The Keeper

Gods of the Game #3

by Ana Huang

He can resist any woman in the world...except for the one he shouldn't want.

Famed goalkeeper Noah Wilson doesn’t do relationships or complications. The only thing the grumpy single dad wants is to do his job and spend more time with his daughter.

Unfortunately, his bachelor status has made it impossible to find the right nanny for her. With the World Cup looming and a string of fired nannies in his wake, he has no choice but to hire the last person he wants close to his orbit.

Carina is too stubborn and far too appealing for her own good, but she’s also a natural with his daughter.

And the way his heart skips a beat whenever she’s around? That’s nothing more than a coincidence. He’s sure of it.

***

Carina Vu has a problem. She’s worked multiple jobs and saved up for years to fulfill her childhood dream of visiting Antarctica, but just when she’s close, an unexpected emergency wipes her account clean.

Now, she’s back to square one. The clock is ticking, and she needs another job ASAP. Her best (and only) option is to nanny for Noah, the brooding athlete whom she’s convinced hates her.

But the more time she spends with him and his adorable daughter, the more cracks she sees in his gruff exterior. And the man underneath all that grumpiness? He’s enough to make her rethink everything—including what (and who) it is that she actually wants.

Genres: Romance, Sports Romance, Sports, Contemporary Romance, Spicy, Contemporary, Soccer

459 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 27, 2026

About the author

Ana Huang is a #1 New York Times, #1 USA Today & #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of contemporary romance.

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UPCOMING RELEASE:



FULL LIST OF BOOKS:

GODS OF THE GAME SERIES



KINGS OF SIN SERIES



TWISTED SERIES



IF LOVE SERIES

Reviews

[Ana Huang]

BLURB REVEAL



Famed goalkeeper Noah Wilson doesn’t do relationships or complications. The only thing the grumpy single dad wants is to do his job and spend more time with his daughter.

Unfortunately, his bachelor status has made it impossible to find the right nanny for her. With the World Cup looming and a string of fired nannies in his wake, he has no choice but to hire the last person he wants close to his orbit.

Carina is too stubborn and far too appealing for her own good, but she’s also a natural with his daughter.

And the way his heart skips a beat whenever she’s around? That’s nothing more than a coincidence. He’s sure of it.

***

Carina Vu has a problem. She’s worked multiple jobs and saved up for years to fulfill her childhood dream of visiting Antarctica, but just when she’s close, an unexpected emergency wipes her account clean.

Now, she’s back to square one. The clock is ticking, and she needs another job ASAP. Her best (and only) option is to nanny for Noah, the brooding athlete whom she’s convinced hates her.

But the more time she spends with him and his adorable daughter, the more cracks she sees in his gruff exterior. And the man underneath all that grumpiness? He’s enough to make her rethink everything—including what (and who) it is that she actually wants.

💚 PREORDER: https://geni.us/thekeeper3

💚 SIGNED BOOKS: https://anahuang.com/signed-books

[levi (starboy) (s.ia) · Rating 0.25 out of 5]

This was a whole bunch of nothing burgers.

[ଘRory ( semi-hiatus)]

_Breaking the news 🗞️:Noah is not stern anymore 🤭.

_I really hope this isn't the last book in the series, because I need Adil's story desperately!

_If that book isn't Noah and Carina's, then just bury me now💀

[manas]

happy release day!!!!!!

single dad x sports romance always eats.

[joe (hiatus)]

pre-read:
lemme guess. this book's synopsis:

the STAR football player, single dad, noah lastname hired a NANNY😱😱😱😱😱 and it's...... (drumroll)... CARINA!!!! OH NO😱😭 they cant sleep tgt bc he's her BOSS‼️‼️ guess what? THEY DID😱😭 Now everyone's going to find out and she's gng to lose everything... while he struggle with his next big football alpha male match😱😱😱 anyways, still gna read it though😇🫰🏻 bye!

p. s. this is NOT real synopsis lmaooo i was js guessing (im gna be right tho)

[naz · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

“𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒍𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒖𝒑𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒓𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏’𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒍𝒌 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒎 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏’𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒂 𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒎 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒐 𝒈𝒐𝒅𝒅𝒂𝒎𝒏 𝒃𝒂𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚 𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒕. 𝑱𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑰 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝑰 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏’𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒑 𝒇𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒛𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒖𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒘𝒂𝒚, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒊𝒕. 𝑰𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝑪𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒂?”

