Book picks similar to
First Score by Lyssa Lemire


college
sports-romance
sports
romance

The Hook Up


Kristen Callihan - 2014
    Falling for star quarterback Drew Baylor is certainly not on her to do list. Confident and charming, he lives in the limelight and is way too gorgeous for his own good. If only she could ignore his heated stares and stop thinking about doing hot and dirty things with him. Easy, right?Too bad he’s committed to making her break every rule…Football has been good to Drew. It’s given him recognition, two National Championships, and the Heisman. But what he really craves is sexy yet prickly Anna Jones. Her cutting humor and blatant disregard for his fame turns him on like nothing else. But there’s one problem: she's shut him down. Completely.That is until a chance encounter leads to the hottest sex of their lives, along with the possibility of something great. Unfortunately, Anna wants it to remain a hook up. Now it’s up to Drew to tempt her with more: more sex, more satisfaction, more time with him. Until she’s truly hooked. It's a good thing Drew knows all about winning.All’s fair in love and football…Game on

Defenseless


Amy Jarecki - 2021
    Help his team win a bowl game, 2. Ace his exams and, most importantly, 3. Women are completely, utterly, and irrevocably off-limits.Strait-laced accounting major, Vivian Ellis, hasn't watched a complete game of football in her life. And when she receives her tutoring assignment, the last student she expects is Cade. Not only has the football star earned a reputation as the best looking heart-breaker on campus, his recent trial has made him notorious.But Cade is done with his past and he wants to prove it. When his teammates invite him to a celebration in his honor, he asks Vi to come along to keep the party-girls at bay. Except when Vi shows up without her glasses, she's as sexy-hot as a runway model. Worse, his tutor is as off-limits as any woman can get. As the season continues, sparks fly while their chemistry darts from simmering to scorching. Until everything is blown to hell. Challenged by hateful rumors and a devastating injury, will these star-crossed lovers find the mettle to get back in the game?

The Hardest Fall


Ella Maise - 2018
    You smile, say hello. Should be simple, if you’re anyone but me. The first time I met Dylan Reed, I found myself making eye contact with a different part of his body. You see, I’m very good at being shy, not to mention extremely well-versed in rambling nonsense and, unfortunately, rather highly skilled at making a fool of myself in front of a guy I’m attracted to. At the time, I knew nothing about him and thought none of what I said would matter since I’d never speak to him again. Turns out, I was very wrong. He was the star wide receiver of the football team, one of the few players expected to make it into the NFL, and I ended up seeing him all over campus. I might have also propositioned him, run away from him, attacked him with a cooking utensil…and…uh, maybe I shouldn’t tell you all of it. It’s pretty normal stuff, things you’d expect…from me. Eventually, the time came when I couldn’t hide anymore—not that he’d have let me even if I tried. Before now, he never knew I was secretly watching him. Now that we see each other every day, he knows when I have a hard time looking away. It doesn’t help that I’m not the most subtle person in the world either. He smiles at me and tells me he finds me fascinating because of my quirks. I can’t even tell him that I think my heart beats differently whenever he’s around. He thinks we’re going to be best friends. I think I have a big thing for him, and the more I get to know him, the more I don’t care that I’m not allowed to be his friend, let alone fall for him. The thing is, that’s exactly what I’m doing—what we’re doing, I think. Falling. Hard.

Bump and Run


Tabatha Kiss - 2016
    Check.A heart of gold and a smile that turns me stupid? Double check.My father is the new football coach and he’s made it clear that he doesn’t want me dating anyone on the team. So, I’ll just keep my head down and focus on my theater degree. Easy enough, right?Wrong.Enter, Junior Morgan. Exit, my panties. But I don’t want to be just another notch in his bedpost. If Junior wants me as badly as his bulge tells me he does, then he’s gonna have to earn me. Win a game. Win a night with me.Game on, quarterback. We’re just getting started.A handsome playboy. The coach’s forbidden daughter.College football’s Most Valuable Player has met his match! The Bad Baller Books: Bump and Run (Junior and Eliza’s story)Go Deep (John and Rose’s story)Home Run Baby (Hunter and Daisy’s story)This title was originally published as Whiplash.

Spinning Out


Lexi Ryan - 2016
    I had it all, and I threw it away with a semester of drugs, alcohol, and pissing off anyone who tried to stop me. Now I’m suspended from the team, on house arrest, and forced to spend a semester at home to get my shit together. The cherry on my fuckup sundae? Sleeping in the room next to mine is my best friend’s girl, Mia Mendez—the only woman I’ve ever loved and a reminder of everything I regret.I’m not sure if having Mia so close will be heaven or hell. She’s off-limits—and not just because she’s working for my dad. Her heart belongs to someone else. But since the accident that killed her brother and changed everything, she walks around like a zombie, shutting out her friends and ignoring her dreams. We’re both broken, numb, and stuck in limbo.Until I break my own rules and touch her. Until she saves me from my nightmares by climbing into my bed. Until the only thing I want more than having Mia for myself is to protect her from the truth. I can’t rewrite the past, but I refuse to leave her heart in the hands of fate. For this girl, I’d climb into the sky and rearrange the stars.SPINNING OUT is a sexy, emotional novel of 100,000 words. It is first in the Blackhawk Boys, a series of standalone novels.

