One on One

Starred review from June 1, 2024

DEBUT Annie Radford returns to her alma mater to once again work for the Ardwyn basketball team that she thought she had left behind. Upon running into one of her former colleagues, Ben Callahan, she is shocked to find that he gives her a frosty reception. Ben has never gotten over Annie quitting her job as the basketball team's student manager during their senior year, but he doesn't know the entire story. Ben and Annie start anew with a lot of friction, and they're both fighting for their jobs, as there are rumored budget cuts coming to the athletic department. Nothing short of a miracle during the team's March Madness run will keep them both employed. Annie and Ben start to mend fences from the past and soon discover there is a chemistry between them that cannot be ignored. But as their team progresses through the tournament, the events that initially drove Annie to leave Ardwyn resurface, and she must confront difficult things from her past, knowing that they could affect Ben's future. VERDICT Harrow's breathtaking debut delves deep into the raw emotions of grief and the pure beauty of rediscovering joy in an exquisite tale of second chances, featuring an enemies-to-lovers romance.--Ashli Wells

Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 15, 2024
Harrow’s promising debut finds videographer Annie Radford reluctantly returning to her alma mater. Eight years after graduating from college one semester early—and abruptly abandoning her work-study job shooting game tape for the basketball team—she’s offered her old position back. Desperate for work, she accepts. Her anxiety about being back on campus seems reasonable given both a past trauma and the icy welcome she receives from Ben Callahan, her former work-study colleague turned team statistician, who still resents her for leaving mid-season. Still, she’s determined to make the best of an awkward situation. Annie’s hype videos and genuine connection with the players are quickly appreciated—and even Ben starts to warm up to her, particularly when she joins his reality TV fantasy league. But as Ben and Annie grow closer, they have to agree to disagree on how they communicate about Coach Maynard, the former basketball coach who has mentored Ben since he was a teen, but is the reason Annie avoided the sport after college. The central couple is appealing, but the conflict, which surfaces late in the narrative and could be resolved with a simple if difficult conversation, frustrates. Still, the high-stakes world of college basketball provides a fun backdrop, and the author does a fine job dealing with sensitive and topical issues, including sexual misconduct and the abuse of power. Harrow should win plenty of fans.

August 1, 2024
In Harrow's debut romance, Annie Radford is coming back to the college she once attended, this time working for the Ardwyn Tigers, the beloved basketball team she was once so committed to. But this homecoming is bittersweet at best, as Annie had planned on never returning. Now, she's working with Ben Callahan, a former friend who's less than happy to see her again. As the team rises in the ranks, Annie and Ben are drawn together, and she struggles with the secret of why she abandoned basketball years ago. She and Ben both avoid talking to each other about their problems, which is bad for them and may frustrate readers. That said, Harrow does offer a new twist on the sports romance via Annie's backstory. Fans of Chloe Liese (Better Hate than Never, 2023) will enjoy this peek behind the scenes of college basketball as well as the compelling relationship between Annie and Ben.

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