Summer After Summer

Bailey pulls lightly from Jane Austen’s Persuasion in her impressive debut. Soon after professional tennis player Olivia Taylor leaves her cheating husband, her older sister, Charlotte, guilt trips her into coming to the Hamptons to help clear out her family’s just-sold mansion. Estranged from her father (whom she’s only called William since her mother’s death) for a variety of reasons, Olivia is prepared for a strained few days with her family. She’s unprepared, however, for the bombshell revelation that the mansion’s buyer is Fred Webb, her first love and the man who has broken her heart time and time again. To make matters worse, it seems that Fred has finally found love elsewhere. Bailey keeps the pages turning by toggling between 2003 and 2023, recounting the bumpy road of Olivia’s life—and how her relationship with Fred has played into it. The cutthroat world of pro tennis and the glitz of the Hamptons create a fascinating backdrop for these multilayered characters. Angsty but ultimately heartwarming, this should win Bailey plenty of fans. Agent: Stephanie Kip Rostan, Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary. (May)