New Releases by Cathryn Fox

After I won a TV singing competition and my ex publicly humiliated me to get ahead, I needed to escape reality. Sure, breaking into an old friend’s beachside cottage wasn’t my best idea, but what’s a girl to do. When the NHL’s biggest player—on and off the ice—finds me—in his bed, I expect him to kick me out. When he doesn’t, a fragile truce is born. Soon enough we’re living in our own fairy tale bubble, talking and sharing everything—just not the truth. As the lazy days of summer spill on, I being to believe we might be the only real thing in a world full of lies. Until his past catches up to him. That’s when I realize two things. You can’t build love on a bed of lies, and in this world, everyone wants something... no matter who they have to burn to get it.

The night before my wedding, I walked into my Vegas hotel suite and found my fiancé in bed with my best friend. Yeah. I know. World’s biggest cliché. But maybe I should’ve seen it coming. He’s a runway god—the son of a fashion mogul. And me? I’m just the people-pleasing, insecure girl from the wrong side of town, hiding behind a designer dress and a dream. I ran. Out of the suite. Out of my own life. And straight into the arms of Roman Marinelli—NHL superstar, my high school friend, and the Buck’s biggest player... on and off the ice. Roman dried my tears and reminded me what it feels like to be seen. While I lost everything I thought I wanted—my fiancé, my dream fashion internship, my picture-perfect future—with Roman, I found something I never expected. Because with him, I don’t have to pretend. Not even a little. But just when I start to believe in second chances, Roman does something that breaks me all over again. And this time, I never saw it coming.

Sharing a house—and a Jack-and-Jill bathroom—with my brother’s best friend is a special kind of torture. Especially when that man is the one I’ve secretly wanted for years. But pretending to be his girlfriend at a family gathering? That’s a whole new level of agony. The stolen glances, the whispered questions, the charade—it’s all to get his parents off his back. It’s fun and games… until I have to share his bed. Close enough to feel his heat, yet miles from what I truly want. It’s an exquisite kind of punishment. And then Vegas happens. A wedding, a reckless moment, and a single choice that sets off a chain reaction capable of destroying everything: my brother’s trust, his family’s belief in me, and most painfully, my own fragile heart. Just when I think things couldn’t get worse… they do. And the only way out might save everyone else—but it’ll shatter me.

He was my high school crush—the guy who had no clue I existed. Sure, we shared a fleeting moment in the country club closet, but he thought I was someone else. After that night, I went to college, moved to Boston to find myself, and pushed him out of my thoughts. It worked—until he saw me performing at a local community theater. My character is bold, daring, and vivacious—everything I’m not—which makes him believe, again, that I’m someone else. He likes what he sees, and while a hot fling with an NHL star isn’t on my bingo card, sometimes the numbers line up vertically, or horizontally—or, in my case, both. It’s only when I find myself in his arms—and his bed—that I begin to discover who I really am and what I want. The problem? He has no idea I’m the nerdy girl from high school he never noticed. But one thing I do know, after spending time with him and learning his fears and hopes, is that he’s everything I’ve ever wanted—and I’m everything that can destroy him.

Have you ever met an alpha-hole? Well, let me introduce you to the ultimate Ash-hole: Ash Wheeler, star defenseman for the Boston Bucks. He’s got it all—hockey skills, women, fame, looks, and swagger. A real Ash-hole. I don’t want to be attracted to him. Seriously, I don’t. But every time I’m around him, my body ignites. I’ve been burned by a guy like him before, and I swear I’ll never go down that road again. Until I do. As a single mother who seems to draw men like Ash, I console myself with the knowledge that I know what I’m getting into. I mean, if I understand the risks, what could go wrong? A lot, apparently. I try to keep things casual and vow not to fall for him. Until I do. And then I discover his secret and now there’s only one thing left for me to do...

I need a favor, and there’s only one guy I’d dare ask. Conner Birch. Boston Buck’s right winger. Not only is he my best friend, he’s my brother-in-law…and the man I’ve always loved. The problem is, he never loved me back. What I want might make things more awkward, and I can’t risk our friendship, but…after losing my husband—Conner’s brother—this is my only chance at the life I’ve dreamed of. Everything about our arrangement is risky, and when things heat up, it becomes harder and harder to hide what I feel. Soon enough, playing house becomes all too real, I begin to think we might have a chance at a future. Until I find out the man I’m in love with might not be the man I thought he was…

I wasn’t looking for love. Heck I wasn’t looking for anything. But it found me in a six-foot tall, two-hundred-pound hockey goalie. I try to fight it. I really do. This guy is a player, in more ways than one. At least I think he is. But I’m a Master of Psychology Student and there is one thing I know—not everything is as it appears. Looking deeper, I catch glimpses of the real Brady, the man this goalie keeps hidden—from everyone. I like that guy. A lot. And I’m pretty sure he likes me too. But then I discover something else about the man beneath the jersey, something dark and hurtful, something that tells me who I really am to him, which means there’s only one thing left for me to do… Show the player who he’s really playing with.

Demolished: We had one glorious night of passion and I fled, never expecting to see him again. Little did I realize the guy who put Blue Bay in his rear-view mirror was returning home. Shocked is the only way to describe what I felt when I saw him again…and arousal. Leveled: I was so tired of being the obedient daughter. Cue bad boy tattoo artist Jamie Owens, shirtless in a tool belt. Talk about the perfect opportunity to do something for myself. After I hired him to work on my home…hot days turned to scorching nights. Hammered: When I walked into Blue Bay’s pub, I sought out the biggest and baddest. The kiss we shared threw him off…just like I was hoping it’d throw off my stalker. But the guy I kissed…Oh boy!

Single Dad Next Door: Every girl in my sorority wants the smoking hot mechanic next door, myself included, but a man is the last thing I need in my life—especially a tattooed single dad with a reputation as a badass. A man like that draws attention, and a woman hiding out from an abusive ex needs to keep a low profile—but then my car breaks down and I have no way to pay. Single Dad on Tap: When the guy next door, the same one I’ve been crushing on forever, mistakes my interest in a hot firefighter, I want to set him straight, until he begins worshipping every single inch of my curvy body. Yeah, only a fool would put a stop to that, and I don’t consider myself a fool—until the lines between what’s real and what isn’t begin to blur, and I almost forget Jesse is helping me to attract another man. How the hell am I going to get myself out of this mess? Then again, who says I have to? Single Dad Burning Up: Callan is big, athletic and tough, a man haunted by his past, but beneath the rough exterior, he’s gentle and tender. And he makes me feel safe. He’s the perfect person to have a pretend relationship with when my ex, an overbearing cop who frightens me, decides he wants me back. We have to be realistic for this to work—my ex can spot a lie in a second, and Callan plays the lover well. So well that it isn’t long before we’re playing house for real, until a secret and a surprise hit at the same time, and threatens everything we’ve built.

All I wanted was to save the coastal resort that has been in our family for generations. Little did I expect the buyer would be the NHL player who my clique picked on in high school. I have no idea why the boy from the wrong side of the tracks would drag me—his enemy—back from the brink of ruin. But when he insists he has a position for me—nanny for his little girl–I begin to understand his motives. Revenge. I have no idea how he plans to exact it, but I’m willing to find out if it means saving White Beach Resort. As I wait for the ball to drop, the summer begins to slip by, and I begin to fall for the man who hates me. Stupid, I know. While I still haven’t discovered what he has up his sleeve, I slowly, deliciously discover what he has under his shirt…and below his belt. The only problem is, I can’t figure out if his touches and kisses are still about payback, or if they’re about something more. But I think I have a way to find out…and I pray it doesn’t backfire.

Deal Breaker: It’s my job to play the player, and prove that the hockey culture on campus is toxic. My position at the Gazette depends on it. But two problems stand in my way. The way my boss wants me to get the story goes against my morals. And I’m starting to believe the guy who goes by the name Cheddar—a loud, obnoxious guy who gives the people what they want—might be a cloak. The guy beneath the nickname, Rhys Taylor, might actually be quiet, shy and respectful. Unless, of course, he’s also playing me… Fake Out: I’ve always been the sidekick, the supporting cast. Until I go on a date with Scotia Storm’s hottest center—a guy I’ve been crazy about for months—and everything changes. Even though the two of us don’t seem to make sense and I have no idea what he sees in me, love somehow finds a way. Every touch, every kiss makes me feel important and special, like I could be the main character in his life. I begin to plan a future, until I overhear words that shatter my heart and make me question my leading role. Could everything I’ve ever believed in be nothing but fake? Hard Burn: He was my brother’s best friend – my teenage crush. Until one night—one beautiful mistake—changed it all. He took off to play college ball for Michigan, and my brother and I never set eyes on him again. Now, three years later, I’m in Houston for a romance writing conference. He’s at the same hotel for the MLB playoffs. That’s when our past catches up with us, and the real games begin. This time, I plan to fix past mistakes and rewrite our ending. All is well until he discovers a secret that sends my plot in a new direction, one where happily ever after just might not exist.

