I LOVED this one -- a different type of rom-com that I cannot stop thinking about . As someone who’s read their fair share of rom-coms, this one was the perfect mix of humor, heat, and heart -- and I absolutely loved it.

The premise alone felt unique and different which was nice: a romance writer in a bit of a creative rut decides to take up pickleball to chase inspiration (and maybe a man), only to fall her sarcastic, low-effort, high-skill coach. I adored Brooke's character. She was determined, delightfully chaotic, and very relatable (especially when it comes to her athletic skills).

And Owen. OH, OWEN. He's just perfect. The chemistry between Brooke and Owen was built in such a satisfying, slow-burn way that I couldn’t stop reading. Also, the pickleball terms? Hilarious. I have never played, but now I want to learn how to play. :-)

I really enjoyed the emotional growth and depth of the main characters. Brooke's creative journey mirrored her personal growth, and I appreciate how the romance wasn’t just about finding someone, but rediscovering herself in the process. This was a beautiful story and one I will continue to recommend to everyone to read.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the chance to read Pick Me!

Brooke is a writer who’s been stuck in a creative rut ever since breaking up with her boyfriend. But everything changes when she meets Kai during a game of pickleball — a walking muse, perfect on the outside and exactly the inspiration she needs for her next book. There’s just one problem: Brooke has absolutely no idea how to play pickleball.
Determined to get closer to Kai, she starts taking lessons from Owen, a sweet, golden-retriever-type of a coach who’s still carrying a few emotional bruises from his past relationship. What follows is a heartwarming and funny story about finding yourself, healing, and of course, love — even when it shows up in unexpected ways.
I really enjoyed this book. It made me laugh, it made me a little emotional, and it kept me turning the pages. A big thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC.
If I had one note, it’s that I wish this book had been released in May or June. The story takes place in the summer, and it has all the vibes of a perfect beach read.

Pick Me was cute cute cute! Brooke is a down on her luck cowboy romance author looking for inspiration in all the wrong places and Owen is the black cat pickle ball coach that offers her a bid at finding her muse! Brooke and Owen keep finding themselves tossed together and end up finding something that was not at all what they thought they were looking for. Pick Me has lovable characters, hot banter, and is the perfect flirty summer read!

I’ve read a lot, and I truly do mean a LOT, of sports romances - but this was my first pickleball romance. The characters were witty, relatable, and felt like real people. Definitely a cute cozy read!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me this ARC which I’ll gladly recommend ten times over!!! It’s been awhile since I’ve read a book that has kept me so interested that I stayed up late into the night to finish. Trust me when I tell you you’ll hit a certain age and sleep becomes a necessity and not just a luxury, so it’s not often I indulge into the late hours. But Pick Me by Victoria Schade, a new to me author, had me double checking the time because it didn't even feel like “bar hours.” What I liked most was you were essentially reading three stories unfold within one epic love story. Oh and this new phenomenon called Pickle Ball, which I’ve heard in passing but most likely wouldn’t have cared to learn about it if wasn’t for reading Pick Me! I, like Brooke, am not the athlete in my family. MMC Owen was all over the place personality wise, but his Golden Retriever side easily draws you in and has you rooting for this couple against all odds. A must read in my book!

"I promise not to lure any sailors to their deaths tonight."

"Too late," he said softly. (Pick Me, Chpt. 26).

Highlights: 735😲
Spice Level🥵: 2/5
Overall⭐: 4/5

Tropes:
💚 Strangers to Friends to Lovers
💚 Pickleball
💚 Coach x Student
💚 Forced Proximity
💚 Rom-Com Vibes
💚 He Falls First
💚 Writer FMC
💚 Slow Burn

Let me just start by saying… Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, and He Falls First are usually my least favorite tropes. I’m an Enemies-to-Lovers ride or die, that being said...I absolutely loved this book!

The dedication (which hit way too close to home—yes, I also loathed PE) instantly hooked me.

What really sealed it for me was the FMC, Brooke. She's a ghostwriter for a spicy cowboy romance author, but she's battling a brutal case of writer’s block after a messy breakup. Her love life is on pause, and so is her book. That is… until her amazing bestie Meredith convinces her to step outside her comfort zone and chase down some new inspiration.

Enter: Kai—the potential muse. But then, surprise! In swoops Owen "The Big Gripper" Miller, her adorably nerdy, endearingly awkward pickleball coach with rom-com main character energy. And let me tell you, I was Team Owen from their very first scene.

Smart. Charming. Sweet in that “ugh, why are you so lovable” way.

This book was everything I didn’t know I needed. The banter? Chefs kiss. The slow burn? Delicious. The romance? Heart-eyes forever. Plus, there's an adorable little dog in the book who is hands down one of the best characters!

Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager, and Netgalley for this opportunity! 💚

A very cute sports romance!

