Hearts on the Field: A Friday Reading Moment 💛⚽

Welcome back to another Favorite Friday here on Romance in the Coffee Rings! This week, my pick is extra special because it’s one I’ve been dying to get my hands on — The Defender by Ana Huang. I picked it up just yesterday, and I already know it’s going to steal my whole weekend (and probably my heart).

If you’ve been around for a while, you know how much I adored The Striker, book one in Ana’s Gods of the Game series. It had that perfect mix of passion, heartbreak, and adrenaline that makes a sports romance impossible to put down. So the second I heard we were getting Vincent’s story next? Instant preorder.

✨ Vincent DuBois - the captain of Blackcastle FC - should be untouchable. Fame, skill, and control are his whole identity… until a threat to his safety forces him into close quarters with Brooklyn Armstrong, his coach’s daughter and the one woman he knows he shouldn’t want. The tension between them? Off. The. Charts. One bet, one shared flat, and a whole lot of temptation.

I’m such a sucker for forced proximity and forbidden romance and Ana Huang always delivers that perfect slow burn that keeps you up past midnight whispering “just one more chapter.” From her Twisted series to Kings of Sin, she’s never missed when it comes to creating chemistry that crackles.

☕ Coffee pairing: a caramel cappuccino — sweet, strong, and a little dangerous, just like Vincent himself.

And if you’re already loving this series like I am, mark your calendars — the next installment, The Keeper, releases on October 27th, 2026! I can’t wait to see which player Ana spotlights next (and how she’ll break our hearts in the best way possible).

I’ll be cozying up this weekend with my mug in hand and diving straight into this world of goals, heart-stopping moments, and all-too-human emotions. If you’ve picked up The Defender, let me know your thoughts below — or tell me which sports romance has scored big for you lately! ⚽💛

✨ Brewed with love & swoons,
Erica ☕💞