Books

He's on edge while she's en pointe in this fake-dating sports romance from the author of the smash hit Collide.

'Fake-dating goodness filled with delicious tension' Lana Ferguson, author of The Nanny

Elias Westbrook, a newly drafted hockey player for the Toronto Thunder, is facing the challenges of fame and media scrutiny. The tabloids are reporting on his every move, including which woman he was last seen with, but all he wants to do is escape the spotlight.

Enter from stage left Sage Beaumont, an aspiring ballerina whose lack of popularity online has put her at a major disadvantage for securing the roles she dreams of. When Sage finds herself with the chance to change her luck by fake-dating Elias, she takes her shot.

Soon enough, the flimsy rules they set in place fall away. But before things can spiral out of control, Sage and Elias will have to decide if they're willing to take the leap together or if they'll have to call it quits.

'Bal Khabra is a master of swoon, and lovable characters. I dare you to try and read one of her novels in more than one sitting - they're simply unputdownable.' Hannah Bonam-Young, author of Out on a Limb

If you love...
Hockey player x ballerina
Fake-dating
Slow burn
Forced proximity
Multi-racial characters
Found family
Dual POV
... you're going to love Spiral

In a culture that frequently worships at the altar of productivity, growth, 'self-improvement' and 'success', what if the contentment we are all looking for isn't somewhere out there – but is actually so close that we're overlooking it?

In this fascinating book, host of A New Way of Being podcast and former BBC sports journalist Simon Mundie explores the stories of elite athletes – from Frankie Dettori and Jonny Wilkinson to Lucy Gossage and Kate Richardson-Walsh – who have reached the loftiest sporting heights. Through their journeys, Mundie unlocks eight essential lessons for finding fulfilment, peace and happiness, and questions the cultural myths that have developed around sport, life and success.

From how to cultivate a skilful way of relating to our thoughts and feelings, whatever their content, through to developing togetherness and a deep sense of belonging, all while avoiding burn-out, Champion Thinking will redefine what it means to find true success.

'Rico and Nick make a great team!' Jacqueline Wilson-----A warm, inclusive football story by footballer Rico Hinson-King, illustrated by the award-winning Nick Sharratt.-----Charlie LOVES to play football. In fact, it is his life. He practises at every opportunity – morning, noon and night – and eventually, all his hard work pays off when he's offered a spot on a Junior Premier League football team. It's a dream come true ... and he soon becomes their top scorer!However, things on his school football team aren't going so well. The team is losing match after match, and badly. They don't have enough players, and there are people who would like to play but don't think they will be welcome. Charlie decides that it's up to him to prove that football is for EVERYONE, no matter what your gender is, what you look like or if you have a disability.This warm and inspiring picture book from Premier League Young Writer of the Year, 12-year-old Rico Hinson-King, is all about teamwork, standing up for yourself and others and the importance of letting everyone join in!

Kennedy I’m the only woman on staff for the Windy City Warriors baseball team, and after years of putting up with a sexist lead doctor, I’m desperate to land my dream job with a new team next year. All I have to do is maintain my professional reputation for my final season in Chicago. But a Las Vegas run-in with the team’s shortstop threatens it all, leaving me with a fuzzy memory and a ring on my left hand. Now, not only am I legally bound to the most persistent man I’ve ever met, but thanks to Isaiah’s scheme to save my job, I have to pretend the whole thing was a planned elopement and not a drunken mistake. Isaiah Rhodes is reckless, impulsive, and frustratingly charming. He’s also my brand-new husband. They got the saying wrong. What happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas… sometimes it follows you right back home. Isaiah As the shortstop for Chicago’s professional baseball team, I’ve had my fair share of fun. But that all ended the day Kennedy Kay became a single woman. I’ve crushed on the team’s athletic trainer for years. I’ve flirted to no avail, so imagine my surprise when I woke up in Sin City with a ring on my finger and my favourite redhead in my bed. We agree to stay married for one baseball season, just long enough to keep her job safe, but in my mind, I’m using our time together to prove to her I’m husband material. Kennedy might be reluctant to join in on our game, but it’s one I refuse to lose. So come on, wife… play along.

Football Stories: Messi

Football Stories: Ronaldo

ZANDERS Chicago hockey isn't complete without me - everyone's favourite player to hate. I know my role, and I play it well. In fact, I thoroughly enjoy spending the majority of my game time in the penalty box before leaving the arena with a new girl on my arm each night. What I don't like is the new flight attendant on our team's private plane. She works for me, not the other way around. But I'll be sure to remind her of that, and I can guarantee, by the end of the season, she'll be begging to quit her job. But every road trip blurs the lines, and I can't quite figure out if I keep pushing that flight attendant call button in order to push her buttons, or if it's more than that. STEVIE I've been a flight attendant for years. I thought I'd seen it all, but when my new job lands me onboard working for the most egotistical and self-righteous diva in the NHL, I start to second guess everything. Including the promise I made to myself of never hooking up with an athlete again . . . no matter how annoyingly tempting he may be. Evan Zanders is unfiltered, unapologetic, and too attractive for his own good. He loves his image, but I hate everything about it.

The Right Move

Filled with quizzes, stats and little known facts, plus illustrated and told with all the fun of a Tom Gates novel, the Soccer Superstars series is perfect for young readers five and up. Is Lionel Messi your ultimate soccer hero? Messi was the youngest player to score 50 goals in the Champions League, won the Ballon d'Or five times and once entertained the crowd by doing 1,200 keepy-uppies! Discover how he went from being the smallest player on the field (as a young boy he was so tiny all the other players called him 'Titch') to being widely known as the 'Greatest of All Time'. Soccer Superstars is a series aimed at building a love of reading from a young age, with fun cartoons, inspirational stories, a simple narrative style and a cast of characters chipping in with quotes, jokes and comments.

Football Superstars: Saka Rules