Never Vacation with Your Ex

February 13, 2023
Living in the shadow of her beach volleyball Olympic gold medalist mother, 17-year-old Kaylee Jordan strives to make a name for herself in the same sport. Thanks to her drive, a grueling training schedule, and supportive rivals and mentors in the form of boyfriend Dean Freeman-Yu’s younger sister, another up-and-coming volleyball star, and Dean’s mother, Kaylee’s mother’s former volleyball partner, she becomes a nationally ranked athlete, successfully cultivating a reputation beyond her mother’s influence. When the competition season is over, Kaylee is usually excited to spend the summer at her parents’ Malibu beach house with Dean’s family. But after Kaylee dumps Dean, this year’s respite simmers with tension. Keen to remain friends, Kaylee endeavors to teach brokenhearted Dean how to get over her. In between practicing volleyball drills, she offers him dating tips and encourages him to find someone new, but when Dean starts pursuing someone else, Kaylee finds her feelings for him reigniting. Developing rifts between Kaylee’s and Dean’s mothers and dilemmas confronting Dean’s younger sister add further emotional depth to this frothy, sports-forward beach read by married creators Wibberly and Siegemund-Broka (With and Without You). Kaylee’s family is white; Dean’s family is Jewish and Taiwanese. Ages 12–up. Agent: Katie Shea Boutillier, Donald Maass Literary.