Clean Point

Game, Set, and Match #1

by Meg Jones

Scottie Sinclair is a cheat.

Or at least, that’s what the world thinks. After all, who would believe her own father secretly drugged her?

The tabloids have called ‘Game, Set, Match’ on Scottie’s career–but an offer at redemption, and more importantly revenge, may give her the chance at a clean serve.

Nico Kotas reigned the tennis world for almost a decade–until an injury took him from the baseline.

Now with a clear bill of health, he’s hungry for one last title. But his public image needs a new game plan — and according to his coach, his former rival’s daughter is the perfect advantage.

But with old enemies on the sidelines, scandal is seconds away.

Because, after all, revenge is best served Centre Court.




· Sports Romance
· Celebrity
· Pro Athletes
· Father's Rival to Mixed Doubles Partners
· Aging sport star x Disgraced up and comer
· Age Gap
· Fake Dating
· Forced Proximity
· Open Door
· Dual POV

Genres: Romance, Sports Romance, Sports, Enemies To Lovers, Contemporary Romance, Audiobook, Forced Proximity

435 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 8, 2024

About the author

Meg Jones lives in Aberdeen, Scotland, home to the world largest and most aggressive seagulls, with her partner and two cats.

When she isn’t writing steamy romance she desperately wants her parents to avoid, you can find her on the sofa with the perfect expresso martini (equal parts expresso, vodka and Tia Maria) watching sports, quiz shows and musicals.

Meg can best be found spending far too much time on Instagram at @megjoneswrites.

Reviews

[Fairuz ᥫ᭡. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars! 🎾✨ Huge thanks to HarperAudio and NetGalley for the ALC! 💖 Clean Point by Meg Jones is dropping on December 31, 2024, and trust me—you do NOT want to miss this spicy, enemies-to-lovers sports romance! With a solid 11-hour and 34-minute runtime, I was completely hooked! 📚



✨ Tropes Galore! ✨
✧ Enemies-to-lovers 💘
✧ Sports romance 🎾
✧ Forced proximity 💗
✧ Slow burn 💓
✧ Second chances 💫
✧ Hidden trauma 💔
✧ Age gap (sort of!) 💕
✧ Healing through love 💖

Okay, okay—Clean Point hit ALL the right notes! 😍 This wasn’t just your average tennis romance; it was a feels rollercoaster! The drama, the character growth, the chemistry between Scottie and Nico—UGH, they were EVERYTHING. Their hate-to-love journey had me hooked from the start, and don’t even get me started on the slow burn that turned into a connection so undeniable, I was living for it! 🙌

Not gonna lie, I was kinda craving more tennis action—sweaty matches, tournaments, the full sports experience—but honestly, the emotional depth of the story made up for it. The banter? So good. The secret pining? Chef’s kiss. And the forced proximity made everything feel so much more personal and intense. I was even lowkey wishing for a third-act breakup for the drama, but nope! Thank goodness we were spared that cliche! 🙅‍♀️

Scottie’s trauma? Handled with such care. 🥺 The way she and Nico helped each other heal was so emotional, and I just loved seeing them grow together. Nico? Total softie under all that tough-guy exterior. And Jon? Seriously, he stole my heart. 💞 Can’t wait to see more of Oliver (and Dylan—their story is coming, right?!).

The narrators, Mary Jane Wells and Patrick Zeller, really brought the story to life. Mary Jane's voice perfectly captured Scottie’s emotional depth, and Patrick’s delivery of Nico’s internal struggles was spot-on. The way they switched between the characters added so much richness to the experience. Highly recommend the audiobook for that extra touch of magic. ✨

So yeah, if you’re a sucker for enemies-to-lovers and sports romances with all the heart and heat, Clean Point is your next go-to. I’m already counting down the days until the next one in the series! 🙌

CW:
- Parental betrayal
- Emotional trauma
- Substance abuse



Image credits: Pinterest.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rivals join forces for revenge and love, THIS WAS DELICIOUS!

This was so good. Gripping, sweet, and satisfying, I ate this up. Think ‘The Cutting Edge’ meet ‘Carrie Soto is back’ but with sex and lots of dirty talk.

