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Keeping Score
Love is on the line, and this goalie is playing for keeps, in this steamy soccer romance from Brittany Kelley, author of Relationship Goals.
Michelle Oxford lives and breathes soccer. After an injury that ended her dreams of going pro, she snagged the next best a position as the director of operations for the LA Aces. And even if it’s not quite what she imagined it would be, it’s still better than cutting out soccer altogether.
The only problem? Carefree, wonder boy goalie, Tristan Gold.
Tristan has wanted more than just friendship with Michelle since the moment he laid eyes on her, but nothing would kill her career faster. When she loses a bet, the team gleefully insists she has to take lessons on “being chill” from Tristan himself.
They couldn’t be more different, but Tristan’s always met her perfectionist tendencies with good-natured goofiness, so she reluctantly agrees. The more time she spends with him, the more she likes what she sees . . . and Michelle starts to think that with him by her side, she could do just about anything—even saying goodbye to the future she thought she always wanted.
Michelle Oxford lives and breathes soccer. After an injury that ended her dreams of going pro, she snagged the next best a position as the director of operations for the LA Aces. And even if it’s not quite what she imagined it would be, it’s still better than cutting out soccer altogether.
The only problem? Carefree, wonder boy goalie, Tristan Gold.
Tristan has wanted more than just friendship with Michelle since the moment he laid eyes on her, but nothing would kill her career faster. When she loses a bet, the team gleefully insists she has to take lessons on “being chill” from Tristan himself.
They couldn’t be more different, but Tristan’s always met her perfectionist tendencies with good-natured goofiness, so she reluctantly agrees. The more time she spends with him, the more she likes what she sees . . . and Michelle starts to think that with him by her side, she could do just about anything—even saying goodbye to the future she thought she always wanted.
330 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 25, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 11, 2026
This was super cute! I loved the ultra golden retriever MMC - he’s so pure, I can’t handle him 🥹💗 The chemistry was there from the very beginning for Michelle and Tristan and I loved them together. Overall I felt like the pacing was pretty quick (I actually would’ve loved for a few moments to have a second to breathe and really sink in emotionally!) but overall this was a really fun one.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this eARC!
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for this eARC!
September 13, 2026
Michelle Oxford loves soccer. She once played herself but then got injured and her soccer career ended. Now she is the director of operations for the LA Aces, a men’s soccer team. She figured working for a soccer team was better than nothing. Except, that team came with goalie, Tristan Gold. Tristan has wanted to be more than friends with Michelle for a long time. So when the team suggests she needs to take lessons on how to chill out, Tristan is the one that is to give her those lessons. The more time they spend together, the more something grows between them, and the more her eyes are opened as to what she wants for herself. That could mean though, leaving the Aces.
OMG, I want a Tristan. Author Brittany Kelley really wrote the perfect he falls first and hard romance. I think somewhere along reading, I may have actually thought that Tristan was real.
There was oh so much banter in this book, and it was gooooood banter. There was also a lot of angst and tension, but not over the top. I loved reading these two really fall for each other. But I think what I loved about Tristan the most, was how supportive and caring he was of Michelle. Whether it was making sure she was getting enough rest, loosening up, having things she wants, and more, he was just always there for her. And when I thought there was going to be a conflict about a discussion in the elevator towards the end of the book, there wasn’t. Because these two were adults.
This is technically the second book in this series, but they are interconnected standalones, so you can read it without having to read the first book, I did. However I plan on going back and reading the first book because I absolutely love this author’s writing style! It’s engaging and like I said before, I felt the characters were real.
There are some spicy scenes, but Tristan is also amazing in those too. IFYKYK. Romance readers, this comes out soon, so get your hands on a copy!
OMG, I want a Tristan. Author Brittany Kelley really wrote the perfect he falls first and hard romance. I think somewhere along reading, I may have actually thought that Tristan was real.
There was oh so much banter in this book, and it was gooooood banter. There was also a lot of angst and tension, but not over the top. I loved reading these two really fall for each other. But I think what I loved about Tristan the most, was how supportive and caring he was of Michelle. Whether it was making sure she was getting enough rest, loosening up, having things she wants, and more, he was just always there for her. And when I thought there was going to be a conflict about a discussion in the elevator towards the end of the book, there wasn’t. Because these two were adults.
This is technically the second book in this series, but they are interconnected standalones, so you can read it without having to read the first book, I did. However I plan on going back and reading the first book because I absolutely love this author’s writing style! It’s engaging and like I said before, I felt the characters were real.
There are some spicy scenes, but Tristan is also amazing in those too. IFYKYK. Romance readers, this comes out soon, so get your hands on a copy!
September 9, 2026
3.5 STARS. She’s independent and career-driven, and he’s basically a golden retriever. She is extremely motivated to keep soccer a part of her life despite not playing anymore, and he’s extremely motivated to help her step out of her comfort zone and “find the fun” in life again. In short, this was a fun, flirty, and light-hearted sports romance with compelling and relatable characters that made me smile and kick my feet while reading.
Though this could be read as a standalone — and, to my understanding, is marketed that way — I do feel like there was a bit of backstory that I missed out on by not reading the affiliated book(s). From the start, it’s clear that there is some degree of foundation between these two MCs, but it isn’t talked about enough to fill in the gaps of their history. That said, I’m not sure that I’ll personally go back and read the other book because, in the end, I was satisfied with the journey I was taken on in Keeping Score.
The one thing that I really wanted more of was that found family aspect. I personally adore a good found family, and while we got glimpses of it, I would have loved to see more!
Thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and Brittany Kelley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Though this could be read as a standalone — and, to my understanding, is marketed that way — I do feel like there was a bit of backstory that I missed out on by not reading the affiliated book(s). From the start, it’s clear that there is some degree of foundation between these two MCs, but it isn’t talked about enough to fill in the gaps of their history. That said, I’m not sure that I’ll personally go back and read the other book because, in the end, I was satisfied with the journey I was taken on in Keeping Score.
The one thing that I really wanted more of was that found family aspect. I personally adore a good found family, and while we got glimpses of it, I would have loved to see more!
Thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and Brittany Kelley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Another Brittany Kelley sports romance!!!??? Sign me up! Thank you Brittany Kelley and Netgalley for this advanced e book. I read Relationship Goals by the same author, so I had high hopes for Keeping Score as well. This book did not disappoint. I am a sucker for a leading male character that admits he is falling first, and Tristan was giving all the feels from the jump. Tristan is the captain on his soccer team and has it bad for Michelle Oxford, the teams director of operations. It is her job to make the team look good on and off the field. When she loses a bet with Tristan, she has to go on "dates" with him so that he can teach her how to loosen up and not be so uptight. As they get to know each other, sparks fly and Michelle realizes she wants more out of life than this office job. Tristan and Michelle are a cute couple who help each other in so many ways. This was a sweet and spicy romance and I cannot wait for the third installment to come out
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 stars)
Oh, this book was exactly what I was looking for as a palate cleanser. Tristan is such a golden retriever, and Michelle’s strong personality worked really well with him. I loved how he fell first and was not ashamed to show it!
My only small issue was that the references to the previous book, Relationship Goals, were too much to be only advertised as a standalone. I wish I had read it first, since some characters and story points clearly carry over. At times, the relationship felt a little forced, but overall, the love story was sweet, and that’s what I liked the most.
Even with that, it was a very good read that I really enjoyed.
I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley, and this is my honest review.
Oh, this book was exactly what I was looking for as a palate cleanser. Tristan is such a golden retriever, and Michelle’s strong personality worked really well with him. I loved how he fell first and was not ashamed to show it!
My only small issue was that the references to the previous book, Relationship Goals, were too much to be only advertised as a standalone. I wish I had read it first, since some characters and story points clearly carry over. At times, the relationship felt a little forced, but overall, the love story was sweet, and that’s what I liked the most.
Even with that, it was a very good read that I really enjoyed.
I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley, and this is my honest review.
April 14, 2026
While reading Relationship Goals, I knew I wanted Michelle’s story. And it was everything I hoped it would be. The Aces’ front office badass, learning to be vulnerable.
You could totally read this as a standalone, but without the build-up from the last book, Michelle and Tristan’s story would probably feel instalovey. The lighter, low angst plot was a welcome break for me though!
I usually prefer a bit of a grumpy MMC, but Tristan was my kind of golden retriever-lite. Here for his brand of funny and thoughtful, with a protective edge!
I hope there’s more to come from this world. There’s definitely no shortage of characters to choose from.
Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for the e-ARC! All opinions are my own.
You could totally read this as a standalone, but without the build-up from the last book, Michelle and Tristan’s story would probably feel instalovey. The lighter, low angst plot was a welcome break for me though!
I usually prefer a bit of a grumpy MMC, but Tristan was my kind of golden retriever-lite. Here for his brand of funny and thoughtful, with a protective edge!
I hope there’s more to come from this world. There’s definitely no shortage of characters to choose from.
Thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for the e-ARC! All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A cute book overall. I wish I had read Relationship Goals first, since some of the characters had clearly been introduced previously, and I felt a little in the dark.
The characters were so lovable though, both the main characters and the side characters.
A downside is that a lot of the plot points felt forced, like those sequences of events would never have happened. Same complaint about the dialogue. Some responses were not normal, but seemed like the author deemed it necessary in order to move to another point she wanted to make.
Overall, it was fine.
The characters were so lovable though, both the main characters and the side characters.
A downside is that a lot of the plot points felt forced, like those sequences of events would never have happened. Same complaint about the dialogue. Some responses were not normal, but seemed like the author deemed it necessary in order to move to another point she wanted to make.
Overall, it was fine.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5 stars
fun, silly, and romantic - had classic rom com vibes. The opposites attract to the forced proximity to the playful banter. Michelle and Tristian were perfectly matched - loved that they had similar humour, both hard working, and both so encouraging.
My only gripe was the last third of the book felt very rushed. Like once they admitted their feelings it was a straight shot to the end. I would've liked to see it play out more but I think that also goes to how they made life easier for the other. Things didn't need to be hard or complicated.
Thank you Berkley for the ARC!
fun, silly, and romantic - had classic rom com vibes. The opposites attract to the forced proximity to the playful banter. Michelle and Tristian were perfectly matched - loved that they had similar humour, both hard working, and both so encouraging.
My only gripe was the last third of the book felt very rushed. Like once they admitted their feelings it was a straight shot to the end. I would've liked to see it play out more but I think that also goes to how they made life easier for the other. Things didn't need to be hard or complicated.
Thank you Berkley for the ARC!
September 7, 2026
a fun spicy forbidden love romance
He’s a player. Literally. The goal keeper. She works for the organization. He wants to help her chill out but they both want more. This fun lighthearted forbidden romance had me giggling and turning pages because these two were perfect for each other. They just had to realize it! Definitely recommend it if you like a good spicy romance. I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway and it did not disappoint!
He’s a player. Literally. The goal keeper. She works for the organization. He wants to help her chill out but they both want more. This fun lighthearted forbidden romance had me giggling and turning pages because these two were perfect for each other. They just had to realize it! Definitely recommend it if you like a good spicy romance. I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway and it did not disappoint!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is my favourite Brittany Kelley book to date!! We love Tristan 🥺
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews