Book picks similar to
Playing With Fate by Ava Thorpe
m-m
sports
mm
hockey
Here Comes the Flood
Kate McMurray - 2020
His alcoholism caught up with him, landing him in jail with a DUI. After facing his demons in rehab, he’s ready to get back in the pool. He stuns everyone at the US Olympic Trials, and now he’s back at his fourth Olympics with something to prove.Diver Tim Swan made headlines for snatching a surprise gold medal four years ago, and then making a viral coming-out video with his actor boyfriend, the subject of splashy tabloid headlines. Now his relationship is over and Tim just wants to focus on winning gold again, but reporters in Madrid threaten to overshadow Tim’s skill on the platform.When Isaac and Tim meet, they recognize each other as kindred spirits—they are both dodging media pressure while devoting their lives to the sports they love. As they get to know each other—and try to one-up each other with their respective medal counts—they realize they’re becoming more than friends. But will the relationship burn bright for just sixteen days, or can it last past the Closing Ceremony?
Man to Man
G.A. Hauser - 2006
Breaking up after a six month relationship with Luis, his partner and co-worker, Josh decided to make a total change in his life. Yearning the sun and sand, Josh tested to become a Los Angeles County lifeguard.Tanner Cameron was a permanent lifeguard and had made a career out of life-saving and being a paramedic. Divorced for a year after a five year marriage that ended badly, Tanner was trying to be content with his job and stayed away from the advances of the women he worked with. It seemed to Tanner that all the young ladies he met wanted marriage and babies, two things he no longer felt as essential. But Tanner was alone, and not happy about it.When Josh is assigned to Tanner during his mentorship program, Josh instantly falls for the tall, handsome guard in the red swimsuit. The only problem is, Tanner is straight. Very straight. And constantly reminds Josh of that fact when Josh's flirting gets carried away.The attraction and admiration Josh feels for Tanner soon sweeps him away. In a job where distractions can be fatal, Josh and Tanner struggle to keep their focus on the job as the chaos of nearly sixty million visitors flood the California coastline.As Josh’s good looks and seduction tactics begin to find a way through Tanner’s barrier of fear and intimidation, Josh finally makes some headway with the straight stud. But soon Josh wonders if all his efforts are in vain. Tanner is straight and always will be, and any hope Josh has to change him seem insurmountable. Or are they?Can Tanner get over the terror of the label he fears the most and open up his heart to the right partner? Or will he be unable to rescue his heart from a charming lifeguard whose idea of bliss is working it out, man to man?
Note:
This is a previously published work. The title, author, and/or publisher may have changed.
Steamroller
Mary Calmes - 2012
Vince is a dedicated biology student and a bit of a loner. Superstar quarterback Carson is larger than life, and he lives under a public microscope. There’s no way they should work. But Vince is learning that sometimes people just come steamrolling into your life and all you can do is hang on for the ride or lose your heart in the process. If their relationship can survive the fallout when an injury derails Carson’s future plans, maybe Vince can finally find something to believe in.
Nice Catching You
Ryan Taylor - 2022
1 college hockey star in the country falls in love—with a man?Nick Johnson, a top prospect for a pro hockey team, has a secret: he’s gay. Tired of living in the closet for the sport he loves, he sees no way out.Jacob Meyer’s string of bad boyfriends left him cynical about love. Instead, he focuses on his studies as a third-year law student. With a new job waiting for him, he’s eager to graduate and move on.On a school-sponsored trip, Nick and Jacob meet in a most unexpected way. When Nick tells Jacob his secret, they decide to hang out, just as friends. But their attraction is too strong to ignore, and they soon begin dating.Since Nick is a big man on campus, it doesn’t take long for people to notice his attachment to Jacob. All hell breaks loose when the relationship gets out. As the national media descends, university officials try to figure out how to solve their “problem.” Their efforts divide Nick’s team, inflame fans, and put Nick and Jacob’s futures in jeopardy. Will the men be able to survive a plot to destroy them without derailing both their careers?Nice Catching You is an out-for-you romance featuring a lot of love, exciting hockey, and a beautiful holiday. There’s also plenty of steam and a very happy ending.
