Book picks similar to
Eye on the Ball by Francine Beaton
contemporary
mid
sports-romance
tbr-romance
The Lumberjack's Match: A Sweet Fake Relationship Romance (Pretendr Dating App Series)
Blake Andrews - 2018
Rhett’s already been planning to build himself a beautiful new home on it, but the seller has several stipulations about how said land can be purchased. Chiefest among them: the buyer must build a family home on the acreage, establishing genuine roots in their small town of Leavenworth. Rhett hasn’t devoted much thought to dating, let alone marriage, but he’ll do anything to acquire this land—even if it means pretending to have a bride. Lacey Macuzzi’s family is constantly pressuring her to settle down, wanting nothing more than to throw her a huge, expensive wedding. You’d never know by her massive social media presence, but Lacey’s actually shy and socially-awkward. She’s given up on the chance of ever meeting anyone, but wants to please her parents. Frustrated, she longs to find a man willing to pose as her groom for the big day, just to get them off her back. But how? Enter Pretendr, the app that pairs people looking for fake relationships. Being matched through the app seems like the perfect solution, but once Rhett and Lacey have solved their problems, another one emerges… They both seem to have fallen for each other. The Lumberjack's Match is a 30,000 word standalone novella, perfect to curl up with if you're looking for a sweet, fun, quick read on the go.
His Snow Bunny
Poppy Parkes - 2020
But her little sister secretly entered her in the “Meet a Celebrity” contest, so she has to pack her snow gear and head to the peak. But when she snowplows into photographer Gabe Delgado, she finds herself rethinking everything — including giving up the V card she’s been saving for just the right person. And she’s not the only one willing to make sacrifices to be with the person who makes her heart sing and her magic carpet throb. Gabe is right there with her, considering making a bomb run on his career to cut fresh tracks toward happily ever after with Winter.The only question is — is she ready for forever, or will the weekend be a total wipeout?Get ready to hit the slopes, snow bunnies, because love is coming in like an avalanche.When world champion skier, Brett Carnegie, hosts the Meet The Celebrity weekend at Bachelor Mountain Resort, everything and everyone is fair game. It’s a reality show with an avalanche of hotties sure to melt your moguls.Lace up those boots, click on those skis, and don’t forget your mittens, sexy kittens…Flirt Club is headed to the mountains! Join your favorite romance authors at Bachelor Mountain Resort and melt away the frost with some steamy winter goodness!
Cowboy's Christmas Rodeo
Mary Sue Jackson - 2020
The rodeo is a tough life and this cowboy is ready to settle back home, buy the old family ranch, and live quietly without the wildness of his past. All he has to do is win the Pride River Christmas Rodeo, but to do that he’s got to stay out of trouble. Trouble he very nearly finds by getting into yet another bar fight, stopped just in time by Belle Manning, his childhood friend. She always kept him out of hot water when he was a kid, with her calm support and friendly smile, and though it’s been years since he’s seen her, Axel’s never forgotten the first girl he kissed. And never forgotten how her daddy warned him to stay away from her. Troublemakers like him just aren’t good enough for someone like her…
Belle never forgot the sexy cowboy who stole her heart when they were kids. So when he approaches her with a proposition, she’s ready to listen. Axel wants her by his side so she can keep him out of trouble until the Christmas rodeo. In exchange, he’ll give her a plot of land so she can build her occupational therapy clinic. It’s a stunning proposal and one Belle can’t refuse. Her dream of using horses to help people heal is finally coming true. And, bonus, running around town with Axel will keep her matchmaking mother off her back. She’ll think about a relationship after her practice is up and running. Once Axel wins the rodeo, they can go on their merry ways. But it doesn’t take long before their fake relationship takes an unexpected turn toward real, throwing Belle off kilter. Is it possible Axel could turn into the Christmas present she didn’t know she wanted all along?Mary Sue Jackson and USA Today Bestseller Leslie North invite you to indulge in a heart-warming small-town western romance with a smoking hot cowboy and the woman who tames him...
