PrettyTough Series

Double the tennis. Twice the fun. Yeah, right . . .

Bella: I’ve been training for tennis my whole entire life. My twin sister Maggie? Not so much. She never follows through on anything. But now it’s my freshman year and my coach says I’m supposed to pay doubles with her—doubles! I’ll be lucky if Maggie makes it through a week of practice, let alone the entire varsity season. Time to figure out how to get Maggie off my court and onto something—anything—else.

Maggie: My identical twin Bella thinks she’s so great because she breathes, sleeps, and eats tennis. She says all of her hard work will make her nationally ranked by age sixteen. I say she’s obsessed. But I’ve just been recruited to play doubles with her, and you know what? I’m gonna do it. I’m tired of people thinking that I don’t stick with anything. And if Bella doesn’t like me invading her turf? I’ll just have to beat her where it hurts—on the court.

It’s summer break for the girls at Beachwood Academy and that means sun, surf, and sensational escapades at the Beachwood Country Club. Abby, a rising sophomore, is so excited to have gotten a last-minute gig as a lifeguard, especially because jobs are usually reserved for club members.

Abby desperately wants to win the annual lifeguarding competition, and with it a college scholarship. But when she arrives for her first day on the job, she finds herself face-to-face with some serious club member attitude. And there’s an even bigger surprise waiting for her: the gorge senior boy she’s been pining over ever since they met at a swimming competition earlier this year.

Can Abby break through the rules, regs, and mean girls to be the first-ever non-club member to win the summertime lifeguarding competition and maybe even the boy of her dreams?

Reformed mean girl Kylie Collins desperately wants to put the craziness of basketball season behind her. (And with it, her cheater ex, Zachary Murphy.) Maybe she’ll finally be able to silence her snarky streak and concentrate on her lifelong dream—being recruited for Division One softball.

But when Kylie arrives at her first softball practice of the season, she comes face-to-face with her worst nightmare: Amber McDonald, the best pitcher in the state.

Now, Kylie’s forced to warm the bench as Amber wows crowds again and again. With all the drama happening out on the softball diamond, Kylie finds herself drawn back to bad habits—sabotaging people and hanging out with a certain Zachary Murphy. . . .

Taylor is calm, cool, collected, and ferocious on the basketball court. A total all-star. Not so much in real life. She may be tall, gorgeous, and an incredible catch, but just try telling her that!

And lately, Taylor doesn’t know which way to turn: The summer showcase game is almost here. Her BFF Hannah roped her into a fashion show (eek!). And she can’t decide between Zach—the super-popular, super-tall, super-off-limits basketball dynamo—and Matt—the sweet boy from her math class (who may just be dating her BFF’s older sister). It’s enough to make any girl’s head spin!

Can Taylor strike a pose, land the boy of her dreams, and win the game?

New girl Lucy is desperate for friends. She tries out for Beachwood High soccer but, despite her amazingly accurate kick, fails to make the team. When the coach points out that varsity football is looking for a new kicker, Lucy is skeptical. Football? Isn’t that a boys’ game?But on the gridiron, Lucy discovers that she feels strong—in control for the first time since her mother died. She loves football. She actually wants to play! (She also wants to hang out with super-cute quarterback Ryan Conner. But that’s just icing on the cake.)Too bad no one else wants her on the team. Not the coach, her teammates, or especially her overprotective dad. Will Lucy cave in to the pressure? Or will she prove she’s pretty tough after all?

In a world where popularity reigns supreme, two sisters must confront their differences and find a way to become teammates to achieve both their dreams.

“The perfect book for any girl who’s ever balanced sports with school, falling in love, and dreaming big. It felt so real I loved it!”—Jessica Mendoza, 2X Olympic Medalist, USA Softball

1 Team.
2 Sisters.
3 Million reason to hate each other.
4 Months to win it all.

Charlie: My older sister Krista and I used to be friends. Now Krista is perky, popular, and pathetic. When I stand next to her, I might as well be invisible. But this year, I’ve been recruited to Krista’s soccer team. Shin guards? Twelve dollars. Uniform? Thirty-five bucks. The look on Krista’s face when she finds out I’m playing? Priceless.

Krista: My sister Charlie thinks she’s some kind of surf-girl rebel. But the truth is she’s just mean. That’s why she has no friends. Now, Charlie’s joining the soccer team. My soccer team. And she doesn’t even care about soccer! Well, if she thinks she can beat me at my own game, she’s got another think coming.

A Pretty Tough Novel




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