Spotlight & Giveaway: Out of Her League by Ava Rani

Today, HJ is pleased to share with you Ava Rani’s new release: Out of Her League

 To make her ex jealous, an ambitious young surgeon recruits a charming star soccer player to be her date to a lavish Parisian wedding—but love might have a game plan of its own, in this stand-alone romance from the USA Today bestselling author of the Biotech Billionaires series.

Dr. Isabelle Mercado is this close to having it all. Top of her class at the country’s most competitive orthopedic surgery residency, a dream career within reach, and a golden ticket to the wedding of the year in Paris.

There’s just one problem: her ex—the one who got away—is going to be there… with his perfect new fiancée.

Desperate to save face (and maybe spark a little jealousy), Isa enlists soccer legend and global heartthrob Austin Cade to be her fake date. It’s the perfect match: after an injury and some unfortunate encounters with the press, he needs good PR and the kind of elite connections this wedding will attract. Plus, her ex just so happens to be his #1 fan. Win-win.

But between champagne toasts and stolen glances under Parisian stars, pretending starts to feel a lot like the real thing. Isa’s always been all-in on her career—love was never the goal.

But maybe, just maybe… this time, the heart has its own agenda.

Enjoy an exclusive excerpt from Out of Her League 

After practice, I left Jo to kick a ball around with some of the other players while I went to the rehab room for physical therapy.
“Stability is more pronounced. You’re doing great for six weeks post-op,” Dr. Mercado announced from behind the screen, tilting her body to the side so she could see me. “You’re not favoring your right side anymore.”
She wasn’t my usual doctor. I’d seen her a few times working with Dr. Reinhold, but today she was filling in for him. She was much younger than Dr. Reinhold, and prettier, too, I’d noticed. Her curly black hair was pulled back in her signature bun, and the mint-green scrubs contrasted against her sienna skin.
She was just as focused as Dr. Reinhold, though. When I entered the room, she got right to business. Now she stared at the pressure monitor while Trevor, the team physical therapist, instructed me to go through some basic rotation movements.
“So I should be good to play soon?” I already knew the answer, but still I hoped for a different one. If I could play, at least then I could get my mind off the other daunting tasks ahead of me.
An ACL tear was never good, and I’d already healed from one in the past. This time, I probably wouldn’t recover as well. In some twisted irony, I played twelve years in the Premier League against some of the best talent in the world, and yet the injury that might actually end my career was one I got here—two years into playing in the American league.
“Technically, I’m not your doctor, so I can’t give you a prognosis.” Her eyes tracked along the screen again. “As far as playing goes, let’s keep focused on the recovery plan first.”
“Right, then playing,” I added.
She glanced up at me, expression unreadable, then back at her notes. “You’re in the offseason. Try to relax.”
“Easier said than done,” I mumbled.
For so long, playing soccer was the only way I could feel balanced. It was the only thing that motivated me. At least when I eventually moved to coaching, I didn’t have to lose the game, just the play.
“Look.” Her voice rose for a second before distilling down to a solemn note. “It could have been a lot worse. You’ve had two ACL tears in your career. Your knee looks great, but you need to take recovery seriously.”
I sat up a little straighter at her show of concern. “I will.”
She let out a conciliatory sigh. “And . . . I don’t know. Don’t let the reporters rile you up.”
“You watched that?” I grimaced. It wasn’t a great interview.
After weeks of getting my head around a slow recovery, I was finally making moves toward my next step, when some punk with a microphone—one that never played professionally a day in their life—talked about my retirement like it should have happened two years ago. Back when I turned down an extension to my Premier League contract to play for the American league.
“It was on in the hospital waiting room,” Dr. Mercado said dismissively, then turned her attention back to her notes. Her fingers tapped along the keyboard, then she looked back up at me. Her manner shifted a bit, her lips moving from a straight line to curved at the edges, like she was trying her best to be nice. “You used to be great with the press—charming, even.”
My interest spiked. “Soccer fan, Dr. Mercado?”
“God no.” The statement popped out of her mouth and her eyes widened at the unintended honesty.
I chuckled. “Tell me how you really feel.”
“Well . . .” The corners of her mouth tipped up. “It’s just not my thing. It takes such a long time to kick a ball back and forth, and nothing really happens.”
“And what sport do you like to watch?” I nudged a little sarcastically, feeling a bizarre fizz wondering what she’d say next.
“Are those baking competitions considered a sport? Because they should be.” She typed a few more things into the computer, then looked back at me. “But I will say, the injuries in your sport are far more interesting. And after Dr. Reinhold let me scrub in on your case, I’m a little invested in that knee. So can you please tell the person who owns it not to screw up all our hard work?”

Excerpt. ©Ava Rani. Posted by arrangement with the publisher. All rights reserved.
 
 

Giveaway: A print copy of OUT OF HER LEAGUE By Ava Rani 

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Meet the Author:

Ava Rani is the author of the Biotech Billionaires series. The daughter of two immigrants, her Indian-American roots peek out in different ways in all her novels. She loves to write diverse love stories featuring flawed characters who have real problems, powerful friendships, and chosen families who support each other.