Book picks similar to
Playing the Game by Stephanie Queen


romance
sports
contemporary-romance
contemporary

Alexander & Rebecca


Marianne Knightly - 2015
    So seriously, in fact, that he’s followed duty over pursuing the woman he’s loved for years. However, now it’s time for him to marry, and he’s tired of waiting. He’ll pursue her despite royal objections, and despite her own.A commoner falling in love with a prince.Rebecca Campo loves her work as chief of staff to Princess Catharine, her friend and Prince Alexander’s twin sister. Alex is every woman’s dream, and it comes as a shock when he seems to want her. Even after their passions overtake them, Rebecca still doesn’t believe they’re meant for forever because she’s only a commoner, not a future queen.An unexpected threat that can destroy them both.When a death threat is made against Alex, the whole family goes on alert. What no one counted on, however, was Rebecca getting caught in the crossfire.This novel features an older virgin and the future king who wants her, a royal family that loves one another (even while they annoy each other), and a look behind fictional palace walls.*This is a standalone book in the series with no cliffhanger, and features sexy scenes and swearing. Emotional trigger warning: discussion of potential assault.* * *Meet the Royals of Valleria, a country as old as the fall of the Roman Empire. The reigning king and patriarch rules with his beloved queen. Nine children, now grown, ranging from the eldest twins to the youngest son, watch over the country they love and care for. Bound by honor, duty, and loyalty, follow their lives as they fall in love, face tragedies, and triumph against the evils facing them.

Flowers for Mama (Lakeside #1)


Serafina Lyndon - 2015
    Working for low pay as an aide in a special needs classroom, she is flattered when the handsome guardian of a student asks her out on a date. The chemistry between them is intense. But she can’t be fully honest with Chalton, scared that he’ll back off fast once he knows how out of control her brother is becoming. And what she doesn’t know is that Chalton isn’t being fully honest with her either . . . and the truth is worse than anything she could imagine.

Christmas Hostage


Jane Blythe - 2017
    Now it’s giving them a second chance.He walked away because he thought it was what she wanted. When FBI Agent Tom Drake arrives at the scene of a robbery, the last person he expects to see is his ex-wife. Seeing her again reminds him of everything he lost when they divorced, and the only way he's going to survive being around her again is to keep reminding himself this is just another job.She let him walk away because she thought it was what was best for him. Hannah Buffy is conflicted about seeing her ex-husband again, especially when he starts claiming he thinks the robbery at her store wasn’t random. Positive it is just another way for him to paint her as a victim, she ignores his warnings at her own peril.↝ Trigger warning - mature content, issues of sexual assault/abuse, violence ↜

Beautiful Ruin


Amy Olle - 2015
    Soon, she's face-to-face with a man from her past. The one man she never stopped longing for.Renowned archaeologist, Noah Nolan, swore he’d never return to the small, remote island in Lake Michigan. After agreeing to complete a short-term excavation project, he realizes the site belongs to the woman who inexplicably rejected him years before. A woman he’s never forgotten – or forgiven.When Noah’s affinity for uncovering all things lost, forgotten, and buried stirs Mina’s repressed memories of a terrifying secret, she must find the courage to unearth the past, or risk losing the treasure of her heart forever.

Refuge at Pine Lake (Pine Haven)


Rose Chandler Johnson - 2019
    This sweet, Southern romance doesn’t disappoint.” – Liz Talley Robin Lancaster, a twenty-six-year-old former kindergarten teacher, has her summer and her life all figured out. She’s ready to be on her own, writing and illustrating her children’s stories at her family’s beloved lake house. Once there, she intends to rekindle a romance with Caleb Jackson, the area’s top hunting and fishing guide, and bag him for herself.Complications arise from the start when Robin finds out her mother has rented the lake house to a man they know nothing about. Matthew McLaughlin, forty-year-old widowed university professor and author from California, shows up at Pine Lake in crisis. A sabbatical might be his only hope to save much more than his career. He needs a place of refuge. Sharing the lake house with a lighthearted young woman and her dog is the last thing on his mind. Caleb Jackson has his own plans. He’s used to things going his way, but a man staying in Robin’s house presents unforeseen challenges. When paths unavoidably entangle for these three, hearts are on the line.

