3.45/5 Stars

If you're a fan of sports romances, *The Wilde Card* by Ashley R. King will grab your attention right from the first serve. The chemistry between Alex and Simone is electric, and the opening chapter hooks you instantly, leaving you desperate to know more. With tennis as the backdrop—a refreshing twist since it’s not a sport commonly featured in romance novels—it instantly stood out for me. Add in a steamy one-night stand, the dual POV, a single parent with an adorable 8-year-old, and the sizzling coach-player dynamic, and I was pretty much sold, convinced this would make my favorites shelf.

However, the book didn't quite sustain that level of excitement all the way through. While the setup was full of promise, the middle portion started to drag. Simone being Alex's coach and his current tennis career should’ve added tension to the story, but instead, their relationship dynamics became a bit repetitive. The back-and-forth of sleeping together, questioning their feelings, and then repeating the cycle got predictable by the third round. I found myself wishing for more build-up before they gave in to their attraction. The dialogue in some parts also felt forced, making certain scenes less engaging. And for what was meant to be a slow-burn romance, their constant confessions and physical closeness didn’t quite deliver that emotional tension I was hoping for.

That said, there were plenty of things I genuinely enjoyed. The tennis aspect was surprisingly captivating—even as someone who doesn’t follow the sport, I found myself Googling matches, thanks to the vivid way the game was portrayed. The side characters were also a major highlight, especially Amalie and Julian from the first book, *Painting the Lines*. Their brief mentions had me wishing I’d read their story first. And the found-family dynamic that emerged at the end was heartwarming, giving the book a satisfying conclusion. Lula, Alex’s daughter, was also a delightful addition—her sweetness added an extra layer of charm.

Overall, while book had a strong start and was an easy, fast-paced read, it fell short of the knockout I expected. Still, just because it didn’t quite hit the mark for me doesn’t mean it won’t work for others. If you love sports romances, particularly ones with a fresh angle like tennis, this one’s worth a shot! Definitely add it to your TBR—you might find it’s your perfect match.

#TheWildeCard #NetGalley

Not a huge fan of the busy cover, but this book #2 in the Ace of Hearts series was really good. I'll definitely be reading more from King.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Ashley King, and City Owl Press for the opportunity to receive a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review!

I don't take this opportunity lightly, and as much as I would love to give every book I read a 5 star review, sometimes I just can't. I wanted to like this book - a HEA rom com featuring a tennis pro and a single parent with a charming 8 year old? I honestly didn't think it could possibly miss the mark for me.

Overall this book was fine, hence the 3 star review. There were things I disliked about it (I think King and I have different ideas of how "donned" should be used in a sentence, and most of the conversations between Simone and Alex didn't feel realistic and authentic to me), but there were also things I did like about it (the tennis aspect, the relationship Simone has with her sister, the found family Alex ended up with). They all kind of shook out in the wash and it ended up as a 3 star read for me.

While it was romantically a slow burn, it definitely wasn't in terms of the lust aspect. Other reviewers have mentioned how much they loved the tension between the characters, but I didn't feel much tension - each time they were together, they acted on their attraction to one another??

I do genuinely think there are people out there who will love this book, I just didn't end up being one of them.

Reverse Age Gap? One Night Stands Meeting Again? Forced Proximity? Say Less!

The more books I read, the more I realize that I enjoy reading books about grown characters…aka they are fully formed adults with life experiences and generally have a modicum of common sense. The chemistry between the main characters was very well done, and the story had a great balance between humor and steam. I definitely plan to go back and read book 1 in this series too!

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley and City Owl Press. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is one of those books that make you realize why sport romance is supremacy. This book was just everything I want in a romance novel.

Tropes I loved:
✨Forbidden romance
✨Sport- Tennis playing
✨Single-parent
✨Cinnamon roll of a guy
✨Angst and tension x100

Unfortunately I haven’t read book one, but after this book I definitely will. This book had me swooning, laughing my face off at the situations Alex and Simone got themselves in. Just to add on how much your toes will curl, Alex throws in French in his conversations, and damn that got my heart throbbing. This was just so cute. It was so well balanced and never felt over the top, but so natural and light-hearted. This was an absolute treat to read. 100% recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and City Owl Press for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

I truly loved this book. It was such a fun, quick, and wonderful read. I’ve started to realize that I thoroughly enjoy books where the woman is older than the man and has already had a a “life,” if you know what I mean. I loved how the characters came together, how they broke down each other’s walls, and how they fit together. And I loved how at the end, the conflict didn’t drag. They each knew what the issue with being together was, but they knew they loved each other too much to let that tear them apart. It was realistic and not drawn out for the sake of drama. Plus, the supporting characters were wonderful. I can’t wait to go back and read the first book in the series (they’re intertwined, but you don’t have to read them in order).

I would like to thank netgalley and City Owl Press for a free copy of the book in exchange an honest review.

Enjoyable. Liked that it was older woman/younger man.

This was a great book! Simone and Alex immediately got me hooked and rooting for their HEA. I loved Simone's character arc while she also navigated post-divorce life and motherhood and a major career change. She really grew throughout the book. It was great to see. Alex come into his own as well- he not only worked to turn his tennis game around, but his whole image and also goals and outlooks. The way he treated both Simone and her daughter, Lula, was wonderful. He was so caring and sweet.
Overall this book had a good mix of sweet/ funny and steamy scenes. Also, I felt the balance between tennis and non-tennis related story was well done. Sometimes sports romances get too bogged down in the details of whichever sport and it detracts from the love story- thankfully The Wilde Card did not have that issue!
This book was fairly low-angst. At times it got a bit confusing about can they be together? Are they not? which is why I didn't rate it 5 stars. However, reading this definitely makes me want to look up book 1 in the series and just find more by Ashley R. King. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys sports romances and/or age gap romances.

'The Wilde Card' by Ashley R. King(1 star)
I thought this book was going to be cute and gentle and fun read but as soon as I started reading it was too much. Honestly, I couldn't finish the book, every time I thought about continuing reading it,I just couldn't. From what I read the writing style was good. This book was just not what I was expecting, it’s probably a great story but it is a mind over matter thing, it was just such a strong start, I couldn’t get over it. A lot of people would enjoy the steaminess but it wasn’t for me.
Thanks netgalley for the arc.

as a tennis player myself, i absolutely the concept of this novel! i had so much fun reading it and caught onto all the puns! alex wilde is such a gentleman! one quality that gives my ideal book boyfriend extra points is when they easily get along with the protagonist’s children (if they're raising any from a previous relationship). i love someone who can treat another person’s child as one of their own and alex certainly demonstrates that love isn’t defined by blood. the way he cares for lula, simone’s daughter, melted my heart and i loved seeing his extra-soft side shine!

this is the second installment of ashley r. king’s series and i’m so excited to read the first! i had no trouble diving into “the wilde card” without having read “painting the lines,” but now i’m curious to read about simone’s sister, amalie. there are plenty of other characters who are introduced throughout the novel and i loved all of them but nothing has topped the relationship between simone and alex! they both care about each other’s reputation and are willing to put their romance on hold to get their professional lives up to speed. i was a big fan of the pacing of this book and couldn’t put it down! if you enjoyed titles like trish dollar’s “the suite spot” or emma st. clair’s “the buy-in” then this novel is for you

The humor in this book was so well-written. I found myself alternating between chuckling, snorting, and giggling from all the one-liners and cheesy jokes from the characters, not to mention some of the ridiculous situations that they got themselves into. This tension filled steamy romance will leave you with a full heart. Both characters where so loveable and had great banter. The pace/flow of the book is amazing and every minute keeps you hooked and wanting more. If you haven’t read book one Painting the Lines I would definitely order it so you don’t miss out, I felt a little lost at the beginning so I borrowed book one before I started reading this and I felt it helped.

The Wilde Card was just what I needed. The characters were pretty well thought out (Lula, the daughter, was a particular highlight!). I'm not a massive fan of insta-love, but it was tempered slightly by the framing. If you're looking for a groundbreaking plotline, this isn't for you but you will still have a good time.
2/5 spice.

This was just the most beautiful book ,from it's gorgeous cover to the immersive storyline. I haven't read anything quite as engaging as this in recent years!
I was engrossed from start to finish; such a well-crafted, thrilling and moving story surely marks this author as an author to watch. I can't wait for more!

This book was so sweet, My teeth hurt. I loved everything about Alex and Simone. Lula was a bonus favorite. Alex came across as genuine and sincere. I felt the connection between Simone and Alex from the beginning. I love that this is a part of a series but could standalone.

This is a cute story, especially if you have an interest in tennis. It features an age-gap romance with our heroine Simone being about 9 years older than Alex. This book has so much potential for really sexy banter, but unfortunately falls a little flat. Open door romance, I’d give this a 2/5 🌶.

Simone is uptight CEO of a hotel chain and Alex is a pro tennis player. They spend one night together and she's gone by morning thinking she will never see him again.
She quits her job and agree to work in her friends tennis centre coaching and guess who turns up there for coaching... Alex. Forced to work together whilst trying to resist their undeniable chemistry.
This book is very light-hearted with lots of tension and some surprisingly spicy scenes!
Very tennis heavy and sometimes I had no clue what they were talking about. This was a funny easy read.

✦ ✦ ✧ ✧ ✧
2/5 Stars

Synopsis: Thirty-seven year old Simone Warner is juggling a lot. As the CEO of Warner Hotels and newly single mom she needs a night off. She meets Alex Wilde, an infamous tennis player eight years younger than her and they spend a wonderful night together. Entering a new phase in her life, Simone steps down as CEO and becomes a coach at her friend’s tennis center where her new student has no other than Alex “The Wild Card” Wilde, who has a grudge against his step-brother. Will they be willing to risk ruining their reputations for another night together or will they focus on Alex’s endeavor to win and Simones crazy ex?

As a tennis player and lover of age gap romances I was super intrigued with this concept.

This book seemed to drag on a while. I never really got super invested into the plot. The romance seemed to just pop up in random places that it didn’t necessarily fit. I believe the book would have been much better in first person but they may just be personal preference. There were some lines that only would have been made if the book had been in first person. As a tennis player I was disappointed with the lack of actual tennis practicing, it is not as easy as the coach telling you what to do and you immediately get it. I wish there was more accurate and descriptive tennis playing and talk. I feel like the conflict was never really resolved, it just kind of fizzled out. This may be because the climax was at 80%. This made it a struggle to stay interested. The romance, tension and one liners were good though and that’s what I need from a romance novel.

3.5 stars.

This book didn't ring true for me. The characters felt fake, the situations felt weird, the conversations felt forced. The first book in the series I loved, this one was a no-go for me.

The story plot was cute. Older struggling tennis player meets even older single mom. They spend a night together and end up falling for each other. Mom becomes his coach. Coach helps him win tennis games and get out of his own head, they fall even more for each other, bad guys lose, good guys win. End of story. Meh.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy. The above review is my own.

I’m not normally a fan of Insta-Lust but with this book it works and I loved it!

Simone has spent her life doing what will make others happy. She takes a chance, quits her job and becomes a tennis coach with her brother in law and his tennis partner. Alex has always loved Tennis but his focus since going pro has always been to beat his Step-brother in a match.

Simone ends up becoming his coach but the first time they met, they had a one night stand and Alex hasn’t been able to get her out of his head since. I loved seeing their relationship grow.

The steamy scenes are just… Perfect!

I absolutely loved the writing in this book as well as the characters. I can’t wait to read other books by the Author as this is exactly the kind of Romance novel I love