Teasing

Red Lips & White Lies, Book 5

De: Bella Matthews

Narrado por: Ava Erickson, Tor Thom

From #1 Amazon and USA Today Bestselling Author Bella Matthews comes a single dad, grumpy/sunshine, sports romance.

Falling for the grumpy, single dad next door wasn’t on my summer to-do list.

Did I mention he’s also a football god? A really hot one? Because he is.

Becoming said baller’s new nanny?

Yeah, I definitely didn’t see that one coming.

But nothing about Maverick Beneventi was ever what I expected.

He’s the embodiment of every broody book boyfriend I’ve ever loved, wrapped in deliciously sexy muscles and covered in beautiful black ink. All scowls and sharp edges, I was sure he hated me.

Until one mischievous puppy, one rainy night, and one unexpected job offer changed everything.

Now, my days are filled with bedtime stories and butterfly kisses, all thanks to the one person who can bring Maverick to his knees—his little girl, Rosie.

He doesn’t do complications. Or fun. Or anything that could make him smile. But somewhere between late-night talks and lingering touches, stolen glances and quiet moments . . . something changes, and I did the one thing I swore I wouldn’t.

I fell in love.

With Maverick. With Rosie.

With the life I was sure I’d never have.

And with summer slipping away and my heart on the line, I have to decide—stay and fight for the family I never saw coming . . . or walk away before I destroy it all?

©2025 Bella Matthews (P)2025 Bella Matthews

So Sweet!

Ive been so excited for these Beneventi boys and Maverick did not disappoint. I loved Emmie, she’s a ball of sunshine and glitter, with a seriously sad backstory. Rosie was freaking precious! The story was funny and sweet with a dash of drama and heartbreak.

With how big these families are I love how close the characters are with each other, but also how each has their own closer clique inside of the group. I feel BM does a great job with that and it gives us a chance to really get to know everyone!

Read: Audible 🎧
MMC: Maverick Beneventi
FMC: Emmie Monroe
Spice: 2🌶️
Tropes: Single Dad, Football, Nanny/Dance Teacher, Grumpy+Sunshine, Teammates Sister, Hurt/Comfort

Hot nanny

This book touches on a lot of hard real life topics. The voices match the characters to perfection. I read this book when it came out but listening to it was even better. Hands down perfection. I felt ever true emotion this story told.

Maverick and Emmie story

Holy Moly Bella. I wasn’t ready for Maverick and Emmie story. Did this just take over a favorite from Callens book. Yes, yes it did. I love the research that went into writing this book.

The adorable Rosie Maverick daughter has a ton of food allergies and I love the positive representation that was portrayed in the book. She even shows that you can still have amazing food & deserts.
As also will Bella’s book a wonderful positive family that comes together to give support and Sparkles lol.

Emmie has been a lot and Mav is a jerk who’s trying to protect his daughter. He doesn’t have a choice but to hire Emmie as a nanny for Rosie. She’s all rainbows & sunshine trying to keep a positive outlook on the world when she’s has the weight of it on her shoulders.
I’ll ever get over the when the moms come over for wine. (You’ll have to read the book to know what happens.)
Jamie & Ryker hilarious (Hot Nanny and sunrise yoga) Also we have Ryker who is deft so there is a household of people who knows and signs ASL. So excited for his story. I can’t wait for you all to read Teasing.

If you like

🏈 Grumpy/Sunshine
🍒 Single Dad
🏈 The Baller & The Ballerina
🍒 Forbidden
🏈 Nanny
🍒 Hurt/Comfort
🏈 Teammate's Sister

Thank you Bella & Team for my Arc I truly enjoyed my book and can’t wait to read the million others.

Amazing!!

Emmie is such a sweet and sassy woman. She has a lot going on personally with her family and it broke my heart. She has some secrets too, she just isn’t ready to share with everyone. She is living for each day, she doesn’t think about the future. And she is definitely not looking for love. Then 3 hot football players from her favorite team and a little girl move next door.

Maverick is such a grump to everyone except his sweet little girl Rosie. But he has reasons as to why he is so grumpy. The mother of his child decided she didn’t want to be a mom and he stepped up right away. But he’s been hurt and not interested in dating or love. He doesn’t trust very easily either.

Rosie is the cutest little girl ever! The little girl is full of life and has so many people around her that loves her. She also has a lot of allergies and has to be careful around things.

