Book picks similar to
Catching Zia by Becca Jameson


sports
contemporary
freebie
contemporary-romance

Undisputed


A.S. Teague - 2016
    Parties, women, fame—what more could I want? As the undisputed MMA light heavyweight champ, I’ve faced the world’s toughest men. But, with a single glance, I knew that the five-foot-five redhead with a smart mouth and innocent eyes would be my hardest opponent yet. Sidney O’Neil isn’t my type. While I spend my nights out drinking at the trendiest clubs in town, she spends hers taking care of her sick nephew. She is nothing I thought I wanted, yet she’s somehow become the one thing I need. But what happens when the world is tipped on end and I’m no longer who she needs? How do I convince her that we’re worth the fight when all she knows is defeat?I’ve never lost a match, and I refuse to start now.But, sometimes, the toughest fight of your life is outside the cage.

This Is Crazy


Natasha Madison - 2019
     Zara Stone All my life, I’ve said I will never date a hockey player. I know better because I’ve seen and lived it all. My father is a hockey god, my brother is the captain of the most successful NHL team in the world, and my brother-in-law also plays in the league. Their lives are complicated, so I went in the opposite direction. I fell in love with a scholar. But instead of proposing marriage, he broke up with me. Three months later, I saw his engagement picture on Instagram. I couldn’t let him get away with that. No, it didn’t matter what, I was going to make that man see that I did not need him. Evan Richards I was in the running to pass my point record from last year, ready to claim the number one spot in the league. On top of my game, I was riding my career high wave. Then, Hockey’s Princess, Zara Stone tweeted me. She wanted me to crash her ex’s wedding. The worst that could happen? A PR nightmare. The best? A fun night with a beautiful woman. It started out as a game—something I’m good at. Her crazy idea twisted into something I wasn’t looking for, something neither of us wanted. When push comes to shove, one thing runs through my mind: This is Crazy. Also, this is crazy right.

Drive Me Wild


Melanie Harlow - 2020
    I’m a mechanic, not a hotel manager. I've got enough on my plate trying to keep my shop from going under, my overbearing mother off my back, and my baseball team in contention for the league championship. I don’t have time for a former debutante with zero street smarts and a cash flow problem, even if she is crazy beautiful. Problem is, she’s stranded in my small town, and I’m hiding a protective streak underneath my grumpy exterior that runs deep. So I offer her a place to stay and keep my hands to myself. For exactly one night. If only she weren't so gorgeous. So funny. So eager to please. She’s a disaster behind the wheel, but she drives me wild without even trying--at work, at home, in the back of my truck . . . I can’t get enough of the way she makes me feel. But I know better than to think it can last. She wants a fairy tale, and I’m no prince. So when it comes time for her to leave, there’s nothing I can do but let her go. No matter how much it hurts to say goodbye.

Last Resort


Kate Roth - 2014
    Sure, she’s been on dates. She even has a boyfriend, but it seems something is always getting in the way when it comes to doing the deed. After her boyfriend finally loses his patience and leaves her to drown her sorrows, her best friend Georgia comes up with a plan that becomes more and more brilliant with each shot of tequila. Book a non-refundable solo trip to an adults-only resort with the intention of getting laid. The beach is picturesque, her room is luxurious, the alcohol is included … and Danielle can’t wait to get the hell out of there the second she checks in. That is, until an uninvited kiss from drunken hotel guest and Hollywood hottie Evan Weston. Once Evan discovers the reason for Danielle’s vacation, he won’t let up in his pursuit to be the one to solve her problem. Caught between her desire for a fresh start and the preposterous idea of having a fling with her celebrity crush, Danielle decides it’s time to throw caution to the wind and her panties to the floor. But it’s never just sex, is it? And Evan Weston isn’t just any man. He isn’t just a movie star. Evan Weston is Danielle’s last resort.

