From Now On by C.W. Farnsworth

From Now On by C.W. Farnsworth -- 440 pages

Spending a week as a “fifth wheel” to two happy couples isn’t the best cure for heartbreak, but Eve Driscoll’s options for spring break are limited. Either join her best friend for a group getaway or slouch on the couch reliving the unexpected end of her three-year relationship.

Time away from campus might be exactly what Eve needs to refocus on her life-long dream that’s about to become a reality—moving to New York City to become an artist. She’s spent most of college playing it safe. Maybe she should take some risks before graduating. Starting with a road trip to California…

There couldn’t have been a better ending to Hunter Morgan’s hockey career than winning a national championship. But the high of hoisting a trophy is fading, forcing him to face difficult decisions about his post-graduation plans. Spring break will be a welcome distraction, although spending the week with his two best friends sounded a lot more appealing before they both got girlfriends. Until he finds out Eve Driscoll is joining their trip too…

Timing wasn’t on Hunter’s side freshman year. He isn’t even sure if Eve remembers the night they met. And he’s certain, only two months from graduation, the timing is even worse now. But Hunter knows he’ll regret never telling Eve how much he wishes that evening had ended differently. Especially once he discovers she hasn’t forgotten him.

The Enforcer by Avery Keelan

The Enforcer by Avery Keelan -- 398 pages

I spent two years convincing myself what we had wasn’t real—and the moment our eyes lock from across the room, all those lies I’ve been telling myself shatter at my feet.

Hockey superstar Nash Richards was my first everything: my first boyfriend, my first time, and my first love. I used to attend every Lakeside U hockey game, proudly wearing his jersey while I cheered him on from the stands. Then he cross-checked my heart into the boards, and I vowed never to set foot in that arena again. Now, life just slap-shot me in the face: a senior internship with Nash’s team, and guess who I’m assigned to? I have to work one-on-one with Nash for an entire semester. Talk about a worst-case scenario.

I know better than to fall for his charms a second time, especially with the department’s no-dating rule between trainers and their athletes. But that’s easier said than done when our old spark is now a raging inferno and he’s hell-bent on winning me back. As Nash gradually breaks down my walls, he reveals a side of himself that's raw and more vulnerable than I've ever seen. Lines blur during late nights in the training room alone, a moment of weakness turning everything upside down. But beneath this newfound closeness, he’s keeping a dark secret that could tear us apart—and in this high-stakes game of love, we’re both risking more than just our hearts.

Against All Odds by C.W. Farnsworth

Against All Odds by C.W. Farnsworth -- 402 pages

Rylan Keller is dreading the start of spring semester. After choosing a college across the country and spending the past fall abroad, she’ll be a Holt University student. Worse than starting over at a new school? Starting over at a new school where your dad is the head coach of the men’s hockey team. And reluctantly agreeing to tutor a player, then coming face-to-face with the guy you thought you’d never see again.

Aidan Phillips has a reputation on campus. One he’s carefully curated to include limited reliability or responsibility. Outside of hockey, he spends his free time drinking, partying, and flirting. Often all three.

He’s a player off the ice as well as on it. Gorgeous, carefree, reckless. His one goal is to finally win Holt a championship, which he can only do if he keeps up his end of the tutoring arrangement. Hooking up with his tutor would be stupider than failing in the first place, even if the tutor in question wasn’t his coach’s daughter.

Rylan is determined to excel at Holt and make her fresh start a success. To finally have some fun, and not with a hockey player. Except, the more time they spend together, the easier it is for Rylan to look past Aidan’s facade. The harder it is to hold back. But no matter how tempting giving in might be…the odds are stacked against them.

Famous Last Words by C.W. Farnsworth

Famous Last Words by C.W. Farnsworth -- 378 pages

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.

The Dixon Rule by Elle Kennedy

The Dixon Rule by Elle Kennedy -- 526 pages

Diana Dixon has a lot going on this summer. She’s rehearsing for a ballroom dance competition, juggling two jobs, and dealing with an ex-boyfriend who can’t take the hint it’s over. Yet despite all that, she still has plenty of time and energy to tell Shane Lindley to screw off.

Shane just moved into her apartment building and seems dedicated to sleeping his way through her entire cheerleading squad. Sure, he’s a tall, gorgeous hockey player, but he’s messing with her turf. This calls for some ground rules: no parties in her apartment, leave her teammates alone, and—most importantly—leave her alone.

What Diana doesn’t realize is that Shane’s sick of hookups and tired of being on the rebound after his long-term girlfriend called it quits. He wants a relationship. And when his ex comes back into the picture, he pretends he has one to make her jealous…and who better to play the girlfriend role than his sassy new neighbor?

Despite Diana’s reluctance to break her rule, a fake relationship is the perfect solution for her own ex issues, and soon she can’t deny something is sizzling between her and Shane. Something hot and completely unexpected. And it might just be getting a little too real.

The It Girl by Ruth Ware

 The It Girl by Ruth Ware-432 pages (Barnes & Noble Edition)

I previously read The Turn of the Key by Ware for a book club and really liked it. I've been wanting to read more of her books. This is her most recent novel. I was not disappointed by this novel. Hannah Jones found her best friend and setmate (they shared a suite) at Oxford dead ten years ago, in 2012. She saw a porter coming down the stairs from their suite and thought he could be the only one to kill her friend, April Clarke-Cliveden. However, new doubts and evidence come to light thanks to a reporter named Geraint Williams, who comes calling after the convicted porter, John Neville, dies in prison. Geraint believes Neville's continued assertion that he's innocent. Hannah, now de Chastaigne, and married to Will, April's university boyfriend whom she also liked, reluctantly decides to meet with Geraint. The meeting opens a whole new can of worms and starts Hannah on a renewed path to finding justice for April and Neville, if he truly was innocent. This story took several twists and turns and I really liked it. I would rate it 4 out of 5 stars. I look forward to reading more of Ware's books in the future. 

They Never Learn by Layne Fargo

 

They Never Learn by Layne Fargo - 378 pages

Scarlett Clark is an exceptional English professor. But she’s even better at getting away with murder.

Every year, she searches for the worst man at Gorman University and plots his well-deserved demise. Thanks to her meticulous planning, she’s avoided drawing attention to herself—but as she’s preparing for her biggest kill yet, the school starts probing into the growing body count on campus. Determined to keep her enemies close, Scarlett insinuates herself into the investigation and charms the woman in charge, Dr. Mina Pierce. Everything’s going according to her master plan… until she loses control with her latest victim, putting her secret life at risk of exposure.

Meanwhile, Gorman student Carly Schiller is just trying to survive her freshman year. Finally free of her emotionally abusive father, all Carly wants is to focus on her studies and fade into the background. Her new roommate has other ideas. Allison Hadley is cool and confident—everything Carly wishes she could be—and the two girls quickly form an intense friendship. So when Allison is sexually assaulted at a party, Carly becomes obsessed with making the attacker pay... and turning her fantasies about revenge into a reality.

Boyfriend Material by Ilsa Madden-Mills

Boyfriend Material by Ilsa Madden-Mills -- 316 pages

Eric's not Boyfriend Material. Or is he? Skyscraper cheekbones, lush lips, and magnetic topaz eyes. I’m talking about Eric Hansen. Rich prick. Glorified hockey star. Thinks he’s amazing. Yeah. The Golden Boy and I are well acquainted. In prep school he trampled on my heart and kept right on going.

Three years later, he’s living the high life with frat parties and puck bunnies at Hawthorne University. On the other hand, people barely notice me. I’m the nobody, surviving in the seedy part of town as I struggle to keep my head above treacherous waters. The avoidance game we’ve been playing was working—until he rescues me from a bad guy and claims he wants to help me more. Hello. I don’t need a knight in shining armor. This girl saves herself. Yet, I'm not sure how long I can ignore the undeniable spark between us. (It’s not even a spark; it’s a full-fledged, blazing fire.) Can this hockey player prove he’s boyfriend material, or will this be a game we both lose?

The Fourth Time Charm by Maya Hughes

The Fourth Time Charm by Maya Hughes -- 321 pages

“Are you sleeping with my daughter?” Not a question I want to hear from my coach. The man holding my pro future in the palm of his hand. The answer: No. The real answer: I’d sure as hell like to be.

Marisa’s been my best friend since third grade. And now she needs my help—and a place to stay. Senior year was supposed to be the year to keep some distance until the season finished and my draft prospects were safe. But resisting her is becoming impossible. Movie Thursdays under the blankets. Study sessions on my bed. Wild party nights where I kept any guy interested at bay with a single glare. Her dad can bench my ass for the entire season, so she’s off limits—for now.

She’s the only woman I’ve ever loved. And one heated night, I can’t stop fighting every cell in my body and can’t stop myself from sampling her sexy smile, her sweet smell, and her sultry curves. We’re walking a tightrope with my future on the line. Let’s just make sure Coach doesn’t find out...

The Third Best Thing by Maya Hughes

The Third Best Thing by Maya Hughes -- 404 pages

Dear Letter Girl, I need to see you. When can we meet?

Her response never came. My secret pen pal with a dirty mind has ghosted me. I've roped Jules, my sweet as pie next door neighbor, to help me track her down. There's only one problem--I'm falling for her. The tortoise shell glasses, out of this world curves and delicious treats are making the search for The Letter Girl even harder. 

