Book picks similar to
Only Work, No Play by Cora Reilly


romance
sports
sports-romance
contemporary

Park Avenue Player


Penelope Ward - 2019
     Then the fender bender happened. The guy I collided with drove an expensive car and was drop-dead gorgeous. Too bad he was also a total jerk. We argued over whose fault it was and any other thing that came out of his condescending mouth. Eventually, the police came and we went our separate ways. The insurance companies would have to figure things out. I had a job interview to get to anyway—one I was excited about. Though that excitement changed to disappointment the moment the person interviewing me walked in. The guy from the accident. Whoops! Yeah, so I didn’t get the position. The problem was, I really wanted it. No, I needed it. Anything to get me out of my current career and back into working with kids. So, even though Hollis LaCroix was as intimidating as he was devastatingly handsome, I went back to see him and begged for a chance. To my surprise, he gave me a shot taking care of his troubled niece. At least my attraction to him wouldn’t be able to go anywhere. I wasn’t about to jeopardize my job or the strong bond Hailey and I formed. But resisting the magnetic pull between us wasn’t that simple. (Then there was our little underwear game—don’t ask.) We continued to flirt without crossing the line—until it finally happened. This is the part of the story where we fall in love and live happily ever after, right? Well, life has a way of throwing some major curveballs. Ours was one I didn’t see coming.

Windows


Emily Minton - 2013
    Each time, gaining a piece of her heart and leaving a bit of his behind.Lucas was in love with the girl next door, but he ruined any chance he had of making her his. So, he moved on without her.Lindy gave her heart to the boy next door, but he left her humiliated and heartbroken. So, she started a new life without him. They both head off to college, leaving the other behind. Lucas finds success then misery on the Football field. Lindy finds new love, but it never feels quite right. Years later, Lucas and Lindy find themselves back in their hometown. Will Lindy open her window again and give Lucas another chance?***This novel contains adult situations and may not be appropriate for readers under eighteen.

Irresistibly Yours


Lauren Layne - 2015
      Hotshot sports editor Cole Sharpe has been freelancing for Oxford for years, so when he hears about a staff position opening up, he figures he’s got the inside track. Then his boss drops a bombshell: Cole has competition. Female competition, in the form of a fresh-faced tomboy who can hang with the dudes—and write circles around them, too. Cole usually likes his women flirty and curvy, but he takes a special interest in his skinny, sassy rival, if only to keep an eye on her. And soon, he can’t take his eyes off her.   Penelope Pope knows all too well that she comes off as just one of the guys. Since she’s learned that wanting more usually leads to disappointment, Penelope’s resigned to sitting on the sidelines when it comes to love. So why does Cole make her want to get back in the game? The man is as arrogant as he is handsome. He probably sees her as nothing more than a barrier to his dream job. But when an unexpected kiss turns into a night of irresistible passion, Penelope has to figure out whether they’re just fooling around—or starting something real.  Includes a special message from the editor, as well as an excerpt from another Loveswept title.

Love Me in the Dark


Mia Asher - 2017
    He was the artist upstairs with the tantalizing smile and laughing eyes.He was the devil inviting me to sin, seducing me to dance in the bright moonlight.He was desire and need.When he touched me, my body sang. My soul came alive.But I belonged to another man, and he didn't want to let me go.

Falling for My Husband


Pamela Ann - 2013
    Richard von Berg’s last wish was for Callum to take care and marry his sister to protect her from money-grabbing men. Willingly, Callum agreed to marry secretly and become Stella’s conservator until she was at the age of twenty-six. Heiress Stella von Berg moved to London and started her new life at the age of twenty-one. For years, she harbored a crush on Callum, but he kept his distance and treated her like a child. For three years, she and her fake husband see each other once or twice a year. He lived his life and she did hers. But when his family started to demand Callum take a wife, he had no choice but to present Stella as his scapegoat. After a week together in his family estate, will Callum see his wife in a different light?

Everything for Her


Alexa Riley - 2016
    I watched her from a distance. She wasn't ready for me yet. I didn't approach her and I didn't disturb her, but I never once took my eyes off her.   Mallory Sullivan is ready to start her new life. After graduating at the top of her class, she's landed one of the most coveted internships in the United States. Hard work and determination have gotten her to this moment of living the life she only dreamed of while growing up in foster care.  From the start, I knew that she would be my greatest achievement, so the day I let her go, I set down a path for her. A path to me.   She never expected Oz to be the greatest culmination of those dreams. But sometimes fate determines who you fall in love with. Who makes you lose control. Who owns your soul. And then you realize it wasn't fated at all…  I've wanted to care for and protect her since the first moment I saw her. I've constructed everything in our lives so that at the perfect moment, I could have her, could give her the life she deserves.   The time has come.

