Riverside Reapers Series by Celeste Briars

Aeris Relera has always drawn the short end of the stick in life—a self-absorbed ex, neglectful parents, and a past that continues to haunt her. When she’s down on her luck one night, a mysterious knight in shining armor—or more realistically, a knight in hockey shoulder pads—saves her from a few too many tequila shots.Hayes Hollings’ checkered past refuses to stay very far behind him, and his mistakes are even more catastrophic when they’re broadcasted to the whole world... moreAeris Relera has always drawn the short end of the stick in life—a self-absorbed ex, neglectful parents, and a past that continues to haunt her. When she’s down on her luck one night, a mysterious knight in shining armor—or more realistically, a knight in hockey shoulder pads—saves her from a few too many tequila shots.Hayes Hollings’ checkered past refuses to stay very far behind him, and his mistakes are even more catastrophic when they’re broadcasted to the whole world. Being a disgraced NHL player isn’t good for his love life or his reputation. Determined to get into the public’s good graces, Hayes constructs a devious plan to rebrand his image as a doting boyfriend.Aeris has grown to accept that she’s not destined for what love has to offer, but when Hayes rewrites her fate, she’s thrown into an internal battle that has her stretched between giving love a shot or keeping her distance from the Riverside Reapers’ biggest playboy. Hayes might seem like the perfect guy to help Aeris learn how to love again, but little does she know that he’s harboring a secret big enough to ruin her completely.Will love prevail between two polar opposites, or will fatal lies break these two apart?The Best Kind of Forever is a hilarious hockey romance featuring a swoon-worthy, reformed playboy, a fake dating scheme, spice hot enough to make you question your religious values, and a newfound chance at love between two polar opposites. It’s the first book in a series, but can be read as a standalone.The Best Kind of Forever is a hockey romance, he falls first and harder, opposites attract, midsize heroine sports romance with no cheating and a satisfying happily ever after. less

Hockey’s golden boy, Gage Arlington, is a world-renowned goalie and lovable jerk who expects his second season playing on the Riverside Reapers to go smoothly. Until his luck changes one game and he sustains an almost-career-ending injury. Now facing three months of recovery time, his sole focus is to get back on the ice... moreHockey’s golden boy, Gage Arlington, is a world-renowned goalie and lovable jerk who expects his second season playing on the Riverside Reapers to go smoothly. Until his luck changes one game and he sustains an almost-career-ending injury. Now facing three months of recovery time, his sole focus is to get back on the ice. With a (supposedly) foolproof plan, he enlists the help of a certain dance instructor to rehabilitate him, only to find out that she’s none other than the girl who hates his guts and t-boned his car to prove it.Dance instructor, Calista Cadwell, has been strapped in a never-ending rollercoaster loop her whole life. And when her mother falls terminally ill, she’s left with no choice but to become her brother’s primary caretaker. With a bank account that needs some serious CPR and an insane schedule, her great-sister status seems to be on the verge of tanking. But all her fears come true when she discovers her brother’s being bullied by his hockey teammates. So, when an arrogant, hip-hindered hockey player comes begging for her help, she forms a plan of action.Gage and Calista strike a she’ll help him with his recovery in return for some hockey lessons for her brother. Over time, clashing heads devolve into clashing tongues, and Calista’s disdain toward Gage begins to change the more she’s with him. However, when Gage’s true feelings threaten to complicate their business transaction, Calista finds herself at a does she put herself first and chase after love, or does she become another cog in a family-oriented machine?Will Gage be able to win the heart of a girl who’s too afraid to love, or will this be the one game he’s destined to lose?The Cruelest Kind of Hate is a hilarious hockey romance featuring a lovable hockey goalie, a sassy heroine, a deal made between enemies, spice hot enough to make you question your religious values, and a slow journey of mutual healing that ultimately ends in love. It’s the third book in a series, but can be read as a standalone.The Cruelest Kind of Hate is a dislike to lovers, hockey goalie x dance instructor, black cat x golden retriever, forced proximity, he falls first and harder, banter galore, hockey romance with no cheating, no third-act breakup, and a heart-warming happily ever after. less

