Slammed by Lola Keeley

★

We are surprised with the number of similarities between this book and Delicate by Sarah Sanders which predates it in publication by about two to three weeks. 

Here are all the things that were there in Delicate and are also there in Slammed.

In Delicate, the MCs are Russian Sonja Romanov and Argentinian Valentina González. In Slammed the MCs are Swede Elin Larsson and Mexican Antonia Cortes Ruiz. Which indicates that both books are shipping Steffi Graf and Gabriela Sabatini.

In Delicate, after their first real conversation, Sonja asks Valentina whether she’d come to Sonja’s match the next day. In Slammed, after their first meeting, Elin invites Toni to her match the next day.

In Delicate, when there are a few weeks between tournaments, Valentina invites Sonja for a vacation with her and they spend a week or ten days together. In Slammed, when there are a few weeks between tournaments, Toni invites Elin for a vacation to her grandmom’s place and they spend about a week together.

In Delicate an injury had derailed Valentina’s career for two or three years. In Slammed an injury had derailed Toni’s career for two years.

In Delicate , when Sonja is going through a rough time emotionally, Valentina ensures that she reaches the finals of the French open so that it is less stressful for Sonja. In Slammed, when Elin is in a delicate state physically Toni makes sure that she reaches the finals of Wimbledon so that Elin has an opponent who is sensitive to her injury.

At one point in Delicate Valentina believes that Sonja is not playing her best when they face-off each other. In Slammed, when Toni wins her first match against Elin, she asks Elin whether she’d thrown the match purposely so that Toni could win.

In Delicate Valentina is hungry to climb up the rankings. In Slammed Toni is hungry to climb up the rankings.

In Delicate, towards the end Sonja plays the minimum number of tournaments required. In Slammed, towards the end Elin plays the minimum number of tournaments required.

In Delicate, Sonja makes uncharacteristic court-side appearances for Valentina's matches. In Slammed, Elin makes uncharacteristic court-side appearances for Toni's matches.


Sonja and Elin are both ranked No.1 and have won the Golden Slam (all four Grand Slam titles plus the Olympics gold in one calendar year). Sonja and Elin are at the top but not in a particularly happy place.

In Delicate, Sonja retires from the game. In Slammed, Elin retires from the game.

In Delicate Sonja initiates physical intimacy. In Slammed Elin initiates physical intimacy.

Physically, Sonja is 5’10” and Elin is over a metre-seventy (which translates to between 5’8” and 5’9”). Valentina and Toni are a tad taller than Sonja an Elin respectively.

Sonja and Elin have one pushy parent: Sonja’s father and Elin’s mother. As a child Sonja hit the ball against a wall and Elin hit it against the garage (essentially a wall).

Sonja and Elin’s parents are not in a particularly happy marriage and both have one younger sibling.

Delicate is a pure romance with focus to Sonja’s and Valentina’s relationship. Slammed touches on elements of discrimination, family and physical toll/injuries on tennis players. In fact, Slammed is more a-year-in-the-life-of-Elin than a romance, so the overall storylines don’t map. It is also hard not to warm up to Elin right from the beginning and this is a very readable book.