Fourth Down Series by Cathryn Carter

Ali Whitaker isn’t into kissing strangers. But on the first night back out after her fifteen-year relationship falls apart, she finds herself wanting—and needing—to do just that.Even though Cornell Crawford is a former Division 1 quarterback with a genius football IQ, he's blindsided by Ali's blitz at the bar that night. He leaves without her number or the hope to see her again... moreAli Whitaker isn’t into kissing strangers. But on the first night back out after her fifteen-year relationship falls apart, she finds herself wanting—and needing—to do just that.Even though Cornell Crawford is a former Division 1 quarterback with a genius football IQ, he's blindsided by Ali's blitz at the bar that night. He leaves without her number or the hope to see her again. When Cornell takes a coaching job at a small community college, he comes face-to-face with the petite brunette who stole a kiss and made his head spin.As colleagues, they must learn to navigate their relationship on the down-low while leading and mentoring the toughest of college football’s rejects. They often bump heads—just not hard enough to quell the undeniable attraction and chemistry between them.Ali hides behind walls and Cornell is burdened by abandonment issues. But when their relationship blossoms from something physical to something more, they must decide if it’s worth lining up together on fourth down in the game versus betrayal, inadequacy, and grief. less

Hopperville Community College’s favorite academic adviser and football coach are back on campus. But gone are the secret smiles and stolen kisses behind closed doors. Ali and Cornell return not just as colleagues but also as partners preparing to build a future together.Armed with candy and a listening ear, Ali is ready to welcome the charismatic, Division-I caliber roster Cornell recruited for the hyped-up team... moreHopperville Community College’s favorite academic adviser and football coach are back on campus. But gone are the secret smiles and stolen kisses behind closed doors. Ali and Cornell return not just as colleagues but also as partners preparing to build a future together.Armed with candy and a listening ear, Ali is ready to welcome the charismatic, Division-I caliber roster Cornell recruited for the hyped-up team. But they could never have anticipated Hopperville’s new quarterback to pit them against each other—or to tackle her.Their two-man team loses its footing with Ali blindsided by trauma and Cornell banished to the bench. When everything that brought them together becomes everything keeping them apart, they must fight to ground themselves in the beauty of the moment and not slip into the darkness of the past.On their journey to healing, Cornell is determined to show Ali that no matter how many sacks they take, no matter how much their hearts break, in the game of a lifetime it just isn’t possible to lose something forever—even when you fumble it.Fourth Down Fumble is book two of the Fourth Down Series. It holds content that might be sensitive to some readers, including sexual assault, PTSD, therapy sessions, and secondary/vicarious trauma. Please note this is not a dark romance, but a sports romance with a focus on trauma healing. less