Niko was a perfect book boyfriend. He started off resenting Scottie due to allegations of her doping and her bad reputation, but once he got to know the truth of her he was all in. He gave her time and space to get on board with their relationship and backed her the entire book. True supportive caregiver hero in a grump package. 🔥
(No OW mentioned whatsoever, the man may have been a life long monk for all we are told).
And Scottie was so complicated and strong. She had been through a lot and had trouble sticking up for herself but once Niko had her back she became a fierce self advocate and I loved her so much.
So much external drama and conflict in this one but the core romance never once wavered, no third act but a fairly mid to slow burn relationship development. The ending was satisfying and also realistic and the tennis moments were so well done. Full disclosure I’m a tennis fan and player so expected to nitpick this one but I couldn’t! Perfect balance of sport knowledge without crushing the reader in technical terms. Even non tennis fans will be good with this one.


Narration: loved both narrators, Mary Jane Wells is a personal fave of mine. I’ve never heard the male narrator, Patrick Zeller, before but he had a good grittiness to his voice and I enjoyed him. Dual POV was also well balanced and we were in Niko’s head a lot but it was well done and he did not constantly objectify the heroine and have sexy thoughts (though he did have some).

I did not expect to like this one! I picked it up off NetGalley on a whim because I like tennis but whew, was it good!

(The Taylor Swift song references at the beginning of some chapters did not make sense. It felt crowbarred in for swifties. Easy to skip but what was the point? )

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio for the advanced copy, these opinions are my own.

[rouss♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

｡⋆୨୧˚˖𓍢ִ໋` 4.5⭐️

𝗺𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:⋆ ˚｡⋆
loved this tennis romance🎾
This book was a lot deeper than i expected goor a romcom, but nevertheless i loved it! Classic enemies to lovers trope with great characters. Can't wait for Meg's next book!
I really liked the fact that there was a vendetta behind it, it keeps you on edge and it's really fun, I love the sports romance

Can we please have a bonus chapter about the proposal? I need this like i need my next breath🥲🤣

[Heather Adores Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25⭐
Genre ~ sports romance
Setting ~ England
Publication date ~ book ~ August 6, 2024, audio ~ December 31, 2024
Publisher ~ Avon & Harper Audio
Est Page Count ~ 410 (p+ 48 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 11 hours 34 minutes
Narrators ~ Mary Jane Wells, Patrick Zeller
POV ~ dual 1st
Featuring ~ UK English writing, tennis, forced proximity, age gap, slow burn, secret relationship, enemies to lovers, some steamage

Author content warning:
explicit content throughout with open door scenes, abusive father/coach, mentions of intentional and secret drugging/medical misuse, mentions of disordered eating due to training, alcohol consumption, sexual harassment, verbal abuse/slut shaming

Scottie (25) & Nico (33) are both trying to come back in the tennis world. She due to being named a cheat 2 years ago, and he due to a knee injury. They don’t hit it off right from the bat, but can these two work together to bring home a title they both dream of?

If enemies to lovers is your thing then you'll probably like this one since the tension and chemistry was great. Not really sure why they are enemies, but whatever. About the age gap, he's only 33 so her calling him old quite often got quite old for me with its repetitiveness. There are a good mix of side likable and unlikable characters. The father is awful, which we knew would be the case based on the author content warning.

Overall, I can't say I was fully invested and could hardly wait to put my earbuds in, but it was a solid first experience with this author so I would try her again.

Narration notes:
They both did a pretty good job of doing opposite sex voices and in a different accent. I think duet narration really would have brought the narration home though. He did a lot of whispering, so I had to up the volume for his chapters.

Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ X

[Zoë · Rating 4 out of 5]

you guys if my knees weren’t deteriorating at a rapid rate I’d totally take up tennis. first we had challengers - the silliest and most toxic threesome energy of our generation - and now you’re giving me these FREAKS ??!!! tennis is for the SLUTS !

[RLbooks (in and out) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yay for another buddy read with Elizabeth! Though this was less of a win reading-wise than our last one I think. I had a hard time with this author’s writing style and the character development. A book about two tennis stars was a welcome change of pace however and it does have some positive moments.

