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Gold Coast Guardians #2
Nanny in the Neutral Zone
She’s a single mom.
He’s hockey’s hottest bachelor.
When a one-night stand leaves a surprise baby on the goalie’s doorstep, he’s drafted onto a new team he’s never trained for.
Piper
Hurricane Milton took my home, my daycare business, and my stability. When I find myself with nowhere to go, an unexpected offer puts me under the same roof as Chase Maddox. He’s gruff, stubborn, and infuriatingly handsome, but he’s also a man who’s desperate for help. I’m an expert on how to handle tiny humans; it’s the giant, brooding goalie that throws me for a loop.
Chase
They call me the madman between the pipes, the goalie who knows how to protect what’s mine. I don’t do surprises, and I definitely don’t do “feelings.” But when a screaming infant is abandoned on my doorstep with a note claiming he’s mine, my world takes a hit. My teammate’s sister shows up knowing how to calm a screaming newborn, how to handle bottles and diapers like its instinct. What she doesn’t know is what she does to me.
Having her under my roof is a different kind of danger. She moves through my space as if she belongs there, with a quiet confidence that gets under my skin. I notice the way her shirt slips off one shoulder when she rocks my son at two in the morning. The way my name sounds in her mouth when the house is dark and everything feels too close. People say I guard my heart as fiercely as I guard the net, but Piper Stevens is finding gaps in my defense.Are you ready for a sizzling romance as Piper and Chase discover that working together as a team will lead to the best win of their lives?
Perfect for fans of found family, opposites attract, and tender moments that melt even the toughest hearts.
Get your copy today and find out if they are destined to stay in the neutral zone forever!
He’s hockey’s hottest bachelor.
When a one-night stand leaves a surprise baby on the goalie’s doorstep, he’s drafted onto a new team he’s never trained for.
Piper
Hurricane Milton took my home, my daycare business, and my stability. When I find myself with nowhere to go, an unexpected offer puts me under the same roof as Chase Maddox. He’s gruff, stubborn, and infuriatingly handsome, but he’s also a man who’s desperate for help. I’m an expert on how to handle tiny humans; it’s the giant, brooding goalie that throws me for a loop.
Chase
They call me the madman between the pipes, the goalie who knows how to protect what’s mine. I don’t do surprises, and I definitely don’t do “feelings.” But when a screaming infant is abandoned on my doorstep with a note claiming he’s mine, my world takes a hit. My teammate’s sister shows up knowing how to calm a screaming newborn, how to handle bottles and diapers like its instinct. What she doesn’t know is what she does to me.
Having her under my roof is a different kind of danger. She moves through my space as if she belongs there, with a quiet confidence that gets under my skin. I notice the way her shirt slips off one shoulder when she rocks my son at two in the morning. The way my name sounds in her mouth when the house is dark and everything feels too close. People say I guard my heart as fiercely as I guard the net, but Piper Stevens is finding gaps in my defense.Are you ready for a sizzling romance as Piper and Chase discover that working together as a team will lead to the best win of their lives?
Perfect for fans of found family, opposites attract, and tender moments that melt even the toughest hearts.
Get your copy today and find out if they are destined to stay in the neutral zone forever!
267 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 24, 2026
2 people are currently reading
5 people want to read
About the author
Theresa Papa
16 books23 followersTheresa is blessed to be married to her main man for thirty-six years. She knows what it takes to have a loving, lasting relationship. Her husband keeps her laughing after all this time. Tips on keeping the sparks alive along with the witty banter appear in her writing regularly. Her tagline “Add some spice to your life, read Romance” is a clever way of describing the feelings her writing evokes.
Love stories, a little suspense, and the happily ever after are Theresa’s prescriptions to keep you smiling. She is ecstatic to share her characters with the world and entertain her readers. Her big Italian family extends throughout the country with a rich and flavorful history. Much of that history spurs ideas for the stories she creates. Make sure you visit the Art Imitates Life in the back of every one of her books. It’s fun to see where ideas are born.
Feel free to sign up for her list to hear about new releases as soon as they are available as well as extras like free excerpts and prequels. Just type into your browser or click the link, https://theresapapa.com/subscribe
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Love stories, a little suspense, and the happily ever after are Theresa’s prescriptions to keep you smiling. She is ecstatic to share her characters with the world and entertain her readers. Her big Italian family extends throughout the country with a rich and flavorful history. Much of that history spurs ideas for the stories she creates. Make sure you visit the Art Imitates Life in the back of every one of her books. It’s fun to see where ideas are born.
Feel free to sign up for her list to hear about new releases as soon as they are available as well as extras like free excerpts and prequels. Just type into your browser or click the link, https://theresapapa.com/subscribe
CHECK OUT MY WEBSITE!
https://theresapapa.com/
FIND ME ON TIK TOK
https://www.tiktok.com/@theresapaparo...
VISIT ME ON FACEBOOK!
https://www.facebook.com/authortheres...
FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM!
https://www.instagram.com/theresapapa...
REGISTER FOR EXCERPTS FROM RELEASES!
https://theresapapa.com/be-updated
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 23, 2026
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via BookSirens. This in no way impacted on my view.
Hockey goalie, Chase Maddox's world is flipped upside down when a baby - his baby - is left on his doorstep. He didn't even know that his one night stand was even pregnant, and what is he supposed to do with a baby? His whole life revolves around hockey, and with the injuries he's hiding, he needs to be at the top of his game or else he'll lose his career. Luckily for Chase, his best friend Max's sister, Piper is visiting with her children, and as an experienced childminder, she knows how to care for the new born. After Piper lost everything following Hurricane Milton, she's struggled to find her feet. Caring for little Luke brings back her spark, and moving in with Chase helps her remember what it's like to thrive.
I much preferred this book to book 1. I love the found family trope, and this book did it so well. Piper was such a strong character, who had been hurt in the past, and was struggling to find herself again. She gave her everything for her children, and though Luke wasn't biologically hers, she was his mother in every way that counts. Chase was a bit of a tortured soul, who knew his contract was up at the end of the season, and with the way his body was betraying him, he felt as if he needed to hide every ache and pain to keep his career. Luke's arrival completely throws him, but as terrified as he is, he takes to being a father. Chase and Piper are clearly drawn to each other, and the slow burn to full on love was a great plot line. I'm glad I continued with the series, and really want to read Max and Toni's story.
Hockey goalie, Chase Maddox's world is flipped upside down when a baby - his baby - is left on his doorstep. He didn't even know that his one night stand was even pregnant, and what is he supposed to do with a baby? His whole life revolves around hockey, and with the injuries he's hiding, he needs to be at the top of his game or else he'll lose his career. Luckily for Chase, his best friend Max's sister, Piper is visiting with her children, and as an experienced childminder, she knows how to care for the new born. After Piper lost everything following Hurricane Milton, she's struggled to find her feet. Caring for little Luke brings back her spark, and moving in with Chase helps her remember what it's like to thrive.
I much preferred this book to book 1. I love the found family trope, and this book did it so well. Piper was such a strong character, who had been hurt in the past, and was struggling to find herself again. She gave her everything for her children, and though Luke wasn't biologically hers, she was his mother in every way that counts. Chase was a bit of a tortured soul, who knew his contract was up at the end of the season, and with the way his body was betraying him, he felt as if he needed to hide every ache and pain to keep his career. Luke's arrival completely throws him, but as terrified as he is, he takes to being a father. Chase and Piper are clearly drawn to each other, and the slow burn to full on love was a great plot line. I'm glad I continued with the series, and really want to read Max and Toni's story.
January 24, 2026
What do you do when being an all-star goalie is the only life you know? When it’s your entire identity? Well… you dig in and do what needs to be done regardless of the messages your body is sending you.
As if you don’t already have enough stress, you find yourself the insta-father of an abandoned infant. The birth mother unceremoniously left him on your front step – in sweltering heat, to boot! Didn’t she have an ounce of common sense, eh?
