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Our love of hot jocks is never-ending.<\/span><\/p>\n Muscular football players. Passionate tennis pros. Sexy soccer stars. All sorts of alpha hotties, on the field and off.<\/span><\/p>\n Have no fear! The team is back again, and this time…it’s thicker. You’ll get your sports romance fix with brand-new stories from eleven bestselling authors.<\/span><\/p>\n Need one last summer fix? Dive into this anthology.<\/span><\/p>\n *This anthology contains original, never-before-seen stories by the following authors: Mandi Beck, Ella Fox, Teagan Hunter, Ilsa Madden-Mills, Sara Ney, Rochelle Paige, Meghan Quinn, Charleigh Rose, Kennedy Ryan, Emma Scott, and Kate Stewart. We still aren\u2019t responsible for melted devices.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Arena Lights<\/em> by Mandi Beck <\/p>\n Find\u00a0Team Player 2\u00a0<\/em>on GOODREADS<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dear Ava<\/em> by Ilsa Madden-Mills<\/strong><\/p>\n 5 stars!<\/strong><\/p>\n “You\u2019re a bright star in this shitty place.\u201d<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Ilsa Madden-Mills gives us all the feels in this emotional story of the girl who was abused and the boy who wants nothing more than to make it right. Even though it is set in high school, Ava and Knox\u2019s story deals with mature themes and is not a YA novel.<\/p>\n Ava is strong and brave. She did not let the awful event that happened ten months earlier stop her for fighting for her family and returning to the high school that turned against her. She knows what\u2019s best for her brother and she won\u2019t give up. I respected her and I hurt for her. What happened was gut-wrenching and she is left with unanswered questions that linger in her mind making things harder.<\/p>\n Knox is so much different that Ava originally thought. He may be hot and popular but it\u2019s his heart that keeps you wanting more.\u00a0He is sweet, vulnerable, and endearing, and has his own demons that he doesn\u2019t let people see. He stands up for what he believes in no matter what people will think and he has more emotions coursing through his body than he lets on. My heart hurt for him as well.<\/p>\n Ava and Knox have some insane chemistry and though they seem like enemies at first, they feel a connection that surprises them. They realize that there is so much more to them than what the world sees and what they assumed the other was like. Ava isn\u2019t just the girl from the wrong side of the tracks who is at the school on a scholarship and Knox isn\u2019t just the son of a billionaire who gets everything handed to him. They may not be perfect but they are real and relatable. As they spend more time with each other they open up in ways that they haven\u2019t before. They learn to trust and believe in each other, and they are so good together even if the odds are against them in the beginning.<\/p>\n This story is emotional and it\u2019s just the beginning of Knox and Ava\u2019s journey. Dear Ava<\/i> will be released as a full length novel in 2020 and I can\u2019t wait. I want their full love story and all the moments that come with it. More healing and growth, more steam and swoon. I want to uncover the truth because I am still consumed with who is guilty and I need answers. I just want more of everything!<\/p>\n Overall, Dear Ava<\/i> is a fantastic start to Ava and Knox\u2019s story. I only wish this wasn’t a novella because I am desperate for the whole story now!! Next year can’t come soon enough!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Love Game<\/em> by Emma Scott<\/strong><\/p>\n 5 stars!<\/strong><\/p>\n Emma Scott has a knack for writing beautifully broken characters\u00a0who are real and relatable, and the characters in Love Game<\/i> are no exception. Kai and Daisy take us through a world of loss, grief, and trauma, and bring us out of the pain through healing and love. Though only a novella, this story is full of big feels, and it was easy to escape to Hawaii and fall in love with Kai and Daisy.<\/p>\n Daisy lives in fear after a traumatic event shook her to the core. She is afraid of the dark and her only comfort is a dog name Keanu. She moves to Hawaii to try to heal but it\u2019s slow going. She doesn\u2019t let it get her down though and is a breath of fresh air.<\/p>\n Kai is a skilled tennis player who has a shot at winning the Australian Open. That is, if he doesn\u2019t get kicked out of the league before the tournament. Hot-tempered and with a history of acting out, his \u201cdon\u2019t give a damn\u201d attitude may ruin his chances for the win. When he is sent to Hawaii to wind down and get his head on straight he never imagined his time there would change his life.<\/p>\n Kai\u2019s manager, Jason, cares about Kai and does not want him to throw away everything he has worked so hard for. With no other choice, Jason decides to try something new. He hires Daisy to calm Kai\u2019s nerves and help him sort his problems using yoga, meditation, and Reiki. Needing the money, Daisy can\u2019t turn down the job but Kai isn\u2019t as quick to jump on board.