Dallas Comets

Most hockey players learn to play through the pain, but what about a broken heart? Christopher Lacey is on top of the world: at only eighteen years old, he's been drafted in the first round by the Dallas Comets, made it onto the roster during his first professional training camp, and has even been promoted to the team's top line. But his world crashes down around him when his beloved long-time girlfriend unceremoniously breaks up with him in a text message. Can she learn to deal with emotional insecurity after an injury has healed? Helene Michaels' world changed after a childhood mistake led to a severe burn that took years to heal and overcome. While she still has trouble looking at her scars in the mirror, she hasn't let that stop her from pursuing her goal of becoming a physical therapist and helping others deal with their own injuries. Helene gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shadow a working physical therapist to learn more about the field before returning to school to pursue her career choice. Two hurt souls meet. At the Comets' annual Halloween party, Chris encounters a disguised Helene and feels his heart come alive for the first time since his breakup. Helene feels the attraction too, but she's worried that Chris might not like what's concealed behind her costume. Will she finally be brave enough to reveal what she's been hiding for years? Will he open himself up again to find out the difference between infatuation and true love? Or will their relationship get off to a false start and end before it can begin?

The First Line is a collection of the first three books in the Dallas Comets hockey romance series. Take your seat against the glass and cheer on your new favorite hockey team as you meet the Dallas Comets and follow the players through their hardships and triumphs, both on and off the ice. A VALUABLE TRADE: Bryan's life gets turned upside down when he gets traded to the Dallas Comets, and things get even messier when he meets Georgiana, the Director of Team Services. He's got a lot of work to do to prove his worth to his new team, but Georgiana's sure he'll prove to be a valuable trade. HOME ICE ADVANTAGE: Iris may have home ice advantage, but Mark is the hometown hockey hero. Mark Klingensmith just played the worst season of his career. He's got one season left on his contract with the Dallas Comets, and he's worried that the team won't re-sign him. Mark doesn't have time to think about his future, though, because he gets the bad news that his mother is still sick with cancer and is undergoing a second round of chemotherapy. Iris Olson has been taking care of Mark's mother, Sandra, while Mark was off playing pro hockey. Sandra had always been like a mother to Iris, and Iris gladly takes on the duty of helping Sandra after her diagnosis. When Mark returns to Grand Rapids, Minnesota, for the summer to help with his mother, Iris's life gets much more complicated. They have a history: she and Mark were once engaged. The two former flames team up to help Sandra through her treatment, and working together so closely reminds them of why they were so in love-but they are also reminded of why they couldn't make it work. Can they reconcile their love for each other while pursuing their dream careers? Will they try to give their relationship a second chance? And will Sandra beat her cancer? BREAKOUT PLAY: He's mastered the breakout play on the ice. She's still trying to break out of her shell. When Adam first lays eyes on Ally in the dark, country-themed bar, he immediately knows that he's going to take that innocent-looking beauty home for the night. When she resists his charms and cheesy one-liners, he becomes even more determined to win her over. After all, Adam Harris didn't make it onto the Dallas Comets' roster without hearing the word "no. " No one believed he'd get drafted or play a game in the NHL, but he proved his critics all wrong. He knows that he's got to capitalize on his scoring chances because they don't come around very often. Allison Forrester isn't as naïve as Adam thinks she is. She moved to Dallas looking for a new beginning, and she doesn't want to mess up her hard work by having a one-night fling with some wannabe hotshot hockey player-no matter how attractive he may be. However, Adam has never accepted "no" as an answer, and he plans to keep asking Ally out until she finally says "yes. "If they can set aside their differences for a night, maybe they can both break out of their ruts-and realize they have more in common than they thought.