Book picks similar to
Rough Play: A Football Romance by Kira Ward
sports
romance
football-romance
football
Delayed Penalty
Shey Stahl - 2013
As long as the non-offending team maintains possession, the referee allows play to continue and signals a delayed penalty by raising his arm.I’m Evan Mason, an NHL hockey player for the Chicago Blackhawks. I spend my nights roughing up two hundred pound defensemen and, at times, spend more time in the penalty box than I do on the ice.That’s my job. One night changed everything I thought I once knew about my life on, and off, the ice. A girl. A brutally beaten girl left to die in an alley.I don’t know why or how but something made me stay that night after taking her to the hospital. I didn’t know her, nor did I have an obligation to stay but something inside of me rooted me there telling me I should stay. Saving a life is worth something. At least I thought so. And I wouldn’t have been me if I just simply left her there. Any man who put his heart and soul into a game of hockey couldn’t just walk away when someone needed them. She had no one else right now. The same guy who saw determination where there was desire, now saw hope where there was once despair.I couldn’t leave. That wouldn’t be me. No, not a man that put all he had into something some called just a game. I couldn’t walk away from her holding onto life, weak and powerless to something she had no control over.So I stayed. In a room full of family members praying for their loved ones to pull through, I prayed for a girl I didn’t know and had never met before, to have a beating heart. While others’ sorrows turned to grieving pain, I sat waiting on the words of the unknown.No bond is stronger than the ones you’ll bleed for.
Line of Scrimmage
Marie Force - 2008
Marriage to football superstar Ryan Sanderson was a whirlwind of passion, heat, energy, and excitement, but Susannah got sick of playing second fiddle to his team, watching women throwing themselves at him, and living in terror of the hard hits he took on the field. With their divorce just days from being final, she's already planning a wedding with her new fiance...He's finally figured out what's really important to him. If only it's not too late...Ryan has just ten days to convince his soon-to-be ex-wife to give him a second chance. He has just brought home his third championship and his career is at its pinnacle, but during the year of their separation, Ryan's come to realize it doesn't mean anything at all without Susannah...
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.
Strong Side
Alison Hendricks - 2016
But can they ever be more than friends?Jason Hawkins is about to throw the biggest Hail Mary pass of his career. If he can't turn NFL recruiters' heads this year, he'll lose his shot at the one thing he's ever been good at. But every quarterback needs a man he can count on down-field. For Jason, that man just might be the Tigers' new receiver, Derek Griffin.Four years ago, Derek nearly lost everything after being outed by his teammates.Now he finally has a chance to get it all back as a walk-on for Eastshore College... if he can resist his immediate attraction to the gorgeous and very straight star quarterback.An instant connection during practice leads to an easy friendship that only grows stronger off the field. Derek is convinced friendship is all it'll ever be, but a very confusing moment of impulse leaves both of them fumbling for answers about their relationship.As curiosity gives way to passion and passion gives way to something deeper, Jason and Derek will have to tackle their own personal demons to bring home the win and earn their happy ending.
When Stars Burn Out
Carrie Aarons - 2018
So slowly that each layer burning out feels like agony … or suddenly, exploding into a million pieces before the universe even has a grasp of what is happening.When Paxton Shaw left Demi Rosen without so much as a goodbye, he stole her shine in both manners.Now, eight years later, he’s trying to pull her back into his orbit. The nation’s most beloved football player, a tight end with a seriously tight end, has finally realized Demi is the one who got away.But she’s a different woman than the weak girl who used to come running whenever he called in the middle of the night. Strong, successful, her life’s mission being to grant the wishes of children whose flames have all but been extinguished.And untouchable, as dark and cold as a midnight sky with no moon in sight.When one special child forces their star-crossed paths to collide, it’s impossible to keep the feelings of their past buried. Paxton had been her Halley’s Comet; the once in a lifetime love that scorched Demi’s heart in the most spectacular of fashions.She promised herself she would never make that mistake again. But, how can she forget the dreams of love she once had, when Paxton wants to make them come true?
Frenemies with Benefits
Kelly Myers - 2020
I’ve spent my life running away from my past.And for so long, that’s worked.Not anymore.Now my past is out to get me in the form of Zach O’Malley.He was my first crush, but that was then.My name is still Beatrice Dobbs, but everything else has changed. I’m an adult now. I don’t want to go back to my troubled past.Plus Zach is from the wrong side of the tracks. Sure, back when I was in high school, I had a thing for the Bad Boy, but not anymore.And on top of that, he’s trying to get me to reconnect with my mother. I haven’t spoken to her since I was eighteen, and I would rather re-take the SAT’s than see her again.And yet, I can’t seem to push Zach away.He’s no good for me.But maybe – just maybe– my teenage self was onto something.What’s the harm in a little bit of fun?
The Red Zone
Amie Knight - 2019
But for me, those last twenty yards were my sweet spot. They didn't call me Lukas "Last Minute Lucy" Callihan for nothing. I was at the top of my game...until life sacked me harder than any linebacker ever could. Losing my mom was devastating and left me as the sole person responsible for my little sister. Taking care of Ella and juggling my career was like playing the hardest game of my life. My only saving grace was Scarlett Knox, Ella's sexy, red-headed, no-nonsense teacher. She loved Ella. She hated me. She thought I sucked at this parenting thing, and she wasn’t wrong. But whenever she was around I got the same earth-shattering, heart-stopping feeling I did when I was only twenty yards from the goal line. She made me feel like I was back in the red zone, a place I’d never fumbled. Until now.
