The Striker: The Instant #1 Sunday Times Bestseller (Gods of the Game) Paperback – 22 Oct. 2024

I absolutely adore Ana’s writing - her characters and story lines always draw me in, and this book was no exception.I adored Scarlett and Asher and it was so nice to read a book where the MCs actually communicate with one another :)I’ve preordered the next book in this series already!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️This was a perfect sport romance! The first football romance I've read and Ana did not disappoint. The plot is easy to follow and lovely to read. I did find the start a bit slow but i think that was because i have been reading a lot of fantasy at the minute and i needed to get used to romance again. Once i was into the story i love it. Being a football fan i feel like Ana captured the lifestyle of a footballer really well and she also got the British humour spot on!I love the characters; Scarlett is so relatable and you get to see her deal with her trauma and overcome it. Asher is the definition of a golden retriever boyfriend! His reputation is bad boy footballer but the way he treats and loves Scarlett is so cute. I loved their relationship and seeing them overcome everything that was thrown at them was so relatable.Overall, i really liked this book and would recommend to anyone who likes football and romance. Ana never fails on any of her books and I'm looking forward to the next book.Tropes:Brothers rivalEnemies to loversHe falls firstSports romanceForced proximity

book came with some bends in it which was disappointing to say the least but was a great book

Is this just another romance? Yes. Was this predictable? Yes. But did I gobble this up like it was my last meal? You bet I did. Ana Huang writes the most finger licking, girly giggling, feet kicking romances I have ever read.Ana has written Scarlett so perfectly that I have seen so many people relate to her as ex dancers who had to leave their dream behind. This is what we strive for in books, to be able to read about a character and resonate with that and Ana delivered.Asher Donovan. Asher freaking Donovan. Now I knew Ana had entered her football era but I didn’t know she was going to deliver so well and exceed my expectations. Asher’s character development and learning about himself and how to manage his feelings was so real and touching. Really made me think more men should do that. It’s so healing and touching to find yourself again. I fell in love over and over again throughout the book.Ana is officially in her football era and I’m so ready for it🤭

As always Ana Huang delivered.Football romance ✅Likeable characters ✅Delicious Smut scenes ✅Recurring couples ✅A MMC obsessed from the first meeting ✅A relatable FMC ✅Banter ✅For shadowing future characters from her series ✅The book club epilogue was everything and I really enjoyed all the side charactersNoah, Adil, Carina, Brooklyn and of course VincentI did get intrigued by Clive at the beginning but now I think that ship sailed but who knows 🤣Ana knows how to write and she doesn't miss for meDefinitely enjoyed the bookIf you want a little spoiler of who is appeared in the book scroll further down, otherwise stop reading here 😘..........We get an appearances from Isabela and Kai ( King of Pries) Jules and Josh (Twisted Hate) and... Drumroll Vuk ( Future Project..) 😱

My only criticism is as a British reader is some of the terms we wouldn’t use in the UK but this is certainly overlook-able with the standard and content of the rest of the book. I become engrossed in Ana’s books and love that you cross reference characters from other seriesLooking forward to reading the “Defender” now

So this reads like it was written by an American who watched the Beckham documentary. There is little to no real understanding of what it is to be a massive football fan in the UK - it is both far more and far less deep than was portrayed. Also, the language was Americanised frequently (out on your ass and pre-game).Finally, the most frustrating part of the story for me was that none of the characters had a different voice apart from the coach and dad (who actually had the same voice now I think of it). If Holchester is Manchester (which it absolutely is supposed to be - no one can tell me otherwise) then there is an accent and dialect that goes with it. In fact, EVERYWHERE in the UK there are specific accents and dialects that really do affect the way a book is written and read. All of these characters from London would have a significantly different way of speaking to those from Holchester. And Asher and Scarlett sounded the same throughout except for a sprinkling of darling from him and periodic bouts of fainting from her.

Having read both the Twisted series and Kings of Sin, I’ve noticed that Ana Huang's style is starting to feel predictable. The sex scenes tend to follow a similar pattern across her books.Additionally, I found Asher, who is portrayed as the best athlete in the world, lacking in the health and discipline one would expect from such a character. His approach to food and lifestyle felt inconsistent and didn't set him apart from other characters.That said, I still enjoyed the read; it’s engaging and entertaining. However, I believe Ana needs to up her game in the next book.