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Two Left Feet
In a league with no room for love, two players are about to change the game.
Oliver Harris is football royalty in London. Ordinarily, the star of the Camden Roses is calm, cool, and collected, keeping his club relevant with his prowess in the midfield and mighty left foot. But this season, the threats There's Camden's management to contend with—complete with a new, prickly Dutch coach, eager for better results — and a mid-season injury, which sidelines him when his team needs him most. When a recruit is called up to fill in, Oliver fears he'll be replaced. If he can mentor this younger talent, then they might just have a chance at winning, together.
After a string of lacklustre performances in his native Spain, Leonardo Davis-Villanueva is looking for one last shot at the club he always dreamed of, where he once played in the youth academy. Oliver immediately finds confident, eager Leo irritating. He can barely go through the motions, let alone coach him, without outright hostility. When he comes to admire Leo's skill and warms to his humor and energy, though, he begins to see Leo as a friend — and then, to his mounting horror, as something more.
Leo craves Oliver's attention and partnership; Oliver can't afford to fall in love with his teammate. He's always kept a tight lid on his sexuality in a league that's never had a player come out. As the season heats up, a lot more than football hangs in the balance. Can Oliver — and Leo — win when it counts most?
Oliver Harris is football royalty in London. Ordinarily, the star of the Camden Roses is calm, cool, and collected, keeping his club relevant with his prowess in the midfield and mighty left foot. But this season, the threats There's Camden's management to contend with—complete with a new, prickly Dutch coach, eager for better results — and a mid-season injury, which sidelines him when his team needs him most. When a recruit is called up to fill in, Oliver fears he'll be replaced. If he can mentor this younger talent, then they might just have a chance at winning, together.
After a string of lacklustre performances in his native Spain, Leonardo Davis-Villanueva is looking for one last shot at the club he always dreamed of, where he once played in the youth academy. Oliver immediately finds confident, eager Leo irritating. He can barely go through the motions, let alone coach him, without outright hostility. When he comes to admire Leo's skill and warms to his humor and energy, though, he begins to see Leo as a friend — and then, to his mounting horror, as something more.
Leo craves Oliver's attention and partnership; Oliver can't afford to fall in love with his teammate. He's always kept a tight lid on his sexuality in a league that's never had a player come out. As the season heats up, a lot more than football hangs in the balance. Can Oliver — and Leo — win when it counts most?
348 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 12, 2026
85 people are currently reading
12060 people want to read
About the author
Kallie Emblidge
1 book22 followersKallie Emblidge is a Creative Strategist at the Washington Post and a former co-chair of the paper's union. She lives and writes in New York City. Two Left Feet is her first novel, but she's been a football fan forever.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 218 reviews
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June 26, 2025Two Left Feet was one of my most anticipated 2026 releases. I was so excited about this soccer romance. But I’m throwing in the towel at 43%.
I tried, really, I did. Basically, this is a fine story. I liked seeing a Dutch coach. But one thing started to irritate me, and eventually it turned into anger.
Oliver is injured but desperate to return. Leo is the new player, trying to earn a regular spot on the team. All the players have nutrition plans. But they also drink. Alcohol, I mean. They get tipsy and drunk. During the season. Not just once but several times. The injured players go to a pub during a match. And drink pints like they’re spectators. After a match, they get drunk. At Oliver’s birthday party, they drink vodka straight from the bottle.
Come on. Maybe hockey players get drunk regularly during the season, but most footballers (the soccer kind) don’t. Some European clubs even have strict rules about alcohol.
And to finish my rant (I know this is nitpicking): why call it “Eindhoven” when it’s PSV? There are two professional clubs in Eindhoven.
So, my first 2026 read could’ve been a great one. Sadly, I got too mad to finish it. If you’re interested in this book, definitely check out other reviews.
Thank you, Random House Publishing Group, for this ARC. I’m sorry that I had to DNF.
I tried, really, I did. Basically, this is a fine story. I liked seeing a Dutch coach. But one thing started to irritate me, and eventually it turned into anger.
Oliver is injured but desperate to return. Leo is the new player, trying to earn a regular spot on the team. All the players have nutrition plans. But they also drink. Alcohol, I mean. They get tipsy and drunk. During the season. Not just once but several times. The injured players go to a pub during a match. And drink pints like they’re spectators. After a match, they get drunk. At Oliver’s birthday party, they drink vodka straight from the bottle.
Come on. Maybe hockey players get drunk regularly during the season, but most footballers (the soccer kind) don’t. Some European clubs even have strict rules about alcohol.
And to finish my rant (I know this is nitpicking): why call it “Eindhoven” when it’s PSV? There are two professional clubs in Eindhoven.
So, my first 2026 read could’ve been a great one. Sadly, I got too mad to finish it. If you’re interested in this book, definitely check out other reviews.
Thank you, Random House Publishing Group, for this ARC. I’m sorry that I had to DNF.
June 19, 2025
It’s so incredibly satisfying when you have a book that you think you will love and you actually DO.
I love mm romance books, obsessed might be a more accurate word for it actually, but the point is I read a lot of them, but I never managed to find one about soccer that I actually liked( to be fair, I haven’t searched all that much, I usually stick to hockey). But a few weeks ago I was talking to a friend that loves the sport and it dawned on me that I kinda wanted a mm soccer romance, and in some witchy way booksta just sent me a post where this book, Two Left Feet, was featured. Problem is the book was going to be published only next year. Fast forward sometime and Netgalley came through so here we are.
Two Left Feet is about a soccer(or football, call it what you like) player who ends up injured and has to train his possible replacement, Leo, a player that has been playing in less important teams. I liked Oliver immediately, he is such a good character, he’s flawed but you can’t help but root for him. He’s a player that has to hide his sexuality to play the sport he loves, he lost his father when he was a kid and he’s just determined not to have a life outside of soccer until his retirement. Of course this doesn’t go to plan but I just love this type of character, that comes out of his shell bit by bit.
The beginning of their relationship is so sweet, but there was an underline of sadness that made me restless. I wanted them to have this love, they are perfect for each other, but just like Oliver kept thinking about his job I couldn't help but also think what they would have to do to keep both facets of their lives, it was a little heartbreaking. I was crying during a smut scene because I kept thinking about how their situation was impossible and it couldn't last. That's how much this book wrecked me.
It is such a tender and heartwarming book, I can’t recommend it enough.
Thank you Netgalley and Dell for the ARC!
I love mm romance books, obsessed might be a more accurate word for it actually, but the point is I read a lot of them, but I never managed to find one about soccer that I actually liked( to be fair, I haven’t searched all that much, I usually stick to hockey). But a few weeks ago I was talking to a friend that loves the sport and it dawned on me that I kinda wanted a mm soccer romance, and in some witchy way booksta just sent me a post where this book, Two Left Feet, was featured. Problem is the book was going to be published only next year. Fast forward sometime and Netgalley came through so here we are.
Two Left Feet is about a soccer(or football, call it what you like) player who ends up injured and has to train his possible replacement, Leo, a player that has been playing in less important teams. I liked Oliver immediately, he is such a good character, he’s flawed but you can’t help but root for him. He’s a player that has to hide his sexuality to play the sport he loves, he lost his father when he was a kid and he’s just determined not to have a life outside of soccer until his retirement. Of course this doesn’t go to plan but I just love this type of character, that comes out of his shell bit by bit.
The beginning of their relationship is so sweet, but there was an underline of sadness that made me restless. I wanted them to have this love, they are perfect for each other, but just like Oliver kept thinking about his job I couldn't help but also think what they would have to do to keep both facets of their lives, it was a little heartbreaking. I was crying during a smut scene because I kept thinking about how their situation was impossible and it couldn't last. That's how much this book wrecked me.
It is such a tender and heartwarming book, I can’t recommend it enough.
Thank you Netgalley and Dell for the ARC!
December 10, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. This was such a cute sports romance with characters that are extremely easy to love. What starts as a semi rivals to tentative friends to lovers romance was so engaging and sweet I did not want to put this down. To be fair i don’t know anything about non american football so i was definitely lost in the sports sections of this book. There was a lot of sports discussion in the book and that wasn’t necessarily something I was super interested in but I understand why it had to be there for the story to work. That being said it didn’t take away my enjoyment of the book at all. I have no idea how accurate the sports part of this book was but it definitely didn’t take away from the story being told. The characters were all so fun and this book had you rooting for everyone including the side characters. I would totally recommend this to everyone when this book comes out!! It may help the inevitable book hanger after finishing heated rivalry
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December 22, 2025another swing and miss for me today 🥲 i am not a fan of oliver’s attitude nor do i currently want to stick around to find out if he removes the stick from his butt. may give this another go eventually with the audiobook
November 14, 2025
forever chasing the high of everything for you by chloe liese
the world is in need of more soccer romances so when i saw this on netgalley i ran to request. oliver is kinda like the best player on his team and when he gets injured he is tasked with mentoring leo, a younger player who is joining their midfield. we love a rivals to lovers in this house so i had a lovely time with this book. both the team dynamics and the politics involved with the management were all so interesting, even if i wish we saw more of the couple. this book really felt like a fiction over romance because of how central the logistics of the sport were, or maybe just how prevalent they were in the story. it was so interesting to see oliver and leo navigate their feelings and their career goals, i love them so much and i want to see more of them succeeding !!
honestly my biggest issue with this story was the severe lack of leo. the entire book is told from oliver's perspective and while i loved him, i wanted more leo. seeing this relationship form from both sides would have been so much more satisfying, there would have been more tension and it probably would've felt more like a romance book. as it stands now, its a bit dense. i don't know if the authors british but something about the language and prose used felt so british. i am rating this four stars but i feel like it might be a 3.75 just because of how it took me a bit to get into the story and once i was in i wanted to see more of the emotional relationship between leo and oliver.
not to bring up everything for you again, but if you enjoyed that book i think you should definitely pick up this story. i know i will be thinking about leo for a long time after finishing this, i just want to know what's going on in his head. like imagine getting his perspective of connor and oliver, thinking oliver doesn't like him, being jealous.. I NEED IT.
*thank you dell and netgalley for the arc!*
the world is in need of more soccer romances so when i saw this on netgalley i ran to request. oliver is kinda like the best player on his team and when he gets injured he is tasked with mentoring leo, a younger player who is joining their midfield. we love a rivals to lovers in this house so i had a lovely time with this book. both the team dynamics and the politics involved with the management were all so interesting, even if i wish we saw more of the couple. this book really felt like a fiction over romance because of how central the logistics of the sport were, or maybe just how prevalent they were in the story. it was so interesting to see oliver and leo navigate their feelings and their career goals, i love them so much and i want to see more of them succeeding !!
honestly my biggest issue with this story was the severe lack of leo. the entire book is told from oliver's perspective and while i loved him, i wanted more leo. seeing this relationship form from both sides would have been so much more satisfying, there would have been more tension and it probably would've felt more like a romance book. as it stands now, its a bit dense. i don't know if the authors british but something about the language and prose used felt so british. i am rating this four stars but i feel like it might be a 3.75 just because of how it took me a bit to get into the story and once i was in i wanted to see more of the emotional relationship between leo and oliver.
not to bring up everything for you again, but if you enjoyed that book i think you should definitely pick up this story. i know i will be thinking about leo for a long time after finishing this, i just want to know what's going on in his head. like imagine getting his perspective of connor and oliver, thinking oliver doesn't like him, being jealous.. I NEED IT.
*thank you dell and netgalley for the arc!*
August 23, 2025
this is a story about football, which means it’s a love story (even before we get to the gay sex). Kallie Emblidge captures the grandeur of professional football, its magnificence, but also how, despite capitalism infringing on football from every direction, a club can remain the beating heart of its community. I stopped following Premier League football years ago, but reading this novel made me yearn for it again: the hopes and dreams captured in eleven men kicking a ball around; how every match could be the one where something magical happens; the unity of a team in pursuit of glory. I loved every second that we spend on the football pitch in this book, from the descriptions of the plays and strategies, to Oliver’s dreams of winning the World Cup, to the final, nail-biting penalty kick.
Oliver Harris is our protagonist, golden boy of Camden FC, homegrown in the streets of the market and the club’s academy. he thinks he knows what his life is going to look like, and he thinks his secret is going to remain kept until he retires, until he’s thrown into turmoil by the arrival of sunny, energetic Leonardo Davies-Villanueva, and suddenly all bets are off. the two circle around each other, tension building and building until finally Oliver crosses every line he’s ever drawn for himself.
the setting is realistic—the consequences of their attraction are tangibly dangerous for Leo and Oliver, particularly Oliver, who has put everything into football since he was nine years old, trying to prove to his dead father that it is worth it after all. he tells himself ‘football now and gay later’; he suffers through locker room jokes about him not being able to get any, through pitch-heckling and slur-tossing. there are no gay male footballers in the Premier League. Oliver can’t have both. until he meets Leo, and suddenly he finds something that might be worth more than football: someone else seeing all of him, knowing all of him. in other words, love. and still, it’s not without fear, and inner turmoil over what the fallout from a public admission could be. the conversation Oliver has with his manager made me cry the first time I read it, and it made me cry again now:
he, and Kallie Emblidge, remind us that the stakes are high, yet not insurmountable. that’s the beauty of fiction, reminding us that the world can be a better place if we strive for it. and if you’ve ever been a football fan, or a sports fan of any kind, you’ll know: the hope is what keeps us coming back, keeps us glued to our seats until the final whistle blows. a team who’s languishing at the middle of the table might have a brilliant few months and come back in third, that stoppage time penalty kick might just hit the back of the net—and maybe the world-famous footballer can get the boy, too.
a thousand stars, read it immediately!
