Far From Normal

Maddie McPherson is sick of Normal—both her hometown of Normal, Illinois and being the ‘normal’ sibling. But when she lands a summer internship with a sports marketing firm, she finally has a chance to crawl out of her genius brother’s shadow. Not to mention, a glowing letter of recommendation secure her admission to her dream college.

But Maddie’s nickname is “Calamaddie” for a reason, and when the company tasks her with repairing the image of teen soccer phenom Gabriel Fortunato, she wonders if she’s set herself up for embarrassment. Gabriel is a tabloid magnet, who’s best-known for flubbing Italy’s World Cup hopes. As Maddie works with him to develop “pleasant and friendly” content for social media, she also learns he’s thoughtful, multi-talented, and fiercely loyal—maybe even to a fault. Falling for a footballer is exactly how Calamaddie would botch this internship, but with the firm pressuring her to get the job done, perhaps her heart is worth risking?

About the Author

Becky Wallace is the award-winning author of Stealing Home (Page Street), The Storyspinner, and The Skylighter (S&S/ McElderry). She’s a sucker for slow-burn romances, near-miss kisses, and ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Becky worked for a minor-league baseball team, edited a sports marketing magazine, and toured internationally as a ballroom dancer before settling down in Houston, Texas, with her husband, four children, and one very fluffy puppy.