Fix You: Bash and Olivia - Book One
Christine Bell - 2014
Her family is about to lose everything, and she has almost no chance of continuing her college education. She can't even seek solace from her high school sweetheart. He's changed. She doesn't recognize the boy she used to know— his violent behavior is escalating and it scares the hell out of her. Her whole world is crumbling, and she has no one to turn to……Sebastian “Bash” McDaniels is an up and comer in the boxing world working nights at the local college bar until he can land the fight of his dreams that will get him the hell out of Boston and away from his family's tragic past. He’s weeks from his goal when Olivia Beckett comes tumbling into his life in a flash of silky dark hair and haunted eyes. When he saves her from a potentially brutal beating, they begin to grow close, but Olivia's ex isn’t ready to let her go so easily. Bash can't bring himself to walk away, but fixing Olivia just might leave him broken…
Making the Play
Robin Bielman - 2019
She’s just as career-focused as he is and has resolved to never succumb to the notorious charmer no matter how handsome or quickly they click. But then Chloe lets her guard down one drunken night and confesses she’s cursed. All her boyfriends meet their true soul mate when they date her, so she’s given up dating for good.Star baseball player Finn Auprince isn’t looking for romance, especially with his smart and sexy new media manager. She’s a distraction he can’t afford, but when Chloe confesses her secret, Finn’s competitive side emerges, and he can’t resist the challenge…or Chloe. One date is all he needs to prove that he and Chloe can have a good time without his soul mate popping out from around the next corner.It’s game on…but can they play the game of love and both come out on top? First Published as Heartthrob
Business or Pleasure?
Raquel Belle - 2019
I’m about to get really pissed off. Maybe I should just go (in hindsight…even based on what happened next, I’d probably do it all the same!) As is, I hate blind dates! I usually create this “picture perfect” guy in my head and then reality generally walks in! Ohhh god, and reality can be REALLLLLY cruel at times (MOST of the time!!!).Anyway…I’ve just moved back to Seattle to work with my dad at his law firm. We haven’t always had the best relationship…I’m really hoping that this is him reaching out to me. Honestly, blind-dates are the last thing I need right now in my life!I’m about to give up on this night and leave when the most delicious looking specimen of a man comes up to me. I honestly thought I was hallucinating! This guy is ravishing…the type of “stop and stare” guy. Mr. I LITERALLY felt I wanted to get pregnant just by looking at him, says...“Please, tell me I’m the one you’ve been waiting for!” with a naughty smirk on his face.“Are you David Blake?” I ask.“No, but I can be anyone you want me to be.” He smiles, and my head…ohhh god…my head is filled with strong dose of naughty thoughts (a “bit” of an understatement actually!). It’s not my blind-date…and I think to myself (well, I’M TRYING to think!!!) What the hell should I do?I don’t know what the heck happened to me but I stare right into his eyes and say “Tell you what, I’m staying upstairs.” I pause. I could feel his eyes penetrating me. And then I drop the bomb… “Let’s skip the drinks and the preamble, you follow me to my room, and let's have one hell of a one-night stand. You don’t even have to tell me your name.”I couldn’t believe I just said that!He’s shocked. I’m shocked. I don’t normally do this kind of thing. But we do it. Oh, boy…do we do it. We have the most amazing, earth shattering night that I could ever dream of. And THAT was the gift…now comes the SLAP…When the weekend is over and I go in to work on Monday morning. The secretary shows me in to my dad’s office. What the heck is he doing in here? Mr. I LITERALLY felt I wanted to get pregnant just by looking at him turns and smiles.Guess what? My one-night stand is my dad’s billionaire best friend, Jared Hawthorne. He’s my new client. Things are about to get really complicated!Business or Pleasure? is a stand alone romance book with an amazing HEA!
A Real Christmas
Christie Logan - 2017
Her lonely boss who hates Christmas. As they rediscover the magic of the holiday, will they also find love?
Christmas hasn't been the same for Allison Voss since losing her husband, but she's determined to make it merry for her daughters' sake. She's between jobs and simply managing day to day is a struggle until she meets Ward Haysgard. His act of kindness and offer of employment just might turn her luck around.Ward is not a fan of Christmas. As a district manager for a large department store, he's seen plenty of greed and selfishness and not much good will toward men. But Allison's plight touches him. As he gets to know her and her girls, they work their way into his heart. A heart he thought had hardened long ago, when he lost the loving grandmother who raised him.As the holiday approaches, an old secret from Ward's past emerges and threatens his closeness to Allison. Will he leave her heartbroken? Or will she and Ward discover together what makes Christmas real?
Read all the stories in the Holidays in Applewood series by Christie Logan:
A Real Christmas (Holidays in Applewood 1)Dear Acquaintance (Holidays in Applewood 2)A Gentle Heart (Holidays in Applewood 3)
My Christmas Romance
S.J. Crabb - 2020
True love comes once in a lifetime.A heart-warming and uplifting story about finding love at Christmas.Polly Proudlock was in a rut. Working at the cracker factory was beginning to lose its attraction and having just been dumped by her boyfriend, she had reached an all-time low.The fact he was still her boss added to her problems, not to mention having to work alongside her replacement was a step too far.A chance meeting changed everything, and Polly found herself agreeing to be a stranger’s fake girlfriend for Christmas to their mutual benefit.Miles Carlton was the perfect boyfriend. He took her to places she never thought she’d see, and Christmas soon took on a new meaning. Suddenly, she was seeing it through fresh eyes and she liked it—a lot.As the snow falls and the magic of Christmas captures her heart, Polly discovers that she’s no longer faking something that will only end in tears.Then an opportunity presents itself that could change her life. But Christmas is fast approaching and she is running out of time.Fate works in mysterious ways and their worlds are set on a collision course. Soon they are fighting for more than their own Happy Ever After and when the snow melts, who or what will be left standing?Discover the joy of Christmas in this gorgeous novel, celebrating the importance of friendship, the magic of love, and finding happiness by being true to yourself.
Dirty Secret
Mira Lyn Kelly - 2019
Something about my chronic case of resting prick face and that thing with the captain when the season started. My fist, his jaw. Yeah, we go back and not in a good way. Coach says no more “confrontational BS” or I don’t play at all. And that’s a hit my career in the NHL can’t take. So the plan is simple. Keep my head down and finish out my contract with my fists checked. There’s just one problem. Allie. The girl from Vancouver eight months ago. The one with the sexy, shy, and sinfully bold smile and the sweetest, wettest mouth I ever tasted. The girl who blew my mind and then blew out of my life without giving me her number. Turns out she’s the captain’s little sister. And even though my career depends on it... I can’t stay away from her.
Brawl
Kylie Hillman - 2016
She fights to keep her family together after her parent's divorce. She fights to keep her siblings safe and in school. She fights because it's the only thing keeping her sane. Stumbling across an underground MMA fight ring in Sydney, her blood roars as she watches the ruthless Hayden "Hooligan" Harvie wipe the floor of the octagon with his latest opponent. Gabriella decides she wants to fight professionally; to support her siblings with her fists...and she wants Hooligan to teach her. Hooligan doesn't think girls should fight. Especially young, pretty ones he'd love to have warming his bed for a night or two...if only he could silence his conscience long enough. Every couple needs to fight for their love at some stage, however with two stubborn hearts at stake, a happy ending for these two will require an all-out BRAWL.
Unlikely Hero
Kemmie Michaels - 2013
Never. Not with her past, and not with her fear. She never dated; she didn't even allow herself friendships. She didn't trust her judge-of-character skills enough to allow anyone close...until Marcus. With him, a deep connection happened in spite of the walls she'd so carefully constructed around herself. His self-confessed rage fueled much of his life, with the exception of her. For Erin, Marcus dares to make the step toward love…one with the potential to heal them both.This is the first book in the Play for Keeps Series by Kemmie Michaels.
Holding Onto Forever
Heidi McLaughlin - 2017
Making sure he worked hard to deserve the opportunities provided to him, Noah is where he's dreamed of being - starting QB for Portland Pioneers. Together, with his model girlfriend by his side, life can't get much better. Except that standing in his path is Peyton Powell-James, his life-long friend and the one woman he can never have. Peyton Powell-James always knew her future would be in football and dreams of having a successful sports journalism career once she graduates college. After being given the assignment to cover a professional game from the sidelines, Peyton believes that everything is going to plan. Until one fateful night changes her life. Harsh reality sets in for Noah and Peyton. One could lose everything, while the other struggles to keep the families together.
Unwrapping Her Perfect Match
Kat Latham - 2014
She’s a calm, capable nurse saving lives in a busy London hospital, but healthy men give her heart palpitations. When larger-than-life rugby player “Little” John Sheldon convinces her to bid on him in his team’s fundraising auction, she discovers how pleasurable heart palpitations can be.A rugby player was stirring, with desire no one could douse…John has wanted Gwen since he first saw her, but when he’s injured in a match just before Christmas he suddenly needs her too. Not only can the sexy nurse help him recover, but she might be able to help him look after his daughter—a shy ten-year-old who speaks only French.But will it be a Happy Christmas for all, and for all a good night?From decorating the Christmas tree to ice skating at the Tower of London, Gwen helps father and daughter open up and bond with each other—and she bonds right along with them. But when John’s agent calls with a life-changing offer, Gwen has to decide how far she’s willing to go for her perfect match. Will their first Noël also be their last?
One Last Time: A Billionaire Romance (The Ironwood Billionaire Series Book 4)
Ellie Danes - 2018
The place I had dreamed of building a life, until it all fell apart. Too many bad dates to count. A broken engagement. A job I don’t love.And how do I celebrate? Being stood up by a blind date. And then he showed up. The hot stranger that rescued my night. I’d take his pity, and so much more. Declan Erikson is all that’s on my mind, but everything I don’t need. Tall, dark, handsome and rich with a heart of gold. I thought I had made up my mind, But I’m finding it growing harder to make the right decision. Especially, when he’s promised to give it all to me. One Last Time is a standalone billionaire romance and is Book 4 of The Ironwood Billionaire Series.