Sports romance fans are going to want to check out Scoring the Player’s Baby by Naima Simone, a sexy/sweet accidental pregnancy story with a strong heroine and hero that knows how to respect the women around him!

Related: Scoring the Player’s Baby by Naima Simone: Ronin needs Kim’s help in this exclusive excerpt


Don’t let the title of this sports romance novel fool you, the heroine of Scoring the Player’s Baby is nowhere near a gold digger. In fact, Kim Matlock is a strongly independent woman that’s focused on her career as Vice President of Public Relations with Bishop Enterprises.

After everything Kim went through with her ex, she’s determined to stay away from his type – the cheaters and the liars. That means that football players are off limits, no matter how yummy they might be.

Unfortunately for Kim, she wasn’t expecting to meet Ronin Palamo at a wedding expo where she was working and he was trying to help out his sister. When they’re meet-cute involves a heated kiss that saves him from a stalker-ish woman, it’s hard for Kim to ignore that massive but seemingly kind hearted man.

With nothing to lose, Kim agrees to see Ronin again – but just for one night. She learned too late that Ronin is football player, and that she’s accidentally gotten pregnant by him.

Despite the fact that Ronin is really nothing like her cheating ex-husband, Kim can’t help but put all of her guards up. Not only is she convinced that any football player is bound to be a cheater, but she’s also vulnerable from past complications with a pregnancy that didn’t last.

Damn. He wanted her. Yet, all the desire in the world couldn’t make him force his attention on a woman. He had sisters, was the son of a single mom. And if not for the flicker of attraction, of arousal in those molten eyes, he would back off her in a second. If not for her gaze lowering to his mouth, chest, and thighs, he would thank her for her help earlier and return to Hana. If not for the slight increase in her breathing, the elevated rise and fall of her chest as he walked through the door and let it close behind him, he would’ve turned right back around and left. But he caught the signals, recognized them. Needed to follow up on them to determine how far they could go. Even now, though, if she told him to leave her alone, he would. Please, God, don’t let her say no.

Which means that even though Ronin isn’t a love match (at least at first) for Kim, she still wants to go through with the pregnancy.

For Ronin, fatherhood hadn’t been a part of his plans. After issues with his own father, it wasn’t something that he’d ever looked forward to. But he can’t help but deny the connection to Kim, even if he’s not looking to settle down, and the instant love for his unborn child.

The two set out to co-parent the child together, without being lovers any more. Since they’ve both seen how messy relationships can get in the past, they don’t want that for that child.

It sounds like a good idea the way that they lay it out, but of course it doesn’t work out that way. Kim and Ronin’s chemistry is too hot to be put out by reason and logic. While the more that they learn about each other, the more they begin to like each other.

Kim may have been married to a professional athlete, but that didn’t stop her from going after her own ambitious career. Dealing with a cheating ex, and a less than ideal family situation with a father that scorned her never stopped Kim from achieving her own goals.

It does mean that she’s a bit cold with people at first, but once they get through that barrier they learn she’s a really sweet and caring person.

“Hala.” Giving in to the desire to touch her—a desire that hadn’t abated in the least even in spite of her “platonic” speech and his agreement with it—he covered the fingers wrapped around the bottle of water. “Anything having to do with this child? Assume.” He squeezed her hand. “Okay?” “Okay,” she whispered. He removed his hand, his palm humming as if his nerves were exposed. If a small touch like that sent his senses into overdrive, he was in more trouble than he thought. Giving his head a mental shake, he curled his fingers into a fist. He had to get his shit under control. He might’ve cleared this first hurdle with Kim, but he harbored no doubts that she didn’t trust him. Goal number one: Prove she could count on him. And that started with keeping his word—and his dick to himself. One was easy. The other was gonna be the death of him.

Likewise, Ronin may be an athlete but he’s not at all the stereotypical one that Kim paints them out to be. He’ actually a little bit goofy and nerdy, despite being in incredible shape. And although he has plenty of money, he’s not flashy about it, and really down to earth.

When they first meet, he’s not looking for a relationship but he’s not the type to lie or cheat to women either. Being raised by a single mom, and being surrounded by sisters taught this man how to treat women right.

Kim and Ronin’s story starts off extremely sexy, and although that heat never really goes away – it evolves into something much sweeter along the way. Both of the characters have so much emotion growth to go through in the novel, and they do that together. Learning about each other and themselves along the way.

It’s romantic, sexy, and sweet – all in a perfect bundle of a book.

Scoring the Player’s Baby is the third novel in the WAGS series, it could be read as a standalone. Although I totally suggest checking out the other books in the series Scoring With the Wrong Twin and Scoring off the Field.

Scoring the Player’s Baby (WAGS #3) by Naima Simone will be released on July 9! Pre-order now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, or Kobo. And don’t forget to add it to your Goodreads!