Book picks similar to
Crossing Lines by Jane C. Rain
sports-romance
sports
romance
football
The Hardest Fall
Ella Maise - 2018
You smile, say hello. Should be simple, if you’re anyone but me. The first time I met Dylan Reed, I found myself making eye contact with a different part of his body. You see, I’m very good at being shy, not to mention extremely well-versed in rambling nonsense and, unfortunately, rather highly skilled at making a fool of myself in front of a guy I’m attracted to. At the time, I knew nothing about him and thought none of what I said would matter since I’d never speak to him again. Turns out, I was very wrong. He was the star wide receiver of the football team, one of the few players expected to make it into the NFL, and I ended up seeing him all over campus. I might have also propositioned him, run away from him, attacked him with a cooking utensil…and…uh, maybe I shouldn’t tell you all of it. It’s pretty normal stuff, things you’d expect…from me. Eventually, the time came when I couldn’t hide anymore—not that he’d have let me even if I tried. Before now, he never knew I was secretly watching him. Now that we see each other every day, he knows when I have a hard time looking away. It doesn’t help that I’m not the most subtle person in the world either. He smiles at me and tells me he finds me fascinating because of my quirks. I can’t even tell him that I think my heart beats differently whenever he’s around. He thinks we’re going to be best friends. I think I have a big thing for him, and the more I get to know him, the more I don’t care that I’m not allowed to be his friend, let alone fall for him. The thing is, that’s exactly what I’m doing—what we’re doing, I think. Falling. Hard.
The Red Zone
Amie Knight - 2019
But for me, those last twenty yards were my sweet spot. They didn't call me Lukas "Last Minute Lucy" Callihan for nothing. I was at the top of my game...until life sacked me harder than any linebacker ever could. Losing my mom was devastating and left me as the sole person responsible for my little sister. Taking care of Ella and juggling my career was like playing the hardest game of my life. My only saving grace was Scarlett Knox, Ella's sexy, red-headed, no-nonsense teacher. She loved Ella. She hated me. She thought I sucked at this parenting thing, and she wasn’t wrong. But whenever she was around I got the same earth-shattering, heart-stopping feeling I did when I was only twenty yards from the goal line. She made me feel like I was back in the red zone, a place I’d never fumbled. Until now.
Change of Hart
M.E. Carter - 2014
As the best defensive lineman in the country, I eat, sleep and breathe football. And I like it that way. I’ve only got a few more years before I’ll have to retire, so expending energy on anything other than football seems like a waste of time.That is, until I have a random meeting with a little boy who just lost his father. We have more in common than you might think and it creates an unlikely bond. As our friendship grows, so do my feelings for his mother.I know Addison, as a recent widow, isn’t ready to date again. But I want to get to know her better, in spite of all her rejections.Is it possible that I, a self-proclaimed bachelor, could be having a Change of Hart?
Zel
Roxie Rivera - 2016
If he wins, he’ll clear the debts he incurred trying to save his young son’s life and earn his freedom.But one chance encounter with a luscious burlesque performer in Vegas threatens all those carefully laid plans…Ten years ago, Sara Contreras fled Houston with the help of her mobbed-up friends. Since barely escaping with her life, she’s built a multi-million dollar empire, but she’s always looking over her shoulder, wondering if the dark, dangerous secret she left behind in Houston is going to catch up with her.When Sara’s past threatens everything Zel has worked so hard to achieve, she has to make a painful choice. She can sacrifice her love for Zel and let him go—or she can fight for him, facing the secret that nearly buried her back in Houston and the loan shark who owns them both.
Puck Shy
Teagan Hunter - 2021
It's good, low angst fun with some hot hockey players.
All Grown Up
K.E. Monteith - 2022
And even ten years later, he's still holding a flame for her. But now that Lexi is in town, staying at his childhood home for his brother's wedding, he can prove that he's not a little kid anymoreWhen Lexi sees Kaleb Russel for the first time in ten years, she is stunned by how he grew up. He was barely 14 when she left and now ... he wasn't. But this wasn't the time or place. She was here for her best friend's wedding, to be his best man and plan his bachelor party, not get the hots for his kid brother. But that get's harder and harder when Kaleb pins her to a wall and asks if she still sees him as a kid.This romcom novella is perfect for Tessa Bailey fans looking for a swoony and spicy short time. Featuring dual POV, forced proximity, and of course a HEA.
