The Champions (The Cheerleaders, #2) by Kara Thomas

 The Champions (The Cheerleaders, #2) by Kara Thomas-326 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is a pseudo-sequel to The Cheerleaders. Hadley has recently moved with her mom to Sunnybrook. Her mom is the new Superintendent of schools. Hadley ends up embroiled in a mystery involving the back-to-back state champion Sunnybrook High School football team. Hadley is on the high school newspaper staff and agrees to write an article about the football team and that's how she initially gets involved. Events unfold and escalate from there, including anonymous, mysterious emails warning her to stay away from the football team. Just who is sending the emails? Why is Hadley being warned to stay away from the football team?

I've read a few books by this author previously, including The Cheerleaders, and enjoyed them. This is a page-turning thriller just like the rest I've read so far. I would give this 4 stars. 

My Very Favorite Book in the Whole Wide World by Malcolm Mitchell

My Very Favorite Book in the Whole Wide World by Malcolm Mitchell Meet Henley, an all-around good kid, who hates to read. When he's supposed to be reading, he would rather do anything else. But one day, he gets the scariest homework assignment in the world: find your favorite book to share with the class tomorrow. What's a kid to do? How can Henley find a story that speaks to everything inside of him? Kids will love to see the photograph of the author as a football player. Teaches students they can find their own favorite book even if they have to write it themselves.

Hands Down by Mariana Zapata

Hands Down by Mariana Zapata -- 548 pages

Before he was Big Texas, he was Zac the Snack Pack.

Bianca Brannen knows time--mostly--heals all wounds. Including those your once loved ones might have unintentionally given you. (Those just take longer.)

She thinks she’s ready when a call has her walking back into her old friend’s life. Or at least as prepared as possible to see the starting quarterback in the National Football Organization. Before the lights, the fans, and the millions, he’d been a skinny kid with a heart of gold. Waltzing out of Zac Travis’s life should be easy. Just as easy as he walked out of hers.

The Hate of Loving You by Maya Hughes

The Hate of Loving You by Maya Hughes -- 438 pages

Six years ago, in the dead of night, I woke up to a cold bed and an even colder future without her.

I would’ve followed her anywhere and she left. I thought I’d moved on and left all she meant to me behind. But a first love is never easy to forget. Even harder when I once felt our love is inevitable--inescapable. And I’ve been proven right once again.

One night brings us back together and derails our lives. We’re sent on a collision course with a future apart and even scarier--a future together. I’m back basking in the warm glow of her gaze and burning with the unquenchable fire of her touch.

We’ve walked this path before and our shattered hearts have been pieced back together. As easy as it would be to run again, I can’t stop wanting her. This is our final chance to have what we’ve always wanted--each other. Or it’ll be our ruin.

The Sin of Kissing You by Maya Hughes

The Sin of Kissing You by Maya Hughes -- 364 pages

I don’t deserve her forgiveness, but I can’t stop fighting for it.

Bay ran from me four years ago and I can’t blame her. I broke her heart and my own with one split second mistake.

Now we’re thrown together for four weeks. Training camp after the draft is the final step to cement my pro football career, but after seeing her again, she’s the only future I want.

If I were a better guy, I’d walk away and let her live her life. Maybe I haven’t learned my lesson yet because I can’t stop thinking about her. And I won’t stop until she knows how much I still love her. The sins of my past are hard to run from, but I’ll battle every single one, if it means one more chance with her.

The Art of Falling for You by Maya Hughes

The Art of Falling for You by Maya Hughes -- 358 pages

If looks could kill, I’d be a charred pile of ash on the sidewalk.
I need to know why she hates me.

Bay Bishop aka The New Girl is my new neighbor. In her glasses and stage crew black clothes she has a knack for fading into the background.

She’s probably the only one who rolls her eyes when I walk past instead of cheering on my last touchdown play. But before I can shove her into the recesses of my mind filed under “Not my problem” she lands herself smack dab in the middle of my dreams.

I catch her singing with a voice unlike any I’ve heard before that taps into feelings I shouldn’t have for the girl who avoids me at all costs. With three months until graduation, the final play is on. Only it’s not for more points. It’s for Bay. Unlike my success on the field, this win is anything but assured. But I can’t stop myself from taking the risk.

There’s no flashing scoreboard. There’s no cheering crowd. There’s only her and me. The countdown clock is ticking. The only thing scarier than finding my first love will be losing her.

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?

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? 

Not My Match by Ilsa Madden-Mills

Not My Match by Ilsa Madden-Mills -- 301 pages

Homeless and heartbreakingly innocent, Giselle Riley walks into my penthouse and chaos follows. I shouldn’t have invited the girl genius to live with me, but it’s clear she needs my help—not only for a place to lay her pretty blonde head but in finding real love, which she’s not going to get with the crazy men she picks up online.

Too bad she’s a twenty-four-year-old virgin and I’m a bad boy wide receiver. She’s off limits for a hardcore player like me—and we’re just friends. Instead, I’m her matchmaking service, no matter how jealous it makes me when I tag along on her dates.

I can keep my self-control. Right? No way will I give in to everything inside me that dreams of a girl like her in my world. I may be the best wide receiver in the country, but how could I hold on to a girl like her?

Not My Romeo by Ilsa Madden-Mills

Not My Romeo by Ilsa Madden-Mills -- 346 pages

We start off with a lie on Valentine’s Day.

My blind date isn’t the studious guy I expected: he’s a drop-dead gorgeous player with sinful amber eyes. Somehow we end up at his penthouse. I blame the gin and tonic.

The next day I learn he’s Jack Hawke—bad-boy professional quarterback with a murky past. The NDA he has me sign should be a warning that he isn’t a regular person. Please. I sign it Juliet Capulet, so goodbye, famous football player with abs of steel, and good luck tracking down this small-town librarian.

But Jack keeps showing up in places I least expect him. Just when I’m sure he’s gone, he waltzes into my community theater and wins the part of Romeo to my Juliet. How’s a plain, mostly innocent girl like me supposed to resist a man like him? Is Jack my real Romeo… or will this gorgeous football player only break my heart?

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.

Making a Play by Abbi Glines

Making a Play by Abbi Glines -- 320 pages

Ryker Lee is finally enjoying his senior year—he has great friends, hangs out with hot girls, and is on track to get a football scholarship that will set him up for college. Despite this, a small part of him wonders if there’s more to life than parties and meaningless hookups—and if football even means as much to him as it does to his fellow teammates. And when he meets the new girl at school, his world totally changes…

Aurora McClay is new to Lawton. She’s grateful that her twin brother, Hunter, is star of the football team and can help her adjust to her new school, but she’s not grateful at how overprotective he is over every person she meets. Just because she is deaf does not mean people have to treat her differently. When she meets Ryker Lee, the two of them spark an instant and intense chemistry, one that proves to be controversial not only because of Ryker’s reputation as a player, but also because of Aurora and Hunter’s father’s bigoted views about who Aurora can and can’t date. Aurora and Ryker know in their hearts that they are meant for each other. But can their relationship endure the turmoil of rumors and prejudice?

All American Murder: The Rise and Fall of Aaron Hernandez by James Patterson & Alec Abramovich

All American Murder: The Rise and Fall of Aaron Hernandez by James Patterson & Alec Abramovich, 388 pages

I don't think James Patterson has written many nonfiction books, but this is one of his latest true crime thrillers.  I must say I found this book very haunting and made me almost sick to my stomach to read.  Because it was a true story, it was very hard to take it all in that this really happened.  I had heard the Aaron Hernandez story before and remembered some of the vague details.  But, this book contained so many details, it is hard to believe what Aaron Hernandez was capable of and what crimes he committed and what he got away with.  I knew he had murdered Odin Lloyd, his girlfriend's sister's boyfriend in Boston, but I had not known of the other two murders he committed.  Aaron Hernandez hung himself in his jail cell, which has made everyone wonder if all his years of playing football had really done all that damage to his brain.  This book contains color pictures and even a cross section of his brain.  A fascinating read indeed!!