Noah 🧎‍♀️🧎‍♀️🧎‍♀️🧎‍♀️ Wilson, the goalie who stole my heart with his grumpiness and dirty mouth 👹 For us single dad x nanny trope lovers, Ana Huang delivered the trope on a silver platter for us to FEAST. I love sports romances, but something about goalies has made me realize they're always my favorite of them all. I adored Carina and Noah's story since their previous appearances in The Striker and The Defender. I was already craving it, if I'm honest, and I wasn't disappointed like AT ALL 😮‍💨

I said it before, but Ana Huang is one of my all-time favorite authors because of the simplicity with which she creates stories for readers to enjoy. No need for a complex plot; you get the love story, smutty scenes, and delicious banter/flirtiness. In this case, sprinkle in the dirty talk from Noah freaking Wilson, which I am still not over 🥵!!!!!!

I really loved how she created this world we are all familiar with (since this is book 3 and all) but still gave us new things to binge the hell out of this book. I ate up the jealousy you can see between them, the tension because she was "working for him," the grumpiness Noah would display, and the guts Carina had as part of her personal project. I won't spoil, but the plot itself was suuuper entertaining and I seriously could keep reading it just for it.

This book I recommend to those that adore a love story that yes it may be slow at first but as soon as someone spills their desire the fire will spread and will NEVER diminish, agh I LOVE THEM SO MUCHHH!!

Also I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook as well and let me tell you Teddy Hamilton can't do no WRONG he is the perfect Noahhhh!!! 🔥 I really enjoyed him and Emily Woo Zeller! Definitely made my reading experience hella awesome.

tropes
💚 single dad x nanny
💚 forced proximity
💚 grumpy x sunshine
💚 sports romance

⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.
𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 ❀*･a goalie who is a single dad and needs a nanny helloooo 🫦🥵

thank you Team Ana Huang for my eARC & ALC

[nes ☾]

After the last two books being so bland, I better not find the penguins to be the best part of this one (iykyk) 🐧

[nadine (uni-s.ia)]

I just know that the title of this book is going to be The Keeper, and it's going to be Noah and Carina’s story

[Alya | short TBR clearance era · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoughts
As a lover of single dad x nanny trope or just single dad MMCs in general I did enjoy this and it was super cute despite being a slow stater, however it's not quite a five star read for me -- the previous two books were tied top tier for me! The build up in their relationship/chemistry was everything ~ from banter to the very end, Noah's daughter Evie has such a personality lol cutest lil girl 🥹 I did find the FMC's obsession with penguins jarring🙈 although I resonated with the whole finding a passion list and the thing about being 30 is so true🥲 ( since I'll enter my 30s in four months 😂🙆🏼‍♀️ ) I really loved the MCs story together but something about this book didn't quite hit the spot the way the previous two books did, but still Ana Huang can do no wrong in my eyes! I've read and loved everything she's written ❣️ I will say though; this series definitely feels like it's on a green flag MMCs streak lol which a change lol and I'm not complaining. I hope we get a fourth book and PLEASE let it be Adil's story🙏🏻

Plot Summary
Carina takes a job as a nanny for Noah Wilson, a grumpy single dad and famous football goalkeeper, after an unexpected emergency ruins her savings for her dream trip to Antarctica. With the World Cup approaching, Noah needs someone reliable to care for his daughter, but he never expected Carina to challenge his guarded nature. As they grow closer, their initial dislike turns into undeniable attraction, forcing them to question whether they want more than they ever planned for.

My Bookstagram

[ella ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The end of an era. This series stole my heart. I loved all the characters and the stories. I really really loved it.

To be honest, Ana’s newer books (the Kings of Sins series) weren’t really my taste. My first books from her were the Twisted books, which i enjoyed, but this series topped it all. The found family, the romances.
I was so excited for this release, and I‘m so glad I got to read this story the day it was published (greetings to my local bookstore here in Germany with a great English book section). Also, I only found out about the art on behind the front cover after I bought it and was home! I was so so happy, it’s gorgeous!!

