The Long Game

Seattle Sentinels #1

by Kenna King

***Brother's Best Friend, Second Chance, He Falls First, Steamy Football Romance***The one thing my multi-million dollar contract can't deliver, my best friend's sister and bro code off limits.
With a Superbowl win, and millions in the bank, I can have any woman I want. Then why are my sights set on Lexi Benson?

The driven Lexi I know isn't about to give up her high-flying career in hotel real estate to try and make something permanent with the Tucker Evans, who's in the headlines as being the Ladies man of the NFL and has left her hanging more times than I care to admit.

But I have a plan to the fix the chances I messed up.
This version of me has a better playbook.

I wasn't prepared for the stonewall defense she has built around her heart. I've got to break it down and win her over before she gives her heart to someone else and I lose her forever.

This is my last chance with Lexi and I'm going for a Hail Mary.


***This book is a re-release from previously being Published as Playing the Long Game - K.E. King
***The Long Game is set as the Prequel of the up-and-coming football series coming out in 2026 and will follow Coach Evans before he becomes the coach of the Seattle Sentinels football team.

Genres: Sports Romance, Romance, Sports, Second Chance, Spicy, Football

270 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 4, 2025

About the author

As an avid reader myself, and a Westcoast girl, I love two things: swoon-worthy pro athlete book boyfriends, and writing stories about them living in the beautiful Northwest where I'm blessed to call home.

I do my best work late at night after I’ve tucked in my three littles, and my hard-working husband.

Reviews

[Joy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf at 13%. I’m normally a Kenna King reader, but these characters were not realistic at all. Y’all you can’t “be in love” when you haven’t seen/heard from each other in SIX YEARS.

[Lorena · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t even know why I had this book but I did.
It was sweet but way too repetitive, the timeline was all over the place, the miscommunication was truly annoying and the were SO MANY grammar mistakes that I’m not sure it went through editing before being released.
Wouldn’t truly recommend this one, I’m sorry but the author couldn’t really put her thoughts together and they were all over the place.

[Natasha White · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was cute but god Lexi annoyed me ! Personal preference I hate the miscommunication troupe and this was back and forth of her never saying what she really wanted to say. I’m glad I didn’t DNF it because I liked the ending but it was one of Kennas weaker books in my opinion.

[Sandra Ringgaard Coyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just great

It is not my favorite Kenna King, but it was good, it was really great, loved it.
Thank you again Kenna King for af amazing book.

[greenapplemojito · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book wasn't all too bad, but personally, for me, it could have been way better.

I couldn't tolerate the lack of communication, especially from the FMC's end. I couldn't connect with the characters, couldn't clearly understand the past, and for two people who had been apart for so long, it was honestly so confusing to see how they quickly got into stuff (barely a few pages in), and it just wasn't believable, and it just didn't make sense. I think a lot of different aspects of the book could have been more emphasized on so that we could connect with the characters emotionally or feel the spark. I did find some of the scenes/storylines "unnecessary" as I felt it ruined the book for me - for example, the girl at the bar and then Sebastian. Those were storylines that made me look at the MCs differently with disgust. I also wish the whole story with Luca or even the past timelines could be a bit more clearer and that even if the FMC's dad was supportive of things - it felt like he was giving advice without considering the weight of scenarios and if things were being rushed/not etc.

[m2424 · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 MAYBEEEEE 2 stars

This book was actually all over the place. The time jumps for one were insane. I swear I read 20 years of bs.
This was a whole book of miscommunication and right time stupid people. Genuinely lexi was the most annoying FMC I have ever read about and that’s saying a lot. The nerve to be mad at him for getting with someone when u told him to move on in his life and then when he is trying to make things work after getting run over by a car for you, you think it’s perfectly acceptable to date a guy and be mad at the fact Tucker is angry ur seeing someone. Like babe pot meet kettle. Everyone just wanted to blame Tucker this whole book when he was literally trying to date lexi for years and she was the one turning him down….

ALSOOOO. WHY IS THIS A SEATTLE SENTINELS BOOK WHEN HE PLAYED FOR THAT TEAM FOR MAYBE 5% OF THE BOOK AND THEN MOVED TO INDIANAPOLIS/CHICAGO. LIKE NO?

[Rocío · Rating 1 out of 5]

66%
Am I supposed to like Lexi?? She's awful!! She doesn't know what she wants and then she cries because Tucker doesn't read her mind, she makes him waste years and then she's upset because he gives attention to other women, she's a workaholic and wants an even worst workaholic than her but not Tucker because he's not even around to watch her work all the time... And what was that of having an 18 year old having an all business mindset and a big opportunity at a company... shouldn't she be going to college?? what kind of boss is her father for letting her do business as a teenager?? What a mess of a character.
The timeline is confussing and all over the place, the book needs a good editing and don't get me started with the "Seattle Sentinels Series" because at this point there's no game and no Seattle.

[Brandy Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kenna King did it again. Lexi and Tucker are in love with each other but Lexi is keeping him at arms length. When Tucker wins his first Super Bowl the only person he wants to celebrate with is Lexi. 6 years prior Lexi ended any chance of them being together and Tucker didn't fight for it. Now 13 years later they decide to give each other a chance. Tucker buys her dream house and asks her to design it and make it a home. He finally tells her about his dreams of the night he saved her life. He talks to her dad and he helps him pick out her ring. They grew up together with Tucker as her brother's best friend. They get to renovate with each other and live together. They are also getting married!!!

[Katherine Beers · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was aggressively “meh”.

It was a cute concept and story line, but it definitely needs to be edited. The same scenes were repeated multiple times, for flashbacks, but it would’ve been better off referenced than repeated in its entirety. Timelines seemed scattered and all of the place. It would jump a year ahead in their messages and then only be a week later in the narrative. Lots of spelling and grammar issues. Honestly I would’ve DNF’d it if the story didn’t intrigue me.

Potential, but needs an edit.

[Madalena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly one of her stronger books regarding plot and character development, it felt much more cohesive than some of her previous reads.

_spoiler alert__
Odd to have two books where there is a career ending injury that does not end their career. Easily could have used a different incident to move the plot.

[Courtney · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF about 20% through. I knew I wasn’t going to like it when the story had the MMC and his team winning the Super Bowl, and coming home with a Super Bowl ring that same night - THE NIGHT OF THE SUPER BOWL. No team has their rings ready that night! The FMC was also annoying. I just couldn’t get in to it.

[Erin Weber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tucker was all in on Lexi for so long before she gave him even the first chance. His lightbulb moment when he figures out why she hasn't been all in is the sweetest. I also appreciate that she doesn't lead on Sebastian and is up-front with him even when she isn't sure if things will work out. Would have loved an epilogue with their 2.5 kids and a dog but maybe it will come in future books.

[Lauren Helzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The long game is this whole book! Slow burn with lots of spice. Brother’s best friend. Childhood friends. Very easy read. Loved Tuck right away! I related to Lexi so much!

Can’t wait for more books in this series!

[luisa_reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I kinda liked the idea of the story. I liked that they had to fight for each other. Really - but this miscommunication was something else. And for real sometimes I was a bit confused by the timeline of the story.

All in all it was still a cute story.

[Alicia · Rating 1 out of 5]

lexi and Tucker

I absolutely love brothers best friend tropes- like the ultimate for me.....however this one fell soo short I am to the point where I almost hate it.

I did not like this story at all....just wasnt for me.

[Kaylan Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book!! It was so good and so engaging! It’s like a summer I turned pretty but the vibe is sports and a lot older than teenagers.
🌶️There were probably two to three mild spice scenes throughout the whole book.

[Brianna Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is literally the invisible string theory as a story between two people and it was absolutely lovely. A very quick read, but a happy one! I loved the way the characters history was explained, it really allowed for the reader to see the depth and growth of each character.

[Micol · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dnf at 52%

Unfortunately I felt that there wasn’t much substance or plot. All that was happening was the mmc chasing the fmc and her running away then fast forward a few weeks or months and same thing. It got old fast

[maddie moore · Rating 2 out of 5]

boring and a ton of grammatical errors

[Sian · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️
I love brothers best friend tropes but idk, the constant time jumps made it hard to follow, wasn’t enough relationship building.

[Kayla Fettig · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a big fan of Kenna King’s hockey series but this was a little underwhelming.

[margarida · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just hate the miscommunication trope :/
Also, the timeline was all over the place (i was so confused and pissed off)

[Gab · Rating 2 out of 5]

The whole book felt like a third act breakup

[Molly Browne · Rating 1 out of 5]

oh my days this sucked. The way that Tucker and Lexi talk to each other is beyond unrealistic and was just to hard to read. Stopped at 16% in.

[Emily Dwight · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 good for post finals brain

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tucker and Lexi

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Sal · Rating 1 out of 5]

I felt like I was the proofreader. Almost DNF because of it.

[Derrick-Jennifer Iglehart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story. Unfortunately there were a significant number of grammatical and spelling errors. This is frustrating because it should have been proofread.

[Emma Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dit was oulik! Alhoewel, ek was team Sebastian 💋