Athletes

Evan
For the past few years, the only consistent thing in my life was getting my hair cut every few weeks. Grinding my way through the minor leagues meant spending many days on the road and moving at the drop of a dime. I never cared though. I was living my dream and playing the game I love.

When I finally make it to the show, I should have known my sister was up to something when she found me a hairstylist and even went as far as scheduling my appointments for the next few months.

Christy
I had no clue who would walk through the salon’s door after a woman called to schedule an appointment for her brother. She’d completely left out the fact that he had just moved to Nashville to play for the Tennessee Terrors baseball team as their new rookie left fielder.

Of course I notice the athletically fit, handsome man sitting in my chair, but I swore off dating any of my clients after the last one left me pregnant and alone.

My son is the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I love that it’s just the two of us.

When the Terrors have an open batting session inviting families to come watch, catching a ball is the most exciting thing I think will happen, but when the cute guy on the field comes over to talk to my son, I see it's the same guy who sat in my chair today.

Diving Catch is the first book in a series of books with ten amazing authors about the Tennessee Terrors baseball team. All books have crossover characters but are stand-alone novels and can be read in any order.

Diving Catch is a single-mom, baseball romance that is sure to make your toes curl and put a smile on your face.

Growing up, I had one rule: Stay away from my brother's best friend. It was easy to follow. I spent my years avoiding the boys on the baseball team, studying hard, and saving every dime I could. When I was accepted to transfer into UC Berkeley, I needed a place to live, and my brother had a free room off-campus.

Win-win, right? Except that best friend I was determined to stay away from is now my new roommate. My very naughty, very rebellious roommate, Wesley Knight.

The boy who was once the bane of my existence with his constant teasing is now a drop-dead gorgeous athlete. He's the life of the party, but I can't have fun. According to Wes, no guys are allowed to talk to me.

Well, two can play at this game. If I can't date, then neither can he.

It starts off as innocent fun. Some half-naked yoga or a little flirting until an interrupted moment of self-gratification turns things dangerous...for my body and my heart.

Living with my brother and his best friend has me breaking all the rules. I just have to decide if the consequences are worth the reward.

"I read the entire story grinning ear to ear and even finished it with happy tears. In fact, I started trying to slow down at the end because I didn’t want it to be over. Day One by Lauren Runow totally broke my reading slump and I look forward to reading more of her books." - Ana's Attic Book Blog

I reactivated my Tinder account out of pure boredom. Getting a private message surprised me, but when I saw Drew’s profile photo I decided to hit Reply anyway.

Our first texts intrigued me.

Our first phone call excited me.

We’re set to meet until I turn on the television and see him there. The man I’m falling hard for is more than the hot guy in the profile.

He’s baseball’s newest all-star.

And tonight he’s all mine.

* 2023 International Book Awards Romance Finalist! *

Twenty years have passed, yet not one thing in my hometown has changed … even the man I left behind.

I was the girl no one could touch because they all feared my father. He was a legend, the head football coach who had created this town’s Friday night lights. Only two football players dared to win my heart—the boy next door and the new guy in town. I grew up on this football field and fell hard for these two men, who loved me just as much as the game.

When my dad died, decisions had to be made, and I chose the one who held my heart.

As I sit here in the stands, watching the one I didn’t choose fill my father’s role, I can’t help but remember our fumbled past. Wondering if I followed the right guy or what my life would have been like if I hadn’t.

We’re just friends, is the biggest lie we’ve ever told ourselves.

Maya

Everyone assumes I’ll end up with Ben Turner.

That’s the trouble with living in a small town. There’s no such thing as privacy.

No one understands that we’ve been in the friend zone our entire life.

But what I’m having trouble understanding these days is why Ben hates my new boyfriend. It’s almost like he’s trying to ruin my relationship.

So, what’s a girl supposed to do when her best friend is standing between her and her happily ever after?

Ben

I promised to always protect Maya.

And if that means keeping the jerks in town away from her, so be it. She deserves better anyway.

But she thinks this new guy is the one. She’s wrong. He’s not good enough for her.

Hell, I’m not good enough for her.

So, when he lets her down—and I know he will—I’ll be there. I’ll do whatever she needs.

Because I’m not about to let anyone ruin my relationship with the most important person in my life.

How We Loved, book 2 in the Leighton River series, is a friends-to-lovers, new adult/sports romance with plenty of emotional and angsty moments and some spicy times. Preorder it today and get ready to fall in love with Maya and Ben.

Growing up in small-town Mason Creek, it's hard for a girl to dream big. Since my mom was barely making ends meet, I knew moving away for college wasn’t in the cards. What I didn’t know was how singing a Miranda Lambert song while unpacking a box would change my life forever ... and take me away from the only boy I’d ever loved.

Matthew Simms was the guy I was destined to be with. Understanding, caring, and the town’s star athlete, he was my everything … including my first heartbreak. We both left Mason Creek to chase our dreams, leaving our love behind.

I never planned on coming back, but when a cruel turn of events strikes five years later, I’m shocked to come face-to-face with Matthew. Gone is the boy I left, and in his place is a man—handsome, strong, and rugged. There’s no denying our attraction lingers in the air, yet the reasons that kept us apart all this time are still as strong as ever.

He is the man of my dreams, but I chose the life I desired over him.

In the back of my mind, I always thought we'd be together someday.

Well, someday is today.

Only now, just as everything I’ve ever wished for is coming true, I wonder if I chose to chase the wrong dream.

They were raised to hate each other. So why can’t they stop falling?

In the small town of Leighton River, there’s no escaping your last name, or the grudges it carries.

Natalie Spencer knows exactly who Dalton Wick is: arrogant, infuriating, and the son of her family’s oldest rival. From childhood pranks to high school hallway glares, they’ve perfected the art of mutual loathing.

But when a senior-year project forces them to work side by side, cracks start to show in the wall they’ve built between them. Beneath Dalton’s smirk is someone unexpectedly kind. And behind Natalie’s sharp words lies a heart she’s fought to keep guarded.

The more time they spend together, the more the old rules don’t make sense. Their families would never approve. Their friends wouldn’t understand. And the risk of heartbreak is almost guaranteed.

Yet in stolen glances and late-night conversations, Natalie begins to wonder: Was it ever truly hate… or has it been something else all along?

If you love enemies-to-lovers chemistry, small-town drama, and slow-burn romance with heart-melting payoffs, How We Hated will have you swooning, laughing, and turning pages late into the night.

Nothing blurs the line between right and wrong more than love …

Liza
After moving to the small town of Mason Creek, I meet the perfect man.
He’s everything I’ve ever wanted—sweet, sexy, protective.
I fall for him fast and hard.
Then, I find out he’s a senior in high school.
And he’s one of my students.
I should walk away. Being with him could burn my life to the ground.
Trouble is, I’m starting to think it might be worth it …

Eli
I don’t have time for romance. Between school and sports, I’m too busy.
Until I meet her.
I know I’m younger than her. I know student-teacher relationships are forbidden.
But none of that matters when I’m with Liza.
Soon, I’ll be a professional baseball player, and the tiny age gap between us won’t mean anything.
We’ll have our happily ever after.
Assuming I can keep the disapproving world from breaking us apart first …

How We Fooled, book 3 in the Leighton River series, is a forbidden, secret, new adult, sports romance with plenty of emotional, angsty moments and some spicy times.