Who Are The Main Characters In Soccer IQ: Things That Smart Players Do?

My smile dies the second the door swings open. Gasping, I stumble back as if burned by the deep scowl aimed at me. “You!” I whisper, and at the same time, my arch-enemy’s scowl morphs into a sinister smile. Tyler Brooks raises an eyebrow. “I didn’t realize you’ve added stalking to your nerdy tendencies,” he finally says, his deep voice causing me to shiver. I feel cold sweat break across my forehead, but I curl my fingers tighter around the strap of my purse. “I’m here to… for… um…” Tyler snorts, seemingly taking pleasure in my embarrassment. “What are you doing here, Garcia?” *** Lila Garcia thought her life couldn’t get any worse as the infamous nerd of Princeton High, constantly bullied by the jocks. But when Tyler Brooks’ parents leave town and they need someone to watch his younger siblings, Lila is roped into babysitting duty. Tyler has always been a jerk to her since day one, but now Lila’s stuck in his world and seeing him as more than just an arrogant football star. In close quarters, Lila learns that Tyler has secrets, and that he isn’t the guy she pegged him to be. As her feelings start to change, and the lines between love and hate blur, Lila must decide if this new version of Tyler is worth trusting, or if she’s just another target in his game.

She is focused, disciplined, and determined to survive her first year at university. He is reckless, irresistible, and the most notorious athlete on campus. When fate throws them together, sparks fly and rules are broken. Falling for the bad boy athlete was never part of her plan, but resisting him could cost her everything. Secrets, rivalries, and a dangerous attraction push them to the edge. Can love survive when their worlds are at war?

Falling for the school's star goalie was never the plan... especially when my father is the principal who just banned him from the ice. But getting caught in a scandal with the boy I'm supposed to 'fix'? That's more than a catastrophe; it's a death sentence. Aria Bennett is a top student with perfect grades but no social life. She is assigned to tutor the school's newest transfer student, Jason Monroe. However, Jason is consistently late to their sessions, cocky, and resistant to being told what to do. Aria just wants to get the tutoring over with. Things take a turn when she discovers that Jason is on academic probation and risks losing his spot as the goalie on the hockey team. This revelation softens Aria's perspective on him. As their late-night tutoring sessions become a regular occurrence, Aria starts to see the vulnerabilities behind Jason's tough exterior. Meanwhile, Jason never intended to develop feelings for the girl who dresses in oversized hoodies and carries notebooks. Yet, somehow, Aria is getting under his skin and possibly into his heart. "Does Daddy know you're at a party full of hot hockey players and drinking beer?" "Leave me alone," I spat. Jason grinned slyly and leaned in closer. "You know I heard you dressed up thinking you were going on a date, and the guy turned out to be gay." In a drunken stumble, Jason stepped too close and fell on top of me. Jason's eyes fluttered open slightly as he cupped my face. I froze. His hands were warm against my skin, but rational thought fled me. He gave me a look that screamed trouble. And just as I suspected, he leaned in and kissed my lips. My brain had completely shut down. It was my first kiss.

Alex’s life is a wild whirlwind at this rich hockey school. He’s a poor scholarship kid, but he’s killer on the ice. Damien, the hot, cruel team captain, hates him — but can’t stop touching him while claiming he's not gay. He slams Alex hard into the boards and whispers dirty words that make Alex’s body burn with heat and shame. Then Lila, Damien’s crazy childhood friend, wants Alex for herself. She has dangerous secrets that can destroy him if he says no. But Jax arrives — a kind, sexy hockey star who truly cares. He wants to protect Alex and make him his. Now Alex is trapped between hate, obsession, and desire. One wrong move and he loses everything. This steamy MM hockey romance is full of hot hate-to-love tension, dirty obsession, and a love triangle that will leave you aching.

My name is Christian Thompson, and once upon a time, I was the best striker in European football. That was until he came along—Ashford Ryder, young and carefree, 10 years my junior and the new shining star. I hate him. At least that's what I tell myself. Not just because he's taken my spot, but because he's everything I've struggled all my life to be, and not to be. He's vibrant, he's happy, and the worst of all, he's openly gay. I'm not homophobic, quite the opposite—I've lived in the closet all my life. All my life, I've had to hide who I am to please the people around me. European football hasn't always been this accepting of gay men, and I'd squeezed myself into a box to fit in with what they wanted of me. It isn’t that hard when you think about my family who'd rather disown me than have an openly gay son. So imagine how I feel when the world decides to be more accommodating to people like Ashford Ryder when they shoved me in a box. It's not so easy to hate the happy-go-lucky striker, when he does everything to get close to me, despite my insistent hatred for him. He's like a thorn in my side—a hot, sexy, blonde, 5ft9 thorn I can't stop thinking about. But when one day I lose my cool around the popular striker and land myself in bad press, I end up needing his help. It's supposed to be easy. Spend some time with Ashford Ryder, and show our fans that we can work together—it's what I need to do to save my career. But no one tells you how hard it is to hate someone you spend every waking hour dreaming about.

Clumsy, coffee-obsessed sports reporter Tessa Lane is just trying to survive another awkward press conference when a PR disaster turns her world upside down—literally. After tripping into the arms of world-famous, scandal-stained soccer star Leo Santiago, the tabloids explode. The solution? A fake relationship to fix his image... and her career. Tessa's no actress, and Leo's charm is far too real. What starts as staged hand-holding and scripted smiles soon turns into late-night texts, unexpected kisses, and a chemistry no camera can fake. But when the line between pretend and real begins to blur, they’ll both have to decide—are they playing the game, or falling for it?