Bex is the owner of her late mother’s dilapidated racquet club and pickleball aficionado. Niko is a former tennis star who was sidelined with a career changing injury. Bex is sunshine and rainbows, while Niko is a storm cloud. Their worlds collide when Niko’s aunt ends up with an injury at the court. A series of events leads up to the two of them pairing up for a pickleball tournament with monumental goals at stake - for Bex, it’s saving her club, and for Niko it’s saving his career. With so much at stake, this pickleball tournament is bound to change their lives. As someone who is irked by the word pickleball (my local park gave up lakeside green space for some new courts), my curiosity spiked when I saw the cover of this book. I’m so glad I gave it a chance. I can relate to the aloof, neon loving Bex. The tension between Bex and Niko was palpable. The club members felt like family. The story had the right amount of push and pull. Pickleball gave the story a fresh, quirky twist on the close proximity and opposites attract trope. All’s Fair in Love and Pickleball is the perfect beach read.

3.5 stars This was such a fun and lighthearted read—perfect for when you want something cute and breezy with a splash of unique charm. I loved that pickleball took center court (literally!) in this romance. It was refreshing to see a lesser-used sport featured, and it added such a fun dynamic to the story. The chemistry between the main characters really worked for me. Their banter and attraction felt natural, and the narrator of the audiobook brought a lot of warmth and personality to the story—I’d definitely recommend listening if that’s your thing. That said, the ending (pre-epilogue) felt a little too quick and tidy, and the male love interest’s emotional shift from enemies to smitten was kind of abrupt. I wish we had seen a bit more of that evolution on the page to make the “love” part of this enemies-to-lovers arc feel fully earned. Still, this was a sweet and entertaining read that kept me smiling throughout. If you’re looking for a romance that’s a little off the beaten path (and you’ve ever found yourself wondering if pickleball could be sexy—spoiler: it can), give this one a shot.