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Tennyson Bend #2
Deuce
A champion on the rise. An umpire down on his luck. A rulebook made to be broken.
Burdened by family expectations, Spencer has fought long and hard on the pro-tennis circuit. He won’t let anything mess with his winning streak. Especially if it risks his chance at a grand slam wildcard entry. It should have been easy for him to forget an anonymous, locker-room hook up, but how’s he supposed to do that when the same hot-as-hell guy shows up on centre court shouting “foot fault!” every time he serves?
Sidelined by a freak accident, Garrett will jump at any opportunity to referee again—no matter the sport. The second he recognises his late-night hook-up on centre court, the line between personal and professional blurs and Garrett realises he’s kissed his way into a serious conflict of interest. The rules are clear—intimacy between players and officials is strictly forbidden—but there’s something undeniable about Spencer Bloom that keeps him coming back for more.
Whatever their game plan, Spencer and Garrett must play it soon, because the tennis world is small, and secrets have a way of getting out…
Deuce is the second MM romance in the Tennyson Bend series, featuring five Aussie friends who don’t know they’re looking for happily ever after until they stumble upon it, and fall.
Warning: contains highly strung tennis players, inconvenient attraction, copious bowls of broccoli, more furry balls than a ball-boy could reasonably hold, and a true love match.
Deuce can be read as a standalone.
Burdened by family expectations, Spencer has fought long and hard on the pro-tennis circuit. He won’t let anything mess with his winning streak. Especially if it risks his chance at a grand slam wildcard entry. It should have been easy for him to forget an anonymous, locker-room hook up, but how’s he supposed to do that when the same hot-as-hell guy shows up on centre court shouting “foot fault!” every time he serves?
Sidelined by a freak accident, Garrett will jump at any opportunity to referee again—no matter the sport. The second he recognises his late-night hook-up on centre court, the line between personal and professional blurs and Garrett realises he’s kissed his way into a serious conflict of interest. The rules are clear—intimacy between players and officials is strictly forbidden—but there’s something undeniable about Spencer Bloom that keeps him coming back for more.
Whatever their game plan, Spencer and Garrett must play it soon, because the tennis world is small, and secrets have a way of getting out…
Deuce is the second MM romance in the Tennyson Bend series, featuring five Aussie friends who don’t know they’re looking for happily ever after until they stumble upon it, and fall.
Warning: contains highly strung tennis players, inconvenient attraction, copious bowls of broccoli, more furry balls than a ball-boy could reasonably hold, and a true love match.
Deuce can be read as a standalone.
- GenresM M Romance
274 pages, Paperback
Published June 8, 2022
9 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
About the author
P.T. Ambler
4 books6 followersPT Ambler is an Aussie MM romance author who gets a ridiculous amount of joy letting her guys run rampant on the page.
Other fun things include sing-along road trips, zoning out in nature, day dreaming, people-watching in cafes, and coffee…smooth, delicious coffee, covered in shavings of rich, dark chocolate…mmm…
One of these days, she’s going to write a novel set in a café about a gorgeous barista who…(PT drifts away into a caffeine-fuelled day dream).
Other fun things include sing-along road trips, zoning out in nature, day dreaming, people-watching in cafes, and coffee…smooth, delicious coffee, covered in shavings of rich, dark chocolate…mmm…
One of these days, she’s going to write a novel set in a café about a gorgeous barista who…(PT drifts away into a caffeine-fuelled day dream).
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
June 7, 2022
Thank you to Gay Romance Reviews for an advanced reader's copy of Deuce.
This was my first book by P.T. Ambler. I'm glad this book was a standalone in the series. I didn't read the first book (nor did I have any desire to, based on the premise), but this one didn't need any prior knowledge on Dane or Cayden and their relationship from Haven.
I think this is also my first MM tennis romance. I've never watched tennis, I know nothing about tennis, but damn do I find it interesting. There was a lot of tennis terms and lingo in this book that I didn't know about. I found myself needing to look up a lot of the definitions but that's because the sport is so foreign to me. I kind of wish there was more in-book definitions from the character's perspective, but I can see how that would clunk up the story, so I didn't factor my lack of knowledge about tennis into my rating all.
The story and the characters were enjoyable. I didn't find that the story dragged at all, and I was looking forward to when Spencer was playing on the court. It was riveting! Deuce is very insta-love and low angst, so it's the perfect thing to read if you're in between heavier reads. There were a few editing errors, which I'm hoping are addressed before publication day (ie: one of the chapter titles said 'Cayden' which was clearly from the first book, Garrett's name was misspelled a couple times etc). Overall though, this was a great read and I'll be looking forward to see if who else's story we get in this series.
Fingers crossed I get a story about Callum and Levi... there's an opportunity there that I hope the author takes!
This was my first book by P.T. Ambler. I'm glad this book was a standalone in the series. I didn't read the first book (nor did I have any desire to, based on the premise), but this one didn't need any prior knowledge on Dane or Cayden and their relationship from Haven.
I think this is also my first MM tennis romance. I've never watched tennis, I know nothing about tennis, but damn do I find it interesting. There was a lot of tennis terms and lingo in this book that I didn't know about. I found myself needing to look up a lot of the definitions but that's because the sport is so foreign to me. I kind of wish there was more in-book definitions from the character's perspective, but I can see how that would clunk up the story, so I didn't factor my lack of knowledge about tennis into my rating all.
The story and the characters were enjoyable. I didn't find that the story dragged at all, and I was looking forward to when Spencer was playing on the court. It was riveting! Deuce is very insta-love and low angst, so it's the perfect thing to read if you're in between heavier reads. There were a few editing errors, which I'm hoping are addressed before publication day (ie: one of the chapter titles said 'Cayden' which was clearly from the first book, Garrett's name was misspelled a couple times etc). Overall though, this was a great read and I'll be looking forward to see if who else's story we get in this series.
Fingers crossed I get a story about Callum and Levi... there's an opportunity there that I hope the author takes!
June 24, 2022
Deuce is the second book in the Tennyson Bend series, but it can be thoroughly enjoyed as a standalone. I had not read the first book and had no trouble at all following and being completely immersed in Deuce. P.T. Ambler is a new to me author, but she is also a relatively new author having released her debut last year.
What I’m also excited about is that I’ve found another Aussie author, who writes stories set in Australia, and that the representation of Australia isn’t a stereotype. I could recognise my culture in these books, it was simply just everyday (well, everyday elite tennis) Australia. I loved it!
I really enjoyed Deuce and after a few chapters, I was hooked. Despite having no interest in tennis in real life, I love books that use it (weird, I know) and this was a great mix of sport, romance, and just general character interactions. Speaking of characters, they were a great bunch. Well developed and likeable (or not depending on which character it was), but they all seemed alive on the page. ‘Good guys’ or ‘bad’ I enjoyed reading them all.
Deuce was a light, but not fluffy or superficial, story and I had a lot of fun reading it. I can now add another author to my Aussie authors to watch out for list, and I’m looking forward to the next installment.
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June 23, 2022
When Spencer and Garrett meet, both are in need of a rally. Garrett had been a referee for footy but an unfortunate accident took him off the field and left him rehabbing injuries and his attitude as he worked on getting better. Spencer has been on "The Plan" to tennis relevance. Unfortunately, it has meant that his family has been more concerned about his progress on the plan than how he is doing personally. Garrett's rally begins when his ex hires him to work a tennis tournament. It isn't footy but it is a way forward. While in the exercise facility at the tennis center he meets Spencer and their connection is organic. They only share a kiss after a treadmill incident but it was memorable enough that they both can't let it go. They did not share names so imagine their surprise when they met on center court with Spencer playing and Garrett a part of the line judge crew. But that was the start of Spencer's rally when Garrett called him for a few fouls and it woke him up in the middle of a losing match. He wins and although fraternizing between officials and players is frowned upon they start seeing each other on the downlow. Their love story is a combination of a courtship and personal revivals for both of these men. Their prospects are looking up both personally and professionally because they find the courage to be together.
I received an ARC from GRR for an honest review.
I received an ARC from GRR for an honest review.
June 10, 2022
Spencer is a good tennis player - he may even be a great one. But the pressure is mounting and he knows he won't be able to play professionally forever. Hiding that he's gay isn't helping matters either - but he's finally got his shot in his hometown tournament to climb the ranks and nothing can distract him for meeting his goals.
Garrett is a professional referee - or he was until an accident upended his life. While he might not be able to referee his favorite sports, he can referee tennis. A chance meeting with a hot stranger is just that- until that hot stranger turns out to be a professional player in the tournament he's umpiring. If they get found out, both Spencer and Garrett can lose everything.
This was a well written, well-paced story about the pressure to be the best and the ability to let ourselves have new dreams. I thoroughly enjoyed this book- but I wish it was more.
The secondary characters were endearing and I'll happily read more in the series!
Thanks to GRR for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Garrett is a professional referee - or he was until an accident upended his life. While he might not be able to referee his favorite sports, he can referee tennis. A chance meeting with a hot stranger is just that- until that hot stranger turns out to be a professional player in the tournament he's umpiring. If they get found out, both Spencer and Garrett can lose everything.
This was a well written, well-paced story about the pressure to be the best and the ability to let ourselves have new dreams. I thoroughly enjoyed this book- but I wish it was more.
The secondary characters were endearing and I'll happily read more in the series!
Thanks to GRR for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 13, 2022
Oh wow. This book was one of the most ridiculous books I have read so far - and not in a good way.
Garrett gets roped into umpiring a tennis tournament by his ex. There he meets Spencer, a player at said tournament. Normally having any relationship between player and umpire is a big no go but neither Spencer nor Garrett seem to care about it. Maybe it is because they kissed before they found out who the other is or maybe because the attraction was that amazing that they simply didn't care. Reading the story I tend to go with reason two as on EVERY SINGLE page either Spencer or Garrett are thinking about the other person or get distracted because they are daydreaming about each other. It really feels stalkerish and annoyed me to actually DNFing the book at 80% (where I normally would never DNF a book) because I couldnt stand the "Is he thinking about me? What is he doing? Does he like me?" anymore.
On the upside - I really liked the whole tennis plot.
If you like insta love, characters that loose any sets of morals or intelligence because of love and just a really stalkerish written book, then this one is for you.
If not - skip it.
Garrett gets roped into umpiring a tennis tournament by his ex. There he meets Spencer, a player at said tournament. Normally having any relationship between player and umpire is a big no go but neither Spencer nor Garrett seem to care about it. Maybe it is because they kissed before they found out who the other is or maybe because the attraction was that amazing that they simply didn't care. Reading the story I tend to go with reason two as on EVERY SINGLE page either Spencer or Garrett are thinking about the other person or get distracted because they are daydreaming about each other. It really feels stalkerish and annoyed me to actually DNFing the book at 80% (where I normally would never DNF a book) because I couldnt stand the "Is he thinking about me? What is he doing? Does he like me?" anymore.
On the upside - I really liked the whole tennis plot.
If you like insta love, characters that loose any sets of morals or intelligence because of love and just a really stalkerish written book, then this one is for you.
If not - skip it.
June 13, 2022
There is a well known trope...friends to lovers.
In this well written book, we have...lovers to friends.
Since Garrett and Spencer didn't really know each other until after they'd 'fallen in lust' the 'getting to know you' story line was really well written. You had passion followed by conversations that filled in small bits of information as the tennis story line wove from beginning to end.
Despite all the pressure from Spencer's mother, he was still able to enjoy the game.
Life after officiating is looking up for Garrett by the end of the story so their relationship can progress naturally, and the supporters of Spencer's encourage him even after he 'came out as gay.'
The twin brothers brought some tense scenes as well as some chuckles.
I'm going to have to go back and read 'Haven' before I move on to the rest of the guys.
In this well written book, we have...lovers to friends.
Since Garrett and Spencer didn't really know each other until after they'd 'fallen in lust' the 'getting to know you' story line was really well written. You had passion followed by conversations that filled in small bits of information as the tennis story line wove from beginning to end.
Despite all the pressure from Spencer's mother, he was still able to enjoy the game.
Life after officiating is looking up for Garrett by the end of the story so their relationship can progress naturally, and the supporters of Spencer's encourage him even after he 'came out as gay.'
The twin brothers brought some tense scenes as well as some chuckles.
I'm going to have to go back and read 'Haven' before I move on to the rest of the guys.
July 6, 2022
This was a sports m/m love story that centers on Tennis. I hadn’t had the opportunity to read one until this one. It was good. It kept my attention but for someone who’s not well versed with tennis, I had a bit of a hard time following it but I finished it. I’d give it 4 stars out of 5.
This story centers on 2 MCs. MC 1 was Garrett who was a referee for Rugby until an injury on the field ended his career. However, Garrett’s ex invited him to referee a Tennis Championship in which he begrudgingly accepted. A hot chance encounter with a guy before his first referee game led him to find out the stranger was one of the player in the first game. That was Spencer, a low ranking tennis player. Garrett had a dilemma right there on the tennis court. He had to either take himself out or pretended it didn’t happen. What happens after? that’s for you to pick up the book to find out!
This story centers on 2 MCs. MC 1 was Garrett who was a referee for Rugby until an injury on the field ended his career. However, Garrett’s ex invited him to referee a Tennis Championship in which he begrudgingly accepted. A hot chance encounter with a guy before his first referee game led him to find out the stranger was one of the player in the first game. That was Spencer, a low ranking tennis player. Garrett had a dilemma right there on the tennis court. He had to either take himself out or pretended it didn’t happen. What happens after? that’s for you to pick up the book to find out!
June 14, 2022
In the world of sports romance I can’t say I’ve seen many tennis romances. That’s not a criticism by any means though as this was an enjoyable story for sure. The relationship between an up and coming tennis star and a referee is against all of the rules of professional conduct but Spencer and Garrett can’t seem to help the connection they feel to one another. The two men start off hiding their liaison but as that gets harder and the pair get closer emotionally they have some hard decisions to make, do they come clean and risk their careers or do they walk away from the man who is starting to hold their heart.
This story features a forbidden love, a disabled hero, a lot of tennis, and a little help from some friends so if that sounds like your jam pick this book up for sure.
This story features a forbidden love, a disabled hero, a lot of tennis, and a little help from some friends so if that sounds like your jam pick this book up for sure.
June 23, 2022
This was a fun and sweet sports romance, set in the Australian tennis world. I loved seeing Spencer and Garrett find their way to each other while learning how to be who they truly are. Both men have so much personal growth in this story, working together and individually to overcome so much that has been thrown at them. I love a good sports romance and I especially love that this one was set in the tennis world since there are not that many books written about tennis! This is a new to me author and I will definitely be looking for more of their books! I haven't read the first book in this series but was still able to enjoy this book so it totally stands alone. Can't wait to see what this author writes next!
June 20, 2022
There are plenty of compelling elements here: a sports (tennis) premise as the backdrop for a (mildly) forbidden love between an umpire and a player, a strong connection between the characters (it’s not quite insta-love— maybe insta-connection, with a quick slide into attraction and feeling), and interesting supporting characters as well as likable protagonists. I liked the interplay between the backdrop of the tennis and the progression of the relationship, which mixes the sweetness of developing feelings with the tension of the premise. Overall, an enjoyable read.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
June 22, 2022
This was a great sequel to Haven. This is about Spencer a semi-struggling tennis player who is trying to figure out what to do. Then we meet Garrett who is strung into the tournament as an official by his ex. They meet not as players/officials but as strangers on a chance encounter and lust takes over. It is a surprise when they meet at the tournament. But it is too late things domino from there. I really liked this book, especially the tennis aspect. I love the forbidden aspect of their story and definitely recommend this book.
June 22, 2022
Match point!!
I’ve read a number of sports romances and this was my first tennis one and it was an ace serve (pun intended!) The chemistry between Garrett and Spencer was fantastic! It was a fun read and super enjoyable with a low angst feel! There were definitely some funny moments and a swoon worthy ending that was right out of a movie. The ending had such a feel good vibe to it that it left me with a smile on my face. I love the secondary characters and look forward to reading more of the series (Callum and Levi, maybe?)
I’ve read a number of sports romances and this was my first tennis one and it was an ace serve (pun intended!) The chemistry between Garrett and Spencer was fantastic! It was a fun read and super enjoyable with a low angst feel! There were definitely some funny moments and a swoon worthy ending that was right out of a movie. The ending had such a feel good vibe to it that it left me with a smile on my face. I love the secondary characters and look forward to reading more of the series (Callum and Levi, maybe?)
June 14, 2022
I did enjoy this book for the most part. The tennis setting was fine and I liked that Spencer was a struggling player not a top player. Garrett was the official who didn't know what to do about his future after an accident (This was my issue with the book). We learned a bit about Spencer's background but pretty much nothing about Garrett. We know he had an accident and some metal rods but a little bit of clarity would have been good. Overall though this is a great addition to the series
June 21, 2022
Spence is a tennis player, he’s good, may even be better than just good. Garrett is a professional referee or he was until an accident, now he’s ref’s tennis. I felt so bad for both of the mc’s, they’re so uncomfortable in their own skin. After an encounter with a stranger Garrett finds out the stranger is a player in the tournament, he’s a ref for. This was really good, well written with nice pacing. Overall, loved it!
June 23, 2022
I enjoyed all the tennis action in this one and choosing to pair an umpire with a tennis pro looking to get into the Australian Open was excellent. Both characters were interesting individually and their chemistry together was nice and hot. This was an unusual combination so I was very interested in how they would resolve the conflicts inherent in their relationship to get their HEA. Looking forward to the next entry in the series.
June 24, 2022
Even though I'm not into tennis the way the author wrote this book made it easier to read about it. Spencer is a tennis player playing a tournament in his hometown and Garrett is umpiring the tournament. They meet at the gym when Garrett winds up face planting into the treadmill when he sees Spencer and loses his footing. They have great chemistry and this book is an enjoyable read. I received an ARC of this book for my honest review.
June 20, 2022
This is the story of Spencer and Garrett. It is the 2nd book in the Tennyson Bend series. I loved the storyline and the way the characters were written. Absolutely loved learning all these different things about Tennis. Recommended
I received this book as an Arc and I am voluntarily reviewing it.
I received this book as an Arc and I am voluntarily reviewing it.
June 24, 2022
Spencer and Garrett ❤️
3.5 Stars 🌟
Love and secrets ❤️ I enjoyed this one, a plus for the tennis story line...love me some sporty hotties 🔥 this is my second story of this series and it's characters are extremely enjoyable and well written, I would recommend.
* I received an ARC from GRR, this is my open and honest review *
3.5 Stars 🌟
Love and secrets ❤️ I enjoyed this one, a plus for the tennis story line...love me some sporty hotties 🔥 this is my second story of this series and it's characters are extremely enjoyable and well written, I would recommend.
* I received an ARC from GRR, this is my open and honest review *
June 24, 2022
He is trying so hard to get a wild card to the Australian open and he is not going to do anything to ruin it. He has a one night hook up with them and never expected to see them again. Soon he finds they are an umpire calling out foot faults. Will he get the wildcard? How will he get on with them? Will they take the next step? See if they will
June 10, 2022
This is a good read but it did focus a lot on tournament within the story. Beyond that you get a forbidden love story between Garrett and Spencer with both of them having reasons why they should stay apart.
I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion
I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion
June 14, 2022
Another great addition
I like this series. I’m not much of a tennis buff but this author makes it easy to read and understand which is nice. I love the characters, the storyline, and the journey to HEA.
I like this series. I’m not much of a tennis buff but this author makes it easy to read and understand which is nice. I love the characters, the storyline, and the journey to HEA.
June 14, 2022
I really like this book! I'm not super into sports-themed books, but this one is really, really good. I really like the instant attraction between Garrett and Spencer as well as the tension. I like the balance between tension and sweetness.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews