Summer Preston is a determined kinesiology student whose path to a dream internship depends on completing a detailed research paper. When her professor assigns a project requiring a deep dive into the physical and psychological habits of a professional athlete, she is paired with Caden Phillips, the captain of her university’s hockey team. Caden is talented but distracted, and he initially resists Summer’s rigid data collection and strict schedule. As the two negotiate their conflicting priorities, they navigate shared training spaces and forced proximity, eventually shifting from reluctant academic partners to romantic interests.
Readers of contemporary sports romance choose this title for the competitive collegiate setting and the tension of the academic-rivals dynamic. The narrative focuses on the specific friction between a structured student and a high-performing athlete. Those who enjoy the intersection of fitness culture and relationship building will find a story centered on goal-setting and personal discipline. The book provides a look at how professional ambitions and romantic attraction collide in a high-stakes university environment, leaving the reader with a resolution to the central conflict between Summer’s career focus and her feelings for Caden.
Insights from Collide
“I’m not just a pretty face with a GPA.”
Summer is so guarded about her academic goals. It shows how much pressure she feels to prove she belongs in that lab.
Aiden looks like a typical hockey jock at first. Then you see him reading those thick books and everything changes.
“You’re a distraction I can’t afford.”
Forced proximity in that tiny office really forces them to drop the acts. They can't hide their internal struggles when they are inches apart.
“I see you, Summer. Even when you’re trying to be invisible.”
The way Aiden notices the small details about Summer's habits is so sweet. He pays attention when nobody else does.
- Published
- 2024
- Publisher
- Bal Khabra
- ISBN
- 9781738668519
- Language
- EN
