Team Vinci Books Team Spirit: A witty, feel-good tale of love, life, and second chances at the tennis club: 4

A witty, feel-good novel of love and committee politics at a suburban tennis club, where a reluctant new chairman and his razor-sharp deputy try to keep a community, and a flirtation, from falling apart. Warm British romantic comedy of second chances and small-club chaos.

Laurie’s running the club. Helen’s running out of patience.

When the chairman of the tennis club resigns in disgrace, reluctant Laurie finds himself in charge—paired with the razor-sharp Helen as his new deputy, and an unexpected spark between them that neither is quite ready to acknowledge. Their first challenge? Moving club meetings to the Dream Café while the clubhouse gets a long-overdue rebuild.

What could go wrong?

Try a builder who’s stopped answering his phone, a WhatsApp group veering into scandal, and a middle-aged flirt who treats the club like a dating app. Then Helen’s ready to move things forward with Laurie, but he keeps pulling back—and not just because of tennis politics. There’s something weighing on him, something he’s not ready to share.

As late night meetings turn into something more, Laurie and Helen must figure out what teamwork really means—on and off the court, in love and in life.

Team Spirit is the fourth standalone novel in the At the Dream Café series, perfect for fans of dry wit, romance and the beautiful chaos of trying to hold a community together.

Dream Café - shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists' Association's Joan Hessayon Award, 2016

RJ Gould is a feature contributor for publications including Writing Magazine and Pen to Print, and a presenter covering The MAN in RoMANce at Romantic Novelists' Association annual conferences, regional workshops, The University of the Third Age, and Cambridge Writers.

Praise for Team Spirit:

"Brilliantly written and exactly the sort of thing that happens in clubs of all kinds."

"The people are true to form."

"A couple that met through tennis grow together as they solve problems."

"Another gem from Richard Gould."

"Back and forth of the barbs during the meeting reflected a hard-fought tennis match."

"Characterisation was spot on… but how many of them would you want to play tennis with?"

"The pace is brisk."

"I liked Laurie and Helen and following their bumpy road to success."

"It’s super interesting to get a male author’s take on the world of ‘romance fiction."