by Meghan Quinn
First published 2026
Graydon St. John wants nothing to do with publicity. The San Francisco Foghorns defensive end keeps his head down and avoids the spotlight. But a league scandal forces him into a zoo media event where he meets Maple Baker, a zookeeper who takes one look at him and decides she's not impressed. Maple protects her flamingo habitat from visitors who don't understand her birds. She certainly doesn't need some sulking football star disrupting her work. The zoo pairs them for a public outreach program with cameras rolling. Their arguments spark on screen. Their banter crackles with energy. What starts as fake cooperation for the press begins shifting into something neither expected. When family troubles surface and their staged romance spirals beyond their control, everything Maple has built faces destruction. Graydon must choose between staying safe in the shadows or stepping forward to fight for what they've found together.
Genres: romance, sports, contemporary-romance, sports-romance
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, intimate
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fake-dating, found-family
Setting: San Francisco, Foghorns
592 pages · Paperback · Bloom Books