I love tennis so I obviously had to pick up this queer romance about two stars on the WTA tour who go from rivals to lovers over the course of a season! This was also a reminder I need to stop choosing books without reading the synopsis because it had a ✨magical✨ element in which people’s soulmate’s name appears on their wrist like a tattoo so these two are also fated mates (lol) and they know it! Personally I could have done without that but it was interesting and you might like it! You can pick it up and read it just in time for the U.S. Open!

Not a Tennis girlie? No problem, me neither. One of my biggest concerns walking into this book was how the sports ball of it all would color my reading experience. My frame of reference for tennis was literally one match that I watched during release week for this book with the author and some of our other writer friends. Which is to say, basically none. But right from the first match I felt like Katie did a great job of explaining what *needed* to be explained to those of use who were clueless while also not holding the hands of people who knew the sport. I never felt lost or confused about anything, and in the end, knowing the emotional impact the match was having on the characters was more important that the actual moves of the match.

For the first third(ish) of this book I am the #1 member of the "OMG I hate Jules why is she so mean and oblivious all the time" fan club. Seriously. A lot of my annotations were me just writing "DUH!" during Jules' POV chapters. But as always, the point of a story is for a character to learn, grow, and change. And I really think Jules does the lions share of emotional growth during this book. She's not the only one by far, but she definitely had the biggest walls to climb. And she did the damn thing.

Luca is that stereotypical cold fish, no feelings, perfect princess LUCKY LUCA right from the start but that's just on the outside. Luca has some of the *biggest* feelings of anyone and she's worked really hard to not let any of that show. Probably due to the fact that she's lived with panic attacks for ages and if she let's people see an inch, she's afraid they'll see all of her. There are parts of Luca that just feel so isolated. When we start to see her mingle with other characters, it's a real struggle for her, almost as if she's forgotten how to human.

Their romance? Could two people be better made for each other than these two? Two opposites who bring out the best of each other, who challenge each other to be better, who smooth over the darker parts of each other when shit gets real. Their romance is a whirlwind through the book. I laughed. I cried. I wanted to punch Jules in the face. Probably (definitely) more than once.

I appreciate that Katie was able to make the girl's spicy time be just as much about the emotional impact it had on the characters and the reader as it was just a fun time. Sometimes in romance the spicy scenes can feel like they're there because it's expected. I felt like the moments here felt like they were well deserved for the reader. Not "well deserved" for the characters because that's a whole other can of worms we're not opening in a review.

Some of our side characters here really stole the stage *ahem* page. While the Ricci sisters were a definite highlight and I do want to see more of them in the future, my favorite character was Luca's coach. Vladimir really felt like this grounding presence throughout the entirety of the novel. He brought levity and heart to every scene he was in. You could tell that he really cared about Luca and while he was her coach and he wanted her to win, it was more important to him that she was having fun and she loved what she did and that no matter what she could be proud of her game.

One of Vladimir's lines that really hit me was "Everyone loses, Luca. It's part of the sport. It doesn't take away from all that you have accomplished." I wonder how many more kids would stay in sports and love actually being there if more adults had this approach rather than the constant WIN WIN WIN attitude.

Overall, was this a Jess book? No. Not really. Did I find things about it to enjoy and love and cry over. Absolutely.

This book was quite the romp. I was so satisfied at the end and loved that I didn't have to be upset at the characters for not communicating well but rather appreciate their individual journeys lead them back to each other. I was slightly thrown off at the beginning about the fated soulmate trope in a contemporary romance, but came around to it in the end. Overall, a solid sports romance that left me wanting to learn to play tennis to find the love of my life.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

Fun debut alert!

I love the idea of soul marks. Having a clue about who the right person is for you. These soulmates are reluctant to connect as they are tennis rivals. I love that they did not immediately succumb to each other despite being each other’s soulmates. It allowed for the tension to grow. The want and desire between the two fmcs was insane.

I think it would have been interesting to explore the soulmate dynamic further.

This book was everything at various moments - sometimes it was tender, spicy, sweet. Sometimes the fmcs growing emotional connection was the main component, sometimes it was focusing on tennis.

Tropes:
- rivals to lovers
- sports romance 🎾
- soulmates
- sapphic romance
- anxiety rep

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of Backhanded Compliments in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately I was unable to read it before the archive date. I look forward to finding this book at my local library or independent bookstore!

This was just... not for me. I love queer sports romance, and I was really looking forward to reading one set in the tennis world for the first time. But then I realized there was a fantasy element here, and it really threw me for a loop.

Listen - I've been reading fanfiction since I was 12 years old. And yes, soulmate tattoos is a really fun trope. But every time I see something from fanfiction make it into traditionally published books, it freaks me out. Some things belong on Ao3 and should stay there.

My other main complaint was that there was simply way too much tennis. We got a lot of seriously in depth scenes of tennis matches, and it was definitely overkill. We don't read sports romance for the sports.

This was a miss for me. I think I first fell off the bandwagon with the magical realism and soulmates' names imprinted on wrists.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This story follows tennis rivals who realize they’re soulmates. They literally need each other and are forced to recognize that.

I honestly did not care for this book. I almost DNF’d it because i didn’t connect with the characters and the storyline was eh.

This is the story of FMC’s Luca and Juliette. I was expecting a FF sports (tennis) romance and what I got was a sports romance/fated mates mash-up. That was unexpected, as was the third person POV. Overall this book was fine. There was rivals to lovers, some good push and pull, and character growth.

Thank you so much @netgalley for this ARC! I love tennis, so this was a super fun book to read. I really enjoyed the sports elements and the competition between Luca and Juliette. The tennis elements of this book definitely stood out, and I really enjoyed all the different tournaments and the team competition! This was a “soul mark” story, which I had never heard of before, and I don’t really think it’s my vibe. I prefer stories where the characters’ chemistry and connection develops more organically, and not because they are predetermined soulmates. Sometimes I felt like the only thing my characters had in common were their soul marks for each other. There were also a lot of mean girls vibes in the book, particularly with Juliette, which I can understand to an extent with any competitive sport, but there wasn’t really much to redeem the characters. I wish there was a little bit more development in the rivals to lovers side of things rather than just falling for each other because they were soulmates.

This was such a sweet, tender romance with a great balance between emotional connection and sexual tension. I enjoyed the high stakes, the angst of the characters being in direct competition, and the way their relationship develops on and off the court. The pacing was slightly off in places, and I found myself wanting to skim over parts, but overall, it was an enjoyable read and one I would recommend to those who enjoy sapphic love stories, sports romance, and stories about soulmates.

This was definitely different than other romances I’ve read. However, I thought I was going to like the soulmate mark plot line more than I did, I found it didn’t really add much to the story for me. Unfortunately I didn’t connect to the characters and found myself losing interest at times. I would still say still give it a chance if sapphic, rivals to lovers, sport romances with a touch of magic realism sounds like something you’d be interested in.

In Backhanded Compliments, Katie Chandler delivers a sapphic rivals-to-lovers sports romance steeped in both high-stakes tennis and magical realism, where the tension between ambition and attraction is as electric as the match points. Juliette has trained relentlessly under the watchful eye of her father-coach, laser-focused on winning the Australian Open. When her opponent turns out to be Luca Kacic—whose relax-your-curse-of-perfection vibe and unorthodox playing style both infuriate and intrigue her—tense press conferences and icy rallies give way to an unexpected twist: when they finally shake hands, Juliette sees Luca’s name appear on her wrist, signaling she’s just met her soulmate. This revelation, however, feels more like a cosmic prank than a romantic gift, especially given Juliette’s resolve never to fall in love. Meanwhile, Luca wrestles with anxiety and self-doubt, making every simmering glance and shared limoncello-fueled moment feel charged with electric uncertainty. Chandler crafts vivid tennis sequences that make you feel the weight of every serve and volley, grounding the speculative soulmate twist in a world where titles and love are both up for grabs. Though some readers may crave deeper exploration of the soulmate concept, and the emotional pacing occasionally dips under the weight of back-and-forth tension, the chemistry—especially through dual POV chapters—remains compelling. Ultimately, Backhanded Compliments is a fun, steamy, imperfectly perfect debut, full of grit, grace, and game-winning spark.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

What a fun sapphic tennis romance! Tbh I was weary about the fantastical soulmates trope, but I thought it was used really effectively in the story. It didn’t pull the story out of the contemporary, but instead was utilized to heighten the stakes of the plot. I think that is a really hard thing to do, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked that aspect of the book!

I wish we had a bit more rivals-who-are-kissing energy at the start of the book, but that’s just me! What there is plenty of in this book is sensual massages, lol. Whenever our two MCs were in a room together trying not to give into ✨feelings✨ I would joke to myself that they were just going to massage each other again (for tennis muscles of course!) and then that happened. lol. Though, that said there was a nice build up because of all the message scenes.

If you’re a vibe or seasonal reader like me, this is a great book for summer! It travels from spot to spot following tennis tournaments, so if you’re on some sort of vacation visiting different locations, this book might be a good companion.

*thank you to atria and netgalley for the digital arc!!*

i really wanted to enjoy this novel. challengers the movie changed me as a person and i was very much ready to get that same intensity in a tennis romance with a soulmate plot but i didnt. to start, i usually dont mind an unlikable mc, but in a romantic setting, where we’re rooting for both people and their relationship, juliette was so unlikable to me. i wanted to give her grace, and i also acknowledge her growth towards the end but i just genuinely think she wasnt very well written and didn’t deserve luca’s love or patience.
i really wanted to like the soulmate plot line but i feel it more often harmed the plot. while there was an opportunity to have a really good idea on wanting to choose your person, not have that chosen for you, we just had a brief touch on that and “we’re soulmates” makes up for not great chemistry, bitchiness, and almost little to no getting to know each other. you obviously don’t have to know someone entirely before saying i love you but god, jules and luca need to know more about each other 😭😭 and maybe i missed that click for them, but i just genuinely felt like i didn’t see how we got from rivals to soulmates (aside from the soulmark)
also not a fan of a third act breakup when they barely even were dating yet, but hey, maybe that’s just me.
i did enjoy the anxiety portrayal throughout the novel. always wish that the poc characters weren’t just side characters. overall, cute novel idea, didn’t quite work for me

Backhanded Compliments is a witty, entertaining read that blends humor, friendship drama, and a dash of romance into a smartly written story. Katie Chandler has a knack for sharp dialogue and relatable, flawed characters, making it easy to get swept up in the social dynamics and sly humor.

The premise is fresh and fun, with moments that made me both laugh and wince in recognition. While a couple of plot turns felt a bit predictable, the charm and insight more than make up for it.

A clever, feel‑good novel that’s perfect for readers who enjoy a little sass with their storytelling.

Amazing steamy sapphic romance. The LGBTQ+ references added another layer to the story, making it both enjoyable and relevant. The characters were well-developed, and the plot kept me hooked from beginning to end. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romance with a strong, diverse cast.

One thing I will say about this beautiful book, if you don’t know tennis, you might be confused, I know I was. To me it really didn’t matter because these two little ladies had a beautiful story and I really liked it. It is so much more than a romance book and you can see how much these characters grow in so many aspects of their lives. I really did like this one!

Thank you @Atria for the gifted eARC! I was SO excited for this book - a sapphic sports romance - sounds like a book I would absolutely love. Unfortunately, I found the soulmate mark out of place and not fitting with the story. It was a an odd magical realism/fantastical element to include with a sports romance, imo. Further, the characters were hard to connect with, and I felt no chemistry between them. I had high hopes, but ultimately this fell flat for me. I will say that the actual tennis sections were incredibly entertaining and well-written!

The premise of this one sounded SO good, Sapphic, rivals to lovers, tennis romance was everything I could want in a romance book. Unfortunately it didn’t quite live up to my hopes for it.

This book has magical realism in it in the form of the soulmate trope and it didn’t feel like it added anything to the book. I didn’t find the characters overly likeable and at times they were flat out mean. I did enjoy the tennis aspect, but overall thought this wasn’t the strongest book, but it is a debut so I’m sure this author will have better books as she gains more writing experience.