Breaching His Defenses


Allyson Lindt - 2014
    A chance encounter in a karaoke bar should have been just a fling for Jared Tippins and Mikki Elford. A smoking hot, memories last forever fling, but still just a fling. Except she works for the competition, and the competition has been up to no good. This fun contemporary romance is book one in Allyson Lindt's sexy new Love Hack series. Years ago, heartbreak corrupted Jared Tippins’s outlook on love. He spun the betrayal into a rapid climb up the corporate ladder, and swore off any relationship with a morning after. Luckily, the playful siren who rescues him from singing a duet alone in a karaoke bar doesn’t want anything long term. If only he could stop fantasizing about ways to make her moan. Sure, she could’ve mentioned he works for the competition. At least she’s not behind the security concerns that have plagued his company for almost six months.If she were, he’d be screwed on a whole new level.Mikki Elford is determined to have the fun she missed out on when she fast-tracked her way through college. But school had its upside, too. She’s qualified to legally hack corporate networks. Best job ever. She also gained an appreciation for the legends in computing — Gates, Jobs, and Tippins. When she meets Jared Tippins and realizes he’s sexy and fluent in programming languages older than she is, no consequence will dissuade her from an impromptu fling. Fortunately, he doesn’t mind that six months ago she compromised his network to land her job.Oh, crap! He doesn't know.

Coming Home


Kimberley O'Malley - 2017
    Elizabeth Abbott Fitzgerald has spent the last ten years of her life running; from tragedy, from family, from love. But now her mother’s failing health calls her home to Windsor Falls, North Carolina; to the place where her past awaits. Sam Bishop can’t believe his eyes when the love of his life returns after ten long years. All he wants is to clear his conscience and get back the family he lost when Connor, his best friend and Elizabeth’s husband died tragically. Could it really be true that time heals all wounds?

Obsessed: The Complete Addiction Duet


Vivian Wood - 2019
    Beautiful Harper gave Sean those eyes… those eyes that meant, yes, take me. But Harper didn’t know Sean’s secrets… She didn’t know that he liked it rough. More than rough. He liked to dominate. To punish. To degrade. It was the only way that the black hole in his soul wouldn’t swallow him up. He would push her a little too far, and she would run. They all ran, eventually. But that’s not what happened... when he put his hands around her throat and squeezed, Harper moaned. When he told her to stay away, she didn’t listen, misbehaving until she got spanked. When he took out the handcuffs, there was excitement in her eyes, mixed with a little fear. The doe-eyed redhead liked it. More than that, she wanted it. She said so, time and again. That’s the thing about sexy strangers, though… you never know what they’re hiding. And Harper is carrying a burden so heavy that even Sean’s secrets pale in comparison.

Mangled Hearts


Felicia Tatum - 2013
    Until the person she blames for her heartache is assigned as her new client. Cade doesn’t take life seriously, finding it easier to drink his problems away than deal with them. But when Francesca steps back into his life, he’s forced to revisit the past. Can he bring himself to tell her the truth about her sister’s death? Will the truth bring them back together, or push them further apart?

Ember Casey Starter Bundle: His Wicked Games / The Sweet Taste of Sin / Claiming His Treasure


Ember Casey - 2019
    As it turns out, the arrogant billionaire is willing to give her the money he promised her, but there's a catch: she must win it from him. And the games he has in mind aren't exactly...innocent. This ultra-steamy romance is perfect for those who love brooding billionaires, enemies-to-lovers stories, “stranded” romances, and oh-so-sexy competitions. THE SWEET TASTE OF SIN (The Fontaines, Book 1) To the rest of the world, Dante is Hollywood royalty, the ridiculously attractive oldest son of the notorious Fontaine family. To Ashlyn? He’s the guy who made her swear off men forever. Ashlyn just wants to move on with her life, run her bakery, and forget about the man who broke her heart. But when an accidental—and humiliating—encounter throws Ashlyn and Dante back together, she’s forced to face the truth: Dante hasn’t forgotten about her. And this time, he has no intention of letting her go… This sizzling contemporary romance will thrill those who enjoy second-chance love stories, summer/beach reads, celebrity heroes, and sexy kitchen scenes. CLAIMING HIS TREASURE (The Devil’s Set, Book 1) Charlotte “Charlie” Carver knows she’s in trouble when Jackson North shows up at her door in the middle of the night, nearly a year after he unceremoniously broke her heart. She’s always suspected her ex had secrets, but she never thought those secrets would put her in danger—or lead her on an international adventure beyond her wildest dreams. This gripping action-adventure romance is perfect for those who are looking for something a little different in the romance genre! Thrilling adventure meets a sweet second-chance love story in this exciting installment. What readers are saying about the books in this set: "His Wicked Games was, quite simply, one of the sexiest books I've read...The story went deeper than most, which I loved. Ember Casey has definitely earned a place in my favorites." - Amazon reader review of HIS WICKED GAMES "I'm at a loss for words. This is one of the very best books I've read, ever." - Amazon reader review of HIS WICKED GAMES “5 AMAZING STARS!!! MY OH MY, I could never get enough of Dante Fontaine. That man knows how to push all the right buttons, and is every woman's fantasy!!!” – Amazon reader review of THE SWEET TASTE OF SIN “Ember Casey does it again! Casey is a master at creating intense, complicated characters with rich back stories that not only draw you in, but keep you interested until the very end. Dante and Ashlyn's story is no exception!” – Amazon reader review of THE SWEET TASTE OF SIN "Holy amazeballs; Ember Casey rocked Jackson's story. This is not your average romance; this is a romance full of action, anticipation and thrill."- Alison S. Parkins Book Reviews on CLAIMING HIS TREASURE