Love Surfaced


Michelle Lynn - 2015
    We stayed on our designated sides of the relationship circle. Ignoring swarming butterflies.Brushing off skipped heartbeats.Settling on lingering stares.Here’s the secret … a hand extended over that invisible line once, exponentially changing the equation. I was convinced we could make our relationship work until Tanner broke the trust he embedded in me from the age of seven. One deceit of mega proportions and the relationship we built for that short month vanished. I swore never to speak to him again and it’s worked. Until now—two years later, when my brother’s wedding places me face-to-face with the best man—Tanner McCain. Leaving one equation to be solved. Can love surface twice?

Next to You


Daisy Prescott - 2016
    I’d never let you go.” I added Sage to my rugby club’s annual list of women who are off limits thinking I could protect her from the gorillas I play with. Aspen's a small town in the off season when the dating pool shrinks to the size of a melted snowflake. Never did I think I’d be the one to break the code and date her. Even if it’s all for show. A wager between friends. An excuse to hang out with her more. Nothing more than that. Right? *** Who agrees to date their best friend over a green smoothie? Apparently this girl right here. Now the man-bun-sporting South African rugby god next door is my fake boyfriend. I need to rebuild my confidence after some poor dating decisions. Who could be better to fluff my ego than Aspen’s hottest bachelor? This situation is a win-win. Right?Next to You is a standalone Romantic Comedy/sports romance about a rugby player and an heiress in Aspen. Next to You is book one in the Love with Altitude series of standalone romances set in the small town of Aspen.Stan and his man bun first appeared in the Modern Love Story Short, Take for Granted. This is a full-length novel told in dual POVs.

Jax


Lane Hart - 2015
    Known for his viciousness in the cage, and his playboy ways out of it, Jax is arrested and charged with a brutal rape. The thought of spending decades in prison is one of the few things that actually scares the shit out of this cocky fighter. Newly admitted attorney Page Davenport is willing to do anything it takes to get out from under her father's thumb and finally prove herself in his law firm. Anything except represent the infamous miscreant, Jackson "The Mauler" Malone. Despite her protests, Page is powerless to avoid becoming the sacrificial lamb, the token female, who will be the face of the violent, angry Neanderthal's defense team. Jax is a bad boy with a temper, doing whatever the hell he wants in life while flipping the bird at all his haters. Page is the prim and proper rich debutante her parents want her to be. They've been pulling her strings, telling her what to do, where to go to school, what to wear, and even who she should marry. Page and Jax struggle to work together, engaging in a knockdown drag-out fight for dominance. When they finally stop taking swings at each other, they're both surprised to realize that sometimes first impressions are completely wrong. In fact, opposites really do seem to attract. However, there are lines that attorneys and their clients can never cross, if Page wants to keep her license to practice law. Will Page risk it all and submit to the cocky fighter? Or will Jax's temper and jealousy prove too much for her to take on outside of the courtroom? Either way, one thing is for sure - neither Page nor Jax are going down without a fight. In the end, the secret for them to find heaven may be to battle their way through hell first. This 72K word book has a HEA with no cliffhanger.

Here We Go


Shannon Stacey - 2020
     Kristen Burke isn’t a hockey fan. She grew up in the shadow of an older brother destined for the Hockey Hall of Fame and she wants nothing to do with hockey players. She’s focused on her career and nailing the promotion she’s worked hard for. She also likes to have a little fun, but when the hot, bookish guy she brings home for a night turns out to be her brother’s fiercest on-ice rival, all that work might be for nothing. Will “Cross” Lecroix is stuck in a city that hates him, doing a conditioning stint after an injury incurred during a fight, and a quick fling with a beautiful woman seems harmless enough. Not even twenty-four hours later, he’s in the media spotlight sporting a bruised jaw and being asked if the rumor he spent the night with Erik Burke’s sister is true. Making a split-second decision meant to save her reputation with her conservative boss, Will announces he and Kristen have been dating. With her promotion potentially at risk, she has no choice but to play along—and the playing part isn’t bad at all. The more time they spend together, the more the line between pretend and real blurs, but Will’s return to his team looms over them. As the clock runs out on their fake romance, they have to decide—is what they have the real thing, and is it worth the price they’ll pay?

