Rebecca Jenshak's Blog
September 26, 2025
Burnout is on sale for .99!
Burnout is on sale for $.99 in the US and Canada through September 28th.
I love opposites and these two couldn't be more different or more perfect for each other!
🏁 Bad boy motocross rider taking care of his brothers
💗 Good girl gymnast recovering from an injury
🏁 Spicy motorcyle scene
💗 They train together
🏁 Lots of banter
Blurb:
He’s the hot, tattooed bad boy that I traded insults with...and now he wants my help?
Knox Holland is in a jam. After an incredible first year on the pro motocross circuit, he should be on top of the world. Instead, his bad reputation has landed him without a team. He’s untouchable and desperate to turn it around.
Which is how he ends up at my gym asking me to train him. As a college gymnast with two Olympic medals to my name, I know a thing or two about the pressure to succeed. Last season I choked and then injured myself before I could show the world that I’m not a twenty-year-old has-been.
Focused on the future, I can’t afford to get distracted. But I recognize the desperation in Knox’s eyes, and I can’t say no to him, either.
It should have been an easy task, but nothing about Knox is easy. One minute we’re arguing, and the next I’m enjoying his shirtless handstands a little too much.
Falling for him would be a mistake…
Burnout is a sports romance with a cocky bad boy, spice, banter, and a happily ever after.
I love opposites and these two couldn't be more different or more perfect for each other!
🏁 Bad boy motocross rider taking care of his brothers
💗 Good girl gymnast recovering from an injury
🏁 Spicy motorcyle scene
💗 They train together
🏁 Lots of banter
Blurb:
He’s the hot, tattooed bad boy that I traded insults with...and now he wants my help?
Knox Holland is in a jam. After an incredible first year on the pro motocross circuit, he should be on top of the world. Instead, his bad reputation has landed him without a team. He’s untouchable and desperate to turn it around.
Which is how he ends up at my gym asking me to train him. As a college gymnast with two Olympic medals to my name, I know a thing or two about the pressure to succeed. Last season I choked and then injured myself before I could show the world that I’m not a twenty-year-old has-been.
Focused on the future, I can’t afford to get distracted. But I recognize the desperation in Knox’s eyes, and I can’t say no to him, either.
It should have been an easy task, but nothing about Knox is easy. One minute we’re arguing, and the next I’m enjoying his shirtless handstands a little too much.
Falling for him would be a mistake…
Burnout is a sports romance with a cocky bad boy, spice, banter, and a happily ever after.
August 28, 2025
Lucky Shot is LIVE!
Nick Galaxy has zero interest in helping anyone write a love story—especially not one about him. He’s a single dad with enough on his plate, and the last thing he needs is a curious, chatty author poking around in his past.
But when Ruby shows up on his doorstep, notebook in hand and determined smile on her face, resistance becomes... complicated.
She’s supposed to be here for research. Instead, she’s moving into the empty cabin on his property, asking personal questions, and somehow roping him into teaching her how to skate. He’s not looking for love—but she’s writing it into every inch of his life.
And the more time they spend on the ice, the harder it is to pretend she doesn’t already have his heart.
Lucky Shot is a grumpy/sunshine, single dad, forced proximity hockey romance with found family, banter, and spice—all wrapped up in a guaranteed happily ever after.
Download today or read for FREE with #kindleunlimited
Amazon: http://bit.ly/44BzAuH
Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/awA9fy
Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/44qpePH
But when Ruby shows up on his doorstep, notebook in hand and determined smile on her face, resistance becomes... complicated.
She’s supposed to be here for research. Instead, she’s moving into the empty cabin on his property, asking personal questions, and somehow roping him into teaching her how to skate. He’s not looking for love—but she’s writing it into every inch of his life.
And the more time they spend on the ice, the harder it is to pretend she doesn’t already have his heart.
Lucky Shot is a grumpy/sunshine, single dad, forced proximity hockey romance with found family, banter, and spice—all wrapped up in a guaranteed happily ever after.
Download today or read for FREE with #kindleunlimited
Amazon: http://bit.ly/44BzAuH
Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/awA9fy
Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/44qpePH
August 22, 2025
Lucky Shot Excerpt
The Scene: An Airport
You’re minding your own business, walking through an airport. Back from some sort of work trip (hockey, maybe?). You’re blissfully grumpy – as usual. The day is good. Not quite a perfect day – you haven’t yelled at anyone, but the day is young and you’re full of hope.
BAM.
A tiny redhead slams into you, snapping you out of your grumpy bliss. You’re stunned. Maybe you drop your bag. You’re still reorienting when she starts talking… and doesn’t stop. You’re pretty sure she told you she definitely didn’t have a dead body in her very heavy bag. Also, you’re pretty sure she mentioned a body wouldn’t even fit – and she’s too squeamish to dismember one anyway.
What?
What do you even say to that?
Cute bag, though – good taste.
What do you think happens next for our hero? Will he get his perfect day? Or will he help Ruby with her bag (that definitely doesn't have a body in it) and be extra grumpy about it?
Find out on August 28th when Lucky Shot releases!
You’re minding your own business, walking through an airport. Back from some sort of work trip (hockey, maybe?). You’re blissfully grumpy – as usual. The day is good. Not quite a perfect day – you haven’t yelled at anyone, but the day is young and you’re full of hope.
BAM.
A tiny redhead slams into you, snapping you out of your grumpy bliss. You’re stunned. Maybe you drop your bag. You’re still reorienting when she starts talking… and doesn’t stop. You’re pretty sure she told you she definitely didn’t have a dead body in her very heavy bag. Also, you’re pretty sure she mentioned a body wouldn’t even fit – and she’s too squeamish to dismember one anyway.
What?
What do you even say to that?
Cute bag, though – good taste.
What do you think happens next for our hero? Will he get his perfect day? Or will he help Ruby with her bag (that definitely doesn't have a body in it) and be extra grumpy about it?
