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Hoops & Heartstrings
When a devastating injury threatens Lex Bennet’s dream of playing in the women’s professional basketball league, her world is turned upside down. Despite the setback, Lex is unexpectedly drafted by the new expansion team in Boston. Her jubilation is short-lived, however, when she finds herself on the same roster as Eva Montgomery, her long-time college rival and the woman responsible for her injury.
Once adversaries on the court, Lex and Eva must navigate their new dynamic as teammates. As they confront their past and strive to find common ground, unresolved emotions and an undeniable attraction simmer between them, becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
For Eva, the pressure of professional sports is compounded by her struggle with coming out. Her evolving relationship with Lex—from fierce adversaries to something more complicated—adds layers of tension and uncertainty.
Can they overcome their past and build a future together, both on and off the court? With the scrutiny of fame threatening to expose their relationship, will Eva find the courage to embrace a future with Lex? And will Lex's support be enough to guide them toward happiness?
Old rivals, new teammates—will their unresolved past lead to love or disaster?
Once adversaries on the court, Lex and Eva must navigate their new dynamic as teammates. As they confront their past and strive to find common ground, unresolved emotions and an undeniable attraction simmer between them, becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
For Eva, the pressure of professional sports is compounded by her struggle with coming out. Her evolving relationship with Lex—from fierce adversaries to something more complicated—adds layers of tension and uncertainty.
Can they overcome their past and build a future together, both on and off the court? With the scrutiny of fame threatening to expose their relationship, will Eva find the courage to embrace a future with Lex? And will Lex's support be enough to guide them toward happiness?
Old rivals, new teammates—will their unresolved past lead to love or disaster?
410 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 19, 2024
241 people are currently reading
1055 people want to read
About the author
Eliza Lentzski
30 books852 followersEliza Lentzski is the best-selling author of sapphic fiction, romance, and erotica including the Winter Jacket and Don’t Call Me Hero series. A historian by day, Eliza is passionate about telling the stories of marginalized communities.
Born and raised in the upper Midwest—a landscape that often shapes her novels—Eliza now lives in Boston with her wife and their cat, Charley.
Born and raised in the upper Midwest—a landscape that often shapes her novels—Eliza now lives in Boston with her wife and their cat, Charley.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
November 16, 2025
**'If you have a good premise, enticing material and a nice flow then get to telling that story..'
3.5 stars!
A nice women's basketball storyline -- with other key narratives that involve a romance, activities of a few secondary characters/players and the lifestyles of WNBA players etc. etc. etc.
Highly recommended book!
3.5 stars!
A nice women's basketball storyline -- with other key narratives that involve a romance, activities of a few secondary characters/players and the lifestyles of WNBA players etc. etc. etc.
Highly recommended book!
September 28, 2024
Lex Bennet and Eva Montgomery are rivals in college basketball. Then to their surprise, both are drafted to the same fictional professional expansion team, Boston Shamrocks. Neither is happy about the news.
I’ve seen the author on soc media chatting about the wnba so I had high hopes for the basketball aspect of the story. I’ve been a season ticket holder for the Sky and was at Wintrust when they won the championship in 2021 so I needed to see some authenticity. Happy to report that the basketball details are spot on but also, they’re explained so non-fans will understand as well. In-house team politics cause a bit of interesting tension which adds some good drama. Lex and Eva also seem like they would fit in with today’s wnba players who have one eye on the court and the other on their image. Their teammates add some good moments too. But of course, the best part of the book is the enemies to lovers trope between Lex and Eva. Sex and Basketball is the theme here because anywhere and any time. I would recommend if you like sports stories with a lot of heat.
I’ve seen the author on soc media chatting about the wnba so I had high hopes for the basketball aspect of the story. I’ve been a season ticket holder for the Sky and was at Wintrust when they won the championship in 2021 so I needed to see some authenticity. Happy to report that the basketball details are spot on but also, they’re explained so non-fans will understand as well. In-house team politics cause a bit of interesting tension which adds some good drama. Lex and Eva also seem like they would fit in with today’s wnba players who have one eye on the court and the other on their image. Their teammates add some good moments too. But of course, the best part of the book is the enemies to lovers trope between Lex and Eva. Sex and Basketball is the theme here because anywhere and any time. I would recommend if you like sports stories with a lot of heat.
