Play Me Series

He’s supposed to be playing rugby—not playing me. I didn’t think it was possible to hate someone. Like utterly despise another human. Then I was hired to babysit the Royals’ newest star and found out just how wrong I was. My job should’ve been easy. Keep the hotshot on time and out of trouble. But that’s hard to do when I dream of smothering him with his jersey. Every day delivers a new reason to detest Gray Adler. His truck is the size of a whale, and he uses the horn like a weapon.

“Try me.” That’s what Drake Bennett said when I declared on my live podcast that no man could make me fall in love. The former pro football star turned sportscaster didn’t just laugh—he challenged my entire brand. Gianna Knows Things is built on the idea that love is a choice. Drake says it’s a feeling—a magical, uncontrollable, world-shifting experience.

He’s showing me a lot more than he should. The one time I choose to be unpredictable, I find myself practically naked in a dark cabin on a ranch, face-to-face with a smirking man barely wearing a towel. Despite his chiseled body and a wicked smile that makes following the rules feel optional, nothing happens. Why? Because I, Audrey Van, don’t know how to have fun. I came to my friend’s cabin with my whimsy list in hand, determined to fix that. I’ve earned my doctorate and built a career with zero parking tickets and even fewer hangovers. I’ve been so good … and so boring.

I’ve always hated being told what to do. Imagine my surprise when my grandmother calls me back to Sugar Creek and casually informs me that she’s leaving me the farmhouse I grew up in and a sizable inheritance. There’s just one tiny little catch. I must prove I understand our family’s legacy, and that I can stop chasing whims and put down roots … by marrying Hartley Adler.

Markie St. James is officially done with men. Unfortunately, she needs one to defend her pickleball championship title against her cheating ex-boyfriend. Her solution comes in the form of Jory Plath, her brother’s best friend, a single dad, and a professional rugby player. He’ll help her defend her title if she helps tutor his son. It’s a simple arrangement. Everybody wins. Until they don’t. Somewhere between practices, late nights, and giving the town something to gossip about, Markie and Jory go from pickleball partners to fake dating.