Find out on August 28th when Lucky Shot releases!
July 29, 2025
Audible Member Sale!
Comeback by Rebecca Jenshak is on sale for a limited time only!
Narrated by: Lee Samuels & CJ Bloom
Download today on Audible for only $6.99!
https://bit.ly/3Uua0mH
Blurb:
My brother’s best friend is such a jerk.
An imposing, handsome jerk who doesn’t trust me. And now we’re roommates.
He wanders around the apartment in nothing but gray sweatpants, looking like a broody, tattooed muscle god, and playing music that shakes the walls. I want to hate him for treating me like an intruder, but there’s something about the way he looks at me—like he’s trying to figure me out—that keeps pulling me in.
Archer Holland is loyal, caring, and protective—with everyone except me.
Every time I move around our apartment, I can feel his glare. And the worst part? It only makes me want him more.
Not that it matters.
He’s my brother’s best friend—the one guy I can never have. But after a late-night rescue, we go from sharing a wall to sharing a bed.
I’m not sure what my brother would do if he found out, but it doesn’t matter because Archer says it can’t happen again.
That imposing, handsome jerk is about to find out I’m done playing by his rules.
Comeback is a football romance with lots of spice, swoon, and a happily ever after. It’s the third book in the Holland Brothers series and can be read as a standalone.
Narrated by: Lee Samuels & CJ Bloom
Download today on Audible for only $6.99!
https://bit.ly/3Uua0mH
Blurb:
My brother’s best friend is such a jerk.
An imposing, handsome jerk who doesn’t trust me. And now we’re roommates.
He wanders around the apartment in nothing but gray sweatpants, looking like a broody, tattooed muscle god, and playing music that shakes the walls. I want to hate him for treating me like an intruder, but there’s something about the way he looks at me—like he’s trying to figure me out—that keeps pulling me in.
Archer Holland is loyal, caring, and protective—with everyone except me.
Every time I move around our apartment, I can feel his glare. And the worst part? It only makes me want him more.
Not that it matters.
He’s my brother’s best friend—the one guy I can never have. But after a late-night rescue, we go from sharing a wall to sharing a bed.
I’m not sure what my brother would do if he found out, but it doesn’t matter because Archer says it can’t happen again.
That imposing, handsome jerk is about to find out I’m done playing by his rules.
Comeback is a football romance with lots of spice, swoon, and a happily ever after. It’s the third book in the Holland Brothers series and can be read as a standalone.
July 19, 2025
Lucky Shot Cover Reveal!
Releasing: August 28, 2025
A grumpy hockey player. A sunshiney romance author. One very inconvenient attraction.
Nick Galaxy has zero interest in helping anyone write a love story—especially not one about him. He’s a single dad with enough on his plate, and the last thing he needs is a curious, chatty author poking around in his past.
But when Ruby shows up on his doorstep, notebook in hand and determined smile on her face, resistance becomes... complicated.
She’s supposed to be here for research. Instead, she’s moving into the empty cabin on his property, asking personal questions, and somehow roping him into teaching her how to skate. He’s not looking for love—but she’s writing it into every inch of his life.
And the more time they spend on the ice, the harder it is to pretend she doesn’t already have his heart.
Pre-order your copy today!
Amazon: http://bit.ly/44BzAuH
Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/awA9fy
Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/44qpePH
A grumpy hockey player. A sunshiney romance author. One very inconvenient attraction.
Nick Galaxy has zero interest in helping anyone write a love story—especially not one about him. He’s a single dad with enough on his plate, and the last thing he needs is a curious, chatty author poking around in his past.
But when Ruby shows up on his doorstep, notebook in hand and determined smile on her face, resistance becomes... complicated.
She’s supposed to be here for research. Instead, she’s moving into the empty cabin on his property, asking personal questions, and somehow roping him into teaching her how to skate. He’s not looking for love—but she’s writing it into every inch of his life.
And the more time they spend on the ice, the harder it is to pretend she doesn’t already have his heart.
Pre-order your copy today!
Amazon: http://bit.ly/44BzAuH
Amazon Worldwide: https://mybook.to/awA9fy
Add to Goodreads: http://bit.ly/44qpePH
July 1, 2025
Lucky Shot Snippet
I have a confession.
When I'm drafting a book, I don't like for ANYONE to read it. Not my editor or my agent or my husband. NO ONE. The first draft is messy and sometimes hard to follow. It's my happy place, just me and my words without anyone else's input.
So when my team (very nicely) asked if we could share a little snippet this week, I panicked. NO WAY. IT'S NOT READY! IT'S SO ROUGH NO ONE WILL UNDERSTAND IT.
Yep, I full-on spiraled for a few minutes. Then I calmed down and read through my draft to look for a fun little excerpt to share. And guess what? I ended up enjoying re-reading it so much that I pulled a much larger excerpt than intended. It even makes sense (at least to me!). Hopefully to you too.
Chapter One - Ruby
People say you should be ready when opportunity knocks, but in my experience, opportunity is rarely that polite. It either trudges in, sloth mode activated, cloaked in uncertainty that rubs off on you while taking up residence on your couch for months on end or it sprints by so fast you barely recognize it or the kernel of hope it tosses in your direction.
I had a sneaking suspicion that this meeting was going to be the latter.
I pull my hair down out of the messy top knot and finger comb the red tangles into some semblance of a tidy hairdo, then pull it back up. I don’t have enough time to make myself more presentable before the meeting alert chimes. And really, what should they expect? I’m an author. My idea of business casual is a nice shirt paired with my most comfy leggings.
My stomach is in knots as I click the link to join the call. Molly, my book agent, is already present. So is Doreen, an editor for a top publishing house and my final hope of selling this book before I’m forced into retirement.
“Hi,” I say as I adjust my laptop, so I’m centered in the screen.
Both women smile at me while my pulse kicks up enough speed that my watch buzzes and asks me if I want to record a workout.
