Julia Bradley, school counselor for Milton, N.Y. high school
just made a risky wager. Ex-jock and principal, Ty Chambers,
announced that the athletic budget has been cut. In an
effort to save the girls basketball team, she will help the
girls make the tournament and boosters to raise the cash for
the trip. If successful, they will get full funding for next
year. If they lose, she runs the Booster bash in March.
Taking a long shot, she solicits help from an ex-student of
Milton High turned NBA pro, Deacon Fallon for help. When
Deacon was the skinny, pale and pimply faced student at
Milton High, Julia was a new and young counselor who
persuaded him to attend college.
Receiving Julia's call was Deacon's answer to a prayer, as
he is trying to find a way to get 300 hours of community
service for his brother, Wes, a requirement for him to be
reinstated in college the next year. If not, it means his
basketball career will be over. Stupid little pranks with
his roomy, a smart nerd named Oliver, had gotten them both
in trouble.
At first practice with the team is a disaster. Only one girl
seems to even know what basketball is but with Deacon as
Coach and Wes as Assistant Coach, they hope to turn the team
around. Julia and Deacon work really hard, on and off the
court. Falling in love as they lean on each other, bring the
unlikely pair together to do their best at winning the beat
and open their eyes on other battles that must be fought.
THE LONG SHOT is a sweet, nostalgic tale with lots of
emotion and excitement as the two brothers strive to
understand each other. The story is well written and
extremely entertaining. I loved the characters and the plot
that was entangled with deep seeded secrets of the past.
Your heart will go out to the effort Deacon has put into
giving the girls self confidence in becoming achievers. This
is the first I have had the privilege of reading from Ellen
Hartman but I hope to read more of her creations.
Deacon Fallon has made something of himself. Yeah, it wasn't
easy becoming a successful—now retired—pro basketball
player, but he did it. In the process, he made his brother's
life better. That's always been Deacon's goal.
This latest effort to help, however, may push Deacon too
far. He's been roped into coaching the high school girls'
team! Worse, there's a little offside action brewing between
him and his hot assistant coach, Julia Bradley. Definitely
not in his plans, but he can't resist her. And for the first
time, Deacon wants something that has nothing to do with his
brother and everything to do with Julia!