Books like 'The Veteran'
Readers who enjoyed The Veteran by Xavier Neal also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary funny bwwm friends to lovers found-family sports single-father grumpy sunshine forced proximity hockey
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Made For You by Natasha Madison
From Wall Street Journal and USA TODAY bestselling author Natasha Madison comesA brand new stand-alone enemies-to-lovers grumpy/sunshine sports romance.A spin-off from the Only One seriesVivienneI did the last thing I ever expected to do. I bought a boat. A beautiful boat that was all mine to spend the summer on.Only thing I was looking forward to was the calm being on the water brought me...Categorized as:
sports forced proximity grumpy sunshine cold hero hockey contemporary athletes dual-pov -
![Forbidden by Karla Sorensen]()
Forbidden by Karla Sorensen
No man has ever rattled Isabel Ward. Until Aiden Hennessy walks in the door of her gym—ownership papers in hand. The former fighter is a lot of things- a single dad, a widower trying to start over, and a watchful presence that knocks her off her very capable feet. To make matters worse, Isabel had a crush on him for the entirety of her teenage years...Categorized as:
single-father sports boss & employee angst friends to lovers grumpy sunshine office cold hero -
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![Enticing Her Love by Melissa Foster]()
Enticing Her Love by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.65 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsPro: Stuck sharing a bed with my hot, broody boss Con: He’s trying to get me fired Discovery Hour reporter Sutton Steele spends her days trying to keep her job, while her insanely hot, infuriating boss, Flynn Braden, would love nothing more than to see her gone... -
![Bayou With Benefits by Erin Nicholas]()
Bayou With Benefits by Erin Nicholas
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsThey are friends. Without benefits. Unfortunately.Michael LeClaire is small-town Louisiana. A firefighter. A single dad.And Amelia Landry is New York City. A social media influencer. A model.Sure, she’s his son’s favorite person on the planet... -
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![My Lucky Charm by Courtney Walsh]()
My Lucky Charm by Courtney Walsh
A humiliating break-up leads to an impulsive New Year’s Kiss with a complete stranger. What could possibly go wrong?It’s no secret that I love life. And Dr Pepper. But also, I love a challenge. . .So when the coach of the Chicago Comets gives me the opportunity to help their star player, newly traded to their team, acclimate to life in Chicago, I'm all in.I have to be...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine office sports hockey boss & employee cold hero single-father contemporary -
![Truly Medley Deeply by Kate Watson]()
Truly Medley Deeply by Kate Watson
Lucy JaneThe first rule of touring? Don’t fall for your crew.Especially not the grumpy, emotionally caged, impossible-to-read sound guy who acts like tolerating pop-country singers is pure torture.Patrick “Patty” O’Shannan clearly doesn’t want to be here. He does his job and barely looks at me unless it’s to scowl...Categorized as:
forced proximity office grumpy sunshine contemporary humor length-medium glimpses-kisses -
![Hold Me Forever by Layla Hagen]()
Hold Me Forever by Layla Hagen
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsTyler Maxwell's story will be released on January 18th.As the leagues’ top goalie for the Chicago Blades, I stay disciplined and follow three principles:1. Keep a pristine image.2. Play smart and hard on the ice.3. Stay out of relationships... -
![Sealed With A Kiss by Erin Nicholas]()
Sealed With A Kiss by Erin Nicholas
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWhat’s a girl to do when her celebrity crush needs her to be his fake girlfriend?Keep her damned feelings to herself, of course. Child TV star turned adult wallflower Naomi LeClaire has vowed never to return to the spotlight.But when she’s stuck in a storm with Donovan Foster, the hot, charming, wild-life rescuing internet sensation, and she finally gives in and kisses him..Categorized as:
multicultural friends to lovers black-mc bwwm contemporary humor secret-relationship m-f -
![Anger Banger by S.M. Shade]()
Anger Banger by S.M. Shade
The residents of Happy Haven Trailer park have been waiting for this for a long time. The slumlord who abandoned this place and let our homes deteriorate has been court ordered to live here while making repairs. Imagine our surprise when the guy who shows up to move in to the dilapidated trailer across the street isn't the sixty year old man we expected, but his son... -
![Flirting With Forever by Claire Kingsley]()
Flirting With Forever by Claire Kingsley
He’ll break all her rulesNora Lakes is sophisticated, successful, and happily single. Career problems aside, her life is fine the way it is, thank you very much. Sure, her best friends are all moving into a new season of life—full of husbands and babies and white picket fences. But that’s not what Nora wants. Neither is the gruff, tattooed guy next door. Tattoo artist Dex St... -
![The Problem with Players by Brittainy C. Cherry]()
The Problem with Players by Brittainy C. Cherry
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsAs a female coach, I’ve always lived by a simple mantra: throw hard, swing for the fences, and never, ever look back--especially when it comes to past flames.So when my ex-boyfriend somehow manages to land the job as my new assistant coach, my life is flipped upside down. The game I thought I'd mastered is now being played with a whole new set of rules.My ex is baseball's all-star Nathan Pierce...Categorized as:
forced proximity sports friends to lovers black-mc found-family office angst baseball -
![Are We There Yet? by Savannah Scott]()
Are We There Yet? by Savannah Scott
A vintage VW van. Four friends. A cross-country road trip.It will be the best adventure of my life, if only I can shake the feelings I have for Cameron .Cameron Reeves is as gorgeous as his name makes him sound.He’s about six feet tall, which is the height I always wrote in my ideal man list in my journal. Yes. I have a list of qualities I want in a man... -
![Beneath the Ice by L.A. Cotton]()
Beneath the Ice by L.A. Cotton
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAre you ready to fall in love with a Laker? When Connor Morgan wants something, he goes after it and doesn’t stop until he gets it. Enter Ella Henshaw. She’s the love of his life. Beautiful. Loyal. He has their future all mapped out. When Ella watches Connor take a nasty hit on the ice, she prays it isn’t going to ruin his final season with the Lakers. Or compromise his shot at going pro...Categorized as:
angst sports forced proximity grumpy sunshine found-family hockey college contemporary -
![Salt Love by Marika Ray]()
Salt Love by Marika Ray
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhat do you do when you find out your husband’s cheating on you, your aunt just passed away in Florida, and your boss gave the promotion to your work nemesis, so you threaten him with bodily harm in the middle of a board meeting?Well, after getting escorted out of the building by security, I fly straight to Sunshine Key to deal with my aunt’s estate...Categorized as:
office grumpy sunshine found-family contemporary mature couple humor length-medium m-f -
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![A Wonderland Wish on Ever After Street by Jaimie Admans]()
A Wonderland Wish on Ever After Street by Jaimie Admans
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA picture-perfect town, a place where dreams come true. Welcome to Ever After Street...There's always time for tea... unless you've lost your teapot…Cleo Jordan has only ever wished for one thing – to open her own teashop in memory of her lovely gran...Categorized as:
found-family grumpy sunshine forced proximity small town contemporary humor length-medium audiobook -
![Rosie and the Beast Next Door by Kaylee Baldwin]()
Rosie and the Beast Next Door by Kaylee Baldwin
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIt is a truth universally acknowledged that a hockey player in possession of a bad reputation must be in want of a fake girlfriend.Rosie Forrester is in desperate need of cash after an embarrassing run-in with the law. Enter Dylan Savage, a disgraced hockey player who needs a place to hide out for a few months while he figures out how to get back on his team... -
![Love, Delivered by A.N. Boyden]()
Love, Delivered by A.N. Boyden
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTwo years ago, Noah Porter would have been described by his closest family and friends as charismatic, outgoing, the life of the party, and a social butterfly. That all changed when Noah became the victim of a mass shooting at a popular nightclub. Noah escaped with his life, but his two best friends weren't so lucky.Noah now suffers from PTSD, agoraphobia, anxiety, and depression...Categorized as:
