Winning Hard by Lisa B. Kamps

Taylor LeBlanc has hockey in her blood and the trophies and medals to prove it. Her dreams of playing pro come to an end when the only place for her to go is the newly-formed not-really-pro women’s team, the Chesapeake Blades. It’s not quite what she had in mind, but it’s a start—except half the team is convinced she’s receiving special treatment because her step-dad used to be the head coach for the Baltimore Banners and the team’s PR Director wants to use her in his marketing campaign. To make matters worse, the PR Director is none other than her childhood nemesis, Chuckie-the-fart–who happens to be all grown-up and too gorgeous for his own good.

Charles Dawson never had the drive or the heart to follow hockey out of childhood. What he does have is ambition and passion—two things he needs in abundance to successfully market the brand-new women’s hockey team to a less-than-enthusiastic demographic. He also needs patience—something that’s in short supply when he’s forced to deal with the one woman who has the uncanny ability to make him feel like the bumbling, uncoordinated, and socially awkward thirteen-year-old boy he used to be. Taylor isn’t the mouthy little tomboy he remembers and sparks fly between the two, igniting an attraction that makes both of their lives unbearable when it becomes harder to ignore.

Taylor and Charles both want to win, but at what cost? Are they willing to trample every obstacle in their way–especially when the biggest obstacle could be the one thing they both need more than any trophy or medal?