First published 2017
She resisted for months, but the new girl finally gave in and moved to Alrick Falls. Her family pushed for it. She ran out of reasons to say no. The plan she arrives with is stripped down to two parts: keep smiling and stay away from one specific person. It is workable. It is manageable. Then the quarterback shows up. He has a crooked grin and dark brown eyes and no interest in leaving her alone. He crowds into her space. He tells her what she is thinking and feeling as if the information is already his. She is determined to keep her walls up and her past locked away. He is equally determined to get past both. She has nothing left to offer anyone. He refuses to accept that answer. Alrick Falls was supposed to be a reset, a place where she could move through each day without feeling much of anything. The cocky playboy on the football field has other plans for her, and the more she pushes back, the harder it gets to convince herself she does not care.
Genres: fiction, romance, contemporary, young-adult, contemporary-romance
Vibes: character-driven, emotional, intimate, slow-burn, tension-filled
Tropes: cocky-athlete, enemies-to-lovers, forced-proximity, slow-burn
Setting: Alrick Falls
469 pages · Paperback · CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Content warnings: abuse