bwwm multicultural grumpy sunshine cold hero friends to lovers black-mc contemporary humor -
![The One I Need by Chelle Sloan]()
The One I Need by Chelle Sloan
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsYou’re cordially invited to the wedding of Oliver Price and Izzy McCall…That’s how my wedding invitations should have started. I should know, I’ve had my wedding planned since I was ten. I should’ve been wearing a designer tuxedo, not a tuxedo t-shirt. The wedding should’ve been in a church with family and friends, not in a 1960’s style chapel with Elvis as the officiant... -
![Shatterproof by Xavier Neal]()
Shatterproof by Xavier Neal
From USA TODAY Bestselling author Xavier Neal comes an all-new, best friends to lovers, forced proximity, bodyguard romance...The assignment is simple.Don't let the client get kidnapped.Don't let someone kill her.Don't confess that I've secretly been in love with her since we first met.It's the last part that complicates what would otherwise be a fairly routine operation...Categorized as:
friends to lovers forced proximity multicultural bwwm office black-mc suspense military -
![She Likes It, Hey Micah by Dana LeCheminant]()
She Likes It, Hey Micah by Dana LeCheminant
Micah Taylor is an eternal optimist, but with every first date that fails, her faith in true love weakens. When offered the chance to help reopen the lodge where her parents were married, Micah is determined to prove her worth and show her boss that she has what it takes to be a great event planner...Categorized as:
forced proximity grumpy sunshine office contemporary age difference humor m-f glimpses-kisses -
![Knock Out by Jiffy Kate]()
Knock Out by Jiffy Kate
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn the blink of an eye, Willow Bernard goes from stocking shelves at the Piggly Wiggly to kicking butt at Viking MMA.Willow Bernard has taken a lot of hits in her twenty-two years but always manages to come back swinging. Hoping to fly under the radar for a change, she relocates to Green Valley...Categorized as:
sports grumpy sunshine friends to lovers forced proximity fighters contemporary humor length-long -
![Catch a Wave by Savannah Scott]()
Catch a Wave by Savannah Scott
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsDid you ever see a guy and just know you had to meet him?That was me and Bodhi Merrick. I couldn't take my eyes off him as he donned his wetsuit at the famous big-wave surf spot, Mavericks. I'll never forget that day. Or every time our paths crossed after that. Big wave surfing is a small world. And, as it happens, Bodhi felt the same tug---this irresistible attraction that drew us to one another...Categorized as:
sports multicultural forced proximity siblings-bff humor contemporary m-f length-medium -
![The Scientist by Kristen B. Cole, Margo Lipschultz]()
The Scientist by Kristen B. Cole, Margo Lipschultz
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsWhen an outgoing musical maven meets the enigmatic neuroscientist next door, will their worlds clash in a dramatic showdown of art versus science, or will they discover that love is the ultimate experiment worth conducting?When celebrated Broadway composer Hadley Olivier’s best friend receives a life-threatening diagnosis, Hadley says goodbye to her beloved home in NYC and sets off to the West...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine friends to lovers forced proximity contemporary humor menage length-long -
![Bargaining with the Librarian: BWWM Enemies to Lovers by A.R. Williams]()
Bargaining with the Librarian: BWWM Enemies to Lovers by A.R. Williams
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsJasper Stockton did the unimaginable and slept with his daughter-in-law’s mother, Gayle Turner, whom he dubbed “the red dragon.” From the moment he met her, she drove his blood pressure through the roof, aggravated him repeatedly, and made him want to gag her holier-than-thou mouth on several occasions... -
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![Mood Swings and Hockey Flings by Marika Ray, Sylvie Stewart]()
Mood Swings and Hockey Flings by Marika Ray, Sylvie Stewart
