First Down

Beyond the Play #1

by Grace Reilly

Tutoring the new star quarterback in exchange for a few fake dates won’t lead to anything more… right? James Football is my everything. I live, eat, breathe the sport. But when I transfer to McKee University to escape the distractions that nearly cost me my future in the NFL, I’m faced with another retake and pass the writing class I failed at my last college, or lose any chance I have at making it big. That’s where fellow senior Beckett Wood—gorgeous, stubborn, and just my type—comes in. She’s the key to my success in this class… but the price of her help is a fake relationship, and I never do things halfway. Bex I don't mess around with athletes, and at first glance, handsome, self-assured James Callahan is no exception. He wants me to help him pass the writing class we’re both stuck taking, but I'm too busy to take on yet another responsibility. But when his teammate--my cheating ex--won’t leave me alone, I realize I need to convince him I’ve moved on… and what better way than by pretending to be with James, who wants nothing to do with a real relationship? Yet with every fake kiss, James pulls me deeper into a place that thrills and terrifies me. Why does he make me feel alive like no one else has? And why don’t I want it to end?

Genres: Romance, Sports Romance, Sports, Fake Dating, Football, College, Contemporary

308 pages, Paperback

First published September 5, 2022

About the author

Hi! I’m Grace.

I’m so glad you’re here! Originally from Long Island, I now live in Florida, where I pretend the lizards in my backyard are miniature dragons and soak up the sunshine. I can usually be found with a notebook in one hand and a paperback (or my Kindle!) in another. A storyteller at heart with a deep romantic streak, I write what I love to read: stories filled with swoon and steam, laughter and love, family and friendships, and authentic, earnest emotions and growth. I love drawing on my personal passions for my books, which is how my sports fanaticism resulted in the Beyond the Play series.

More about me: I collect earrings, the quirkier the better. I never turn down a good mint chocolate chip ice cream. I listen to way too much sports talk radio. And I adore writing about couples who are stronger together.