Laura Bennett has spent her life taking care of other people and running the Dip and Twist. With an ever-growing family, she's a mother to them all, and she loves every minute of it. But her baby is getting married, and her oldest has her own life changes to deal with. Suddenly, being all alone doesn't sound so appealing anymore.
Dean Campbell has been the black sheep of his family since the day he was born. The only one he cares about is his nephew, Palmer. Deciding at the last minute to attend Palmer's nuptials, Dean knows he's going to need to try his hardest not to be his usual, grouchy self. But the sexy and sassy mother-of-the-bride has him wanting to check Plus-One on his invite. He's never had more fun getting under someone's skin, and it doesn't take long for all the people, noise, and chaos that surround Laura Bennett to become a few of his favorite things.
Laura thinks a fun wedding fling is just what the doctor ordered to get her out of this funk. But Dean's been sprinkled with Shepherd's glitter and the magic of Summersweet Island. He'll do whatever it takes to convince her that she just might change her mind about falling in love again.
Contains mature themes.
Caleb Burke.
Charming. Funny. Sexy.
Major player—both on the field and with the ladies.
I hate him.
Well, not really. I resist his so-called charms because I recognize them. We’re a lot alike, Caleb and I. He’s afraid of commitment? Me too. A giant flirt? Same here. He knows how to party? I am the absolute queen of the party.
Until I realize it’s time for me to grow up and become a responsible adult. I’ll be student teaching next year, so to save money, I move in with my two new roommates—Eli Bennett and Caleb. Then I find a summer job—where Caleb works. Soon, I’m spending almost every single day with the guy.
He’s growing on me too. We’ve always had this unspoken chemistry brewing between us. When we finally give in to it, it’s just as spectacular as I secretly predicted. The sex, and everything else, keeps getting better and better between us too.
But can I really take this guy seriously? Or am I only setting myself up to fail?
This edgy bully romance contains dark scenes some readers may find uncomfortable to read. Reader discretion is advised.
Your favorite hot jocks are back with an all new stand-alone novel. If you like sexy, confident men who know how to handle a stick (on and off the ice), and smart women who are strong enough to keep all those big egos in check, this series of athlete romances is perfect for you!
Cam DeSantis's life is a mess. How else would you describe losing your husband, your job, and your money all at once? Desperate times call for desperate measures.
So when salvation comes in the form of one intolerable jerk, who just happens to be the starting quarterback for the vaunted New York Titans, she has no choice but to accept his offer as a live-in nanny slash teacher for his eight year old nephew.
Now all she has to do is find a way to ignore him for the next three months. Which is harder said than done.
***
Calvin Shaw has zero interest in women.
Wait, wait-let me rephrase that. He loves women, he just doesn't want anything to do with 'um. What he needs to do is focus on winning another Super Bowl before he retires.
Problem is, the woman living in his house is a major distraction. And he doesn't know what's worse, that he promised to be civil, or that he's attracted to her.
Beautifully, wonderfully, toe-curlingly complex.
That's Killian O'Sullivan-running back for the New York Vulcans-complete with lucky green jockstrap and an appetite for trouble. A smart woman would steer well clear, but I've decided to head right for the pretty blue eyes of the storm.
I find him one night half-naked in an alleyway (long story) short on pants but definitely not short on something else. Helping a stranger in need is one thing, but dating a Vulcan is quite another. He lives on a knife's edge. Me? I've got . . . complications (even longer story).
It's a solid no-go. Absolutely not. Still, there's a flicker of desire that's working itself between my legs that seems damn near unstoppable if I let it burn unattended. But a guy who looks good in a skirt (yep, another story) and smells like a bottle of Jameson?
I have an inkling, a little tingle that tells me it would be a bad, no good, terrible kind of idea.
Because getting into his pants is one thing. But getting into his head is quite another.
Contains mature themes.
Aiden Murphy has always made me nervous.
He's larger than life. Always the center of attention. I'm the opposite. I hate to have everyone's eyes on me. He lives his life in public, and I like to live behind the scenes. I had never been on his radar one single day in his very loud life, and then I was . . .
What is it about Sabrina Cabot that throws me off my game?
This uptight senator's daughter is the exact opposite of the type of woman I'm typically attracted to . . . and maybe that's a good thing. She makes me want to be a better man. To get more serious about life. To slow down. To give more. But will she be willing to give me her heart?
At some point, life has to be more than a game.
My best friend is hot, rich, and emotionally unavailable. Falling in love with him is the worst idea ever but try telling that to my heart.
As a doctor who aced her way through medical school, I should be too smart to fall for Gabe Mendoza, a man who's married to his MMA career. For years, I've patched his wounds and cheered him on, but I'm tired of hoping he'll wake up and see what's right in front of him. I'm ready to find someone who will put me first.
The last thing I expect is for Gabe to scare off my dates and tell me all the dirty things he wants to do to me. He asks for a chance, but with the fight of his life on the horizon, his attention is divided, and I'm scared that when push comes to shove, I'll be left heartbroken.
Can I trust Gabe enough to fight for our happily ever after? Or was our end written before it even began?
Contains mature themes.
Subzero. That’s what folks around the league call Constantine Zimin, hockey’s best defenseman. He’s unflappable. Stoic, even. No cracks in all that ice, not until he meets Suji Meriwether. The pediatric nurse has no time for bad-boy jocks who want to use her patients as props. But as soon as they meet, temperatures rise and their defenses fall.
Editorial Reviews:
4.5 Stars
Finally, a book...about a love that that is new and exciting. No long, lost love in The Warm Up but a love at first site for two people who deserve it in their lives. The Warm Up was explosive. I got to enjoy a little bit of my home state where hockey is as big as football and baseball. And, Xio Axelrod made it very easy to enjoy the relationship between these two, beautiful people. - Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
This was fun love story between Zim and Suji. I laughed out loud during the first few minutes of their meeting but that was soon replaced with some hot chemistry and then some more laughing. Definitely some romantic comedy going on here. I loved it. - Bea's Book Nook
The Warm Up by Xio Axelrod is fresh and exciting in the city of love, Philadelphia.
I love it when the heroine is strong, determined and a force to be reckoned with. This spicy story is sexy, witty and hot. I look forward to reading more from this must read author. Everyone should have a sister like Suji and a man like Zim in their lives. - Books I Love a Latte
Gavin Leonard is the worst.
He lives in the best party house off campus at Valley U, overrun by jocks galore.
I live next door, watching Jane Austen adaptations with my sketchbook in hand.
He stays on his side of the fence.
I stay on mine.
Now we're accidentally on a camping trip together, but there's only one tent left.
Gavin Leonard is the worst.
And he's the last guy who broke my heart.
Fake dating the campus player never felt so good.
From USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Sucevic comes a funny, sexy standalone novel.
Brody McKinnon is Whitmore University's star defenseman destined for NHL greatness. He made a name for himself playing juniors before gracing us with his esteemed presence. As much as it pains me to admit it, he’s exploded at the college level.
While other girls fall all over themselves trying to gain his attention, I do my best to steer clear just as I would a particularly nasty case of crabs.
For reasons I can't fathom, Brody takes great pleasure in messing with me. And I, in return, enjoy slicing him to ribbons with my razor-sharp tongue. You'd think after three years, he'd learn to keep his distance. No such luck.
Unfortunately for me, I’m about to experience the worst week of my life. It starts with my ex announcing at a party that I’m a lousy lay. He’s the hockey-playing jerk I dated last year who left a bad taste in my mouth (*eyeroll* seriously…get your mind out of the gutter).
Want to guess who rides in on his trusty white steed to rescue me? Or should I say, opens his big mouth? Yup, you guessed it. Brody freaking McKinnon, the guy I love to hate. He only makes matters worse by telling everyone that we’re together and then punching Reed in the face.
The first…I plan on strangling him for.
The second…I’m only sorry I didn’t get to Reed first.
Now I’m stuck fake-dating Brody, the one guy who makes me feel like a rabid dog on a choke chain, for the foreseeable future. I guarantee we won’t last more than seventy-two hours without me killing him.
The last place I wanted to be is at my ex's MMA club, especially since I've sworn off fighters.
But I never anticipated meeting the De La Cruz twins. And damn, is there anyone who could resist a chance at a night of mind-blowing sex with them? With their tattoos, muscles, and the fact that there's two. Besides, I'm getting the hell out of Vegas as soon as I'm done with college in a few weeks, so why not indulge until then?
It felt good to forget the rules . . . until I woke up to find out they were my new stepbrothers.
It's about to get complicated.
Contains mature themes.
Learning how to fly stole my childhood, and accomplishing my dreams took my parents.
After my parents' death, taking care of my little brother and running my dance studio are the only things I've got time for in my hectic life. Until Declan Sinclair. As the number one draft pick for the Philadelphia Kings, he's not afraid of putting in a little hard work to get what he wants. And he wants me. I don't know if my heart can survive falling in love.
All the best games are won in inches, not yards, and I'm gonna earn this win inch by inch.
I've spent my life working toward one goal. Playing professional football. Until Annabelle Hart. She's fierce, loyal, and the strongest woman I've ever met. I knew she was meant to be mine the first time I saw her. But knowing that and making it happen are two very different things.
Will this beautiful ballerina let me earn her love?
