Book picks similar to
Playing With Attraction by Melanie Shawn
sports
single-parent
melanie-shawn
contemporary
Color Me Yours
Jen Talty - 2020
Or maybe her best friend to her boyfriend. It didn’t matter. All she had left was her job, and she’d be damned if she was going to lose that too. So when her boss asks her for a favor, she’s not about to say no. Except, she didn’t know the favor included pretending to be his girlfriend in front of his parents. Hawk Jefferson was tired of his parents constantly trying to marry him off to their rich friends’ daughters. He was nearly forty years old, and he was more than happy to spend the rest of his life as a bachelor. The last thing he wanted was a wife and a bunch of babies. In order to keep them off his back, he told them he’d been dating his assistant for the last six months. So, when they decided to take a last-minute trip to spend the weekend with him and his girlfriend, Hawk had to take drastic measures. Except, he never anticipated he’d fall in love, much less want to settle down and give his parents the grandchild they’ve always wanted. Only, getting Kennedy on board with that plan seems to be harder than anticipated.
Hot Mess
Emily Goodwin - 2017
Forget about dating--nobody's got time for that. Even if love hadn't left me jaded, I'm not settling for anything less than perfect this time around.Lucky for me, the perfect man just happens to work in my office. But there's just one small problem: he's my boss, and is totally off limits. But hey, if it's meant to be, it'll find a way, right?Then a night out with friends turns into a night in with the walking-talking bad boy cliche of a bartender. It's just one night. No harm, no foul, right?Except when the hot bartender turns out to be my boss's trouble-making brother, who wants more than just one night with me. The more I resist the spark between us, the more I find myself wanting him too. Which puts me in the middle of what could be the biggest sibling rivalry of the century.Life is messy.And love?Well, love is even messier.
Draw Play
Tia Lewis - 2016
I’m all that on the field and between the sheets — who cares about my stupid grades?But Claire doesn’t treat me like I’m dumb. When we’re not busy fighting, she actually encourages me. And with those sexy curves of hers, I know just how to thank her.Claire:I hate football players, but I need the money. Jake is just as cocky and arrogant as the worst of them … but his touch sets me on fire.I have to believe he’s different, that he won’t use me and break my heart. Because I can’t stop wanting him. I just hope I survive the ride.
Lila
Elizabeth Reyes - 2017
. . compatibility seems improbable.Adrift in a foul-mouthed world of ass kicking to survive life on the tough streets of Boyle Heights, Lila is anything but a refined girlie girl. Fighting tooth and nail for those she loves has left her with a chip on her shoulder as big as the gloves on her fists.After years of being surrounded by glamorous glitzy women, Sonny didn’t even realize how much he’s yearned for someone of real substance. So, when he meets the unapologetic, sexy-as-hell Lila, her in-your-face candor awakens something in him he’s never felt before.Despite Lila’s suspicions about Sonny’s intentions, the two begin a seemingly innocent, yet deliciously dangerous, online flirtation as his business keeps him away a lot.The more their rapidly growing connection intensifies, the more Lila feels Sonny is too perfect to be true. But when she’s blindsided by the truth about who Sonny really is . . .Compatibility suddenly feels impossible.The first in my new series "Boyle Heights." A spin off of 5th Street. Will feature character crossings from other series'. Stay tuned to find out who Lila's love interest will be. ;)Read the FULL prologue on my website now!
Marching Offsides
A.M. Williams - 2020
She plays her music and calls it a day. But when she’s paired with King University’s star quarterback for a class project, she discovers that football might not be all that confusing.Jackson is the big man on campus and star quarterback. People love him and flock to wherever he is. He doesn’t realize how much he hates it until he meets Camden, a girl that acts like she doesn’t know who he is.Can two people from different social groups overcome the expectations placed on them to find true love?This was originally published as part of the Heart Beats Music Anthology, a charity anthology that donated all proceeds to the Mercery Phoenix Trust. The story is the exact same as what was published there, just by itself now.
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.
One Daring Night
Mari Carr - 2015
Catching her boyfriend at a fancy restaurant with some bimbo certainly wasn’t what she’d wished for when she blew out the candles. Newly unattached, she’s ready to embrace singlehood by going wild, being reckless, maybe even indulging in some meaningless sex. Depressed with his shallow love life, Eric Bryant is commiserating with his friend, Alex Dare, over a meal at his favorite restaurant. He vows to marry the next woman he sleeps with—just before a firecracker confronts her cheating boyfriend at the next table. Intrigued, Eric offers to buy her a beer. Joni agrees on two conditions: She wants tequila, and complete honesty. Eric promises nothing but the truth. After one daring night, what happens when two people with such similar hungers want such different futures?