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsIn the cutthroat world of professional sports, I’m the agent who always calls the shots. Until a decade-old feud with hockey superstar Banks Bennet resurfaces, and I’m forced to play nice. When his agent drops him and rumors of a trade swirl through the league faster than a puck on a breakaway, I find myself in the dreaded role of Banks’s new agent...Categorized as:
hockey sports office forced proximity from hate to love contemporary mature couple humor -
![One Last Job by Anise Starre]()
One Last Job by Anise Starre
When designer Amber Wyatt gets the opportunity to project manage a lucrative contract with The August Room, an exclusive and glamorous private members’ club, she can’t wait to get started. That is until she meets handsome managing director, Finn Hawthorne.Finn has no respect for her hard work, continuously undermines her and, worst of all, has the uncanny ability to charm everyone he meets...Categorized as:
multicultural bwwm office friends to lovers forced proximity from hate to love contemporary humor -
![Stranded in Arizona by Olivia Gaines]()
Stranded in Arizona by Olivia Gaines
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsKevia Caplan spent her entire life as a caregiver, first to her parents and then to her spoiled baby sister. Working as a database administrator for the FBI, she came across files of the worst in human behavior. When her sister tells her she’s going to become a mail-order bride, Kevia tags along to ensure her sister’s safety...Categorized as:
bwwm multicultural black-mc contemporary historical humor african-american length-short -
![The Sneak Peak by Victoria Wilder]()
The Sneak Peak by Victoria Wilder
My Best Friend. Young. Tempting . She bid on me at my company’s charity auction and won. Back then, she was too young, with hearts in her eyes and her whole life ahead of her. That’s how we started, and after all this time, she’s become my best friend. Being a single dad of twins and running Colorado's most successful summer sports company requires control and focus... -
![Fling by Adriana Locke]()
Fling by Adriana Locke
CONTEST: WIN A DATE TO MY HONEYMOONI realize that a social media post isn’t the usual way to secure a date to your honeymoon—for obvious reasons—but here we are.My wedding was canceled. What’s not canceled is the nonrefundable, ten-thousand-dollar all-inclusive vacation at a luxury resort, and I’m not about to let it go to waste.I’m packed and ready to hit the beach...Categorized as:
friends to lovers office forced proximity angst contemporary humor open-door length-medium -
![Pretty Little Mess by Carmel Rhodes]()
Pretty Little Mess by Carmel Rhodes
I’m having an out-of-body experience. At least...I think. Isn’t that what it’s called when your spirit abandons you to watch—from a safe distance, with the appropriate amount of judgement—while you make questionable decisions? Yup. I’m having one of those. I want to shout “STOP, ELLIE, DON’T DO IT!” But spirit me doesn’t have a voice. So I watch as she...I.. -
![CONFLICTING VENTURES by A.K. Landow]()
CONFLICTING VENTURES by A.K. Landow
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSkylar Lawrence is the quiet sister. The one that doesn’t need to be the center of attention. The one who wants happiness above all else. She’s been content to stay in the background and support her sisters as their stars shine bright.She internalizes her struggles. The lingering pain of losing her father, followed by the ending of her relationship with the man she thought was her forever... -
![The One I Want by Chelle Sloan]()
The One I Want by Chelle Sloan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAs a professional football player, I had a playbook for everything on the field. Then I retired and found out there’s no playbook for life—especially when the one you thought was perfect gets flipped upside down. There’s no play for suddenly becoming a divorced, single dad. There’s no plan for moving your family back to the town you grew up in...Categorized as:
sports single-father office forced proximity friends to lovers age difference contemporary humor -
![Ella Gets the D by Tanvier Peart]()
Ella Gets the D by Tanvier Peart
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe end of my marriage was the beginning of my happily ever after. What happens when you hear your husband putting dents in your mattress with another woman?Leave and never look back!Easier said than done when you're a stay-at-home mom, share two kids with the no-good cheater, and have a savings account that laughs in your face on the daily...Categorized as:
