Love on the Line

Kluvberg #3

by C.W. Farnsworth, Megan Wicks (Narrator), Jeremy York (Narrator)

They’ve trained for every challenge ... except each other .

Defense has always been Claire Caldwell’s default setting. Signing with the Boston Siege, her hometown team, was a dream come true. But outside of soccer, her life is slowly falling apart. She’s focused on one making this season—likely her last—count after years of disappointments.

Otto Berger’s life was just upended mid-season. Sidelined for the first time in his career with a serious injury, he winds up thousands of miles from home, face-to-face with a woman he never expected to see again. Assistant coaching for the Siege while recovering sounded simple. Coaching Claire? Complicated.

They’re no longer the young Olympic hopefuls who met in Paris. One walked away without a gold medal. Both left broken-hearted. Neither anticipated being forced to work together years later.

Can two people with a history they can’t escape rewrite their story, or are they doomed to relive the same ending?

Genres: Romance, Sports Romance, Second Chance, Sports, Soccer, Forced Proximity, Slow Burn

Audible Audio

First published May 5, 2026

About the author

C.W. Farnsworth is the author of numerous adult and young adult romance novels featuring sports, strong female leads, and happy endings.

Charlotte lives in Rhode Island and when she isn’t writing spends her free time reading, at the beach, or snuggling with her Australian Shepherd.

Find her on Facebook (@cwfarnsworth), Twitter (@cw_farnsworth), Instagram (@authorcwfarnsworth) and check out her website www.authorcwfarnsworth.com for news about upcoming releases!

Reviews

[joni ౨ৎ - hiatus · Rating 4 out of 5]

get yourself a coach (ex) who'd drop everything to find your lucky coin

thank you c.w. and team for the ALC & digital arc!!!

[sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ Rating: 4⭐️
🫧 Vibes: right person, wrong time
🎶 Song: dreams - fleetwood mac
📖 Favourite Quote: "I was not ready for us in Paris, Claire. I wanted to be, but I was not. I am now."
📚 Would I recommend? yes!
💬 tldr thoughts: a swoony second chance romance!

In the package:
📦 second chance
📦 it's always been you
📦 assistant coach x player
📦 dual timeline

Plot: Claire and Otto first met 6 years ago at the Paris Olympics where they both played soccer. Fast forward to the present and Claire's life outside of soccer is tough and Otto has just agreed to become an assistant coach to Claire's team after a serious injury. Can they make it work this time?

Thoughts: you guys know I am a sucker for dual timeline books so I ate this up!! Tbh all second chance romance books should be told through dual timelines because it just works. This is my first book by C.W. Farnsworth and I will have to read her backlog now! I always appreciate books with emotionally complex characters, and Otto and Claire were exactly that. I love their banter and tender moments, and especially the grand gesture towards the end cause who doesn't love that!?

Thank you C.W. Farnsworth for the eARC!

✩⁺₊✩☽⋆ follow me on tiktok and instagram⋆☾✩⁺₊✩

[Katie’s Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

"I kiss her before she can say a word, slow and languid. For the first time, it doesn't occur to me that it could be the last time. It feels like a beginning."

I thoroughly enjoyed this. A second-chance, coach/coachee forbidden love sports romance? Couldn't go wrong.

Claire and Otto meet at the Paris Olympics when they're in their early 20s- they immediately hit it off and fell hard, only to go their separate ways after the games. We got some flashback scenes from Paris and I think they worked well to show us the depth of their feelings and how quickly everything happened but also didn't overwhelm the story. Cut to six years later and Otto moved to Boston to be the temporary new coach for Claire's team, while he recovers from an injury.

I loved how even when these two were trying to avoid each other and stay out of each other's way they were just so drawn together. Like they couldn't help but gravitate towards each other. I loved how they supported and cheered each other on, and how they understood each other in a way only professional athletes could.

As always I wish we had gotten more domestic scenes. Even after Otto and Claire admit that those feelings from Paris are still there and maybe even stronger than ever, they resist each other. I wish we had gotten to see them just be together a little more.

[felicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was heavy. It was emotional. It was funny. It was yearning. It was everything. Farnsworth put love in her writing, just like Otto and Claire did. What a great end to the Kluvberg series.

