Book picks similar to
Roughing by Sarah Hegger


contemporary-romance
sports
hockey
chick-lit

Not by the Playbook: A Fake Relationship Football Romance (Wrong Place, Right Time, #1)


Ivy Hunt - 2020
    It is the first book in the Wrong Place, Right Time series.

The Muse and the Fairytale


Mary Smith - 2016
    Until it happens, she fulfills her fantasy by writing sports romance books. However, that love has been hit with a bout of writer's block. A new muse on social media helps diminish that block quickly.Kyson Wick is a newly traded player to the New Hampshire Bears, and he’s thankful for the change. His goal is to be the best hockey player and forget the ex-girlfriend who broke his heart. He’s also hoping a new venture with an author looking for a new cover model is the distraction he needs.Soon, the chemistry between Kyson and Meadow begins to grow. But when their dreams collide, will the muse be able to fulfill the fairytale?

On the Surface


Kate Willoughby - 2014
    After "Bottlegate," he's traded to the San Diego Barracudas, where he'll need to keep the bad publicity to a minimum while proving he can still compete with the younger guys on the ice.Erin Collier is a pediatric nurse who's never seen a hockey game, but gets in line for Tim's autograph at a PR event in hopes of impressing the doctor she has a crush on. When an obnoxious fan gets pushy toward Erin, Tim rushes to defend the pretty stranger, throwing a punch in the process.Grateful for the rescue, Erin agrees to stand by Tim during the resulting press conference and host him at a hospital charity event. Their chemistry is palpable, and soon their lives are intertwined. But Erin doubts a hockey player is capable of anything resembling a real relationship. And if Tim can't get her to see beyond what's on the surface, they'll never last longer than a single season…

The Player


K. Bromberg - 2017
    Bromberg.Easton Wylder is baseball royalty. The game is his life. His passion. His everything. So, when an injury threatens to end Easton’s season early, the team calls in the renowned physical therapist, Doc Dalton, to oversee his recovery. Except it’s not Doc who greets Easton for his first session, but rather his daughter, Scout. She may be feisty, athletic, defiant, and gorgeous, but Easton is left questioning whether she has what it takes to help him. Scout Dalton’s out to prove a female can handle the pressure of running the physical therapy regimen of an MLB club. And that proof comes in the form of getting phenom Easton Wylder back on the field. But getting him healthy means being hands-on. And with a man as irresistible as Easton, being hands-on can only lead to one thing, trouble. Because the more she touches him, the more she wants him, and she can’t want him. Not when it’s her job to side in the club’s best interest if he’s ready to play. But when sparks fly and fine lines are crossed, can they withstand the heat or is one of them bound to get burned?

Game Changer


Rachel Reid - 2018
    In this case, it’s not just a lucky smoothie he’s craving—it’s the man who made it. Pro hockey star Scott Hunter knows a good thing when he sees it. So, when a smoothie made by juice bar barista Kip Grady precedes Scott breaking his on-ice slump, he’s desperate to recreate the magic...and to get to know the sexy, funny guy behind the counter.Kip knew there was more to Scott’s frequent visits than blended fruit, but he never let himself imagine being invited back to Scott’s penthouse. Or kissed with reckless abandon, never mind touched everywhere all at once. When it happens it’s red-hot, incredible and frequent, but also only on Scott’s terms and always behind his closed apartment doors.Scott needs Kip in his life, but with playoff season approaching, the spotlight on him is suddenly brighter than ever. He can’t afford to do anything that might derail his career…like introducing the world to his boyfriend. Kip is ready to go all-in with Scott—but how much longer will he have to remain a secret?

Power Play


Maria Luis - 2017
    She's a (struggling) sports journalist looking for her big break. Charlie Denton has been handed the most impossible assignment from her stick-in-the-mud boss: get an exclusive interview with the NHL's golden boy, Duke Harrison. The catch? She's got eight days or she’ll be demoted. Fired. Kicked to the curb - No way is she letting her future rest on the broad shoulders of a goalie who is at least three seasons past his prime. She has eight days to convince Duke that the loyal fans of The Cambridge Tribune (annual circulation: 1,000) are dying to know about his life, on and off the ice. Eight days to stand toe to toe with a man who is pure sex on a stick. Eight days to remember that every mind-blowing kiss is nothing but a power play. What could go wrong?

First to Fall


Stacy Lane - 2020
    A homebody to the extreme. All it took was one night out for my hermit lifestyle to tailspin into one with a professional hockey player kissing me on my doorstep in a Wednesday Addams costume.I wanted us to be friends, so I became the girl friend—with a space, as he likes to say. Just friends is a tried and true failure. I’ve fallen for a hockey player, and I don’t even like hockey.Brooks I’ve had a lot of random hookups because of my status, but never one made by my dad pimping me out to fans in the crowd at my game. And she rejected me.My hockey career is my only ambition. I don’t date women because, eventually, they always want more. When I think of the future, it’s about career goals,breaking records, and how many trophies I will hold above my head. Now I’m the one who can’t stay away. Out of all the Labelle men, I never expected to be the first to fall.

