PICKLE PERFECT
by Ilana Long
A single mother joins an impromptu pickleball vacation to Costa Rica, only to discover that her ex-boyfriend is on the very same trip.
Lulu Gardner is a rule follower. As a high school business teacher and single mom to toddler Zoe, the 33-year-old has little time for risk-taking. There was a time when Lulu would sneak out late with her high school boyfriend, Tyler Demming, to play tennis after dark on Washington’s Bainbridge Island. But that was then, before her parents died and she abandoned her dreams of going pro. It’s been years since she last heard from Tyler, since he didn’t show up to her parents’ funeral and later became a pro pickleball star. And while she attributes some of her current prudence to that heartbreak, she doesn’t know if she can ever reclaim her past adventurousness. That is, until an inappropriate speech-to-text incident lands Lulu in hot water at school and she’s suspended. With her job in limbo, Lulu decides to join her godparents on their weeklong Costa Rican pickleball vacation, with Zoe in tow. There, Lulu is presented with the offer of a lifetime: Join a trial pickleball adventure tour through the Costa Rican wilderness for free! Hoping to regain her old spark, Lulu says yes—what could be more fun than pickleball with a sprinkling of zip lining and bat caves? Then a surprise celebrity guest is announced: Tyler Demming. Suddenly, Lulu is thrust into the great unknown with a group of pickleballers and her ex-boyfriend, who’s just as damn charming as she remembers. Can Lulu forgive Tyler for the past and conquer her fears, or will she forever be too afraid to take chances? Long’s second pickleball romance is a score, full of heart, excitement, spice, and shenanigans. Lulu and Tyler aren’t afraid to be vulnerable and their chemistry is undeniable, with just the right amount of a sizzling slow burn. Fans of Pickleballers (2024) will enjoy the perfect mix of sports and romance that proves to be Long’s specialty.
A page-turning second-chance romance that brings the heat on and off the court.