★★★★★ 4
magical realism + sports romance
Format: Paperback
3.75★
sapphic challengers with some ashley poston-esque magical realism!
this was a fun twist on the soulmate concept, making them real possibilities for the lucky few born with the name of their marking their wrist. for luca, it's everything she's dreamed of. for juliette, it would only get in the way of her tennis dreams.
luca and juliette face off as tennis rivals who also happen to be soulmates. juliette deals w the pressure of being 3rd in a whole family of tennis aficionados while luca deals w her legendary plays as merely "luck".
if you really like tennis or the sports aspect of sports romance, this definitely gets into the thick of it. sometimes it was confusing for me as someone who doesn't really know tennis well, but generally, i enjoyed it.
The romance was really cute, I did find Juliette a little bit bratty in the beginning (probably deliberate) but there's definitely growth with their relationship.
Overall, it was an enjoyable sports romance with a little ✨
an honest arc review ♡
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Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2025