Jackson: Against the Boards


Zoe Beth Geller - 2020
    He's not looking for a committed relationship but when he meets Olivia in a country bar, he is scrambling to make the night last longer than expected.Olivia's is always on the defensive with men. But her list of college experiences still has a box that hasn't been checked off. She's still waiting for her first boyfriend.Meeting Jackson has her sliding off her barstool and she decides there's no harm in a hot fling, she may never get this opportunity again. She'd love to have a boyfriend, but she'll take what she can get as graduation is right around the corner. Besides, Jackson is a jock, and surely, he has plenty of other girls lined up after her. But one thing leads to another.Graduation is looming around the corner and he hasn’t said those three little words that she’s been waiting for or defining where they stand. To complicated matters more, his parents fly into town for a family get together bringing his old high school sweetheart with them. What could possibly go wrong?Against the Boards is a passionate romance between the sexiest player on the college team and Olivia, the Denver native who is searching for her first boyfriend. This is a standalone novel in The Sin Bin Hockey Series.

Grinder


Samantha Whiskey - 2016
    Time heals all wounds...but the heartbroken single dad has more than his share of trust issues. The playboy only lets one girl close to his iced-over heart—his pint-sized daughter who’s the center of his world. She’s the only thing more important to him than hockey, and he trusts no one with her...except me. We’ve been friends since we were kids, and I love his daughter like she’s my own, so what’s the easiest solution to help Gage out? Move in and be his live-in nanny for the season. As far as she goes, the arrangement is perfect. But her drop-dead-sexy father? Frustrating on every possible level. There is a thick, professional line drawn between us by his own hand, and despite understanding the terms, my body is practically begging him to cross it. Our chemistry is off the charts, but one misstep, and we could hurt the one person we love most. This game is all-or-nothing. Can I risk my heart on a guy who is known for the shut-out, on and off the ice?

Hat Trick


Kristen Hope Mazzola - 2016
    That’s all it took to send my brother’s and my life into a tailspin with no end in sight. I was going to be something. I was going to be the best. I had the Olympics in my sights. And it all went to shit in one flash. Brayden wasn’t ready to raise a younger sister when I was thrown into his lap. He had his life and everything going for him. Thankfully, he was still drafted to his dream hockey team. The same one dad played for when we were growing up.It took time, but I started to get better, started to open up, started skating and even dating again. I even thought I found the perfect guy for me.Isn’t it funny how guys hit on you when they know you’re not available, but when you’re single they won’t give you the freaking time of day? I guess the game is more fun that way. And for the captain of my brother’s team, that’s exactly what I was. A hat trick is three goals in hockey. Some say three is a crowd and they might be right.I was Gavin Hayes' unobtainable goal.*A No Cheating Standalone*

Penalty Kiss


Annie Dyer - 2021
    Problems that could score her an own goal.She’s meant to be my penalty, but will she let me be her kiss instead?Penalty Kiss is the first standalone in the Manchester Athletic series. Meet the team in this grumpy/sunshine, enemies-to-lovers, bad boy athlete romance.

Jersey Girl


Rhonda James - 2016
    Now that his dream of signing with the Detroit Red Wings has come true, his goals for senior year are simple: Work hard. Score big. Stay away from love. And then he meets her. There's just one problem. She's the sister of his best friend, and he’s been warned that she’s off-limits…Cassie Rivers is a musician desperately in need of a do-over. Leaving the past behind, she transfers to GLU in search of something, or someone, that inspires her. And then she meets him. Her brother's best friend and teammate. But according to the Bro Code he's supposed to be off limits…You’ve heard what they say about forbidden fruit… One taste is more addictive than one of them is ready to admit. Will he keep skating away from love? Or has this player finally found his Jersey Girl?

Game Play


Lynda Aicher - 2015
    That's all it was supposed to be. They'd agreed their first night together would be their only night together—and Minnesota Glaciers defenseman Dylan Rylie was fine with that. Giant hickeys and claw marks on his ass had never been his style, even if the very memory of Samantha Yates's merciless sexual energy gets him hard within seconds. He needs to focus on getting a better contract, not mind-blowing orgasms.One night, one time, nothing more. Fresh off representing the US at the Games and with nowhere else to play, Samantha gave in to one night of frantic passion with the Glaciers' brawny hotshot. She couldn't get hurt—not if she controlled the outcome. And she planned to leave Minnesota soon, anyway. She didn't expect to be recruited to coach Dylan after they'd gotten down and dirty.When brutal on-ice workouts lead to kinky locker room sessions and "one night" falls by the wayside, Samantha insists on keeping things casual, despite Dylan's quiet hope for more. But when Dylan goes down—hard—and his career is in jeopardy, Samantha is the first one by his side. What will it take to keep her there after he's healed?

Don't Worry, Baby


Eva Luxe - 2018
    Now I’m having his baby... In high school I was the ugly duckling and Nick was the dreamy football star I tutored. He didn't pay me any attention back then, but now we've both ended up in Miami. He’s hotter than ever, with a lucrative career on the rise. Meanwhile, I shed my feathers and turned into a swan. Now, he's claimed my innocence but he still has no clue I'm the same girl. How do I tell the guy I’m with who I really am? And how the heck do I tell him I’m pregnant with his child? He has to know the truth. But will it mean losing my second chance with my first crush? Don't Worry Baby is a standalone full length romance with no cheating, no cliffhangers, a happy ever after and plenty of steam.

Tangled in the Laces


Toni Aleo - 2014
    Lacey Martin is coming back from a hard fight against cancer and is terrified of him but the attraction is too much to ignore. Soon their love is so intense, neither of them see the rest of their lives without the other. Will Karson prove that he will protect her heart at all costs, or will he leave Lacey to pick up the pieces of her life once again?