I loved the characters so much, they were perfect together!! Noah and Carina had amazing chemistry, like, they matched so well together!! And their characters were so interesting and nice on their own as well.
I thought Carina‘s love for penguins was so cool, to work so hard for your dream, to be so passionate about something you love. She was so cool!! And Noah was such a sweethearted gentleman. We love a grumpy mmc who shows his softest side for the love of his life!! He was SO DOWN BAD since the beginning and you can‘t imagine the way I screamed when he called her baby, because he made himself long and yearn for her so painfully.
They were the best together!! I was literally annoyed at this book when they weren‘t in the same room or talking on the phone.
At first I thought it was unnecessary with the nanny trope though, but it kind of made sense with the story.

The side characters also have their place in my bookish heart, well, since the beginning of the series, actually.
The Blackcastle team? I loved them. The found family was beautiful. Also, seeing Adil being in a relationship? Something I didn‘t know I needed. He was even brighter than usual. And Samson and Gallagher and Stevens with the little pig!! And the group chat and book club!! And seeing Brooklyn and Vincent happy together made me happy as well. But the most excited I was for Asher and Scarlett to be so happy (their book was five stars for me.)

I hated the Andersons though. I didn‘t like them from the start, and even though they were getting a tiny bit more sympathetic towards the end, I still didn‘t really like them. What I really appreciated though, was the situation they displayed. Super realistic, and not only the situation, but also Noah‘s feelings about it.

I also wanna talk about Ana‘s writing style. She always had a fun, entertaining writing style, but in this book, I felt like it was even better. Loved it!!
In general, I highly recommend this series, even for the readers for whom her previous works maybe didn‘t fit with. Had the best time!!


the Gods Of The Game triology:
1# the striker: 5/5★ (review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... )
2# the defender: 3.25/5★ (review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... )
3# the keeper: 4/5★

[Susan Carolynn · Rating 4.25 out of 5]

4.25 stars! A wonderful conclusion to this series! Even though I wish we were getting an Adil book (he and his dinosaur book club chaos would've been hilarious for 400 pages). I also have a stronger appreciation and interest in the football aspect of this series after watching so much of the World Cup this past summer. And I loved the World Cup scenes!

While The Keeper started off on the slower side, it picked up pretty quickly, and I couldn't put it down. I don't typically gravitate towards the single dad x nanny trope, but I enjoyed Ana Huang's take on it. I liked how Evie was older and had a mature personality, yet the entire story didn't revolve around her.

I enjoyed both Carina and Noah, and I liked how they both wanted to find additional ways to make their lives feel fulfilling. I appreciated Carina's process/checklist to step outside her comfort zone and discover her passion. And I liked how Noah was at a career crossroads and grappled with Evie getting older and what he wanted to do next.

I also liked the non-relationship drama in this book. It kept me thoroughly entertained, even though Noah was a bit immature about his communication at times (unlike Vincent). But I can't wait to see what Ana Huang's next series is!

Thank you so much to Bloom Books for sending me an ARC of The Keeper. As always, my reviews are one hundred percent voluntary and all opinions are my own :)

[aira · Rating 1 out of 5]

so I didn't like this...but at the same time, I kind of expected it given the main trope 🤡

[Fiza]

don't mind me reading ts and defender side by side ☺️

[joni ౨ৎ]

𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ ── pre-read
omg it is finally release day!!! will be reading ASAP!



𐙚⋆°｡⋆♡ ── pre-release
the cover omigosh?!!! we have a green one 🙂‍↕️

ana is SERVING us with these 2026 releases omg

✧˖°⚽ ⋆｡˚꩜ tropes
⤷ single dad
⤷ footfall goalie
⤷ she's the nanny? (possibly)
⤷ ONS / second chance (most likely tbh)
⤷ tension / yearning
⤷ grumpy x sunshine

like noah was definitely jealous when he saw her dancing with another guy AND carina always going on her phone to ignore him when he's around, something definitely happened in the past


firstly, we have king of gluttony in the may!!!

and then the keeper in the fall!!!


book 4 MUST be adil?!! bc of the vip or wtvr group chat

[vanessa ⋆.☕︎]

ִֶָ𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ🦢་༘࿐ OH MY GOD BE SERIOUS 😭😭 a WHOLE YEAR?! They expect us to just sit here, breathing normally, acting fine, while our brains are melting from anticipation??
I can’t even think straight either, like how am I supposed to function knowing I won’t get answers, scenes, closure, ANYTHING until next year??

[bloomysoul ৎ୭ (s-ia)]

YAYYY, IT’S RELEASE DAY!!🎀 this will be my single dad/nanny read!!🥹💗 hoping this one steals my heart!!🤞🏻

[Kendra♡(Ilya Rozanov’s Version)]

Please please please be Noah’s book

[Georgia]

Please for the love of God Anna, make this single daddy x nanny trope worth it and not like the previous two🙏🙏🙏🙏

[Meg]

⥼~-✰-~⥽ ☽ ˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚＊☾ ⥼~-✰-~⥽



𝄞⨾𓍢ִ໋🍉⋮ ⌗ pre release ⋆˙⟡






OMGGGG ITS HHAPPENINGGG i know book 1 was crap.... sorry Ana LOL i loved second one !! i hope this one will be five stars deffo reading this during goth weekend in october !! lets gooooo

[Lena · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

rtc



tropes:
~ grumpy x sunshine
~ sports romance
~ single dad x nanny
~ found family
~ forced proximity

[Lilyya ♡]

i dont think i have it in me to wait AN ENTIRE YEAR for Noah & Carina.. like, i need it YESTERDAY !!

[Amelie Stjernström · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m praying this or the 4th book in this series will be about Adil, cause he’s one of my favorite things about them☺️ He’s literally a ray of sunshine and makes me laugh in every scene of his!☀️

[Zoë Nira · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 Stars)
ARC review

Noah Wilson, you have my whole heart 🥹💚.

Sometimes you don’t need crazy plot twists, unnecessary drama, or a storyline that makes your head spin. Sometimes you just need a grumpy single dad, a sunshine girl, some delicious tension, and a man who desperately needs to get his act together. And apparently, you also need to fall in love with a fictional goalkeeper 🤷🏼‍♀️.

I absolutely LOVED Noah and Carina together. Their dynamic felt so natural, and I loved how their relationship developed without everything feeling overly dramatic or forced. There was just something about their story that felt refreshingly realistic, and I think that’s exactly why I enjoyed it so much. The banter, the tension, the little moments, the way they slowly found their way to each other… I was eating it ALL up.

And Noah? Yeah, I’m not even going to pretend to be normal about this man. The grumpy exterior, the protective side, the jealousy, THE MOUTH. Sir, please 😩🤚🏻. I loved getting to see the softer side of him, especially when it came to Evie. And speaking of Evie, she was such a lovely addition to the story. The three of them together had me smiling like an idiot.

Carina was also such a fun FMC. I loved her personality, her confidence, and the way she brought a little more life into Noah’s world. They balanced each other so well, and I never felt like their relationship needed some ridiculous amount of drama to be entertaining.

I also loved getting more time with the Blackcastle boys and the girls. Their friendships are everything, and I genuinely wasn’t ready to say goodbye to this group 🥹. Although, Ana, if you ever feel like giving us Adil’s book… just know that I would be seated IMMEDIATELY 👀.

The Keeper might not have the wildest plot or the biggest twists, but honestly? It didn’t need them. It was the characters, the chemistry, and the way everything came together that made this such a great read for me.

This is officially my favourite book in the Gods of the Game series, and I’m so happy this was the story we got to end it with. Noah Wilson, you will be missed 💚.


⭐️ (Some of my) FAV QUOTES ⭐️

“When I hired you, I didn’t realize that would involve you making fun of me every chance you got.” “I’m not making fun of you. I’m trying to get you to have fun.” She tapped my forearm. I instinctively tensed. “I promise it won’t kill you.” No. But she just might.

“Looks scary but is a softie underneath. Sounds familiar.” “Are you comparing me to a bearded dragon?” “I would never. You, a softie? Please.”

“Stop.” Harsh. Unyielding. His thumb pressed harder against my mouth, and a traitorous flame flickered to life in my stomach. “Make me.”

“Do you think we’re drinking too much wine? I feel like we’re drinking too much wine.” Brooklyn squinted at the empty bottle on the table. “That’s not wine. That’s champagne,” I said. “Oh, shit.” She hiccupped. “We are drinking too much wine.”

“My jersey looks good on you.” “It would look better off of you.”

