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Game, Set, and Match #3
Set Point
Not yet published
Expected 7 Apr 26A sizzling sapphic enemies-to-lovers romance between two rival tennis superstars, taking place during the US Open!
Nothing fades faster than a former prodigy—and Inés Costa is dangerously close to disappearing.
Once queen of the court, Inés is limping through qualifiers. And after losing her biggest sponsor to Chloe Murphy, the sport’s fiery new favorite, she and her bank account are running on fumes.
Chloe, known as much for her talent as her temper, is a top seed for the upcoming US Open. But thanks to broken rackets, code violations, and the inability to play well with others, her “favorite” status is slipping away.
However, when they are forced to share the same side of the court, and the world surprisingly doesn’t implode, Chloe makes an she’ll fund Inés’s journey to the US Open, but only if Inés agrees to be her hitting partner and teach her to keep a level head.
It’s strictly business, but somewhere between practice drills and tour stops, the line between rival and something more begins to blur.
As the summer burns toward Flushing Meadows, their sizzling tension catches fire. With a trophy in sight and emotions running high, will their romance double fault at set point?
Sports RomanceRivals to loversCelebrityPro-AthletesSapphic RomanceForced ProximityOpen DoorDual POVOnly One BedMixed Double Partner’s Ex-Girlfriend
Nothing fades faster than a former prodigy—and Inés Costa is dangerously close to disappearing.
Once queen of the court, Inés is limping through qualifiers. And after losing her biggest sponsor to Chloe Murphy, the sport’s fiery new favorite, she and her bank account are running on fumes.
Chloe, known as much for her talent as her temper, is a top seed for the upcoming US Open. But thanks to broken rackets, code violations, and the inability to play well with others, her “favorite” status is slipping away.
However, when they are forced to share the same side of the court, and the world surprisingly doesn’t implode, Chloe makes an she’ll fund Inés’s journey to the US Open, but only if Inés agrees to be her hitting partner and teach her to keep a level head.
It’s strictly business, but somewhere between practice drills and tour stops, the line between rival and something more begins to blur.
As the summer burns toward Flushing Meadows, their sizzling tension catches fire. With a trophy in sight and emotions running high, will their romance double fault at set point?
Sports RomanceRivals to loversCelebrityPro-AthletesSapphic RomanceForced ProximityOpen DoorDual POVOnly One BedMixed Double Partner’s Ex-Girlfriend
384 pages, Paperback
Expected publication April 7, 2026
43 people are currently reading
4751 people want to read
About the author
Meg Jones
7 books289 followersMeg Jones lives in Aberdeen, Scotland, home to the world largest and most aggressive seagulls, with her partner and two cats.
When she isn’t writing steamy romance she desperately wants her parents to avoid, you can find her on the sofa with the perfect expresso martini (equal parts expresso, vodka and Tia Maria) watching sports, quiz shows and musicals.
Meg can best be found spending far too much time on Instagram at @megjoneswrites.
When she isn’t writing steamy romance she desperately wants her parents to avoid, you can find her on the sofa with the perfect expresso martini (equal parts expresso, vodka and Tia Maria) watching sports, quiz shows and musicals.
Meg can best be found spending far too much time on Instagram at @megjoneswrites.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 180 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
2.5
This is unfortunate. Set Point had everything to be great but the execution just wasn't there. There's no character development, I don't see the chemistry between the main characters beside them being hot and it's a lot of telling and no showing.
It's a bummer because I was really excited for this one.
Thank you Netgalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for the ARC.
This is unfortunate. Set Point had everything to be great but the execution just wasn't there. There's no character development, I don't see the chemistry between the main characters beside them being hot and it's a lot of telling and no showing.
It's a bummer because I was really excited for this one.
Thank you Netgalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for the ARC.
December 30, 2025
I love a good sport rivalry romance, and this one hit all the points (see what I did there?). The build-up between the two MCs was really good, and the banter was fantastic. The way the two of them got together flowed and didn’t feel forced, which not all authors can accomplish.
The characters did seem a bit child-like at times, when Ines is supposed to be 25 and Chloe 22. Their reactions to certain situations throughout the story did seem a bit exaggerated, but the overall story made it easy to look past that.
I loved the little surprises throughout the book, usually I can guess what’s going to happen next but I was left wondering every build-up.
The thing that made me the happiest? No second act break-up! I can give more appreciation for a book when it doesn’t have to have a break-up thrown towards the end just to keep it interesting.
Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes for the ARC!
The characters did seem a bit child-like at times, when Ines is supposed to be 25 and Chloe 22. Their reactions to certain situations throughout the story did seem a bit exaggerated, but the overall story made it easy to look past that.
I loved the little surprises throughout the book, usually I can guess what’s going to happen next but I was left wondering every build-up.
The thing that made me the happiest? No second act break-up! I can give more appreciation for a book when it doesn’t have to have a break-up thrown towards the end just to keep it interesting.
Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
26 BOOKS IN 2026 CHALLENGE: 4/26
This might actually be my favorite sapphic sports romance I ever read! I loved it and I love Chloe and Inés!!! They are so perfect and their romance is everything! I am a sucker for an enemies to lovers trope, but here they work together because one of them is the only thing that can calm the other. PERFECTION!
The banter, the chemistry, the sweet moments between them, the spice!!! The way this relationship is soo healthy! They communicated, supported one another and were able to read each other with a single glance!!!
It's everything I wanted and so much more.
The fact that there is no third act breakup just made me enjoy this book so much more!
Read this if you love:
• enemies/rivals to lovers
• sports romance
• sapphic romance
• bisexual representation
• only one bed
• yearning
• no third act breakup
26 BOOKS IN 2026 CHALLENGE: 4/26
This might actually be my favorite sapphic sports romance I ever read! I loved it and I love Chloe and Inés!!! They are so perfect and their romance is everything! I am a sucker for an enemies to lovers trope, but here they work together because one of them is the only thing that can calm the other. PERFECTION!
The banter, the chemistry, the sweet moments between them, the spice!!! The way this relationship is soo healthy! They communicated, supported one another and were able to read each other with a single glance!!!
It's everything I wanted and so much more.
The fact that there is no third act breakup just made me enjoy this book so much more!
Read this if you love:
• enemies/rivals to lovers
• sports romance
• sapphic romance
• bisexual representation
• only one bed
• yearning
• no third act breakup
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
If one if your MCs is introduced as a bitch who has fucked over your previous FMCs and is considered to be a sore angry loser then you need to work twice as high to sell her as a decent romantic lead for your readers, you cannot have her STILL breaking her equipment and raging 90% into the story. Chloe learns nothing. In fact none of the MCs have a character arc in any way. How did Inès change? She stopped hated Chloe. How did Chloe change? She made some unearned friends I guess. The problem with no wanting women to grovel is that everything feels unearned. The interstitials were good because I was too rooting against Chloe.
The main "forced proximity" elements between the leads is that Inès will teach Chloe to control her anger something that doesn't happen given that 90% into the story she's still at it. There's no good reason for them to be together beyond thinking they're hot and kissing once.
The initial tension is good but fizzles out very quickly after an apology and there's nothing keeping the dynamic afloat. They were so much more interesting when they hated each other. (Also dick move to bring your gf everyone hates to the friends hangout).
The main "forced proximity" elements between the leads is that Inès will teach Chloe to control her anger something that doesn't happen given that 90% into the story she's still at it. There's no good reason for them to be together beyond thinking they're hot and kissing once.
The initial tension is good but fizzles out very quickly after an apology and there's nothing keeping the dynamic afloat. They were so much more interesting when they hated each other. (Also dick move to bring your gf everyone hates to the friends hangout).
January 29, 2026
3.5 stars!
i received this ARC from netgalley (thank you Avon and Harper Voyager!) and was very excited to read it cause i love a good sports enemies to lovers romance right now!!
i was pleasantly surprised with how much i liked this book, it was fun and dramatic at times, but also sweet and romantic. i loved the tension between inès and chloe so muchhh, especially in the beginning when they are still getting past the rivalry between them, and overall i thought their growth was very well written and had decent pacing (although i would have enjoyed them fighting a lilllll longer)
there are a couple tiny inconsistencies (nothing that affects the story or plot or characters) a couple typos here and there, & sometimes when it’s in chloe’s POV we see the european version of certain words when chloe is supposed to be american which took me out of it a little, but it is an ARC so i looked over those things
overall this was very very cute, an easy read with great characters (really awesome side characters fs) and dynamics and an engaging storyline!!
i received this ARC from netgalley (thank you Avon and Harper Voyager!) and was very excited to read it cause i love a good sports enemies to lovers romance right now!!
i was pleasantly surprised with how much i liked this book, it was fun and dramatic at times, but also sweet and romantic. i loved the tension between inès and chloe so muchhh, especially in the beginning when they are still getting past the rivalry between them, and overall i thought their growth was very well written and had decent pacing (although i would have enjoyed them fighting a lilllll longer)
there are a couple tiny inconsistencies (nothing that affects the story or plot or characters) a couple typos here and there, & sometimes when it’s in chloe’s POV we see the european version of certain words when chloe is supposed to be american which took me out of it a little, but it is an ARC so i looked over those things
overall this was very very cute, an easy read with great characters (really awesome side characters fs) and dynamics and an engaging storyline!!
March 22, 2026
3.5/5
I’m so happy we’re in the middle of a sapphic sports romance wave right now. I didn’t even realize this is technically the third book in a series, but it does read perfectly fine as a standalone. We follow Inés, a seasoned player who is fading into obscurity after injuries have kept her off the court. And Chloe, a rising star with a temper that could ruin her career before it starts. They’re rivals on and off the court, but when an opportunity arises for Inés to start getting her name back out there and for Chloe to learn from a levelheaded player they strike a deal to become hitting partners.
