The Beautiful Game - Vanessa Lanang

Instead of a proposal for her 30^th birthday, Vera Martinez got dumped. To get her mind off her heartache, Vera's sister whisks her away on a girls' night out, starting with a Bloodhounds soccer game. When Vera can't take her eyes off the sexy pro midfielder, Joe dela Cruz-a well-known player who causes problems on and off the field-Vera knows exactly how she wants to forget about her ex.

Thirty-three-year-old Joe is almost at the end of the line. He's only two years from aging out of professional soccer, and his Coach is sick of his shenanigans. When Joe is tempted to cross that line with Coach's only daughter, he's given a hefty ultimatum: get in a different relationship (aka stay away from his daughter) or be benched for the rest of his career.

Vera comes on to Joe, hoping for the perfect rebound with a carefree playboy. Joe accepts her advances, believing she's the steady girl to fix his reputation and save his career. But as Vera and Joe unknowingly work against each other, they also face the pesky reality of their genuine and unwanted attraction to one another.

Win or lose, love-like soccer-is a beautiful game.