Gina Musa’s tender, thoughtful debut is about finding your strength in the most unlikely of places

Whitney Carmichael has always been the odd one out in her family of athletes. And when her best friend bops her with a tennis ball, it’s the last straw. She’s going to tackle her fears about working out–and she does it by attending a five-week summer boot camp. From the first mile-long run to the dreaded rope hang, Whitney isn’t sure she’ll survive. And toss in the fact that Willow, someone who made her life miserable on an almost daily basis while they were at school, shows up–Whitney isn’t sure how she’ll succeed. 

But any journey worth taking starts with a single step. Soon, Whitney’s feeling more confident, winning some competitions, and learning more about herself with the help of her sweet, sympathetic, and more than a little hot trainer, Axel. Her feelings soon dip into something deeper, but campers can’t date their trainers, and her struggles with Willow continue, which leaves Whitney wondering if she just shouldn’t quit while she’s ahead.

Giving up isn’t in her DNA, and the lessons she learns, about herself, about love, about friendship, change the course of her life forever.