Book picks similar to
Cross Stroke by Elizabeth Hartey


sports
sports-romance
college
new-adult

The End Game


Kate McCarthy - 2015
    They are heroes in the eyes of boys and girls and are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that positively represents their community.”The public loves a good scandal. Seeing someone fall from the pinnacle of success makes a great headline. No one knows that better than I do. What started out as a promising career in college football, spiraled into scandal and shame. But being a hero is easier said then done. Especially when there are those who expected to see the great Brody Madden fail. I craved nothing except being the best—willing to do anything to prove them wrong. But I went too far, and I tried too hard, and it broke me.“At the time of going to print, Jordan Elliott was unavailable for comment.” I met Brody Madden in my senior year of college. An Australian native on an international scholarship, I was the female soccer sensation with stars in her eyes and no room for a hotshot wide receiver with a chip on his shoulder.But a heart bursting with ambition and a driving fire to succeed isn’t made of stone. I became his strength, his obsession, and the greatest love of his life. Only I wasn’t there when he needed me most.This is a story about love and a game that takes everything. Where the path to glory is paved with sacrifice. Where pressure makes you, or breaks you, and triumph is born in the ashes of failure. Where two people’s end game will change everything.

The Locker Room


Meghan Quinn - 2019
    One rowdy and naked encounter against the lockers with the girl of your dreams will make her your wife. Translation: baseball players are stupidly superstitious and believe the locker room has magical powers. But not all baseball players are superstitious, me included. So when the girl I've fallen for brushes me off, I start to question if I need to switch my way of thinking. Maybe it's time I finally hand out a coveted invitation to the locker room. The only question is, will she accept?

In the Pocket


Jessica Ruddick - 2020
    Been there, done that. All former child star Katie Sullivan wants is to live a normal life. She’s spent years burying her past, and she’ll do anything to keep it that way. Then one too many drinks combined with a dare has her asking out Wyatt Archer. Unfortunately, he's anything but low-profile, and she’s not about to give up her anonymity for some guy. Except Wyatt Archer isn’t just some guy. He's the best college quarterback in the country, and he loves everything that comes along with it-- like winning a national championship and having no shortage of girls. It’s never bothered him that the main thing they’re interested in is his potential to make it big. Until now. Katie’s different. Instead of basking in Wyatt’s spotlight, she runs from it, which only makes him want her more. Good thing he never walks away from a challenge, even if it means risking his heart.

Anaconda


Autumn Avery - 2016
    They’ll fill you in on how I filled them up. I’m a campus legend. My epic performances in the bedroom are second only to my game winning plays on the field as Ohio’s top quarterback. I’m a shoe in for the big leagues, but I’ve let The Anaconda run wild and my grades are in the toilet. I’ve got to get my head right. But when I meet Julie, the chick assigned to tutor me, I’m not sure which head I’ll be able to listen to. Behind those glasses, frizzy hair and Plain Jane clothes there’s a slammin’ hottie just waiting to be brought out. And I’m the man to do it. I rocked her world, taught her things she never thought she’d do with a man. But now she thinks I’m a jerk and wants nothing to do with me. But what The Anaconda wants, The Anaconda gets, and Julie’s about to learn that. The Anaconda is a stand alone sports romance with plenty of steam, romance, twists and turns, and a guaranteed HEA! If you liked STALLION and BULL then you will love this!

Nude Awakening


Penny Clarke - 2020
    Then I never would have―quite literally―bumped into Levi Hart moments before he dropped trou in class.He can turn up the charm all he wants―I’m not sleeping with the guy that starred in a sex tape circulating campus last year (and no, I didn’t watch it. Much). Even if the more he takes his clothes off, the more it turns me on, it’s not happening.Levi is no stranger to nudity.Yes, I was in that video. But I’m trying to put that behind me, which is why I’m doing this art class modeling gig. Now, I just need to convince Rylie Stone to overlook my past mistakes…and maybe not run away every time I get naked.Rylie can deny it all she wants, but I’ve seen how she stares at my body. She wants me. And I want her. So I’m pulling out all the stops (and taking off all my shirts) until she realizes just how much fun can be had when you go after what you want.

Wildcat


Max Monroe - 2018
    Mile-high courting and an intense pursuit to win her heart are just the beginning.Attention, fame—even, public scrutiny find their way into the mix. It should be simple, right?Wrong.Because, in the end, not everyone wants to see the small town girl find love with the superstar.Good thing Quinn Bailey knows how to win.Game on, baby.From the New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of TAPPING THE BILLIONAIRE comes a hilarious and sexy standalone about chance encounters and finding true love.

