The Plot Pact: An Ex's Rival Hockey Romance (Bar Down Series Book 1)

From best selling author Cali Melle comes a new hockey romance filled with scorching tension, witty banter and a deal for the season between a hockey player with a reputation and a romance author who needs the story of a lifetime.

She writes love stories for a living. He doesn't believe in love.

When a terrible case of writer’s block has her career on the line, bestselling romance author Jade Wilson needs inspiration— and fast . If she can’t find a new muse soon, the publishing deal she’s about to secure is off the table. With her deadline approaching, Jade thinks she’s out of options, until she runs into him.

The only thing Matteo “Matty” Ford commits to is being the best player on the ice. He’s the type of guy to visit your bedroom, but never your family. He dates, but not for love, and with his team on a losing streak, he knows he can’t afford any distractions.

Until his teammates suggest that maybe he’s the reason behind their dry spell. Since he’s sworn off romance, he hasn’t scored a single goal.

And now, he’ll do anything to turn that around.

Enter The Plot Pact . Matty offers to help Jade with research for her new book while she becomes his carefully controlled distraction. It’s temporary, strategic, and it comes with one ironclad rule: no falling in love .

But as the season unfolds, the lines between research and reality blur. She’s writing the best story of her career, his team is on fire, and the chemistry between them becomes impossible to ignore.

What began as a calculated decision becomes dangerously real. Now they have to decide: was it all just for the plot or are they ready to risk everything for a chance at something real?