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Triple Threat
Not yet published
Expected 8 Dec 26From 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, 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 in this “magnetic” (Publishers Weekly) romance novel.
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, 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 in this “magnetic” (Publishers Weekly) romance novel.
352 pages, Paperback
Expected publication December 8, 2026
About the author
Katie Chandler
2 books146 followersKatie 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).
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Did Not Finish
June 27, 2026thank 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 ☹️
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 ☹️
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I wanted to mix it up a bit when I chose this book to review. It’s been a while since I’ve read a book with multiple partners, and this definitely wasn't what I expected.
This is one story that leads with deep feelings. It’s mainly about a female tennis champ and a male tennis ex-champ who becomes her coach after she suffers a meltdown on the tennis circuit.
It’s a complex situation with deep emotions, heightened pressure, physical injury, and trying to find your way in a professional tennis circuit where everyone knows everyone and the competition is fierce.
The author dove deep into the characters, the development of the characters, and their connection to each other. The male lead and his son were my favorite characters.
Kind, soft-spoken, and sweet, both of them have qualities that balance the high-strung, trauma-laden Octavia. Her husband, Leo, is also a sweetheart, but I really missed the fact that the author held back the deeper parts of his story.
The author seemingly blends all of them together into a slow-burn connection. The support of each other and development of a tight unit was beautiful. The touch of magical elements was unexpected and a great way to tether them.
Overall, Triple Threat is a beautifully entertaining, supportive, mildly messy, triple love story about family ties and building new families. While there is some triple and m/m action, I found it to be steamy and almost respectful.
~~~~
* I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
* Full review - https://amidlifewife.com/triple-threa...
This is one story that leads with deep feelings. It’s mainly about a female tennis champ and a male tennis ex-champ who becomes her coach after she suffers a meltdown on the tennis circuit.
It’s a complex situation with deep emotions, heightened pressure, physical injury, and trying to find your way in a professional tennis circuit where everyone knows everyone and the competition is fierce.
The author dove deep into the characters, the development of the characters, and their connection to each other. The male lead and his son were my favorite characters.
Kind, soft-spoken, and sweet, both of them have qualities that balance the high-strung, trauma-laden Octavia. Her husband, Leo, is also a sweetheart, but I really missed the fact that the author held back the deeper parts of his story.
The author seemingly blends all of them together into a slow-burn connection. The support of each other and development of a tight unit was beautiful. The touch of magical elements was unexpected and a great way to tether them.
Overall, Triple Threat is a beautifully entertaining, supportive, mildly messy, triple love story about family ties and building new families. While there is some triple and m/m action, I found it to be steamy and almost respectful.
~~~~
* I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
* Full review - https://amidlifewife.com/triple-threa...
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
ARC Review 2.75**** Rounding up to 3
Thanks to NetGalley for the Triple Threat ARC. My opinions are always my own so take them with a grain of salt, but Triple Threat unfortunately didn’t work for me. Don’t get me wrong author can write well, and the plot was interesting enough to keep me reading to the end, though I had pacing issues about 60% in, it just slowed. I just feel like several key pieces to the story either didn’t work or felt like an afterthought thrown in. For example the “soul mates” aspect and the markings on peoples wrists with the name of your soulmate. For me, it was explained too late in the story after being dropped casually into sentences beforehand, like we’re already supposed to know. Doing some research there is a book about one of our fmc’s sister where I’d assume the soul mark concept is better explained? I thought it was an important part to their story in understanding the rare occurrence they themselves are in, but concept was just casually worked in. Wanted more history explained of this phenomenon unlike in real life.
The romance itself between our three mc’s was too mild for it being an unconventional and supposedly exciting throple. There was barely any pushback at all. The ex wife I thought would cause a ton of drama, she only kicked up some dust. Overall, I didn’t feel the spark between these three as much as I’d hoped I would.
Thanks to NetGalley for the Triple Threat ARC. My opinions are always my own so take them with a grain of salt, but Triple Threat unfortunately didn’t work for me. Don’t get me wrong author can write well, and the plot was interesting enough to keep me reading to the end, though I had pacing issues about 60% in, it just slowed. I just feel like several key pieces to the story either didn’t work or felt like an afterthought thrown in. For example the “soul mates” aspect and the markings on peoples wrists with the name of your soulmate. For me, it was explained too late in the story after being dropped casually into sentences beforehand, like we’re already supposed to know. Doing some research there is a book about one of our fmc’s sister where I’d assume the soul mark concept is better explained? I thought it was an important part to their story in understanding the rare occurrence they themselves are in, but concept was just casually worked in. Wanted more history explained of this phenomenon unlike in real life.