Raw Deal


Cherrie Lynn - 2017
    Gone is the fierce, brutal beast she’s seen in the cage. In his place is a beautiful man torn with guilt, seeking forgiveness, and willing to do anything to ease her pain.Her family doesn’t approve, but her heart doesn’t stand a chance. Irresistibly drawn together, neither of them can deny the intoxicating desire unleashed between them, turning their pain into the most exquisite pleasure.But every time Mike steps into the cage, Savannah knows she could lose him too. She can’t go through that again, but how can she let go of the one man who sets her body and soul on fire?

Brief Encounters


Scarlett Hopper - 2018
    With the painful life she left behind and the unorthodox job she currently has, lying is a must. But when Eleanor meets Jess Parker, Breslin University’s hockey player both on and off the ice, everything she has worked for threatens to come crumbling down. Jess Parker is the epitome of everything Eleanor wants to avoid. He’s popular, cocky, and has more girls’ numbers than a phonebook. Yet, when they are paired together for a school project, their connection is undeniable. As their friendship develops, Jess’s ability to truly see Eleanor shakes the very foundation she’s built her new life on. When Eleanor begins to question the two rules she has always followed, she finds herself wondering if honesty might actually be the best policy. But, when all is said and done, will the truth be too much for Jess to handle?

The It's Kind of Personal Series


Anna Brooks - 2017
    Their love runs deep and their loyalty everlasting. Each man must battle his past in order to secure a future with his one true love. Defeat is not an option when their hearts are on the line. Book One: Make Me Forget, Travis and Charlotte. Book Two: Show Me How, Brandon and Mary. Book Three: Prove Me Right, Liam and Meara. Book Four: Tell Me When, Pierce and Ruby. Book Five: Remember Me Now, Nik and Lisa. Book Six: Give Me This, Declan and Amie.

The Guys Are Props Club


Ingrid Seymour - 2013
    Cute guys are players and not to be trusted, a fact she learned the hard way when her first boyfriend ran her heart through a paper shredder. Two years later, her promise is still intact, and she’s determined to make it through college without falling victim to another creep. She has her job, school and The Guys Are Props Club to keep her mind and hormones in check.The club was founded by Jessica, Maddie’s best friend. It is a sisterhood of girls who have fallen prey to heartless jerks and who have vowed to turn the tables. Once a semester, Jessica requires members to “do onto others as they’ve done unto you.” Setting the example, Jessica’s next play is Sebastian Capello, a theater major with heartthrob looks and a flair for Latin dance, whose heart she plans to break the way hers was once broken.What the friends don’t know is that Sebastian is different. Despite his perfect looks and popularity, he’s not a jerk. He doesn’t play games to get his way. Instead, he keeps it real and goes after what he wants with honest intentions. And what he wants is not a bombshell like Jessica, but a down-to-earth girl like Maddie – even if it causes a riff in the girl’s friendship. Even if it means getting Maddie to break her personal vow.*** Due to language and sexual situations this book is recommended for ages 17 and older.

