Sneak Peek: Backhanded Compliments by Katie Chandlers

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I’m grateful to have received an advanced reader’s copy of Backhanded Compliments via NetGalley!

The Sneak Peek

Two up and coming tennis stars, a rivalry bound for the history books.

Juliette Ricci is the third tennis sensation to come out of her family, and following in the footsteps of her successful older sisters has a mountain of pressure sitting on her shoulders. She’s never made it past the quarter finals of a grand slam and she’s eager to prove to the world that she can live up to the hype — that she’s done sitting in the shadows of her sisters’ success and she’s deserving of her top 10 ranking.

But Luca Kacic stands in her way. She’s poised and powerful… and she just happens to be Juliette’s soul mate, based the names written on their wrists. Their fates are written in the stars, and like a cosmic joke, they just happen to be standing in the way of each others’ dreams.

As luck would have it, a fateful meeting between the two just happens to be set on one of the world’s largest stages: the Australian Open final. And after battling it out for the championship title, they’re forced to face their fate… Unfortunately for Luca things don’t go how she had hoped. She has spent her life being the second choice — sitting in the sidelines alone, her anxiety mounting as everyone chose everything except her. And when her own soulmate rejects her, her heart breaks.

What Victoria Loved

VICTORIA’S RATING: 4/5

Tennis + soulmates = LOVE! (And I don’t mean zero…)

Ah! Tennis girly here and proud of it. Growing up, my life revolved around the sport and I even completed a summer internship with the USTA, which culminated with two full weeks live at the US Open. So this book speaks directly to that die-hard fan girl!

The tennis commentary is so well written, you’ll feel as if you’re watching the match rather than reading about it. The tension is so taut that I felt my head spinning and swiveling as if watching the action— it’s not just the conversation of the rally, but the fiery dialogue and vivid description of body language that’ll have you at the edge of your seat to see who comes out victorious at every interaction.

I will admit I was thrown off by the soul marks — it was an unexpected twist of magical realism that hadn’t fully clicked for me when I read the synopsis. But it was a nice conduit for tension between Juliette and Luca, and a hot topic for a media storm.

Game, set… it’s a love match.

Pre-order your copy of Backhanded Compliments (Amazon) and read with me!

Favorite Scene

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- BACKHANDED COMPLIMENTS by Katie Chandlers

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