The romance itself between our three mc’s was too mild for it being an unconventional and supposedly exciting throple. There was barely any pushback at all. The ex wife I thought would cause a ton of drama, she only kicked up some dust. Overall, I didn’t feel the spark between these three as much as I’d hoped I would.
June 11, 2026
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!
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!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Went into this book expecting spicy scenes and tennis drama and I definitely got both of those 😍🔥
Found it to be a little slow otherwise, so that's why I rated it 3⭐
Thank you to the Author, the Publisher, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!
Found it to be a little slow otherwise, so that's why I rated it 3⭐
Thank you to the Author, the Publisher, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!
September 29, 2026
The Plot:
After experiencing a very public, devastating meltdown at the Australian Open, tennis star Octavia Ricci is forced to pick up the pieces. Having spent her life trying to prove she doesn't need anyone, especially not her controlling father who coached her, she finds herself questioning her path forward in the game she used to love. Octavia unexpectedly finds herself entangled in an even more intense game: her new coach, Ariel de Cordova, has a matching soul mark to her soulmate and partner Leo Mantovani. The three must navigate their future, risking both their careers and their hearts as old wounds threaten their peace.
My Review:
This is a solid read that felt like it tried to cover a bit too much ground. I’ll acknowledge first that I’m not a huge fan of insta-love, so I personally would have preferred a more hard-earned romantic tension. I found a similar lack of depth in how the book handles the soulmate concept, which is explored only very superficially. The story leans on this “fated mate” element without ever really grounding how it all works, leaving the dynamic a bit murkier than necessary.
In a welcome surprise, heavier themes like sacrifice, complex parental relationships, and chronic pain actually got a lot more attention than the core emotional romance. Despite these heavier topics, it felt like everything came together so easily for the three main characters. There were no major obstacles, detractors, or practical constraints, despite the unorthodoxy of the throuple and the complex business relationships at play. The romance leaned a bit too heavily on spice instead of building a deep, incremental connection. The author definitely flirts with real depth in places—the bond between Ariel and Octavia is rooted in mutual respect, support, and autonomy, which is such a refreshing contrast to how her father treated her as a coach. With Leo and Octavia, you see a natural alignment of interests and the deep comfort of longtime partners, while Leo cares for Ariel in a way he rarely lets others in for. Even so, I really would have appreciated more romantic depth to balance the strong physical chemistry.
Having read several tennis romances over the past few years, I thought this one hit the sweet spot regarding the sport itself. It had just the right amount of tennis flavor to make the setting plausible without bogging down the narrative.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
If you like a steamy why choose between 3 characters in a sports setting this may be for you.
Unfortunately it just isn't for me.
I don't understand the soul mate marks. There's a whole explanation there that I'm missing.
I also felt the characters were kind of boring. They seemed a little robotic. Going back to the soul mate marks. Once they're discovered it all seems very insta lust and no real difficulties. The build up of meaningful relationships felt lost.
I appreciate the ebook copy from netgalley and atria books. All opinions are my own.
Unfortunately it just isn't for me.
I don't understand the soul mate marks. There's a whole explanation there that I'm missing.
I also felt the characters were kind of boring. They seemed a little robotic. Going back to the soul mate marks. Once they're discovered it all seems very insta lust and no real difficulties. The build up of meaningful relationships felt lost.
I appreciate the ebook copy from netgalley and atria books. All opinions are my own.
August 5, 2026
4 stars
Wow, I did not expect this book to happen the way it did, but I LOVED it! Such a fun read set in the high-intensity world of tennis, it follows Octavia's journey in finding her place in that space after her father dies. She has the help of her boyfriend Leo and new coach Ariel who... enter magical element: are soulmates. This is such an interesting twist to the real world, and the story follows them as they grapple with what that means for all of their relationships.
It's told in dual, third-person POV from Octavia and Ariel's perspective, which was fine, but I would've loved to have had Leo's POV as well, since he is a part of this throuple situation as well. The characters are all very emotionally mature and communicate so well, so that's a bonus. Nevertheless, since Octavia's main struggle was also with her family and father's passing, I think a bit more of the family dynamics could've been portrayed. But maybe it was also just the fact that I experience third-person tellings as a bit removed, always, that hindered this connection for me.
Overall, I really loved this story, the characters (shoutout Eduardo—such a cutie), the writing, and vibes. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Atria for this ARC!
Wow, I did not expect this book to happen the way it did, but I LOVED it! Such a fun read set in the high-intensity world of tennis, it follows Octavia's journey in finding her place in that space after her father dies. She has the help of her boyfriend Leo and new coach Ariel who... enter magical element: are soulmates. This is such an interesting twist to the real world, and the story follows them as they grapple with what that means for all of their relationships.
It's told in dual, third-person POV from Octavia and Ariel's perspective, which was fine, but I would've loved to have had Leo's POV as well, since he is a part of this throuple situation as well. The characters are all very emotionally mature and communicate so well, so that's a bonus. Nevertheless, since Octavia's main struggle was also with her family and father's passing, I think a bit more of the family dynamics could've been portrayed. But maybe it was also just the fact that I experience third-person tellings as a bit removed, always, that hindered this connection for me.
Overall, I really loved this story, the characters (shoutout Eduardo—such a cutie), the writing, and vibes. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Atria for this ARC!
July 30, 2026
Apparently I know even less about tennis than I thought. What I DO know is I love why choose, and this delivers! 3.75 ⭐️
While reading this I did get flashbacks to watching Challengers (because it does have a lot in common) but I really liked our 3 main characters. I do think it’s an interesting writing choice to show the POV for Octavia and Ariel, but not Leo’s. It didn’t bother me, it just makes me wonder why we got those two and not him.
I thought the magical realism was believable enough - especially because I knew what I was signing up for when I went into this. The soulmate marks are a cool concept and I bought into it. Especially because it’s how we get to see some romantic variation.
The spicy scenes were good and the forbidden relationship with a coach was hot. Personally I wouldn’t have been upset if this leaned more into the romance and a bit less into the tennis, but I’m sure others would disagree.
It also showed a lot of character development across the timeline, and I finished reading with a smile on my face because it’s so cute and a little sappy.
Thank you to the publisher and author for the ARC through NetGalley
While reading this I did get flashbacks to watching Challengers (because it does have a lot in common) but I really liked our 3 main characters. I do think it’s an interesting writing choice to show the POV for Octavia and Ariel, but not Leo’s. It didn’t bother me, it just makes me wonder why we got those two and not him.
I thought the magical realism was believable enough - especially because I knew what I was signing up for when I went into this. The soulmate marks are a cool concept and I bought into it. Especially because it’s how we get to see some romantic variation.
The spicy scenes were good and the forbidden relationship with a coach was hot. Personally I wouldn’t have been upset if this leaned more into the romance and a bit less into the tennis, but I’m sure others would disagree.
It also showed a lot of character development across the timeline, and I finished reading with a smile on my face because it’s so cute and a little sappy.
Thank you to the publisher and author for the ARC through NetGalley
June 6, 2026
Thank you to Atria and NetGalley for the arc!
Rtc
Rtc
July 24, 2026
I’m a sucker for a good poly romance, and Katie absolutely delivered with Triple Threat. 🎾❤️
After the death of her father and coach, Octavia is left trying to figure out what comes next. While his passing is complicated because he wasn’t the best man, she’s grateful to have one constant in her life: Leo, her soulmate.
Soulmates, you ask? Let me explain. In this world, everyone is born with a faded name on their skin. Once they meet their soulmate, that name darkens into permanent ink. Leo and Octavia are lucky to have found each other…but Leo was born with two soulmate names. He knows the second name, but the person destined for him no longer goes by it.
Enter Ariel, a former pro tennis player whose career ended after a devastating injury. Now navigating chronic pain and raising his young son, Eduardo, Ariel never expects to cross paths with his soulmate. But fate has other plans when he becomes Octavia’s coach. What begins as an arrangement with no strings attached quickly grows into something any of them could have imagined. Instead of becoming complicated, Leo having two soulmates creates something incredibly beautiful.
