Taryn Bashford – Jill Grinberg Literary Management

Taryn Bashford

Taryn Bashford is an author of contemporary young adult novels, including The Harper Effect. Before becoming a full-time writer, she received a degree in English from Exeter University, worked in advertising, and was the CEO of a London-based internet company. She grew up in England, and currently lives in Queensland, Australia with her family.

Agent

Katelyn Detweiler

The Harper Effect

A sizzling coming of age story set in the world of professional tennis about a girl who learns to win from a boy who has lost everything.

Sixteen-year-old Harper was once a rising star on the tennis court—until her coach dropped her for being “mentally weak.” Without tennis, who is she? Her confidence at an all-time low, she secretly turns to her childhood friend, next-door neighbor Jacob—who also happens to be her sister’s very recent ex-boyfriend. If her sister finds out, it will mean a family war.

But when Harper is taken on by a new coach who wants her to train with Colt, a cold, defensive, brooding young tennis phenom, she hits the court all the harder, if only to prove to Colt she has it in her to be a champion. As the two learn to become a team, Harper gets glimpses of the vulnerable boy beneath the surface, the boy who was deeply scarred by his family’s dark and scandalous past. The boy she could easily find herself falling for.

As she walks a fine line between Colt’s secrets, her forbidden love, and a game that demands nothing but the best, Harper must choose between her past and her future and between two boys who send her head spinning. Turns out, the biggest battle she needs to win, is the one against herself.

Praise for The Harper Effect

“Harper is well-characterized, and the secondary characters, including coaches and parents, ring true. Colt and his backstory are compelling, and the revelations are skillfully handled. The match action is pitch-perfect…A layered romance in a unique setting.”–Kirkus

“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.” –Publishers Weekly

Publisher

Sky Pony Press

Publication Date

May 15, 2018

Age Category

Young Adult

Genre

Contemporary

Rights

Curtis Brown Australia