WATTYS 2023 & 2022 SHORTLIST

Completed • First Draft - not edited. || "You gonna sit there all night?" Luka glances at me, smirking. I glare back. "I was enjoying the last few seconds of peace before having to spend an evening pretending to like you." "That's funny," he says, unbuckling his seatbelt. "Why?" I snap. "Because I was thinking the same thing." || The rules? Easy enough. 1. Pretend to be the perfect couple. 2. Keep it professional. 3. And whatever you do, don't. catch. feelings. Simple, right? Sofia Calloway never planned on going viral for throwing a drink in Luka Mikhaylov's face. But one video, one pissed-off hockey star, and one furious university later... she's suddenly stuck in a fake relationship with the guy she can't stand. He needs to clean up his image before the NHL draft. She needs the free tuition that comes with the deal. All they have to do is smile for the cameras, hold hands at the games, and act like they don't want to strangle each other. Then come the late-night arguments that last too long. The stolen glances that feel too dangerous. The moment where "pretend" starts looking way too real. Because when you break the rules, someone's bound to lose. And this time, it might be both of them.

Adelaide Rhodes has had it rough these past few years, and she's had enough. So, she does what she always does, she doesn't think before taking action. Which then resolves into her drunkenly telling Braxton Shelby, yes that's the crush, her feelings. Braxton on the other hand, is just now realizing that he too has feelings her his best friend's little sister. So, he does what he does best: He takes her home. One night leads to two. Two lead to a week. A week leads to a month. Until finally, they've both fallen. Head. Over. Heels. There's no backing out now. They're too deep in but, somethings got to give. The relationship is too perfect. Will Asher find out before they find the courage to tell him themselves, or will the press beat them to it? * Adelaide When my tire went flat and my brother sent his best friend, Braxton Shelby, to help, I did not expect my schoolgirl crush on the man to turn into real feelings. And I definitely didn't expect to blurt out those same feelings for him only a few days later- damn me for being so blunt-, and to then be in a secret relationship, due to the media- and my soon-to-be ticked off brother. This was not at all how I wanted my life to be but then again, nothing in my life has gone right the past couple of years, maybe I needed him more than I thought. Braxton Falling for my best friend's little sister was definitely not my plan. But honestly, when does my life ever go according to plan? Now- sooner than I expected- I've got her in my bed, and I'm falling, hard. I'm hiding the big secret from said best friend, and the word is out that I've got a secret girlfriend. Something is bound to go wrong. A/N: Not a slow burn! I repeat: NOT A SLOW BURN!

Everyone who works within the New York Warriors organization knows that star player August Fletcher refuses to talk to most people...and especially team reporters. All except Quinn Castle, that is. Quinn doesn't know why the broody football player has singled her out, but she knows she doesn't like it-not when being around him and his hot gazes makes her feel like she might accidentally do something that risks her career. So when August unexpectedly retires, Quinn can't help but feel relieved...until she finds herself with a new assignment: spend the summer in August's hometown on Evergreen Isle and write a flashy retirement piece on the Warrior's biggest star. It would be easy enough...if it weren't for the team's secret agenda: convince August to return to New York. It would be easy enough...if it weren't her job on the line if she doesn't see it through. It would be easy enough...if it weren't for the heat in August Fletcher's eyes.

Devin McKenna doesn't date golfers - end of story - but she will definitely be best friends with one. After two years of friendship (and one long year of mysterious silence) with Tate Thacker, collegiate and future-pro golf phenom, he's back for their senior year of college. Tate is the same as always; winning left and right, sticking to his insane schedule, and never being in a serious relationship. A lot had changed for Devin in that one year though. She had her heart broken by a football player, but seeing him so jealous when Tate walks back into her life makes Devin a little too happy. Fake dating might not be a thing in real life, but people used to mistakenly think that Devin and Tate were together all the time - so why can't they just not dispel the rumor for once?

𝐀𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐚 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐧. 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥. Just when Aurora is finally taking control of her own life, everything seems to be falling into chaos. She leaves behind all that she's ever known to take a chance at life in an entirely new place. But America is nothing like England, and its inhabitants even more so. Trusting her brother to help her adapt, Aurora accepts his offer to stay with him and some of his teammates. Seven of them to be exact. She quickly comes to realize that her comfort-zone doesn't exist here, and everything is big, scary, and intimidating. Just like her brother's best friend. Maddox is Aurora's polar opposite, which explains the magnetic pull that he seems to feel for her. He knows that he's bad for her, that the bad in his life will only taint her purity, like a drop of ink in water. Maddox doesn't know what to think about the new girl, but he does know that he thinks about her way too much. He knows that he can't sit by while she struggles, and life in Greenville is sink or swim. Aurora's been thrown into the deep-end without a life preserver and the only thing keeping her from drowning is a tattooed hand reaching out to help her.

The kingdom of Zariya. Prince Archer of Zariya. Evelyn, a citizen of Zariya. The prince has now turned twenty-one and the hunt for a princess has begun. With no princesses suitable to our royal Prince Archer's likes, there is no choice left. He must marry a simple girl from Zariya. One that has a good name, is favored by many and knows how to carry herself. Evelyn is a girl who helps run her mother's boutique, Cherie and also works in restaurants around the kingdom. Only she is loved by everyone. She's known for being the kind-hearted girl she is who helps everyone around town. Word of Prince Archer's hunt for a bride spreads like a wildfire and thousands of hands are offered in marriage but so does the word of Evelyn and her beauty which she fails to acknowledge. Can a girl who wants nothing to do with royalty handle being the king's new obsession? Or worse, being the princess of Zariya? . . . . . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

*RELEASE DATE OF APRIL 26TH, 2025 ON AMAZON* Mirabelle I've accomplished a lot in twenty years. After becoming a decorated Olympian at the age of seventeen, I continued my streak of overachieving by graduating from my parents' alma mater, Duke University, a year early. I scored the public relations internship of a lifetime with an NFL team based on my own merits, and not because my father was their quarterback his entire career. The only thing I haven't accomplished is falling in love. Actually-that's technically not the truth. I fell in love with Henry Price, my parents' best friends' son, years ago. Never in a million years did I imagine I'd have a chance at making him see me the same way, but when the opportunity arises for me to help Henry fix the PR disaster threatening to ruin his career by pretending to be his girlfriend, I dive in head first. Except, I forgot love can make you blind, and I didn't realize we were drowning until it was too late. Henry From the time I learned to throw a football, I knew I wanted to be the starting quarterback for the Panthers. I spent most of my rookie contract learning from my parents' best friend, the legendary Sebastian Walker, knowing I would spend my entire career trying to be half the player he was. I never imagined it would almost slip through my fingers, or that the lifeline to keeping it would come from his daughter, Mirabelle. I've known her my entire life, and because of that, I've never allowed myself to look at her the way I'm now being forced to as she helps me save my career by pretending to be my girlfriend. I try to keep my intrusive thoughts in check, until Mirabelle confides in me why her ex-boyfriend broke up with her, and I selfishly offer to help her become more confident in the bedroom. My entire life, I've viewed love as conditional, but Mirabelle Walker makes me want more for myself, until I'm reminded that love is as unpredictable as the ocean.

Pro hockey star, Christian Brooks, has everything he ever needed as a starting forward Right Winger, and a three year old daughter. Or, so he thought. When Brinley Cameron's newest patient happens to be, a star hockey player, for her favorite team's biggest rival's, daughter. She never thought she'd find herself quickly getting over her ex fiancé, and falling into the world that is: Christian Brooks. * Christian I never thought I'd need someone more than Charlie, that is, until I met her. Meet: Brinley Cameron, one of my daughter's surgeon, southern sass at its finest, slight pain in my ass, and the girl I can't get off my mind, no matter how hard I try. Brinley I always assumed Christian Brooks was a jerk. He was an antagonizer on the ice, that meant he was one off the ice too, right? Wrong. He was the total opposite. In fact, I couldn't help myself from melting into a puddle every time I saw him interact with his daughter. And I definitely could help the fact that I found myself wanting to be around him, 24/7. (#1 - singleparent) ~ 1/12/23 (#2 - surgeon) ~ 1/10/23 (#11 - hockey) ~ 1/10/23 (#1 - sports) ~ 3/14/23 (#3 - cancerpatient) ~ 1/10/23 (#6 - singledad) ~ 1/10/23 (#8 - nhlhockey) ~ 1/10/23 (#670 - sportsromance) ~ 1/10/23 (#458 - maturescenes) ~ 1/10/23

Summer Grayson, a dancer with one goal and no time for distractions. Trevor St. Claire, a hockey player from the rival school with a distracting smile. BOOK ONE