#kit haley

*I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Image from author's website, summary from NetGalley*

A sweet, steamy AF contemporary MM romance! Find inside: truckloads of hot, witty banter, exploration of queer solidarity, lots of tennis details but very little actual tennis, and amusing Australian/American cultural confusion.

Matteo Russo is the first and only openly gay tennis pro. Once a brilliant junior, he was slated for a bright future – until a freak accident derailed his career. Now, he’s fed up, he’s struggling to qualify for tournaments, and he’s not sure he can afford dinner tonight.

After losing to his old rival—the rich, arrogant, American superstar Miles Callahan—Mat throws the man’s privilege in his face and sets him a challenge – one he’s sure Miles would never accept. But he does. Determined to prove he’s earned his success, Miles travels to Wimbledon on a tight budget – no support team, no coach, no fancy hotel. And now the American needs a hitting partner, and someone to explain laundromats, and what started as a dare soon becomes a searing off-court fling.

Mat should be focussing on his career, not falling for a glamorous star. But Miles believes in his game in a way Mat hasn’t for a long time, and is fast becoming everything he’s ever wanted. Only… love and tennis just don’t mix, because one day soon they’ll have to face each other on the court.

And in tennis, someone always has to lose.

One of my top reads of the year and the perfect book to read during Pride! As a big fan of sports romance, In Your Court absolutely shines as one of the best. Mat and Miles are equally passionate about tennis and truly live for the thrill of a challenging opponent. Yet their approach and experiences within the world of pro tennis could not be more different: Mat is at the bottom of the rankings, paying his own way on a tight budget, and battling through a tough comeback after an almost career ending accident; Miles seems to be sailing through with ease with a full team to support him, wealth to make for top tier travel, food, and accommodations, as well as sponsorships and fame. Mat is the ultimate underdog and Miles is the privileged top 4 player, but when Miles accepts Mat's challenge to set aside his advantages and live off the same budget as Mat, the two are able to meet on equal footing. Staying in the same lowend apartment building, eating together, training together, it's not long before they're falling for each other. Neither wants to admit it could be more than phenomenal sex and proximity, but they can't give up on what's turning into the best relationship of their lives. I love these characters so much and thoroughly enjoyed their journey. There's loads of sex and romance, as well as deep dives into the characters, conflict (internal and external), and lots of tennis. The supporting characters are great, the settings are fun, and the chemistry between Mat and Miles is off the charts. I'm looking forward to reading more by Kit Haley!

Official Summary:

A sweet, steamy AF contemporary MM romance! Find truckloads of hot, witty banter, exploration of queer solidarity, lots of tennis details but very little actual tennis, and amusing Australian/American cultural confusion. Australian Matteo Russo is the first and only openly gay tennis pro. Once a brilliant junior, he was slated for a bright future – until a freak accident derailed his career. Now, he’s fed up, he’s struggling to qualify for tournaments, and he’s not sure he can afford dinner tonight. After losing to his old rival—the rich, arrogant, American superstar Miles Callahan—Mat throws the man’s privilege in his face and sets him a challenge – one he’s sure Miles would never accept. But he does. Determined to prove he’s earned his success, Miles travels to Wimbledon on a tight budget – no support team, no coach, no fancy hotel. And now the American needs a hitting partner, and someone to explain laundromats, and what started as a dare soon becomes a searing off-court fling. Mat should be focusing on his career, not falling for a glamorous star, but Miles believes in his game in a way Mat hasn’t for a long time, and is fast becoming everything he’s ever wanted. Only… love and tennis just don’t mix, because one day soon they’ll have to face each other on the court. And in tennis, someone always has to lose.

My Thoughts:

2026 is the year of Achillean tennis romances. This is the third I've read so far this year, and I genuinely loved all of them. In Your Court is the steamiest of the three, and it's also the one that focuses most on the romance. 

Matteo was an up-and-coming tennis star when a car accident derailed his promising career. Now, he's struggling to get his career back on track, but a lack of funds has him at a disadvantage. Meanwhile, his former rival, Miles, someone he used to beat regularly, is now a star player and golden boy of the sport. Angry about his situation, Matteo lashes out at Miles, pointing out that he wouldn't be where he is if he weren't so privileged and wealthy. Miles unexpectedly responds by dismissing his team and seeking Matteo's help with his new, strict budget. The two soon start a steamy affair that soon changes both of their lives. 

I loved both characters in this. Matteo is such a fascinating main character: he's angry, complicated, honest, and passionate. Miles is supportive and considerate, but he has flaws too. That's actually what I ended up loving the most about both characters: they feel real; neither is perfect. They both have things they need to work through, and that's where their romance benefits both. 

The romance is truly swoon-worthy and very steamy. The two start as a quick fling, but we see them slowly get to know each other and fall in love. Some of their moments made me want to melt into a puddle; they are so surprisingly sweet together! There are some good emotional scenes, too. Mat being out and Miles being closeted provides some drama. Plus, they are competitors, and there is only one winner in tennis. These two suit each other so well, and they push each other to be better for the other. 

From the higher page count, I was worried about the pacing, but the story flows really well. As the summary suggests, this doesn't focus much on the actual tennis matches; it's far more focused on the romance and characters, and those were both plenty good enough to keep me glued to the story. 

This book struck the perfect balance between funny, emotional, sexy, and heartwarming. I love Mat and Miles as a couple, and I loved watching them fall in love and learn to be together. By the end of the book, I felt that these two could face anything together. They feel like such a solid, healthy pair, and we've seen them weather so many storms together.

This is excellent, and I think most readers of MM romance will devour it and end up as obsessed with Mat/Miles as I am. I think readers of Rachel Reid will especially love this; it's the first book in a series, too!

My Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌖 (4.75/5 stars)

Pages: 472 (Kindle Edition)

Tropes/Tags: Queer, Achillean, Romance, Sports Romance

Contains Depictions Of: Financial struggles (including food insecurity), toxic family relationships, Homophobia (including slurs), Past Car Accident

Other Notes: This is the first book in a series. The next book, Code Violation, will be released in 2027 and will focus on a character introduced briefly in this book.

Links: Storygraph | GoodReads | Pagebound | KitHaley.com

In Your Court will be released on July 16 2026, and is available for pre-order!

I received an advanced copy of this book for free, thanks to Netgalley and Redamance Books. The above are my honest feelings about the provided book.

✨ BOOK REVIEW ✨

In Your Court by Kit Haley

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

QOTD: Have you read any tennis romances? Any recs for me?

This is my third this year, fourth total, and I have another on my tbr 😂 I need more.

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Review below

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ STARS

I love tennis. I love romance. I loved this book. Why is there so little romance set in the tennis world? There's no shortage of hockey and baseball! I feel like Tennis has been an underrated sports romance subgenre, yet I know of 3 M|M tennis romances releasing this year alone and I could not be happier.

There's not a lot of details from the actual matches in the book, it's more about what happens before, after and in between on the ATP tour, and covers a full season with all 4 grand slams. I always visualize the MCs while reading and I couldn’t help but picture IRL tennis stars Lorenzo Musetti as Matteo Russo and Jack Draper as Miles Callahan (google them if you don't know who they are!) They aren't from the same countries as Mat & Miles, but they're both gorgeous and great players and fit their descriptions IMO. Of course in this story they are gay and fall in love. It's rivals-to-lovers, forced proximity-ish, plus a comeback and coming out story. 

Best Cure for your Heated Rivalry Hangover.

Today on the site I’m delighted to help reveal the cover of In Your Court by Kit Haley, an m/m sports romance releasing May 21st! Here’s the story: Australian Matteo Russo is the first and only openly gay tennis pro. Once a brilliant junior, he was slated for a bright future – until a freak accident derailed his career. Now, he’s fed up, he’s struggling to qualify for tournaments, and he’s not…