The Prospect

Crawfield Football Club #3

by Kate Lauren

Perhaps the right person was in front of you all along…

Daniel Green

Single and frustrated, Daniel Green, the star defender of Crawfield Football Club, feels like a spectator in a world full of couples. While his friends happily pair off, he finds himself the target of endless teasing about his bachelor status, leaving him adrift and longing for connection.

Luckily, he has Hazel Collins—his childhood best friend and partner in crime, who shares his disdain for the single life and dreams of love beyond the sidelines. Ready to break free from their habitual singleness, together, they hatch a to help each other find their ideal matches. It seems straightforward enough—until Daniel realizes that the real challenge may be confronting the feelings he’s kept hidden for Hazel all along.

As they navigate the ups and downs of dating, Daniel and Hazel are forced to confront their true feelings for one another. Can their friendship withstand the twists and turns of their romantic pursuits, or will they risk losing everything for a chance at love?

Hazel Collins

After a childhood spent moving from place to place, Hazel Collins finally feels at home in Crawley, but it’s not the town that gives her peace; it’s Daniel Green, the boy who took her under his wing from day one.

Fifteen years later, Daniel remains a constant in Hazel’s life—and the secret keeper of her heart. Despite her devoted feelings, she’s never dared to voice them. When Daniel proposes a plan to help each other find their perfect matches, Hazel is torn. Is this the solution to escape her unspoken affection, or will it only complicate things further?

Maybe he’s onto something. Finding each other the perfect match could be the key to moving on from her unspoken feelings. After all, if something was meant to happen between them, wouldn’t it have already? Or is it that the love they’ve both been looking for has been in front of them all along and they’ve both been too blind to see it?

Genres: Friends To Lovers, Sports, Slow Burn, Found Family, Sports Romance

308 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 7, 2025

About the author

Kate Lauren is a “certified fangirl” whose passions include writing contemporary romance novels, using suggestive innuendos any chance she can, and subliminally tying Taylor Swift song titles into her books.

Based out of Toronto, Canada, when Kate’s not daydreaming about which fictional character she’ll create next, you’ll find her with her friends, family and husband—or nose-deep in her next novel.

Reviews

[Evelyn Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Are you serious right now?! How can a book be this GOOD? I’m absolutely blown away!

First off, I need to thank God for blessing Kate with such an extraordinary talent. From the moment I stumbled upon her—or maybe she stumbled upon me—I’ve been completely hooked. Every single book she writes is a masterpiece, each one so good it makes you forget the last.

But now, I’ve found my new favorite. THIS is exactly what I want when I say I want a good friends-to-lovers romance. The build-up? Perfection. The slow burn? Chef’s kiss. The banter? Spot on. And the love triangle? I did not see that coming, but wow, it added so much! Made me fall in love with yet another Crawfield player 😭

Needless to say, I savored every moment of The Prospect. I’m already counting the days until Hart’s story, he’s an absolute GEM, and he deserves nothing but the best.

Rating: 4.75/5 stars!

Thank you Kate for choosing me and trusting me again to be one of your ARC readers, I'll say every time, you have no idea how much I appreciate it and how honoured I am! Love you ~💚

[Sabrina | thebookishspot · Rating 3 out of 5]

✨ARC Review✨

⭐⭐⭐ for The Prospect by Kate Lauren

I've really been enjoying this series, but this one is my least favorite so far! It was good, don't get me wrong, but there was something missing for me to fall in love with it completely.

This one's a slow (and I mean slowwwww) burn so buckle in and arm yourself with patience, because it took them forever to admit their feelings even though they'd both felt the same for YEARS. This is a pet peeve of mine with friends to lovers, because if one of them had just opened their mouth and told the other how they felt, the book wouldn't exist.

I'll admit, there were some cute moments, but I didn't feel like there was that much chemistry between Hazel and Green, and Hazel got on my nerves as the story progressed. She came off as naive and innocent, and it grated on me that her whole personality was her loving Green? There was no depth to her character, unfortunately.

This one missed the mark for me, but I loved the first two books of the series! Give this one a try if you enjoy friends-to-lovers, it's always been you and secret pining on both sides!

Thank you to Kate Lauren for a copy in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate Lauren is an auto-buy author for me. I’ve loved her writing since her debut, To You, Iyla, and have read everything since then!

I am so grateful to have gotten an ARC for the newest book in the Crawfield Football Club series, The Prospect. Hazel & Green have been some of my favorite since we got the first glimpses of them in The Longshot. Their friends-to-lovers arc is so sweet and seriously feels like being inside Taylor Swift’s Mary’s Song. I love all of the flashbacks that give so much context into their long love story.

If you are looking for a sweet, slow burn sports romance- definitely give this one a shot. And if you haven’t read Kate Lauren’s other books, get on it!

So excited for what is to come from this author! 💚

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You’re my girl. You’ve always been my girl.”



Tropes:
⚽ Soccer Romance
💚 Friends to Lovers
⚽ Small Town
💚 She Falls First, but He Falls Harder
⚽ Childhood Best Friends
💚 Found Family
⚽ It's Always Been You
💚 Slow Burn
⚽ Artist x Soccer Player


💚 ARC Review 💚

KATE I'M SO IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK 😭💗

I can’t describe how much I love this book - the way Kate wrote Daniel & Hazel was perfection. I can't stop thinking about them cause Kate’s writing is so beautiful, that you instantly fall in love with her characters and her writing. Right from the moment I started reading, I fell in love with Hazel and Daniel. I’m so in love with this series that I couldn’t wait to read Hazel and Daniel's love story. I love this book so much 😭💗

Hazel my sweet sunshine – she is the sweetest girl ever who helps everyone around her and is absolutely in love with her best friend Daniel 🥺💗 She and Daniel have been friends for 15 years and have been inseparable. It was so sweet how Daniel has been so supportive of her and was by her side forever. Hazel is a shy person, but when she can talk about her passion, she is so adorable - she even did a painting for Daniel and Hart! She is such a loving and caring person that I want to be her friend 💗

Daniel my sweetheart – I love him so much 😭💗 Daniel was so sweet to Hazel when she had her first day of school. He immediately saw how nervous she was and made her feel safe by sitting in the classroom. Since then, Hazel and Daniel have become best friends. I loved that both of his parents were so fond of Hazel. They always included her and called her "our Hazel. I mean, his mom and dad always knew that they were more than friends.

I loved how Daniel painted a portrait of her for her birthday – it was the sweetest gesture ever 🥺💗

These two really didn't realize that they both were in love with each other. Even though I wasn't happy with how Hazel and Green did what they did behind Hart's back, my heart went out to them when they finally found each other. I hope Hart finds his soulmate soon - I love him so much! 💗

Kate really brought out all the feelings I loved and will cherish forever! Hazel and Daniel captured my heart 🥹💗

Thank you so much Kate for the ARC 💗

[Reading with Ren🍒📖 · Rating 4 out of 5]

⚽️The Prospect⚽️ (ARC ) (AVAILABLE FEB 7th)

🩵genre: sports romance
🩵page count: 308
🩵Goodreads: 4.26⭐️
🩵: my rating: 4.25⭐️

✨SPOILER FREE REVIEW ✨

Are you kidding me? What a CUTE storyline. Best friends to lovers, sports, miscommunication, UGH. I couldn’t get enough of this.

While this book is the 3rd in a series, it does work as a standalone. I did not read the first 2 before reading this one, but this just sold me on the entire series!

The writing style is so pleasing to me and the characters are so hard not to fall for! I related to our FMC so much, she was previous.

Highly recommend this read, especially during this month of all things romance! 💌

Huge thank you to @theauthorkatelauren for giving me the opportunity to read and review this ARC🥰

[Zoey Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

“𝑰’𝒎 𝒂 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝑯𝒂𝒛𝒆𝒍 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒔. 𝑨𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏, 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆”

“𝑯𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏. 𝑯𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝑯𝒂𝒛𝒆𝒍”
“𝑰𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝑮𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒏. 𝑰𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝑮𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒏”

Hazel and Green🥹 I’ve been waiting for this one!!! Only Kate can make me love the friends to lovers trope because she does it so well. The pinning? THE PINNING???😩 This is a slooooow burn and it burnt me alive because I ate this one up in one sitting!!🤭 Their banter was top tier and you can really tell how much love they have for each other (even if they don’t know it🤪)

And yallllll the possessiveness of this man?? Had me kicking my feet and giggling 🤭🤭 There are so many reasons why I absolutely love this book and I really could go on for pages and pages, but I’m gonna let yall enjoy this book just as much as I did💚🥹

[My Reading Era · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so charming and sweet! I absolutely adored Daniel and Hazel, childhood best friends who have stayed incredibly close over the years. Tired of being single, they come up with a plan to help each other find the perfect match. However, as they navigate the world of dating, they start to realize their feelings for each other run much deeper than friendship. I thoroughly enjoyed following their journey as they uncovered their true emotions and wrestled with whether risking their friendship for love is the right choice. If you're looking for a sweet, heartfelt read that will tug at your heartstrings, be sure to add this one to your TBR!

Thank you, Kate Lauren for the ARC.

[Shannai · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

I adore this series—the Crawfield boys are such a pleasure, and seeing them fall in love has been a joy. However, this one left me slightly underwhelmed.

Hazel and Daniel, or Green as he’s known, are the best of friends, both feeling a little at a loss as their friends start settling down. Hazel has been in love with Green since she first arrived in Crawley, and their dynamic had the potential to be truly compelling.

However, something about this story just didn’t quite work for me. It almost felt too perfect, without any real conflict—aside from Green’s reaction to his friend dating Hazel and her misunderstanding his feelings. At times, the characters felt a little one-dimensional; beyond their mutual pining, there didn’t seem to be much depth to them.

The slow burn was definitely slow—I even found myself wondering at one point whether they would ever get together. A significant portion of the book focused on Hazel dating Hart, Green’s teammate, which delayed any real progress between Hazel and Green. Given Green’s feelings for Hazel, I was surprised by how long it took him to realise and act on them.

Kate has such a unique way of making her characters so authentic with the feelings and their journeys. I’m really sad at that the series is coming to an end, but cannot wait for what’s in store for the fourth and final book in the Crawfield Football Club.

Overall, while it wasn’t a bad read, it didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

[melissa roy | melissathebookaddict · Rating 4 out of 5]

another amazing story from kate! i think ‘the prospect’ may be my favourite of the series so far 🤭

it was so nice to get back to crawfield, and get to know hazel & daniel! this was such a great friends to lovers story, with a killer slow burn! i loved the whole dating scheme they had going on because they were both tired of being single - but also super frustrating since hazel is so in love with daniel! i also CACKLED when she started dating hart, just because of hart & daniel’s history. i adored when daniel would get all possessive when hart would call hazel ‘haze’ because it’s their thing…i was KICKING & SCREAMING!

the only thing i didn’t love was the cheating that happened 😩 makes me sad for hart.

thank you so much kate for having me be apart of your arc team again! it’s always such an honour arc reading for you 🤍

fingers crossed🤞🏻 for hart’s story next!

what to expect:
- friends to lovers
- small town
- footballer x artist
- slow burn
- sports romance

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was kindly sent the ARC for this book, I absolutely adore Kate’s writing. This series as a whole is incredible. The whole vibes from the books are amazing. The found family aspect that you see throughout each book and just gradually meeting more members of the Crawfield football team😆

Onto the newest addition to the series, this book was cute. I loved the storyline, Green & Hazel hatch a plan to find each other their match due to their love lives being non-existent. We see Hazel & Green go through the steps of the plan with these other people however, not knowing that it is the wrong people…

This is a slow-burn considering that they have been friends for 15 years when this book is set.
The writing style of Kate’s book is just so easy to read and the characters are just so loveable every single time.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay this had me kicking my feet in the air! Daniel and Hazel were the perfect friends to lovers! It’s not usually my favorite trope but Kate wrote this so well. If you’re looking for an absolutely adorable light romance that keeps you hooked the entire time then this is for you! Also, the love triangle?! Did not see that coming. Very rarely do I get butterflies while reading a book but this was just too cute!

Thanks to Kate for trusting me with this ARC

[Ebony Gillan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Synopsis:

The Prospect is a sports romance that is part of an interconnected series. It is book three and follows Daniel Green who is captain of the Crawfield Football club. Daniel wants to find a special connection and comes up with a plan with his childhood best friend Hazel Collins to help find one another that right person. Both of them are happy with this choice, that is until feelings for one another take over all else.

Review:

I really adored Hazel’s character - I felt she was so sweet and pure and deserved to be protected at all costs. Hazel felt home in Crawley but also within Daniel, who she felt was always there for her, right from the very beginning. The little classroom scene was honestly SO CUTE. When she was explaining how to mix paints and then said her favourite colour is green - like yes it is. Absolutely adorable. "𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩'𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙞𝙣 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙤𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠". I feel this quote in my bones because how true is it? It is the smaller moments that we look back and remember and cherish.

Hazel and Daniel share a love that is undeniable. They are truly meant to be for one another - they just work so well. The fact that Daniel keeps her art work in his locker - are you kidding me that is actually the cutest thing. He was always pining for her even when he didn’t realise it. Green was totally giving Ken vibes with just wanting to follow Hazel around, it made me giggle. "𝙃𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣. 𝙃𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙃𝙖𝙯𝙚𝙡". This made my heart melt when Daniel said this, because that is how everyone should feel about their significant other. "𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙣'𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙤". The rose - you are telling me Daniel was not in love with Hazel the entire time… HE WAS. I loved that he kept his promise to Hazel and drew her a picture for her birthday. It was very cute and sentimental.

Daniel's mum and dad had me laughing every time that they appeared. Their adoration for Hazel was so sweet. I like how each of their parents could foresee Hazel and Daniel being together before they even could. They were really rooting for them.

The total lack of communication between Hazel and Daniel leads them down a path for them to explore feelings with other individuals. Of course they eventually realised how they felt deep down once they saw each other with someone else that wasn’t them.I will say this though, as much as I think Hazel and Daniel suit - I truly felt so bad for Hart. Hart deserves his own love story. He did everything right by Hazel and was a true gentleman through and through. When he got his t-shirt all messy because Hazel’s was just so she wouldn’t feel embarrassed - I was like ‘awww’ out loud. It is the little things. He was so patient with her and was far too understanding after essentially being cheated on for my liking.

Tropes:

Sports Romance
She Falls First x He Falls Harder
A Fool Proof Dating Plan
Best Friends to Lovers
Slowburn
Mutual Pining
Small Town
Athlete x Artist

[Kiarra-Lee Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I just... It's just in that dress, Hazel, you've got my attention."

Words cannot describe how much I love this book! I am a sucker for a best friends to lovers, idiots to lovers romance ughhhhhh! Kate did this one so well I ate it up in one sitting. I cannot wait for you all to have this in your hands.

overall rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
spice rating: 🌶️🌶️

Hazel, my hard loving and so sweet artist who helps those around her and is helplessly in love with her best friend... Daniel Green, but he'll never notice her the way she wants so when she decides that she could use help to get out of being single, so who better to help her than the man who can get any girl he wants? It's a fool proof plan... as long as her heart doesn't get shattered along the way.

Daniel Green, our soccer player, happy go lucky boy is sick of being surrounded by couples and love when he has been lacking in that department... but when his best friend decides to come up with a fool proof plan to get her roommate whilst she goes for the one player he doesn't like on his team... he decides why not, what could go wrong right?

As their plan to get to know each of their crushes, they find their attention will slowly go back to each other, especially when Daniel starts to see Haze in different ways than before. How he gets protective when other people call Hazel 'Haze' because that's HIS thing... we do love a bit of jealousy hehehehe but when Daniel realises the girl he thought he wanted isn't as interested... he starts to see his feelings grow towards Hazel... but she's got heart eyes for someone else. I also giggled so hard when Green got jealous about how Hazel painted a portrait for Hart, because that's THEIR THING. HEHEHEHEHE...

Hazel, although hesitant to get to know Hart, purely because it was a facade to stop her one sided feelings for Daniel, starts to see him in a new light. Learning his secrets and vice versa. But, her heart still years for her Green. And when trying on dresses gets Green's attention, to kissing ti make sure Hazel 'still knows how to', to more... things become complicated. Feelings rise to the surface and lines start to blur between their 'only friends' facade.

These two really are just idiots in love without realising it. Although, I didn't approve on how Hazel and Green did what they did behind Hart's back, my heart soared when they finally came together... and it broke me how understanding Hart was because he too, has still not gotten over his long lost ex and this was his wake up call to find her again. I love Hart so much!

These two have my heart body and soul and I need them engraved into my skin! Kate, you wrote the perfect, swoony and cute romance book! I adoreeee this book!

Thank you Kate for selecting me as an ARC reader again! Words can't describe how badly I need the next book now!

[thorne ⋆⭒˚｡⋆ ( taylor’s version ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

five books. five swoony, heart-melting, can’t-put-down stories. and somehow, kate just keeps outdoing herself—because this one? absolute perfection.

[ arc review : the prospect by @theauthorkatelauren ]

★★★★☆

daniel green, our golden retriever soccer star, is over being surrounded by couples when his own love life is nonexistent. so when his best friend, hazel, comes up with a foolproof plan to win over her crush (while nudging daniel toward his), he figures—why not? what could go wrong?

turns out, everything.

because the more time they spend together, the more daniel realizes no one gets him like hazel does. no one teases him the way she does. no one calls her “haze” the way he does—and suddenly, it bothers him when others try. (we love a jealous boy.) but just as his feelings for hazel grow stronger, she’s falling for hart instead. and when she paints hart a portrait—their thing? daniel loses it.

meanwhile, hazel is trying to move on, but getting to know hart complicates everything. their connection is real, built on secrets and understanding—but her heart still belongs to daniel. and when a dress catches his attention, when a “practice” kiss makes things even messier, when the line between just friends and something more disappears—well, it was only a matter of time before everything exploded.

these two are so dumb in love, i wanted to shake them. and while i did not approve of how things played out behind hart’s back, my heart soared when daniel and hazel finally got it right. and hart? my sweet, understanding, deserving boy? i love him forever.

daniel and hazel own my entire soul. kate, you have done it again.

—

kate, five books in, and you still find ways to ruin me (in the best way). every story you write is better than the last, and your characters make my heart ache in ways i live for. thank you for trusting me with your words again — it’s an honor every single time, and i can’t wait for the next one.

[Brooke | brookesreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

⚽️🎨𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕🎨⚽️
BY: Kate Lauren

✨️ARC review✨️
4 STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🩵RELEASES FEBRUARY 7TH, 2025🩵

🌟some of the tropes🌟:

💞friends to lovers
❤️‍🔥slowburn
😍mutual pining
⚽️sports romance
🏡small town

as you can see, i enjoyed this book cuddled up with one of my cats, eating timbits (the way of a canadian😌) this weekend, and it was truly toptier reading vibes😍

the prospect is book 3 in the Crawfield Football Club series by Kate Lauren, and I've been really enjoying this series! this is also my fifth time being an ARC reader for Kate — thanks so much again for choosing me!🫶🏼

this story is a good friends to lovers slowburn. it feels like it's been a while since I've read an actual slowburn love story. it seems like all the love story plots i have read most often are instalove now, so this was a refreshing change of pace for me! i loved following Hazel and Daniel's journey to discovering their deeper feelings and emotions for each other and grapling with whether it's worth risking their friendship for or not.

one thing that made the story fall a bit short for me compared to the others in the series was the totally uncessary cheating though - i always struggle with cheating in books, it always unsettles me and makes me sad🥲

overall, i did really enjoy the third installment in this series and i just want to thank Kate again for trusting me with another of her stories — as always, it's an honour and a pleasure to ARC read for you, and I can't wait to read the next one!🥹

p.s. i had to choose the somebody to you by the vamps from the official playlist for my post for this book because while other girlies had their one direction eras, i was late to that so i never got the full experience, but i was with the vamps from the very beginning and they hold a special place in my heart😌🫶🏼

☆ i received this ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. all opinions are my own!

[Diego Busmail · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars because it was the perfect culmination of Hazel’s long-standing feelings for Daniel Green. Their dynamic, built on a lifelong friendship, made their journey from best friends to something more truly compelling.

Hazel and Daniel have been inseparable since she was seven years old, yet both remained single despite their undeniable bond. When Daniel begins to notice that everyone in their friend group—including his coach and best friend—is in a relationship, he starts to feel like something is missing in his own life. This leads him to propose an arrangement to Hazel: he will help her get a date with Christopher, a well-known playboy and his teammate at Crawfield Football Club, while she assists him in pursuing her roommate. However, as the plan unfolds, Daniel begins to realize that he doesn’t want Hazel with anyone else.

His jealousy reaches its peak when, at a party, he leaves Hazel alone with Christopher. A drunk college student spills a drink on her, prompting Hazel to leave early. When Daniel notices she is gone, he rushes to her dorm, only to walk in on Hazel and Christopher kissing—a moment that solidifies his realization that he is losing her.

Later, at Hazel’s birthday party, which Daniel organizes at his parents’ house, his supposed girlfriend confesses that Hazel has always had feelings for him. This revelation leads to their breakup, opening the door for Hazel and Daniel to finally confront their emotions.

One of the most heart-wrenching moments in the book was when Hazel “cheated” on Christopher with Daniel. Given Christopher painful past relationship, where he was betrayed, it made this moment even more emotional. Yet, despite everything, he understands Hazel’s actions because, deep down, he would have done anything for a second chance with his own former love interest.

Overall, this book delivered the perfect mix of longing, friendship, and emotional depth, making it a truly unforgettable read.

[Nicole Soler · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review

4.5/5 ⭐️

Hazel and Green became friends 15 years ago and they’ve been inseparable ever since. Green is the star defender on the Crawfield Football Club, and Hazel is studying art at a nearby college. One night out, Green mentions to Hazel how tired he is of being single. Hazel shares the same sentiment. When he sees Hazel’s roommate and friend, he’s immediately attracted to her. He comes up with a plan that will get them both out of singleness. Hazel doesn’t think it’s a good idea and is reluctant to go through with it for a reason. She has a secret - she’s been in love with Green since they were kids. After thinking about it, Hazel agrees to the plan.
As they complete the steps in the dating plan they came up with, Green is starting to realize this may have not been the best idea after all. He’s seeing Hazel in a different way and the feelings he’s starting to have for her are confusing him. Hazel has always been home for him and he is afraid of losing her. Hazel has loved Green for most of her life and is tired of waiting for him to see it. Will Green finally realize that his feelings for Hazel run deeper than friendship and go for it? Or is he too late?

I loved this book so much! I couldn’t help but feel so giddy while reading it. I knew their plan would backfire from the beginning and that’s what made it so fun to read. You to see two people who clearly love one another try to date other people. I couldn’t help but laugh every time Green got jealous. I was torn between Green and Hart though. Hart was such a sweetheart and I didn’t want him to get hurt. In the end, I’m glad Hazel and Green confessed their feelings to each other. They are adorable together. I do hope Hart gets a book so he can find love too!

Thank you Kate Lauren for the ARC!

[Loz🪐🤍 · Rating 5 out of 5]

⚽️💚 The Prospect - Kate Lauren 💚⚽️

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Times read: ♾️

Y’all know what’s cominggggg, it’s time for another review of my girl Kate’s upcoming release!! My oh my are you all in for a treat!

I’ve had the absolute honour of both beta and arc reading all three novels (to date😉) in this series, and I’m SO happy that release day for The Prospect is almost here! It’s probably my favourite in the Crawfield Football Club series so far🥹

The Prospect is book three in Kate’s Crawfield Football Club series, a collection of interconnected standalone novels, featuring FMC Hazel Collins and MMC Daniel Green (more affectionately known by Hazel as Greenie).

Green and Haze have one of my favourite meet-cutes as kids on Hazel’s first day at primary school, and from then on the two are inseparable. Fast forward fifteen years to present day, the two are 22 and 24 respectively, baby adults, and looking to explore the world of love. Together (it’s Green’s idea) they hatch a plan (Haze agrees after some persuasion from her roommate) to find one another their perfect match… straightforward, right? Ohhh boy, you’d be surprised..

Kate my girl you know I say this every single time I get my hands on another of your stories, but my gosh lady you’ve done it again. I will never tire of your words and I am endlessly thankful to you for you sharing them with me. I’m SO proud of you, you truly are special and I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for you!!

The Prospect is coming to ebook and paperback February 7th.. mark your calendars! Physical copy for my collection pending🤭💚

[Tiff.Reads.Romance · Rating 3 out of 5]

⚽🎨The Prospect - ARC🎨⚽

⭐⭐⭐.5

Hazel and Daniel have been best friends since they were young. Hazel has always been in love with him, and Daniel...well yeah he's just Daniel. Now both in their 20s, still best friends and still single, Daniel comes up with a plan. That plan is to set each other up with dates and find love. Well that doesn't necessarily pan out the way they thought it would...

In staying true to myself, I need to be honest with my review.

I loved Hazel, she was smart, intelligent, kind, and an art major. She knew she loved Daniel from the start but didn't act on it as he never did. Though I felt her whole personality was based on her love for Green and did annoy me.

Daniel, a pro soccer player, a bit of a golden retriever you could say, but unfortunately for me was a bit of an idiot. Shallow, superficial, oblivious, and quite contradictory. I didn't feel he deserved Hazel at the end of it.

Hart on the other hand, Hazels other love interest I was cheering for, they had a whole lot more chemistry through the whole book and I really didn't like how things ended...but I do know he will get his happily ever after in the next book 🥰

Overall, this book was still a cute, sweet, easy to follow read. Kate is an excellent author, the first 2 Crawfield Football books I absolutely adored and I have to say Chelsie and Wilks still hold the #1 spot in my heart 🩷

[britishbovinexo · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝑲𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝑳𝒂𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒏
(𝖠𝖱𝖢)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
🌶️🌶️

"𝑼𝒔. 𝐀 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞, 𝐚𝐥𝐥-𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧-𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞’𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐛𝐞" - 𝑯𝒂𝒛𝒆𝒍

Ok i think this one mayy have come close to being my favourite so far 😩. This book had me feeling all kinds of emotions i never expected to. I was angry and swooning all in one 😭

The slow burn in this was DEFINITELY slow burning but once it hit ✋🏻😮‍💨

Overall, this book was for SURE the most adorable one in the series 😩, the FLASHBACKS?!? My heartttt couldn’t take the cuteness of them when they were younger 😩❤️‍🩹. Even though it took him a while I was so happy when Greenie finally came to his senses and realised the girl he’d been looking for for so long was right in front of him. Hazel also was just such a sweetheart and I definitely connected with her instantly 🥹.

Lastly, i wanted to say a big thank you to the lovely @authorkatelauren for sending me an arc of this one 🥹, Ive been lucky enough to arc read all books in this series so far and im so proud of how far its come and i just never want it to ENDDD ❤️‍🩹

(I think its also about time i collect the physicals as trophies too hehe😭🤭)

𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀:
⚽️𝖥𝗈𝗈𝗍𝖻𝖺𝗅𝗅𝖾𝗋 𝗑 𝖠𝗋𝗍𝗂𝗌𝗍
💚𝖢𝗁𝗂𝗅𝖽𝗁𝗈𝗈𝖽 𝖥𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗇𝖽𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝖫𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗌
⚽️𝖲𝗉𝗈𝗋𝗍𝗌 𝖱𝗈𝗆𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾
💚𝖣𝗎𝖺𝗅 𝖯𝖮𝖵𝗌
⚽️𝖲𝗆𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝖳𝗈𝗐𝗇 𝖱𝗈𝗆𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾

Lots of love,
Lillie Xo

[alba · Rating 4 out of 5]

☆ 4 - 07/02/25

⚽️ I've been an ARC reader for Kate for over a year now and I can't thank her enough for trusting me each time ❤️‍🩹 I love her books and writing so much 🫶🏼

🖌 This is the 3rd book in this series, and you don’t understand how much I’m enjoying it 🥰

⚽️ I’m so happy we got to see Green’s story, he’s one of my favs and I was waaaaiting for this friends to lovers to finally happen ngl. The fact that he’s SO SWEET, so caring, so understanding, so protective, since day one!!! It made my heart melt 💗

🖌 I already loved Hazel from the other books, the little I saw of her, I felt her. She’s amazing, so passionate and so relatable. Yes, romance lover! I felt soo seen with the romcoms obsession haha🙌🏻 And I was suffering for her, SO MUCH. Being that in love during all those years, my god 🥺

⚽ My heart is so fond of these people, I missed seeing a bit more of Warren and Delaney (they’re my favs, i’m sorry) but I love to see them all together, the Crawfield fam owns my heart <3 Also, shoutout to Hart bc this book has made me ABSOLUTELY LOVE HIM!!!!! And he was my least fav boy sooooo, can't wait for his book <3

🖌 If you want a good ol’ sports romance, this series is for you! And there is ONE MORE to come, which I cannot wait for!! 🤩 (For personal reasons, may I add 🤭) Go Crawfield!!! Go Kate!!! ✨

[Kat C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Star Rating: 3.5/5 (rounded up)
Spice Rating: 1/5

ARC of this book provided by the author for review purposes
Release Date: February 7

Let me start by saying that The Prospect is my absolute favorite in the Crawfield Football Club series (3.5 I know stay with me). Kate Lauren has improved so much since The Underdog and I live for it! The writing, the flow, the dialogue—it's all made so much progress in the past year.

This book follows Hazel and Green, best friends of 15 years, going through the battles of love and finding "the one." *the right one was in front of you all along* Green proposes a plan, the prospect, to help each other out of their single status (being each other's wingman). However, we have a couple of problems: Hazel is in love with Green and Green is...dumb and clueless. The plan doesn't necessarily work out as planned and 50% in I was extremely terrified for them!

Okay, so 3.5 right? Without spoiling and instead as a warning, there was cheating... Completely unnecessary and could've been avoided. I was mad and disgusted, to say the least. Other than that, the ending was sweet and beautiful so overall I did love and enjoy this book.

[Lizzie Pouliot · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you’re a fan of the best friends to lovers, ‘it’s always been you’, yearning, the classic ‘and then it clicked’ in a clueless man - THIS 👏 IS 👏 IT 👏

I’ve been looking forward to Hazel & Green’s story and it took me completely by surprise. The two best friends are tired of being single and are going to set each other up, because they know the other best.

Hazel is set up with Green’s teammate, Hart, while Green pairs off with Hazel’s roommate, Amira.

If there’s one thing I adore, it’s a FMC being pleasantly surprised when in a less than stellar situation. And my god, we need Hart’s book! I know it’ll come but what a delight in his character and personality. I’m booking a pottery date with my husband STAT.

There was definitely less Crawfield this book but the pop ups of Coach and Wilks during practice is always super fun.

The flashback scenes were super sweet in setting the score and filling in the gaps at times of their friendship, loved it.

Overall, I had a wonderful time reading this and I couldn’t put it down. It felt so light and charming and like I was watching a 00’s romcom within the pages.

[Liliana Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

🎀
⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⊹₊ ˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀T H E P R O S P E C T ⠀
⠀
》Hazel is the epitome of home. Not only
does she remind me of it, but every time we're together,
no matter where we are, I feel it.《

⠀
⠀
Coucou Petits Cœurs wassup? ✊🏼
Another @theauthorkatelauren book, another favorite book!
Thank you Kate for having me again in your ARC Team 🫶🏼✨️
Two best childhood friends tired of being single, decide to help each other out with their love life.... You can imagine how that went right? 👀
Ahhh Greenie and Hazel... I freaking loved them!
I was already very interested in them when I read the previous book but now, reading their friends to lovers story, it just made me so happy 😍 Their slow (and I truly mean SLOW) burn was so good! Sometimes I just wanted to scream at them GET IT TOGETHER ALREADY!! But every small moment, every sweet moment, made it all even more special ✨️

The Prospect comes out on February 7th do check it out!
I definitely can't wait for the next book🤭

4⭐️

T R O P E S
⚽️ Friends to lovers
⚽️ Childhood Friends to Lovers
⚽️ Slow Burn
⚽️ Sports Romance

[Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Prospect by Kate Lauren
Book 3 - interconnected stand alones
4 stars

Book Cover by @jessicalynndraws so proud of you 🥹

arc read
pub date 2/7

Tropes:
🎨 Friends to lovers
⚽️ Sports Romance
🎨 Dual POV
⚽️ Small Town Romance
🎨 Artist x Athlete

Let’s just start this off with saying how freaking adorable this book was. Read like a rom com, banter, a fool proof dating plan, and there was def some spice.

You’ve got these besties, like they have literally been friends since this FMC was 7. They’re now in college and obvs still besties but she’s like in love with him and he’s totally oblivious but he calls her cute names and gives her cheek kisses? Like come on i’m already swooning and he just has no idea. Men 🙄

Insert the dating scheme of setting each other up on dates because they’re both tired of being alone and single. Absolutely nothing could go wrong. I mean I kinda swooned over who the FMC was dating, I was all for sticking to the plan 😂 Insert jealousy, insert we have this feeling in our chest but don’t know what it means, insert dramaaaaa.

In conclusion this was such a cute read, especially if you want something light hearted or a good pallet cleanser to just absorb some friends to lovers 🩵💚

[Jenise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series has been so much fun to read. Each one different. Each one you fall for these men. The ladies are great! So there was no doubt that I would fall for Green and Hazel too!

I am a sucker for friends to lovers, it’s one of my favorite tropes, but this friends to lovers romance was not your typical romance. I enjoyed how Kate takes you on a journey with some heart stopping moments!

Hazel and Green’s friendship was so beautiful, from the moment they met, they have your heart. The flashbacks to their childhood was one of my favorite parts. The connection these two had was the sweetest.

Hazel and Green truly complemented each other. But their love story kept me on my toes, some rollercoaster moments that had my heart stopping, my eyes filing with tears.. I really enjoyed these two.

Tropes:
Friends to lovers
Footballer x Artist
Small town
Sports romance
She falls first
He falls harder

[Tired Mom Book Club · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate has an absolutely magical way of writing that draws you in so easily and makes the book fly by in a breeze. I am so honored every single time Kate entrusts me to join her Beta and ARC teams. She is an amazing writer and an even better friend! Anyways, Hazel is seriously the sweetest and I wish I could see her art in real life. The way she is so loving and caring to everyone around her even if it breaks her heart in the process. Green is an absolute idiot but we love him anyways? I love the love he has before he actually loves Hazel, does that make any sense? If it doesn’t, read the book 😘 Also I completely fell in love with Hart in this book and I have my fingers crossed so hard that he is the star of Book 4 and we will get to see his happy ending… one can only hope!!! That poor guy. But on the bright side, I am definitely obsessed with a good “it was always you” and this one DEFINITELY delivers.

[libi_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

At this point, if Kate writes it, I am willing to read it! The way I devour her books is truly impressive, and her writing style is simply captivating. I am utterly obsessed with her writing, and the "Crawfield series" continues to impress me with each new addition to it.

The "friends to lovers" trope is one of my absolute favorites, and this particular book was an absolute delight! The bond between the main characters was so endearing, and my heart truly melts for Hart. I even shed tears due to his sweet treatment of Hazel.

To be honest at some point I got more invested in Hart and Hazel than Green and Hazel 😭

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much Kate for providing me with this ARC, like always it was an absolute privilege to read and review it!!! ❤️

[Kai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book #3 of the Crawfield series and I feel as though they continue to get better every book! If you enjoy best friends to lovers, this is a great book for you to indulge in. I enjoyed the following journey of Green and Hazel. Two childhood best friends, one in love with the other but other is too blinded see. True soulmates. Although this was a slow burn romance, it was sweet and filled with so much passion between the two main characters. Their story was unique in its own way.
Kate does an amazing job capturing intimate moments that leave you craving for more. No spoilers but she has me psyched for book #4! I hope this senes never ends!

Thank you so much Kate for accepting me as an arc reader!

[Alana Lewis-Haynes (Smut Lover Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thank you to Kate for providing me with an ARC for an honest review!

Kate is such a master at writing such sweet and moving stories. They just make you feel so good after reading. Daniel and Hazel have become my favorite couple from Kate! I can't help but love a friends to lovers romance! Their angsty and slow burn romance was done so well!! The moment these two finally give into each other was so delicious and worth the wait!

It was so hard to believe that these two had never been a couple. Daniel and Hazel so clearly belonged to each other, and I loved seeing them slowly realize it. This book is such a perfect read for those who are looking for a slow burn, friends to lovers, sports romance!