Scottie (h) starts the story having just won at Wimbledon and then discovers that her father has secretly been dosing her with a banned substance. She then proceeds to blow up her entire image and career to disgrace his legacy (rather than accusing him of what he’s actually done…because she doesn’t believe anyone will believe her). Two years later, her then-coach wants her to try and re-enter tennis because her competition ban is about to be lifted and he has another tennis star he’s coaching who he thinks will make for a good doubles partner for her. A partner who’s also considered to be a rival of her dad’s, so shoving the knife in there. Nico’s (H) older and more experienced, but trying to stage a comeback from a devastating knee injury. He doesn’t exactly warm up to Scottie right away, but the two have some entertaining banter and as they train with each other, the closeness and care develop until romance is simmering and secrets are shared.

Written in first person, dual POV. No ow/om drama and both are experienced (H has been celibate since his injury and h slept her way around for the past two years as part of torching her reputation and reclaiming her own body. Nothing is shown but multiple mentions of her time by others including a mentioned threesome with two men).

Some tropes/themes:
☆ Dislike to lovers
☆ Everyone thinks they know the FMC and they don’t
☆ Reclaiming your choices
☆ Revenge
☆ Some mean girl actions from a side character
☆ Lots of athletic talk and training
☆ Inappropriate paparazzi
☆ Dirty talking MMC

I had a hard time with Scottie and Nico feeling like they were younger than they’re supposed to be. To me, their characters read as more like teenagers at times with how they reacted to what was thrown at them. I did admire Scottie reclaiming herself and fighting to move out of her father’s action’s shadows. My heart broke for her several times as people were cruel, esp given the truth of the situation. I could not understand why she made the choices she did though.

When Nico warmed up to Scottie and became protective and caring, I liked his character more. The plot line of his recovery felt unevenly incorporated though because these two had so much happening and he was in such rough shape, yet expected from early on to manage two competitions (singles and doubles). His health becomes a larger topic later and what I think was meant to be a grand gesture occurs that didn’t feel right.

However, these two had some cuteness while training with scenes of Scottie stealing his hat, Scottie showing Nico how to lighten up, and of course, the steamy scenes, of which there are a couple. The tension was built up well between them and there’s some push/pull there given that they’re highly attracted to each other, yet wary of crossing that line when they’re in forced proximity to each other and both are trying to do something important career-wise that depends on the other.

The villain of the book is absolutely Scottie’s dad and his actions are not only reprehensible, but they’re OTT. His tentacles continue to reach out and touch things that Scottie is trying to accomplish and it felt like too much. I was also really hoping for a huge smackdown of him and what ultimately comes about was not satisfying for me in the least. The mean girl plot line was also unsatisfying for me. Again, it felt very teenager angst to me and the resolution felt contrived and I assume only happens because the author appears to be writing that character as the FMC for her next book.

Writing-wise, at the time I read this, there were some errors that took me out of the story, including multiple tense changes randomly throughout the book. That particular error is one I’m super sensitive to unfortunately. A couple of moments that were repetitious also affected my enjoyment. As Elizabeth says in her review, some of the crucial moments of the book are also conveyed via news stories rather than on page scenes. That choice was a little frustrating at times.

The ending is HFN/HEA with them in love, still playing tennis, still competing against each other, and a planned proposal about to happen. I was sad that we didn’t get to see the proposal or further out into their lives. We also don’t see the tennis world or paparazzi treat Scottie differently, which was sad. I can understand how others would find this read to be a quick and easy read (it does read fast) but ultimately it wasn’t quite a good fit for me.

[Sylvie {Semi-Hiatus} · Rating 3 out of 5]

Getting excited and reading about all of the kinds of these sport romances will make one think that I'm an athlete myself.
Hint: I'm not. 😞

[andrea.el · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5🌟

*this was a breath of fresh air and i loved it so much 🎾💚

[abby :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

more tennis romances when???

having discovered this author from her instagram posts and reading her first book, i feel like an og fan. i am so happy to say that she is now two for two on really good books! i love some tension in books and nico and scottie delivered. this is a romance between two down on their luck tennis star who have a common enemy and need to play doubles together to get back in the game. they're not close and have some preconceived thoughts about each other that prove themselves in the end, overall this is just such a fun book.

this probably should've been read right after i watched challengers but it came out this summer not in the spring. nico and scottie were such interesting characters because you really expect them to be crazy focused and hard headed people but they really are so soft with each other. you can tell they don't fully get along and trust each other in the beginning but their partnership turned love was so sweet. i honestly wish there was more tension but i also really enjoyed the simplicity of their love. we had no ridiculous third act break up which made me sooo happy. if there were a couple more moments of them being flirty at tennis or some more forced proximity/plane scenes i would've been even more in love the story.

it's incredibly fast paced which is great because its a little over 400 pages which seems daunting. if you're looking for a sports romance that is different from others currently on ku i highly recommend this! this authors first book, invisible string, is also good. that one has rival teachers and it was all i needed!!