Bet on Love
A.F. Zoelle - 2020
Will their surprise romance survive the wedding bells?Rhys HuntingtonDrunkenly eloping with my best man was never part of my wedding plans. Falling in love with him definitely wasn’t supposed to happen. But even though we’re both straight, the longer we’re married, the more I start to love Lucien as my husband and not just as my best friend.We’re supposed to get an annulment to undo our bad idea. That’s not what I really want, though. I’m ready to bet everything on love by committing to our marriage for real. Can I convince him to stay married to me and give us a chance at finding our happily ever after together?Lucien St. AmourI would do anything for my best friend. That apparently includes making a rash decision to save Rhys from the mistake of marrying a woman who doesn’t love him by eloping with him before his wedding. Instead of it being a funny story we tell our friends, the feelings I’ve suppressed for Rhys since sharing our first kiss as teenagers explode into a roaring blaze of desire for my new husband.Our marriage may have started as a joke in front of an Elvis impersonator at a quickie Vegas wedding chapel, but I meant every word of my vows. Will Rhys allow me to love, honor, and cherish him as my husband like I promised?Bet on Love is the first book in the Good Bad Idea series and part of the Sunnyside universe. This novel features a friends to lovers, dual bisexual awakening, second chance romance. If you love cute sweetness, sexy fun, and low angst stories that will make you laugh and swoon, you’ll enjoy this satisfying HEA without cliffhangers. Each book can be read as a standalone or as part of the series in order.
The Jock
Tal Bauer - 2021
Three years in, he has it all: he’s the starting tight end, team captain, and, according to ESPN, maybe the best college football player in the nation. But he’s been keeping a secret from everyone.Justin Swanscott has three certainties in his life: he’s gay, football is overrated, and he really, really doesn’t like cowboys. He should never have fallen into Wes’s open-range eyes or let his heart run wild when Wes gave him that shy little smile over summer. But he couldn’t stop himself.Everyone’s asking questions about Wes this season: How is he playing so well? Will Texas be undefeated this year? Will he take the team all the way to the national championship? What’s next for him?The truth? Wes isn’t dreaming about an NFL contract. His heart belongs to Justin, even though the world wants it to belong to football.Wes has stadiums packed with screaming fans, ESPN is all over him, and the NFL wants him badly. He’s living under a microscope, and the pressure keeps building as the team keeps winning. Everyone wants something from him, but all Wes wants is to love Justin.Something’s gotta give.
Kage
Maris Black - 2015
I never thought I’d say such a thing. Never had a problem being overly-attached to anything in my life. I came from a perfectly middle-class family, made good grades, and had a hot cheerleader girlfriend... but the truth is, nothing ever really moved me. So how did a guy like me become an addict? I met Michael Kage. Kage is an MMA fighter. A famous one. I like to think I helped him get that way. He’s charming as hell, with looks to rival any movie star and talent to back it up. So why did he need to hire me as an intern Publicist? Simple. He has a darkness in him– like a black hole so deep it could swallow him, and me, and everyone we know– and that’s not good for business. The first time I met him, I felt the pull. I think the addiction began at that very moment. And even if I’d known then what I know now, I would have fallen for him. How could I not? For me, Kage is everything.
HeartShip
Amy Jo Cousins - 2015
But when @joshfortytwo announces he’s coming to Miami for a spontaneous visit, Benji is pretty sure the left tackle (whatever that is) expects to meet a cute girl in a bikini, not an aging twink hoping to finally get his life together when he finishes massage therapy school.Josh doesn't let himself wonder about questions like:• why don't you want to ask @princessglitter if she's a girl?• why don't you tell your friends that you can't hang on Sunday nights because you've got a date to watch anime with your new BFF?• why do you call it a date?He just knows he needs to escape from the stress of having been injured just before the bowl game, and @princessglitter has somehow become his best friend.But when Josh's secrets and Benji's sex appeal smash together for forty-eight scorching hours, they're going to feel the heat from Miami to Minnesota.
Safety Net
Keiko Kirin - 2013
But three hotshot freshman football players are about to turn that around, and in the process discover what it means to be a team, the challenges of adulthood, and the true meaning of love.Erick West, the charismatic Texan quarterback, is the top recruit at Crocker when he meets Lowell Menacker, a handsome blond All-American tight end, and the two become fast friends. Completing the trio is receiver Dale Lennart, who feels Crocker is where he can finally be out and be himself--until he lands a spot on the football team.Against a backdrop of rocky relationships, unexpected rivalries, and setbacks on and off the field, Erick, Lowell, and Dale form lasting bonds. When Crocker starts winning football games, Erick and Lowell's on-field connection leads to romance. But can the bonds of love and friendship survive the unexpected pressures of success and going pro?Note: M/M and M/F
Farm Fresh
Posy Roberts - 2016
He never expected it to be a sexually free commune. Hudson finds himself falling for Jude, but all the men in the yellow house are lovers. Coupling-off isn't how their house works.Jude Garrity visits the farmers market every Saturday. As an environmental engineering student, he's curious about living off the grid and sustainable agriculture. And one particular farmer.Hudson Oliva has worked hard to support his commune, the only place he's felt at home. When Jude asks pointed questions about living there, Hudson decides to be honest. Few people know what the farm is actually about, but Jude is insistent.Jude moves in, however his sexual hang-ups left over from past abuse make it hard to adjust. He's living among people who have sex freely and with multiple partners. When Jude finally loosens up, Hudson is flooded with emotions for this reserved man. Falling for Jude wasn't part of Hudson's life plan. But when vindictive rumors about the commune begin to spread, love might be all he has left.
