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careygrace's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mjsam's review
4.0
ARC provided by Ylva in exchange for an honest review.
I was a little worried about this one, I loved Music and the Mirror but wasn’t blown away by Major Surgery. Not being a huge tennis fan, I was also worried I wouldn’t enjoy the sports side of it that much.
Turns out I didn’t have to worry on any accounts. While there is a lot of tennis and/or discussion of tennis, I found pretty much all of it interesting. This features MC Elin, a Swedish tennis player who is top of the women’s field and going for the grand slam record. She takes a side trip to a bar before a major game and meets Toni, another lower ranked player from Mexico. This sparks a friendship turned relationship between the pair, but since this is told in first person, we really only see Elin’s perspective of what happens, Toni isn’t anywhere near as fleshed out.
The two do have great chemistry and it’s a nice romance, though tennis plays a bigger part than the romance itself. There’s also some other interesting secondary characters in Elin’s family and some of the other tennis players, especially Celeste, Elin’s ex. I thought she was going to be either a bitch or sketchy but she was lovely which was a nice surprise. Elin’s sister Alice is trans, but one of the few flaws in the book was that much of her story was only hinted at, I would have liked more detail and depth there.
There’s also some sports politics and a bit of a scandal thrown in, as well as a few ups and downs in the romance department and Elin’s path to glory. I also liked that though her mother was her coach/manager, she was not the domineering character I had first thought her to be. Most all of the characters had layers. I might have enjoyed it more had both mains been given equal POV time, but it’s a minor quibble, Elin’s pretty damn interesting as the main POV.
If you love sports books, then this should be a hit for you, but even non-tennis fans should like it. I know I did. 4 stars.
I was a little worried about this one, I loved Music and the Mirror but wasn’t blown away by Major Surgery. Not being a huge tennis fan, I was also worried I wouldn’t enjoy the sports side of it that much.
Turns out I didn’t have to worry on any accounts. While there is a lot of tennis and/or discussion of tennis, I found pretty much all of it interesting. This features MC Elin, a Swedish tennis player who is top of the women’s field and going for the grand slam record. She takes a side trip to a bar before a major game and meets Toni, another lower ranked player from Mexico. This sparks a friendship turned relationship between the pair, but since this is told in first person, we really only see Elin’s perspective of what happens, Toni isn’t anywhere near as fleshed out.
The two do have great chemistry and it’s a nice romance, though tennis plays a bigger part than the romance itself. There’s also some other interesting secondary characters in Elin’s family and some of the other tennis players, especially Celeste, Elin’s ex. I thought she was going to be either a bitch or sketchy but she was lovely which was a nice surprise. Elin’s sister Alice is trans, but one of the few flaws in the book was that much of her story was only hinted at, I would have liked more detail and depth there.
There’s also some sports politics and a bit of a scandal thrown in, as well as a few ups and downs in the romance department and Elin’s path to glory. I also liked that though her mother was her coach/manager, she was not the domineering character I had first thought her to be. Most all of the characters had layers. I might have enjoyed it more had both mains been given equal POV time, but it’s a minor quibble, Elin’s pretty damn interesting as the main POV.
If you love sports books, then this should be a hit for you, but even non-tennis fans should like it. I know I did. 4 stars.
theamandashelby's review
4.0
I typically do not get super excited about sports romance books, but I was excited to read Keeley's new book. I enjoyed her previous two books and thought I would give it a chance. I know nothing about tennis, but if you are a fan you will probably love this one. Even more so if you enjoy tennis and love sports romances. While I enjoyed the book her previous books were better fits for me. The characters are likable but I like more chemistry and romance. Still a great read and worth picking up even if sports romance isn't your thing. If you like tennis and sports romances this is probably going to go on your favorites list and I would immediately pick this one up.
broomesbooks's review
4.0
Slammed by Lola Keeley was such a fun read. I was unsure that I would enjoy it because I know absolutely nothing about tennis, but while I was reading I felt like it was a sport that I had grown up with. It was easy to get lost in and I connected with Elin and Toni from start to finish.
Elin is at the top of her game, nursing an injury, and working to break a record. Toni has just come back to the sport after rehabbing a injury and is slowly working her way up the standings. Elin finds herself attracted to Toni, but it is a slow burn between them. The best kind of romance. Now I will say, tennis was the main focus here. The romance was secondary, but there were scenes filled with chemistry, flirtation, and intimacy between Elin and Toni. They were so sweet and supportive of each other (I do this happy little sigh when I think of them).
While Elin is pursuing her ultimate goal, there was more to this story than playing tennis and finding love. Elin makes a move to do the right thing when she sees inequality in the tennis world she takes a stand. It made me proud that a woman of her stature wouldn’t ignore what was happening to her colleagues. It’s how we should all strive to be.
I love sports romances, and finding a new sport and author to read was awesome. Even if you don’t know anything about tennis (like me), give this one a read. This book is one that I’ll probably end up rereading because that’s how much I enjoyed it.
Elin is at the top of her game, nursing an injury, and working to break a record. Toni has just come back to the sport after rehabbing a injury and is slowly working her way up the standings. Elin finds herself attracted to Toni, but it is a slow burn between them. The best kind of romance. Now I will say, tennis was the main focus here. The romance was secondary, but there were scenes filled with chemistry, flirtation, and intimacy between Elin and Toni. They were so sweet and supportive of each other (I do this happy little sigh when I think of them).
While Elin is pursuing her ultimate goal, there was more to this story than playing tennis and finding love. Elin makes a move to do the right thing when she sees inequality in the tennis world she takes a stand. It made me proud that a woman of her stature wouldn’t ignore what was happening to her colleagues. It’s how we should all strive to be.
I love sports romances, and finding a new sport and author to read was awesome. Even if you don’t know anything about tennis (like me), give this one a read. This book is one that I’ll probably end up rereading because that’s how much I enjoyed it.
alloveragain's review
4.0
8/10
Oh, I’m definitely going to read more of Lola Keeley’s books!
While I loved Elin and Toni I would’ve liked to see more of them together while they build up their relationship. Romance, honestly, seemed like a secondary thing here. But, hey, I really like tennis so it wasn’t such a problem. If you’re not really into sports, though, be prepared for this.
Keeley almost effortlessly pulls you into this exciting and scary world. All the characters are there for a reason but it’s not unnatural and flat like one* would expect. I got more invested than I get with some shows. The drug testing thing made me really mad as if I’m in there with them. Lol. I liked the people in Elin’s and Toni’s lives, too. I did love everything but more, at least, a better pace of romance lacked here. Some things just came out if nowhere but I still loved all if it. God, the last few characters were so cheesy and adorable. Makes your teeth rot with all the sweetness.
I couldn’t stop but compare this book to Cheyenne Blue’s Code of Conduct. They’re just too similar! Well, a women’s tennis no1 player and a Spanish speaking hottie who’s also in the tennis world plot. And then they end up together but there’s media scandals etc. This one is so much better executed, though. I would recommend reading both of them but if I’m supposed to choose only one I say - this one!
7/10 audio
I usually love listening to Lori Prince but something in this narration really put me off. I can’t even pinpoint it, honestly. Maybe all the unnatural heavy accents?? Still a good one, though.
* me and my sceptic a*s of course
Oh, I’m definitely going to read more of Lola Keeley’s books!
While I loved Elin and Toni I would’ve liked to see more of them together while they build up their relationship. Romance, honestly, seemed like a secondary thing here. But, hey, I really like tennis so it wasn’t such a problem. If you’re not really into sports, though, be prepared for this.
Keeley almost effortlessly pulls you into this exciting and scary world. All the characters are there for a reason but it’s not unnatural and flat like one* would expect. I got more invested than I get with some shows. The drug testing thing made me really mad as if I’m in there with them. Lol. I liked the people in Elin’s and Toni’s lives, too. I did love everything but more, at least, a better pace of romance lacked here. Some things just came out if nowhere but I still loved all if it. God, the last few characters were so cheesy and adorable. Makes your teeth rot with all the sweetness.
I couldn’t stop but compare this book to Cheyenne Blue’s Code of Conduct. They’re just too similar! Well, a women’s tennis no1 player and a Spanish speaking hottie who’s also in the tennis world plot. And then they end up together but there’s media scandals etc. This one is so much better executed, though. I would recommend reading both of them but if I’m supposed to choose only one I say - this one!
7/10 audio
I usually love listening to Lori Prince but something in this narration really put me off. I can’t even pinpoint it, honestly. Maybe all the unnatural heavy accents?? Still a good one, though.
* me and my sceptic a*s of course
rogue_lurker's review
4.0
I've heard great things about Ms. Keeley's books, so when an advance copy of Slammed was dangled in front of me I snapped it up immediately. Based on how much I enjoyed this book, her two previous books are moving up to the top of my ever-expanding TBR list.
I will admit when I saw the cover and read the blurb I was a bit daunted. I know next to nothing about tennis and the last sports romance I read didn't wow me. I was concerned that I may not enjoy the book as much because of the setting.
Even without having a strong understanding of competitive tennis, I was quickly caught up in the story and with the character of Elin Larsson. Keeley wove enough information and context seamlessly into the story and never resorted to info dumps to fill in the reader who may not have any knowledge of the sport or the behind the scenes politicking. Even the matches were perfectly balanced - enough action and suspense in the ones that Keeley included to push the narrative forward but she didn't overwork it or include a blow by blow of every match. Things were so well balanced and got me so invested that the last few matches had me holding my breath as to who would win.
There is romance, but I'm not sure if I would classify the book as a pure romance - it was really more of glimpse into a year of Elin's career, friends, family and relationships. There are a number of subplots (personal and professional) but rather than driving the story, they are driving Elin as she is at a bit of crossroads of coming close to accomplishing her personal goal of beating the record of winning 22 Slams but also trying to come to terms with whether she wants to continue playing and who she will be once she does retire.
Told in first person POV, this is truly Elin's story and I really adored her. She's a wonderful mix of confidence and uncertainty. She has a level of ego when it comes to the game, but she's an introvert by nature and isn't comfortable with the press and attention. Her idea of being a bad girl is sneaking out for a single drink in a bar, trying avoid attention by fans or the press. She's completely driven and focused when it comes to tennis - when she's on the court, everything is reduced to her, her opponent and the game and her confidence in her skill and abilities is well justified. Her personal relationships with friends and family are more of a challenge due to her natural reticence and she is faced with making decisions and choices. Despite her innate Swedish reserve, there's a strong sense of connection, warmth and good-natured humour in her relationships.
The romance is definitely a slow burn. Elin has game - on the court but not necessarily when it comes to relationships. A good portion of the book has her forging a tentative friendship with Tori - a player who has recently returned from a serious injury and is slowly re-building her ranking. For someone who can size up and demolish an opponent in a match, Elin's wonderfully shy, unsure and much too polite to make the first move. This isn't a burning or all-consuming romance - it's tentative at first as Elin is attracted to Tori, but is not particularly adept at reading signals. The relationship grows organically and the build up is realistic and believable as both Elin and Tori spend more time apart than together. Through it all they are both still focused on their careers and the game and a remarkable respect for one another - neither wanting the other to compromise when it comes to rankings or play.
Slammed is a longer than normal lesfic novel so this one took me a bit longer to read; but, the pacing and the writing never made me lose interest or want to skip forward. I was completely invested in Elin and the story and I was happy every time I glanced at the corner of my e-reader and would see that there was lots more to come.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it for sports fans and non-sports fans.
Recommended
Thank you to the author for an advance copy for review.
I will admit when I saw the cover and read the blurb I was a bit daunted. I know next to nothing about tennis and the last sports romance I read didn't wow me. I was concerned that I may not enjoy the book as much because of the setting.
Even without having a strong understanding of competitive tennis, I was quickly caught up in the story and with the character of Elin Larsson. Keeley wove enough information and context seamlessly into the story and never resorted to info dumps to fill in the reader who may not have any knowledge of the sport or the behind the scenes politicking. Even the matches were perfectly balanced - enough action and suspense in the ones that Keeley included to push the narrative forward but she didn't overwork it or include a blow by blow of every match. Things were so well balanced and got me so invested that the last few matches had me holding my breath as to who would win.
There is romance, but I'm not sure if I would classify the book as a pure romance - it was really more of glimpse into a year of Elin's career, friends, family and relationships. There are a number of subplots (personal and professional) but rather than driving the story, they are driving Elin as she is at a bit of crossroads of coming close to accomplishing her personal goal of beating the record of winning 22 Slams but also trying to come to terms with whether she wants to continue playing and who she will be once she does retire.
Told in first person POV, this is truly Elin's story and I really adored her. She's a wonderful mix of confidence and uncertainty. She has a level of ego when it comes to the game, but she's an introvert by nature and isn't comfortable with the press and attention. Her idea of being a bad girl is sneaking out for a single drink in a bar, trying avoid attention by fans or the press. She's completely driven and focused when it comes to tennis - when she's on the court, everything is reduced to her, her opponent and the game and her confidence in her skill and abilities is well justified. Her personal relationships with friends and family are more of a challenge due to her natural reticence and she is faced with making decisions and choices. Despite her innate Swedish reserve, there's a strong sense of connection, warmth and good-natured humour in her relationships.
The romance is definitely a slow burn. Elin has game - on the court but not necessarily when it comes to relationships. A good portion of the book has her forging a tentative friendship with Tori - a player who has recently returned from a serious injury and is slowly re-building her ranking. For someone who can size up and demolish an opponent in a match, Elin's wonderfully shy, unsure and much too polite to make the first move. This isn't a burning or all-consuming romance - it's tentative at first as Elin is attracted to Tori, but is not particularly adept at reading signals. The relationship grows organically and the build up is realistic and believable as both Elin and Tori spend more time apart than together. Through it all they are both still focused on their careers and the game and a remarkable respect for one another - neither wanting the other to compromise when it comes to rankings or play.
Slammed is a longer than normal lesfic novel so this one took me a bit longer to read; but, the pacing and the writing never made me lose interest or want to skip forward. I was completely invested in Elin and the story and I was happy every time I glanced at the corner of my e-reader and would see that there was lots more to come.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it for sports fans and non-sports fans.
Recommended
Thank you to the author for an advance copy for review.
jediroot's review
3.0
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Wow, I feel like I've read good number of tennis novels and sports in general too. Must be a popular fad nowadays.
Anyway, I am familiar with Lola Keeley's past works, as I've read "The Music and the Mirror" and "Major Surgery." I really enjoyed both of those novels, so I am confident in her writing style.
This one is pretty different in several ways. First big thing I noticed is this is written in first person POV. She did a good job with the details and inner thoughts of Elin, the main character. It is very difficult to write a good first person POV novels, and I think she did well with this one.
This novel definitely is more of a tennis fiction with good amount of romance rather than a romance novel with tennis a part of the settings. If you are not a fan of tennis like me, then you might find the beginning to be bit of a drag. However, once I hit 25% it becomes much better as the romantic development and the drug testing scandal comes in the scene. It's definitely a slow burn, which I enjoy.
Overall it is a good novel, but the beginning was really slow with too much details about the tennis professional world. That's just because I don't follow tennis and don't really care for those information bits.
Wow, I feel like I've read good number of tennis novels and sports in general too. Must be a popular fad nowadays.
Anyway, I am familiar with Lola Keeley's past works, as I've read "The Music and the Mirror" and "Major Surgery." I really enjoyed both of those novels, so I am confident in her writing style.
This one is pretty different in several ways. First big thing I noticed is this is written in first person POV. She did a good job with the details and inner thoughts of Elin, the main character. It is very difficult to write a good first person POV novels, and I think she did well with this one.
This novel definitely is more of a tennis fiction with good amount of romance rather than a romance novel with tennis a part of the settings. If you are not a fan of tennis like me, then you might find the beginning to be bit of a drag. However, once I hit 25% it becomes much better as the romantic development and the drug testing scandal comes in the scene. It's definitely a slow burn, which I enjoy.
Overall it is a good novel, but the beginning was really slow with too much details about the tennis professional world. That's just because I don't follow tennis and don't really care for those information bits.
cdownes's review
4.0
Sizzle, slow-burn rally, and an ace delivery. I give it 3.75 stars.
I have read a few 'sports romances' and invariably they're easy-going and fun, but few level-up and deliver more. I'd say this one has got game. It's enjoyable, the main characters of No.1 Elin and comeback player Toni had me looking back and forth right from the start.
I liked that it wasn't instant, I liked that it wasn't always clear and that they had to work to make it work.
I received an ARC for an honest review.
I have read a few 'sports romances' and invariably they're easy-going and fun, but few level-up and deliver more. I'd say this one has got game. It's enjoyable, the main characters of No.1 Elin and comeback player Toni had me looking back and forth right from the start.
I liked that it wasn't instant, I liked that it wasn't always clear and that they had to work to make it work.
I received an ARC for an honest review.