Review | Hotshot by Clare Lydon

**Spoiler Warning**

From the very first page, Hotshot by Clare Lydon sets the tone with a wry nod to the UK’s historic reluctance to embrace women’s football (“they’re a bit backwards when it comes to women’s soccer, aren’t they?”). That self-aware streak runs through the whole novel, doubling as a tribute to the women who have fought, and are still fighting, for better opportunities in the game.

US star Sloan Patterson has just joined UK club Salchester Rovers, hoping for a clean slate after discovering her fiancé Jess’s infidelity. On her first day, she meets Ella Carmichael, the team’s new performance and lifestyle coach. Their easy camaraderie quickly develops into a steamy romance, but with Sloan’s contract ending soon, a serious injury to recover from, and Jess suddenly back in the picture, both women have to decide if their relationship has a future.

The book is rich with subplots that bring texture to the main romance. Nat, a teammate whose parents disapprove of her both for playing football and for coming out, offers a sobering look at the personal costs of the sport, and voices the pointed truth that there aren’t enough Asian women in UK football. Sloan’s own family discoveries add another layer: finding long-lost English relatives who love her unconditionally, and hearing the story of her grandmother, who once disguised herself as a boy to play for non-league side Kilminster United. These threads feel like a heartfelt homage to real-life pioneers such as Rachel Yankey and Sam Kerr, reminding us how far the women’s game has come - and how far it still has to go. The recurring mentions of Kilminster United also encourage readers to look beyond the glitter of big stadiums and support their local teams.

Ella’s backstory is equally compelling. A former player on the cusp of stardom, her career was cut short by injury at a time when clubs offered little to no support. Lydon doesn’t sugarcoat her experience: there’s no glamorous rehab montage, just lonely physio sessions and the lingering ache of “what if?” The novel also acknowledges that while support for injured players has improved, there’s still plenty of work ahead.

For me, the romance occasionally took a back seat to the side stories. At times, real-life parallels pulled me out of the moment, like the café run by a player and her wife, which feels like a direct nod to Jill Scott and Shelly Unitt’s Boxx to Boxx coffee shop. It briefly turned my reading into a game of “spot the inspiration.” But once that distraction faded, I found myself appreciating how the various plotlines worked together to create a rich, varied read - one where the love story is just one part of a bigger, satisfying whole.

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