November 23, 2025
4⭐️
Great sports romance. Two women are in their first season as professional basketball players. It's about first professional contracts, the long way back after an injury, teammates and rivals, and team politics. A rivals-to-lovers romance with a bi-racial couple in the world of the WNBA. And sometimes it gets hot. Great story from Eliza Lentzski and wonderfully narrated by Quinn Riley
Great sports romance. Two women are in their first season as professional basketball players. It's about first professional contracts, the long way back after an injury, teammates and rivals, and team politics. A rivals-to-lovers romance with a bi-racial couple in the world of the WNBA. And sometimes it gets hot. Great story from Eliza Lentzski and wonderfully narrated by Quinn Riley
October 30, 2024
I’ve never been much of a basketball fan since it's not big where I live. So I did some googling into basketball to understand the game and reviews that I read that draw parallels between Eva and Lex’s relationship with that of Caitlin and Angel. I can't say much about C&A, but let me tell you about "Hoops & Heartstrings" — I absolutely adored it! The plot was captivating, and I loved reading the two main characters evolve from enemies to roommates, and ultimately to lovers. Their journey was such a delightful read!
4.5 ⭐️
4.5 ⭐️
October 9, 2024
Gotta say, Eva Montgomery really grew on me. She went from being Lex's nemesis to this super sweet teammate and girlfriend. Talk about a glow-up!
June 23, 2025
I will admit that I don’t like sports romances. I played tons and tons of sports back when I was young and the dinosaurs walked the earth. But reading about all of the technical aspects of sports just doesn’t do it for me. The romance in almost all of them is between the author and the sport and not between the MCs. I also automatically deduct a star for any book that has professional athletes having sex in a locker room.
I will also admit that I read this book for the steamy scenes. Those absolutely delivered. It’s also clear to me that Eliza Lentzski is a talented writer. The romance in Hoops and Heartstrings fell a bit short for me. The “enemies” part was kinda glossed over very quickly. There really wasn’t much tension between Lex and Ava and there was so much opportunity to build up the attraction before they got together. Ava’s choice to focus on African American causes rather than LGBTQ causes could have been explored to help Lex get some perspective on having an African American girlfriend, and that was glossed over. The pay disparities between women’s and men’s sports was sort of mentioned. I’m not saying every issued had to be tackled, but it would have been nice to see Lex and Ava come together as a couple and struggle a little bit before the HEA.
I will also admit that I read this book for the steamy scenes. Those absolutely delivered. It’s also clear to me that Eliza Lentzski is a talented writer. The romance in Hoops and Heartstrings fell a bit short for me. The “enemies” part was kinda glossed over very quickly. There really wasn’t much tension between Lex and Ava and there was so much opportunity to build up the attraction before they got together. Ava’s choice to focus on African American causes rather than LGBTQ causes could have been explored to help Lex get some perspective on having an African American girlfriend, and that was glossed over. The pay disparities between women’s and men’s sports was sort of mentioned. I’m not saying every issued had to be tackled, but it would have been nice to see Lex and Ava come together as a couple and struggle a little bit before the HEA.
October 2, 2024
Very cute, very WNBA coded (yeah I know duh) but I loved that it was an interracial sapphic relationship too! Coming from the Midwest, I had to laugh at the macaroni salad and the ope!
October 19, 2025
🤎
🤎WNBA romance
🧡rivals to lovers
🤎Roommate/forced proximity
🧡Interracial couple
🤎🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
I really enjoyed this book. I heard a lot about it and figured to give it a try. I’m so happy I did. There’s lots of basketball talk which I know almost nothing about but I was not lost of confused at all.
Lex broke her wrist after being pushed by Eva during a game against each other. Lex is still healing from her surgery but ends up on the same team as Eva. The banter between the two was fun to read. They really hated each other but that doesn’t last long as they start to get to know each other. Few bumps in the road, long distance relationship and basketball drama. Minimal angst and very steamy scenes 🌶️😏 No third act breakup and the ending was wrapped up perfectly.
🤎WNBA romance
🧡rivals to lovers
🤎Roommate/forced proximity
🧡Interracial couple
🤎🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
I really enjoyed this book. I heard a lot about it and figured to give it a try. I’m so happy I did. There’s lots of basketball talk which I know almost nothing about but I was not lost of confused at all.
