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Pickleballers

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A pickleball newbie looking to recover from life’s swings and misses crosses paddles with love in this debut romantic comedy.

Meg Bloomberg is in a pickle. When Meg’s ex turns out to be a total dink, she and her bestie take off for a mood-lifting pickleball excursion to Bainbridge Island. It’s supposed to be an easy lob, a way to heal, not the opening serve to a new courtside romance that’s doomed to spin out.
 
No matter how Meg tries, she can’t shake her feelings for Ethan Fine. A charismatic environmental consultant and Bainbridge local, Ethan seems like the real dill. But when Meg discovers that Ethan is sabotaging her home court, she decides the match is over.
 
It’s time for Meg to take control of her own game. And maybe, just maybe…love will bounce back.

367 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 12, 2024

172 people are currently reading
10600 people want to read

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Ilana Long

4 books44 followers

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5 stars
90 (5%)
4 stars
326 (19%)
3 stars
724 (42%)
2 stars
418 (24%)
1 star
132 (7%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 432 reviews
Profile Image for Rachel | All the RAD Reads.
1,254 reviews1,325 followers
August 26, 2024
noooooo we have gone TOO FAR. this book is trying WAY TOO HARD to be trendy and relevant with the whole pickleball fad and it’s so cringe. i got 8% in and that was GENEROUS. truly it felt like a fever dream going from a pickleball game to a divorce on a sticky note to delivering custom cat collars to a truck full of piglets to a ferry ride, a hot stranger, and quickly thereafter a steamy car hookup scene with said strangerin the first few pages???

no thank you, not for me
Profile Image for Mallory.
1,933 reviews290 followers
November 24, 2024
I must admit I’ve never played pickleball, but it seems like an interesting sport and I was excited to read more about it in this one. This book had some good humor and I think a lot of potential. I think there was a little too much back and forth drama in the relationship build up for me. A rom-com always has the moment where it appears all is lost for the couple, but I couldn’t even tell when we reached that final hill since it had been so up and down all along and I wasn’t emotionally invested at that point (I missed my normal cry during a rom com). When Meg’s marriage falls apart her friend Annie takes her to play Pickleball. Meg is still a beginner, but she enjoys the game quite a bit. When her club loses their court and sees the chance to enter a tournament as a chance to raise the funds to get a new set of courts and she is excited at the chance to play as part of the beginners team. But nothing is simple, especially not the handsome man she has met. The couple was a decent one and I was rooting for them.
Profile Image for Nicki Wittman.
36 reviews6 followers
December 4, 2024
I picked this book up for the laughs because it combines my love of pickleball with romance books so I can’t say that I’m surprised that it wasn’t great. The book was definitely pickleball forward, there were many pages dedicated to play-by-plays of a pickleball match, I’ll leave you to decide if that’s a good thing or not. Overall, I found myself getting bored, there was too much fluff in the book and random plot points that felt odd to me, but also, what else could I expect from a pickleball rom-com 🤷🏼‍♀️
Profile Image for Alessia Cozza.
95 reviews3 followers
May 2, 2025
This book was so bad. The plot was all over the place and the fmc was so immature. I only finished this as a bet to myself
Profile Image for Catherine.
113 reviews31 followers
November 12, 2024
Thank you to PRH Audio, Ilana Long, and Berkley Romance for providing me with this ebook and ALC.

𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬

The author of this book delivers a captivating narration. Her soothing voice not only engages but also draws you into the story. She masterfully brings each character to life, making them unforgettable. Truly impressive!

𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬

I’m happy I had the opportunity to read this book. It was an enjoyable and uplifting story. I admired the strength of the main female character, Meg, and her passion for art resonated with me. She used Pickleball not only as a distraction but also to make new friends. Having experienced the challenges of moving on after a divorce, I found this story inspirational for many reasons. I thought her love interest was intriguing, and I enjoyed the chemistry between the two of them. The side characters were hilarious, and I laughed a lot! I would recommend reading this book.

Profile Image for Liz.
171 reviews
January 1, 2025
What do pickleball, Japanese internment camps, and the phrase “pipin potatoes with all the fixins” have in common? They are somehow all in this book.

I laughed a lot at this book for amazing quotes like, “for the rest of her midday snooze, pickleball and sex filled her sweet dreams.”
Profile Image for Nursebookie.
2,888 reviews451 followers
November 14, 2024
TITLE: PICKLEBALLERS
AUTHOR: Ilana Long
PUB DATE: 11.12.2024

Meg Bloomberg is in a pickle. When Meg’s ex turns out to be a total player, she and her bestie take off for a mood-lifting pickleball excursion to Bainbridge Island. It’s supposed to be an easy lob, a way to heal, not the opening serve to a new courtside romance that’s doomed to spin out.
 
No matter how Meg tries, she can’t shake her feelings for Ethan Fine. A charismatic environmental consultant and Bainbridge local, Ethan seems like the real dill. But when Meg discovers that Ethan is sabotaging her home court, she decides the match is over.
 
It’s time for Meg to take control of her own game. And maybe, just maybe…love will bounce back.

THOUGHTS:

I was so excited when we had a Posh Pickleball event at work when I received this book in the mail, while also having just learned to play the sport from my sister. Who knew I had a knack for dinking the ball in the kitchen.

The book was a fun read, and had all the pickleball puns in an uplifting story full of heartwarming moments that was sweet and romantic.

If you love a sports romance romcom set in the beautiful PNW surrounding pickleball, with a tender romance, and the occasional hilarious scenes that will make you belly laugh? Be sure to pick up Pickleball - it’s good for your soul.
Profile Image for Elizabeth O'Keefe.
958 reviews23 followers
May 29, 2024
Okay, this was super cute.

Lots of witty back and forth banter, makes you smile. There is also a lot of light hearted and heart warming moments that you get from the romance portion and also the friendship of the characters.

Sweet, can be romantic, emotional, it was a very entertaining read and a unique story.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for my E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for Nadine Bookaholic.
3,727 reviews526 followers
December 10, 2024
Oh, where do I even begin? First, a little background: This book is heavy on pickleball terminology, and if you're like me and don't play the game, you might find yourself looking up different terms, which is precisely what I was doing, and I felt that it took me out of the story. If you do play, you may not mind that there is constant talk about the game and different pointers, which I understand since the main character is learning the game, it only makes sense that someone would be teaching her and, therefore, us as well...but it was too much in my opinion. There were so many play-by-plays of pickleball matches that they became boring because I didn't understand them. After a while, when those scenes happened, I found myself skimming them.

𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 ➡ https://bit.ly/NBReviewPB

pickleballers by ilana long

Nadine's Obsessed with Books **I have voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Readers Copy of this book for my Blog, Nadine's Obsessed with Books
You can find me here: Nadine Bookaholic's Links
Profile Image for Sarah.
328 reviews3 followers
May 24, 2025
Alright….. I see why this has such low reviews but I will say, I think people are being harsh. I think this is a SOLID 3 star

It starts off kind of awesome. I love how the fmc catches the quirky pickle ball culture and highlights how people treat beginners. Rooster is like absolutely a real person you would meet while playing and I have my own pball guru so that was cute.

The rude nicknames were spot on. The crabby lady who is low key good so she gets away with everything is so accurate.

Such a good setup!!

And then the author must have felt like that wasn’t enough bc she literally takes all that goodness and THROWS IT AWAY. Literally the fmc LEAVES THAT TOWN. What the fork.

Also yes it’s pickle heavy but mostly on like logistics of the game. I really wanted it to be about the tension while playing, and staying focus when you are playing with one of your enemies and how intense it can get. Like I wanted hot sexual raw tension on the courts and there was none of that.

The entire hike/camping scene which was like a huge part of the book was so forking random. I hated every second of that.
The fear of bridges was also so random.
His mom’s cabin was so random. Why did we even meet his parents low key.

The no hooking up for weeks before the tournament was L A M E


I REALLY WANTED SOME SPICY PICKLE SCENES.

Ok maybe I do understand the low rating…
Profile Image for Jayne Hunter.
686 reviews
February 16, 2025
2.5 stars. The writing in this didn’t do it for me. The bigger plot points were written halfway decently, but the “filler” seemed like just that. Scenes that were cringey and not very believable, lack of continuity, and chemistry that felt forced. It didn’t bring the funny much at all-or where it tried it left me with second-hand embarrassment. Points for a unique premise surrounding pickleball-I learned some things about the game.
Profile Image for Melissa Baker.
130 reviews10 followers
February 7, 2025
hahahahahahahahah a pickleball romance is on order at the lib and yes I'm first in line
Profile Image for Lindsey.
1,181 reviews47 followers
November 11, 2024
✨ Review ✨ Pickleballers, written and read by Ilana Long

Thanks to Berkley, PRHAudio, and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

Meg starts playing pickleball with her bff Annie after her sudden divorce from her crummy husband (he alerts her he's leaving on the back of a home improvement store receipt). She begins to fall in love with the sport, and she becomes part of a local pickleball community, which is under threat of destruction as a school renovation that plans to remove their courts to restore the wetlands. Alongside this, Meg's challenging for a beginners spot at the local picklesmash tourney to help her group raise funds for new courts.

Meg, early on, encounters a hottie on the ferry back to Seattle, and they hit it off with their banter and fun immediately. When he appears again though, her skepticism grows -- is he a friend or a foe?

Much of the book takes place on Bainbridge Island as Meg tries to reestablish her identity post-divorce. The book is full of painting, pickleball, hiking, and adventures galore, and I loved the banter between Meg and Ethan throughout the book. This was a perfect light read for a hard week!

(Note I loved how this worked in this history of Bainbridge Island - from pickleball to Japanese internment. I thought the author did this really well without it becoming a distraction from the plot!)

🎧 This was really such a fun read and I love that the author read the audiobook too. Minus Annie's chipmunk voice (that admittedly she executes as promised), I loved listening to this book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5)
Genre: f/m contemporary romance
Setting: Seattle and Bainbridge, Washington
Length: 10 hours 50 minutes
Pub Date: November 12, 2024

Read this if you like:
⭕️ pickleball
⭕️ sports romances
⭕️ Seattle and the outdoors
⭕️ banter-filled relationships
Profile Image for Laura • lauralovestoread.
1,644 reviews283 followers
November 21, 2024
I really enjoyed this cute romcom debut with all the banter, a great group of friends and side characters, and an uplifting story. While I’ve never actually played Pickleball, I loved that Meg tried something new, and after reading this, I definitely need to give it a try. It gave me Carrie Soto is Back vibes, with the sport being such a main focus of the story, but I found it entertaining overall.

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧
-forced proximity
-friends to lovers
-opposites attract
-small town romance

*many thanks to Berkley Romance and PRH audio for the gifted copy for review
Profile Image for Michele    (Michelem.reads).
154 reviews33 followers
October 21, 2024

The title caught my attention immediately because I play pickleball. Finally a sports romance that features pickleball! The author did her research on the sport! It even takes place where the sport originated. This was a fun romance with lots of banter! There is a lot of pickleball incorporated. It may be too much if you aren’t interested in the sport. Otherwise it was a fun, quick read!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group & NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Pub Date: November 12, 2024.
Profile Image for Chloe.
178 reviews
May 14, 2025
Love pickleball, hate this FMC
Profile Image for Hannah Mullan.
474 reviews19 followers
February 18, 2025
The Pickleballers by Ilana Long – 2.5 stars ⭐️⭐️✨🥒🏓

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately, the only reason I finished this book was because of that agreement. The characters took pickleball so seriously that it became laughable-I found myself rolling my eyes throughout.

The moments I enjoyed most had nothing to do with pickleball; the hiking chapters with goats were the real highlight for me. I can see how this book might appeal to dedicated fans of the sport, but maybe I’m just not a sports romance reader. The chants of “Pickleball!” at the end were the final touch on my ongoing frustration with the story.

I also found Meg’s friend Annie incredibly annoying, and the confusion between the two Michaels felt far-fetched. While I appreciate the opportunity to read this ARC, this one just wasn’t for me.
Profile Image for Anna Spence.
138 reviews83 followers
July 6, 2024
⭐️3.5/5⭐️

What a cute book! I loved that there was a significant amount of pickleball in this book, because sometimes with sports romance, there ends up being very little sports. This was very easy to read (I finished in about 2 days), and I was always excited to pick it back up again while reading it.

My only criticism would be that I wish some of the dialogue wasn’t quite so cheesy at times. And I feel like some plot points weren’t as flushed out as they should have been. In general, I think it could have been a little longer so we didn’t have to glaze over some things.

Overall, I very much enjoyed and am dying to read more pickleball romance!
Profile Image for Roberta (Always Behind).
722 reviews15 followers
January 13, 2025
Meg Bloomberg is dumped by her husband who turns out to be a cheater. Maybe it will be for the best since he was always making fun of her art and certainly not supportive. Her friend Annie talks her into trying pickle ball which is all the rage in their area of Washington State. Meg is determined to get better at the game so she can participate in an upcoming tournament. The pickle ball courts in their neighborhood are rather run down, but there is no budget to repair or replace them. To make matters worse, environmentalist Ethan Fine locks up the courts to make sure they are used for animals, birds and plants to thrive.
Meg and Annie decide to take some time off and go to Bainbridge that was the birthplace of pickle ball. Meg ends up getting a commission to paint a mural like project on the gate of the inn where she's staying. She runs into Ethan there practicing with the Bainbridge team. They good many games and Ethan suggests Meg play with the Bainbridge team since her getting a beginner spot on her local team is not set,
At first, Meg has a low opinion of Ethan and thinks he trying to make life difficult for her and her pickle ball buddies. As she gets to know him her opinion changes dramatically.
The rom-com part of this book was cute. Unfortunately, there was a heavy emphasis on pickle ball as you would expect from the title. As one who has never played that didn't engage me. I was never good at sports. Always the last one picked last for school team sports. I was the bookish one who also loved sing or dance. There was lot of suspense in a section of the book as a few of the characters were on a hike.
I enjoyed the secondary characters a lot, especially Annie. She was a skilled doctor who was looking for love that lead her on a surprising journey. The settings were great. The author's vivid descriptions brought them to life.
Overall, this book was a good effort for. debut. If you enjoy pickle ball, this novel will be a fun, entertaining read for you. I wish Ilana Long success in her future endeavors.
@berkleyromance #Berkleybesties
2 reviews
September 29, 2025
Probably would’ve dnfed this if I wasn’t reading & annotating it with holly & caylee but it was amusing sometimes
Profile Image for Charles.
68 reviews
April 14, 2025
The writing leaves a lot to be desired. There were far too many instances of implausible twists that conveniently (and unsatisfyingly) get a character out of a pickle. However, I'll give the book credit for two things: I now want to visit Bainbridge Island and I'm very excited for pickleball season to start again.
Profile Image for Kaitlyn Moore.
189 reviews348 followers
Read
August 28, 2025
DNF. I tried to go into it thinking it was gonna be cringe but entertaining and it was even worse than imagined. As a hobby pickleballer, I’m embarrassed. 60 pages in and I can’t stomach another made up picklephrase. Goodnight.
Profile Image for Jill MacDonald.
18 reviews1 follower
February 27, 2025
Cute story. It made me laugh out loud several times. Ilana Long has a great sense of humor in this book!
Profile Image for Holly Haney.
77 reviews
April 7, 2025
2.5 ⭐️- When looking for a book to annotate/exchange with 2 friends, I looked for the most ridiculous romance I could find… turns out I did a good job! The best part of this book is that I get to watch them suffer as they read it as well.

Honestly, not the worst book- had its cute moments but I just found myself disinterested and annoyed by the main characters. And the pickleball puns were awful- and this is coming from a big lover of dumb jokes.

Godspeed Caylee and Shelbi.
Profile Image for Karsen.
65 reviews
March 16, 2025
as a bainbridge islander, i’m a hater. srry 🤷🏼‍♀️
Profile Image for Barbara Powell.
1,131 reviews66 followers
October 24, 2024
"Life's like pickleball You gotta release the bad patterns and habits that are dragging you down before you can make any progress."
I'm not usually a sports romance reader, but with the current pickleball craze I couldn't help but give this one a shot and being based in the gorgeous PNW is helpful as well because the descriptions of the scenery were absolutely stunning
Meg is a beginner pickleball player-her best friend Annie is trying to take her mind off her recent divorce by teaching her to play- and soon she be ok just as obsessed as every one else. Ohe day on a trip to the mainland she has sparks fly during an encounter on the ferry with a mystery man. She soon finds out that her mystery man is Ethan Fine; an environmental engineer who has plans to convert her local pickleball court into wetlands. But what Meg doesn't know is that he is also a pickler himself. Meg's attraction to him grows as her skills improve and when a big tournament comes up that offers a big payday that could help them get new courts. Meg and her fellow pickleballers work to win and bring the championship home. "In pickleball, love is everything.”

There's loads of humor-including slapstick, multigenerational friendships and an abundance of pickleball puns. If you're ready to have a good time, knock your ball into the "kitchen" and pick this up when it's released in November
Displaying 1 - 30 of 432 reviews

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