He was my brother’s best friend – my teenage crush. Until one night—one beautiful mistake—changed it all. He took off to play college ball for Michigan, and my brother and I never set eyes on him again. Now, three years later, I’m in Houston for a romance writing conference. He’s at the same hotel for the MLB playoffs. That’s when our past catches up with us, and the real games begin. This time, I plan to fix past mistakes and rewrite our ending. All is well until he discovers a secret that sends my plot in a new direction, one where happily ever after just might not exist.

Fair Play: I shouldn’t crave him. I hate that I do. We don’t belong together. That should have been enough to stop me from sneaking into his room, from teasing a thirst I just can’t quench…because once the hunt is over, it’s ALL over. Unless he never knew it was me… Enemy Down: Everything in the way he devoured me turned me inside out and made me forget this was just a game. Now I fear he’s going to ruin me again…in ways there will be no coming back from. Keeping Score: Everything about him frightens me. Intrigues me. Makes me breathless. But Rocco has a score to settle, and promises to get his money’s worth. From me. Any way he desires. Want to know what scares me the most? That I’m going to let him.

It’s my job to play the player, and prove that the hockey culture on campus is toxic. My position at the Gazette depends on it. But two problems stand in my way. The way my boss wants me to get the story goes against my morals. And I’m starting to believe the guy who goes by the name Cheddar—a loud, obnoxious guy who gives the people what they want—might be a cloak. The guy beneath the nickname, Rhys Taylor, might actually be quiet, shy and respectful. Unless, of course, he’s also playing me…

I’ve always been the sidekick, the supporting cast. Until I go on a date with Scotia Storm’s hottest center—a guy I’ve been crazy about for months—and everything changes. Even though the two of us don’t seem to make sense and I have no idea what he sees in me, love somehow finds a way. Every touch, every kiss makes me feel important and special, like I could be the main character in his life. I begin to plan a future, until I overhear words that shatter my heart and make me question my leading role. Could everything I’ve ever believed in be nothing but fake?

The Puck Charmer: All I want is to build my landscaping business and take care of my grandmother. But when some hot out-of-towner rams his vehicle into mine, and doesn’t have the funds to pay for repairs, we come to a compromise. He works off the damage by working for me. When a touch leads to a kiss, I quickly learn that while he might not have a green thumb, he certainly has a magical touch. Who knew a collision would lead to a crash course on love? But after I discover the secret he’s been hiding, will our feelings for one another wither or will they bloom into something more? The Troublemaker: I had perfected turning a bad situation around and making it work for me. But when dream sex turns out to be real and too much tequila ends up with Elvis and a sidewalk wedding that’s actually legit, I thought I’d reached my limit. First, I’m not the type of girl hot hockey player, Cason goes for. But the love marks on my body the next morning told a different story, so imagine my surprise when he offers to be my temporary husband to help me with a situation. Talk about turning a reckless mistake into a win-win situation! What could possibly go wrong with having a harmless affair with the hottest guy on the planet? Oh, only just about everything. The Rule Breaker: I needed a role model for my son. A big brother to mentor him. What I didn’t need was a rebellious hockey player famous for his on and off rink fights. I should have said no. Should have vetoed the idea the second I heard it. But I didn’t. Why, you ask. Two words. Liam. Dalton. God’s gift to the universe, not to mention the needy spot between my legs. I didn’t want to like him. I didn’t want his name on my lips. But the second I heard mine on his, I couldn’t help but wonder if my son’s big brother……could be my big daddy.

After spending my life in the shadows, all I ever wanted was to feel special, to be seen. So, when the hottest guy on our hockey team decides he wants me, I’m shocked, and thrilled. Until a player from a rival team challenges my boyfriend to a bet—and wins. Oh, did I mention I’m the prize. For one solid month I belong to the enemy. Except it’s hard to think of him as the enemy when he showers me with tender touches, soft kisses, and shows me what it’s really like to feel special, to be seen. How could I not fall for a guy like that? But, when our thirty days end, and the enemy proves to be the man I’ve always needed, I’m faced with an unsettling truth—it’s possible he’s the only one who doesn’t believe it. Was I nothing more than a pawn in a game of hate?

