I have never played Pickleball but I am familiar with it but after reading this book, it may be something i have to check out. They do have leagues at the gym I attend, so maybe I need to branch out more and see what it’s all about.

The story focuses on Brooke, a cowboy romance ghostwriter, who sets out to learn how to play pickleball to impress Kai, the guy she has a crush on. However, her plans go awry when she begins to fall for her coach, Owen.

The story was such a fun, easy read and I ate it all up! I loved the dynamic between Brooke and Owen. Owen was such a green flag and I loved him in this story.

It was a slow-burn romance, fake dating romance but filled with so much more. It was one I didn’t want to put down and read in just a couple of days. If you like a sports romance thats not just hockey or football, this is for you.

This ain’t my first rodeo, but it is my first pickleball romance book, and it could not have been better.

A quick summary: a romance author is struggling to meet deadlines because of a breakup, and when her roommate forces Brooke to play pickleball, what she thinks is her ideal man in playing in the court over. In order to hopefully see The Ideal Man again, she takes lessons from the (very) cute ex pro tennis player in a bucket hat.

Verdict: Guys, he reads romance books. He read HER books. The only thing I disliked about this book is how long it took her to realize that Owen, her coach, is the perfect man (especially for her). This was my first pickleball romance and it was just as entertaining as I’d hoped, with silly terminology and some great slow burn along with all the pickleball.

Speaking of the romance, it was such an agonizing slow burn, especially with the mostly not there other love interest option. However, the tension between Owen and Brooke was absolutely sizzling from the moment he first corrected Brooke’s paddle grip, leaving me to become sunburnt until the tension finally (FINALLY) was admitted to the world.

Now it’s time for me to go searching for my next niche sports romance.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was so much fun! Combine pickleball, fantastic chemistry, ghostwriting, great friends, and a search for a muse and you‘ve got this delightfully charming read! And that cover ! A new to me author, this releases on November 18th and I highly recommend checking it out! I will be reading more by this author 😍

🏓 Sparks on the court… and in the heart 💕📚

Title: Pick Me
Author: Victoria Schade
Format: eARC 📖
Narration Style: N/A
Tropes: Sports romance, Coach/Student, Slow Burn, Fake Dating, Friends to Lovers, He Falls First

Trophy Worthy: 🏆 (cute but didn’t quite score match point)
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶 (low heat, sweet over steamy)

Quote: “Sometimes, you don’t know what you need until it’s standing right across the net from you.”

Author Review
Victoria Schade was a new-to-me author, and she delivered a lighthearted, charming concept that blends sports, career struggles, and the magic of unexpected chemistry. Her humor and small details about pickleball made the game easy to follow for total beginners—without losing sight of the romance.

Book Review
I have never played pickleball a day in my life, but this book made me want to grab a paddle and see what the fuss is about. Pick Me follows Brooke, a romance writer who decides to learn pickleball to impress her muse… and instead finds herself falling for her patient (and secretly swoony) coach, Owen.

Owen totally stole the show for me—sweet, grounded, and supportive in the most thoughtful ways. The man had the patience of a saint and the humility of someone who could buy the whole pickleball court but still rocks baggy basketball shorts like it’s a personal brand. Brooke’s pickleball crew brought some great energy, too, and the community aspect of the sport felt warm and authentic.

That said, this was a very slow burn—so slow that at times I wanted to grab the paddle and knock some sense into these two. Brooke’s fixation on her “muse” in the beginning made me side-eye her choices, and I wished we got more about Owen earlier in the story instead of waiting so long to peel back his layers.

But overall? This is a light, fun, “grab-a-drink-and-read-on-the-patio” kind of romance. If you like sports romance with heart, a patient MMC, and just a touch of heat, Pick Me will serve you well.

