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The Perfect Match
All is fair in love and rivalry...
Dina is done. She's burn out after years in corporate London and now is working in her family's struggling Bangladeshi restaurant. The last thing she expects is to be roped into coaching a football team of disadvantaged amateur players - or to say yes.
Maya is back. She could have had a brilliant career, but it all went...well wrong. Now she's back home, back in her childhood bedroom. Her only escape is agreeing to coach her old secondary school's team.
It doesn't take long for them to bump into each other again and for as long as anyone can remember, Dina and Maya were rivals. But will the very game that tore them apart bring them back together?
An enemies-to-lovers and angsty queer Bend it like Beckham meets Cross the Line jampacked with quirky side characters who cannot help but intervene to push their uptight managers together.
Dina is done. She's burn out after years in corporate London and now is working in her family's struggling Bangladeshi restaurant. The last thing she expects is to be roped into coaching a football team of disadvantaged amateur players - or to say yes.
Maya is back. She could have had a brilliant career, but it all went...well wrong. Now she's back home, back in her childhood bedroom. Her only escape is agreeing to coach her old secondary school's team.
It doesn't take long for them to bump into each other again and for as long as anyone can remember, Dina and Maya were rivals. But will the very game that tore them apart bring them back together?
An enemies-to-lovers and angsty queer Bend it like Beckham meets Cross the Line jampacked with quirky side characters who cannot help but intervene to push their uptight managers together.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 19, 2026
About the author
Adiba Jaigirdar
16 books3,470 followersAdiba Jaigirdar was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and has been living in Dublin, Ireland from the age of ten. She has a BA in English and History, and an MA in Postcolonial Studies. She is a contributor for Bookriot. All of her writing is aided by tea, and a healthy dose of Janelle Monáe and Hayley Kiyoko. When not writing, she can be found ranting about the ills of colonialism, playing video games, and expanding her overflowing lipstick collection.
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September 11, 2025ADULT SPORTS ROMANCE FROM ADIBA JAIGIRDAR LETS GOOOOO
June 7, 2026
3.25/5 stars
ok the rating and the reviews i saw kind of scared me but this was fun, not my fave adiba book but still pretty good
ok the rating and the reviews i saw kind of scared me but this was fun, not my fave adiba book but still pretty good
April 4, 2026
2.75
you would think london’s some small rural village with only two lanes with the way these two were running into each other. as much as i adore adiba jaigirdar for how unapologetically bengali her books are i cannot excuse the fact that she cannot string together an organised plot. if i took a shot every time dina and maya just conveniently “stumbled” upon one another i would be piss drunk lying on the floor by the end.
you would think london’s some small rural village with only two lanes with the way these two were running into each other. as much as i adore adiba jaigirdar for how unapologetically bengali her books are i cannot excuse the fact that she cannot string together an organised plot. if i took a shot every time dina and maya just conveniently “stumbled” upon one another i would be piss drunk lying on the floor by the end.
June 9, 2026
I think perhaps I was not in the right time in my life to read (and therefore enjoy) this one.
Which is very sad for me. As I didn't vibe with this book at all.
Which is very sad for me. As I didn't vibe with this book at all.
July 24, 2026
super süß! und ich habe wieder bingo JUHU JIPPIE!
July 7, 2026
The Perfect Match was an enjoyable read, particularly as someone who loves women's football. The coaching storyline, the focus on growing the game, and the discussion around sexism and racism in women's sport were easily the highlights for me. Those aspects gave the story far more depth than the romance alone.
The romance itself didn't quite land. Dina and Ava are adults, but so much of their relationship was still driven by misunderstandings and hurt from their teenage years that they often felt much younger than they were. They spent too long making assumptions instead of having honest conversations, and I found myself more invested in them finding peace with each other than whether they actually ended up together.
I also enjoyed watching Dina develop as a coach and seeing the girls' passion for football grow. In fact, I think I was more emotionally invested in the team than the romance by the end. While I would've liked a little more maturity and emotional depth from the main relationship, this was still a worthwhile read for anyone who enjoys women's sport and stories about building community both on and off the pitch.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group | Orion for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
The romance itself didn't quite land. Dina and Ava are adults, but so much of their relationship was still driven by misunderstandings and hurt from their teenage years that they often felt much younger than they were. They spent too long making assumptions instead of having honest conversations, and I found myself more invested in them finding peace with each other than whether they actually ended up together.
I also enjoyed watching Dina develop as a coach and seeing the girls' passion for football grow. In fact, I think I was more emotionally invested in the team than the romance by the end. While I would've liked a little more maturity and emotional depth from the main relationship, this was still a worthwhile read for anyone who enjoys women's sport and stories about building community both on and off the pitch.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group | Orion for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
March 25, 2026
3.5/5
May 13, 2026
I had to adjust my expectations for this book a bit because it doesn't focus nearly as much on romance as I expected it to, but I loved all the parts about family and football coaching so much that I can't even be mad about it.
March 26, 2026
(rounded down from 3.25)
As always, enjoyable, but felt a bit shallow. Despite being an adult book, it feels more like a YA book for the level of conflict and my personal pet peeve (adult characters who feel indistinguishable from YA-age characters). I enjoyed the general plot about women in soccer, and especially the racist treatment of brown women in soccer. I feel like this could have been a more engaging book if the primary plot were about the plucky community-funded team of soccer girlies versus the better-funded school team of soccer girlies and their challenges, but this was fine as well.
As always, enjoyable, but felt a bit shallow. Despite being an adult book, it feels more like a YA book for the level of conflict and my personal pet peeve (adult characters who feel indistinguishable from YA-age characters). I enjoyed the general plot about women in soccer, and especially the racist treatment of brown women in soccer. I feel like this could have been a more engaging book if the primary plot were about the plucky community-funded team of soccer girlies versus the better-funded school team of soccer girlies and their challenges, but this was fine as well.
June 21, 2026
This didn't work for me at all, and I can't quite put my finger on why. I just felt like everything moved super, super slow, in a way that didn't hold my attention. I didn't feel invested in the story, or the characters and their romance. I'm sad about it, because I usually loved Adiba Jaigirdar's work, so I was excited for her adult debut!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
this book was for the girlies who grew up loving “bend it like beckham” and lowkey wished jules and jess ended up together 🩷
i have been a huge fan of the author's YA work for years so i got excited about her adult debut — and it DELIVERED! the characters were super fun but also complex and realistic; maya was my fav for sure 🫶🏻
i always love how adiba weaves issues of racism, sexism as well as mental health considerations into her narratives while maintaining the romcom vibes at the same time 💞
2026 seems to be the year of queer sports romances and i am SO here for it!
[ received this copy from the publisher through netgalley ]
i have been a huge fan of the author's YA work for years so i got excited about her adult debut — and it DELIVERED! the characters were super fun but also complex and realistic; maya was my fav for sure 🫶🏻
i always love how adiba weaves issues of racism, sexism as well as mental health considerations into her narratives while maintaining the romcom vibes at the same time 💞
2026 seems to be the year of queer sports romances and i am SO here for it!
[ received this copy from the publisher through netgalley ]
December 1, 2025
I was provided an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really loved this one. Great, complex characters, a messy and captivating plot, what's not to like? I started reading and simply could not stop. It all grabbed me and I never wanted to let go. I was way into the football plot and the rivalry but also loved the plot about the restaurant. truly, every side plot was as captivating as the main one to me. It was just such a good read and it made me feel so much and I loved the family dynamics and the flashbacks and just all of it. Also, it made me soooooooooo hungry. It was just all so good. I feel like this one will stay with me for a while. I can't wait for more books by Adiba!
I really loved this one. Great, complex characters, a messy and captivating plot, what's not to like? I started reading and simply could not stop. It all grabbed me and I never wanted to let go. I was way into the football plot and the rivalry but also loved the plot about the restaurant. truly, every side plot was as captivating as the main one to me. It was just such a good read and it made me feel so much and I loved the family dynamics and the flashbacks and just all of it. Also, it made me soooooooooo hungry. It was just all so good. I feel like this one will stay with me for a while. I can't wait for more books by Adiba!
August 1, 2026
3.5 stars. just penning down some quick thoughts after finishing this!!! partial spoilers below, so beware~
this helped me get out of my world cup-induced reading slump so i’m very grateful, and also it’s my first Adiba Jaigirdar book, and her adult romance debut! i think the character arcs and behaviour felt a little YA but that might be partly attributed to the flashbacks to when they were teenagers.
i did go into this blind, however, so i expected a lot more football hahahahah so imagine my surprise when Maya announced her retirement in the first chapter! and Dina isn’t even playing football!!!!! that said, i also liked the plot aside from the two main characters, particularly Deen’s reimagining of the family restaurant. it was nice to see him get to fulfil his dream by the end of the book, when Maya’s and Dina’s dreams had changed over the years.
although the built-up mystery of their breakup (and life-ruining experience on Dina’s part) felt like it couldn’t have been that bad, i think the reveal was apt and it made me appreciate the dynamic between Maya and Dina more, where previously it just felt like Dina had the shorter end of the stick the whole time and was constantly misunderstood as this delinquent. like i get that her teammates—teenagers—wouldn’t get it, but the teachers too? that’s so unfair.
Dina’s shift of perspective of the past was kind of sudden but i’m nothing if not a sucker for character growth/ happy endings so i was so glad for it.
i love love love sapphic stories and i’m so glad this also had women of colour and representation in a sport that is still very sexist today. i do wish it touched more heavily on Maya’s experience as a woman of colour; although the few hate comments were already very enraging, i think it would have felt more impactful to see it in real time, also with how the repeated rejections from Dina’s parents made Maya’s parents feel like they thought they were better than them. as these were mentioned in hindsight it didn’t feel as impactful.
overall, i enjoyed Maya and Dina’s second chance romance and i’m glad they found their way back to each other. it was well-paced with the coaching plot and i loved the references to Bend It Like Beckham (it’s super high on my watchlist i swear!!!) and also that this was set in England.
this helped me get out of my world cup-induced reading slump so i’m very grateful, and also it’s my first Adiba Jaigirdar book, and her adult romance debut! i think the character arcs and behaviour felt a little YA but that might be partly attributed to the flashbacks to when they were teenagers.
i did go into this blind, however, so i expected a lot more football hahahahah so imagine my surprise when Maya announced her retirement in the first chapter! and Dina isn’t even playing football!!!!! that said, i also liked the plot aside from the two main characters, particularly Deen’s reimagining of the family restaurant. it was nice to see him get to fulfil his dream by the end of the book, when Maya’s and Dina’s dreams had changed over the years.
although the built-up mystery of their breakup (and life-ruining experience on Dina’s part) felt like it couldn’t have been that bad, i think the reveal was apt and it made me appreciate the dynamic between Maya and Dina more, where previously it just felt like Dina had the shorter end of the stick the whole time and was constantly misunderstood as this delinquent. like i get that her teammates—teenagers—wouldn’t get it, but the teachers too? that’s so unfair.
Dina’s shift of perspective of the past was kind of sudden but i’m nothing if not a sucker for character growth/ happy endings so i was so glad for it.
i love love love sapphic stories and i’m so glad this also had women of colour and representation in a sport that is still very sexist today. i do wish it touched more heavily on Maya’s experience as a woman of colour; although the few hate comments were already very enraging, i think it would have felt more impactful to see it in real time, also with how the repeated rejections from Dina’s parents made Maya’s parents feel like they thought they were better than them. as these were mentioned in hindsight it didn’t feel as impactful.
overall, i enjoyed Maya and Dina’s second chance romance and i’m glad they found their way back to each other. it was well-paced with the coaching plot and i loved the references to Bend It Like Beckham (it’s super high on my watchlist i swear!!!) and also that this was set in England.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 23, 2026
I adored this story, it was so cute and heartfelt. The premise had me at soccer and the characters really pulled at my heart strings. This book felt good to read, and maybe its the former football/soccer player in me but I really enjoyed it.
We follow Dina and Maya after both have had career changes and setbacks. Maya has left professional soccer and moved home, Dina hated her job and is trying to find what she is passionate about. Both end up coaching opposing soccer teams which land them back into each others orbit after a terrible break up nine years ago.
This story had love, sports, and amazing character development. Watching Dina soul search and make changes in her life was so refreshing. Watching Maya stand up for herself and talk about the hardships of her career was empowering. I loved these characters.
I came for the football and romance and stayed for the wonderful characters. Highly recommend picking this up if you want a cozy romance that makes you feel good! Thank you to the publisher for providing an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
We follow Dina and Maya after both have had career changes and setbacks. Maya has left professional soccer and moved home, Dina hated her job and is trying to find what she is passionate about. Both end up coaching opposing soccer teams which land them back into each others orbit after a terrible break up nine years ago.
This story had love, sports, and amazing character development. Watching Dina soul search and make changes in her life was so refreshing. Watching Maya stand up for herself and talk about the hardships of her career was empowering. I loved these characters.
I came for the football and romance and stayed for the wonderful characters. Highly recommend picking this up if you want a cozy romance that makes you feel good! Thank you to the publisher for providing an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 27, 2026
I have read Abida Jaigirdar's previous 2 YA books and they were amazing, and when I saw this on the "New" section in the library, I had to pick it up. Was stocked to see it's her debut adult romance. Unfortunately, it was not good.
The characters may have been grown-ups in 25s BUT they do not act like one. The majority of the book is colored by their breakup back when they were teenagers, and the continuing of blaming each others does not give the adult vibe that the book is supposed to be. It took way too long for the main characters to realise their mistakes in the past and grow and rebuild their relationship. Like it took until the end of the book to happen.
There is also a lack of communication between the two main characters, with assumptions from both sides. Anytime they talked, it always ended with either some wrong assumptions or blame game. I have a hard time liking their relationship, and if the book has ended with them moving on with their life and not getting back together, I would not have been surprised. Honestly, i think that would have been better for them.
The characters may have been grown-ups in 25s BUT they do not act like one. The majority of the book is colored by their breakup back when they were teenagers, and the continuing of blaming each others does not give the adult vibe that the book is supposed to be. It took way too long for the main characters to realise their mistakes in the past and grow and rebuild their relationship. Like it took until the end of the book to happen.
There is also a lack of communication between the two main characters, with assumptions from both sides. Anytime they talked, it always ended with either some wrong assumptions or blame game. I have a hard time liking their relationship, and if the book has ended with them moving on with their life and not getting back together, I would not have been surprised. Honestly, i think that would have been better for them.
May 18, 2026
This was pretty nice. I especially enjoyed the part about the coaching. Both how Dina developed as a coach and how the girls got more passionate about the sport.
The romance part of it was okay. Their original argument was frustrating to me. But beyond that I did not care an awful lot about the relationship. I loved the moments where they could support each other. However, I noticed I did not really care whether they’d get together in a romantic or platonic capacity. I just wanted them to talk things through and support each other without their past hanging over them.
I liked the discussion on women’s football and the sexism and racism in the sport. A much needed discussion in the rising world of sports romances.
The romance part of it was okay. Their original argument was frustrating to me. But beyond that I did not care an awful lot about the relationship. I loved the moments where they could support each other. However, I noticed I did not really care whether they’d get together in a romantic or platonic capacity. I just wanted them to talk things through and support each other without their past hanging over them.
I liked the discussion on women’s football and the sexism and racism in the sport. A much needed discussion in the rising world of sports romances.
March 19, 2026
A heartfelt adult Sapphic enemies to lovers sports romance from fav author, Adiba Jaigirdar. I loved all the Bend it like Beckham vibes and how the two women learned to reconnect over their love of football (soccer) by coaching a girl's high school team. The relationship between Dina and her brother who is trying to start up his own restaurant was also a lot of fun. Foodie and sporty with just the right amount of angst and spice. Highly recommended for fans of books like Cleat cute by Meryl Wilsner and good on audio too.
March 27, 2026
3.5 stars
(thankyou netgalley for the arc)
( published March 19th 2026)
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(thankyou netgalley for the arc)
( published March 19th 2026)
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June 4, 2026
2.5⭐
I love Adiba Jaigirdar' Sapphic YA books, so I was really excited about her Adult debut. Sadly, I had to force myself to finish it. The premise was really cool, but it just lacked something. I couldn't really get into it. I didn't really feel for the MCs or the story in general.
I love Adiba Jaigirdar' Sapphic YA books, so I was really excited about her Adult debut. Sadly, I had to force myself to finish it. The premise was really cool, but it just lacked something. I couldn't really get into it. I didn't really feel for the MCs or the story in general.
April 8, 2026
A story about two girls who grow up as rivals— both in school and on the football field —only to become friends, and eventually, something more.
Their relationship is torn apart as they pursue professional careers, but fate brings them back together in their late twenties. Now coaching rival youth football teams, they're forced to confront their past and the feelings they never truly left behind. Maya, who achieved her dream of going pro, retires at just 28 after struggling with her mental health on the pitch. The novel thoughtfully explores themes of sexism, racism, and mental health in football, all while still delivering a heartfelt and engaging romcom.
Adiba Jaigirdar strikes a beautiful balance between depth and warmth, making this the perfect book for anyone looking to get into queer sports romances.
Their relationship is torn apart as they pursue professional careers, but fate brings them back together in their late twenties. Now coaching rival youth football teams, they're forced to confront their past and the feelings they never truly left behind. Maya, who achieved her dream of going pro, retires at just 28 after struggling with her mental health on the pitch. The novel thoughtfully explores themes of sexism, racism, and mental health in football, all while still delivering a heartfelt and engaging romcom.
Adiba Jaigirdar strikes a beautiful balance between depth and warmth, making this the perfect book for anyone looking to get into queer sports romances.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I love Adiba so much but this was a struggle for me because it had potential but it fell really short.
My biggest issue is the timeline of everything. I thought so many times “this needed to be story boarded.” The main characters don’t interact in present day until 30% of the way through the book which is way too far in. It made that first part of the book drag and feel like we were rehashing the same drama over and over with only allusion to the reason for the drama. Once they finally do interact, we aren’t really given a reason to root for them to get to the second chance part of the romance because we don’t see any of their first chance at all. They kiss one time and then the next time we hear from them is two years later when they break up. That happens at 60% of the way through the book. The entire time before that they hate each other for petty reasons that feel flimsy. There’s not a single moment when we see them in a healthy relationship the entire book.
It also felt so absurd that there was less than 3 weeks between the bullying confrontation and the match especially for a team of players who have never even looked at a soccer ball ever. It would’ve made way more sense for that time to be stretched over 6 or 8 weeks and it would’ve made the entire flow of the story feel more natural too. When the match finally happened the life lesson felt so heavy handed which is something I would expect from a middle grade book rather than an adult romance from a seasoned author.
Another thing that bothered me throughout the book was that Maya insists Dina is the only one that would understand what she went through as a pro soccer player but that does not play out in the story. Dina didn’t discuss facing any challenges with racism as a high school player. Her only challenge was her injury and then immediate refusal to continue when things don’t go her way. Like I really thought the drama was going to be that Dina wasn’t recruited because there couldn’t be two South Asian women in American pro soccer because that would’ve made both of those storylines make sense but she didn’t get recruited because she quit. I’m not saying racism in soccer isn’t a thing because it definitely is but there are absolutely women of color in American and British soccer who understand exactly how Maya felt.
My last gripe is that Dina did not grow or reflect AT ALL over the 9 years since the breakup. It’s baffling. She did absolutely no self reflection about how quitting is what led to her not going pro. Why would a professional sports team just stop scouting when a player they’re interested in gets injured? OF COURSE they’re going to look elsewhere. No one prevented Dina from going pro except Dina. Continuing to blame it on Maya a decade later is wild and then all of a sudden, one short talk with Deen and Dina completely changes her mind. The growth was so incredibly rushed as was the makeup at the end. This book almost didn’t even feel like a romance because the main characters are together for half a second. I’d say it’s much more focused on sports than romance which is completely fine but that’s not how the book is touted at all.
I know it seems like I am absolutely crapping on this book but I didn’t hate it. I was just so deeply frustrated because I know Adiba writes great books and this was not great.
Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC.
Content warnings: racism, death of a parent, bodily injury (but very minor)
My biggest issue is the timeline of everything. I thought so many times “this needed to be story boarded.” The main characters don’t interact in present day until 30% of the way through the book which is way too far in. It made that first part of the book drag and feel like we were rehashing the same drama over and over with only allusion to the reason for the drama. Once they finally do interact, we aren’t really given a reason to root for them to get to the second chance part of the romance because we don’t see any of their first chance at all. They kiss one time and then the next time we hear from them is two years later when they break up. That happens at 60% of the way through the book. The entire time before that they hate each other for petty reasons that feel flimsy. There’s not a single moment when we see them in a healthy relationship the entire book.
It also felt so absurd that there was less than 3 weeks between the bullying confrontation and the match especially for a team of players who have never even looked at a soccer ball ever. It would’ve made way more sense for that time to be stretched over 6 or 8 weeks and it would’ve made the entire flow of the story feel more natural too. When the match finally happened the life lesson felt so heavy handed which is something I would expect from a middle grade book rather than an adult romance from a seasoned author.
Another thing that bothered me throughout the book was that Maya insists Dina is the only one that would understand what she went through as a pro soccer player but that does not play out in the story. Dina didn’t discuss facing any challenges with racism as a high school player. Her only challenge was her injury and then immediate refusal to continue when things don’t go her way. Like I really thought the drama was going to be that Dina wasn’t recruited because there couldn’t be two South Asian women in American pro soccer because that would’ve made both of those storylines make sense but she didn’t get recruited because she quit. I’m not saying racism in soccer isn’t a thing because it definitely is but there are absolutely women of color in American and British soccer who understand exactly how Maya felt.
My last gripe is that Dina did not grow or reflect AT ALL over the 9 years since the breakup. It’s baffling. She did absolutely no self reflection about how quitting is what led to her not going pro. Why would a professional sports team just stop scouting when a player they’re interested in gets injured? OF COURSE they’re going to look elsewhere. No one prevented Dina from going pro except Dina. Continuing to blame it on Maya a decade later is wild and then all of a sudden, one short talk with Deen and Dina completely changes her mind. The growth was so incredibly rushed as was the makeup at the end. This book almost didn’t even feel like a romance because the main characters are together for half a second. I’d say it’s much more focused on sports than romance which is completely fine but that’s not how the book is touted at all.
I know it seems like I am absolutely crapping on this book but I didn’t hate it. I was just so deeply frustrated because I know Adiba writes great books and this was not great.
Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC.
Content warnings: racism, death of a parent, bodily injury (but very minor)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
2.5⭐
It could have been 3 star if both characters were not end up together. They are better off as friends rather than lovers. Cause their are no love between them.
There were no chemistry between both the FMCs . Not even a spark I can feel.
You know this book has more potential.Like all the representation of people of colour especially South Asian in sports where men has dominated.
And author tried her best to give these thing . Thats the reason I give it 2 star for it.
Next , the competition between two teams was also interesting part . And only rivalry between them.
This book is also marketed as enemies to lovers but there is no enmity between them . The don't even talk properly for almost first half , just avoiding each other. So yeah straight up their no enemies,
Don't get me start on the reason of their breakup. Like for the first half I was wondering What Maya have done. When I got the reason, It was childishand immature. All this because you lack communication. The reason she broke was that you are not selected and your girlfriend get the chance to play.
I understand you were teenager that time so you have no control over your emotions but after 9 years You still blame on others, it show you need to grow. They were 27 but the were not acting like it. Their teenagers self were better then their adult self.
Dina character development was rushed . for like 80% she was same, impulse , try to avoid talking, misunderstood everything.
Thats the whole reason why she break up with Maya , cause she can't listen other people perspective.Cause all She think about herself. Like I know You came for struggling family but its not an excuse to blame other people.
Now Maya , the line she said during their break-up was immature. But she know was wrong .But her growth was better than Dina.
And I really connected with Maya and Dina on leaving their career and choosing another thing and messy and lack of purpose can be your life. And Author did good job to show case this .
The only thing I like is Family and cultural representation. Dina and Deen's relationship was kind beautiful.
And also Deen is my favourite in whole book. And mature then both manin characters.
Other side characters were good.
Overall this book doesn't not turn out what I was expecting. I hope it can be amazing read for you.
It is my honest opinion. Thank you Netgalley and Orion for giving me advance copy of this book
It could have been 3 star if both characters were not end up together. They are better off as friends rather than lovers. Cause their are no love between them.
There were no chemistry between both the FMCs . Not even a spark I can feel.
You know this book has more potential.Like all the representation of people of colour especially South Asian in sports where men has dominated.
And author tried her best to give these thing . Thats the reason I give it 2 star for it.
Next , the competition between two teams was also interesting part . And only rivalry between them.
This book is also marketed as enemies to lovers but there is no enmity between them . The don't even talk properly for almost first half , just avoiding each other. So yeah straight up their no enemies,
Don't get me start on the reason of their breakup. Like for the first half I was wondering What Maya have done. When I got the reason, It was childishand immature. All this because you lack communication. The reason she broke was that you are not selected and your girlfriend get the chance to play.
I understand you were teenager that time so you have no control over your emotions but after 9 years You still blame on others, it show you need to grow. They were 27 but the were not acting like it. Their teenagers self were better then their adult self.
Dina character development was rushed . for like 80% she was same, impulse , try to avoid talking, misunderstood everything.
Thats the whole reason why she break up with Maya , cause she can't listen other people perspective.Cause all She think about herself. Like I know You came for struggling family but its not an excuse to blame other people.
Now Maya , the line she said during their break-up was immature. But she know was wrong .But her growth was better than Dina.
And I really connected with Maya and Dina on leaving their career and choosing another thing and messy and lack of purpose can be your life. And Author did good job to show case this .
The only thing I like is Family and cultural representation. Dina and Deen's relationship was kind beautiful.
And also Deen is my favourite in whole book. And mature then both manin characters.
Other side characters were good.
Overall this book doesn't not turn out what I was expecting. I hope it can be amazing read for you.
It is my honest opinion. Thank you Netgalley and Orion for giving me advance copy of this book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2026
LOVE LOVE LOVE!
This was such a fantastic contribution to the sapphic sport romance genre and was one of the best women's football books I've read.
Dina and Maya are childhood sweethearts that were torn apart when Maya was given the professional contract that had been intended for Dina until an injury meant she couldn't try out for the scout. Nine years later Dina is burnt out from her corporate job and Maya has retired from professional football, both have returned home and end up coaching rival girls football teams. Thrown into each others lives as rivals once again..... can they finally put the past behind them?
I really loved the discussion of how women of colour are treated by sports media, fans and the sporting industrial complex. The racism, the unfairness and the double standards are all something we've seen a lot of this year from the treatment of Bunny Shaw and LJ in the WSL and the treatment of Barbara Banda and other black players by the international media. I do think it was a bit of a wasted opportunity to not have even just one line discussing how the rampant transphobia within woso is interlinked with racism.
An issue I often have with football romances is that it often feels like the author doesn't really know that much about football and the culture but that is not the case here. It really read like it was written by someone who does have an understanding of the women's game.
My ONE real criticism is that I think the initial injury needed to be bigger, I know Dina was an emotional teenager but it was extremely unbelievable that a minor injury causing her to miss the scout would cause her to give up on football forever, given the prevalence of ACL injuries in women's sport it seemed like a missed chance to use that as the injury that impacted Dina. Something that would have had her out of commission for a year and then in that time seeing Maya have a successful career etc then she decides to give up 0r maybe her knee just never really fully recovers enough to play professionally and she has no choice.
I also think we could have had a few more flashbacks of them as teenagers and when they were first together.
Big W for the Marta mention too!
Glad I pushed through the fuckass arc formatting to finish this and can't wait to buy a copy!
Thanks to Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for an arc in exchange for an honest review!
This was such a fantastic contribution to the sapphic sport romance genre and was one of the best women's football books I've read.
Dina and Maya are childhood sweethearts that were torn apart when Maya was given the professional contract that had been intended for Dina until an injury meant she couldn't try out for the scout. Nine years later Dina is burnt out from her corporate job and Maya has retired from professional football, both have returned home and end up coaching rival girls football teams. Thrown into each others lives as rivals once again..... can they finally put the past behind them?
I really loved the discussion of how women of colour are treated by sports media, fans and the sporting industrial complex. The racism, the unfairness and the double standards are all something we've seen a lot of this year from the treatment of Bunny Shaw and LJ in the WSL and the treatment of Barbara Banda and other black players by the international media. I do think it was a bit of a wasted opportunity to not have even just one line discussing how the rampant transphobia within woso is interlinked with racism.
An issue I often have with football romances is that it often feels like the author doesn't really know that much about football and the culture but that is not the case here. It really read like it was written by someone who does have an understanding of the women's game.
My ONE real criticism is that I think the initial injury needed to be bigger, I know Dina was an emotional teenager but it was extremely unbelievable that a minor injury causing her to miss the scout would cause her to give up on football forever, given the prevalence of ACL injuries in women's sport it seemed like a missed chance to use that as the injury that impacted Dina. Something that would have had her out of commission for a year and then in that time seeing Maya have a successful career etc then she decides to give up 0r maybe her knee just never really fully recovers enough to play professionally and she has no choice.
I also think we could have had a few more flashbacks of them as teenagers and when they were first together.
Big W for the Marta mention too!
Glad I pushed through the fuckass arc formatting to finish this and can't wait to buy a copy!
Thanks to Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for an arc in exchange for an honest review!
May 30, 2026
“Sportsmanship is something that all football players should know. We compete on the football pitch, not off it.”
The Perfect Match was such a gorgeous, feel-good read, and another reminder that Adiba Jaigirdar really is a phenomenal writer. I already know I love her books, but this one had such a lovely mix of romance, representation, friendship and football that I found myself completely engrossed.
Told from the dual perspectives of Dina and Maya, this has all the emotional chaos of friends-to-lovers, enemies-to-lovers, and second-chance feelings wrapped up together. There is definitely a strong miscommunication thread running through the story, and both characters’ insecurities play a big part in that, but I was still shipping them the whole way through. You can feel how much history and unresolved emotion sits between them, and that made their journey so easy to become invested in.
One of the things I really loved was the Bengali and sapphic representation. It felt refreshing, warm and natural, especially alongside the supportive family and friendship dynamics. There was a real sense of community throughout the book, which gave the story so much heart.
I also adored the pop culture references, from Bend It Like Beckham to Breaking Benjamin. They gave the book such a fun, familiar feel and added to the overall charm.
Dina was a brilliant character to follow. I loved seeing her coach her group of girls, even when some of them didn’t particularly care about football at first. She was encouraging, patient and genuinely wanted them to believe in themselves and become the best they could be. She had such supportive coach energy, and I really loved that side of her.
And Maya? I just loved her. I really felt for her and what she was carrying as a famous figure, especially the pressure, judgement and unfair treatment she faced. Her experiences felt sadly relatable to the way celebrities and athletes of colour are treated today, particularly when they’re attacked online after major sporting moments. That part really hit home.
Overall, The Perfect Match is a heartfelt, romantic and uplifting read about love, identity, friendship, confidence and finding your way back to someone. It made me smile, made me root for the characters, and left me feeling warm by the end. A lovely sapphic sports romance with so much heart
The Perfect Match was such a gorgeous, feel-good read, and another reminder that Adiba Jaigirdar really is a phenomenal writer. I already know I love her books, but this one had such a lovely mix of romance, representation, friendship and football that I found myself completely engrossed.
Told from the dual perspectives of Dina and Maya, this has all the emotional chaos of friends-to-lovers, enemies-to-lovers, and second-chance feelings wrapped up together. There is definitely a strong miscommunication thread running through the story, and both characters’ insecurities play a big part in that, but I was still shipping them the whole way through. You can feel how much history and unresolved emotion sits between them, and that made their journey so easy to become invested in.
One of the things I really loved was the Bengali and sapphic representation. It felt refreshing, warm and natural, especially alongside the supportive family and friendship dynamics. There was a real sense of community throughout the book, which gave the story so much heart.
I also adored the pop culture references, from Bend It Like Beckham to Breaking Benjamin. They gave the book such a fun, familiar feel and added to the overall charm.
Dina was a brilliant character to follow. I loved seeing her coach her group of girls, even when some of them didn’t particularly care about football at first. She was encouraging, patient and genuinely wanted them to believe in themselves and become the best they could be. She had such supportive coach energy, and I really loved that side of her.
And Maya? I just loved her. I really felt for her and what she was carrying as a famous figure, especially the pressure, judgement and unfair treatment she faced. Her experiences felt sadly relatable to the way celebrities and athletes of colour are treated today, particularly when they’re attacked online after major sporting moments. That part really hit home.
Overall, The Perfect Match is a heartfelt, romantic and uplifting read about love, identity, friendship, confidence and finding your way back to someone. It made me smile, made me root for the characters, and left me feeling warm by the end. A lovely sapphic sports romance with so much heart
June 26, 2026
2.75/5
this was sweet enough!! i didn’t have high expectations for this book so i don’t feel like i was disappointed by it — i enjoyed my time, but overall i don’t think i’d rush to recommend it.
this feels like bend it like beckham fanfiction and i did love that aspect of it & how much they talked about the film lol. on paper this is a great story: two women of colour fighting against racism & societal expectations, a wholesome football subplot, a compelling family sideplot for one of our FMCs, and a second chance romance.
while i enjoyed some of these aspects, in practice i feel like this book just felt very surface level, particularly with the dialogue and plot, and i don’t feel like the romance was fully fleshed out. the second chance romance could’ve been really sweet because they were each other’s first loves, but i just wasn’t gripped by their story and the way they got together in the past timeline felt really sudden, and i felt the same with the present timeline. it was a lot of telling and not showing when it came to this in particular. i also agree with one review that mentioned how the number of times they casually ran into each other felt a bit too cliched for my liking, and while i liked some of the cheesy aspects of this book (i.e. follow your dreams / your heart, winning isn’t everything), others felt overly so.
this is almost a 3 star for me bc i don’t have a ton of negative feelings towards this book — criticisms, yes, but this was a sweet time overall. i just wouldn’t say you need to pick it up unless you absolutely love the sounds of this or you’re a bend it like beckham superfan.
this was sweet enough!! i didn’t have high expectations for this book so i don’t feel like i was disappointed by it — i enjoyed my time, but overall i don’t think i’d rush to recommend it.
this feels like bend it like beckham fanfiction and i did love that aspect of it & how much they talked about the film lol. on paper this is a great story: two women of colour fighting against racism & societal expectations, a wholesome football subplot, a compelling family sideplot for one of our FMCs, and a second chance romance.
while i enjoyed some of these aspects, in practice i feel like this book just felt very surface level, particularly with the dialogue and plot, and i don’t feel like the romance was fully fleshed out. the second chance romance could’ve been really sweet because they were each other’s first loves, but i just wasn’t gripped by their story and the way they got together in the past timeline felt really sudden, and i felt the same with the present timeline. it was a lot of telling and not showing when it came to this in particular. i also agree with one review that mentioned how the number of times they casually ran into each other felt a bit too cliched for my liking, and while i liked some of the cheesy aspects of this book (i.e. follow your dreams / your heart, winning isn’t everything), others felt overly so.
this is almost a 3 star for me bc i don’t have a ton of negative feelings towards this book — criticisms, yes, but this was a sweet time overall. i just wouldn’t say you need to pick it up unless you absolutely love the sounds of this or you’re a bend it like beckham superfan.
April 2, 2026
I really wanted to like this but it just fell so flat for me. Every plot point and character didn’t feel fully fleshed out and the reason they broke up was honestly insane. Like idk if I’d forgive Dina for that so easily. I think if we got a little deeper on Dina to see why she reacted that way it would have been better, we got glimpses and the reason was told to us, but I wanted to see it. If it was a reflection of her childhood and having less privilege than maya, I would have loved to see that hashed out more, and I saw the parallels with her and her mom but it didn’t fully explain her anger. For that reason as well as the lack of flashback to them dating, I didn’t really feel invested in Dina and maya getting back together. We never really got to see what was so great about their relationship, it was just kinda mentioned. I also wish we got a more details about mayas experience. We got tiny pieces but it was all very surface level and I get that it’s a cutie romance book not a sociology paper but the racism in soccer discussion was meh, the media playing into narratives and different treatment of white players vs poc was good but the was 0 intersectionality or interaction with her old teammates, idk it was just lacking. Also side note, the friends in this book were so irrelevant they might as well have just not existed. Same with dina kissing that girl at the club. I didn’t hate this but I def had to drag myself through the last 40%
bonus star for Bend it like Beckham reference
bonus star for Bend it like Beckham reference
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Perfect Match by Adiba Jaigirdar was a really engaging read. I loved the enemies-to-lovers dynamic between Dina and Maya and seeing how their relationship slowly shifted from rivalry back to something more.
One thing that really kept me hooked was the slow build of curiosity around what had happened in the past. That sense of wanting to know more was always there, pushing the story forward and making it hard to put down. I also loved the contrast between the two teams—one rooted in council-level play and the other within the school—which added an interesting and realistic layer to the competition.
Beyond the rivalry and romance, I appreciated how strongly this book centered women of colour in sports. That emphasis felt intentional and powerful, adding real depth to the story. This wasn’t just a rivals-to-lovers romance; it also explored themes of social justice, representation, and finding your place in competitive spaces that aren’t always welcoming.
I’ve rated this book 3 stars as I felt at times I was struggling to get through it. Could this be situational? 100% I think once the book is polished and released to the world it will move a lot smoother!
Overall, this was a smart, engaging read that balanced romance, rivalry, and meaningful conversations beautifully.
Thank you to Adiba Jaigirdar and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
One thing that really kept me hooked was the slow build of curiosity around what had happened in the past. That sense of wanting to know more was always there, pushing the story forward and making it hard to put down. I also loved the contrast between the two teams—one rooted in council-level play and the other within the school—which added an interesting and realistic layer to the competition.
Beyond the rivalry and romance, I appreciated how strongly this book centered women of colour in sports. That emphasis felt intentional and powerful, adding real depth to the story. This wasn’t just a rivals-to-lovers romance; it also explored themes of social justice, representation, and finding your place in competitive spaces that aren’t always welcoming.
I’ve rated this book 3 stars as I felt at times I was struggling to get through it. Could this be situational? 100% I think once the book is polished and released to the world it will move a lot smoother!