Kitty Valentine Dates a Billionaire


Jillian Dodd - 2020
    DATE THE GUY. WRITE THE BOOK. Six years ago, Kitty Valentine took the book world by storm when her sweet debut romance hit number one on the New York Times Best Sellers list, which was followed by a string of successful releases. Her latest novel, however, totally bombs, causing her editor to suggest she write much sexier books.To Kitty, writing smut is the literary equivalent of stripping. But with no advance coming in and her royalties dipping to an all-time low, Kitty has no choice. Armed with a hot-guy spinning prize wheel, made by her best friend, listing all the different types of men she will date and then write about, Kitty will be spinning-not stripping-her way back onto the best-sellers list.

Good Karma


Donya Lynne - 2014
    Bullied as a child, she hides behind an unremarkable wardrobe and relegates herself to the shadows. But when her best friend convinces her to attend a charity benefit in Chicago wearing a stunning red dress that catches the eye of every man in the room, she discovers a surprising side to her personality. One that adores the spotlight but has no idea how to handle the attention.Mark Strong, a wealthy Chicago businessman, is brimming with confidence. He’s in total control. Nothing—and no one—escapes his notice. However, Mark carries a heavy, painful burden. After finding his fiancée with another man six years ago, he’s erected a fortress around his heart, unwilling to let himself fall in love again. But when enchanting Karma snares his gaze from across the room, he has no idea she will shatter his carefully ordered life.What starts out as a casual flirtation takes a series of surprising turns as Mark and Karma embark on a sensual journey destined by fate. Mark is driven to know Karma, understand her…educate her, and Karma is his willing student, eager to experience the pleasure he promises. But when the student becomes the teacher, Mark has to make a choice between taking another chance on love or a future alone.

In The Darkness


K.M. Scott - 2018
    Scott and Anina Collins! Persephone Gilmore comes from a life of privilege. The oldest daughter of media mogul Marshall Gilmore, she grew up wanting for nothing. But her father taught her more than just how to make billions, and even though she could sit by the pool and eat bon bons every day for the rest of her life, she chooses to work as an ER nurse and live on her own away from the family estate and her father's security. Then one night, those choices come back to haunt her. Nick Hanson hasn't been truly happy since he left the FBI. Life as a hired gun for wealthy clients has paid well and made him very much in demand, but it isn't the same as the life he used to have. When Marshall Gilmore wants to hire him to rescue his daughter after she's taken hostage by a terrorist group, he agrees, but to save her, he'll have to go undercover and become one of them. It's dangerous work, but he knows what to expect and he's never been one to turn down a challenge. What starts out as just another case turns into something much more, and Nick finds out just how much he's willing to do to save Persephone.

Finding Home


Lacey Wolfe - 2012
    But when she returns to the home she grew up in, her mother isn’t there. Instead Julie finds Mark Thomas, who is renting the house while her mom travels the country. If that isn’t bad enough, a blizzard hits the town, keeping her locked in with the hunk who happens to have a secret of his own, which Julie just has to know.

The Tycoon's Kiss


Jane Porter - 2014
    When she's pushed into attending the formal Valentine Ball with Marietta's Most Eligible Bachelor, Troy Sheenan, Taylor can't imagine a worse pairing. What in the world would she have in common with a wealthy playboy like Troy? Technology tycoon Troy is forced by business concerns to return to his hometown and take the town librarian to the Valentine Ball... what he doesn't expect is that Taylor is even less excited about the prospect than he is! Intrigued by the only woman in town who wouldn't be thrilled to take his arm at the big event, he's determined that she will not just agree to be his date… bur she's going to like it. Can Taylor turn a cold shoulder to Troy's heart-melting charms, or is this about to be Marietta's hottest Valentine's Ball yet?