[Em (semi-hiatus) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have a hard time believing this author knows anything about sports, or even writing, because how do you create a hero so besotted that after two kisses he’s calling the heroine a whore, before any relationship was established?

[Lex 🇲🇽 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.0 ⭐️

It was an alright read. I first went into it because I play tennis and love the sport, however I have read better books about this sport + there was no enemies to lovers of anything at all I would say rivals to lovers however that is also a stretch.
Maybe forced proximity suits this better?

[Drache.... (Angelika)]

Setting this aside at 15% because I don't feel it.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so glad I randomly decided to pick up Clean Point by Meg Jones when I saw it in my library’s catalog because I have officially found another favorite romance writer. This is her sophomore novel as well as the first book in the Game, Set, and Match series, and I can’t wait for Dylan’s story in book 2 (which I already have on Netgalley 🙌). This is a spicy romance (complete with a Dicktionary in the back) and completely open door. I am still getting comfortable with more spice in books, but it was done really well, and I LOVED the tension and sparks between Scottie and Nico.

The story is told through both of the MC’s viewpoints, and I appreciated the fact that the audiobook had a male and female narrator. I loved Mary Jane Wells & Patrick Zeller’s voices and thought they sounded exactly how I would expect Scottie and Nico to. My only ding for the audio is that Zeller’s narration sounded oddly muffled which became more of an issue for me as the book went on. The sound quality in general wasn’t as crystal clear as I would have liked it to be, but other than that the audiobook was perfect. I loved that this was set in the world of tennis 🎾 and it was so fun learning while getting a fantastic romance with lots of depth at the same time.

Read this if you love sports romance with sassy banter, female main characters that know what they want, and books with playlists (each chapter starts with a song title and Jones put the whole list in the front!).

My Spice Rating: 🌶🌶🌶
Audiobook Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

[amarachireads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though i didn’t like this one as much as i wanted to i do want more tennis romance from this author. I wasn’t sure what to think especially since the book started out with the fmc’s dad drugging her so she could perform better. That definitely set the tone as the fmc got banned from playing tennis for a couple years. The fmc back in the tennis world and teams up with the mmc who is also getting back into playing tennis after an injury. The mmc doesn’t like her at first but as they get to know each other of course they fall for each other.

I liked both main characters and they were cute. This book is a slow burn and it had a realistic progression but i needed to see more emotional depth with the romance. Overall okay it wasn’t bad.

[Allie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5, rounded down.

If you care more about character relationships and the drama between them, then I don’t think this was necessarily a bad read. I, unfortunately, also care about tennis, and this read like the author only had a vague idea of how the sport works and what it means to be a professional tennis player. I could only suspend my disbelief for so long, growing more and more agitated the longer I thought about the logistics of the author’s decisions. Why were presumably top players like Dylan and Ines taking 6 weeks off before Wimbledon to train on hard courts in Greece? Does clay season not matter anymore? What about the prestigious walk to Centre Court? It’s a whole production, and I felt that—for a book so focused on Wimbledon—the description of the grounds and all of its uniqueness was severely lacking. As was the tennis. It’s crazy that a 400+ page book suffered so deeply from telling instead of showing!!!

I am certain I am in the minority when it comes to caring this much about the tennis, but that’s the reason I picked the book up in the first place!! Alas!! A bit of structural changes and some more editing and this could have easily been a top read for me. Maybe the next book in this universe will be better 💔

(Unrelated, but I started to fear Nico was based on Nick Kyrgios early on, which is truly an unfortunate coincidence if true given how much he’s been running his mouth on social media lately advocating for a “clean sport” as if he’s not a garbage human being and a domestic abuser... Just some food for thought.)

[BONNIE SMITH · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every so often a book comes along and you just connect.

This is one I connected with so deeply, and honestly I have little in common with it.
I am NOT a recently shamed tennis star. I did not just find out I was being doped behind my back and lost a Wimbledon title. And I have not recently decided to run all over Europe, partying to forget my pain.

