Book picks similar to
Cross Check by Lynn Stevens


sports-romance
college
college-young-adult
slow-burn

Yours Forever: a Billionaire MMA Romance (In The Network Series Book 1)


Bolivar Nakhasenh - 2021
    I should have known then and there that the asshole would break my heart. But dumb me, I made him my best friend instead.For as long as I can remember, it was Sassy and Macy against the world.We were eight when I asked him to be my husband and promised to never slip him the tongue like my mom and dad did when they kissed.Nine, when I discovered that the Monster under his bed was very real and that we had to hide from it whenever it came home.And sixteen when we were tragically separated à la Romeo and Juliet (well, minus the dying part).So what do I do to mend our friendship? I accepted a dance scholarship at the prestigious Elite Preparatory Academy, a school for the ultra-rich, to be close to him.But my reunion with the boy I left behind doesn’t go according to plan.For one thing, Mason Winthrop isn’t a kid anymore. He is a sexy six-foot-tall, tattooed MMA fighter with dark hair and glacier eyes.And two, Mace isn’t happy to see me. At. All. Granted, it would have helped if I hadn’t kicked him in the balls, but the jerk had it coming.Will we be able to overcome our differences and pick up where we left off amid all the High School angst and drama? Or will the Monster keeping the beautiful boy trapped in a golden cage win the war after all?Welcome to a world where Billionaires, evil cheerleaders, and football pricks reign supreme. You think the Mafia is the big bad in our world? Pffff, wait until you meet my roommate’s Russian bodyguard.Going up against bullies has never been so much fun!This is a new adult book that is part of a duet and is not standalone. It contains situations and language that some readers might find offensive and/or triggering.

Looking to Score


Carrie Gray - 2020
    Oakley Davis is the star running back at our University, and the reason I’ve broken my vow to avoid the college party scene. Thanks to a mixup with my advisor, I’m now serving my Public Relations internship as a glorified babysitter to the party-hard football players.Specifically, Oakley.He’s impossible to manage. His Instagram is full of half-naked, drunk photos and he’d rather attend parties than practice. His brand needs some serious work, and when he’s not driving me insane, he’s sleeping his way through the entire female population. But I’m determined. I have plans to graduate a semester early and nothing or no one will get in my way. I’m a Virgo, after all. Oakley Davis might be a privileged, cocky, football star, but I’m Amanda Matthews; and I’ll do whatever it takes to get my A. I have to make sure I don’t end up falling in love with the idiot, first.

Sweet Keeper (Sweet Talkers, #1)


Thalia Sanchez - 2020
    until I met Stanley McKinley.From the moment that I met him, I knew that I was going to hate his guts, that he was everything that I'm not, everything I despise.One mistake.That's all it took for our paths to collide and merge into one,and I can't find a way to get rid of the magnetic pull he has over me.I want to push him away, to do everything in my power to keep him as a friend—at most.But friends aren't supposed to flirt and look at each other the way we do.I shouldn't want him... but I do.And there's nothing I can do to change before I mess him up too.STANLEYShe thinks that I'm a golden boy, that I'm the perfect guy.Rich and spoiled asshole that can have everything he wants in life.I'm neither of those things.From the moment I met her, Bree Pierce got under my skin and I can't get her out of my system, no matter how hard I try to. I was an inconvenience for her, someone she only spoke to because we made a mistake, not even worthy of being her friend. But I don't want her friendship.I want her.And I'm willing to do whatever it takes for her to choose me, to keep me as much as I want to keep her.Even if it ruins everything that we have.

Heavy Hitter


Stacy Borel - 2019
    Already the perfect daughter and a straight A student, what more could be asked of her? Breaking out of the mold deemed to be her future was never even in her sights. Until she met her cousin’s new roommate. With his chartreuse yellow eyes and chiseled abs, Crew Evanston was everything she didn’t know she wanted, and everything her father despised. Crew came to Athens, Georgia, on a wing and a prayer. Working under his asshole uncle as a mechanic and living with a complete stranger, he was directionless. But when a cute little brunette with pouty lips and bedroom blue eyes barged in on him, being here suddenly seemed to take on a purpose. What happens when two mismatched puzzle pieces somehow fit together? Can the good girl get up to bat when life throws her a hardball, or will she forever stay on the bench?

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.

The Perfect First


Maya Hughes - 2019
    Math genius. Lover of blazers. The only girl I know who can make Heidi braids look sexy as hell. And she’s on a mission. Lose her virginity by the end of the semester. I walked in on her interview session for potential candidates (who even does that?) and saw straight through her brave front. She’s got a list of Firsts to accomplish like she’s only got months to live. I’ve decided to be her guide for all her firsts except one. Someone’s got to keep her out of trouble. I have one rule, no sex. We even shook on it.I’ll help her find the right guy for the job. Someone like her doesn’t need someone like me and my massive...baggage for her first time. Drinking at a bar. Check. Partying all night. Double check. Skinny dipping. Triple check. She’s unlike anyone I’ve ever met. The walls I’d put up around my heart are slowly crumbling with each touch that sets fire to my soul. I’m the first to bend the rules. One electrifying kiss changes everything and suddenly I don’t want to be her first, I want to be her only. But her plan was written before I came onto the scene and now I’m determined to get her to re-write her future with me.

Jock Blocked


Shae Sullivan - 2020
    Finish my senior year, then my PhD, and then it’s on to teaching just like my grandmother.There isn’t a single roadblock in my way… until he shows up at my tutoring center.Carter Jenkins.Football star. Arrogant Jock. All around brutal bastard.He may be everyone else’s favorite quarterback—but to me, he’s just the dick that ruined a naïve girl’s first days in college.And now here is he, with his smug face and penetrating eyes, demanding my help.Yeah right.I’ve heard the stories. He’s going all the way to the NFL, so long as he’s not put on academic probation for failing classes. Which is where I’m supposed to come in. And if it wasn’t for my boss/secret crush pleading with me to take Carter on, I’d drop him like a bad habit.So reluctantly, I agree.I’ll do this favor and help the guy I really can’t stand, for the guy I really want to be with.It should be no sweat…because I hate football players.And no matter how much time Carter and I spend together, or how different he may seem, there’s no way in hell I’d ever fall for one…From Bestselling author Shae Sullivan comes a new, deliciously tension filled enemies to lovers sports romance about the quarterback who has it all and the girl who refuses to fall for him. Standalone romance. HEA.

Worth the Risk


Karen Monroe - 2020
    She’s not a plain-Jane, but she’s also not a partier. When her roommates coerce her into attending a frat party, she can think of a million other things she’d rather do…like maybe wash her hair, or floss her teeth really hard. Fortunately for Cassi, the night’s not a total waste. She winds up meeting the star quarterback for the team...and that’s just the beginning of the night.Griffin Mackenzie knows a good thing when he sees it. Years of spotting his targets on the football field have given him good instincts. His life has been blessed with riches…on and off the field. Girls? Plu-eeze! He only needs to wiggle his finger to get one. He’s at the party because he’s the designated driver. Someone has to keep the yahoos on his team in-line. He’d been expecting to be bored. He never expected to meet someone like Cassi!Can two people who shouldn’t have anything in common survive the pitfalls of new love…especially if that love includes YouTube fame, trending on Twitter, and a crazy stalker? Find out if Cassi and Griff are…Worth The Risk!Author’s note:This is a spicy sports romance. American football, bad language, and the actual sport of football features prominently in the story.

Frayed


Laura Pavlov - 2021
    Innocent girl next door. Two different worlds. One small town. A million reasons why they should have stayed away from one another.My life was mapped out for me before I even entered the world.Who I'd date, where I’d attend college, what I'd be when I grew up.But there was a time in everyone's life when they'd face a fork in the road.Should I go left, or should I go right?It didn't matter as long as I didn't remain stagnant any longer.Jett Stone opened me up to a whole new world.Reminding me that it was okay to find my own way.I could have roots in Willow Springs and still spread my wings and fly.What I didn't expect was to fall in love with the broody football player.The boy I’d known since kindergarten.The boy who had somehow become my everything.

Dare You to Hate Me


B. Celeste - 2021
    Lindon U’s star tight end.⁣⁣Still as attractive. Still as dedicated.⁣⁣With rumors of him being drafted to the NFL coming to fruition, I know it’s only a matter of time before we have to say goodbye again.⁣⁣But he can’t seem to let me go no matter what I say, and I don’t think I want him to.⁣

Dear Love, I Hate You


Eliah Greenwood - 2021
    And he definitely wasn’t supposed to answer it. We end up talking through letters and sticky notes in a book. One sticky note. Two sticky notes. Ten sticky notes. All baring our darkest, deepest secrets. It’s all fun and games until I find out who my pen pal is... Xavier Emery. King of my basketball-obsessed town, my childhood bully, and the guy I am in grave danger of falling in love with. But the rules were clear: we can never know who we’re talking to, and the confessions can never, ever get out. Seriously. It would destroy lives.  Fine by me. Even if Mr. Popular does find out his confidant is little old me, it’s not like he’d ever love me back…Right?

The Hard Way


Katie Ashley - 2016
    Because of his talent at football, coupled with his father’s wealth, he’s always gotten his way. But when a night of drunken debauchery lands him in hot water with the college athletic board, neither his influential father nor his charming grin can save him. He finds it a total buzz kill when he is sentenced to community service with troubled youth at an inner-city shelter. But his nightmare is only beginning when his greatest high school regret is the very one in charge of the program, and she has him by the balls in more ways than one.For Avery Prescott, senior year was a nightmare of epic proportions, and Cade Hall played the lead villain. After she fled her small town for college in the bright lights of Atlanta, she thought she had escaped the painful memories of her past. She never could have imagined Cade would waltz through the door of the outreach program she presided over. But Avery has news for Cade--she isn’t the same shy, doormat of a girl she was in high school. Since she holds Cade's football future in her hands, she’s more than ready to make payback a real bitch.Will the two stay in the defensive zone or discover that sometimes life's greatest lessons are learned the hard way?

Draft Day


Toya King - 2016
    A successful college football career means I’m about to sign with the NFL―and I have all the women I want. When Deja shows up at my football practice, I’m shocked at the changes in her. When we were in foster care as kids, I always protected her, and she needs me more than ever. I’m determined to take care of her―but will I be forced to choose between her and my career? Deja Tyler was the only real bright spot in my life growing up. Maybe I don’t deserve to be in his life anymore, but turning to him when I hit rock bottom is the only choice that makes sense. I can’t help wanting more from him than friendship. He has the brightest future imaginable, and if I’m not careful, I could drag him down with me. He’s like a beacon lighting my way to a better path… if I can find the strength to follow it. But will he be waiting for me when I get there? Draft Day is a steamy standalone interracial football sports romance novel. It's only recommended for audiences 18+. No cheating. No cliffhangers. Guaranteed HEA.

Dirty Saint


Vesper Vaughn - 2016
     He has this whole university fooled. Not me. I've seen a whole other sinful side to Mr. Touchdown. I've witnessed his swagger. Heard his filthy mouth and lost count how often he says the Lord's name in vain. I can’t stand that man. So why is he starring in my dreams? Why do I have a carnal highlight reel in my mind, looping with images that have nothing to do with the game of football? Now I’m the first-ever water girl for the university football team. My plan? I need to stay far, far away from temptation. I’m here for the thrill of the game. Not to worship the sexy-as-sin Quarterback. But from the first day of practice Saint's sultry gaze makes it perfectly clear that he intends to score. SAINT: They call me Saint. That’s because I’m a miracle on the football field. I’ve taken this cloistered, religious university and launched it into the national spotlight. All I want is to play ball and get to know some of my lovely and devoted female fans. They flock to my games. They can't wait to offer me anything I want after the final play. But all that changes when I catch sight of Esther. The water girl is the only girl on campus who doesn't want me. That's okay because I like a challenge, I like strategy and I really like the idea of finally claiming Esther's heavenly body. This standalone, full-length novel contains cursing, steamy sex scenes, no cheating, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

Bad Idea


Nicole French - 2017
    The beautiful girl. The f**king ray of sunshine in the middle of your delivery route. Layla Barros is everything I never knew I wanted. Everything I'll never have.She's an innocent young student. I'm a convicted felon. She's rich girl from a nice family. I've got nothing but a broken home.But if I'm an addict, she's my drug. I can't stay away, even though I know I'll ruin her in the end. She might be the girl of my dreams, but I was always a bad idea.