Two Left Feet
A heartfelt and queer story of love on the Premier League pitch
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- Vorbestellbar
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- Erwartet am 12. Feb. 2026
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- 7,99 €
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- Vorbestellbar
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- 7,99 €
Beschreibung des Verlags
'A fantastic, sharp, and witty debut... Two Left Feet is not one to miss!' Hannah Bonam-Young, New York Times bestselling author of People Watching
In a league with no room for love, two players are about to change the game.
Oliver Harris is football royalty in London. Ordinarily, the star of the Camden Roses is calm, cool, and collected, keeping his club relevant with his prowess in the midfield and mighty left foot. But this season, the threats abound: there's Camden's management to contend with – complete with a new, prickly Dutch coach, eager for better results – and a mid-season injury, which sidelines him when his team needs him most. When a recruit is called up to fill in, Oliver fears he'll be replaced. If he can mentor this younger talent, then they might just have a chance at winning, together.
After a string of lacklustre performances in his native Spain, Leonardo Davis-Villanueva is looking for one last shot at the club he always dreamed of, where he once played in the youth academy. Oliver immediately finds confident, eager Leo irritating. He can barely go through the motions, let alone coach him, without outright hostility. When he comes to admire Leo's skill and warms to his humor and energy, though, he begins to see Leo as a friend – and then, to his mounting horror, as something more.
Leo craves Oliver's attention and partnership; Oliver can't afford to fall in love with his teammate. He's always kept a tight lid on his sexuality in a league that's never had a player come out. As the season heats up, a lot more than football hangs in the balance. Can Oliver – and Leo – win when it counts most?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Emblidge debuts with a middling gay sports romance centered on an aging Premier League player training, and falling for, his potential replacement. In 2017, Oliver Harris, superstar of the Camden Football Club, is temporarily sidelined by a hamstring injury. The team's coach, whose job is on the line if their league standing doesn't improve, brings in Leo Davies-Villanueva to cover Oliver's position. Oliver seesaws between attempts at being friendly with the handsome, amiable Leo and anger at the threat of being replaced, emotional whiplash complicated by his undeniable attraction to the younger player. When Oliver eventually returns to the pitch, their simpatico playing styles spark renewed hopes for the team. But after Oliver and Leo share a kiss, Oliver fears his sexuality getting out will destroy his career, forcing the men to conduct their relationship in secret. Emblidge writes thrilling descriptions of football matches, but the slow-burning pace of the romance and Oliver's mercurial treatment of Leo will test readers' patience. This one doesn't stand apart from the pack of sports romances.