I went into this audiobook with zero expectations and mild curiosity. Pickleball isn’t huge where I am, so I was intrigued by the idea of a sports romance built around it. Before diving into the book itself, shoutout to Mia Hutchinson Shaw for her excellent narration. She brought the romcom energy with just the right balance of humour and heart, even delivering a few moments that nearly had me in tears.

The story opens on a heavier note with Bex, a racquet club owner, reflecting on her mom’s passing (it’s been two years) and struggling with where to spread her ashes. Things shift when one of her eclectic senior pickleball students gets injured on her club’s cracked court. Enter Nico—a grumpy, ex-tennis pro (thanks to a knee injury) and said student’s nephew—who seems like he’s had a racquet permanently lodged somewhere where the sun don't shine lol.

This book has all the right romcom ingredients: fake dating, grumpy × sunshine, close proximity, and top-tier frenemies banter. It’s cute, fun, occasionally steamy, and surprisingly heartfelt. The “You don’t have to do this” / “I know. I want to” moment really sealed it for me—it captured their chemistry and made it clear they were exactly what the other needed.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review!

I think I would’ve DNFd this if I wasn’t listening to it on 3x speed. I didn’t care about the characters and didn’t feel the chemistry between them at all. I didn’t really care for any aspect of the story at all. It felt like the entire plot was the relationship, but their relationship felt so unromantic and there were literally no sparks at all. i did like the writing, which was the only thing keeping me interested in finishing the book, but i didn’t like this particular story.

This was a fun rom-com and makes me want to learn pickle ball. This about Beks, a pickleball instructor who inherited a pickleball club she her mom passed away. She allows Nico, a professional tennis player, who sustained a career ending injury, to train at her club in order to make a come-back. This is a great grumpy/sunshine romance filled with fun banter, wonderful emotion and of course pickleball.

Thank-you to Netgalley and Hachette Audio. Mia Hutchinson Shaw was a great narrator and kept my interest. I highly recommend this book, it's a great beach read.

I had read the e-book first then DNFed the audiobook early on because I just had enough with these two. I really think he was mean for no reason, oh wait the reason why is that he was attracted to her. Since he liked her, he had to be mean to her. Fuck this.

Bex is the passionate owner of a failing racquet club with an eclectic group of members and Nico Karras is a washed up tennis pro, when their paths cross they end up in a fake dating situation and find a shared goal. I was excited about this concept and feel like it had so much potential but for me I feel there was not much about this book that set it apart from other romances. The characters were mediocre and the story felt dragged out. Overall it was cute and fine but not great. The production of the audio book itself was quality and the narrator depicted the characters well, executing the nuance and tone of the authors words.

Love !! This was such a fast, cute, romance. I love a theme with a sport and pickleball is so fun and relevant.

Beck has taken over as the owner and operator of her mother’s pickleball after her mother’s death and it’s in a state of needing some repairs and she does not have the money to fix it up. With threats from a local competitor wanting to buy she’s extra motivated to fundraiser and keep the club running for her loyal members and as memory of her mother.

Loretta’s grandson, Nico arrives to help care for her and Beck instantly sparks to his vibe. He’s a Greek, ex pro tennis player. They have a chance to partner up for a pickleball tournament with prize money that will save the club so they both agree to work together to do it. When they get caught kissing they decide to be in a fake relationship for buzz and it slowly feels real.

Love their banter and happy energy of these two!

Fake dating, sports romance and friendships across generations..this one was a lot of fun! I was not a fan of the third act breakup BUT the adorable ending and found family and warm and fuzzy feelings with all the characters made up for it. I really enjoyed listening to this on audio, the narrator did a great job conveying all the characters' emotions.

Cute cover, cute concept, but the execution of the story didn’t work for me on this one.

Bex owns and operates a struggling racquet club, but wouldn’t you know it, former tennis star Niko (he’s hot, obvi) is back in town and just might be able to help. But oh noooo of course they HATE each other!! Oh no hang on it’s been approximately 30 seconds and now they’re somehow going to *checks note* second based at the front desk? I don’t know guys, I think it’s true love 🙄

The story had great potential but read too much like a Hallmark movie (that is negative for me but zero judgment if that works for you!) so it gets two stars from me. The narration was fantastic though, and perhaps helped earn this book a higher rating that I otherwise might have given!

