book cover of The Game We Played
 

The Game We Played

(2026)
(A book in the Steel City Seals series)
A novel by

 
 
The plan was simple '' fake date the NFL bad boy. Falling for him was never part of the game.

Tanner Long is the NFL’s favorite disaster. Charming. Cocky. A highlight-reel wide receiver with a playboy reputation who’s one scandal away from destroying his career.

Unfortunately for me, he’s also the hottest man I’ve ever met. Tousled brown hair I want to run my hands through. Sparkling green eyes I could drown in. And strong arms that make me wonder what it would feel like to be carried away by him.

But when Tanner asks me out, I say no. I’m trying to build a serious journalism career — not become another woman linked to football’s biggest flirt. Besides, my small-town newspaper is barely hanging on by a thread, and I can’t afford distractions.

Then Tanner offers me a deal.

He needs a fake girlfriend to repair his reputation. I need an opportunity to prove I’m more than a small-town gossip columnist.

Simple.

We date publicly for the summer. He convinces the world he’s finally settled down. I get closer to the Steel City Seals organization and the chance to build my career.

Everybody wins.

There’s just one problem.
Tanner Long is nothing like I expected.

Behind the goofy charm and reckless reputation is a man who loves deeply, hides his scars well, and makes me laugh when I least want to smile. The more time we spend together, the harder it becomes to remember this is supposed to be just
a game we’re playing.

Because the rules were simple.

Fake date the football player. Don’t fall in love with him.

The Game We Played is a spicy small-town sports romance featuring fake dating, football chaos, meddling teammates, a fiercely independent heroine, a wide receiver with a reputation for trouble, and a hero who falls so hard he throws a public groveling party to win his girl back.

Training camp brings all the Steel City Seals to Smuggler’s Hideaway at once, which means overlapping timelines, familiar faces, and football-player chaos. Read in any order.


Genre: Romance



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