-Coach/Student
-He falls first
-Love triangle

Brooke, a Cowboy Romance ghost writer, is dealing with a severe case of writer's block after just getting out of a relationship. Upon discussing it with her roommate, she convinces her that the best thing for her to do would be to get out of their apartment. They go and play doubles at a pickleball court where Brooke spots Kai, her ultra hot new muse. With her roommate's help, they come up with a plan that she'll start taking pickleball lessons in order to get closer to Kai.

During her lessons with Owen, the pickleball coach, she reveals the real reason she's there and "operation muse". In an attempt to spend more time with Brooke, Owen agrees to continue free lessons with her and even trying to set up a "meet-cute" on the court for her and Kai.

But the more she spends time with Owen both on and off the court, Brooke starts to wonder if she even really wants to see her original plan through...

I really enjoyed this read. I think the only thing that would've made this better would a POV from Owen, perhaps just a chapter or two. I'd love to know exactly what he was thinking from his end. But overall this is great if you're looking for a quick romance read to finish in one sitting!

I couldn’t put this down! I had never read any of Victoria’s work before this, but now I can definitely say I want to check out more of it.

I loved Brooke and Owen’s strangers to friends to lovers journey. I enjoyed the pacing. The side characters were great support. I loved Victoria’s voice. I appreciated her sense of humor and the she incorporated bookish slang.

I absolutely LOVED this book. I don't play pickleball, but I feel like I am an expert after this.

Brooke is a ghostwriter looking to branch out on her own and make a name for herself. She hit a writers block after a devastating breakup and was on the hunt for a new muse. She never thought that he would be found at a high-class pickle ball club or that the guy she thought was her muse was all wrong.

Owen is so cool. He has a vibe to him that just makes you instantly obsessed with him. You can tell from the start that he is attracted to Brooke and will do whatever he can to help her.

I usually like it when the book is written in duel POV, but for this one, I didn't need it. It was predictable with the right amount of drama and spice. For me, this is a win.

Thank you, Avon and Harper Voyager, for this ARC

I devoured this book! We meet sweet Brooke who is a ghost writer in a slump. Her best friend/roommate convinces her to just say yes for everything. She winds up meeting our cute Owen and golden retriever Kai. She thinks that Kai is going to be her muse. We fall in love with the slow burn and the development of realizing that Kai isn't who she really wants. This sticky love triangle is absolutely cute! There is some spice but not overly spicy. I wish I knew more about Owen and B and also her brother. This isn't a typical book I would pick up but I couldn't put this down. I didn't hate any characters and didn't feel like pickleball over took the story. It helped B realize that she is more confident and capable than she believes. We can thank Owen for helping her realize and come out of her little shell.
Thank you netgalley and publisher and author for letting me be an arc reader for leaving my own honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! I loved that it was a pickleball romance. I actually took pickleball lessons last fall, so this sport really connected with me. Brooke being a beginner and taking lessons made me connect with her more. I will say her falling for Owen was really predictable, but isn’t that kind of what we expect in a romance? Overall I really enjoyed it.

Pick Me by Victoria Schade is a contemporary romance novel about a writer who gets into pickleball and attempts to get her writing mojo back by impressing a randomly chosen muse. I enjoyed the pickleball aspect as I haven't read a book about it before, and you definitely do not need to know how to play to read it which is great. Unfortunately, I found their romance to be lacking a bit - he fell for her instantly and she had noooo idea (it was so obvious). I was annoyed with the FMC's random obsession with this hot stranger she had no connection to when Owen was right in front of her and she clearly had chemistry with him. The "love triangle" trope didn't exactly hit for me. Overall, the book was a good read and made me want to start playing pickleball more.

Pick Me is a really fun sports romance that had hooked me from the start.

Brooke, a romance ghostwriter struggling with writer's block after a breakup, gets dragged to pickleball by her roommate and finds herself caught between two very different men: Owen, her patient and supportive coach, and Kai, the mysterious player she's convinced is her creative muse. What follows is a messy (her words!) but becomes a journey of self-discovery, complete with plenty of pickleball action and romantic tension, then TENSION!

Schade makes the sport accessible to readers who may not know what pickleball actually involves. There is good balance as well and the athletic scenes never felt overwhelming or took away from the romance.

While I ultimately loved the story, Brooke's obsession and determination that Kai was her muse was starting to detract from the story. Watching her moon over someone she'd never even spoken to while dismissing the genuinely caring man right in front of her was frustrating. That said, I appreciated that both characters actually communicated when things got complicated, avoiding the dreaded third-act breakup that feels so forced in many romances. Owen was a big GREEN flag! He was supportive without being a pushover, and his reactions to Brooke's somewhat selfish behavior felt realistic rather than overly dramatic. By the end, their relationship felt earned and genuine, even if the path there was a bit bumpy. It's a fun, light read that delivers on both the sports and romance fronts.

