[ad/gifted - I received an eBook copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]
Author & Title: Offside Rule by Maeve Hazel
Genre: Romance
My rating: 4/5
Publication date: 16th January 2025
Blurb:
With rules strictly prohibiting referee/player relationships, Arianna and Xavier face an impossible choice.
Fiery and focused.
Arianna Esposito is a single mother under pressure. As a European football referee, she loves her job—but she struggles with an old injury and the guilt over moments she's missing with her young daughter. The last thing she expects is for a charming young football player to make her believe in love again. Arianna finds herself torn between the world she's carefully built and the risky promise of something more.
Dedicated and passionate.
Xavier Kavalle is a rising star in European football, doing his best to shoulder the weight of his team’s success. As he prepares his teammates for their shot at the championship, he finds inspiration in an unexpected place—the referee he can’t keep his eyes off of. She’s talented, fiercely independent, and everything he never knew he needed. Under mounting pressure, can Xavier step up to be everything his team—and Arianna—needs?
As the championship approaches, will they play it safe or defy the rules to pursue the kind of love they long for?
This is the cutest novella! I love a sports romance anyway so I knew this would be right up my street.
Nineteen-year-old Xavier Kavalle plays for a European football team. He is good enough to be captain but that role has gone to his cousin (who isn't the best player on the team) just because his dad is the team's coach. Despite this, he stays positive and confident in his team's ability.
Arianna Esposito is a twenty-five-year-old widow and mum to four-year-old Giulia. She is also a football referee who takes her job very seriously. The two cross paths one evening after she makes a football comment to Xavier whilst he's watching replays, then he realises she actually knows her stuff when he discovers she is refereeing his next match.
There is an instant spark between the two of them but with their age gap, the fact that a ref cannot get involved with a player and the fact that Arianna has a child, could their relationship work?
The character of Xavier was so lovely for someone so young and I really enjoyed the scenes between Xavier and Giulia. Arianna's feelings regarding being torn between her career and her family were written very well and you could feel her turmoil. I love novellas because I can just fly through the story but at the same time I feel sad when I am loving them because I just want to read about these characters forever.
This is a sweet, short read that any romance lover will enjoy!
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