no cheating as far as I'm concerned but I don't think Ben handle the situation properly and it gave me some apprehesion towards him. By the HEA, I was less in love with him than I had been before. Still a good book overall!
Note: Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the advanced copy. This review is left voluntarily and is purely my own.
Spiciness: 2/5
If you've a fan of Ted Lasso and romance, this is the perfect book for you! Lily's family football team is moving out of their city, but Lily's dad is determined to create their own team to keep the friendships and good times going. Ben is a professional footballer with a bad boy reputation who just happens to be the older brother of one of Lily's new players.
This book has great characters not just the leads. I love all the players, the friends, and the fans. This may sound shallow of me but I normally hate when a contemporary romance book goes on and on about the main character's life outside of the romance part. But I actually really enjoyed Lily's family and reading about the team's journey so I wasn't mad when I didn't meet the MMC until later. I love how easy and fun Lily and Ben's relationship was and I was about to rate this book 5 stars but sadly there was some OWD at the end and I kinda lost interest in the MMC. To be clear, there is no cheating as far as I'm concerned but I don't think Ben handle the situation properly and it gave me some apprehesion towards him. By the HEA, I was less in love with him than I had been before. Still a good book overall!
Note: Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the advanced copy. This review is left voluntarily and is purely my own.
May 25, 2024
This was an okay story for those that have been watching ted lasso in a continuous loop for ages. But it was lacking. We have a newly created underdog football team in England, which was about the first quarter of the book, we have a need to refine his image pro footballer, Ben, who after coming to see his younger brother practice for the newly created team, finds himself only having eyes for Lily, a just finished uni young twenty something, who helped create this team with her dad and sister. The two start hanging out, building such a wholesome friendship and then feelings. Based on the summary I was expecting a forbidden romance but it was more like a they want to keep things on the DL due to their involvement with her team and him trying to reform his image. They're heart eye moments were meltworthy and thoughtful but the romance was not the main plot of the book. Between soccer and all the side characters, there wasn't a lot of room for the reader to fall in love with the two MCs.
A fun read yes, but ultimately I wanted more from this story.
Thank you Netgalley and Avon Books UK
for the ARC in exchange for my review!
A fun read yes, but ultimately I wanted more from this story.
Thank you Netgalley and Avon Books UK
for the ARC in exchange for my review!
June 27, 2024
He might be a player but she will teach him some new moves...
Lily and her family decide to start a new football club when their favorite club moves too far away.
Ben Is a "bad boy" football player who receives a suspension due to an interaction with a fan. His brother is selected for the new football club, so he offers to help coach during his suspension.
When this book was compared to Icebreaker I could not wait to get my hands on it. However, the main story line in this book was how to start a new football club. It read like a "how to" book. At about 20% we start to get a little romance but even then, it is overshadowed by the creation of the new team.
Things really picked up around 80% and then quickly you get distracted by the team issues.
I really liked Ben and Lily. I thought they were both good characters, I just wanted more of them and their romance and less of the team building. Overall, I thought the writing was good, I feel like I could start a football team, I was just expecting a romance and that is not really what the author delivered.
Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this title. This is my honest review.
Lily and her family decide to start a new football club when their favorite club moves too far away.
Ben Is a "bad boy" football player who receives a suspension due to an interaction with a fan. His brother is selected for the new football club, so he offers to help coach during his suspension.
When this book was compared to Icebreaker I could not wait to get my hands on it. However, the main story line in this book was how to start a new football club. It read like a "how to" book. At about 20% we start to get a little romance but even then, it is overshadowed by the creation of the new team.
Things really picked up around 80% and then quickly you get distracted by the team issues.
I really liked Ben and Lily. I thought they were both good characters, I just wanted more of them and their romance and less of the team building. Overall, I thought the writing was good, I feel like I could start a football team, I was just expecting a romance and that is not really what the author delivered.
Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books UK for this title. This is my honest review.
May 19, 2024
My thanks to The Publisher Avon Books UK | Avon , The Author Becky Ward & NetGalley for an advanced reader copy (Release Date: June , 5th, 2024).
Lily is a 24 year old business student finishing her degree while working with her father and sister to build a club soccer team from scratch after their home team chooses to relocate. Lily deals with the stressors of working with her family to create a new team for their hometown while finishing her last set of exams before receiving her degree and, also, falling in love. From start to finish, this is a story about working hard and earnestly even if there is uncertainty in what may come; no efforts are wasted so long as you try your best.
I enjoyed this family/chosen family story a lot. It was wholesome and very community focused. There were fully realized characters outside of the main character and her love interest, which made the book more immersive. I loved how integral soccer was to this book as well. Overall, this was a cozy, relaxing read.
Lily is a 24 year old business student finishing her degree while working with her father and sister to build a club soccer team from scratch after their home team chooses to relocate. Lily deals with the stressors of working with her family to create a new team for their hometown while finishing her last set of exams before receiving her degree and, also, falling in love. From start to finish, this is a story about working hard and earnestly even if there is uncertainty in what may come; no efforts are wasted so long as you try your best.
I enjoyed this family/chosen family story a lot. It was wholesome and very community focused. There were fully realized characters outside of the main character and her love interest, which made the book more immersive. I loved how integral soccer was to this book as well. Overall, this was a cozy, relaxing read.
June 5, 2024
As a massive football fan who recently binged Ted Lasso, I couldn’t resist picking up Playing the Field by Becky! This story follows Lily, a uni student working on her business degree, and Premier League bad boy Ben Pryce. When Lily’s home town football club, Hamcott Park, decides to sell their ground and move away, it hits her family hard. Growing up with her single dad taking her and her sister Cassie to games, the club was a huge part of their lives. Determined not to lose that, Lily’s dad starts a new team, Crawford United, with Cassie as head coach, himself as director, and Lily handling club finances and fundraising.
Ben, suspended for an altercation with a fan, volunteers to help out, and sparks fly between him and Lily. Watching their story unfold was such a joy! I loved the strong sense of community as the family rallied together to create the new team, with local support funding their efforts. Despite his bad-boy image in the media, Ben turns out to be kind and understanding, reminding us that press portrayals aren’t always accurate. Ben and Lily’s relationship really is adorable, and their support for each other is heart-warming.
Personally I feel this book is definitely a new adult romance and in my early 20s, I would have eaten this up, but at 35, the insta-love and Ben’s PR rehab storyline felt a bit less believable at times. Some parts of the plot also dragged a bit, with a lot of detail about football and club creation that could have been condensed. However I did really enjoy the relationships in the story, such as Lily and her family, the boys in the team and the supporters.
Overall, Playing the Field is a charming read with a lovely romance and a great message about community and support
Ben, suspended for an altercation with a fan, volunteers to help out, and sparks fly between him and Lily. Watching their story unfold was such a joy! I loved the strong sense of community as the family rallied together to create the new team, with local support funding their efforts. Despite his bad-boy image in the media, Ben turns out to be kind and understanding, reminding us that press portrayals aren’t always accurate. Ben and Lily’s relationship really is adorable, and their support for each other is heart-warming.
Personally I feel this book is definitely a new adult romance and in my early 20s, I would have eaten this up, but at 35, the insta-love and Ben’s PR rehab storyline felt a bit less believable at times. Some parts of the plot also dragged a bit, with a lot of detail about football and club creation that could have been condensed. However I did really enjoy the relationships in the story, such as Lily and her family, the boys in the team and the supporters.
Overall, Playing the Field is a charming read with a lovely romance and a great message about community and support
June 26, 2025
This was such a fun and cute read! It’s definitely a Brit lit, but the pacing was great and I loved all of the characters and the journey we go on with Lily and her father and sister creating a new soccer club team. I really enjoyed reading about all the challenges they go through from organizing and finding their players, to achieving their dreams. I also loved Lily and Ben’s relationship! I found a really sweet how much Ben wanted to be with Lily and all of the cute dates and trips he would plan. That being said, I really hated the drama at the last third of the book. At times, you really think that the characters are much older and then you get reminded that they’re only in their early 20s. Sometimes it would really show. I wished we could’ve gotten a little bit more communication and honestly a bit more effort from Lily and Ben with their relationship. It seems like they both kind of gave up and I didn’t like that.
If you’re looking for a soccer romance, look no further!
Read if you like:
Heroine’s POV
Soccer romance
Secret relationship
Reformed playboy hero
Open door romance
If you’re looking for a soccer romance, look no further!
Read if you like:
Heroine’s POV
Soccer romance
Secret relationship
Reformed playboy hero
Open door romance
June 2, 2024
Could Lily and Ben actually have a public relationship?
Lily Crawford had been raised attending Hamcott Park football club matches with her father and sister. Their traditions changed when the owners of the team decided to move the team. But their response was to start a new team from scratch with amateur players resulting in Crawford United.
But everything changes when Millford City striker Ben Pryce shows up at a practice even though he’s been suspended from his team for six weeks. Ben needs an image change and maybe helping Crawford United would help? But there is something about Lily but she doesn’t want anybody to know especially her family.
I liked the beginning of Playing the Field and the end but the middle fell flat between Lilly and Ben. I would have given it 3 ½ stars if I could.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the author and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Lily Crawford had been raised attending Hamcott Park football club matches with her father and sister. Their traditions changed when the owners of the team decided to move the team. But their response was to start a new team from scratch with amateur players resulting in Crawford United.
But everything changes when Millford City striker Ben Pryce shows up at a practice even though he’s been suspended from his team for six weeks. Ben needs an image change and maybe helping Crawford United would help? But there is something about Lily but she doesn’t want anybody to know especially her family.
I liked the beginning of Playing the Field and the end but the middle fell flat between Lilly and Ben. I would have given it 3 ½ stars if I could.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the author and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
February 10, 2025
Fun, bingeable sports romance that's really about community. I thought it was a fresh storyline having them start up their own football team and loved their trials and tribulations.
Lily and Ben were perfect from each other though I wish the romance developed a bit slower just to give it a bit more build up. Just see them bonding over football as friends first, and for everyone else to trust him more. The fake relationship storyline served no purpose, their long distances and times were sufficient to provide reasons for a break up. Plus I very much doubt the team needed him to have a fake relationship given he was already in one with a solid, normal girl who was setting up a soccer team - as if a PR department wouldn't have gone heart eyes over that!
I hope we see more stories from the Crawford FC - perhaps setting up a women's team? We do not have enough stories about pro male athletes hooking up with their female counterparts.
Lily and Ben were perfect from each other though I wish the romance developed a bit slower just to give it a bit more build up. Just see them bonding over football as friends first, and for everyone else to trust him more. The fake relationship storyline served no purpose, their long distances and times were sufficient to provide reasons for a break up. Plus I very much doubt the team needed him to have a fake relationship given he was already in one with a solid, normal girl who was setting up a soccer team - as if a PR department wouldn't have gone heart eyes over that!
I hope we see more stories from the Crawford FC - perhaps setting up a women's team? We do not have enough stories about pro male athletes hooking up with their female counterparts.
May 9, 2024
Lily & her family are devastated when her local football club relocates miles away. This leads to the creation of Crawford United, a team formed by her family. Ben Pryce, a professional footballer with a reputation as a 'bad boy', helps coach the team and quickly develops a deep connection with Lily. Despite breaking the rule of mixing business with pleasure, they embark on a secret romance filled with twists and turns.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book; it beautifully portrays the sense of 'found family' as the community bands together to support the team. The unique connection between Lily and Ben is palpable. While initially slow and heavily focused on football, the story soon becomes gripping, and the characters are easy to fall in love with. Fans of Ted Lasso will certainly appreciate this book!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book; it beautifully portrays the sense of 'found family' as the community bands together to support the team. The unique connection between Lily and Ben is palpable. While initially slow and heavily focused on football, the story soon becomes gripping, and the characters are easy to fall in love with. Fans of Ted Lasso will certainly appreciate this book!
May 29, 2024
This was a cute romance with a sweet story of an underdog soccer team, set in England. I really liked the idea of the premise of fans setting up their own team and the challenges and logistics that comes with it.
The love story was ok and frankly I think detracted a little from the soccer team story, which was really the focus of the book. The writing was also juvenile at times, especially during the somewhat random romantic scenes that appeared earlier in the book (yet then not again). And the MC’s love interest did some things around the middle of the book as part of a PR stunt that somewhat got just accepted as is and never discussed again, which didn’t feel great for the MC.
Overall an easy light read.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
The love story was ok and frankly I think detracted a little from the soccer team story, which was really the focus of the book. The writing was also juvenile at times, especially during the somewhat random romantic scenes that appeared earlier in the book (yet then not again). And the MC’s love interest did some things around the middle of the book as part of a PR stunt that somewhat got just accepted as is and never discussed again, which didn’t feel great for the MC.
Overall an easy light read.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
May 13, 2024
Ben, a ‘bad boy’ professional football player, and Lily, a business major and entrepreneur, begin a steamy whirlwind forbidden and secret romance in Playing the Field.
Author Becky Ward has written characters that are passionate and full of heart, a community you’ll be envious you don’t live in, and a football team you’ll want season tickets to. Playing the Field is a more sports-heavy sports romance as the plot of the inter-workings of establishing a new football club is seen throughout, as well as football being a shared passion between Ben and Lily. Playing the Field is a fast-paced and fun read for football romance fans.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an advanced copy of Playing the Field in exchange for my honest review.
Author Becky Ward has written characters that are passionate and full of heart, a community you’ll be envious you don’t live in, and a football team you’ll want season tickets to. Playing the Field is a more sports-heavy sports romance as the plot of the inter-workings of establishing a new football club is seen throughout, as well as football being a shared passion between Ben and Lily. Playing the Field is a fast-paced and fun read for football romance fans.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an advanced copy of Playing the Field in exchange for my honest review.
June 3, 2024
I’ve gone backwards and forwards on my rating for this book. There were aspects I really enjoyed but others that I really struggled with.
I think unless you are a diehard football fan (which I’m not) you’ll struggle to get in to this. There was a lot of background in the first few chapters and as someone without a huge interest in the sport I found it tough to get through. Once we got to the start of the romance story line the book did pick up but I just didn’t buy into the MCs as much as I’d have liked.
The romance was sweet and there was sections that I powered through but overall it fell a little flat for me.
The authors writing style was really enjoyable though so I’m keen to try one of her books that isn’t related to football to see if I enjoy that.
I think unless you are a diehard football fan (which I’m not) you’ll struggle to get in to this. There was a lot of background in the first few chapters and as someone without a huge interest in the sport I found it tough to get through. Once we got to the start of the romance story line the book did pick up but I just didn’t buy into the MCs as much as I’d have liked.
The romance was sweet and there was sections that I powered through but overall it fell a little flat for me.
The authors writing style was really enjoyable though so I’m keen to try one of her books that isn’t related to football to see if I enjoy that.
June 28, 2024
I love a romcom with a misunderstood, bad boy. Not that we particularly know what it is that Ben's done so wrong, just that there's been something.
When the Crawford family set up a local football team, you quickly started to root for an underdog cause, and I could totally picture everything. It was so small-town, family fantastic.
Of course Ben and Lily quickly fall for each other, and when Ben goes back to Milwall, you'd be forgiven for wanting to give him a slap round the back of the head and telling him to wise up. Lily, luckily, has Phoebs and Crawfors United to keep her spirits up. But there's a happy ending all round, so I was overjoyed with that.
It's a fun, fast read, perfect for fans of romcoms with a bit of added spice.
When the Crawford family set up a local football team, you quickly started to root for an underdog cause, and I could totally picture everything. It was so small-town, family fantastic.
Of course Ben and Lily quickly fall for each other, and when Ben goes back to Milwall, you'd be forgiven for wanting to give him a slap round the back of the head and telling him to wise up. Lily, luckily, has Phoebs and Crawfors United to keep her spirits up. But there's a happy ending all round, so I was overjoyed with that.
It's a fun, fast read, perfect for fans of romcoms with a bit of added spice.
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