Swinging Strike


Kimberly Readnour - 2020
    That same cocky attitude is what landed him in my anonymous gossip column. Believe me, I, Cara Gonzalez, don’t want anything to do with him.But he’s everywhere.In my class.In my dorm.In my mind.I left this type of drama back home. Transferring to Cessna University is my chance for a redo.And regardless of his rock-hard abs and panty-dropping smile,Arguing with an athlete isn’t one of my goals.My instincts betray me, though.This attraction feels different.Stronger.I have no choice but to stand my ground. Because this time, I’m afraid I’ll not only be hurt. I’ll end up gutted.Book One in the Cessna U Wildcats series, Swinging Strike is an enemy to lovers, stand-alone romance. If you like sexy, hot baseball players, add Braxton Smith to your TBR list.

Elements of Chemistry: Attraction


Penny Reid - 2015
    Despite her best efforts, she can’t escape the notice of Martin Sandeke—bad boy, jerkface bully, and the universe’s hottest, wealthiest, and most unobtainable bachelor—who also happens to be Kaitlyn’s chemistry lab partner.Kaitlyn might be the only girl who isn’t interested in exploiting his stunning rower’s build, chiseled features, and family's billionaire fortune. Kaitlyn wants Martin for his brain, specifically to tabulate findings of trace elements in surface water.When Kaitlyn saves Martin from a nefarious plot, Martin uses the opportunity to push Kaitlyn out of her comfort zone: spring break, one week, house parties, bathing suits, and suntan lotion. Can she overcome her aversion to being noticed? Will he be able grow beyond his self-centered nature? Or, despite their obvious chemistry, will Martin be the one to drive Kaitlyn into the science cabinet of obscurity for good?Where to read more of the Hypothesis SeriesBook 1 ATTRACTION (ends in a cliffhanger!)Book 2 HEAT (ends in a cliffhanger!)Book 3 CAPTURE (no cliffhanger)Book 4 MOTION (ends in a cliffhanger!)Book 5 SPACE (ends in a cliffhanger!)Book 6 TIME (no cliffhanger)

Catching Cassidy


Melissa Foster - 2015
    They're tough, edgy, and accepting--most of the time. Although Catching Cassidy is a heterosexual romance, this series will include heterosexual, gay, and lesbian themes, written in the loving, raw, and emotional voice readers have come to love by New York Times & USA Today bestselling, award-winning author Melissa Foster.In Catching Cassidy...Wyatt Armstrong never imagined that instead of celebrating his college graduation, he and his twin sister would be dealing with the death of their parents. Then again, Wyatt had never been one to think past tomorrow. He heads to their summer home in Harborside, Massachusetts, with his best friend Cassidy Lowell in tow, to spread his parents' ashes and to try to figure out his next step.Six foot two, infuriatingly handsome, and flirtatious, Wyatt Armstrong has always been there for Cassidy, helping her pass her classes and fend off unwanted advances, while driving her insane with his one-night stands--but that's what best friends are for, isn't it? Having each other's backs. There was never any doubt that she would accompany him to his family's summer home--even if her jealous boyfriend is giving her hell for it. But he doesn't have anything to be jealous of...or does he?It's impossible to ignore the sizzling heat between them as Wyatt and Cassidy get even closer, but Cassidy knows Wyatt's past, and she has a real job to begin in the fall. Wyatt may be a sure thing for the summer, but Cassidy needs more. For the first time in his life, Wyatt is forced to look toward the future if he doesn't want to lose the one woman who's shared his past and owns his heart.Coming in 2015 the full Harborside Nights series:Catching Cassidy (Het)Discovering Delilah (F/F)Tempting Tristan (M/M)Chasing Charley (Het)Breaking Brandon (M/M)Embracing Evan (Het)Reaching Rusty (Het)Loving Livi (Het)Characters from the Love in Bloom series will appear in the Harborside Nights books.

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.

Homecoming King


Jami Albright - 2020
    But that ain’t happening. Which is just the cherry on top of the crap sundae that is his life.His football career is hanging by a thread.His mom isn’t speaking to him.His hometown is out for his blood.And Tiger Lyons, the girl he did wrong in high school, is supervising the renovation of his new home … and living in his pool house. How’s the league’s premier quarterback supposed to rehab his battered body and regain his starting position, when the woman who still owns a piece of his heart—and now hates his ever-loving guts—is in his face 24/7? Don’t miss Homecoming King—a hilarious enemies-to-lovers, arrogant football player with a heart of gold, sassy heroine rebuilding her life, small-town sports romcom.

