I mean, queer romance and soccer...what's not to love? (Also, conveniently timed with what I can only call the "summer of soccer," what with the Euro Cup, Copa America and Olympics all happening in like, a two month span!) 

 

Goodreads' blurb for this one is pretty solid, so I'm making it easy on myself and borrowing: "Grace Henderson has been a star of the US Women’s National Team for ten years, even though she’s only 26. But when she’s sidelined with an injury, a bold new upstart, Phoebe Matthews, takes her spot. Phoebe is everything Grace isn’t—a gregarious jokester who plays with a joy that Grace lost somewhere along the way. The last thing Grace expects is to become friends with benefits with this class clown she sees as her rival. Phoebe Matthews has always admired Grace’s skill and was star struck to be training alongside her idol. But she quickly finds herself looking at Grace as more than a mere teammate. After one daring kiss, she’s hooked. Grace is everything she has been waiting to find. As the World Cup approaches, and Grace works her way back from injury, the women decide to find a way they can play together instead of vying for the same position. Except, when they are off the field, Grace is worried she’s catching feelings while Phoebe thinks they are dating. As the tension between them grows, will both players realize they care more about their relationship than making the roster?" 

 

In the end, I enjoyed, but didn't love, this romance. I *loved* the soccer and the setup for the plot/relationship to occur within. It's mostly spelled out, in detail, in the blurb, so I won't re-explain it all. But for me, that was all solid and natural. And it leant itself really well to character development separately, exploring the pressure of being a young phenom who has grown up (and been naturally pushed into leadership roles/captain for their skill, even though their actual capacity/interest for the job isn’t there) in contrast with all the wide-eyed excitement of a new-to-this-stage player who is talented but also got there at a more "normal" pace. Grace and Phoebe were great foils for each other in that respect. I also thought there was fantastic adult neurodiversity rep, with both Grace and Phoebe starting to "figure it out" late in life, with different levels of help from each other in doing so. I felt deeply for them, as they began to recognize all the coping mechanisms that got them to the point(s) they were at for what they actually are, and began to look for and accept the need for a diagnosis and how it could help. It was tender, both in how it was written and in the space/acceptance they held for each other on that front. 

 

Now, I know part of this is on me, as it's clearly a major enough plot point to be included in the blurb, but miscommunication is my least favorite romance trope. Like, it grates. Just, stop assuming shit and talk about it. (Note: I am aware that the neurodiversity aspects here make that particularly difficult, and I respect that IRL, but for my personal reading taste, I cringe.) The thing is, the blurb made it seem like the miscommunication was going to be funnier than it was. I kept waiting for the funny...and it never really hit. It was just an extreme amount of internal monologuing as our two MCs worked to justify each others actions/interpretations. Like, so much internal monologuing. This particular novel was very internally focused, and while a number of side characters/teammates were introduced and present, they were mostly tangential and surface-level (as far as development is concerned). I will say, to be fair, that when the miscommunication is cleared up at the end, with maturity/equanimity/humor (and taking their potential diagnoses at that point in the plot into account as well) I couldn't help it, I did laugh and appreciate a little bit of the humor at that one point. 

 

A final note: the sex scenes. This novel was spicy. And, moving past the fact that the first sex scene is in a locker room (gross!), it was hotttttt. In fact, for a little while in the middle, that spiciness was about all this had going for it (in regards to the sapphic central relationship storyline). I wasn't sold on the actual chemistry - these characters seemed to be existing near/around each other and, outside of sex, never really with each other - though that did eventually take a turn to the believable by the end. 

 

 

"You can't win a championship without gays on your team. It's pretty much never been done before, ever. That's science right there." (LOVE that opening quote from Rapinoe!) 

 

“Phoebe’s voice has gone deep and scratchy, and if it were possible to touch a sound, Grace would rub her entire body against it.” 

 

“Grace is always in her head, thinking too much, about the past and the future and any number of little anxieties, but Phoebe kisses her and she is suddenly present.” 

 

“The corollary to  you can be whatever you want is you don't have to be anything you don’t want.” 

 

“It feels simple now, even if it was complicated getting here.”