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Ruby Ridge #2
Defensive Hearts
It was never fake, not for me. My agent says I need a fake marriage to fix my image, but she doesn’t know I’ve only ever wanted one woman, Amelia Hamilton.
She’s all dark ink, sharp edges, and with a smile I’d burn my career to see again. I’ve been hooked since the first time she rolled her eyes at me, and now I have the perfect reason to keep her in my life.
She swears this is just an act, but every smirk, every touch, every moment alone makes it harder to pretend. I don’t care about the cameras, the headlines, or the rules—I care about her.
And when our time is up, I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure she stays mine.
She’s all dark ink, sharp edges, and with a smile I’d burn my career to see again. I’ve been hooked since the first time she rolled her eyes at me, and now I have the perfect reason to keep her in my life.
She swears this is just an act, but every smirk, every touch, every moment alone makes it harder to pretend. I don’t care about the cameras, the headlines, or the rules—I care about her.
And when our time is up, I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure she stays mine.
488 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 7, 2026
12 people are currently reading
92 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 7, 2026
if you read book one you know you have to read this one. i liked how we still got to hear about carter & catalina with this one as well; but maverick & amelia are def my more fav couple.. the way maverick is with amelia 100000x better.
a man who yearns is a man who earns. the whole football player & tattoo artist was a whole vibe for me, and the way maverick was so outspoken i couldn’t get enough.
🏈marriage of convenience
💚reverse grumpy x sunshine
🏈nfl quarterback x tattoo artist
💚8 year age gap
a man who yearns is a man who earns. the whole football player & tattoo artist was a whole vibe for me, and the way maverick was so outspoken i couldn’t get enough.
🏈marriage of convenience
💚reverse grumpy x sunshine
🏈nfl quarterback x tattoo artist
💚8 year age gap
January 10, 2026
4/5 ⭐️ | 3.5/5 🌶️
Synopsis:
NFL Quarterback, Maverick Hayes, continues to face backlash in the media and his sponsors aren’t happy—constantly being photographed at clubs, drunk with a plethora of women surrounding him isn’t the image they want. After discussing with his publicist the only option to get that good ol’ image back is to find a wife and put the rumors to rest. Maverick knows the perfect person, but the question is will she say yes?
Review:
Maverick is FUNNY ASF! I don’t think I’ve ever laughed as much as I did with any other MC. He truly gives off golden retriever vibes, but even the brightest person has their deep secrets. In every aspect he is perfection—the way he loves Amelia UGHHH!!! He’s definitely been added to my book boyfriend list.
Amelia pissed me off at times and I wanted to slap her at times to bring her back to reality and see what she has before it’s gone (kudos to the amazing author for invoking strong emotions out of me lol). She was starting to be on my shit list but redeemed herself at the end pulling a major move that had me screaming FINALLLLYYYY!!!!
If you're looking for a book that makes you feel every emotion-happiness, sadness, excitement, anger, disbelief, and relief-then this is the perfect book for you. Also to the author, HOW DARE YOU make my heart drop like that with my baby Maverick 😩😅!!! With that being said, I'm ready for the next one 😌
Synopsis:
NFL Quarterback, Maverick Hayes, continues to face backlash in the media and his sponsors aren’t happy—constantly being photographed at clubs, drunk with a plethora of women surrounding him isn’t the image they want. After discussing with his publicist the only option to get that good ol’ image back is to find a wife and put the rumors to rest. Maverick knows the perfect person, but the question is will she say yes?
Review:
Maverick is FUNNY ASF! I don’t think I’ve ever laughed as much as I did with any other MC. He truly gives off golden retriever vibes, but even the brightest person has their deep secrets. In every aspect he is perfection—the way he loves Amelia UGHHH!!! He’s definitely been added to my book boyfriend list.
