All’s Fair in Love and Pickleball

Doubles partners find love in this sexy sports romance from Spencer (In a New York Minute). When one of Sunset Springs Racquet Club’s patrons falls on a cracked pickleball court and breaks her wrist, the club’s 26-year-old owner, Bex Martin, must find the money to repair the courts and save her late mother’s legacy. Enter tennis pro Nikolaus “Niko” Karras, who’s preparing to reenter the public eye after an injury paused his career and asks Bex to be his partner in a pickleball tournament with a lucrative prize. When an L.A. Times reporter who’s writing a profile of Niko assumes they’re a couple, the pair go along with the mistake to spice up her story. Their fake relationship becomes very real after a memorable night together, but Bex fears for their future once Niko goes back to playing tennis professionally. Sparkling wit and sizzling attraction keep the pages turning, and Niko, whose arrogance hides a heart of gold, proves a dreamy book boyfriend. This is a winner. Agent: Holly Root, Root Agency. (June)