He’s the one person I’m not allowed to fall in love with. But I can’t seem to stay away. Growing up, all I heard was how bad the Hollins Family is. How the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Troy Hollins is so far off limits, he might as well be in another universe. Thankfully, our paths don’t cross at school. Not until senior year – when Troy comes to me for help with his classes. Get a passing grade or lose his starting spot on the university’s hockey team. I can’t say yes, can I? But when he comes to my rescue, I agree to help him. What starts off as innocent study sessions slowly turns into more. Stolen moments hidden away from prying eyes. Changing every opinion I had of him and his family. There’s no way this thing between the two of us can last. We have no future together. Not when our families hate each other. Romeo and Juliet have nothing on our feuding sports families…

A fake girlfriend to improve my image? Yeah, like that'll work. I’m known as the bad boy of hockey. The grump. The one everyone stays away from. Doesn't matter to me though. All I care about is the game. As long as I keep my head down and it doesn’t affect my spot on the team, I’m good. Until it does. To fix my shining reputation, the team sets me up with Piper Fields, the happiest girl on the planet. Now my girlfriend. Scratch that—my fake girlfriend. All I have to do is pretend to like her in public and keep my distance in private. Except that’s not exactly what happens… With each day we spend together, I find myself forgetting that none of this is real. Sparks fly and lines blur. I know she feels it too. Then, just when I thought I had finally found something to hold on to, someone threatens to expose us. But just like in the game, I’m in it to win, and this time, I'm going to win her. For good.

As the starting goalie for a professional hockey team, I should be oozing confidence and swagger. Too bad I’m as awkward as they come. Things go from bad to worse when I want my teammates’ help to set me up. Especially when the team’s general manager is there to witness the train wreck of a date. Until she proposes dating lessons….mutual dating lessons. How can the most confident, self-assured woman need my help? What starts off simple and uncomplicated quickly turns into more. A lot more. She’s supposed to be helping me with other women. But the more time I spend with Bexley, the more I want her. Only her. We can’t be together. She’s my general manager. More than a decade older than me. There’s no way this can work. Except it does. When everything goes sideways, will the two of us find a way to make it work? I can only hope the outside world won’t crush the best thing I have going for me.

coming fall, 2024