Amelia pissed me off at times and I wanted to slap her at times to bring her back to reality and see what she has before it’s gone (kudos to the amazing author for invoking strong emotions out of me lol). She was starting to be on my shit list but redeemed herself at the end pulling a major move that had me screaming FINALLLLYYYY!!!!
If you're looking for a book that makes you feel every emotion-happiness, sadness, excitement, anger, disbelief, and relief-then this is the perfect book for you. Also to the author, HOW DARE YOU make my heart drop like that with my baby Maverick 😩😅!!! With that being said, I'm ready for the next one 😌
December 24, 2025
4.5⭐️
I typically gravitate towards darker reads, but the teasers I kept seeing for Defensive Hearts had me intrigued. So glad I reached out and received a copy of this book to read prior to release. I enjoyed it immensely.
This small town romance is the second in the series, and I will be going back to read Carter and Catalina’s story soon.
Maverick Hayes is the golden boy quarterback, but according to his agent he needs to clean up his image. Her suggestion? A fake marriage to appear more wholesome and appease his sponsors. He has just the woman in mind - Amelia, best friend of his older brother’s wife. He’s not stopped thinking about since meeting two years ago when she wouldn’t give him the time of day. What could go wrong?
This story was packed with emotion - giggles and tears on my end were abundant. And we know I love a book that makes me feel. I loved the we see all of the raw parts of the characters. Maverick hides his struggles with humor, but lays his heart on the line for Amelia. Letting him see the cracks in his armor and the anxiety and heaviness he struggles with under the surface. Seeing this 6’8” star quarterback break had me sobbing - and really thinking about the mental health issues men struggle with as well. He’s expected to put on a smile for the cameras and protect his “image” at the cost of himself. I wanted to hug him and pet his hair so many times. His character had so much depth and personality he was impossible to not fall for, just ask Amelia.
Amelia has built her walls taller than the stadiums Mav plays in, and she isn’t ready to let anyone in. Despite being intrigued by the charismatic football player’s offer - pretend to be his wife until the end of the season in exchange for anything she asks for - she doesn’t believe in love, and certainly not men. She’s been abused and let beaten down by her past relationship. Sharp, witty and claws out she’s the exact opposite of our golden boy MMC.
As the story unfolds we see both questioning where the line between fake marriage and real feelings is drawn. Mav didn’t stand a chance, and despite her best efforts to stay guarded Amelia finds herself falling for him too.
Their relationship is messy and chaotic in all the right ways. I loved seeing them grow as individuals and a couple. I was messaging the author with updates along the way, and am so glad I took a chance too. Can’t wait to read the other books in this series.
I typically gravitate towards darker reads, but the teasers I kept seeing for Defensive Hearts had me intrigued. So glad I reached out and received a copy of this book to read prior to release. I enjoyed it immensely.
This small town romance is the second in the series, and I will be going back to read Carter and Catalina’s story soon.
Maverick Hayes is the golden boy quarterback, but according to his agent he needs to clean up his image. Her suggestion? A fake marriage to appear more wholesome and appease his sponsors. He has just the woman in mind - Amelia, best friend of his older brother’s wife. He’s not stopped thinking about since meeting two years ago when she wouldn’t give him the time of day. What could go wrong?
This story was packed with emotion - giggles and tears on my end were abundant. And we know I love a book that makes me feel. I loved the we see all of the raw parts of the characters. Maverick hides his struggles with humor, but lays his heart on the line for Amelia. Letting him see the cracks in his armor and the anxiety and heaviness he struggles with under the surface. Seeing this 6’8” star quarterback break had me sobbing - and really thinking about the mental health issues men struggle with as well. He’s expected to put on a smile for the cameras and protect his “image” at the cost of himself. I wanted to hug him and pet his hair so many times. His character had so much depth and personality he was impossible to not fall for, just ask Amelia.
