Book picks similar to
Playing the Game by L.M. Reid
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Lucky Catch
Lea Coll - 2020
And I have the perfect opportunity when my boss asks me to dig into the rookie wide receiver, Gavin Keller. Coming from a family of football stars, he’s my chance to write a huge story about the newest Keller to go pro. I need to get to know the man under the pads. Is he an arrogant entitled player or is there a side to him no one knows about?The more I watch Gavin at practice and when he mentors young athletes, the more I realize he’s nothing like I thought. He’s a leader, someone the fans can rally behind. The more I see, the more I like him—not the player. And the looks he gives me say he feels the same.As we get closer, I'm tempted to break my no-player rule. But if anyone finds out, it’s my job on the line. Giving in would mean losing everything.GavinI've always had more to prove than any of my teammates. I know what everyone says about me. Since the first time I touched a ball, I've been living in the shadow of my family's football legacy. My life is focused on my game and giving back and nothing else. I'm not giving anyone another reason to talk. That's until the new reporter, Lexie Austin appears on the sidelines in her skin-tight tailored suits and sky-high heels. They say she’s only here because of her looks, just like they say I’m only here because of my name.So what if everyone is as wrong about her as me? She’s more than a pretty face and I’m playing better than ever with her watching. It's starting to feel like she’s my personal good luck charm. She doesn’t care about my last name, my signing bonus, or my star potential. She wants to know me.I want her in my bed, by my side, and in my life. Now I just have to convince her that if she falls, it'll be the luckiest catch I ever make.
Holding Out for You
Anna Paige - 2020
He was my friend, my ally, my protector all my life. Everyone loved him, looked up to him almost as much as me.My big brother’s best friend, though?He was my nemesis, my tormentor, my least favorite person on earth. Ashton Hunter was a complete jerk.And yet, like my brother, everyone loved him. Not me, though. No way. Not after a lifetime of his snide comments and not-so-subtle jabs. Years of treating me like the bratty little sister he barely tolerated. But I refused to let him deter me from seeing my brother.I’d just have to ignore him. Like I always had. Or—more accurately—like I always pretended to. I was used to pretending when it came to Ash.But some feelings refuse to stay hidden forever. ***My best friend was better than all the other friends on earth. Hands down. My partner in crime, my ride or die, my brother in every way that counted. His little sister, though?She was an entirely different story.Blair Martell was…complicated. Where her brother acted like she was made of glass, I tried to make her shatter. When others bowed to her wishes, I challenged every word out of her pouty little mouth. She wasn’t meant to be on some pedestal. And I made sure she knew it. Maybe she hated me for the way I treated her, But I knew exactly what she needed.Even when she didn’t know.And after so many years of biding my time, I was finally going to be the man to give it to her.
Team Hate
Rebel Hart - 2020
After my father died in a car accident when I was sixteen, I decided to pursue football as a tribute to him. I struggled my way through college coaching for experience, always trying to prove I belonged to the field. And now I’m excited to finally jump into the big leagues as a strength and conditioning assistant coach of the North Carolina Knights.I’ve always been a stubborn, short-tempered, swearing-like-a-sailor tomboy. But it's a different ballgame with the football players.They can be crass, rude, misogynistic.One in particular, the arrogant and egotistical star quaterback, John Scepter.He thinks there’s no place for women in professional football and is not subtly trying to force me out.I hate him.Yet, no one makes my heart race like he does…And that makes me hate him even more.
The Last Strike
A.R. Henry - 2021
I got a drink... spilled on me... by a guy.No, not just any guy. A man. A hot man. America's hottest baseball coach, apparently.And he didn't even apologize.That was the first time we met.Or what I like to call strike one.The second time we met? He was late to a parent teacher conference.The one where I realized I was his daughter's new teacher, and where he told me I should quit my job.Strike two.You know what they say in baseball?Third strike.You're out.
See No Evil
Ivy Fox - 2020
They have been sentenced. All that remains is their execution.No one goes unpunished. We’ll make sure of it.We are The Society and all who dare cross us will find their miserable end by our hand.Don’t be fooled. This is not their story.It’s ours.FinnAs long as I can remember, I’ve played by the rules.On and off the football field, I’ve done everything that has been expected of me.Until that fatal night.Now my life and the lives of my best friends hang in the balance, hung there by a sadistic sinister shadow forcing us to do their will.And it’s just my damn luck that I’m the first to be put on their butcher’s block.I must prove my worth by eradicating a certain pebble in their shoe.The order is simple.To save ourselves, I must ruin another—a life for a life.Meaning Stone Bennett’s life is about to be forfeited in exchange for my own.The poor girl never stood a chance.StoneHe’s all American perfection.I’m the poster child for this country’s rejects.He’s old Asheville money and privilege.I’m the Southie eyesore people stay clear from.He’s caviar dreams and champagne wishes.I’m the trailer trash his momma probably warned him about.I doubt it can get any further away from the elitist’s social spectrum than the two of us.So why the hell is Finn Walker, Richfield’s football god, suddenly all in my face wanting my attention?Nothing good can come from this.I can feel it.*The Society is an Enemies to Lovers, New Adult College Romance.*Each book can be read as standalones. However all four books in this series have an entwined subplot, that will only be resolved in the final book.*Recommended 18+ due to mature language and situations.
