This is so much better than the first book. The plot was so much stronger and there weren’t so many plot holes. There’s still not as much focus on tennis as I would like butttt it probably satisfies the general public. The technical writing during the matches could use improvement. This is no Carrie Soto, but I still enjoyed it.

I love Oliver. I wish we learned more about his family. His parents are mentioned but we don’t understand his relationship with them. I like Dylan as a main character, too. We don’t embrace aggressive women enough in society and instead villainize them. Reminds me of society’s treatment of the William sisters.

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the ARC.

Dylan Bailey is a beast on the tennis court. She is aggressive, athletic, takes no prisoners and doesn’t make friends. Until she gets to a final. Dylan holds the professional record for the most Grand Slam finals without a win. When she hits that final, she chokes every time.

When she meets Oliver Anderson, men’s professional player, at a party after one of her finals losses, the two become friends. What starts as a texting friendship, sharing tennis tips and observations, soon turns into a deep friendship like Dylan has never known.

When Oliver decides to retire and coach, he knows he wants his first player to be Dylan, whom he’s watched for years and feels like he can help with her mental game. But can they keep their coaching relationship professional when their feelings for each other are turning into anything but? And can Dylan overcome her finals block and finally reach the goal she’s worked towards her entire life.

I, for the most part, really enjoyed this book. I really liked their dynamics and the way that Oliver could really see Dylan to give her what she needed to be successful. There were two kind of big issues that they never discussed on page which felt like a missed opportunity (his panic attacks and the fact that neither want to have kids). I think we are to assume that they discussed them at some point but they were kind of big plot points that were left unresolved. And there is a lot of tennis in this book so if you don’t want to read about scores and matches and serves and hits (and lots of other details that I didn’t understand) this might not be the book for you. But if you enjoy tennis, there is a lot of tension around her career.

This is a professional tennis sports romance. It contains the following elements:
- friends to lovers
- black cat/golden retriever
- texts and articles on page
- open door (2/5 🌶️)

I received this advanced readers copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It is being released on Aug 5, 2025.

Game Point by Meg Jones was a delightful addition to the Game, Set, and Match series. Meg seriously outdid herself with this book. The chemistry and tension between the two main characters was amazing. The banter alone was addicting. I ate up every single word of this book. Friends to lovers is one of my favorite troops because you really get to see how the relationship progresses. This book was adorable and such a fun read, I highly recommend it.

Game Point is a solid follow-up to Clean Point, offering a fun and easy read that doesn’t ask too much of the reader. Dylan, who felt inexplicably awful in the first book—despite seemingly having no real reason to be such a menace—gets a bit of a redemption arc here. While her “villain origin story” still doesn’t quite add up, she becomes surprisingly likable as the story progresses. Oliver, the MMC, is sweet and supportive if a bit vanilla. Still, their dynamic works well enough to carry the book. If you’re in the mood for a quick, low-stakes romance to unwind with, Game Point is a nice little palate cleanser.

Oliver and Dylan 4 Eva!!
Meg jones does it again with another spicy heartfelt tennis romance. This was like a long soak in a hot bath after a rough day. The chemistry between these two is amazing and their story just unfolds with ease. I was crying and cheering throughout the book!

Can’t wait to see who’s book is next!!

Tennis pro Dylan Bailey has been through four coaches this year. She’s playing well, but chokes at the final for each competition. Out of desperation, she has two choices: retire or work with new coach, Oliver Anderson. She chooses option two and learns all kinds of lessons about winning.

ARC REVIEW!!!!

I lovedddd this book it absolutely lived up to my expectations the grumpy fmc trope will always get me it is unmatched!! I also really love a redemption arc and this book showcased it so well Dylan changed so much for the better but also still staying to her true self it was refreshing to see. Oliver was also so amazing the way he believed in Dylan from the start was so adorable he never gave up he was the perfect man for her. I absolutely recommend this book and this series it’s phenomenal!!

I recently became interested in Tennis and knew it was time to pick up a tennis romance.

Dylan is an excellent professional tennis player that keeps making it to the finals but cannot win the last match. Her passion for the game is palpable, as is her temper. She formally meets fellow tennis player, Oliver, at a party after the US Open and the pair become friends. Told through dual pov and snippets of text and news reports, the two bond over time zones and their love for the sport.

I've found sports-focused books with a sports psychology spin interesting ever since learning about the yips in Evie Drake Starts Over. This a continuation of the fascination of mine- what makes someone at the top of their game lose the ability to do it well?

There were a couple parts I cringed at, especially Oliver calling Dylan "brat." Something about it as a sexy nickname just didn't hit for me.

Overall, a lovely tennis romance where the MMC is the FMC's biggest cheerleader!

I really loved the first book in this series and was thrilled to get to read #2! While at first I was surprised to see Dylan was the FMC after her behavior in the first, I started rooting for her quickly. I can appreciate a slightly flawed MC. The tennis was fun to watch but mostly I was in it for the love story — I like how Jones focuses on supportive partnerships between the main characters and gives a good example of what a good partnership looks like (plus - no 3rd act breakup).

4 stars

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I adore a sports romance with a friends to lovers trope!

Dylan and Oliver are both successful professional tennis players. Dylan is known for consistently making it to the finals, but never pulling off the win. Oliver decides to take a step back from his career and coach Dylan. These two make a great pair. The author does a great job builidng the tension between these two. It is a definitely a slow burn. I love that the book was not only a romance, but also addresses Dylan's mental health struggles. It was a great read!

Thank you Avon, Harper Voyager and Net Galley for this ARC!

Fun, quick and easy read. Pretty predictable but sometimes you need a book like this. Main characters were interesting enough and I enjoyed the alternating perspectives. The songs at the start of each chapter were also great choices.

Meg Jones' Game Point serves up a compelling mix of sports, romance, and personal growth. The story follows Dylan, a talented but frustrated tennis player chasing her first Grand Slam title, and Oliver, a former champion seeking renewed purpose. Their dynamic evolves from friends to coach-player, and eventually, something deeper, as they navigate the pressures of professional tennis and their own insecurities. Jones captures the intensity of the sport and the emotional stakes with sharp, engaging prose. While some may wish the coach-player dynamic kicked in earlier, the payoff is worth the wait.

thanks netgalley for the arc!! this tennis romance was very cuttteeee - i loved the couple together and loved oliver! he's such a golden retriever boy. dylan was a little too nice compared to how snarky she was in the previous book but growth i guess? i really enjoyed the friendship they built together as the base of their relationship as well as the trust/safety they felt in each other. and ofccccc the one bed trope!!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an ARC!

Dylan is a fierce tennis competitor who has earned the title of always the bridesmaid never the bride for a pattern of getting into finals but never pulling out the win. Oliver is a tennis competitor who is losing his spark with play competitively.

A chance meeting between Dylan and Oliver is the start of a friendship to a coaching relationship to maybe more...

The growth that Dylan goes through in this book was amazing and the dynamic between Oliver and Dylan kept me reading. Both Dylan and Oliver's characters explored what it meant to be competitive athletes finding their identities outside their sports and grappling with both the mental and physical challenges that come with that journey.

This is perfect for fans of Carrie Soto is Back but looking for more romance to go along with the tennis growth storyline!

I was pleasantly surprised by this book!

Dylan is a top tennis playing and is struggling on the court. She makes it to the finals of the grand slams but just can’t clinch that 1st place trophy. Going through multiple coaches and strategies she is just about to throw in the towel.

Along comes Oliver. Another top performing tennis star struggling in the romance department. Golden retriever energy and just not found the one.

The tension is strrronnng. 🔥 Friends to lovers? 👌👌 The banter? LOL funny! 🤣 Love the character development! I found myself rooting for the characters. I truly felt connected to them and their struggles! The playlist was also perfection! The news articles added a new depth to the story!

Final verdict: Definitely worth the read!! 4 ⭐️

3.75⭐️! I really enjoyed this book! I don’t think I’ve read a tennis romance before and it was a lot of fun. I initially struggled to connect with Dylan our FMC, but she grew on me throughout the book and I liked watching her grow into a stronger player with more confidence in herself. I liked Oliver a lot as our MMC and liked that he found a different path to take. I liked the authors writing style and I’m going to be watching for any future books from her.

My first dip into tennis romance was Clean Point so I could read about Twilight obsessed Oliver Anderson and I was not disappointed! I loved Dylan and Oliver’s journey and their chemistry was off the charts. I hope Ines’ story is up next🎾🎾🎾🎾

Despite knowing little about tennis, I found this book surprisingly accessible—the author does a great job breaking it down without overwhelming the reader. The story blends sports romance with forced proximity, as the leads are unexpectedly thrown together as roommates. Add in a coach x player dynamic and the tension of forbidden romance, and the stakes feel high from the start.

The black cat x golden retriever dynamic between the main characters is a highlight. Their banter and chemistry are electric, and the classic “he fell harder” trope is in full effect. However, the FMC anger issues were frustrating at times, making it hard to root for her in certain moments. Meanwhile, the MMC was likable for most of the book—until the last few chapters, where his actions became equally frustrating.

While the characters tested my patience, the romance itself was engaging, and the tension kept me turning the pages (even if it meant staying up way too late). If you enjoy slow-burn tension, forced proximity, and high-stakes romance, this one is worth the read—just be prepared for some character-induced frustration along the way!

Thank you to NetGalley and Meg Jones for the eARC of this book.

I love tennis, I love romance, so a tennis romance should be a no brainer, but it's a little hard to enjoy something that gets an integral part of tennis wrong on the very first page. Unless it was an error in the ARC, the book opens to Dylan describing her bouncing a tennis ball on the "grass surface;" - Arthur Ashe Stadium is an DecoTurf stadium, which actually isn't fake grass, it's resin, silica and rubber on top of concrete, which makes the US Open a hard court open.

Having moved on from that small but significant detail, I tried to get into this book so many times but persevering was a challenge. Part of that was definitely on me; books where the "bitchy" character gets his/her own book and redemption arc really need to be read in context, and this was my first book by Jones, so there was a lot of back story missing. Like another reviewer mentioned, the story only really kicks in about 60% of the way through, which means if this wasn't an ARC, I'd have DNF'd ages ago. But also....there's a lot of fluff in this that needed a heavier hand in editing. There really wasn't much "enemies" in this enemies to lovers romance either, which was a disappointment.

Overall, I expected more and the premise didn't deliver. I'm still keen to maybe check out the earlier titles in this series, but it'll probably be from the library.

4 stars!!
I love sports romance, and I LOVE a tennis romance, Meg Jones knows exactly what she is doing.

Dylan Bailey is a professional tennis player looking for her first grand slam. She is determined but also stubborn and can get in her own head. She is feared on the court and a force to be reckoned with until she gets to the finals .She meets Oliver, a recently divorced professional tennis player looking at what is next for him outside the court, and love is not it. Dylan and Oliver become best friends, both ignoring the growing feelings. After a couple of major setbacks, Dylan decides to quit tennis, and Oliver decides what he wants to do with his free time, coach Dylan. Oliver's confidence in Dylan is what helps her to reach her goals and so much more. I loved the vulnerability and respect between these two characters. Dylan grows so much in this book, and who doesn't love a villain come back story.

TROPES
-Friends to Lovers
-Coach/Player
-Slow Burn
-No Third Act Breakup
-Grumpy/ Sunshine
-Force Proximity

Thank you, Avon & Harper Voyager, for this arc!