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Mia is a fantastic narrator and did a wonderful job. Her voice is a perfect balance and very neutral in a good way. It’s not too feminine not too high-pitched. Not too masculine just very neutral. But also very strong.. Changing her voice for different characters is noticeable, but not ridiculous and I feel like that adds longevity to the book when it comes to her voice.

When it comes to the book itself, I gave it a three out of five. It seems like a harsh score, but I liked the book. It just wasn’t anything crazy special or new. The concept of pickle ball being in the catalyst for the romance was the only thing different than any other romance book on the market. I think it was well written and entertaining.

𝟯.𝟱 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗦 𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗗 𝗨𝗣
Baby's first pickleball romance!!!

This story was so so cute and also HOT. THAT PICKLEBALL COURT SCENE THOUGH 👀🔥🔥

Their sexual chemistry was off the charts, but I just felt like the pacing of their relationship was a bit odd. Bex in particular gave off a lot of lusty vibes, whereas Niko was the one that seemed more in it for the emotional connection. Also, the fake relationship explanation didn't really make sense to me. However, I loooooooove that because of that plotline we got a ton of FORCED PROXIMITY, which is my bread and butter.

[The audiobook was stellar. The narrator's voice was so soothing and honestly made me wanna look up her entire catalog of previous narrations. The inflections in her voice made it SUCH an easy listen.]

I voluntarily read, listened to, and reviewed advanced copies of this book and audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Bex Martin is doing everything she can to try to save her beloved racquet club but it just doesn't seem to be enough. Another club is holding a pickleball tournament with a cash prize large enough to help all of her money problems disappear but she needs to find the perfect partner. Former tennis star, Niko Karras, is looking for a different kind of partner in order to fix his reputation. The pair come to an agreement that will hopefully solve both of their problems.

All’s Fair in Love and Pickleball is a stand-alone contemporary romance. This book does contain open-door content.

This fake dating romance is packed with sweet and swoony scenes along with plenty of sassy banter. The gaggle of club regulars really steal the show in this one. While they all want to help Bex save her family’s legacy, they also want to protect her and make sure she’s doing it for the right reasons. The “found family” that grows and becomes more apparent throughout the book is just as important to the story as the relationship between Bex and Niko. It gives a well-roundedness to the narrative.

Mia Hutchinson Shaw narrates the audiobook for All’s Fair in Love and Pickleball. She does a fantastic job keeping the voices for all of the wide cast of characters unique. Her performance really brings out the humor in the author’s writing.

I truly enjoy Kate Spencer’s style of writing and I look forward to whatever she has next for her readers.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #HachetteAudio for an advance listening copy of #AllsFairInLoveAndPickleball. A cute romcom with a pickleball vs . tennis rivalry. Four stars.

I've read my fair share of sports romance, but Kate Spencer's All's Fair in Love and Pickleball is my first dive into the world of Pickleball.

Bex Martin is stumbling through her life as the new owner of a raquet ball club. They specialized in Pickleball, her mother's passion. After losing her mother 6 months ago, Bex is finding that her knowledge of the game doesn't help her with the finances and empty portion of her heart where her mother's presence used to be.

When she comes face to face with Niko Karras, professional tennis player and the nephew of one of the club members, she finds him grumpy, arrogant and even worse- a poor sport!

Niko Karras has never met anyone like Bex. She dresses in a quirky way, blows bubbles loudly while playing and has a special relationship with the 70+ community that patrons her club. To make matters worse, he hates pickleball and thinks it below him. So why does he find himself at the club, and taking lessons with this insufferable woman??

🎾 Enemies to Lovers
🎾 Fake Dating
🎾 Witty banter
🎾 Found Family

All my favorite tropes meet on the court, and I found this to be a very easy read (listen?).

This was such a fun, lighthearted yet deep and touching read. The author realistically portrays the grieving process, and I praise her for having the strength to write about her own experience through this character. The bicker, the can't stand each other, to I can't see a world without you is so well written. The amount of strength and resilience that we see in Bex is truly admirable, and I can see a lot of her character in myself. Being there for yourself while still prioritising the world around you is a remarkable quality, one that involves trying to keep yourself and all the events and stressors in balance. There could have been a lot more clarity surrounding how and why these two became attracted to one another, seeing things play out from Nico's perspective would provide such deep insight into his character and his inner workings and desires. Overall, this was a fun and meaningful read with a perfect balance of spice, bickering and lightheartedness. The narrator did such a good job with pacing, and she sounds exactly how I imagined the character to sound in the book; her emotions and thoughts were conveyed well through the voice of the narrator.

I really, REALLY liked the first 80% of this book.....

Bex is the owner of a racquet club that was left to her by her late mother. Her whole life is the club, and now that her mother is gone, it is even more important to make it a success. But as times get tough and money is almost non-existent, Bex is desperate to find a way to keep the club and her parents' legacy alive.

Nico is a former tennis star whose career was cut short after an injury. Tennis is everything to Nico, and he is willing and ready to do anything to get back into the game.

The banter between Bex and Nico is fun. They get off of the wrong foot but end up falling for each other in the best enemies to lovers way. This book also has found family and in the best way.

I really enjoyed this book, but at about 80% in ,it just felt rushed, and I felt that Bex was just giving up so fast and in a betrayal to Nico. But he didn't see it that way, and I just felt what she did was looked over when it should have been discussed? I was just looking for a little more towards the end.

I received this as an audio book, and the narrator did the best job. At one point, I had forgotten this was just one person.

Thank you, Hachette Audio, for this ARC.

3.5/5
It was cute. Loved the romance. Nothing crazy but I like the enemies to lovers aspect. LOTS of pickleball references that I didn’t necessarily understand.

This book was so cute and incredibly heartfelt. The characters felt so real and relatable that I genuinely felt like I could sit down and have a conversation with them. They weren’t just characters on a page—they felt like friends.

My heart was breaking for Bex the entire time. There’s a unique weight that comes with being tied to a family legacy—whether it’s a business, a farm, or a long-standing tradition—and Kate captured that responsibility beautifully. As someone who understands the pressure of being a daughter and granddaughter in that kind of dynamic, I just wanted to reach into the book and give Bex a hug.

Bex absolutely embodies that classic firstborn daughter/only child energy, and Kate does such an amazing job of portraying that experience in a way that’s deeply honest, but also filled with warmth and hope. That’s really the heart of this story—it doesn’t shy away from the hard stuff, but it reminds you that healing and joy are still possible.

Beyond the romance (which was sweet and satisfying), there’s so much emotional depth in this story: the importance of found family, the burden and beauty of personal responsibility, and the resilience it takes to overcome what life throws your way.

This book isn’t just a love story—it’s a story about life, and one that will stick with you long after the last page. Don’t miss this one!

Bex has spent most of her adult life caring or grieving her mother. She was almost blinded with grief and responsibility. When she least expected it a man literally stormed into her life. Bex finds love, acceptance and peace. It wasn't easy, bit it's worth it. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review

I feel like I need to go pick up pickleball after reading this. Confession, I have heard the term pickleball so many times in the last few years but actually had to look up what it was. So not to say I thought I wouldn’t like this book, because I’ve read another of her books and really enjoyed it, but I was definitely a little unsure about the pickleball theme going on.

But honestly I loved it. I really enjoyed this book. It’s full of fun banter, so many quick quips, adorable romance, and a sweet found family vibe. The found family was chefs kiss and I just wanted to hug every side character. I love them all.

The romance develops quickly which I wasn’t sure of at first but their relationship grew on me and it felt genuine. Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes and I love the chaotic feelings that it stirs up for the MC’s. Love the yearning and hidden feelings.

This book has a nice balance of your typical summer romcom vibes and heavier topics/dealing with grief. It never felt heavy but definitely hit you in the feelings quite a few times. This is definitely a great book to pick up this summer!

I was really fortunate to receive both the ALC and ARC for this book. If you’ve followed me for a bit you may have noticed that I LOVE to tandem read a book with the audio because I never want to stop reading even when I’m on the go but usually don’t have that luxury with arcs, so I am very grateful!

This audiobook was really great. A narrator can make or break an audiobook and I really loved Mia Hutchinson Shaw’s narration! It was fun and silly and full of emotion and little tidbits that made it feel almost like you were standing there listening to the conversation rather than it just being read to you.

Thank you so much to Hachette Audio and Forever for the ALC and ARC!

Mia Hutchinson Shaw has made herself one of my top female narrators this past year, and All’s Fair In Love and Pickleball is a prime example of why. She gives an entertaining and emotional performance as Bex and makes you swoon as Niko. Such a fun and enjoyable listen!