Sidelined

by Ki Stephens

When collegiate soccer player, Callum, reconnects with his childhood friend, Lila, he discovers that the only thing that rivals his passion for the game is his feelings for her. As they navigate the transition from strangers to friends to lovers, both must decide if they're willing to risk their lifelong bond for a chance at something more.

Genres: Sports, Romance, Sports Romance, Friends To Lovers, Novella, New Adult, College

62 pages, Paperback

Published June 21, 2024

About the author

Ki Stephens is a romance enthusiast who finds comfort in the happily-ever-after . . . with just a little bit of angst along the way. She has a special interest in works that include neurodivergent characters like herself. When she’s not daydreaming about books, Ki enjoys working with kids, creating art in her backyard studio, and spending loads of time with her baby girl, her husband, and their three pets.

Reviews

[Maven_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sidelined by Ki Stephens is a sweet college sports romance novella about Callum, a collegiate soccer player, and Lila, his childhood best friend turned stranger, whose paths cross again during their senior year as they wrestle with lingering feelings and decisions about whether friendship can become something more. Through a series of reconnecting conversations, flashbacks to childhood, and shared moments at games, their bond gradually evolves from nostalgic familiarity to honest, heated affection in a story that weaves together friends to lovers and second chance romance tropes.

What charmed me was how Stephens managed to make Callum and Lila feel fully alive even within a brief narrative: their easy chemistry, unspoken history, and the tender way they rediscover each other kept me emotionally invested from start to finish. The pacing is brisk, and small glimpses into their past deepen the sweetness and longing of their renewed connection, making this feel complete despite its short length.

Rating: 4 out of 5, because its heartfelt journey from old friendship to new romance felt satisfying and intimate even in novella form.

[Ms. Absolem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Si estuvo bueno, tiene su historia, problemática y todo lo resuelven super bien.

[mylla ♡·˚ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars !! arc review <3

“you were fucking made for me, lila. you know that?”
“i know. i’ve always known.”

TROPES:
ᥫ᭡ childhood friends to stranger to lovers
ᥫ᭡ soccer player x architecture student
ᥫ᭡ oblivious to love
ᥫ᭡ mini flashbacks

micro tropes:
ᥫ᭡ possessive mmc
ᥫ᭡ “there’s my girl”
ᥫ᭡ “it has always been you” kind of love

“don’t worry, because i see you now, li. clear as day.”
“i see you, too. and i love you, callum, more than anything.”
“i love you. always have. always will.”

lila and callum have been best friends since they were kids but during freshman year at college something happens and they stop talking. but on their senior year, everything changes !!! cal spots lila at his game and they agree to meet after years of no contact. and ofc they know that the sparks and butterflies are still there <3

short stories are hard to work with because a lot of authors don’t know how to manage few pages to develop the story but ki probably just wrote my favorite novella.

this is the most perfect novella . ki was able to do their justice in only seven chapters, it was such an amazing and well done pacing !!! ofc i would love to hear more about li and cal but being honest, this was flawless and impeccable.

childhood friends to strangers to lovers is an underrated trope !!!!!!! lila stopped talking to callum because they kissed and it’s SO realistic to us who fall in love with a best friend and don’t know if it’s mutual and get too afraid to pursue with it.

i got so happy when they started talking again to then confession their love :,) and i wasn’t ready for the bracelet parallel !!!! they’re the cutest i swear. callum is my new book bf and i wish i could be friends with lila <3

SIDELINED HAS SO MANY INCREDIBLE QUOTES, i’ve so many highlights, nobody is ready for this one !!! the saddest quote according to me: the night that turned a “see you later” into an endless goodbye. tbh it’s poetic to me

i would like to say thank you to ki because she sent me this arc !!! ofc she knew i would hunt her for one <3333

[sage · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, very cute friends to strangers to lovers <3

[Aoife · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick cute romance and I really enjoyed it.

[lav · Rating 5 out of 5]

como eu amo friends to lovers, sempre o melhor trope de livro!

[Joana (joanasbookshelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was so so cute!! forever in love with everything Ki Stephens writes.

[Salma [Ramadan HIATUS] · Rating 1 out of 5]

Although it's a novella, it felt rushed and as though some details were missing. Also, I couldn't stand the FMC.

[Karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cute novella. I always say the same with these shorter type of stories but i think you can’t go wrong with them. We have the story of Callum and Lila, who had been friends since there were children. During the awkward teen years they both had feelings for each other but never seem to have the courage to say anything or overlap in bing single so nothing ever happened. Once they moved into college, the unreciprocated feelings became too much for Lila so she started to pull away from the friendship instead of voicing her feelings. Callum, while he missed Lila, wasn’t ready to tell her his true feelings either and, instead of reaching out and trying harder to maintain the friendship their freshman year, he let her pull away.

Here they are, as seniors, and their paths cross again. they decide to catch-up and eventually rekindle their friendship. However, this time their feelings and attraction are even stronger for each other and they want to take the step and rush having a relationship. I loved the story and I wish that this was a full novel instead of a novella because I would love to have details of what their friendship was like before and draw out the process of their relationship growing and becoming a couple.

[Mackenzie Kurdzel · Rating 4 out of 5]

we all know by now, friends to lovers is superior. ESPECIALLY childhood friends to lovers

[Madeleine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so utterly in love with Callum and Lila 🥺

Callum is a star college soccer player and Lila is an architecture student - the two have been best friends since childhood but during college they drift apart. Now they have a second chance to be back in each other’s lives, and must now decide whether they’re going to stay friends or take the leap and admit their feelings for one another.

Sidelined was so freaking cute, and I love the pining between Callum and Lila. The way these two love each other, but also value each others friendship in their lives, was one of the sweetest parts of this book - they both care about each other so much 🥺 and of course, it wouldn’t be Ki without some spice 🫢 and Callum and Lila DELIVERED 👀

I’m not usually a fan of novellas because they often feel rushed or like something is missing from the story, but this was so good! such a sweet story and it felt complete even though it’s short, I didn’t feel like we were missing anything in their love story - although if Ki ever decided she wanted to give us more callum and lila content i wouldn’t be opposed hehe

[Natalia Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Usually, I’m not really a novella type of girl but for Ki Stephens, I would make an exception and boy was I not disappointed! ‘Sidelined’ was a mix of past and present scenes that were placed in such a way that the past scenes complemented the present ones, giving the reader bits and pieces of Lila and Callum’s story without giving too much each time. I’m also not a big fan of second-chance romances, mostly because of the miscommunication that happens but because of the way this novella was written, I didn’t mind as much. A cute fast read about two childhood friends turned strangers and then lovers, full of humour and cute scenes that make it feel like a full-length novel. Another amazing read by the author!

[Sukriti · Rating 3 out of 5]

**Book Review: *Sidelined* by Ki Stephens**

*Sidelined* is a gripping sports romance about love, ambition, and second chances. The story follows a talented athlete whose dreams are put on hold due to unexpected circumstances. As they navigate personal struggles and the pressure of the game, romance sparks in unexpected ways. Ki Stephens delivers a heartfelt and engaging narrative with well-developed characters and emotional depth. The book balances drama, passion, and self-discovery, making it an exciting read for fans of sports romance. With relatable themes and a fast-paced storyline, *Sidelined* keeps readers hooked from start to finish. Perfect for those who love inspiring love stories!

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an entertaining, quick read! If you’re looking for a college football, friends to lovers romance this novella is perfect. I read it within an hour and did not want it to end I was so invested! Despite it being a novella, I thought we found out a lot about the characters and their friendship throughout the years, which added to the connection of the characters and made their relationship even more special. It was really sweet seeing some moments from their childhood to now, when they’re in college, and they finally reconnect after all those years apart. I definitely wanna go back and read the other authors novellas too as the tropes seem like something I would be interested in!

[mer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Should've kissed you anyway.
I was wondering how they would re-link and confess their feelings in such a short amount of pages but it actually worked very well. characters were nice, I liked reading about them and seeing them get together. The reason for their distance and the way they reconnected was very realistic to me, friendships either end for good if you try to reconnect or you go back like you never stopped talking in the first place. I like that they talked everything out, and even conclude on how to go forward, it was very nice <3

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an e-ARC for Sidelined by Ki Stephens

Callum and Lila were childhood besties who drifted apart, only to become friends again then to lovers.

Callum finally acts upon his feelings when he spots Lila in the stands, but almost loses her again. So they start becoming friends again before talking about their deepest desires. This short story is sweet, swoony, spicy and oh so good.

4 stars

[threadedinfiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

“it’s sweet cherries. it’s pure heaven. it’s an overwhelming sense of peace. it’s finding my way back home after an eternity of aimless wandering, and i never want to be lost again”

i love ki’s writing and i really enjoyed this little novelette, it was such a adorable and cute lil quick read and i loved callum and lila’s characters!! childhood friends (turned strangers) to lovers AND a sorta second chance romance?! literally all my favourite tropes in one<3 if we were to get a full length novel based on these two then i’m definitely not complaining i would love to read more about callum&lila<3

[Kristin Mewhinney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sidelined was a sweet, cozy read with a lot of heart packed into a short novelette. I loved the warm connection between the characters — their chemistry felt natural and comforting. It gave off soft autumn vibes, perfect for a quick emotional escape. While I wished there was a bit more depth or time to explore their stories further, it still delivered a tender and feel-good experience. Definitely worth the read if you’re in the mood for something short and sweet.

[ellen samson · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You don't have to be perfect for me, Cal. You're already everything I've ever wanted and more."

*read back in march, just added on here now*
This novella was so CUTE, I loved Lila and Callum and their little story!!! I also loved the pacing as I tend to feel that most short stories/novellas feel quite rushed. However, Sidelined felt perfect despite only being 7 chapters long!

[sheridan · Rating 3 out of 5]

super cute but due to the super short length the pacing felt a little all over the place, quite rushed and lacking depth - this is no fault to ki and i’d still recommend giving it a go just because it’s still an enjoyable and quick read that you won’t regret afterwards, it’s just nothing too memorable. i think this couple could’ve been great if ki had the opportunity to build the characters and there stories the way she executes so perfectly in the coastal u series

[Amira · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️ as a proud ki stephens enjoyer, i will read anything she writes. This was a short and sweet second-chance friends-to-strangers-to-lovers story featuring cal and lila. i loved the pacing; the use of the tropes was perfect. their familiarity with each other made the story feel so natural, which i really enjoyed.

[Naybee · Rating 5 out of 5]

so freaking cute

I honestly love all Ki Stephen’s books. Cal and Li are just as cute and sweet as all her other characters. I loved the then vs now. I’m not usually a fan of friends to lovers but this was so cute.

[Genesis Ruissen-Hohaia]

Quick cute read

I adored this quick little novelette. Callum and Lila are so cute, if your looking for a quick and cute childhood lovers story this is it

[kaffeezeilen · Rating 3 out of 5]

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ . 75 / 5

[Annie Tasaka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short + Sweet

3.5⭐️
Really quick read but sweet with the childhood flashbacks.
Second chance, best friends and college athlete all my favourite tropes.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was fine, and I know that ut wasn’t meant to be a super long story, but it just felt like it was missing details and was really rushed !! Fun just wouldn’t read again

[Maries.artcreations · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so cute!! I loved it!

[elisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was adorable

[Sonia (soniaa.reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute lil read!

[Em · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple. Not great. Not bad. Cute at moments