It was an ok read. Got a bit lost at times and not really into sport! Don’t think it was my kind of book, felt a bit ypung for me

Thank you to the publisher for the free copy form NetGalley.

One on one is a contemporary sports romance.

When I asked for it I didn´t think it will be all about basketball which is not one of my favourite sports but I still read it.

Annie is not happy to be back at her alma mater in her old job with the Ardwyn Tigers’ basketball team. Worse, her coworker from back in college, Ben Callahan, is still on the Tigers staff, and he’s annoyingly wholesome, hot, and clinging to a grudge against Annie for abandoning him and the team their senior year.

While they tell us all about the Ardwyn Tigers games, the office work and how Annie and Ben hate each other you can see some hot tension growing up between them. But it didn´t build it up for me.

For me the pace was quite slow. I had to skip reading some paragraphs when they talk about the past. Also the basketball games. A bit to long chapters for my likes. There were also quite a lot of characters in the book that I couldn´t connect with very vague details.

Although I didn´t feel it, the book covers some serious topics like sexual harassment and family lose so be aware.

This wasn’t bad for a debut book! There was a lot of miscommunication at the start of the book, and parts of the story were written in what was supposed to be a mysterious way, but actually just ended up being really confusing. The characters were a bit frustrating at time but overall, there was some good character development in the end. The story ended very abruptly. A proper epilogue would have been much better to have.

This is a chunky romance, by that I mean one with guys that are on the table from the very beginning. There is something in the air that filters I to the pages. The animosity, the jibes and somehow the crackling tension that you know is going the flame into life sooner rather than later, Ben and Annie aren’t quite will they, won’t they, but there is something there. They both knew so little about each other 7 years ago and now have the work together with all the misunderstandings of the past being fling into the bright light of day. A great read that kept me going till late in the night.

**Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this title in exchange for a fair and honest review**

Trigger warning - book contains a historic abuse storyline that involves grooming by a trusted older figure

This was an enjoyable read. What initially looked like being a pretty predictable hate to love situation turned into a much more layered story. Sadly the plot is all too believable with more and more people sharing stories of grooming (and far worse) from sports coaching teams / medics, etc.

A sports romance for the golden retriever loving girlies.
I really appreciated how sports heavy this was. How the plot came before the romance and the spice didn’t overpower it all.
I loved the tender connection between Annie and Ben and the slow burn that built their foundation.
The last 70% really ramped this up and I enjoyed how everything ended.
I would’ve perhaps liked some more introductions/information about some of the side characters (players and coaches) cause I sometimes felt like they were random strangers. That being said, I really enjoyed the writing and this story and think everyone who loves a sport romance will too!
[Spice is Emily Henry/ Abby Jimenez level]
Thankyou so much to Quercus for sending me this arc for review

Sweet, cute workplace / sport adjacent romance. I really enjoyed reading One on One by Jamie Harrow. This book showcases a beautiful blend of spice and romance, of slow burn and passion, of misunderstanding and conversation. All in all I would really recommend this book if you like sport romance (although neither of them directly does any sport) or just a cute book you can devour in one sitting.

Summary: Eight years after leaving her job with a college basketball team, Annie returns as the Ardwyn Tigers' hype woman, clashing with Ben as they fight to save the team and newly formed connection.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus for an eARC of this book, all thoughts are my own.

One on One is a sweet slow burn misunderstood enemies to friends to lovers story. Jamie Harrow also delicately included a back story of sexual grooming and harassment. I rooted for Annie and then Annie and Ben together. A spicy sports romance with a twist. A must read!

What a debut novel!


I had so much fun reading this book and could not put it down. Rivals to lovers and sports romance always promise a good time but this one truly delivered.

Annie and Ben know each other from college, some even might call them friends given all the time they spent together working for the college basketball team. But after Annie suddenly graduated early and never responded to any of Ben’s texts, Ben isn’t thrilled to be working with her again, at the same college, for the same team only years later.

I loved Annie and Ben! They were both well developed, complex and realistic characters. Annie is an amazing FMC, that shows great strength and passion. I found her nothing short of inspiring. And Ben simply was the sweetest! So loving, loyal and thoughtful, that I couldn’t possibly not fall for him.
The plot tackled some serious topics (which is why I recommend reading the TW) but despite that, it was a light-hearted and hopeful read, a perfect balance.

Definitely keeping an eye out for Jamie Harrow’s upcoming work, this won’t be my last book of hers.

Thank you to Quercus Fiction and NetGalley for an earc in exchange for an honest review!

One on One is out September 24th, 2024!

(review was posted on September 1st, 2024 on goodreads)

I love a good sports romance, but I have to admit I usually don’t read anything about basketball. This one, though, totally hooked me, and I think I’ll start reading more books in this genre. I really enjoyed how the story unfolded, with that slow burn building up so perfectly.

I wasn’t prepared for the more serious side of the story—it brought out a lot of emotions.

Annie and Ben are such great characters, and I’d definitely read more books by this author.

First up: a confession. I know next to nothing about basketball or American college sport in general. It didn’t matter in the slightest, because this book dragged me in and pretty much insisted on “just one more chapter” until it was way past my bedtime. Many of the issues covered could occur in any workplace, and the sports backdrop added an extra dimension: Annie’s love for basketball and video making just shone on the page. I really enjoyed the way that Annie and Ben’s relationship developed from inauspicious beginnings, and it was refreshing that they had no previous romantic connection at all. Annie’s past story is subtly and cleverly revealed without resorting to flashbacks, building to the kind of denouement that you know is coming but you keep reading breathlessly to discover exactly how it pans out. Full of well-drawn characters and lovely turns of phrase, this is an amazingly self-assured debut.

Sports romance! Need I say more? This book is the perfect blend of spice and romance. While this book does deal with some serious issues it doesn’t sugar coat them, more force you to see them too harshly. Definitely would recommend this book to a friend.

I liked this book and thought there were moments where things were great. It was a unique perspective on the basketball world, but then I also thought that sometimes it got a bit bogged down by basketball. I felt like the Quincy side plot was a tad underdeveloped also. I loved the banter between Ben and Annie when that kicked in, but I didn’t feel like their relationship was developed enough once they slipped into more than friends. And then things at the end seemed a bit rushed and I was surprised to see that there wasn’t an epilogue.
I thought Annie’s main storyline to do with Maynard was really well done and I liked her character development. Some of the other side characters were really great (Kat especially).
Overall this is a good debut and I would definitely read future books by Harrow

A sporting rom-com set in a small university. Annie returns to her former uni as a vudeographer, there she meets up with a former friend Ben. They discover the uni is in financial difficulties and there may be job cuts. The author combines the classic rom-com tropes, of seemingly trying to sabotage one another whilst attraction builds with basketball and a hstory as to why Annie had to leave uni early .
The novel walks a fine line of comedy with a #MeToo plot line.
An enjoyable read but sport its not really my bag so I could take it or leave it or because of that.

This has been hard for me to rate. I want to start by saying that I applaud Jamie Harrow on her work and I think that she will have amazing books in her future. One on One had an amazing foundation. The plot was interesting, different from most of the books I have read lately and it has the potential to be captivating. Unfortunately, I personally think that the execution still needs work. I am reading an ARC copy of One on One but it felt more like a Beta copy.

Okay, let me start by saying that this book will be published in the month of September. I first saw this book in February or March on NetGalley but with the blue cover. A few months later, I saw the book again but with an orange/pink/yellow cover. I don't know if the content within each book is exactly the same or if the book has gone through a few revisions between one copy and the next. I was approved for this book back in late May and I am now reading it in August. What I mean to say with all of this is that the ARC copies were released months ahead of the publication date, so there was plenty of time to still make modifications, revisions, and editing. So maybe, the final product on publication day in September will receive a higher rating from me. However, the version I did read needs some work (in my opinion).

The premise of the book is good. Annie and Ben went to the same University and both worked with the basketball team as interns back in the day. She did a lot of the video production and marketing side for the team and Ben was a statistical analysis. They got along well as co-workers, enjoyed being around each other, and supported each other, but they weren't really friends outside of their internship. Jamie left school halfway through her senior year. She had enough credits to graduate and she was presented with an opportunity to start working. She was also going through quite a lot personally and felt it was time for her to leave. Not a big deal; however, she didn't just finish early; she pretty much vanished overnight.

Eight years later, Annie needs a job, so she finds herself back at her old Alma Mater. Ben is still there, now part of the full-time staff. At first, there is some animosity between them, but they slowly start to become friends. I'll try not to give too much more away from the story, but there may be some spoilers ahead with my critiques, recommendations, and praises.

Let's start with the book. I understand that writers like to leave nuggets of information and keep some secrecy about a character's trauma or life to draw a reader in. It's a tricky line to walk to give enough information to keep a reader engaged and motivated to continue and not spill the beans. However, sometimes, when you are trying to be so mysterious, it just becomes confusing. That happened here. Annie left the school because, besides going through a hard time personally, she had a few run-ins with some authoritative figures from the school, and she did not feel comfortable or safe. I won't say more to not spoil anything, but let's say that there is some mention of that specific authoritative figure and Annie's feelings toward that person. I also want to know a bit about this person and their time at Ardwyn. How did this person become so "powerful" that they seemed untouchable?

Ardwyn University is where Ben and Annie attended as students and where they are now working. Unfortunately, the basketball team has not been doing well and is dangerously close to losing its funding. I was so confused about so many things that were mentioned during Annie and Ben's time at the school and the state that the team is in now. I need more of a backstory. I am assuming that Ardwyn had a great team back in the day and was still riding high when Annie and Ben went to school. It appears that the school produced some great athletes, but that wasn't left totally clear. Sometime during the 8 years after graduation, something went wrong, and the team started losing and slowly lost sponsorship and funding. How? Why? Does the school not step in somehow? Is Ardwyn a good school too or is the entire school in danger of going under? Does the lack of funding have something to do with my previous paragraph? (bribery, hush money)?

This story is told from Annie's POV, which is fine. I wish we had seen some insight into Ben's head as a dual POV, but I understand that it is Annie's story. She has some recollections of Ben from their college days that paint a very light picture of how he was a good guy and not a party-goer. I would have enjoyed more stories about Ben, or maybe more details of the few stories we did get to help build his character even better.

There were a lot of characters thrown into the storyline, and some were given very vague backgrounds, or you didn't get the background until you were well into the book. For example, Cassie and Eric. It took me a while to figure out if Annie was friends with Eric or if he was just the husband of her best friend. I finally pieced together that Eric and Annie had been friends first, and then Annie and Cassie were roommates, and I figured that Eric and Cassie met through Annie. Again, all of this is very vague and needs to be pieced together from the multiple comments throughout the book. The same goes with Quincy. I know that Annie and Quincy knew each other already because Annie's father coached Quincy's team in high school. Also, Quincy's freshman year was the last year that Annie's father's last season. What wasn't clear was if her father retired and then passed away or passed away unexpectedly while he was still working. Did Quincy and Annie only know each other from one year before Ardwyn, or did they know each other even before Quincy entered high school?

Basketball. Basketball is supposed to be a theme in this book, but until the team makes it to March Madness, I truly wouldn't have known that the team was a part of the storyline. This is supposed to be a Cinderella Story. A school that, I guess, had its glory days in basketball years ago and has lost its way; however, now they are having a magical year where they are turning things around. They are the underdogs. And while we sometimes hear the outcome of some of their games, we rarely see any action. Fine, I understand the story is about Ben and Annie, and neither are actual players, but they are both part of the team, both of their jobs are dependant on the outcome of the season, and both play a role in the way the season is going. I expected to see some mention of practices or games and be included in the action. Not to mention, Annie's job is to literally make hype videos and highlight reels of the team for social media to encourage spectators to the game yet we see none of that. Great, we hear that some really cheesy reporter from ESPN likes Annie's videos, they are getting better and better celebrities for the voice overs and that people are recognizing her great work but there is no mention as to how her work is actually affecting the team and ticket sales. Isn't that how she is supposed to prove her value on the team?

I also think there are some "ramblings" that could be shortened. Annie could be in the middle of a conversation with someone and it triggers her to daydream or overthink. The tangent takes so long to get through that, once Annie returns to the conversation that she was having with another character, I already forgot what they were talking about. This means that I have to backtrack to see what is going on in the plot.

I could go on, but, again, this isn't a Beta book; this is an ARC copy.
I will say that there are some very poetic lines and phrases that Jamie put into the story. There are some ways that she used to describe the sentiment or the scene that was beautiful to read. The story itself has a lot of potential and I would definitely recommend it if it was worked a bit more. It's a good debut story, and I hope Jamie only gets better from here on out. Her story ideas and outline structure are quite good.

I want to thank Quercus Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This sports romance set in a college where the failing basketball team needs a revamp, sees two colleagues pitted together to keep their jobs.

Annie has returned to Ardwyn after 8 years of searching for purpose and dealing with trauma. She expects her old work buddy Ben to welcome their reconnection but from their first encounter she knows something is off. These two have to work through a few misconceptions about each other before they can really be friends, and once this happens, their attraction is hard to deny. Falling for each other is complicated and not just because they are essentially competing with each other. Annie has a secret that could shake Ben to his very foundations.

I loved the immediate chemistry between these two characters and found the fact that they only realise their attraction for each other at the right point in their lives really interesting. I liked the idea that they had to experience their own heartbreak before they could really connect.

Sexual harassment is also explored in this story and it is done with sensitivity and depth. There's also light-hearted moments, banter and spice. The light and the dark combined made this book, not just a fun swoony read, but one that served as a reminder that we all have a responsibility to look out for each other.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley - all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This is a great debut book with quirky characters and humour throughout whilst also tackling serious issues which has been written in an acceptable way. It kept me hooked from start to finish.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this debut!

Although the banter plus several funny/quirky characters made this book a quick read, this story also covers some serious topics and handled it with care.

I'll definitely keep an eye out for this author in the future.

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

You know how sometimes you start reading a book, thinking "hey, I'm gonna read only one chapter", and then before you know it you're 48% in and it just keeps getting better and you're too invested to stop? This was my experience with One on One. This book sneaked up on me, grabbed me by the throat and didn't let go for even one minute.
Ben and Annie? I could feel them falling for each other. Theirs was a slow-burn, from the very first moment they see each other again, through working together, the basketball tournaments, the Monday nights of reality-TV watching and all the other moments in between.
I loved the way this story was told. It was tender and heartfelt, while treating an important underlying subject. I knew where it was going, and I loved seeing how it all unfurled. Very early into the book I felt that it was going to be a favorite, and that feeling did not leave me - adding to my 2024 favorites list!
One on One is a stunning debut, and I look forward to reading more from Jamie Harrow.

Thanks to Quercus and Netgalley for a review copy of this novel. It was a real pleasure to read such an accomplished and engaging debut novel that tackles important issues without beating you over the head with it while also providing an enjoyable read. This novel may present on surface as the usual sports romance, but it does possess the depth and understanding of the authors it says it’s comparable to. Yes to Sally Thorne, Christina Lauren or Ali Hazelwood readalikes. At least in my book.

The story begins in a very classic manner: circumstances force Annie Radford into taking a job at the sports department of her alma mater college, Ardwyn, a place to which she swore she’d never return. Basketball had been her life at Ardwyn, filming amazing videoclips to promote the high ranking team along with Ben Callahan who covered the statistics end. She’d loved it until her senior year and it all collapsed and she left. Now she’s back and finds Ben there, angry and resentful of the past and the present which forces them to compete against each other for their jobs. It’s a situation that creates high tension and many conflicts as truths and perspectives are challenged and big decisions lurk in the near future.

A really enjoyable read that tackles sexual harassment in sports in a very believable manner and discusses the many aspects that continually surround the issue thoughtfully and sensitively. A great new author to look out for!