Hold Me Like a Grudge

When a fierce rivalry between two professional wrestlers grows increasingly heated, neither man can fight the attraction burning between them, in this dazzling debut romance.

 

From dramatic character gimmicks to death-defying stunts, everything in the world of professional wrestling is an act. Asher Ross’s hatred for Caleb Knight, however, is not. When Asher gets drafted to Global Elite Wrestling’s main roster, playing the role of Caleb’s worst enemy—the face to his heel—should be easy. Stripping him of his World Championship title should be even easier. But as the two men trade barbs and blows across arenas, they’re each surprised to find their chemistry is so sizzling, it can’t just be for the cameras.

 

Through training sessions, rehearsals, and injuries, Caleb’s icy demeanor melts away, and Asher begins to see the real man behind the cruel persona GEW has molded Caleb into. An unlikely truce evolves into feelings neither want to deny, but the company won’t let them be seen as anything other than bitter rivals, both in and out of the ring.

 

As Asher and Caleb grapple with what they truly want in an industry with a history of denying queerness, their forbidden romance comes crashing down on them, and both men are forced to decide if their relationship is real enough to last, and just how much they’re willing to fight for it.

Additional information

Genre

LGBTQ+, Romance

Age

Adult

Publisher

Penguin Random House

Imprint

Berkley

Language(s)

English

Author

Celine Ong

Release Date

31 March 2026

Release Month

March Releases

Author Identity

BIPOC, Disabled, LGBTQIA+

About the Author

Born and raised in sweltering Singapore, Celine (she/they) writes queer romance novels about little court jesters with weird feelings and big hearts. Their proudest accomplishment is being able to, completely unprovoked, quote the entirety of Venom: Let There Be Carnage by heart. HOLD ME LIKE A GRUDGE (Berkley, 2026) is her debut adult queer sports romance. LOSER NEW YEAR comes out in 2027.

She is represented by Brent Taylor at Triada US Literary Agency.

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