Lex broke her wrist after being pushed by Eva during a game against each other. Lex is still healing from her surgery but ends up on the same team as Eva. The banter between the two was fun to read. They really hated each other but that doesn’t last long as they start to get to know each other. Few bumps in the road, long distance relationship and basketball drama. Minimal angst and very steamy scenes 🌶️😏 No third act breakup and the ending was wrapped up perfectly.
June 26, 2025
2.75 rounded up as I usually love the authors works. I was very disappointed with this one, zero chemistry, flat, bland characters
February 5, 2025
4.5 Stars
I won’t do a formal, stiff review because Eliza Lentszki. I swear, every book this author puts out I end up loving. This book! It’s funny in a subtle way, it’s immersive, the dialogue is realistic, the tension real, the feelings are relatable, it’s just everything you’d want a contemporary novel to be! I don’t know how they do it! Some authors write a play by play of a character’s day and I end up getting bored. But Eliza Lentszki? I revel in the character’s mundane tasks. What does the author do differently? Good question. I don’t know either. They just do.
For sports girlies and the not sporty girlies. It’s an Eliza Lentszki book. You’ll love it.
I won’t do a formal, stiff review because Eliza Lentszki. I swear, every book this author puts out I end up loving. This book! It’s funny in a subtle way, it’s immersive, the dialogue is realistic, the tension real, the feelings are relatable, it’s just everything you’d want a contemporary novel to be! I don’t know how they do it! Some authors write a play by play of a character’s day and I end up getting bored. But Eliza Lentszki? I revel in the character’s mundane tasks. What does the author do differently? Good question. I don’t know either. They just do.
For sports girlies and the not sporty girlies. It’s an Eliza Lentszki book. You’ll love it.
October 13, 2024
Yep. Winning. I’m not a basketball fan but as this was an Eliza Lentzski book I couldn’t pass it up. So glad I didn’t. I loved the characters and the story. A very satisfying read.
October 22, 2024
You know I’m a Massachusetts native I love basketball I love Boston and I love woman so for me this was the ideal book wish Boston won tho lol had me at the edge of my seat like I was watching the Celtics play which the Celtics are playing tonight so nice book until I watch Celt tonight
October 2, 2025
5 stars. I am a fan of sports romances, especially team sports romances, and, although I know very little about basketball, I truly enjoyed reading Hoops & Heartstrings. I've read/listened a couple of Lentzski's books and liked them but this newest novel is by far my favorite.
Hoops & Heartstrings is well written rivals to lovers romance. Neither the main character or the love interest are annoying or mean. There's chemistry between them, there's quite a lot of spice, and as the story evolves there's more and more sweet and cutesy scenes/gestures, too. And there are 'I will fight for her' vibes which I haven't seen a lot in wlw sports romances. And there's a bit Cleat Cute energy there, too. Pretty perfect for my taste.
Ps. You don't have to know basketball terms or even rules to like the book. The author explains needed technical things within the story but there's no text book feeling.
Hoops & Heartstrings is well written rivals to lovers romance. Neither the main character or the love interest are annoying or mean. There's chemistry between them, there's quite a lot of spice, and as the story evolves there's more and more sweet and cutesy scenes/gestures, too. And there are 'I will fight for her' vibes which I haven't seen a lot in wlw sports romances. And there's a bit Cleat Cute energy there, too. Pretty perfect for my taste.
Ps. You don't have to know basketball terms or even rules to like the book. The author explains needed technical things within the story but there's no text book feeling.
December 20, 2024
As a Women’s basketball fan, this peaked my interest. I was expecting more petty drama that you see in other sports romance books (and sometimes IRL) but was pleasantly surprised it was absent here. This was a sweet, low angst romance with a fair amount of 🌶️. The slow love tale was believable with the just the right amount of initial tension to make you vested in the “when will they succumb!?” I would read about these two again (hint: please make a sequel).
February 1, 2025
Dreadful brick wall ending - really, a star writer like EL should know better. But excellent story as always, easy to read, easy to enjoy.
May 15, 2025
this is SUCH a me-coded book wow i loved it!! this is an absolutely must read for women’s bball fans esp as we’re entering wnba season. it felt like i was actually watching some of the games being described, i was so into it!! and i’ve been searching for silly little sapphic novels and this fit all of my wants. it was so cute and made me want a basketball gf all the more
September 30, 2024
Beautiful Story
This was a terrific story very well written and the two main characters were very well developed. I liked the way the author wrote the game sequences making you feel like you are there in the stands.
This was a terrific story very well written and the two main characters were very well developed. I liked the way the author wrote the game sequences making you feel like you are there in the stands.
July 28, 2025
this book was really bland like no drama and everything came so easy to the character
also no other characters were elaborated on but it was gay so that bumped it up to 3 stars instead of 2
also no other characters were elaborated on but it was gay so that bumped it up to 3 stars instead of 2
November 26, 2024
3.5 ⭐️ rounded up.
I usually enjoy Lentzski's books, and this one was no different. It was a deep scope into the basketball world, which for me was very informative as I knew nothing about the sport.
The characters were interesting and layered, their struggles were clear on the page, and the pace of the story was very satisfactory.
Unfortunately, for me, the story ended up being just enjoyable rather than great. There were a few things that rubbed me the wrong way.
The first and most important was the fact that there was never an actual conversation between Eva and Lex about what happened in college. I get it that sometimes you leave the past in the past, but it just doesn't sit right with me that there was not an ounce of comeuppance for what Eva did. She could have ended Lex's career, and only a "I lost my head for a bit" is just not good enough.
Moreover, the absolute lack of conflict also grinded my gear. I am not one to enjoy unnecessary drama and tear mongering plot lines, but there has to be actual conflict, so in the end, the HEA feels earned. As soon as Lex and Eva got together, there was no real conflict between them to make the story tick.
Lastly, the ending fell flat for me. There was so much talked about between the two characters, and to end it the way it did, it made me go, "Is that it??" as the acknowledgements page came about. How did the media take Eva's coming out? Did they figure out what to do for the off-season? What was the point of Eva's mum going to Lex's game? All those questions would have been answered with an epilogue.
In any case, the read was overall enjoyable, but it missed a few ticks to make me actually swoon over it.
I usually enjoy Lentzski's books, and this one was no different. It was a deep scope into the basketball world, which for me was very informative as I knew nothing about the sport.
The characters were interesting and layered, their struggles were clear on the page, and the pace of the story was very satisfactory.
Unfortunately, for me, the story ended up being just enjoyable rather than great. There were a few things that rubbed me the wrong way.
The first and most important was the fact that there was never an actual conversation between Eva and Lex about what happened in college. I get it that sometimes you leave the past in the past, but it just doesn't sit right with me that there was not an ounce of comeuppance for what Eva did. She could have ended Lex's career, and only a "I lost my head for a bit" is just not good enough.
Moreover, the absolute lack of conflict also grinded my gear. I am not one to enjoy unnecessary drama and tear mongering plot lines, but there has to be actual conflict, so in the end, the HEA feels earned. As soon as Lex and Eva got together, there was no real conflict between them to make the story tick.
Lastly, the ending fell flat for me. There was so much talked about between the two characters, and to end it the way it did, it made me go, "Is that it??" as the acknowledgements page came about. How did the media take Eva's coming out? Did they figure out what to do for the off-season? What was the point of Eva's mum going to Lex's game? All those questions would have been answered with an epilogue.
In any case, the read was overall enjoyable, but it missed a few ticks to make me actually swoon over it.
November 14, 2025
This was my first Eliza Lentzski book, and I enjoyed this for the most part. I generally like enemies/rivals-to-lovers, and Hoops & Heartstrings offered an interesting set up in that regard. I mean, Eva nearly ended Lex's dreams of playing professional basketball in the NCAA tournament on what was definitely a dirty play. By some miracle, they're both drafted to the same team and are apartment mates, too. Needless to say, things are tense--but interesting, too.
What I appreciated about this story is that Lentzski avoids the romance miscommunication cliche. There's a moment when things between Eva and Lex could have ended due to an assumption, a rumour, and it just never materialized. I was relieved!
For me, though, the story had way too much sex. I know that's going to be a plus for a lot of readers, but I would have liked fewer of these scenes and more romance. I'll always take romance over sex. But for those of you who like the smut, enjoy this. There's a lot of it to enjoy.
