Playing the Field

This lively sports romance from Ward (The Dance Deception) finds England’s Crawford family heartbroken when their favorite football club moves away from their hometown—until they decide to form a team of their own. Lily, in her final year at university, initially thinks the idea is insane, but soon she and her sister, Cassie, jump on board, forming plucky Crawford United, an underdog team with heart. Determined to make their fledgling endeavor a hit, the Crawfords recruit soccer players hoping for their big breaks—among them Bailey Pryce, who doesn’t let on at the outset that his brother, Ben, plays on one of the top teams in the league. When Ben is suspended for several games after an altercation with a rival team’s fan, he pitches in with coaching duties. At first Lily and Ben clash—and then their chemistry ignites. Ward does an excellent job of showing the privileges and pitfalls of fame, as when, after Ben and Lily have already gotten together, his publicists force him into a PR relationship with a different woman. The sibling rivalry between Lily and Cassie adds nuance to the plot and the quaint British setting charms. Ted Lasso fans will want to check this out. (Mar.)