Triple Threat

by Katie Chandler

From the author of the “exquisite” (The New York Times) Backhanded Compliments, a steamy sports romance about a disgraced tennis star, the ex-pro who becomes her coach, and the soulmate they share. Perfect for fans of Challengers and Carrie Soto Is Back.

Octavia Ricci has spent her entire life proving she doesn’t need anyone—especially not her father, the controlling coach who built her career and broke her spirit. But after a public meltdown at the Australian Open, the icy Grand Slam champion isn’t sure if she ever wants to play again. She agrees to take it one tournament at a time, now under a new coach, determined to find her footing and love of the game again.

Ariel de Cordova was once the next big thing in tennis until a devastating injury ended his career. Now, with his confidence shot, he’s not sure he can handle another player’s comeback story—especially not a player as volatile as Octavia. But as they practice, they both tentatively open up about their experiences and begin to heal their deepest wounds.

The only stable, grounding presence in Octavia’s life is her soulmate and partner, Leo Mantovani. But he has two soulmarks on his wrist, and when Leo shakes hands with Octavia’s new coach for the first time, Ariel turns out to be Leo’s other soulmate. Knowing the optics of a player and coach relationship aren’t ideal, they decide to keep their relationship secret and surface-level.

While Octavia, Ariel, and Leo fight to keep their relationship private, the tennis world is watching their every move. But when the spotlight turns harsh and old wounds resurface, they’ll have to decide if love is worth risking their careers, their reputations, and their hearts.

Genres: Romance, Sports Romance, Why Choose, Sports, Queer, Contemporary, Adult

Kindle Edition

Expected publication December 8, 2026

About the author

Katie Chandler is a romance author, who loves adding a speculative twist to her kissing books. She is passionate about writing joyful queer love stories that are full of tenderness, angst, and spice. You can usually find Katie writing with a full caffeine iced beverage, a Taylor Swift album blasting, and her yellow lab, Blue, who makes sure her feet are toasty and that she takes regular breaks to give him treats. When not writing, Katie spends her time watching tennis with her snuggly black lab, Bunny, chasing her thieving chocolate lab, Bear, who thinks her socks are his chew toys, and wondering where her glasses are (they’re nestled in her hair).

Reviews

[Kendall DalBello]

thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest opinion. potential spoilers ahead so read with caution!

this was my first katie chandler book, and i understand she has another sapphic tennis novel that includes one of octavia’s sisters (i believe). reading that ahead of this one may have made this a bit better/explained more, but i still felt meh about it, DNFing at 52%.

i love a poly romance, this is not my first. the “forbidden” aspect of the coach/player thing could have been super fun to explore. however, the “soul marks” i was extremely confused by. was this intended to be magical realism? lol i was v confused.
once leo and ariel realized they were soulmates, it became extremely insta-lusty, and i lost interest. shattered because i really would have liked to have explored that dynamic a bit; figuring out how to fit ariel into this longtime relationship between leo and octavia, while figuring out how to toggle that with the coaching relationship. bummer this one didn’t hit for me ☹️

[Savannah Mattair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is it safe to say that I loved this more than backhanded compliments? Because I did!
I love the idea of soulmates but I also love the idea of being able to love someone who isn’t your soulmate. How Ariel gets both? Idk but I love it!
Let me start off by saying Eduardo was so freaking cute! I loved his relationship with Ariel and the relationship he created with Octavia & Leo.
I absolutely devoured this book and adored every single main & side character.
Everyone was going through their own hardships and I’m happy that they helped each other in so many ways.
I wish we got more of Leo! The one thing I felt was missing was chapters in his perspective. I really wish we had even just a few! I don’t understand why he didn’t since he’s the one with two soul marks that brought the triple threat together. This still 100% deserves the 5 star rating I just think a few Leo chapters would have made it even better!
I have loved both of Katie’s books so far and I will continue to wait it out for more!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc for my honest review!

[maddie's reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the arc!

Rtc

[Alyssa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I would take my review with a grain of salt, because I think there is a lot that would be enjoyable to other people, but it just didn’t work for me because of my personal taste.

In being with a total me problem, I just did not connect with the characters. Something was missing and I didn’t feel any spark with any of them. The book was written pretty well, but if I don’t care about the characters, I won’t like the book. Which is hard when it’s a romance book because you want to feel that chemistry.

Maybe it was just too cheesy and/or sexual for my taste, but pretty much right off the bat I felt myself not connecting to the characters.

I love sports romances, but I feel like I need to learn to not pick up ones about tennis, just because I end up not really liking them. It always sounds so fun in theory, but when I read it, I can’t get into it. I feel like “Carrie Soto” ruined me because I actually liked that tennis novel, so then I feel like I’ll like other ones, but I never do. There was a lot of tennis in the beginning, then a little in the middle, but it took the back burner for the romance side of it, then it was at the end again. Every time it was talked about, I lost even more interest. I’d rather have more of a build up of the romance than the tennis matches.

I wish we would have seen more of a build up of Leo and Octavia‘s relationship than just being thrown into it. They were already super lovey-dovey, but I didn’t really have a reason to root for them to be together because I never saw them build up to that connection. It was nice to see Leo and Ariel learning to love each other. It was slightly instalove, at least instalust, between all of them. I know they were soulmates, so I guess it is just built in that they would love each other, but I still wanted more. It mentioned that Octavia and Ariel knew each other before and had a bit of connection, but that wasn’t explored or talked about very often. We had scenes with Leo and Ariel getting to know each other, but it wasn’t enough for me.

I also wish there was a little bit more explanation on how the soulmate aspect worked. It was pretty self-explanatory, but I still wish it was explained more. I almost wish the soulmate aspect wasn’t in there at all. It didn’t really affect the book that much. It still would have worked if it was the drama of Ariel being introduced to Leo and Octavia’s relationship and how that would all work with them already being a couple, and Ariel being her coach.

It was pretty spicy. There were so many sex scenes. Way too many for me. They were written well, but not something I want to read! I’d rather see them build on their romantic chemistry than their sexual chemistry.

The three of them were very open and communicated with each other which I liked to see.

This book felt really long too. Too much happened. Not only did we have the tennis plotline, and then them navigating their relationship, but we also had Octavia with the trauma from her dad and the drama with her sisters, but we also had Ariel and his son, with Carmen. There was whole other plotlines happening on top of the main plot of the novel. I think it needed to focus on one, maybe two things, and take the rest away. Those extra moments did add depth to the story, but it was too much on top of me not really caring about a lot of what was happening.

If you love tennis, this is perfect for you. I think if you connect with the characters, you’ll be totally fine and like this book. Even if you don’t really love tennis, but love romance novels, you will still probably like this. Even though there is a lot of tennis throughout, I would say you could get past it in order to enjoy the book. As long as you like the romance between the three main characters.

One thing that threw me off, which is so picky, but it kept on talking about how Leo had a beard, but on the cover, neither of the male characters had a beard. It was weird to me that the cover didn’t match the description. But that is nothing really to do with the actual story.

[Grace]

"For fans of Challengers" let's all just LIVE !!!!

[Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Atria for the ARC! I really enjoyed this one. I was a little hesitant when I realized it was same world as Backhanded Compliments which I struggled with. I think both stories could work without the soulmates aspect. HOWEVER! Triple Threat felt like it worked a lot better with it.

In Triple Threat we Have 3 characters, Octavia, Leo, and Ariel. All 3 are immersed in the tennis world and Octavia and Leo have been soulmates and in a relationship for a while. Leo is a rare person who has two soulmates and when he touches Octavia’s new tennis couch, he finds his second.

What I really loved about this was seeing the relationship between Ariel and Octavia form as two people not soulmates, as well as welling all 3 together. It never felt forced and like they had to be together, and it felt like a very slow build to a strong relationship.

I also really loved how they all dealt with their individual traumas and worked together.

I had a fun time with this!

[BookishKB]

🎾💞 Triple Threat 💞🎾

📖 Bookish Thoughts

My full review will be shared closer to the publication date.

✨What to Expect
• Sports Romance
• Polyamorous Romance
• Soulmates
• Coach x Athlete
• Second Chances
• LGBTQ+ Rep
• Tennis Setting
_ _ _

📅 Pub Date: December 8, 2026
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

[Ilyssa Tillotson]

Thanks Atria Books & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The whole soulmate thing was so ???? to me. Gave me the ick. I probably should’ve read the blurb before reading it. Overall this wasn’t for me :-(

[svea.reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

Triple Threat: Immersive tennis world built on predictable romance tropes and confusing magical realism (DNF at 40%)

This was a book I was genuinely looking forward to because of the tennis theme. With the recent release of The Open Area and excellent tennis movies like Challengers or Perfect Match (the movie about Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi), I was excited to add another sports romance to my TBR.

As far as the tennis theme goes, the author definitely delivered. In the author‘s note in the beginning, she explicitly states that she took some liberties—such as adding a women’s tournament to an all-male tennis club. For a casual reader like me, who isn’t a die-hard tennis fan, it was highly informative. I absolutely loved how central the sport remains to the plot and how well-researched the technical details felt. I highly dislike it when sports are used merely as a gimmick to make a character seem desirable, so the authentic portrayal here was a major plus.

However, the setting quickly became too much because no character seems to exist outside the tennis bubble. Every love interest, family member, and even the children are involved in the sport. While people in niche industries often stay within their circles, it still didn’t feel quite realistic (and frankly, I would have loved to see more diversity in terms of professions). After doing a little research, I discovered that this is actually the second novel in a series of interconnected standalones (covering the four sisters), so it definitely makes more sense, though it still bugged me.

While the sports element is strong, the romance subplot feels a bit flat. For once, anyone familiar with Perfect Match or Steffi Graf’s story will experience a strong sense of déjà vu here—because, let’s face it, it’s the same old story about a father who’s also a tennis coach and abuses his position. I know that many other sports novels tend to feature similar storylines, but since this one is about tennis, I couldn’t help but notice it. I also rolled my eyes hard when it turned out that one of the players in the book was struggling with their performance and another stepped up as the coach to help. This, too, is something I’ve read way too many times before—and I’m not even the most avid sports romance reader. At least the gender-swap (a FMC struggling instead of a MMC) was a nice touch.

As a healthcare professional working in an orthopedic unit, I also struggled with the medical inaccuracies. The MMC is a former pro dealing with a career-ending injury, but the depiction of severe, debilitating chronic pain from a complex fracture sitting down nearly a decade later is highly unrealistic and completely pulled me out of the story. Other minor details, like sudden confusing timeline jumps across global locations (Australia, Brazil, LA, Monaco) and plot inconsistencies—such as the FMC knowing a child's exact age but not his identity—further disrupted the flow.

Ultimately, the romance and the magical realism elements led to my DNF. As a fantasy reader, I often find that magical realism features weak world-building, and that was the case here. The concept of people being born with soulmate marks that change color upon first touch felt like the most ridiculous way to force people together and claim it was “fate.”

In this story, the FMC’s long-time partner (whose frequent label as "partner" felt stilted given the traditional FM relationship in the beginning of the story) has two soulmate marks. As the story progresses, it turns out that the second mark belongs to the coach, with whom the FMC had already shared some emotional tension. The polyamorous dynamic was something that was given with the book title and the blurb, but what bugged me, was how unbothered the characters were by the reveal, which was actually no problem at all, because the FMC and her partner decided a long time ago that when he met his second soulmate, they would be a package deal and offer only a threesome. The immediate shift into a casual arrangement with the coach felt flat, lacked emotional depth and true romantic connection, and felt far too convenient overall.

I read 21 chapters (40%) up to their first sexual encounter before deciding to drop the book. Please keep in mind that my review only covers the first half of the story, and it may take a different turn later on. Additionally, readers should note that my critique is biased by my general dislike for the magical realism genre. If you are solely looking for a deeply immersive tennis novel or like magical realism with fated mates concepts, this might work for you, but the romance and overall story did not work for me.

[mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the sweetest most healing book to read, especially after reading Backhanded Compliments just a few months ago. I absolutely adore Octavia, Leo, and Ariel—they are so sweet and genuine together. Also, another soulmate!au book in this economy!? Sign me up😋 When I first found out about Backhanded Compliments, that it was sapphic, and a soulmate au book—I immedietly got my hands on a copy. I absolutely devoured Juliette and Luca's book. I was so interested in Octavia and Leo and his secret other soulmate. So, when I saw Triple Threat, I just knew I had to read it!

Octavia Ricci has a troubled relatonship with tennis—mainly because of her father, who was more of a controlling coach. He built up her career, placed extremely high expectations on her, and broke her spirit. Leaving her to pick up the pieces. After a public meltdown in the Australian Open—Octavia isn't sure if she even wants to continue playing. It's because of her meltdown—and a broken nose—that fate leads her to Ariel De Cordova. Ariel was once the next big thing in tennis, until a devastating injury resulted in the end of his professional career. He's unsure if he is prepared to help Octavia with her comeback—especially since he's still struggling in the aftermath of his career ending injury. They agree to take their coach/player relationship on a trial run, one tournament at a time. It seems to work quite well, even as they both open up about their experiences, slowly healing their deepest wounds. Enter Leo Mantovani, Octavia's soulmate/partner, and the stable presence in Octavia's life. He has two soulmarks, one is Octavia's and it turns out that after shaking Ariel's hand for the first time, the other soulmark is Ariel's. Knowing how the public may react about the situation they are in, a coach and a player being involved, they decide to keep their relationship a secret and surface-level. While juggling to figure out what she really wants with tennis, trying to keep their relationship a secret, and their hearts in one piece—Octavia, Ariel, and Leo must navigate the tennis world while figuring out what it is they really want in the long run.

This was honestly one of the easiest reads—it played like a movie in my head and seeing all the healing that was done was absolute perfection. I love a good soulmate!au romance—especially since it takes me back to when I first discovered soulmate au fanfics. I absolutely loved Backhanded Compliments, but Triple Threat has completely stolen my heart. I love the dynamic between Octavia, Leo, and Ariel. They are all so incredibly sweet with each other and seeing the bond they formed was so heartwarming. It's really something when you can feel the love through the words you're reading and that's how it felt for me with this. I also loved being back in the tennis world, which is funny because I don't know a single thing about tennis. Well, I know more now because of this universe😇 Octavia, Leo, and Ariel helped each other heal—physically and mentally—and there is no better form of love than finding your person and knowing that they'll be there to help you pick up the pieces when you thought there was nothing left to salvage. Big huge fan of this whole entire book, from beginning to end. Everything was perfectly placed, each chapter, scene, and character. I can't wait to see what comes next for the Ricci sisters🩷

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Katie Chandler for this ARC of Triple Threat in exchange for an honest review!

Release Date: December 8, 2026💜🎾

[Jack Pusloskie · Rating 3 out of 5]

For fans of:

-Pucking Around
-Pucking Sweet

This emotional sports romance follows Grand Slam champion Octavia Ricci as she struggles to rebuild both her career and her sense of self after a public meltdown at the Australian Open. Determined to rediscover her love of tennis, she begins working with Ariel de Cordova, a former tennis prodigy whose own career was cut short by a devastating injury. As the two grow closer through their shared experiences, Octavia's longtime partner and soulmate, Leo Mantovani, unexpectedly discovers that Ariel is also marked as his soulmate. What begins as a complicated connection quickly deepens, forcing the trio to navigate their growing feelings while keeping their relationship hidden from a tennis world eager to scrutinize their every move. With careers, reputations, and their hearts on the line, Octavia, Ariel, and Leo must decide whether love is worth the risks that come with living in the spotlight.

One thing about me is that I love a public meltdown. Octavia's spectacular unraveling at the Australian Open, culminating in her accidentally breaking a ball kid's nose with a tennis ball, catalyzes one of the book's strongest elements: her emotional journey. Following the recent death of her father, who was also her controlling and emotionally abusive coach, Octavia is forced to confront the reality that much of her identity has been shaped by his expectations. She begins to question whether she ever truly loved tennis or was chasing the approval of a man who could never give it. The novel delivers a thoughtful exploration of grief, trauma, and self-discovery.

One aspect that initially threw me was the soulmate element. I wasn't expecting the paranormal component and found myself struggling to understand the rules of the soulmate system at first. This may be explained more thoroughly in the previous book, but as someone coming into the series here, I felt a bit lost in the beginning. I was also somewhat unconvinced by Ariel's decision to coach Octavia after the incident involving his son (the ball kid). While I understood the narrative purpose behind bringing them together, it required a greater suspension of disbelief than I could fully muster.

That said, what ultimately won me over were the relationships. I loved the role Ariel played in helping Octavia rediscover joy in tennis and challenge the damaging beliefs her father had instilled in her. Watching him slowly help her rebuild her confidence, both on and off the court, was incredibly rewarding. I also adored Leo's unwavering support throughout the novel. While Ariel became Octavia's source of healing within tennis, Leo remained her emotional anchor outside of it. The balance between those relationships felt authentic and deeply caring. What impressed me most was how thoughtfully the polyamorous relationship was developed. Rather than focusing solely on the trio's relationship, the book takes the time to build each connection individually, allowing Octavia, Leo, and Ariel to develop meaningful relationships with one another, both separately and together. Their dynamic felt healthy, supportive, and emotionally mature, making it easy to root for all three characters.

I received this eBook ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Katie Chandler, and Atria Books for the opportunity to review *Triple Threat*. This review has also been posted on my Goodreads: @jack-pusloskie. Be sure to check out my Goodreads profile for more book reviews and recommendations.

[Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars. This book was very interesting to me because it felt different reading it than most romance books do. I'm not quite sure how to describe it, but I'll give it my best go at it. The entire book, I felt like I was almost like I was watching the story though a window, or like I was a fly on the wall. Usually when I read a book, I get so immersed in the story that I feel like I'm in the book. But this book just didn't give me the immersive feeling for some reason.

It may have something to do with how the story was structure. Really, there are three main characters in this book: Octavia, Ariel, and Leo. However, we got alternating POV chapters from Octavia and Ariel only, nothing from Leo's POV. I felt like the author wanted to bring us into the relationship, but not completely. The entire time, I just felt as if I was only understanding half of what was going on. I think you either do all three POVs or keep it as a single POV.

Digging a little deeper, it felt very disjointed because we were constantly in a different location but barely given any insight into what was going on between the previous setting/scene and the next. There is something to be said about including transitional scenes into a story because it helps connect the overall plot better. But we were missing those transitional scenes and just going from one big moment to the other. It just felt very disconnected, which didn't help me immerse myself into the book.

Tagging on to that, the lack of transitional scenes didn't help the character development of the MCs. It was as if I was watching people at the table next to me in a restaurant; I could overhear what they are talking about, but I didn't really understand who they are, what their motives are, their histories, etc. There are brief moments from their backgrounds that made it through: Octavia's traumatic relationship with her late father/coach, Ariel's injury, Leo's brother's suicide. Aside from that, there was not really any character development, so they didn't feel like fully developed characters. Which means that I just didn't understand the relationships and the chemistry between each of them because I barely knew who they were.

With all that being said, while I was reading the book, I felt so much love on the page. The story itself was just a really heartwarming story without being cheesy or cringy. Everything we did know about the characters made them likable. There weren't any annoying drama and frustrating reactions by the characters that are often in romance books. It was just a lovely story to read without it being too sugary-sweet.

Last thing I want to talk about is the small magical realism included in the novel. In this world, the name of a person's soulmate is inked on their wrist from birth or a young age - usually, if you do have one (some don't). When they meet their soulmate, the ink becomes very pigmented - essentially, it tells people when they've met their person. I like the idea of this in a sense... but it was so much on the back burner that it just felt unnecessary? Almost lazy writing to be honest, because I feel like it was used as an easy way to get the characters to do what the author wanted them to do. I don't know - that is the one part of the novel that did feel very cheesy and odd and just not needed.

Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for this e-arc.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

After giving Backhanded Compliments a 2-star rating, I wasn't totally sure what to expect going into Triple Threat. My biggest frustration with the first book was that the soulmate aspect felt like a random magical element dropped into a contemporary tennis world with zero explanation. Fortunately, this book did a much better job of fixing that, and we finally get some background on how people accept soul marks, why some people have them, and why some don’t.

Honestly, the way this world handles sexuality was so refreshing. Labels like straight, gay, or bi aren't even a thing here. People just love who they love, and society completely accepts it. But even with the better worldbuilding, the book definitely had some structural issues that kept me from totally loving it.

It’s a poly romance with three main characters, but we only get chapters from the two that aren't even soulmates. Leaving Leo out of the point-of-view rotation made it feel like we were missing a huge piece of the puzzle, and it made the chemistry between all three of them a lot harder to buy into. I felt like I didn't get to know Leo. I would have loved to hear more of his inner thoughts regarding how he feels about having two soul mates. We get little glimpses of it through Octivia's POV, but I felt it left me wanting more.

The pacing felt pretty choppy too. You get the basic facts about their heavy backgrounds, like Octavia's dad or Ariel's injury, but they never quite felt like fully fleshed-out backstories. I really wish we understood more about Ariel's injury and not getting a hard to heart conversation of him with Leo on Octavia kind of sucked.

The romance and the sports elements also dragged in places. Just like the first book, the play-by-play tennis match descriptions were a bit much and slowed down the actual plot. And when it came to the romance, it felt like the author was just working through a mandatory poly checklist for the sex scenes. We got the individual hookups, the first group scene, and then the classic DP scene right at the end like a predictable cherry on top. The steam was there, but it felt overly planned out instead of just happening naturally. I did appreciate that Ariel's injury never went away And it was constantly brought up during their sex scenes as a legitimate concern of his. You felt like they were taking his disability seriously and that conveniently hand waving over the immense pain that he's in from that.

I still think these books need to be marketed better, since the summary should really warn people that there is a magical realism element to this tennis world. This is not your typical sports romance.

Overall, Triple Threat is still a big step up from book one because the world made more sense this time around. It had some major flaws that kept me from fully sinking into the story, but it's a decent read. I'd give it 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[hannah ⊹ ࣪ ˖ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I definitely didn’t plan on reading this so many months before its release, but the moment it popped up on NetGalley, I couldn’t resist immediately starting it! After reading Backhanded Compliments last year, I knew I was going to love this, and I’m so glad I was right.

I ADORED this book so much more than I expected. Not only that, but I started this at midnight (horrible mistake on my part) and then proceeded to finish it in one sitting way too many hours later. But I really can’t find it in me to care that much considering this was such a beautiful story, and I loved Ariel, Leo, and Octavia so, so much. From the very beginning, I was completely invested in all three characters, their individual journeys and past traumas, their complicated emotions, and the beautiful relationship that develops between them.

What stood out most to me the most was how balanced everything felt. Each character was given space to grow, heal, and shine on their own while also contributing to the relationship as a whole. Their connection never felt rushed or uneven. Every bond mattered, every dynamic was explored, and I found myself rooting for all three of them equally as individuals and as a whole.

Octavia’s journey back to herself after years of pressure and control was so well done. Ariel’s struggles with life after professional tennis and finding purpose again added a ton of emotional depth, and Leo was the steady heart holding everything together without ever losing his own voice in the process. Watching them learn to trust, communicate, and choose each other over and over again had me in tears!

I also loved the soulmate element. I wasn’t expecting the small touch of magical realism, and rather than feeling restrictive, it added another layer to the story’s exploration of love, showing that relationships are built through commitment, vulnerability, and above all, choice. The romance was emotional, tender, and incredibly swoony, while the chemistry between all three characters practically jumped off the page. I was worried it might come off a little insta-love/lust, but I didn’t find that to be the case at all.

The tennis backdrop was equally engaging. I’m not always the biggest sports romance person (I think I’m just picky), but even as someone who doesn’t follow the sport closely, I found myself completely invested in the matches, the pressure of competition, and the way tennis shaped each character’s life and identity. The sports and romance elements complemented each other perfectly, creating a story that felt both exciting and personal.

Triple Threat is a romance that delivers on every single level. If you love the soulmate trope, complex characters and character dynamics, found healing, found family, and relationships that feel super authentic and earned, this one deserves a spot at the top of your TBR! I loved this so so much.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for this eARC!

[readwith.kloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

so so grateful that I was given an eARC of this book by NetGalley and Atria Books! one of my most anticipated arcs of the summer!!


Title/Author: Triple Threat/Katie Chandler
Format Read: NetGalley eARC
Pub date: Dec. 8, 2026
Publisher: Atria Books
Page Count: 335

Recommended for readers who enjoy: The vibes of the Challengers movie and the family dynamics of Backhanded Compliments (duh).
Notable Tropes: Soulmate AU, Coach x Player, MMF, Eldest Daughter healing, and Sister Relationship Recovery.

Minor complaints: Some of the start of chapters felt a little bit abrupt. I sometimes felt like I was being thrown into a brand new scene, without being eased into it or given context. However, the entire plot did flow well together and was overall very solid.

Favorite Aspects:
Here are my favorite thing about each character, because I simply HAVE to talk about each and every one!
- Octavia - as an eldest sister, I felt so seen through this character. The way that she protected her sister and even just acted around them, immediately drew me to her. She is also incredibly attractive in mind, body, and talent! If I was in the KCU (Katie Chandler Universe), she would definitely be my celebrity crush🫡
- Leo - even though Leo wasn’t exactly the main focus of this book, he still demanded focus on the best way possible. I loved his easy going demeanor and his ability to just love everyone. Whether that be platonically or romantically, his love knows no bounds.
- Ariel - I think to his core, he’s a protector and a carer. This present even in moments that he needed care the most. His love for his son and his partners was astounding. P.S. I loved his bashfulness around Octavia and Leo😋
- Eduardo - my king!! Loved his cameos and presence throughout the story. From his relationship with his dad, Octavia, Leo, to his love of tennis and reading, his character speaks to my heart. I also heard he was not in the original draft? So glad the author added him, he was, in many ways, the glue of this story!!!

Other aspects I really enjoyed:
- The olive theory reference (one person in the relationship doesn’t like olives, but the other does).There is a scene towards the end of the book, after a pretty heavy emotional moment, where they all sit calmly to eat lunch. When opening their salads, they each come across a small piece of the salad that they dislike. They each trade their toppings, until they all have exactly what they want. “Perfectly matched, all around.” :)
- The character growth! Octavia goes through some deep soul searching, and by the end I felt like I had been through the journey of growth with her!
- The smut…duh. Somehow kept up the lyrical writing, while being insanely good!🥵

Final recommendation: In terms of start ratings this book is 5/5🌟’s!! This book met if not exceeded all of my expectations after loving Backhanded Compliments. I know I will be picking up a physical copy of this book in December, and I hope others will too!!

[drea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Atria for the ARC!

I thought I was walking into a tennis rom-com with a possible love triangle, but instead I got a beautifully intimate story about vulnerability in relationships, complex family dynamics, and the most unique twist on soulmates in a contemporary romance novel - and lots of tennis! haha. This book completely took me by surprise and I loved every single minute of it.

My favorite part about this book was how the idea of soulmates was incorporated not just as a theoretical concept, but as material fact with discernible markings to make it known on individuals with a soulmate. It threw me for a loop at first, but it was so fun to just accept it as reality and get lost in the idea of it all. It made this for an impossible romance to forget.

Octavia and Ariel's character development was so well done. Despite the very unfortunate way that their connection started, it was really heartwarming to see the way they turned it around. Ariel was exactly the kind of coach that Octavia always deserved and it was touching how he slowly made her fall in love with tennis again. I think through each other and especially in large part through Leo, they each learned to be vulnerable not only with each other, but with their families as well. Leo really was the glue that held them together and such a bright spot in a lot of the heavy that both Octavia and Ariel were carrying. Octavia fought through a lot demons that her father had saddled with and Ariel was bearing a world of pain - both emotional and physical - that he felt he had to deal with alone. I love that he found two people to help share the load and love him exactly how he was.

The three of them complemented each other perfectly. Leo and Octavia were obviously good together, but I think Ariel made them whole. Aside from their emotional growth (which was so tender and beautiful) their sexual chemistry was insaaaane omg. I loved the way they explored each other and how hot the different dynamics within their throuple were, all while allowing themself to be emotionally vulnerable. 10/10 smut.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention sweet little Eduardo!!! I thought he was the most precious kid and I loved what he brought to the story. He softened Octavia in the most unexpected way and their bond was one of my favorite parts about this book. Ariel was such a good father to him too and I loved how fierce he was about protecting him and loving him completely separate from how well he played tennis.

One thing that I wish we'd gotten was Leo's POV. Even though he was probably the most open of them all to start and it was pretty clear how he was feeling, I still think it would have really rounded the story out to have his POV. I still really enjoyed this though. The tennis of it all was thrilling and I was entirely invested in the subplots with all of the side characters. LOVED this and I can't wait to read more from this author.

[A.Onstad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to SS Atria Marketing and NETGALLEY for providing an ARC of Katie Chandler’s Triple Threat in exchange for an honest review.
Release date: December 8th, 2026.

3.5 Stars
Before I continue, know that I did NOT read Backhanded Compliments, which I now know is book one of the series. If you are interested in this book, I suggest starting with that book.

Similar to reading holiday romances during the holiday season, reading tennis romances during Wimbledon is somehow more fun than reading them without a grand slam happening. It’s just nice to read a sports romance and actually understand the sports side of things. And by the way, I loved the author’s note about why she added a women’s event to Monte Carlo! That has always bugged me. I visited there years ago, and WOW! It is a gorgeous place for ANY event. Hopefully organizers will read this book and make some changes

If you are a fan of sports romances and polyamorous relationships, I’m confident you will love this book. I don’t always enjoy MFM or MMF or Reverse Harem storylines because I just can’t fully understand how all of their emotions fit together to make the relationship happy for each person.

Having said that, I did enjoy Leo, Octavia, and Ariel’s story. Leo and Octavia are pro-tennis players already in a happy and solid relationship at the start, so I started wondering how Chandler would get readers to get on board with adding Ariel–a single father tennis coach-to the mix. Chandler devised an interesting way to work in the nature of their relationship. There was a ‘soulmate’ element included that I was intrigued by, but at the same time, I didn’t have enough background from this book (see earlier note about reading book one) as to how that element actually worked in what seemed like a book set in contemporary times.

If you do not enjoy the tennis angle, I still think you would enjoy this book. It is not super involved in the matches themselves–just enough to create some tension but not as detailed as some other tennis romances I have read.

What I really loved about this book was that Chandler showed each character dealing with some difficult issues, which she warns about in the trigger warnings. The story went beyond tennis and romance and into how people cope with different types of trauma. My favorite parts were watching the three of them help one another in that process.

What I was hoping for was even more scenes with the sisters (I’m hoping for a book about the rest of them) and also Leo’s POV. I loved that character and was sad he didn’t get his own POV. I’m sure Chandler had her reasons for not including him, but know this, Katie Chander…Leo was an excellent creation!

[Maria Viale · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really, pleasantly surprised by this one. I picked it up because I love spicy sports romance, and I've never read any romance with a throupple, or a threesome, especially with MMF.

In this story, we have three tennis player - Ariel, retired after a career-ending injury to his leg, is now dedicated to coaching and looking after his teenage son, Eduardo. Eduardo's favorite tennis player is Octavia, our FMC. Her father has recently passed, and she's grappling with the complications of their relationship, how it makes her perceive her career and love for tennis. And then we have Octavia's partner, Leo. They're soulmates. In Katie Chandler's world, if you have a soulmate, there is a silver inked tattoo on your wrist - when you meet your soulmate, the ink turns black and your body has a physical reaction, like a jolt of electricity. So there's a little magical realism which I think is really subtle and fun. Leo was actually born with two soulmates, so that's where the relationship between the three really blossoms.

The intimate scenes really are very well done and are super steamy and fun to read, but that takes more of a back seat in this story. This really is a story about three people who go on a healing journey together. Katie Chandler made all of these characters very well rounded, gave them wounds that felt appropriately covered, and ultimately was very well-paced - maybe towards the end, after that third act "breakup" (it was very brief), it felt a little rushed in the resolution. But the deeper family dynamics and insecurities for each character were each really well done, handled with a lot of care and love. There is a cast of characters that helps amplify this world and makes it feel very real, makes you feel like you really know these characters and are in their world.

This is a true sports romance, as well. There is a lot of tennis in it - as someone that is partial to this particular sport, it did lag a little bit for me in those moments. But I think lovers of the sport and lovers of romance are going to thrive here. For some reason, I do also wish there was just a little more time or maybe a little more balance building the romance and the intimacy (not just physical) for the three main characters. I believed their chemistry, and it didn't necessarily feel rushed...but maybe when it came time for the "I love you"s, it felt a little bit like we were rushing that. But that's also just me being hyperfocused.

A really well done and really emotional romance that will also have you clutching your pearls....with conviction.......and giddiness!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

This was so close to be the polyamory romance book of my dreams. It got so close.

Sadly, though, it fell short. So let's talk about it.

Right off the bat, I want to say I think this romance suffers from the Heated Rivalry effect in that it's using sex scenes as a way of developing the plot and the characters. Which means there's a lot of sex scenes. A lot a lot. To the point that around the 42% mark I was regularly getting agitated that every time Leo and Ariel interacted off the tennis court it almost immediately progressed to them having sex.

Don't get me wrong, I love a good spicy scenes. But there is such a thing as spice fatigue and I suffered from it tremendously with this book.

I wanted to see Leo and Ariel spend more time together in a getting-to-know-you way. I wanted to see their intimacy deepen, to see them bond and grow those feelings. I wanted more of the fluff. Especially since they're soulmates.

The soulmarks... I've been on AO3 since it started an eon ago so I'm of course familiar with the trope. But I would've appreciate some lore. I would've appreciated learning more about them. And maybe all that world-building is in Backhanded Compliment and I made the mistake of not reading that book first, I don't know.

I just think there's so much complexity to that trope that I wish had been explored more. I want to know what it feels like, on a mental level, to know the gender of your soulmate from your birth or from theirs. Especially when it comes to your own sexuality identity. I feel like if you're a boy and you have a boy's name imprinted on you, or if you're a girl with another girl's name imprinted on you, don't you lose so much of that vital discovery when you're growing up? Don't you lose the opportunity to learn that about yourself? Yes, it probably saves you some of the turmoil of discovering and accepting that you're gay, but it also almost feels like the soulmarks take away that privilege of going through that journey.

Maybe I'm thinking too much about it, but that thought kept circling me the entire book.

There's a lot about this book I'd like to talk to the author about. I'd ask her why we didn't get Leo chapters when he's an integral part of this throuple. I'd ask her why it's primarily written as a straight romance when it's about polyamory and two halves of the triad are men who are soulmates. I'd ask her why the podcast exerts disappear for more than half the book.

The epilogue was incredibly sweet, though. Bonus points for it not ending in a commitment ceremony.

[Melissa DeLong-Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Any sports romance with a polyamorous relationship is one that I'm going to snatch off the shelves, but unfortunately, this one is just hitting the mid-threes and a just okay on my rating scale. I felt like there were SO MANY subplots that you never get to flesh out any of them. I really loved the relationship between all three MCs, and I wish we could've had Leo's POV as well since he was a central piece of this story. This book was never bad, but I found myself consistently wishing that we could focus on just ONE piece of the plot – like the romantic relationships alongside the tennis pro world would've been PLENTY for an entire story. Same with Octavia's relationship with her father and subsequent return to tennis, or Ariel's healing journey. Any of those things could've supported a story on their own.

Overall, I'd still recommend this! I would just be mindful that there's a lot going on, and a lot of emotions throughout, so it isn't a light fluffy read like the cartoon cover may have you believe.

Spoilers to follow, so stop here if you don't want more details!

Okay the subplot points that come to mind immediately:
- Octavia's difficult relationship with her father and the grief of him passing
- also, her dad was her tennis coach for her whole life so that difficult relationship impacts her sport as well
- one character is a single dad with a traumatic, career-ending injury
- the relationship with her three (!!) sisters as a result of that journey with her father
- everybody plans tennis professionally and they're traveling the world for various tennis events
- our MCs are all in a romantic relationship
- as if the relationship between three people isn't enough, keep in mind one of those characters also has a child, and all three are athletes for the same elite sport
- the soulmark part of it all, which is somehow central to this whole story but barely touched on at all?

So many of these plot points are just sort of glossed over because there is truly not time to appropriately dive into each of them. I'll also point out that while the sex scenes were well written for the most part, they were lengthy and didn't feel they added that much emotional depth.

*Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC!*

[Victoria H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me this book for free as an e-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I liked the tennis sports romance,

Also they said I love you so fast... And just like talked about their feelings too much. Like, I get that communication is important in polyamory but I'm sorry I hate reading that. I feel like you should show not tell by having them do things rather than talk about their feelings all the time.

One of them had an adorable son + I liked the sports drama of it all, though. I liked the subplot with Ariel and his son Eduardo especially, as Eduardo was a very cute kid. I didn't really understand the subplot with Carmen, the mother of Eduardo, and think that could have been fleshed out more. His ex (mother of his child) then hooked up and got pregnant w his ex childhood friend who caused his career ending, disability causing injury, which probably would have made me more mad than he was about it; he was super forgiving. So I think it would have been fun to have even more sports drama, and maybe gotten rid of the whole soulmates thing as it is such a minor part of the story and I barely even understood why it was there---except for maybe two scenes where it was relevant.

I also really felt that it was a miss to have it dual POV and not give all three of them a POV---I felt like we hardly got to know Leo, especially as he really didn't have a subplot at all. I thought his scenes with Ariel were cute, but less so with Octavia, since they were already together to start with and didn't have very much tension or room to grow in their relationship since everyone was healthily communicating everything and not struggling at all with that. On the other hand, it could have just been a single POV book---perhaps from Ariel's perspective since he has the most going on.

I didn't find the sex scenes particularly erotic? Usually if there's spice, I prefer it to in some way move the romance plot forward or at least be titillating to the reader, but I didn't really find that with these scenes. It could have easily just been fade to black bc I skimmed over them.

TLDR: my favorite part was the sports drama, which thankfully this book does go into!

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! You've got romance between a tennis player and a coach, complex family dynamics, fated soulmates, and found family all in one book. I enjoyed the alternating POVs from Octavia and Ariel. They were both well written characters who had their own struggles that drove the plot of the book. You have Octavia, a tennis player who has struggled with her love of tennis in the aftermath of her father's death. Ariel, the coach that ends up coaching her who currently deals with chronic pain while being a dad to 12yr old Eduardo. And Leo, the tennis player who happens to be both of their soulmates. I loved the relationship dynamic between Octavia, Ariel, and Leo! There was so much trust and honesty between them and I could really see how much they loved each other. They were the perfect soulmates. I enjoyed reading about Octavia's journey of loving herself and loving tennis, and the close relationship she has with her sisters. Ariel is the best dad and coach and partner, and I loved reading his journey from someone who had no soulmate to being surrounded by 2 partners who embraced him fully and wholly. Besides the main 3 characters, I absolutely loved Eduardo. He was so sweet and just the perfect part of their little family.

I will say, even though Leo was the one with 2 soulmarks, I 100% would've enjoyed seeing a few chapters in his POV. I feel like that was one of the missing elements of this book. As with any contempary book with some magical realism, I do understand some magical elements are not really explained. I still would've loved if the book leaned more into the soulmark idea since it felt kind of random. Other than that, I am interested in reading more books from this author as well as more books exploring poly relationships.

[liv · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,75⭐

This was a delightful read, I'm so happy I gave this book a chance!

I particularly think that MMF romance is notoriously difficult to nail and often falls short with one character feeling like an afterthought. Luckily enough, the author managed to avoid this trap entirely here!

Leo, Ariel, and Octavia are entirely their own people with distinct lives, ambitions, and stories outside of their relationship and I LOVED to get to know them individually and together. Even when Ariel felt like the focal point between Leo and Octavia, the page-time and emotional weight felt balanced and their dynamic/relationship didn't feel gratuitous at all.

One of the things that caught my attention was the presence of soulmarks, I love that trope and it's not normally found in published books. I wish we had gotten more insight on that because throughout most of the book it felt like the author assumed the reader already knew the rules of this universe and that just left me wanting for more details.

Another thing was that the final stretch was just a couple pages too long. We spent more time than I think we should've in trivial matters which left me feeling like the end was slightly rushed and needing more room to breathe.

Ultimately, though, that was was just a small bump on the road. The good Brazilian rep had me giddy all the way and it made me happy to see Ariel shine in that way.

If you want a sports romance that prioritizes character development and healthy polyamorous representation, this will be worth the read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Jensen Potrykus · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is like late 2000's early 2010's type of alternate universe fanfic where (almost) everyone has a tattoo of their soulmate's name that magically appears when their soulamte is born. Honestly gag me. If I had seen that before I picked this up, I wouldn't have even bothered. It's cringe. And for being a sports romance book, we spend the middle half (if not more) of this book with very minimal references to the sport at all.

I can't quite get over the odd choice to have a book focused on a throuple, only to exclude one of the characters from having any POV in the story. Leo becomes so sidelined as a result and feels less important, again really odd keeping in mind HE IS THE ONE that has 2 soulmates? Shouldn't he get a bit of focus?

Leo as a character doesn't really make sense. He is a pro tennis player, one of the best in the world. And yet, he is an artist and he bakes. Octavia has no identity outside of tennis because as a professional she spends all her time on the sport (or I guess on the sport and having sex). So how does Leo seemingly have plenty of time for other things?

This book is oddly religious and anti-abortion. I would hesitate to recommend this due to these topics mixed in with what is supposed to be LGBTQ+ and poly representation. Throwing in these conservative ideals felt very out of place. And, I can't help but feel having your FMC quit so she can be with a guy she likes also pulls us back to an oddly traditional headspace.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing an eARC of Triple Threat in exchange for this honest review.

[gracee may · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC read for this book!

For a majority of this book, I could tell it was well-written, engaging, but just not for me.

I felt as if the characters were slightly difficult to connect to, almost as if I was watching the story rather than being immersed in it. However, I feel like this writing style pairs nicely with the podcasting segments.

I also, though this is my own fault completely, didn't even realize that when they were talking about soulmates, they meant it as a trope and not just a name of adoration. This realization came to me around 20% into the book and confused me greatly. However, this was less of the author's doing and more of me skimming the blurb.

I was also getting confused with all the characters, specifically all the Ricci sisters and their partners. This also probably would've been helped if I had read the first book first.

Other than that, I thought that the book was very sweet and handled the relationships well. I also appreciated the lack of communication issues and that everything settled smoothly in the end. My favorite part of this book, honestly, was the tennis aspect. As a player, I thought the author really captured the aspects of tennis matches and practices well. Even if this was a less important piece compared to the more emotional scenes, it set a sense of realism to the story, despite the soulmarks plotline.

[Michelle Wood · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy

Imagine a world where people have Soul Marks and all they have to do is touch their soul mate, and they know who they are. Doesn't that sound lovely? If that could be a real thing, that would be amazing.

I know some readers weren't crazy about the soul marks in this book, but I really liked it. It's a variation on something I've read quite a bit while reading FanFiction. And goodness knows, I love my FanFiction. It's an interesting way to bring our characters together and I thought it brought an interesting dynamic to their relationship. However, I'm sorry to say that I did find it to be the only really interesting thing about this book.

All In all, I struggled to stay invested in this story. I did like Leo, Octavia, and Ariel but there's no real obstacle for them to overcome. Leo and Ariel are soulmates. So are Octavia and Leo. Octavia and Ariel grow to care for each other. That's It, all three of them are together and I didn't feel like the story gave us any other obstacle. I also can't say I was all that interested in the Tennis.

Perhaps this story was just not for me or it is a case of the right book at the wrong time. I did think it was okay and I do love that this book had so many LGBT relationships. I would recommend this book to someone who wants a lighter romance with lots of fluff and a decent amount of spice.

[Allyson Preble · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay I love a romance where the characters are able to talk to eachother and talk through their conflicts and this book had this in spades. I loved all the characters (and there are a lot) and I think the author did an incredible job of balances the cast. We get a lot of detail and insight into the main characters and it’s clear who the supporting characters are without making them feel like secondary characters. I also thouroughly enjoyed the tennis aspect of this book. The tennis matches did a good job of driving the story and supplying an interesting subplot without taking away from the romance. And Katie Chandler did a really good job of balancing the sexy scenes with the plot - it didn’t feel like too much or like it was just thrown in just to have a sex scene. They were all intentional.

Now there is a lot going on with this book, we have a threesome with varying trauma to work through from physical pain to emotional pain as well as working through their relationships and relationships with family outside the threesome. On top of that, we also have these “soulmarks” which felt thrown in. I actually had to go back and re-read a couple of pages to see if I missed something. Katia just assumes that we, the reader, will go along with this element without really tying it to anything. I think it was small enough that it could have been removed without effecting the story but big enough that it’s mentioned quite a few times and pulled me out of the story.

[LavenderHazeReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Katie Chandler for the opportunity to read this eARC and provide an honest review.

This is the first Katie Chandler book I’ve read, and while I’m not usually a fan of third-person narration, especially in a dual POV, I found the writing engaging enough that it never detracted from my reading experience. I appreciated that the story explored not only the complex romantic dynamic between Octavia, Ariel, and Leo, but also the family relationships that shaped so many of the characters’ emotions and decisions. I especially enjoy stories that balance heavier emotional themes with sports romance and spice, and Chandler wove those elements together seamlessly.

Because Leo became one of my favorite characters throughout the story, I was a little disappointed that we never got to experience his perspective. Given the why-choose romance, I think including his POV would have deepened the emotional connection between all three characters even further. I also found the soulmate marks a little difficult to pin down. Magical realism can be challenging to integrate, and while I appreciated the concept, it felt slightly disconnected from the rest of the story, which was otherwise grounded in its emotional relationships.

I’d definitely recommend this novel to fans of tennis romance, why-choose romance, and character-driven stories with plenty of emotional tension.

[Jaimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book!

I have read a few polyamorous books, and I always start out worried that the relationship in the book will became very one sided, meaning it feels like one person being shared between two people. I hate when that happens, I prefer when everyone in the relationship has feelings for each other. Thankfully in this book that ended up being the case.

I found myself really enjoying both Octavia and Ariel's point of views, I really wish we had gotten Leo's as well. Everyone in this book has had their own hardship and struggles they've been trying to overcome and seeing adults actually being able to be grownups and communicate with each other was refreshing for a change.

There was the whole soul mates aspect that just confused me at the beginning because it wasn't really explained. I felt like the soul mate aspect was kind of used to justify the poly relationship at first and I wasn't a huge fan of that. I could have done without that whole aspect altogether and just had three characters that fall in love with each other naturally.

The spice was very nice as well, a little kinky at times but also not constantly shoved down our throats. It also took a while and alot of character development before we even got to the spice.

Overall I really enjoyed the book, I'll give it 4/5 stars.

[GlacierFrost]

Thank you Atria and Netgalley for an email invite for this ARC copy, in exchange for an honest review!

DNF at 54%

I unfortunately could not get into this one. It had a lot of promise for me, given that I originally started reading Triple Threat due to the speculative fiction element that was compelling for a contemporary romance. However, it didn’t have the kind of presence I’d hoped for such an attention-drawing facet, and I ended up losing enjoyment for this book pretty quickly.

Octavia, Leo, and Ariel all have extreme promise as characters. It’s interesting to see how the soulmate discovery as mentioned in the blurb affects each of their psyches and connections. But it just wasn’t enough to keep me personally invested. I really wanted there to be more to the soulmate aspect than just…tattoos. They should’ve had a compelling draw to each other or knowing how the other feels beyond something that could be explained away by years of history together or just common sense.

I would definitely say if you have an interest in reading this book, you should give it a shot and form your own opinions! I definitely wasn’t the primary target audience but wanted to expand my horizons with this one. I’m glad I at least gave Triple Threat a shot, and as always, I’m grateful for any opportunity Atria chooses to send my way!