[Bookish with Stas · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

I got to read this book as an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Thank you Ana and team for this opportunity 💚⚽️

The single dad x nanny trope gets me every 👏🏻 single 👏🏻 time 👏🏻. Forced proximity just does something for me.

Noah Wilson was the perfect amount of confident, protective and jealous. The mouth on this man 🤐🤭🥵

And Carina Vu the woman you are!!!! She is smart, confident and will do everything in her power for the people she loves.

So them combined? Fireworks, the pacing of their relationship felt really natural. And the “f*ck it” moment came at the exact right time. I was giggling like a high school girl seeing her crush in the hallway LOL.

Evie was such a sweet and smart girl. She really added to the story. I’m obsessed with her. 🥹💗

I love Carina, Scarlett and Brooklyn their friendship. They are really ride or die for each other. And ugh I just love them so much!!!

Also am I the only one who thinks we were robbed of Adils book???? Because that man is sooooo funny. Love the black castle groupchat and the dinosaur smut xx

Overall I loved the story and the characters. Would definitely recommend 💚✨

[aimz ꕤ｡˚⋆♡]

𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 ⭐️

𐙚⋆°🐧⋆♡ 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀

⤷ single dad x nanny
⤷ grumpy x sunshine
⤷ age gap (sorta?)
⤷ football romance

𐙚⋆°🐧⋆♡ 𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸

❛❛𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠.❜❜
⤷ 𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 by 𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴

𐙚⋆°🐧⋆♡ 𝗽𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴

[5:22pm — 30/09/2026]

You’re telling me we’re finally getting Carina & Noah’s story in less than a month? Holy wow. I deserve this. October 2024 Aimz has been waiting for so long for Noah’s story, bless her.

Sports romance & single dad x nanny is always going to hit. It’s so buzzy & yummy lol. I just can’t freaking wait man !! This is genuinely my most anticipated read this year & i’m hoping this month speeds up. bring me 27th october like now <3

[5:24pm — 30/09/2026]

[3:22am — 16/05/2026]

The genuine excitement I have for this book is unmatched. There aren’t many football romance books out there, so I’m taking it all in since it’s the last book in the trilogy. I’m excited, nervous, scared & much more, but yeah. Thought I’d give future me something to read over.

I do have stuff to say about this book lmao. The face cards picked out for Noah Wilson makes me laugh so much. I don’t know who decided on making Karius the face card for Noah, but I love you, and simultaneously don’t, because now I have to see Karius in tears in clips against Madrid in the ucl final ffs. Please, I’ll personally send links to you lot for the edits and stuff so you don’t use that final.

Nah though, on a real one, I’m glad it’s a(n ex) liverpool player, I have an excuse to make football edits with my lads included (even though we’re absolute gobshite now) because I’ve been wanting to make football related edits for a minute man.

Plus, with this book coming out, the football just never stops, and I couldn’t be more happier. World cup starting next month and then back to the PL, mixing the build up to The Keeper release in between. I’m a very happy girl (because the season is coming to an end and I don’t have to watch Slot ball for at least 3 months).

Special request!! — I want a scene of Noah winning the Yashin Trophy or Golden Glove (whatever fits best with the plot. I just need more football related stuff mentioned, I just need it okay? That’s enough yapping for now, I’ll be back soon to add more. K, bye for now!! <3

[3:32am — 16/05/2026]

[1:57pm — 12/10/2025]

I’m staking claim on this book. I don’t care. I fell in love with Noah in The Striker. It better be him and Carina. I will rage if it’s not them two. I mentioned it in my The Striker review. Literally what I want below:

“Also. Noah is my man. I’m taking him. HE’S MINE. He’s MINE in this series. Noah Wilson. I want you. Also, Ana, please I beg you PLEASE NOAH AND CARINA. Single Dad x Nanny. Grumpy x Sunshine. Maybe Age gap (not too bothered honestly). Carina’s looking for a job. Noah is a single dad. His daughter’s age is 11 meaning starting secondary school and Carina also is a tutor for Maths. She can tutor her too while babysitting. The Goalkeeper. BANG. My goodness. I NEED this SO DAMN BADLY.”

Okay it’s not The Goalkeeper just The Keeper. I’m used to saying goalkeeper because I am a footie fan. Sue me for making a mistake :(

Anyways, so excited, I can’t wait until next year!!