Upcoming model Lila Perkins has a long-standing feud with fate. She no longer believes in soul ties or coincidences, and she definitely doesn’t believe in happily ever afters. Not after suffering through The Great Ghosting with her ex-situationship. Now she swears by the ball-busting belief that you have to do things yourself instead of waiting for the stars to align... moreUpcoming model Lila Perkins has a long-standing feud with fate. She no longer believes in soul ties or coincidences, and she definitely doesn’t believe in happily ever afters. Not after suffering through The Great Ghosting with her ex-situationship. Now she swears by the ball-busting belief that you have to do things yourself instead of waiting for the stars to align. But right as she’s about to embark on a modeling campaign with the potential to change the trajectory of her career, fate rears its ugly head and plays a sick joke on her. The catch to getting her dream job? She has to work with the captain of the Riverside Reapers…the only man who has ever broken her heart.Bristol Brenner, hockey team captain and all-around stand-up guy, gets whatever he wants with a flirty smile and a sweetened sentiment. From the outside, his life looks perfect. He’s got the looks, the charisma, the wealth, the fame, and an astoundingly clean track record. But not everything can remain hidden behind a rose-colored lens. Bristol’s running from an inescapable past, and a year ago, he ran right out of Lila’s life as a result. He never imagined he would see her again…until he walks into her chemistry read as her new costar. And the worst part? The sexual tension is still there between them, and keeping things professional is proving to be harder than a hat trick.Lila and Bristol have three months to convince the world they’re Hollywood’s next “It” couple or they can kiss their modeling jobs goodbye. With each photoshoot and paparazzi run-in, their feelings for one another become more apparent. Hatred takes one hell of an R-rated turn, and suddenly, stolen glances and clandestine kisses aren’t enough to satiate the flame of desire between them. But the closer they become, the harder the world works to pull them apart, and deep-rooted façades begin to crumble to reveal unbearable truths.Will this fake relationship blossom into something real, or will insecurities prevent these two lost souls from finding their way back to each other?The Last Kind of Kiss is a heart-wrenching hockey romance featuring a golden boy hockey captain, a strong-headed model with a plan for revenge, a fake dating ploy, spice hot enough to make you question your religious values, and a reunion of two lost souls. It’s the fourth book in a series but can be read as a standalone. The Last Kind of Kiss is a hockey romance, fake dating, dislike to lovers, one bed, forced proximity, workplace, second-chance romance with no cheating, and a satisfying happily ever after. less

Shiloh Nguyen is a one-woman army. Married to her job at the ripe age of twenty-four, her vision board consists of espresso machines and foam art instead of white dresses and wedding bells. With her family’s business about to go under, her future’s balancing on a knife’s edge of guilt and responsibility... moreShiloh Nguyen is a one-woman army. Married to her job at the ripe age of twenty-four, her vision board consists of espresso machines and foam art instead of white dresses and wedding bells. With her family’s business about to go under, her future’s balancing on a knife’s edge of guilt and responsibility. She has her whole life planned out—in a pretty little schedule planner, no less—until a rogue hockey slapshot comes careening into her tiny coffee shop, dismantling everything she thought she knew about herself.Fulton Cazzarelli—well-known nervous wreck and bearer of the dreaded virgin title—has been crushing on the pretty barista who’s been serving him dairy-free coffee for the last four years. He never thought he’d muster the courage to ask her out…until one of his teammates springs a destination wedding on the entire team. Now, with his friends goading him into bringing a plus-one, Fulton takes a quantum leap of courage to get the girl of his dreams.A hesitant Shiloh agrees to three weeks in Cabo with the Riverside Reapers’ biggest sweetheart, yet her work obligations simmer on the back burner the moment her feet hit that golden sand. But as she gets closer to Fulton—and she discovers they’re more alike than she thought—Shiloh is caught in a crossfire of loyalty to her parents and loyalty to her heart. Playing pretend isn’t on her itinerary, and neither is prioritizing a short-lived relationship. Fulton, however, knows what lies in his future, and it consists of one brown-eyed brunette.Will Shiloh finally find the balance between business and pleasure, or will she let the best thing that’s ever happened to her drift out to sea?The First Kind of Love is a laugh-out-loud hockey romance featuring a socially awkward virgin, the strong-willed barista of his dreams, a destination wedding, beachside tomfoolery, a boatload of secondhand embarrassment, spice hot enough to make you question your religious values, and a soul-deep connection between two lost—yet likeminded—individuals. It’s the fifth book in a series but can be read as a standalone. The First Kind of Love is a friends to lovers, one bed, soulmates, forced proximity, destination wedding, virgin MMC, hockey romance with no cheating, and a satisfying happily ever after. less