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Ana Huang tells PEOPLE her new romance, The Defender, is about finding your "comfort person"

The novel, the second in Huang's Gods of the Game series, meets pro footballer Vincent and sports nutritionist (and the coach's daughter) Brooklyn, who wind up sharing a living space

"I hope the readers will find as much joy and escapism reading it as I did writing it," Huang says of The Defender, out Oct. 28

Ana Huang 's newest novel explores a precious type of love.

Ahead of the release of The Defender , the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author spoke with PEOPLE about her latest romance read. The second book in her Gods of the Game series, The Defender follows Vincent and Brooklyn, who ultimately become each other's "comfort person," Huang says.

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