Crowley, Rebecca

Second chances, new beginnings, and meaningful forgiveness bring long-estranged exes back together in this compelling holiday romance, which is being published just in time for Rosh Hashanah.

This solid contemporary sports romance builds in several unusual twists by featuring soccer over the more familiar football or baseball tropes; being set in North Carolina and not featuring NASCAR; and introducing an unapologetic and unrepentant career woman as the heroine. While the chemistry here isn't off the charts, it exists in a very plausible way, and the romance develops naturally without treating readers to unrealistic insta-anything. The growth of Kepler's character from selfish and self-absorbed to a real leader and coach is particularly well done. Recommended for sports romance fans.