Book picks similar to
Kick It Up by Carol Ericson


sports
sports-romance
contemporary
romance

Game On


Tracy Solheim - 2013
    Unfortunately, his bad boy persona has made him a risky prospect as a quarterback—and only the Baltimore Blaze are willing to give him a chance. But he’s is about to take a hit he never expected. Working for the Blaze, Carly March knows too well how jocks think—and what they think with—so she’s always made a point of keeping ballplayers at arm’s length. But when she shares a kiss with the devilishly handsome Shane, she finds it hard to play by her own rules—and even harder to resist him Can a football hero and a business-minded beauty try to take it all the way? Or will their mutual attraction cost them the big game? This title was previously released with a different cover.

Hot Stuff


Carly Phillips - 2004
    Now the girls are publicists in their uncle's firm, The Hot Zone. Despite her upbringing, Annabelle is all woman. She's naturally drawn to real men—like her latest client, businessman and former football legend Brandon Vaughn. The chemistry is potent, undeniable, irresistible. Annabelle soon realizes that Brandon is much more than just another jock. And that she'd better hold on tight if she doesn't want to lose her heart.

Skin in the Game


Jackie Barbosa - 2013
    Now grown up and coaching the high school team, she’s shocked when that same sexy quarterback returns to Harper Falls asks her back to his hotel room. And then tries to steal her job.Injured NFL quarterback Cade Reynolds is in Harper Falls to take over as interim head coach, and he never thought the tall, blond bombshell he propositioned would offer up any resistance. Not to a repeat of the amazingly wild night they shared and certainly not to his coaching position. But the Harper Falls High Eagles are Angie’s team, and even the hometown hero won’t take that away from her, no matter how hot he is. As the two engage in a battle of wits and wills, this is one game neither is prepared to lose.

After Math


Denise Grover Swank - 2013
    A mathematics major, she goes to her classes, to her job in the tutoring lab, and then hides in the apartment she shares with her friend, Caroline.After junior Tucker Price, Southern University’s star soccer player enters the equation, her carefully plotted life is thrown off its axis. Tucker’s failing his required College Algebra class. With his eligibility is at risk, the university chancellor dangles an expensive piece of computer software for the math department if Scarlett agrees to privately tutor him.Tucker’s bad boy, womanizer reputation makes Scarlett wary of any contact, let alone spending several hours a week in close proximity.But from her first encounter, she realizes Tucker isn’t the person everyone else sees. He carries a mountain of secrets which she suspects hold the reason to his self-destructive behavior. But the deeper she delves into the cause of his pain, the deeper she gets sucked into his chaos. Will Scarlett find the happiness she’s looking for, or will she be caught in Tucker’s aftermath?

Rush Me


Allison Parr - 2013
    Like her parents pressuring her to leave her unpaid publishing internship for law school.But when Ryan's rookie teammate attaches himself to Rachael, she ends up cohosting Friday-night dinners for half a dozen football players.Over pancake brunches, charity galas and Alexander the Great, Rachael realizes all the judgments she'd made about Ryan are wrong. But how can a Midwestern Irish-Catholic jock with commitment problems and an artsy, gun-shy Jewish New Englander ever forge a partnership? Rachael must let down her barriers if she wants real love—even if that opens her up to pain that could send her back into her emotional shell forever.89,000 words