Settling the Score


R.S. Grey - 2016
    For 21 years, her Friday nights have consisted of blocking shots rather than taking them. But now that she's landed in Rio, she's ready to see for herself if the rumors about the Olympic Village are true:• The athletes are all sex-crazed maniacs... • The committee passes out condoms like candy... • The games continue long after the medals have been handed out... As Andie walks the line between rumor and reality, she's forced into the path of Frederick Archibald, a decorated Olympic swimmer and owner of a sexy British accent--too bad he's unavailable in a way that "it's complicated" doesn't even begin to explain.In other words: off limits.It doesn't matter that he has abs that could bring peace to the Middle East and a smile that makes even the Queen blush; Andie fully intends on keeping her focus on the soccer field. But the Village is small. Suffocating. Everywhere Andie goes, Freddie happens to be there--shirtless, wet from the pool, and determined to show her a whole new meaning of the phrase "international affairs".Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

Layer by Layer


Kaylee Ryan - 2020
    When we land, he gives me his number, and I promise to call. Before I get the chance, we meet again. It turns out he’s my new boss and nothing like the gentle stranger from the plane. The longer I’m with Royce, the more I realize he has many layers, and I want to uncover them all one by one. If only he would let me in. Royce Being CEO requires all of my focus, but I can’t stop thinking about the gorgeous woman from the plane with the gorgeous blonde hair and striking green eyes. Sawyer Gibson is beautiful, intelligent, and very much off-limits. A line I shouldn’t cross. Until I do... and there’s no going back. I want all of her, but she deserves more than my hardened heart can give. No matter how hard I try, I can't escape her.

Dump and Chase


Toni Aleo - 2019
    After spending the early years of his life without his dad, hockey legend Lucas Brooks, Aiden is determined not to settle for anything less than true love. When he’s ready. Now he’s living the fast life of an NHL bachelor. He won’t give his heart to any one girl, but they can have his body—all night long.The party to celebrate the start of the second half of the season was supposed to be no different from any other night. And when a stunning stranger approaches him, he can’t seem to keep his hands off her.The next morning, she’s gone, and he’s been traded to his dad’s former team, the Nashville Assassins. All of his professional dreams are coming true, but he can’t shake the memory of the girl from that last party. He wants to see her again. Though, after moving across the country—and without knowing her name—that dream seems like a puck destined to miss the net.For Shelli, her night with Aiden was everything she’d ever imagined it could be, and she’s sure it is all about to change for them. But for that to happen…he would have to know who she was.The Dump was only the beginning. The Chase is worth waiting a lifetime for.

The Perfect First


Maya Hughes - 2019
    Math genius. Lover of blazers. The only girl I know who can make Heidi braids look sexy as hell. And she’s on a mission. Lose her virginity by the end of the semester. I walked in on her interview session for potential candidates (who even does that?) and saw straight through her brave front. She’s got a list of Firsts to accomplish like she’s only got months to live. I’ve decided to be her guide for all her firsts except one. Someone’s got to keep her out of trouble. I have one rule, no sex. We even shook on it.I’ll help her find the right guy for the job. Someone like her doesn’t need someone like me and my massive...baggage for her first time. Drinking at a bar. Check. Partying all night. Double check. Skinny dipping. Triple check. She’s unlike anyone I’ve ever met. The walls I’d put up around my heart are slowly crumbling with each touch that sets fire to my soul. I’m the first to bend the rules. One electrifying kiss changes everything and suddenly I don’t want to be her first, I want to be her only. But her plan was written before I came onto the scene and now I’m determined to get her to re-write her future with me.

Down and Out


Kelley R. Martin - 2014
    And don’t read this book if you don’t like sassy, strong-willed, fiercely independent heroines who use phrases like “bossy asshole” as a term of endearment. You have been warned.*“Tattooed package of sin.” That’s how Savannah Ryan would describe her new boss, Declan Whitmore, the deliciously tatted and pierced fighter who holds the top spot in Boston’s newest underground fighting organization. She’d also describe him as bossy, arrogant, and—depending on what he does to piss her off that particular day—an asshole.It’s that aloof attitude, along with Savannah’s witty comebacks and tight little body that land her on his radar. Unfortunately for her, Declan is relentless when he sets his sights on someone, both in and out of the ring. Unfortunately for him, this recently reformed bad girl is trying to go straight after heading down a dangerous path. She’s not going to make this easy for him. In fact, she’s going to make it—and him—very, very hard.Declan’s not worried, though. He’ll have Savannah come hell or high water, because if there’s one word he’d use to describe her, it’s “MINE.”Genre: New Adult, ContemporaryAges: 18+