Oliver Harris is our protagonist, golden boy of Camden FC, homegrown in the streets of the market and the club’s academy. he thinks he knows what his life is going to look like, and he thinks his secret is going to remain kept until he retires, until he’s thrown into turmoil by the arrival of sunny, energetic Leonardo Davies-Villanueva, and suddenly all bets are off. the two circle around each other, tension building and building until finally Oliver crosses every line he’s ever drawn for himself.
the setting is realistic—the consequences of their attraction are tangibly dangerous for Leo and Oliver, particularly Oliver, who has put everything into football since he was nine years old, trying to prove to his dead father that it is worth it after all. he tells himself ‘football now and gay later’; he suffers through locker room jokes about him not being able to get any, through pitch-heckling and slur-tossing. there are no gay male footballers in the Premier League. Oliver can’t have both. until he meets Leo, and suddenly he finds something that might be worth more than football: someone else seeing all of him, knowing all of him. in other words, love. and still, it’s not without fear, and inner turmoil over what the fallout from a public admission could be. the conversation Oliver has with his manager made me cry the first time I read it, and it made me cry again now:
Johan would tell you that it’s not your job to fix it all, but it is your gift and your great challenge to keep hold of the spot you’ve earned, for football, for yourself, for the man you love. He would say there’s worth in any attempt to stand in truth, in righteousness. The first Catalan name registered in Barcelona in years, can you imagine? That certainly didn’t depose Franco, but no one else could have done what Cruyff did and gotten away with it. Only he had that power. No one else can do this now but the two of you. And that means something. It might mean everything.
he, and Kallie Emblidge, remind us that the stakes are high, yet not insurmountable. that’s the beauty of fiction, reminding us that the world can be a better place if we strive for it. and if you’ve ever been a football fan, or a sports fan of any kind, you’ll know: the hope is what keeps us coming back, keeps us glued to our seats until the final whistle blows. a team who’s languishing at the middle of the table might have a brilliant few months and come back in third, that stoppage time penalty kick might just hit the back of the net—and maybe the world-famous footballer can get the boy, too.
a thousand stars, read it immediately!
January 13, 2026
As a bisexual, former football player, I LOVEEE stories about queer football players. If nothing else but for the sole reason of being able to understand the jargon, plus knowing when the author has a surface level knowledge of the sport lol.
Two left feet was a beautiful book to read. The prose just sucks you into the world of football in the English scene and the characters were so fun too. I was particularly fond of Oliver, and not only because the entire book is in his point of view. Oliver's struggles with choosing between coming out and football, both things that make him so happy, was so palpable my chest hurt. I loved seeing him navigate his yearning for Leo and his daily life with the other important people to him like his mom and best friend. I don't have much to say about Leo because again, most of the book is from Oliver's point of view and he's so smitten with Leo that I as the reader had no choice but to love him too!
My only issue is that I wish we'd gotten more intimate moments, conversations between Oliver and Leo so that I'd be more invested in them both as characters and as a couple. There were a lot of time skips to important matches and events and it felt like their relationship development was far too much in the backseat, if that makes sense.
I devoured this in the span of 4 hours, that's how much I enjoyed it.
Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review
Two left feet was a beautiful book to read. The prose just sucks you into the world of football in the English scene and the characters were so fun too. I was particularly fond of Oliver, and not only because the entire book is in his point of view. Oliver's struggles with choosing between coming out and football, both things that make him so happy, was so palpable my chest hurt. I loved seeing him navigate his yearning for Leo and his daily life with the other important people to him like his mom and best friend. I don't have much to say about Leo because again, most of the book is from Oliver's point of view and he's so smitten with Leo that I as the reader had no choice but to love him too!
My only issue is that I wish we'd gotten more intimate moments, conversations between Oliver and Leo so that I'd be more invested in them both as characters and as a couple. There were a lot of time skips to important matches and events and it felt like their relationship development was far too much in the backseat, if that makes sense.
I devoured this in the span of 4 hours, that's how much I enjoyed it.
Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review
November 25, 2025
Oooh how I loved this. It has everything I love in a sports romance. I absolutely loved the dynamic between Ollie and Leo. They were just electric together from the start, their chemistry was palpable. This made the stakes feel high without the story becoming overly dramatic. And then there's the writing. I loooved the writing, it felt so deeply romantic. All in all, this book worked perfectly for me.
June 28, 2025
start on: 6.17.25
end on: 6.26.25
‧₊˚✧final review✧˚₊‧
‧₊˚🖇️✩₊housekeeping˚🎧⊹♡
༘₊·꒰➳ possible minor spoilers
༘₊·꒰➳ thank you to Kallie Embridge, Ballantine, and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review
༘₊·꒰➳ no quotes because I have to wait until the final version is released, ill come back with a playlist too
🫧𓇼𓏲rest of review✩‧₊˚🎐
༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ genre: adult mlm romance
༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ what to expect + content warnings + age rating
➳ 3rd person present tense
➳ single pov
➳ lgbt rep (gay + bi)
➳ mlm
➳ sports romance (soccer football)
➳ rivals-to-lovers
➳ mentorship
➳ secret relationship/”forbidden” romance
༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳★★★☆☆
༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ ᰔᰔ(2)/5 (spice rating)
༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ ❀❀❀(3)/5 (fluff rating)
「 ✦Two Left Feet✦ 」
(noun) cute, but not about barca
☁️ . . . ⇢ ˗ˏˋ overall thoughts
So first things first i lowk thought it was gonna be dual pov?? That’s not an issue really i was just surprised because based on the synopsis I thought it would be. ANYWAYS now that i’ve exposed the fact that I don’t really pay attention to book synopsis, lets actually talk about the book!! This was really cute, and obviously the fact that it was rivals-to-lovers grumpy x sunshine football romance (yes im from america but literally what is soccer) made it 10x better because who doesn’t love a sports romance (esp where the hottest sport is concerned).
˚˖ᡣ𐭩🌷͙֒✧˚.🎀༘⋆ writing style
I love reading books set it other countries that are written by authors from that country. Its a whole new insight into how people there actually talk and sound instead of the americanized versions. I did think this book was a little tell instead of show, but that’s okay in my opinion. I would recommend maybe going a little deeper into the characters. I also personally tend to revert any present tense to past tense subconsciously when a book is 3rd person, but that might just be a me thing because i cannot stand the flow of 3rd person present tense writing unless the narrator is like…idek how to describe it because I don’t have anything to compare it to.
♡₊˚ 🦢・₊ ♪ ✧ plot
So this was a really cute plot lowk? I liked the pacing of the matchdays and how they weren’t called chapters, I thought that was a really interesting way to do it. It seemed that all the major events were focused in on with a lack of obstruction from subplots, and even tho there was just one plotline, it felt like there was enough going on to keep my attention. It was kind of refreshing to not have a billion mini-plots all over the place, because I could just focus on the one thing and not have to remember how something else tied in to the rest of it.
✧˖*°࿐ world building
I just want to say i learned so freaking much about football and how the leagues work and how national teams work 😭 yall dont know it but i NEED this info for a certain someone hehe
˖◛⁺⑅♡main romance♡⑅⁺◛˖
Pls these two were too cute 😭 I was a little worried about the age-gap at first with how the author said leo was just coming out of the U23s, and that mixed with Oliver’s advancement in football and the grumpy x sunshine trope, it had me scared that they were about to say like 8 years which very much is against my rules since leo isn’t 25 yet. But i think its only 3-4 years. And honestly they were adorable (once they finally got together). When everything at the end happened they had me worried that by the end there wasnt gonna be an HEA but not to worry it all turned out dandy! And how well they work together on the pitch was so fun to hear about i was obsessed!
➶-͙˚ ༘✶ characters
Main Characters 「 ✦Oliver Harris✦ 」
He was interesting! His grumpiness kind of annoyed me, but it was valid because i would be grumpy too if i had to suppress my sexuality for fear of the loss of a career I’d worked so hard towards. He deserves to be happy.
༘₊·꒰➳relatability?
[■■□□□□□□□□] 20%
༘₊·꒰➳how much i liked them
8/10
Side Character「 ✦Leonardo Davies-Villanueva (Davito)✦ 」
did i spell that right? he’s so golden-retriever silly boy i love him 😭 like sir who gave you the right to be adorable? He kind of gave off overeager teenager vibes but like he was so cute and so funny and i would read a whole book just about him (kallie, please??)
‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ favorites
ˋ°•*⁀➷ favorite characters
༘₊·꒰➳ leo
ˋ°•*⁀➷favorite scene
༘₊·꒰➳ omg the scene on the pitch that led us into the final spiral (WORTH IT!)
✩₊˚☾⋆⁺₊✧ final thoughts
Cute! Next time, make it about barca, and itll be 5 stars trust
⋆.ೃ࿔*: please comment or pm me if I missed anything, especially tropes!
ʚɞ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ with love, audrey
ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ
‧₊˚✧pre-review✧˚₊‧
cute! rtc <33
‧₊˚✧pre-read✧˚₊‧
I love getting arcs!! this ones for pride month too.
end on: 6.26.25
‧₊˚✧final review✧˚₊‧
‧₊˚🖇️✩₊housekeeping˚🎧⊹♡
༘₊·꒰➳ possible minor spoilers
༘₊·꒰➳ thank you to Kallie Embridge, Ballantine, and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review
༘₊·꒰➳ no quotes because I have to wait until the final version is released, ill come back with a playlist too
🫧𓇼𓏲rest of review✩‧₊˚🎐
༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ genre: adult mlm romance
༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ what to expect + content warnings + age rating
➳ 3rd person present tense
➳ single pov
➳ lgbt rep (gay + bi)
➳ mlm
➳ sports romance (
➳ rivals-to-lovers
➳ mentorship
➳ secret relationship/”forbidden” romance
༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳★★★☆☆
༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ ᰔᰔ(2)/5 (spice rating)
༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ ❀❀❀(3)/5 (fluff rating)
「 ✦Two Left Feet✦ 」
(noun) cute, but not about barca
☁️ . . . ⇢ ˗ˏˋ overall thoughts
So first things first i lowk thought it was gonna be dual pov?? That’s not an issue really i was just surprised because based on the synopsis I thought it would be. ANYWAYS now that i’ve exposed the fact that I don’t really pay attention to book synopsis, lets actually talk about the book!! This was really cute, and obviously the fact that it was rivals-to-lovers grumpy x sunshine football romance (yes im from america but literally what is soccer) made it 10x better because who doesn’t love a sports romance (esp where the hottest sport is concerned).
˚˖ᡣ𐭩🌷͙֒✧˚.🎀༘⋆ writing style
I love reading books set it other countries that are written by authors from that country. Its a whole new insight into how people there actually talk and sound instead of the americanized versions. I did think this book was a little tell instead of show, but that’s okay in my opinion. I would recommend maybe going a little deeper into the characters. I also personally tend to revert any present tense to past tense subconsciously when a book is 3rd person, but that might just be a me thing because i cannot stand the flow of 3rd person present tense writing unless the narrator is like…idek how to describe it because I don’t have anything to compare it to.
♡₊˚ 🦢・₊ ♪ ✧ plot
So this was a really cute plot lowk? I liked the pacing of the matchdays and how they weren’t called chapters, I thought that was a really interesting way to do it. It seemed that all the major events were focused in on with a lack of obstruction from subplots, and even tho there was just one plotline, it felt like there was enough going on to keep my attention. It was kind of refreshing to not have a billion mini-plots all over the place, because I could just focus on the one thing and not have to remember how something else tied in to the rest of it.
✧˖*°࿐ world building
I just want to say i learned so freaking much about football and how the leagues work and how national teams work 😭 yall dont know it but i NEED this info for a certain someone hehe
˖◛⁺⑅♡main romance♡⑅⁺◛˖
Pls these two were too cute 😭 I was a little worried about the age-gap at first with how the author said leo was just coming out of the U23s, and that mixed with Oliver’s advancement in football and the grumpy x sunshine trope, it had me scared that they were about to say like 8 years which very much is against my rules since leo isn’t 25 yet. But i think its only 3-4 years. And honestly they were adorable (once they finally got together). When everything at the end happened they had me worried that by the end there wasnt gonna be an HEA but not to worry it all turned out dandy! And how well they work together on the pitch was so fun to hear about i was obsessed!
➶-͙˚ ༘✶ characters
Main Characters 「 ✦Oliver Harris✦ 」
He was interesting! His grumpiness kind of annoyed me, but it was valid because i would be grumpy too if i had to suppress my sexuality for fear of the loss of a career I’d worked so hard towards. He deserves to be happy.
༘₊·꒰➳relatability?
[■■□□□□□□□□] 20%
༘₊·꒰➳how much i liked them
8/10
Side Character「 ✦Leonardo Davies-Villanueva (Davito)✦ 」
‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ favorites
ˋ°•*⁀➷ favorite characters
༘₊·꒰➳ leo
ˋ°•*⁀➷favorite scene
༘₊·꒰➳ omg the scene on the pitch that led us into the final spiral (WORTH IT!)
✩₊˚☾⋆⁺₊✧ final thoughts
Cute! Next time, make it about barca, and itll be 5 stars trust
⋆.ೃ࿔*: please comment or pm me if I missed anything, especially tropes!
ʚɞ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ with love, audrey
ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ
‧₊˚✧pre-review✧˚₊‧
cute! rtc <33
‧₊˚✧pre-read✧˚₊‧
I love getting arcs!! this ones for pride month too.
January 14, 2026
Thank you, Netgalley for this advanced copy.
Football + Queer romance? seems interesting, right?
But Sadly, this book didn't work for me. The conflict was repetitive : Injury again and again.
And the character was like a walking contradiction. One moment, Ollie was like so scared of being known as Gay, but when the news about him being gay came out he was the one who tried to make Leo calm down.
Also, since this book was about football, the matches narrated really really short. It was like watching recap from YouTube short.
Sadly, this book didn't work for me.
Football + Queer romance? seems interesting, right?
But Sadly, this book didn't work for me. The conflict was repetitive : Injury again and again.
And the character was like a walking contradiction. One moment, Ollie was like so scared of being known as Gay, but when the news about him being gay came out he was the one who tried to make Leo calm down.
Also, since this book was about football, the matches narrated really really short. It was like watching recap from YouTube short.
Sadly, this book didn't work for me.
October 19, 2025
i got an arc from netgalley 🫶
i actually liked this book a lot !! i don’t have a lot of knowledge regarding soccer except for when my country is playing haha but i found it interesting !!! i did wish we could have more couple moments since i wanted to see them together a lot more, that’s why i gave it 4 stars otherwise it was great !!!! as a latino i always love to see my people in books haha 🫶🫶🫶
i actually liked this book a lot !! i don’t have a lot of knowledge regarding soccer except for when my country is playing haha but i found it interesting !!! i did wish we could have more couple moments since i wanted to see them together a lot more, that’s why i gave it 4 stars otherwise it was great !!!! as a latino i always love to see my people in books haha 🫶🫶🫶
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This filled the Heated Rivalry shaped hole in my chest. RTC
February 11, 2026
I've probably read too many sports romances lately, but this one isn't making the leaderboard. The plotline felt somehow both cliched and farfetched, both forced and saccharine. And before that...I just didn't like Oliver, the POV character. A complicated, messy guy can be one of my favorite guys, but Oliver was just sort of petulant and mean and unpleasant in a specifically juvenile way. He and Leo are bad at communicating not in a deliciously angst-filled manner, but in the sense that like...I think they're gonna break up. This book failed to convince me of the love they professed. Sad result!
February 3, 2026
søt, men måten hu skreiv at tidå jekk forvirra meg av og t, så klarte ikkje alltid følga me på kor me va. sånn overfladisk, men gøy. oppfriskande å lesa ei bok om ein sport eg kan absolutt ingenting om, så eg har ingen måte å sei om d stemte eller ikkje, men eg måtte finna ut ka ein penalty box va (takk, helene).
August 14, 2025
oliver and leo my heart is yours
i work at the publisher. all opinions are my own.
i work at the publisher. all opinions are my own.
January 11, 2026
A book some will love and some will not, I fall in the latter half, unfortunately. This book while having highlights just didn’t work for me. I find the queer sports romance where the main obstacle of the two MCs being together revolving around coming out and homosexuality in sports rather trite and cliche at this point. It would take a really amazing story with beautifully fleshed out characters to make this land and this book just didn’t live up.
I found that the book ended up focusing more on Olivier’s journey to figuring out how to be okay with being gay over his love for Leo, and Leo therefore became a plot device to make it all work out. Without the romance Olivier would still not be out today. It’s so hard for me see queer love in the shadows, reading a whole book for the romance when it can truly only happen behind closed doors, which many queer people still face today of course, this just isn’t my favorite one.
With this book leaning very heavily into Olivier’s identity and coming out I felt that it leaned so far from the actual romance that I did not think he and Leo should end up together. In the final few chapters, Leo even suggests that Olivier would rather have had him shipped to a different team than stand together. I felt as if the foundation of their love was built on cracked concrete ready to pull away from the foundation at any moment.
I also felt the sex wasn’t very realistic, no mention of prepping to bottom or much foreplay involving it, it all felt very hand wavy over logistics in favor of pushing forward the plot.
I’m disappointed that I didn’t fall head over heels for this, I love queer romance and want so many more of these books on shelves, but this one just did not sing for me.
I found that the book ended up focusing more on Olivier’s journey to figuring out how to be okay with being gay over his love for Leo, and Leo therefore became a plot device to make it all work out. Without the romance Olivier would still not be out today. It’s so hard for me see queer love in the shadows, reading a whole book for the romance when it can truly only happen behind closed doors, which many queer people still face today of course, this just isn’t my favorite one.
With this book leaning very heavily into Olivier’s identity and coming out I felt that it leaned so far from the actual romance that I did not think he and Leo should end up together. In the final few chapters, Leo even suggests that Olivier would rather have had him shipped to a different team than stand together. I felt as if the foundation of their love was built on cracked concrete ready to pull away from the foundation at any moment.
I also felt the sex wasn’t very realistic, no mention of prepping to bottom or much foreplay involving it, it all felt very hand wavy over logistics in favor of pushing forward the plot.
I’m disappointed that I didn’t fall head over heels for this, I love queer romance and want so many more of these books on shelves, but this one just did not sing for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 28, 2026
3.5
*Review to come*
Pre-review comments below
I got sent a copy from the publisher- I don't know much about it (or the sport 😅) but I'm actually really excited to pick this one up!
*Review to come*
Pre-review comments below
I got sent a copy from the publisher- I don't know much about it (or the sport 😅) but I'm actually really excited to pick this one up!
Read
December 27, 2025***DNF
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
I unfortunately was not able to get through this one- Oliver was honestly not a very likable character.
The tone of the book is also not very engaging. The chapters are also very long which doesn’t help.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
I unfortunately was not able to get through this one- Oliver was honestly not a very likable character.
The tone of the book is also not very engaging. The chapters are also very long which doesn’t help.
November 22, 2025
✨✨✨✨✨
This book was so lovely to read and I really enjoyed it. Our main characters Ollie and Leo start off battling it out for midfielder on the Camden team and end up falling in love. And somehow but why are we surprised, I really loved this book. I honestly could never put this down and when I did, I wanted to pick it back up.
There were so many good quotes in this book and I can’t say it enough but I absolutely loved this book and I would love to read it again. Also did I enter a Goodreads giveaway for this book? Yes I did and I don’t regret a single thing. Have I won yet? No but it’s okay if I don’t because I literally just finished this book.
The pacing of this book was impeccable. Also this book had thirteen chapters and they were long. Usually I don’t like a book with long chapters but this book was eating and I left no crumbs. Also I really enjoyed that this timeline happened over months so our characters really got to know each other and grow closer. Also this book is based in 2017 so I’m glad that we didn’t get any 2025 current events like 67 honestly I’ve heard enough of it and I was glad that I didn’t see it on a single page.
This book was rivals-to-friends-to-lovers. And a lot of people know that I love a good friends to lovers. There was also a slow-burn which I heavily appreciated because I was 40% of the way through this book and Ollie one of our love interests was finally admitting to himself that he had a crush on Leo. Also the nickname for Leo. They were so cute. But I also enjoyed the aspect of Leo and Ollie actually caring about each other. Like whenever something went wrong Leo was concerned that it wasn’t going to work out but thankfully it did in all the right ways. I also loved that Ollie took his time and didn’t rush into a relationship with Leo. And there was communication. I love when people actually multiple conversations to figure out situations. Overall I love love love this book and I definitely recommend. But I do want to say thank you to the author, Kallie Emblidge for having the inspiration to write this book and to NetGalley for the ebook arc copy of Two Left Feet, and to the publisher Ballentine for having me approved to read this book.
This book was so lovely to read and I really enjoyed it. Our main characters Ollie and Leo start off battling it out for midfielder on the Camden team and end up falling in love. And somehow but why are we surprised, I really loved this book. I honestly could never put this down and when I did, I wanted to pick it back up.
There were so many good quotes in this book and I can’t say it enough but I absolutely loved this book and I would love to read it again. Also did I enter a Goodreads giveaway for this book? Yes I did and I don’t regret a single thing. Have I won yet? No but it’s okay if I don’t because I literally just finished this book.
The pacing of this book was impeccable. Also this book had thirteen chapters and they were long. Usually I don’t like a book with long chapters but this book was eating and I left no crumbs. Also I really enjoyed that this timeline happened over months so our characters really got to know each other and grow closer. Also this book is based in 2017 so I’m glad that we didn’t get any 2025 current events like 67 honestly I’ve heard enough of it and I was glad that I didn’t see it on a single page.
This book was rivals-to-friends-to-lovers. And a lot of people know that I love a good friends to lovers. There was also a slow-burn which I heavily appreciated because I was 40% of the way through this book and Ollie one of our love interests was finally admitting to himself that he had a crush on Leo. Also the nickname for Leo. They were so cute. But I also enjoyed the aspect of Leo and Ollie actually caring about each other. Like whenever something went wrong Leo was concerned that it wasn’t going to work out but thankfully it did in all the right ways. I also loved that Ollie took his time and didn’t rush into a relationship with Leo. And there was communication. I love when people actually multiple conversations to figure out situations. Overall I love love love this book and I definitely recommend. But I do want to say thank you to the author, Kallie Emblidge for having the inspiration to write this book and to NetGalley for the ebook arc copy of Two Left Feet, and to the publisher Ballentine for having me approved to read this book.
July 21, 2025
[3.5⭐️] [ARC]
Thank you NetGalley & the publishers for providing this E-Arc in exchange for a honest review!
“Two left feet” By Kallie Emblidge is a Soccer/Football romance based in London. Oliver, A Premier League football star has to defend his spot when an amazingly talented midfielder joins his team, Camden Roses.
When a recruit is called up to fill in, Oliver is afraid he'll be replaced. If he can mentor this younger talent, then they might just have a chance at winning, together.
Leonardo Davis-Villanueva is finally living his dream of joining the Camden Roses. Oliver finds confident, eager Leo irritating. And have a bit of an Enemies to Lovers Trope.
Overtime he comes to admire Leo's skill and Talent.
As they hang out more and more Oliver starts to feel feelings he’s never felt before. Oliver cannot fall in love with his teammate. He's always his sexuality private. Being gay could ruin his career if it gets out. But feeling grow stronger and stronger. Can Oliver have both Leo and Football? At the end what truly has Oliver’s heart?
It took me a LONGGGGGGG time to get into this book, maybe it’s the lack of knowledge in the soccer world but I was confused a lot. But to keep the positive mood I really enjoyed the characters, the romance really drove the story for me. Anytime I got confused I knew if I stuck it out for a few more pages I would be rewarded. The back and forth of “we can’t do this” *they do it anyway* repeat was getting a big old by the 3rd time. There was also a scene I remember where an argument was resolved so quickly, and not in the communication way but in “let’s change the subject” way. Sadly this story was pretty forgettable for me, all I remember is liking the banter aspects of the relationship. It’s also very clearly an American Author trying to write a book based in London, there were so many times I had to sit and think “so British people really say that?” I know these are a lot of negatives but I promise I did truly enjoy the story. I was back and forth between DNFing because I was getting so confused and couldn’t connect with the writing at first, I would get lost and have to reread many paragraphs to end up not understanding it and just moving on. But I’m so glad I kept going because this was a cute, quick summer read. All in all I think this is a great Debut Novel and hope to see more!
Thank you NetGalley & the publishers for providing this E-Arc in exchange for a honest review!
“Two left feet” By Kallie Emblidge is a Soccer/Football romance based in London. Oliver, A Premier League football star has to defend his spot when an amazingly talented midfielder joins his team, Camden Roses.
When a recruit is called up to fill in, Oliver is afraid he'll be replaced. If he can mentor this younger talent, then they might just have a chance at winning, together.
Leonardo Davis-Villanueva is finally living his dream of joining the Camden Roses. Oliver finds confident, eager Leo irritating. And have a bit of an Enemies to Lovers Trope.
Overtime he comes to admire Leo's skill and Talent.
As they hang out more and more Oliver starts to feel feelings he’s never felt before. Oliver cannot fall in love with his teammate. He's always his sexuality private. Being gay could ruin his career if it gets out. But feeling grow stronger and stronger. Can Oliver have both Leo and Football? At the end what truly has Oliver’s heart?
It took me a LONGGGGGGG time to get into this book, maybe it’s the lack of knowledge in the soccer world but I was confused a lot. But to keep the positive mood I really enjoyed the characters, the romance really drove the story for me. Anytime I got confused I knew if I stuck it out for a few more pages I would be rewarded. The back and forth of “we can’t do this” *they do it anyway* repeat was getting a big old by the 3rd time. There was also a scene I remember where an argument was resolved so quickly, and not in the communication way but in “let’s change the subject” way. Sadly this story was pretty forgettable for me, all I remember is liking the banter aspects of the relationship. It’s also very clearly an American Author trying to write a book based in London, there were so many times I had to sit and think “so British people really say that?” I know these are a lot of negatives but I promise I did truly enjoy the story. I was back and forth between DNFing because I was getting so confused and couldn’t connect with the writing at first, I would get lost and have to reread many paragraphs to end up not understanding it and just moving on. But I’m so glad I kept going because this was a cute, quick summer read. All in all I think this is a great Debut Novel and hope to see more!
January 15, 2026
this was loads of fun!
first of all, just wanna say to the emily’s of the world that soccer is NOT the worst sport ever and i am so sorry for disrespecting your culture like that.
i really enjoyed this book, it had a nice twist to the classic queer sports books. mentor mentee vibes at first (it’s okay they are only a few years apart and it’s not weird) but also with some antagonism. their dynamic overall was just very unique and while i guess you could call it grumpy sunshine i would more quantify it as asshole puppy dog? anyways i liked their vibes a lot. i liked that the mc was kinda a dick and super aware of it but not easily fixing it. it also felt like a nice twist to have injury stuff be in the beginning of the book. also just a good plot device.
i think the ending was a littleee rushed but overall i still thought it was well done. the prose was really lovely, i especially liked the way football was described, you can really tell the author knows her stuff. i’m a wee bit sick of “i can’t come out i’m a sports player” being the major conflict of queer sports books. like i get it. but like damn does it rlly have to be so many of them? (that being said, there’s plenty that don’t care about that or at least don’t make it the conflict). i did cry a little at this one bit, i really liked the central trauma of his life (my wording is silly here LOL but u get it), i thought it was rlly bittersweet and lovely.
overall a very good debut! can’t wait to see more from this author, hopefully more sportsssssss
first of all, just wanna say to the emily’s of the world that soccer is NOT the worst sport ever and i am so sorry for disrespecting your culture like that.
i really enjoyed this book, it had a nice twist to the classic queer sports books. mentor mentee vibes at first (it’s okay they are only a few years apart and it’s not weird) but also with some antagonism. their dynamic overall was just very unique and while i guess you could call it grumpy sunshine i would more quantify it as asshole puppy dog? anyways i liked their vibes a lot. i liked that the mc was kinda a dick and super aware of it but not easily fixing it. it also felt like a nice twist to have injury stuff be in the beginning of the book. also just a good plot device.
i think the ending was a littleee rushed but overall i still thought it was well done. the prose was really lovely, i especially liked the way football was described, you can really tell the author knows her stuff. i’m a wee bit sick of “i can’t come out i’m a sports player” being the major conflict of queer sports books. like i get it. but like damn does it rlly have to be so many of them? (that being said, there’s plenty that don’t care about that or at least don’t make it the conflict). i did cry a little at this one bit, i really liked the central trauma of his life (my wording is silly here LOL but u get it), i thought it was rlly bittersweet and lovely.
overall a very good debut! can’t wait to see more from this author, hopefully more sportsssssss
January 15, 2026
I love crying during the entire last 10% of a book 🥹😭❤️
This gave me all of the Ted Lasso vibes that I was hoping for 🙂↕️
I feel like Oliver is a character that readers are either going to be deeply empathetic towards or write him off as an upright jerk.
This is a story told through a single, third person POV so the reader is very much grounded in Oliver's anxiety, loneliness, and fear.
-He's out only to his ex girlfriend. He hasn't told his family, friends, or teammates.
-He's relegated himself to sporadic and unfulfilling one night stands because, if outed, he's scared to lose his career.
-He's entrenched in a sport that is systemically homophobic but it's also his entire life. He feels a deep sense of obligation to not only the game but to his home team that made that entire career possible.
-On top of that, he's stressed about his performance after an injury and the fact that the new coach is not impressed with the team and is shaking up their process.
(My guy is wreck, okay?? 🥺)
I loved the slow friendship he built with Leo. I loved the stressed out pining! I loved that Leo challenged him. They felt like such a wonderful match :)
This gave me all of the Ted Lasso vibes that I was hoping for 🙂↕️
I feel like Oliver is a character that readers are either going to be deeply empathetic towards or write him off as an upright jerk.
This is a story told through a single, third person POV so the reader is very much grounded in Oliver's anxiety, loneliness, and fear.
-He's out only to his ex girlfriend. He hasn't told his family, friends, or teammates.
-He's relegated himself to sporadic and unfulfilling one night stands because, if outed, he's scared to lose his career.
-He's entrenched in a sport that is systemically homophobic but it's also his entire life. He feels a deep sense of obligation to not only the game but to his home team that made that entire career possible.
-On top of that, he's stressed about his performance after an injury and the fact that the new coach is not impressed with the team and is shaking up their process.
(My guy is wreck, okay?? 🥺)
I loved the slow friendship he built with Leo. I loved the stressed out pining! I loved that Leo challenged him. They felt like such a wonderful match :)
January 20, 2026
✨ARC REVIEW✨
Two Left Feet will scratch the Heated Rivalry itch, but this time it's soccer (football), and Ollie and Leo are CUTE. I loved just Ollie's POV, it really makes the longing and story more engaging.
The writing of the book is what initially grabbed me by the shoulders, and the longing is what kept me going. I'm excited to see what Emblidge comes out with next <3
Thanks to Ballentine and NetGalley for the e-ARC in return for my honest review✨
Two Left Feet will scratch the Heated Rivalry itch, but this time it's soccer (football), and Ollie and Leo are CUTE. I loved just Ollie's POV, it really makes the longing and story more engaging.
The writing of the book is what initially grabbed me by the shoulders, and the longing is what kept me going. I'm excited to see what Emblidge comes out with next <3
Thanks to Ballentine and NetGalley for the e-ARC in return for my honest review✨
February 7, 2026
It might be silly to say this but there was too much soccer in this soccer romance lmao. I guess Heated Rivalry treated me too well with it not being about hockey at all.
Mainly though, there was no chemistry between the two characters. I didn't feel the romance at all, and by the time I was halfway through, I realized I just didn't care about them but was too stubborn to DNF. I should have DNFed.
Mainly though, there was no chemistry between the two characters. I didn't feel the romance at all, and by the time I was halfway through, I realized I just didn't care about them but was too stubborn to DNF. I should have DNFed.
July 6, 2025
Thank you to Dell and NetGalley for the arc!
I really enjoyed this! Full rtc
I really enjoyed this! Full rtc
August 21, 2025
I don’t know anything about soccer - sorry, football!!! - but I DO know romance and oh my god is TWO LEFT FEET a stunner. A gorgeously written, delicious slow burn that burrows itself inside your heart.
June 25, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this novel. All my thoughts and opinions are my own.
Real rating: 4.25
What a phenomenal debut! And I don’t say that lightly. After the first chapter, I genuinely had to look up the author to confirm it was, indeed, their first published work. I’m astounded at how refined it is for just the first go.
The pacing of the novel is excellent. The characters, even the side and more background ones, all have distinct personalities that make them feel like real people and not just inserts. There’s maybe around 15 or so repeating characters in this novel, and even with a gap apart mentioning certain people, I never needed a refresher on who was who. The way they all talk and interact with one another is all different and unique.
Oliver is incredibly relatable at each stage of his recovery and subsequent (initially reluctant) friendship-turned relationship with Leo. There’s not a point where his actions don’t make sense. Even when he’s hot and cold, you can always understand why, like a glaring neon sign. Even sympathize or empathize with him, too.
Leo is an absolute ball of sunshine who refuses to take any shit from Oliver, either. He calls Oliver out on his bs and doesn’t back down. But in the same breath, he doesn’t have it in him to hold a grudge. When he’s sad, I’m sad. When Leo’s happy, I’d be hard-pressed to try and keep a grin off my face.
Oliver and Leo’s relationship builds organically. In the beginning, it’s (understandably) a push-and-pull, slowly laying the groundwork for a tentative friendship, to something more.
Overall, this was a remarkable and wonderful debut.
Kallie Emblidge, whatever you write next - I’ll be first in line.
Real rating: 4.25
What a phenomenal debut! And I don’t say that lightly. After the first chapter, I genuinely had to look up the author to confirm it was, indeed, their first published work. I’m astounded at how refined it is for just the first go.
The pacing of the novel is excellent. The characters, even the side and more background ones, all have distinct personalities that make them feel like real people and not just inserts. There’s maybe around 15 or so repeating characters in this novel, and even with a gap apart mentioning certain people, I never needed a refresher on who was who. The way they all talk and interact with one another is all different and unique.
Oliver is incredibly relatable at each stage of his recovery and subsequent (initially reluctant) friendship-turned relationship with Leo. There’s not a point where his actions don’t make sense. Even when he’s hot and cold, you can always understand why, like a glaring neon sign. Even sympathize or empathize with him, too.
Leo is an absolute ball of sunshine who refuses to take any shit from Oliver, either. He calls Oliver out on his bs and doesn’t back down. But in the same breath, he doesn’t have it in him to hold a grudge. When he’s sad, I’m sad. When Leo’s happy, I’d be hard-pressed to try and keep a grin off my face.
Oliver and Leo’s relationship builds organically. In the beginning, it’s (understandably) a push-and-pull, slowly laying the groundwork for a tentative friendship, to something more.
Overall, this was a remarkable and wonderful debut.
Kallie Emblidge, whatever you write next - I’ll be first in line.
January 13, 2026
Happy Pub Day to what I'm surprised isn't getting aggressively marketed as Heated Rivalry meets Ted Lasso. For once, that kind of publishing Frankenstein moniker is actually appropriate for a book. Not as smutty as HR since it's a slow burn, and a fair bit more actual Premier League football as part of the plot (nope, not gonna call it soccer, suck it). My main nitpick is my perennial rule that romances should always have two POVs, but I can almost let it slide for this one, because it's a daily good examination of grief, being closeted for the love of one's life's purpose, and success and disillusionment of a veteran athlete. That said, I feel a little cheated by no getting the same incisive look into a rookie bisexual athelete of color's perspective. The writing is engaging enough for a debut, and full of very caring and tender handling of intimacy and support structure relationships. The end feels rushed and formulaic. But I still enjoyed the ride. Thanks to Netgalley for the ebook ARC. Curious to see what the author writes next.
February 4, 2026
I am usually not a romance reader at all, but ☝️ I will make one exception and that's football yaoi in the Premier League and this book was exactly what I was craving just now.
You could tell that the author is passionate about football, which played a central role in the story and wasn't just a backdrop for smut. There's actually a surprising lot of plot that isn't directly related to the romance - which is great! Tell me about those matches and which place in the table they need to end up in by the end of the season so the manager doesn't get sacked. The atmosphere of professional football and the Premier League in particular felt authentic to me as a fan of both and I think that was the main reason why I enjoyed this book so much (without the football aspect, I would've probably not picked it up in the first place). This is also a slow burn, which is crucial for me to enjoy any sort of romance. and the smut was not horrific or overdone. There's also no stupid third act break-up drama and the characters mostly communicate like real people (hooray!).
There were things I didn't entirely love, like Oliver's manic pixie dream girl ex-girlfriend who was just too good to be true. He already had a strong and well-developed relationship with his mum, I didn't really get the need for the supportive ex-girlfriend since she didn't really play any role in the story other than, well, be supportive. Leo (the love interest) also felt a bit high-maintenance to me and I didn't feel a lot of chemistry between Oliver and Leo personality-wise. And I'm sorry but Leo is half British, half Colombian (raised in Spain) but despite his dad being British he speaks with a Spanish accent for some reason and forgot English words multiple times, which gave me flashbacks to Hilaria Baldwin pretending to forget the word "cucumber". Why not just make Leo Colombian, it wouldn't really have changed anything about the plot (other than Oliver and Leo not being able to play on the English national team together, which wasn't a huge point of the story anyway).
You could tell that the author is passionate about football, which played a central role in the story and wasn't just a backdrop for smut. There's actually a surprising lot of plot that isn't directly related to the romance - which is great! Tell me about those matches and which place in the table they need to end up in by the end of the season so the manager doesn't get sacked. The atmosphere of professional football and the Premier League in particular felt authentic to me as a fan of both and I think that was the main reason why I enjoyed this book so much (without the football aspect, I would've probably not picked it up in the first place). This is also a slow burn, which is crucial for me to enjoy any sort of romance. and the smut was not horrific or overdone. There's also no stupid third act break-up drama and the characters mostly communicate like real people (hooray!).
There were things I didn't entirely love, like Oliver's manic pixie dream girl ex-girlfriend who was just too good to be true. He already had a strong and well-developed relationship with his mum, I didn't really get the need for the supportive ex-girlfriend since she didn't really play any role in the story other than, well, be supportive. Leo (the love interest) also felt a bit high-maintenance to me and I didn't feel a lot of chemistry between Oliver and Leo personality-wise. And I'm sorry but Leo is half British, half Colombian (raised in Spain) but despite his dad being British he speaks with a Spanish accent for some reason and forgot English words multiple times, which gave me flashbacks to Hilaria Baldwin pretending to forget the word "cucumber". Why not just make Leo Colombian, it wouldn't really have changed anything about the plot (other than Oliver and Leo not being able to play on the English national team together, which wasn't a huge point of the story anyway).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2026
[1.5-2 stars]
As a former avid reader of football fic and current Premier League fan, this book was supposed to be The One for me. I pre-ordered it and read it immediately after receiving it in the mail. Unfortunately, I really didn't enjoy this. I was all set to fall in love with a fictional team and its players, but I'm sorely disappointed. Don't get me wrong, I loved the work put into this book and its recognized- a full team sheet, locations to visit in Camden and a playlist and reading list? Well researched. But the story fell short, for me. This might be my last shot at adult contemporary romance.
It started off well. Camden was set to be a character much like Notting Hill was in Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts' movie. And, then, things took a steep decline the more I learned about Oliver.
I had a hard time connecting to the characters and I kept looking for more. Yes, I appreciate a one-club man as much as the next person, but the characterization didn't hit. It felt empty and small things that would really push home that Camden was Oliver's life rather than paragraphs of exposition that sought to divide Football Player Oliver from Camden Oliver. Furthermore, I was more invested in the side characters - Conor and Wilhem anyone? - and upon reflection, I even wish this was written in Leo's point of view instead of Oliver. Leo's family and internal conflict over belonging were barely mentioned, even though they were much more compelling. There's only so many times Oliver can lament the lack of discretion associated with Camden when 1) he never appeared to go to neighborhoods away from his small corner of London 2) you've got people like Kyle Walker and Hugh Grant full on having second families and mistresses with their loved ones being none the wiser.
I never got past the feeling that Oliver and Leo's relationship got off shaky ground and that their love wasn't some misconstrued feelings towards football mixed with sexual frustration. Maybe it's the January transfer window of it all and truncated timeline, but I really never felt like they cared for each other even without football.
The characterization was a real issue for me, I often forgot how old anyone was, since they all acted So Young.
And the third act conflict? Hard to take seriously when you've seen certain celebrations irl. IYKYK. Also, the Cruyff mention... never in a million years would I have guessed the context and I know it was a serious scene, but I laughed.
As a former avid reader of football fic and current Premier League fan, this book was supposed to be The One for me. I pre-ordered it and read it immediately after receiving it in the mail. Unfortunately, I really didn't enjoy this. I was all set to fall in love with a fictional team and its players, but I'm sorely disappointed. Don't get me wrong, I loved the work put into this book and its recognized- a full team sheet, locations to visit in Camden and a playlist and reading list? Well researched. But the story fell short, for me. This might be my last shot at adult contemporary romance.
It started off well. Camden was set to be a character much like Notting Hill was in Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts' movie. And, then, things took a steep decline the more I learned about Oliver.
I had a hard time connecting to the characters and I kept looking for more. Yes, I appreciate a one-club man as much as the next person, but the characterization didn't hit. It felt empty and small things that would really push home that Camden was Oliver's life rather than paragraphs of exposition that sought to divide Football Player Oliver from Camden Oliver. Furthermore, I was more invested in the side characters - Conor and Wilhem anyone? - and upon reflection, I even wish this was written in Leo's point of view instead of Oliver. Leo's family and internal conflict over belonging were barely mentioned, even though they were much more compelling. There's only so many times Oliver can lament the lack of discretion associated with Camden when 1) he never appeared to go to neighborhoods away from his small corner of London 2) you've got people like Kyle Walker and Hugh Grant full on having second families and mistresses with their loved ones being none the wiser.
I never got past the feeling that Oliver and Leo's relationship got off shaky ground and that their love wasn't some misconstrued feelings towards football mixed with sexual frustration. Maybe it's the January transfer window of it all and truncated timeline, but I really never felt like they cared for each other even without football.
The characterization was a real issue for me, I often forgot how old anyone was, since they all acted So Young.
And the third act conflict? Hard to take seriously when you've seen certain celebrations irl. IYKYK. Also, the Cruyff mention... never in a million years would I have guessed the context and I know it was a serious scene, but I laughed.
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