The Philadelphia Patriots Books 1-3


V.K. Sykes - 2013
    Sykes, three steamy, full-length romances about three sexy sports heroes and the women who challenge them at the game of love.Book 1: FastballBaseball reporter Maddie Leclair has spent years chasing her dream job--covering the Philadelphia Patriots major league baseball team. But in order to make it to the top tier of sports reporting, she needs to score an interview with the most private and elusive athlete in baseball, Patriots' superstar Jake Miller.On the rebound from a devastating injury, the last thing Jake needs is a pushy female reporter distracting him. But one look at Maddie and he finds himself trying for a different kind of play, one that involves bedrooms and not baseball stats. Sleeping together could damage both their careers, and Maddie is all about saying no. But when it comes to the game of love, Jake is playing to win.Book 2: HardballWinner of The Kindle Book Review Best Indie Books of 2012 ContestAfter years of hard work, Dr. Holly Bell has finally landed a position as a cardiac surgeon at a prestigious children's hospital in Philadelphia. She's always been about her dedication to work, and she's not letting anything or anyone get in her way. And a hot affair with a superstar athlete is most definitely getting in Holly's way.Nate Carter, star pitcher for the Philadelphia Patriots, is at the height of his game, with a great career and the most gorgeous women in town in full pursuit. Nate has everything he wants, or at least he thinks he does, until he meets the beautiful and brainy Dr. Holly Bell. He's totally up for a hot affair, and Holly turns out to be the hottest. But when the lovely doctor starts changing the rules, Nate realizes he just might be playing for keeps. Book 3: Bigger Than BeckhamSports journalist Martha Winston's life goes sideways when she inherits a Florida soccer team from her father. The team is almost bankrupt and on the skids, but Martha has vowed to save her beloved father's legacy. But she needs to get a financial infusion fast, or else lose the team to the wolves baying at her door.Former British soccer hero Tony Branch wants to add Martha's team to his growing sports empire. But he wants it strictly on his terms--full control, not a partnership. When Martha turns him down flat, he's determined to change her mind by any means necessary. If that includes using the sexual heat flaring between them, Tony is more than willing to play a game of seduction.

Dirty Player


Stacey Lynn - 2016
    He's cocky. He's filthy rich. He's also loaded with a sizeable package below the belt that drives women crazy.Plus, he's focused. The prize--a football championship ring on his finger.His concentration on getting that ring is unwavering--until Shannon Hale walks into his life. Now the only game he wants to win involves getting her into his bed. Shannon thought she had everything she wanted in life. One cheating fiancé and one shredded wedding dress later, she skips town desperately in need of a do-over. Now, she's inRaleigh, starting her own business and living life by her own rules. She wants nothing to do with NFL's resident playboy.But Oliver's determined both on and off the field.For him to win everything he wants, there's only solution.It's time to play dirty.

Tanner


Sarah Mayberry - 2017
    What could be a total disaster becomes something else when a tall, dark bull rider turns out to be a white knight in disguise. Evie isn’t sure she needs saving, but Tanner Harding is a difficult man to deny. He’s even harder to resist… Tanner Harding can tame a monster bull with ease, but he never expected to be floored by someone like Evie. Sparks fly between them until injury threatens to end Tanner’s career –and suddenly he’s the one in need of a rescue. Evie can’t turn her back on her wounded hero and, as Tanner struggles with his recovery, she’s not sure she can guard her heart against him either. Tanner knows Evie has slipped under his skin, but she lives in Australia and his future is under a cloud. Can two people with too many reasons to walk away make the bold decision to stay?

Skating on Thin Ice


Jami Davenport - 2014
      Ethan Parker, a billionaire determined to bring professional hockey to Seattle, will stop at nothing to realize his dream. After signing an agreement to purchase another city's team, Ethan plans to make the move to Seattle, but a gag order by the League forces him to keep the sale a secret until the season ends, leaving him no choice but to go undercover as a consultant to study his team during the playoffs.   Lauren Schneider, Assistant Director of Player Personnel for the Giants hockey team, gets no respect from the team's testosterone-loaded staff. So when Ethan bursts onto the scene, full of charm and genuinely interested in her opinions, she shares the team's weaknesses and discovers a weakness of her own--for Ethan. But when his true identity is revealed, and he starts cleaning house based on her unwitting input, his betrayal cuts deeply on both a professional and personal level. Bound by an employment contract, Lauren reluctantly moves to Seattle to work for the newly christened Seattle Sockeyes and her sexy, infuriating boss.  Lauren and Ethan must come to terms with their passions--for the team, for hockey, and for each other. Will their situation build a frozen wall between them, or will their love burn hot enough to melt the ice shielding their hearts?

The Highest Bidder


Chanta Jefferson Rand - 2010
    As a quarterback for the California Predators, he’s a hunter both on and off the football field. He lives a lavish lifestyle and carries a black book thicker than the average dictionary. Correction: “black book” is so outdated. Let’s just say his Facebook contacts could rival the Yellow Pages. He has the world at his fingertips, and he has no thoughts of settling down. And why should he? With a seven-figure income, a dazzling smile, and a body resembling Michelangelo’s David, he’s every woman’s fantasy. But Doctor Alexa Kennedy lives in the real world. She barely has time for her patients, and even less time for fantasies. At thirty-something, she’s lonely, bored, and sex-starved. But when it comes to dealing with men, she’s short on patience and long on disappointment. When one of the hospital’s board members attends a charity benefit and ends up with the winning bid for a date with Tristan, Alexa is chosen to escort him. She could less about watching some grown ass men run up and down the field smashing into each other. But the moment she meets Tristan, all that thinking flies out the window. Simply put, he’s the sexiest man she’s has ever laid eyes on. They share a night of passion before Tristan retreats back into his glamorous world, leaving her aching for more. Alexa tells herself it was all in the name of charity. She’s far too sensible to fall for someone like Tristan. Or is she?

Three Girls and a Baby


Rachel Schurig - 2011
    Finished with college, she should have been planning her wedding. After all, Ginny and Josh were made for each other—everyone said so. Except the love of her life didn't agree. Now Ginny is back in her hometown, unwillingly single, and stuck in a dead-end job. When she discovers she's pregnant, Ginny is convinced her life is ending. Instead of planning a future with Josh, she's learning the truth about morning sickness, juggling bills, and seeing just how far designer jeans can stretch.Her life-plan never included dating again (not even with her too-hot new boss), or being a single mother at 23. Now, with the help of her best friends, Annie and Jen, Ginny must try to re-imagine—and rebuild—a life she never wanted.

Fame, Love, and other lessons


Jo Frances - 2012
    Most of them were notorious for their random hook-ups and bad boy ways, and Luke wanted to keep his beautiful sister far away from them.But Jamie falls hard for one of them anyway---the star player, Chase Reston, who has a magnetic sex appeal and a reputation to match. For his part, Chase tries to stay away from his friend and teammate's innocent little sister, but his attraction to Jamie is intense and hard to resist. Their idyllic first love relationship is quickly put to the test as Chase gets drafted into the NBA and Jamie is discovered as a model. Thrust into the fast paced world of celebrity culture and paparazzi while trying to remain true to themselves and to each other proves to be more than their relationship can withstand. After their breakup, a heartbroken Chase struggles with the demons that caused him to push away the only girl he ever loved. Meanwhile Jamie tries to move on from betrayal by quickly becoming involved with Sean Foley, a jaded rock star used to getting anything he wants. But this is no casual fling for Sean. Tired of the emptiness in his life, he knows he can give Jamie the love and commitment she wants. As Chase watches all this unfold through the tabloids, he has to decide: does he love Jamie enough to let her go on with her new life? Or will he step up and ask her to take another chance on him?

For the Win


Sara Rider - 2016
    She’s determined to lead her team to a national championship and finally earn the sport the respect it deserves—and nothing will throw her off her game. When Lainey’s hero Gabe Havelak, star of the Seattle Surge, crashes her team’s first press conference—making the Falcons look like a joke to the local media and humiliating Lainey in the process—she’s hell-bent on revenge.Charming, confident Gabe is practically a god to Seattle soccer fans, but he doesn’t mind a little friendly competition from tough-as-nails Lainey, with her top-notch athletic skills, her mile-long legs, and her girl-next-door freckles. But when he learns the Falcons are booting the Surge from their coveted practice space to the notoriously cursed Cricket Field, those warm feelings give way to crippling superstition. With his contract up for renewal and his thirty-fourth birthday just weeks away, Gabe will risk anything to protect his position with the Surge.The rivals agree to settle their differences in a Battle of the Sexes competition—a test of skills, fitness, and willpower. At first the situation seems win-win: Gabe gets the chance to earn back the Surge’s practice space, and Lainey’s team will finally get some much-deserved media attention. But as the friction between them becomes hot enough to spark and smolder, Lainey and Gabe are entering new territory—and with both of their careers on the line, love might just be the toughest opponent of all.

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.

Game of Love


Melissa Foster - 2014
    In the twenty-five years she’s been alive, Dex Remington has been the only person who has always believed in her and been there for her. But four years earlier she came to Dex seeking comfort, and then disappeared like a thief in the night, leaving him a broken man. Dex Remington is one of the top PC game developers in the U.S. He’s handsome, smart, and numb. So damn numb that he’s not sure he’ll ever find a reason to feel again. A chance encounter sparks intense desires in Ellie and Dex. Desires that make her want to run—and make him want to feel. A combination of lust and fear leads these young lovers down a dangerous path. Is it possible to cross a burned bridge or are they destined to be apart forever?