Showing results by narrator "Lu Banks" in All Categories

When I sign with the Tennessee Thunderbolts, I have two goals: prove my injury hasn't benched my career and get back to New York. But then, I meet Mila, the enigmatic therapist tasked with rehabbing my shoulder. With her long ponytail, professional demeanor, and girl-next-door look, Mila is nothing like my usual type. She's better—a good girl with sad eyes and a tragic past our small town loves to dissect.

Wherever I am, I'm the biggest guy in the room. People don't just gawk when they see me. They keep their distance, which is fine by me. Why do you think I bought a fixer-upper in the country? I don't mind the manual labor, just like I don't mind the solitude. I've got my own business and projects, and no room for anything—or anyone—else. That is, until an angel shows up on my doorstep, clutching a month-old advert touting a room for rent in my house.

It's not every day you get asked to be a bridesmaid for the wedding of your ex and your ex-best friend. Call me lucky? My grandmother thinks I'm crazy for agreeing, but I can't let those so-and-sos know they've pummeled my self-worth . . . even if it's true. Then my grandmother goes off the deep end and tells everyone that I have a boyfriend. A pediatric surgeon boyfriend. Worse, she's shown them his photograph. The guy in question? He's a hot piece of bad news. He may have befriended my grandmother, but he's far from being in my good graces.

Publicly fighting with a man for an oversold airline seat—embarrassing! Realizing he was the quarterback for the Atlanta Arrows—awkward. Knowing he was your friend's older brother and teenage crush but didn't recognize you—humiliating. When I stormed out of the airport after throwing a temper tantrum, I never expected to cross paths with him again. All I wanted to do was put the night behind me and enjoy a martini. The last thing I expected was for him to waltz into the bar and offer me a night I couldn't refuse.

Devastation and devotion are two sides to the same coin, and Brian Miller flips the coin to my heart without even trying. He thinks he's not good enough—that I deserve better than a damaged single father. But his demons can't be any worse than the one stalking my every move in our small town—the one no one can bring to justice. Despite the age difference between us, I'm not a little girl, and I know the truth. Brian will never forgive himself for not being there when I needed him most. But he's the only man who can rescue me now.

Healing takes time. Whether it's a broken bone or a laceration, patience is potent medicine. The same goes for relationships. I moved back to town hoping to patch things up with my son. Imagine my surprise when I meet his gorgeous best friend on the exam table at my OB/GYN office, hell-bent on ditching her V-card as quickly as possible. That's not going to happen.

It isn't that hard to be a good maid of honor. Always support your bride-to-be, cohost a gorgeous bridal shower, and never ever sleep with the father of your bride.

I never claimed to be a saint. But it wasn't until I found myself in cuffs that I learned the damage I was capable of. The only sunshine on those gray prison days came in the form of letters from a hopeful teenager with a quick wit. But the letters weren't addressed to me. They were meant for my bastard cellmate, who'd sooner toss them on the floor with the rest of his trash. So, I picked them up, read them, and wrote back, signing each letter, Love, Dad.

I'm a man who knows what he wants and what I want is Birdie. It hurt like hell to watch her leave our small town to set off and chase her college dreams. I let her go once, I'm not letting it happen again. Now she's home for good, and I'll stop at nothing to keep her with me, always. Even if that means tying her to me in every way possible.

Daxton Ford tried to warn me. He never made promises. He swore a girl like me would only get hurt by a guy like him. Did I listen? He portrays dangerous, dark, and brooding. Or so he thinks. Daxton is trouble; anyone can see that. He carries the weight of the world on his shoulders and keeps his circle of friends small.

But I'm the girl who believes in the good. I'm the girl that even when every fiber in my body is telling me to not go there. I head straight for it, even if I know I'll fall.

I stopped believing in the good a long time ago. My childhood was stripped from me one dark night and I was forever changed. Everywhere I looked I saw evil. Everyone I met, I looked at them as the enemy. It took a long time for me to open up and when I did I found my family. The only people I could count on. I never imagined I'd have a family. Because having a family gave me something to lose and I never wanted to feel that pain again. I never wanted to feel weak.

College student Tara Staudenmaier will do anything for her family. When medical debt looms, she doesn’t hesitate to do whatever it takes. Even if it means putting herself - and her inexperience in love - up on the auction block. She only asks that nobody discovers her biggest secret. The reason she’s gone gray at 20 and now has something to offer a would-be suitor looking for a month-long affair.

Rose Wu’s ordinary life as a concierge clerk was only meant to be a means to a financial end. Yet there is one resident in her high-rise luxury building who makes coming to work worth it. Cindy Ling, the enigmatic businesswoman who always has a lady on her arm, also has a wink to spare the mild-mannered clerk looking her way. When chance brings Rose up to Cindy’s penthouse suite, her life isn’t simply changed forever. It’s transformed.

After a tough year, Lucy, Freddy, and Herb Peach are ready for vacation. Lucy wants to read all of the books on the summer reading list. Freddy wants to work on his art projects. Herb wants to swim every day. Then their dad makes a big announcement: One of the inventions their mom came up with before she passed away has sold, and now they're millionaires!

Attorney Maureen Gould has a dark secret and a hunger for justice. When a powerful movie producer attacks, and then fires, his young female assistant, Maureen sets out to make things right. Enter defense counsel and Maureen's estranged father, Frank Gould, a man more evil than his client. Inside and outside of the courtroom, Frank pulls every dirty trick known and makes up a few of his own.

What started out as a night of fun at a Vegas hotspot somehow turned into saying "I Do" by an Elvis impersonator. If you think that's bad, it gets worse. My new husband lied to me and told me he ran a not-for-profit. That couldn't be further from the truth. Imagine my surprise when I realized I married one of the best tight ends in the league. Did I mention my uncle owns the team?

One of the perks of being one of the best wide receivers in the league was having my pick of cleat chasers looking for a good time. Unfortunately, the only one to hold my attention was the feisty brunette who wanted nothing to do with me. Did I still try to flirt with her—you bet I did. Did she fall for my charms? That would be a hard no. Instead of laughing at my jokes, she pretended I didn't exist. The girl was trouble with a capital T. She was also smart, gorgeous, and all wrong for me—just ask her brother. My best friend.

Conventional wisdom about running is passed down like folklore (and sometimes contradicts itself). In Running Smart, Mariska van Sprundel, a science journalist and recreational runner who has had her fair share of injuries, sets out to explore the science behind such claims.

There's only one woman I truly care about: my daughter. Until Maisy Stratford flounces into the front office of the Tennessee Thunderbolts with a heartfelt smile and a tray of baked goods. As the Bolts' newest hire, Maisy is optimistic, enthusiastic, and a goddess at manifestation. Everything I'm not. Known as Brawler, I'm a gruff, quiet, rough-around-the-edges, NHL defenseman. I haven't dated in decades. I've never been married and my daughter's a twenty-one-year-old mischief maker. I don't know how to talk about feelings or place my trust in the hands of a woman.

Some guys take the easy way out. Not me. I work hard and I work out even harder. My sister would like to see me settled down with a family, but running a successful gym while building a fitness empire takes time, sweat, and discipline—three things I can't afford to spare even for a chance at happy ever after. Then the new yoga instructor struts into my gym looking like the ultimate cheat day.