“I am so thrilled to talk to you,” Doreen says, leaning back in her cushy, leather office chair. Her gray hair is pulled back into an elegant bun at the nape of her neck. She wears silver hoop earrings and a scarf tied around her neck. She has that timeless style of a woman in her fifties that has found what she likes and sticks with it.
“You are?” I ask. My voice betrays me by wavering a little.
“Of course.” A small laugh leaves her as she rests one elbow on the arm of chair. Her fingers absently touch one earring as she adds, “I’m a big fan of your work.”
“Even the last one?” I ask before thinking better of it. Over the past five years my career rocketed. The first two books did well, but it was the third that launched my career to the next level. I hit bestseller lists in three countries, accepted rights deals and optioned movie rights, had more ideas than I could possibly write in my lifetime. But all that came to a screeching halt a year ago when my fourth book had disappointing sales numbers, I went through a messy, public breakup, and then I was hit with writer’s block so hard I couldn’t come up with a single good idea. I haven’t published anything since, but hopefully all that changes today.
Doreen lets out a hearty guffaw that somehow still comes off sophisticated and chic. “Was it my favorite? No. But your talent shines through even when the story isn’t compelling.”
I’m not sure how to take that. I know she meant it as a compliment, but I’m hung up on the whole ‘the story wasn’t compelling’ bit. She isn’t wrong.
“But none of that matters. Publishing has a short memory. And the most recent book Molly sent over shines like nothing else I’ve read from you.”
“Thanks,” I say, relief flooding me. I’m shocked, honestly. It was painful to write and it was only a proposal and the first two chapters. If I manage to sell it, I’ll have to figure out how to get my mojo back – something I need to do regardless.
“It’s surprising and fun, and the tension between the main characters jumps off the page. What made you want to change things up? I mean, a sports romance from Ruby Madison?!”
I’m nodding along and smiling, eating up her words, until the last part clicks into place.
“Wait. Sports romance?”
“Yes.” She laughs again, smiling at first, but then she must read my confusion. She reaches for a pair of tortoise shell glances and pulls them on, then glances at what I assume is a second monitor. “A Sporty Romance by Ruby Madison. That is you, right?”
A memory of me typing those words on the title page before sending it off to Molly flashes in my mind at the same time I inwardly cringe. Not my most original title, which is probably why that book was shelved two years ago.
While Doreen waits patiently for an answer, I glance to Molly. She somehow continues to beam while I shoot lasers out of my eyes at her.
Silently, I panic scream, “You gave Doreen Walters my old manuscript!?” While she seems to say, “Just go with it, Ruby. We need this!”
The quiet stretches out for several tense moments.
“Yes, of course I wrote it,” I say as heat blooms in my face. “I’m sorry, I thought we were meeting about the vampire royalty book.”
“Molly sent over the proposal and chapters for that one too. It isn’t bad.” She pulls off her glasses and holds them in one hand. “But this is the one I want.”
She points with her glasses toward her monitor.
“Why?” The question bubbles over and slips from my lips.
“I thought I liked it.” She arches a brow.
“I’m so sorry,” I apologize again, then have no clue what else to say.
My brain reels. Two years ago, before the worst year of my life, I wrote a sports romance. It was fun. My sister, Olivia, had just started dating Flynn – a professional baseball player. I was going with her to games, completely caught up in their love story. It was inspiring to watch them fall in love. So much so that I wrote that book faster than anything before or since. It was different than what I’d written before but my early readers all loved it, including Molly, who I trust implicitly. She shopped it around to my publisher at the time. They passed, noting they liked the book, but it wasn’t right for them. Then two more editors at different publishers did the same.
I shrugged it off because I was getting plenty of requests for more paranormal or romantasy. Publishing seemed to be telling me they wanted me to do more of what I was already doing, and I listened. We shelved A Sporty Romance (still a terrible name) and I wrote another vampire book – the one that flopped.
My agent continues to smile through the screen, but I note the tension bracketing her mouth. Why wouldn’t Molly tell me she was shopping this manuscript around again?
Doreen continues on, “I know the book is different, but it’s precisely why I love it. Not everyone can pull off switching genres like this, but I think you can. Your writing is gorgeous. The hero is charming and your heroine is nuanced and loveable, if not slightly chaotic. The book has all the charisma and wit that your readers adore.”
“But my readers aren’t expecting a sports romance.” My readers may not be expecting anything, honestly. It’s been over a year since I’ve published, which wouldn’t be all that concerning if I were promoting or teasing something to come. I’m not.
“If you partner with us, then I will make it my mission to convince your readers and everyone else that they need to read this book,” Doreen says without a beat of hesitation in her tone. She’s launched so many careers that her confidence is well-earned.
“I don’t know what to say.” She’s not known for her flattery, but she’s handed me several compliments in the span of five minutes. I try my hardest to let them land and soothe the previous rejections for this book. Even if she did call my heroine chaotic. Not exactly what I was going for, but I can smooth that out in edits. Oh my god, am I actually considering this?
“There’s just one little thing,” Doreen says in that way that foreshadows the little thing is going to be a huge pain to fix. “We’d like you to change the sport from baseball to hockey.”
In the small image of me on the screen, my brows furrow. “Excuse me?”
“We have another baseball romance on our list this summer. Besides, baseball is harder to sell. Hockey romance is what readers want right now.” She grins like we’re in on a secret. “And the sport is such a small part of the story.”
That’s true, but there’s one small thing she’s failed to account for. “I don’t know hockey.”
I barely know baseball. I had Olivia and Flynn helping me get the sports details right, but it was a huge undertaking.
“Oh.” Doreen gets the first flicker of disappointment on her face and instantly I get the feeling that I’ve ruined everything.
And judging by Molly’s face, she thinks so too. I’ve wanted to work with Doreen since before I finished my first manuscript. She’s smart and powerful. She navigates publishing like a bad ass boss bitch. Her eye for picking out books from the slush pile and making them bestsellers is impeccable. If there’s anyone that can help revive my career, it’s her.
