Pepped Up (Pepper Jones #1)
Ali Dean
August 25, 2013
Qualifying for Nationals. It’s all I can think about, and I’m willing to do anything it takes to make it happen. I can handle long miles and hill sprints in cross country, but guys? That’s an entirely different challenge.
I’ve kept my feelings hidden from the boy next door all this time. My longtime friend, Jace Wilder doesn’t see me that way. He has the personal magnetism and good looks to hook just about any girl in town — and he has. Our friendship stands apart from high school social circles, and I’m fine with that, or so I keep telling myself.
That is, until running star Ryan Harding moves to town and bridges the gap. Apparently, I’ve caught his eye and suddenly Jace starts seeing me in a different light. Everything changes, for all of us.
On the trails, my goals are clear. Train, run, breathe, run, win. But when it comes to Jace and Ryan, it’s nowhere near as simple. This battle can’t be won by crossing a finish line, this war is in my heart.
Pepper Jones is a runner, that is what her life revolves around. She has never had a boyfriend or even desired to have one, unless you count her infatuation with her best friend Jace. But, everything changes when Ryan comes to town.
Since Jace started high school and made new friends, Pepper knows less and less about her best friend and although they have always been best friends, he’s a popular guy and has more than Pepper in his life. Jace has always been overly protective when it comes to Pepper, never wanting her to party or drink so when she starts to go out more, he all but loses control of his life.
Pepper and Jace have that friendship most would die for, the one’s that have lasted since diapers, except for Pepper, she’s been infatuated with Jace for years and every time he chooses to go be with someone else, it hurts. With Ryan in town now, Jace is sending mixed signals, almost like he has feeling for her.
Props to Ali Dean for writing such a fantastic book. I laughed and my heart ached when ever Pepper was upset. With running being such a big part of her life, what’s a girl to do when she’s confused? Run. And she does with her trusty side kick Dave.
Ali is a USA Today Bestselling author of sports romance. She has always loved to read, especially when there’s a happily ever after, but found that there weren’t enough books out there featuring girl athletes. So, she decided to work on that. Like the heroines in her books, Ali is an athlete, with running and skiing her favorite sports these days. Ali hails from Vermont and now lives in her own happily-ever-after in Colorado with her husband, boy-girl twins, and golden retriever Pancake. When she’s not pursuing an outdoor adventure, Ali’s less healthy passions include ice cream, coffee, and beer.
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