{"product_id":"the-players-we-were-janelle-gabay-9780996158862","title":"The Players We Were","description":"\u003cp\u003eTHE PLAYERS WE WERE is set in the \u003cstrong\u003ecompetitive world of junior tennis\u003c\/strong\u003e. It is an \u003cstrong\u003eenemies-to-friends relationship story\u003c\/strong\u003e about two fiercely independent teenagers who think they can solve grown-up, complex problems on their own. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAlex Calvo wants to be number one, and this goal comes before anything else, including dating the boy she loves. She needs a full scholarship if she plans to attend a university and support her family, but as her match losses pile up and her tennis ranking falls, the college coaches walk away. Her last chance to impress is at the National Spring Championship in California, but she can't afford to travel across the country unless she teams up with the wealthy and despised Madison Nash.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMadison needs to change her harmful behavior. She doesn't want to end up in rehab like her mother. Moving to Florida and joining a new tennis academy is a \u003cstrong\u003efresh start\u003c\/strong\u003e and an opportunity to leave her past behind. Her arrival alters the status quo established within Alex's group of friends. Suddenly, the friends are fighting, and the boy Alex takes for granted shifts his attention to the \u003cstrong\u003enew girl\u003c\/strong\u003e, Madison. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOnce they are in California, Alex discovers there is more to Madison than what the horrible rumors insinuate. Their friendship grows. They play well together and share similar \u003cstrong\u003edysfunctional family issues\u003c\/strong\u003e. They both want to fix the broken things in their lives. Unfortunately, Madison's delinquent past refuses to go away, and now it has spread and stuck to Alex.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAlex is on a winning streak, but no one wants to give her credit. Instead, they claim her rise to the top is due to \u003cstrong\u003eperformance-enhancing drugs \u003c\/strong\u003esupplied by Madison. After an athlete's deadly overdose, everyone turns their back on Madison, only Alex knows the truth, but should she risk losing it all to save Madison's reputation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor readers who enjoy an academy rivals sports drama with tropes of found family, forced proximity, enemies-to-friends, and first love. Also social themes of mental wellness and peer dynamics.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Janelle Gabay\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0996158863\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780996158862\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Janelle Gabay Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 06\/15\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 350\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.22lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.94d","brand":"Janelle Gabay","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":48588509970687,"sku":"9780996158862","price":32.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-players-we-were-janelle-gabay-9780996158862","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}