Sunday, February 16, 2025

The Long Game by Elena Armas

A romance that plays out like a nail-biting soccer match

Genre:
"The Long Game" is a triumph for Elena Armas, cementing her place as a star player in the romance league. With its perfect blend of humor, heart, and heat, this book is a surefire winner that'll have you cheering long after the final page.

Top 5 This Week

Related Posts

You know that feeling when you’re watching a nail-biting soccer match, and the underdog team is down by one with just minutes left on the clock? Your heart’s racing, palms are sweaty, and you’re on the edge of your seat, silently willing them to score. That’s exactly how I felt reading Elena Armas’s latest romance, “The Long Game.” Only instead of goals, I was rooting for love to win – and boy, did it ever!

Kicking Off with a Bang

Armas, known for her bestselling hit “The Spanish Love Deception,” brings her A-game to this sports romance that had me cheering from the sidelines. Set against the backdrop of small-town North Carolina and the world of youth soccer, “The Long Game” by Elena Armas delivers a perfect blend of humor, heart, and heat that’ll have you falling head over cleats for its characters.

Meet the Players

Our star striker is Adalyn Reyes, a driven soccer executive whose carefully curated life gets thrown for a loop when a viral video mishap sends her packing to Green Oak, North Carolina. Her mission? To turn around a struggling youth soccer team as a way to redeem herself. Easy peasy, right? Not so fast.

Enter Cameron Caldani, a retired soccer star with a mysterious past and a chip on his shoulder the size of a soccer ball. He’s the last person Adalyn wants help from, but he might just be exactly what she needs – both on and off the field.

A Field of Dreams (and Nightmares)

Green Oak is a far cry from the glitz and glamour of Miami, and Adalyn’s fish-out-of-water situation had me in stitches. I mean, picture this: a high-powered exec trying to wrangle a team of 9-year-olds who wear tutus to practice and keep pet goats. It’s comedy gold, folks!

But it’s not all laughs. Armas deftly weaves in deeper themes of family expectations, self-worth, and the courage to pursue happiness. Adalyn’s journey of self-discovery resonated with me on a personal level—who hasn’t felt the pressure to live up to someone else’s standards?

Game Strategy: Romance with a Side of Soccer

Let’s talk about the romance, shall we? Because holy hotness, Batman! The tension between Adalyn and Cameron is electric from the get-go. Their banter had me cackling like a hyena (apologies to my roommate who probably thought I’d lost it), and the slow burn? Perfection.

Elena Armas has a knack for creating chemistry that jumps off the page, and “The Long Game” is no exception. The push-and-pull between our leads is deliciously frustrating in the best way possible. I found myself yelling at my Kindle more than once, “Just kiss already!”

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

One of the things I loved most about this book was how the romance developed alongside Adalyn’s relationship with the Green Warriors. Watching her go from uptight exec to beloved coach was heartwarming, and the kids? Absolute scene-stealers. Little María, in particular, wormed her way into my heart with her sass and unwavering support of Adalyn.

Tactical Analysis: Writing that Scores

Armas’s writing style is like that perfectly executed bicycle kick – impressive, effective, and leaves you a little breathless. Her prose flows smoothly, with just the right balance of description and dialogue to keep the pages turning. I particularly enjoyed the dual POV, which allowed us to get inside both Adalyn and Cameron’s heads.

The author’s attention to detail when it comes to soccer is also worth noting. As someone who can barely tell a corner kick from a throw-in, I appreciated how Armas made the sport accessible and exciting, even for non-fans like myself.

Yellow Card: Minor Fouls

No game is perfect, and “The Long Game” by Elena Armas does have a few minor stumbles. The conflict towards the end felt a tad rushed, and I would have loved to see a bit more development of some of the secondary characters. But honestly? These are small potatoes in the grand scheme of things.

The Final Whistle: Is It a Win?

In case you couldn’t tell, I absolutely adored “The Long Game.” It’s the kind of book that leaves you with a goofy grin on your face and a warm, fuzzy feeling in your chest. Armas has crafted a story that’s equal parts funny, sexy, and touching—a true hat-trick of romance goodness.

If you’re a fan of:

…then “The Long Game” by Elena Armas should be at the top of your TBR pile. Trust me, you won’t regret it.

Extra Time: What’s Next?

Good news for fans (like yours truly) who can’t get enough of Green Oak and its lovable inhabitants—”The Long Game” is the first in a series! The next book, “The Fiancé Dilemma,” is set to hit shelves in the future. I, for one, can’t wait to see what Armas has in store for us next.

Similar Reads to Keep You in the Game

If “The Long Game” has left you hungry for more sports romances or small-town love stories, here are a few recommendations to tide you over:

  1. “It Happened One Summer” by Tessa Bailey
  2. “The Bromance Book Club” by Lyssa Kay Adams
  3. “The Wall of Winnipeg and Me” by Mariana Zapata
  4. “Kulti” by Mariana Zapata
  5. “The Deal” by Elle Kennedy

Postgame Analysis: Final Thoughts

“The Long Game” is a triumph for Elena Armas, cementing her place as a star player in the romance league. With its perfect blend of humor, heart, and heat, this book is a surefire winner that’ll have you cheering long after the final page.

So, grab your favorite snacks, settle into your comfiest reading spot, and prepare to be thoroughly charmed. Just don’t blame me if you suddenly find yourself Googling “adult soccer leagues near me” at 2 AM. Because trust me, after reading this, you’ll be itching to get in on the game—both on and off the field.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be over here impatiently waiting for the next installment and possibly looking up “Soccer for Dummies” on YouTube. Hey, a girl can dream, right?

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Popular Articles

"The Long Game" is a triumph for Elena Armas, cementing her place as a star player in the romance league. With its perfect blend of humor, heart, and heat, this book is a surefire winner that'll have you cheering long after the final page.The Long Game by Elena Armas