Overall Thoughts
🎯 Great pickleball details for beginners
💓 Adorable, supportive MMC
⏳ Very slow burn pacing—patience required
☀️ Perfect for a breezy summer weekend read

Thank you Victoria Schade, Avon and Harper Voyage and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

“Pick Me” by Victoria Schade was a light hearted read that I couldn’t put down until I finished it. It was a cute story and I loved the Owen’s character!

A quick and fun summer read! Brooke is a ghost writer for romance books and she is fresh outta ideas after her breakup. So she decides to go out looking for a crush (a muse if you will) and on the pickleball courts she finds him. Only problem, he's REALLY into pickleball, and Brooke kinda sucks at sports. So she decides to go all in and get some lessons by the surly pickleball coach.

I loved this setup one because who doesn't love a crush to make your day easier (in class, at work, at the gym). I love a good crush to motivate me to look nice or to show up. However, I do think Brooke kinda took it too far. It was obvious to everyone (me and the side characters) that the crush guy was the worse and the pickleball coach and her had chemistry. I WISH she would've realized it sooner and didn't continue to push something that clearly wasn't working especially once she found a new crush.

For a quick and light read, I did enjoy Brooke's journey through pickleball, a sport she once started for a crush that she grew to love and that made her see herself differently.

Rating: 3.5/5
Spiciness: 1/5

Note: Thank you netgalley for this arc. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

PICK ME is a fun, fast-paced, sexy, thoroughly adorable rom-com. With loveable well-drawn characters, this twisty-turny pickleball-infused love story will keep you reading until you’ve consumed the very last page. The cast is led by Brooke, a young New York City ghost writer of Cowboy Rom-Coms fresh off a bad breakup, longing for a new muse, dreaming of a real book deal under her own name. Brooke swoons over the classically hot Kai, but finds herself falling for Owen, the enigmatic trainer who elevates her Pickleball game along with her confidence. Owen’s had his own heartbreak and has no interest in suffering through a love triangle that includes Brooke and Kai. You will fall in love with Brooke, her guy dilemma, her career conundrum, her family, her foibles and her humor. Immersive and unputdownable, and worth every minute!

Thank you to NetGalley, Victoria Shade, and Harper Collins for the early read.

I struggled to get into this. I'm not a pickleball player so that may have been part of the problem but this just didn't click for me and I found it to be a bit slow and hard to get into.

What a joy to read! From start to finish, I absolutely adored this fun, heartfelt, and emotional love story. Victoria Schade creates characters (human and canine!) you just want to curl up and spend time with. I rooted for Brooke and Owen on and off the pickleball court, and Brooke’s individual journey of growth and perseverance was a treat to watch unfold. Get ready to cheer for this unbeatable romance!

4.5 rounded up. Did I just cry during a book about learning to play pickleball to impress a guy? Victoria Schade has taken a potentially silly rom-com scenario and given it real heart.

I loved both Brooke and Owen. Brooke’s desperation in the face of the writer’s block felt believable, and I respected why Owen tried to keep her at arm’s length because of his past experiences. I appreciated that Kai, the other corner of the so-called love triangle, was not a bad guy—just not the right one. The third-act conflict was well written. It didn’t feel overblown, but still had a lot of tension, and the ending scenes didn’t go exactly the way I thought, which is always a nice surprise!

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

I just finished Pick Me and I genuinely loved it. The writing pulled me in right away, and the characters felt real and flawed in a way that made them easy to connect with. It wasn’t just about romance—it had a lot to say about self-worth, confidence, and learning to stop chasing people who don’t see your value. I found myself smiling, frustrated, and emotional all in one sitting, and the ending left me surprisingly satisfied. If you're into books that make you feel something, Pick Me is worth it.

Thanks to Netgalley, and the publisher, for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This we a good book. Not great, not awful, but good.

I had a hard time sticking with it. In fact, it took me 6 days to read. That's a long time to read a book like this. At least for me it is.

It was enjoyable to read about pickleball since I've heard so much about it in the last couple of years. I still don't want to play, but it doesn't sound as horrible as I imagined it.

