Intended for Bristol

Dover packs an emotional punch with her third contemporary Second Chances sports romance (after Defending Hayden), set in Charlotte, N.C. Pro football player Jaxon “Jax” Reed is adamant about not getting entangled in emotional relationships. Then he falls hard for interior designer Bristol Thomas, not realizing that she’s the sister of his most-hated teammate. After a cheating football player breaks her heart, the last thing Bristol wants is a relationship with a pro athlete, so Jax hires her to decorate his house as a way of getting closer to her. Pressures mount on all sides: Jax’s dying mother is thrilled that her commitment-phobic son has finally met his match, and a vicious woman with whom he had a one-night stand threatens to ruin the nascent relationship. At first, Jax is extremely hard to like; he’s the stereotypical jerk athlete who sleeps with anything in a skirt and thinks he’s God’s gift to women. But his vulnerability soon begins to show, particularly with his love for his mother and his relationship with Bristol. Bristol is both sassy and sweet, and easy to relate to. Deft plotting and a hair-raising finale elevate this pulse-pounding tale. Agent: Marisa Corvisiero, Corvisiero Literary. (Dec.)