I really enjoyed this book! I did not know anything about pickleball and to be honest even now it seems like ALOT! So much info but very interesting either way. The romance story was so cute! It wasn't your typical girl leaving crappy guy for nice guy. It was girl realizing which nice guy really was right for her. Every girl needs an Owen. He's perfect and adorable in every way. I loved seeing the inside to the writing process. A writer writing about a writer. Very clever. Overall interesting, cute, and spicy! Full of big feelings and family love.

I loved this book so much! I knew from the beginning that I was going to enjoy this book, which doesn't always happen for me. I loved reading about the natural relationship growth between Owen and Brooke, as well as their own personal growth. I ate up the fake dating moments, the built up tension, and the yearning! The way that Owen looked after Brooke and helped her through various things even if he had to sacrifice his own happiness was so heartwarming <3 Looking up nearby pickleball clubs now to find myself my own Owen...

4.5 stars!
Oh did I love this book! Pick Me by Victoria Schade is a romantic comedy set to be released this Fall. The novel follows Brooke Murphy, a romance writer producing cringey (my favorite) pieces under an alias, who finds herself in a bit of a creative slump and is struggling to rekindle her passion for writing. So upsetting was finding out girlie wrote a book but it didn’t do so hot, this caused her to put up a lot of writing/mental walls, limiting herself to mass producing pieces for a pushy publisher. Her way to fix this slump she’s found herself in? Find a muse. Enter in Kai…or Owen…or I guess you could say both. This is no love triangle but it’s a slow-burn feel good romance. Brooke ends up turning to pickleball where we meet these lovely men, namely Mr. Owen Miller (aka The Big Gripper/Gripper) secret investor, former tennis star, and all around good guy. He willingly becomes Brooke’s pickleball coach, showing her not just pickle tips but life tips. My only big frustration was that Brooke struggled to come to grasp with how perfect and right in front of her face Owen was. Like girlie we almost lost this charmer cause you weren’t thinking, all the signs were there! The best part of this darn book, Miss Martina Dogratilova, an absolute icon. She was so friggin’ cute and she just fit right into the book so well. So grateful for this opportunity to read this charming book, I hope others find it a great read as well.
Thank you NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager.
4.5 stars!!

O. M. G. THIS BOOK IS AMAZING! This book shows us Brooke’s story as she is learning how to find the muse for her cowboy romance. Brooke then starts playing pickleball as a part of her “yes” campaign with her roommate, which then leads her to meeting her muse at the pickleball courts, but it isn’t who she first thought it was.
I loved this book so much! This book made me feel like I was truly Brooke and was falling in love with someone, even if she didn’t realize she was at first. But don’t even get me started on Owen, I could tell from their first conversation that he was my winner. Their relationship is beautiful, and I appreciate how we get to see how scarred Owen is from his last relationship, and how that affects his choices with Brooke. My favorite part of this book was the ending, how Brooke gained her confidence, made pickleball friends, and finally put her own feelings ahead of her deadline. You guys are going to love this book when it comes out, I guarantee it!!

I think I fell in love with pickleball because of this book.

First off the whole premise of the book is based around a girl taking up pickleball and learning more about herself than anything else... but she also becomes killer at pickleball (we love a good growth moment).

Then comes the characters.... I have never loved characters as much as I love Brooke, an author with writers block looking for her new muse. Brooke has fun one liners and you get to witness her growth in her writing, her life, and of course pickleball.

Her best friend Meredith... perfection... we all want a friend like that.

and of course Owen... I won't give it away but from one of the first scenes,,, I was in love.

My favorite line: "I'm going to do my best," I replied. "Don't forget I'm trying to rewrite some old scripts"

I requested Pick Me by Victoria Schade from NetGalley on a whim and was pleasantly surprised! Brooke, a cowboy romance ghost writer, is fresh off a heartbreak and looking for a new muse to cure her writer's block. She accompanies her roomate to a Pickleball game on a whim and meets her muse, a tall dark haired stranger who thinks she's a pickleball whiz. Enter Owen, who offers to coach her into success to cure her writer's block. As her game improves she falls in love with the sport and maybe her coach too?
This book has killer tension and was absolutely adorable! It definitely reads like a friends to lovers romance with grumpy-sunshine, in that Brooke has to realize her person has always been right in front of her. I do feel like the pacing towards the middle of the book was off and had trouble resolving the ending with the 3rd act breakup moment. But all that said I was ROOTING for Owen and this was a fun romance read.

Pick Me is a breezy romance perfect for easy, feel-good reading. The story centers on Brooke, a romance novelist battling writer’s block, who agrees to a casual game of pickleball with a friend and ends up meeting someone she hopes might spark her creativity. To get closer to him, she starts taking lessons with a respected coach, Owen, but as she spends more time on the court she begins to question whether her inspiration lies in the man she imagined or the one devoting his time to her to help build back her confidence both on and off the court. While the pickleball details flew way over my head, the charm of the story and the warmth of the romance make this a fun escape.

I really wish we could give half-star ratings as this one falls somewhere between a 3.5 and a 4 for me!
Big thanks to Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC!