He's the arrogant quarterback I'm supposed to hate. My boyfriend is the golden boy I'm supposed to love. So why does the wrong choice feel like the only thing that can save me?

​Helen Rogers has life figured out. As captain of the Ohio State cheer squad and girlfriend to the team's starting player, she's the picture of perfection. But behind the smile, she's drowning-hiding scars, popping antidepressants, and managing a relationship that's slowly turning into a cage.

​Then there's Bill Harrison. He's the star quarterback, a tattooed insomniac with a bad attitude and a legendary hatred for Helen. He's rude, cold, and everything she despises. But when the lights go out and the crowds disappear, Bill is the only one who notices the cracks in Helen's armor.

​A late-night motorcycle ride, a secret shared under stadium lights, and a accidental discovery change everything. As Helen's "perfect" life with her boyfriend crumbles into a nightmare of control and jealousy, the enemy she swore to stay away from becomes her only refuge.

​But Bill is fighting demons that no touchdown can fix. Haunted by a tragic past and spiraling into self-destruction, he pushes Helen away to protect her from the darkness inside him.

​He ran barefoot through the rain to die on her doorstep. Now, she has to decide if he's worth ruining herself to save.

​Breaking His Defense is a raw, emotional enemies-to-lovers college romance that asks: Can you really hate the person who sees the real you?