Chloe is definitely a difficult character to like considering a main trait of hers is extreme rage that leads to throwing temper tantrums on the court. We find out that this lack of emotional regulation is the direct result of her parent’s intense control over her life. But knowing why someone acts the way they do doesn’t always make it easier to swallow. At one point she throws a racket at Inés’ head— which the toxic yuri lover in me ate up— but knowing this is a regular romance left a bad taste in my mouth. I do think she should have groveled over her actions, but I understand why it barely bothered Inés. Seeing Chloe learn to stand up to her parent’s demands, open herself up to other players, and rewire her entire perception of tennis make her growth very satisfying.
Inés I have less of an opinion about. Even though she was presented more as the main character, I felt like her purpose was for Chloe’s story more. Shes supposed to be a former champion trying to claw her way back up to the top. But I didn’t feel like she really hungered for it the way Chloe did. And I didn’t feel like there was complexity to her character outside her past injuries. I would have liked to dive deeper into her apprehensions around intimacy due to her past entanglements dismissing her. I did like her obsession with wine though, and the entire wine tasting scene was hot af.
I think overall I enjoyed their romance and the role being competitors played in their attraction. The tension and banter were great and I think they brought out the best in each other, both as individuals and as players. I would have liked to see more depth in Inés’ character, and for Chloe to have groveled more.
Side note: I don’t have a problem with playlists in books, but I do think if you’re going to include one you must have variety. Especially if said playlist is 50+ songs long since you chose one for each chapter. I appreciated keeping with a theme of queer musicians, but the same artists were reused over and over again. It’s just boring and unimaginative.
Thank you NetGalley and Avon for the ARC!
I’m so happy we’re in the middle of a sapphic sports romance wave right now. I didn’t even realize this is technically the third book in a series, but it does read perfectly fine as a standalone. We follow Inés, a seasoned player who is fading into obscurity after injuries have kept her off the court. And Chloe, a rising star with a temper that could ruin her career before it starts. They’re rivals on and off the court, but when an opportunity arises for Inés to start getting her name back out there and for Chloe to learn from a levelheaded player they strike a deal to become hitting partners.
Chloe is definitely a difficult character to like considering a main trait of hers is extreme rage that leads to throwing temper tantrums on the court. We find out that this lack of emotional regulation is the direct result of her parent’s intense control over her life. But knowing why someone acts the way they do doesn’t always make it easier to swallow. At one point she throws a racket at Inés’ head— which the toxic yuri lover in me ate up— but knowing this is a regular romance left a bad taste in my mouth. I do think she should have groveled over her actions, but I understand why it barely bothered Inés. Seeing Chloe learn to stand up to her parent’s demands, open herself up to other players, and rewire her entire perception of tennis make her growth very satisfying.
Inés I have less of an opinion about. Even though she was presented more as the main character, I felt like her purpose was for Chloe’s story more. Shes supposed to be a former champion trying to claw her way back up to the top. But I didn’t feel like she really hungered for it the way Chloe did. And I didn’t feel like there was complexity to her character outside her past injuries. I would have liked to dive deeper into her apprehensions around intimacy due to her past entanglements dismissing her. I did like her obsession with wine though, and the entire wine tasting scene was hot af.
I think overall I enjoyed their romance and the role being competitors played in their attraction. The tension and banter were great and I think they brought out the best in each other, both as individuals and as players. I would have liked to see more depth in Inés’ character, and for Chloe to have groveled more.
Side note: I don’t have a problem with playlists in books, but I do think if you’re going to include one you must have variety. Especially if said playlist is 50+ songs long since you chose one for each chapter. I appreciated keeping with a theme of queer musicians, but the same artists were reused over and over again. It’s just boring and unimaginative.
Thank you NetGalley and Avon for the ARC!
March 3, 2026
4.5 stars rounded up
I am obsessed with them. The dislike/spurned-after-a-makeout to TRUE LOVE was soooo so good. I loved how understanding they were of one another and how absolutely sweet they were even though they were competitors at times. I love women in sports. It was really fun to read a sapphic romance in this series, and I liked seeing Scottie and Dylan from the other books a bit. Will read the next one!
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
I am obsessed with them. The dislike/spurned-after-a-makeout to TRUE LOVE was soooo so good. I loved how understanding they were of one another and how absolutely sweet they were even though they were competitors at times. I love women in sports. It was really fun to read a sapphic romance in this series, and I liked seeing Scottie and Dylan from the other books a bit. Will read the next one!
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
I love lesbians
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I hate to say it but this was boring, I was BORED! The book started off nice and interesting I won't lie but the transition period from enemies/rivals to a sort of friendship is exactly where the book began to lose me. The tension was non existent, both characters were not interesting to read about and I was zoned out so much during the audiobook it took me twice as long to get through it. The narrators were really good though, you just can't save every book you know??
Thank you HarperAudio and Netgalley for the ALC in exchange for an honest review
Thank you HarperAudio and Netgalley for the ALC in exchange for an honest review
December 28, 2025
This was BEAUTIFUL! I love Inés and Chloe SO MUCH! This whole series sits really close to my heart - each one is so special in its own way. And now we have these two!!! And they’re SO PERFECT! There’s nothing better than enemies to lovers?? Who work together bc one of them is the only thing that calms the other??? COME ON!! There’s so much banter!! And they have such good chemistry!!! And there’s no third act break up!!! Inés and Chloe have my HEART! I love this series so much! And I LOVED seeing everyone again!!
Both women are SO IMPORTANT TO ME! I love a prickly girl and that is Chloe Murphy and I LOVE HER!!! She goes through so much throughout the book and her character arc is BEAUTIFUL! And Inés also a girl after my own heart!!! She’s never felt like enough and now here is Chloe, her enemy, her rival?? And she wants her in more ways than one and doesn’t care who knows it!! I loved how much they nurtured their relationship, they communicated well, supported each other always and really were able to read each other.
I also love a good epilogue!!! And this one was PERFECT!!
Thank you so much to Avon for the arc in exchange for an honest review!!
Both women are SO IMPORTANT TO ME! I love a prickly girl and that is Chloe Murphy and I LOVE HER!!! She goes through so much throughout the book and her character arc is BEAUTIFUL! And Inés also a girl after my own heart!!! She’s never felt like enough and now here is Chloe, her enemy, her rival?? And she wants her in more ways than one and doesn’t care who knows it!! I loved how much they nurtured their relationship, they communicated well, supported each other always and really were able to read each other.
I also love a good epilogue!!! And this one was PERFECT!!
Thank you so much to Avon for the arc in exchange for an honest review!!
March 12, 2026
I’ve been on a bit of a sapphic sports romance kick and was happy to get this one early!
Ines and Chloe have great chemistry, I only wish the rivalry aspect went on for longer. I also feel like Chloe’s family could’ve used some elaborating on.
Regardless! I had a blast and would read more. The narration was fantastic as well!
Thank you to Harper Audio, Avon and NetGalley for ALC!
Ines and Chloe have great chemistry, I only wish the rivalry aspect went on for longer. I also feel like Chloe’s family could’ve used some elaborating on.
Regardless! I had a blast and would read more. The narration was fantastic as well!
Thank you to Harper Audio, Avon and NetGalley for ALC!
December 31, 2025
Thanks for the ARC. This was almost an okay story.
1. In the first chapter we have Ines, watching a tennis match she “should be playing in” but is instead watching a younger player named Chloe. Their age difference? 3 years. They’re 25 and 22. At one point she says “youth and speed”. Girl you’re contemporaries. That’s an unhinged plot point. Injuries I get but what the hell is that?
2. Chloe goes on a weekend getaway with her situationship who promptly tells her that he’s seeing someone seriously?
3. For as many reviews that said there was beta reading, it lacks good pacing and character development.
4. I’m very over romances doing all this telling and not showing. If we spent less time on random background characters and more time on moments that show characters and personalities you don’t have to say things about the personality.
5. I actually liked the interstitials.
1. In the first chapter we have Ines, watching a tennis match she “should be playing in” but is instead watching a younger player named Chloe. Their age difference? 3 years. They’re 25 and 22. At one point she says “youth and speed”. Girl you’re contemporaries. That’s an unhinged plot point. Injuries I get but what the hell is that?
2. Chloe goes on a weekend getaway with her situationship who promptly tells her that he’s seeing someone seriously?
3. For as many reviews that said there was beta reading, it lacks good pacing and character development.
4. I’m very over romances doing all this telling and not showing. If we spent less time on random background characters and more time on moments that show characters and personalities you don’t have to say things about the personality.
5. I actually liked the interstitials.
March 21, 2026
3.75 rounded up - thank you so much to Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House and NetGalley for sending me an ARC of Set Point in exchange for an honest review.
Queer 👏 sports 👏 romance! We love to see it. The second tennis romance I’ve read, I still want more!
Inés Costa, previous Grand Slam champion, is returning to tennis after recovering from injuries. The tides change quickly in tennis though, and she keeps finding herself in the company of new sensation Chloe Murphy. These two have a complicated history, and Inés struggles to hide her animosity towards her brash, anti-social rival.
When the two find themselves unexpectedly paired up for a doubles match at a charity tournament, they have to learn to communicate and work together. It doesn’t take long for the tension to escalate into something more, and soon balls aren’t the only thing flying…(sparks, it’s sparks.)
This was pretty cute! A sapphic sports romance was a lovely change of pace, and the intense, solo nature of tennis was the perfect backdrop for this story.
Inés was fierce, resilient and secure in who she is. Her drive to succeed in her tennis comeback, as well as to protect those she loves, was inspiring. I didn’t love the root of her issues with Chloe, as it felt contradictory to her confidence - she isn’t insecure! But I suppose everyone has vulnerabilities.
Chloe was a bit more complicated, which I appreciated. Her family dynamic is terrible, that poor girl! I do feel that more could have been done with that though, the confrontation was a bit disappointing! Seeing how Inés brings her out of herself and builds her up was lovely 🖤
While this was cute, I wasn’t wow-ed by the romance. I need more yearning with my rivals to lovers please, and I didn’t feel it between these two unfortunately. Their chemistry was good but not great..they had some decent banter though!
If you’re looking for a sports romance that is dual POV/rivals to lovers/forced proximity/pro athletes/sapphic, this is a game set match for you!
Queer 👏 sports 👏 romance! We love to see it. The second tennis romance I’ve read, I still want more!
Inés Costa, previous Grand Slam champion, is returning to tennis after recovering from injuries. The tides change quickly in tennis though, and she keeps finding herself in the company of new sensation Chloe Murphy. These two have a complicated history, and Inés struggles to hide her animosity towards her brash, anti-social rival.
When the two find themselves unexpectedly paired up for a doubles match at a charity tournament, they have to learn to communicate and work together. It doesn’t take long for the tension to escalate into something more, and soon balls aren’t the only thing flying…(sparks, it’s sparks.)
This was pretty cute! A sapphic sports romance was a lovely change of pace, and the intense, solo nature of tennis was the perfect backdrop for this story.
Inés was fierce, resilient and secure in who she is. Her drive to succeed in her tennis comeback, as well as to protect those she loves, was inspiring. I didn’t love the root of her issues with Chloe, as it felt contradictory to her confidence - she isn’t insecure! But I suppose everyone has vulnerabilities.
Chloe was a bit more complicated, which I appreciated. Her family dynamic is terrible, that poor girl! I do feel that more could have been done with that though, the confrontation was a bit disappointing! Seeing how Inés brings her out of herself and builds her up was lovely 🖤
While this was cute, I wasn’t wow-ed by the romance. I need more yearning with my rivals to lovers please, and I didn’t feel it between these two unfortunately. Their chemistry was good but not great..they had some decent banter though!
If you’re looking for a sports romance that is dual POV/rivals to lovers/forced proximity/pro athletes/sapphic, this is a game set match for you!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Sapphic sport romance about rival tennis players sounded fun! Tennis is also a completely new sport to me, I've never watched it, played it, or read about it before, so I was excited to learn some more about it.
I'm not sure I learned terribly much about Tennis, but the book was still mostly fun. It had good pacing and the voice actresses did a good job.
However, I found both Inés and Chloe to be very... I'm not sure how to say it, but I was a bit exasperated by their outbursts and strong emotions. Maybe I'm just too much of a fridge myself, but I was a bit appalled by how they were not in control of their emotions. I'm all for feeling what you're feeling, but destroying property, yelling at others, harboring anger and showing that to everyone is really off-putting to me.
Similarly, I found the reaction of the public to be kind of crazy. Again, I know nothing about Tennis, maybe the fans really are that physically intimidating, but wtf.
Another issue I had was that I really struggled with keeping track who was narrating the ongoing chapter. Neither Inés nor Chloe had a very distinctive voice, and even though Inés sometime stalked in an accent in the audiobook, it wasn't always there so I couldn't really keep them apart. And there were sooooooo many long stretches were it was just "I" and "she", so it was really difficult to keep track.
I did like the conclusion of the book, even though the epilogue felt a bit rushed - too little happened at the end before it, so it felt like several subplots didn't really get much closure other than being told that it was resolved off-page in the epilogue, which didn't feel satisfying.
I received an ARC and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
I'm not sure I learned terribly much about Tennis, but the book was still mostly fun. It had good pacing and the voice actresses did a good job.
However, I found both Inés and Chloe to be very... I'm not sure how to say it, but I was a bit exasperated by their outbursts and strong emotions. Maybe I'm just too much of a fridge myself, but I was a bit appalled by how they were not in control of their emotions. I'm all for feeling what you're feeling, but destroying property, yelling at others, harboring anger and showing that to everyone is really off-putting to me.
Similarly, I found the reaction of the public to be kind of crazy. Again, I know nothing about Tennis, maybe the fans really are that physically intimidating, but wtf.
Another issue I had was that I really struggled with keeping track who was narrating the ongoing chapter. Neither Inés nor Chloe had a very distinctive voice, and even though Inés sometime stalked in an accent in the audiobook, it wasn't always there so I couldn't really keep them apart. And there were sooooooo many long stretches were it was just "I" and "she", so it was really difficult to keep track.
I did like the conclusion of the book, even though the epilogue felt a bit rushed - too little happened at the end before it, so it felt like several subplots didn't really get much closure other than being told that it was resolved off-page in the epilogue, which didn't feel satisfying.
I received an ARC and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
March 19, 2026
I don't know what Meg Jones puts in her books, but this is my fourth book of hers that I absolutely devoured!
In Set Point, we follow Chloe and Inés - we have both met in previous books and to no surprise, I loved them both! The way Jones writes characters, and especially character growth and development, is one of my favourite things about this book! (The only bad thing is that I basically want a book about every character I meet, give me Calvin's book now!)
Chloe in particular had such an amazing arc throughout Set Point. The way she finds her strength and deals with the pressure she faces from her parents made me so happy. I also just loved how she realised the importance of female friendships, especially in such a competitive environment! Meg Jones's books have a big focus on the mental aspects of the sport, which ties in so well with her character development, and I love how there is always genuine growth, rather than a magical fix for all their issues.
Now the relationship between our two FMCs had everything I could have wanted: forced proximity, delicious tension and some spice! It had me giggle and kick my feet throughout the whole book!
There are also a lot of small touches that added to the reading experience, like the banging playlist and the little newspaper clippings (big shoutout to the gal pals article. I also loved how there was a balance of focusing on the main couple while giving just enough snippets of the characters from previous books!
Overall, I would highly recommend this book if you are a fan of sports romance, forced proximity and characters you can't help but fall in love with!
Thank you so much to Michael Joseph Penguin and NetGalley for the eARC.
In Set Point, we follow Chloe and Inés - we have both met in previous books and to no surprise, I loved them both! The way Jones writes characters, and especially character growth and development, is one of my favourite things about this book! (The only bad thing is that I basically want a book about every character I meet, give me Calvin's book now!)
Chloe in particular had such an amazing arc throughout Set Point. The way she finds her strength and deals with the pressure she faces from her parents made me so happy. I also just loved how she realised the importance of female friendships, especially in such a competitive environment! Meg Jones's books have a big focus on the mental aspects of the sport, which ties in so well with her character development, and I love how there is always genuine growth, rather than a magical fix for all their issues.
Now the relationship between our two FMCs had everything I could have wanted: forced proximity, delicious tension and some spice! It had me giggle and kick my feet throughout the whole book!
There are also a lot of small touches that added to the reading experience, like the banging playlist and the little newspaper clippings (big shoutout to the gal pals article. I also loved how there was a balance of focusing on the main couple while giving just enough snippets of the characters from previous books!
Overall, I would highly recommend this book if you are a fan of sports romance, forced proximity and characters you can't help but fall in love with!
Thank you so much to Michael Joseph Penguin and NetGalley for the eARC.
March 15, 2026
One thing my friends tease me for is that I love to read tennis romances, in spite of the fact that I know absolutely nothing about the sport. When I saw this book was available as read now on NetGalley, I was so excited!
This book is the third book in a series, and I have not read the other two books in the series. At the start of the book I was a little frustrated, because of my lack of knowledge of the supporting cast. However, I felt like this book can be read as a standalone.
Despite this minor gripe,, there are so many things that I adored about this book, hence the 5 star rating.This book is a rivals to lovers romance, and the rivalry between the main characters is intense. Some rivals to lovers romances suffer from poor romantic pacing. This book does not. The development of their romantic relationship feels natural.
The setup for the romantic relationship was absolutely perfect, and had me screaming into my pillows. When they finally do get together their intimate scenes felt authentic, and left me wanting more.
Finally, the last thing that I adored about this group is the personal growth that both main characters go through. Chloe, thanks to the help of Inés learns how to manage her anger and anxiety on the court. Thanks to Chloe’s assistance, Inés meanwhile gets a second chance at tennis stardom, after recovering from injury.
Overall, this sapphic romance exceeded my expectations in every way. I will be getting a shelf trophy
This book is the third book in a series, and I have not read the other two books in the series. At the start of the book I was a little frustrated, because of my lack of knowledge of the supporting cast. However, I felt like this book can be read as a standalone.
Despite this minor gripe,, there are so many things that I adored about this book, hence the 5 star rating.This book is a rivals to lovers romance, and the rivalry between the main characters is intense. Some rivals to lovers romances suffer from poor romantic pacing. This book does not. The development of their romantic relationship feels natural.
The setup for the romantic relationship was absolutely perfect, and had me screaming into my pillows. When they finally do get together their intimate scenes felt authentic, and left me wanting more.
Finally, the last thing that I adored about this group is the personal growth that both main characters go through. Chloe, thanks to the help of Inés learns how to manage her anger and anxiety on the court. Thanks to Chloe’s assistance, Inés meanwhile gets a second chance at tennis stardom, after recovering from injury.