[2:01pm — 12/10/2025]

[Payal (uni- semi ia)]

not the biggest fan of the series but let's see what she has cooked up now. I love a single dad trope😛 so, pls don't be a miss😭✋

[౨ৎ careena ౨ৎ (life of a showgirl!! ❤️‍&#x1f525;)]

I KNEW THIS WAS GONNA BE ABOUT NOAH I CALLED IT AND IM NOT EVEN HALFWAY THROUGH THE DEFENDER

[casey · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Ana Huang x sports romance is back, and I couldn’t be happier! 💚

I’ve really enjoyed Ana entering her sports romance era with this series, and it was so bittersweet to see it end 🥲 But I was really happy to be back with these characters one last time and soaked up every moment with them.

After seeing Noah and Carina in the other books as individuals, I was heavily anticipating seeing how they would some together as a couple — and they didn’t disappoint! I was obsessed with the palpable tension between these two, and jealousy is used as a plot device veryyy well in this book. Carina easily lives in Noah’s mind rent-free, and I loved that Noah thought his house felt like more of a home with her in it. And, of course, my favorite part about this book was Evie’s individual relationships with both Noah and Carina. They were so precious, and I just adore this little family they’ve created! 🥹

To no one’s surprise, I’ve fallen in love with another book from Ana! Noah & Carina’s story was a lovely, fitting end to this series that I adore, and there were some found family moments that I couldn’t get enough of. Here’s to hoping for more sports romances from Ana in the future!

Thank you so much to Ana Huang & her team for an ARC of this book 💌

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

a precious single dad x nanny romance & a lovely end to this series i adore :,)

[Kayla | Kayla Reads Smut · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first got back into reading, Ana Huang was one of the first authors that I picked up. She allowed me to escape to a fictional world that I loved so much. And years later, she still allows me to escape and for that I will always be grateful. Ana is such a comfort read for me. She could give me anything and I would devour it. So it should come to no surprise that I straight devoured The Keeper.

Give me a grumpy single dad in need of a nanny who is a ray of sunshine? Now that's the forced proximity of my dreams. I will eat that plot up EVERY. SINGLE. TIME! Now this is the premise of The Keeper. We have Noah, who is the keeper for the football team. He's grumpy, broody and a single dad to the cutest preteen girl. But he also goes through nannies like he goes through toilet paper. Now this is where Carina comes in. She is a ray of sunshine who is literally living her life at the beat of her own drum just trying to save enough money to make it to Antartica to see the penguins. Oh and she also has a massive crush on Noah. Her need for extra cash is what lands her the job as Noah's newest nanny. And y'all the TENSION is thick in this one.

Noah and Carina are such opposites in every facet of life. But it's also why their relationship works. Carnia makes Noah drop his walls and actually live life a little. Because let's face it, he needs it. I just loved them so freaking much!

I will also say, I loved the plot of this one. I was unsure going into this one how Ana was going to write this one with a plot that will make you work for their HEA but I loved it. I won't say much because it will give it away because to be honest, I didn't really see it coming. Which could be because I don't read blurbs 🫣 which I will stand by because it means you always go into books slightly blind. But I was pleasantly surprised with the twist that Noah and Carina needed to navigate.

I had the pleasure of listening to The Keeper as an ALC and the audiobook truly brought this story to life. It is a DUET NARRATION audiobook performed by Teddy Hamilton and Emily Woo Zeller. I always picture Teddy in a more comedic role, I think that is where he excels best, so I was unsure of how he would play a grumpy single dad but he knocked it out of the park! And who knew he could do accents so well, not me. This was the first audiobook that I had the pleasure of listening to Emily and she did a fantastic job. Carina is a Vietnamese Brit and he carried the British accent all the way through. So kudos to you girl! Overall, I really enjoyed the audio!

I am so sad to see this series come to an end but what an end it was. The epilogue was a truly heart warming way to see all of the couples in the future happy and thriving ❤️

*I would like to say thank you to Ana Huang and her team for allowing me the pleasure to listening to The Keeper as an ALC in exchange for my honest thoughts, opinions and review.

[ohna · Rating 1.5 out of 5]

incessant


this series could have been condensed to one book by booting noah, carina, scarlett and brooklyn then making asher and vincent endgame but ana huang is way too chicken shit to do that

and the book should have been titled the striker and the defender.