Amelia has built her walls taller than the stadiums Mav plays in, and she isn’t ready to let anyone in. Despite being intrigued by the charismatic football player’s offer - pretend to be his wife until the end of the season in exchange for anything she asks for - she doesn’t believe in love, and certainly not men. She’s been abused and let beaten down by her past relationship. Sharp, witty and claws out she’s the exact opposite of our golden boy MMC.
As the story unfolds we see both questioning where the line between fake marriage and real feelings is drawn. Mav didn’t stand a chance, and despite her best efforts to stay guarded Amelia finds herself falling for him too.
Their relationship is messy and chaotic in all the right ways. I loved seeing them grow as individuals and a couple. I was messaging the author with updates along the way, and am so glad I took a chance too. Can’t wait to read the other books in this series.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I laughed. I cried. I healed a lil bit of myself with these two.
when Mav said; “I know Mama’s been gone for over ten years, but... fuck, Reed. I need her. I need her so bad right now, and she’s just... not here.”
GUTTED!!!
I am utterly in love with Maverick Hayes and the goofy, amazing, caring , out of this world, man that he is. I want to hold him and protect him from the world.
The My Wife trope will always be top tier 💗💗💗
it's the way they are both vulnerable with each other. how he opens up to her and shows his true self and not the curated "golden boy" everyone else always expects him to be. he brings all his walls down for her cause she makes him feel safe. feel seen. feel heard. 😭😭😭
it's all the small things, the tiny details, the notes on the mirror showing and telling her how much she means to him.
it's him not giving up on her when her fear made her shut down and bring every wall back up. afraid to be hurt again, but Mav showing with his actions that he would NEVER cause he absolutely WORSHIPS her.
it's her standing up and protecting her man when they are disregarding him and only seeing dollar signs and not seeing him as a person
may their loveeee always find us.
when Mav said; “I know Mama’s been gone for over ten years, but... fuck, Reed. I need her. I need her so bad right now, and she’s just... not here.”
GUTTED!!!
I am utterly in love with Maverick Hayes and the goofy, amazing, caring , out of this world, man that he is. I want to hold him and protect him from the world.
The My Wife trope will always be top tier 💗💗💗
it's the way they are both vulnerable with each other. how he opens up to her and shows his true self and not the curated "golden boy" everyone else always expects him to be. he brings all his walls down for her cause she makes him feel safe. feel seen. feel heard. 😭😭😭
it's all the small things, the tiny details, the notes on the mirror showing and telling her how much she means to him.
it's him not giving up on her when her fear made her shut down and bring every wall back up. afraid to be hurt again, but Mav showing with his actions that he would NEVER cause he absolutely WORSHIPS her.
it's her standing up and protecting her man when they are disregarding him and only seeing dollar signs and not seeing him as a person
may their loveeee always find us.
December 28, 2025
Dead. Deceased. Taken OUT. GUYS!!! I can’t even tell you how many scenes had me in full on, hardcore belly laughs. I felt like I had accidentally enrolled in a Jenny Craig weight loss program and my ribs STILL hurt. 🤣
Amelia absolutely terrorizes this poor, lovable, sweet, big oaf of a man (husband)…and my GOD, he accepts it like it’s his life’s calling. He has it BAD. The push and pull between them? Unmatched. And the spice? 🥵🌶️ FILTHY. This man is adventurous and Amelia gives it right back..she’s a freakin’ baddie….(wife)
AND THEN THERE’S THE CAT.
Rex. The wrinkly. Mutha f’in. Cat. I was wheezing. Fighting for my life. That cat had NO BUSINESS being that funny.
But listen…have your tissues ready. Beneath the chaos and laughs, this book is packed with raw emotion. Maverick hides his pain behind humor, and Amelia hides hers by pushing people away. And yes, there are moments you will ugly cry.
I didn’t think this would top Book 1-Wild Hearts because I loved that one so much but I think this one takes the number 1 spot. 💯 LOVED!!
Thank you A M Fernandez for the advanced copy to read.
Amelia absolutely terrorizes this poor, lovable, sweet, big oaf of a man (husband)…and my GOD, he accepts it like it’s his life’s calling. He has it BAD. The push and pull between them? Unmatched. And the spice? 🥵🌶️ FILTHY. This man is adventurous and Amelia gives it right back..she’s a freakin’ baddie….(wife)
AND THEN THERE’S THE CAT.
Rex. The wrinkly. Mutha f’in. Cat. I was wheezing. Fighting for my life. That cat had NO BUSINESS being that funny.
But listen…have your tissues ready. Beneath the chaos and laughs, this book is packed with raw emotion. Maverick hides his pain behind humor, and Amelia hides hers by pushing people away. And yes, there are moments you will ugly cry.
I didn’t think this would top Book 1-Wild Hearts because I loved that one so much but I think this one takes the number 1 spot. 💯 LOVED!!
Thank you A M Fernandez for the advanced copy to read.
October 1, 2025
“I’ll find you in every lifetime, Amelia. You’ve been it for me since the first moment I laid my eyes on you. There’s no version of me that doesn’t end up with you.”
BETA / ARC REVIEW (thank you for trusting me with this book Ana🤍)
the back and forth, wittiness, tension, groveling, and every thing else about this book, OBSESSED!
everything you could possibly want in an mmc, Maverick had my heart from the very first note 😏 Amelia was one of the most relatable fmc’s ever, we’ve all been in her shoes at some point😩
fall in love with Mav at your own risk… i have the softest spot for him🥹 and don’t think for one second he didn’t have a dirty mouth on him… and oh yea he wears The Scream mask💦
- quarterback x tattoo artist
- fake dating / marriage of convenience
- forced proximity
- black cat x golden retriever
- he falls first
BETA / ARC REVIEW (thank you for trusting me with this book Ana🤍)
the back and forth, wittiness, tension, groveling, and every thing else about this book, OBSESSED!
everything you could possibly want in an mmc, Maverick had my heart from the very first note 😏 Amelia was one of the most relatable fmc’s ever, we’ve all been in her shoes at some point😩
fall in love with Mav at your own risk… i have the softest spot for him🥹 and don’t think for one second he didn’t have a dirty mouth on him… and oh yea he wears The Scream mask💦
- quarterback x tattoo artist
- fake dating / marriage of convenience
- forced proximity
- black cat x golden retriever
- he falls first
January 13, 2026
4.75/5 stars
3/5 spice
Tropes:
Marriage of Convenience
Grumpy x Sunshine
He falls first
Obsessed MMC
Football player x tattoo artist
Age Gap
Forced proximity
Dual POV
Emotional roller coaster anyone? OMG I was definitely in my feelings with this one. I could've used more explanation in the beginning of the kind of dynamic that Maverick and Amelia have. I found it to be a bit rushed (maybe Ineed to read the first book?)... but once I got to a certain point I had no qualms.
Maverick is like the perfect simp for his girl. I died over how hard he falls for her. Even though she puts him through the ringer he doesn't give up on her. So much trauma and healing going on in this book. So be prepared for the tears!
This was my first book from this author but won't be my last! Highly recommend this book for fans of emotionally charged stories, sports romances, and some really good begging/ pining.
Thank you to the author for giving me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.
3/5 spice
Tropes:
Marriage of Convenience
Grumpy x Sunshine
He falls first
Obsessed MMC
Football player x tattoo artist
Age Gap
Forced proximity
Dual POV
Emotional roller coaster anyone? OMG I was definitely in my feelings with this one. I could've used more explanation in the beginning of the kind of dynamic that Maverick and Amelia have. I found it to be a bit rushed (maybe Ineed to read the first book?)... but once I got to a certain point I had no qualms.
Maverick is like the perfect simp for his girl. I died over how hard he falls for her. Even though she puts him through the ringer he doesn't give up on her. So much trauma and healing going on in this book. So be prepared for the tears!