Puck Me Secretly


Odette Stone - 2018
    I’ve never had an orgasm, but I’ve faked plenty. I want to experience love.  Real, passionate love. I don’t want to die. It’s funny what blurts out of your mouth when the plane you’re on is going down, and I didn’t hold back with my seat mate when my plane decided to crash. My hysterical confessions didn’t faze the muscular stranger that sat beside me.  In fact, he promised if we survived, he’d give me my first orgasm.   We survived. I came. And then he left without telling me who he was. On the first day of my job, I stood in front of the Vancouver Wolves hockey team and called out a number.  #33. Imagine my shock when he skated forward. Max is an incredible hockey player, whose wild, out-of-control antics have almost derailed his career.  So many secrets shroud his past and continue to threaten his future.   Now he’s my secret.  And that secret could ruin everything.   Puck Me SECRETLY.  Some secrets are too big to keep. Intended for adult audiences only.

Sweet Home


Tillie Cole - 2013
    But when Molly leaves England's grey skies behind to start a new life at the University of Alabama, she finds that she has a lot to learn — she didn't know a summer could be so hot, she didn't know students could be so intimidating, and she certainly didn't know just how much the folks of Alabama love their football.When a chance encounter with notorious star quarterback, Romeo Prince, leaves her unable to think of anything but his chocolate-brown eyes, dirty-blond hair and perfect physique, Molly soon realises that her quiet, solitary life is about to dramatically change forever...Mature New Adult novel — contains adult content, highly sexual situations and mature topics. Suited for ages 18 and up*

Discovering Us


Harper Bentley - 2013
    but sometimes forever's not that easy.Ellen has loved Jagger since she was five and he was seven when they kissed through the chain link fence at school. She’s had their wedding planned since she was twelve and is ready for a happily ever after with him, but life just isn't that neat and tidy. Although they lost contact over the years, which broke her heart, during Jag's senior year in high school, sophomore Ellen catches his eye once again and their friendship is back on. When things between them gradually develop into something more, Ellen wants to give herself completely to Jag, but he’s not so sure he wants to risk their relationship in taking things to the next level. When Jag is drafted to the Dodgers as the hot, new pitcher of the team, Ellen decides to go with him, transferring colleges and leaving her friends and family behind. But things get more and more complicated when busy schedules, a slimy agent and a supermodel disrupt their lives, which makes Ellen question whether they’ll ever get their perfect forever.This is the first book of the True Love Trilogy.Due to language and sexual content, this book is not recommended for readers under age 17

Chasing Butterflies


Terri E. Laine - 2016
    Laine brings a new standalone New Adult Romance novel, Chasing Butterflies, about second chances on and off the field. One night … one kiss … one touch … will change everything. Kelley Moore’s tragic home life should make him a survivor. But when he’s uprooted yet again, his plans for a better future seem impossible. Being a player on and off the football field is all he knows, until Lenora Wells. The beautiful town princess makes him feel and want things he never thought he could have… Lenora will do anything to get out of her town, even if it means dating the wrong guy. There’s one problem: she can’t stop thinking about the gorgeous, complicated boy with the unusual eyes who gives her butterflies and makes her question her choices. When their lives collide, the world shifts and not in their favor. Four years later, the sins of their past can never be taken back and forgiveness won’t come easy. College is a different game, a second chance for something better. She’s not the girl he remembers and he’s the one boy she can never forget. He’s made a name for himself as the star quarterback -- the golden boy who can do no wrong. But he’s only interested in being her hero. Despite everything, she can’t deny he still makes her heart flutter; and she’s got him chasing butterflies. *Warning this new adult romance contains adult content and language and may not be suitable for younger readers.

Becoming Us


Amy Daws - 2015
    The last place Finley ever want to be with college basketball God, Jake LaShae. She is losing her mind trying to figure out what this guy wants from her. Between their late night phone calls, cuddle sessions and him showing up at parties, causing a scene, his mixed signals are giving her whip lash. When a mind-blowing betrayal knocks the wind out of Finley and she thinks she can’t feel any lower, Brody stumbles into her path—barefoot and charmingly sexy. This boy next door is a breath of fresh air. And he’s not shooting her any mixed signals. But even he has a past. A past that makes him anything but perfect. When Finley begins to think she’s found the one in Brody, will Jake try to make one final play and ruin the game for everyone?~The college prequel to the London Lovers Series~

The Rulebreaker


Claire Contreras - 2021
    He rooted for me at my soccer games. I cheered for him at his hockey tournaments. Through heartbreaks, new relationships, and failed friendships, we knew we could always count on each other. That's why no one is more surprised--or panicked-- than I am when I start to develop different feelings for him. But Instead of telling him the truth, I agree to help him find a girlfriend. Someone who is not me. Someone who is so opposite of me that I have to make a list for the charade. The problem is, he wants to practice his dating skills with me. The corny pickup lines, the hand-holding, the door opening, the staring. Before this, I thought sharing a house with him was an excellent idea. Who wouldn’t want to room with their best friend? Now, the close proximity is killing me. What’s worse is that I can’t stop looking at him like he’s a Greek god, and he can’t stop seeing me as his virginal little sister. Still, I push it aside, until one night, when he’s lying beside me in bed and I’m the one who forgets the rules and crosses the line between friends and something more. It’s a horrible idea. He’s a player. I’m a virgin. Yet, I can’t seem to stop myself. New item on my list: DO NOT FALL FOR YOUR BEST FRIEND.

Power Play


Alley Ciz - 2019
    if they’re on your brothers’ team. The last time Jordan did that, it ended in disaster. It was easy to promise her brothers she'd never date another one of their teammates again. Until she meets Jake. The spark she feels when she spends time with him makes her promise harder and harder to keep. Surely her brothers would understand breaking this promise if it means following her heart. Wouldn't they? Never sleep with a teammate’s sister. This is the universal rule of athletes everywhere. Until he meets Jordan. As soon as Jake sets eyes on her, he wants her. The goalie's job is to see missed shots and failed opportunities on the ice. This is one shot he's not going to miss, no matter what obstacles get in his way. POWER PLAY is a flirty, swoon worthy sexy rom-com and the first book in the BTU Alumni series. It can be read as a stand alone. If you like hockey boys, sarcastic friends, matchmaking K9’s, too-cute-to-handle kindergarteners, fierce heroines and swoony hot as puck Alpha heroes, then you want to get to know these cast of characters. One puck head and a HEA guaranteed.

SNAPPED (The Slate Brothers, Book One)


Harper James - 2017
    Each One A Football Star. Each One Sexy, Rough And Completely Untamed. A standalone romance with a guaranteed HEA Sebastian Slate is everything I’m against: Privileged athlete. Arrogant sex-machine. Ruthless heartbreaker. When I came to Berkfield University, I vowed to stay away from men like him. Men who think they can toy with women, use them as playthings and then discard them like empty cups of beer after one of their obnoxious parties. But then I actually meet Sebastian Slate up close and personal. Before I know it, my body is responding to him despite knowing how wrong it is. And even more shocking is the fact that he actually seems to notice me back. It’s as if everything in my universe has been turned upside down. All the things I thought were important, I’m turning away from. And all of the things I thought I hated, I actually want. Like Sebastian Slate, the super-confident football hero who walks around this entire college like it’s his personal playground. It turns out that I’ll give up everything, all of my hopes and dreams and values, simply to be touched by his dirty, rough hands. Just to feel his lips all over my body. Just to be snapped, once and for all….

Rookies Do It Better


Heather C. Myers - 2019
    Blackmail. Scandal. And they say rookies don't have fun. JackJack Ruby is a fighter - literally.At 19, he's gotten into more fights than he remembers. It probably has to do with the fact that since he was a child, he's been angry. His mother's a drug addict who only talks to him when she wants money, he lives with his best friend since he has nowhere else to go, and he's in love with said best friend's sister.He's screwed.The only good that comes out of this is he just signed with the Newport Beach Seagulls's minor league affiliate, the Irvine Mayhem.If he's good at anything, it's hockey. And sex. And fighting.As long as he stays away from Lily, he'll be fine.But Jack's never been good at playing by the rules.LilyLily Sinclair doesn't get the opportunity to say no when her brother and his best friend move in with her. She's trying to get ready for her first year of college while they're partying, getting into fights, and playing hockey.Must be nice.It wouldn't be so bad if her brother was friends with anyone but Jack Sinclair. The brown eyes, the high cheekbones, that mischievous grin.God, she's in so much trouble.When an ex shows up in her life, blackmailing her over a video Lily hadn't been aware of, she's tells him to eff off.That's when all hell breaks loose in the form of Jack Ruby.Will he ever look at her the same way again?Fans of The Slapshot Series are devouring this new adult sports romance set in the same sunny beach city.

Rae of Sunshine


Micalea Smeltzer - 2014
    Then with one stupid decision everything fell apart and nothing was ever the same.Rae Wilder wants nothing but a do over—but life doesn’t work that way. She’s stuck living out the consequences of her actions. At times the burden feels unbearable. College is supposed to be her second chance. New place.New people.New life.No one to know what she did.Despite that, she has still vowed to avoid everyone and everything at all costs. Unfortunately for her, an accidental run-in with the campus heartthrob, Cade Montgomery, derails that plan. He’s determined to thaw the ice around her heart and expose the girl she used to be. He wants to show her that life is worth living for and that she really is a Rae of Sunshine.