Someone to Love Me


Tory Richards - 2011
    Both are tortured souls struggling to go on in life, only to discover survival can be found in each other's arms. Excerpt - Luke stood quietly, staring down at his bed. He didn’t believe in fairy tales, yet there she was, Sleeping Beauty all rolled up in his blankets, and snoring softly. Charlie was on her side, all but her head hidden beneath the quilt, her nose turned up toward the opening. His mouth curved into a smile. He was crazy crawling beneath the covers with her. He’d probably survive the night better sleeping out in a snowdrift in the buff. His attraction for her bordered on the edge of what he should do and what he wanted to do. For the hundredth time that evening, he berated himself for not stopping to think where she’d have to sleep when he’d invited Swanson to stay. Luke knew either way he was going to pay the price. He didn’t want to feel anything for Charlie, but she’d managed to get under his skin without even half-trying. They were two tormented souls reaching out to one another, and Charlie was providing an easy way out of the dark void he’d built around himself. And she reminded him that he was a man of flesh-and-blood and wants. He’d waited as long as he could before excusing himself and coming to bed, and not because he’d wanted to give Charlie enough time to fall asleep. Luke knew it was going to be a long night, realized, too, that he couldn’t put off the inevitable. A heavy sigh escaped him as he reached for the edge of the covers and pulled them back. Charlie stirred slightly and moaned when the cold touched her warm body, reaching out blindly for the quilt in Luke’s hand. He quickly slid in next to her and brought the covers with him, clenching his teeth in agony when Charlie burrowed against him like a lazy cat seeking the warmth of his body. Alarm bells went off when she tucked her fanny into the hollow of his body. He groaned low and counted to ten, then to twenty before deciding he could count to a million and it wouldn’t make any difference. He cursed his stupidity for even thinking he could lie next to Charlie and remain in control. It didn’t take long before his body began to respond to her. An eternity slipped by as he lay there barely taking in air, listening to her soft breathing. His nose was in her hair and nothing could stop him from inhaling deeply. Her delicate fragrance sent his senses into overdrive. Everything about her captivated him and made him want her. Why wasn’t she snoring loudly? Why didn’t she look like an old hag when she was sleeping? He closed his eyes and relaxed as much as he could with a tempting woman snuggled against him. His cock was as hard as a steel rod, but Charlie’s steady breathing convinced Luke she was sleeping soundly and unaware of his state. However, in the next instant he cursed the devil. She was sleeping, but her body seemed very much aware of his presence pressing against him in all the right places. A silent invitation that encouraged his excitement to grow to unbearable degrees. Before he thought about the wisdom of what he was doing he thrust against her. She thrust back. He groaned low and clenched his teeth. Luke realized he was growing weak. A man could only take so much. And he was a hungry man. A soft whimper escaped her; his body shuddered at the sound of her hunger. Hell, he was painfully conscious of the fact that all he had to do to slip inside the warmth of her body was to push her robe aside.

Three Rivers


Chloe T. Barlow - 2014
    The cast of side characters range from quirky to mysterious, lending tremendous authenticity and depth to a romantic story that is so much more. A one-click must read!" Julia Kent, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author"A heartbreaking tale of letting go and learning to love again. A jaw-dropping debut novel you have to read.” - Helena Newbury, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author.How do you start over when you gave everything to one life, one plan, and lost it all?Althea refuses to allow herself to love again. Imprisoned in grief at twenty-four after her husband’s sudden death, she’s convinced her heart died along with him. She spends her days honoring his memory by clinging to the legal career he helped her to build and to the remaining pieces linking her to their life together.Griffen’s been running from his past. Despite success as an author and investigative journalist, he’s been traveling through life on autopilot. For a decade, he’s chosen perilous adventures and meaningless sex over the danger of any attachments. When he finally returns home to Pittsburgh, he’s slammed by the awakened memories and regret he’s spent years trying to escape.A chance encounter brings them together. Their instant desire for each other –and the bond they discover between them – shocks them both. Despite her best efforts, Althea can’t resist Griffen’s charm or his intriguing proposition– if she agrees to a no-strings affair with him for the two weeks he’s in town, he swears he’ll walk away when their time is up. Assured she can test the waters of a new life while keeping her vow never to betray her husband’s memory by opening her heart to another, Althea throws herself into the escape Griffen provides her.Their perfect plans go awry when the intensity of their connection overwhelms them. Will they risk it all on the chance of something great together…or will the power of their secrets and guilt tear them apart?

Be the Girl


K.A. Tucker - 2019
    New postal code, new last name, new rules. But she doesn’t mind, because it means she can leave her painful regrets behind. In the bustling town of Eastmonte, she can become someone else. Someone better.With the Hartford family living next door, it seems she will succeed. Sure, Cassie Hartford may be the epitome of social awkwardness thanks to her autism, but she also offers an innocent and sincere friendship that Aria learns to appreciate. And Cassie’s older brother, Emmett—a popular Junior A hockey player with a bright future—well … Aria wishes that friendship could lead to something more. If he didn’t already have a girlfriend, maybe it would.But Aria soon finds herself in a dicey moral predicament that could derail her attempt at a fresh start. It is her loyalty to Cassie and her growing crush on Emmett that leads her to make a risky move, one that earns her a vindictive enemy who is determined to splinter her happy new world.