The banter between Emmie and Maverick is so good. The girl can sure keep him on his toes and it catches him off guard. He doesn’t expect to like her and maybe even trust her? Well he must, because he agrees to let her be the nanny. They have chemistry that is just brewing between the two of them. There is something there, but both are so stubborn and don’t want to give in. Her nickname for him, Cujo, had me CRACKING UP!

Oh and Jamie and Ryker, I mean I loved them just as much. They kept giving Maverick such a hard time and it was hilarious. They could see what was happening, even if he was denying it.

This book had me laughing, kicking my feet swooning, and even shedding a couple of tears. I was not expecting the little family twist of Emmie’s and it broke my heart.

ⓐⓤⓓⓘⓞ ⓣⓗⓞⓤⓖⓗⓣⓢ
I loved reading this, but listening…10 out of freaking 10!!! Amazing! In every single way! I devoured this audiobook and didn’t stop until it was done. The narrator’s really brought the characters to life and had me cracking up.

Emmie and Maverick

It's always fun being back in Kroydon Hills. In Teasing, book five in the Red Lips & White Lies series, we follow Emmie and Maverick's journey to love. Maverick is a single dad who’s super protective of his five-year-old daughter, Rosie. He has a complicated past that has caused him to be a bit of a grump, and he is definitely not looking for love. Emmie, a fun and sunshiny dance teacher, ends up moving in next door. When Rosie runs into Emmie outside, they form an instant connection. Maverick is immediately on guard and is less than thrilled to see Rosie talking to this beautiful stranger. Soon, this beautiful stranger becomes Rosie's nanny, and Maverick's world is turned upside down in the best way.

I loved Maverick and Emmie together. They had a great connection, undeniable chemistry, and I loved their banter. Emmie had been through a lot and really needed someone who would be patient with her and allow her to work through her feelings. Maverick is that guy. These two are total opposites, but they fit well together. I loved witnessing the development of Emmie and Maverick's relationship. I also loved Emmie's relationship with Rosie. Their journey was an emotional rollercoaster, and it was impossible not to root for their cute little family. Teasing is a good read with a satisfying romance, an unexpected plot twist, the perfect amount of steam, and a found family element that warmed my heart. I can't wait to see what comes next.

Narration:
Ava Erickson and Tor Thom perform this audiobook in dual-style narration. They both did a wonderful job of fully embodying the characters and bringing them to life. Ava's performance highlighted Emmie's warmth and strength. Tor made the broody, grumpy, and guarded Maverick believable. Both of them brought the tension, passion, and vulnerability. Ava and Tor enhanced my experience with this story and delivered a great listening experience.

This made me Feel all the feels!

Nothing like a book getting you teary eyed while in your cube at work!

I loved Emmie and Maverick! Their story had me feeling all the feels! I laughed out loud, I swooned, I got emotional with the tears! I loved it all! And listening to the audio, the narrators had me feeling it all! Ava Erickson and Tor Tom definitely scored a touchdown with their narration of this amazing story!

Angsty and cute

Teasing is the fifth book in the Red Lips & White Lies series, but it can be read as a standalone.

Maverick was a grumpy single dad and a football player. His daughter, Rosie, immediately bonded with their neighbor, Emmie. And she ended up becoming Rosie’s nanny.

This was a bit emotional as Emmie was dealing with a lot. And it was heartbreaking to see what she was going through. She was sweet through it all though.

It really didn’t take much for the broody Maverick to fall for Emmie, and he fell hard. And he was so sweet and understanding of what she was dealing with.

The two of them were great for each other and had so much chemistry. And Rosie was such a cute kid!

There was angst, spice, emotion, and so much love. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

Audiobook notes:
Narrated by: Ava Erickson
Narration Style: Dual

Maverick & Emmie plus sweet little Rosie

This story broke my soul. Maverick & Emmie were just so good together. Maverick distrusting everyone who comes into his life…making sure they have good intentions when dealing with his sweet little girl Rosie. Emmie lives life to the fullest but knows it can be taken away at any moment. Both are beautifully broken and help heal one another in their journey. Bella's writing just always warms my heart and heals my soul with her characters and the world she continues to write.

Such a great story

I loved reading Teasing, but listening to this book was a whole different experience. Both Ava and Tor did an amazing job of bringing Maverick and Emmie to live with their voices. Hearing them narrated the such well developed plot that Bella created was such a treat. This is definitely a must listen audiobook.

Amazing Story

I absolutely loved this story. The narrators truly brought both Emmie and Maverick to life and I loved how the voices matched the ones in my head while reading the book. Would highly recommend if you love single dad x nanny romance, found family, sports romance and second generation tropes.