This was my first book from this author but won't be my last! Highly recommend this book for fans of emotionally charged stories, sports romances, and some really good begging/ pining.
Thank you to the author for giving me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and offered voluntarily.
January 7, 2026
Maverick Hayes!! Sir you have turned my world upside down in the best way! Small town football player versus tattooed city woman 😏 what's the worst that can happen!? these two have a special place in my heart because their store is so riveting! && Don't even get me started on how thoughtful Maverick is with Amelia🥰 Amelia's inner monologue about how she feels about herself really hit close to home for me. It's just the way they look at each other and how they are with each other is so fun and refreshing!
September 24, 2025
Yall I’ve found my second 6 star read of the year!! When I say I’ve gone through ever emotion actually possible I truly have!! Maverick truly tackled his way into my heart with no helmet on and I’ll GLADLY keep him there. Amelia had me wanting to scream girls night because man has she been through it like someone pour my girl a glass and light some sage! But seriously if you haven’t read this book this is your sign READ IT FEEL IT AND GET READY FOR THE GAME AND BUZZING OF THE TATTOO GUN 🙂↕️
December 23, 2025
A rollercoaster of a ride!! I fear Maverick and Amelia are my favorite.
The banter was top tier and let’s not forget the begging! Who doesn’t love a man who would literally let himself be walked all over by the woman he loves.
From start to finish this was a raw story. You could feel everything both characters were going through. Amelia is so relatable, made me want to slap myself because some of her scenes were so me😭
This is a sports romance but it’s also so much more. 10/10 recommend🥹
The banter was top tier and let’s not forget the begging! Who doesn’t love a man who would literally let himself be walked all over by the woman he loves.
From start to finish this was a raw story. You could feel everything both characters were going through. Amelia is so relatable, made me want to slap myself because some of her scenes were so me😭
This is a sports romance but it’s also so much more. 10/10 recommend🥹
January 10, 2026
This book was everything to me and I devoured it like it was my last meal. This book was chaotic, wild, intense, funny and all around hitting me in my feels. I laughed. I got flustered. I swooned. I cried. I related so hard to Amelia that my chest hurt. Both characters were raw in their own way. I need myself a Maverick Hayes.
I need a golden retriever for my grumpy self 😩💕
I can’t wait for book three!
I need a golden retriever for my grumpy self 😩💕
I can’t wait for book three!
September 21, 2025
ADD THIS ONE TO YOUR TBR!
Just finished reading though and Ya’ll aren’t ready for the emotions!!! You’re gonna giggle, cackle, swoon, melt, pant, over heat, get PO then get giddy and happy.
You’ll like this one if you like age gap, forced proximity, fake marriage/marriage of convenience, reverse grumpy/sunshine, sports romance, tattoo artist/NFL player
Just finished reading though and Ya’ll aren’t ready for the emotions!!! You’re gonna giggle, cackle, swoon, melt, pant, over heat, get PO then get giddy and happy.
You’ll like this one if you like age gap, forced proximity, fake marriage/marriage of convenience, reverse grumpy/sunshine, sports romance, tattoo artist/NFL player
January 13, 2026
Gahhhh I’ve been waiting for this masterpiece!!!! 🤩🤩
Deep dive into the crazy love story of Mav & Amelia! 🥰
Fake marriage, forced proximity, witty banter! Yes please 😍
I can’t wait to see what else Ruby Ridge has in store for us!
Deep dive into the crazy love story of Mav & Amelia! 🥰
Fake marriage, forced proximity, witty banter! Yes please 😍
I can’t wait to see what else Ruby Ridge has in store for us!
January 20, 2026
The way I sobbed and laughed and sobbed more I love Maverick and Amelia so much 😭💕 Maverick is so funny but also I just want to hug him grief is so hard and the way it was written in this book so well done Amelia is so guarded but also the most loyal and caring once she lets you in 💕 I can’t wait for what’s to come 👀
5.0⭐️
5.0⭐️
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews