Hit or Miss

by Elle Kelk

PRE-ORDER the first novel in the BRAND-NEW spicy, new-adult college romance series. Perfect for fans of Bal Khabra, Ana Huang and Rachel Reid!***

'Irresistibly sexy and sweet…will leave you swooning' CHRISTINA LAUREN***

He's a player. And she's the goal…Ethan Taylor is unbeatable on and off the field. Being the star of the Marshall College soccer team – and hot as hell – has its perks. But when tragedy strikes, Ethan flies straight out of South Carolina and to the intimidating halls of Hemden University, where even his Southern charm can’t melt the stiff British upper lips…

Mia Meyers has never had much luck with people. Having always been a bookish wallflower, junior year abroad could be her one chance to step into the spotlight. So, when Mia realises that she’s not the only student from Marshall across the pond this year, she is determined that no one will get in the way of her new life – not even Ethan Taylor.

But why is it that Ethan’s infuriatingly sexy green eyes can’t stop staring at her, and why doesn’t she want him to look away? They may be far from friends at home, but under the spires of Hemden, could this striker score her heart?



🪞Dual POV

⚽Soccer romance

💘He falls first

🎓College romance

👩‍❤️‍👨Forced proximity

🔺Love triangle

Kindle Edition

Expected publication June 4, 2026

Reviews

[Iqra · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing felt way too immature for my taste. If you’re a reader coming straight off wattpad then you’d eat this up but that phase is over for me lol. The starting took way too long to Introduce the MCs to keep me hooked and then when I did eventually get my interest piqued it lost me within the next 10%.

So unfortunate because I was expecting this to be a new fav.

ೃ⁀➷ Thank you NetGalley and HQ for the ARC! ♥︎

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up!

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ohhhh here we are, a delicious college sports romance! I was so excited to pick this one up, this genre is absolutely catnip for me.

Mia arrives at Hemden University (an Oxbridge stand-in) from Marshall College, South Carolina, ready for a fresh start. She felt like a nobody back at home, no friends to speak of, overbearing parents..she was in a rut. Now she has the freedom to be who she wants to be, if she could just work out who that is.

Coincidentally, football (soccer) phenom Ethan Taylor is also arriving at Hemden University from Marshall College, as a form of punishment following a tragedy back home. Mr Popular recognises Mia, but she is all too familiar with his reputation. Before long they can’t keep their eyes off each other, and it turns out this fresh start is just what they both need.

This was so sweet, and wow was Mia one of the most relatable characters I have ever had the pleasure of reading about. I am her, she is me. This sweet, innocent, anxious little lamb has the weight of the world on her shoulders and it was absolutely lovely to see her come into her own and finally find her people! She was just my perfect little romantic bookish soulmate!

“nothing sets my heart racing like foiled boards and fancy spredges” - same girlie.

“None of my beloved books, not even Shakespeare’s sonnets or love songs, could have prepared me for this moment. This is love at first sight, it has to be. Shit. My most loathed of tropes, slapping me right in the face.”

Ethan’s story was so sad, he was facing a particularly unique brand of eldest sibling trauma and my heart broke for him. He was such a cinnamon roll, and it makes total sense that someone like Mia would be exactly who he needed. And he was everything she didn’t know she needed too, ugh my heart 💕

Oliver gave me the ick IMMEDIATELY. Jenna coming in hot with the truth bomb “Blonds are always evil, we should’ve known.” Preach!!

I did feel personally attacked at one point, when Mia points out that Temple of Doom was released TWENTY YEARS before she was born…insert Jamie Lee Curtis “I’m old” gif here.

You could feel how much of herself the author put into this book, especially with Mia’s character. The dedication set the tone with this immediately:

“For all the bookish girls who thought they would never find their people or their place. You are exactly where you’re meant to be.” 🖤🖤🖤🖤

Please pick this up if you love a college romance, any of the following tropes - forced proximity/friends to lovers/reformed rake/he falls first and harder, want a cute, spicy story filled with hope and great mental health representation!

[Readwithmills · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore Lindsey Kelk’s books, and this one was no exception. I had to laugh at the subtle name tweak to signal a bit more “spice” this time around—especially when I was 300 pages in, several pickle references deep, and still waiting for that moment to arrive. That’s the thing about her writing though: it’s so warm, witty, and wholesome that I’m more than happy to sit back and enjoy the ride. With other authors I might be impatient, but Lindsey Kelk crafts her characters so beautifully that the slow build feels completely worth it.

Mia and Ethan completely stole my heart. I was on Team Ethan from the very beginning, while Mia took a little longer for me to fully understand—and that made her journey all the more satisfying. Watching her layers unfold added real depth to the romance. The forced proximity trope was executed perfectly, delivering just the right amount of tension and chemistry. And as for Oliver… let’s just say he never quite won me over (no spoilers!).

I also couldn’t help but notice the very specific M&S references—Percy Pigs and Colin getting name-dropped? Honestly iconic. If there isn’t a sponsorship deal in the works, there should be.

Overall, this is shaping up to be the perfect summer romance. When it releases in June, it’s going to be exactly the kind of feel-good, tension-filled love story to throw in your beach bag. Funny, heartfelt, and irresistibly romantic.

[chapter30_april · Rating 5 out of 5]

★5

𝙍𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙮 | 4𝙩𝙝 𝙅𝙪𝙣𝙚 2026

Thank you again to HQ for this beautiful PR package… I couldn’t WAIT to start this so tbr was placed on hold OBVIOUSLY… I demolished it.

‘𝘔𝘪𝘢 𝘔𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦. 𝘏𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳.’

👆🏻 beyond relatable girl…

Elle babe take a bow these characters are amazing… Mia is so bloody relatable I absolutely adore her. Bookish, introvert with sharp wit - perfect FMC…

Ethan - well, what I say? Yes please? Cocky, tortured boy 🤭

My absolute favourite line from Mia. -

‘𝙊𝙪𝙧 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝘿𝙞𝙨𝙣𝙚𝙮 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙤’ 😂👏🏻

I am now fully craving Percy pigs thank you very much. 👀🐷

When where you live is mentioned in a book it just makes you squeaaaal! 🤭 Northamptonshire all the way!

This sports romance was addictive. I couldn’t put it down, something always hits different about a book being in the UK I can’t explain it but the banter hits different 🤭

The love triangle was done AMAZINGLY… it had me chuckling so much but this book for me was an emotional rollercoaster, I absolutely LOVED IT!

Girls and boys get this on your tbrs and pre order immediately! ❤️

[Emma Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED IT!!!I
Elle Kelk — the pseudonym of rom-com queen Lindsey Kelk — delivers another feel-good story that never fails to leave a smile on your face. Her writing feels fresh, funny and effortlessly romantic, with just the right balance of heart and heat.
Mia and Ethan both escape the same small American hometown to start over at a UK university — but while Mia knows all about Ethan and his reputation, he has no idea who she is. Ethan is running from a traumatic event: a tyrannical father, a passive mother, a wheelchair-bound brother and a relationship that suddenly ended . Mia, meanwhile, is determined to shed her old identity as “the librarian” and step out from under the watchful eyes of her overprotective parents.
When they end up sharing halls and moving in the same social circles, sparks inevitably fly. It’s the ultimate jock-meets-quiet-girl romance — heart-warming, swoony, with a pinch of spice and even a second love interest to keep things deliciously complicated.
A sure-fire hit. I can’t wait to read more from Elle!

[Flora Gibbons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book before the official release. All views are my own.

Lindsey is one of my favourite writers. She’s incredibly witty and her characters are always very human and therefore flawed which in turn makes their stories not just believable, but so relatable. She also has knack for writing beautiful female friendships that I’m always a little jealous of. Her venture into college romance is no exception. Her sparkling humour shines through immediately and I was laughing out loud by page 3. Both our main characters, Mia & Ethan, have been shaped by their family dynamics and see their time at Hamden as a new start. However they discover they didn’t need to change who they are, just the way they see themselves. Ms Kelk is not usually a spicy writer but, as it turns out, she does that spectacularly too. PS: Oliver was written so well that every time he came on to the page I raged and just wanted to hit him with his own guitar.

[Verity Thornhill · Rating 5 out of 5]

⚽ 💖 📚 ARC review of Hit or Miss via NetGalley ⚽ 💖 📚

Well I loved this 💖 When I heard that Elle was bringing out a spicy sports romance, I was excited and Hit or Miss didn’t disappoint!

Mia and Ethan have both transferred from South Carolina to the elite British Hemden University. One is the captain of the football (soccer to him) and the others is an English Lit major. For both of them this transfer is an escape, somewhere to start again.

But not everything from their pasts can, or should be escaped. As they find their way in the UK, can they also find their way to each other?

Hit or Miss has the slow burn and the swoon I love in a romance - with lots of M&S references that are essential for us Brits. I also loved connecting with Elle more in this book - you can feel that this is a special story for her and I’m so happy that it’s coming out into the world.

[Sara Oxton · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gut wrenching five-star read. This was just a great story for anyone who has felt like their life hasn’t gone the way they wanted to, those who didn’t feel as popular as others, or as pretty. This was nicely done at showing us the grass isn’t always greener, and sometimes the opposite isn’t what we expect. I love how Mia grew into herself. This is a story about younger people, and they do have aspects of immaturity, but they also show us what passion is and how we need to grow into ourselves before we grow into each other.

[Elea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute romance!! It was so fresh I really liked it! The 80% break crisis did feel a bit too much and upsetting but the whole book's cute

[vioreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review here -> https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNRPo8mNr/

[Shouty · Rating 5 out of 5]

ETHAN WAS UNBELIEVABLY SWEET -- HE BAKED HER BISCUITS! HE WAS ALWAYS WATCHING OUT FOR HER AT THE BAR! HE SAW THROUGH THAT DOUCHE OLIVER WAY BEFORE SHE DID LOL

[larasbookcase · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gave me all the feelings! Ethan as the MMC made my heart melt constantly throughout and I liked that he and Mia weren't instantly all over each other as their relationship felt much more natural, and I loved the amazing friend group Mia found, we all need a friend like Alice <3