But, that's where we find Scottie Sinclair, former tennis prodigy, when we meet her. What I love here is that Scottie is the main character in a sports rom com, sure there will be a MMC, but I LOVE when sports romances focus on the female athletes and their struggles, and this book shines a light on the inequality and high expectations put on female athletes as part of the storyline- LOVED IT.

Now- I'm not complaining when Nico Kotas enters the story. He's older, he's grumpy and all he cares about is getting his last singles title before his knee injury really puts him out to pasture.

So when their former coach decides these two should compete in a doubles tournament, neither is convinced it could work.

Insert all the grumpy/sunshine, age gap banter you can imagine. I literally smiled for DAYS reading/listening to this one. Their chemistry is off the charts and Meg Jones had THE BEST sense of humor while writing for these two, the plane scene literally made me die laughing. I'm dead.

So, I really did not want this one to end. I loved the characters, I loved the storyline and the way the spice unfolded. It's already one of my favorite reads of 2025. So thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult for the ALC of this, I enjoyed every minute.

[Meg ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

i like tennis. i liked this.

[✨alexandria✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scottie and Nico were sooo endearing. Although, I have to say that in the beginning, I wasn’t really convinced they would be a good match. I found myself wondering what their commonalities were, and where their respective loyalties lied. As the story went on, I realized how each had their own unique internal battles to deal with & overcome. Of course, it was always obvious, but the intensity of it wasn’t, until it was unraveled bit by bit. I think it was so heart-warming to see how Nico was so open-minded towards Scottie, and her struggles (after his initial jerky attitude). He waited until she was ready to tell him her truth, and how she wanted to. It is refreshing her trauma wasn’t forced out of her & that he respected her enough to wait for that. He always had faith in her & lifted her up, and vice-versa. Now, I see just how perfect they were for each other, and how much they each needed one another. They truly had a relationship built on trust, respect, and friendship. They deserved their long-awaited happiness. 🥹 They put each other back together again.

Additionally, the way the author wrote this book was just phenomenal. Between the way she worded feelings and thoughts, to the 🌶️ scenes - it all just flowed so effortlessly. It was so beautiful, how strung together & seamless it all was. I really appreciated her tone & structure of writing. This was a laid-back read, but such an important one too. The author combined the rom-com with important social factors as well, and sensitive topics - in a such a great and unique way. It was all handled with such care and justice.

I loved this book! I can’t wait for the next one in the series.

[casey ⋆˚౨ৎ ⋆.˚ · Rating 3 out of 5]

i listened to this on audio which i enjoyed because of the narrators and the dual narration. this was a cute sports romance. i didn’t LOVE it but i didn’t hate it. it’s a quick read with both humor and romance with a complex family situation with scottie and her father. content warning: drugs (enhancing ones)

former tennis prodigy scottie is a cheat (or do the world thought). turns out her father was secretly drugging her with performance enhancing drugs. scottie is given an offer for redemption (& revenge) to start on a clean state. nico reigned the tennis world for almost a decade until an injury took him from the baseline. now with clean health, he wants one last title but his public image needs a new game plan which includes scottie (his former rival’s daughter/her dad).

tropes: enemies to lovers, age gap, open door, dual pov, fake dating, slow burn, forced proximity

🎾👟🏆🧢🐈

[Joana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Querem que vos fale do quanto me derreti com o Nico a ser todo amoroso com a Scottie ou do crescimento pessoal deles ao longo de todo o livro?

Porque ambas as coisas aconteceram e eu adorei. Acho que o livro foi até mais emotivo do que esperava e a forma crua e real como aborda os temas foi perfeita.

Acho que gostava só de uma referência mais aprofundada ao ténis do que aquela que tivemos, mas fora isso foi muito lindo. Senti que eram mesmo pessoas reais e estou tão orgulhosa do caminho que ambos percorreram que nem vos sei explicar 🥹

[monica ✨ romantasyreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was a delight. I loved scottie so much. even though she is disgraced in the tennis world and has a terrible relationship with her father (and ex coach), she comes back even stronger. and nico!!! the grumpy tennis player who’s matched with her for doubles. the two make an unlikely pair, but when the tension starts to hit I was so incredibly giddy. he literally goes from not wanting to make eye contact with her or shaking her hand to down so bad for her.

there’s great romantic tension, character development, and a grueling road to make a comeback, and I enjoyed every second!