My notes were supposed to be a one time thing.

A little too much wine and naughty thoughts on a winter's night. I never thought Berk would write back. I wanted to tell him it was me, but the fear of rejection kept my lips sealed. Now he’s enlisted my help to track down The Letter Girl and our search has him hot on my, ahem, her trail.

She's the girl next door. He's my secret pen pal. Truth is on a collision course with their hearts and it’s only a matter of time before one of them gets wrecked...

The Second We Met by Maya Hughes

The Second We Met by Maya Hughes -- 328 pages

Had I known Phoenix “Nix” Russo would’ve been the neighbor from hell, I’d have told him right where he could shove my words.

Nix is the big man on campus with everyone lined up at his games to make sure he knows it. Sure, he’s got piercing blue eyes, abs that don’t quit and a smile that could set fire to a set of panties from a hundred yards away, but he’s also the biggest pain in my ass.

Elle Masterson called the cops on one of my parties—again. My sweet talking usually gets me out of trouble, but this time it got me into a nice pair of silver handcuffs. Now I’m on a reputation rehab tour with a stop at a spring break community service project. Guess who’s my new boss?

Now we’re shoulder to shoulder, sweaty, tired and…she’s not anything like I expected. There might just be a heart under that hardass exterior. She’s invading my dreams and I can’t shake the feeling she’s the key to unlocking a piece of me that I’ve hidden away. It’s only a matter of time until she finds out why I’m really here. Maybe I can break through her walls and into her heart before that happens...one day at a time.

I Promise You by Ilsa Madden-Mills

I Promise You by Ilsa Madden-Mills -- 420 pages

Dillon McQueen: Babe. I promise. You want me.
Serena Jensen: Um, who are you?

There’s a legend at Waylon University: the first girl you kiss freshman year at the bonfire party is the one you’ll never forget. She’ll crawl under your skin and never leave. She’ll spark a passion so fierce you’ll burn the world down to possess her. You might even put a ring on it. As in all things with fate, timing is everything. That kiss can go horribly wrong. She might run in the opposite direction. And boy, did Serena run.

Dillon is Waylon’s hotshot quarterback with something to prove. All he wants is to graduate and make it to the NFL. What he doesn’t need is to finally meet the mystery girl he kissed at the bonfire freshman year. Isn’t it enough that she’s haunted his dreams for more than a thousand nights?

Fate laughs in his face when he runs into the quirky girl at the Piggly Wiggly. Surrounded by his entourage, he’s got all the Oreos in his cart; she gets revenge by buying every six-pack of his favorite beer. Obviously, that legend is a curse. She’s not his type. She hates him. Worst of all, how can she not remember him when she left a Serena-shaped hole in his heart for the past three years? So why can’t he stop trying to win her? Will this quarterback score the girl or make the biggest fumble of his life?

Tyed by L.J. Shen

Tyed by L.J. Shen -- 214 pages

Rock bottom has built way more champions than privilege ever has.

Blaire, an underachieving college student with zero prospects and a ton of issues (hey, being the less-successful twin of a gorgeous supermodel would totally do that to you) needs something from Ty.

Mixed Martial artist Ty, a soon-to-be Welterweight champion of the Xtreme Warrior League and the hottest guy in the Bay Area, wants something from Blaire.

But Ty has a secret. And Blaire can barely even handle his truths. Life is about to throw a few knockout punches at both of them. Can they handle the pain?

I Hate You by Ilsa Madden-Mills

I Hate You by Ilsa Madden-Mills -- 302 pages

Blaze Townsend: I hate you.
Charisma Rossi: I hate you more.

She’s been expecting this ever since their latest showdown. She had good reason. Hottest guy she’s ever seen. Former fling. Dumped her in front of all her friends. At her own party.

So no, she’s not about to forgive and forget just because he sits next to her in class. He thinks all he has to do is turn on those baby blues, and she’ll melt right back into his arms. Please. She’d be crazy to let this cocky player affect her again. (Tell that to her body.)

Charisma Rossi. Brainy girl with a dash of bad. The one who got under his skin. The one he cut loose.

Blaze knows she’s the riskiest prospect at Waylon University, but none of the interchangeable girls he hooks up with have ever made him feel the way she did. There’s absolutely no way he can have the girl and the game. So why can’t he stop trying to win her back? Can this wide receiver score the girl or will he make the biggest fumble of his life?

I Bet You by Ilsa Madden-Mills

I Bet You by Ilsa Madden-Mills -- 298 pages

Sexy Athlete: I bet you . . .
Penelope Graham: Burn in hell, quarterback.

The text is random but Penelope figures out exactly who “Sexy Athlete” is. And why she shouldn't take his wager.

Ryker Voss. Football star. Walks on water and God's gift to women. Just ask him. His bet? He promises Penelope he’ll win her the heart of the guy she’s been crushing on. His plan—good old-fashioned jealousy. Once her crush sees her kissing Ryker, he'll realize what he's missing. Sounds legit, right? The only question is . . . why is Ryker being so nice to her?

Penelope Graham. Good girl. Lover of sparkly vampires and calculus. His mortal enemy. Penelope knows she shouldn’t trust a jock, but what’s a girl to do when she needs a date to Homecoming? And Ryker’s keeping a secret, another bet, one that will destroy Penelope’s heart forever. Will the quarterback score the good girl or will his secrets mean everyone loses this game of love?

I Dare You by Ilsa Madden-Mills

I Dare You by Ilsa Madden-Mills -- 254 pages

Badass Athlete: I dare you to…
Delaney Shaw: Who is this?

The late night text is random, but "Badass Athlete" sure seems to know who she is…Delaney Shaw. Good girl. Lover of fluffy kitties and Star Wars. Curious.

His dare? Spend one night in his bed—a night he promises will be unforgettable—and she can solve the mystery of who he is. She knows she shouldn't, but what else is she going to do with her boring Valentine's Day? One sexy hook-up later, her mind is blown and the secret's out.

Maverick Monroe. Bad boy. The most talented football player in the country. Just ask him.

Too bad for him Delaney's sworn off dating athletes forever after her last heartbreak. But Maverick wants more than one night and refuses to give up on winning Delaney’s heart. She isn’t one to be fazed by a set of broad shoulders. Will the bad boy land the nerd girl or will the secrets they keep from each other separate them forever? 

The Relationship Pact by Adriana Locke

The Relationship Pact by Adriana Locke -- 308 pages

How hard can it be? That was the question rolling around Larissa Mason’s mind just before she asked Hollis Hudson to be her fake boyfriend. It was only supposed to be for five minutes, after all.

Granted, that was also before she felt his hand on the small of her back as he charmed the heck out of her family. She hadn’t heard his laugh yet either.

And it was definitely before she saw the football god shirtless. Otherwise, she would’ve had an idea of just how hard some things could be.

It turns out that pretending to be in love with a crazily handsome, somewhat enigmatic, and absolutely unforgettable tight end is easy. Reminding herself that just because opposites attract doesn’t mean they’re forever is much harder. What they have isn’t love—it’s a relationship pact. Right?

The Romantic Pact by Meghan Quinn

The Romantic Pact by Meghan Quinn -- 348 pages

I haven't seen her in three years. I haven't talked to her since the kiss.

So why am I on a plane, flying across the world to spend a week with her in Germany?

One word: Pops.

My life’s a mess. My possible football career is hanging on by a thread. I'm driving the roads of Germany in honor of Pops with the one girl I can never have. And I’m sharing a bed with her, the girl I've measured everyone else up to, while desperately trying to not to touch her.

We made a pact growing up, never to get romantic with each other - never fall in love. And I'm about to break that pact. For good.

The Revenge Pact by Ilsa Madden-Mills

 The Revenge Pact by Ilsa Madden-Mills -- 486 pages

River Tate is a god on campus.
The king of football.
A tattooed bad boy with gunmetal eyes that see right through you.
The only chink in his armor is her, the girl he pretends doesn’t exist, the forbidden one with the shy smile and lavender hair.

Anastasia Bailey is a nobody.
The queen of nothing.
An outsider with the face of an angel and a body made for sin.
The only chink in her armor is him, her boyfriend’s frat brother, the football player who hates her.

But when Anastasia’s life comes crashing down, River’s the one who sweeps in and picks up the pieces. Torn between loyalty, lies, and secrets, he battles the temptation to take everything from her when they make their revenge pact. He can’t tell her no. Because revenge (or love) is, sweet, and once you get a taste, the craving never ends.

Playing With Fire by L.J. Shen

Playing With Fire by L.J. Shen -- 436 pages

A broken boy on the path to destruction. 

A scarred girl without direction. 

A love story carved in secrets, inked with pain and sealed with a lie. 

Grace Shaw and West St. Claire are arctic opposites. She is the strange girl from the food truck. He is the mysterious underground fighter who stormed into her sleepy Texan college town on his motorcycle one day, and has been wreaking havoc since. She is invisible to the world. He is the town’s beloved bad boy. She is a reject. He is trouble.

When West thrusts himself into Grace’s quiet life, she scrambles to figure out if he is her happily-ever-after or tragic ending. But the harder she pushes him away, the more he pulls her out of her shell. Grace doesn’t know much about anything beyond her town’s limits, but she does know this: She is falling in love with the hottest guy in Sheridan U. And when you play with fire—you ought to get burned.