But hockey?
And if I say no, then what? I could have Molly send this book back around to editors. Maybe someone else would take it as is. Or I guess I could write another book, but, well, that hasn’t been very successful the past six months. i.e. I’ve written nothing.
“What Ruby means is that she would need additional resources in order to make sure she gets the hockey information correct,” Molly interjects. “I can help with that. I’m originally from upstate New York. We learned to skate as soon as we could walk.”
I shoot my agent a look that I hope communicates my skepticism. Meanwhile Doreen’s smile is back and wider than ever. “Great.”
“Great,” I mimic, with a lot less enthusiasm.
“I’ll send over my offer this afternoon. Take time and think it over, but not too much time.” Doreen quickly transforms back into serious editor mode, steepling her fingers in front of the camera. “We want to turn this around quickly and get it out with our Winter catalog. You’re attending the Delaroche book fair this fall right?”
I nod. It’s the one event Molly absolutely refused to let me cancel this year or I would have.
“Perfect. We’ll announce it then with big, flashy signage and advanced copies.” She gets that hopeful smile on her face again.
Panic rises in my chest, sending a flood of warmth through my body. “You want me to rewrite the entire book by the event in September?”
“Of course not. We’d need it by August,” she says with not a single drop of teasing in her tone. “We need time to format and print copies for the convention.”
Several seconds pass where my entire body is frozen with a mixture of hope and terror. I want so badly to believe this is the chance to turn things around but it’s so unexpected. Lying low in my apartment, plotting books and writing bad first chapters over and over again has become almost comforting.
“Okay.” Molly gets that look in her eye that tells me she’s heard all she needs and doesn’t want me to put my foot in my mouth. “Thank you so much, Doreen. I’m excited about this.”
“Me too,” Doreen says.
I can’t seem to speak so I force my mouth into a smile.
“We’ll talk soon.” Doreen leans forward and then ends the meeting.
Two seconds later, Molly calls me.
“Don’t panic,” she says by way of greeting.
“Don’t panic?” I ask, parroting her words. I stand and pace back and forth in my small living room. “Why didn’t you warn me?”
“Honestly?” She pauses, then adds, “I was afraid you wouldn’t take the meeting.”
“Nobody turns down a meeting with Doreen Walters,” I say as I squeeze my eyes shut.
“She is a legend,” Molly says. “And she loves the book.”
Even Doreen must get it wrong occasionally.
As if she heard my internal dialogue, Molly uses her stern, loveable tone. “So do I. I believe in this book. I always have. I wouldn’t be pushing it if I didn’t. Maybe now is the time to finally get it out there.”
Or it could flop like the last one. I swallow the words, but they burn all the same. I stop pacing and inhale a steading breath.
“How would this even work?” I ask. “I wasn’t exaggerating. I really don’t know anything about hockey.”
“Let me worry about that.”
A tiny scoff leaves my throat. This is crazy. I can’t do it. I’m the least sporty person I know. My knowledge of hockey is nonexistent unless you count fifth grade physical education class where we played scooter hockey. And the only thing I remember about that is how painful it is to have your fingers run over by a scooter wheel.
“I promise I will get you the support you need. Your character will be dekeing and chirping, putting up hat tricks, and shaking out his glorious lettuce,” Molly adds confidently.
“I have no idea what you even said.”
“But you will soon!” Her enthusiasm is contagious and finally a small laugh escapes. If I don’t laugh, I may cry.
“Oh, she’s already sent over the offer,” Molly says, then gasps.
“Is that a good gasp or a bad gasp?” I ask. Maybe it’s so bad it doesn’t justify learning an entirely new sport. We can go back to pushing the vampire royalty book and I can figure out how I’m going to write it if and when someone wants it.
“I just forwarded it.”
I hustle back to my laptop and pull up the email from Molly. When the attachment loads, I let out my own gasp. I straighten and blow out a breath. “What does lettuce have to do with hockey?”
When I'm drafting a book, I don't like for ANYONE to read it. Not my editor or my agent or my husband. NO ONE. The first draft is messy and sometimes hard to follow. It's my happy place, just me and my words without anyone else's input.
So when my team (very nicely) asked if we could share a little snippet this week, I panicked. NO WAY. IT'S NOT READY! IT'S SO ROUGH NO ONE WILL UNDERSTAND IT.
Yep, I full-on spiraled for a few minutes. Then I calmed down and read through my draft to look for a fun little excerpt to share. And guess what? I ended up enjoying re-reading it so much that I pulled a much larger excerpt than intended. It even makes sense (at least to me!). Hopefully to you too.
Chapter One - Ruby
People say you should be ready when opportunity knocks, but in my experience, opportunity is rarely that polite. It either trudges in, sloth mode activated, cloaked in uncertainty that rubs off on you while taking up residence on your couch for months on end or it sprints by so fast you barely recognize it or the kernel of hope it tosses in your direction.
I had a sneaking suspicion that this meeting was going to be the latter.
I pull my hair down out of the messy top knot and finger comb the red tangles into some semblance of a tidy hairdo, then pull it back up. I don’t have enough time to make myself more presentable before the meeting alert chimes. And really, what should they expect? I’m an author. My idea of business casual is a nice shirt paired with my most comfy leggings.
My stomach is in knots as I click the link to join the call. Molly, my book agent, is already present. So is Doreen, an editor for a top publishing house and my final hope of selling this book before I’m forced into retirement.
“Hi,” I say as I adjust my laptop, so I’m centered in the screen.
Both women smile at me while my pulse kicks up enough speed that my watch buzzes and asks me if I want to record a workout.
“I am so thrilled to talk to you,” Doreen says, leaning back in her cushy, leather office chair. Her gray hair is pulled back into an elegant bun at the nape of her neck. She wears silver hoop earrings and a scarf tied around her neck. She has that timeless style of a woman in her fifties that has found what she likes and sticks with it.
“You are?” I ask. My voice betrays me by wavering a little.
“Of course.” A small laugh leaves her as she rests one elbow on the arm of chair. Her fingers absently touch one earring as she adds, “I’m a big fan of your work.”
“Even the last one?” I ask before thinking better of it. Over the past five years my career rocketed. The first two books did well, but it was the third that launched my career to the next level. I hit bestseller lists in three countries, accepted rights deals and optioned movie rights, had more ideas than I could possibly write in my lifetime. But all that came to a screeching halt a year ago when my fourth book had disappointing sales numbers, I went through a messy, public breakup, and then I was hit with writer’s block so hard I couldn’t come up with a single good idea. I haven’t published anything since, but hopefully all that changes today.
Doreen lets out a hearty guffaw that somehow still comes off sophisticated and chic. “Was it my favorite? No. But your talent shines through even when the story isn’t compelling.”
I’m not sure how to take that. I know she meant it as a compliment, but I’m hung up on the whole ‘the story wasn’t compelling’ bit. She isn’t wrong.
“But none of that matters. Publishing has a short memory. And the most recent book Molly sent over shines like nothing else I’ve read from you.”
“Thanks,” I say, relief flooding me. I’m shocked, honestly. It was painful to write and it was only a proposal and the first two chapters. If I manage to sell it, I’ll have to figure out how to get my mojo back – something I need to do regardless.
“It’s surprising and fun, and the tension between the main characters jumps off the page. What made you want to change things up? I mean, a sports romance from Ruby Madison?!”
I’m nodding along and smiling, eating up her words, until the last part clicks into place.
“Wait. Sports romance?”
“Yes.” She laughs again, smiling at first, but then she must read my confusion. She reaches for a pair of tortoise shell glances and pulls them on, then glances at what I assume is a second monitor. “A Sporty Romance by Ruby Madison. That is you, right?”
A memory of me typing those words on the title page before sending it off to Molly flashes in my mind at the same time I inwardly cringe. Not my most original title, which is probably why that book was shelved two years ago.
While Doreen waits patiently for an answer, I glance to Molly. She somehow continues to beam while I shoot lasers out of my eyes at her.
Silently, I panic scream, “You gave Doreen Walters my old manuscript!?” While she seems to say, “Just go with it, Ruby. We need this!”
The quiet stretches out for several tense moments.
“Yes, of course I wrote it,” I say as heat blooms in my face. “I’m sorry, I thought we were meeting about the vampire royalty book.”
“Molly sent over the proposal and chapters for that one too. It isn’t bad.” She pulls off her glasses and holds them in one hand. “But this is the one I want.”
She points with her glasses toward her monitor.
“Why?” The question bubbles over and slips from my lips.
“I thought I liked it.” She arches a brow.
“I’m so sorry,” I apologize again, then have no clue what else to say.
My brain reels. Two years ago, before the worst year of my life, I wrote a sports romance. It was fun. My sister, Olivia, had just started dating Flynn – a professional baseball player. I was going with her to games, completely caught up in their love story. It was inspiring to watch them fall in love. So much so that I wrote that book faster than anything before or since. It was different than what I’d written before but my early readers all loved it, including Molly, who I trust implicitly. She shopped it around to my publisher at the time. They passed, noting they liked the book, but it wasn’t right for them. Then two more editors at different publishers did the same.
I shrugged it off because I was getting plenty of requests for more paranormal or romantasy. Publishing seemed to be telling me they wanted me to do more of what I was already doing, and I listened. We shelved A Sporty Romance (still a terrible name) and I wrote another vampire book – the one that flopped.
My agent continues to smile through the screen, but I note the tension bracketing her mouth. Why wouldn’t Molly tell me she was shopping this manuscript around again?
Doreen continues on, “I know the book is different, but it’s precisely why I love it. Not everyone can pull off switching genres like this, but I think you can. Your writing is gorgeous. The hero is charming and your heroine is nuanced and loveable, if not slightly chaotic. The book has all the charisma and wit that your readers adore.”
“But my readers aren’t expecting a sports romance.” My readers may not be expecting anything, honestly. It’s been over a year since I’ve published, which wouldn’t be all that concerning if I were promoting or teasing something to come. I’m not.
“If you partner with us, then I will make it my mission to convince your readers and everyone else that they need to read this book,” Doreen says without a beat of hesitation in her tone. She’s launched so many careers that her confidence is well-earned.
“I don’t know what to say.” She’s not known for her flattery, but she’s handed me several compliments in the span of five minutes. I try my hardest to let them land and soothe the previous rejections for this book. Even if she did call my heroine chaotic. Not exactly what I was going for, but I can smooth that out in edits. Oh my god, am I actually considering this?
“There’s just one little thing,” Doreen says in that way that foreshadows the little thing is going to be a huge pain to fix. “We’d like you to change the sport from baseball to hockey.”
In the small image of me on the screen, my brows furrow. “Excuse me?”
“We have another baseball romance on our list this summer. Besides, baseball is harder to sell. Hockey romance is what readers want right now.” She grins like we’re in on a secret. “And the sport is such a small part of the story.”
That’s true, but there’s one small thing she’s failed to account for. “I don’t know hockey.”
I barely know baseball. I had Olivia and Flynn helping me get the sports details right, but it was a huge undertaking.
“Oh.” Doreen gets the first flicker of disappointment on her face and instantly I get the feeling that I’ve ruined everything.
And judging by Molly’s face, she thinks so too. I’ve wanted to work with Doreen since before I finished my first manuscript. She’s smart and powerful. She navigates publishing like a bad ass boss bitch. Her eye for picking out books from the slush pile and making them bestsellers is impeccable. If there’s anyone that can help revive my career, it’s her.
But hockey?
And if I say no, then what? I could have Molly send this book back around to editors. Maybe someone else would take it as is. Or I guess I could write another book, but, well, that hasn’t been very successful the past six months. i.e. I’ve written nothing.