Second Draft
C.M. Seabrook - 2017
More than just the washed up hockey player, turned sports journalist whose body is almost as scarred as his soul. Layla Harper made me hope again. But life has a warped sense of humor, and I wasn't the only Bennett brother that fell for the girl with the caramel colored eyes. The night I saw Travis with her I knew I'd lost, even before I had the chance to fight. Because one thing I never compete with my brother over is women. Even if the woman stole my breath, and my heart with one single kiss. And damn, what a kiss it had been. Now, she's pregnant with my brother's baby. A baby he wants nothing to do with. And he's asked me to clean up his mess. What he doesn't know is that I'm in love with her, and I have no intention of offering her the deal he's laid out. I have a deal of my own. One that will finally make her mine.
Looking to Score
Carrie Gray - 2020
Oakley Davis is the star running back at our University, and the reason I’ve broken my vow to avoid the college party scene. Thanks to a mixup with my advisor, I’m now serving my Public Relations internship as a glorified babysitter to the party-hard football players.Specifically, Oakley.He’s impossible to manage. His Instagram is full of half-naked, drunk photos and he’d rather attend parties than practice. His brand needs some serious work, and when he’s not driving me insane, he’s sleeping his way through the entire female population. But I’m determined. I have plans to graduate a semester early and nothing or no one will get in my way. I’m a Virgo, after all. Oakley Davis might be a privileged, cocky, football star, but I’m Amanda Matthews; and I’ll do whatever it takes to get my A. I have to make sure I don’t end up falling in love with the idiot, first.
I Need You To Hate Me
Genicious Fox - 2021
When they collide, will there be light at the end of a tunnel…or will they spiral towards despair?Two years after a heart-wrenching accident, Calla is still full of guilt.She’s hopeful for a fresh start. A new beginning. She’s in for an unruly surprise when her path aligns with Ace’s—a rude, arrogant, and impulsive asshole.What happens when fate comes out to play?One thing is certain. There’s no fighting it, no matter how cruel or unfair it seems.I Need You To Hate Me is the first book in the I Need You series.
Follow
Tessa Bailey - 2017
Too bad she already sold it. Family is everything to gambling den darling, Teresa Valentini. Blood comes first, especially before men. So when her brother lands himself in hot water, she’s willing to do whatever it takes to save him. And showing up topless in her unwitting savior’s motel room is turning out to be the furthest thing from a hardship…Will Caruso is the bad boy of New York’s financial scene…and he just found out the very thing that drives his success is a damn lie. Now, he’s exchanged his high-stress life for the open road, no one but his Great Dane…and half a million Instagram followers to keep him company. When a mysterious beauty arrives, her secrecy prods his suspicions, even while she tempts his lust to the breaking point.Teresa met Will under false pretenses, but the bond consuming them is real. They’re strong enough to overcome a little betrayal…aren’t they?
Waiting To Score
Elouise Tynan - 2021
And I have no desire to be one of many.But when my ex turns to outright stalking, West’s unexpected offer to play the role of fake boyfriend suddenly seems like a safe bet.I have a few rules to throw down though, because despite his killer charm, I have no intention of getting involved with a guy like West for real, no matter how hard he tries to shoot his shot.WEST WRIGHTIt’s not like girls throwing themselves at me is a new thing, but the hot brunette with legs for days who jumped me in the quad definitely caught me off guard.Shame my eyes are firmly on the prize—making it to the NBA. Which means I don’t have time for relationships. Even fake ones.But after one hot kiss that hit harder than a three-point buzzer-beater, I can’t get Monty out of my head. And I want her between my sheets. Next thing I know I’m her campus knight, offering to fake date her under the guise of getting her ex-boyfriend off her back. So why does this relationship suddenly feel real? And why aren’t I bolting in the other direction?