The Friend Zone
Sariah Wilson - 2019
Now the Texas star player with a bad temper has a new option: Seattle’s EOL College—as in End of the Line, to his fellow misfit recruits. It’s Logan’s last chance. If he can follow the rules. No parties, no fighting, no swearing, and oh, no dating the coach’s daughter, Jess. Simple. Yeah, right. For Logan, there has never been a rule he’s more tempted to break.The deal is “just friends.” The pretty, confident, and fiercely smart math whiz is fine with pizza, tutoring, and keeping Logan in line. But the closer Jess gets, the more receptive she is to his warm heart and spirit—not to mention his irresistible off-field passes. With defenses down, they’re both heading into the danger zone.It’s more than thrilling. It’s love. It’s also a game changer that could sideline Logan’s NFL goals—and more important, a future with Jess. But dreams are worth fighting for, right?
Change of Hart
M.E. Carter - 2014
As the best defensive lineman in the country, I eat, sleep and breathe football. And I like it that way. I’ve only got a few more years before I’ll have to retire, so expending energy on anything other than football seems like a waste of time.That is, until I have a random meeting with a little boy who just lost his father. We have more in common than you might think and it creates an unlikely bond. As our friendship grows, so do my feelings for his mother.I know Addison, as a recent widow, isn’t ready to date again. But I want to get to know her better, in spite of all her rejections.Is it possible that I, a self-proclaimed bachelor, could be having a Change of Hart?
Hard Stick
Paige North - 2017
And he’s probably the sexiest man in the entire city, if not the country. He also happens to be a total loose cannon, and I happen to have had his mouth between my legs before we’ve even been formally introduced. That’s right, sweet Midwestern girl Savannah Shaw hooked up with a complete and total stranger on her first night away from home. And the worst part of it is, it was also the hottest night of my life. But things are never that simple. Flynn Taylor is off-limits for a whole host of reasons, and continuing to see him, even in secret, threatens to turn my whole life upside down and destroy everything I’ve been working toward these last few years. The trouble is, I can’t seem to stay away from him. Even though I know everything about him is wrong, when he touches me it feels so right. I guess it’s true what they say. It’s not the size of the stick, but how you handle it that matters. And Flynn Taylor has a big, hard stick, and he also knows exactly what to do to score. And score. And score again… HARD STICK is a full-length romance with a guaranteed HEA
For Finlay
J. Nathan - 2017
Each book follows a new couple.Finlay Thatcher is a lost soul, guilt-ridden after the death of her twin brother. When Alabama's football coach gives her the opportunity to work for him, she knows it's her chance to move on, even if it means living her brother's dream. Caden Brooks is Alabama's star quarterback. He's got it all. The attention of adoring fans. A girlfriend who'd do anything to hold on to him. And a future in the pros. He's getting along just fine until Finlay steps into his life, despising him at first sight and pushing his buttons like no other. Unfortunately for Finlay, and her attempt to keep Caden at arm's length, there's nothing Caden loves more than a challenge. The problem with this challenge is she comes with a secret that has the power to destroy everything.
Score
Juliette Jones - 2017
Shy and artistic, she’d rather keep to herself. But when she gets talked into attending a school football game by a new friend, the drop-dead gorgeous quarterback can’t take his eyes off her. Will Blake Travis be the one to bring Skye out of her shell?Blake Travis is saving himself. The hottest superstar at UT just isn’t interested in playing any other field except the one with a football on it. A romantic at heart, he’s holding out for the real thing. As soon as he lays eyes on the shy stranger with the smoky green eyes and flaxen hair, he knows he’s found her.SCORE is a super-sweet, safe, scorching-hot story about first love. No love triangles, cliffhangers or cheating.Book #1 in the Travis Brothers series
Tackled
Lucy Snow - 2016
If I know what's good for me, I'll stay as far away from Drake Rollins as I can... I have loved football since I was a kid, and now I cover a team professionally. So it’s just my luck that I get stuck following Drake Rollins around as he tries to make my favorite team. We knew each other in college, and though I can't stop thinking about him, I know I have to stay away. He's radioactive, in danger of throwing his life away, and it looks like I'm one of the only people on Earth who sees any potential in him. How long can I resist this gorgeous and sexy man? Tackled is book 1 of the Alpha Ballers trilogy, but can be read standalone. It is 62,000 words long and contains an HEA with no cliffhanger. Books 2-3 in the series will follow characters introduced in book 1 as teammates try to win at love and on the field. *This is not a football heavy story, but unlike other football romances, there is an attempt to get the facts correct, so if you're not into sports, don't worry! It's medium on the sports and heavy on the steam!*
Getting Lucky Number Seven
Cindi Madsen - 2015
While every other college student is out having fun, Lyla is studying. With her cat. Well, she's played it "safe" quite enough, thank you. So she creates a "College Bucket List"―with item #7 being a night of uninhibited, mind-blowing sex...But she needs some help from her man-whore best friend.Hockey player Beck Davenport thought Lyla's transformation would be subtle. Man, was he wrong. With every item she ticks off, Beck finds himself growing seriously hot for his sweet, brainiac best friend. And if he's not careful, he'll end up risking their friendship in order to convince Lyla that he might just be her lucky #7...
Waiting For Prince Harry
Aven Ellis - 2014
Organized and cautious to a fault, her dreams for life are often filed away for future use—when she has a house, when she meets her future husband, when she has been at her visual display job at a chic Dallas boutique longer. Kylie always has a reason for living her life in the future, not in the present, and fears not living her life to the fullest and reaching her dream of becoming a fashion designer. The only exception to rules, of course, would be running away with Prince Harry. But living in Dallas and not knowing Prince Harry make this a non-option. Or does it? Because when Kylie accidentally falls into the lap of a gorgeous ginger guy—yes, even more gorgeous than the real Prince Harry—all bets are off. Kylie’s life takes some unexpected twists and turns thanks to this encounter. Could this stranger be the one to show Kylie how to live in the present?