"A coming-of-age romance about love, loss, heartbreak, hope, and the labels that don't define us.
STAR PITCHER. TOWN GOLDEN BOY. HEARTBREAKER. NEMESIS.
Caleb Winters was a familiar name long before he deigned Landry High with his presence. It took me all of ten seconds to determine he's everything I'm not: charismatic, captivating, and celebrated.
Unlike most of Landry, he doesn't shy away from my messy background. Or pretend I don't exist. He answers my caustic remarks with choice retorts of his own. Our notorious bickering aside, I don't have time for the town golden boy. I have actual problems. Challenges. Crushing responsibilities.
But when I'm suddenly forced to spend more time with him, I unexpectedly discover Caleb Winters might be more than just the entitled jock I've sparred with since freshman year.
And that realization can only end badly. For me.
Because everyone knows he's destined for big, impressive things, and I'm . . . not."
"Liam: Losing isn't a trait anyone looks for in a quarterback, and I never won when it mattered. Arlington University was supposed to be a fresh start. But infamy isn't easily forgotten—especially when everyone knows my twin sister is dating my biggest rival. Constant reminders of their relationship have me on edge about Alleghany. Spending a weekend sleeping across the hall from Natalie Jacobs doesn't help. The popular, pretty blonde didn't just celebrate each of my defeats—she literally led the cheer against me. Just my luck the last girl who should pique my interest is also the only one who ever has.
Natalie: Spending the summer back in Alleghany, dealing with my parents' problems, is the last place I want to be. I jump at the chance to spend a weekend away, visiting a college friend. I'm not expecting to know anyone else visiting her cottage on the Cape, much less come face-to-face with Glenmont's infamous former quarterback. Not-so affectionately known as Sergeant Stevens on my side of the lake, Liam is still every bit the stoic, serious rule-follower I watched bark orders on the field. Sure, he's nice to look at, but that's where any interest begins and ends. The one thing Liam and I agree on is the rivalry between our hometowns isn't a surpassable boundary. And if we did allow ourselves to cross it, it would only be for now . . . not forever."
"Harlow Hayes has spent three years avoiding Conor Hart. The cocky captain of Holt University's hockey team makes it easy—he ignores her right back.
Plenty of girls fall for the charming lines and that arrogant smirk.
Harlow knows better. Knows more.
Like the fuel for the fury that makes Conor such a dominant force on the ice. The history they share but didn't write. The reason they don't speak.
Until, one day, they do.
He was supposed to be the one guy she could never—would never—like, much less love.
Famous last words."
"He's the guy every girl wants . . .
Jace Dawson is less than a year away from accomplishing everything he's spent the past decade striving for. Not only has playing professional football been the dream since he was a kid, the financial incentive isn't one he could walk away from even if he wanted to. That is, until a chance collision has the unexpected outcome of making Jace realize he might want something more than the goal he's spent most of his life pursuing. Might want someone more.
. . . she's the girl he can never have.
For Vivienne Rhodes, the opportunity to attend Lincoln University represents what she's always craved more than anything: normalcy. One semester is all she has before returning to a future that's set in stone. Her mere presence on campus is only made possible by an elaborate arrangement. The essential component of it is that no one can know her real identity. Falling for the star quarterback is most definitely not part of the plan. But it will all be fine, just as long as she keeps those feelings to herself. Because that unchangeable future? Can't include Jace Dawson."
"It's hard to forget your past when you're staring at it.
That's the conclusion Emma Watkins arrives at when she returns to Hayden, Maine—population 2,253; now 2,254—for the first time in nine years.
When she sees him for the first time in nine years.
When that word leaves his mouth. Buttercup. A pretty nickname in an ugly tone. A term of endearment time twisted into an insult. A taunt that nothing has been forgiven—or forgotten.
She's back to sever ties. Break promises. Keep secrets. All easier said than done. The memories she left behind aren't all bad . . . more like mostly good.
Reminders of the happy times before the heartbreak don't change the fact that this visit is a farewell tour, not a reunion. Caden Bennett is the guy she left behind. Being back where they began doesn't change that.
But she never intended to fall for him the first time, either."
"A lot can happen on a two-week trip to the Canadian wilderness.
Auden Harmon learns her parents’ marriage is officially over. Expected. Accidentally gifts a five-hundred-dollar pen to a stranger. Unexpected.
Neither event wreaks havoc on her life quite like meeting Elliot Reid does. He has eyes the color of the cloudy sky. A slapshot the whole country has an unhealthy obsession with. The uncanny ability to say the exact right thing, right when she needs to hear it.
They stay in touch after she leaves. Swap secrets. Become best friends. Tell each other everything.
Well . . . almost everything.
It’s a thin line between love and hate. The line between love and friendship with a guy who makes mammoth-sized butterflies swarm your stomach? Practically transparent. But when he’s made it clear friendship is all he has to offer?
You can never say it."
"The first time Ryder James broke my heart, I was fifteen and fearless. The second time he broke my heart, I was eighteen and jaded.
Both times, I fell for him effortlessly. Falling is easy. Our landings are hard. Painful.
We were a sad song with a slow melody. Flowers with paper petals. Hidden letters with visible tears. A beautiful tragedy.
Except tragedies have endings. Our story just . . . stopped.
Seven years later, I still have more questions than answers. Questions I'm too proud to ask after almost a decade of silence. Answers he refuses to share, no matter how much time we're forced to spend together.
Everything's changed . . . except how I feel about him. And the recurring moments when I'm certain Ryder hasn't forgotten our past either.
Can you forget your first? Or are they destined to keep breaking your heart . . . over and over again?"
"Are first loves meant to last? Or do we outgrow our pasts . . .
She's been part of my life since we were kids. The girl who grew up across the street. The responsible, straight-A student destined for success. My little sister's best friend.
Nothing like my reckless, impulsive self.
But Cassia Nolan has always been my calm in the midst of chaos. All that centers me, besides basketball. I fought falling for her; it happened anyway.
Growing older is supposed to involve getting wiser. But me? I keep making the same mistakes. And when the start of our senior year of college reveals some shocking truths, our relationship looks more fragile than ever.
Letting her go sounds impossible. There's a saying about that . . . and things you love.
I'm selfish. But she's the exception—always."
"His name starts with a H. So does happiness. Heartbreak. Home. Hoops. All things I associate with him.
Ever since my family moved in across the street when we were both kids, Holden Adams has been that guy. My first crush. My former confidante. My best friend's brother. He's the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.
I love him.
I hate him.
One of those is a lie.
I'm just . . . not sure which."
"A standalone, steamy, arranged marriage romance.
There's rich.
Then there's the Ellsworth family. The Kensingtons. American royalty.
Money buys power, and power always has a price. The fear of those who already possess both? Losing it. The best way to ensure keeping it? Alliances. And elites don’t marry down—they marry equal.
For Scarlett Ellsworth and Crew Kensington, that leaves one option: each other. Accepting that inevitability is very different from embracing it. That's the only thing they agree upon.
It was meant to be a union for better and for business.
Instead, it challenges everything Scarlett and Crew thought they knew about themselves, their families, and most of all . . . each other."
"Georgette Adams is trouble incarnate. Spoiled, sassy, smart . . . and the President's only daughter.
Getting summoned to a meeting at the White House felt like an honor—until I caught the catch. I'm the newest member of her security detail. Not only for this summer in DC, but once she leaves for Stanford in the fall as well. Her safety is my responsibility.
Trouble is, the only place Georgie respects any rules is on the tennis court.
Our priorities clash and our personalities conflict, yet somehow—the more time we spend together, the less it feels like work.
But my job description doesn't include making her laugh or enjoying our conversations. And it definitely doesn't involve broken rules or blurred lines.
My only job?
Is to serve."
"Six summers. Six chances. One week spent pretending.
Ever since her younger sister's engagement was announced, Harper Williams has been dreading the wedding. What should be a joyous, sun-drenched affair is sure to be filled with plenty of awkward moments, thanks to Harper's strained relationship with her only sibling. Awkwardness enhanced by the wedding's location—a lake in Maine, swimming with painful memories of their late father.
Running into Drew Halifax—her childhood crush, who grew up to be the golden boy of hockey—is a surprise. Not nearly as shocking as his offer to be her plus-one is, though.
She expects him to back out. He shows up. She's looking for a distraction from the past. He's killing time until his season starts, and he can chase the championship. She's guarded yet outgoing. He's easygoing yet focused.
They hardly know each other—until one week of sharing secrets, pretending to be in love, and sleeping in the same bed changes everything. Feelings that were supposed to be fake start to feel very real.
Problem is, neither of them is looking for a relationship. At most, they're meant to be a summer fling. Definitely not a happily ever after.
But when it comes to falling? You have no control. Once you start, it's impossible to stop. And sometimes… it takes six summers."
