A SHOT AT LOVE

In LaVonne’s novel, a basketball player must navigate a career-threatening scandal while confronting a ghost from her past.

When 25-year-old WNBA player Annie Larger steps off the court for an interview, the last thing she expects is to learn that the owner of her team (the fictional St. Louis Arrows) is her biological father, a secret her mother has kept since Annie was born. Shy and conflict-avoidant, Annie is terrified of what the revelation—and the accompanying rumors about how she was drafted and whether she deserves her spot on the team—will mean for her career. Her best friend, teammate, and Arrows superstar Jadea Jones, reaches out to Daniel Chan, the host of a popular sports show, after he publicly defends Annie online. She asks him to profile the team, hoping to shift attention back to women’s basketball. Jadea is unaware that Annie and Daniel dated in college…until a car hit Daniel and he abruptly ghosted her after leaving the hospital. Five years later, Annie is still smarting from the sudden end of their relationship. When Daniel agrees to cover the Arrows, Annie is startled to find their chemistry intact, making his past disappearance even harder to understand. As the scandal intensifies, Jadea proposes a bold distraction: Annie and Daniel should fake a relationship. Annie is stunned when Daniel agrees. Now, facing bullying from fans, shouldering pressure from her newfound biological family, and struggling to focus on the game she loves, Annie must also untangle her complicated feelings for Daniel and find her own voice amid the chaos. Fans of the WNBA and newcomers to women’s sports alike will find this story, with its entertaining references to real-life figures, compulsively readable. The narrative effectively weaves in the inequities that plague women’s sports, providing a strong backdrop for Annie’s personal journey. While Annie’s avoidant, passive nature can sometimes be frustrating (“I opened my mouth to respond, but Coach turned away. I nibbled my lip, torn”), her relationships with Jadea and Daniel keep the story tender and compelling.

A heartfelt, entertaining story of love and basketball.