Book picks similar to
Pompous Player by Brenda Rothert


sports-romance
cocky-hero-club
romance
arc

King of the Court


R.S. Grey - 2021
    That’s why everyone is all in a tizzy over the fact that the USA men’s Olympic basketball team will be training here of all places before this year’s Summer Games. With little else to talk about, rumors about the players have been spreading like wildfire, and there’s one man in the middle of it all holding a match.Ben Castillo.NBA champion.Olympic gold medalist.Widely hailed ‘King of the Court’.The morning he walks into my dingy diner, I have enough sense to keep my head down and go right on wiping tables, pouring coffee, and serving up short stacks. A man who looks like that—superstar or not—has only ever meant trouble, and more trouble is the last thing I need, what with taking care of Nan and scraping by on tips from truckers.If anything, he seems drawn to my indifference. His steely gaze pierces me behind the counter. My knees nearly buckle under the weight of his attention. But while Mr. Pretty Boy is probably used to snagging city girls with a smile, this gal is country strong.I won’t be some clichéd convenience for him on his way through town.So look over your choices carefully, Benny-boy. We serve up sides of hash browns here, not heartbreak.

Make It Sweet


Kristen Callihan - 2021
    The world knows her as Princess Anya on Dark Castle, but then her character gets the axe—literally. The cherry on top is finding her boyfriend in bed with another woman. She needs a break, and sanctuary comes in the form of Rosemont, a gorgeous estate in California promising rest and relaxation.Then she meets the owner’s equally gorgeous grandson, ex–hockey player and current recluse Lucian Osmond, and she sees her own pain and yearning reflected in his eyes.He’s charming when he wants to be but also secretive and gruff, with protective walls as thick as Emma’s own. Despite a growing attraction, they avoid each other.But then there’s an impromptu nighttime skinny-dip, and Lucian’s luscious homemade tarts and cream cakes start arriving at Emma’s door, tempting her to taste life again…In trying to stay apart, they only grow closer—and their broken pieces just might fit together and make them whole.

Maybe Later


Claudia Y. Burgoa - 2019
     He’s practically a recluse. When his assistant goes on maternity leave, Amy Walker virtual assistant extraordinaire arrives to save the day. Or does she? Amy is inquisitive and far too optimistic. She isn’t impressed with Jackson at all. Is she even real? They can’t stand each other. Unfortunately, they can’t seem to resist each other, either. Soon, their work relationship starts to feel like something more… Even when Amy meets her dream man, she can’t seem to stop thinking about her annoying online boss. And the woman who ’s never fallen in love before, finds herself falling for two men. Both of them have everything she’s ever wanted. But she has to choose one. Can Jackson convince her that he can be everything that she needs? Or will her past come back to haunt them and ruin her chance at love? Note: Contains a grumpy, workaholic tech CEO with a guarded heart, and a virtual assistant whose skills border on diabolical. Also, two cats named Ramen and Sushi.

Irresistible You


Kate Meader - 2017
    Three estranged sisters inherit their late father’s failing hockey franchise and are forced to confront a man’s world, their family’s demons, and the battle-hardened ice warriors skating into their hearts.Harper Chase has just become the most powerful woman in the NHL after the death of her father Clifford Chase, maverick owner of the Chicago Rebels. But the team is a hot mess—underfunded, overweight, and close to tapping out of the league. Hell-bent on turning the luckless franchise around, Harper won’t let anything stand in her way. Not her gender, not her sisters, and especially not a veteran player with an attitude problem, a chip on his shoulder, and a smoldering gaze designed to melt her ice-compacted defenses.Veteran center Remy “Jinx” DuPre is on the downside of a career that’s seen him win big sponsorships, fans’ hearts, and more than a few notches on his stick. Only one goal has eluded him: the Stanley Cup. Sure, he’s been labeled as the unluckiest guy in the league, but with his recent streak of good play, he knows this is his year. So why the hell is he being shunted off to a failing hockey franchise run by a ball-buster in heels? And is she seriously expecting him to lead her band of misfit losers to a coveted spot in the playoffs?He’d have a better chance of leading Harper on a merry skate to his bed…

Off the Ice


Julie Cross - 2017
    One semester off, that’s what she promised herself. Just long enough to take care of her father and keep the family business—a hockey bar beside the ice rink—afloat. After that, she’s getting the hell out. Again.Enter Tate Tanley. What happened between them the night before she left town resurfaces the second they lay eyes on each other. But the guy she remembers has been replaced by a total hottie. When Tate is unexpectedly called in to take over for the hockey team’s star goalie, suddenly he’s in the spotlight and on his way to becoming just another egotistical varsity hockey player. And Claire’s sworn off Juniper Falls hockey players for good.It’s the absolute worst time to fall in love.For Tate and Claire, hockey isn’t just a game. And they both might not survive a body check to the heart.

Alphahole


D.D. Prince - 2018
     Aiden is an alphahole and absolutely infuriating. You're going to effing love him! I'm Carly. A nice girl. A nice girl who has recently figured out that nice girls get the shaft. So, I've decided to become Carly 2.0 and say buh-bye Carly 1.0, the doormat. There's a problem, though. An alphahole is my new roommate and my CEO’s son. He’s also my boss and the alphahole is gunning to ruin me. Alphahole: A grade-A alpha male asshole. The epitome? Aiden Carmichael. Aiden wants to give me the shaft. In multiple ways, if you get my drift. Good thing the new me has decided to fight back and if push comes to shove, fight dirty. I'm Aiden. Alphahole. Or so the chick my father put in my corporate apartment and my department at the office calls me. Whatever. She's got spunk. And a great rack. She tries to come off as a badass, but I see right through the act. If she's gonna tangle with me, she'll be the one to get tied up in knots. It won't be me. I have no problem fighting and as far as I'm concerned, the dirtier the better.

