Fiora Barrowling lives in a world where sorcerers rule over humans. After surviving an encounter with The Radiance—the very worst of the sorcerers—she’s whisked away to the incredible Incorruptibles (“Inc”) Academy, a school for resistance fighters in training. But most of the other students think Fiora hasn’t earned her place there, and when things start to go wrong and it seems the sorcerers have a spy in the academy, all eyes are on Fiora. With all odds stacked against her, can Fiora prove that she belongs?
Today on the site I’m thrilled to reveal the cover of Backhanded Compliments by Katie Chandler, a speculative Sapphic tennis romance releasing June 10, 2025 from Atria Books! Here’s the story:
A steamy debut sapphic sports romance with a light speculative twist, in the vein of One Last Stop and Expiration Dates, in which bitter tennis rivals Juliette Ricci and Luca Kacic realize they are soulmates when the marks on their wrists fill in with each other’s names after shaking hands at the end of an intense Australian Open match.
Juliette Ricci wants one thing: to be the best women’s tennis player in the world. She’s worked nonstop with her strict father (and coach) to prepare for the Australian Open, her big chance to catapult up in the rankings. Unfortunately, she’ll be playing “Lucky Luca,” an aloof player whose unorthodox style and popularity are deeply irritating to Juliette. Fans are living for the drama after watching them trade sly insults in their individual press conferences for months. Their first ever match together is the most anticipated of the season, but Juliette refuses to let her nerves—or Luca’s annoyingly perfect abs—get the best of her.
International tennis star Luca Kacic is primed to take the number one spot, but what she really wants is to find her person. When she shakes hands with Juliette after an agonizing match and sees her rival’s name filled in on her wrist, it feels like a cruel cosmic joke. Juliette is a spoiled, arrogant brat who wants absolutely nothing to do with Luca or the idea of a soulmate.
Luca and Juliette are drawn back together for a charity match and forced to face their intense feelings. Despite their personal and professional clashes, the two grow closer after late-night massages and one too many shots of limoncello in gorgeous Naples. Their chemistry is tangible, but Luca’s anxiety tells her that Juliette is just messing with her head to throw Luca off her game, and Juliette can’t understand why Luca is so hot and cold. With the pressure of the world scrutinizing their every move, Juliette and Luca will have to decide what’s more important—being together or being number one.
And here’s the ace of a cover, designed by Kelli McAdams and illustrated by Liza Rusalskaya!
Katie Chandler is a fantasy and romance author with a love of genre-blending. She graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Creative Writing and Literature in 2021. You can usually find Katie writing with her yellow lab, Blue, on her feet, making sure she stays warm and that she takes regular breaks to give him treats. When not writing, Katie spends her time watching tennis, chasing her thieving chocolate lab, Bear, who thinks her socks are his chew toys, and wondering where her glasses are. (They’re nestled in her hair.) Follow her on Instagram @author.katie.chandler.
Fiora Barrowling lives in a world where sorcerers rule over humans. After surviving an encounter with The Radiance—the very worst of the sorcerers—she’s whisked away to the incredible Incorruptibles (“Inc”) Academy, a school for resistance fighters in training. But most of the other students think Fiora hasn’t earned her place there, and when things start to go wrong and it seems the sorcerers have a spy in the academy, all eyes are on Fiora. With all odds stacked against her, can Fiora prove that she belongs?