“What Ruby means is that she would need additional resources in order to make sure she gets the hockey information correct,” Molly interjects. “I can help with that. I’m originally from upstate New York. We learned to skate as soon as we could walk.”
I shoot my agent a look that I hope communicates my skepticism. Meanwhile Doreen’s smile is back and wider than ever. “Great.”
“Great,” I mimic, with a lot less enthusiasm.
“I’ll send over my offer this afternoon. Take time and think it over, but not too much time.” Doreen quickly transforms back into serious editor mode, steepling her fingers in front of the camera. “We want to turn this around quickly and get it out with our Winter catalog. You’re attending the Delaroche book fair this fall right?”
I nod. It’s the one event Molly absolutely refused to let me cancel this year or I would have.
“Perfect. We’ll announce it then with big, flashy signage and advanced copies.” She gets that hopeful smile on her face again.
Panic rises in my chest, sending a flood of warmth through my body. “You want me to rewrite the entire book by the event in September?”
“Of course not. We’d need it by August,” she says with not a single drop of teasing in her tone. “We need time to format and print copies for the convention.”
Several seconds pass where my entire body is frozen with a mixture of hope and terror. I want so badly to believe this is the chance to turn things around but it’s so unexpected. Lying low in my apartment, plotting books and writing bad first chapters over and over again has become almost comforting.
“Okay.” Molly gets that look in her eye that tells me she’s heard all she needs and doesn’t want me to put my foot in my mouth. “Thank you so much, Doreen. I’m excited about this.”
“Me too,” Doreen says.
I can’t seem to speak so I force my mouth into a smile.
“We’ll talk soon.” Doreen leans forward and then ends the meeting.
Two seconds later, Molly calls me.
“Don’t panic,” she says by way of greeting.
“Don’t panic?” I ask, parroting her words. I stand and pace back and forth in my small living room. “Why didn’t you warn me?”
“Honestly?” She pauses, then adds, “I was afraid you wouldn’t take the meeting.”
“Nobody turns down a meeting with Doreen Walters,” I say as I squeeze my eyes shut.
“She is a legend,” Molly says. “And she loves the book.”
Even Doreen must get it wrong occasionally.
As if she heard my internal dialogue, Molly uses her stern, loveable tone. “So do I. I believe in this book. I always have. I wouldn’t be pushing it if I didn’t. Maybe now is the time to finally get it out there.”
Or it could flop like the last one. I swallow the words, but they burn all the same. I stop pacing and inhale a steading breath.
“How would this even work?” I ask. “I wasn’t exaggerating. I really don’t know anything about hockey.”
“Let me worry about that.”
A tiny scoff leaves my throat. This is crazy. I can’t do it. I’m the least sporty person I know. My knowledge of hockey is nonexistent unless you count fifth grade physical education class where we played scooter hockey. And the only thing I remember about that is how painful it is to have your fingers run over by a scooter wheel.
“I promise I will get you the support you need. Your character will be dekeing and chirping, putting up hat tricks, and shaking out his glorious lettuce,” Molly adds confidently.
“I have no idea what you even said.”
“But you will soon!” Her enthusiasm is contagious and finally a small laugh escapes. If I don’t laugh, I may cry.
“Oh, she’s already sent over the offer,” Molly says, then gasps.
“Is that a good gasp or a bad gasp?” I ask. Maybe it’s so bad it doesn’t justify learning an entirely new sport. We can go back to pushing the vampire royalty book and I can figure out how I’m going to write it if and when someone wants it.
“I just forwarded it.”
I hustle back to my laptop and pull up the email from Molly. When the attachment loads, I let out my own gasp. I straighten and blow out a breath. “What does lettuce have to do with hockey?”
May 15, 2025
Spotlight is LIVE!
One night—that’s all it was supposed to be. No names. No complications.
And now? He’s everywhere.
In every trending video.
In all the news headlines.
On every freaking billboard.
Turns out, he’s not just some guy. He’s Flynn Holland, Lake City’s new hotshot pitcher. The one that’s supposed to end our team’s fifty-year championship drought (the same way I’ve fantasized about him ending mine).
As if that weren’t bad enough, my daughter loves him and he’s the poster boy for my rival bookstore.
Flynn’s perfect smile is plastered all over town, selling their books, like some kind of traitorous golden boy—while he’s over here giving me his best game.
Pass. I’ve had enough heartbreak for two lifetimes.
But then he looks at me, and I forget how to breathe.
Not to mention, he’s so good with my little girl, it’s downright unfair.
He’s maddeningly gorgeous, ridiculously persistent, and dragging me straight into his spotlight.
I need him to stay away—before I do something I’ll regret.
Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited
https://geni.us/SpotlightAmazon
Audio: Coming Soon!
Check out the Holland Brothers series in audio here!
https://bit.ly/4m6yFdL
Add to Goodreads: https://geni.us/SpotlightGDRD
And now? He’s everywhere.
In every trending video.
In all the news headlines.
On every freaking billboard.
Turns out, he’s not just some guy. He’s Flynn Holland, Lake City’s new hotshot pitcher. The one that’s supposed to end our team’s fifty-year championship drought (the same way I’ve fantasized about him ending mine).
As if that weren’t bad enough, my daughter loves him and he’s the poster boy for my rival bookstore.
Flynn’s perfect smile is plastered all over town, selling their books, like some kind of traitorous golden boy—while he’s over here giving me his best game.
Pass. I’ve had enough heartbreak for two lifetimes.
But then he looks at me, and I forget how to breathe.
Not to mention, he’s so good with my little girl, it’s downright unfair.
He’s maddeningly gorgeous, ridiculously persistent, and dragging me straight into his spotlight.
I need him to stay away—before I do something I’ll regret.
Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited
https://geni.us/SpotlightAmazon
Audio: Coming Soon!
Check out the Holland Brothers series in audio here!
https://bit.ly/4m6yFdL
Add to Goodreads: https://geni.us/SpotlightGDRD
April 16, 2025
Burnout is FREE!
FREE for a limited time!
Download today for FREE!
https://geni.us/BurnoutFreebie
❤️ Tattooed Hero
❤️ Gymnast Heroine
❤️ Motocross
❤️ Banter for Days
❤️ Dislike to Love
❤️ Training Together
He’s the hot, tattooed bad boy that I traded insults with...and now he wants my help?
Knox Holland is in a jam. After an incredible first year on the pro motocross circuit, he should be on top of the world. Instead, his bad reputation has landed him without a team. He’s untouchable and desperate to turn it around.
Which is how he ends up at my gym asking me to train him. As a college gymnast with two Olympic medals to my name, I know a thing or two about the pressure to succeed. Last season I choked and then injured myself before I could show the world that I’m not a twenty-year-old has-been.
Focused on the future, I can’t afford to get distracted. But I recognize the desperation in Knox’s eyes, and I can’t say no to him, either.
It should have been an easy task, but nothing about Knox is easy. One minute we’re arguing, and the next I’m enjoying his shirtless handstands a little too much.
Falling for him would be a mistake…
Download today for FREE!
https://geni.us/BurnoutFreebie
❤️ Tattooed Hero
❤️ Gymnast Heroine
❤️ Motocross
❤️ Banter for Days
❤️ Dislike to Love
❤️ Training Together
He’s the hot, tattooed bad boy that I traded insults with...and now he wants my help?
Knox Holland is in a jam. After an incredible first year on the pro motocross circuit, he should be on top of the world. Instead, his bad reputation has landed him without a team. He’s untouchable and desperate to turn it around.
Which is how he ends up at my gym asking me to train him. As a college gymnast with two Olympic medals to my name, I know a thing or two about the pressure to succeed. Last season I choked and then injured myself before I could show the world that I’m not a twenty-year-old has-been.
Focused on the future, I can’t afford to get distracted. But I recognize the desperation in Knox’s eyes, and I can’t say no to him, either.
It should have been an easy task, but nothing about Knox is easy. One minute we’re arguing, and the next I’m enjoying his shirtless handstands a little too much.
Falling for him would be a mistake…
January 31, 2025
Comeback is LIVE!
My brother’s best friend is such a jerk.
An imposing, handsome jerk who doesn’t trust me. And now we’re roommates.
He wanders around the apartment in nothing but gray sweatpants, looking like a broody, tattooed muscle god, and playing music that shakes the walls. I want to hate him for treating me like an intruder, but there’s something about the way he looks at me—like he’s trying to figure me out—that keeps pulling me in.
Archer Holland is loyal, caring, and protective—with everyone except me.
Every time I move around our apartment, I can feel his glare. And the worst part? It only makes me want him more.
Not that it matters.
He’s my brother’s best friend—the one guy I can never have. But after a late-night rescue, we go from sharing a wall to sharing a bed.
I’m not sure what my brother would do if he found out, but it doesn’t matter because Archer says it can’t happen again.
That imposing, handsome jerk is about to find out I’m done playing by his rules.
Comeback is a football romance with lots of spice, swoon, and a happily ever after. It’s the third book in the Holland Brothers series and can be read as a standalone.
Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited
https://geni.us/yz87lV
Audio: Coming Soon!
Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/414FjZN
An imposing, handsome jerk who doesn’t trust me. And now we’re roommates.
He wanders around the apartment in nothing but gray sweatpants, looking like a broody, tattooed muscle god, and playing music that shakes the walls. I want to hate him for treating me like an intruder, but there’s something about the way he looks at me—like he’s trying to figure me out—that keeps pulling me in.
Archer Holland is loyal, caring, and protective—with everyone except me.
Every time I move around our apartment, I can feel his glare. And the worst part? It only makes me want him more.
Not that it matters.
He’s my brother’s best friend—the one guy I can never have. But after a late-night rescue, we go from sharing a wall to sharing a bed.
I’m not sure what my brother would do if he found out, but it doesn’t matter because Archer says it can’t happen again.
That imposing, handsome jerk is about to find out I’m done playing by his rules.
Comeback is a football romance with lots of spice, swoon, and a happily ever after. It’s the third book in the Holland Brothers series and can be read as a standalone.
Download today or read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited
https://geni.us/yz87lV
Audio: Coming Soon!
Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/414FjZN
January 28, 2025
Comeback Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Sabrina
I can hear the music from the party as soon as I step off the elevator. The heavy bass spreads down the hall and vibrates the walls. My already frayed nerves bounce around with the beat, and my grip tightens on the champagne bottle.
One deep breath. Two.
I pull out my phone and quadruple-check the apartment number. I’m stalling. I have it memorized and even if I didn’t, it’s obvious by the music which one is my brother’s place.
A twinge of excitement manages to work its way in despite my anxiety. I have a brother. I still can’t quite believe it. Brogan Six—the Maverick’s star tight end who charmed an entire nation last year during his rookie season—is my brother.
When I decided to look for my birth parents, I never thought it would lead me here: ten feet away from an apartment filled with professional football players.
I take another step. My boots click on the hardwood floors. Boots that were absolutely a mistake. I look like I’m trying too hard. I feel like I’m trying too hard.
I take one more deep breath. If I don’t go now, I never will.
I’m not usually the kind of woman to get all spun up about attending a party, but this is a big deal.
Brogan has welcomed me into his life with open arms. And I genuinely like him. Even if he wasn’t my brother, I could see us being friends. He’s fun and warm. When I was a little girl, sitting at home bored, wishing I had a sibling, I’d imagine what it would be like to have a sister who I could share secrets and make up fun dance routines with or a brother that would protect me and let me tag along with him and his friends to play sports or build forts.
And while I had wished a lot harder for a sister, Brogan is the brother I dreamed about. I don’t need him to look out for me now, but it means so much to me that he’s trying to include me in his life.
