Publication Date: November 12, 2024
A pickleball newbie looking to recover from life’s swings and misses crosses paddles with love in this debut romantic comedy.
Meg Bloomberg is in a pickle. When Meg’s ex turns out to be a total player, she and her bestie take off for a mood-lifting pickleball excursion to Bainbridge Island. It’s supposed to be an easy lob, a way to heal, not the opening serve to a new courtside romance that’s doomed to spin out.
No matter how Meg tries, she can’t shake her feelings for Ethan Fine. A charismatic environmental consultant and Bainbridge local, Ethan seems like the real dill. But when Meg discovers that Ethan is sabotaging her home court, she decides the match is over.
It’s time for Meg to take control of her own game. And maybe, just maybe…love will bounce back.
Vividly depicted with many themes and stories in this one book, Pickleballers by Ilana Long introduces readers to the popular sport by the same title.
Ethan and Meg take center stage, and we get to know them a little at a time. The core issues revolve around their serious lack of communication skills. Meg comes out of her comfort zone with Ethan repeatedly after meeting by chance on a ferry a few months after her husband divorces her unexpectedly. But when her and her ex’s paths keep crossing on the pickleball court, she has something to prove—to him and herself.
There are beautiful descriptions of the Pacific Northwest, particularly Bainbridge Island. Long paints a vivid picture of nature, assisting the reader to appreciate the sights that residents see and enjoy daily. The story has twists and turns, as well as laughter, tears, and cringe-worthy moments. Throughout it all, Meg is evolving and enjoying her art once again. There is closure with the epilogue that takes place a year later with some happily ever afters and a surprise or two.
Pickleballers is filled with pickleball matches, players, and lessons set in a picturesque setting that made me want to get out on the court.
Ilana Long first heard about pickleball when her sporty friend confessed that she was addicted to a game that was “like ping-pong but standing on the table.” Shortly after, Long joined the pickleball craze despite her utter lack of hand-eye coordination. A stand-up and sketch comedy writer and actor, Long studied improv and performed at The Second City in Chicago. She is the author of the picture book, Ziggy’s Big Idea, and her essays appear in multiple books in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.