<\/p>\n Daisy knows she has her work cut out for her but she is willing to give it a go. Kai is skeptical of Daisy and his anger rules his life but here is so much more to the man on the court and the actions he shows the world. He chooses anger over pain because that is easier to experience than the overwhelming grief that consumes him.\u00a0He can\u2019t get away from the heartache but as he spends time with Daisy, he realizes there is something special about her and she starts to change the way he feels.<\/p>\n She met my eye, and instead of complaining about my predicament, I felt a lightness in my chest, like a balloon that kept filling with warm air instead of anger and frustration. <\/i><\/p>\n Daisy is wonderful. She is confident, compassionate, and honest. She can hold her own and I love her witty comebacks as she and Kai banter back and forth. They have fun together and with smoking hot chemistry like theirs, there is no denying their attraction.<\/p>\n Daisy and Kai are just what the other never knew they needed and they push each other out of their comfort zones. The feels are real as is the pain and fear as they help each other heal. Daisy and Kai are the perfect mix of sweet, swoony, and sexy as they go from enemies to friends to lovers, and I loved the progression of their romance.<\/p>\n Overall, Love Game<\/i> is a bite sized treat with big flavor, and I loved it! I only wish it was longer because I couldn\u2019t get enough of Kai and Daisy!!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n *ARC generously provided by the authors and Candi Kane PR*<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Charleigh Rose lives in Narnia with her husband and two young children. She’s hopelessly devoted to unconventional love and pizza. When she isn’t reading or mom-ing, she’s writing moody, broody, swoony romance.<\/span><\/p>\n FACEBOOK<\/a> \u00a0| \u00a0FB GROUP<\/a> \u00a0| \u00a0AMAZON<\/a> \u00a0| \u00a0INSTAGRAM<\/a> \u00a0| \u00a0NEWSLETTER<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n USA Today Bestselling Author Ella Fox<\/i><\/b> has learned a bunch of stuff along the way but the most important of all those things is that anything is possible when you try. In 2012 she took a big leap of faith and published her first book, Broken Hart. Since then she\u2019s written fifteen more full-length books and several novellas\u2013 and every one is a reminder that you can live your dream as long as you work for it.<\/span><\/p>\n Ella\u2019s favorite things are music, movies, traveling, The Foo Fighters and, of course, reading. This isn\u2019t a surprise considering the fact that her mom is USA Today Bestselling Author Suzanne Halliday.<\/span><\/p>\n FACEBOOK<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0AMAZON<\/a> \u00a0| \u00a0BOOKBUB<\/a> \u00a0| \u00a0GOODREADS<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0PINTEREST<\/a> Emma Scott is a bestselling author of emotional, character-driven romances in which art and love intertwine to heal, and in which love always wins. If you enjoy emotionally-charged stories that rip your heart out and put it back together again, with diverse characters and kind-hearted heroes, you will enjoy her novels.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n RECENT RELEASES<\/strong><\/p>\n A Five-Minute Life<\/a> (standalone) COMING SOON<\/strong><\/p>\n Someday, Someday (M\/M standalone)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n FACEBOOK<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0FB GROUP<\/a> \u00a0| \u00a0GOODREADS<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0BLOG<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0<\/strong>AMAZON<\/a> Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and USA Today best-selling author Ilsa Madden-Mills is best known for her contemporary romances ranging from new adult angst to romantic sports comedy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A former high school English teacher, she adores all things Pride and Prejudice, and of course, Mr. Darcy is her ultimate hero.<\/span><\/p>\n She’s addicted to frothy coffee beverages, cheesy magnets, and any book featuring unicorns and sword-wielding females. Feel free to stalk her online.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n A Texas native, Kate Stewart lives in North Carolina with her husband, Nick, and her naughty beagle, Sadie. She pens messy, sexy, angst-filled contemporary romance as well as romantic comedy and erotic suspense because it’s what she loves as a reader. Kate is a lover of all things ’80s and ’90s, especially John Hughes films and rap. She dabbles a little in photography, can knit a simple stitch scarf for necessity, and on occasion, does very well at whiskey.<\/span><\/p>\n Contact Kate – Email-authorkatestewart@gmail.com<\/span><\/p>\n FACEBOOK<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0FB GROUP<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0TWITTER<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0INSTAGRAM<\/a> \u00a0| \u00a0WEBSITE<\/a><\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n A RITA\u00ae Award Winner and Top 25 Amazon Bestseller, Kennedy Ryan writes for women from all walks of life, empowering them and placing them firmly at the center of each story and in charge of their own destinies. Her heroes respect, cherish and lose their minds for the women who capture their hearts.<\/span><\/p>\n She is a wife to her lifetime lover and mother to an extraordinary son. She has always leveraged her journalism background to write for charity and non-profit organizations, but enjoys writing to raise Autism awareness most. A contributor for Modern Mom Magazine, Kennedy\u2019s writings have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul, USA Today and many others. The founder and executive director of a foundation serving Atlanta families living with Autism, she has appeared on Headline News, Montel Williams, NPR and other media outlets as an advocate for families living with autism.<\/span><\/p>\n FACEBOOK<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0FB GROUP<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0TWITTER<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0INSTAGRAM<\/a> Mandi Beck has been an avid reader all of her life. A deep love for books always had her jotting down little stories on napkins, notebooks, and her hand. As an adult she was further submerged into the book world through book clubs and the epicness of social media. It was then that she graduated to writing her stories on her phone and then finally on a proper computer.<\/span><\/p>\n \u200b<\/span><\/p>\n A wife, mother to two rambunctious and somewhat rotten boys, and stepmom to two great girls away at college, she shares her time with her husband in Chicago where she was born and raised. Mandi is a diehard hockey fan and blames the Blackhawks when her deadlines are not met even though her favorite hockey player calls her\u2026mom.<\/span><\/p>\n FACEBOOK<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0INSTAGRAM<\/a> \u00a0| \u00a0TWITTER<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0PINTEREST<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0NEWSLETTER<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0<\/strong>WEBSITE<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n USA Today Bestselling Author, wife, adoptive mother, and peanut butter lover. Author of romantic comedies and contemporary romance, Meghan Quinn brings readers the perfect combination of heart, humor, and heat in every book.<\/span><\/p>\n FACEBOOK<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0INSTAGRAM<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0YOUTUBE<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0TWITTER<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0<\/strong>WEBSITE<\/strong><\/a> I absolutely adore reading\u2014always have and always will.\u00a0 When I was growing up, my friends used to tease me when I would trail after them, trying to read and walk at the same time.\u00a0 If I have downtime, odds are you will find me reading or writing.<\/span><\/p>\n I am the mother of two wonderful sons who have inspired me to chase my dream of being an author.\u00a0 I want them to learn from me that you can live your dream as long as you are willing to work for it.<\/span><\/p>\n When I told my mom that my new year’s resolution was to self-publish a book in 2013, she pretty much told me, “About time!” <\/span><\/p>\n FACEBOOK<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0FB GROUP<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0AMAZON<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0<\/strong>WEBSITE<\/strong><\/a> Sara Ney is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the How to Date a Douchebag series, and is best known for her sexy, laugh-out-loud New Adult romances. Among her favorite vices, she includes: iced latte’s, historical architecture and well-placed sarcasm. She lives in the Midwest, collects vintage books, art, loves flea markets, and fancies herself British.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n FACEBOOK<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0AMAZON<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0INSTAGRAM<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0GOODREADS<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0BOOKBUB<\/a> I\u2019m a Missouri-raised gal, but currently live in North Carolina with my US Marine husband and 9-year-old dog. I spend my days begging him for a cat, and I survive off coffee, pizza, and sarcasm. When I’m not writing, you can find me binge-watching various TV shows, especially Supernatural and One Tree Hill. I like cold weather, buy more paperbacks than I’ll ever read, and I never say no to brownies.<\/span><\/p>\n Writing is my passion, and this is just the beginning of my journey.<\/span><\/p>\n WEBSITE<\/a> \u00a0| \u00a0BOOKBUB<\/a> \u00a0| \u00a0FACEBOOK<\/a> \u00a0| \u00a0FB GROUP<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" TEAM PLAYER 2: A SPROTS ANTHOLOGY by Mandi Beck,\u00a0Ella Fox,\u00a0Teagan Hunter,\u00a0Ilsa Madden-Mills,\u00a0Sara Ney,\u00a0Rochelle Paige,\u00a0Meghan Quinn,\u00a0Charleigh Rose,\u00a0Kennedy Ryan,\u00a0Emma Scott, and\u00a0Kate Stewart AVAILABLE NOW!! Amazon US \u00a0| \u00a0Amazon UK \u00a0| \u00a0Amazon CA \u00a0| \u00a0Amazon AU […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":46195,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","yasr_overall_rating":5,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"Product","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[595,86,49,36,9,58],"tags":[708,343,765,766,598,357,333,762,764,767,768,733,1041],"class_list":["post-46355","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-anthology","category-enemies-to-lovers","category-feeeeeeels","category-novella","category-romance","category-sports-star","tag-anthology","tag-blog-tour","tag-charleigh-rose","tag-ella-fox","tag-emma-scott","tag-ilsa-madden-mills","tag-kate-stewart","tag-kennedy-ryan","tag-mandi-beck","tag-meghan-quinn","tag-rochelle-paige","tag-sara-ney","tag-teagan-hunter"],"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":false,"span_bottom":false},"number_of_votes":0,"sum_votes":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Team-Player-2-Cover.jpg?fit=200%2C302&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7gaNL-c3F","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46355","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=46355"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46355\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/46195"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=46355"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=46355"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.escapistbookblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=46355"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Stories Included:\u00a0<\/b><\/h4>\n
\n<\/span>End Goal<\/em> by Ella Fox
\n<\/span>A Slice of Love<\/em> by Teagan Hunter
\n<\/span>Dear Ava<\/em> by Ilsa Madden-Mills
\n<\/span>The Teaching Hours<\/em> by Sara Ney
\n<\/span>Body Heat<\/em> by Rochelle Paige
\n<\/span>The Strike Out<\/em> by Meghan Quinn
\n<\/span>Guys Like You<\/em> by Charleigh Rose
\n<\/span>Fast Break<\/em> by Kennedy Ryan
\n<\/span>Love Game<\/em> by Emma Scott
\n<\/span>Fair Catch<\/em> by Kate Stewart<\/span><\/p>\n
\nReviews<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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\nMeet the authors<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Charleigh Rose<\/b><\/h4>\n
\nElla Fox<\/b><\/h4>\n
\nTWITTER<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0INSTAGRAM<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0BOOK+MAIN<\/a> \u00a0| \u00a0WEBSITE<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0NEWSLETTER<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
\nEmma Scott<\/b><\/h4>\n
\n<\/span>Bring Down the Stars<\/a> (Beautiful Hearts #1)
\n<\/span>Long Live the Beautiful Hearts<\/a> (Beautiful Hearts #2)<\/span><\/p>\n
\nTWITTER<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0INSTAGRAM<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0NEWSLETTER<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
\nIlsa Madden-Mills<\/b><\/h4>\n
FACEBOOK<\/a> \u00a0| FB GROUP<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0AMAZON<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0INSTAGRAM<\/a>
\nGOODREADS<\/a> \u00a0| \u00a0BOOKBUB<\/a> \u00a0| \u00a0BOOK+MAIN\u00a0<\/a>\u00a0| \u00a0NEWSLETTER<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n
\nKate Stewart<\/b><\/h4>\n
\nKennedy Ryan<\/b><\/h4>\n
\nGOOGLE PLUS<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0<\/strong>YOUTUBE<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0AMAZON<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0BOOKBUB<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0<\/strong>WEBSITE<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n
\nMandi Beck<\/b><\/h4>\n
\nMeghan Quinn<\/b><\/h4>\n
\nGOODREADS<\/a> \u00a0| \u00a0BOOKBUB<\/a> \u00a0| \u00a0AMAZON<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
\nRochelle Paige<\/b><\/h4>\n
\nTWITTER<\/a> \u00a0| \u00a0INSTAGRAM<\/a> \u00a0| \u00a0GOODREADS<\/a> \u00a0| \u00a0BOOKBUB<\/a> \u00a0| \u00a0NEWSLETTER<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
\nSara Ney<\/b><\/h4>\n
\nPINTEREST<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0TWITTER<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0BOOK+MAIN<\/a> \u00a0| \u00a0WEBSITE<\/a>\u00a0 | \u00a0NEWSLETTER<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n
\nTeagan Hunter<\/b><\/h4>\n
\nGOODREADS<\/a> \u00a0| \u00a0INSTAGRAM<\/a> \u00a0| \u00a0TWITTER<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n
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