Overall, this sapphic romance exceeded my expectations in every way. I will be getting a shelf trophy
March 8, 2026
This was a tough book to rate simply because I really enjoyed the plot and the love story but the book is wrought with tennis inaccuracies. Someone who is not deeply familiar with tennis may not notice, but as someone who has watched tennis my whole life, I couldn’t just brush past the inaccuracies and confusion that came up. The second to last chapter of this book was so confusing in the description of the tennis being played, it sort of ruined the end of the book for me. I truly don’t understand because sometimes it’s right and sometimes it’s wrong and I don’t know how that can be. But outside of the actual tennis, the plot was pretty good!! I thought the enemies to lovers of it all was really fun and it had the drama of any good rivalry and celebrity of a sports romance. Also the American character used a lot of UK phrasing which threw me off 💀 Idk, I’d say if you’re a big tennis fan and can follow along with the matches being described, just be prepared for some of it not to make sense. If you have no idea about tennis, just enjoy the ride 😂
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the advance copy to review!
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the advance copy to review!
March 9, 2026
A fun and slightly spicy sapphic “rivals” to lovers sports romance (aka- “the first time we met we made out and had a miscommunication” trope). It was hard for me to like Chloe as a lead- she was extremely immature. I did love the character of Ines and wanted more of her! 3 ⭐️
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook Set Point.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook Set Point.
December 28, 2025
Such a good book!! Devoured it in a day i loved it! Inés and Chloe are everything to me and i love how this played out! Such a cute story and i lovedddd the enemies to lovers. Thanks again to NetGalley for the arc copy!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I really hope this is turned into a movie and also a book series somehow becomes a TV series that maybe delves into the inner world of tennis player by player with Chloe and Ines as the character anchors. This is such a sweet, strong, heroic book. These women are tough and vulnerable and wise, great leaders for this generation.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review the ARC 💖
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review the ARC 💖
February 19, 2026
Thank you NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager and Meg Jones for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is book #3 and I highly suggest reading the others first as the characters build from previous books.
This might be closer to 3.5⭐️, I’m struggling with the fact that Chloe is portrayed so terribly and all it takes is for Ines to tell her to essentially relax and she isn’t a bad sport anymore. If someone tells me to relax, even my rival/crush, I’m definitely not relaxing. Her overly competitive behavior was blamed on her parents and that storyline dropped off as well - was her mom the problem after all?
Beyond that, I appreciated how Scottie was quick to welcome her and overlook her past behavior since they’ve all had their moments. Dylan eventually got on board too and then the friend support was something really cool to see.
Same with the previous two books, as someone who’s tennis experience ended in high school gym class I wish I understood the game a bit more to understand those scenes but they were still enjoyable despite my ignorance on the sport.
This is book #3 and I highly suggest reading the others first as the characters build from previous books.
This might be closer to 3.5⭐️, I’m struggling with the fact that Chloe is portrayed so terribly and all it takes is for Ines to tell her to essentially relax and she isn’t a bad sport anymore. If someone tells me to relax, even my rival/crush, I’m definitely not relaxing. Her overly competitive behavior was blamed on her parents and that storyline dropped off as well - was her mom the problem after all?
Beyond that, I appreciated how Scottie was quick to welcome her and overlook her past behavior since they’ve all had their moments. Dylan eventually got on board too and then the friend support was something really cool to see.
Same with the previous two books, as someone who’s tennis experience ended in high school gym class I wish I understood the game a bit more to understand those scenes but they were still enjoyable despite my ignorance on the sport.
Did not finish
January 19, 2026 ARC Provided via NetGalley.
I am so sad to be DNFing this book at 50%.
Disclaimer: I’ve loved this author and the first two books in this series but this hit a breaking point for me.
First, I tried to understand why I felt no chemistry between these two characters. I think it comes down to two things. 1. Ines is a flat character. Outside her feud with Chloe she has no personality traits. 2. Their interactions felt extremely platonic, even when they were allegedly flirting.
Second, I was bored. There was nothing keeping me fully engaged with this book. While I love the commitment to tennis, they just went from one match to practice to another match to practice. This structure didn’t put our characters into any interesting or different scenarios.
Third, and a slight spoiler but it’s what broke this camel’s back, I felt like one of the characters went too far. In a scene, one character throws an object at the wall next to another character. Not only does she not apologize, but jokes that it’s a warning. So we can’t even act like it was on accident. The reason for the anger was also extremely overblown. It was my final straw for not enjoying this book at all.
I won’t be giving it an official rating because I didn’t complete the book, but I’m very very sad.
I am so sad to be DNFing this book at 50%.
Disclaimer: I’ve loved this author and the first two books in this series but this hit a breaking point for me.
First, I tried to understand why I felt no chemistry between these two characters. I think it comes down to two things. 1. Ines is a flat character. Outside her feud with Chloe she has no personality traits. 2. Their interactions felt extremely platonic, even when they were allegedly flirting.
Second, I was bored. There was nothing keeping me fully engaged with this book. While I love the commitment to tennis, they just went from one match to practice to another match to practice. This structure didn’t put our characters into any interesting or different scenarios.
Third, and a slight spoiler but it’s what broke this camel’s back, I felt like one of the characters went too far. In a scene, one character throws an object at the wall next to another character. Not only does she not apologize, but jokes that it’s a warning. So we can’t even act like it was on accident. The reason for the anger was also extremely overblown. It was my final straw for not enjoying this book at all.
I won’t be giving it an official rating because I didn’t complete the book, but I’m very very sad.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
✨ Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC of Set Point! This review represents my honest perspective.✨
Maybe closer to 3.5, but it's tough to choose a whole star rating for this one.
Chloe and Ines have met each other, sure - from across the net while competing for a top spot in a grand slam. Chloe is a rising star, whose rising emotional temperature also tends to get the best of her on the court. Ines, meanwhile, is a falling star thanks to years worth of wrist injuries (and subsequent surgeries) who believes she still has a comeback left in her. Chloe and Ines are natural rivals up until the moment they’re forced to be an (ugh) doubles team during a charity match. When they realize that they have something the other needs (Chloe has the fame, the money, and the means; Ines has mental stability and raw talent), they begrudgingly agree to a truce that lasts long enough to get them both to the U.S. Open. But what happens after that is anyone’s guess…
This sapphic/WLW romcom hits a lot of tropes that make it incredibly fun:
💗 Sports Romance
💗 Dual POV
💗 Bisexual representation
💗 Enemies/Rivals to Lovers
💗 Only One Bed
💗 Second Chance
Honestly, like the rest of the world, my brain has been captivated by Heated Rivalry and also like the rest of the world, I was desperately searching for a queer sports enemies-to-lovers novel that might help fill the massive Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov hole in my heart and this really fit the bill. I sped through this spicy and sweet novel where Jones crafts a realistic scenario where two rival tennis stars cross each other’s orbit and end up meaning more to one another than they ever could have expected.
Notably, I haven’t read the first two books in the “Game, Set, and Match” series, but as interconnected standalones, it’s important to know that you can read them in seemingly any order. I didn’t feel like I missed out on any key details about either Ines or Chloe by not having read the earlier novels, though I might go back and read them since I enjoyed Set Point!
The good:
💗 Listen, the chemistry? It worked for me. There’s a plethora of great banter that you’d expect from an enemies/rivals to lovers, and Jones gives us lots of tension between Ines and Chloe.
💗 The spice was done really well - it felt realistic, well timed/placed, and there was enough of it to feel like it was advancing the plot/their relationship without feeling like the book was too smutty.
💗 Accurate bisexual representation that isn’t rooted in offensive stereotypes that result in the character being confused by her feelings. I love a bi queen and it’s hard to find books that don’t inevitably erase the bisexual characters’ romantic feelings or agency. Props to Jones for this.
💗 I like the realistic look at the price of fame and professional sports. The author did a nice job infusing the book with details that are critical to athletes at this level - things like the competition for sponsorships and contracts, the amount of money it takes to get to this level of the sport and stay there, and all the un-glamorous moments between sets. Meg Jones didn’t shy away from showing the downside of being a professional athlete either; using chapter breaks to chronicle the growing online discourse around the two women and their relationship to give the reader a glimpse into what life is really like when they aren’t out winning grand slams. A constant reminder and a cautionary tale about the destructive power of social media and its ability to craft and fan a rumor into a full-blown narrative.
The meh:
💗 I prefer a bit more showing rather than telling in my romances - there were moments when the characters should have used their actions to express how they were feeling but instead the reader got a lot of “Ines felt this” or “Chloe was anxious about this.” There were plenty of times when the reader could have benefited from getting a bit more “in the characters’ heads” through the dual-POV structure. There were times I felt like I would get pulled out of the story because the characters were narrating instead of interacting with each other in a normal way.
💗 Some of the side characters are too black and white and not given agency or complexity - there’s not a lot of room for depth in Chloe’s family or Ines’ friends, for instance. Chloe’s parents are a great example of this: they go out of their way to pay for Chloe and everything she needs in her rise to fame, but are seemingly so harsh and unsupportive of her that they’ve bullied her in her journey. I want to know more about their relationship and what happened to make it this way, but her father is portrayed as quite evil when I think Jones could have done more to explore Chloe’s background and how it’s impacted her
💗 The most nit-picky note, but I did laugh out loud when Ines could identify a wine (including the vineyard and vintage) based on the look of it in a glass. Girl, come on, we know you love wine, but no one is that good at a blind tasting.
Overall, this was fun and easy to read and if you’re looking for a series to take your mind off of two hot queer hockey players, this might be exactly what you need. I wasn’t bowled over by it and there were moments that I definitely had to suspend disbelief in terms of how their story unfolded, but it kept me entertained.
It’s worth mentioning that if you are particularly sensitive to stories that reference anxiety and depression, or scenarios with family manipulation, bullying (including cyber bullying), and emotional abuse, proceed with caution. They are both handled with sensitivity and are not very graphic, but just know they are there.
Maybe closer to 3.5, but it's tough to choose a whole star rating for this one.
Chloe and Ines have met each other, sure - from across the net while competing for a top spot in a grand slam. Chloe is a rising star, whose rising emotional temperature also tends to get the best of her on the court. Ines, meanwhile, is a falling star thanks to years worth of wrist injuries (and subsequent surgeries) who believes she still has a comeback left in her. Chloe and Ines are natural rivals up until the moment they’re forced to be an (ugh) doubles team during a charity match. When they realize that they have something the other needs (Chloe has the fame, the money, and the means; Ines has mental stability and raw talent), they begrudgingly agree to a truce that lasts long enough to get them both to the U.S. Open. But what happens after that is anyone’s guess…
This sapphic/WLW romcom hits a lot of tropes that make it incredibly fun:
💗 Sports Romance
💗 Dual POV
💗 Bisexual representation
💗 Enemies/Rivals to Lovers
💗 Only One Bed
💗 Second Chance
Honestly, like the rest of the world, my brain has been captivated by Heated Rivalry and also like the rest of the world, I was desperately searching for a queer sports enemies-to-lovers novel that might help fill the massive Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov hole in my heart and this really fit the bill. I sped through this spicy and sweet novel where Jones crafts a realistic scenario where two rival tennis stars cross each other’s orbit and end up meaning more to one another than they ever could have expected.
Notably, I haven’t read the first two books in the “Game, Set, and Match” series, but as interconnected standalones, it’s important to know that you can read them in seemingly any order. I didn’t feel like I missed out on any key details about either Ines or Chloe by not having read the earlier novels, though I might go back and read them since I enjoyed Set Point!
The good:
💗 Listen, the chemistry? It worked for me. There’s a plethora of great banter that you’d expect from an enemies/rivals to lovers, and Jones gives us lots of tension between Ines and Chloe.
💗 The spice was done really well - it felt realistic, well timed/placed, and there was enough of it to feel like it was advancing the plot/their relationship without feeling like the book was too smutty.
💗 Accurate bisexual representation that isn’t rooted in offensive stereotypes that result in the character being confused by her feelings. I love a bi queen and it’s hard to find books that don’t inevitably erase the bisexual characters’ romantic feelings or agency. Props to Jones for this.
💗 I like the realistic look at the price of fame and professional sports. The author did a nice job infusing the book with details that are critical to athletes at this level - things like the competition for sponsorships and contracts, the amount of money it takes to get to this level of the sport and stay there, and all the un-glamorous moments between sets. Meg Jones didn’t shy away from showing the downside of being a professional athlete either; using chapter breaks to chronicle the growing online discourse around the two women and their relationship to give the reader a glimpse into what life is really like when they aren’t out winning grand slams. A constant reminder and a cautionary tale about the destructive power of social media and its ability to craft and fan a rumor into a full-blown narrative.
The meh:
💗 I prefer a bit more showing rather than telling in my romances - there were moments when the characters should have used their actions to express how they were feeling but instead the reader got a lot of “Ines felt this” or “Chloe was anxious about this.” There were plenty of times when the reader could have benefited from getting a bit more “in the characters’ heads” through the dual-POV structure. There were times I felt like I would get pulled out of the story because the characters were narrating instead of interacting with each other in a normal way.
💗 Some of the side characters are too black and white and not given agency or complexity - there’s not a lot of room for depth in Chloe’s family or Ines’ friends, for instance. Chloe’s parents are a great example of this: they go out of their way to pay for Chloe and everything she needs in her rise to fame, but are seemingly so harsh and unsupportive of her that they’ve bullied her in her journey. I want to know more about their relationship and what happened to make it this way, but her father is portrayed as quite evil when I think Jones could have done more to explore Chloe’s background and how it’s impacted her
💗 The most nit-picky note, but I did laugh out loud when Ines could identify a wine (including the vineyard and vintage) based on the look of it in a glass. Girl, come on, we know you love wine, but no one is that good at a blind tasting.
Overall, this was fun and easy to read and if you’re looking for a series to take your mind off of two hot queer hockey players, this might be exactly what you need. I wasn’t bowled over by it and there were moments that I definitely had to suspend disbelief in terms of how their story unfolded, but it kept me entertained.
It’s worth mentioning that if you are particularly sensitive to stories that reference anxiety and depression, or scenarios with family manipulation, bullying (including cyber bullying), and emotional abuse, proceed with caution. They are both handled with sensitivity and are not very graphic, but just know they are there.
July 18, 2025
Beta read and wowow yall are in for a TREAT
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.25 ⭐
This is a sports enemies-to-lovers romance about Inés, a seasoned Spanish tennis player battling injuries after a rough season, and Chloe, a rising American star known just as much for her talent as for her fiery temper on court. When they’re forced to team up for a charity event, Chloe is horrified—her nemesis is now her doubles partner. And with their messy history? It feels almost impossible.
But when they decide to bury the feud and somehow stop snapping at each other every five seconds, Chloe proposes a deal: Inés becomes her hitting partner and helps her rein in her temper. What starts as a professional arrangement slowly turns into something neither of them expected. As the pressure of the tour increases and new challenges arise, they’re forced to ask themselves if what they’re building can survive the spotlight.
I was SO excited when I got approved for the eARC! Especially because so many friends had been hyping this book up. It had all my favorite tropes. So when I didn’t immediately connect with it, I was honestly nervous. But the last third? That’s when it hooked me. That’s when everything clicked.
Inés was a force to be reckoned with. I loved her humor and her resilience. She felt incredibly relatable, especially considering how many top tennis players constantly struggle with injuries. She perfectly represents the hardships seasoned athletes go through, and I think the author did a fantastic job highlighting both her strengths and vulnerabilities. One of my favorite aspects of her journey was watching her slowly accept that asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness. And I adored how Chloe made her feel truly seen; like she was finally recognizing her worth both on and off the court.
Chloe also had a strong character arc—arguably the most noticeable one. She evolves from a hot-tempered player with zero self-control into someone more mature and composed, learning to manage her reactions and accept that friendships within the sport are not only possible but meaningful. She even opens herself up to the idea of commitment. Inés was the catalyst she needed all along; the one person who truly understood the pressure, the indecision, and the hardships of constantly trying to "be the best". They deeply impacted each other’s growth, and that was beautiful to witness.
The romance is where things got a little rocky for me. I absolutely loved the banter and tension during their enemies-to-lovers phase. But once they started letting each other in, it felt like an invisible wall had gone up. I knew the emotional intimacy was there at its core, but I struggled to fully connect with it at first. Thankfully, that changed in the final third of the book. Something shifted, and suddenly their relationship felt more grounded and believable in my eyes. I especially appreciated that there wasn’t a third-act breakup over some ridiculous misunderstanding. That alone elevated the story for me and made their bond feel stronger and more mature.
Another thing that was masterfully done was the physical intimacy. In many tennis romances I’ve read, the characters jump into bed the first chance they get. But here, the author took her time. The buildup felt intentional and meaningful, and when it finally happened, you could feel the tenderness and care in every moment.
I also appreciated the representation of anxiety and how the author portrayed the mental and emotional challenges that come with being part of a pro tennis world. These themes were handled thoughtfully without ever feeling heavy-handed. The match details were another highlight; I had no trouble picturing the games in my head, which isn’t always the case with sports romances. Meg clearly did her research.
What I truly didn’t expect was the wave of nostalgia that hit me while reading the second-to-last chapter. I suddenly didn’t want to say goodbye to Chloe and Inés. That’s when I realized just how attached I'd become to these two. Even though the epilogue delivered a deeply satisfying payoff, I couldn’t help but sigh at the final sentence. I honestly wouldn’t mind seeing them pop up in another one of Meg’s books...even as side characters. Just getting a glimpse of them again would make me so happy.
Overall, Set Point is more than a sports romance. It’s a layered story about ambition, identity, and what happens when the pressure to perform starts to blur who you are off the court. It’s about growth that isn’t linear, about vulnerability that feels terrifying but necessary, and about choosing love not when it’s easy, but when it demands honesty, trust, and emotional risk. You don’t need to know anything about tennis to feel the heartbeat of this story — it’s the kind that quietly stays with you after the final page.
This is a sports enemies-to-lovers romance about Inés, a seasoned Spanish tennis player battling injuries after a rough season, and Chloe, a rising American star known just as much for her talent as for her fiery temper on court. When they’re forced to team up for a charity event, Chloe is horrified—her nemesis is now her doubles partner. And with their messy history? It feels almost impossible.
But when they decide to bury the feud and somehow stop snapping at each other every five seconds, Chloe proposes a deal: Inés becomes her hitting partner and helps her rein in her temper. What starts as a professional arrangement slowly turns into something neither of them expected. As the pressure of the tour increases and new challenges arise, they’re forced to ask themselves if what they’re building can survive the spotlight.
I was SO excited when I got approved for the eARC! Especially because so many friends had been hyping this book up. It had all my favorite tropes. So when I didn’t immediately connect with it, I was honestly nervous. But the last third? That’s when it hooked me. That’s when everything clicked.
Inés was a force to be reckoned with. I loved her humor and her resilience. She felt incredibly relatable, especially considering how many top tennis players constantly struggle with injuries. She perfectly represents the hardships seasoned athletes go through, and I think the author did a fantastic job highlighting both her strengths and vulnerabilities. One of my favorite aspects of her journey was watching her slowly accept that asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness. And I adored how Chloe made her feel truly seen; like she was finally recognizing her worth both on and off the court.
Chloe also had a strong character arc—arguably the most noticeable one. She evolves from a hot-tempered player with zero self-control into someone more mature and composed, learning to manage her reactions and accept that friendships within the sport are not only possible but meaningful. She even opens herself up to the idea of commitment. Inés was the catalyst she needed all along; the one person who truly understood the pressure, the indecision, and the hardships of constantly trying to "be the best". They deeply impacted each other’s growth, and that was beautiful to witness.
The romance is where things got a little rocky for me. I absolutely loved the banter and tension during their enemies-to-lovers phase. But once they started letting each other in, it felt like an invisible wall had gone up. I knew the emotional intimacy was there at its core, but I struggled to fully connect with it at first. Thankfully, that changed in the final third of the book. Something shifted, and suddenly their relationship felt more grounded and believable in my eyes. I especially appreciated that there wasn’t a third-act breakup over some ridiculous misunderstanding. That alone elevated the story for me and made their bond feel stronger and more mature.
Another thing that was masterfully done was the physical intimacy. In many tennis romances I’ve read, the characters jump into bed the first chance they get. But here, the author took her time. The buildup felt intentional and meaningful, and when it finally happened, you could feel the tenderness and care in every moment.
I also appreciated the representation of anxiety and how the author portrayed the mental and emotional challenges that come with being part of a pro tennis world. These themes were handled thoughtfully without ever feeling heavy-handed. The match details were another highlight; I had no trouble picturing the games in my head, which isn’t always the case with sports romances. Meg clearly did her research.
What I truly didn’t expect was the wave of nostalgia that hit me while reading the second-to-last chapter. I suddenly didn’t want to say goodbye to Chloe and Inés. That’s when I realized just how attached I'd become to these two. Even though the epilogue delivered a deeply satisfying payoff, I couldn’t help but sigh at the final sentence. I honestly wouldn’t mind seeing them pop up in another one of Meg’s books...even as side characters. Just getting a glimpse of them again would make me so happy.
Overall, Set Point is more than a sports romance. It’s a layered story about ambition, identity, and what happens when the pressure to perform starts to blur who you are off the court. It’s about growth that isn’t linear, about vulnerability that feels terrifying but necessary, and about choosing love not when it’s easy, but when it demands honesty, trust, and emotional risk. You don’t need to know anything about tennis to feel the heartbeat of this story — it’s the kind that quietly stays with you after the final page.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Harper Audio Adult and Avon for the free advanced listeners copy (ALC) via netgalley. (additional review section to be included following publication due to specific plot discussion)
A fun sapphic sports romance between tennis rivals Chloe and Ines as they battle it out on the court, but are forced to put their anger and distrust aside for the sake of their own careers … and maybe something else? Both battling their own issues on and off the court, maybe they could help each other more than they thought possible.
To start … This might be one of the most patient sapphic romance books I’ve read in a while – but I will talk more about that.
For those looking for a book with “plenty of steam” as per the highlighted netgalley review, I would not consider this to be a spice heavy book. There is of course WLW yearning and gay panic throughout, but if you are looking for a spice forward book you will need to wait until over half way through for that. The author does highlight which chapters have spice in them but it is not until the end of the book/footnotes – I have not seen this before so I do not know if it is typical (spice included in chapters 30 33 35 38).
The dual POV narration was done by Lindsey Dorcus and Elena Rey. I listened to the entirety of this book at 2x speed which aligns with my usual and comfortable audiobook listening speed, indicating that the narrators did a great job of pacing their POVs so that the cadence and speed matched for both characters. I did find they both conveyed great emotion for the characters and I felt like I could feel what the characters were experiencing through the narration – it was great! The narrators really were able to bring some of those more heated moments to life from both characters.
I liked both Ines and Chloe from a character perspective. I think they both came into the story with their own experiences shaping who they are – this is made quite clear to us early on. I do wish I got more “growth” from both the characters throughout the book. I didn’t feel like many of their issues ended up resolved, but instead they both just ended up being a “safe space” for each other to calm down/feel cared for. I have always had trouble with this since it leaves me wondering if they ever grow or if they’re just are a band aid for each other. This isn’t a bad thing, more of a personal preference since we focus on their issues so heavily at the start I really like to see them working on a solid fix vs “this person fixes them for me and that’s all I need”. It feels more real and less forced HAE for me!
Now to the “patience” part. The pacing of this story could be reviewed differently depending on who you ask! I think there was a lot of build-up in the first half of a book which is not often the case in many sapphic romances. I did find it a little slow to start and there wasn’t much MC development in this time from the characters – I think the author really worked to build up the non-romance scenes including the importance of the friendships in each of Chloe and Ines’ lives. But it did feel like it pushed off a lot of the main relationship aspects of this book for a little too long. They really didn’t even talk about much until fairly far into the book – we mostly got inner thoughts (even when there was a lot of room for discussions and maybe even actions). I am not sure how to word this part for it not to be a “bad thing”, but it reads a lot like MF romance in how it progresses. Obviously men and women come into romance and relationships often very differently, when it is a sapphic romance (especially one with some weird history) this is highlighted even more. As a queer woman I read sapphic romance and always have bias coming into them about wanting to feel some of the “new/early romance and little joys of coming out with the person you love” feelings so I would have loved more of that. That said, I did really like how their relationship did not center around homophobia as a main plot point – because we have enough of those romances already.
Overall this was a fun read with a slow to start romance plot and a few open door spice scenes (that could be skipped if that’s not your thing – chapters listed in footnotes). I would absolutely recommend this to readers who are not looking for a spice focused plot and want a slower paced sapphic romance progression that isn’t centered in the darker aspects of being queer and finding love.
A fun sapphic sports romance between tennis rivals Chloe and Ines as they battle it out on the court, but are forced to put their anger and distrust aside for the sake of their own careers … and maybe something else? Both battling their own issues on and off the court, maybe they could help each other more than they thought possible.
To start … This might be one of the most patient sapphic romance books I’ve read in a while – but I will talk more about that.
For those looking for a book with “plenty of steam” as per the highlighted netgalley review, I would not consider this to be a spice heavy book. There is of course WLW yearning and gay panic throughout, but if you are looking for a spice forward book you will need to wait until over half way through for that. The author does highlight which chapters have spice in them but it is not until the end of the book/footnotes – I have not seen this before so I do not know if it is typical (spice included in chapters 30 33 35 38).
The dual POV narration was done by Lindsey Dorcus and Elena Rey. I listened to the entirety of this book at 2x speed which aligns with my usual and comfortable audiobook listening speed, indicating that the narrators did a great job of pacing their POVs so that the cadence and speed matched for both characters. I did find they both conveyed great emotion for the characters and I felt like I could feel what the characters were experiencing through the narration – it was great! The narrators really were able to bring some of those more heated moments to life from both characters.
I liked both Ines and Chloe from a character perspective. I think they both came into the story with their own experiences shaping who they are – this is made quite clear to us early on. I do wish I got more “growth” from both the characters throughout the book. I didn’t feel like many of their issues ended up resolved, but instead they both just ended up being a “safe space” for each other to calm down/feel cared for. I have always had trouble with this since it leaves me wondering if they ever grow or if they’re just are a band aid for each other. This isn’t a bad thing, more of a personal preference since we focus on their issues so heavily at the start I really like to see them working on a solid fix vs “this person fixes them for me and that’s all I need”. It feels more real and less forced HAE for me!
Now to the “patience” part. The pacing of this story could be reviewed differently depending on who you ask! I think there was a lot of build-up in the first half of a book which is not often the case in many sapphic romances. I did find it a little slow to start and there wasn’t much MC development in this time from the characters – I think the author really worked to build up the non-romance scenes including the importance of the friendships in each of Chloe and Ines’ lives. But it did feel like it pushed off a lot of the main relationship aspects of this book for a little too long. They really didn’t even talk about much until fairly far into the book – we mostly got inner thoughts (even when there was a lot of room for discussions and maybe even actions). I am not sure how to word this part for it not to be a “bad thing”, but it reads a lot like MF romance in how it progresses. Obviously men and women come into romance and relationships often very differently, when it is a sapphic romance (especially one with some weird history) this is highlighted even more. As a queer woman I read sapphic romance and always have bias coming into them about wanting to feel some of the “new/early romance and little joys of coming out with the person you love” feelings so I would have loved more of that. That said, I did really like how their relationship did not center around homophobia as a main plot point – because we have enough of those romances already.
Overall this was a fun read with a slow to start romance plot and a few open door spice scenes (that could be skipped if that’s not your thing – chapters listed in footnotes). I would absolutely recommend this to readers who are not looking for a spice focused plot and want a slower paced sapphic romance progression that isn’t centered in the darker aspects of being queer and finding love.
March 3, 2026
The way Meg Jones writes a story with layered characters is unparalleled. I could not put this book down. I thoroughly enjoyed this story top to finish.
What made this whole series (so far) work is that we have met the main characters in the first two books and it has given us as readers an opportunity to want this story. From the moment I met Ines, I was hoping to get her story. I wanted to know her backstory and understand who she is. Was I expecting the romance between Ines and Chloe? No, I was not. Which I think helped sell the romance. I feel that love and relationships can be found in the unlikeliest of places. I also found the juxtaposition of their personalities and temperaments interesting. It kept me engaged. You learn from the outset that Chloe is hotheaded and ruthless. Ines is kind, strategic, and calm. They each have a little bit of what the other needs.
Ines is coming back from an injury and surgery. She feels like she is staring down the barrel of being a has been. Her confidence has been stomped on and she isn't sure where she goes from here. She's lost sponsors and it's impacting her ability to be able to afford to keep playing the game she loves and has defined who she is. Chloe is newer to the game. And she's taken the tennis world by storm. Not only by how she plays but by how she acts. She set up herself up to be the enemy from page 1. And the universe, being it's funny self, pairs the two up for a charity doubles match. What could go wrong?
Ines needs Chloe's ruthlessness and confidence to get her head back in the game. Chloe needs Ines's strategic and coolheaded logic to help her stay a great tennis player. So, a plan is developed. Chloe will hire Ines to be Chloe's hitting partner. They'll pay for her lodging and help keep Ines afloat. But in exchange, Ines is to help Chloe learn to calm down. And as the story unfolds, we get a glimpse into how similar these two characters are while being wildly different. Both were pushed to be the best but you can tell from the family background that what happens when you aren't the best is what truly shaped these two characters.
Chloe was told that if she failed, she wasn't enough. She was told that making friends with the enemy was forbidden and it would make her a weaker player. Ines learned that if she failed, she could try again. That there was more to life than just tennis. And as Ines begins to help Chloe see this, Chloe begins to re-define and re-shape her relationship with her family and tennis. And Ines uses Chloe's ruthlessness to understand how to get stronger both mentally and physically. They both must use what they learn from the other, to become the best tennis player they can be. Even if that means they play each other on the court. But they'll leave it there - on the court.
I loved that this book had no miscommunication for the sake of miscommunication. Once both Ines and Chloe were all in, they never stopped being all in. There were never these moments of refusing to talk or drama because it would make the story more exciting. Instead, we got a story that explored the dark side of fan interactions and the players. How parasocial relationships can create harmful narratives for the players and the fans. We got a nuanced story about anxiety and how the pressure to win can become debilitating. We saw two women lean into their sexuality and never be ashamed of who they loved. This story was about love but it was also about friendship. It was about finding yourself in the face adversity and learning who stood by you. It was a story about understanding who you are and the many layers that create you. It was also about facing your fears and still coming back stronger.
If you haven't read a Meg Jones book, why not? This whole series is delightful And I definitely recommend picking up Set Point!
Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins, and Avon for this advanced digital ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own!
What made this whole series (so far) work is that we have met the main characters in the first two books and it has given us as readers an opportunity to want this story. From the moment I met Ines, I was hoping to get her story. I wanted to know her backstory and understand who she is. Was I expecting the romance between Ines and Chloe? No, I was not. Which I think helped sell the romance. I feel that love and relationships can be found in the unlikeliest of places. I also found the juxtaposition of their personalities and temperaments interesting. It kept me engaged. You learn from the outset that Chloe is hotheaded and ruthless. Ines is kind, strategic, and calm. They each have a little bit of what the other needs.
Ines is coming back from an injury and surgery. She feels like she is staring down the barrel of being a has been. Her confidence has been stomped on and she isn't sure where she goes from here. She's lost sponsors and it's impacting her ability to be able to afford to keep playing the game she loves and has defined who she is. Chloe is newer to the game. And she's taken the tennis world by storm. Not only by how she plays but by how she acts. She set up herself up to be the enemy from page 1. And the universe, being it's funny self, pairs the two up for a charity doubles match. What could go wrong?
Ines needs Chloe's ruthlessness and confidence to get her head back in the game. Chloe needs Ines's strategic and coolheaded logic to help her stay a great tennis player. So, a plan is developed. Chloe will hire Ines to be Chloe's hitting partner. They'll pay for her lodging and help keep Ines afloat. But in exchange, Ines is to help Chloe learn to calm down. And as the story unfolds, we get a glimpse into how similar these two characters are while being wildly different. Both were pushed to be the best but you can tell from the family background that what happens when you aren't the best is what truly shaped these two characters.
Chloe was told that if she failed, she wasn't enough. She was told that making friends with the enemy was forbidden and it would make her a weaker player. Ines learned that if she failed, she could try again. That there was more to life than just tennis. And as Ines begins to help Chloe see this, Chloe begins to re-define and re-shape her relationship with her family and tennis. And Ines uses Chloe's ruthlessness to understand how to get stronger both mentally and physically. They both must use what they learn from the other, to become the best tennis player they can be. Even if that means they play each other on the court. But they'll leave it there - on the court.
I loved that this book had no miscommunication for the sake of miscommunication. Once both Ines and Chloe were all in, they never stopped being all in. There were never these moments of refusing to talk or drama because it would make the story more exciting. Instead, we got a story that explored the dark side of fan interactions and the players. How parasocial relationships can create harmful narratives for the players and the fans. We got a nuanced story about anxiety and how the pressure to win can become debilitating. We saw two women lean into their sexuality and never be ashamed of who they loved. This story was about love but it was also about friendship. It was about finding yourself in the face adversity and learning who stood by you. It was a story about understanding who you are and the many layers that create you. It was also about facing your fears and still coming back stronger.
If you haven't read a Meg Jones book, why not? This whole series is delightful And I definitely recommend picking up Set Point!
Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins, and Avon for this advanced digital ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager, NetGalley, and Meg Jones for an ARC copy of this book. It was on a recommended read list somewhere and I really enjoy sports romances, especially tennis romances, so this was a very fun read. I grew up watching tennis and I always found it thrilling to watch and learn about it. There's a sense of dedication and loyalty that is present both in the game and between the players, from what I've seen and experienced, or the expectation of those things. Some follow through and some don't but for me, it's always been a sport I've enjoyed watching.
Getting to the actual story, I'll try and leave a review that doesn't leave any spoilers. Watching Ines and Chloe was amazing, with all of the banter between them and the hearts racing and everything. It's not listed as of the tropes but I got the sense of second chance romance from this and that's all I'll say to avoid spoilers. They were both going through their own separate challenges but they were able to get through it together and that's one thing that I really enjoyed about this. That there was something they learned from the other person which gave them more support in the challenges that they'd had before. One of the FMCs is experiencing maladaptive cognitions and for anybody who doesn't know clinical terminology, maladaptive cognitions are thoughts, ideologies or something that is present in your mind which is not helping your overall well being. They might have helped at one point or might have been created in a situation where they provided immediate support but in the long term, don't provide as much support. I recognized this as I work in mental health and I just wanted to speak to the amount of understanding and the way that it was written by the author. She has done a marvelous job of writing about the maladaptive cognitions by showing us how the FMC was able to challenge and reframe them into something positive which is another technique in mental health. Mental health is a really important field and topic for me, as I've expressed, and every time I see an author writing about it in a way that makes it seen and heard, it makes me so happy inside. Meg Jones has done a really phenomenal job in the way that she's written this book.
I also loved the compassion and understanding for one's challenges that was expressed between the FMCs and some other friends. I liked the sense of accountability and respect and the expectation to uphold that for side characters. There was kindness and grace shown but not enough at the moments where it was shown I think made it very poignant which I enjoyed because I believe that one should be kind and show grace to people when they are demonstrating so much strength and resilience. People aren't foolproof machines who never need a break. People are human and there are a lot of things that can overwhelm them or make them feel like they're being pushed down and that is another thing Meg Jones did really well. She showed Ines and Chloe being so kind and compassionate to each other, to their friends and we see that in all the cute little moments that they have together and how they become stronger and more resilient together. I truly enjoyed reading this book, it brought happy tears to my eyes. Overall wonderful book, and will for sure be buying a copy when it comes out. If you've read this all the way here then you enjoyed what I wrote about so go and grab your own copy when it comes out on April 7th 2026!
Getting to the actual story, I'll try and leave a review that doesn't leave any spoilers. Watching Ines and Chloe was amazing, with all of the banter between them and the hearts racing and everything. It's not listed as of the tropes but I got the sense of second chance romance from this and that's all I'll say to avoid spoilers. They were both going through their own separate challenges but they were able to get through it together and that's one thing that I really enjoyed about this. That there was something they learned from the other person which gave them more support in the challenges that they'd had before. One of the FMCs is experiencing maladaptive cognitions and for anybody who doesn't know clinical terminology, maladaptive cognitions are thoughts, ideologies or something that is present in your mind which is not helping your overall well being. They might have helped at one point or might have been created in a situation where they provided immediate support but in the long term, don't provide as much support. I recognized this as I work in mental health and I just wanted to speak to the amount of understanding and the way that it was written by the author. She has done a marvelous job of writing about the maladaptive cognitions by showing us how the FMC was able to challenge and reframe them into something positive which is another technique in mental health. Mental health is a really important field and topic for me, as I've expressed, and every time I see an author writing about it in a way that makes it seen and heard, it makes me so happy inside. Meg Jones has done a really phenomenal job in the way that she's written this book.
I also loved the compassion and understanding for one's challenges that was expressed between the FMCs and some other friends. I liked the sense of accountability and respect and the expectation to uphold that for side characters. There was kindness and grace shown but not enough at the moments where it was shown I think made it very poignant which I enjoyed because I believe that one should be kind and show grace to people when they are demonstrating so much strength and resilience. People aren't foolproof machines who never need a break. People are human and there are a lot of things that can overwhelm them or make them feel like they're being pushed down and that is another thing Meg Jones did really well. She showed Ines and Chloe being so kind and compassionate to each other, to their friends and we see that in all the cute little moments that they have together and how they become stronger and more resilient together. I truly enjoyed reading this book, it brought happy tears to my eyes. Overall wonderful book, and will for sure be buying a copy when it comes out. If you've read this all the way here then you enjoyed what I wrote about so go and grab your own copy when it comes out on April 7th 2026!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Rating: 3.5/5
Heat Level: 3.5/5
Pub Date: April 7th
My review:
This is a sapphic rivals-to-lovers tennis romance, pretty light on the rivalry despite Inés and Chloe being rivals pretty much this entire book, and fairly heavy on the lovers.
Inés and Chloe start off on pretty bad terms: not only are they pro-tennis rivals, but have History from when they made out at a party, Chloe got her number, and NEVER TEXTED HER BACK… and then Chloe stripped Inés of her French Open title, and took her sponsor. Not (all) on purpose, but no wonder Inés is salty! Normally, I love reading hella beef between the main characters, but despite Chloe fucking Inés over, consciously or not, the tension that should have been there just… wasn’t present. Inés comes off as bitter (And if's valid of her to hold that grudge! Though it's equally valid for her friends to question why she holds it, when they've also been fucked with by Chloe lol), and Chloe’s POV is purely apologetic and sad. It’s all very tepid.
Inés and Chloe do eventually become friends and partners, since Chloe hires Inés to help her train. This isn’t slow burn by any means, but the length of this paperback is 384 pages and every minutiae of the build-up over the course of training feels dragged out. As their (secret) relationship heats up and media scrutiny increases as well, I did think it was interesting that it's less the actual homophobia that's stopping Inés and Chloe from coming out about their relationship, but rather, how it could impact their respective careers. To be clear, there is homophobia within the tennis fandom, and specifically biphobia aimed at Chloe, but there's other things at stake as well.
The sex:
I thought the sex scenes were solid and on par for your average contemporary romance as of now— there's a decent amount of desperation and impatient masturbation and mutual masturbation moments. I also likes the use of the word UNHINGED during. Favorite scene was probably their *competitive* sex scene during the US Open in an abandoned physio room lolol. Exactly the kind of content I'm here for in sports romances.
Overall:
Even with a reasonably dramatic climax at the US Open (no spoilers but it's exactly what you think), this story just didn't deliver on what I wanted. Sports romances to me should be reasonably fast-paced, with plenty of tension and in this case, these women are literal rivals! That should absolutely have been played up more, though obviously not at the cost of a solid HEA, or even them getting together a little more than halfway into the book. But even the external attempts at plot and drama— the press leaks, fake doping allegations, and literal assault— couldn't save the story for me.
A final note— I deeply dislike authors listing the chapters where there are sex scenes, like this author did. It promotes the idea that the sex is skippable vs. being an equally vital part of their love story and necessary for romantic development.
Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
Heat Level: 3.5/5
Pub Date: April 7th
My review:
This is a sapphic rivals-to-lovers tennis romance, pretty light on the rivalry despite Inés and Chloe being rivals pretty much this entire book, and fairly heavy on the lovers.
Inés and Chloe start off on pretty bad terms: not only are they pro-tennis rivals, but have History from when they made out at a party, Chloe got her number, and NEVER TEXTED HER BACK… and then Chloe stripped Inés of her French Open title, and took her sponsor. Not (all) on purpose, but no wonder Inés is salty! Normally, I love reading hella beef between the main characters, but despite Chloe fucking Inés over, consciously or not, the tension that should have been there just… wasn’t present. Inés comes off as bitter (And if's valid of her to hold that grudge! Though it's equally valid for her friends to question why she holds it, when they've also been fucked with by Chloe lol), and Chloe’s POV is purely apologetic and sad. It’s all very tepid.
Inés and Chloe do eventually become friends and partners, since Chloe hires Inés to help her train. This isn’t slow burn by any means, but the length of this paperback is 384 pages and every minutiae of the build-up over the course of training feels dragged out. As their (secret) relationship heats up and media scrutiny increases as well, I did think it was interesting that it's less the actual homophobia that's stopping Inés and Chloe from coming out about their relationship, but rather, how it could impact their respective careers. To be clear, there is homophobia within the tennis fandom, and specifically biphobia aimed at Chloe, but there's other things at stake as well.
The sex:
I thought the sex scenes were solid and on par for your average contemporary romance as of now— there's a decent amount of desperation and impatient masturbation and mutual masturbation moments. I also likes the use of the word UNHINGED during. Favorite scene was probably their *competitive* sex scene during the US Open in an abandoned physio room lolol. Exactly the kind of content I'm here for in sports romances.
Overall:
Even with a reasonably dramatic climax at the US Open (no spoilers but it's exactly what you think), this story just didn't deliver on what I wanted. Sports romances to me should be reasonably fast-paced, with plenty of tension and in this case, these women are literal rivals! That should absolutely have been played up more, though obviously not at the cost of a solid HEA, or even them getting together a little more than halfway into the book. But even the external attempts at plot and drama— the press leaks, fake doping allegations, and literal assault— couldn't save the story for me.
A final note— I deeply dislike authors listing the chapters where there are sex scenes, like this author did. It promotes the idea that the sex is skippable vs. being an equally vital part of their love story and necessary for romantic development.
Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.5⭐️
I had an awesome time. My sports romances girlies will eat this up.
This felt engaging the whole time I was reading it. I was never bored or waiting for the next thing; I was locked in the whole time. I read this in two sittings, which is an amazing feeling.
The best romances, in my opinion, are the ones where when they say “I love you,” you actually believe it. With this book, I feel like I was itching for them to say it; I knew it was only a matter of time. I could really tell they meant a lot to each other, which made their professions of love believable. As a reader, I really felt their connection from friends to partners. This felt like a natural transition from friends to lovers, and when they started dating, it didn’t feel like they lost any aspects of the friendship.
I loved the B plot drama. It was just enough to add a little ✨something✨ to the romance and raise the stakes just enough. There were some moments where the stakes felt higher than I felt like they should be, but I’m also not an athlete, much less a professional one, so that could be just a me thing. There were a couple of times I felt like they could’ve benefited from someone being like, “It’s not that serious.”
There was an opportunity to make this friends-with-benefits to lovers, and I’m so glad the author didn’t take it. Friends-with-benefits to lovers is a common trope, and while it’s a classic for a reason, I loved that this book didn’t take that route. It makes the story all the more unique and endearing. It made the first time they slept together feel more a meaningful and impactful moment.
Adults learning to act like adults? Awesome, incredible. Chloe has a temper at first, but Inés helps her manage it. By the end, they’re managing it like adults. There wasn’t any miscommunication because they talked about what they were worried about. We love adults acting like adults. I will say that the character/emotional development felt one-sided at times, with Chloe having a bigger emotional arc. It’s only in looking back that I noticed it because Chloe’s arc is about her managing her anger and stress on court, whereas Inés’s development is more centered around her finding her feet again in the tennis world, which was a more physical goal. But it wasn’t enough of a disproportion for me to notice in the moment.
In summary, I had a great time. I thought this book was well-rounded, with a good mix of lightheartedness and emotional depth. I’d recommend this to sapphic romance lovers and sports romance fans alike.
🌶️🌶️🌶️(2.5 rounded up, 4 explicit scenes some shorter than others)
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the advanced copy! I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
I had an awesome time. My sports romances girlies will eat this up.
This felt engaging the whole time I was reading it. I was never bored or waiting for the next thing; I was locked in the whole time. I read this in two sittings, which is an amazing feeling.
The best romances, in my opinion, are the ones where when they say “I love you,” you actually believe it. With this book, I feel like I was itching for them to say it; I knew it was only a matter of time. I could really tell they meant a lot to each other, which made their professions of love believable. As a reader, I really felt their connection from friends to partners. This felt like a natural transition from friends to lovers, and when they started dating, it didn’t feel like they lost any aspects of the friendship.
I loved the B plot drama. It was just enough to add a little ✨something✨ to the romance and raise the stakes just enough. There were some moments where the stakes felt higher than I felt like they should be, but I’m also not an athlete, much less a professional one, so that could be just a me thing. There were a couple of times I felt like they could’ve benefited from someone being like, “It’s not that serious.”
There was an opportunity to make this friends-with-benefits to lovers, and I’m so glad the author didn’t take it. Friends-with-benefits to lovers is a common trope, and while it’s a classic for a reason, I loved that this book didn’t take that route. It makes the story all the more unique and endearing. It made the first time they slept together feel more a meaningful and impactful moment.
Adults learning to act like adults? Awesome, incredible. Chloe has a temper at first, but Inés helps her manage it. By the end, they’re managing it like adults. There wasn’t any miscommunication because they talked about what they were worried about. We love adults acting like adults. I will say that the character/emotional development felt one-sided at times, with Chloe having a bigger emotional arc. It’s only in looking back that I noticed it because Chloe’s arc is about her managing her anger and stress on court, whereas Inés’s development is more centered around her finding her feet again in the tennis world, which was a more physical goal. But it wasn’t enough of a disproportion for me to notice in the moment.
In summary, I had a great time. I thought this book was well-rounded, with a good mix of lightheartedness and emotional depth. I’d recommend this to sapphic romance lovers and sports romance fans alike.
🌶️🌶️🌶️(2.5 rounded up, 4 explicit scenes some shorter than others)
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the advanced copy! I received an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
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