Finding Orlando
Lucy Hawkins - 2016
“You helped me find what I’d forgotten I wanted.”
Different worlds...
Ethan Parker has his whole life planned out for him -- and it’s a life he doesn’t want. But saying no to his family is too hard, so he buries his dreams and goes through the motions. Being on the swim team at Dalton University is his only escape from the constant pressure to be someone he’s not.
Sexy, mysterious Orlando Nolan seems to be Ethan’s polar opposite. Tall, toned, and tattooed, he looks more like a rugged rock star than an Ivy League student — but with one of the highest GPA's at Dalton, he's guaranteed a job at one of Silicon Valley’s best once he graduates. “I’m not brave like you. No matter how much I wish I could be.”
Shared secrets...
When Ethan needs help studying, Orlando can’t resist the chance to spend more time with the blond, blue-eyed, all-American boy from his dorm. Neither one expects the bond that forms between them, or how easy they find it to open up to each other. Then Ethan spends Thanksgiving with Orlando and his family … and their unlikely friendship catches fire. “He doesn’t fix me, he makes me realize that I can fix myself.”
And wrenching choices...
But family disapproval causes unhealed wounds to surface. Orlando doesn't know how long he can wait for someone who's afraid to love him back. But can Ethan sacrifice everything for the one person who makes him feel alive? Finding Orlando is a steamy stand-alone New Adult MM romance novel. It depicts a first time gay, friends to lovers relationship resulting in a satisfying HEA and no cliffhanger.
Out of the Penalty Box
Genevive Chamblee - 2019
Recovering from an injury and traded to a new team, Aidan is attempting to prove his viability to his coaches, fans, and teammates. Just when he believes he’s succeeded, another accident during the playoffs threatens to unravel all of his progress.Having relocated away from family and friends, Aidan turns to his extroverted team captain, Christophe Fontenot, whose jovial nature lifts everyone’s spirits. But when Aidan discovers his attraction for Christophe changes the meaning of “body checking,” Aidan questions more than his hockey skills.Should he deny what he feels or come out of the “box?”Part of the Game On Collection.
Bad Company
K.A. Mitchell - 2011
It’s been thirteen years since Kellan Brooks’s father crushed Nate’s family on his climb to wealth and power. Even longer since he entrusted Kellan with the confession that he might be gay—only to have his best friend out and humiliate him to their entire high school. The last thing Nate expects is Kellan begging for his help.Breaking off his engagement to a senator’s daughter was the last straw for Kellan’s CEO father. Frustrated at being cut off, his father’s stinging words—that he wishes Kellan had never been born—still ringing in his ears, Kellan turns to Nate. In a move worthy of a corporate raider, Kellan plans the ultimate revenge. Come out as the boyfriend of the man his homophobic father betrayed.Convincing Nate to play along isn’t easy. It’s even harder to figure out why the lie feels so close to the truth.Warning: Contains old friends, old enemies, a dramatic cat rescue, soft drink references and a lot of teasing before the steamy sex. Readers are cautioned against drinking any beverage while reading to avoid accidental snorting or spraying of said beverages.
Pull Me Under
Zarah Detand - 2014
Deny, deny, deny.2. Hope that his team and the public will just get over it.3. Make himself look better by means of a long-term, committed relationship.The problem? He has yet to really kiss another man.The solution? His manager knows just the guy.Enter Henry Brown: music student, openly gay, currently single, and so pretty that the public will just eat him up. He's all too happy to lend Ben a hand.Between public appearances and the media spotlight, they become friends. But when benefits come into play, the question is: are they ready for the real thing?Pull Me Under is a cheerful tale of two people finding truth in the middle of a media whirlwind — an emotional rollercoaster of slow ascents, magnificent drops and stomach-turning loops, all while hoping to come out with the sun on your face and a smile in your heart.
Out in the Open
A.J. Truman - 2014
After a high school social life spent anonymous and alone, things are finally falling into place for him. He’s found a group of friends just as studious as he, and is on track for a promising legal career. Out in the open, things couldn’t be better, but secretly Ethan yearns for some real excitement in his life. He finds it in cocky fratboy Greg Sanderson, who challenges every rigid, preconceived notion Ethan lives by. Soon, their sparring relationship turns sexual, and these enemies-with-benefits get their freak on all over campus. Yet the more Ethan comes out of his shell, the more Greg retreats into his, working overtime to keep his ladies man public persona intact. As the sex gets hotter, and they get closer to getting caught, one part of their arrangement can’t stay hidden any longer: love. OUT IN THE OPEN is a M/M new adult romance filled with humor, heart, and hot guys. The book is intended for audiences 18+ as it contains explicit sex and language.