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ackerjohn's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
spencer0200's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
classyklassen's review against another edition
3.5
hi I got obsessed with the AO like I do every year and am up to date with all things tennis for the 2ish weeks of the tournament then promptly forgetting about everything until next year. decided to pick up a tennis romance!! this is about world no. 1 tennis girlie who is only a few slams away to break the record and a up and comer who is coming back from injury and they maybeeee fall in loveee🫶🫶 this was charming and because I was already v invested in the tennis aspects this was fun. I think all the queer relationship dynamics were done realistically but the race issues side plot felt a bit forced and straight forward and the relationship development was wild. likes the side characters and was a fun romance debut ultimately not super special. for a tennis fix I would recommend carrie soto is back way more! 3.5 stars
bridance's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
lezreadalot's review
3.0
Toni kissed me this time like she’d been waiting ten years to do it, like if we stopped, we’d never be allowed to start again. I already knew I couldn’t let that be an option.
3.5 stars. Really, really good. I think the things that are holding me back from liking this as much as I could have are entirely subjective, so I would still wholeheartedly recommend this to people, whether or not you're a big fan of sports romances. I am not the biggest fan of them, and I don't know or care a lot about tennis, but I didn't find it difficult to immerse myself in this world.
We're following Elin, an established professional who hasn't been feeling her usual drive and is thinking about retiring, and a younger player, Toni, just back from an injury, and the romance they develop as they get to know each other better, and go through different tournaments, and play each other. They're at different places in their lives and careers, but they click in a super sweet way. There is an engaging and relevant subplot about racism in sports that was perhaps a bit on the nose, but I'm not going to complain about that.
It took me a while to really begin to like Elin. A lot of her anxiety issues were painfully relatable, but some of her attitudes were really frustrating, even when they were understandable. Toni, I liked a lot, with all of her easy charm and her quips and her sexiness. This is a single POV romance, and I always adore those, but I don't think that Keeley quite achieved what I'm always looking for in a single POV romance: that assurance that the love interest is just as totally head over heels for the protagonist. I mean, I believed it, I guess, but I guess I just didn't feel it all the way. Some declarations and the pacing near the end just seemed like a bit too much, especially since we had such a satisfying slow burn at the beginning. Also, mileage will vary a lot, and I'm not even sure if this is an opinion of mine that will hold up for the next sports romance that I read, but I think I don't enjoy sports romances as much when the competitive aspect is between the two main characters. I think I prefer for them to be on the same team. I don't know. There was a lot of good tension and action and there's definitely a lot of tennis in here, but that tension didn't always come to fruition in ways that felt satisfying or meaningful to me? I don't know if that makes sense. There were some really climactic moments that I just felt nothing for, or I wished played out in different ways. And that's not to say that I dislike the way that the book progressed or ended. I just don't think it made me feel the way it was supposed to. Which is weird, because again, I really adored these characters together. A lot of really cute chemistry.
Listened to the audiobook as read by Lori Prince, which was enjoyable as always. I'm not sure I really liked the voice that she settled on for Elin. Elin is Swedish but has spent a lot of time in America, and Prince gives her the slightest accent when in dialogue which I think fits. But her overall tone just didn't fit my idea of Elin, I guess. I don't know if I can comment on the Toni accent, but I vacillated between liking it and thinking it was a bit much. I have to admit, my attention span sort of drifted in the last hour or so of the audiobook and there are a few plot threads that I'm a little hazy on. It's still a really good book. I'm mostly frustrated with myself that I didn't like it more.
aliu6's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars
Elin Larsson is at the top of her game, ranked #1 in the world in women's singles. She's only a few more slams away from breaking the all-time record, and then maybe, just maybe, she can start to think about retirement. Until then, she needs razor-sharp focus and absolutely no distractions. But a chance meeting has her eye caught on Antonia Cortes Ruiz, an up-and-coming younger player who recently rejoined the game following a potential career-ending injury. Somehow, Toni has Elin finding joy in tennis again. As the two women gravitate to each other, they must soon discover whether their love can survive the competitive environment on court.
This was a really satisfying read. It just made me happy after reading it, which has made me realize how few books leave me with that feeling. (I'm often either glad to have made it through to the end of a book that has been dragging, or disappointed because I wanted to see more of the characters.) Slammed left off perfectly, with just the right amount of closure for the happy couple.
I really liked both characters. They come off as really good people. The story is narrated in first person by Elin, so we get her reactions most of the time, and it was interesting to hear her thoughts about the game. It's cute how she's so confident in the sport and yet pretty awkward when it comes to flirting. Toni seems like a very warm character, although I wish we had gotten to see more from her point of view.
I also liked the diverse cast of side characters. There are multiple people of color, and Elin has a trans sister. The nonromantic subplot involves exposing racially discriminatory practices within the tennis association, so that was also interesting.
Plot wise, I was really into it. I used to play tennis, and I'm also a fan of romances between athletes who compete against each other. I thought this might be an enemies-to-lovers story, but Elin and Toni hit it off right from the start, and the competitors angle never really becomes a dividing force between them. I liked the slow burn in the beginning where Elin is still trying to figure out whether Toni is straight, and once they finally got together, they were a sweet couple.
Why the loss of .5 stars? As much as I enjoyed the storyline, the writing was a bit choppy for me. I'm not sure if it's partly because I'm unused to books totally narrated in 1st person POV from one character. At times, the words didn't fit quite right, or they didn't flow well. There were also various inconsistencies within the book.
All in all, a highly enjoyable read. I would recommend!
Elin Larsson is at the top of her game, ranked #1 in the world in women's singles. She's only a few more slams away from breaking the all-time record, and then maybe, just maybe, she can start to think about retirement. Until then, she needs razor-sharp focus and absolutely no distractions. But a chance meeting has her eye caught on Antonia Cortes Ruiz, an up-and-coming younger player who recently rejoined the game following a potential career-ending injury. Somehow, Toni has Elin finding joy in tennis again. As the two women gravitate to each other, they must soon discover whether their love can survive the competitive environment on court.
This was a really satisfying read. It just made me happy after reading it, which has made me realize how few books leave me with that feeling. (I'm often either glad to have made it through to the end of a book that has been dragging, or disappointed because I wanted to see more of the characters.) Slammed left off perfectly, with just the right amount of closure for the happy couple.
I really liked both characters. They come off as really good people. The story is narrated in first person by Elin, so we get her reactions most of the time, and it was interesting to hear her thoughts about the game. It's cute how she's so confident in the sport and yet pretty awkward when it comes to flirting. Toni seems like a very warm character, although I wish we had gotten to see more from her point of view.
I also liked the diverse cast of side characters. There are multiple people of color, and Elin has a trans sister. The nonromantic subplot involves exposing racially discriminatory practices within the tennis association, so that was also interesting.
Plot wise, I was really into it. I used to play tennis, and I'm also a fan of romances between athletes who compete against each other. I thought this might be an enemies-to-lovers story, but Elin and Toni hit it off right from the start, and the competitors angle never really becomes a dividing force between them. I liked the slow burn in the beginning where Elin is still trying to figure out whether Toni is straight, and once they finally got together, they were a sweet couple.
Why the loss of .5 stars? As much as I enjoyed the storyline, the writing was a bit choppy for me. I'm not sure if it's partly because I'm unused to books totally narrated in 1st person POV from one character. At times, the words didn't fit quite right, or they didn't flow well. There were also various inconsistencies within the book.
All in all, a highly enjoyable read. I would recommend!
queerlitloft's review against another edition
4.0
What i really enjoyed about this book is that it's something i wouldn't usually read - a sports romance, where sport is the main aspect and romance secondary to that.
I'm not a huge sports fan, but i was pleasantly surprised by this book. Keeley really does make you feel like you are there at the tennis matches.
Sport isn't just the setting for the plot, it is the whole plot and for that reason all the background provided for the story is really well done and it shows. I feel like i have a better understanding of the world of sport; the unseen pressures and behind the scenes aspects that aren't played out in everyday life for all to see.
Keeley adds this to serve a purpose and not just as a plotline filler, as a result the story is enhanced because of it.
I also enjoyed that Keeley didn't shy away from the issue of racism in sport. I thought the author handled this issue well and particularly liked that it was made obvious that Elin (who is a white player) was not to speak out in replace of people of colour i.e. highlighting the white saviour complex. A difficult but well tackled topic in my eyes.
The story didn't get 5 stars purely because the romance was more on the sweeter side, rather than the heat and fireworks i'd usually prefer. But that is personal preference and aside from that i really enjoyed what Keeley set out to do.
I'm not a huge sports fan, but i was pleasantly surprised by this book. Keeley really does make you feel like you are there at the tennis matches.
Sport isn't just the setting for the plot, it is the whole plot and for that reason all the background provided for the story is really well done and it shows. I feel like i have a better understanding of the world of sport; the unseen pressures and behind the scenes aspects that aren't played out in everyday life for all to see.
Keeley adds this to serve a purpose and not just as a plotline filler, as a result the story is enhanced because of it.
I also enjoyed that Keeley didn't shy away from the issue of racism in sport. I thought the author handled this issue well and particularly liked that it was made obvious that Elin (who is a white player) was not to speak out in replace of people of colour i.e. highlighting the white saviour complex. A difficult but well tackled topic in my eyes.
The story didn't get 5 stars purely because the romance was more on the sweeter side, rather than the heat and fireworks i'd usually prefer. But that is personal preference and aside from that i really enjoyed what Keeley set out to do.
jdawg1's review against another edition
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
kn1231's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. I love that there was a sport at the centre of it. I really liked both leads, and found myself wanting more when the story ended. Would have loved to get a bit more of the story following the retirement and Toni kicking ass. Highly recommend this story to anyone looking for an enjoyable sapphic experience.