HaBO: Sports Hero, Artist Heroine, Sexy Baked Goods

You did it! We figured this one out! It is a truth universally acknowledged (by me for certain) that the Bitchery pretty much knows everything, and really, it's true. Scroll down to see the solution for this HaBO - and many thanks!

This HaBO is from Katie Lynn, who remembers so much about this book, I’m sure someone will know it right off the bat (pun totally intended):

So, this weekend I was talking to a friend (who is my book partner in crime), trying to recall the title of a book I read last year sometime. I’ve been od’ing on sports romances, and recalled this one as being good and worth a reread. Except I can’t recall the title. Or the author. Or character names. I DO, however, remember the plot pretty vividly.

She is an artist, and owns a studio that she inherited from her grandmother (who she was very close to). Said art studio is not doing well.

He is a professional athlete in a team sport. Has a terrible reputation for womanizing. Possibly was just transferred to a new team?

The town in a small beach community, or at least somewhere that has that kind of feel.

They meet at a street festival, where the heroine is live painting scenes. He is there with a buddy. Her best friend is also there, making specialty cocktails (she possibly owns a candy shop? Because I think the cocktail was cotton candy flavored). He hits on the heroine, she agrees to meet him later at a bar after a lot of encouragement from female friend.

Cut to bar, where they have a drink and he hits on her some more, and they end up making out in a parking lot. They move to a nearby hotel/motel and have the sexytimes, and when he falls asleep she leaves (knowing about his womanizing tendencies). There is something about her not having a good relationship with her mother, who makes poor choices in bedmates, which leads the heroine to not date?

Anywho, the hero is sad that she left, and after a meeting with his agent is basically told to change his ways or he’s out of a job. A fake marriage is suggested, and of course the heroine’s name comes up. Agent looks her up, and the heroine is strapped for cash. Hero and agent go to the art studio to meet heroine, and offer her a large sum of money to marry the hero for a year to fix his image. After some waffling she agrees. Lawyers are involved, and the female friend’s dad is representing the heroine (he advises against the marriage). There is a no sex clause in the paperwork because the heroine is afraid of what will happen to her if they have repeat sexytimes.

Heroine moves in with hero, is given giant ring. They go off somewhere and marry at a beach.

At some point an intern at the lawyer’s office snoops into paperwork and releases their agreement, revealing their marriage as a sham (because how could that NOT happen?)

Other pertinent (and really specific facts): the heroine might bake when nervous? I recall a scene where the hero comes back from jogging and is eating a baked good shirtless, and crumbs falling on his chest.

There is a side story hinted at with their best friends (which I believe turns into the next book in the series, which I know I didn’t read). There is an event at the art studio in support of breast cancer (?) which the grandmother passed away from, and the hero sneaks into to see the heroine. They go to a team party at a fancy restaurant and the heroine wears a very fancy sparkly dress.

So, hopefully someone can identify this book. I have gone through my kindle, but can’t seem to find it. I’ve gotten very specific with my collections on there recently, but I know this was from before I had a category called ‘sports’. Book partner in crime (Amy from a few HABOs back) would be eternally grateful. And so would I!

There’s no way one of you doesn’t know this one, right? Right. Because the Bitchery knows everything, especially and most likely the name of this book. Help a Bitch Out?