{"id":482872,"date":"2025-10-08T11:56:15","date_gmt":"2025-10-08T11:56:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/482872\/"},"modified":"2025-10-08T11:56:15","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T11:56:15","slug":"read-an-excerpt-of-the-defender-by-ana-huang","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/482872\/","title":{"rendered":"Read an Excerpt of ‘The Defender’ by Ana Huang"},"content":{"rendered":"

Romance book<\/a> fans can’t get enough of Ana Huang<\/a>. Over 23 million copies of her novels<\/a>\u2014featuring fierce heroines and morally gray men\u2014 have been sold, and several of her titles have shot to the top of The New York Times Best Sellers list. In addition to her breakout Twisted series<\/a>\u2014a viral favorite on #BookTok<\/a> that’s soon to be adapted into a Netflix original<\/a>\u2014she writes the If Love<\/a>, Kings of Envy<\/a>, and Gods of the Game<\/a> series<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Her highly anticipated, latest entry in Gods of the Game, The Defender<\/a>, hits shelves on October 28. The sports-romance novel follows the tension that unfolds when Blackcastle Football Club captain Vincent DuBois is forced to move in with his coach’s daughter, sports nutritionist Brooklyn Armstrong. Though Brooklyn can’t stand Vincent, who just so happens to be her best friend’s brother, their forced proximity begins to blur the line between rivalry and attraction.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Below, read an advance chapter from The Defender, when Vincent arrives at Brooklyn’s home.<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

I\u2019d been manipulated, and I had no one to blame but myself.<\/p>\n

One second, I was eating my eggs at brunch. The next, Vincent was at my door with a duffel slung over his shoulder and a cocky smile on his face. \u201cHey, roomie.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t call me that. You are a temporary tenant. That\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, buttercup.\u201d<\/p>\n

Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t know why he\u2019d picked that nickname for me, and I wasn\u2019t going to give him the satisfaction of asking, but it irritated my soul.<\/p>\n

His grin widened at my grumble of annoyance. Cockiness aside, it was a nice smile. A lethal one, even\u2014white teeth, a shadow of a dimple, and devilishness mixed with just enough warmth to make you feel like you were the only person in the world.<\/p>\n

I refused to fall for it. Vincent DuBois might be able to charm everyone else he met, but I\u2019d known he was trouble from the moment we met. There was something about him that made my entire body tense when he was nearby. He was like the moon to my tide; his mere presence altered my gravitational field.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve been here before with Scarlett, so I\u2019ll skip the tour.\u201d I shut the door behind him after he walked in. His shirtsleeve brushed my arm on his way past, and a small tingle slipped down my spine.<\/p>\n

See? My self-preservation instincts were already screaming. He was bad news, but it was too late for me to back out. If I went back on my word, he\u2019d win, which would be unacceptable.<\/p>\n

Brooklyn Armstrong did not lose, especially not to arrogant, annoyingly attractive players like Vincent DuBois.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s fine,\u201d he said easily. \u201cJust tell me where you want me.\u201d<\/p>\n

I side-eyed him as I led him to his room. The corners of his mouth twitched, but I refused to respond to his double entendre.<\/p>\n

Besides, he wasn\u2019t going to be so amused when he saw what I\u2019d prepared for him.<\/p>\n

I bit back a grin as I opened the bedroom door. \u201cI took the liberty of redecorating for you. I hope you don\u2019t mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t have to\u2014\u201d Vincent stopped dead in the doorway. His duffel hit the floor with a thud as he took in his new home for the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

\"The\n<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Bloom Books<\/p>\n

‘The Defender’ by Ana Huang<\/p>\n

Up until last night, I\u2019d used the spare bedroom as extra storage space for my clothes and workout equipment. All those things had been cleared out. In their place were stuffed animals\u2014dozens and dozens of them. Pink pigs, purple horses, giant pandas and little dolphins. Plushies of every shape, size, and category crowded the small space like a kid\u2019s estate sale gone wild, and a one-eyed doll that may or may not have been haunted sat on the shelf opposite the bed.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d gotten the toys courtesy of my neighbor. As luck would have it, she was a collector whose therapist recently convinced her to \u201crelease her attachments to the past.\u201d When I saw her post offering the plushies at a discount in the building\u2019s group chat, I immediately jumped at the opportunity.<\/p>\n

I tied the look together with sparkly fuchsia sheets and lace-trimmed pillows.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you like it?\u201d I asked, the picture of innocence. \u201cI read somewhere that stuffed animals can make a place feel homier, and I really want you to be comfortable here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vincent may have manipulated me into letting him move in, but that didn\u2019t mean I couldn\u2019t have a little fun at his expense.<\/p>\n

He picked up the nearest stuffed animal and examined it. A minute later, he set it back down with exquisite care and looked me straight in the eyes.<\/p>\n

I held my breath, my chest ballooning with anticipation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love it,\u201d he said. He radiated so much sincerity, my teeth ached. \u201cI can\u2019t believe you went to all this trouble for me. I\u2019m honored.\u201d<\/p>\n

My gaze narrowed. Not a hint of sarcasm in his voice; not a trace of irritation on his face. Bastard.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m nothing if not a good host.\u201d It was time to switch tactics. \u201cSince you\u2019ll be staying here for a while, we should go over the house rules.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vincent leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms, the picture of insouciance.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s hear \u2018em,\u201d he drawled. Despite growing up in Paris, he didn\u2019t have a strong French accent. It was probably because he\u2019d attended international school and spent every other summer in the UK. But there were certain moments, like these, when a flicker of it slipped in so smoothly it was like it\u2019d been there all along.<\/p>\n

My spine tingled again, this time more insistently.<\/p>\n

I ignored it and ticked off the rules on my fingers. \u201cNo smoking indoors.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t smoke.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo hogging the bathroom, TV, or other communal amenities. The hot water runs out quickly, so don\u2019t, you know, spend too much time in the shower.\u201d I emphasized the last part.<\/p>\n

I wasn\u2019t an idiot; I knew what guys were doing when they took more than ten minutes in the shower.<\/p>\n

Vincent\u2019s eyes gleamed with laughter. \u201cNoted.\u201d<\/p>\n

I ran through a handful of other rules before I reached the grand finale. \u201cAnd\u2026\u201d I paused for dramatic effect. \u201cNo bringing girls over. Ever. I don\u2019t want random people coming in and out of my flat.\u201d<\/p>\n

That had to be a dealbreaker for him. He was good-looking, single, and famous. Women threw themselves at him every day, and according to the tabloids, he didn\u2019t exactly resist their advances. There was no way he could resist bringing someone over.<\/p>\n

Vincent\u2019s brow creased.<\/p>\n

Triumph sparked until he spoke again.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrooklyn,\u201d he said, \u201cI have absolutely zero interest in bringing other girls over.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

\"The\n<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Bloom Books<\/p>\n

‘The Striker’ by Ana Huang<\/p>\n

There it was again\u2014the subtle change in his tone, followed by a tiny swoop in my stomach. His reply sounded innocuous at first, but his faint emphasis on the word other sent my mind cartwheeling in a dozen directions, each more dangerous than the last.<\/p>\n

Was the emphasis pure semantics, in that I was already a girl living here so anyone else he brought over would be an \u201cother\u201d by default?<\/p>\n

Or did he mean he had zero interest in bringing other girls over because\u2026<\/p>\n

No. I wasn\u2019t going there. It didn\u2019t matter anyway. Vincent and I would never be more than quasi-friends and temporary flatmates. He was probably just trying to fuck with me, per usual.<\/p>\n

\u201cStop it,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n

\u201cStop what?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStop trying to charm me.\u201d<\/p>\n

His eyes flooded with surprise, and I immediately wanted to snatch my words back. Shit. I\u2019d fucked up.<\/p>\n

A slow smile spread over his face, turning his shadow of a dimple into a lethal weapon. \u201cI wasn\u2019t trying, but I\u2019m happy to hear you\u2019re charmed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, shut up. You know what I meant.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot really.\u201d<\/p>\n

I blew out a sigh. This wasn\u2019t how I\u2019d imagined his move-in going. At all.<\/p>\n

But I\u2019d be lying if I said a tiny part of me wasn\u2019t glad he was here to take my mind off my mom\u2019s latest bombshell. She\u2019d called when I was at Scarlett\u2019s house, and I wished I\u2019d never picked up.<\/p>\n

My stomach cramped. I shifted my gaze away from Vincent and resisted the urge to bite my nails. I\u2019d kicked the habit years ago, but the possibility of relapse reared its ugly head every time I was stressed.<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s move on,\u201d I said. \u201cTowels are in the linen closet across the hall if you need them. I\u2019m heading out early tomorrow to run errands, so don\u2019t wait up for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vincent\u2019s eyebrows rose. \u201cWhat errands do you need to run that early on a weekday?\u201d<\/p>\n

My nails made it halfway to my mouth before I caught myself. \u201cThis and that.\u201d<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t mention that I hadn\u2019t received a job offer from Blackcastle yet, so I was exploring other options for when my internship ended in late December. If the club wanted to keep me on, they would\u2019ve said something by now.<\/p>\n

To be honest, I wasn\u2019t sure if I even wanted to work for Blackcastle full-time. I definitely wanted to stay in the sports nutrition field, but as much as I liked the team, I didn\u2019t love being the only female on staff. I was also sure some of my coworkers thought I\u2019d gotten the internship because of my dad. My glowing performance reviews didn\u2019t matter as much as the revelation that I was Frank Armstrong\u2019s daughter.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs this related to why you missed the match against Holchester?\u201d Vincent followed me out of the room and into the kitchen.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d Yes. I\u2019d interviewed for an open nutritionist role at a local gym. It was a big step down from the Premier League, but a job was a job. That was the only day they could see me, so I\u2019d called in sick and snuck out for the disastrous interview.<\/p>\n

Long story short: my potential manager was a pig who couldn\u2019t stop ogling my chest or making sexual innuendos, and I ended our meeting early by calling him a shrimp-dicked weasel.<\/p>\n

Anyway, I didn\u2019t get the job.<\/p>\n

Scarlett and Carina were the only ones who knew the details. I wasn\u2019t telling anyone at Blackcastle I was looking at other employers until they officially ended my internship without a job offer, which seemed like the proper thing to do.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat about the text from two weeks ago?\u201d Vincent leaned against the counter while I assembled the ingredients for a salad.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat text?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe one you got at Scarlett and Asher\u2019s house. You looked like someone told you your dog died.\u201d<\/p>\n

I froze. Vincent was the last person I\u2019d expected to pick up on my mood shift. I was always the perky, upbeat one, and I\u2019d cultivated that image so strongly, most people never noticed when I became subdued.<\/p>\n

It was my superpower. Smile for the world, crash out in silence. The perfect shield against unwanted pity.<\/p>\n

I should\u2019ve guessed Vincent would crack that shield the way he did everything else. That was his superpower.<\/p>\n

\n

It was my superpower. Smile for the world, crash out in silence. The perfect shield against unwanted pity.
\nI should\u2019ve guessed Vincent would crack that shield the way he did everything else. That was his superpower.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cSorry. I didn\u2019t mean to pry,\u201d he said when I didn\u2019t respond. He wasn\u2019t smiling anymore. \u201cBut you looked upset that day, and I\u2014\u201d He cleared his throat. \u201cI want to make sure you\u2019re okay. Since we\u2019re now flatmates and all. Can\u2019t have you spiraling when we\u2019re in the same flat.\u201d<\/p>\n

A ball of emotion lodged in my chest. I breathed past it and summoned a bright smile. \u201cOh, that. It was a stupid message from, um, an old co-worker. Nothing major.\u201d I busied myself with the salad so he couldn\u2019t see my face.<\/p>\n

There had been no ex co-worker. In reality, my mom had received my voicemail and texted me her big news.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m off to brunch so can\u2019t talk, but I\u2019m pregnant again! I\u2019m finally getting a daughter! Will discuss later. xo <\/p>\n

Finally getting a daughter. Implying she didn\u2019t have one already.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t my mom\u2019s intention to make me feel invisible; it never was. But that made it worse. Careless cruelty always cut deeper than intentional malice.<\/p>\n

\u201cSpeaking of upset, we can\u2019t tell my dad you\u2019re living here.\u201d I washed a handful of cherry tomatoes and dropped them in my salad. \u201cI know we already said we won\u2019t, but I have to mention it again. He\u2019ll freak out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTrust me. I have no plans to say anything to him. I like living too much,\u201d Vincent said dryly.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoes he know about your intruder situation?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot yet.\u201d Vincent glanced away. \u201cI\u2019m not sure it\u2019s worth bringing up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt worried you enough to move out until the police get a lead on this guy. Or girl,\u201d I amended.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s more for Scarlett\u2019s sake than mine.\u201d His smile returned, but it didn\u2019t quite reach his eyes. \u201cI appreciate your concern though. Between the custom bedroom decor and this\u201d\u2014he gestured between us\u2014\u201cI\u2019m starting to think you like me.\u201d<\/p>\n

I scoffed. \u201cThere\u2019s no this. I\u2019m only asking so I know what not to say in front of my dad.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite my dismissal, a twinge of concern nagged at me. The intruder was probably a one-off thing, but what if it wasn\u2019t? Fans did wild stuff all the time, but it only took one person going off the rails for tragedy to strike.<\/p>\n

An image of Vincent bleeding out on the floor like Tyler Conley flashed through my mind. The twinge tightened into a knot.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d held off on interrogating Vincent about the situation. He had enough people fussing about it without me piling on, but my blithe comments didn\u2019t mean I was indifferent to the danger.<\/p>\n

We weren\u2019t best friends, but for better or worse, he\u2019d become an indispensable part of my life in London. If anything happened to him, my world wouldn\u2019t be the same.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t say anything.\u201d Vincent\u2019s mouth set in a stern line. \u201cI\u2019ll handle it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure.\u201d I hesitated, debating, before my voice softened. \u201cIt\u2019s okay to feel scared. I know it\u2019s not \u2018socially acceptable\u2019 for a guy to show weakness or whatever, but if someone breaks into your house, anxiety is normal.\u201d<\/p>\n

His gaze flew to mine.<\/p>\n

No tingle this time\u2014only a beat of breathlessness that stretched out like a sigh. Warm, heavy, knowing.<\/p>\n

Ninety-nine percent of our conversations revolved around playful jabs and insults. That was the dynamic we were most comfortable with. But every now and then, we\u2019d drop our guards, and those moments would feel deeper than they did with anyone else because they were so rare.<\/p>\n

It was how I knew they were real.<\/p>\n

Vincent\u2019s throat moved with a swallow. He held my gaze for an extra millisecond before shifting his attention to the counter.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood to know.\u201d A trace of huskiness deepened his voice, but when he spoke again, it was gone. \u201cThanks for letting me stay here, even if it\u2019s to prove a point.\u201d He tossed out a grin. \u201cNo hotel concierge can match the personalized service I\u2019ve received so far. Five stars. No notes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Our earlier moment splintered into twin shards of relief and\u2026disappointment? No, that couldn\u2019t be right.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do love proving a point.\u201d I resumed making my dinner and drizzled a bit of balsamic vinaigrette over the salad. \u201cAlso, just so we\u2019re clear, I\u2019m not a concierge, mother, or maid. You\u2019re responsible for your own chores and cooking, and if you slack off\u201d\u2014I pointed a fork at him\u2014\u201cI\u2019m kicking you out onto the street. Got it?\u201d<\/p>\n

He gave me a laconic salute. \u201cYes, ma\u2019am,\u201d he drawled. His eyes glittered with amusement. \u201cDon\u2019t worry. You won\u2019t even notice I\u2019m here.\u201d<\/p>\n

You can read Ana Huang’s The Defender when it hits shelves on October 28. It is available for pre-order<\/a> now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Romance book fans can’t get enough of Ana Huang. Over 23 million copies of her novels\u2014featuring fierce heroines…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":482873,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3938],"tags":[3444,77,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-482872","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-books","8":"tag-books","9":"tag-entertainment","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115338424179804131","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/482872","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=482872"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/482872\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/482873"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=482872"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=482872"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=482872"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}