Showing results by author "C.W. Farnsworth" in All Categories

His name starts with a H. So does happiness. Heartbreak. Home. Hoops. All things I associate with him. Ever since my family moved in across the street when we were both kids, Holden Adams has been that guy. My first crush. My former confidante. My best friend's brother. He's the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. I love him. I hate him. One of those is a lie. I'm just . . . not sure which.

The first time Ryder James broke my heart, I was fifteen and fearless. The second time he broke my heart, I was eighteen and jaded. Both times, I fell for him effortlessly. Falling is easy. Our landings are hard. Painful. We were a sad song with a slow melody. Flowers with paper petals. Hidden letters with visible tears. A beautiful tragedy. Except tragedies have endings. Our story just . . . stopped. Seven years later, I still have more questions than answers. Questions I'm too proud to ask after almost a decade of silence.

Lennon Matthews has been looking forward to the end of senior year since the first day of high school. She's sick of the stares and whispers that follow her around, of balancing staying at the top of her class with all her other responsibilities. And she's especially over interacting with Caleb...

It's hard to forget your past when you're staring at it. That's the conclusion Emma Watkins arrives at when she returns to Hayden, Maine—population 2,253; now 2,254—for the first time in nine years. When she sees him for the first time in nine years. When that word leaves his mouth. Buttercup. A pretty nickname in an ugly tone. A term of endearment time twisted into an insult. A taunt that nothing has been forgiven—or forgotten. She's back to sever ties. Break promises. Keep secrets. All easier said than done. The memories she left behind aren't all bad . . . more like mostly good.

A reality television dating show was never part of my post-college plan. Nearly broke, unemployed, recently dumped me let my best friend Haley decide it should be. We all have rough patches, right? When nothing sounds better than snuggling on the couch in your favorite sweats, inhaling chocolate? Well, I've signed up for the glamorous version. Designer dresses. Poolside lounge chair. Open bar. Unfortunately, my free vacation takes a turn from mildly humiliating to full-on mortification when the identity of the man I'm meant to woo is revealed.

There's rich. Then there's the Ellsworth family. The Kensingtons. American royalty. Money buys power, and power always has a price. The fear of those who already possess both? Losing it. The best way to ensure keeping it? Alliances. And elites don't marry down—they marry equal. For Scarlett Ellsworth and Crew Kensington, that leaves one option: each other. Accepting that inevitability is very different from embracing it. That's the only thing they agree upon. It was meant to be a union for better and for business.

Ever since her younger sister's engagement was announced, Harper Williams has been dreading the wedding. What should be a joyous, sun-drenched affair is sure to be filled with plenty of awkward moments, thanks to Harper's strained relationship with her only sibling. Awkwardness enhanced by the wedding's location—a lake in Maine, swimming with painful memories of their late father. Running into Drew Halifax—her childhood crush, who grew up to be the golden boy of hockey—is a surprise. Not nearly as shocking as his offer to be her plus-one is, though.

Piper Egan landed her dream job straight out of college—working at Empire Records. But instead of discovering new talent and changing lives, like she’d hoped, her time is spent taking meeting notes and catering to spoiled celebrities. When the chance to change that finally appears, she should be thrilled. Unfortunately, Piper’s promotion involves the charming cowboy she’s spent years attempting to avoid. And flying to middle of nowhere, Texas, in a desperate attempt to talk the king of country music into returning to the stage.

The first time I saw Grayson Phillips, I fell. Tripped, to be specific. His seven-year-old self saved me from scraped knees and sentenced me to a fate of pining after my brother’s best friend for years. People change. Childish crushes fade. I’m an adult now, a doctor with more important things to worry about. I gave up on the boy next door ever loving me a long time ago. Or so I thought…until he returns to our hometown on leave from the Air Force. For the first time, not everything between us feels one-sided. That doesn’t make it matter. He’ll take off soon—literally.

Jace Dawson is less than a year away from accomplishing everything he's spent the past decade striving for. Not only has playing professional football been the dream since he was a kid, the financial incentive isn't one he could walk away from even if he wanted to. That is, until a chance collision has the unexpected outcome of making Jace realize he might want something more than the goal he's spent most of his life pursuing. Might want someone more.