Picture Perfect Lie
Marquita Valentine - 2018
All Knight King wanted was to leave his hometown behind. I never expected to end up in Castle Beach, surrounded by a family who believes that I’m not only their brother’s wife, but the mother of his infant daughter. I can’t tell them the truth—Knight and I met only three days earlier, during a layover in Atlanta. He was headed out to fight in a war that hardly anyone talked about anymore, and I was headed back home to a family who pretended that I didn’t exist. He helped me with my baby. He kept us safe while we slept. We shared lunch and dinner… and I spilled all my secrets to him. Then he gave me an address, along with an offer I couldn’t refuse. *** Six months later he’s back to bury his brother, and my lie is about to be exposed. Only Knight doesn’t say a word. He goes along with the charade, and each day we spend together, pretending to be husband and wife, it’s getting harder and harder not to believe in our lie. Could our picture perfect lie turn into a picture perfect forever? Kings of Castle Beach Series: Picture Perfect Lie Big Talking Man (May 2018) What Lovers Do ( Summer 2018) Dirty Little secrets (Summer/Fall 2018) Hide Your Crazy (Fall 2018)
First Down
Leslie North - 2021
Standing on the field on gameday, he looks up at the Jumbotron and stops dead when he sees Tessa Black, his high school sweetheart. Standing next to her is a little boy who looks suspiciously like…Mark. Is that why she contacted him out of the blue?Suddenly, Mark’s world becomes more than football. He’s a father… and he’s still in love with the girl who ghosted him five years ago. Sure, he’s angry she kept his son from him, but when he learns why, it just makes him love Tessa more. But does she feel the same?Tessa knew if she told Mark she was pregnant, his dreams of playing in the NFL would have been over. That was something she couldn’t do. Now she’s ready to let him back into her life; she just isn’t sure how far.Mark’s a good dad, and Tessa can’t help but fall for him all over again. But Mark seems to be the same naïve dreamer he’d always been and doesn’t realize he’s one injury away from unemployment. Her focus has to be on her son, and she’s not sure their love will be enough to keep them together…
Finding Alexei
Kendall Ryan - 2018
He’s also a pro athlete who needs to focus on winning games and staying out of the headlines.I’m fiercely independent and need a man like I need a second period each month.So when our worlds collide, I never expected him to be the one to jump in and save me. Especially not when my roommate disappears, leaving me with her baby.I’m clueless about babies—and it shows. Good thing Alexei isn’t. With six nieces and nephews and an apparent hero complex, the dude is both sexy and more than capable. It’s a combination that makes it easy to forget we’re just playing house.
Every Other Memory
Kaylee Ryan - 2021
A night to let off some steam and celebrate. I was about to give up hope until the handsome stranger with gorgeous hazel eyes changed the course of my evening. Two separate lives, one unforgettable night, and an unexpected surprise that I never saw coming. It’s too bad I didn’t get his name, but that’s okay. I get to see those hazel eyes every day that I look at our daughter. And her daddy, every other memory I have is of him, and the night I’ll never forget.TrevinI was escaping another instance of being the third wheel with my sister and her new husband. I just needed some air and a beer. However, when I laid eyes on the dark-haired beauty at the bar, something pulled me toward her.No names. No promises. Just one night, that’s how it started, but that’s not how I wanted it to end. Too bad for me, she snuck out before I could tell her. Every day she’s on my mind. She’s ruined me for other women. Every other memory I have is of her, and the night I’ll never forget.
The Perfect Play
Jaci Burton - 2011
But a sexy, determinedly single mom just might be the one to throw him off his game...For years Mick has been taking full advantage of the life available to a pro athlete: fame, fortune, and a different girl in every city. But when he meets and beds confident, beautiful event planner Tara Lincoln, he wants much more than the typical one-night stand. Too bad Tara's not interested in getting to know football's most notorious playboy any better.As the single mother of a teenage son, the last thing Tara needs is the jet-set lifestyle of Mick Riley; even though their steamy and passionate one-night stand was unforgettable. Tara's life is complicated enough without being thrust into the spotlight as Mick's latest girl du jour. Tara played the game of love once and lost big, and she doesn't intend to put herself out there again, especially with a heartbreaker like Mick.But when Mick sets his mind to win, nothing will stop him. And he has the perfect play in mind.
Bad Dad
Sloane Howell - 2017
Nothing on earth matters but him.Soon, I’ll have to send him out into society. The cruel machine that gnashes innocence and spits out the hollowed remains of a child’s imagination. It’s a place I know all too well, considering my past. I’ve worked hard to separate myself from it, but it looms in the back of my mind—waiting for the perfect moment to strike.My son, Logan, wants to have birthday parties, make friends, play at the park—all the normal things that seven-year olds want to do. All the things I want to do with him.I’ve put up walls around our life to shield us from danger. Giant barriers to ward off possible threats.Cora Chapman crashes through them like a wrecking ball. She’s intelligent and hilarious with soft curves and a spark that ignites a flame deep inside of me.There’s only one problem—she’s Logan’s teacher.When my past wraps its tentacles around my throat and threatens to strangle the breath from my lungs, I’m given an option—fight for my family’s freedom, or die as they’re stripped away from me.I can’t lose. I won’t lose.My name is Landon Lane and I am a warrior.
What I really Need
A.E. Vuocolo - 2019
One dance, a few drinks and a night of passion ends with Mila sneaking out of a hotel, high heels in hand, and what she believes will only ever be a great memory.Grant promised Mila one night she wouldn’t forget. When he wakes up to an empty bed, and feelings he can’t process, Grant realizes Mila is the unforgettable one.Four years later, Grant is trying to make a name on a new team and then comes face to face with Mila. What does he do now that he is staring at the women that never left his mind and the secret she kept from him.
Mister Masher
Angela Nicole - 2021
I’m the homerun king on the field... and off. With a glitzy life full of parties, money, and beautiful women, settling down was the farthest thing from my mind... until I met her. Fiery redhead, Addie, has the kind of luscious curves that turn my thoughts to a line drive up the middle. But every charming pitch I throw at the single mom is a swing and a miss. I soon learn Addison’s son is critically ill and she is willing to make any sacrifice necessary to ensure he gets the best possible care. Our lives are as different as the major leagues versus the minors. Still, this is the one woman I would slide into home for. I was riding the bench of life before her, not really part of the game. Now, I’m stepping up to the plate and I’m ready. Two strikes and the bases are loaded. I refuse to strike out at the challenge of our forever.