15 parts Complete Marlee (Marlena) Ellis always knew the golden rule - her brother Finn's (Finnegan) friends were off limits. But that didn't stop her heart from choosing Brendon Perch - Finn's best friend, star football player, and the boy who had always been just a little too charming for his own good.
At sixteen, Marlee is a junior, a cheerleader, and just starting to figure out who she is.
Brendon, eighteen and a senior, is on the edge of adulthood, juggling football dreams and complicated feelings he can't ignore.
As their secret connection deepens, tensions rise - especially with Finn, who's fiercely protective of his little sister.
When Brendon finally asks Marlee out, everything changes. Friendships are tested, loyalties are strained, and hearts are on the line.
Over the next few years, Marlee navigates high school, growing up, heartbreak, and healing - including a painful moment when Brendon hurts her, leading to a fierce, emotional fight between Brendon and Finn.
With her family still mourning the loss of her mother (Marianna Ellis), years earlier, Marlee struggles to rebuild the fragile bonds with her father, Matthew Ellis, her brother Finn, and her best friends Rachel Setter and Cameron Duncan, stand loyally by her side through it all.
But Marlee is stronger than anyone realizes.
After high school, she moves forward - graduating, finding her independence, chasing her dreams - and realizing love isn't always easy, but it's worth fighting for.
Marlee and Brendon's love story grows into marriage, family, and a home full of laughter and little feet - a testament to the messy, beautiful way real love lasts.
Because sometimes the best things in life are the ones you were never supposed to have.
Sometimes...
"Off limits" just means "worth the risk."
