Thank you to Forever for the advanced e-copy and Hachette Audio for the advanced listening copy. Sporty, sexy, and utterly charming, All is Fair in Love and Pickleball is a perfect summer read. From the first pages, the reader is drawn into the tension between Bex and Niko. I loved the club owner vs pickleball-hating former tennis pro dynamic! The lessons on the court were hot, and the moments in the bedroom were honestly hotter. The banter was fun, but I honestly loved the moments when they open up to each other the best. There was an excellent balance of depth, comedy, and fun. I could have read even more of them, but at just under 9.5 hours (320 pages), the length felt perfect for a summer read. Yet this book still has a lot of heart. I loved the way Callie’s connection to pickleball and the success of the racketball club were so wrapped up in her grief over her mother. While not overly sad, I think Spencer did an excellent job of crafting the way grief impacted Bex’s motivations. And Niko. Oh man. Despite the meet-disaster, it was immediately evident that this man is a caretaker. The way he loved his aunt (we love a found family of elders) made him easy to adore. I also loved the way he slowly revealed himself to Bex. Single POV shines when we can feel the opposite character through the pages, and I felt Niko in this book. A note for the found family. I had to laugh as my dad participates in a senior pickleball league, and I really hope he has such a fun cast of characters at his club. I thought we got enough of the secondary characters to have them enhance the plot, and it helped with Bex’s growth arc/ Finally, the narration. STUNNING. Mia Hutchinson Shaw absolutely brought Bex to life. Her grief, her desire, her self-abatoge, it was all there and excellently narrated. I so enjoyed having this book in my years and highly recommend the audio! The steam was hotter, the emotions were brighter, and the overall experience was just great! All in all, I think this will be a hit of the summer, and while I would not recommend it to my pickleball-loving dad, I think just about everyone else would enjoy!
- Book Review
- All’s Fair in Love and Pickleball
May 28, 2025
All’s Fair in Love and Pickleball
4.5
Mia Hutchinson-Shaw (Narrator)
Length
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ISBN: 9781668648605
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My first novel in verse and certainly won’t be my last!
Xiomara’s voice is refreshing, honest, and a fascinating look inside the teenage mind.
There is so much to touch on, but I particularly enjoyed the parts where she questioned the strict nature of her parents’ religion.
I grew up Catholic (school/church), but in a much more affirming way. I loved seeing this new perspective.
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Told from the perspective of Lady Tremaine, or Ethel, Cinderella’s stepmother, we learn of a life full of hardship and heartbreak, and the difficulties women face to maintain their autonomy. Ethel must make difficult decisions not only for self-preservation but also to provide her daughters with successful marriages. It turns out there isn’t much she isn’t willing to save face and protect her children.
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This was SO GOOD. The book takes a somewhat dark tale and turns everything you know about it on its head.
The result: lush writing, a complex but ultimately entirely relatable view of womanhood, and well placed twists.
I particularly enjoyed the way expectations of women were explored. Despite all she does to push boundaries, women are forever existing in expectations “designed by men.”
I love a woman who pushes boundaries of what is considered proper, and Hochhauser’s Lady Tremaine does just that.
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Unfortunately, they have never gotten along, but it appears Dominic may be harboring feelings all along. They must navigate their grief, guilt, and years of animosity if they want things to work.
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First off, this book was extremely hot. Dominic and Sloane have a lot of complex feelings, and they sort most of that out in the bedroom.
If you’re looking for top-notch spice, I would definitely pick this up. That said, I think I could have done without a few spice scenes to bring down the length.
I am typically hesitant towards love after loss themes, but I loved the way her late husband’s family still loved Sloane. Seegars did an excellent job of contrasting Sloane’s relationship with her mother-in-law with her own mother.
Sloane is smart, successful, and navigating life after loss. I loved how Dominic was confident, used his privilege to spoil Sloane, and was working hard against the demons of his own
Overall, an excellent book for high spice with complex, layered characters.
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My Thoughts:
I had a lot of fun reading this book!
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Dax and Sloans have so much chemistry, of that I had no doubt. Where I struggled a bit is with Sloane’s development. It felt like her and Dax were faced with the same obstacle that broke them the first time, and it was addressed so late. Physically, though, their attraction was clear.
Erin Connor can write the heck out of a steamy scene, and like her debut, this was hot and tension filled, and definitely will make you blush.
Overall, I really loved the music scene setting here, and I loved that it took place in the 2010s, when I was also a young 20-something. It just felt so nostalgic, and I squealed when they mentioned an iPod; those truly were the good old days.
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The full cast, Karissa Vacker, William DeMerritt, Donald Chang, James Fouhey, Robb Moreira & Greg Chun, knock this audio out of the park. The behind-the-scenes narrative was brought to life by their production.
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This takes Erin’s debut Unromance and adds a Daisy Jones and the Six vibe that is hard not to enjoy!
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When Joy Moore goes missing, Benny Abbot immediately spirals into panic. Joy is his best friend and podcast co-host, and there appears to be a decent strain in their relationship. Benny’s unease is compounded by the fact that Joy’s husband, Xander, is also missing. As the days pass, Benny becomes a subject himself. It is only through Joy’s POV that the truth begins to come to life.
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This is one heck of a debut. I love that this thriller also had this huge friendship/romance subplot. Genre-bending lovers, this is for you.
The writing is sharp, the pacing near perfect, and the reveals are shocking. Crum easily propels this narrative forward in a way that left me excited every time I picked this book up.
In particular, I enjoyed the feeling of not knowing whom to trust, and Crum did an excellent job of casting doubt in the reader’s mind about what was happening.
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Plus, the Los Angeles hills vibe was immaculate, which always makes me enjoy a book more!
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Martha Ballard a woman of honesty, multiple layers and a fierce protector of other women. I found her frankness refreshing and her approach to patient care highly relatable. I enjoyed that she stood her ground for what she believed in. The discussion of midwifery was fascinating, and I enjoyed how Lawhon incorporated so much about medicine and motherhood.
At the core, this is a story of believing women. Believing that the work they do in the home is important, believing them that bearing children and raising them ins work, and believing them when they state a man has hurt them. Finding value in their existence.
I think that speaks to the essence of womanhood for so many. The invisible force sustaning so many.
While there are many challenging themes (read the CW if you need them), Lawhon handles them with care while also remaining true to the attitudes around women, sex, and the power of men that prevailed in the 1790s.
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A sensational portrayal of winter and womanhood, this is not to be missed.
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Read as part of Sharon McMahon Book Club.
ABOUT:
With only 107 days remaining until the general election, Kamala Harris was informed that President Biden was dropping out of the Democratic race, making her the de facto nominee. What follows is a hard-fought yet ultimately unsuccessful run for president of the United States.
MY THOUGHTS:
This is an exceedingly difficult review to write because while I loved how frank Kamala was in this book, her honesty left me feeling disappointed in both the leaders of the Democratic Party, the political machine, and the American people.
Harris provides the reader with essentially a day-by-day description of the craziness required to run a campaign and the toll it took on her. I appreciated her discussing the amount of money, stress, and scheduling difficulties required to acquire endorsements, meet with constituents, and prep for a debate, all of which help to point out how crazy US politics are.
What I loved: every moment with Tim Walz, and the love she has for her team and family. The way it was clear she never wavered on who and what she represents.
What I disliked: her tiptoeing around her relationship with Biden, her assertion that her term would have been different from Biden but never saying how. Also, the lack of self-reflection (yes, media sucks, yes, you were given a short time frame, but come on).
I was hoping this would leave me feeling hopeful, but it mostly left me feeling overwhelmed by the amount of work it will take whoever runs for the Democratic nomination in 2028.
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This is similar in tone to A Promised Land by Barack Obama.
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I think this humanized Kamala in a way many will appreciate, and it helped me see that politics is so much more than the candidate.
I am attending a zoom book club meeting with the author(!!!) later this month so will report if my feelings change!
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Kier and Gray, mage and power source, childhood friends, both devoted and longing for each other, find themselves at the army’s outpost fighting a war for their kingdom.
When the opportunity arises to accompany an enemy prisoner, they find themselves leading an expedition and their secrets coming dangerously to light.
Will they be able to protect each other, and will either have the bravery to act on their love and will they confront their past and the war around them?
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Hello, Lady Knight, I am obsessed with you.
This book is a slowly unwinding yearn- fest, and I was here for it. The way these two are interconnected is so riveting, and the childhood friends-to-lovers was incredibly well done. Devotion is almost too small a word for the way these two care for each other!
I appreciated that their backstory was slowly revealed, allowing you to become increasingly invested in the outcome of their present.
It was atmospheric, with detailed battles, well-explained complex magic, and rich side characters.
Additionally, this world was so queer affirming, and I would be remiss if I didn’t comment on that. From the use of pronouns to Kier’s parents, there was something really special about how Bovalino incorporated queer identities; it was so lovely to read.
This was my first Lady Knight book, but it will certainly not be my last!
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If you are into lady knights, soul mates, and slow-burning fantasy, this is not to be missed!
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Ethan Wyatt is a “leather jacket guy”—aka a best-selling thriller writer heartthrob who is actually a golden retriever with a complicated past. I loved the snippets we got into his POV, and the way he wanted Maggie was top-notch!
This fades to black but has enough tension. I didn’t miss the lack of “more.” The romance here is sweet and endearing, and I loved that it is almost the background to the mystery playing out! The banter is perfect!
(slight trope spoiler ahead)
There is (perhaps my new favorite thing) two different tropes running parallel in the romance. It is enemies to lovers for her but more like an unrequited crush for him.
I tend to love everything Saskia narrates, and this was no exception! Her vibrato is perfect for the mystery element, and I enjoyed her in the moments of Maggie’s self-reflection! The audio was well done, with some moments of playing recordings and some sound effects! If you like audio, that is the way to go!
Overall, this well-hyped book was worth all the hype! It is not Christmasy, so I recommend you pick it up ASAP!