Fav quote
“He put love on the line, and I want to do the same.”

Fav bromance interaction
“She’s American?”
“So is Saylor.”
Beck scoffs. “I’m aware of my wife’s nationality, Berger.”
I resume staring out the window.

pre-read
Happy release day to my one of my instant-read authors! Although, I need to re-read the second in the series as I always forget all about it after I’m done

[Shannai · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐

Thank you endlessly to Victory Editing NetGalley and C. W. Farnsworth for the e-arc of Love on the Line in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I have been desperate for my next C. W. Farnsworth fix while I wait for the release of Cruel Summer, because her books are dangerously addictive. I imagine this must be what taking drugs feels like because the inexplicable high I get every time I read one of her books should probably be studied.

To anyone new here, I will read absolutely anything Charlotte publishes, and you can probably find me somewhere screaming about how much I love her books; probably on my Instagram page. I don't know how she does it, but her writing has me in an unrelenting chokehold, and honestly, I'm not mad about it. This final instalment in the Kluvberg series definitely doesn't disappoint; Otto and Claire's second chance at love was such a joy to read.

A chance encounter ensues where Otto and Claire meet at the Paris Olympics that they're both competing in. Their connection was instant and their chemistry blossomed into something really tender and beautiful, though it came to an abrupt end because of their geographical distance of living on opposite sides of the world. Fast forward six years later, Otto finds himself recovering from an injury that means he cannot do the one thing he loves; play football, and relocating to Boston and assisting the women's football team as their assistant coach; the same team Claire plays for.

What I love most about this series is the focus on female athletes. Women's football (I'm with Otto on this one; we call it football in Europe) in books is almost unheard of, and Saylor was the first book that I read about a female athlete that played football, and professionally, too.

I loved the flashbacks to Paris and seeing how Otto and Claire first met. Their connection sparked immediately, and in the present, you can feel the lingering emotions they still carry while navigating the challenge of working together.

Both Otto and Claire are interesting, emotionally complex characters. Otto’s early life was marked by emotional neglect: his parents were absent, and the grandfather who raised him was largely disengaged and unsupportive of his football career. Claire harbours strong resentment toward her father, who divorced her mother, and she is also caring for her mother, who is suffering from dementia. She feels stuck and has fallen out of love with football.

It isn’t until Otto returns to her life and begins working with the team, offering his support, that Claire starts to fall in love with the sport again. Even though they try to resist their attraction, they are still faced with the same challenges they had six years ago, with both of their lives on different continents. What I love most about Charlotte’s writing is the journey and character development for both characters. Claire, who was initially adamant about keeping her father out of her life, learns to accept his support, allowing him to help with her mother’s medical bills and be there for her as a father again. Otto’s journey is a little different: having missed out on getting the  girl the first time, he is determined not to let their second chance slip away, and relocates to play in the States.

Despite their many hurdles they face, I couldn't help but root for them. I absolutely loved seeing some old faces again; Beck and Saylor and Will and Sophia, even Tripp, Will's brother.

Otto and Claire's story was a sweet end to the Kluvberg series. It was a beautiful mix of romance, personal growth, and second chances.

Tropes

celebrity romance
coach x player
forced proximity
they’re both athletes
second chance

[ashlee ❤ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claire + Otto

-sports romance
-second chance
-right person, wrong time
-coach x player
-forced proximity

this was cute & the angst with the duel timeline had the tension PULLLINNNNGGG!! it was juicy!

[Lisa Maresca]

This is a review of an ARC I received from the author.

4.5 ⭐️
What a lovely read! You’ve got Claire, the strong female lead, and Otto her “right person, wrong time” second chance at love in a player coach, forced proximity situation.

I gobbled up this book pretty quick and immediately went and purchased the other books in this series.

The soccer aspect was also fun and different for me. It felt very fitting given that it’s about to be the World Cup!

[jada · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was giving Saylor & Beck but reverse lol but I fear no one can take their place

Would have been a 5 star for me had be not been a total manwhore (bc of course he was) and I wish he didn’t get engaged to someone else during their separation (idc if it was 6 years, of course all claire had was a lackluster bf)

Also I feel like there weren’t that many scenes of the two together to show them falling in love again ??? Like they barely spent any one on one time that would warrant them being totally in love - at least they had Paris but it was 6 years ago !!!

[Briana Moroney · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️ I had the pleasure of reading this as an advanced reader copy and I had the best time. this was a second chance romance, with the right person wrong timing kind of vibe… let’s just say I love a flashback moment and there were several! otto and claire’s love story was wholesome and so much fun to read. I read this in two days, I couldn’t put it down. highly recommend!

[Oana · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a reason football/ soccer is called the king of all sports and i feel like this book really does justice in showing the pressure to achieve perfection and the close up every player faces when it comes to small mistakes or even actions after you win something.
It is incredibly well written in regards to this part.
And talk about a second chance, since one of the Olympics is over I really felt the same way i did during it, the vibes are just something else, and to read the past with those kind of vibes and feelings, really upgraded the book to a different standard.
Make Otto a stay at home husband!!!! I absolutely love Otto and Claire, they complete each other in a way we rarely get to see and read.
And the found family, the cute nephew, is just another bonus to this story.

Rtc 🥹

[Jordan Vogel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read count: 2

CW Farnsworth is an author I will FOREVER read and I know there is a very high chance that I'll love anything she releases. Whether it's a book about professional athletes, famous musicians, small towns, billionaires - her range never fails to impress me.

I'm not going to lie, I enjoyed the first 2 books in this series, but they really can't compare to this one! I loved getting to know Otto in the previous stories and the fact that he is part of a second chance, dual timeline, HEA was so exciting.

This story gives me such Kulti vibes (which is another one of my favorite books of all time) in the best way! We have a German professional soccer star, turned coach of a professional women's soccer team in the US. Their relationship has complicated history and now add in the fact that he is her coach- I enjoyed every chapter. This will be another CW book that I know I'll reread over and over again.

Things I loved:
- seeing all angles of the story with dual timelines and dual POV
- quite a few cameos from the past couples
- how their relationship in both past and present timelines were kept to themselves
- both of them working through complicated family relationships
- seeing moments of jealousy from both MCs
- the scene when Claire gets hurt during a game and Otto rushes to her side.... melt

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the advance copy! I'm so grateful!

[krystenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️ 2 🌶️ 4 🤍 I FREAKING LOVED THAT.
I listened to Hear You Me by Jimmy Eat World for the last 10 percent because it was giving "a cinderella story" and was ABSOLUTE MAGIC. CW DOES IT AGAIN!

"When my injury first happened, I was not sure what my life would look like without football. Thanks to her, I know exactly what it would - will - look like."

This is exactly how you want to feel when reading a romance book! This book follows Claire and Otto who met 6 years earlier in Paris at the olympics.

"I was not ready for us in Paris, Claire. I wanted to be, but I was not. I am now."

The story is based in the present, where they are in a forced proximity, player/coach dynamic - as he is recovering from an injury, but every few chapters you get a chapter from when they first met and discover their history as the story goes on and I ABSOLUTELY loved that. She also writes her characters with such beautiful back stories of trauma, and does such a special job at writing their growth and strength despite the circumstances they may have been dealt.

The emotion in this book is written so well, and so beautifully you're not just reading their story you are literally getting to feel everything and be apart of them falling back in love.

It's so hard for me to love a second chance romance book, but CW absolutely nails the right person / wrong time trope EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

If you loved come break my heart again like I did you will absolutely DEVOUR this one.

I have tendency to skim the sports side of a sports romance (sue me) - but I was so invested in the soccer with this one, when she was playing her match at the olympics I was holding my breathe. (In his POV when he realises she looked for him, tears I swear)

This is the 3rd instalment in the series and I did read the other 2, but you really don't need to in order to follow along and follow along with this one. HANDS DOWN, my FAVOURITE in the series. No questions asked.

Now I just need release date to happen so I can order a physical copy. Thank you to the Authors team for sending us an early copy of this one, I truly loved it.

What to expect:
- Second Chance
- Player / Coach
- Forced Proximity
- They keep reminders of each other
- Grand Gestures
- They take care of each other when it counts

[Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

All is good until the one person who never should’ve been back in your life shows up again. And this second chance between Claire and Otto was so freaking good!! CW knew just what she was doing with this one.

Claire never thought Otto would turn up in her life again after they left each other in Paris knowing there could be no future for the 2 of them half way across the world. Now Otto shows up as a coach, back in her life, just dumped there being this temptation from the past. But Claire has her family to think of. A sister, who is a single mom to her nephew back in town. A mom that needs full time care, and a dad she hasn’t talked to much since her parents divorce. The last thing she needs is Otto to come back and complicate her life. Claire just wants to continue to play soccer and do it without the burden of losing another huge game that defines her life. Now if only Otto would take the hint and make sure that his presence doesn’t make a distraction so she can focus on what needs to be focused on.

Otto knew his life was gonna change when he took the job in Boston to coach the women’s soccer team during his rehab of his arm after his surgery. Now, Otto knows showing up unannounced probably isn’t the best thing to do when seeing someone who hasn’t left his mind in a really long time. It’s also the fact that he doesn’t know how Claire is going to respond to seeing him again after he broke her heart. He didn’t expect a warm welcome however he also didn’t expect Claire to be stand offish to him. With life still at home in Kluvberg, and not really getting anywhere with Claire, Otto realizes maybe he should just finish the season and go home without making a distraction of himself. However, Claire does start to thaw out a little bit and Otto realizes that maybe their fling didn’t freeze in Paris all those years ago. Maybe something is still there and they were meant to find each other again.

We adore a second chance romance and add in a man that has yearned for years, you have me hooked. CW really knows how to make me fall for these men, and all those men have is their women on their minds. I’ll never get tired of reading every second of these books.

[Sarah Medeiros · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can’t tell you the last time I read a soccer romance! And I feel like now I need to read more!

*an important note if you follow what I read, you know that dementia and Alzheimer’s can be triggers for me and this book does have a side character with dementia. It was done in a way where we aren’t spending oodles of time with that character but more seeing the repercussions and effects on the MCs story and so it didn’t bother me

Okay, now that that’s been said- I thought this was really cute! It was one of those stories that you just get lost in and a few hours later, it’s done and you’re feeling satisfied.

Claire and Otto have history and so we get dual timeline and I found myself eager to go back to the past to see what happened between them.

You also get:
-second chance romance
-right person, wrong time
-forced proximity
-player x coach

This is also book 3 in the series (I haven’t read 1 and 2 yet) and I’m happy to report that you can absolutely read this independent of the series. If anything, it makes me interested to go and see who book 1 and 2 follow!

And thank you to C.W. Farnsworth for the early copy!

[Kimberly Rosas · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5! I love women’s sport!!! Claire plays for the Boston Siege as well as the U.S Women’s National Team. She had the opportunity to plan for the national team at the Paris Olympics, and during her time in Paris, she had a whirlwind romance with none other than Otto Berger. He is one of the best goalies in the world and was also in Paris for the Olympics. However, when their time in Paris came to an end, so did their relationship. It isn't until Otto shows up in Boston as the new assistant coach for the Siege that they must confront their lingering past.

I honestly just wanted to give Claire the biggest hug. She is a person who cares deeply and feels like she needs to carry the weight of those she loves on her shoulders. It is an incredibly tiring and lonely thing to go through. It was amazing to see her slowly go through the journey of choosing herself and learning how to balance all aspects of her life. Otto's return to her life was definitely a shock for her. I don’t think she ever expected to see him again; however, after realizing he would now be a big part of her life, she slowly learned she needed to resolve their past. I think it also allowed her to heal other relationships in her life.

Otto was such a cutie! After having to take a season off to be able to recover, he decides to take on a new role in a new country. He's definitely in a time of his life that is full of uncertainty, and I believe that drove his uncertainty towards Claire. Nevertheless, that man was so down bad for Claire it was insane. There are two specific things that he does in this book that are my favorite micro tropes in a sports romance that I was genuinely screaming. The story was so well paced, and by the end, I felt that Claire and Otto got the ending they deserved after everything.

Thank you to C.W Farnsworth for this eARC in exchange for an honest review

[Emily G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only C.W can make football sexy to me.

I adore any and all sports romances Charlotte writes and this one was no different. The yearning, longing and slow burn of Otto and Claire's journey was torturous but in all the right ways.

⚽Second chance/ right person wrong time
☘️Coach x Player
⚽Found Family
☘️Complex family dynamics
⚽Dual Timeline

There is a wonderful focus on female athletes in this book. The community Claire had with her players and the way the coaches and players uplifted each other was really heart-warming to see. Claire's relationship with her sister was really impactful to me and showed that it's not just romantic relationships that can have second chances. I loved the family dynamics throughout this book and it felt very healing and positive.

Do we think their ship name would be Clotto or Ottaire?

Fab read for any lovers of sports romance and the tropes above <3

[Peggy Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love On The Line is the third book in the Kluvberg series by CW Farnsworth. It's a second-chance sports romance, and it was an amazing read! I love this series, and this one just made me love it even more! I especially love sports romances when both characters are athletes, like they are in this one.

Otto and Claire were everything! I loved how the author flashed back to six years ago when Otto and Claire first met in Paris at the Olympics. The flashbacks really helped me feel their connection, and their chemistry was off the charts, then and now! This one is highly recommended with way more than five stars!

[Sophie Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC RECEIVED BY AUTHOR

Thank you to CW Farnsworth for the arc of this book! I had such a good time reading it. It was such a cute soccer romance.

It is also my first soccer romance so it was a fun plot line. The characters start at the Olympics where they met 6 years ago and it switches to present where he’s her coach🤭 absolutely loved the second chance romance. Honestly the author did a good job writing these characters and their family issues. I loved the whole story and the way it ended was bittersweet🥹

[Em (semi-hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this one. The emotional tension between Claire and Otto grabbed me right away, and you can feel all the history sitting between them in every scene. The story nails how hard it is to face someone who once knew you better than anyone else, and their connection feels quiet, painful, and very real. I also loved how the sports setting adds pressure without taking over the story. The romance is slow, emotional, and full of heart, and the healing felt so satisfying by the end. I enjoyed it.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pro soccer players, second chance, coach and player.

I enjoyed this one. Claire and Otto fell in love swiftly while in Paris for the Olympics but the timing and circumstances weren't right.
6 years later and they're in the same place again and have the opportunity to allow their feelings to grow.

[cath · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5 stars

review pending!

[Sam Heeti · Rating 4 out of 5]

How can you not love a second chance romance?!? Mix it with coach/player and some forced proximity at times… I did not want to put this book down! I loved the dual timeline aspect of the story, that’s how you have to do a second chance romance. I loved the spice and everything else about the plot! I am so glad that we got to see more of Otto Berger, I was intrigued by him from the start of this series and this book did not disappoint! Claire and Otto are everything! They have such good banter and chemistry! I couldn’t stop smiling while reading this!

[M Guardino · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so lucky to have been selected to be part of the ARC Team. I love any book from this author. She as always writes perfect strong female main characters that are so relatable. I love how she writes stories so realistic to life. I love Claire. This book is amazing. Check out @Collegegirlsguidetobooks on insta for the post regarding this book.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for the gifted ALC and eARC of Love on the Line in exchange for my honest review.

4.5⭐️ 3🌶️
format: ALC/eARC
available May 5th

my first soccer (football) romance, and my first by this author - but absolutely will not be my last! i went into this with no expectations, and i truly had such a great time. surprisingly deep, heartfelt, and tender while being equally swoon-worthy, i truly ate up every page of this book!

what to expect:
-second chance with dual timeline
-2 professional soccer players
-forced proximity
-a hint of forbidden romance
-right person, wrong time

Love on the Line follows Claire, a professional soccer player in Boston, and Otto, a professional soccer player from Germany. Otto finds himself in Boston with an assistant coaching gig after an injury sidelines him for the season. Otto and Claire met 6 years ago at the Paris olympics and had a whirlwind romance that changed them both - except things ended in heartbreak for reasons that they both don’t understand.

In present day, Otto finds himself repeatedly thrust in Claire’s path - since he happens to be her new assistant coach. No one but them knows they have history, and a relationship between coach and player is off limits - but we all know how that goes 🤭 Claire is feeling burnt out and has fallen out of love with the sport, and is constantly doubting herself and what she brings to the field. Otto is going through it in a different way, grappling with healing from his injury and questioning if he’ll be able to return to the sport he loves.

this was so easy to immerse myself in and i loved Claire & Otto’s journey back to each other. they both still have their own demons but they’re actively working through them, and helping each other out even when they don’t realize it. eventually, the building tension between them comes to a head and they clash in the most steamy collision that had me glued to the pages.

my heart broke for Claire and all that she’s going through with her mom, and it was beautiful to see the way that she was able to finally process and learn to forgive her dad. and Otto? my heart broke for him, too, in a different way. for someone who had been abandoned and left with virtually no family, seeing him reconcile with his grandfather was so special.

while this is the 3rd in a series, this can absolutely be read as a standalone (although i will definitely be going back to read the rest of the series!)

i primarily listened but did immersive read some chapters. my biggest critique, and really the only reason this wasn’t a 5 star read for me, was the audiobook. on it’s surface, it was an incredibly solid narration and i didn’t have any issues with the narration itself. but i couldn’t ignore the fact that Otto, who is very obviously German (and who we are repeatedly reminded has lived there his whole life, etc), was narrated by a man with an American accent. it often took me out of the story, because i kept forgetting the fact that he’s supposed to be German. but then, every so often, there would be a phrase or sentence that was structured in a way to make it clear that english isn’t Otto’s first language, but it just sounded WEIRD coming from a man without a foreign accent. while i clearly still loved the book, i would’ve enjoyed it even more if his accent matched the character appropriately.

if this is something that would bother you like it did me, then i highly recommend you read with your eyeballs for this one. if you don’t mind, then the audio is otherwise great!

[Margaret McAlister · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

I think the best way to discuss how I liked this book is to talk about where it falls on the ranking of the other books in this series, because they all appeal to different people with different tastes. I stumbled across the OG version of First Flight, Final Fall years ago and just really loved it. Not sure exactly why, but the vibes suited my mood exactly and I was so connected to the imperfect protagonists. Saylor is such a brutal bitch (complimentary) whose entire world was black and white and I loved watching her world view get turned on its head. I later listened to the audiobook of the re-released version and found that I still liked it, but I preferred the original. Back Where We Began is next in line for me and then All the Wrong Plays. I would put Love on the Line 3rd in line on this list, which is so say that I enjoyed reading it, but I didn’t find it particularly memorable or special. I liked all of the characters just fine and I wanted them to succeed and find happiness, but they felt a bit one-dimensional. I have read all of Charlotte’s books (multiple versions on most) and usually find small bits of magic in the characters that make them shine for me and, for whatever reason, I just didn’t get that in this book. I liked it- full stop. I likely won’t feel the need to pick it up again, and that’s fine. Sometimes a nice, enjoyable, easy read is what I have the bandwidth for and this was that for me.



******spoilers below*******



*******proceed with caution******




******final warning*******


Some things that annoyed me:
1. Listen I know I can be an unforgiving asshole about these things but honestly I hate the “let me forgive my cheating dad” storylines almost always and this was no exception. I certainly don’t support inviting him and the new wife into their mother’s home, even though she no longer lived there.
2. Parts of the story felt like a watered-down recycling of the FFFF plot points
3. Dual timelines are just not my favorite but this is totally a personal preference
4. I find it ridiculous when plot points directly contradict what we were told in previous books/ defy logic just to make this story better (eg Otto stopping every penalty kick from the best players in the world I mean something like 80% of penalty kicks go in even with the best goalies come on he can still be the best without us bending reality)

Some things I loved:
1. I will literally always read what Charlotte writes she’s a auto-read for me and even if this wasn’t my favorite I still enjoy her writing
2. Cameos!!!! So fun to see our old babies all grown up
3. Love my women in sports
4. The representation of the stress of caring for a loved one with dementia was important and it was described with a lot of grace


Happy reading!

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second Chances, Soccer Fields, and Swoon-Worthy Sparks

I love C.W. Farnsworth’s books. Every time I start a new one, I swear it is my favorite ever. I get fully immersed in the story and have been known to complete a book in one sitting. Love on the Line is no different. I knew going in that I was going to love it. The book I return to time and again, that has become something of a comfort read for me, is the first book in the Kluvberg series, First Flight, Final Fall. Something about Saylor and Beck’s story gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling and makes me want to stay out on the soccer (football) field with them.

In this book, takes us back to the soccer field where we find a familiar face as the MMC. Otto Berger, the young goalie we first met in First Flight, Final Fall, finally gets his chance at love. Claire Caldwell is a newcomer to this series and, in this dual timeline, dual POV story, meets Otto by chance while representing Team USA in the Olympics. With each chapter, the reader is given a new piece of Otto and Claire’s story: how they meet and fall in love, how they separate, and how they find their way back to each other six years later. It is a delight.

C.W. Farnsworth does a beautiful job of pulling the reader into the emotions unfolding in each scene. Standing next to a former flame and still feeling that magnetic pull, while also navigating the awkwardness of what comes next, is captured so vividly that you feel it all as you read. The push and pull of human interaction is enticing and draws me into these stories time and time again. This book is a perfect example of how, in the hands of a skilled wordsmith, even something as simple as eyes meeting across a room can spark a rush of goosebumps. I love it.

I find it difficult to resist a second chance love story, and this one does the trope justice in the best way. It delivers all the emotional tension and longing that make this kind of romance so satisfying, while still feeling fresh and engaging. Otto and Claire’s journey feels both heartfelt and believable, and their reconnection is worth every moment of anticipation. This is the kind of story that lingers after the final page, leaving you thinking about the characters and their path back to each other long after you have finished reading.

Thank you to C.W. Farnsworth, C.W. Farnsworth LLC | Entangled: Amara, and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this eBook, which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

[Samantha Branch · Rating 4 out of 5]

thank you to C.W. Farnsworth for an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review! 

4 stars! 

Okaaaayy, you guys know second chance romances with dual timelines are not my favorite, but this one was very good! 

This story follows two professional soccer players, Claire Caldwell and Otto Berger, who are forced back into each other's lives six years after an Olympic fling that ended in heartbreak for both of them. Otto is recovering from a shoulder injury away from the press and becomes the temporary assistant coach for Claire’s team without her knowing until his arrival. They have to navigate their lingering resentment, yearning, and undeniable chemistry while being forced to work and play and pretend as though they don't have a devastating and heartbreaking history. They have to balance their careers and their futures and decide if their second chance is worth the risk of the fallout and heartbreak again.  

The flashbacks we see to the Paris Olympics six years earlier lets us witness them fall in love, grow from their first fling, and adds depth to their relationship. I really appreciated the growth that you could see from both characters between real time and the flashbacks.  Their growth and their relationship felt real, mature, and earned mostly because of honest and healthy communication. I think the author handled heavy and real world issues and diagnoses with care and compassion for both the readers and the characters. Overall if you're into a second chance romance, a dual timeline, or a second chance at right person, wrong time — you should definitely give this a read! 

TW: side character with worsening dementia, infidelity in parents, divorce of parents, recounting death and loss, grief, strained relationship with family members, financial burden, broken hip, terminal cancer diagnosis, alcoholism, alcohol consumption, injury due to sport, injury recovery, language, consensual sexual content (Chapters 21, 33, 34, 42)

Second Chance Romance. Dual Timeline. Forced Proximity. Professional Athletes. Sports Romance. Soccer Romance. He Falls First. Right Person, Wrong Time. First Person POV. Dual POV. Spicy. 

[Luisa Rivas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book swept me away from the very first chapter. Otto and Claire’s story starts in Paris during the Olympics, two young athletes representing their countries — Otto for Germany, Claire for the USA — both standing at the edge of their dreams. They fell hard, fast, and beautifully, but when the moment came to choose, they chose their careers over each other. Claire hadn’t even begun her professional journey yet, and Otto was just starting his football career. So they walked away, hearts shattered, and life moved on.

Years later, fate throws them back together in Boston, and the emotional tension between them is incredible. Claire is now a professional soccer player, talented but weighed down by family responsibilities and the emotional fallout of her parents’ divorce. Otto is recovering from a serious injury and carrying his own complicated family history. Both of them are older, more bruised by life, and still completely undone by each other.

What I loved most is how layered their journeys are. This isn’t just a second‑chance romance — it’s a story about family, forgiveness, and the courage it takes to choose love when everything feels impossible. Claire’s arc especially hit me hard. She’s been holding her world together for so long, and watching her slowly let people back in, reconnect with her family, and rediscover joy in her sport was beautiful. Otto, on the other hand, is one of those quietly devoted heroes who loves deeply once he lets someone in. His loyalty, his loneliness, and his longing made him such a standout character.

Their chemistry is electric, but what really shines is the emotional honesty between them — the yearning, the fear, the tenderness, the slow rebuilding of trust. There’s angst, there’s clarity, and there are so many moments that made my heart ache in the best way.

I loved this book so much that I immediately picked up the first two in the series. Every book I’ve read by this author has been a hit for me. This one, though, felt especially rich — full of love, growth, and the kind of second‑chance magic that makes you believe in timing and fate.

[Petra · Rating 4 out of 5]

💚𝐂.𝐖.𝐅𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐒𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐇 - 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄
🎉𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖

 Another slightly angsty, totally captivating sport romance from Charlotte!I haven't read any of the Kluvberg books before requesting an ARC, but I was able to read First Flight, Final Fall (book #1) before picking up Love on the Line and I'm glad I did.
I loved the back and forth Beck and Saylor provided but I adored the way Claire and Otto fell for each other. 
The main characters met six years prior to the book taking place. Both of them playing football for their respective countries, both charmed by the other during their meet cute. Otto was a ray of sunshine, Claire was a careless man's careful daughter. They just instantly clicked.
I enjoyed the timeline about their youth filled Parisian affair.But alas, I loved their second chance present, maybe even more.

Otto was placed in Boston after suffering a big injury during his season as a goalie for the coveted FC Kluvberg. He was tasked with being an assistant coach for the city's women's team. The team where the woman he still harboured feelings for played. Claire's life peaked at the Olympics six years ago.  She's contemplating if football is still worth it when one of the biggest heartbreaks of her life walks into training.
Playing indifference towards each other isn't an option. Not when just one glance stirs up deeply buried feelings. But showing their underbellies is a sacrifice neither of them know how to make. 

I felt the angst, but actually quite enjoyed the progression of the second chance romance in this one.
Both Otto and Claire showed they cared, both trusted the other with deep insecurities and weak points - their family dynamics and the shared misery of feeling the weight of the world on their shoulders. She cared about his injury. He took care of her when her car broke down and when she felt like a failure.

They were destined to be together, and I really loved how the typical roles of the sexes were reversed when it came to career decisions within their relationship!The perfect soccer romance to pick up with the Champions League finals & the World Cup looming so close!

[Soph · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartwarming dual-timeline story about love and second chances. ⭐️ 4 stars ⭐️

After a shoulder injury, Kluvberg’s goaltender Otto Berger temporarily flies to Boston to help coach the Boston Siege women’s soccer team. There, he runs into Claire Caldwell — they last saw each other six years ago at the Olympic Games in Paris, where both walked away with broken hearts.

Neither of them ever thought they would see each other again. Will this time their story have a happy ending, or is their fate already written in the stars, just as it was in the past?

I went into this book without having read the first two installments of the series and had no trouble following the story. It works very well as a standalone and is easy to get into.

As a German reader, I enjoyed seeing German soccer — or football as Otto and I call it — elements woven into the story, even though the overall setting is Boston. I would have loved to see the conversations between Otto and his grandfather actually take place in German rather than being limited to a few scattered words. However, I also understand that, with an American readership in mind, the chosen approach was likely the more accessible option. While soccer romances are not typically my favorite sports romance subgenre, I still enjoyed this book very much. The story has emotional depth, particularly through the personal challenges it explores, such as coping with a season-ending injury as a professional athlete and the family issues faced by the main characters. The writing feels smooth and cohesive throughout.
I really appreciated that both characters were mature, and I especially enjoyed their open and honest communication. The story also captures their longing and chemistry so well that, as a reader, you can’t help but root for Claire and Otto to find their way back to each other.

This book is perfect for fans of the one who got away, right person wrong time trope and stories about second chances.
A great read — and I’m definitely excited to go back and read the first two books in the series.

#cwfarnsworth #NetGalley