Some couples have chemistry, others have a connection. We have both. We took turns walking away. Somehow, we’ve still ended up here. On stage, together, in front of tens of thousands of people. Him holding a guitar, me a microphone. Singing the song I wrote that launched my career and dubbed me the princess of pop music. The song about him. Maybe we were inevitable from the start. To love. To dream. To end. Our song had one ending. Our story might have another.

Saylor's goals have always involved the literal kind constructed from posts and netting. Her single-minded focus has cost her a lot, but it's also earned her recognition as the top female college player in the US. She doesn't get attached. Meeting Adler Beck, the notorious player celebrated worldwide and coveted by women everywhere, challenges her indifference. But Saylor perfected the art of appearing unbothered a long time ago, and her scoring percentage is even higher off the pitch. Might as well add a gorgeous German to the tally.

A lot can happen on a two-week trip to the Canadian wilderness. Auden Harmon learns her parents’ marriage is officially over. Expected. Accidentally gifts a five-hundred-dollar pen to a stranger. Unexpected. Neither event wreaks havoc on her life quite like meeting Elliot Reid does. He has eyes the color of the cloudy sky. A slapshot the whole country has an unhealthy obsession with. The uncanny ability to say the exact right thing, right when she needs to hear it.

Will Aster excels at two things: soccer and self-sabotage. Following a viral incident involving him and the club owner’s wife, his only option to continue playing is overseas on FC Kluvberg—a team known for not tolerating scandal. A last chance and a harsh wake-up call. Sophia Beck has spent her life avoiding football. Growing up in the shadow of her family’s stratospheric success in the sport left scars. About to begin her final year of university, she’s eager to pursue a career in photography, not receive an internship assignment involving her brother’s team.

Georgette Adams is trouble incarnate. Spoiled, sassy, smart . . . and the President's only daughter. Getting summoned to a meeting at the White House felt like an honor-until I caught the catch. I'm the newest member of her security detail. Not only for this summer in DC, but once she leaves for Stanford in the fall as well. Her safety is my responsibility.

A bachelor party in Las Vegas is the last place Oliver Kensington wants to spend a long weekend. He likes controlling outcomes, not the uncertainty of gambling. For the most part, his reputation as the responsible Kensington brother is well-deserved. But for one of the few people he considers a friend, he'll show up in sin city. Oliver's focus is on work—and on getting back into his father's good graces. But he's not expecting absolution for past mistakes; Arthur Kensington doesn't forgive.

Losing isn't a trait anyone looks for in a quarterback, and I never won when it mattered. Arlington University was supposed to be a fresh start. But infamy isn't easily forgotten—especially when everyone knows my twin sister is dating my biggest rival. Constant reminders of their relationship have me on edge about Alleghany. Spending a weekend sleeping across the hall from Natalie Jacobs doesn't help. The popular, pretty blonde didn't just celebrate each of my defeats—she literally led the cheer against me.

Spending a week as a “fifth wheel” to two happy couples isn’t the best cure for heartbreak, but Eve Driscoll’s options for spring break are limited. Either join her best friend for a group getaway or slouch on the couch reliving the unexpected end of her three-year relationship. Time away from campus might be exactly what Eve needs to refocus on her life-long dream that’s about to become a reality—moving to New York City to become an artist. She’s spent most of college playing it safe. Maybe she should take some risks before graduating. Starting with a road trip to California…

I've heard a lot of things about Weston Cole. Popular. Conceited. Supercilious. He's spent the last three years steadily dismantling my family's legacy. I should hate him. And I did. Until I encountered him freshman year and discovered he's also troubled. Captivating. Audacious. And when I come across him again senior year, it turns out that knowledge is even more dangerous than his suggestive smirk....

Rylan Keller is dreading the start of spring semester. After choosing a college across the country and spending the past fall abroad, she’ll be a Holt University student. Worse than starting over at a new school? Starting over at a new school where your dad is the head coach of the men’s hockey team. And reluctantly agreeing to tutor a player, then coming face-to-face with the guy you thought you’d never see again. Aidan Phillips has a reputation on campus. One he’s carefully curated to include limited reliability or responsibility.