Elliot Crawford is in love, but not with the man she planned to marry.

Elliot – Fleeing to Shane after my engagement ended was supposed to make me feel better. And it did, until I started wondering why my relationships never make me as happy as my friendship with him. Big mistake. Now when I look at him, I don’t just see my best friend, I see the sexy quarterback single women all over the country lust after. I’d be a fool to risk our friendship by trying to redefine it. So, why did I bait him into something more?

Shane – My teammates think a newly single Elliot will be a distraction heading into the playoffs, but just because my best friend is hot doesn’t mean I want her. Or it didn’t, until she dared me to touch her. Now I finally get what my teammates saw all along, but admitting it will make them question where my head’s at. The game and the girl are within reach, and I intend to win both. Good thing I’m trained to perform under pressure.

This standalone in the Mile High Romance Series contains characters that appear again in books 2-5, though it can be read at any time. Fans of Kane by Sawyer Bennet or Bad Reputation by Nicole Edwards will love this sports-themed, friends-to-lovers romance. Shane and Elliot’s Happily Ever After is full of laughter, steam, and a colorful cast of characters who help them see what they’ve been blind to for years.

Lies of omission are still lies – so how do we know who we fell in love with?

Lisa – I never planned to write steamy romances, but what started as a way to pay the bills is now a pretty lucrative side hustle. That’s great for my bank account, but not so great for my dream of writing a children’s book. So, I took a job with an education company. Where better to learn the ropes, right? Things started off great, until I met my boss’ brother, who could be my next cover model. Best not to let that slip though, since I didn’t put romance novelist on my resume. My pen name protects my secret, but is it forcing me to live a lie?

Chris – I hate playing handyman for my brother’s fledgling company when my role is so much bigger, but I get his desire to succeed on his own merits. I’ll play along and pretend my contribution is limited to what I can do with my hands instead of my bank account. As far as excuses go it has merit, and even gives me reason to bump into the beautiful new writer, who I can’t stop thinking about. But getting close to her is so, so wrong, considering she doesn’t know I’m the one who writes her paycheck.

Our attraction is undeniable, but the secrets we harbor threaten to tear us, and my brother’s dream, apart.

Happily-ever-after doesn’t come easy when two kids and a famously promiscuous ex are part of the equation…

Jen – I didn’t plan to stay single after my divorce. I would’ve liked to find someone special, but single moms aren’t exactly sought after, and since my ex dates enough for both of us, I owe it to our daughter to set a better example. And I did, for ten long years. Needless to say, I wasn’t expecting to meet someone, and I definitely wasn’t expecting that someone to turn my world upside down. But it’s not just my world that’s affected by the new man in my life, which means I may have to choose between my daughter’s happiness and my own.

Anthony – After my wife died, I swore I’d never put myself in a position to feel loss like that again. Besides, I could never replace the mother of my child. I never intended to break that promise, but my meddling son ruined my plans. Turns out, the kid’s a great matchmaker, but nothing is easy when teenagers are involved. Or the Internet. Now I’ve got to fight for the second chance I didn’t think I wanted, and prove to two very stubborn women that they should take a chance on me.

If you wanted more of Jen after Purely Novel Intent, now’s your chance to see how her happily-ever-after unfolds.

They say your true love should be your best friend. What happens if that person becomes your worst enemy?

Jason – I am drowning in happily ever after(s). My best friend and business partner, his brother, even my childhood neighbor, are all either engaged or married, making me the lone single guy in the group. I could live with that if I thought I’d find my own happily ever after, but she left my heart too damaged for that. And since she happens to be close with my partner’s new wife, I’m scared she’ll cost me my friends too. The worst part is, as much as I hate her for what she did to us, I think I still love her. Or the idea of her anyway.

Harper -My mother never recovered from a broken heart, which is why I swore never to fall in love. But I got careless. I let someone in, gave him my heart, and he ripped it out when he accused me of betraying him. I could’ve let it break me, but I refuse to give him the satisfaction, especially now that he’s back in my life. Unfortunately, seeing him again has unintended consequences, and now my carefully constructed façade is starting to crack. I’m scared to make myself vulnerable again, but I think I’m even more scared to live without him.

Sometimes you have to see yourself through someone else’s eyes to understand who you really are.

Colt – Life tackled me when I wasn’t looking. One minute I’m in the zone, preparing for what I hope will be another winning season, and the next I’m struggling to keep my focus on the game instead of the prim and proper beauty my agent hired to help me plan for life after football. Usually women flock to me, but this one I have to chase, and I can tell she won’t be easy to win. That doesn’t scare me. It terrifies me. I’ve disappointed every woman I’ve ever known by putting the game first, and now that I found something I want more than another ring, I’m not sure I’m man enough to win off the field.

Samantha – I’m no stranger to alpha males. In my line of work they come with the territory, and I’ve been around long enough to hold my own. That’s why the cocky football player with a reputation for scoring on and off the field is such a surprise. On the surface he’s the kind of guy who could ruin my credibility, but when he sets his focus on me, he lets me see the person behind the persona, and it’s someone I respect. Like even. I swore never to mix business with pleasure, but the perfectly imperfect ball player is hard to resist, which begs the question; is he worth breaking my one and only rule?

Is love any less real when it’s illicit?

Sawyer – I thought my life was over when my mom moved us in with her boyfriend, the father of the hottest guy in school. I mean, could there be a worse scenario than being forced to live across the hall from the object of your first major crush? Turns out there is. Falling in love with him and getting my heart broken was worse. As if once wasn’t enough, he’s back in my life, trying to do it again.

Wes – Senior year of high school, instead of living it up, enjoying those last few months with my friends and teammates, I pined away for the girl across the hall, who I absolutely couldn’t have. Aside from the fact that she was two years younger, she was my future stepsister. The ramifications were endless; disappointing our parents, being ridiculed at school, messing up my full ride. Did I mention she was my future stepsister? I knew it couldn’t work, but I tried anyway, and failed just as spectacularly as I predicted. I should have learned my lesson then. Guess I’m not as smart as I thought I was.