Showing results by author "Ali Dean" in All Categories

My best friend’s that guy. You know the one. Popular. Quarterback. Trouble. And clueless about my deeper feelings for him. So I’m focused on my other love, running. I want to qualify for cross country nationals, and I don’t need to be distracted by Jace Wilder’s latest shenanigans. Good thing there's a new guy in town. Even better, Ryan Harding is a running star, and it seems I've caught his interest. I can handle long miles and hill sprints, but guys? That’s an entirely different challenge.

When my teammates drag me to a club for my 21st birthday, the last thing on my mind is meeting a new guy. I’m not the kind of girl who gets wrapped up in a stranger on a sweaty dance floor. Except, that’s exactly what happens. Only, the guy isn’t a stranger. He’s Jett Decker, the Olympic track star who has the entire campus buzzing with his transfer to our college. He may have given me his number, but I won’t use it. I refuse to be distracted by silly things like explosive chemistry. I’ve got my own Olympic dreams to chase.

When rising rock star Jack Kingston comes to play on our college campus, I think he’ll be just another fix. Instead, he flips everything around and makes me question who I am, what I want, and why I do what I do. After he leaves, everything changes. Pushing myself in the pool, struggling to keep up with my twin sister, it’s what keeps me from losing myself entirely. Swimming isn’t my passion. It’s my source of stability. When I find the courage to finally start pushing my boundaries, I discover success in ways I never imagined, both in and out of the water.

Qualifying for Nationals. It’s all I can think about, and I’m willing to do anything it takes to make it happen. I can handle long miles and hill sprints in cross country, but guys? That’s an entirely different challenge. I’ve kept my feelings hidden from the boy next door all this time. My longtime friend Jace Wilder doesn’t see me that way. Our friendship stands apart from high school social circles, and I’m fine with that, or so I keep telling myself. That is, until running star Ryan Harding moves to town and bridges the gap.

Continue this addicting, intense, and heartwarming sports romance series, including: Pep Talks, book 4, Pepped Up Forever, book 5, and Pepped Up and Wilder, book 6. New friendships, new teammates, and new athletic dreams await, along with plenty of unexpected obstacles, angst, and suspense.

All I wanted was a little trouble. Okay, so maybe choosing Cruz Donovan’s 18th birthday party wasn’t the way to go about it. Three years ago, I fell for him. I thought he fell for me, too. But when he broke it off, he took my heart and, as if that wasn’t enough, he took my best friends, too. They aren’t the same boys I knew before high school started. They’ve got all kinds of secrets they’re keeping from me. If I want back in, I’ve got to be ready to play their game. Maybe I never should have gone looking for trouble in the first place. Is it too late to change my mind?

When my teammates drag me to a club for my 21st birthday, the last thing on my mind is meeting a new guy. I'm not the kind of girl who gets wrapped up in a stranger on a sweaty dance floor. Except, that's exactly what happens.

Welcome to Stark Springs, Colorado, home to the most talented young athletes in the world. When Roxie Slade snaps into a pair of skis, there’s no one on Sugarville Mountain in Vermont who can keep up with her. Still, Roxie was shocked when she received a scholarship to Stark Springs Academy, a boarding school that churns out Olympians in each graduating class. But upon arrival, Roxie discovers that Stark Springs lives under its own set of rules, and it appears one boy plays dictator. Ryker Black is not friendly and Roxie cannot fathom why everyone wants to be his friend.

Welcome to Stark Springs, Colorado, home to the most talented young athletes in the world. When Roxie Slade snaps into a pair of skis, there’s no one on Sugarville Mountain in Vermont who can keep up with her. Still, Roxie was shocked when she received a scholarship to Stark Springs Academy, a boarding school that churns out Olympians. Entering as a junior, Roxie can’t wait to learn from renowned coaches and train with the fastest ski racers from all over the globe. But Roxie discovers that Stark Springs lives under its own set of rules, and it appears one boy plays dictator.

Winning nationals wasn’t the only dream that came true. I also walked away with the heart of the one boy I couldn’t live without. I knew that being Jace Wilder’s girlfriend wouldn’t be simple. But, how could I have known all the hurdles we would face? Drama at school? That’s a given. Jealous girls? That I expected. Family secrets? Not so much. At least, I can always hit the trails to clear my head…or so I thought.

Overnight, Roxie Slade went from an outsider at Stark Springs Academy to a ruler at the prestigious boarding school for elite winter athletes. But Roxie didn’t know if she wanted that power, and she definitely wasn’t sure about sharing it with Ryker Black, who came from a different world and lived by a different set of morals. Ryker may have decided to trust her, but could she trust him? Roxie only cared about her rising position in the ski rankings, but now her status at Stark and within the winter sports community is skyrocketing, whether she asked for it or not.

Hazel Ross had no idea what she’d stepped into that night at my 18th birthday party. I’d waited years for the right moment, and there she was, forcing me to show my cards before it was time. Now she wasn’t only a pawn for our enemies, she had a target on her back. I don’t regret it, even though I should. I could never regret making Hazel mine again. She gave me something real to fight for. It was too late for her to back out now. She was one of us again. And she was about to find out what that meant.

Roxie’s senior year at Stark Springs Academy is not what she envisioned. She never intended to be privy to Stark’s biggest secrets, but she’s thrown right into the middle of it, whether she wants to carry that burden or not. As Ryker Black’s girlfriend, nothing is simple or straightforward. A ski racer first and foremost, Roxie can’t let the ghosts of Stark Springs Academy distract her from the racecourse. Will she be able to pull it off?

Pepper: The best part of a happy ending...finding out it's actually just the beginning. Having someone promise to be by your side, to chase dreams with, whisper troubles to, it's more than I could have imagined. But after three seasons of Jace playing pro ball in Ohio, three long seasons, with him on the road, and me training all over the world, I’m questioning if we can really have it all. Harsh criticism of our relationship is all too familiar and uncovers old wounds. I only ever wanted to run and to be with Jace, and finding the perfect balance proves to be my greatest trial yet.

I’ve made it this far and I’m not about to slow down now. In fact, I’m ready to start breaking some records. With my junior year of college quickly approaching, I know it’s time to step it up a notch if I want to run professionally after I graduate. Hoping for a race day breakthrough, I wonder if it’s actually a mental barrier holding me back - and if so, how am I supposed to confront what I can’t see? Letting my past be my guide, both on and off the trails, I listen to my heart and finally know what it takes to win it all…trust. In Jace and myself.

I thought everything would fall into place when I started college. Instead, everything is falling apart. Uncertain of my coach’s expectations or my place among new cross country teammates, I’m struggling to redefine my running goals and prove myself. My steady relationship with Jace should be a source of comfort, but his unexplained behavior throws everything between us off-track. Running may be the only way to help me get through it, but I’m not running away - not from this new team or from Jace. This freshman is headed for the finish line, and nothing is standing in my way.

Senior year is finally here, and with it comes a surge in my competitive spirit. I’m determined to defend my national cross-country title. Although Jace is busy with the demands of college football, he’s still cheering me on and supporting my goals. With him by my side and my drive focused like never before, I’m ready to take on the world. But am I taking my renewed enthusiasm for training too far? With my boyfriend as the campus idol, I fear that I might just be a target to those who find Jace threatening.