Backhanded Compliments by Katie Chandler was a fun light read. This is a new author to me and she had a very great writing style with very minimal errors. The pages flowed very well and you weren’t left wondering what was going on. I don’t normally read lesbian books however I figured I’d take a chance and was surprised that it was interesting. I rated this book three stars not because the author didn’t have a great book but because this subject matter didn’t interest me or allowed me to relate to the content. Overall, for anyone who likes same couple romance this is a great book! Thanks #netgalley for allowing me to leave an honest review.

first; & always, a thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 💕

As a previous tennis player and LGBT community member I wanted to love this so much more then I did. The tennis was so heavy at times, I found myself skimming all the tennis talk, & I’m instantly turned off when my characters are instantly in love. Not only was insta lust in play at times here, but while I understood going into this books soulmates was a trope, besides tennis and “soulmarks” why were they in love? Also are soul marks a real thing, serious question I have now?

I loved this. The tension and chemistry between the women was so good and I loved watching their relationship grow. I love sports romances and this was such a good one

I liked this. The setting was beautiful and different than Im used to. However, I dont think that the soulmate magical realism was necessary and kind of felt a bit like a copout. Plus, Luca and Juliette felt a little childish at times for 24+ year olds.

i enjoyed the first half of this more than the rest of it. even though i liked luca, i feel like she lacked a lot of depth. on the other hand, juliette was very immature and it was incredibly annoying.

i hated juliette and luca's break up and everything that happened after. it was like the author suddenly realized this book needed to have a conflict and just pulled it out. and the "resolution" was done very quickly. i saw another reviewer say it was like she was just checking off a list of things to write and i couldnt agree more.

Thank you Atria Books via NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

I really enjoyed my time in the world of tennis with Luca and Juliette. I haven’t read a romance in a while so it was definitely a nice reintroduction to the genre. I honestly could have gone without the soulmark because it didn’t pop up a whole lot so I would be more engrossed in the tennis, but I appreciate that the author credited the fan fiction community in her acknowledgements. I’ll never be upset about seeing queer joy, so overall it was a quick and wonderful read.

This book follows two tennis rivals who discover their soulmates. I liked this cute sapphic romance! I’m not usually a sports romance person, but this one was well done. I rated this book 3.5 stars. Positives, it was sapphic representation. It was a cute easy binge read. Negatives, it wasn’t the most sophisticated piece of literature. There wasn’t much of a deeper meaning and it was very surface level. This is a good book to read if you’re looking for something to binge or want something sapphic, but don’t expect this to be your new favorite book or anything.

I was lucky enough to receive this book as an ARC and I thank Netgalley and the publisher for this opportunity!

Tennis? Sapphic? Rivals to lovers? SOULMATES TROPE?

Backhanded Compliments had everything I wanted in a contemporary romance. Juliette Ricci and Luca Kacic are tennis rivals, and unfortunately for them, soulmates. I adored Luca, especially her struggles with anxiety. Her and Juliette were everything, and I really enjoyed the tennis and competitivity aspects of the novel.

However, there was a pacing problem in this book. Even with the soulmate aspect of this book, I felt like Juliette and Luca got together too quickly. It could have used a bit more buildup to their relationship. There were also a couple of plot points that were dropped, especially with some of Juliette's sisters. However, I thought these were more minor issues, and the other aspects of the book shone past that.

Overall, Backhanded Compliments was a wonderful read, and I would highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the ARC.

Backhanded Compliments is the story of two professional tennis players who are also destined to be soulmates. This book really dives into the pro tennis circuit and there are many scenes in multiple well-known tournaments. The two main characters are rivals on the court and in the press. Both are perplexed by their soulmarks that seem to identify each other as their soulmate. The soulmark concept has been popularized in fanfic, but the idea seemed out of place in this sports romance.

Luca and Juliette are competitors on the tennis court and both are ambitious and focused on success. Their dedication and work ethic were inspiring to read about, and a tennis lover would really enjoy the details of professional tennis that the author weaves in to the story. The love story didn't completely make sense to me. I found Juliette to be particularly antagonistic, almost cruel, to Luca. Their relationship evolves as they work more closely together as teammates, but I didn't really see their connection as one of soulmates. I love sapphic romance, and Luca and Juliette had great chemistry, and found their happy ever after in the end.

This book is a fast-paced sports sapphic romance set in the world of professional tennis. While it wasn't a good fit for me, It would be a perfect read for someone who is interested in romance and tennis.

Thank you to Katie Chandler, Atria Books, and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

I love tennis romance which is a recent development but this one is no exception. I loved their love. I will def read more from katie chandler

Katie Chandler's <i>Backhanded Compliments</i> is a sapphic enemies-to-lovers, soulmates!au tennis romance. The novel follows Juliette and Luca through the tennis season and on their journey of accepting their soulmate connection.

To me the soulmate!au is such a tentpole of fanfiction (and I've read a lot of it), but I haven't seen it much in romance novels. Maybe I"m just not looking in the right place, but it's new to me in this context! I'm definitely curious to hear how this book is received by people who don't usually read fanfiction. I'm not sure how much was explained or how much was assumed the reader would know about the trope coming into the story.

I'm totally on board with all of the tropes, but I struggled a little with the pace. I felt that everything in the third act was a little rushed and underworked. The breakup, reconciliation, and the conversation between Juliette and her father all felt like they were beats that were being checked off. I generally don't mind a third act breakup but this one did feel a little contrived.

Overall a fun read if you're a fan of any of the tropes in this book! And I can definitely see future spinoffs/sequels with more tennis players navigating their soulmate connections.

Thanks to Atria and NetGalley for the ARC!

I enjoyed reading this romantic book about two tennis players who are bound to each other. It’s a trope that I have seen a lot of in fanfiction and I think I would have actually preferred if they had not known they were soulmates. However, I did enjoy the characters and the “will they/won’t they” aspect. Lighthearted romantic story that fans of Carrie Soto is Back and Challengers will enjoy.

Chandler’s debut novel started out as an engaging read, though the storyline leaned heavily on a trope that is used too frequently. The protagonists, Juliette and Luca, had great chemistry as rivals. However, as the plot developed and the supernatural twist was revealed (which felt akin to the film In Time, but only with respect to the tattoos), both lost their appeal. Luca seemed to lack depth, despite the fact that she was supposed to be the more emotional and sensitive one. Juliette was insufferable at times and I did not believe the growth she underwent in order to find her way back to Luca. The supporting characters were forgettable and their interactions with Juliette and Luca did nothing to save the characterization flaws. The conflict between Juliette and Luca seemed forced towards the middle and end too, as Luca put in more effort into their relationship than Juliette did. By the end of the novel, unfortunately, my eyes reverted to skimming the pages, so I could finish it faster.

Please note that while I found fault with most elements of the novel, it overall was not an unpleasant read— just very dull. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria, as I was invited to read this novel after receiving an e-mail from Atria Books.

I really wanted to like this because sapphic rivals to lovers tennis romance?? Hello, cue the drama. But it kinda missed the mark for me.

Juliette and Luca are professional tennis players and rivals on the court. After a particularly intense match at the Australian Open, they learn their soulmates and the stories follows them through the tennis circuit as they navigate this information.

I felt like Juliette was a bit immature and selfish at times. And that was the main driver for their conflict. Which didn’t make for a very satisfying resolution. Like why now? What changed her mind? Were thoughts that went through my head.

Luca in the other hand, I really liked. She felt like a relatable character navigating life with similar struggles (despite being a professional athlete). I do wish we explored her background a tad bit more but that’s probably because I liked her so much.

The writing style also took a bit of getting used to. The dual POV in third person was surprisingly tough for me and took me out of the story a lot. Also at the beginning the inconsistent use of names for different characters confused me because there were many characters. It also took away the chef’s kiss moment when we go from referencing someone solely by their last name to their first name (iykyk).

That being said I enjoyed the side characters a lot. Especially the sisters but because there were so many some of their stories felt underdeveloped.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I desperately wanted to love this book. Speculative fiction meets sports romance? Sign me up! Especially with the twist being soulmates? It’s a recipe that should be too good to fail. Unfortunately I didn’t love it.
Too much of the technical side of tennis, too little soul magic. The pacing seemed off, and I was more interested in the side characters and their relationships with everyone else than I was with Jules and Luca’s relationship.
You might like this if you love tennis and the technical side of sports, with a dash of character development.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to ARC read in exchange for an honest review!

First and foremost, I have a deep appreciation for tennis-themed sports romances, especially after watching the movie The Challengers a few weeks ago. There's something inherently captivating about the blend of the sport and romance. Especially when sapphic!!

I particularly like the title of the book, and the concept of soulmates marked by fate in this world feels refreshingly unique. Right off the bat, I was drawn into the story, and was completely engrossed for the first 60% of the novel.

There were so many tropes/microtropes I loved to read that were in this novel: competing against each other, forced proximity, massaging each other, support when feeling unwell, offering food/drink that you think your partner would like, and more!

However, I can’t quite identify why, but I found the section between 60-75% somewhat difficult to push through. It might have been due to a sense of repetition, but honestly not sure.

Thankfully, the latter portion of the book reeled me back in and left me feeling deeply satisfied with the resolution.

The spice throughout the narrative was beautifully written, adding an extra layer of depth to the story. I very much enjoyed each scene!

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the plot and the remarkable character development. I found myself empathizing with both perspectives, wanting to support both FMCs. The story was emotional and uplifting, and as someone with limited knowledge of tennis, I felt completely able to follow along.

🎾Backhanded Compliments by Katie Chandler☀️

✨Out June 10, 2025✨(Right between Rolland Garros& Wimbledon!)

This book was such a sweaty sexy, romp. Rivals-to-lovers with a speculative twist & a pro-circuit backdrop? Sign me up immediately. The story Dana Fairbanks deserved.

I’ll devour anything even remotely tennis adjacent and thought this book struck the perfect balance between the on-court drama and off-court romance.

I loved the full cast of characters and found them all fully fleshed out and relatable. Prickly, competitive Juliette and sweet, anxious Luca were the perfect opposites attract and I understand how & why they got under each other’s skins and were ultimately what the other needed.

I also LOVED all the Ricci sisters and would happily follow their stories as well (Livia, please?!?) 👀

The settings were all beautifully described & made me want to catch the first plane to Naples (or at least to take a tennis lesson).

This is a perfect read for the summer so definitely keep it on your radar!!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria for awarding me this arc!

I really enjoyed this! I love unlikeable main characters so even thought Juliette had her moments of annoying me, I understood her choices. Luca was perfect in every way. The only thing missing for me was groveling. The amount of times Juliette hurt Luca was honestly a bit much and I wished she did more to earn Luca’s forgiveness. But other than that I loved! Amazing rivals to lovers and fated mates trope portrayal for me.

Absolutely electric love story filled with jealousy to lust, impassiveness to passion, indifference to adoration. Chandler writes very well-rounded characters, inward and outward, flaws and all. You're sucked into these character's worlds instantly: navigating the professional tennis sphere and visible soulmate marks with the world watching. I loved the way one fell first but the other fell harder. And though these falls had their bruises and cuts, it didn't stop them from falling anyway. The erotic scenes were truly inspired and felt a step above most sapphic smut I've read. You can tell a lot of care was put into it and it made it all the more sexier! A lot of the lines I highlighted showcased the rich language of love Chandler writes. Absolutely stunning depictions of sexuality and devotion.

A critique I have is sometimes the story answers the question before the reader can think of asking one. There were a few moments that were a little too spelled out and left the reader taking a backseat. I would have loved to ponder and revel in the character's thoughts and actions a little more before being told what to think. I also think the side character plots like the best friend and the youngest sister felt a little unnecessary seeing as we didn't have a lot of time for it or concrete details about it.

But overall, this electric debut is a winner and makes me so excited to see what Chandler writes in the future. She understands queer love and mental illness so well, it made the characters and their story very accessible and relatable.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria for the ARC!

I genuinely think I would have enjoyed this book more if the "soul marks" part of the story didn't exist and it was just an enemies to lovers novel. I think that you could tell Luca always had feelings for Juliet, but reading from Juliet's POV would be night and day. She had a borderline obsession with Luca which could have worked to easily switch into the lovers portion of the romance, but the supporting characters always negated Juliet's point from the start so it kind of defeated the purpose. While I think the title was very clever, I don't think it had relation to the novel. It was a clever tennis pun related to enemies to lovers, but there was literally no part in the book that included backhanded compliments. I also thought the ending of the book was dragged out. I really wanted Juliet to stand in Luca's box during her match with Octavia and was disappointed when she didn't. I also thought that last match between Luca and Juliet was dragged out. It felt like time in between their reunion and last match was so long. I think this novel could've been better if it was a little more to the point.