Leah Brunner

I’m not the hero in this story. I’m the villain... The notoriously angry, grouchy, D.C. Eagles defenseman that just can’t keep his temper in check. The temper that leads to a fifteen game suspension from the NHL. As if that’s not bad enough, I'm forced into a short term youth-hockey coaching gig. Which my manager swears will “rebuild my image.” But what I didn’t expect was for a gorgeous, spunky blonde to stomp onto the ice on day one and lecture me about being rude to her little brother. Something about this spitfire of a woman, and the boy she’s so protective of, has my defenses melting. And if I’m not careful, I’ll burst into flames, forever melting the ice I’ve carefully kept around my heart. (This is a closed-door romcom with mild language. Trigger warnings include: parental substance abuse & dealing with grief/loss of parents).

After getting my heart broken, I’ve sworn off athletes forever. Then my best friend has to go and marry an NHL player, and his teammate, Colby Knight, won’t leave me alone. Colby is a master at scoring (on and off the ice), and he’s not used to being told no. So he takes my disinterest as an invitation to pursue me even harder. I ignore him… until I realize I can use his expertise to help me get my crush’s attention. But now that he’s my dating coach, and we’re spending so much time together, I’m growing more and more distracted. I mean, those dimples? Very enticing. Just when I think he might be more than just a playboy hockey player, a blast from the past comes back and reminds me why I swore off athletes in the first place. Can I trust Colby, or is he just another jerk who will break my heart? (This is a dual POV, fade-to-black romance, and can be read as a standalone. This book contains mild language. Trigger warnings: cheating exes.)

Ever sent your brother’s best friend a video expressing your undying love for him? While hopped up on pain meds? No? Just me then? Once I knew this girl who sent a video of herself to her brother's best friend… while she was hopped up on pain meds. And he didn’t reciprocate her feelings. Sounds like a hilarious story, right? WRONG. This really happened… to ME, Melanie Taylor. That was five years ago, so I’m over it—over him. At least, I thought I was… until West got traded to the D.C. Eagles and moved to the same city as me! Oh yeah, did I forget to mention my brother’s best friend is Weston Kershaw? An incredibly talented and famous professional hockey player? Of course, I set out to avoid him completely, but end up going to one of his games—against my will, I might add. When I have to face him again all of those stupid butterflies in my stomach return full force. Except this time, the attraction doesn’t feel so one-sided. (This is a closed-door, dual POV romcom with mild language and innuendo. Trigger childhood trauma/anxiety.)

My best friend—and unrequited love—has a hole in her heart. Literally and figuratively. First, Amber’s fiancé left her when she told him she was pregnant, and then her daughter's birth left her with complications from a heart defect she didn’t realize she had. I’m devastated. Of course I offer to pay for her surgery, but Amber (stubborn woman that she is) insists on wanting to pay me back, which I don't understand. As captain of an NHL team, I have plenty of spare cash, and I’m more than happy to help. I want to help. So I come up with a plan. I’ll marry Amber, my health insurance will cover her surgery, I’ll help with the baby, and the gold band on my finger will get my parents—who seem to think I'm incapable of love—off my back. It's a win-win for both of us. Two years of platonically wedded bliss before we amicably go our separate ways, and remain best friends, as always. Only, how am I supposed to let Amber go when I’m not only in love with her, but also with her baby girl… who now feels like my own. And I might have to let her go sooner than I ever wanted to. Betrothal or Breakaway is a dual POV, fade-to-black romance with mild langauge. This book is light-hearted, but contains themes of minor heart surgery, broken engagement, and difficult parental relationships.

When the woman of my dreams finally becomes available, all bets are off. I lost a bet to my older brother. My evil, life-ruining older brother. (Okay, maybe that’s a little over-dramatic). Now I can’t go on a date for FOUR months. I can’t even touch a woman. No hand holding. Forget kissing. I’m walking the straight and narrow (AKA dateless and lonely) just fine. Until my best friend (the woman I’ve been pining over since college) gets her heart broken. How can I say no to those big, gorgeous blue eyes when she asks me to fly to Vermont to attend her sister’s wedding with her? As her fake boyfriend. Yeah, all bets are off. (Don’t tell my brother). It’ll be easy… pretend to be my best friend’s boyfriend without holding her, kissing her, or falling even more in love than I already am. But when we end up having to share a room at her family’s cabin, the line between real and fake becomes very blurry…and very tempting. This closed-door romantic comedy contains mild language and references to alcohol. This is book four in the Under Kansas Skies Series, and will be most enjoyed if read after Check Mate.