She thinks she knows this player—but he has a few surprise moves. For Alicia Riley, her job as a sports therapist for the St. Louis Rivers baseball team is a home run—until she becomes the primary therapist for star pitcher, Garrett Scott. Out of the lineup with an injury, he’s short-tempered, hard to handle, and every solid inch, a man. Right now, the only demand he’s making on Alicia is that she get him ready to pitch in time for opening day. Except the sexual chemistry between them is so charged, Alicia’s tempted to oblige Garrett just about anything. But both their careers are at stake—one bad move and it’s game over for both of them. Garrett also feels the hot sparks between them, and the way he figures it, what better therapy is there than sex? Now all he has to do is convince the woman with the power to make the call.
"Cherri has often wished she were thin and graceful like a ballerina instead of being a six-foot-tall blonde with curves that require serious caution. Surely a charming Irishman like her new boss Colin, with his throaty brogue and to-die-for bod, would never go for someone like Cherri. Unless maybe he's looking for the exact opposite of a delicate lass? When Colin hired Cherri to work in his furniture-restoration shop, he had his eyes, first and foremost, on her artistic talents. But now he can't help but see Cherri for the lush, spirited beauty that she is ... and, soon enough, he finds himself mixing business with pleasure. But Cherri turns out to be more vulnerable than she appears. Is she in need of more than Colin can give? Or could it be that a feeling stronger than lust has him thrown for a curve?"--P. [4] of cover.
Gray Preston was born into money, but he’s built his racing empire on hard work and muscle. And now that Gray has millions of fans, his senator father sends one of his aides, Evelyn Hill, to elicit Gray’s help in garnering votes for the upcoming national election. Gray wants nothing to do with his estranged father’s campaign, but Evelyn can be pretty persuasive. She’s willing to learn about racing, and maybe even get a little dirty. Evelyn’s number-one goal is politics, which makes working with Gray difficult, because his only passion is fast cars. As she and Gray spend time together, he teaches her about the sport he loves, and she learns a lot about the man behind the wheel. The more she learns, the more she wants him. But any desire that threatens to derail the carefully laid plans for her future is a dangerous one. With the passion Gray and Evelyn share running hotter than either imagined, one of them is going to have to compromise, or else run the risk of losing more than their hearts.
Playing by the rules isn't for everyone. Win at any cost. That's always been the mantra of sports agent Liz Darnell. When she carries things too far, she loses a major client in Mick Riley and figures his brother - baseball pro Gavin Riley - will be the next to go. With little left to lose Liz decides to get one taste of the player she's had a thing for since she first laid on eyes on him. But Gavin has a mind of his own, and Liz soon finds herself agent and lover to the bad boy of baseball. And when love unexpectedly enters the field, neither is ready for the biggest game changer of them all.
She's never known her mother. Her father seems to hate her. She has only one true friend, who's a boy. A mediocre student and a social misfit, she's downright miserable. This is the life of Taylor Dresden, a freshman in a gritty New Jersey high school. The only pleasure she's ever had was playing baseball. But at the age of eight, she stopped playing when she overheard her dad say how embarrassed he was by her talentthat it far exceeded his sons'. As a fourteen-year-old struggling to find her true self among the ruins of her life, Taylor is branded a juvenile delinquent after a single incident of vandalism, committed at her own school. Her guidance counsellor, instead of pressing charges on the school's behalf, offers her an alternate punishmentjoin the baseball team and talk regularly to him. Forced to play baseball once again, Taylor feels that life has thrown her a few too many curves. None of the boys want her on the team. No girls are her friend. Her dad ignores her. Her one friend complicates their relationship by becoming a possible love interest.Eventually, after several baseball games and several sessions with her guidance counsellor, Taylor begins to gain the self-confidence she needs to straighten out her life. She realizes she has real talent as a pitcher, especially with her killer curveball. She begins to accept the friendship of other girls. She starts to enjoy a romance with her best friend. She even attempts to improve the dreadful relationship she has with her distant dad. Taylor's story reflects the plight of every adolescent who's struggled with self-worth and identity, with relational problems between parents and peers, and with finding a niche in this imperfect world. Though Taylor is not a fairy-tale heroine, she gradually comes to know that no matter how many curves life throws at her, she's quite capable of throwing them right back.
How are young women supposed to see each other clearly when they can't even see themselves? This razor-sharp novel “perfectly captures [the] power dynamics and identity issues that . . . women are forced to face.”—Marie Claire (Best Books of the Year) Fiona and Liv are seniors at Buchanan College, a small liberal arts school in rural Pennsylvania. Fiona, who is still struggling emotionally after the death of her younger sister, is spending her final college year sleeping with abrasive men she meets in bars. Liv is happily coupled and on the fast track to marriage with an all-American frat boy. Both of their journeys, and their friendship, will be derailed by the relationships they develop with Oliver Ash, a ruggedly good-looking visiting literature professor whose first novel was published to great success when he was twenty-six. But now Oliver is in his early forties, with thinning hair and a checkered past, including talk of a relationship with an underage woman—a former student—at a previous teaching job. Meanwhile, Oliver’s wife, Simone, is pursuing an academic research project in Berlin, raising their five-year-old son, dealing with her husband’s absence, and wondering if their marriage is beyond repair. This sly, stunning, wise-beyond-its-years novel is told from the perspectives of the three women and showcases Mandy Berman’s talent for exploring the complexities of desire, friendship, identity, and power dynamics in the contemporary moment. Praise for The Learning Curve “Readers expecting a typical love triangle won’t find one. Instead, Berman delivers a thorough and incredibly timely investigation into relationship power imbalances that’s sure to start a lot of conversations.”—The Millions “Fiona and Liv are two best friends who became inseparable after Fiona experienced a family tragedy. Senior year of college, their lives are headed in different directions, and their differences are only highlighted by the sudden arrival of famed writer and controversial figure Oliver Ash. It’s not what you think—at least, not entirely. This novel, through different perspectives, explores loss, grief, sex, friendship, power dynamics, and much more.”—Betches “You win some, you learn some. The Learning Curve by Mandy Berman follows two roommates who develop relationships with a visiting professor with a questionable past. Spoiler: things get complicated.”—The Skimm
DANGEROUS CURVES AHEAD Sugar Jamison Ellis Garrett is dumping her critical boyfriend, opening a plus-size clothing store, and starting a blog—all to spread the word that fashion shouldn't require a size-two body, and happiness should allow for the occasional cupcake. Or two. But is indulging fantasies about her sister's long-ago ex, the still-hunky Michael Edwards, biting off more than she can chew? Mike must be losing his detective's touch. He doesn't recognize Ellis when he bumps into her at Size Me Up, and he certainly doesn't remember his ex-girlfriend's outspoken sister being so irresistible. Her curves are indeed dangerous—and so is her wit. Could it be that Ellis is his Perfect Fit? One thing's for sure: Mike will make it his sworn duty to find out...
If you want to score, you have to get in the game. The last thing Jenna Riley needs is more sports in her life. While her brothers are off being athletic superstars, she's stuck running the family's sports bar, whether she likes it or not. Then in walks pro hockey stud Tyler Anderson. As much as Jenna would like to go to the boards with him, she's vowed to never fall for a jock - even one as hot as Ty. Ty, intrigued by the beautiful bar owner, becomes a regular. He senses that Jenna wants to do something more with her life. And as he gains her trust, the passion between them grows, as does Ty's insistence that Jenna should start living for herself.
When Elizabeth Golden, a typical 13-year-old student who enjoyed hanging out with friends, playing sports and laughing out loud, was diagnosed with Scoliosis and faced major surgery, she was understandably apprehensive about her future. There was one thing, however, that Elizabeth was quite sure of -- that there would always be others facing similar challenges, and they could benefit by knowing she shared their pain, fear, uncertainty, joy and triumphs. Out of her journal was born When Life Throws You a Curve: One Girl's Triumph Over Scoliosis.
This inspirational, informative guide offers “proven and tested practical ideas for growing your business in . . . [a] challenging economic environment” (Madan Birla, author of FedEx Delivers). Starting a business can be easy—until the economy starts throwing you curve balls. And “The Great Recession” was the biggest curve ball in the last 80 years. But while 200,000 small businesses across the country were forced to close their doors, Jay Myers, founder and CEO of Interactive Solutions, Inc., managed to double his revenue—even after losing 80 percent of the company’s sales team. Myers and his company, headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, made a conscious decision in 2007 that they were “not going to participate in the recession” and weathered both personal and professional crises to not only strengthen the company but grow ISI’s business like never before. A storyteller at heart, Myers offers readers plenty of tips and practical advice that any entrepreneur or small business owner can apply. But he also challenges those same entrepreneurs and small business owners to get “out of their comfort zone” and embrace creative new strategies, such as employee accountability and second chances, niche marketing, and using your book as your hook. Myers shows small business owners and entrepreneurs how to not only hit the curveballs that are thrown their way, but actually use them to grow their business in times of adversity.
