Rating: 4 out of 5.

This is a cute contemporary rom com that has pickleball as a major component. You heard me, pickleball. Brooke is a ghost writer for a series of cowboy romances that is suffering from major writer’s block since a bad breakup. While tagging along with her best friend to a pickleball game, Brooke sees Kai, a hot man that instantly gives her inspiration. She devises a plan to get close to him, which includes taking lessons from frumpy pickleball coach Owen.

I loved Brooke’s inner dialogue and relationship with her best friend. It totally cracked me up. While her obsession with Kai is very superficial, who hasn’t been inspired by a hot guy, am I right? I loved how Owen helped Brooke see that she was sabotaging herself by constantly putting herself down. I also liked that he helped her see it, but didn’t then try to “fix” her. He let her come to terms with it and figuring it out for herself. The romance is very slow-burn, but in this case I didn’t mind. The natural way that Owen and Brooke became friends, and then more, was wonderful to read. Their relationship is built with a solid foundation and I loved it when they finally got together, even if things didn’t go quite as smoothly as they’d hoped.

I listened to the book and the narrators did a great job conveying the humor and chemistry between the characters. This is a light a fluffy book that will keep you entertained until the end. While the central theme of the book is romance, it also deals with self-doubt and self-sabotage, with Brooke learning the courage to take a chance on herself. It was great to see.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult, Harper Voyager, and Avon. All opinions are my own.