🎧 the audio was a fun way to read this! I loved both narrator’s performances and would def recommend. I got my copy through libro.fm

what to expect
⟢ sports romance
⟢ age gap
⟢ tennis partners to lovers

[Eda Deger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well as a tennis player myself, i did enjoy this book. I loved that it covers a lot of the discussions the sport have in itself, and that it was the first sports-romance book that i read about this particular sport, so i love it-duh.

As someone soo deeply invested in the sport, i did however expected more to see the matches and practices and tournament struggles, but it really is a good start.

Enjoyed it but still it took me a while to finally finish it. so, solid **4** for the sport :D

[Romie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a very simple girl, I enjoy my smutty tennis books:)

[Rachael*Caribbean*girl*bibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spoilers ahead, 2.5*


The enemy of my enemy is my friend......

Two years ago Scottie's career came to a crashing halt after she overheard her father/ coach and realised that he'd been putting banned substances into her drinks. Furious and hurt she confessed but took the blame, leading to a two year suspension from tennis and the loss of her women's singles title.

Nico has won all the tennis titles except the men's singles then a knee injury put him on pause. A botched surgery put his return to tennis in doubt. Now 6 months later his coach approaches him with a proposition. A return to tennis and the takedown of the great Matteo Rossi. The only problem is..... he'd be working with Matteo's daughter, the wild child snd cheat Scottie Rossi.

********
Things I liked
The initial word play and chemistry between them. Nico, along with the world thought Scottie was a cheater because of her confession and subsequent ban. He was not a fan of hers at the beginning at all. That plane ride had me cackling though poor Scottie was in discomfort.

The tennis play, look I know nothing about tennis but theyr practice and such was fun to read.

Nico, when he got over his grumpy issues he was wonderful. Defensive of Scottie and protective of her. I believed in his feelings for her 100%

No third act breakup, I was holding my breath expecting it lol

Things I didn't like

The length of this damn book, wow for what it was it didn't need to be this long.

Scottie

Scottie's reputation, after what happened with her dad she went on a two year binge. Drinking, having sex and getting into rich girl trouble all over Europe.....with all her escapades gleefully reported in the tabloids. When reading about manwhores the one thing I hate is having their past rubbed into my face and it's the same thing with Scottie.

The tabloids labelled her a troublesome whore basically, Nico tried to stand up for her so many times and she'd just pull him back thinking of the scandal. I actually wanted her to stand up for herself so much. The things they said were just simply not ok. I was not a fan of her womanwhoring but she's a grown ass woman, who tf are they to constantly label her a whore and call her out her name like that.

I felt like Nico was more invested in the relationship, it wasn't until he gave up the singles title to play doubles with her that she realised she loved him. I just wanted her to love him a little harder.....he was so sweet poor fool.

The sexy times... I skipped them all

********
All in all my first read by this author and tbh had it been a bit shorter and Scottie's past downplayed a little I'd have definitely enjoyed this a lot more. Will try this author again though


No cheating
Experienced h
H had been injured and was recovering so I believe it'd been a while for him
Abusive parent

[Althea ☾ · Rating 3 out of 5]

breath of fresh air !!

the kind of contemporary romance dynamic/chemistry i was looking for that didn’t rely on too much drama to provide conflict between the MCs ! It keeps it as light as it can and centers around tennis for the most part. There is definitely spice and open door romance to take note of but I think they were rewarding in the context of the story (they weren’t cringey too lol).

the kind of romance if you want something that stays within a certain time frame and scope

a well written, fun and light adult romance— vibes

3.5

[Monet Daffodil · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Clean Point
Author: Meg Jones
Romance

Thank you SO much Netgalley and Harper Audio for the ALC! This one was amazing! Our story begins with Scottie who is a professional tennis player that wins the women’s singles title at Wimbledon. Shortly after her victory though it’s discovered that she was on drugs, even though it was actually her father secretly drugging her. Now she is a disgraced former tennis star, living life on the edge and doing whoever and whatever she wants. Then we have Nico, who is her fathers former rival, and has been out of the game for years since suffering from an injury. Unfortunately for them, their coach thinks that them working together is the perfect come back for their careers. As soon as I started listening to this I was hooked immediately. This is also a duo pov between Scottie and Nico which I loved. The story captivates you from right off the bat. If you like sports romance with a splash of spice, you will love this one. Both the character come with so many layers of messed up, it was a really good mix of plot, and in depth character development with spicy romance fun. Loved this listen. 🎾🌶️💞

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.4 stars

Thanks, @RL, for another buddy read!

This was fine but not completely satisfying.

The heroine was tricked and abused by her father. The front of the book pretty much starts with her finding out that her dad has been doping her to help her win at tennis.

Well this book had all the elements that could've made it a lot of fun, the writing style and plotting just didn't work for me. I think a big part of it was that the author did expository news clips throughout the book the advanced the story by telling us something big had happened. Even at the very end, we don't see the big reveal or the penultimate scene in the book. We just hear about it through a "news clip".

There is weird over-the-top villainy, mean girl behavior, and some bizarre choices by the two main characters.

It definitely would not be an author I would pick up again.

[Taylor L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jan Bookclub - loved!!

[What.Nikki.Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was cute...
However I don't think I would recommend the audio. The male narrators volume was very inconsistent. He would start this whisper voice to where I could hardly hear him then he would go back to normal voice and it would be so loud from me having to turn it up.

Tennis 🎾 rivals
Enemies to lovers
Famous tennis player(s)
Emotional

[Erin (erinsreadingroom) · Rating 5 out of 5]

— 5 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"I wanted to prove it to everyone that while Scottie Rossi was dead and buried, Scottie Sinclair was back for revenge."

📖 𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 435 pages
👤 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Meg Jones
🏢 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫: Michael Joseph, Penguin UK
📅 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: 8 August 2024

What you can expect:
— Adult Contemporary Sports Romance
— First Person X Dual POV
— Open Door Romance
— Pro-Athletes
— Rivals-To-Lovers
— Father's Rival-To- Mixed Doubles Partners
— Opposites Attract
— Age Gap (25/33)
— Grumpy X Sunshine
— Forced Proximity
— Slow Burn Romance
— Mutual Attraction & Pining
— Reluctant Cat Dad
— Celebrity Romance/PR Relationship

𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: sexually explicit content, parental abuse, intentional and secret drugging/medical misuse (mentioned/past), disordered eating due to training (mentioned/past), sexual harassment & slut shaming, verbal abuse, alcohol consumption.

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬:
Clean Point is the first instalment in an interconnected Sports Romance series by author Meg Jones. Scottie Sinclair is a cheat. Or at least, that’s what the world thinks. After all, who would believe her own father secretly drugged her? The tabloids have called ‘Game, Set, Match’ on Scottie’s career–but an offer at redemption, and more importantly revenge, may give her the chance at a clean serve. Nico Kotas reigned the tennis world for almost a decade–until an injury took him from the baseline. Now with a clear bill of health, he’s hungry for one last title. But his public image needs a new game plan — and according to his coach, his former rival’s daughter is the perfect advantage. But with old enemies on the sidelines, scandal is seconds away. Because, after all, revenge is best served Centre Court.

𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲:
Clean Point is a wonderfully written story that follows the journey of two competitive athletes on their second chance to greatness and the unexpected love they find on the way. The author's writing style was engaging and had me gripped in its grasp from beginning to end. Whilst the synopsis provides ample warning that this is not your typically fluffy romance story... I was truly surprised (in a positive way) by the trauma of our main characters and how pivotal and front-centre it was within the plot. I was impressed by how author Meg Jones portrayed Scottie's abuse and the emotional whirlwind that takes place as a result. It clearly highlights abusers and their methods are not singular, and Scottie's trauma is valid and deserving of belief. I believe the author has approached this storyline with the utmost care and respect, and it sits as a reminder to be mindful and aware. Survivors deserve to be believed with a safe space to open up about their experience, and I was glad to see Scottie gain the support that she desperately needed. Clean Point is a well-written and steady paced story that has been written with a lot of heart and care, and I cannot wait to read more works by this author in the future.

