Kate Spencer’s Pickleball Romance Novel: Author Kate Spencer is bringing romance to the pickleball court with her new book, All’s Fair in Love and Pickleball. The sports romance novel blends humor, flirtation, and the fast-paced energy of the game to explore the fun and surprisingly steamy side of America’s fastest-growing sport.
Romance and Rallies
In an interview with Pickleball.com, Kate Spencer shared why she thinks pickleball is a great fit for a love story.
“I say this in a very tongue and cheek kind of way, pickleball is sexy, but there’s the athleticism and there’s the social aspect of the game. It helps on court if you’re a bit charming, or if you can banter. There’s a personable level to pickleball that makes it appealing, I also love the physical aspect of the game. I personally find it hot. Just watching someone hit a ball really hard is really sexy.”-(Kate Spencer)
Her book uses on-court dynamics as a backdrop for the main couple’s relationship, mixing gameplay with emotional and romantic tension.
Not Just for Retirees
Kate Spencer addressed a common misconception about pickleball: that it’s only for older adults. While players of all ages enjoy the sport, she pointed to the high number of pros in their 20s and 30s as proof that it’s a physically demanding and exciting game.
“Youth doesn’t equate beauty and attractiveness, but I do think that people of all ages are playing pickleball, and that’s what I find sexy about pickleball. I love being around people who are older and younger than me. We don’t have that experience a lot specifically in American culture where we’re in a multi-generational setting, so that to me is very exciting.”-(Kate Spencer)
A Game for Everyone
Inclusivity and the welcoming nature of pickleball were other big reasons Spencer found the sport inspiring for her novel.
“The other thing I find sexy about pickleball is that pickleball is for everybody. That to me is very appealing. It’s inclusive and there’s a level of welcomeness and openness in pickleball that lends itself to the appeal of the sport.”-(Kate Spencer)
She also talked about the way the pace of the game adds drama and connection between players.
“The strategy of pickleball, there’s a sexiness to it. There’s the dance of the game, and the point can be going fast, and then it’ll slow down. A person who’s really good at pickleball knows how to slow a game down.”-(Kate Spencer)
Writing Between the Lines
Kate Spencer used the double meanings in pickleball language as a creative tool in her writing. From phrases like “good dink” to teasing a partner on the court, she found plenty of fun material.
“When I first started playing pickleball and was thinking about writing a pickleball romance, I couldn’t get over the double entendres in so many of the things we would talk about. Once I started thinking about writing a pickleball romance, I would go take a pickleball lesson and everything I would hear was an innuendo. There are so many benign things we’re saying on the court, and applying them to a romantic scene is just super fun. I got a real kick out of writing those scenes. Two people being teammates and learning to play a sport together and applying those things to a romantic relationship is really fun.”-(Kate Spencer)
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What Readers Can Expect
Kate Spencer’s new novel brings playful energy and fresh humor to the romance genre. It also shows a new side of pickleball that blends competition with connection. Readers curious about love on the court will find All’s Fair in Love and Pickleball full of charm, wit, and unexpected heat.
News in Brief: Kate Spencer’s Pickleball Romance Novel
Author Kate Spencer’s new book All’s Fair in Love and Pickleball mixes romance and sport with charm and humor. In an interview, she explained why pickleball is fun, sexy, and perfect for love stories. Her novel uses on-court banter and inclusiveness to show why the game connects people of all ages.
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