GAME, SET, MATCHED

Eighteen-year-old Billie finds an unexpected tennis mixed doubles partner and love interest during her run at the Wimbledon juniors tournament.

Twins Tom and Billie Dawson are training for the first-ever Wimbledon junior mixed doubles event when Tom collapses and is out of contention for the tournament. After searching for a replacement partner, Billie reluctantly pairs with her coach’s nephew, Harley Pierce. Despite her frustrations with the handsome Harley, which stem from a conflict when they were paired for a charity tournament at age 15, Billie can’t deny that his style of play is a good match with hers. And once they start training together, Billie’s feelings for Harley grow into something more than just on-court appreciation. Tennis is the perfect backdrop for this romance, which includes great shot-by-shot descriptions and palpable tension between Billie and Harley and their competitors. Bailey includes plenty of tennis details for fans of the sport to enjoy without veering into too much specialized terminology that would confuse those less familiar with the game. Though the romance forms a compelling thread that ties the story together, there’s more to the novel: Billie struggles with feeling inferior to her brother in their father’s eyes and Harley wrestles with a difficult family life, rounding out their characterization. Text exchanges among Billie and her friends feel authentic and add to the story’s strong pacing and readability. Both Billie and Harley present white.

A romantic smash.