The Harper Effect

Australian tennis player Harper turns pro when she is 16, but before her 17th birthday, she is dumped by her coach, who believes she is not “good enough to make it to the top.” That isn’t the only crisis occurring in Harper’s life. She’s fallen in love with her sister’s ex-boyfriend, but to let anyone know would be a disaster. Then Harper gets a new coach on the condition that she plays doubles with Colt, an arrogant, less-privileged player. Harper can’t deny her physical attraction to Colt, making her more confused and miserable than ever. There’s more than one love triangle that needs to be resolved in this story about a rising star athlete. Sports fans might crave more on-the-court action, but romance buffs will revel in the book’s plethora of passionate scenes and will be on the edge of their seats waiting to find out a secret that Colt is hiding. The plot is somewhat drawn out, but debut author Bashford captures the conflicting emotions of a teen facing more than her share of dilemmas. Harper’s struggle to sort out priorities, understand the meaning of love, and emerge a winner will be strongly felt. Ages 14–up. [em]Agent: Katelyn Detweiler, Jill Grinberg Literary Management. (June) [/em]