I love a good sports romance, especially one that has some depth, even melancholy à la Kate Clayborn or Abby Jimenez. Jamie Harrow’s debut contemporary romance, One on One, fits that description perfectly and I very much enjoyed it.

One on One is set in the world of college basketball, but it’s about the coaches and the support teams, not the players. The behind-the-scenes detail is fascinating and offers such a different approach to the usual trope of player as hero. For those who want to learn more about what goes on off the court, this is a great read!

After eight years away, Annie Radford has just moved back to take a job as a videographer for the basketball team at her hometown college. She’s sassy and witty but she’s not all sunshine and roses. She’s struggling, trying to find a path that makes her happier than she currently is.

Ben Callahan is still working as the stats guy with the team. Ben was a talented basketball player in college but gave it up to work with the team. He was a ‘good’ guy, friendly and kind, a bit earnest. Now he’s not happy-go-lucky as he was back then.

Ben and Annie knew each other in the past. When they were in school, they were both under the wing of Coach Maynard, who held all the power in their college basketball world.

When Annie comes back to work with the team, Ben is really antagonistic. Why? Well, one reason is that both their jobs are under threat from budget pressures. This provides some of the tension but there’s more which has to do with Annie’s secrecy about the past plus all the drama of a college basketball season. There are plenty of clues about what happened to Annie and the reader can see the truth but Ben, loyalty blinders firmly in place, initially can not. 

They both have missed opportunities in their professional lives – in Annie’s case it is confusion, shame and left-over trauma that have made her cycle through many jobs. For Ben, it’s loyalty and family obligation holding him back. I loved how consistent the characters were even though Annie’s inability to confide in him is so frustrating. It is understandable though and shows how pernicious sexual harassment can be. But don’t worry–this is ultimately a feel good story. Yes, the book deals with sexual harassment and all the basketball drama but not in a way that overtakes what is a tender and warm romance.

One on One is a good choice for those who like their romances to fade to black – I didn’t need to be in the room to feel the emotional connection between these two. Their love story is a slow burn and is complicated by the fact that they work together and that Annie is keeping secrets. Also, just so you know, there’s no insta-love and the action takes place over one basketball season.

The story is all told in Annie’s PoV, and it’s lovely to see Ben unfolding as he responds to her. I also loved seeing Annie at work – the whole process of making video, from brainstorming through to the buzz at a great final product made me realise how rarely romance novels show people really doing their jobs. The players, work colleagues and friends bounce in and out, along with a light subplot about a dating show, which relieves the tension. While Ben and Annie had worked together before this is not a second chance romance. 

I loved it all, it feels very accomplished, especially for a debut. It’s tender and funny, but has a serious core that’s explores a significant workplace issue. There’s so much joy in these two finding each other. Recommended!