Play You For It

In this sizzling sapphic romance, sparks fly between a sports journalist and her latest source--the first woman to be named head coach of a Division 1 men's basketball team--but are they willing to risk their careers for a shot at love?

When Jordan D'Amato becomes the first woman named head coach of a top-level men's college basketball team, journalist Caroline Beck is determined to get the story. After years of scraping her way into the world of sports reporting, Beck knows that snagging the first one-on-one interview with the elusive head coach could be her big break. But Jordan is wary of the media and the attention her historic new appointment attracts, especially as her boss makes it clear that it's a temporary assignment--and if she doesn't lead the team to victory, it won't become permanent.

Beck's persistence, however, charms Jordan, and she agrees to sit down for an interview. The two women have undeniable chemistry--but journalists definitely can't fall for sources, and Jordan certainly can't fully trust the ambitious reporter who has every reason to use her team secrets for the next big scoop. Though they both know it will ruin their reputations and likely also cost them their jobs if anyone finds out they are romantically involved, they can't seem to stay away from each other.

With the national tournament in sight and both of their careers on the line, they must decide whether to take the shot on their budding love story--or walk away from the risky game they've been playing for good.

Author: Samantha Saldivar
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 10/21/2025
Pages: 352
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.55lbs
Size: 8.00h x 5.10w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9798217092598


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 08/01/2025
Publishers Weekly 08/18/2025
Booklist 09/01/2025

About the Author
Samantha Saldivar is a corporate broadcast producer who has previously worked at the NBC affiliates KGW in Portland and KMTR in Eugene, where she won a regional Emmy Award for Best Evening Newscast. During her time studying at the University of Oregon's School of Journalism and Communication, she reported on college sports for campus television and interned at the now-defunct Comcast Sportsnet Northwest. She lives in Portland with her wife