Beloved author Heather Buchta is back but this time, she’s gone dark! In her brand new paperback romantic thriller ALL FOR THE GAME, it’s full of high school sport pressure, big expectations, and enough deadly secrets to fill a small town.

Scroll down to read more about the book, see the cover, and read an exclusive excerpt.

In Texas, football is life. 

For Finn Geringer, it’s a ticket to a better future. Transferring to East Pages High, Finn hopes to secure a college scholarship and a chance to provide for his grandmother. In this town where football reigns supreme, East Pages seems perfect. Until it’s not.

Finn’s girlfriend, Megan, notices rival players absent from games. As she digs deeper, her life becomes increasingly dangerous: Mysterious cars tail her, strangers issue threats, and she’s sure someone’s been in her bedroom. Is it her imagination, or is East Pages hiding a dark secret?

Meanwhile, Finn’s cousin, Brit, the head cheerleader, revels in the perks of popularity and the prestige of attending a renowned sports school. But when a football player dies, she learns that her peers are purposely keeping her in the dark. Is her popularity an illusion?

Finn must choose between pursuing his dreams or uncovering the truth. As he, Brit, and Megan unravel the team’s mysteries, they face a powerful force determined to protect the school’s legacy at all costs. From veteran author Heather Buchta comes a gripping second-guessing game of suspicion and paranoia, romance and reputation, and the lengths people will go to protect who—and what—they love.

An exclusive excerpt from ALL FOR THE GAME, by Heather Buchta

Spencer Collins, driving south down East Pages Highway, watched his speedometer. Britney knew why. No more than five miles above the limit. Not at this hour.

“Make a wish,” Britney said through a lipstick smile, her shoulders back like riding shotgun was her place in life.

It was, at least with everyone at her high school. Well, shoot, everyone except Spencer. But that was on him, always growling at anyone who looked at him, even head cheerleaders.

Especially head cheerleaders.

“Eleven-eleven,” she continued, pointing to the car clock. “It’s good luck.”

His eyes darted to her and then returned to the dark road. He half laughed, then cut it short. “No such thing.”

“Sure there is.” She punched him in the shoulder.

“Brit.” He looked at the sleeve of his hoodie where she’d touched him. “Don’t. I only agreed to let you ride with me because you showed up at my house.”

She ignored his tone and checked her makeup in the visor mirror. She’d opted for the smoky palette tonight, more dramatic against her light skin, highlighting her hazel eyes and smattering of freckles across her nose. “FYI, I showed up to take your sister.”

“To an upperclassmen party? She’s fourteen.”

“Still. If Leah was invited—”

“She wasn’t.”

Ugh. So uptight. It was no wonder he didn’t have a girlfriend. She could’ve sworn Tammy told her Spencer’s sister, Leah, was invited. And since when did Spencer get invited? She reached for the radio dial and turned it on. A man’s voice, scratchy through the old speakers, leapt into the car with his deep southern drawl, “—rigorous running and passing game of this squad. Which brings me to—and no surprise, because who isn’t talking about eleventh-grade running back Finn Geringer, new to East Pages High just this summer”—Brit smiled, hearing Finn’s name—“and I’ll tell y’all, I’ll tell y’all that he does not have the history, does not have the two years’ backbone of practice, does not have—”

Spencer turned the dial down.

Brit shifted in her seat and flipped the volume back up. “—first transfer in eleven years to be brought on as a starter to the varsity squad of EastPay, which begs the question of recruitment, but coaches insist on a high moral code of—”

His palm extending like he was stiff-arming the announcer, Spencer slammed the radio off. Brit jumped, but then turned to him, narrowing her eyes. So dramatic. She could match it, and she did, staring at him with unblinking eyes, turning away slow and exaggerated until she again faced the windshield.

Strung from one side of the highway to the other, a huge banner flapped from the warm Texas wind. It read “FIGHT ON, EAST PAGES HIGH!” with a picture of a red football helmet framing the letters, one on each side. She and the other cheerleaders had put up all the signs just last week. Already the town was filled with the energy that came at the start of every football season. Electric. Proud. After all, football kept the businesses alive in this small town. Pastor Mike would say it was the good Lord. But Brit would bet her pom-poms he’d miss a Sunday morning before he’d miss a Friday night.

“So whatdya think of the new guy?” Brit said, following the sign with her eyes as they drove under it. “Finn Geringer.”

“You mean your cousin?”

Well, dang. She chewed on her lip. Guess everybody knew by now. She’d only admitted it to a couple cheerleaders. She fidgeted for her lipstick in her pockets. “That’s irrelevant.”

“Is it? Finn Geringer hands us our only loss last season, and our head cheerleader is related to him?”

“So? It’s not like I was trying to keep it secret.”

“Sure you were. You’d be dumb not to.”