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Verdict: A quick, funny, steamy fated-mates romance that gives series fans exactly what they come for — a vampire bodyguard, a sunny soccer star and the recurring supernatural supporting cast. It breaks no new ground, and readers who don’t enjoy the formula will notice it.
Best for: Readers who like light paranormal romance with humour, instalove and a guaranteed HEA.
Heat level: Steamy (readers mention well-written erotic scenes)
Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.8/5 — a 4.42 Goodreads average across 114 ratings, 4.6 stars across 148 Amazon ratings, and 3.25 on StoryGraph from just 2 reviews)
Tropes: Fated mates, bodyguard, instalove, grumpy/sunshine, vampire, athlete, stalker threat.
Guarding the Athlete is Reba Bale’s 2026 paranormal lesbian romance, the seventh book in her Sapphic Security series about supernatural ex-soldiers who run a protection agency. Vampire agent Cassie is assigned to protect Ruby, Seattle’s biggest women’s soccer star.
It holds a 4.42 average across 114 Goodreads ratings, with 85% of them four or five stars, and 4.6 stars across 148 Amazon ratings. Written reviews are short, so this review draws on fifteen Goodreads reviews and the publisher’s description.
What Is Guarding the Athlete About?
Cassie learned from her football-playing father never to trust athletes, so being assigned as close protection for a soccer star is the last thing she wants. Her inner vampire disagrees: it is convinced Ruby is her fated mate.
Ruby has only ever cared about soccer. When someone starts threatening the league’s biggest stars, her father — who owns her team — insists on protection, and she is expecting a meathead in a suit rather than Cassie. She decides to win the grumpy vampire over with sunshine, if the stalker doesn’t find her first.
What Works in This Book
- Humour: Readers enjoy the running joke about the agency’s rule against falling for clients, which never works, and the Belarusian bear shifters who steal scenes.
- Pace: Reviewers describe a quick, easy, fun read and a welcome escape.
- Returning cast: Characters from earlier books add depth, and one side character also finds a mate.
- Heat and romance: Readers call the love story sweet and the steamy scenes well written.
Book Synopsis
A vampire bodyguard who distrusts athletes is assigned to a professional soccer player whose teammates are being targeted.
Her vampire instincts say Ruby is her mate. Her job says keep her distance. Ruby, meanwhile, has fallen at first sight.
My Review
Series readers are clearly having fun: this instalment delivers the quirky supernatural chaos, low angst and sweet romantic beats the Sapphic Security books are known for, with the bodyguard set-up giving it a thread of action. The billing as a slow burn sits alongside instalove — Ruby falls at first sight, and the pull between the two is immediate.
The reservation is predictability. A three-star reviewer says it covers no new ground, and several reviews describe the familiar pattern of a new client turning out to be a bodyguard’s fated mate. A few long-time readers are more interested in a story the series hasn’t written yet — the agency head’s own romance.
My honest note: Choose it for comfort and laughs, not surprises. The soccer is background.
| Element | In Guarding the Athlete |
|---|---|
| Central relationship | Cassie, a vampire close-protection agent, & Ruby, a professional soccer star |
| Core tropes | Fated mates, bodyguard, instalove, grumpy/sunshine |
| Setting | Seattle and the women’s professional soccer league |
| Heat level | Steamy |
| Length | 226 pages (Kindle listing) |
| Series | Sapphic Security #7 — readable on its own |
| Content notes | Stalker threats against athletes |
How Spicy Is Guarding the Athlete?
Fairly spicy. The author bills it as steamy but sweet, and reviewers describe it as sexy and hot, with erotic scenes they found well written.
StoryGraph has no content warnings submitted; the plot involves threats against the players Ruby played alongside.
Who Should Read This Book?
You’ll likely love it if: you enjoy fated mates, shifters and vampires played for laughs. It is on our sapphic sports romance list.
You may want to skip it if: you want a sports-driven plot or dislike instalove.
In short: Fangs, fun and fated mates.
What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)
On Goodreads the split is 57% five stars, 28% four, 12% three, 1% two and none at one star. Most reviewers are returning series readers, and several are already waiting for the next book.
Why readers love it (according to the discourse): The humour first. Second, the easy, fast read. Third, the familiar cast. Fourth, the heat.
What readers argue about and complain about: Formula, above everything. Second, readers want the agency head’s story. Third, little that is new.
The comparison worth making first: For another Reba Bale romance, see Tumbling for Love.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I read Guarding the Athlete as a standalone?
Yes, according to readers: each Sapphic Security book pairs a new couple, and one reviewer says you can read them standalone or in order. Returning characters from earlier books do appear throughout.
Is Guarding the Athlete a sports romance?
Partly. Ruby is a professional women’s soccer star in Seattle, but the story is a paranormal bodyguard romance: Cassie, her protector, is a vampire.
How spicy is Guarding the Athlete?
Steamy. The book is billed as a steamy but sweet romance, and readers mention well-written erotic scenes.
Does Guarding the Athlete have a happy ending?
Yes. The blurb promises a happily ever after, and readers confirm the expected HEA.
Is Guarding the Athlete on Kindle Unlimited?
We did not see it offered through Kindle Unlimited at the time of writing — the Kindle edition was listed at $3.99, and an audiobook edition is available on Amazon.
If You Loved Guarding the Athlete, Read These Next
Try the rest of the Sapphic Security series, or browse our paranormal and fantasy lesbian romance reviews, our sapphic sports romance list or the full Book Reviews archive.
The Bottom Line
Guarding the Athlete sets out to be a light, sexy paranormal romcom, and for series fans it delivers. What holds it back is how closely it follows the formula. Worth it if you enjoy the series. Check Guarding the Athlete on Amazon →
The Eikna Overall Ranking
On the Eikna scale, Guarding the Athlete ranks as a good comfort read — funny, familiar.
The Evidence Scorecard
Overall ★★★★☆ 3.8/5
- ✓ 4.42 average across 114 Goodreads ratings
- ✓ 85% of Goodreads ratings are four or five stars
- ✓ 4.6 stars across 148 Amazon ratings
- ✓ 3.25 on StoryGraph from 2 reviews
Romance ★★★★☆ 3.7/5
- ✓ Fated mates
- ✓ Instalove
- ✓ Sweet beats
- ✓ Formulaic
Characters ★★★★☆ 3.8/5
- ✓ Grumpy vampire
- ✓ Sunshine athlete
- ✓ Scene-stealing bears
- ✓ Returning cast
Writing ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ Subtle humour
- ✓ Fast paced
- ✓ Easy read
- ✓ No new ground
Emotional Impact ★★★☆☆ 3.3/5
- ✓ Low angst
- ✓ Light escape
- ✓ Some action
- ✓ Few surprises
Heat Level ★★★★☆ 4/5
- ✓ Steamy
- ✓ Well-written scenes
- ✓ Sweet as well as hot
- ✓ Series norm
Ending ★★★★☆ 4/5
- ✓ HEA
- ✓ Promised in blurb
- ✓ Side couple too
- ✓ Series continues
Re-read Value ★★★☆☆ 3.4/5
- ✓ $3.99 Kindle price
- ✓ Audiobook available
- ✓ Short
- ✓ Standalone-friendly
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