I survived chronic illness and a cheating ex. Surely I can resist one charming hockey player…right?Offside and Off-Limits is part of the Love in Maple Falls sweet hockey romcom multi-author series. It’s a forbidden love story between one flirty hockey player and the team’s social media manager in this small town romance with all the sizzle and chemistry, but none of the spice.
Welcome back to Maple Falls—the small town where hockey players fall in love! This is a multi-author series of seven full-length books that could be read as standalones, but we think you’ll enjoy them best in order.
I clear my throat as I slide my hands protectively over my son’s shoulders.
"Oh, hi, Mommy," Benny says, glancing at me momentarily before he returns his attention to his comic book—and the man.
"What are you guys talking about?" I ask lightly, narrowing my eyes at the man, my subtext being who are you and why the heck are you talking with my son?
The man shifts his attention from Benny to me, and as he does, he rises to his full height, all six feet whatever. He's tall, way taller than me, and, I admit begrudgingly, he's handsome. With his sandy blond hair kinda scruffy and a touch too long in that effortless, I-woke-up-handsome kind of way, his strong jawline is covered in a cropped beard with a few specks of salt and pepper that somehow works on him. My guess is he's mid-thirties, maybe older, and he's got the kind of face that makes your stomach do a slow flip.
In fact, he looks a little like a blond Jacob Elordi, as well as...familiar.
Yeah, definitely familiar.
"You must be Benny's mom," he says, his voice deep and sonorous, his gray eyes pinning me in place.
I tighten my hold on Benny's shoulders, lifting my chin in a vain attempt to appear taller than my five feet three inches against this...this...handsome giant. A handsome giant who thinks it's okay to talk with young boys they don't know in bookstores.
"I am Benny's mom. And you are?" I ask pointedly.
His ludicrously handsome face morphs into a smile as he extends one of his huge hands toward me. "Cade Lennox. Pleased to meet you, ma'am."
Ma'am? Oh, no, he did not just ma'am me!
How old does this guy think I am?
I'm too busy gaping at him to respond, and after a beat, he pulls his hand away, giving me a sheepish smile.
"I was talking with Benny here about the latest comic in the The Timekeeper Chronicles. We're both fans," he explains. "It's great that this bookstore gets the comics. I'm new in town and this is a big find for me. I thought I'd have to order them online, which just isn't the same."
"Well, that's very nice of you, Mr.---" I'm about to say "Elordi" when it snaps into place who this guy is. He’s the right winger for the newly minted Ice Breakers. In fact, I’ve got a picture of him in his New York City Blades uniform in my spreadsheet at home. His most recent season stats float before my eyes. Thirty-seven goals, twenty-four assists, average slapshot over 100 mph, and forty-two penalty minutes, mostly for chirping at refs, which he has a reputation for doing.
“Lennox,” he finishes for me, shooting me a look that seems to ask whether my brain is functioning properly.
“I just worked out who you are.”
Kate O’Keeffe is a USA Today bestselling author known for her fun, feel-good romantic comedies brimming with humor, heart, and happily ever afters. A native of New Zealand, Kate has crafted numerous popular series, garnering a devoted international readership.
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This sounds fun.
ReplyDeleteIf your main character could sit down and and talk to your readers, what would they say?
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