Pine Barren University Series by Clara West

Changing the Playbook. is the third novel in the steamy and emotional Pine Barren college hockey romance series, featuring a cinnamon roll captain, a fiercely protective nursing student, and a connection that starts with one unforgettable night. HER PLAYBOOK. Between a demanding nursing master's program and managing her mom’s unpredictable MS, Sophie Pearson’s life runs on a strict set of rules... moreChanging the Playbook. is the third novel in the steamy and emotional Pine Barren college hockey romance series, featuring a cinnamon roll captain, a fiercely protective nursing student, and a connection that starts with one unforgettable night. HER PLAYBOOK. Between a demanding nursing master's program and managing her mom’s unpredictable MS, Sophie Pearson’s life runs on a strict set of rules. She doesn’t have time for feelings, so she handles her… physical needs… with cold one-night stands, no repeats, no complications, and definitely no athletes. It’s the only system that keeps her sane. HIS NEW GAME PLAN. After an injury nearly ended his career and shattered his mental health, hockey captain Mike Altman is living by a new set of rules for his final dominate on the ice to secure his NHL future, and explore a life outside the rink with a series of low-stakes new hobbies. He’s got a clear head, until he meets a girl who shatters his focus. AN UNEXPECTED COLLISION. A single, scorching night together leaves their carefully laid plans in ashes. Mike falls for her, hard, while Sophie is blindsided by a man who makes their one-night stand feel dangerously close to real intimacy. They both agree it can onlybe one night for so many reasons… until she walks into the locker room and finds him standing shirtless next to her father, the team's new coach. Suddenly, the one perfect night they promised to leave as a memory becomes an impossible, daily itch they can’t help but scratch. He can’t focus on the game when the girl he can’t forget is always around, and she can’t keep her walls up when the only man who has ever seen the real her is now the star of her father's team. Together, they have to decide if a love that could cost them everything is worth ripping up the playbook over. Key Coach's daughter (and earning his trust! )One-night stand to moreHe falls first and hardCinnamon roll hero (tough on the ice, tender with her)Double POVThird in seriesRead as standalone. Spice Steamy ‘open door’. less

A steamy new college hockey romance featuring forced proximity roommates, secret wagers, and two people who are the life of the party even when they're drowning. . HER REBELLION. Maya Hayes is the wild stallion of Pine Barren University—fierce, untouchable, the party queen who’s completely in control. But when she’s cut off from her wealthy family for defying their expectations, she rebels in her own way. Throwing parties and pretending everything’s perfect… even when it’s killing her... moreA steamy new college hockey romance featuring forced proximity roommates, secret wagers, and two people who are the life of the party even when they're drowning. . HER REBELLION. Maya Hayes is the wild stallion of Pine Barren University—fierce, untouchable, the party queen who’s completely in control. But when she’s cut off from her wealthy family for defying their expectations, she rebels in her own way. Throwing parties and pretending everything’s perfect… even when it’s killing her. HIS PERFORMANCE. Maine Hamilton is the Maine Show—hockey team Alpha, legendary partier, the campus comedian. Yet behind the jokes and the big guy energy, he’s drowning in debt, working sixty-hour weeks, and sending every spare dollar home for his sister’s medical bills. He’s everyone’s entertainment, but nobody knows the show is coming to an end. THEIR DANGEROUS ARRANGEMENT. When Maya needs a cheap room and Maine needs rent money, their solution seems become roommates with strict boundaries. No feelings. No complications. Just two people sharing space and absolutely not falling for each other. But forced proximity has its own rules. Every morning she does yoga in tiny shorts. Every night he does shirtless pull-ups. They share a kitchen, a bathroom, late night confessions, and increasingly heated glances in between their passive-aggressive sticky note war. And then comes the bet…. Key Forced proximity (one small apartment, big feels, zero chill! )Secret bet (they don’t know they’re both playing each other! )Emotional caretakers finding each other (who saves the saviors? )Class differences (champagne problems meet beer budget! )Fourth in series (but read as standalone! )Steamy ‘open door’ spice level. Get it now! less

A steamy new college hockey romance featuring a shy gentle giant, a fierce punk rock goddess, and a fake relationship that forces them both to face everything they've been hiding. HIS WEAKNESS. Ben Kellerman is the PBU Devils' gentle giant—a formidable defenseman on the ice who becomes a stammering disaster the moment a pretty girl looks his way. Past humiliations taught him his "jock" self is a coward and his "nerd" self is pathetic. He's convinced he'll never be enough for anyone... moreA steamy new college hockey romance featuring a shy gentle giant, a fierce punk rock goddess, and a fake relationship that forces them both to face everything they've been hiding. HIS WEAKNESS. Ben Kellerman is the PBU Devils' gentle giant—a formidable defenseman on the ice who becomes a stammering disaster the moment a pretty girl looks his way. Past humiliations taught him his "jock" self is a coward and his "nerd" self is pathetic. He's convinced he'll never be enough for anyone. So when a gorgeous punk singer propositions him in a bar, his first instinct is to run. His second is to wonder if this is the universe finally throwing him a lifeline. HER ARMOR. Cassidy "Cass" Vance is the snarling frontwoman of campus punk band Pinebox—all ripped fishnets, combat boots, and weaponized attitude. But her fierce persona is armor against a world that taught her men only want the fantasy, never the real woman underneath. Now, with aggressive fans crossing lines, she needs a human shield. Someone big enough to intimidate, sweet enough to control, and clueless enough to never see through her walls. Ben Kellerman fits the bill perfectly. Or so she thinks. THEIR UNSCRIPTED CHEMISTRY. The rules are he plays the protective boyfriend, she fakes being his girlfriend to get the hockey guys off his back, and absolutely nobody catches feelings. But between stolen glances at dive bar gigs and unexpectedly tender moments, their fake relationship starts writing its own script. The guy who fixes broken things is falling for the girl convinced she's beyond repair. And the woman who always strikes first is terrified of what happens when she finally lets someone stay. Key. Fake dating (what could possibly go wrong? )She falls first (but he falls harder)Opposites attract (the stammering sweetheart and the punk rock queen)Touch her and die (he's shy until someone threatens his girl)Sixth in series (but read as standalone! )Steamy 'open door' spice levelHappily-ever-after and no cliffhangers. Get it now! less