Infraction

In this charming contemporary romance, second in the Players Game series (after Fraternize), forbidden love blooms between a cheerleader and a football player. Kinsey Romonov’s overprotective older brother, Jax, has forbidden his football teammates from even looking at her. Then Kinsey’s odious ex-boyfriend shows up. To get the guy to leave Kinsey alone, Jax tells his buddy Quinton Miller to pretend to date her. Little does he know that Quinton and Kinsey have already had a fling, and they can’t keep their hands off each other in private. But an actual romance seems out of the question—not with her father dying of cancer, and Quinton’s own deep-rooted emotional issues. Meanwhile, Jax meets Harley, a feisty model who might just be the one to crack his cool exterior. Sadly, no playbook can tell Quinton or Jax how to win the game when love is on the line, so they’ll have to fumble their way toward the happily-ever-after with their respective partners. Though van Dyken tends to throw in an excess of drama and overwrought emotions, the book boasts genuine chemistry, scorching bedroom scenes, and moments of laugh-out-loud humor, making this a satisfying tale. Agent: Erica Spellman-Silverman, Trident Media Group. (Jan.)