The Trouble With Quarterbacks
R.S. Grey - 2020
Kat, don’t take the long route from the subway station just so you can pass by Cute Hot Dog Guy. This is important! I’ve had THE BEST DAY. You won’t believe it. There I was in my preschool classroom, washing a bit of poo out of some soggy trousers, when this absolute babe came to collect his nephew from my class. Truthfully, I thought I’d blacked out for a moment when I first saw him. He was a proper hunk with glorious brown hair, quite tall, and he had these arms. Are muscly arms supposed to turn me on? I’m panting just thinking about them.Anyway, he told me he’s a professional foosball player. At least, I think that’s what he said. The tots can get quite loud near pick-up time. YASMINE: Foosball? What are you on about? Have you gone mad?KAT: Oh sod off. So what if I like to have a good look at Hot Dog Guy’s arse on my trek home after a hard day’s work? It’s called self-care.CANDACE: Kat, you’re hopeless. Yasmine, yes—foosball! I suppose it’s a big thing over here in the States? We must investigate and learn everything we can. By the way, he’s called Logan.Logan + Candace. I think that sounds quite nice! I can hear the wedding bells now. Dum dum da-dum.YASMINE: Oh good grief. I suppose we can do some snooping when I get home. I’ll grab wine on my way.KAT: I’ll grab hot dogs.THE TROUBLE WITH QUARTERBACKS is a hilarious romance about unlikely love found between a British preschool teacher and the professional quarterback who sweeps her off her feet.
Scoring With the Wrong Twin
Naima Simone - 2018
Then Zephirin Black walks onto the set. The brooding, aloof, and gorgeous tight end for the Washington Warriors. But she can keep it professional… She has to. Because the adorkable Cruz twin has no luck with guys once they compare her to her sister. After a bad break-up, Zeph hasn’t been big on second chances — and even less with trust. But he finds himself giving please-call-me-by-my-middle-name-Sophia both. The woman he’d dismissed as a spoiled cover model is different from the first time he met her. Quirkier. Funnier. Definitely sexier. What started as one night turns into another... and another… and another…Still, Sophia can’t go on keeping her secret from him. But telling Zeph the truth will mean losing him for good.
Playing for Kinley
Melanie Munton - 2016
He was in love with Kinley Masterson. And he was in hell. Parker Cruz pretty much had it made. Coming from basically nothing, he was at the height of his career and was now one of the best baseball players in the major leagues. He was raking in the millions just to play the game that had always been his passion. He was living the dream and could have anything he wanted. Except Kinley Masterson. Kinley always knew her camera would take her places someday. She was exactly where she wanted to be in her professional life, but her personal life…that was a long story. Because she always imagined that she’d see all of those places and share in those experiences with someone she loved. Someone she fell for a long time ago and someone who had crushed her heart and left her broken and crying in his wake. Parker Cruz. She had loved him forever and the one summer they had together was magic…before he took off for Boston and acted like she’d never meant anything to him. Parker knew he’d screwed it up bad with Kinley and he didn’t blame her for hating him. But what he thought had been the right decision at the time turned out to be the worst mistake he had ever made. And now he was determined to win her back. He was going to make her fall in love with him again and nothing and no one was going to stand in his way. Not even Kinley.
Bishop
Sawyer Bennett - 2018
They’re burning up the ice—until a one-night-stand with the coach’s daughter freezes one player in his skates.Bishop Scott, co-captain. Not too shabby, huh? It’s all part of my fresh start with the NHL’s latest expansion team, and that means new teammates, a new coach, a new city, and a big new contract. Basically, I cannot f***ing wait to show my old squad what they’re missing.But first, I decide to check out the town before the grind begins. Turns out Arizona chicks are totally smokin’, and I’m fortunate enough to meet one who’s looking for the same thing I am: a night of anonymous, unforgettable, no-strings-attached sex.Fast forward to the Vengeance arena. It’s the last place I expect to see her again—let alone in her own office. Then bells go off and I finally realize who this girl is: Brooke Perron. My new coach’s daughter. All of a sudden, we’re picking up right where we left off, which means our hands are all over each other. That’s when her dad—my boss—walks in. And before I can get a word out, Brooke’s introducing me as her fiancé.Sure, she just saved my ass. So why do I get the feeling Brooke’s going to turn my world upside down? Maybe it’s because this fake relationship feels way too real. . . .The Carolina Cold Fury series from New York Times bestselling author Sawyer Bennett can be read together or separately:ALEXGARRETTZACKRYKERHAWKEMAXROMANLUCASVANREEDMAREKThe Love Hurts series features sexy standalone novels:SEX IN THE STICKSJILTEDAnd the Sugar Bowl series is one treat you’ll want to read in order:SUGAR DADDYSUGAR RUSHSUGAR FREEIncludes an excerpt from another Loveswept title.