What I appreciated about this story is that Lentzski avoids the romance miscommunication cliche. There's a moment when things between Eva and Lex could have ended due to an assumption, a rumour, and it just never materialized. I was relieved!
For me, though, the story had way too much sex. I know that's going to be a plus for a lot of readers, but I would have liked fewer of these scenes and more romance. I'll always take romance over sex. But for those of you who like the smut, enjoy this. There's a lot of it to enjoy.
October 3, 2024
A Perfect Hoops Romance!
I love Eliza Lentzski. I have read all her books, my favorite series”Don’t Call Me A Hero” but a girl basketball romance, I like the twist. There was so many good things in this book. With the popularity of the WNBA and a specific player, I had high hopes for this book because of the author and her past writings. I was not disappointed. This story made me happy. Lex Bennet and Eva Montgomery were the perfect enemies. A heartbreaking accident takes Lex out of the playoffs and her dream of a top pick in the WNBA Draft. Surgery was done right away and watching the person who pushed her during that play go number one in the draft was killing her. When she goes to bed, now living at home again, she awaken by her mother who yells that she did get drafted. The bad part, she is now on the new expansion team and her teammate is the one who put her in a cast. The chemistry between these two was on point and the storytelling made this a book you cannot put down. I wanted more. I wanted an epilogue that would let me know they made it, together.
I love Eliza Lentzski. I have read all her books, my favorite series”Don’t Call Me A Hero” but a girl basketball romance, I like the twist. There was so many good things in this book. With the popularity of the WNBA and a specific player, I had high hopes for this book because of the author and her past writings. I was not disappointed. This story made me happy. Lex Bennet and Eva Montgomery were the perfect enemies. A heartbreaking accident takes Lex out of the playoffs and her dream of a top pick in the WNBA Draft. Surgery was done right away and watching the person who pushed her during that play go number one in the draft was killing her. When she goes to bed, now living at home again, she awaken by her mother who yells that she did get drafted. The bad part, she is now on the new expansion team and her teammate is the one who put her in a cast. The chemistry between these two was on point and the storytelling made this a book you cannot put down. I wanted more. I wanted an epilogue that would let me know they made it, together.
October 17, 2024
Love or basketball
This is a basketball story with a friends to lovers romance thrown in. Eva and Lex are rivals who end up on the same WNBA roster. There are things I really liked about this story such as the attention to detail about the sport, the MCs were interestingly flawed and the story line was engaging. However, I felt that some of the character arcs felt incomplete. Overall, I would still recommend this book to my friends.
This is a basketball story with a friends to lovers romance thrown in. Eva and Lex are rivals who end up on the same WNBA roster. There are things I really liked about this story such as the attention to detail about the sport, the MCs were interestingly flawed and the story line was engaging. However, I felt that some of the character arcs felt incomplete. Overall, I would still recommend this book to my friends.
January 23, 2025
I’ve finally read a 5 star romance!! I feel like this book was written for me lol, like it was perfect in my eyes. Slow burn but not too slow; realistic enemies to lovers; accurate descriptions of basketball/wnba; perfectly spicy; and most importantly, no miscommunication trope!!!
July 16, 2025
It was a cute sapphic romance, no intense drama. It felt like I was watching a true love story
August 16, 2025
I really enjoyed this one! Maybe my fave sapphic basketball romance
October 30, 2025
2.5 stars overall but 5 stars for the basketball content!
August 20, 2025
5/5 - sapphic, contemporary, enemies to lovers, basketball, sports. Woo! I loved this book and devoured it in one sitting. It was just such a fun read, especially for WNBA fans (such as myself), and it felt like we got to see more of the sport itself and the life of WNBA players rather than this simply being a romance with sports happening in the background. I love sports romances and this is definitely going in the top 5 for me. Really enjoyable romance but also really enjoyable basketball perspective here, and I can’t wait for the sequel! (Also I saw someone on Reddit say they read Lex and Eva as Paige and Azzi and I can’t unsee it, I’m obsessed)
January 18, 2025
overall a good book, it really got my attention in the first part of the book when there’s a lot of tension between the characters but as soon as they get together, i feel like the chapters are pretty much the same
still would recommend tho
still would recommend tho
August 21, 2025
wdym that the sequel is not out yet💔
Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews