Eye On The Ball
Playing For Glory, #1
by Francine Beaton
Contemporary Romance
What would prove to be stronger? Love, or loyalty?
It was World Cup Year, and top professional rugby player, Jakes du Plessis desperately wants to fulfil his childhood dream to play for the Springboks. However, to achieve his goal, he needs to adhere to the team’s strict vow of celibacy. ‘Focus, keep an eye on the ball – and stay away from women.’
What Jakes didn’t count on was a chance meeting with Angie Summers, an artist who shook him to his core and threw his well-laid plans into a tailspin. Not even his promise to his friends, teammates, over 9000 miles between them, and demons from his past could stop Jakes from falling for Angie.
Unfortunately, not everything is plain sailing, and Jakes finds that it takes a team to help him overcome obstacles to find his way to his own Happily Ever After.
Obstruction
Playing For Glory, #2
Everyone deserves a second chance…
They say there is a fine line between love and hate. When Christopher Brooks saw Riley Adams, his first love, at the Buffaloes’ first press briefing of the year, he still hated her with a passion for breaking his heart more than seven years ago.
Riley did not have the luxury of hating Christopher, nor of avoiding him. Her best option was to confront him before he found out about her secret from anyone else. If he found out, would he hate her even more or would he be willing to forgive?
Leading From the Front
Playing For Glory, #3
Temptation can come in any form.
As long as it wasn’t Melissa Roux. Daniel Cooper had known that since the first moment he’d seen the new physio for the Buffaloes. As captain, he had to set an example and falling head over heels for the feisty blonde with the endless long legs, wasn’t the way to do it.
Melissa knew Daniel was going to be a problem from the first day she walked into Buffaloes Stadium. There was no way she was going to risk her career for an arrogant chauvinist who called her a blonde bimbo. For that, she worked too hard to get her dream job.
Neither had reckoned with the undeniable chemistry between them and the famous Cooper curse. When he couldn’t hide it anymore, Daniel made a simple request which had more repercussions than he expected. In his quest to find the truth, he made another error in judgement, risking not only Melissa’s career but also the loyalty of his team and the Club.
Daniel and Melissa both had to make important decisions: what’s more important? Your career or love?
Playing by the Rules
Playing For Glory, #4
“If you know what’s good for you and your career, stay away from my daughter!”
Ulrich Fölscher wants to play rugby for the Buffaloes and the Springboks and eventually become the best chef in town. In that order. There is no place for romance in his life. Obeying Coach Brady’s command is easy until he meets his daughter Samantha. She is everything he needs—warm, bubbly—and possibly, the missing ingredient he lacks to spice up his life.
Sammy is a professional athlete, and she too knows the rules. But it is hard to resist Ulrich’s quiet strength, focused determination and, most of all, his delectable kisses.
Both know how to fight for what they want. But as their desire for each other intensifies, so does the pressure to make a choice. Can Ulrich and Sammy continue to play by the rules or risk it all for love?
Playing By The Rules is the fourth standalone sports romance in the Playing For Glory series, it follows the lives of red-hot professional rugby players and the women they love.
Concussion
Playing For Glory, #5
“I’m not good-looking enough. I’m a prop, not the catch on the team. Everyone thinks we’re the dumb guys on the squad. The loosies and the guys in the back get the beautiful women.”
Ryan Foster knew the score. He therefore had no expectations when he met trauma doctor, Margaret Blake.
Margaret always made it clear how she felt about rugby, a sport she considered only being being favoured by dumb and ignorant hooligans. When she met Ryan, she was surprised by the almost chemical attraction she felt towards the large prop with his bushy beard and long hair. One evening in his company convinced Margaret that there was more to Ryan than meets the eye and gave in to temptation. A severe concussion puts Ryan rugby career in jeopardy, and with it, his future with Margaret.
Could Margaret convince Ryan (and herself), that they might have a future? And even if they did, would they be able to overcome their pasts to find their own Happy Ever After?
Wrecking Ball
Playing For Glory, #6
One feisty redhead. One stubborn Scot. One chance meeting.
When Richie Campbell arrives in Pretoria, he has a reputation a mile long. After yet another brawl with a member of the British press, the Flying Scotsman has no choice but to leave — there’s no longer a place for him in the national team. Richie hopes to find peace and the ability to enjoy his rugby again on the other side of the world. What he did not expect was to meet and fall hard for his Scottish teammate’s sister. Not that it matters. Sarah Mackay appears immune to his best efforts.
Sarah has two rules. One: never date a client. Two: never date a professional sportsman. They have way too much testosterone. She should know; she’s been on the receiving end twice. Sarah adds one more nickname to Richie’s repertoire: Wrecking Ball. Getting involved with him spells disaster. But for how long can Sarah resist his charm, especially when she discovers his secret? And was Richie’s Nan right? Do things happen for a reason?
About the Author:
Romance author Francine Beaton published her first romance novel—a contemporary sports romance called EYE ON THE BALL—in April 2018 after she first started writing in July 2016. Francine calls Pretoria home, but she loves travelling to faraway places and considers Scotland her second home. When she’s not reading or writing about love and Happily Ever After, she’s most likely busy painting or taking photos of everything that catches her eye. During rugby season, you’ll know where to find her. It will either be next to the pitch or in front of the television, following her favourite teams. It’s probably not difficult to figure out why her debut novel, Eye on the Ball, as well as the series, Playing for Glory, has rugby as a theme.
This looks like an interesting series. Thanks for sharing it.