𝐏𝐥𝐨𝐭:
Clean Point kicks off with a bang as we witness Scottie Rossi achieving her lifelong dream of winning the woman's singles tournament at Wimbledon. What starts off as a day for celebration quickly turns to devastation when she discovers her father, a fellow Wimbledon sporting icon, has been secretly dosing her protein shakes with performance enhancing drugs. After an injury made her dream seem unreachable, Scottie's father took it upon himself to secure his legacy and betray his daughter's ultimate trust. Feeling heartbroken and traumatised, Scottie cuts all contact with her father and comes forward about her unjust win. Afraid of being branded as a liar if she comes forward with the truth, Scottie shoulders all of the responsibility which results in a two year ban and the judgement and mistrust of her peers. Two years later we find her nearing the end of her ban with zero intention of returning to the sport she once loved. After spending time in therapy to combat her newfound trust issues and anxiety, Scottie Sinclair has done everything she can to publicly tarnish the Rossi name and legacy as revenge. Except there is no revenge sweeter than returning to the competition at the side of her father's greatest rival, Nico Kotas. The plot of the story takes us from London to Greece, and back again as our pair try to learn how to train as a team with minimal insults and threats of giving up. I found myself completely enraptured by the plot and rooting for Scottie to attain the revenge she'd been so desperately seeking. The story was well balanced and felt neither too short nor quick paced. Every element was written with intent, and the ending felt all the more sweet after the compelling and emotional journey we're taken on. I loved the addition of the news headlines and articles as it provided the reader with 'real time' narration, which helped further the believability of the story being told.

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬:
Scottie Sinclair is a feisty and quick-witted twenty-five-year old woman with a resilient nature. Scottie's ability and commitment to proving herself in a sport that shunned her was admirable and inspiring. Her refusal to give up (despite coming close several times) was understandable and I was glad to see her gain a strong support system that showed her nothing but trust and belief. Scottie's trauma broke my heart and I was glad to see her commitment to therapy was mentioned during the two-year time jump. I was constantly rooting for her to open up and come forward about her experience as Scottie was completely undeserving of the ire and mistreatment that was flung her way, whilst feeling immense pride at how desperately she tried to take it in her stride. Her spitfire attitude made her a worthy teammate to the stoic and grumpy Nico, and watching the positive impact she had on his character was a beautiful journey to follow. Scottie is unapologetic for who she is and undergoes great character development as she slowly learns how to better advocate for herself, and I was felt genuine pride for her growth by the end.

Nico Kotas is a tennis legend who defeated the iconic Matteo Rossi at only eighteen years old. An incredible career followed with many wins and great opportunities, until an accident on the court the year prior leads to a botched knee surgery and his career in question. At thirty-three-years old Nico is young by all standards except the ones established in sport. His age places a deadline on his professional career, and he's determined to make his Wimbledon comeback before its too late. Partnering up with his rival's daughter wasn't on his bingo card, but even he can't deny how sweet it would feel to flaunt this towards Matteo. At first, Nico is incredibly rude and dismissive towards Scottie. Without knowing her he makes a quick assumption on her character and acts accordingly, however he is quickly proven wrong and realises how unfair he was behaving. His commitment and dedication for the sport he has committed his entire life to is admirable, and I loved that despite this he remains unselfish and aware. Nico isn't perfect by any means, but he remains in-tune with the emotions of others and often tries to put their needs above his own. Whilst ambitious, he is not selfishly so and I adored the complexities to his character. His unwavering support towards Scottie was everything, and I loved following his journey from beginning to end.

𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭:
The relationship between Scottie and Nico is rocky to start at best, slight volatile at its worst. Neither had been formally introduced prior to their arrangement had already pre-decided what the other was like. This resulted in personality clashing and a tense environment until the pair slowly started to lower their emotional walls and let the other in. What blossomed as a result was a beautifully raw and vulnerable emotional connection that laid the worst of themselves bare, and utter acceptance and love in spite of this. The emotional connection between Scottie and Nico is what sold them as a couple for me. Their ability to confide and lean on one another after years of shutting themselves off from connection was a rewarding development. The sheer acceptance and devotion was palpable through the pages, as was the strong support system and sense of family. Scottie and Nico were an undeniable pair that couldn't be better suited, and I was thrilled to see them come out on top in the end.

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
I adored this compelling and heartfelt tale filled with many laugh-out-loud and swoon worthy moments. The characters were well-balanced and fleshed out, and I look forward to seeing who the future couples in this series will be. I already have an idea on two of them, and I cannot wait to see how their stories unfold. Author Meg Jones has stolen my heart in Clean Point and I already know I'll immediately be reading every future release that she will produce.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰.