The Real Ones
J. Rose Black
Second chances don’t usually come wrapped in shoulder pads on Valentine’s Day…
Ten months ago, All-American shortstop Briella Reddington fell hard for grumpy, battle-scarred quarterback Maddox “Mick” McBride.
And then he walked away—right when she was finally ready to let him in.
Now Ella’s done being vulnerable, done being blindsided, and definitely done with emotionally unavailable athletes. But losing a bet lands her at a Valentine’s charity flag-football event…face-to-face with the man who broke her heart.
Maddox never stopped wanting Ella—but teammates loyal to her golden-boy ex, a rival gunning for his spot, and a coach who made Ella the price of peace forced his hand. Choosing her once cost him everything. His season tanked, his starting job is on the line, and seeing Ella again is the one hit he isn’t prepared to take.
When a chaotic Valentine’s “cupid” pushes them together, sparks ignite, truths surface, and Maddox realizes he’s been fighting the wrong battles all year.
This time, he’s not walking away.
He’s fighting for the girl who was always worth the risk.
READ THIS IF YOU LIKE…
✅ Grumpy/protective hero
✅ Sunshine-with-boundaries heroine
✅ Second-chance romance
✅ College sports + rival athletes
✅ Forced proximity
✅ Emotional scars & healing arcs
✅ Charity-event chaos
✅ A hero who finally fights for his girlTW: mild hazing, alcohol abuse, domestic abuse; mentions of combat scars.
I’m organizing a release blitz for The Real Ones by J. Rose Black: a steamy, second chance football sports romance short story. The blitz will run from February 12th to February 16th, 2026, you can post on any day during this window. There will be excerpts available for your post, and every participant will be able to post the blitz-wide giveaway if you wish – giveaway prize(s) courtesy of author. Social media sites are welcome. ARCs are also available for blitz participants.
An email with the complete post info including promo items and giveaway details will be sent to all participants on February 9th.
HTML will also be provided.
[SIGN UPS ARE NOW CLOSED!]