I loved that Ariel was a single dad because Eduardo added so much heart to the story while also strengthening everyone’s connection through tennis. Watching these three realize they were meant to build a life together was so rewarding. Ariel’s chronic pain representation was especially moving, highlighting the lasting physical and emotional toll that professional athletics can have and how difficult it can be to let others in.
I flew through this one and was genuinely sad when it ended. I could have happily spent so much more time with these three. They were all so different individually, but together they became the perfect team. Also, loved the ending! ❤️🎾
After the death of her father and coach, Octavia is left trying to figure out what comes next. While his passing is complicated because he wasn’t the best man, she’s grateful to have one constant in her life: Leo, her soulmate.
Soulmates, you ask? Let me explain. In this world, everyone is born with a faded name on their skin. Once they meet their soulmate, that name darkens into permanent ink. Leo and Octavia are lucky to have found each other…but Leo was born with two soulmate names. He knows the second name, but the person destined for him no longer goes by it.
Enter Ariel, a former pro tennis player whose career ended after a devastating injury. Now navigating chronic pain and raising his young son, Eduardo, Ariel never expects to cross paths with his soulmate. But fate has other plans when he becomes Octavia’s coach. What begins as an arrangement with no strings attached quickly grows into something any of them could have imagined. Instead of becoming complicated, Leo having two soulmates creates something incredibly beautiful.
I loved that Ariel was a single dad because Eduardo added so much heart to the story while also strengthening everyone’s connection through tennis. Watching these three realize they were meant to build a life together was so rewarding. Ariel’s chronic pain representation was especially moving, highlighting the lasting physical and emotional toll that professional athletics can have and how difficult it can be to let others in.
I flew through this one and was genuinely sad when it ended. I could have happily spent so much more time with these three. They were all so different individually, but together they became the perfect team. Also, loved the ending! ❤️🎾
June 22, 2026
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.
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.
July 31, 2026
Thank you so much to Atria Books for the ARC via NetGalley!
Backhanded Compliments was one of the first ARCs I ever received so it was an absolute honor to continue to explore this world as an early reader. Ever since reading Backhanded Compliments, I’ve been very intrigued by Octavia and I was so glad to have the chance to explore her story.
Octavia is a true eldest daughter, especially in how she seeks to protect her younger sisters from her pain. Despite her own strained relationship with Antony, she works hard to ensure that doesn’t impact how her sisters view him. This kind of protective nature bleeds into her relationship with Leo, and then with her new coach, Ariel. Octavia is very interesting to read and I really love how her story wrapped up.
Ariel’s point of view surprised me in this book. Reading from the perspective of someone who had their tennis career ripped from them due to injury was hard, but it provided a unique look at the sport. Also, I really appreciated diving into his relationship with Eduardo. I feel like we got to know Ariel very well and get to see where his priorities lie.
Leo is who I wish we got more from. He gives big golden retriever energy and I love that. However, I wish we got a little bit more depth in his character. The fact that the book lacked his perspective was something that disappointed me because I really wanted to understand his life with two soul marks.
Overall, I enjoyed this story a lot. It is unique and something that we typically do not see in the romance space. Coming off of seeing Challengers for the first time made me very much think, “They could’ve just done this.”
I’m excited to see what Katie Chandler writes next!
Backhanded Compliments was one of the first ARCs I ever received so it was an absolute honor to continue to explore this world as an early reader. Ever since reading Backhanded Compliments, I’ve been very intrigued by Octavia and I was so glad to have the chance to explore her story.
Octavia is a true eldest daughter, especially in how she seeks to protect her younger sisters from her pain. Despite her own strained relationship with Antony, she works hard to ensure that doesn’t impact how her sisters view him. This kind of protective nature bleeds into her relationship with Leo, and then with her new coach, Ariel. Octavia is very interesting to read and I really love how her story wrapped up.
Ariel’s point of view surprised me in this book. Reading from the perspective of someone who had their tennis career ripped from them due to injury was hard, but it provided a unique look at the sport. Also, I really appreciated diving into his relationship with Eduardo. I feel like we got to know Ariel very well and get to see where his priorities lie.
Leo is who I wish we got more from. He gives big golden retriever energy and I love that. However, I wish we got a little bit more depth in his character. The fact that the book lacked his perspective was something that disappointed me because I really wanted to understand his life with two soul marks.
Overall, I enjoyed this story a lot. It is unique and something that we typically do not see in the romance space. Coming off of seeing Challengers for the first time made me very much think, “They could’ve just done this.”
I’m excited to see what Katie Chandler writes next!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
i really loved this book for this most part, i went into this knowing its very tennis heavy (i dont know anything about tennis but katie’s writing makes it enjoyable and easy to follow) so the tennis aspect of this book did not bother me but i feel like this time around it did take away from the romance just a tad. i wanted it to explore their relationship more than it did but what we did get of leo, octavia and ariel i LOVEDDDD.
truthfully my biggest issue with this book was carmen. every time i forgot about her existence and stopped being annoyed by something she did she popped up again like a cockroach. for someone who is not in the relationship she sure did dictate a lot of it and it got really old really fast to be quite honest. not to mention while i wholeheartedly love and support where octavia ends up in her relationship with tennis by the end of the book i couldnt help but feel like it was once again dictated by and brought on by carmen’s selfishness and it really ruined octavia coming to that realization for me.
tldr - carmen ruined a lot of my enjoyment of this book which is why it wasnt a five star read.
truthfully my biggest issue with this book was carmen. every time i forgot about her existence and stopped being annoyed by something she did she popped up again like a cockroach. for someone who is not in the relationship she sure did dictate a lot of it and it got really old really fast to be quite honest. not to mention while i wholeheartedly love and support where octavia ends up in her relationship with tennis by the end of the book i couldnt help but feel like it was once again dictated by and brought on by carmen’s selfishness and it really ruined octavia coming to that realization for me.
tldr - carmen ruined a lot of my enjoyment of this book which is why it wasnt a five star read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
DNF at 33%
The soulmarks intrigued me but weren’t explained well enough. Maybe it was explained better in the first book, but I didn’t know this was a series/interconnected standalone. I just wasn’t convinced of the chemistry between the throuple enough to continue. It felt instahorny and the magic system felt a little nonsensical. I’ve attempted to read this for weeks, and felt myself putting reading it off. Unfortunately, just not for me.
Anticipated Publication Date: December 8th, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
The soulmarks intrigued me but weren’t explained well enough. Maybe it was explained better in the first book, but I didn’t know this was a series/interconnected standalone. I just wasn’t convinced of the chemistry between the throuple enough to continue. It felt instahorny and the magic system felt a little nonsensical. I’ve attempted to read this for weeks, and felt myself putting reading it off. Unfortunately, just not for me.
Anticipated Publication Date: December 8th, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Did Not Finish
September 6, 2026I went into this blind, and unfortunately, these tropes were just not for me! I'm not a why choose girlie and the magical realism hit me out of left field and didn't really make sense to me. I do enjoy magical realism, and I think it would've hit more with me if there was a bit more world building to make the soulmate stuff make sense. I'm sure this is a great book for someone who loves why choose though!
Thank you so much to NetGalley & Atria for the gifted ARC
Thank you so much to NetGalley & Atria for the gifted ARC
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
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.
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.
Want to Read
June 11, 2026"For fans of Challengers" let's all just LIVE !!!!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
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.
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.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was...such a strange reading experience for me lol. On paper, there's SO much going on here, and I actually really liked the idea of a tennis romance with a magical soulmate twist. But somehow, despite all the drama and complicated relationships, I never felt particularly invested in any of it.
I struggled a lot with the dialogue, which often felt strangely stilted, and the way the story was told felt very matter-of-fact. There were so many moments that should have carried huge emotional stakes, but I never really felt the tension or consequences? Everything seemed to work itself out a little too easily.
And the romance was probably my biggest disappointment. We're told that Leo and Octavia have this incredible, longstanding relationship, but I never really felt like I got to experience what made their connection so special. And then both Leo and Ariel's relationship and Octavia and Ariel's relationship developed SO quickly that it felt like we skipped over all the parts I actually wanted to read. The buildup! The tension! The process of falling in love! There was plenty of physical attraction, but I wanted so much more emotional development between all three of them. I also sometimes found myself confused about the boundaries of their relationship, particularly when characters would spend time together privately or hook up individually. I couldn't always tell whether these moments were supposed to feel secretive or perfectly normal within their arrangement, which made it even harder to understand the stakes.
It also felt veeery long. There were a lot of characters, a lot of storylines, and a LOT of tennis, and eventually I found myself really struggling to stay engaged.
That said, I did enjoy the soulmate concept, although I think a little more introduction to how soulmarks work would have helped readers who hadn't read the first book in the series. And I actually liked the podcast segments! They were a fun way to get additional context about the characters and everything happening around them.
I really do think this book will find its audience, especially among readers who love tennis-heavy sports romances, lots of spice, and polyamorous relationships. Unfortunately, I just needed a lot more emotional connection and tension to get invested in this particular love story.
Two stars for me.
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Katie Chandler for the eARC!
I struggled a lot with the dialogue, which often felt strangely stilted, and the way the story was told felt very matter-of-fact. There were so many moments that should have carried huge emotional stakes, but I never really felt the tension or consequences? Everything seemed to work itself out a little too easily.
And the romance was probably my biggest disappointment. We're told that Leo and Octavia have this incredible, longstanding relationship, but I never really felt like I got to experience what made their connection so special. And then both Leo and Ariel's relationship and Octavia and Ariel's relationship developed SO quickly that it felt like we skipped over all the parts I actually wanted to read. The buildup! The tension! The process of falling in love! There was plenty of physical attraction, but I wanted so much more emotional development between all three of them. I also sometimes found myself confused about the boundaries of their relationship, particularly when characters would spend time together privately or hook up individually. I couldn't always tell whether these moments were supposed to feel secretive or perfectly normal within their arrangement, which made it even harder to understand the stakes.
It also felt veeery long. There were a lot of characters, a lot of storylines, and a LOT of tennis, and eventually I found myself really struggling to stay engaged.
That said, I did enjoy the soulmate concept, although I think a little more introduction to how soulmarks work would have helped readers who hadn't read the first book in the series. And I actually liked the podcast segments! They were a fun way to get additional context about the characters and everything happening around them.
I really do think this book will find its audience, especially among readers who love tennis-heavy sports romances, lots of spice, and polyamorous relationships. Unfortunately, I just needed a lot more emotional connection and tension to get invested in this particular love story.
Two stars for me.
Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Katie Chandler for the eARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Triple Threat is the second book in a series but works well enough as a standalone. It’s set in the world of tennis with most characters as (former) top tennis players. I really enjoyed this peek into the lives of professional tennis players. The thing that makes it different from “standard” contemporary romances is the concept of soulmates. For lots of people the name of their soulmate appears on their wrist as a sort of silvery tattoo when they were born or when they were young. Once they meet their soulmate the name becomes black, and there’s also some sort of special touch between soulmates that can soothe or even heal.
One of the MCs is Octovia who’s already found her soulmate in Leo, but Leo has another name is on his other wrist. This turns out to be Ariel, Octavia’s new coach, and they explore a relationship with the three of them. I thought this was an interesting set-up because of the dynamics between the three of them, but I felt this wasn’t really explored. The relationship was mostly instalust and almost instalove. I feel this is a pitfall of the whole soulmate concept; it takes away all of the tension rather than adding something to the story or the relationship. For me this the reason the book didn’t fully work for me. And I feel the book would have been better without the soulmate thing.
Another aspect of the book I felt was underdeveloped or underused was the Triple Threat podcast. In the beginning of the book we saw a few of the episodes and I thought it worked well, but then the podcast disappeared until the end when there were two or three episodes that again didn’t add anything.
It really is a pity because Katie Chandler is clearly a good writer. The prose flows really well, and she managed to add lots of depth to the characters.
*** I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***
One of the MCs is Octovia who’s already found her soulmate in Leo, but Leo has another name is on his other wrist. This turns out to be Ariel, Octavia’s new coach, and they explore a relationship with the three of them. I thought this was an interesting set-up because of the dynamics between the three of them, but I felt this wasn’t really explored. The relationship was mostly instalust and almost instalove. I feel this is a pitfall of the whole soulmate concept; it takes away all of the tension rather than adding something to the story or the relationship. For me this the reason the book didn’t fully work for me. And I feel the book would have been better without the soulmate thing.
Another aspect of the book I felt was underdeveloped or underused was the Triple Threat podcast. In the beginning of the book we saw a few of the episodes and I thought it worked well, but then the podcast disappeared until the end when there were two or three episodes that again didn’t add anything.
It really is a pity because Katie Chandler is clearly a good writer. The prose flows really well, and she managed to add lots of depth to the characters.
*** I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***
August 2, 2026
Ok this is my fault for not fully reading the book synopsis, but the magical realism took me completely by surprise. It’s not my favorite genre, but I’ve read a few, but I knew going into them that they were magical realism. I do think this book would benefit from being marketed that way!
I know it’s common for magic to have little to no explanation in magical realism, however in this story it felt more like a crutch for the romance to lean on in order to get them closer, faster. While the spice is really well written, the throuples chemistry was a little shallow. There wasn’t much tension built up between Octavia and Ariel before they were all together. I think in terms of poly rep it was really positive in many aspects, if not a little lust driven?
That being said, this is also a very spicy sports romance with a poly relationship that I do think will still appeal to a lot of readers.
Thank you Atria and NetGalley for the ARC!
I know it’s common for magic to have little to no explanation in magical realism, however in this story it felt more like a crutch for the romance to lean on in order to get them closer, faster. While the spice is really well written, the throuples chemistry was a little shallow. There wasn’t much tension built up between Octavia and Ariel before they were all together. I think in terms of poly rep it was really positive in many aspects, if not a little lust driven?
That being said, this is also a very spicy sports romance with a poly relationship that I do think will still appeal to a lot of readers.
Thank you Atria and NetGalley for the ARC!
August 2, 2026
2.5 stars
This was so back and forth for me. First, and this is on me for not being more discerning when reading the description — the magical aspect of the soul marks felt really jarring to me. I wish it had just been a decision for them all to be together. I usually love magical realism but this was the ONLY magical element and not super well explained. Second, why did we only get Ariel and Octavia’s perspectives? It was a weird choice and left me feeling like we didn’t get to know Leo as well as we should have by the end. Finally, I didn’t love the 3rd person narration in this. Just felt a bit off.
There were things I liked! Mature communication, the way Ariel’s injury and pain were handled, the sister relationship. All in all it wasn’t right for me, but could definitely hit for the right audience.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was so back and forth for me. First, and this is on me for not being more discerning when reading the description — the magical aspect of the soul marks felt really jarring to me. I wish it had just been a decision for them all to be together. I usually love magical realism but this was the ONLY magical element and not super well explained. Second, why did we only get Ariel and Octavia’s perspectives? It was a weird choice and left me feeling like we didn’t get to know Leo as well as we should have by the end. Finally, I didn’t love the 3rd person narration in this. Just felt a bit off.
There were things I liked! Mature communication, the way Ariel’s injury and pain were handled, the sister relationship. All in all it wasn’t right for me, but could definitely hit for the right audience.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Triple Threat is a fun romance, and would be a good summer read. Where I struggle with it is the character development and the execution of the soulmate concept. The wristmarks used to denote soulmates is a cool idea, but it's not actually explained. We're just sort of dropped into that world with no context, and seemingly no other magical elements to the world. It felt a little like the author wanted to write a polyamorous romance but was advised to make it more romantic. I would have liked to see more development of the relationship, as Octavia expresses hesitancy at first but then almost immediately drops it.
Overall, cute but could have been really great had there been more editing or more detail to certain areas.
Thank you very much to the publisher for sending me an advance copy in exchange for a free and honest review!
Overall, cute but could have been really great had there been more editing or more detail to certain areas.
Thank you very much to the publisher for sending me an advance copy in exchange for a free and honest review!
June 26, 2026
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!
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!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I absolutely loved this book! Octavia, Ariel, and Leo are the PERFECT throuple.
Octavia had so much character growth throughout the book and the ending really made me so happy because she found what SHE likes.
Leo and Ariel help each other and Octavia learn more about themselves and look deeper into how they can truly experience happiness.
One of my favorite parts of the entire book is the racket smashing. The way each of them lets out their anger and frustration and allows their feelings about their respective situations to be lifted off of their shoulders is so eye opening. It made me cry. This book touches on grief and how it can affect people differently in such a real and honest way. I cannot wait to read whatever Katie writes next.
Thank you Atria for the ARC!!
Octavia had so much character growth throughout the book and the ending really made me so happy because she found what SHE likes.
Leo and Ariel help each other and Octavia learn more about themselves and look deeper into how they can truly experience happiness.
One of my favorite parts of the entire book is the racket smashing. The way each of them lets out their anger and frustration and allows their feelings about their respective situations to be lifted off of their shoulders is so eye opening. It made me cry. This book touches on grief and how it can affect people differently in such a real and honest way. I cannot wait to read whatever Katie writes next.
Thank you Atria for the ARC!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 16, 2026
Okay, this was SPICY 🥵 and you add tennis into the mix? Sign me up! 🎾 This was such a fun read, and I especially loved the relationship the FMC has with her sisters. Growing up, I also played tennis with my sisters, so that part of the story felt especially relatable to me.
Beyond the spice, I loved all the tennis talk and the focus on Ariel and Octavia’s mental and physical healing journeys. Watching them support each other in the ways they could, while still keeping their individual journeys authentic, was beautiful to see. I just wish I had felt a stronger connection with Leo, but I know love triangles/trios can be tricky to pull off.
Thank you, Atria, for the early advance copy! 💕
Beyond the spice, I loved all the tennis talk and the focus on Ariel and Octavia’s mental and physical healing journeys. Watching them support each other in the ways they could, while still keeping their individual journeys authentic, was beautiful to see. I just wish I had felt a stronger connection with Leo, but I know love triangles/trios can be tricky to pull off.
Thank you, Atria, for the early advance copy! 💕
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Polyamorous tennis soulmark romance? Count me in!
I have ALWAYS loved the trope of soulmarks/soulmates, so knew immediately that this would be a great read for me, and it was!
I really enjoyed the dual POVS of Octavia and Ariel, especially since they weren't soulmates themselves but rather shared the same soulmate in Leo. The trio scenes were VERY spicy which I enjoyed, and I found that it accentuated the story rather than distracted from it.
While the romance was obviously at the forefront of this book, I also really enjoyed that the characters had a lot more going on in their careers and families and backstories that made them feel more authentic.
This was my first Katie Chandler read, and I will definitely be reading more by her!
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC, all opinions are my own!
I have ALWAYS loved the trope of soulmarks/soulmates, so knew immediately that this would be a great read for me, and it was!
I really enjoyed the dual POVS of Octavia and Ariel, especially since they weren't soulmates themselves but rather shared the same soulmate in Leo. The trio scenes were VERY spicy which I enjoyed, and I found that it accentuated the story rather than distracted from it.
While the romance was obviously at the forefront of this book, I also really enjoyed that the characters had a lot more going on in their careers and families and backstories that made them feel more authentic.
This was my first Katie Chandler read, and I will definitely be reading more by her!
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC, all opinions are my own!
Did Not Finish
August 2, 2026dnf at 20%
might try again when the audiobook is released but so far, it took me four days to read 20% of a 300-page romance, i should just call it. don’t understand how this is a poly romance and only two of the characters have POVs. they keep telling me that the female character and one of the male characters are soulmates but we barely see them interact. in fact, none of these characters feel like they exist outside of the world of tennis. if i did finish, it would probably be a three-star.
might try again when the audiobook is released but so far, it took me four days to read 20% of a 300-page romance, i should just call it. don’t understand how this is a poly romance and only two of the characters have POVs. they keep telling me that the female character and one of the male characters are soulmates but we barely see them interact. in fact, none of these characters feel like they exist outside of the world of tennis. if i did finish, it would probably be a three-star.
Did Not Finish
August 24, 2026DNF @ 39%
I feel the soul mate bond isn't detailed enough early on, and after the boys find out about their mating bond I feel it becomes too sexual too quickly...like the characters don't really know each other. I totally understand the initial attraction and being interested in that but all three being together within the first fourth percent, just feels...wrong? Maybe that's not the right word. But it just feels like they don't even know each other and I wish we had more build up.
I feel the soul mate bond isn't detailed enough early on, and after the boys find out about their mating bond I feel it becomes too sexual too quickly...like the characters don't really know each other. I totally understand the initial attraction and being interested in that but all three being together within the first fourth percent, just feels...wrong? Maybe that's not the right word. But it just feels like they don't even know each other and I wish we had more build up.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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