My hand lifts to knock on the door, but it flings open before I make contact. The guy is moving forward, clearly not expecting someone to be standing on the other side. He sees me at the last second, then does an agile sidestep so he doesn’t run me over, all while somehow still managing to hold the door open for me. I guess chivalry isn’t dead.
“Hey, sorry.” His gaze sweeps over me, giving me time to recognize him.
Archer Holland.
The Mavericks’ wide receiver is six feet of hard, lean muscle. He’s too handsome for his own good with a chiseled jawline and long dark eyelashes that frame expressive hazel eyes. Eyes that are currently examining me the same way I am him.
In the few seconds it’s taken for him to realize who I am, his entire demeanor has changed. Gone is the happy, cheerful expression and instead he’s looking at me with a mixture of surprise and disgust.
“What are you doing here?” His gruff voice skates over my skin, sending a shiver down my spine.
My brother’s best friend and roommate looks at me like I make a full-time job out of party crashing. The smile on my face falters for just a moment.
“Is that your standard greeting?” I ask, trying to infuse some humor into the moment because seriously, what the hell?
He doesn’t budge, but his voice is maybe slightly more polite when he asks, “Does Brogan know you’re here?”
“Not yet but if you let me in he would.” I peer around him. Or I attempt to. He’s tall and broad and taking up most of the doorway. And still not moving.
I can’t see him, but I can now hear my brother inside. He has one of those voices that carries when he talks or laughs, both things he does a lot of. Unlike his best friend.
“Seriously, Sabrina, does he know you’re back in town?”
Now it’s my turn to be surprised. It isn’t like I think Brogan sits around talking about me all the time, but I did assume he’d mentioned to Archer that I was coming tonight.
“Yes, and he invited me.” I hold up the champagne bottle as if that’s proof somehow.
He doesn’t like that answer. His brows pinch together, and a flash of uncertainty takes the place of his glowering.
“When did you get back?”
“Three weeks ago.” I let out an exasperated breath. “What is the problem?”
It’s a loaded question. Archer has always had a problem with me. He doesn’t trust me. I’m not sure the exact reason, but it’s been obvious since the first time I met him.
Keep reading the rest of Chapter 1 of Comeback https://rebeccajenshak.com/comeback-c...
Sabrina
I can hear the music from the party as soon as I step off the elevator. The heavy bass spreads down the hall and vibrates the walls. My already frayed nerves bounce around with the beat, and my grip tightens on the champagne bottle.
One deep breath. Two.
I pull out my phone and quadruple-check the apartment number. I’m stalling. I have it memorized and even if I didn’t, it’s obvious by the music which one is my brother’s place.
A twinge of excitement manages to work its way in despite my anxiety. I have a brother. I still can’t quite believe it. Brogan Six—the Maverick’s star tight end who charmed an entire nation last year during his rookie season—is my brother.
When I decided to look for my birth parents, I never thought it would lead me here: ten feet away from an apartment filled with professional football players.
I take another step. My boots click on the hardwood floors. Boots that were absolutely a mistake. I look like I’m trying too hard. I feel like I’m trying too hard.
I take one more deep breath. If I don’t go now, I never will.
I’m not usually the kind of woman to get all spun up about attending a party, but this is a big deal.
Brogan has welcomed me into his life with open arms. And I genuinely like him. Even if he wasn’t my brother, I could see us being friends. He’s fun and warm. When I was a little girl, sitting at home bored, wishing I had a sibling, I’d imagine what it would be like to have a sister who I could share secrets and make up fun dance routines with or a brother that would protect me and let me tag along with him and his friends to play sports or build forts.
And while I had wished a lot harder for a sister, Brogan is the brother I dreamed about. I don’t need him to look out for me now, but it means so much to me that he’s trying to include me in his life.
My hand lifts to knock on the door, but it flings open before I make contact. The guy is moving forward, clearly not expecting someone to be standing on the other side. He sees me at the last second, then does an agile sidestep so he doesn’t run me over, all while somehow still managing to hold the door open for me. I guess chivalry isn’t dead.
“Hey, sorry.” His gaze sweeps over me, giving me time to recognize him.
Archer Holland.
The Mavericks’ wide receiver is six feet of hard, lean muscle. He’s too handsome for his own good with a chiseled jawline and long dark eyelashes that frame expressive hazel eyes. Eyes that are currently examining me the same way I am him.
In the few seconds it’s taken for him to realize who I am, his entire demeanor has changed. Gone is the happy, cheerful expression and instead he’s looking at me with a mixture of surprise and disgust.
“What are you doing here?” His gruff voice skates over my skin, sending a shiver down my spine.
My brother’s best friend and roommate looks at me like I make a full-time job out of party crashing. The smile on my face falters for just a moment.
“Is that your standard greeting?” I ask, trying to infuse some humor into the moment because seriously, what the hell?
He doesn’t budge, but his voice is maybe slightly more polite when he asks, “Does Brogan know you’re here?”
“Not yet but if you let me in he would.” I peer around him. Or I attempt to. He’s tall and broad and taking up most of the doorway. And still not moving.
I can’t see him, but I can now hear my brother inside. He has one of those voices that carries when he talks or laughs, both things he does a lot of. Unlike his best friend.
“Seriously, Sabrina, does he know you’re back in town?”
Now it’s my turn to be surprised. It isn’t like I think Brogan sits around talking about me all the time, but I did assume he’d mentioned to Archer that I was coming tonight.
“Yes, and he invited me.” I hold up the champagne bottle as if that’s proof somehow.
He doesn’t like that answer. His brows pinch together, and a flash of uncertainty takes the place of his glowering.
“When did you get back?”
“Three weeks ago.” I let out an exasperated breath. “What is the problem?”
It’s a loaded question. Archer has always had a problem with me. He doesn’t trust me. I’m not sure the exact reason, but it’s been obvious since the first time I met him.
Keep reading the rest of Chapter 1 of Comeback https://rebeccajenshak.com/comeback-c...
