Abby Offsides: the hilarious new friends-to-lovers football romance, the perfect read if you love Ted Lasso!

Name: Abby Offsides: the hilarious new friends-to-lovers football romance, the perfect read if you love Ted Lasso!
Rating: 2 (2 reviews)

Anna McCallie

Jun 2026 · Random House

2 reviews

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368

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About this ebook

She doesn’t know the offside rule. She does know falling for a footballer is a terrible idea...⚽🔥💗The perfect summer read for anyone swept up in football fever, Abby Offsides is a slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romance packed with sparkling banter, forbidden chemistry and one very swoony Scottish footballer.

Abby McIntyre doesn’t care about soccer - sorry, football. She only took the marketing job at Mersey FC to escape her cheating fiancé in Boston. Now she’s in a new country, with no social life and an Instagram feed full of men in tiny shorts.

Enter Lachlan Ramsay: world-famous footballer, owner of killer abs and a delicious Scottish accent. Abby’s sure all footballers are players, but Lachlan takes her by surprise: he’s kind, funny, and lonely too.

Abby isn’t looking for love, and players are strictly off limits if she wants to keep her job. She’s happy being Lachlan’s friend - until she’s evicted from her flat and he invites her to move into his penthouse.

With her new life on the line, can Abby keep her heart in play without getting caught offside?

TROPES TO FALL FOR
⚽ Friends to lovers
⚽Forbidden romance
⚽Forced proximity
⚽Workplace romance
⚽Scottish footballer MMC
⚽Slow burn sports romance

EVERYONE IS OBSESSED WITH ABBY OFFSIDES

“Shines with sparkling banter and charming characters. This slow-burn sports romance is absolutely worth the wait!” CARLEY FORTUNE, bestselling author of One Golden Summer

“This cured my Ted Lasso hangover!! Bursting with laugh-out-loud banter and an intense slow burn, Abby Offsides is a must-read!” KATIE HOLT, bestselling author of Not In My Book

‘This book is a masterpiece... The angst and sexual tension were unmatched, and the slow burn? Torturous in the most delicious way.’'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

‘Anna McCallie cracked the rom-com code with this one: warm, funny, heartfelt, and so beautifully written I had to stop and feel it over and over again.’'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

‘I inhaled this book... This had me by the throat at every page. I need to read it again already.’'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

‘A standout debut that exceeded my expectations in every way. Thoughtful, romantic, and emotionally resonant.’ '⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

‘I am OBSESSED with this book!! This is one where you can re-read over and over again and still finish it feeling giddy and emotional!’'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

‘The chemistry between the FMC and the MMC was incredible... Did I just find a new autobuy author?!’'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'I’m not being dramatic when I say this might be one of the best romances I’ve read all year...This book had me laughing, swooning, kicking my feet, and completely invested'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

She doesn’t know the offside rule. She does know falling for a footballer is a terrible idea...⚽🔥💗The perfect summer read for anyone swept up in football fever, Abby Offsides is a slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romance packed with sparkling banter, forbidden chemistry and one very swoony Scottish...

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Ratings and reviews

2 reviews

Alison Robinson

June 28, 2026

This was a book of two halves for me (football pun intended). I really liked the start, I liked the banter between Lachlan and Abby and I liked the way in which they tried very hard to keep it professional. However, about halfway through it deteriorated for me, things became repetitive, neither Abby nor Lachlan had the guts to say anything meaningful, and they may not have crossed the line but it certainly looked and felt that way. I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

About the author

Anna McCallie was born in Boston and moved to the small town of Stilwell, Kansas, as a child. She has a B.A. in Arabic from Harvard University and an M.A. in International Environmental Policy from the Fletcher School, yet has never managed to have a job related to either of those subjects. She lives in London, and when she’s not writing, she can be found solving crossword puzzles, badgering her friends to go to pub quizzes, and watching a tremendous amount of football. Abby Offsides is her first novel.

Anna McCallie was born in Boston and moved to the small town of Stilwell, Kansas, as a child. She has a B.A. in Arabic from Harvard University and an M.A. in International Environmental Policy from the Fletcher School, yet has never managed to have a job related to either of those subjects. She l...

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