Grand Lies
J.C. Hawke - 2021
While the city of London slept, he made good on our promise. Only to cut me with his words as the sun broke.I ran from him—I always ran. But Mason Lowell was different, and he wouldn’t let me go without a fight, finding my flaws and embedding himself into them. My push was strong. I spent my whole life perfecting it. But his pull was unashamedly stronger, and the rope he bound around my heart was his to pull at will.Love was shared—so much love. Promises were made—he broke every one. And then just when I think we are playing in the same key...The music stops.Grand Lies is book one of The Promise Duet. It is a Billionaire Contemporary Romance and contains themes suited to mature readers.This book is part of a Duet and is not a standalone.
The Trouble With Quarterbacks
R.S. Grey - 2020
Kat, don’t take the long route from the subway station just so you can pass by Cute Hot Dog Guy. This is important! I’ve had THE BEST DAY. You won’t believe it. There I was in my preschool classroom, washing a bit of poo out of some soggy trousers, when this absolute babe came to collect his nephew from my class. Truthfully, I thought I’d blacked out for a moment when I first saw him. He was a proper hunk with glorious brown hair, quite tall, and he had these arms. Are muscly arms supposed to turn me on? I’m panting just thinking about them.Anyway, he told me he’s a professional foosball player. At least, I think that’s what he said. The tots can get quite loud near pick-up time. YASMINE: Foosball? What are you on about? Have you gone mad?KAT: Oh sod off. So what if I like to have a good look at Hot Dog Guy’s arse on my trek home after a hard day’s work? It’s called self-care.CANDACE: Kat, you’re hopeless. Yasmine, yes—foosball! I suppose it’s a big thing over here in the States? We must investigate and learn everything we can. By the way, he’s called Logan.Logan + Candace. I think that sounds quite nice! I can hear the wedding bells now. Dum dum da-dum.YASMINE: Oh good grief. I suppose we can do some snooping when I get home. I’ll grab wine on my way.KAT: I’ll grab hot dogs.THE TROUBLE WITH QUARTERBACKS is a hilarious romance about unlikely love found between a British preschool teacher and the professional quarterback who sweeps her off her feet.
Faking with Benefits
Lily Gold - 2021
Must be tall, ripped — and willing to teach me how to kiss.My name is Layla Thompson, and I am undateable.Seriously. I’m twenty-eight and I’ve never had a boyfriend. And with my thirties rapidly approaching, I’m starting to lose patience.Lucky for me, I have three overprotective best friends who are all-too-eager to help hone my dating skills.There’s Zack, the huge rugby player with the cheeky grin and rippling biceps.Josh, the boy-next-door with the sculpted jaw and calculating stare.And Luke, the silver-haired divorcee… who also happens to be my old professor.After a bad date leaves me crying on their shoulders, the three men are determined to help me find a guy. Together, they agree to be my ‘practice boyfriends’, and come up with a lesson plan packed with fake dates, make out sessions, and classes on flirty texting. In return, I just have to make an appearance on their relationship advice podcast once a week. Easy.But as my lessons become more and more intense, we soon find ourselves getting in too deep. Every butterfly-inducing touch lingers a little too long, and every molten kiss ends in fireworks. It’s not long before I realise that their friendship isn’t enough for me anymore. I want more.The guys have been teaching me how to get a boyfriend, and now it’s time I put their lessons to the test.Three times over.Faking With Benefits is a sizzling fake dating romance featuring multiple love interests, tons of molten fake relationship heat, and a whole lot of heart. No cheating, and an ultra-sweet HEA guaranteed!
My Lucky #13
Piper Rayne - 2021
I prefer to call it hard work, at least I did until my game went to complete crap. I haven’t scored in eight games and my team owner is talking about trading me. I’ve never believed in superstitions. Never needed one. I suppose I was “lucky” in that way. But now the best way to refer to me is desperate. I’d wear the same socks for an entire year just to be the high-scoring center I used to be. Imagine my surprise when after spending New Year’s Eve with a woman, I score a hat trick in the next game—that’s three goals in one game for you non-hockey lovers. Now, I have to track her down and bribe her to do it again before every game. Get your mind out of the gutter, I’m not talking about it.I find her and when I get to know her better, I end up spending more time thinking about her than my game, but she’s made it clear she wants no part of me. She’s going to learn that I didn’t become a professional hockey player without having to fight for what I want.