THE END GOAL, Love, New York #1 (October, 2026)

The first in a series of interconnected stand-alones about four book-club best friends. Hilarious, razor-sharp, swoonworthy, Lauren Panariello is an unstoppable new voice in romance. 

Bree Morgan, a fiery financial wiz, is out of her league. Yesterday, she’d never seen a hockey game; Today, she’s the senior advisor for her boss's new acquisition, an NHL team. Armed with analytics, if she gets the team to the playoffs, she’s guaranteed a position as the youngest partner ever at her competitive Wall Street firm.

There’s just one person standing in her way…Jake Paxton, the 6’4’’ hockey captain with a reputation larger than his stature. He’s been the star player for years, but with all eyes on his paycheck and his age (er, experience), Jake’s upcoming contract renewal isn’t a sure thing. He’ll do whatever it takes to win the championship…except listen to some Manhattan data analyst who only understands numbers, not the game.

When Bree and Jake are forced to work together, building frustration begins to feel dangerously like attraction. As sparks fly, the ice between them starts to thaw. Soon, the only thing scarier than falling for Jake is saying goodbye to him when the season ends.