Meant to Be


Melody Grace - 2017
    Now discover the romance, laughter, and happily-ever-afters waiting for you in her new series, Sweetbriar Cove!Poppy Somerville believes in happily-ever-after. It’s the reason her romance novels have won devoted readers all over the world—and why she’s broken off her engagement just weeks before the wedding instead of settling for less than true love. Escaping to her aunt’s beach cottage in Sweetbriar Cove, Poppy is looking for inspiration to end her writer’s block and finish her new book. She just wasn’t counting on the handsome, gruff contractor making such a racket next door…Cooper Nicholson doesn’t believe in soul-mates. He thought he’d found his forever once, and the world proved him wrong, so when the cute brunette comes storming over and demands he keep the noise down, romance is the last thing on his mind. But his new neighbor is full of surprises, and soon, their chemistry is too hot to ignore. As they grow closer, they discover fiction has nothing on the plot twists life has in store. But will Cooper find a way to let go of the past and risk his heart again? And can Poppy find her happy ending — on and off the page? Find out in the new sweet and sexy small-town romance from New York Times bestselling author, Melody Grace!

Picture Perfect


Alessandra Thomas - 2013
    After two years of runway modeling for easy cash, an accident shattered her lower leg bone and her self-esteem in just one swift fall. Ten months of no exercise, prescription steroids, comfort eating and yoga pants meant returning to campus as a size twelve instead of her former size two. When her gorgeous long-time friend with benefits sees her for the first time after her accident and snubs her in front of all her friends, Cat’s self-image hits rock bottom. Her sorority sisters all insist that she looks gorgeous, but all Cat sees is the roll of her stomach when she sits down, or the dimpling at the back of her thighs that wasn't there last year. Cat’s therapist prescribes something radical to stop the downward spiral - nude modeling for a nearby college's human form drawing classes. When Cat faces her fears and bares it all for the class, she realizes that she's posing naked in front the most gorgeous, buffest guy she's ever seen in her life. He asks her out after the class, and after one steamy night together, Cat's absolutely smitten.Nate’s pretty close to perfect – he takes Cat rock climbing when he discovers that it makes her feel strong and becomes a great chef after he learns that the perfect pesto sauce makes her swoon. Cat starts to feel like her old self again - confident and beautiful - as long as Nate's around. Even when he discourages her from entering the Real Woman Project, a design competition for plus-sized apparel, she reasons that he's just trying to prevent old body image wounds from splitting wide open again.But when Cat goes home with Nate for Thanksgiving, she discovers something shocking from his recent past that proves that he hasn’t always been so encouraging of women of all shapes and sizes. Cat has no idea what to think, but she does know one thing - this might destroy their relationship before it's even had a chance to get off the ground. Before Cat can figure out whether the real Nate is the sensitive, adoring guy she fell in love with, or an undercover asshole, she'll have to finally feel comfortable in her own skin - even if it means leaving him forever.(This book contains sex and adult language.)

Lost in Us


Layla Hagen - 2014
    But when her boyfriend of six years abruptly leaves her, she’s catapulted back into pain, nursing a broken heart. When indulging in mountains of chocolate doesn’t work, Serena decides the best way to deal with her shattered heart is to indulge in something else. A rebound... The night she swaps her usual Sprite for tequila, she meets James. The encounter is breathtaking.Electrifying.And best not repeated. James is a successful entrepreneur in Silicon Valley. A man who has amassed a fortune by taking risks. A man who has shunned commitment completely, and still does. He’s the exact opposite of Serena. But sometimes opposites attract. Sometimes they give in to burning passion. Sometimes opposites are perfect for each other. James is everything her damaged soul could want. His kisses are intoxicating, his touch out of this world. He makes her forget. He grants her peace from her pain. But as they grow closer, Serena discovers she isn’t the only one with a past. James carries the scars of a past much darker than hers. One that has left him damaged, hurt, and wary of love. A past that gives him the power to shatter her. Now James and Serena must find a way to mend one another. Or risk losing each other forever.

Heartless Player


R.C. Stephens - 2021
    He could have any girl he wants... and he wants me. He sees beyond my surface. The way his stormy blue eyes watch me... I feel beautiful for the first time since my accident. Little by little, he tears down my walls, exposing a passion that leaves me breathless and a vulnerability that could leave me shattered. But all my scars aren’t on the outside, and the ones inside whisper that a guy like him will never fall for a damaged girl like me. Turns out Wolfe is just as broken as I am. He might be a heartless player, but that won’t stop me from playing his game.Wolfe Rebel thinks she’s invisible, but I see her... even when she doesn’t want me to. Even when I wish I could get her out of my mind, because falling for her is a complication I can’t afford. My reputation proceeds me, but Rebel is a game changer. And if I get too close, I’m afraid she’ll see right through me. Behind the person who my family and teammates expect me to be, to the person who’s been keeping secrets. With every scorching touch, every unapologetic kiss, the rules change, and the truth unravels around us. If only we could go on living this lie, then I wouldn’t risk losing the only girl I’ve ever loved.