Book picks similar to
Hoops by Patricia McLinn


contemporary
romance
sports
contemporary-romance

The Other Side of Us


Sarah Mayberry - 2013
    Ever since Oliver's new-neighbor gestures were met with unfriendly responses, he's decided to keep his distance. After all, he's in this seaside town to get his life on track again. That doesn't include working hard to get on Mackenzie's good side—no matter how intriguing she may be. His intentions are put to the test, however, when his dog becomes infatuated with hers. The two crafty canines do their best to break down the barriers between the properties. And where the dogs go…, well, the humans must follow! It doesn't take long for a powerful attraction to build between Oliver and Mackenzie. They soon discover that the worst of first impressions can lead to the best possible outcomes….

In the Grasp: A Second Chance Sports Romance


Cadence Keys - 2021
    I thought I’d have more accomplished by now - like a wife and family - but for nine years I’ve held onto the memory of the girl who got away. Now she’s back and I’m more determined than ever to make her mine. For good this time.PaigeAfter years of working tirelessly, I just landed my dream job at the largest newspaper on the west coast. Unfortunately, that lands me in the same city as the man who broke my heart nearly a decade ago - the same one I’ve never really been able to let go of. When my editor assigns me to write an exposé on Jack, I’m forced to decide where my loyalties lie - with the career of a lifetime, or the love of my life.In the Grasp is the first steamy standalone contemporary sports romance in the LA Wolves series.

Winning the Right Brother


Abigail Strom - 2010
    And there was nothing safe about Alex McKenna...Practical, ultra-organized single mom Holly Stanton had her feet firmly on the ground. Except when it came to Alex McKenna. Fifteen years ago, the sinfully sexy rebel had stirred her passion. But she'd been too afraid to trust her future to him. Now Alex was back, coaching her son's high school football team and tempting Holly to forget how wrong they were for each other....Even when she dated his stepbrother, Holly always had Alex's heart. And fifteen years apart had only made him want her more... except Holly didn't believe he could be the man she needed. So he'd just have to show her that not only was he right for her now--he was the right man forever!

Kissing Micky


Ellen Devlin - 2018
    He was there, I was there, and our friends thought we’d be perfect for each other.Not only is Tom McCullin a hockey player on my favorite team, he’s also a gorgeous, glove-dropping defenseman straight out of my wildest fantasies. He’s almost too good to be true.His teammates call him Micky, but to me he’s Tom. And damn it all if the chemistry between us doesn’t wind up being amazing. Turns out we can’t keep our hands off each other, but it’s our secret. We’re not ready to share what we have with anyone else.So, while our friends keep wondering why things aren’t happening between us, little do they know that I’m already…Kissing Micky.

How The Cookie Crumbles


Melanie Ting - 2013
    He’s beer and burgers.Frankie Taylor has a perfectly organized life—including a checklist for her ideal man. Just when she thinks her dream boyfriend is going to propose, he dumps her instead. Heartbroken, she impulsively flees across the country. She lands in a small town where her only romantic prospect is unshaven, unsophisticated, and definitely not her type.Jake Cookson likes living large. After the grind of playing hockey eight months of the year, he wants to party in the off-season. And while he doesn’t do commitment, he’s more than willing to have a summer fling with the curvy brunette who’s new in town. To his surprise, she’s unimpressed by his NHL fame, money, and athletic prowess.Can Frankie throw away her plans for the future and appreciate what’s in front of her now? And can Jake even pronounce the word relationship?

Christmas Fantasy


Janelle Denison - 1999
    Then he met Teddy Spencer. She was smart, sexy...and terrified of commitment. But she also needed him--to play the role of her lover at the company Christmas party. Austin was willing to take the job...as long as he could convince her to make it a full-time position!

Talk of the Town


Mary Kay McComas - 1995
    Poking around in the refuse center for pieces for her metal sculptures, Rosemary Wickum turns up a man--the local recycling wizard who accepts the challenge of winning her cold heart back to love.

Trouble in Texas


Eve Gaddy
    As he recovers from a gunshot wound in the tiny coastal town of Redfish, Texas the last thing he expects to find is trouble…especially of the female variety.Cat Randolph is everything Mark shouldn’t want, but does. The enticing wild bird rehabilitator is beautiful, feisty and definitely intriguing. But when evidence about the huge bird-smuggling ring Mark has been working on for years is uncovered practically in Cat’s backyard, she becomes a suspect. And off-limits. Yet the closer Mark gets to his delectable neighbor, the more he’s convinced Cat herself is too dedicated to the birds she rescues to ever be involved in such despicable acts.Cat is ready and willing to work with her hunky neighbor to catch the bad guys and bring them to justice. And maybe find a little romance along the way. There’s just one problem—the prime suspect is Cat’s brother. Now Mark has to choose between busting the smugglers and a life with Cat.And what should have been a simple choice is the hardest one he’s ever had to make.

Falling into Infinity


Layne Harper - 2013
    A chance meeting with A&M’s star quarterback Colin McKinney changes everything. A friendship between the two grows over time and blossoms into a powerful love affair. Charlie and Colin must learn to cope with his transition to playing professional football, the crushing attention of the media, and constant demands of his fans. At the same time, she’s struggling with how her dream of attending medical school will fit into their already stressed relationship and Colin’s new life. Falling Into Infinity asks the question is just loving someone enough to make a relationship work?

Light The Stars


RaeAnne Thayne - 2006
    His daughter was surly, as usual. The baby hadn't been fed yet. And his mother—aka "The Childminder"--had eloped...with a scam artist. Could it get any worse?

Throttled


Elizabeth Lee - 2015
    Becoming Motocross royalty was always the plan, and he was willing to make sacrifices along the way to reach his goal. Sacrifices he thought he could live with until he returned to the small town where he grew up and learned to ride, and, more importantly, where he fell in love.When fate sends Nora Bennett back into his life, he takes one look at her and realizes that he made a huge mistake breaking up with her seven years ago. Now, he'll do whatever it takes to win her back. As Reid sets out to earn her forgiveness and convince her that the guy she's dating is not the one for her, Nora finds herself torn between what her head is telling her and what her heart wants. It's a race he never expected to be in, for a girl he can't stand to lose again.

Love Handles


Gretchen Galway - 2011
    She hates the gym, is nice to everybody, and shops at Ross Dress for Less. When she's not teaching preschool, she's wearing yoga pants... to nap in. So when she inherits her estranged grandfather's fitnesswear company in San Francisco, nobody expects her to keep it. Fite Fitness needs a heartless suit to save it from bankruptcy, not a thirty-year-old woman who cries when her students leave for kindergarten.Someone like Liam Johnson. A former Olympic swimmer, Liam is Fite's executive vice president. Unlike Bev, he's devoted his life to Fite's success. Managing one little preschool teacher — and his attraction to her — shouldn't be an issue. Right?But Bev's tired of being underpaid and underrated, and refuses to step aside as an obedient figurehead. To everyone's shock and horror, she moves up to San Francisco, sets up an office, and dives into the business. Nothing — not mockery, not exercise, not sabotage, not a disastrously hot night with her aggravating VP — is going to scare her away.As Liam realizes she's tougher than she looks, he discovers that losing Fite might not be nearly as bad as losing her...A story about the pursuit of love, happiness, and the perfect yoga pants, Love Handles will speak to anyone who's ever had to face the thing that scares her most.Warning: contains at least two loves scenes and a happy ending.

Taste for Trouble


Susan Sey - 2013
    Off the field? He’s pure trouble. When his fondness for fast women and bar brawls lands him a suspension from the game, he’s prepared to take his punishment like a man. But since when does a suspension come with a live-in nanny?TV baking maven Belinda West is the epitome of home-made hospitality, on-screen and off. The personal is the professional when you’re selling the good life, after all. But when her wedding day implodes in front of a live studio audience, Bel’s career goes into a death spiral. She’ll do anything to save it, even take charge of soccer’s most famous bad boy. To hell with the morals clause in his contract; James isn’t about to shape up for some knock-off Mary Poppins. But since when does Mary Poppins laugh like a naughty angel and smell like sugar cookies? He’s not looking for love but that kiss of hers is practically perfect in every way. And James has a powerful taste for trouble.

The Play


J.H. Croix - 2017
    Falling in love is complicated.I want her. There’s just one problem. She’s my doctor, and she says it’s a no-no. I’ve never been one to play by the rules.But she’s not falling for me. Olivia is the challenge I have to beat.With her lush curves and her by-the-book attitude, all I want to do is show her exactly what she’s missing. Again and again and again.I’ll bring her to her knees…in more ways than one. I didn’t count on her bringing me to my knees. *A full-length standalone sports romance.

Face-Off


Nancy Warren - 2011
    But maybe sexy schoolteacher Sierra Janssen is just the woman to get him back in play...."In The Sin Bin"Samantha McBride was good and over firefighter Greg Olsen. But when an unexpected reunion sends lust crackling between them, it's clear that this game isn't finished...and there's only one way to settle this score!"Breakaway"When skating sweetheart Becky Haines is paired with hotshot NHL rookie Taylor McBride for a charity event, there's no hiding their frustration with each other...or their scorching chemistry! But will full body contact earn them a penalty?