challengers but sapphic this was so fun! i love the characters and the story was really fun. definitely gonna add this to my collection

This was a decent read but definitely more of a sports book than a romance. Which is fine, just not what I was expecting. I happen to be a huge tennis fan so this worked for me, but I was left wanting more sizzle between the mains. Having absolutely loved this author’s last romance, which was full of amazing chemistry and angst, this was quite tame in comparison.

More sports than romance, but I loved the "behind-the-scenes" look into the life of a pro tennis player. The main character was likeable, but sounded much younger than 32, and the romance aspect of the novel was lacking. I liked both characters and enjoyed their relationship, but it didn't really have the "will they, won't they" tension that most romance novels start with.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

This was a fun Lesbian romance between tennis players.

A lot less steam than I expected.

If you like tennis you'll enjoy it but I found the sport took up too much of the narrative.

Overall I enjoy this book, but I wish the pace had been consistent throughout. The first part of the book was very detailed and at a slower pace as you get to know the main characters. By the end of the book, whole tournaments were covered in a sentence or two. It seemed like the end was rushed when more could have been fleshed out. There is a subplot on drug testing that I expected more from, but was glossed over at the end. I wish there had been more to this. I did enjoy how the main characters came together and their relationship built. There wasn't an excess of hot and heavy scenes, which was ok. I just wish there had been more.

I have slightly mixed thoughts about this one, it started off slow and took me quite a while to get into, however, once the drug testing plotline story kicked off it got more interesting. I am a sucker for a sporting romance and while I don't care for tennis this is one you can enjoy without being a fan (Or even knowing anything about it).

I wasn't super invested in the romance but it was by no means done poorly - It just didn't grip me. I did think the engagement was supppper premature and felt like it came out of nowhere which did throw me off a bit.

I would have liked to have a bit more of the Xavi plotline, aka why he tried to poach her and what was the connection to him being caught doping - it just seemed a bit unfinished.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ylva Publishing for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Slammed is a sports romance in the world of tennis. Elin Larsson is the number 1 player in the world, and she's trying to beat the record Grand Slams titles. She is dealing with injuries, anxiety, and a feeling that her heart isn't on tennis anymore. Then she meets Toni Cortes Ruiz, a player who was seriously injured and, against all odds, was making her comeback into tennis in pursuit of her first Grand Slam. Their paths keep crossing in different matches, and they begin a friendship that develops into more. The novel is good, the main characters are well-developed and feel real. I liked the way Keeley described the pressure of the game on the players, it made me feel it along with them. I don't play or follow tennis, so I don't know much about it. However, everything about the game was written in a way that made it easy to understand and be interested in the sport. It's worth noting that tennis itself is a big part of the novel, it's not just a background for the romance. The end felt slightly rushed, and I'd have enjoyed it more if some of the things that happened then actually came in an epilogue sometime later. There was also one storyline that was shown but never developed, and it made me wonder what happened in that situation. I enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone looking for a light read, especially if you are a tennis fan.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this e-ARC.

An inside look into the world of tennis in its entirety. Elin Larsson is vying for the grand slam crown, but she manages to keep a low profile because of concerns about injuries and rumors of scandal. Toni Cortes Ruiz, a rival player, enters the game and pursues her first slam. As they continue to meet paths in important matches, an increasing attraction between the competing women begins to heat up. The rivalry between them and the way their paths kept coming together was something I truly loved. I really enjoyed how family was included in this one, and I really loved the tennis part of it and the connection between Elin and Toni.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

tennis
grand slams
rivalry

an inside peak to the tennis world in all its glory
elin larsson is after that grand slam title but with injury worries and the hint of scandal always around she keeps a low profile

Toni Cortes Ruiz is back.... after an horrendous injury that could have ended her career a few years ago she is hungry for wins.... as elin and toni path cross both are chasing those wins but thats not all that comes calling.....

a fun read and an insight to the lives of tennis players and what they have to go through...

Sports romances are the hot books of the summer. slammed is the latest read for me. It was a slam dunk!

World No. 1 tennis star Elin Larsson is in hot pursuit of a record number of Grand Slam titles. But between pressing injuries and growing anxiety, it’s starting to feel like her heart isn’t in it. Gorgeous rival player Toni Cortes Ruiz bursts onto the scene, chasing her first slam. As their paths keep crossing in big matches, a growing attraction starts to burn between the competitive women. When scandals, the media, and the world starts closing in on them, Elin and Toni need to decide whether they’re competitors or on the same side. A sparkling sporty workplace romance about rivals and romance, and putting everything on the line.

It's been a while since I read a good tennis story. I really enjoyed the competitive relationship and the way their paths kept crossing. In a lot of romances, the sport is in the background, and it was really cool to see this author's homage to the sport. I loved the tennis aspect of this, I loved the chemistry between Elin and Toni, and I really enjoyed the inclusion of family in this one. Highly recommend this for sports fans!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

I enjoyed this novel a lot! I must comment that its heavy on the tennis and light on the relationship, which is worth knowing going in. I personally don’t care for sports too much so this was somewhat of a downside, however even for sport ambivalent people like myself this was a well written and enjoyable novel. There is a lot of page space spent on tennis, but it is simple and well explained enough that you don’t need knowledge of the sport to enjoy the novel. This could have been 4 or 5 stars; if I liked tennis more I bet it would be 5 stars but as it is it landed closer to 4 for me.

The novel itself is well written, the characters are detailed and clear, and the sport content is engaging even for non-fans of tennis. I enjoyed the slow burn relationship development, as well as following the protagonist’s journey over the course of the novel. Despite the large amount of text spent on the court during matches (and before, and after….) this novel was ultimately about a journey of self-discovery, the protagonist pushing through their struggles to achieve a personal goal, and balancing personal objectives against developing relationships with another.

There were a few plot points that either didn’t quite work for me, or they were left unresolved (take your pick it could be either, I’m not sure). These were minor things that ultimately didn’t matter too much, but they stopped me from rating this novel any higher.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Reading this immediately after watching Zendaya in Challengers was the best decision. I needed another piece of sports themed entertainment in my life and Lola Keely's Slammed absolutely served! Yes, pun totally intended.

Thank you to Ylva Publishing and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

Rivals to lovers sports romance. Heavy on the sports.
Perfect for those who love tennis and enjoy light romances. Not my personal favorite, and was missing the rivalry tension I expected.

As a tennis fan I really enjoyed this book. I would say it’s the story of Elin Larsson and her quest to elevate her status to a record breaking legend. And to make it even better we have Toni and all the sass, normality and romance that she brings to Elin’s life. Game, set and match for me.

Elin is ranked number one, smashing through tennis Grand Slams and going for an all-time record. But what has become a rather joyless race to the top is knocked off course when she meets Toni, a lower-ranked player who is making a strong comeback after injury. As the women play matches around the world, they fall for each other, but how will they handle their relationship, especially as Elin is not yet publicly out as a lesbian? Lola Keeley's Slammed was a sure-fire hit for me: tennis + lesbians + total annihilation of the Ambitious Women Meet Bad Ends trope, which I've noticed is much less in play in queer romance. The pacing felt slightly off, as Keeley doesn't quite raise the stakes high enough, and I was unsure about a minor subplot that involves women of colour unfairly getting tested for drugs far more often than white players, as it seemed to be only present as a vehicle for Elin to showcase what a great ally she is (the awkward handling reminded me of the way race is written in Mary Robinette Kowal's The Fated Sky, which is otherwise a very different novel!). Nevertheless, I loved the unabashed tennis geekery and the sweet romance between Elin and Toni. I was also delighted to discover that this is published by an independent press called Ylva, which turns out to be a women-owned international publisher that especially focuses on WLW romance. I'll definitely be reading more from them, and from Keeley.

Very enjoyable sports romance. Elin Larsson is number one in the world and just a few grand slams away from beating the record for titles. Escaping for an evening from Wimbledon for she meets younger (six years) tennis player Toni Cortes Ruiz. Toni is making a comeback climbing the rankings after an almost career ending back injury. They see each other at various tournaments and get to know each other through texts and limited conversations.

I love watching tennis, and thought the book brought about the excitement of the game going through various tournaments. There are some extras in the story as Elin lends her status to challenge current drug testing policies. She also needs to decide if and when she wants to officially come out. It is told entirely from Elin’s POV and I liked that some of the story is focused on family. Elin’s mother being her coach is a big part of that. I may have wanted a little more sizzle but otherwise this book was a winner, especially if you like tennis. Originally published in 2019. (4.5 Stars)

Elin Larsson should be focusing on her next tennis match and a record in Grand Slam titles, but instead is at a bar trying to pick up a pretty woman.

Antonia Cortez Ruiz is far too pretty for Elin's comfort, especially as she's a fellow player. And probably straight.

Worse, Elin's parents are divorcing and her Mom is also her Coach. As the match season picks up, Elin finds herself shyly interested in Toni. Then a lingering injury endangers her goals...

Good solid read. I liked Elin and Toni, the relationship worked and they were fun to read about. Good plot twists in the story, and the resolution was both dramatic and interesting.

4/5 stars.

Lola Keeley scores another ace
I've read several lesfic books where sports are a central feature of the stories, at least three of them about tennis recently, and am not a fan of any sports so the other elements of the story need to be solid in order for me to get thru the book and to enjoy it to some degree. None of the sports books have made me more of a fan of the sports they cover but they do provide insight into the lives of professional players of team and single sports, a peek behind the curtain into the world of sponsorships, press and privacy etc.
Slammed covers aspects of this backstage view of tennis in an interesting way and the details of the sports play itself will more than please any tennis fan; by the end of the book I was invested in the matches more than I expected to be even if I didn't fully understand the minutiae of the sport itself. What really captured my attention and got me pleasantly hooked though were the characters - the variety of them in terms of age, personality, race, orientation, etc. I was leery of some characters and their motivations at times since many of them are competitors in the game but away from it are friends, lovers, rivals or cycling thru more than one of these kinds of relationships. They did grow on me though and each person is distinct so they're easy to keep track of, no small feat in a book that contains many characters in and out of the sport. Fans of tennis will love the tennis specific details and can enjoy trying to determine which real life tennis pros may have inspired certain characters. I found myself laughing alot at the humor throughout the book. The romance takes an unusual path but is no less satisfying as it progresses; approaching the end of the book had me turning pages faster than normal to see what happened next thanks to some edge of your seat action. There is plenty to enjoy in this book even if you're not a tennis fan; it's a great read and adds to a growing list of books I recommend from Lola Keeley for solid writing and storytelling. I look forward to seeing what Keeley writes about next and will most likely be reading it when it's available.
(Reviewed October 10, 2019)