You think your answer has come in the form of a rookie’s gorgeous sister. Thing is, she comes as a package deal with two more young-uns. You wonder if the chaos will be worth the solution she provides, until you learn she has her own demons she’s running from.
Now the only thing you can think of is protecting her and these, now, three little ones.
It’s a lot. Too much. But you’re the goalie. You make the saves. You protect the team. It’s your role in life. Now’s not the time to wimp out.
Theresa Papa has woven a wonderful tale of a rugged goalie who must face his own battles before he can help anyone else face theirs. His growth is subtle, but at the same time, brutal.
If you love hockey (I mean, who doesn’t?), tough main male characters, tougher female main characters, and a sassy child who pulls no punches, this book is your perfect escape for these winter doldrums. You won’t be disappointed in this one!
As if you don’t already have enough stress, you find yourself the insta-father of an abandoned infant. The birth mother unceremoniously left him on your front step – in sweltering heat, to boot! Didn’t she have an ounce of common sense, eh?
You think your answer has come in the form of a rookie’s gorgeous sister. Thing is, she comes as a package deal with two more young-uns. You wonder if the chaos will be worth the solution she provides, until you learn she has her own demons she’s running from.
Now the only thing you can think of is protecting her and these, now, three little ones.
It’s a lot. Too much. But you’re the goalie. You make the saves. You protect the team. It’s your role in life. Now’s not the time to wimp out.
Theresa Papa has woven a wonderful tale of a rugged goalie who must face his own battles before he can help anyone else face theirs. His growth is subtle, but at the same time, brutal.
If you love hockey (I mean, who doesn’t?), tough main male characters, tougher female main characters, and a sassy child who pulls no punches, this book is your perfect escape for these winter doldrums. You won’t be disappointed in this one!
February 9, 2026
When adversity hits Piper and her two children in the form of a hurricane destroying her home and job, she moves to be near her hockey playing brother.
Chase a fellow hockey player and friend to Max suddenly finds himself a father when a baby lands on his doorstep. Piper steps in to help and they mutually help each other raising their children.
The pressures of injuries and being away from his family makes him think hard about his future.
When baby Luke’s mother returns they fight to keep custody and this brings Chase and Piper together to reach their HEA.
Chase a fellow hockey player and friend to Max suddenly finds himself a father when a baby lands on his doorstep. Piper steps in to help and they mutually help each other raising their children.
The pressures of injuries and being away from his family makes him think hard about his future.
When baby Luke’s mother returns they fight to keep custody and this brings Chase and Piper together to reach their HEA.
February 6, 2026
I really enjoyed this very special love story. It took me just a bit to get into the rhythm of it, but ultimately found it to be quite tender, heartwarming, and a lovely journey. A very clever take on the single dad hockey player/nanny trope. While there was some heat, the story really centered around family - both biological and created. Or, as Chase would say, a family earned. Very touching with a beautiful ending. A lovely read.
February 11, 2026
What doesn’t this book offer? Distressed single mom whose life has been torn apart, surprise baby, slow burn romance, steam and hockey players. A surprise baby left at Chase’s doorstep leaves him reeling. Then his teammates sister steps in to help him. She is temptation he wasn’t looking for and with her two kids and how she loves his son, they move into uncharted territory. I loved these characters. Piper the strong mother who loves children and the scared hockey player. This book was an excellent read and I’m so looking forward to the next book. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 28, 2026
Piper, a teacher turned Nanny and Chase, a determined Goalie and unaware father are thrown together to help each other.
Piper and her 2 kids move in with Chase to help him with his unexpected baby that was dropped at his door. She’s the sister of his friend and an experienced mother.
As they emotionally support each other through day to day life along with help from their friends.
They move from strangers to friends to more than friends you’ll witness their ups and downs. Their journey definitely keeps our interest. It’s a great story and page turner!
Piper and her 2 kids move in with Chase to help him with his unexpected baby that was dropped at his door. She’s the sister of his friend and an experienced mother.
As they emotionally support each other through day to day life along with help from their friends.
They move from strangers to friends to more than friends you’ll witness their ups and downs. Their journey definitely keeps our interest. It’s a great story and page turner!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews