Fake Out Rivals

I’ve always been the sidekick, the supporting cast. Until I go on a date with Scotia Storm’s hottest center—a guy I’ve been crazy about for months—and everything changes. Even though the two of us don’t seem to make sense and I have no idea what he sees in me, love somehow finds a way. Every touch, every kiss makes me feel important and special, like I could be the main character in his life. I begin to plan a future, until I overhear words that shatter my heart and make me question my leading role. Could everything I’ve ever believed in be nothing but fake?

I hate everything about him. Everything from his boyish good looks to the flawless fit of his jersey. But you know what I hate the most? That his family, owners of the biggest seafood company in Lunenburg, is trying to run our small, family seafood business into the ground. But when fate takes a turn and Liam comes to my rescue, I begin to see another side of him. That’s when I soften. Can you say stupid? Yeah, I know, I can too. Because we all know that getting involved with the enemy—even secretly—is not a smart move. But his touch shuts down my brain, and my ability to think with reason. Soon enough I’m consumed by the hockey player who wants me, and me only. Or at least I thought he did. Until he does something that could destroy my family, destroy us, leaving me with the burning question of how I can possibly navigate a path forward and salvage what remains of us.

As a bookworm in rural Nova Scotia, a girl who always orbited the popular crowd, I craved acceptance. During my freshman year at Scotia Academy, I devised a plan to transform myself. My reinvention, however, leads to a chain of unsettling events, blurring the boundaries between my true self and the façade I've created. When a baby unexpectedly appears outside my dorm room, I'm forced to live with my best friend's brother Kace Andrews—a notorious hockey player who loves all the puck bunnies. Well, all the puck bunnies except for me. But soon enough, he begins to see beyond my disguise, which leads to soft kisses, tender touches and late nights between the sheets. We’re on a journey of self-discovery as we play house, but when a reckless mistake catches up with me, bringing up old hurts Kace can’t seem to outrun, I question whether our love is enough to help rebuild our shattered trust in a world consumed by betrayal.

Dane Taylor: Scotia Storms biggest player. A rule-breaker who is wild, reckless and fun. He’s everything I’m not allowed to be—or be around—thanks to an overbearing brother who just happens to be Dane’s captain. But when Dane rescues me from a bad situation, I can’t help but want him, which leads to a secret relationship that allows me to grow. Then, the worst thing that could ever happen to me, happens. And one bad decision leads to another. I find myself hurting everyone I ever cared about. Maybe I should have listened to my brother—since all I do is make mistakes--and maybe I never should have kept secrets from the player who was never playing at all when it came to loving me.

After spending my life in the shadows, all I ever wanted was to feel special, to be seen. So, when the hottest guy on our hockey team decides he wants me, I’m shocked, and thrilled. Until a player from a rival team challenges my boyfriend to a bet—and wins. Oh, did I mention I’m the prize. For one solid month I belong to the enemy. Except it’s hard to think of him as the enemy when he showers me with tender touches, soft kisses, and shows me what it’s really like to feel special, to be seen. How could I not fall for a guy like that? But, when our thirty days end, and the enemy proves to be the man I’ve always needed, I’m faced with an unsettling truth—it’s possible he’s the only one who doesn’t believe it. Was I nothing more than a pawn in a game of hate?

He was my brother’s best friend – my teenage crush. Until one night—one beautiful mistake—changed it all. He took off to play college ball for Michigan, and my brother and I never set eyes on him again. Now, three years later, I’m in Houston for a romance writing conference. He’s at the same hotel for the MLB playoffs. That’s when our past catches up with us, and the real games begin. This time, I plan to fix past mistakes and rewrite our ending. All is well until he discovers a secret that sends my plot in a new direction, one where happily ever after just might not exist.

Maeve Carter, the Boston Bucks’ team physiotherapist, is the definition of beautiful. As a former model, her stunning looks have defined her—just ask the paparazzi or the stalker who made her life miserable. But I see more. Want more. And she can never know that. You see, she’s my oldest teammate's daughter, and I can’t touch that with a ten-foot hockey stick. Until a single mistake puts her in my bed, turning everything upside down. You know what they say about the best laid plans—pun intended. I should walk away. I need to walk away. Except now that I have her where I’ve always wanted her, I’m hooked…hard. But then we have to fake a relationship to appease my meddling mother. Only problem is, I don’t want to fake it anymore. What do you think I should do about that? Meet the Bang Brothers—five hot hockey-playing brothers who are allergic to commitment. The brothers are about to face off against their newly-retired mother…who suddenly has plenty of time to play matchmaker. Add in their baby sister and some secret dating, a single dad, an accidental pregnancy, a marriage of convenience, and a wrong bed—or two—and these siblings are not going to know what hit them! Bang Brothers Hockey Series Titles: 6/11/2024–Lace ’em Up by Elise Faber 6/25/2024–Show ’em How by Jami Davenport 7/9/2024–Hit ’em Hard by Kat Mizera 7/23/2024–Lock ’em Down by Gina Azzi 8/6/2024–Light ’em Up by Kelly Jamieson 8/20/2024–Hook ’em Hard by Cathryn Fox

I wasn’t looking for love. Heck I wasn’t looking for anything. But it found me in a six-foot tall, two-hundred-pound hockey goalie. I try to fight it. I really do. This guy is a player, in more ways than one. At least I think he is. But I’m a Master of Psychology Student and there is one thing I know—not everything is as it appears. Looking deeper, I catch glimpses of the real Brady, the man this goalie keeps hidden—from everyone. I like that guy. A lot. And I’m pretty sure he likes me too. But then I discover something else about the man beneath the jersey, something dark and hurtful, something that tells me who I really am to him, which means there’s only one thing left for me to do… Show the player who he’s really playing with.