in which lila and jack happen to meet again, under different circumstances and notice things neither had noticed in the past

it gets worse before it gets better.

Under the Spotlight follows Quinn Hughes, the dedicated and stoic captain of the Vancouver Canucks, as he navigates the pressures of an NHL season while secretly letting his guard down in front of a documentary crew filming for Face Off. Among the cameras is Nathalie Rivers, a talented and perceptive cinematographer who slowly becomes the person Quinn trusts the most. From early morning skates and candid locker room moments to quiet city walks and shared breakfasts, their professional relationship evolves into something tender and deeply personal. Through laughter, teasing, and vulnerable conversations, they discover a connection neither expected - one that balances Quinn's intense focus on hockey with Nathalie's quiet, grounding presence. As the Canucks battle through the season and into the playoffs, Nathalie captures every defining moment, while their own relationship blossoms behind the lens. From intimate candid photos and shared adventures to quiet nights reflecting on victories, Under the Spotlight is a heartwarming tale of love, trust, and the magic found in the spaces between fame and real life. It's a story about finding someone who sees you fully - on and off the ice - and learning that sometimes the most meaningful victories happen away from the spotlight.

Once the golden boy of the New Jersey Devils, he now walks a thin line between expectation and exhaustion. After back-to-back seasons marred by injury, he's not just losing games-he's unraveling. Confidence bleeds between shifts. Joy slips through his fingers like melted ice. He's tasted victory, stood centre ice with a city on his shoulders, felt the roar of an arena chanting his name. But lately, it's the silence that echoes-between games, between goals, after every rehab session. And then-he sees her. Alexa Lilliana Ignacio. Athletic Therapy student. Luke Hughes' best friend. And possibly the most infuriating girl Jack has ever met. She's lightning in a bottle. Brutal honesty wrapped in soft laughter. Clumsy, beautiful, guarded. She doesn't chase stars-she builds her own constellations. Jack? He's barely a blip in her orbit... which might be why she's the only person who's felt real in a long time. She's not here for fame or its casualties. But fate? It doesn't ask for permission. It starts with a stolen glance on the Jumbotron-her face lighting up the screen, stealing the breath from a thousand throats, including his. Then comes a second encounter. Then a third. She sees him-not the name, not the number. Him. And in a world where he's measured by stats and seconds, that means everything. But she's got her own game to win. Her own future to fight for. When she starts pulling away-missing hangouts, dodging texts, hiding behind "busy"-Jack notices. He misses the chaos. Misses her. Because no matter how perfect his life looks from the outside, it's her-sharp-tongued, emotionally guarded, and secretly kind-who makes him feel alive. It starts the way most storms do: quietly. With a glance, a smirk, a shared inside joke. And maybe the best plays of all? Aren't in the playbook.

Charlotte Evans came to Vancouver for a fresh start - a new city, new career, and a chance to outrun the shadows of the past that nearly broke her. Her only rule? No hockey players. Not after the accident that took her ex's life, shattered her reputation, and made her the girl her hometown loves to blame. But she unknownlingly moved in across the hall from Quinn Hughes - captain of the Canucks and Canada's most beloved hockey prodigy - her carefully built walls begin to crack. Focused, soft-spoken, and maddeningly kind, Quinn is everything she swore she'd avoid... and everything her heart starts to want. He's at the peak of his career, with no time for distractions. She's spent years building armor she swore no man would ever get through. But as sparks fly, tempers clash, and a magnetic tension simmers just beneath the surface, niether can deny the pull between them. When unspoken attraction turns into something deeper, and a painful secret threatens to resurface, Charlotte and Quinn will have to decide whether some lines are meant to be crossed - or if the past will always be one game they can't win.

I laughed and was about to follow him out into the hallway when I felt a hand pulling mine from behind. The gentle weight surprised me and I took a step back into Cam's hard chest. I could feel his warmth through my thin shirt. His breath stirred my hair as he leaned his head down and whispered into my ear, "We're not done." Ooh boy, I thought. No, we certainly were not. * * * * * * * * * * * Blake Forth. Smart and sassy. Cameron Davis. Sweet and sexy. Blake didn't even know that co-ed dorms were a thing, so imagine her surprise when her roommate for the next three years is not only a guy, but gorgeous Cameron Davis. Cameron's a bit of a player who's stuck in his ways, but everything might change after he spends some time with his new roomie. Blake moved to Melbourne to get a change of scenery and leave parts of her past behind, but is she ready to move on when things start heating up between her and Cameron? Blake's a one-guy type of girl, but is Cam willing to settle down for just one girl? * * * * * * * * * * * * #1 in Australia | 12/06/21 #1 in Roommates | 9/04/20 #2 in Melbourne | 06/07/21 #2 in University | 14/05/22 #3 in Bad Boy | 08/10/22

"If you want to try again, I've learned a few things since then and now I'm sure... I would make it so, so good for you..." Luke pulls back, a troublemakers grin on his lips. "You wouldn't be able to forget it." *** Dylan Anderson never expected to be back in the small beach town where her family used to spend their summers. Especially not after that one July night that changed everything. But after a recent fall, her grandmother needs a caregiver and as Dylan recently dropped out of college, she's the perfect girl for the job. So now, after years of deliberately staying far away, Dylan is back and determined to interact with the town, its people, and the tragedy that took place there as little as possible. But when her stubborn Grams and super good looking ex-boyfriend turned nemesis, Luke Henson, team up to destroy her plan, she's in for quite the challenge. What's supposed to be a quiet summer reflecting on her new life plans turns into a whirlwind of love, pain, lust and forgiveness as Dylan finally learns the truth about that summer. All rights reserved ® kjobrien ™ TW: without giving away the plot, this story has moments which are very dark/upsetting, alluding to trauma/tragic death, and struggles with mental health. please read with care and remember to take care of your mental well-being❤️ (Started 11/30/2020) #1 in Steamy #1 in ExLovers #1 in Beach Romance #1 in Player #1 in Sad Romance #2 in Women's Fiction #2 in Mature #2 in Grieving #3 in Romance #3 in Coping #4 in Healing #4 in Moving Forward #4 in Summer Vacation #5 in Flirty #6 in Young Adult #6 in Enemies to Lovers #7 in New Adult #7 in Summer Love #7 in Drama Romance

[18+ ENEMIES TO LOVERS COLLEGE ROMANCE] In which two competitive culinary students get under each other's skin in all the right ways. * * * ʙᴏɪʟɪɴɢ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ (ɴᴏᴜɴ): ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴏɪɴᴛ ᴀᴛ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴀɴɢᴇʀ ᴏʀ ᴇxᴄɪᴛᴇᴍᴇɴᴛ ʙʀᴇᴀᴋ ᴏᴜᴛ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴠɪᴏʟᴇɴᴛ ᴇxᴘʀᴇꜱꜱɪᴏɴ. ʟɪᴋᴇʟʏ ᴛᴏ ʟᴏꜱᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴏʟ ᴏꜰ ᴏɴᴇꜱᴇʟꜰ. Summer Westley and Ashton Banks have three things in common: they both attend the same culinary school, they both want to be the best, and they both drive each other completely crazy. A determined spitfire of a girl and an arrogant devil of a boy, thrust into a storm brimming with conflict and craving right from the bitter beginning. Fighting each other, their hunger, and the ghosts that haunt their past and present, Summer and Ashton soon realize that pushing down emotions can only last for so long until they boil over. And sour first impressions can leave the sweetest of aftertastes. ────────────────────── Contains mature themes - read intro for details 📚Featured on reading lists: @TeenFiction - Friend/Foe to Love, 18 Romance Stories We Are Obsessed With @Romance - Enemies/Friends Highest rankings: #1 Slow Burn #1 Drama #1 Enemies to Lovers #1 College Romance #3 Young Adult #3 Chemistry #3 Fiction #6 College #7 Love Story #10 Mature #12 Feelings #13 Steamy #17 Love #19 Teen Fiction

Nolan Patrick, 20-year-old 2nd overall draft pick for the Philadelphia Flyers, he was a shy guy who didn't know how to deal with the attention of being an NHL player. Fiona Spaulding, a sophomore at Temple University, she came from a small town in Pennsylvania. How will Fiona adjust to the life of a professional athlete, and how will Nolan break out of his shell and finally let someone in?

Teagan was used to guys flirting with her in bars. She was used to flirting right back. At first, it seemed like Trevor was going to be no different than any other guy. A one night stand in her long line of them. But the twenty four hours after they meet proves her wrong. Trevor could never be like any other guy she's even thought of being with. Question is: Are either of them ready for it? Where Teagan and Trevor unknowingly tame each other in months of "joke" flirting and hookups. **************** trevor zegras x fem!oc mature language vague timeline with vague nhl season loosely inspired by ...Ready For it? by Taylor Swift CONTENT WARNING: explicit mentions of past age gaps, grooming, and toxic relationships. vague-ish mentions of a loved one's suicide attempt, self harm, and mental health. slightly excessive drinking and drunk activities. implicit sex. no smut.