From New York Times bestselling author Meghan Quinn comes a sizzling sports romance full of flamingo feathers, slow-burn heat, and one grump-meets-sunshine love story that’s anything but fake.
They’re faking it for the cameras. But what if the sparks are real?
Graydon St. John doesn’t do drama―or public appearances. The brooding defensive end for the San Francisco Foghorns prefers silence, solitude, and avoiding headlines. But when a league-wide PR scandal forces him into a media stunt at the city zoo, he’s suddenly face-to-face with squawking birds, nosy fans, and the zookeeper who seems to hate his guts on sight.
Maple Baker loves her flamingos. Loud, pink, messy? Sure. But they’re hers. And the last thing she needs is a grumpy football player stomping into her sanctuary with a bad attitude and a bigger ego. Unfortunately, they’ve been paired for the zoo’s new public outreach program, and the cameras are already rolling.
The banter is sharp. The tension is electric. And the more they pretend to play nice for the press, the more their fake flirtation starts to feel like something dangerously real.
But when family secrets, viral fame, and a PR romance gone off-script threaten everything Maple’s worked for, Graydon must decide if he’s willing to fight for love―or let it slip away to protect her.
Just for the Cameras is available now in paperback, KU, and audio. Get your copy now: https://mybook.to/JustForTheCameras
Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars
Just For The Cameras was a hilarious first installment in Meghan Quinn’s new series, Bay Area Players. Set in San Francisco, the story follows zoo keeper/flamingo lover Maple (aka Hardy Hopper’s ex from Bridesmaid Undercover) and pro football player Graydon, who are paired together for a partnership between the zoo and the city’s sports teams. She is a ray of sunshine and optimism, and he is a grumpy jerk, so watching these two fall in love after getting off on the wrong foot, then entering a PR relationship, was a joy
Once Maple peeled back all those layers and got to know Graydon better, he turned out to not be such a bad guy after all. He’s got some serious baggage thanks to his estranged relationship with his father, a former football pro himself who is trying to hang on to his glory days and makes Graydon’s life miserable. I’m a sucker for a hero showing his vulnerable side, and the scenes surrounding Graydon and his mom… I teared up.
These two characters were so well-matched. From the icy beginning to the heated moments, the banter was on point. And when the conflict between them popped up, I loved how solid and sure Maple was in their relationship when Graydon thought he was too complicated and broken to be worthy of her love.
This book features a full-cast narration, with Connor Crais and Emma Wilder as Graydon and Maple. (Teddy Hamilton, JP Harding, Jason Clarke, Stella Hunter and Samantha Brentmoor voice other characters.) As always, Connor and Emma were a pleasure to listen to, perfectly capturing the distrust, then yearning, between Graydon and Maple.
As a longtime reader, I loved how MQ brought in characters from her other series! Aside from Hardy and Everly (whom Maple is now besties with), Hutton and Scarlett (from the college baseball series The Brentwood Boys make an appearance since he is one of Graydon’s teammates. OC (from the Agitators) and Bennett (Gabby’s brother from Almond Bay) are the other heroes for this series. The Gladdy Daddies text thread definitely rivals the texting shenanigans among the Agitators! And because flamingos are involved, there’s a small cameo from bird lover JP Cane.
I can’t wait to see what comes next in this series! I received an advanced copy and voluntarily left a review.
Sunny Shelly Reads 