Big D
Stephanie Brother - 2016
Tall and broad, with muscles so thick and good that all I can think about is getting a grip on his biceps and squeezing. Then there’s the other reason. All the girls talk about it. I’m not sure how everyone knows he’s hung like a horse but they do. I try not to think about it because he’s a popular football player who everybody knows and I’m just the work-focused history major who likes to stay mostly invisible at school. But when my professor pulls me aside and asks if I’d be willing to tutor a failing student, suddenly it’s impossible to ignore. I’m going to be teaching Big D. If he doesn’t pass he’ll be off the team and they can’t win without him. We’re going to be together night after night, well, the ones I’m not working. I have two big secrets you see. Huge enough that I know for sure that I’m not right for Big D, even though I wish I was. In my fantasies I imagine finding out if he really does live up to his name, but when trouble heads in my direction again, Dominic Ramsey might be the only one that can keep me safe. Big D is a standalone Sports Romance with a happy ever after. It also features HUGE - A Stepbrother Romance for your continued reading pleasure! Enjoy!
Monday Night Guy
Liz Lovelock - 2018
He’s a basketball captain with charm and popularity. Will her vow to stop dating jerks have to take a time out?Bookworm Addison James has vowed to crush it in her second year in college. Avoiding guys who'll break her heart is at the top of her to-do list. But when a smoking hot jerk makes her Monday night shift part of his weekly routine, she wonders if her resolution will even last until midterms…Parker Kent knows he’s at the top of the popularity food chain and loves playing it to the max. While he enjoys the looks he gets from showing off his sport-sculpted, tattoo-covered body, it's the witty banter with Addison that truly draws him to her. Unfortunately, he can’t seem to persuade the gorgeous geek to let down her defenses.When Addison discovers a grand betrayal involving Parker's current squeeze, she's ready to swear off dating for good. But the basketball captain persists in showing up with plenty of reasons for her to change her mind. Can Addison let go of the wall around her heart to chance love with Parker or will another relationship land out of bounds?Monday Night Guy is the first book in the My Guy series of New Adult sweet college romances. If you like snappy dialogue, delicious characters, and swoon-worthy moments, then you'll love Liz Lovelock's feel-good novel.
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.
The Boyfriend Plan
J.S. Cooper - 2019
He's my brother's best friend since childhood. He was my first crush and now he's my boyfriend coach. And he says that he's going to help me find a boyfriend as long as I do what he says. Which is all good and well, but I don't know that I want him to be my teacher. Not when his techniques include kissing me in ways that make me think that he's the only one that I want. My name is Maggie Lane and I'm a dreamer, a thinker, a wanna-be writer and all I really wants is to meet the love of my life. I can't help it that I go from crush to crush, never finding Mr. Right. It's not that I'm not trying. I thought I would be single forever. And then I reunited with hunky Blake, and he said that he'll be my boyfriend coach and help me snag a boyfriend. He came up with a plan that included teaching me how to flirt, date, and even how to seduce. It all sounded like a great idea at first, but everyone knows that the best laid plans often go awry. The Boyfriend Plan is a completely revised and rewritten novel that was previously published as The Shameful Diary of a Hopeless Romantic.
Brazen Bachelor
Dani René - 2021
The moment I step foot off the plane, I had a feeling my life was going to change. It wasn’t the new contract I’d signed, and it certainly wasn’t the Big Apple that called to me, it was her. Shy and sweet, Violet Kennedy, captured my attention. But I’m far from what she expected to walk into her office. I live by the moniker they’ve given me. Even though I’m nothing like the image they portray, I have a job to do, and that may be the reason I lose the woman of my dreams. I may be the Brazen Bachelor, but for Violet, I would walk away from it all. The only problem is, she believes the lie.
Just Playin'
Shandi Boyes - 2019
Number one draft pick, engaged to an up-and-coming model, and voted best player of the decade his first year on the field. Things were golden. . . until an accident saw everything important torn from his grasp. He’s determined to get his life back, though, and with a strict regime, and no time for a life outside of the game, the last thing he wants is the attention of a curvy college student whose only motto in life is to not take it too seriously. Can an Australian expat show the struggling sports star there’s more to life than the next win? Or has Willow Underwood chewed off a chunk of man-meat too thick for her to swallow? Just Playin’ is a standalone sports romance RomCom that will give you all the feels. It has sexy scenes and several laugh-out-loud moments. This is not tied to any of my other books, and can be enjoyed by itself. AKA: No cliffhangers!