A new to me author, I found Jones writing style to be very readable. A solid sports romance between two tennis stars on a comeback- one from scandal and one from injury/aging. I enjoyed the overall story with great relationship development from friendship to romance. The chemistry was good and the spice was hot. I did feel like their story was missing emotional depth but was probably fitting for their characters and ages. (25 and 33) The commentary regarding sexism in sports felt well done. I loved that the FMC really took control of her own story, in her own way. Her father was terrible and I love that the FMC was not afraid to cut lies with his toxicity.  

My uneven enjoyment may also have been influenced by the modes of reading I used. As a dual narration, Mary Jane Wells did well for the FMC - though her performance was over the top at times, but I had to really strain my ears to hear the male narrator who whispered his lines many times and yet yelled at times? Very inconsistent. I switched to the eyeballs on Hoopla app which is never a user friendly reading experience. 

Thoroughly enjoyable! I have followed the author on social media for a few years and had a sense of their humor, and I was very curious about this book.

First off, LOVE Mary Jane Wells and Patrick Zeller’s narration. MJW in particular does such an amazing job bringing the story to life.

Also loved to see a fresh sports romance focused on tennis. In Clean Point, the sport really shines through. I loved all the moments of quiet shared intimacy and vulnerability between Scottie and Niko as they worked through the challenges of becoming mixed doubles teammates. That strong buildup of emotional connection between MCs added a great layer of tension that carried over into the second phase of the book - the competition. Will they, won’t they succumb to their attraction? Will Scottie get the revenge she’s seeking? How will the intensity of the press coverage impact them? Scottie is a great FMC. She’s dealing with a lifetime of tennis training from her self serving and manipulative tennis pro father, working to rebuild her career on her own terms, seeking her own happiness for once, and rebuilding a relationship with her mother. Niko? Oh man he was a GONER for Scottie. I love a MMC that’s steadfast in standing by his lady during the tough times in order to lift her up. He’s grumpy, sure. But he’s also trying to make his own tennis comeback as an older player whose body isn’t what it used to be. Jones takes their time to really build up a believable relationship between Scottie and Niko and ensures that they stay a United front through the main plot conflicts towards the end of the story.

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Thanks so much to NetGalley and HarperAudio for the audiobook.