For fans of:

-Thirty Love
-Heated Rivalry

After years of carefully avoiding each other on the professional tennis circuit, stars Will and Theo are forced into an unexpected doubles partnership. What begins as barely concealed hostility slowly shifts as the two men spend more time together on and off the court. As old tensions begin to unravel, so do the feelings buried underneath them, leading Will and Theo to confront a connection neither of them expected, and neither can walk away from.

I loved, loved, loved this book!

One of the things this book does exceptionally well is capture the intense psychological pressure professional tennis players face. The sport is so individualistic that one bad match, one loss of confidence, can completely derail you. That aspect of the story felt incredibly authentic throughout. Will especially stood out to me as such a layered and compelling character. I really connected with the way he throws himself entirely into tennis to avoid dealing with his emotions. For athletes at this level, winning becomes everything; as long as you stay at the top, nothing else has to matter. Watching Will slowly realize that mindset is unsustainable was one of the strongest parts of the book for me.

At the start, you can genuinely feel Will’s resentment toward Theo. He’s built Theo up in his mind as arrogant, untouchable, and almost cruel, and convinces himself that Theo intentionally isolated him from the social side of the tennis world. Their decision to become doubles partners is initially rooted in image rehabilitation: Will wants to shed his reputation as the “Ice King.” At the same time, Theo hopes to control the emotional volatility that constantly follows him on court. Theo may be the golden boy of tennis, but beneath that image is someone just as insecure and emotionally guarded as Will.

As the story progresses, from tense practices to quieter, more vulnerable moments like their late-night swims, Will's image of Theo slowly breaks apart. What emerges instead is a relationship built on mutual understanding, loneliness, and the realization that both of them are carrying far more than they let the world see.

I also thought the third act was incredibly strong emotionally. You could feel Will’s frustration and self-loathing as he struggled to perform at the level he expected from himself. He desperately wants to regain control over his emotions and return to the version of himself that existed before he allowed himself to be vulnerable. But once he finally lets himself experience happiness and connection, he realizes he can’t simply bury those feelings through harder training or stricter discipline. That internal conflict felt raw, believable, and, at times, honestly heartbreaking.

I received this eBook ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Anna Rowan, Carla Brooks, and LYX for the opportunity to review *Guard Your Heart*. This review has also been posted on my Goodreads: @jack-pusloskie.