What do you think?
Love Game #1
In Your Court
A sweet, steamy AF contemporary MM romance! Find truckloads of hot, witty banter, exploration of queer solidarity, lots of tennis details but very little actual tennis, and amusing Australian/American cultural confusion.
Australian Matteo Russo is the first and only openly gay tennis pro. Once a brilliant junior, he was slated for a bright future – until a freak accident derailed his career. Now, he’s fed up, he’s struggling to qualify for tournaments, and he’s not sure he can afford dinner tonight.
After losing to his old rival—the rich, arrogant, American superstar Miles Callahan—Mat throws the man’s privilege in his face and sets him a challenge – one he’s sure Miles would never accept. But he does. Determined to prove he’s earned his success, Miles travels to Wimbledon on a tight budget – no support team, no coach, no fancy hotel. And now the American needs a hitting partner, and someone to explain laundromats, and what started as a dare soon becomes a searing off-court fling.
Mat should be focussing on his career, not falling for a glamorous star, but Miles believes in his game in a way Mat hasn’t for a long time, and is fast becoming everything he’s ever wanted. Only... love and tennis just don’t mix, because one day soon they’ll have to face each other on the court.
And in tennis, someone always has to lose.
Australian Matteo Russo is the first and only openly gay tennis pro. Once a brilliant junior, he was slated for a bright future – until a freak accident derailed his career. Now, he’s fed up, he’s struggling to qualify for tournaments, and he’s not sure he can afford dinner tonight.
After losing to his old rival—the rich, arrogant, American superstar Miles Callahan—Mat throws the man’s privilege in his face and sets him a challenge – one he’s sure Miles would never accept. But he does. Determined to prove he’s earned his success, Miles travels to Wimbledon on a tight budget – no support team, no coach, no fancy hotel. And now the American needs a hitting partner, and someone to explain laundromats, and what started as a dare soon becomes a searing off-court fling.
Mat should be focussing on his career, not falling for a glamorous star, but Miles believes in his game in a way Mat hasn’t for a long time, and is fast becoming everything he’s ever wanted. Only... love and tennis just don’t mix, because one day soon they’ll have to face each other on the court.
And in tennis, someone always has to lose.
514 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 23, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 631 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
In a world where EVERY queer sports romance is getting a Heated Rivalry comp smacked on its cover, I think that this is one of the few books that actually deserves it. I could easily see this filling a void in the hearts of readers who just want to keep scratching the itch that can only be filled with attractive, horny, athletes who need to fuck their way through a rivalries to lovers arc.
Matteo Russo was a young, up and coming tennis talent, on the cusp of his potential when suddenly, he’s the victim of a car accident, derailing his career. Years later, the physical injuries may have healed but Matteo’s confidence and game are still on shaky ground. Following a loss to the handsome, but arrogant American, Miles Callahan, Matteo throws out a challenge to Miles, calling him out on his privilege and resources, never expecting Miles to actually take him up on it. Except he does? And Matteo is forced to start questioning the presumptions and judgements he had about Miles and suddenly grapple with the common ground they share and the electric chemistry that exists between them.
This book was a shockingly easy read and I devoured it in a day. Haley has been able to construct a high heat sports romance that balances elements of real world homophobia in professional sports and idealised heart that makes for a warm and fuzzy romance.
I don’t think that this is a perfect book by any stretch of the imagination, I found the plot to be at times a little superficial, that the the third act dragged a little bit, and I will be honest, I absolutely do not believe that Miles was sufficiently repentant for how he behaved in the third act break up. I completely appreciate that he had a lot on his plate but his response was borderline wet fish and it actually impacted my perception of him quite a bit in the negative. By that point I had become quite fond of sweet anxious Matteo and he didn’t deserve what he got.
As a point of clarity, while I thought the spice was quite well written, for a book that was so heavy advertised as being high spice, I would note that while it was frequent and explicit, that the sex itself was pretty mild in kinks and content. I didn’t love that the characters engage in unprotected sex throughout the book without any acknowledgment of it at all though; not that it needed to be like a THING or anything, but when their sexual relationship initially starts as a no-strings, hook up of convenience, I feel like it maybe needs to be like a conversation on the table? But I guess that maybe spoils the illusion a little lol.
I will take to my soap box and insist that this cover has to take the cake as one of the most exceptional romance covers for the year. No amount of AI slop will ever come close to the talent and beauty of real artists. Noah Dea is an exceptional talent and everyone should support and follow his instagram.
I have been saving this book for when I wanted an easy and digestible horny sports romance and in that sense it absolutely delivered. While 3.5✨I am rounding up because I enjoyed it as an overall package plot superficialities and lack of grovelling aside lol. I should however say that as an Australian, it is very clear that Haley is also Australian cause they got the tone and attitude spot on👌🏼which I tell you is like nails on a chalk board when it's done poorly.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book. I read an advanced copy of this story prior to it being picked up and traditionally published (congrats to Haley for the success!)
edit: full disclosure, I have come back to readjust my rating down to 3 stars because two weeks after finishing this the lasting impression I have is just how appalling I found Miles actions and how unsatisfying his apology was. I literally cant say at the end of this book that Matteo ending up with Miles was the best outcome for him cause I still think he deserved more. This frustration doesn’t seem to be one that is felt broadly across other ARC readers though so ymmv and it might just be a me thing lol.
Consider following my instagram
Matteo Russo was a young, up and coming tennis talent, on the cusp of his potential when suddenly, he’s the victim of a car accident, derailing his career. Years later, the physical injuries may have healed but Matteo’s confidence and game are still on shaky ground. Following a loss to the handsome, but arrogant American, Miles Callahan, Matteo throws out a challenge to Miles, calling him out on his privilege and resources, never expecting Miles to actually take him up on it. Except he does? And Matteo is forced to start questioning the presumptions and judgements he had about Miles and suddenly grapple with the common ground they share and the electric chemistry that exists between them.
This book was a shockingly easy read and I devoured it in a day. Haley has been able to construct a high heat sports romance that balances elements of real world homophobia in professional sports and idealised heart that makes for a warm and fuzzy romance.
I don’t think that this is a perfect book by any stretch of the imagination, I found the plot to be at times a little superficial, that the the third act dragged a little bit, and I will be honest, I absolutely do not believe that Miles was sufficiently repentant for how he behaved in the third act break up. I completely appreciate that he had a lot on his plate but his response was borderline wet fish and it actually impacted my perception of him quite a bit in the negative. By that point I had become quite fond of sweet anxious Matteo and he didn’t deserve what he got.
As a point of clarity, while I thought the spice was quite well written, for a book that was so heavy advertised as being high spice, I would note that while it was frequent and explicit, that the sex itself was pretty mild in kinks and content. I didn’t love that the characters engage in unprotected sex throughout the book without any acknowledgment of it at all though; not that it needed to be like a THING or anything, but when their sexual relationship initially starts as a no-strings, hook up of convenience, I feel like it maybe needs to be like a conversation on the table? But I guess that maybe spoils the illusion a little lol.
I will take to my soap box and insist that this cover has to take the cake as one of the most exceptional romance covers for the year. No amount of AI slop will ever come close to the talent and beauty of real artists. Noah Dea is an exceptional talent and everyone should support and follow his instagram.
I have been saving this book for when I wanted an easy and digestible horny sports romance and in that sense it absolutely delivered. While 3.5✨I am rounding up because I enjoyed it as an overall package plot superficialities and lack of grovelling aside lol. I should however say that as an Australian, it is very clear that Haley is also Australian cause they got the tone and attitude spot on👌🏼which I tell you is like nails on a chalk board when it's done poorly.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book. I read an advanced copy of this story prior to it being picked up and traditionally published (congrats to Haley for the success!)
edit: full disclosure, I have come back to readjust my rating down to 3 stars because two weeks after finishing this the lasting impression I have is just how appalling I found Miles actions and how unsatisfying his apology was. I literally cant say at the end of this book that Matteo ending up with Miles was the best outcome for him cause I still think he deserved more. This frustration doesn’t seem to be one that is felt broadly across other ARC readers though so ymmv and it might just be a me thing lol.
Consider following my instagram
August 17, 2026
*4.5 stars*
Out of all of my vacation reads, In Your Court stands out as one of the best, and I'm still thinking about it a month later. What a smashing debut from Kit Haley.
I'm a mild tennis fan from a family of rabid tennis fans, but you don't have to know anything about tennis to enjoy this one. There is a good amount of tennis content, but it doesn't require any previous knowledge and doesn't ever feel overly clinical. I think the right tone was struck, and the book feels real and not fluffy with the sports info.
In Your Court is a long read with characters that take a long time to recognize and acknowledge their feels for each other. I loved the length of the story because I felt like I really got to know these characters and settle into their personalities. I was right there with them for their ups and downs, and I got emotional myself at times. For some books, a lengthy plot is a weakness but it was really well done here.
I love books with characters that banter, and we get humor and snark here in spades. The dialogue kept me interested in the characters and was very entertaining. There is some cross-cultural teasing also (Australian vs American), but, ultimately, these two characters are heart-meltingly supportive of one another. There is teasing but not meanness. We also get some interesting side character development, and I thought everyone added to the plot of the story. Overall, very well-rounded character that you will absolutely root for.
There are some deeper issues, like coming out in the sports world and complicated family dynamics, but that made the story hit home harder for me. These characters are wonderfully complex.
Though the story ends a bit abruptly, I think it was an excellent read and so, so impressive by a debut author. I'll read anything and everything in this series.
goodreads|instagram
Out of all of my vacation reads, In Your Court stands out as one of the best, and I'm still thinking about it a month later. What a smashing debut from Kit Haley.
I'm a mild tennis fan from a family of rabid tennis fans, but you don't have to know anything about tennis to enjoy this one. There is a good amount of tennis content, but it doesn't require any previous knowledge and doesn't ever feel overly clinical. I think the right tone was struck, and the book feels real and not fluffy with the sports info.
In Your Court is a long read with characters that take a long time to recognize and acknowledge their feels for each other. I loved the length of the story because I felt like I really got to know these characters and settle into their personalities. I was right there with them for their ups and downs, and I got emotional myself at times. For some books, a lengthy plot is a weakness but it was really well done here.
I love books with characters that banter, and we get humor and snark here in spades. The dialogue kept me interested in the characters and was very entertaining. There is some cross-cultural teasing also (Australian vs American), but, ultimately, these two characters are heart-meltingly supportive of one another. There is teasing but not meanness. We also get some interesting side character development, and I thought everyone added to the plot of the story. Overall, very well-rounded character that you will absolutely root for.
There are some deeper issues, like coming out in the sports world and complicated family dynamics, but that made the story hit home harder for me. These characters are wonderfully complex.
Though the story ends a bit abruptly, I think it was an excellent read and so, so impressive by a debut author. I'll read anything and everything in this series.
goodreads|instagram
May 26, 2026
I’m on BookTube now! =)
**I received an ARC of this book from Redamance Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you for this opportunity!**
Trigger Warnings:
“In Your Court” sounded so interesting I just had to request it as an ARC. As it turns out I developed a taste for queer sports romances lately and I’m happy to say that this story delivered on all fronts! I’ll be honest here, at first, I wasn’t all too sure if I’d really love it as much as I thought I would. I mean I knew this was going to be steamy but boy, the spicy scenes started pretty early on and made up a huge part of the book at the beginning. But then again this felt realistic because if you like someone and start to spend more time with that person you tend to get carried away. Well, Matteo and Miles got carried away quite often at the start of the book but the more the story progressed, the more we got to know them.
This said and out of the way, I really would have loved to get a Miles POV as well, but I understand why the author decided to let us see everything through Matteo’s eyes instead. Matteo was a great character: Very chaotic, insecure, anxious and flawed. When he was young, he was among the top tennis players but then he had a freak accident that didn’t just put his career on hold for a little while but also caused him to lose the ability to believe in himself. At the beginning of the book he’s struggling, renting cheap apartments and living on a low budget because he rarely makes it into the next round and can’t afford to stay at expensive hotels, let alone to hire a full-time coach or a team. Another lost match against Miles Callahan - his archenemy – ends up being the final straw and before Matteo even knows it, he gives Miles an earful about privilege and the double standards in the tennis world.
Well, as it turns out Miles took this to heart because right before the next tournament starts, he’s standing in front of Matteo’s apartment door, asking him how to do laundry. Of course, Matteo is kind of flabbergasted but since he’s a nice guy he agrees to help Miles out and their forced proximity gives them an excuse to actually talk. From this moment on things get pretty steamy and both men begin a secret affair that spans over months. None of them wants to acknowledge their growing feelings though, and as long as they can pretend that it’s nothing serious, they’ll be fine. Or at least that’s what they think. But then Matteo realizes that Miles has a green thumb and reads queer steamy books on his e-reader whenever he’s not at home and Miles sees the potential that’s hidden in Matteo and tries to coax it out while treating him to delicious food. Both of them are good for each other and eventually Matteo’s game starts to improve.
I really loved how those two went from being horny for each other to getting to know each other’s quirks and appreciating their intimacy and closeness. Yes, there were a lot of spicy scenes at the beginning of the book but later on, once they catch feelings, the plot gets more complex and their individual background stories get a chance to shine. Matteo’s accident left bigger scars than anyone noticed and Miles’s life isn’t as perfect as everyone thinks. Both of them have been struggling for a while and the presence of each other in their lives is helping them to acknowledge this and to tackle their problems heads-on. I know some people might think that Miles is too perfect but he also has his flaws and if you go with the flow of the story, you’ll discover them as well. He is more multi-layered than people might think and I really adored him as a character.
And speaking of characters: There were so many amazing side-characters that grew on me and each and every single one of them had their own voice. No matter if it was Katie, Tina, Tomas, Macca, Jada, Marcel or Matteo’s family, they were all great and I was so happy Matteo and Miles had all of them to root for them. They deserved every little piece of happiness they got! Still, not everything was sunshine and rainbows and Miles had quite a conflict to work through. I don’t want to spoil anything but suffice it to say that his family and team weren’t all too happy about Miles being gay and made life extremely difficult for him. At a certain part of the story, I just wanted to hug him and tell him everything would be okay. Thankfully Miles believed in himself and had a self-confidence that was admirable and not easy to destroy.
This said and out of the way, there are just three more things I want to talk about and address. The first one is the fact that Matteo is Australian and that there were so many words that apparently meant something different for Australians. Those parts of the story were at least as hilarious as they were interesting and I really appreciated to get a little bit of Australian culture along with this great story. Another thing I liked were the tournaments and the tennis infos that were dropped every once in a while. I don’t know a lot about tennis but I enjoyed finding out about how matches work and Matteo’s and Mile’s enthusiasm for the sport was always visible and felt real. This might have been a romance, but I still got the feeling that tennis was an important part of their lives and that they lived and breathed for it. And last but not least I’ve to mention that I loved their easy banter and all their message conversations! They were so much fun to read and sometimes added a dire needed light-hearted nuance to some serious parts of the storyline.
Conclusion:
All told I really enjoyed “In Your Court” and I was rooting for both main characters before I even knew it. Miles and Matteo’s relationship might have started intense with many intimate scenes right at the beginning of the book, but them getting to know each other and slowly starting to believe in themselves and their relationship was one of the best things ever! I mean, to watch Miles and Matteo work through their issues after using sex as a crutch in the first half of the story was so rewarding and I’m grateful we got a well-rounded ending as well! The readers were allowed to get a glimpse of their future and for me this made all the difference! 4,5 stars rounded up to 5 because this story was awesome and I can’t wait to read book two.
_______________________________
This was really great and I enjoyed it a lot!
Miles and Matteo were amazing together and I absolutely loved them.
Those two! The easy banter and the way they were obsessed with each other.
Also their love for tennis! <3
Full RTC soon!
I need to think about what to write first! =)
_________________________________
I can’t believe I got this as an ARC, but here we are and I’m so ready to read “In Your Court”!
A tennis rivalry between a superstar and a former rising star who had a freak accident that cost him dearly. This sounds so good! I mean we have:
- Two tennis stars (one of them openly gay)
- Steamy m/m romance
- Rivals to lovers
- A bet that changes everything!
I love myself a good queer sports romance and I’m so here for this!
Buckle up, because this is going to be fun!
Find me on:
My Blog
Instagram
**I received an ARC of this book from Redamance Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you for this opportunity!**
Trigger Warnings:
“In Your Court” sounded so interesting I just had to request it as an ARC. As it turns out I developed a taste for queer sports romances lately and I’m happy to say that this story delivered on all fronts! I’ll be honest here, at first, I wasn’t all too sure if I’d really love it as much as I thought I would. I mean I knew this was going to be steamy but boy, the spicy scenes started pretty early on and made up a huge part of the book at the beginning. But then again this felt realistic because if you like someone and start to spend more time with that person you tend to get carried away. Well, Matteo and Miles got carried away quite often at the start of the book but the more the story progressed, the more we got to know them.
This said and out of the way, I really would have loved to get a Miles POV as well, but I understand why the author decided to let us see everything through Matteo’s eyes instead. Matteo was a great character: Very chaotic, insecure, anxious and flawed. When he was young, he was among the top tennis players but then he had a freak accident that didn’t just put his career on hold for a little while but also caused him to lose the ability to believe in himself. At the beginning of the book he’s struggling, renting cheap apartments and living on a low budget because he rarely makes it into the next round and can’t afford to stay at expensive hotels, let alone to hire a full-time coach or a team. Another lost match against Miles Callahan - his archenemy – ends up being the final straw and before Matteo even knows it, he gives Miles an earful about privilege and the double standards in the tennis world.
Well, as it turns out Miles took this to heart because right before the next tournament starts, he’s standing in front of Matteo’s apartment door, asking him how to do laundry. Of course, Matteo is kind of flabbergasted but since he’s a nice guy he agrees to help Miles out and their forced proximity gives them an excuse to actually talk. From this moment on things get pretty steamy and both men begin a secret affair that spans over months. None of them wants to acknowledge their growing feelings though, and as long as they can pretend that it’s nothing serious, they’ll be fine. Or at least that’s what they think. But then Matteo realizes that Miles has a green thumb and reads queer steamy books on his e-reader whenever he’s not at home and Miles sees the potential that’s hidden in Matteo and tries to coax it out while treating him to delicious food. Both of them are good for each other and eventually Matteo’s game starts to improve.
I really loved how those two went from being horny for each other to getting to know each other’s quirks and appreciating their intimacy and closeness. Yes, there were a lot of spicy scenes at the beginning of the book but later on, once they catch feelings, the plot gets more complex and their individual background stories get a chance to shine. Matteo’s accident left bigger scars than anyone noticed and Miles’s life isn’t as perfect as everyone thinks. Both of them have been struggling for a while and the presence of each other in their lives is helping them to acknowledge this and to tackle their problems heads-on. I know some people might think that Miles is too perfect but he also has his flaws and if you go with the flow of the story, you’ll discover them as well. He is more multi-layered than people might think and I really adored him as a character.
And speaking of characters: There were so many amazing side-characters that grew on me and each and every single one of them had their own voice. No matter if it was Katie, Tina, Tomas, Macca, Jada, Marcel or Matteo’s family, they were all great and I was so happy Matteo and Miles had all of them to root for them. They deserved every little piece of happiness they got! Still, not everything was sunshine and rainbows and Miles had quite a conflict to work through. I don’t want to spoil anything but suffice it to say that his family and team weren’t all too happy about Miles being gay and made life extremely difficult for him. At a certain part of the story, I just wanted to hug him and tell him everything would be okay. Thankfully Miles believed in himself and had a self-confidence that was admirable and not easy to destroy.
This said and out of the way, there are just three more things I want to talk about and address. The first one is the fact that Matteo is Australian and that there were so many words that apparently meant something different for Australians. Those parts of the story were at least as hilarious as they were interesting and I really appreciated to get a little bit of Australian culture along with this great story. Another thing I liked were the tournaments and the tennis infos that were dropped every once in a while. I don’t know a lot about tennis but I enjoyed finding out about how matches work and Matteo’s and Mile’s enthusiasm for the sport was always visible and felt real. This might have been a romance, but I still got the feeling that tennis was an important part of their lives and that they lived and breathed for it. And last but not least I’ve to mention that I loved their easy banter and all their message conversations! They were so much fun to read and sometimes added a dire needed light-hearted nuance to some serious parts of the storyline.
Conclusion:
All told I really enjoyed “In Your Court” and I was rooting for both main characters before I even knew it. Miles and Matteo’s relationship might have started intense with many intimate scenes right at the beginning of the book, but them getting to know each other and slowly starting to believe in themselves and their relationship was one of the best things ever! I mean, to watch Miles and Matteo work through their issues after using sex as a crutch in the first half of the story was so rewarding and I’m grateful we got a well-rounded ending as well! The readers were allowed to get a glimpse of their future and for me this made all the difference! 4,5 stars rounded up to 5 because this story was awesome and I can’t wait to read book two.
_______________________________
This was really great and I enjoyed it a lot!
Miles and Matteo were amazing together and I absolutely loved them.
Those two! The easy banter and the way they were obsessed with each other.
Also their love for tennis! <3
Full RTC soon!
I need to think about what to write first! =)
_________________________________
I can’t believe I got this as an ARC, but here we are and I’m so ready to read “In Your Court”!
A tennis rivalry between a superstar and a former rising star who had a freak accident that cost him dearly. This sounds so good! I mean we have:
- Two tennis stars (one of them openly gay)
- Steamy m/m romance
- Rivals to lovers
- A bet that changes everything!
I love myself a good queer sports romance and I’m so here for this!
Buckle up, because this is going to be fun!
Find me on:
My Blog
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
E-ARC obtained through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much!
4.5 stars. Packed with enough steam to make you blush and enough heart to make you give it a rousing standing ovation, In Your Court is a serve of a queer tennis romance that I'm so glad I got the chance to read early.
4.5 stars. Packed with enough steam to make you blush and enough heart to make you give it a rousing standing ovation, In Your Court is a serve of a queer tennis romance that I'm so glad I got the chance to read early.
August 19, 2026
Update: here's my review. Read it at your own risk.
And it’s MM tennis romance #3! Following Thirty Love and The Open Era in this new era of MM tennis romance, In Your Court takes the trophy for the most romance-driven and romantic of the three. (Editing to add, they are NOT connected in any way, just similar-themed books published around the same time! And, an aside here...that COVER!!! Wow wow wow the emotions emanate. So lovely. And real, there are artist and cover designer credits, so, you know it's authentic!)
Too bad it doesn’t stick the landing, with one character acting immaturely and disrespectfully near the end, too late to be worked through and resolved well, but, for most of the book, the romance (and the sex) is front and center—and mostly adorable and so fun!—and the tennis element becomes more of a backdrop, though it is still fully immersed in/set largely at tennis matches/focused on the players’ goals and drive to WIN, than it does in the other two books. This one is the most traditional of the three as a Romance capital R. It is relationship driven, rather than character-journey-driven as were the first two.
How do the three books compare? I’ll update my list from a previous review, and hide it for those not interested
For most of this book, my Feels were so engaged! Mat’s backstory, in having been one of the players to watch, rising in the ranks, then having a terrible accident and clawing his way back to health and up to pro tennis player physical standards…gah. And then, in competition, to face his former juniors rival, a man he once always beat, who now always beats him…! The tension and annoyance and needling at each other was addictive from the start.
These two have great chemistry, both personality-wise and physically. Mat has recovered fully from the accident that nearly killed him, but while he is physically fully capable of being his old playing self, mentally, he has things to still work through but doesn’t really understand that. He has a great coach…who turns out not to be a great coach for him, and Miles sees that. Sees Mat. And gets frustrated that the old Mat isn’t there to play him.
When Mat’s own frustration with Miles’s privilege and always winning creates an explosive moment between them and Mat accuses Miles of winning partly because he has tons of money and a full team always around him (trainer! Coach! PT! Assistant coach! Sponsors!) and Mat has no one at all and has to pay his own way and do everything for himself, Miles takes it as a dare….and gives up his team for the next two tournaments they’ll both play at. And he’ll live within Mat’s budget.
And moves into the crappy apartment across the hall from Mat and his (fantastic!!!) roommate (and fellow pro tennis player) Katie and works to prove Mat that he can win with no support.
And…connection ensues. It’s magical. I loved it. At first it seemed they both forgot about each other between juniors and now (there's no second chance here, they only played/were aware of each other in the past, but didn't interact much), but, little hints start to show up that that…isn’t quite the case, especially for Miles. 😂🤭
Mat knows Miles is straight. But…Mat is oh, SO very wrong. As Miles first indicates with one of the most beautiful, tender, tentative first kisses ever, and then, when Mat is still clueless and confused, a really hot BJ that can leave no doubt. So Miles thinks. 😂🤣
Mat, our narrator, is the biggest overthinker ever, and it’s hilarious and funny as they work out that, yes, Miles is very, VERY gay and in the closet.
Anyway, so begins an affair to remember, hot, steamy…and secret. And both playing it as only hookups, just blowing off steam….while Miles is bringing Mat dinner and cake and flowers, and offering good coaching advice to try to get Mat back to his old confidence, and Mat is spiraling…can’t stop looking at Miles…can’t stop touching, talking…
They are boyfriends before they admit it. They are so obviously in love to Mat’s roomie Katie, long before they admit it. But she sees it. The reader sees it. It’s so wonderful and cute and lovely! They’re great! The text exchanges, the love languages, the way they’re so good for each other, and get each other…gah. LOVED it.
Secondary characters are either fantastic (Katie! Mat’s new coach and PT! Miles’s sister…sometimes! 😂) or horror shows (Miles’s homophobic team and his controlling parents are a nightmare.) There is one point that I was in tears for Miles, who has a long-overdue confrontation with his verbally abusive coach (and eventually father and mother) and team that reveals some shocking, horrifying things he didn’t even know about. Oh, I wanted to adopt him and hug him for hours. I was emotionally RIVETED and so, so engaged with this book at times.
It was a 4-5 star read, at that point (once we got past having to hear about Miles’s huge amounts of experience! And to think about that mid-Moment! Ugh. Hated that. But LOVED them together.). Right up to chapter 24 (of 29 + epilogue).
And then.
Well, there are several things that lowered this rating, and if I hadn’t loved the story for as long as I did, I might have lowered it to 2 stars after the clusterF and aftermath of chapter 24. I couldn’t do that to Mat, who deserves the world and I loved him. But, this story had weaknesses that could so, so easily have been edited out, or adjusted to strengths, and it drove me round the bend (and not just the things I mentioned in my live-read-thread updates. I’ll put them behind spoilers again in case people don’t care/don’t want to hear my whining and ranting:
But the biggest, most disappointing issue is Miles’s actions and inactions at the end. He’s shown to be thoughtful, intelligent, and so sweetly and steamily into Mat as a romantic partner, and then… the book epically fails in his character and the romance by suddenly making him into an immature and disrespectful, weak person. It was infuriating. As you can tell if you read my updates.
Here’s the scoop for those who want to know:
I was Done.
I barely skimmed the rest of the book I was just fuming mad.
So mad I almost forgot another little detail…neither of them ever does remember why Mat listed Miles in his phone under a certain funny little nickname, all those years ago. Why come up with that cute little element and not even reveal the reason for it? 🤷♀️🤷♀️
ANYWAY. For those of you still with me, thanks for listening to my “TED rant” and I’ll see you next book!
Overall, I loved the romance so much. Until I didn’t. Of the three tennis books, this one was winning hands down as my favorite. Until it wasn’t.
HEA, rivals to lovers, pro tennis players, a dare/bet, a hard-fought comeback tennis player and the #3 seed in the world. No OM action or drama, OW drama from one MC’s beard, but not a big issue. I do recommend it. With an entire box of salt.
And it’s MM tennis romance #3! Following Thirty Love and The Open Era in this new era of MM tennis romance, In Your Court takes the trophy for the most romance-driven and romantic of the three. (Editing to add, they are NOT connected in any way, just similar-themed books published around the same time! And, an aside here...that COVER!!! Wow wow wow the emotions emanate. So lovely. And real, there are artist and cover designer credits, so, you know it's authentic!)
Too bad it doesn’t stick the landing, with one character acting immaturely and disrespectfully near the end, too late to be worked through and resolved well, but, for most of the book, the romance (and the sex) is front and center—and mostly adorable and so fun!—and the tennis element becomes more of a backdrop, though it is still fully immersed in/set largely at tennis matches/focused on the players’ goals and drive to WIN, than it does in the other two books. This one is the most traditional of the three as a Romance capital R. It is relationship driven, rather than character-journey-driven as were the first two.
How do the three books compare? I’ll update my list from a previous review, and hide it for those not interested
For most of this book, my Feels were so engaged! Mat’s backstory, in having been one of the players to watch, rising in the ranks, then having a terrible accident and clawing his way back to health and up to pro tennis player physical standards…gah. And then, in competition, to face his former juniors rival, a man he once always beat, who now always beats him…! The tension and annoyance and needling at each other was addictive from the start.
These two have great chemistry, both personality-wise and physically. Mat has recovered fully from the accident that nearly killed him, but while he is physically fully capable of being his old playing self, mentally, he has things to still work through but doesn’t really understand that. He has a great coach…who turns out not to be a great coach for him, and Miles sees that. Sees Mat. And gets frustrated that the old Mat isn’t there to play him.
When Mat’s own frustration with Miles’s privilege and always winning creates an explosive moment between them and Mat accuses Miles of winning partly because he has tons of money and a full team always around him (trainer! Coach! PT! Assistant coach! Sponsors!) and Mat has no one at all and has to pay his own way and do everything for himself, Miles takes it as a dare….and gives up his team for the next two tournaments they’ll both play at. And he’ll live within Mat’s budget.
And moves into the crappy apartment across the hall from Mat and his (fantastic!!!) roommate (and fellow pro tennis player) Katie and works to prove Mat that he can win with no support.
And…connection ensues. It’s magical. I loved it. At first it seemed they both forgot about each other between juniors and now (there's no second chance here, they only played/were aware of each other in the past, but didn't interact much), but, little hints start to show up that that…isn’t quite the case, especially for Miles. 😂🤭
Mat knows Miles is straight. But…Mat is oh, SO very wrong. As Miles first indicates with one of the most beautiful, tender, tentative first kisses ever, and then, when Mat is still clueless and confused, a really hot BJ that can leave no doubt. So Miles thinks. 😂🤣
Mat, our narrator, is the biggest overthinker ever, and it’s hilarious and funny as they work out that, yes, Miles is very, VERY gay and in the closet.
Anyway, so begins an affair to remember, hot, steamy…and secret. And both playing it as only hookups, just blowing off steam….while Miles is bringing Mat dinner and cake and flowers, and offering good coaching advice to try to get Mat back to his old confidence, and Mat is spiraling…can’t stop looking at Miles…can’t stop touching, talking…
They are boyfriends before they admit it. They are so obviously in love to Mat’s roomie Katie, long before they admit it. But she sees it. The reader sees it. It’s so wonderful and cute and lovely! They’re great! The text exchanges, the love languages, the way they’re so good for each other, and get each other…gah. LOVED it.
Secondary characters are either fantastic (Katie! Mat’s new coach and PT! Miles’s sister…sometimes! 😂) or horror shows (Miles’s homophobic team and his controlling parents are a nightmare.) There is one point that I was in tears for Miles, who has a long-overdue confrontation with his verbally abusive coach (and eventually father and mother) and team that reveals some shocking, horrifying things he didn’t even know about. Oh, I wanted to adopt him and hug him for hours. I was emotionally RIVETED and so, so engaged with this book at times.
It was a 4-5 star read, at that point (once we got past having to hear about Miles’s huge amounts of experience! And to think about that mid-Moment! Ugh. Hated that. But LOVED them together.). Right up to chapter 24 (of 29 + epilogue).
And then.
Well, there are several things that lowered this rating, and if I hadn’t loved the story for as long as I did, I might have lowered it to 2 stars after the clusterF and aftermath of chapter 24. I couldn’t do that to Mat, who deserves the world and I loved him. But, this story had weaknesses that could so, so easily have been edited out, or adjusted to strengths, and it drove me round the bend (and not just the things I mentioned in my live-read-thread updates. I’ll put them behind spoilers again in case people don’t care/don’t want to hear my whining and ranting:
But the biggest, most disappointing issue is Miles’s actions and inactions at the end. He’s shown to be thoughtful, intelligent, and so sweetly and steamily into Mat as a romantic partner, and then… the book epically fails in his character and the romance by suddenly making him into an immature and disrespectful, weak person. It was infuriating. As you can tell if you read my updates.
Here’s the scoop for those who want to know:
I was Done.
I barely skimmed the rest of the book I was just fuming mad.
So mad I almost forgot another little detail…neither of them ever does remember why Mat listed Miles in his phone under a certain funny little nickname, all those years ago. Why come up with that cute little element and not even reveal the reason for it? 🤷♀️🤷♀️
ANYWAY. For those of you still with me, thanks for listening to my “TED rant” and I’ll see you next book!
Overall, I loved the romance so much. Until I didn’t. Of the three tennis books, this one was winning hands down as my favorite. Until it wasn’t.
HEA, rivals to lovers, pro tennis players, a dare/bet, a hard-fought comeback tennis player and the #3 seed in the world. No OM action or drama, OW drama from one MC’s beard, but not a big issue. I do recommend it. With an entire box of salt.
August 22, 2026
4⭐️
коли в фільмі «суперники» стало зрозуміло, що зендея була зайвою і вирішили написати альтернативну історію 😁😝
🎾 маттео - австралієць, перший відкритий гей у професійному тенісі. він - буркотлива тривожна булочка, яка оговтується після аварії та ніяк не може повернутися до своєї мунилої успішної форми. такий собі самотній кітик: без команди, без грошей, зате з непередбачуваними тенісними інстинктами і вірною подругою-лесбійкою, з якою вони підтримають одне одного на кожному чемпіонаті. ну й окремий плюсик у карму за те, що він полюбляє читати любовні порноромани і підсадив на це діло майлза 😜
🎾 майлз - американець, четверта ракетка світу. успішний, наполегливий, який планує і прораховує кожен матч в своїй голові. от тільки публічний камінгаут щодо його орієнтації в ці плани аж ніяк не входить 🌚 має складні стосунки з батьками, які керують його кар'єрою як звичайним бізнесом. закрита людинка, яка радше відволічеться сексом, ніж поговорить про проблеми з близьким. а ще він щедрий на подарунки, турботливий татко кімнатних рослинок і просто обожнює свіжі квіти в кожній кімнаті, де зупиняється 🌸
підколи цих двох, гумор, непорозуміння австралійця-американця нямка з перших сторінок 🤌 плюс мило і кумедно було спостерігати, як багатий хлопчик живе бідним життям, бо погодився на виклик і захотів довести, що й без грошей він вартий свого місця в топі.
я трішки здивувалася такому швидкому розвитку подій в інтимі. навіть як для дружби в привілеями хотілося більше конекту між героями перед цим 😅
зате далі розвиток стосунків уже більше тішив, як і розкриття самих персонажів, їхніх проблем, страхів, переживань. те як вони піклувалися одне про одного, мотивували, «зчитували» з напівслова і знаходили такі потрібні слова - просто мімімі 🥰 не без факапів, але то на потім.
та й у ліжку хлопці виявилися смачненькими. кожен і приймає, і подає 😈🍆🍑🤤
розпусти тут справді багато, на цьому буквально тримаються їхні стосунки. нікуди без «траховітань» після перемоги або гарячої розрядки перед матчем для хоробрості 🤭
але добре, що після кількох яскравих сцен їх уже так детально не розписували, бо інакше я б знудилася читати одне й те саме 🤪
декілька моментів, яких мені бракувало або які я віднесла до мінусів:
➛ хлопці знайомі ще з юніорів, і мені хотілося більше їхніх спогадів. пари флешбеків цілком вистачило б, щоб краще відчути їхній зв'язок від самого початку
➛ оскільки «в тенісі мені дуже подобається теніс» 😆 то я чекала детальнішого опису бодай одного матчу маттео та майлза. так, щоб понервувати, побути в напрузі від фінального сету й невизначеності. бо турнірів було купа, як і вирішальних матчів, але вони мали куций опис, радше сухий фактаж подій. а хотілося зануритися в ті п'ять з половиною годин на повну 🔥🥵🏃🏻➡️🎾🏃🏼
➛ поведінка майлза в той самий момент після матчу і як вони «вирішили» цю ситуацію пізніше? ніяк. не достатньо. просто wtf?! ти ж мені подобався, крихітко.
➛ розв'язка з батьками, на яку у фіналі просто забили. то це для них перешкода, то «та якось само вирішиться» 🙃
➛ книгу можна спокійно скоротити на сотню сторінок, нічого не втративши 👌
загалом мені сподобалася історія, сетинг тенісу й атмосфера чемпіонатів, аж захотілося прочитати ще щось подібне. мет і майлз досить легко закохують в себе, і ти просто не можеш не співпереживати бодай одному з них. вони виявилися двома ніжними турботливими пиріжечками 🥹 я приємно провела з хлопчиками час, швидко ковтнула книгу і вдало повернулася до читання. нааайс 😎💃
коли в фільмі «суперники» стало зрозуміло, що зендея була зайвою і вирішили написати альтернативну історію 😁😝
🎾 маттео - австралієць, перший відкритий гей у професійному тенісі. він - буркотлива тривожна булочка, яка оговтується після аварії та ніяк не може повернутися до своєї мунилої успішної форми. такий собі самотній кітик: без команди, без грошей, зате з непередбачуваними тенісними інстинктами і вірною подругою-лесбійкою, з якою вони підтримають одне одного на кожному чемпіонаті. ну й окремий плюсик у карму за те, що він полюбляє читати любовні порноромани і підсадив на це діло майлза 😜
🎾 майлз - американець, четверта ракетка світу. успішний, наполегливий, який планує і прораховує кожен матч в своїй голові. от тільки публічний камінгаут щодо його орієнтації в ці плани аж ніяк не входить 🌚 має складні стосунки з батьками, які керують його кар'єрою як звичайним бізнесом. закрита людинка, яка радше відволічеться сексом, ніж поговорить про проблеми з близьким. а ще він щедрий на подарунки, турботливий татко кімнатних рослинок і просто обожнює свіжі квіти в кожній кімнаті, де зупиняється 🌸
підколи цих двох, гумор, непорозуміння австралійця-американця нямка з перших сторінок 🤌 плюс мило і кумедно було спостерігати, як багатий хлопчик живе бідним життям, бо погодився на виклик і захотів довести, що й без грошей він вартий свого місця в топі.
я трішки здивувалася такому швидкому розвитку подій в інтимі. навіть як для дружби в привілеями хотілося більше конекту між героями перед цим 😅
зате далі розвиток стосунків уже більше тішив, як і розкриття самих персонажів, їхніх проблем, страхів, переживань. те як вони піклувалися одне про одного, мотивували, «зчитували» з напівслова і знаходили такі потрібні слова - просто мімімі 🥰 не без факапів, але то на потім.
та й у ліжку хлопці виявилися смачненькими. кожен і приймає, і подає 😈🍆🍑🤤
розпусти тут справді багато, на цьому буквально тримаються їхні стосунки. нікуди без «траховітань» після перемоги або гарячої розрядки перед матчем для хоробрості 🤭
але добре, що після кількох яскравих сцен їх уже так детально не розписували, бо інакше я б знудилася читати одне й те саме 🤪
декілька моментів, яких мені бракувало або які я віднесла до мінусів:
➛ хлопці знайомі ще з юніорів, і мені хотілося більше їхніх спогадів. пари флешбеків цілком вистачило б, щоб краще відчути їхній зв'язок від самого початку
➛ оскільки «в тенісі мені дуже подобається теніс» 😆 то я чекала детальнішого опису бодай одного матчу маттео та майлза. так, щоб понервувати, побути в напрузі від фінального сету й невизначеності. бо турнірів було купа, як і вирішальних матчів, але вони мали куций опис, радше сухий фактаж подій. а хотілося зануритися в ті п'ять з половиною годин на повну 🔥🥵🏃🏻➡️🎾🏃🏼
➛ поведінка майлза в той самий момент після матчу і як вони «вирішили» цю ситуацію пізніше? ніяк. не достатньо. просто wtf?! ти ж мені подобався, крихітко.
➛ розв'язка з батьками, на яку у фіналі просто забили. то це для них перешкода, то «та якось само вирішиться» 🙃
➛ книгу можна спокійно скоротити на сотню сторінок, нічого не втративши 👌
загалом мені сподобалася історія, сетинг тенісу й атмосфера чемпіонатів, аж захотілося прочитати ще щось подібне. мет і майлз досить легко закохують в себе, і ти просто не можеш не співпереживати бодай одному з них. вони виявилися двома ніжними турботливими пиріжечками 🥹 я приємно провела з хлопчиками час, швидко ковтнула книгу і вдало повернулася до читання. нааайс 😎💃
Did Not Finish
April 22, 2026dnf @ page ~300
Unfortunately, this wasn't for me. If you're into no plot and sex every other chapter, this one's perfect for you. For me, it wasn't. This was 70% spice and 30% random talks. And I don't have anything against spicy romances, but I wasn't in the mood for repetitive sex scenes and no romantic development. I was really really missing some interesting plot.
Unfortunately, this wasn't for me. If you're into no plot and sex every other chapter, this one's perfect for you. For me, it wasn't. This was 70% spice and 30% random talks. And I don't have anything against spicy romances, but I wasn't in the mood for repetitive sex scenes and no romantic development. I was really really missing some interesting plot.
July 25, 2026
Suddenly, tennis got some service in romance, and at least 3 mm tennis romances got published recently with some hype. The first two did not really work for me as romances (or in general) but third time is the charm and this one charmed me.
It really is a romance, meaning the feelings and relationship is the core of the book - how they move from (one sided) enemies to lovers throughout a year ( a tournament year), and need to establish their feelings and change their lives for the better because of the other. I loved these guys and it was great seeing them together.
There is a fade to black choice regarding the actual games, we do not actually get described those, just the result and it actually works for me. Maybe I am not a very visual reader, but there is something underwhelming for me in visual details of sports (or other athletics)...
It really is a romance, meaning the feelings and relationship is the core of the book - how they move from (one sided) enemies to lovers throughout a year ( a tournament year), and need to establish their feelings and change their lives for the better because of the other. I loved these guys and it was great seeing them together.
There is a fade to black choice regarding the actual games, we do not actually get described those, just the result and it actually works for me. Maybe I am not a very visual reader, but there is something underwhelming for me in visual details of sports (or other athletics)...
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
In Your Court really surprised me. At first, I was worried it wasn't going to be a win for me (the pacing was a tad slow and the characters weren't doing it for me), but it turned around about 35% in. I couldn't put this one down and these boys have been living rent free in my head ever since finishing their story. Their relationship was rocky, racked with misunderstandings and miscommunications as they learned how to communicate in a healthy manner as well as what each other needed. While I usually despise a miscommunication trope, it really worked here because of their circumstances. Also, Katie? A stellar side character, haha. This cover? Scrumptious! (It’s also been living rent free in my brain, haha.)
Was there far more tennis than I was anticipating? Yes. Do I really understand tennis all that well? No, absolutely not. Did this detract from my enjoyment? Also no. I think Matteo and Miles character progressions really kept the story going for me. Also, Miles’ team sucks (iykyk), his parents suck, and I’m so glad that he found a better support system.
This is a fast/high heat story, so keep that in mind if that’s not your thing. The lust comes before the feelings, but I couldn’t get enough of the budding relationship.
My only critique is that I wish there was *more*. (I say this about all my favorites, though, lol.) These two are so dang sweet and I love them and I was not ready to say goodbye. Don’t mind me running to find more MM Tennis books while I wait for Love Game 2 to release at some point in the future.
If you’re looking for a MM sports romance that isn’t hockey (don’t get me wrong, I love a good hockey romance, but they seem to be the most popular to publish lately), definitely give this debut a chance! I have pre-ordered a paperback edition and I cannot wait to revisit Matteo and Miles’ story again soon!
Was there far more tennis than I was anticipating? Yes. Do I really understand tennis all that well? No, absolutely not. Did this detract from my enjoyment? Also no. I think Matteo and Miles character progressions really kept the story going for me. Also, Miles’ team sucks (iykyk), his parents suck, and I’m so glad that he found a better support system.
This is a fast/high heat story, so keep that in mind if that’s not your thing. The lust comes before the feelings, but I couldn’t get enough of the budding relationship.
My only critique is that I wish there was *more*. (I say this about all my favorites, though, lol.) These two are so dang sweet and I love them and I was not ready to say goodbye. Don’t mind me running to find more MM Tennis books while I wait for Love Game 2 to release at some point in the future.
If you’re looking for a MM sports romance that isn’t hockey (don’t get me wrong, I love a good hockey romance, but they seem to be the most popular to publish lately), definitely give this debut a chance! I have pre-ordered a paperback edition and I cannot wait to revisit Matteo and Miles’ story again soon!
Read
July 27, 2026Dnf at 50%, no rating.
Pretty soon into this book, I started rewriting it in my head so that it was dual timelines -- one in the present day, one juniors-through-the-accident, thus generating more emotional immediacy and, bluntly, interest in the (paper-thin) characters -- and the writing was better (not so many repeated phrases, heavy-handed themes, and worn emotional beats) and the sex scenes not so boring (there is at least one per chapter, and while I love my pwp on ao3, most of these were just page-fillers. Also: squeeging on the shared couch in a rental apartment and not even wiping up the come is just nasty). Halfway through, I realized I was WAY more invested in my alt-version, and couldn't bear the thought of 250 more pages of the book actually in front of me.
I like the focus on a journeyman player, but if you're looking for non-hockey sports romance that isn't only about the superstars, KD Casey is right there. Just sayin'.
No rating because I only star-rate dnf's if they're offensive or doing something really problematic. This wasn't that: just dull and not as fun as the book in my head.
I got an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
Pretty soon into this book, I started rewriting it in my head so that it was dual timelines -- one in the present day, one juniors-through-the-accident, thus generating more emotional immediacy and, bluntly, interest in the (paper-thin) characters -- and the writing was better (not so many repeated phrases, heavy-handed themes, and worn emotional beats) and the sex scenes not so boring (there is at least one per chapter, and while I love my pwp on ao3, most of these were just page-fillers. Also: squeeging on the shared couch in a rental apartment and not even wiping up the come is just nasty). Halfway through, I realized I was WAY more invested in my alt-version, and couldn't bear the thought of 250 more pages of the book actually in front of me.
I like the focus on a journeyman player, but if you're looking for non-hockey sports romance that isn't only about the superstars, KD Casey is right there. Just sayin'.
No rating because I only star-rate dnf's if they're offensive or doing something really problematic. This wasn't that: just dull and not as fun as the book in my head.
I got an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.
Read
April 6, 2026Now, the fool is ME because the author in their marketing trope graphic literally said "very little actual tennis" but there is a lacuna here of Actual Tennis in the POVs that boggles the mind. If your LI is briefly n.3 in the world why don't I know who n.1-2 are?? Instead of MC/LI calling each other "aw you're such an [adjective] gay" they'd be talking about tennis. Instead of swapping romance novel recs (yes, really) they'd be talking about tennis. Instead of talking like the exact elder millennial romance reader that the author presumably is, they'd be talking about... ? Say it with me. Have we totally lost the joy of rendering a character unlike us, to an audience unlike them, and asking an audience to find pleasure in the unlikeness? (Yes, unbearably, yes.)
Blah blah yes yes if you're reading for m/m sex you'll be overjoyed.
Blah blah yes yes if you're reading for m/m sex you'll be overjoyed.
April 28, 2026
WTF DID YOU PUT IN THIS BOOK @kithaley.romance?! In Your Court was INCREDIBLE 😱😱 sweet and a little angsty (first book to make me cry in a WHILE) and intense and VERY horny 🥵, I could NOT put it down, especially at the end. It also had exactly the right amount of tennis for someone who knows almost nothing about it and I really appreciated that 😂.
In Your Court is single POV and follows struggling Australian player Matteo, who is trying to prove that he’s not a has-been after recovering from an accident. He’s also the only out gay player and he’s both prone to overthinking and has quite the chip on his shoulder. So when top ranked player Miles Callahan, his rival for years, starts reaching out, he has no idea what to think.
I LOVED Miles. Though he can be hard to read and uses sex like a shield, he’s so thoughtful most of the time and he’s SO GOOD for AND to Mat. The way he helps Mat find his game again, supporting him despite being his rival warmed my heart. I loved their text convos, their banter, and their heart to hearts when they finally realize that they need to communicate. The end made me both sad and happy cry, SUCH a perfect conclusion!
This is the third book I’ve read and been OBSESSED with this year by an Aussie author with Aussie characters, OMG WHAT IS GOING ON DOWN UNDER? I dunno but I’m here for it, I cannot wait for yall to read this book (out May 21!) and I’m ready for anything else Kit writes.
In Your Court is single POV and follows struggling Australian player Matteo, who is trying to prove that he’s not a has-been after recovering from an accident. He’s also the only out gay player and he’s both prone to overthinking and has quite the chip on his shoulder. So when top ranked player Miles Callahan, his rival for years, starts reaching out, he has no idea what to think.
I LOVED Miles. Though he can be hard to read and uses sex like a shield, he’s so thoughtful most of the time and he’s SO GOOD for AND to Mat. The way he helps Mat find his game again, supporting him despite being his rival warmed my heart. I loved their text convos, their banter, and their heart to hearts when they finally realize that they need to communicate. The end made me both sad and happy cry, SUCH a perfect conclusion!
This is the third book I’ve read and been OBSESSED with this year by an Aussie author with Aussie characters, OMG WHAT IS GOING ON DOWN UNDER? I dunno but I’m here for it, I cannot wait for yall to read this book (out May 21!) and I’m ready for anything else Kit writes.
June 15, 2026
I’m struggling really hard how to rate this book (somewhere between 3 and 4), because while I really loved reading it and was excited to pick it up it just also wasn’t how I was expecting it to be at all.
Matteo tries to find his footing in the world of professional tennis again after having had an accident a few years back, at the peak of his career.
Now his former rival Miles has taken his place as one of the top players.
When Matteo looses against him and accuses him to only be better since he has a lot of money to hire staff and live in fancy hotels, Miles takes that as a challenge.
I looooved the idea of this. A rich, fancy boy living the poor lifestyle and slumming it with the other more unfortunate players.
I loved their banter and this sweet Miles was really.
The side characters were also fantastic and I wish we’d have had more scenes with them.
If you’re looking for an actual gripping tennis part…this isn’t the book though, because there’s not much tennis in this. And this is what I was struggling with the most. Not even the most important matches you’re highly anticipating are described (but I wonder how easy and gripping a sereval hour long match description would be).
The focus of this book is definitely the romance (and the heat), but this is all happening extremely fast without much built up when I was expecting a real rivals to lovers romance.
I just feel like this book is just very long for there to be not much of an actual plot apart from the romance and lots of smut, when the only other plot part you’re anticipating is happening in a few scenes by the very end.
I also hated how Miles acted all surprised at Matteos uncertainty about their relationship status when they had not seen each other in weeks on end and never really have a serious conversation. They’re in their 30s and sometimes just acted very young.
All in all I think this is a super fast and sweet romance book with characters you’ll get attached to in no time and definitely worth a read.
Matteo tries to find his footing in the world of professional tennis again after having had an accident a few years back, at the peak of his career.
Now his former rival Miles has taken his place as one of the top players.
When Matteo looses against him and accuses him to only be better since he has a lot of money to hire staff and live in fancy hotels, Miles takes that as a challenge.
I looooved the idea of this. A rich, fancy boy living the poor lifestyle and slumming it with the other more unfortunate players.
I loved their banter and this sweet Miles was really.
The side characters were also fantastic and I wish we’d have had more scenes with them.
If you’re looking for an actual gripping tennis part…this isn’t the book though, because there’s not much tennis in this. And this is what I was struggling with the most. Not even the most important matches you’re highly anticipating are described (but I wonder how easy and gripping a sereval hour long match description would be).
The focus of this book is definitely the romance (and the heat), but this is all happening extremely fast without much built up when I was expecting a real rivals to lovers romance.
I just feel like this book is just very long for there to be not much of an actual plot apart from the romance and lots of smut, when the only other plot part you’re anticipating is happening in a few scenes by the very end.
I also hated how Miles acted all surprised at Matteos uncertainty about their relationship status when they had not seen each other in weeks on end and never really have a serious conversation. They’re in their 30s and sometimes just acted very young.
All in all I think this is a super fast and sweet romance book with characters you’ll get attached to in no time and definitely worth a read.
August 9, 2026
To jest TA KSIĄŻKA dla której przechodzę męki czytają dziesiątki innych słabych książek. Dla takich książek lubię czytanie. Czy będzie drugi tom? O raju, chcę drugi tom.. nie ja nie chcę, ja go potrzebuję! To ląduje do moich komfort książek i rób z tą wiedzą co chcesz.
April 4, 2026
ALL THE STARS!!!♾️⭐️
This book is outstanding!! I was sucked in from the start and stayed sucked in throughout the book. I truly had not felt this exhilarated reading a book in a minute!! Mat & Miles 🥹 GOD I LOVE THEM!! those 2 lovely idiots (iykyk)🤣 This is a tennis romance, and Tennis does not necessarily take a backseat (which was fine for me!) But, I think if you don’t know tennis/don’t care about tennis you will still be able to enjoy the story because the author does not go into too much detail!
I loved all of the layers to this story. It’s spicy (so wonderfully spicy!) but also sweet and tender and emotional. Both characters are navigating completely different challenges in their own worlds, yet somehow find common ground and learn how to be exactly what the other needs. Watching them show up for each other, put one another first, and ultimately build a life together was so beautiful.
Matteo, my fellow overthinker! So many times i wanted to wrap him in a hug 🥹 It was so hard to be irritated with him because i truly saw so much of myself 😭 the way he held so many thoughts and emotions in for fear of ruining what he had with Miles, and i was yelling at him like no!! we must be better!! USE YOUR WORDS💀 Im really glad Matteo and Miles finally figured out how to communicate and give each other why they need. Miles always knowing when Matteo was overthinking himself nuts! It was the sweetest of stories 🥹
Personally, I think Mat&Miles need a second book and so i’m gonna start that campaign… right now 🙂↕️🤪
This book is outstanding!! I was sucked in from the start and stayed sucked in throughout the book. I truly had not felt this exhilarated reading a book in a minute!! Mat & Miles 🥹 GOD I LOVE THEM!! those 2 lovely idiots (iykyk)🤣 This is a tennis romance, and Tennis does not necessarily take a backseat (which was fine for me!) But, I think if you don’t know tennis/don’t care about tennis you will still be able to enjoy the story because the author does not go into too much detail!
I loved all of the layers to this story. It’s spicy (so wonderfully spicy!) but also sweet and tender and emotional. Both characters are navigating completely different challenges in their own worlds, yet somehow find common ground and learn how to be exactly what the other needs. Watching them show up for each other, put one another first, and ultimately build a life together was so beautiful.
Matteo, my fellow overthinker! So many times i wanted to wrap him in a hug 🥹 It was so hard to be irritated with him because i truly saw so much of myself 😭 the way he held so many thoughts and emotions in for fear of ruining what he had with Miles, and i was yelling at him like no!! we must be better!! USE YOUR WORDS💀 Im really glad Matteo and Miles finally figured out how to communicate and give each other why they need. Miles always knowing when Matteo was overthinking himself nuts! It was the sweetest of stories 🥹
Personally, I think Mat&Miles need a second book and so i’m gonna start that campaign… right now 🙂↕️🤪
June 7, 2026
This was my first ever tennis romance, and I definitely enjoyed the vibe.
I loved the premise of this book with Mat trying to make his comeback after an injury and the tension created by him reconnecting with someone he used to be able to beat, Miles. I fully expected Miles to be an asshole given his talent and wealth, but he really wasn't at all. Their banter is great, and the playfulness between them had me laughing. Miles so obviously wanted his relationship with Mat to work, and he put in so much effort to improve himself in whatever way Mat needed with no hesitation, even when he didn't have safe spaces of his own.
The spice was absolutely spicing in this book. This author definitely knows how to write spicy scenes.
I loved watching Miles bring Mat back to himself, even when it didn't benefit him due to them competing within the same sport. Although they are competitors, their relationship is still so light, and endearing, and they only want the best for each other.
I really enjoyed this debut novel, and I can't wait for the next book in this series to come out. This was such a fun read!
I loved the premise of this book with Mat trying to make his comeback after an injury and the tension created by him reconnecting with someone he used to be able to beat, Miles. I fully expected Miles to be an asshole given his talent and wealth, but he really wasn't at all. Their banter is great, and the playfulness between them had me laughing. Miles so obviously wanted his relationship with Mat to work, and he put in so much effort to improve himself in whatever way Mat needed with no hesitation, even when he didn't have safe spaces of his own.
The spice was absolutely spicing in this book. This author definitely knows how to write spicy scenes.
I loved watching Miles bring Mat back to himself, even when it didn't benefit him due to them competing within the same sport. Although they are competitors, their relationship is still so light, and endearing, and they only want the best for each other.
I really enjoyed this debut novel, and I can't wait for the next book in this series to come out. This was such a fun read!
August 22, 2026
I'm so thrilled to have found another romance author featuring Australian MC, and this book was such a pleasant surprise! I honestly urge all my fellow Aussies to give this one a shot.
I know enemies-to-lovers isn't a fresh trope in sports romance, but I can guarantee that this story is about actual, genuine rivals—not just some cheap gimmick.
Competing since their junior days and reuniting as adults after navigating life's ups and downs, they embark on a journey of mutual support, fierce competition, and getting to know each other all over again.
Their relationship definitely starts as hookups (which brings quite some steamy scenes 🥳), but long before they realized or admitted it, their bond deepened into a mutual respect as fellow pro tennis players and a genuine appreciation for each other's character. I just live for those tender, romantic moments.
I also really love how the story portrays the life of tennis players outside the court—especially those on a tight budget. It adds real depth to the story and makes the characters feel so grounded and authentic. And the culture-clash jokes sprinkled throughout the story constantly made me smile.
However, the biggest flaw of this story is its pacing. While these hundreds of pages didn't bore me, I did start to feel a bit fatigued by the end. I wish some of the repetitive push-and-pull in the middle had been trimmed down, and I especially wish the author had kept in mind that having the main characters miscommunicate after declaring their love at the 80% mark totally betrays reader expectations and really ruins the reading mood.
Oh, BTW, the MCs jump straight into going raw without even discussing safe sex. That sort of gets a pass in PWP, but it doesn't hold up well in a serious story. I really hope the author takes note of that.
All in all, I'll definitely keep an eye out for more work from this author.
I know enemies-to-lovers isn't a fresh trope in sports romance, but I can guarantee that this story is about actual, genuine rivals—not just some cheap gimmick.
Competing since their junior days and reuniting as adults after navigating life's ups and downs, they embark on a journey of mutual support, fierce competition, and getting to know each other all over again.
Their relationship definitely starts as hookups (which brings quite some steamy scenes 🥳), but long before they realized or admitted it, their bond deepened into a mutual respect as fellow pro tennis players and a genuine appreciation for each other's character. I just live for those tender, romantic moments.
I also really love how the story portrays the life of tennis players outside the court—especially those on a tight budget. It adds real depth to the story and makes the characters feel so grounded and authentic. And the culture-clash jokes sprinkled throughout the story constantly made me smile.
However, the biggest flaw of this story is its pacing. While these hundreds of pages didn't bore me, I did start to feel a bit fatigued by the end. I wish some of the repetitive push-and-pull in the middle had been trimmed down, and I especially wish the author had kept in mind that having the main characters miscommunicate after declaring their love at the 80% mark totally betrays reader expectations and really ruins the reading mood.
Oh, BTW, the MCs jump straight into going raw without even discussing safe sex. That sort of gets a pass in PWP, but it doesn't hold up well in a serious story. I really hope the author takes note of that.
All in all, I'll definitely keep an eye out for more work from this author.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5⭐️
I am adamant. This year is dedicated to tennis romances and I am absolutely determined to read every single queer tennis romance release I can get my hands on. Two down already, and honestly? I quite liked this one.
In Your Court follows Matteo and Miles, two former junior rivals who spent their teenage years circling each other somewhere between competitiveness, resentment, attraction, and “I absolutely refuse to admit I want to kiss this man.” Years later, they reunite during Roland Garros in Paris, but everything has changed. Matteo was once the openly gay rising tennis star everybody watched with fascination until a devastating accident derailed his entire career. Meanwhile, Miles has climbed all the way to world number three, backed by an expensive team, PR management, trainers, physios, and the kind of support system Matteo could never afford.
What starts as bitterness and wounded pride slowly turns into something much softer when Miles decides to prove a point and temporarily abandons the polished luxury of his professional setup. Suddenly these two are sharing tiny apartments near Wimbledon, cooking terrible meals, dragging laundry through London, rebuilding trust, and finding a kind of peace together neither of them really has anywhere else. I liked that...a lot!
This is not a high-drama sports romance. Tennis is very much the framework rather than the driving force. You always know where they are, what tournament matters, what is at stake professionally, but the real focus is on the quiet intimacy of hotel rooms, shared routines, emotional safety, and two exhausted men slowly lowering their guards around each other.
I also really liked both characters individually. Matteo’s struggle with self-worth after losing both momentum and physical confidence felt very relatable, while Miles slowly unravelling under the pressure of management, family expectations, media image, and the exhausting reality of staying closeted as a top athlete added a lot of emotional weight to his character.
That said, I do think this book had a balance issue for me personally.
This is very smut-heavy, but more specifically, sex becomes their primary language for almost everything. Celebration, frustration, affection, comfort, conflict resolution, vulnerability… it all circles back to physical intimacy. And while I understood what the author was trying to do with that dynamic, at some point I started craving more conversations that were not filtered through attraction or sex. Not even necessarily relationship conversations. I just wanted more moments where they talked deeply about tennis, identity, fear, family, ambition, grief, literally anything outside the bedroom dynamic.
Because of that, parts of the middle section started losing me a little. It only really felt like the emotional conversations deepened properly around the final stretch of the book.
What I did appreciate, though, is that the heavier topics never become emotionally exploitative. The homophobia, the media pressure, the fake PR relationships, the parents… they all exist, but mostly in the background. The book acknowledges them without constantly dragging the characters through misery. So despite the difficult themes, the overall atmosphere stays surprisingly laid-back.
If you want a tennis romance that is character-driven, emotionally gentle, intimacy-focused, and less obsessed with detailed sports realism, this is probably going to work really well for you. And if queer tennis romances keep becoming a thing this year, trust me, I will absolutely continue showing up for them.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Receiving the ARC did not influence my thoughts, opinions, or final rating in any way.
I am adamant. This year is dedicated to tennis romances and I am absolutely determined to read every single queer tennis romance release I can get my hands on. Two down already, and honestly? I quite liked this one.
In Your Court follows Matteo and Miles, two former junior rivals who spent their teenage years circling each other somewhere between competitiveness, resentment, attraction, and “I absolutely refuse to admit I want to kiss this man.” Years later, they reunite during Roland Garros in Paris, but everything has changed. Matteo was once the openly gay rising tennis star everybody watched with fascination until a devastating accident derailed his entire career. Meanwhile, Miles has climbed all the way to world number three, backed by an expensive team, PR management, trainers, physios, and the kind of support system Matteo could never afford.
What starts as bitterness and wounded pride slowly turns into something much softer when Miles decides to prove a point and temporarily abandons the polished luxury of his professional setup. Suddenly these two are sharing tiny apartments near Wimbledon, cooking terrible meals, dragging laundry through London, rebuilding trust, and finding a kind of peace together neither of them really has anywhere else. I liked that...a lot!
This is not a high-drama sports romance. Tennis is very much the framework rather than the driving force. You always know where they are, what tournament matters, what is at stake professionally, but the real focus is on the quiet intimacy of hotel rooms, shared routines, emotional safety, and two exhausted men slowly lowering their guards around each other.
I also really liked both characters individually. Matteo’s struggle with self-worth after losing both momentum and physical confidence felt very relatable, while Miles slowly unravelling under the pressure of management, family expectations, media image, and the exhausting reality of staying closeted as a top athlete added a lot of emotional weight to his character.
That said, I do think this book had a balance issue for me personally.
This is very smut-heavy, but more specifically, sex becomes their primary language for almost everything. Celebration, frustration, affection, comfort, conflict resolution, vulnerability… it all circles back to physical intimacy. And while I understood what the author was trying to do with that dynamic, at some point I started craving more conversations that were not filtered through attraction or sex. Not even necessarily relationship conversations. I just wanted more moments where they talked deeply about tennis, identity, fear, family, ambition, grief, literally anything outside the bedroom dynamic.
Because of that, parts of the middle section started losing me a little. It only really felt like the emotional conversations deepened properly around the final stretch of the book.
What I did appreciate, though, is that the heavier topics never become emotionally exploitative. The homophobia, the media pressure, the fake PR relationships, the parents… they all exist, but mostly in the background. The book acknowledges them without constantly dragging the characters through misery. So despite the difficult themes, the overall atmosphere stays surprisingly laid-back.
If you want a tennis romance that is character-driven, emotionally gentle, intimacy-focused, and less obsessed with detailed sports realism, this is probably going to work really well for you. And if queer tennis romances keep becoming a thing this year, trust me, I will absolutely continue showing up for them.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Receiving the ARC did not influence my thoughts, opinions, or final rating in any way.
September 8, 2026
De aanbeveling is "steamy AF" maar had ook "sex sells" kunnen zijn. Haal de seks eruit en je houdt 9 bladzijden over. Naar boven afgerond.
June 14, 2026
"Sometimes, you have to take risks. Say fuck you to the fear and choose to believe in yourself. I wasn't sure I could after years of failure, but for some reason he seemed to believe in me. Perhaps, for now, that would be enough."
This book had me in an absolutely CHOKEHOLD. I could not put this down. I loved everything about this book. I apologize in advance if this review is just me yelling the whole time. But listen, I finished this book only a few days ago, and I already want to reread 😭 I do not know how to explain the high I felt while reading this book, but it has been a minute since I've felt this way, and I am so glad I decided to pick this one up.
AND CAN I JUST SAY, I was not expecting to freaking CRY over these two idiots (endearingly). I just thought "oh this is gonna be a fun hehe haha time", which it was!!! but it was also so much more than that to me. The emotional aspects of this book had my heart hurting. The hard moments between them broke me, and the author did such a fantastic job at thoroughly fleshing out these character's feelings towards each other. While we do get only one pov for this story, the author wrote these character's in a way that didn't leave room for the reader to feel biased towards one character in their relationship, and I feel like that needs to be noted because it so easily could've went in a different direction. (Hope that makes sense, don't want to give the story away much).
While this is a fun, spicy sports romance, like I mentioned previously, there are also harder moments that both Mat and Miles both have to navigate throughout this story. The ending had me in tears (happy ones, don't worry) and screaming and kicking my dang feet. I cannot praise this book enough, and I am so excited for their next novels to come!
Thank you to the publisher for this arc!
_________________
absolutely loved this one 🥹
longer rtc
This book had me in an absolutely CHOKEHOLD. I could not put this down. I loved everything about this book. I apologize in advance if this review is just me yelling the whole time. But listen, I finished this book only a few days ago, and I already want to reread 😭 I do not know how to explain the high I felt while reading this book, but it has been a minute since I've felt this way, and I am so glad I decided to pick this one up.
AND CAN I JUST SAY, I was not expecting to freaking CRY over these two idiots (endearingly). I just thought "oh this is gonna be a fun hehe haha time", which it was!!! but it was also so much more than that to me. The emotional aspects of this book had my heart hurting. The hard moments between them broke me, and the author did such a fantastic job at thoroughly fleshing out these character's feelings towards each other. While we do get only one pov for this story, the author wrote these character's in a way that didn't leave room for the reader to feel biased towards one character in their relationship, and I feel like that needs to be noted because it so easily could've went in a different direction. (Hope that makes sense, don't want to give the story away much).
While this is a fun, spicy sports romance, like I mentioned previously, there are also harder moments that both Mat and Miles both have to navigate throughout this story. The ending had me in tears (happy ones, don't worry) and screaming and kicking my dang feet. I cannot praise this book enough, and I am so excited for their next novels to come!
Thank you to the publisher for this arc!
_________________
absolutely loved this one 🥹
longer rtc
August 25, 2026
Queer sports romance!! I really enjoyed the chemistry between Matteo and Miles. It was fun watching them go from tennis rivals to friends to lovers. There’s a lot of good commentary on queer representation in sports, pressure, and how difficult it can be for lower ranked players to be able to afford to compete in tournaments around the world. The book is a little over 500 pages, but I absolutely flew through it. There’s plenty of steamy scenes, fun banter, and emotional moments to keep the stakes high.
While I did have a blast reading this, I do have a few nitpicks. I wish that there was a bit more time spent on the rivalry portion of the book before they become friends. Also, sometimes it seemed like the book was only showing the characters in a bubble with their teams instead of it feeling like they were actually in the wider tennis world. I wanted to see more interactions with other players, press reactions, and social media chatter so that the settings and the sport felt fully fleshed out. This is a sports romance that doesn’t have a lot of the characters actually playing the sport on page.
I’m definitely interested in seeing what Kit Haley writes next!
While I did have a blast reading this, I do have a few nitpicks. I wish that there was a bit more time spent on the rivalry portion of the book before they become friends. Also, sometimes it seemed like the book was only showing the characters in a bubble with their teams instead of it feeling like they were actually in the wider tennis world. I wanted to see more interactions with other players, press reactions, and social media chatter so that the settings and the sport felt fully fleshed out. This is a sports romance that doesn’t have a lot of the characters actually playing the sport on page.
I’m definitely interested in seeing what Kit Haley writes next!
July 30, 2026
Bordeeeeeeeeeel que c'était BON !
C'est bien simple, j'ai TOUT aimé dans ce livre, j'ai vécu chaque page, chaque évènement intensément, j'ai ri, swooné, versé des larmes, senti mon coeur battre plus vite, j'ai rougi (un peu), je me suis parfois fâchée, j'ai sauté sur mes pieds et/ou sur mon canapé, j'ai marmonné toute seule à plusieurs reprises, parlé aux personnages pour les secouer un peu ... bref, le gros kif !
Bon alors c'est bien joli tout ça, mais de quoi ça parle ? Vu le contexte, évidemment, ce livre est vendu comme la version tennistique de "Heated Rivalry", et si la comparaison n'est pas déconnante en soi, il ne faut quand même pas non plus tout mélanger. Disons juste que "In your court" est un roman M/M qui porte sur deux mecs, joueurs de tennis pro actuellement sur le circuit, qui sont forcément rivaux.
Australie (Mateo) Vs USA (Miles), mais aussi deux milieux d'origines opposés, et ça, ça permet d'apporter un éclairage super intéressant sur le gouffre financier entre les joueurs, sur leurs différences de conditions d'entraînement, de récup' et tout simplement de vie au quotidien.
J'ai vraiment adoré ma lecture, c'était passionnant pour moi de suivre la saison de tennis, de voir leurs trajectoires respectives, de placer tous mes espoirs en la remontada de Mateo, qui a traversé une période très sombre et très difficile et a perdu le niveau qu'il avait avant. La manière dont lui et Miles apprennent à se connaître, à se faire (un peu) confiance est chouette à lire, et bien sûr, il y a de nombreuses scènes de s*xe. C'est chaud, c'est brut, on va à l'essentiel, sans broder autour, et j'ai beaucoup aimé ça.
Et puis il y a un truc que j'ai franchement adoré et qui me marquera vraiment : il n'y a qu'un seul pov (celui de Mateo) et bon sang que ça fait du bien de ne pas avoir tout servi sur un plateau, de nous demander, comme le narrateur, ce qui se passe dans la tête de l'autre. On est tellement habitués à avoir des romans avec pov alternés où on a toujours les clés en permanence que là, j'ai trouvé ça vraiment génial.
C'était vraiment trop bien, très bien écrit et je n'ai qu'une hâte : recevoir ce roman en papier ! Et continuer à suivre cet auteur car là, c'est un coup de coeur pour moi, et c'est si rare chez moi que ça mérite d'être souligné !
C'est bien simple, j'ai TOUT aimé dans ce livre, j'ai vécu chaque page, chaque évènement intensément, j'ai ri, swooné, versé des larmes, senti mon coeur battre plus vite, j'ai rougi (un peu), je me suis parfois fâchée, j'ai sauté sur mes pieds et/ou sur mon canapé, j'ai marmonné toute seule à plusieurs reprises, parlé aux personnages pour les secouer un peu ... bref, le gros kif !
Bon alors c'est bien joli tout ça, mais de quoi ça parle ? Vu le contexte, évidemment, ce livre est vendu comme la version tennistique de "Heated Rivalry", et si la comparaison n'est pas déconnante en soi, il ne faut quand même pas non plus tout mélanger. Disons juste que "In your court" est un roman M/M qui porte sur deux mecs, joueurs de tennis pro actuellement sur le circuit, qui sont forcément rivaux.
Australie (Mateo) Vs USA (Miles), mais aussi deux milieux d'origines opposés, et ça, ça permet d'apporter un éclairage super intéressant sur le gouffre financier entre les joueurs, sur leurs différences de conditions d'entraînement, de récup' et tout simplement de vie au quotidien.
J'ai vraiment adoré ma lecture, c'était passionnant pour moi de suivre la saison de tennis, de voir leurs trajectoires respectives, de placer tous mes espoirs en la remontada de Mateo, qui a traversé une période très sombre et très difficile et a perdu le niveau qu'il avait avant. La manière dont lui et Miles apprennent à se connaître, à se faire (un peu) confiance est chouette à lire, et bien sûr, il y a de nombreuses scènes de s*xe. C'est chaud, c'est brut, on va à l'essentiel, sans broder autour, et j'ai beaucoup aimé ça.
Et puis il y a un truc que j'ai franchement adoré et qui me marquera vraiment : il n'y a qu'un seul pov (celui de Mateo) et bon sang que ça fait du bien de ne pas avoir tout servi sur un plateau, de nous demander, comme le narrateur, ce qui se passe dans la tête de l'autre. On est tellement habitués à avoir des romans avec pov alternés où on a toujours les clés en permanence que là, j'ai trouvé ça vraiment génial.
C'était vraiment trop bien, très bien écrit et je n'ai qu'une hâte : recevoir ce roman en papier ! Et continuer à suivre cet auteur car là, c'est un coup de coeur pour moi, et c'est si rare chez moi que ça mérite d'être souligné !
September 2, 2026
I guess I’m back in my sports romance era, this was so good!
May 1, 2026
I love me a queer sports romance so when I saw the cover for this one, I needed to get my hands on it!! Luckily it definitely lived up to my expectations.
The tennis setting is just such a fun one, It allows for some very tense moments but also some hotel room fun. I loved how Matteo and Miles' dynamic was explored through their first few matches, already promising us some great banter and tension for the rest of the book.
The exploration of Matteo's mental health after his accident was also done so well. I loved how Miles just really wanted to help him get back to his best self and also called out his bad habits. I do wish there was also more of a focus on Miles and his own bad habits. The lack of communication there was slightly infuriating, even though it did make sense for their characters.
Just don't go into this expecting something like Heated Rivalry. Yes it's a gay sports romance between rivals but that's also where the comparison ends. It's a great book and stands perfectly on itself.
Had a really good time with this book and can't wait to read more from Kit Haley!
Thank you NetGalley for the arc in exchange of an honest review!
The tennis setting is just such a fun one, It allows for some very tense moments but also some hotel room fun. I loved how Matteo and Miles' dynamic was explored through their first few matches, already promising us some great banter and tension for the rest of the book.
The exploration of Matteo's mental health after his accident was also done so well. I loved how Miles just really wanted to help him get back to his best self and also called out his bad habits. I do wish there was also more of a focus on Miles and his own bad habits. The lack of communication there was slightly infuriating, even though it did make sense for their characters.
Just don't go into this expecting something like Heated Rivalry. Yes it's a gay sports romance between rivals but that's also where the comparison ends. It's a great book and stands perfectly on itself.
Had a really good time with this book and can't wait to read more from Kit Haley!
Thank you NetGalley for the arc in exchange of an honest review!
August 26, 2026
Okay, I think I’ve officially found another sports romance subgenre to add to my list: tennis 🎾
In Your Court was my first tennis romance, and considering I played tennis for about six months when I was ten-ish (and somehow never learned the actual rules), I’m probably not the person to tell you whether the tennis was accurate 😂 But I did really enjoy those parts of the story, and it definitely made me more interested in the sport!
I had a great time reading this! I loved Matt as a character because he felt so perfectly imperfect. He’s human, he has stressful moments, he struggles, and I really enjoyed seeing his growth, especially when it came to his mental strength.
I also really loved the people around him. There was a bit of a found-family feeling to it, and getting those little pieces of their lives and relationships added so much to the story for me.
Katie, Tomas, and Macca were the perfect additions and I honestly would love a book about Katie.
I do have two little regrets, though. Hear me out!
First: I really wish we’d gotten Miles’ POV 👀 I’m such a sucker for a dual POV!
Having to guess what he was going through didn’t bother me per se, but I think actually experiencing his struggles and his side of everything would have taken the story to another level for me. I also really loved how caring and observant he was. His belief in Matt was beautiful, and I have so many highlighted quotes that are from Miles defending or supporting Matt 💕
Second: the pacing. I enjoyed the story, but at times it felt just a tiny bit too long for the pace it had. I think either the book could have been a little shorter, or the pacing could have been slightly quicker.
That said, I want to make it clear that I never actually felt like a chapter or moment was unnecessary. The writing flowed really nicely regardless, and there were definitely a few quotes I had to highlight 🥹 Every part had a purpose, so even though I occasionally felt the slower pace, I wouldn’t actually want to remove anything from the story.
The little texts throughout the book did help to break things up a bit and were also just a fun addition in general.
One thing I definitely didn’t expect was just how spicy this book would be 🤭 (me reading this mostly in public had me blushing omg 😂). There are quite a lot of spicy moments, and honestly, I think I would have preferred just a tiny bit less.
But what I really appreciated was that the spice never took the spotlight away from the actual story.
There’s so much more going on here: the struggle of being out (or not being out), dealing with family members who don’t accept you for who you are, the pressure and mental stress that comes with competing at such a high level, and the physical demands of playing a sport professionally.
And none of that gets lost because of the spice.
I’ve read books where there was genuinely a good story underneath, but the spice became such a big focus that it ended up taking away from everything else. That wasn’t the case here, and to me, that really shows the strength of the writing. The romance and spice are there, but they’re part of the story rather than the whole story.
So, a very successful first tennis romance for me, and I’ll definitely be reading more from this author! 🎾💕
There was that little sneak peek at the next book at the end and yeah... 👀 I’m definitely reading that one too!
*I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
In Your Court was my first tennis romance, and considering I played tennis for about six months when I was ten-ish (and somehow never learned the actual rules), I’m probably not the person to tell you whether the tennis was accurate 😂 But I did really enjoy those parts of the story, and it definitely made me more interested in the sport!
I had a great time reading this! I loved Matt as a character because he felt so perfectly imperfect. He’s human, he has stressful moments, he struggles, and I really enjoyed seeing his growth, especially when it came to his mental strength.
I also really loved the people around him. There was a bit of a found-family feeling to it, and getting those little pieces of their lives and relationships added so much to the story for me.
Katie, Tomas, and Macca were the perfect additions and I honestly would love a book about Katie.
I do have two little regrets, though. Hear me out!
First: I really wish we’d gotten Miles’ POV 👀 I’m such a sucker for a dual POV!
Having to guess what he was going through didn’t bother me per se, but I think actually experiencing his struggles and his side of everything would have taken the story to another level for me. I also really loved how caring and observant he was. His belief in Matt was beautiful, and I have so many highlighted quotes that are from Miles defending or supporting Matt 💕
Second: the pacing. I enjoyed the story, but at times it felt just a tiny bit too long for the pace it had. I think either the book could have been a little shorter, or the pacing could have been slightly quicker.
That said, I want to make it clear that I never actually felt like a chapter or moment was unnecessary. The writing flowed really nicely regardless, and there were definitely a few quotes I had to highlight 🥹 Every part had a purpose, so even though I occasionally felt the slower pace, I wouldn’t actually want to remove anything from the story.
The little texts throughout the book did help to break things up a bit and were also just a fun addition in general.
One thing I definitely didn’t expect was just how spicy this book would be 🤭 (me reading this mostly in public had me blushing omg 😂). There are quite a lot of spicy moments, and honestly, I think I would have preferred just a tiny bit less.
But what I really appreciated was that the spice never took the spotlight away from the actual story.
There’s so much more going on here: the struggle of being out (or not being out), dealing with family members who don’t accept you for who you are, the pressure and mental stress that comes with competing at such a high level, and the physical demands of playing a sport professionally.
And none of that gets lost because of the spice.
I’ve read books where there was genuinely a good story underneath, but the spice became such a big focus that it ended up taking away from everything else. That wasn’t the case here, and to me, that really shows the strength of the writing. The romance and spice are there, but they’re part of the story rather than the whole story.
So, a very successful first tennis romance for me, and I’ll definitely be reading more from this author! 🎾💕
There was that little sneak peek at the next book at the end and yeah... 👀 I’m definitely reading that one too!
*I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
August 23, 2026
reading this made me mad because it had the potential to be really good, but was let down by weak characters, really bad writing and just a plot that felt a little all over the place.
the writing was SO bad. it was giving fanfiction level writing. it was melodramatic at times, the dialogue felt so awkward and the sex scenes (of which there were far TOO many! seriously, how many sex scenes does one book need to have?) were not fun to read.
the writing was just filled with these run on sentences that genuinely made no sense at times. i'd be mentally editing so many lines while reading which took me out of the story. it's so frustrating because this could have been easily solved by one VERY thorough edit before it was published. it's really not that hard.
another thing is that neither of the protagonists felt like they had much of a personality. seriously, what was miles defining trait other than that he was american and rich? what was mats other than just never saying what he was thinking? also, their relationship felt like it had no sort of basis. i didn't understand why they were with one another apart from the sex. and then they're in love. but why? i never got why each of them were drawn to each other besides physical attraction. and the miscommunication! this entire plot could have been solved if mat admitted he had feelings. it was VERY obvious it was reciprocated but for the sake of the plot mat was convincing himself it was just sex. it was so fucking dumb.
the only thing i can say is that this was pretty easy to read but i realised i was reading it to finish the damn book rather than because i cared about it because i didn't care about a damn thing!
the writing was SO bad. it was giving fanfiction level writing. it was melodramatic at times, the dialogue felt so awkward and the sex scenes (of which there were far TOO many! seriously, how many sex scenes does one book need to have?) were not fun to read.
the writing was just filled with these run on sentences that genuinely made no sense at times. i'd be mentally editing so many lines while reading which took me out of the story. it's so frustrating because this could have been easily solved by one VERY thorough edit before it was published. it's really not that hard.
another thing is that neither of the protagonists felt like they had much of a personality. seriously, what was miles defining trait other than that he was american and rich? what was mats other than just never saying what he was thinking? also, their relationship felt like it had no sort of basis. i didn't understand why they were with one another apart from the sex. and then they're in love. but why? i never got why each of them were drawn to each other besides physical attraction. and the miscommunication! this entire plot could have been solved if mat admitted he had feelings. it was VERY obvious it was reciprocated but for the sake of the plot mat was convincing himself it was just sex. it was so fucking dumb.
the only thing i can say is that this was pretty easy to read but i realised i was reading it to finish the damn book rather than because i cared about it because i didn't care about a damn thing!
April 12, 2026
Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this! This was such a fun read! It’s sort of like heated rivalry and challengers had a child and I love it. I appreciated that it touched on the classism/wealth gap in tennis while still keeping it from being aggressively money-focused. The characters themselves are well rounded and interesting people that you truly want to root for the whole book. The pacing is pretty good, sometimes the time skips felt slightly rushed but I understand their purpose so I’m not too mad about it. Overall, this is an interesting story and a great romance. There’s a lot of heart, a lot of growth, and a lot of heat (all important in any good sports romance).
July 15, 2026
I adored everything about this book. Mat and Miles are truly characters that you want to see winning and happy. The politics of tennis, and the way that an openly gay player can effect how they are treated within the sport were a great thing to handle. I really enjoyed the way that it was tackled, and how the gap between players with staff and those that can't afford it is also brought up.
These two are messy in the best way, but perfect for each other. I read this book weeks ago, and I still can't stop thinking about it.
These two are messy in the best way, but perfect for each other. I read this book weeks ago, and I still can't stop thinking about it.
April 4, 2026
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the arc!
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July 9, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
WOW. WOW! WOW!!!
In Your Court was genuinely everything I could want in a queer sports romance. That buzzy, giggly, feet-kicking high I got when I read Heated Rivalry for the first time? Yeah, I had the exact same feeling reading this.
This story was expertly crafted and felt SO real. Like I literally haven’t been able to think about anything else since I started reading this and I’m sure I’ll continue to think about this book for a very long time…which I can’t wait to do.
And can we have a moment for Mat and Miles? Two of my favorite main characters ever in a romance book. They’re both so likable, but at the same time they’re layered and struggling with issues that make them feel like this story is a biography. Absolutely obsessed with them in every way. They’re both so hot, I can’t wait to see more fanart of them hehe. And I would read them doing ANYTHING. Grocery shopping? Yes. Better yet, BOOK shopping.
Kit Haley is genuinely one of my favorite authors now and I can’t WAIT to see what he brings us in the future. His writing style is so immersive and addictive, I need moreeeeee. Turning on post notifications as we speak…
Please, I beg of you. If you love queer romance read this book when it comes out on July 16th. It’s a beautiful journey and celebration of queerness and I couldn’t have asked for a better book.
WOW. WOW! WOW!!!
In Your Court was genuinely everything I could want in a queer sports romance. That buzzy, giggly, feet-kicking high I got when I read Heated Rivalry for the first time? Yeah, I had the exact same feeling reading this.
This story was expertly crafted and felt SO real. Like I literally haven’t been able to think about anything else since I started reading this and I’m sure I’ll continue to think about this book for a very long time…which I can’t wait to do.
And can we have a moment for Mat and Miles? Two of my favorite main characters ever in a romance book. They’re both so likable, but at the same time they’re layered and struggling with issues that make them feel like this story is a biography. Absolutely obsessed with them in every way. They’re both so hot, I can’t wait to see more fanart of them hehe. And I would read them doing ANYTHING. Grocery shopping? Yes. Better yet, BOOK shopping.
Kit Haley is genuinely one of my favorite authors now and I can’t WAIT to see what he brings us in the future. His writing style is so immersive and addictive, I need moreeeeee. Turning on post notifications as we speak…
Please, I beg of you. If you love queer romance read this book when it comes out on July 16th. It’s a beautiful journey and celebration of queerness and I couldn’t have asked for a better book.
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