Review: Close Call - Elise Hart Kipness

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Review: Close Call - Book #3 Kate Green Series - Elise Hart Kipness - August 2025

You know those moments where life gets so hectic that even your beloved books start gathering dust on the nightstand? That was me  deep in a reading slump, work absolutely swamping me, wondering if I'd ever find a story that pulled me back in. Then a gorgeous PR box landed at my door from the wonderful Elise Hart Kipness, and just like that, the slump was over.

Inside was Close Call, Book #3 in the Kate Green Series, and honestly, it felt like it had been sent at exactly the right moment.

The story drops us straight into the electric world of the USTA Tennis Championship and if you know me, you know I am an absolute sucker for sports woven into a thriller. Tennis in books especially has a special place in my heart; fans of Carrie Soto is Back, you'll understand the vibe completely. There's something about the high stakes of competitive sport that pairs so naturally with tension-filled storytelling.

Our protagonist Kate Green is at the championship covering two headline players a seasoned star on the cusp of retirement, and a dazzling up-and-comer ready to take the world by storm. But what starts as a compelling sports story quickly shifts into something far more sinister. The veteran player vanishes, kidnapped  and in a chilling twist, the young rising star is the only one who receives word of what's happened. Now Kate and Brynne are racing against the clock to find their missing star before it's too late.

I genuinely loved the connections woven throughout this story and  there's a twist in there that had me gripped. My one small wish? That a certain reveal had been shared more openly within the narrative, because it would have landed as a truly jaw-dropping surprise moment. A minor gripe in an otherwise cracking read!

Close Call is fast-paced, easy to devour, and exactly the kind of book that drags you out of a reading fog. The bonus? Even though this is Book #3 in the series, it reads beautifully as a complete standalone  so there's absolutely no excuse not to pick it up.

A fun, gripping tennis thriller and highly recommended from your Phantom Paragrapher!


Amazon: https://amzn.to/4cKH83I




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