Overall, this was a smart, engaging read that balanced romance, rivalry, and meaningful conversations beautifully.
Thank you to Adiba Jaigirdar and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Adiba Jaigirdar delivers another beautiful and sweet sapphic romcom!
Maya is a professional footballer who decides to retire very early in her career due to bullying and comes back to her hometown. Dina is trying to find her way in the world after quiting her job in finance. They both become coaches for girls' football teams and the rivalry they used to have growing up, comes back in full force. And so does the love.
The author waves a lot of hard hitting topics within the story, bullying, racism, importance of community and not giving up on your dreams, while still creating a beautiful and powerful romance.
I love the flashbacks to the girls previous relationship. I love the sideplot of the family restaurant, and honestly this sideplot made me tear up a little bit.
Maya and Dina are both brilliant characters. Maya is a little easier to connect with, especially when Dina hangs on to old hurts so deeply. But it's a huge show of what a brilliant write Adiba is that even though Diana's reasoning made me roll my eyes a bit, it was still so easy to understand why she was hurt and couldn't move past it.
I have never watched Bend it like Beckham but I'll have to now!
Thank you to Adiba Jaigirdar and Orion Publishing Group for providing me with this ARC.
Maya is a professional footballer who decides to retire very early in her career due to bullying and comes back to her hometown. Dina is trying to find her way in the world after quiting her job in finance. They both become coaches for girls' football teams and the rivalry they used to have growing up, comes back in full force. And so does the love.
The author waves a lot of hard hitting topics within the story, bullying, racism, importance of community and not giving up on your dreams, while still creating a beautiful and powerful romance.
I love the flashbacks to the girls previous relationship. I love the sideplot of the family restaurant, and honestly this sideplot made me tear up a little bit.
Maya and Dina are both brilliant characters. Maya is a little easier to connect with, especially when Dina hangs on to old hurts so deeply. But it's a huge show of what a brilliant write Adiba is that even though Diana's reasoning made me roll my eyes a bit, it was still so easy to understand why she was hurt and couldn't move past it.
I have never watched Bend it like Beckham but I'll have to now!
Thank you to Adiba Jaigirdar and Orion Publishing Group for providing me with this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3 stars
I enjoy Jaigirdar's work so much that this author is truly on my request without looking list. Jaigirdar writes it? I'm reading it as fast as I can. That devotion remains despite this book not working as well for me as I hoped or expected.
The first bump I hit was in not really feeling the connection between the central love interests. They meet SO LATE. And there isn't that romantic build up on the way there. I wanted to at least learn more about the charm of their backstory if not see them together in the modern moment. For me, this happened so late that I started to get more invested in another storyline...and stayed that way.
On the restaurant front, this is a good time. I really enjoyed and felt more interested in this part than in the romance, the team dynamics, etc. It feels funny to be looking at a queer soccer (football) romance cover and title and be thinking about the restaurant, but that's my transparent experience!
I continue to really appreciate what Jaigirdar does in YA and adult novels and will be back for more without question.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Orion for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I enjoy Jaigirdar's work so much that this author is truly on my request without looking list. Jaigirdar writes it? I'm reading it as fast as I can. That devotion remains despite this book not working as well for me as I hoped or expected.
The first bump I hit was in not really feeling the connection between the central love interests. They meet SO LATE. And there isn't that romantic build up on the way there. I wanted to at least learn more about the charm of their backstory if not see them together in the modern moment. For me, this happened so late that I started to get more invested in another storyline...and stayed that way.
On the restaurant front, this is a good time. I really enjoyed and felt more interested in this part than in the romance, the team dynamics, etc. It feels funny to be looking at a queer soccer (football) romance cover and title and be thinking about the restaurant, but that's my transparent experience!
I continue to really appreciate what Jaigirdar does in YA and adult novels and will be back for more without question.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Orion for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
July 12, 2026
The book deals with multiple interesting and intertwined subjects:
Women in football, racism, Bengali culture, social class
Dina and Maya were rivals in school and also on the field of their football practice, sixteen years ago.
They meet again at 27, after Maya quit football in America and came back to England.
At first we don't know why she retired to her professional football carrer, neither why Dina still feels betrayed by Maya after all those years.
They both began to teach young girls football and happened to be rival teams that will eventually compeat against each others.
I liked the characters and their evolutions.
It was interesting to see some flahsbacks of their teenages years, we can understand better what they've been through and how they get to where they are today.
The focus is on football, on how Maya and Dina managed their lives, and how they worked out how to fix their non-existent relationship (since they last saw each other 9 years ago and haven't spoken since).
I won't qualify this book as a romcom because they don't spend much time together during the span of the book but it's definetly a sapphic romance and I enjoyed it (I read it in like 2 days)
Thanks to the publisher for the ARC on netgalley
Women in football, racism, Bengali culture, social class
Dina and Maya were rivals in school and also on the field of their football practice, sixteen years ago.
They meet again at 27, after Maya quit football in America and came back to England.
At first we don't know why she retired to her professional football carrer, neither why Dina still feels betrayed by Maya after all those years.
They both began to teach young girls football and happened to be rival teams that will eventually compeat against each others.
I liked the characters and their evolutions.
It was interesting to see some flahsbacks of their teenages years, we can understand better what they've been through and how they get to where they are today.
The focus is on football, on how Maya and Dina managed their lives, and how they worked out how to fix their non-existent relationship (since they last saw each other 9 years ago and haven't spoken since).
I won't qualify this book as a romcom because they don't spend much time together during the span of the book but it's definetly a sapphic romance and I enjoyed it (I read it in like 2 days)
Thanks to the publisher for the ARC on netgalley
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