Series: The Long Game #1
Also in this series: The Fiance Dilemma
Published by Simon and Schuster on 5th September 2023
Genres: Contemporary, Fiction, Love & Romance, Romance, Sports & Recreation
Pages: 373
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley
Goodreads
I came into this book as a big Elena Armas fan. I thought the Spanish Love Deception was adorable and featured so many of my favourite tropes. The American Roommate Experiment (which I read first) had me running out to buy a record player and some second hand vinyl.
Maybe my expectations were too high. Maybe I was just not in the mood for a cute romance set in the middle of nowhere North Carolina. Or maybe this book just wasn’t for me.
Typically I love a story of enemies to lovers with a dash of small town quirk and throw in some sports romance elements for good measure. But my problem with Adalyn and Cam’s story was I didn’t feel the chemistry between them. Oh – there was plenty of situations set up for them to have those delicious rom-com moments. Their meet cute was adorably messy and did set the scene for just how everything would play out. But generally, I just didn’t feel the vibes between them. I felt the annoyance. And then I felt the love. But there wasn’t enough of that wonderful in between stage where you can apricate the fall as it happens.
The premise is a bit silly and unbelievable but sometimes to get the kinds of romance stories we love – you have to look beyond the set up and just enjoy the journey. There are plenty of fun small town characters to make you fall in love with the town as you follow Adalyn and her misfit band of Green Warriors. Cam feels like his character might have been created solely to capitalise on the popularity of Ted Lasso but I’m never not going to want to read about a grumpy former sports star who falls hard in love.
I found the pacing a little slow but once things got going I was all in. I did wish there was more graduality to the slow burn of the romance rather than it being more like a switched on. But overall it’s a cute story. It sets the scene up nicely for the town and I can’t wait to read The Fiance Dilemma to get to know Josie and Matthew a little better.