The Pilot & the Puck-Up


Pippa Grant - 2018
    Tough? Damn right. Smart? Don’t let the hockey uniform fool you. Large and in charge? Honey, I’m the biggest, baddest, mother pucking-est machine to ever own the ice. I shoot. I score. In and out of the rink. I don’t come early, but I come often, if you know what I mean. And I always leave the ladies wanting more. Until that chick last night. I’m no one-thrust wonder, and you’re damn right I’m going to prove to her I can do better. But every time I think I’m finally on my way back into her pants, she one-ups and out-balls me. I should cut my losses, lick my wounds, and walk away. But Zeus Berger doesn’t walk away from anything. Especially when she's the only woman in the world who might be able to handle me.

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?

When the Time Is Right


M. Mabie - 2020
    Hudson Bradley is the cockiest, most stubborn, hard-headed man I’ve ever known. And for fifteen years, he’s been my brother's best friend. But lately, what I’m feeling for him isn’t friendship at all.Why is my heart racing every time his blue eyes lock on mine?Why does every word he rumbles in my ear make my body come alive?And worst of all, why did I bet him that I could find a woman he and his son would both love? If I hadn’t given up on love altogether, Hudson would have been perfect for me. After all, he was there the day my world fell apart. He’s spent the last six years piecing me back together. There are a million reasons why we could never work, but after a single kiss, I can’t remember any of them. Now that the time is right, I have to make him mine—before I lose him forever.

Even the Score


Beth Ehemann - 2016
    No parent likes being sidelined, so Andy decides to hire someone to share the workload. But when one of the hottest agents in the industry applies, Andy knows that this deal is definitely trouble.Danicka Douglas works her butt off, but being an attractive woman in a testosterone-heavy industry isn’t exactly a cakewalk. She guards her professional reputation fiercely, which means no crushing on her gorgeous boss. But the more they ignore that sexy little spark, the more it sizzles…Just when it looks like romance might be in the game plan, Dani is threatened by a stalker with dark intentions. To keep her safe, Andy must cross the line between professional and very personal…because this time, he’s playing for keeps.

Bad Boy Billionaire


Amie Knight - 2021
    Moving to New York is my dream come true, but the big city is a tough place to navigate for a small-town, southern girl like me. Luckily, fate sent me my very own knight in shining armor. Only Whitaker Aldrich didn’t ride in on his white steed to save me. He picked me up on his Harley Davidson, wearing a leather jacket and sporting a cocky smirk that doesn’t bode well for my man free diet. He screams one-night stand.But there’s so much more to him than that bad boy billionaire persona. He's thoughtful and kind and his six-year-old son is his entire world. That twinkle in his brilliant green eyes makes me weak in the knees and I’m terrified that I won’t be able to protect my already bruised heart. I should probably say no when he asks me to be his nanny, right?Yeah, getting involved with Whit would be a huge mistake. I should definitely say no. Maybe... Possibly? Help! Yours truly,The Billionaire's Babysitter

The Bombshell Effect


Karla Sorensen - 2018
     Not one she wants, and definitely not one she's prepared for. She hadn't seen her dad in years, so the last thing she expects upon his sudden death is to inherit the thing he loved more than anything (or anyone) ... the professional football team he owned for the last twenty years. Luke Pierson does not want a new boss. What he wants is to be a good father to his daughter, the best quarterback possible for his teammates. What he doesn't need is a blonde bombshell ruining the team's chances at another championship. Especially when that bombshell turns out to be his new neighbor. The neighbor he was a complete jerk to the first time they met. For the sake of the team, they treat each other like complete professionals. In public, at least. Behind closed doors, it's a different story. And the fallout of giving in to that heat is something neither one of them can see coming.

Trouble


Tia Louise - 2021
    But his naughty eyes flashed, his full lips curled into a knowing smile, and I should have run.I didn’t. I kissed him instead.Then he gave me a job when I needed it the most.I never get involved with clients, but Spencer Carrollton is wickedly handsome in a bespoke suit. He’s devastatingly sexy out of it. He’s possessive, demanding, and the best sex I’ve ever had. He’s an arrogant billionaire, who thinks I’ll fall at his feet, but I’m not going down that road again.Until he pulls me out of danger and insists I move in with him to be safe.As the nights pass and we grow closer, I know I’m losing this fight.Spencer Carrollton always gets what he wants.The trouble is, he wants me.(TROUBLE is a STAND-ALONE, enemies-to-lovers, billionaire-boss romance. No cheating. No cliffhanger.)

Filthy Friend


Gwyn McNamee - 2021
    Too bad men like HRD4U don’t exist in real life. Apparently, finding a nice guy with a nasty mouth and a mammoth gift between the legs is asking too much. Instead, I just get snooze-inducing lovers and dates with no chemistry. Having my BFF Flynn McAllister right next door helps ease some of the pain of breakup after breakup.But he can’t know what I really want or why my relationships always fail. I just want to be dirty. But now, all my dreams might be coming true…All because of my filthy friend.

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?