Chemistry sizzles in this workplace rom-com set in the world of high school basketball from the author of Love & Other Disasters, named a “must-read” by USA Today, PopSugar, SheReads, and Harper Bazaar.
When smart-mouthed Vanessa Lerner joins the high school basketball team Julie Parker coaches, Julie’s ready for the challenge. What she’s not ready for is Vanessa’s new foster parent, Elle Cochrane—former University of Tennessee basketball star. While star-struck at first, soon Julie persuades Elle to step into the unfilled position of assistant coach for the year.
Even though Elle has stayed out of the basketball world since an injury ended her short-lived WNBA career, the gig might be a way to become closer to Vanessa—and to spend more time with Julie, who makes Elle laugh. As the coaches grow closer, Elle has a hard time understanding how Julie is single. When Julie reveals her lifelong insecurity about dating and how she wishes it was more like sports—being able to practice first—it sparks an intriguing idea. While Elle still doubts her abilities as a basketball coach, helping Julie figure out dating is definitely something she can do. But as the basketball season progresses, and lines grow increasingly blurred, Julie and Elle must decide to join the game—or retreat to the sidelines.
While it can be read as a standalone, How You Get the Girl wraps up the series that began with Love & Other Disasters, and many characters from both L&OD and Something Wild & Wonderful make an appearance. Pairing is f/f (both cis), and this one takes place entirely in Nashville.
I consider it sports romance adjacent—basketball is very important to both Julie and Elle, but you don’t have to be a sports fan to be able to follow along!
Like the first two in the series, it’s edited by Junessa Viloria and published in the US and Canada by Forever, and Headline Eternal in the UK. Audiobook is narrated by Lindsey Dorcus and Gail Shalan, produced by Hachette Audio. US cover (above) is by Hattie Windley.
Signed/personalized copies can be requested from Annie Bloom’s Books (US only); make sure you put your requests in the comments.
Listed as a Best Book of the Year 2024 by NPR and Autostraddle.
“Anita Kelly has done the impossible: they’ve made me care about a sport in this sweet and moving romance about two women coaching a high school basketball team together. I fell head over heels for both Julie and Elle as they navigate stepping up for the families they were born into and creating the found family they deserve, and I wept over their emotional and earnest journey through reconciling their past, exploring their sexual identities, and learning to love. No one understands the beauty of quiet moments in romance quite like Kelly. I’m convinced they wrote this book specifically for me.” – Alison Cochrun, author of Kiss Her Once for Me
Content Warnings: migraines; foster care; depression; sports injury (ACL tear); addiction and neglect (family member).
Making a home in this world has been so special to me. Thank you for your support of this series; I hope you enjoy Julie and Elle’s story. ❤
Julie & Elle’s Playlist ❤
Anita Kelly 