found-family sports forced proximity black-mc age difference single-mother contemporary humor -
![Write or Wrong by Heidi Hutchinson, Smartypants Romance]()
Write or Wrong by Heidi Hutchinson, Smartypants Romance
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsZara Lorna is kind of a big deal. After winning Artist of the Year (again), having a public argument with her boyfriend (again), and being whisked away by a man she barely knows (that’s new), it feels like she can’t go anywhere without drawing attention. It’s taking a toll on her and she could use a break.Deciding to spend some time out of the public eye, she moves to Chicago to be close to Nikki...Categorized as:
forced proximity office friends to lovers contemporary rockstars humor length-medium audiobook -
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![Kind of a Sexy Jerk by Lili Valente]()
Kind of a Sexy Jerk by Lili Valente
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsSo let me get this straight... For the next few days I’ve got myself a grumpy fake husband who’s also kind of my...bodyguard?I guess that’s a better way to spend the weekend than binge-watching reality television, especially since it’s kind of my fault we’re on the run from the mob and I need a protector.Oops...Categorized as:
forced proximity grumpy sunshine friends to lovers contemporary humor length-medium audiobook -
![Tanner by Katy Regnery]()
Tanner by Katy Regnery
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author Katy Regnery is back with an addictive six-book series featuring the Stewarts of Skagway!When Tanner Stewart learns his crazy ex is returning for a summer in Skagway, he places a personal ad, looking for someone to pose as his fiancée for the summer. Enter McKenna Cabot, a commitment-phobic college professor from Seattle caring for her aging grandmother...Categorized as:
forced proximity friends to lovers grumpy sunshine office angst contemporary suspense sassy heroine -
![Tease by Camilla Stevens]()
Tease by Camilla Stevens
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 13 ratings“Hello, neighbor. Going down?” Miss PinkThat’s what I call her.Her “real” name is too ridiculous to repeat.Besides, my nickname for her is more than apt. Everything about her is pink, from the pink champagne she gets delivered by the caseload, to the tiny pink feathers I find randomly breezing down the hallway of our apartment building in her wake.It’s ridiculous…in the most addictive way... -
![Cheeky Romance by Nia Arthurs]()
Cheeky Romance by Nia Arthurs
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsThe only thing worse than marrying your prissy childhood friend in a Vegas wedding is waking up the next morning and hearing she forgot about it.I got my best friend pregnant.No sense sugar-coating the truth because the Vegas wedding and drunken honeymoon are just a tiny part of the story. The real crapstorm is what happens after Vanya finds out there’s a bun in her oven...Categorized as:
friends to lovers bwwm boss & employee office single-father multicultural black-mc found-family -
![Flirting with the CEO by Layla Hagen]()
Flirting with the CEO by Layla Hagen
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsI wanted to hate her. Instead, I desperately need her. I didn't get to be CEO by playing nice. I'm driven and ruthless—and yes, occasionally rude. But it gets the job done, and that's all I care about. My business partners disagree. They insist I need to improve my communication skills. That's how I end up with Zoey Thomas shadowing me...Categorized as:
office friends to lovers grumpy sunshine contemporary humor super rich hero length-medium audiobook -
![Behind the Pages: A sultry romcom of the unexpected by K. Iwancio]()
Behind the Pages: A sultry romcom of the unexpected by K. Iwancio
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTwo authors, an intertwined plot, and one heck of an alluring ending to their highly-anticipated bestselling books... With her fantasy series, Bridget Paige is the newest member of the New York Times Bestseller list. Except no one knows who she is. To the world, she's Bridget. To those behind the scenes, she's introverted Paige Booker... -
![The Atelier Assignment by Annie Dyer]()
The Atelier Assignment by Annie Dyer
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHer assignment is to not fall in love with him…Zeke Brooksbank is in need of a wake-up call. One that shakes him out of the grump he’s permanently in and turns him into a reasonable human being.I’m not staying at his country residence to tame the beast. I’m meant to be cataloguing his art collection, not fangirling over his own paintings, or becoming attached to his little daughter... -
![The Problem with Dating by Brittainy C. Cherry]()
The Problem with Dating by Brittainy C. Cherry
If I had to choose a person to hate, Alex Ramírez would’ve been first on the list…Welcome to Honey Creek, Illinois, where life was as sweet as the town’s name suggested. That was, until Mr. Fine Dining himself, Alex Ramírez, rolled into town with a permanent scowl. Even worse, he decided to park his snooty five-star restaurant across from my cozy dog daycare... -
![Dating For December by Lyndsey Gallagher]()
Dating For December by Lyndsey Gallagher
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsHe's an expert at breakups... but this Christmas, can he master a love that lasts?⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Lyndsey Gallagher is THE QUEEN page turners!"My perpetually single status hardly serves as a shining advertisement for HeartSync, the dating agency I own. Nor is it likely to convince my incredibly successful movie star brother, Nate, to invest in my business... -
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![Huck by Lulu Moore]()
Huck by Lulu Moore
You don’t date the Coach’s daughter. It’s the first thing you learn in Hockey 101.Except whoever made that rule had never met Nora Campbell.She came into my life like the blondest ray of sunshine, and I thought all my dreams had come true.Then I found out who she was...Categorized as:
sports forced proximity office friends to lovers found-family hockey contemporary dual-pov -
![My Funny Valentine: A Valentine Novella by Blue Saffire]()
My Funny Valentine: A Valentine Novella by Blue Saffire
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAward winning Author Blue Saffire presents My Funny Valentine Love doesn’t always come in a beautifully wrapped, elegant, gilded box. Ever heard of the chipped plate or the ugly duckling? I’ve been referenced to as both. It’s fine with me. I still have no problem going after what I want. I’ve built a multi-million-dollar company, soon to be worth billions...Categorized as:
multicultural boss & employee bwwm black-mc humor contemporary african-american sassy heroine -
![One Night Only by Shann McPherson]()
One Night Only by Shann McPherson
A spicy, forbidden romance where she's older and he's OBSESSED.Dallas Shaw is a "no strings" kind of guy. Voted NHL’s sexiest goalie two years in a row, he's the league's biggest playboy—a reputation he maintains with pride.But when a pretty blonde crashes into his life like an adorable wrecking ball, what was supposed to be a one night stand turns Dallas’ whole world upside down...Categorized as:
hockey sports friends to lovers found-family forced proximity office age difference forbidden love -
![The Christmas You Crash by Piper Hale]()
The Christmas You Crash by Piper Hale
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsOne blizzard. One cabin. One uninvited hockey player. Ho, ho, humbug. Normally I love Christmas. The lights, the snow, the cozy traditions. Then my parents divorced. Intent to avoid awkward holiday drama, I head to our family’s secluded cabin for a nice, relaxing week alone.At least that’s the plan until Ryder Hanson shows up uninvited and dressed like a serial killer... -
![She's a Keeper by Ali K. Mulford]()
She's a Keeper by Ali K. Mulford
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThey’re both used to temporary. Have they unexpectedly found forever?Lark Lachlan has her life under control. Although she enjoys the occasional summer fling with women, the devoted-to-her-career, bisexual zookeeper has no trouble keeping her heart in its cage. So she’s a little surprised to feel an instant, all-consuming attraction to the handsome new volunteer, Logan... -
![Flopper by Colleen Charles]()
Flopper by Colleen Charles
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Vegas Venom turn up the heat in this brand new standalone hockey romance series from USA Today Bestselling Author Colleen Charles!As one of the top goalies in hockey I live a sweet Vegas lifestyle: VIP treatment at all the hottest spots in town – ushered past every velvet rope – and all the puck bunnies I can handle...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers single-father hockey humor new adult insta-love contemporary
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