Drop Shot

The Off Court #1

by Vai Denton

Delilah Anderson is no stranger to sacrifice where her siblings are concerned. Who needs to go to college when you have three hungry mouths to feed and pro tennis money in your sights? Except it’s not that simple. No matter how hard she works, the bills are piling up ad infinitum. When her doubles partner decides to start focusing on singles, she knows the margins are going to be razor thin.

So when Matteo Corsi, three-time Grand Slam winner and a friend of a friend, offers to play mixed doubles with her, it should be a no-brainer. She doesn’t believe he’s as hateful as the media claims, and with her new endorsement deal, teaming up with him could give her the financial breathing room she needs. But after years of carrying her family on her back, accepting help isn’t Delilah’s strong suit.

When circumstances force her hand, Delilah reluctantly agrees. As the days blur together with drills, practice matches, and lighthearted teasing, she realizes there’s more to Matteo than she ever could have imagined—not to mention what getting him to reluctantly smile or seeing him shirtless does to her.

Matteo is a distraction she can’t afford, but one she’ll have to navigate to keep her (im)perfectly constructed life from falling apart.

Genres: Romance, Sports, Sports Romance, Forced Proximity, Contemporary, He Falls First, Found Family

302 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 9, 2025

About the author

Vai Denton is an American author, romance enthusiast—especially if sports are involved—and book lover. She has spent much of her life struggling to find her identity between her two cultures, using books as a sanctuary. Her hope is that her stories provide readers with the escape she once sought. In each of her books, you can expect swoony, healthy relationships that will have you kicking your feet.

If she's not reading or writing about love, you'll find her playing tennis, watching football, Pride and Prejudice (2005), or any number of her favorite romcoms with her two cats and fiancé.

If you’d like to contact Vai, find her on instagram @vaidentonauthor or via email at vaidentonauthor@gmail.com

Reviews

[⋆˚୨ৎ˚⋆ Kim ⋆˚୨ৎ˚⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

જ⁀➴ 4 stars

Update (10/9/2025): Happy publishing day to Drop Shot!

"A drop shot, knocking someone off balance and sending them skidding in a direction they weren't ready for. Matteo, who came into my life and changed everything, catching me entirely off guard."

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If you're looking for a sports romance with complex characters, this is the book to read! I've had the honor and opportunity to ARC read this, and this was a breath of fresh air. Tennis isn't a sport I follow, watch, or know much about (despite many, many people trying to get me to play it over the years), but this was so much fun to read and one of those books that left me thinking about wanting to keep reading it while I was at work.

Delilah Anderson is no stranger to being the eldest daughter and providing for her family of herself and three younger siblings. Having absent parents will do that to you. When she enters the competitive world of tennis to make money to provide for her family, she's suddenly in a precarious situation when her best friend and doubles partner, Nic, makes the move to focus on singles, leaving Delilah without a partner and a large source of her income. When her childhood best friend, Austin, suffers an injury and leaves his own partner, Matteo, without a partner, Matteo makes the move to reach out to Delilah and offer to be her mixed doubles partner for the upcoming Australia Open. Matteo is known for his rage on the court, and his outbursts have put him on thin ice with his sponsors and his fans. With Delilah being the tennis world's golden girl, they team up to take on the upcoming Australian Open to give Delilah a partner and help Matteo's image.

The first thing I want to say is that this is my first-ever tennis romance, and while I've read my fair share of sports romances, this is the first one I've read that was about two tennis players. The author's note in the back of the book mentions that the author herself is a tennis player, and I think it's always amazing when authors can bring their own personal experiences and expertise into their writing. I think it brings another deeper level of nuance and detail that authors researching the same topic, looking from the outside in, may not always have, and I always appreciate it when I can see the level of care and detail throughout the story.

Delilah and Matteo are both complex characters, and I think that added so much depth to their relationship and story. I wouldn't call either of them morally gray, but their backstories add so much depth as to why they do what they do. Whether it's Delilah constantly worrying about money and only seeming to care about it, to Matteo's silent rage on and off the court, the two of them managed to find each other and bring out the best in each other. Delilah was truly a ray of sunshine and managed to make Matteo smile on the worst of days, whereas Matteo helped Delilah in realizing that asking for help from other people doesn't make her a burden on anyone.

(Also: Matteo? Man's a giant green flag. He falls harder? He drives her everywhere because her siblings have her car, so they can get to and from school/work? He calls her tesoro? He would probably let her run him over with a car if she asked. Their love is so gentle and sweet and wholesome, it almost made me shed a few tears, and if you've known me for long enough, you know I don't usually cry when I read books.)

I usually don't relate a lot to characters in books, but I related a lot to Delilah
Also, if you love, love, LOVE the found family trope, this is the book for you! I love how Austin's family acts like Delilah's actual family when her parents couldn't be there for her, and I love the friend group and friendship Delilah has with her other friends in the story: Austin, Nic, Sahar, and Harper. The banter in their group chat? Hilarious. The way they just welcome Matteo into their group, no questions asked? I love it.

There were two minor things I took off 1 star for, half a star each. It may not personally affect other people's enjoyment of the story, but I thought they were worth mentioning:

˚ ༘🎾 1. Matteo's backstory: I wish we got to learn more about him and his life in Italy and growing up in the US! This story is strictly from Delilah's POV, but I would've loved a POV from Matteo so we can see what's going through his head when he sees Delilah, why he chose to partner with her, etc.

˚ ༘🎾The tennis itself: I really wish we got more scenes of actual tennis matches vs. most of the tennis being training scenes. I get that the majority of the story takes place prior to the Australian Open, so a lot of the scenes ARE training scenes, but I think seeing their chemistry translate to the actual competitions and seeing them in action would've been really cool to read about, especially as someone who doesn't follow tennis or know much about it.

Overall, I loved this book, and I can't wait to read what Vai Denton has in store next for the Off Court series with Nic's story! I have an inkling I know who her love interest is, but I guess we'll have to wait and see in a few months when the story comes out.
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⋆˙⟡ 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹: I have the honor of being an ARC reader for Drop Shot! This was the first ARC I applied for directly from an author and not through a PR service like The Nerd Fam or NetGalley, so this ARC's particularly special to me in that regard.🥹 (Seriously, having a Bookstagram account really opens up doors for finding indie authors to read and review their ARCs for. I'm so glad I started my Bookstagram over the summer now!)

This is also what I believe is my first-ever tennis sports romance, so I can't wait to dive into the competitive world of tennis and see what it's all about!🎾🩵🤍

Thank you so much to Vai Denton for the gifted eARC! Drop Shot will be officially published on October 9th, 2025!

[joni ౨ৎ - semi hiatus · Rating 4 out of 5]

VAI OMG THIS BOOK.


i am officially a die heard vai denton fan. no questions asked.


matteo oh my gosh he is so so dear to me and i'll accept zero hate on this man, my baby and literal twin 😭

can we talk about his yearning like this man was so in love and obsessed with her from the very start but it took her a while to catch up 🥹 the small acts of having a crush and being anxious to the adoration through his actions and words. ugh how i wish he was real

i know next to nothing about tennis but i enjoyed this story a lot and learning some things (i realized most people only know the #1 tennis players not other people in the national levels etc! only the very top are celebs the public would recognize!)

i truly regret not reading this a year ago but hey i finally did! and it was a perfect read to end march / star aprli with <3 onto book 2!


i'm truly so excited for nic & alek's book!!! black cat & banter????!! MANHATER!?! heck yea!!

[Tessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was sooooo cute!!! I am a slut for single POV where the pining of the MMC is still palpable.

Super safe, no OW/OM, no virgins, etc.

[Freefall (ia, find me on discord)]

any tennis book is auto-tbr

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first tennis romance did not disappoint! Delilah and Matteo were so cute together. A great read that will have you swooning and crying.

Tropes:
- He Falls First
- Found Family
- Mixed Doubles Partners
- Grumpy X Sunshine


Thank you so much Vai for the ARC!

[Monica (switching platforms) · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who loves sports romance, this book caught my attention because of a sport I’ve never really been interested in: tennis. I know absolutely nothing about tennis, and when I saw the ARC application, I just jumped in. I have to say, it turned out to be one of the sweetest and most tender stories I’ve ever read. It might not be perfect - there were a few parts that didn’t quite convince me, but overall, it was a lovely and satisfying read.

There were so many sweet moments, not only between the main characters but also involving the side characters. Delilah and Matteo’s story develops really slowly, and at first it seems like only one of them is interested in the other. However, as they get to know each other and grow more comfortable around one another, their chemistry naturally blossoms into something tender.

I loved Delilah’s character: she’s strong and determined, and her positivity despite the weight she carries on her shoulders is inspiring. My only regret is that she doesn’t fully believe in herself as a tennis player, though I imagine she needed someone to remind her that her place is earned because she’s truly talented. Matteo, on the other hand, is such a softie, and it’s obvious from a mile away that he’s head over heels for Delilah. I adored how he takes care of her and calls her tesoro every chance he gets. Their relationship is beautifully written, even if I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing for it to be truly perfect.

One of the best-executed tropes in this book is definitely the found family, which I absolutely adored. Austin’s family treating Delilah as one of their own was such a heartwarming touch, and her friend group brought so much life to the story. I loved how they accepted and welcomed Matteo as if he had always been one of their friends. I’m really curious to see which one of them will get their own story - if that ever happens.

There were a few things that made me take off a star from my 5-star rating:
- Matteo’s backstory: I wish we had gotten more about his life in Italy and his POV and a chapter or two from Matteo would’ve made the story even better.
- While reading other reviews, I saw that one reader mentioned it would’ve been nice to have some actual match scenes between Matteo and Delilah instead of mostly training moments. Personally, that wasn’t an issue for me, but now I can see how that could’ve added more impact to the story—especially if we’d gotten those scenes from Matteo’s POV.
- The epilogue: why was it so short?? I didn’t expect that kind of conclusion, and while I liked it, it just felt way too brief!

If you love sports romances with layered and heartfelt characters, this one is definitely worth checking out! Tennis isn’t a sport I follow or know much about, but this story made it surprisingly fun to dive into that world. Overall, it was such a sweet and heartwarming read that left me smiling by the end. I’m really excited to see what Vai Denton will write next 👀 Can’t wait to be back on the court with them soon! 💛

Thanks to Vai Denton for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! This book will stay in my heart for its sweetness. 💛

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

Delilah Anderson is the golden girl of professional tennis and the oldest of four siblings who depend on her to keep the family afloat. Matteo Corsi, three-time Grand Slam winner, is tennis’s grumpy bad boy, infamous for his outbursts on court and bad attitude. When his mixed doubles partner gets injured and Delilah’s partner leaves her to focus on singles, the two decide to team up. For Delilah, it’s a chance to climb the ranks and therefore make more money to better support her family, and for Matteo, it’s a shot at rehabilitating his image with Delilah’s sunshine personality balancing his stormy edges.

This book is fantastic! Delilah and Matteo are both complex, deeply human characters with backstories that add real emotion, depth and nuance to the story. They bring out the best in each other, and that really shines through. Delilah is strong and resilient, but struggles to accept help, while Matteo is a misunderstood man hiding a soft heart. And as an eldest daughter myself, Delilah’s complicated relationship with that role, and her role within her family, hit really close to home and absolutely moved me. Author Vai Denton perfectly captures the complicated intricacies being an eldest daughter!

This is a grumpy-sunshine done in the best way. Matteo is the greenest of green flags and he falls first and harder. But this love is gentle, steady, and sweet. You’re halfway through the book before realizing they haven’t even kissed, but understand they already care so much for each other. This is a love that grows quietly until you realize it’s wrapped around you completely. It’s not a whirlwind romance, but one that roots you in place — warm, constant, and full of belonging.

If that doesn’t convince you, the found family aspect is wonderful as well, with all the secondary characters involved. I’m hoping to see more of this in the next book in the series centered around Delilah’s best friend Nic! The glimpse into the world of competitive tennis was fascinating without being overly technical — detailed enough, but still very accessible. The writing is sharp, the chemistry is sizzling, and the pacing is just right. I cried, I swooned, I laughed! I couldn’t put it down once I started!

The author’s dedication — “This one is for the eldest daughters who spend their lives taking care of everyone else – I hope you find your Matteo” — honestly says it all!

The only thing that would have made this more enjoyable was to get Matteo’s POV throughout the story.

Read this if you’re an eldest daughter or you’re looking for a sports romance with a love that’s quiet and gentle, one that grows like springtime foliage without you realizing, until it surrounds you with its beauty.

Thank you to Vai Denton for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Drop Shot is out today October 9th, 2025!

[Miri James Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,25🌟
Lo primero que tengo que decir es que el hecho de que la historia gire en torno al mundo del tenis es lo que más me llamó la atención de este libro. No suelo leer historias sobre este deporte y me ha parecido algo muy fresco y diferente. 🎾
En cuanto a los personajes secundarios… el found family lo he amado 🥹❤️‍🩹 de verdad, ha sido de lo mejor del libro. Necesito el libro de Nic YA porque siento que lo voy a disfrutar muchísimo más 👀💖
La relación romántica, en cambio, es lo que se me ha quedado un poquito meh 😕 A medida que iba leyendo tenía la sensación de que me faltaban cosas, no terminaba de conectar del todo y no me transmitía lo suficiente.
Además, las circunstancias personales con las que cargan ambos protagonistas se me hicieron bastante pesadas 😩 Había momentos en los que sentía que era demasiado y eso hizo que me sacara un poco de la historia.
En resumen: creo que el libro de Nic tiene MUCHAS papeletas para gustarme más por mi tipo de lectura, pero Drop Shot es una historia entretenida y que está bien para pasar el rato 💕

[Anca A · Rating 5 out of 5]

#Review: *Drop Shot* - Vai Denton - ARC [18+]
4.7/5✨
2.5/5🌶️

Saw this book on the author's page and I wanted to read more stories with tennis as main sport. Thanks to Vai, I was accepted for this early copy, for which I'm so grateful!

Dahlia was a tennis player who tried her best to support her family, after some things made their situation a bit shaky. She relayed on each tennis event which could help her win some money and that also meant playing in teams competitions. But when her usual partner, Austin, got hurt, she didn't knew what to do. When the suggestion of someone else was thrown, for Dahlia to play together with Matteo, another fellow tennis player, she was unsure about that idea. There was something unspoken between them two, always being present a certain tension. Can Dahlia resolve her issues? Can she accept Matteo's help?

I liked that this book was way more profound than just being a sports romance. It dealt with many emotional things, making it so hard for me to see how much struggles all of them had to suffer, in order to overcome the problems they had to face in their lives. One fresh breath of clean air was the cute bound which started to blossom between Dahlia and Matteo. It was pure and I loved how they simply understood each other so well. He became one of Dahlia's anchors, someone who would do anything to see her smile more and less stressed about not doing enough for her family.

A story which got me a little emotional, hating how hard Dahlia had to fight for her happiness. I was glad that she finally found someone who she could rely on, being in an emotional rollercoaster for such a long time.

✨Tropes
#ProTennisPlayers
#FoundFamily
#HeFallsFirst
#GrumpySunshine
#MixedDoublePartners
#SinglePov

[Kat Robbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

a love letter to us eldest daughters who used to have a killer backhand

✰ 5 stars, a rom traum that explores complicated family dynamics, featuring a heartwarming found family trope and a heaping dose of yearning

source: kindle unlimited

[Laur · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars ⭐️ thought it to be an alright book! Felt like i didnt really see the romantic connection there? He was just in huge admiration of her happy go lucky attitude and determination and grit while supporting her family financially. Also theyre supposed to be like 25 and 28 but the cover makes them look like theyre in hs

[Sophie Mosselman · Rating 3 out of 5]

writing style was kinda weird and didnt feel natural at some points but I loved Matteo and his italian nicknamess <3

[Melissa卌⸆⸉ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah!!!!! First things first, I am definitely a fan of Vai Denton from now on. This book was everything!!! Her writing was exquisite, I was being fed each pages. I am so glad I could read that book before its release because, yes, I’m a fan. It was so refreshing to read a tennis romance, because I do like watching tennis from time to time and this romance book just got us right into it and I loved and lived every seconds of it.

Delilah and Matteo have one of the sweetest relationship I’ve ever read about. Everything about them worked so perfectly. They definitely are soulmates for me!!! (And the epilogue kind of confirmed it).

I’m on again to talk about the MMC first because what a GREEN flag Matteo Corsi is! The moment he asked for consent when she definitely was into it? The way he believed in her? How he helped her deal with her family? How he is obssessed with her? Oh my God, I fell in love with him as much as Delilah did. The ability of Vai Denton to write the perfect boyfriend here made my heart melt. I loved everything about him. He was so human, I can’t even explain. I just love him so much.

Now, Delilah, I wanted to hug her so bad. I wanted to be her friend and tell her everything will be fine, everything will be okay and it’ll all work out. That girl deserves every bits of happiness she can get after all she went through with her family. I was happy with her, sad with her, laughing with her, crying with her and loving with her. She had the chance to find a new family with her friends and with Matteo. She deserved her happy ending.

With this book, I went through many emotions. I cried and laughed. I kicked my feet and sniffled. I am truly happy to have read that book, to have found a new favourite romance author and a new book boyfriend. Now, I’m just excited to read Denton’s past triolgy and also see what she will do next with this series. I want all the friends there to fall in love. Because I loved this world with tennis, friends and love.

Now, you should pre-order it or buy it on October 9th because this book was everything! And, I need to buy my own copy of it!

[hopxfully · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delilah es el único sustento económico de su familia, pues con una madre desaparecida del mapa y un padre alcohólico, se ha sentido desde la adolescencia con la responsabilidad de ganar dinero para que la vida de sus tres hermanos sea mejor que la suya. Tiene la suerte de que conoció en el instituto a Austin y a sus padres, quienes la incluyeron y la enseñaron el mundo del tenis. Su talento desde que empezó a entrenar la ha impulsado a ser una de las mejores y el patrocinio de las marcas junto al dinero que gana en los torneos, la permiten seguir manteniendo a sus hermanos pequeños. No obstante, es un peso que, en ocasiones, la asfixia. Sus pensamientos siempre giran en torno a conseguir más, a jugar mejor, a ampliar sus contratos; todo porque necesita pagar la casa en la que viven sus hermanos, por si se les estropea el coche y tiene que pagar los arreglos o comprar uno nuevo ahora que se están haciendo más mayores, para cubrir los gastos del día a día, los estudios de cada uno de ellos... Lo peor es que todo se tambalea cuando Nic, su mejor amiga y compañera de dobles femenina, le dice que se quiere centrar en sus partidos en solitario. Y Austin, quien ha sido su compañero en dobles mixtos desde siempre, se lesiona. Delilah no sabe qué hacer: si se enfocarse ella también en su carrera individual o aceptar la oferta de Matteo Corsi, el compañero de dobles de Austin y uno de los mejores tenistas del momento. Matteo es conocido por tener un mal carácter, pero desde que entrena en la misma academia que ella, Delilah no le ha visto perder el control ni una vez. No obstante, no le conoce de nada y no sabe si fiarse. Su mayor patrocinador la ofrece mejorarla el contrato, pero debe jugar en dobles los siguientes torneos. ¿Será Matteo un buen compañero? ¿Podrán entenderse y ayudarse mutuamente?

¡Esta historia lo ha sido todo! Matteo Corsi ha inventado al hombre obsesionado. ¿Cómo vas a fijarte en ella y a intentar llamar su atención diciendo su nombre mal? ¿Y seguir cada uno de sus partidos? ¿Y proponerla jugar contigo para pasar más tiempo a su lado y que pueda fijarse también en ti? Pelitos de punta. Me ha encantado cómo se ha construido su relación, sobre todo a través de las conversaciones íntimas y sinceras que han ido teniendo a lo largo de la trama sobre sus traumas familiares. Delilah siempre ha creído que nadie podía entenderla, pero Matteo tiene una situación complicada también. La verdad que vaya dos familias disfuncionales. Mis pobres se merecen mucho más. Me fascina lo mucho que él besa el suelo por donde pisa ella y cómo intenta ayudarla y acompañarla siempre, apoyándola y estando a su lado con todos los problemas que tiene, en concreto con Chase. Es que es verdaderamente un chico tan enamorado. Que ella sea un punto de relajación para él y que su vitalidad y alegría le impulsen a ser mejor y a controlar sus ataques... me explota el corazón. Amamos que ella se plante y mande a su padre a tomar por culo y que llegue a un entendimiento con sus hermanos para no tener esa presión económica. El dramita final un poco innecesario, también debo decir. Entiendo que Delilah sienta que le debe mucho a todo el mundo porque ha recibido ayuda, pero hija... Matteo no obligó al Stratosphere a ampliar su contrato, simplemente mencionó el nombre de Delilah porque genuinamente cree que es la mejor tenista del mundo. Pero bue, se soluciona. Librito precioso, en definitiva.

[Lana · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up

Surprising! A very cute read. I enjoyed the tennis and characters. I would definitely read more from this author. It felt very promising.

This was a bit of a heavier emotional read than I usually prefer in a romance with the fmc's family struggles being a big obstacle in the book. However, I felt like it was really well done. There was also a lot of characters, some to the point where it made me feel like we should already know some despite this being the first in the series.

Matteo was so gone for Delilah it was so precious😍

The romance was so sweet and the smut was just right. Very well done. I would definitely recommend it if you're looking for a cute sports romance.


Drop shot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5





Safety&Info:
Singular 1st person Pov
Spice:🔥🔥
Romance meter:🧡💚🧡/5
Magic meter:✨️✨️✨️/5

◇Ow drama: ❌️
◇Om drama: ❌️
◇No cheating/sharing/love triangle
◇ 3rd act breakup: no but they do have a fight
◇Seperation: no
◇Neither are Vs fmc had 3 prior lovers (no details) mmc no V didn't give manhoe impression
◇Ages: fmc 25, mmc 28
◇Protection: condoms
◇HEA 2 yrs later, they win a grand slam and mmc is about to propose😍

[Lu_and_Cyy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️
I have so much to say because this book was such a good read !
First I have never read a book about tennis players ! I am not familiar with this sport and I was scared to not be invested in the story because of that.. but it was very well written !
I would say that this book is obviously a romance but the focus is a lot on Delilah's family which was not a negative point, I think it was needed, touching and very realistic !!
Also THE COMMUNICATION !! that was the huge green flag of this book, it really felt like I was reading about adults going through a lot but still communicating !!
I love the characters and to be honest I was scared I would not like the single pov because I mostly read 2 povs but here thanks to the communication it was not frustrating AT ALL and I loved both of them. I think they are both very touching and they fit so well with each other ! Even the other characters were so fun and I hope each one of them will have a book because I love them all 🫶🏻🤸‍♀️
This was a quick read (I couldn't put it down), it was less than 300p but didn't felt like it was rushed !!
I am so excited for book 2 🎾🎾🎾🎾

[Allie Guyot · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️!
wowowow this i fear is my perfect romance novel. the perfect amount of swooning and yearning and cuteness to spicy scenes (that are totally skippable if you want to!) and super quick and easy, exactly what i want when i need a romance.

the way i felt so attached to the characters in only 300 ish pages?? impressive. even though this was only from delilah’s pov, i still felt like i knew matteo so well with how he was described and how many scenes there are of them together. i loved how there were many deeper themes than just a fluffy romance that added depth to the characters and i loved the fact that this was a tennis romance! i’m getting sick of the same old popular hockey stories so this was fun and refreshing.

i hope there are more books coming in this interconnected standalone series because i need more from all the perfectly constructed side characters!

[Abigail Stephens · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ ARC Review ✨
Drop Shot by Vai Denton

4 ⭐️ 1.5 🌶️

Okay this is the first tennis sports romance I remember reading, and I loved it! I loved how it was so different from other sports romances and chose an out of the box sport. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series, and see the rest of the tennis players find love too!

Drop Shot was such a beautiful read, and our two MCs, Delilah and Matteo, were such complex and well written characters. Their individual backstories broke my heart, but as these two closed off people opened up to each other and learned to trust and found a belonging somewhere - simply put it grew quietly and steadily.

I definitely recommend you check it out if you’re in the mood for something fun but heartfelt!

[Maha · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this book is perfect. I loved it so much, I literally could not stop smiling while reading it. There were so many things to love. I have to say Matteo is the perfect most amazing book boyfriend, he loves her from the beginning there’s so much yearning and he sacrifices everything he can to help her. Delilah was a really sweet character, she needed and deserved a perfect man like matteo. Also Eli was such an underrated king. I will say my favourite part was the yearning and constant showing up for each other, it was so good. The only thing that could’ve been developed more is the slow burn at the beginning, and easing us into the depth of their feeling for each other as it felt slightly rushed. That being said, I’d read a million books like this!!

[Leah Luchinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished this book in less than 24 hours and that should show how good it was. It was a quick and easy read that also was just so good. Matteo was obsessed from the very beginning and I love that I was able to tell even without him having his own chapters. The only thing I wish is that it did not rush into them getting together as quick but more of the yearning and having to be doubles partners while trying to figure out their feelings at the same time. Can’t wait for the next book in this interconnected stand alone series

[Tegan Houze · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thank you @vaidentonauthor for this ARC! Receiving this book did not influence my review- my thoughts are honest and my own, as always*

“I knew you were incredible, but I didn’t even come close to recognizing how much so.”

This was my second book by Vai Denton and only my second tennis romance, and I’m officially a fan. I absolutely loved these characters—Delilah and Matteo were perfect together. Their chemistry and banter felt so natural, and the dynamic within their friend group added even more charm to the story. My only wish is that it had been written in dual POV, as I would’ve loved to see inside Matteo’s head. Still, this was such an enjoyable and well-paced read, and I’m already looking forward to continuing the series.

[Amina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately this book was not for I was bored half of the time and I didn’t feel the chemistry between the characters it was a bit .. forced🫣 just wanted to finish this book because ‘Ive been postponing it for a month!
Just one thing I liked about this book the mmc Matteo and his Italian nicknames🥰

[Raegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

At first, I wasn’t sure about this one because I don’t know much about tennis, but dang did this grow on me quickly! Once I hit 20%, there was no going back. I had such a great time reading this! I loved the characters and their cutesy friend group! I liked that there was some plot to it and that it kept me hooked! I really enjoyed this! Would recommend!

[♪ ˚ yasmin ⋆˙♡ ⑅˙]

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨ pre-read ♡୧⋆ ˚｡⋆🎾:
even though this DOES have spice, the blurb intrigued me! so, for all you clean romance book girlies, i WILL be writing down what chapters are spicy, so you guys can skip them! <3

[Nicky Van den Brande · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the honor of reading an ARC of Drop Shot and really enjoyed it!

This was such a fun grumpy–sunshine romance with great chemistry between the leads. I adored both main characters, their friends, and the way their backstories were fleshed out — it gave them a depth that made their connection feel authentic and relatable.

That said, there were a few things I personally wished for. Since this is a tennis romance, I would’ve loved to see more actual competition play out on the page, instead of focusing mainly on training. I also think a short separation due to competitions could’ve added an extra layer of realism and growth to their relationship.

But overall, it was sweet, fun, and heartfelt. A solid 4-star read that I can definitely recommend to sports romance fans!

[Rachel Hodgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this!! I loved the mix of tennis along with the heavier themes of addiction. Matteo was so sweet and they’re so cute together.

[bia · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved every single second of this book

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so cute! Especially Matteo 🥹 but the unnecessary third act breakup made me scream at my Kindle, therefore only 4 ⭐

[Bridget · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes a pretty cover is just a pretty cover…

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why did no one tell me tennis romance books were elite? I fear I’ve been missing out. If I could give this 6 stars, I would!