While I’m not a huge fan of sports romances/books about sport in general, I LOVED Carrie Soto is back. So when I saw that Meg Jones was writing a tennis romance book, I was so excited! I really enjoyed her first book, Invisible String, so I already knew the writing would be excellent.

Clean Point follows Scottie Sinclair, a tennis star who was given a two year ban after her coach (who also happened to be her father) gave her performance enhancing drugs without her knowledge. After a wild two years of partying, Scottie is ready to make her comeback, but she needs the right doubles partner. Nico Kotas reigned the tennis world for over a decade before a knee injury took him out. Hungry for one last title, he teams up with Scottie, who is the daughter of his former rival.

This was such a fun, fast-paced book with just the right amount of tennis for me. I loved the authors writing style and the news article clippings throughout the book were a really fun addition.

While I wouldn’t say this enemies to lovers as such, it was definitely dislike to lovers. Scottie had been conditioned by her father to hate Nico, but obviously this doesn’t last for too long once they meet and get to know each other. I loved the banter and tension between them, and the spice was spicing! I will say that there was a little too much dirty talk for me in the intimate scenes, which made me cringe a little. However, that is personal preference.

Although I found the book to be a little too long, I really enjoyed the ending and can’t wait for the next book in the series! Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph/Penguin for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

If you are a tennis fan or find yourself glued to the TV when Wimbledon is on, I have a feeling you will enjoy this book.
For me, it's the perfect kind of beach/holiday read, which is easy to pick up and get absorbed in.
I really liked both leads and the rivals/enemies to lovers vibe.
I also thought the more sensitive subject matter was handled well and I found myself flying through it.
I would definitely be up for reading more from Meg Jones in the future and can't wait to see what she does next.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Try as I might, this book was not for me. I don’t love the writing style or the characters sadly. Thank you for the opportunity to read.

I thought I would vary my reading a bit and try a different genre to my usual. This was fast paced and easy to read and race through, but not really for me. Food for thought about relationship dynamics and the crushing ambitions of parents and the impact on their offspring.

I loved Clean Point. I am not a huge fan of sports romances but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I loved how Meg Jones portrayed Scottie's abuse in a way that showed it was valid. Clean Point is a well written and an enjoyable book that i would definitely recommend.

Clean Point is a romance that explores the world of professional tennis with Scottie, a former star facing the aftermath of a scandal, and Nico, a top player battling injury. Paired as unlikely partners for a mixed doubles tournament, their relationship moves from enemies to lovers, with a heavy focus on their emotional struggles and complex pasts. Scottie’s traumatic childhood and strained family dynamics add depth, while Nico’s playful side provides lighter moments. The novel expertly blends romance, humour, and the competitive intensity of sports, making it a compelling read for fans of the genre - I'm really aging myself here but it reminded me of the movie Wimbledon. 10/10

This book was soo good! I wish I had read it while the US Open was still going on at least so I could become obsessed with tennis. I loved both the characters with their flaws and their secrets. I loved to hate Dylan. I wish Ines had had more of a backbone but all in all I loved everything about these characters and this book. It was so fun.
I do have to add that the newspaper clippings were not showing up on my kindle and that was a little annoying as they added some valuable information to the book.

A fun read, based in the world of competitive tennis. I liked how it was told from both points of view, as the two main characters struggle to get back to competitive level after recent events in their lives.

Meg Jones is about to be the star that catalyzes the rise of tennis sports romances. It coincides perfectly with the film release of Challengers and the Olympics/tennis championship season so it fits perfectly on storefronts and tables to match the trend on rise!

This is spicy, enemies to lovers sports romance set mostly in Greece and featuring tennis, which was a really fun and well-written read. Definitely enjoyable and I'd be keen to read more form this author!

4 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin House publishers for the e-arc. I really enjoyed this, this was my first tennis romance and Scottie and Nico were so much fun together!

As someone who has grown up in London and Wimbledon be heavily embedded into the lifestyle culture every year, I thought it was really well approached and gave a great insight into the sport.

I thought Scottie and Nico were great, really authentic characters and athletes. Scottie is returning to the tennis world, after a drugs doping scandal that saw her stripped of her title. Nico, who has never had a partner before finds himself being paired with her, for the doubles match, which for him he is vehemently against.

Scottie’s dad was something, omg, who needs enemies when you have a dad like that. I’m so glad Scottie finally found the courage to have stood up to him, but I’d have liked to have seen more of that; he was a large part of the book and Scottie’s tennis career, so his downfall I was really intrigued of seeing more of.

Tropes

🎾 age gap (8 years) 25/33
🎾 forced proximity
🎾 fake dating (pr purposes)
🎾 rival teammates
🎾 no third act breakup

I really enjoyed this story. The setting was great, the characters were well developed and I enjoyed the authors writing. I love an enemies to lovers/rivals trope and this was well done! Looking forward to more from this author.

This was enjoyable and well written It has taken me a little while to read as I was doing other things but I felt that the author handled sensitive issues tactfully and they were part of the story and helped you to understand the personalities involved.
The relationship between Scottie and Nico grows and blossoms and the author manages to make the story seem real.
I have read tennis romances before but this one was both enjoyable and believable.
Good luck for future books Meg.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgallery

So lucky to receive this arc from Net Galley.

Absolutely loved this book! I already love tennis so tennis and romance? Hell yeah🥹 So cute and fluffy with a lil bit of spice here and there. Grumpy x grumpy both turned sunshine😆☀️couldn’t ask for a better summer tennis romance, shouldve probably read when wimbledon was on but hey ho theres always next year🤪💓💓💓

3.5 stars!
Clean Point is an incredibly fun, cute and oftentimes poignant romance! Very funny at times, both main characters in this story had me laughing and rooting for their respective journeys. It also hit some very emotional notes, especially relating to our fmc’s experience both losing and reclaiming her autonomy and healing from her mistreatment. Her relationship with our mmc is an important part of this healing and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing him supporting and deeply caring for her. With all the competitive energy and tennis sequences of a novel like Carrie Soto is Back, as well as the heartfelt fluff of a contemporary romance, Clean Point is the perfect light summer read!
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for this ARC!

I’ve loved this so much. I didn’t know what to expect of a tennis romance and this was so great to discover, the sport storyline was interesting and had the right amount of suspens without overwhelming the romance angle. Nico and Scottie both had a lot to overcome and they found out (reluctantly at first) that they could only do it together.

I am totally obsessed with this. I loved every second of it. My only regret was that it took me so long to read cause I first picked it up on such a busy weekend and just wanted to come home and read it.
I’m obsessed with both Scottie and Nico they have my whole heart.
The way Nico is so protective over Scottie is the best thing ever. He would burn the whole world down for her if it hurt her.
Scottie is such a help for Nico and brought him back to life after such a hard time in his life after his knee replacement. She showed him he’s more than a tennis machine. She showed him how to be more human and enjoy his life.

Just so good! I love a sports romance, but particularly one that actually pays homage to the sport tastefully instead of being all over the place (looking at you, F1 romances...)

Meg Jones has done an amazing job crafting these characters and watching them bounce off one another was such a good experience. Definitely will be reading more of her work, especially if the playlist is as good as this one!

— 5 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"I wanted to prove it to everyone that while Scottie Rossi was dead and buried, Scotti Sinclair was back for revenge."

📖 𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 435 pages
👤 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Meg Jones
🏢 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫: Michael Joseph, Penguin UK
📅 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: 8 August 2024

What you can expect:
— Adult Contemporary Sports Romance
— First Person X Dual POV
— Open Door Romance
— Pro-Athletes
— Rivals-To-Lovers
— Father's Rival-To- Mixed Doubles Partners
— Opposites Attract
— Age Gap (25/33)
— Grumpy X Sunshine
— Forced Proximity
— Slow Burn Romance
— Mutual Attraction & Pining
— Reluctant Cat Dad
— Celebrity Romance/PR Relationship

𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: sexually explicit content, parental abuse, intentional and secret drugging/medical misuse (mentioned/past), disordered eating due to training (mentioned/past), sexual harassment & slut shaming, verbal abuse, alcohol consumption.

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬:
Clean Point is the first instalment in an interconnected Sports Romance series by author Meg Jones. Scottie Sinclair is a cheat. Or at least, that’s what the world thinks. After all, who would believe her own father secretly drugged her? The tabloids have called ‘Game, Set, Match’ on Scottie’s career–but an offer at redemption, and more importantly revenge, may give her the chance at a clean serve. Nico Kotas reigned the tennis world for almost a decade–until an injury took him from the baseline. Now with a clear bill of health, he’s hungry for one last title. But his public image needs a new game plan — and according to his coach, his former rival’s daughter is the perfect advantage. But with old enemies on the sidelines, scandal is seconds away. Because, after all, revenge is best served Centre Court.

𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲:
Clean Point is a wonderfully written story that follows the journey of two competitive athletes on their second chance to greatness and the unexpected love they find on the way. The author's writing style was engaging and had me gripped in its grasp from beginning to end. Whilst the synopsis provides ample warning that this is not your typically fluffy romance story... I was truly surprised (in a positive way) by the trauma of our main characters and how pivotal and front-centre it was within the plot. I was impressed by how author Meg Jones portrayed Scottie's abuse and the emotional whirlwind that takes place as a result. It clearly highlights abusers and their methods are not singular, and Scottie's trauma is valid and deserving of belief. I believe the author has approached this storyline with the utmost care and respect, and it sits as a reminder to be mindful and aware. Survivors deserve to be believed with a safe space to open up about their experience, and I was glad to see Scottie gain the support that she desperately needed. Clean Point is a well-written and steady paced story that has been written with a lot of heart and care, and I cannot wait to read more works by this author in the future.

𝐏𝐥𝐨𝐭:
Clean Point kicks off with a bang as we witness Scottie Rossi achieving her lifelong dream of winning the woman's singles tournament at Wimbledon. What starts off as a day for celebration quickly turns to devastation when she discovers her father, a fellow Wimbledon sporting icon, has been secretly dosing her protein shakes with performance enhancing drugs. After an injury made her dream seem unreachable, Scottie's father took it upon himself to secure his legacy and betray his daughter's ultimate trust. Feeling heartbroken and traumatised, Scottie cuts all contact with her father and comes forward about her unjust win. Afraid of being branded as a liar if she comes forward with the truth, Scottie shoulders all of the responsibility which results in a two year ban and the judgement and mistrust of her peers. Two years later we find her nearing the end of her ban with zero intention of returning to the sport she once loved. After spending time in therapy to combat her newfound trust issues and anxiety, Scottie Sinclair has done everything she can to publicly tarnish the Rossi name and legacy as revenge. Except there is no revenge sweeter than returning to the competition at the side of her father's greatest rival, Nico Kotas. The plot of the story takes us from London to Greece, and back again as our pair try to learn how to train as a team with minimal insults and threats of giving up. I found myself completely enraptured by the plot and rooting for Scottie to attain the revenge she'd been so desperately seeking. The story was well balanced and felt neither too short nor quick paced. Every element was written with intent, and the ending felt all the more sweet after the compelling and emotional journey we're taken on. I loved the addition of the news headlines and articles as it provided the reader with 'real time' narration, which helped further the believability of the story being told.

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬:
Scottie Sinclair is a feisty and quick-witted twenty-five-year old woman with a resilient nature. Scottie's ability and commitment to proving herself in a sport that shunned her was admirable and inspiring. Her refusal to give up (despite coming close several times) was understandable and I was glad to see her gain a strong support system that showed her nothing but trust and belief. Scottie's trauma broke my heart and I was glad to see her commitment to therapy was mentioned during the two-year time jump. I was constantly rooting for her to open up and come forward about her experience as Scottie was completely undeserving of the ire and mistreatment that was flung her way, whilst feeling immense pride at how desperately she tried to take it in her stride. Her spitfire attitude made her a worthy teammate to the stoic and grumpy Nico, and watching the positive impact she had on his character was a beautiful journey to follow. Scottie is unapologetic for who she is and undergoes great character development as she slowly learns how to better advocate for herself, and I was felt genuine pride for her growth by the end.

Nico Kotas is a tennis legend who defeated the iconic Matteo Rossi at only eighteen years old. An incredible career followed with many wins and great opportunities, until an accident on the court the year prior leads to a botched knee surgery and his career in question. At thirty-three-years old Nico is young by all standards except the ones established in sport. His age places a deadline on his professional career, and he's determined to make his Wimbledon comeback before its too late. Partnering up with his rival's daughter wasn't on his bingo card, but even he can't deny how sweet it would feel to flaunt this towards Matteo. At first, Nico is incredibly rude and dismissive towards Scottie. Without knowing her he makes a quick assumption on her character and acts accordingly, however he is quickly proven wrong and realises how unfair he was behaving. His commitment and dedication for the sport he has committed his entire life to is admirable, and I loved that despite this he remains unselfish and aware. Nico isn't perfect by any means, but he remains in-tune with the emotions of others and often tries to put their needs above his own. Whilst ambitious, he is not selfishly so and I adored the complexities to his character. His unwavering support towards Scottie was everything, and I loved following his journey from beginning to end.

𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭:
The relationship between Scottie and Nico is rocky to start at best, slight volatile at its worst. Neither had been formally introduced prior to their arrangement had already pre-decided what the other was like. This resulted in personality clashing and a tense environment until the pair slowly started to lower their emotional walls and let the other in. What blossomed as a result was a beautifully raw and vulnerable emotional connection that laid the worst of themselves bare, and utter acceptance and love in spite of this. The emotional connection between Scottie and Nico is what sold them as a couple for me. Their ability to confide and lean on one another after years of shutting themselves off from connection was a rewarding development. The sheer acceptance and devotion was palpable through the pages, as was the strong support system and sense of family. Scottie and Nico were an undeniable pair that couldn't be better suited, and I was thrilled to see them come out on top in the end.

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:
I adored this compelling and heartfelt tale filled with many laugh-out-loud and swoon worthy moments. The characters were well-balanced and fleshed out, and I look forward to seeing who the future couples in this series will be. I already have an idea on two of them, and I cannot wait to see how their stories unfold. Author Meg Jones has stolen my heart in Clean Point and I already know I'll immediately be reading every future release that she will produce.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

This is my favourite of the tennis romances I've read this summer! Perfect book to accompany on me on my visit to Wimbledon too!

I just loved these characters, Scottie and Nico were so fun to follow and I just loved getting to tag along on comeback journeys! I was fully invested in both their romance and the tennis.

I can't wait to go back and read Meg's first book and see what she writes next!