Thank you Victoria Schade and NetGalley. I was given this book as an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

This book is a super cute, rom-com about a romance writer who takes up pickleball to impress her crush and totally didn't expect to fall for her grumpy (but secretly sweet) coach instead.

Brooke and Owen keep finding themselves tossed together, and what starts as lessons (both on and off the court) slowly becomes something real. I loved how their relationship built over time. The author did a great job showing the evolution from guarded banter to vulnerable honesty. The chemistry is there, but it’s not super steamy, and that actually worked well for the kind of connection they were building.

The book really shines when it comes to explaining pickleball. It almost gives us “pickleball for dummies” vibes. I knew nothing about the sport before reading this. I never felt overwhelmed. It was written in a way that feels informative without pulling away from the main romance plot.

Overall, I really liked it! It didn’t totally blow me away or land in my all-time favorites, but it was a fun, solid read that kept me smiling. I’d recommend this book to anyone who wants a flirty summer read with just the right blend of humor, heart, and mild heat.

Tropes
Coach and student
Slow-Burn
Fake dating
Sports romance
He falls first

Happy reading friends,
~ Maebae 💚

3.5 I have never played pickleball a day in my life, but this book sounded cutesy to me!
I loved the mmc Owen! He was sweet and very helpful to Brooke when it came to pickleball & trying to impress her muse. He won me over when he forced her to run with him, because she was ridiculed for her form when she was younger! Owen is a very private guy and we don’t really get to know him until later in the story.
I liked that we get the actual sport part of this sport romance. Brooke was really determined to up her game, and I loved the community she had.

I was a little turned off at the muse parts of the book. Brooke didn’t even know the other guy and she was fawning over him.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

Ugh, this book! The cover immediately caught my eye and I thought it would be something I would enjoy, but I just couldn't get into it. The characters were not attracting my attention like I wanted them to.

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

whenever I see a pickleball book, you know I immediately must read it! as someone who plays 3-4 times a week, there’s something so fun and relatable with this type of sports romance.

Pick Me perfectly blended writing/publishing + pickleball + friends to lovers—three of my favorite things. also loved Brooke’s journey with figuring out her career things (so relatable especially rn transition to a new job) while navigating her crush/muse feelings. and Owen? the patience this man had wow 🥹 also loved that how lowkey he stayed even though he was this super rich, successful guy, but still rocked baggy basketball shorts 🤪

I’d have to say my favorite part of the book was Brooke’s pickleball crew. this sport truly doesn’t discriminate—any age, height, gender can be so good and have the best time doing it. the community aspect felt so authentic and real.

this was such a fun, quick read that had me smiling. if you love sports romance, friends to lovers, or just want something that’ll make you want to grab a paddle and hit the courts, this one’s for you!

I appreciate NetGalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book dealt with way more emotional topics than I was guessing. If you have any type of imposter syndrome or are just in a rut you definitely should pick this up. Im not a pickle ball girly but this book kind of makes you want to pick it up. Plus the dialog just felt so natural. Was a fun and quick read with a sport that I am unfamiliar with. The romance was fun and easy to follow and can easily be read in one sitting. Thanks Netgalley for an early e-arc copy.

Okay first off, a pickleball romance? Say less! The author kind of nailed this component of the book. It was fun reading a different sport! This book is such a cozy read. It had me smiling at how cute Brooke and Owen acted with each other. Some of the dialogue and descriptions seemed kind of like filler, not needed, but I don't think it took anything away from the book. Don't read this book if you are looking for a literary masterpiece but overall, a good, fun romance!

DNF'd at about 20%, sadly. This book felt rushed, inauthentic and the characters were just strange and highly unlikable for me. I had high hopes going into this one but it just didn't suite my personal taste in romance/sport romance books.

I never thought I’d be reading a book with pickleball as a main part, but I throughly enjoyed reading this book and didn’t want to put it down. I loved Brooke & Owen’s friends to lovers story. Thank you NetGalley for this arc and intro to Victoria Schade.