Book picks similar to
One Spark of Magic by Iris Bolling
romance
bipoc
african-american-authors
iris-bolling
Endgame
Tiye Love - 2019
Zoe Broussard has always been a no-nonsense, play by the rules woman until she meets her new client. From the moment the impossibly gorgeous Michael Carson walks into her office, she finds herself dangerously drawn to him and irrevocably hooked. Michael is an NFL quarterback with a multimillion-dollar contract and a penchant for breaking hearts. He’s used to getting what he wants, and he’s determined to tempt his hot new therapist into exploring the obvious passion between them. Even though there’s another man in her life. Can Zoe resist Michael’s charms and her growing feelings for him? More importantly, is she willing to risk everything for a man who may not be there tomorrow?
Lines We Cross
Marika Ray - 2020
Skylar Rae I’m getting by just fine on my own when the boy who stole my heart and ran away twelve years ago shows up in town again. He’s a big shot baseball player now, needing my help to rehab his knee. If he’d just lay off the flirting and the dimples he throws with each grin, I might be able to do my job. Good thing I’m not dumb enough to fall for him a second time.Max I promised my best friend I would never make a move on his little sister. I kept that promise—if you don’t count that one kiss senior year—but now that we’re adults and I’m moving back home, all bets are off. Skylar Rae isn’t the same person I knew twelve years ago and neither am I. It’ll take a lot more healing than I expected to see if she and I can cross that line again.
Distracted
Alexandra Warren - 2015
And why wouldn’t he be? He’s young. He’s single. He’s sexy. And he’s fresh off of a record-breaking second year of professional basketball with his whole career ahead of him. So when he meets Kennedy while interviewing for a new stylist, of course he wastes no time going after her. Until he finds out she’s engaged. And even though he knows how wrong it is to be so damn attracted to a taken woman - has already learned his lesson when it comes to taken women - he can’t help but be drawn in by her captivating persona of innocence mixed with a hint mystery. But when Kennedy finds herself in the same predicament, caught completely off-guard by Bryson’s charm and sex appeal, the line between attraction and distraction suddenly becomes a blur. Who’s really the distracted one? (Note: This book is a standalone, but features secondary characters from the Attractions & Distractions series as well as The PreGame Ritual with tiny spoilers.)
Wide Open
Tanzania Glover - 2021
Hate the game.
Soon-to-be retiring NFL player Beau Mitchell had just about given up on his ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl, but after pulling off a miraculous win he’s now set his sights on an even bigger prize.Dating a player is completely out of the question for the beautiful and ever so elusive sports journalist Tatum Rogers. but Beau’s persistence and a debt with dire consequences might just make her consider moving her goalpost.
The Striker's Chance
Rebecca Crowley - 2013
Her task? Make Kepler "Killer" de Klerk, an athlete with a party-hard reputation, a star. But revamping the sexy footballer's image while battling her unwanted attraction to him is easier said than done.The car accident that derailed Kepler's European career also gave him some much-needed perspective. He's ready to give up on fame and focus on the game he loves. The last thing he needs is a headstrong brunette pushing him back into the spotlight, even if butting heads with her is the most fun he's had in ages.The more time Holly spends with Kepler, the more she sees how different he is from his tabloid persona. But when she's offered her dream job for a price, she finds herself torn between the career she's spent years building and the man she doesn't want to give up.
Intercepted
Alexa Martin - 2018
But there's a new player on the horizon, and he's in a league of his own...Marlee Harper is the perfect girlfriend. She's definitely had enough practice by dating her NFL-star boyfriend for the last ten years. But when she discovers he has been tackling other women on the sly, she vows to never date an athlete again. There's just one problem: Gavin Pope, the new hotshot quarterback and a fling from the past, has Marlee in his sights.Gavin fights to show Marlee he's nothing like her ex. Unfortunately, not everyone is ready to let her escape her past. The team's wives, who never led the welcome wagon, are not happy with Marlee's return. They have only one thing on their minds: taking her down. But when the gossip makes Marlee public enemy number one, she worries about more than just her reputation.Between their own fumbles and the wicked wives, it will take a Hail Mary for Marlee and Gavin's relationship to survive the season.
Bound
Brenda Rothert - 2013
But just when she's learned to adjust, heartache threatens to break her apart.Pro hockey player Jason "Ryke" Ryker has it all: adoring fans, a promising career, and a beautiful wife. But when his seemingly perfect life is shaken by tragedy, he's left questioning whether having it all is ever more than an illusion.When circumstance brings Kate and Ryke together, they discover they don't have to hurt alone. Bound by a grief that haunts them both, they must rely on one another to survive heartbreak. But that grief is more powerful than they realize, and the tie that binds them together may ultimately tear them apart.
Blindsided
Emma Hart - 2015
Two agendas. Two games.What happens when the out-there It-Boy of football meets the secret It-Girl of fashion?As the daughter of Hollywood’s sweetheart, Leah Veronica can’t even buy a coffee without finding her face on a magazine stand, so it’s no wonder she’s launching her first fashion line in secret. With it debuting at New York Fashion Week in just under a month, extra time in the spotlight is the last thing she needs.The son of the best quarterback the league has ever seen, filling legendary shoes as the L.A. Vipers’ quarterback was inevitable for Corey Jackson. So was meeting Leah Veronica—the first girl to hand him his ass without putting a hair out of place.Getting the handsome, prickly blonde into his bed becomes his number one goal. But getting the sexy, over-confident footballer the hell away from her becomes Leah’s—at least until she realizes the best way to do that is to give him what he wants.If only it was that simple.When Corey discovers who she is, and private photos of Hollywood’s finest find their way online, everything they thought they knew is thrown into disarray.And when secrets are exposed and hearts are shattered, they have to figure out if they’ve been blindsided by love or reality, and if it’s worth running the extra yard to win the game they never meant to play.
The Enforcer
Nikki Worrell - 2013
Her best friend, Dr. Zoe Millis, has been begging her to make the move from Maine to California. Taking a leap of faith, Lacey does just that. Living in San Diego definitely has its perks, such as, sunshine and beaches. The best part of moving to the west coast, however, is that Steven is still on the east coast. Catching your almost husband having sex with one of your bridesmaids on your wedding day would make even the strongest woman jaded. Therefore, Lacey has sworn off men for a while, especially men who travel a lot that have easy access to loose women.When Lacey meets the new enforcer for the San Diego Scorpions, she thinks she might be in trouble. But she is determined to fight her attraction to the sexy NHL hunk. And she is successful...for about a day.
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?
Love in the Red Zone
Love Belvin - 2016
Meet Trent Bailey, who is fighting for the right to continue his stellar professional football career after enduring striking legal woes in the recent past. Trent cannot and will not blow his second chance for anyone; after all, this is the blessing he's been praying for. After receiving confirmation that staying focused is all he needs, it's what he aims to do. No distractions. That's until he bumps into two unexpected overnight guests. Jade Matthews is doing everything she can for herself and her young son, Kyree. After journeying through her own bumps in the road, she's finally getting it together. She's doing what she has to do to make sure her family of two stays afloat. Life's setbacks won't stop Jade from providing for her little one, even though she fumbles each pass thrown at her. What starts out as a temporary favor turns into rapid passion. There's one agenda here, but getting to the same meeting point has never been more difficult. Fighting their way through trust and self-esteem issues, the two must meet in the right zone; the red zone, where you may think you're safe, but life has a way of intercepting blessings and...turning the tide.
Until It Fades
K.A. Tucker - 2017
It isn’t until after the police have arrived that Catherine realizes exactly who it is she has saved: Brett Madden, hockey icon and media darling.Catherine has already had her fifteen minutes of fame and the last thing she wants is to have her past dragged back into the spotlight, only this time on a national stage. So she hides her identity. It works.For a time.But when she finds the man she saved standing on her doorstep, desperate to thank her, all that changes. What begins as an immediate friendship quickly turns into something neither of them expected. Something that Catherine isn’t sure she can handle; something that Catherine is afraid to trust.Because how long can an extraordinary man like Brett be interested in an ordinary woman like Catherine…before the spark fades?
Trouser Snake (Players)
Teagan Kade - 2019
It won’t play nice, act soft, or be your BFF. But it will blow your mother-pucking mind. I’m the guy who arrives with girl A and leaves with girls B and C. A hockey rockstar. An ice-cold scoring machine. I thought coaching the NHL’s newest team would be a walk in the park. I didn’t expect the exquisite torture that is Rae Walsh. She’s a pocket rocket of a PR stunt, our latest recruit with a pretty mouth and tight little body to match. She’ll be the only woman in the league, which means she’s a) completely insane, and b) about to enter a world of pain. I don’t need that kind of distraction, not when I’m yet to prove my coaching chops. But the more I resist the more I want to pin her down and prove why I’m the best in the game. Getting together would be career suicide. I’d be risking everything to be with her, my legacy included. But sometimes the risk really is worth the reward. Sometimes you’ve got to bet everything to score BIG. Go full throttle or go the hell home with this swoon-worthy new sports romance from best-selling author Teagan Kade. Trouser Snake is a full length, standalone bad boy romance packed full of steamy surprises. There’s no cheating, no cliffhangers and a guaranteed HEA. Don’t miss it!
Talk to Me
Clare James - 2014
The young, handsome, high-scoring player quickly became a fan favorite. He had everything going for him: fame, fortune, a promising career, and his pick of women. But when he made an abrupt exit from the NHL last spring, everything changed and he’s been in hiding ever since.Casey Scott plans to find out why.After interning for free all summer at the top television station in the Twin Cities, Casey lands an on-air gig. Trouble is, the new role is Sports Girl—which means reporting from local bars and tailgating parties to create excitement for the hometown heroes. All while wearing tiny team jerseys that are so tight they leave little to the imagination.But she has a plan. Uncover the biggest sports mystery of the decade, and she’ll be on her way. Question is, how far will she go to get the story?*Caution: This story contains explicit sex scenes with an alpha hockey player … who gives an entirely new meaning to the term Body Checking. *