This is a cute summer read if that’s what you’re looking for. I did enjoy the tension between the love interests and the story overall. I loved diving into a new sport read with an unlikely sport and it just had me wanting to start playing pickleball.
The story is told exclusively from Bex’s point of view and that left me wanting. I want to know so much more about Niko. Their chemistry is good, but I felt like I needed to know what he was thinking and just more about him in general.
The story had a good flow until the end; I felt it end too abruptly and that third act breakup - argh… but it did play out with some fun dramatics.
I recommend this book as a good in-between and it is a fun, light summer read perfect to kick off your summer reading. I would definitely read more pickleball romances 😊
Many thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for a digital advanced copy of the book. The opinions expresses are honest and my own, as well as given freely.

I was highly anticipating this one, and it did not disappoint! It’s fast-paced, super easy to get into, and the perfect beach read for summer. The characters were so fun, the banter was on point, and I loved the mix of tropes, sports romance, enemies to lovers, and fake dating? Yes, please. Such a fun and feel-good story. I highly recommend checking it out!

Bex and Niko meet at a hospital when Niko’s grandmother sustains an injury at Bex’s pickleball club.
From there, they become pickleball coach/student to pickleball partners. They fake date to make Niko’s life more interesting and to bring publicity and attention to Bex’s failing club. But was it ever really fake?

Niko was such a sweet, tender, thoughtful MMC. I wish we could have gotten to know more about him. This was such a cute, fun, fast-paced summer read!

yeah i LOVED!!!!!! this book. so much.

i read my first kate spencer last summer and immediately added her to my -need more from this author- list. when i found out she was writing a pickleball romance, i was downright giddy with excitement. i love pickleball and i love romance and i love kate so like… perfect combo?

all’s fair in love and pickleball was so much fun and i enjoyed every minute. the tension between bex and nico had me locked in from moment one. it was deliciously good. technically not enemies to lovers because the enemies phase was really short but like that energy that makes the tension and yearning hit. i also am gonna fall for fake dating x real feelings every time and they took it to the max. let me just tell y’all… the court scene? GIRL. i was sweatingggg!!!

this story also speaks very poignantly about grief. bex grapples with the loss of her mother even though she’s been gone for some time already and it was beautiful reflection of the power of a mother-daughter relationship. one of the primary points of this book is bex’s desire to keep the club alive even though it is financially struggling because she wants to keep the memory of her mom alive for sunset springs. i thought this was really special and the way it plays in to all the different elements of the plot is really well done.

this was such a fun, sweet, sporty summer read that is perfect for romance lovers. thank you kate spencer and forever for the early copy!

I love a sports romance that actually features the sport, so I was excited to see Kate’s take on the pickleball trend. I really enjoyed the idea of a tennis star learning pickleball and I’m always here for fake dating, but this one failed to fully hook me. I’ll definitely read whatever Kate writes next, but this one wasn’t for me.

The narration, however, was a slam dunk (or whatever the pickleball equivalent would be). Mia did a great job with this one and really brought Bex to life. I particularly loved how she captured Bex’s emotions.

Thank you to Forever for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.

This was such a cute story & the perfect summer read! Bex & Niko are forced in to a fake dating scenario (with all of the banter) and pair up for a pickleball tournament to win money to restore Bex's tennis club, which she inherited from her mother. While this is a rom-com, it also touched on several deeper themes such as grief & loss.

I really related to Bex's character in several ways, which connected me more to the story. Kate Spencer did a great job representing the ways ADHD can show up in the daily life of women. I recognized several habits that I engage in regularly. I also related to Bex's sense of duty to keep the club running and wanting to do whatever it takes to succeed.

Loretta was one of my favorite parts of the story, who even gets a love story of her own. I adore stories where older characters play a primary role with the younger main characters (such as Happily Never After by Lynn Painter). As most of the pickleball players at the club are older, Bex spends most of her time around them and even joins their book club.

The only major issue I had with the story was the third act breakup. I find them annoying in general, but the conflict for this one was so minor that it was extra frustrating.

Thank you to Forever for providing me with copies of this book. This review is voluntary, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Super cute fake dating, tennis pro x raquet club owner/ pickleball enthusiast story. Almost a love at first sight if you will.

Bex has been drowning herself in running her mother’s raquet club for the last 2 years since her passing. She’s the youngest in sunset springs, surrounded by her found family of 60+ year olds and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

In comes Niko, her friend Loretta’s nephew. Crisp and clean tennis pro who’s been out on a knee injury the last few years. Loretta talks Niko into staying in her guest house as she heals from an injury she got at the club. Bex and Niko bicker constantly, almost like an aggressive form of flirting until one day she goes for it and kisses him. True and fake feelings, doubles partner in a make it or break it cash prize(Bex needs it to update the club) pickleball tournament, and navigating life.

Thank you to Forever for the advance reader copy and to Hachette Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

I find Kate Spencer's books so delightful. And I am thrilled to be participating in a pen pal series this summer relating to this book. As a quick summary of how much I enjoyed the story, I immediately bought the paperback even though I already had the ebook and audiobook versions.

Bex is trying to keep the racquet club she inherited from her mom afloat. Niko comes to support his mom and practice his tennis. But somehow, one things leads to another and they become pickleball doubles partners and start fake dating.

This story is grumpy sunshine even down to the way they dress. And I loved the way he pays attention to her and picks up on every detail of what she wants. Oh my goodness! That first steamy scene... That's all I'll write about that.

I also found Bex's grief and process of dealing with her mom's death incredibly relatable. This had me crying, as she talked to her mom and as I thought more about where my mom would want her ashes scattered.

The other characters also added to the book, especially with a strong feeling of found family. Now I want to learn to play pickleball this summer.

Mia Hutchinson Shaw narrated the audiobook superbly. She's always one of my favorite narrators.

4.5 stars rounded up

Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this title to read and review. I started reading on a 7am flight and finished the whole book right as I landed at my destination midday - so it was the perfect travel companion. That should immediately tell you that this is a lighthearted breeze of a read (that can capture my attention even when I'm up before dawn for travels!) but it's also so smartly done and full of extra delighters. I've never actually played pickleball myself, though I know the gist, but I feel like I was really learning along with the characters -- especially in how it differs from tennis, how all ages have come to play and love it, and some of the challenges that exist with the sport's recent growth in popularity.

Our leads Bex and Niko had great chemistry and banter, and they were interesting enough people in their own right, with their own career ambitions and life goals, so they were sturdy on their own and even better together complementing one another. Pro athletes transitioning over to pickleball is such a compelling premise too. I liked that they were both a little bit insufferable in their own ways TO EACH OTHER but they weren't horrid to the readers, so their bickering was fun and not annoying. Even more than the romance element, this book was about grief and memory (handled beautifully) and community (the best gang of pickleballing senior citizens). I do think that fake dating as a trope leads to some enjoyable plot moments, but some of the "faking" here seemed irrelevant - everyone involved clearly liked each other from the jump, so it wasn't the late-in-the-plot discovery we readers sometimes want!

I will also say that the pickleball theme may have been a little bit too on the nose at times - I wholeheartedly appreciate that we stuck to the theme for the book (not just a slimly fleshed out backstory, it's ALL in) but I was not loving all of the references when they popped up in the book's moments of intimacy and relationship discussions!

Thank you NetGalley, Forever Publishing, and Kate Spencer. For this advance copy, I enjoyed this grumpy sunshine romance. Especially the mixture of the retirement home and country club feel this was my first pickleball romance. I feel I learned a lot about pickleball. I really enjoyed the characters Bex and Nikko the fake dating was great and I enjoyed their banter and smoking sexy scenes! I enjoyed the side characters as well. The villains made sense felt the third-act breakup was kind of silly the ending was kind of out of nowhere all that build-up just to end .

In an attempt to save her family's struggling racquet club, Bex partners with former tennis player Niko in a high-stakes pickleball tournament.

This was a fun sports romance and you don't need a lot of pickleball knowledge to enjoy it. Bex and Niko start off with a rocky introduction, but I enjoyed their chemistry and tension as they evolve from frenemies to fake dating. There is a great found family element too!

It's a light summer read with fun banter -- I'd recommend picking it up!

All’s Fair in Love and Pickleball is an easy breezy sports romance, perfect for summertime. In hopes of saving her mother’s beloved racquet club, Bex Martin teams up with cocky tennis pro Niko Karras to enter a Pickleball tournament. The grand prize would be life changing for Bex, but she’ll have to teach Niko the ropes of the sport all while fighting her insane attraction to the man she thought she loathed.

I didn’t know much about Pickleball going into this book but I loved how it was shown in contrast to tennis. Bex and Niko had some delightful chemistry and their back and forth banter was a lot of fun. Who knew Pickleball dirty talk could work so well?! I did feel like they went from 0 to 100 really quickly though, and I wish there had been a few more scenes to build up their tension.

The cast of side characters and the racquet club setting were so adorable! Niko’s Aunt Loretta and her friend Deb both sparkled with personality and stole the scenes they were in. Bex’s connection with them was wonderfully portrayed and the way they rallied around her at the end made me emotional.

There were a few moments that took me out of the story, particularly one decision Bex makes towards the end the made me want to pull my hair out. Also, I wish we’d seen more on page Pickleball playing, but all in all this was a light and fun read. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a cute summer romance with a side of sporty spice.

Thank you Forever and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Kate Spencer does it again. Always with the great meet cutes, witty banter, well-developed characters, and hysterical side characters. This book was charming and I couldn't put it down!

Thank you to NetGalley and to Forever for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was a rather cute and swoony rom-com. There were parts that were hilarious, and others that were tender and more emotional - both of which draw you into the story and make you really enjoy the story. I loved how it centered around pickleball and really enjoyed how that all played out.

This would be a perfect read for the summer and you're needing a lighter palate cleanser - or if you're needing a light book after a heavy dose of fantasy and you feel yourself on that slide into a slump - this one is enough to keep you rolling!

If you truly don't like third act nonsense, you might want to skip this one though!

I've never played pickleball, but maybe now I want to? Loved this enemies to (fake dating) friends to lovers duo and their passion for pickleball and tennis. Kate Spencer will definitely be an auto read author for me.

Bex loves pickleball and the club she runs, Nick is a tennis player who needs somewhere to practice. As they spend time together will these enemies become more than friends. Some fab side characters too.

Bex Martin is a pickleball loving free spirit who is fighting to save her late mother’s racquet club, which is falling apart and in need of some expensive repairs. Nikolaus "Niko" Karras, a former tennis pro with an abrasive personality, starts training at Bex's club after his aunt lands herself in the hospital. The two create fireworks (on and off the courts) thanks to a reporter who is after a story from Niko. The pair concoct a story to benefit them both by entering a doubles pickleball tournament as a pretend couple to win the cash prize for Bex and to save face for Niko.

3.5 stars

Pickleball enthusiasts will appreciate all the fun nods to the sport woven throughout this summery romance. Bex captures the spirit of pickleball perfectly—it's social, playful, and filled with lighthearted energy—especially when contrasted with the more structured, serious vibe of tennis (at least as it’s portrayed here). She’s bright, bubbly, and full of heart, making her the perfect foil to Niko, a sharp-edged former tennis star with something to prove. Their banter-fueled rivalry kicks off a classic enemies-to-lovers arc.

Bex’s fierce commitment to saving her late mother’s racquet club and honoring her “found family” of senior club members adds emotional depth. Meanwhile, Niko’s desire to reclaim the tennis career he lost too soon feels relatable and grounds his character beyond the typical brooding love interest.

While this wouldn’t top my list of must-read romances, it’s an easy, spicy, and entertaining story that’s perfect for a summer afternoon. Think of it as a literary popsicle—sweet, a little silly, and satisfying without weighing you down. If you’re looking for a low-stakes rom-com with a unique sports twist, this book serves it up with style.

Thank you to Forever and Hachette Audio for both the ARC and ALC versions of this book in exchange for an honest review! I enjoyed the audiobook version more than reading the physical e-copy as the narrator brought more life into the character banter.

I had high hopes for this one and it started off strong! But then the characters just got really annoying and immature. I Dnf at 30%

This book hooked me from the beginning and it was a light, fun, summer read. Perfect for people who love pickleball, as it is so fun to hear all the references, but even if you have never played you will enjoy this book. A little enemies to lovers, fake dating situation. I loved both characters in their own way. The MMC was a grumpy but do-absolutely-anything-for-her type, and she was a quirky, creative, free spirited FMC. I loved all of the silly side characters too. Overall, a great read to add to your Summer TBR!

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and it was a cute sport romance. And yes I consider pickleball a sport! Bex and Niko have a lot of chemistry and their banter was fun to read. We get to see them both evolve. Bex has she grieves the loss of her mother, the possible loss of their pickleball business and finding her path forward. Niko we see heal physically and mentally from a bad tennis match. The side characters are fabulous and a huge part of what made this book so fun.

But there were a couple large plot points that weren’t fleshed out and just created disappointment. The first is, I really wish we got more pickleball though! We get a couple terms thrown in here and there and statements about how they played a game but that’s about it. We don’t even get writing about the tournament we have spent the entire book building towards. The second is we spend a significant amount of time hearing about Bex’s fashion and making of her own clothes including a t-shirt for pickleball. This to me alluded to that she was going to manage her courts and also create and sell pickleball outfits and slogan t shirts. But nope just the one and nothing else. These instances could have been taken out of the story to add more or even create an actual ending which was rather abrupt. I definitely felt like I was missing part of the book it ended so quickly.

Overall I’d probably try this author again but go in with less expectations. Maybe this book wasn’t for me as someone who wants lots of sports in their sports romance, maybe I’m just being too picky but if you like pickleball and want a cute summer read this is it!