The Striker
She's the only woman he wants...and the only one he can't have.
Asher Donovan is a living legend—the darling of the Premier League, the (arguably) greatest footballer in the world.
But his reckless antics and recent team transfer have caused much controversy, and when his feud with his rival-turned-teammate costs them a championship, they’re forced to “bond” during off-season cross-training.
Surviving the summer shouldn’t be hard…until Asher meets their new trainer. She’s beautiful, talented, and no matter how hard he tries, he can’t take his mind off her.
The only problem? She’s his rival’s sister—and completely off limits.
***
Scarlett DuBois is a former prima ballerina whose career was cut short by a tragic accident.
Now a teacher at a prestigious dance academy but still haunted by the ghosts of her past, the last thing she wants is to spend the summer cross-training Asher Donovan, of all people.
She swore she would never date a footballer, but when her brother leaves town for an emergency, she finds herself thrown into dangerously close proximity with the gorgeous, charming striker.
Training, she can deal with. But falling in love? That’s out of the question—especially when he’s the only person with the power to break her heart.
- Pages
- 592
- First published
- October 22, 2024
- Language
- English
- Edition
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Shelved by 7 Litcadians
Reviews
Finished September 7, 2026
I had a genuinely good time with The Striker. Asher and Scarlett had great chemistry, entertaining banter, and enough tension to make their training sessions feel increasingly less professional. Combining football, dance, forced proximity, and forbidden romance worked really well, and I enjoyed watching their initial dislike slowly become something much harder to ignore. Scarlett’s journey was probably my favourite part. After losing the future she had imagined for herself as a ballerina, she had to rediscover what dance meant to her and build a new life around it. Asher also had much more depth beneath his football-star confidence and arrogance than I initially expected. Their romance was passionate, emotional, and very easy to become invested in. They both carried a lot of hurt, and I liked how the story allowed them to be vulnerable with each other instead of relying entirely on attraction. My main issue was simply the length. At 577 pages, the book had plenty of time to develop everything—and then some. Certain conflicts, conversations, and internal thoughts became repetitive, while a few sections continued long after their point had been made. Ana Huang, respectfully, we could have reached this relationship in fewer trees. That said, I still enjoyed the characters, the chemistry, and the emotional moments. There was a lot to like here; the story just needed a slightly more aggressive meeting with an editor to keep everything moving. Three stars. Enjoyable, romantic, and worth reading—but this striker could have reached the goal considerably faster.
- Anonymous
Started July 13, 2025 · Finished July 14, 2025
Started July 13, 2025 · Finished July 14, 2025
Started April 7, 2025 · Finished April 8, 2025
Finished October 27, 2024
Engrossing Sports Romance with Heartfelt Character Growth The Striker delivers on drama, angst, and romance, pulling me in from the start! Asher is a standout main character:thoughtful, with a satisfying growth arc that becomes especially clear in the third-act breakup, where he has a chance to reflect on himself. Though the plot was a bit predictable and the first half felt slow, I flew through the second half in a single afternoon! The cameos from other Ana Huang books were a treat. A perfect pick if you’re in the mood for a steamy, character-driven sports romance! ★★★★☆