The Hard Hitter: Getting involved with a client’s father is a strict no. But when hot hockey player Zander shows me he’s good at talking bad, it sets off a firestorm of need hot enough to melt the ice he plays on. A brief fling with a dirty talking hockey player sounds pretty good at the moment, and really what could possibly go wrong? The Risk Taker: Coming back to Seattle and facing Jamie is the second hardest thing I’ve done in my life. The first was burying his brother and then walking away. But will knowing the real reason behind the crash give Jamie the freedom to forgive himself and move on. Or will it destroy everything he’s believed in, including me? The Wingman: When it comes to relationships, I need all the help I can get. So when Rider agrees to be my buffer, I happily put myself in his capable hands. Under his wing, I find the freedom to let go, and the joy of having it accepted. But can two people, one afraid he’s unlovable and the other afraid to love, trust in themselves enough to realize this could be their shot at happily ever after?

I hate everything about him. Everything from his boyish good looks to the flawless fit of his jersey. But you know what I hate the most? That his family, owners of the biggest seafood company in Lunenburg, is trying to run our small, family seafood business into the ground. But when fate takes a turn and Liam comes to my rescue, I begin to see another side of him. That’s when I soften. Can you say stupid? Yeah, I know, I can too. Because we all know that getting involved with the enemy—even secretly—is not a smart move. But his touch shuts down my brain, and my ability to think with reason. Soon enough I’m consumed by the hockey player who wants me, and me only. Or at least I thought he did. Until he does something that could destroy my family, destroy us, leaving me with the burning question of how I can possibly navigate a path forward and salvage what remains of us.

Dane Taylor: Scotia Storms biggest player. A rule-breaker who is wild, reckless and fun. He’s everything I’m not allowed to be—or be around—thanks to an overbearing brother who just happens to be Dane’s captain. But when Dane rescues me from a bad situation, I can’t help but want him, which leads to a secret relationship that allows me to grow. Then, the worst thing that could ever happen to me, happens. And one bad decision leads to another. I find myself hurting everyone I ever cared about. Maybe I should have listened to my brother—since all I do is make mistakes--and maybe I never should have kept secrets from the player who was never playing at all when it came to loving me.

Away Game: I begin to dream about our future, until the storm breaks and I realize he’s everything I never wanted and I’m everything that can destroy his future. Warm Up: Someone might be pulling his strings, but the team’s biggest player must decide whether to follow the path carved out for him and walk away from me, or shape his own future, and become the man he keeps well hidden. Crash Course: As summer comes to a close and our past catches up to us, it reminds me why we can never ever be anything more than enemies.

He’s as tough as nails on the ice, but off the rink, he’s a potato farmer from Prince Edward Island who knows exactly what he wants. What he wants is me. A rich girl from the Hamptons who’s practically engaged. When I find out my boyfriend is going to propose when I go home for the holidays, I do the only thing I can do. Run the other way. That’s right, I’m a coward. Thanks to an injury the night of our college’s holiday production, I have the perfect excuse to stay in hiding. Ryan drives me to his farm on the island to care for me, but the tension between us is explosive. Still, we keep our distance until my boyfriend gives me an ultimatum that ends our relationship. Soon enough, Ryan and I are finding ways to warm our bodies during the cold winter nights, but when I start getting conflicting messages from his family and friends, I am no longer sure what Ryan wants. When I get the answer wrong, and tragically hurt the guy I’ve fallen for, I’m not sure we can ever find our way back to happily ever after.

Brandon Cannon. A rising hockey star with a future he might not want. My best friend since childhood—the guy I could always count on. He could rely on me too, the girl he’ll forever see as a tomboy. Which is why he asked me to be his wingman to get the girl he wanted. But what he doesn’t know—can never know—is that I’ve been in love with him for as long as I can remember, and I know things about him, things he doesn’t want anyone to know. Including me. We escape to his cottage together, where I school the well-known player in the art of dating. What I hadn’t expected was for him to teach me a thing or two—behind closed door. His every touch drew me in deeper, until I was drowning in him. Now, I can only hope he’ll see that the girl he wants might not be the one he needs—because I’m the only woman who knows who he really is and can help him re-write his future. But what if he doesn’t? What will become of me—us—if my very best friend, the man I love, walks away with my heart?

He’s the best goalie in the league – Scotia Storm’s golden boy. Everyone loves the team’s biggest player – everyone but me. That’s okay, he doesn’t like me either. We might have grown up in the same small Cape Breton town, but we’re different people from different worlds. Which makes me wonder why our friends asked us to babysit during summer break. The forced proximity proves to be hard on my head…and my traitorous body. But the last thing I want is to get involved with the guy who blatantly ignored me growing up. Except he’s not ignoring me anymore. Nope, not ignoring me at all. Instead, he’s showering me with kisses and touches and OMG, things are so damn good, I forget why we hate each other. Until summer comes to a close and our past catches up to us, reminding me why we can never ever be anything more than enemies.

He’s a defenseman on the academy’s hockey team – a well-known player on and off the ice. It’s a reputation he wears proudly…flaunts, even. The only one he has to look out for is himself. No one expects anything else. Thanks to past mistakes, I have a whole lot of responsibilities outside of the academy, and have no choice but to put others in my life first. They count on me, but you know what? I’m lonely. I guess that’s why I got all tangled up in the guy whose only focus is on hockey – and fun. What I hadn’t meant to do, however, was fall head over heels for the player who only wanted one thing from me. Can you say been there done that? But I think, underneath it all, there’s a lot more to him than even he knows and maybe his choices aren’t his own. Maybe someone else is pulling the strings. Either way, when past mistakes catch up with me again, the team’s biggest player must decide whether to follow the path carved out for him and walk away from me, or shape his own future, and become the man he keeps well hidden.

I hate him. I hate everything about him. From his perfect face, right down to his tight football pants. He never wanted me back in college. Now he’s a superstar in the NFL. I lost the weight, and suddenly he’s noticing me. Maybe it’s time for a little revenge. Yeah, maybe it’s time for me to lead him on and push him away. It’s a good plan. A solid one. Until I get him naked.

This isn’t one of those stories where I was always in love with my brother’s best friend, and he’d spent years crushing on me. Furthest thing from it, really. I like Braden Murphy well enough. He’s a nice guy, and the football’s team star running back. That’s why I asked him to help me get the attention of a real life prince charming. Prince Stefan Lundin is a senior at Kinston college. Rumor has it he’s looking for his princess. I’m a pretty down to earth girl inside, which means I need to up my game. Basically, pretend to be everything I’m not. Braden reluctantly agrees, and then something crazy happens. I realize I’ve been chasing the wrong prince this whole time. Too bad I’ve became nothing but a lie. Everything Braden hated. Everything I hated. Here I was selling myself to the wrong guy, but now I’m worried the one I really want is no longer buying.

“My go to author for sexy romance.” – Lauren Blakely, #1 NYT’S Bestselling author. Every year, NHL superstar Declan Bradbury comes home for Christmas. But he’s more than a hockey player to me. He’s my best friend. The man I’m in love with—the man I can’t have. Problem is, it rips my heart out every time he leaves. I need to put some distance between us, find a way to move on and protect my heart. I plan to do just that, until he begins showing up at every turn, and every single person in Holiday Peak starts acting strange. I had no idea what Declan was up to behind the scenes, or that the town was conspiring with him. When I found out, there was one thing I did know. My life would never be the same again.

My boyfriend has a debt to pay, and no money to pay it. Desperate for a way out, he begs me to help. Little did I expect for him to hand me over to the man he hated. Rocco Gianni isn’t just a scholarship student at Kingston. He’s a tough kid from the streets of Detroit—the scariest baller on campus. And now he owns me. Everything about him frightens me. Intrigues me. Makes me breathless. But Rocco has a score to settle, and promises to get his money’s worth. From me. Any way he desires. Want to know what scares me the most? That I’m going to let him.

A regimented life on the track is the reason I’m a Kingston College scholarship student. But a wayward football—thrown by Christian Moore, the rich guy who ruined my reputation in high school—threatened to rob me of my future. Desperation drove me to do something foolish. Something that put my body in the hands of the guy I hate. I didn’t want to like his touches. I didn’t want to crave him. But everything in the way he devoured me turned me inside out and made me forget this was just a game. Now I fear he’s going to ruin me again…in ways there will be no coming back from.