Book picks similar to
Playing For Keeps by Jamie Denton


sports
football
athlete
contemporary-romance

Missing Piece


Lizzie James
    Exciting. Instead I’ve ended up living across the street from Johnny. Star footballer, charmer, intelligent. Perfect, right? Wrong! I have no intention of being this line-backer’s latest conquest. Staying far away from him is my only choice. Even if every little thing he does makes me swoon. Johnny Baker is bad news for any girl. He’s a player and no girl will change that. Only he wasn’t. He began to capture my attention more and more until all I thought of was him.He was my missing piece…JohnnyBeing the line-backer is easy. Especially when it gets me a different girl in my bed every night. That’s exactly what Tillie was supposed to be. Just another conquest. Wham and bam! She would be easy. I had never been with an art geek before but every other female fell at my feet or more accurately into my bed. Only she didn’t. Tillie Jacobs came into my world and blew it apart. Every little thing she did; every laugh, every moment… she possessed me.She was my missing piece…

Touching Down


Nicole Williams - 2016
    But all he’s ever loved is her.Grant Turner’s name is synonymous with football. The fans and media can’t get enough of the player known as The Invincible Man, a nickname he earned while growing up in one of the toughest neighborhoods in the country and the nickname he’s kept by being one of the best players in professional football today. No one can take him down. He’s unstoppable.But even a suit of armor has its weak point, and Grant’s has always been Ryan Hale.They were a couple of kids when they fell in love, and just when it looked like the happy ending neither expected was within reach, Ryan disappeared. No explanations. No good-byes.Grant coped by throwing himself into the game for seven years, and he’s finally moved on. Or so he thinks.When she walks back into his life, all of those feelings come crashing back, despite the warnings in his head that tell him she’ll leave him again. Grant can withstand the league’s toughest defensive line, but he’s always been weak where she’s concerned.No man can take Grant Turner down.But one woman certainly can.One woman will.

Playing by Her Rules


Amy Andrews - 2016
    The catch? She’s stuck doing a six-part series on her ex. Still, there’s no way she can turn down a promotion… or the chance to dish the dirt on the guy who so callously broke her heart.…could win it all!Tanner Stone wants to be involved in a feature series about as much as he wants to snap an Achilles. But the thought of seeing Tilly again is a bonus — and has him more worked up than he wants to admit. Only he’s not prepared for how different she is — all cool and professional. His Tilly is still in there, though… and he still wants her, now more than ever. All he has to do is charm her into giving him a rematch. And this time, winner takes all!

Illegal Contact


Santino Hassell - 2017
    Gavin already has a reputation as a jerk with a temper on and off the field—which doesn’t help him once he finds himself on the wrong side of the law. And while he’s been successful professionally, he’s never been lucky when it comes to love.Noah Monroe is a recent college grad looking for a job—any job—to pay off his mounting student debt. Working as Gavin’s personal assistant/babysitter seems like easy money. But Noah isn’t prepared for the electrifying tension between him and the football player. He’s not sure if he’d rather argue with Gavin or tackle him to the floor. But both men know the score, and neither is sure what will happen once Gavin's timeout is over…

Hail Mary


Nicola Rendell - 2016
    After she wakes him up with a few slaps and some smelling salts, the very first thing he does is ask her out for ribs and beer. His name is Jimmy. He looks like a Gillette model. And he’s just too hunky to resist.Jimmy “The Falcon” Falconi is mystified that Mary has absolutely no idea who he is. Mystified and refreshed. He is, after all, not your everyday NFL quarterback. He shops at Costco, has a soft spot for Pinterest, and is in the midst of an epic losing streak.Jimmy falls for Mary fast and hard, the way he does everything—balls out and like it’s fourth and long. And he realizes he’s finally met his match. That stamina he’s so proud of? Doesn’t stand a chance against her Kegels.But what they don’t know is she’s also his new physical therapist, recently hired by the Bears to work on his rotator cuff…and groin injury. If she can’t help him, he’ll be traded faster than they can say “offensive penetration.”In spite of the thousands of internet memes featuring Jimmy’s face with captions like: “HEY GIRL, WANT TO TOUCH MY BALLS?” Mary finds herself falling for him and his unrelenting desire to make her his.Until a toddler shows up at Jimmy’s door.And throws their lives into total chaos.***To the reader: Sweet. Safe. HEA. This is a comedy that gets very dirty, so be advised. Other tasters' notes: Hints of honey and champagne. And a feisty little dog named Frankie Knuckles.

Flat-Out Sexy


Erin McCarthy - 2008
    But he sure does get her heart racing. And after she’s tricked into a blind date with him, Tamara gives in to her passion. Things screech to a halt, though, when he asks to meet her children. Whatever happened to wham-bam-thank-you ma’am? Suddenly Tamara has to decide how much risk she’s willing to take to experience the power of true love.

Sacking the Quarterback


Samantha Towle - 2016
    So when he's arrested for drug possession, lawyer Melissa St. James knows that something doesn't add up. It's clear he's hiding something, though he denies it. But there's one thing he can't deny--he wants Melissa.

Game On


Tracy Solheim - 2013
    Unfortunately, his bad boy persona has made him a risky prospect as a quarterback—and only the Baltimore Blaze are willing to give him a chance. But he’s is about to take a hit he never expected. Working for the Blaze, Carly March knows too well how jocks think—and what they think with—so she’s always made a point of keeping ballplayers at arm’s length. But when she shares a kiss with the devilishly handsome Shane, she finds it hard to play by her own rules—and even harder to resist him Can a football hero and a business-minded beauty try to take it all the way? Or will their mutual attraction cost them the big game? This title was previously released with a different cover.

Hustle


Ashley Claudy - 2015
    College was supposed to be Brook's chance to escape the rumors and the harassment that plagued her at home, but she hadn't planned on meeting Andrew Fayden. Now, she's finding it hard to think of anything else or anyone else. She's determined to wipe him from her mind though because he is the definition of unavailable. He's got an on and off again girlfriend always on the sidelines and a flood of girls willing to take over that position.And his popularity makes it hard to keep a low profile, something she needs to do if she doesn't want to be pulled back into the drama of her past.Despite all the warnings, she's finding it hard to resist—and he's making it hard to say no.

Stud


Avery Wilde - 2016
     Troy Ballard is a pro footballer, party-addicted jock, and renowned playboy. He’s rude, he’s crude, and….okay, fine, I’ll admit it: he’s hot as hell. He’s also my ex. He destroyed me seven years ago, and now my heart is more guarded than a maximum-security prison. I want to avoid that prick like the plague, but as a junior producer on a dating reality show, The Stud, I’m being forced to let him back into my life. Yep, that’s right—he’s the latest bachelor to star on our show, and it’s going to be the hottest season ever. I’m not going to take any crap from him, though, and I’m not going to let him affect me like he used to. Getting involved with him all those years ago was a huge mistake, and it’s never going to happen again. Until it does… If anyone finds out about our forbidden tryst, my job could be at risk. But it’s okay; it was just a little slip-up. A one-time thing. I can be professional from now on, and there’ll be no more mixing business with pleasure, because hooking up with the Stud is definitely against the rules. But Troy doesn’t play by the rules, and he’s not afraid to play dirty… ***Stud is a new, full-length standalone romance novel with a HEA. Bonus book included - Playing Dirty.***

Scored


Lily Harlem - 2012
    But that doesn’t mean I don’t have time for a major crush on the England captain, Lewis Tate. The bloke is sex on legs, hot with a capital H. Add in his awe-inspiring talent, his brooding good looks and what’s not to lust after?So my excitement is sky-high as I set off with the official press team to cover England’s battle for the European Cup. But when a series of unfortunate, or as it turns out fortunate events, attracts Tate’s attention my way, who am I to say no?Add in a misogynistic manager, an over-zealous colleague, two blue silk ties and some incredible ball-handling skills and it becomes clear the road to victory, for me, will be an intensely erotic journey. Determined to savor every moment, I hang onto my sanity as best I can while living the fantasy and wondering if it can ever become reality. Because once Lewis Tate has taken me to heaven and back, its clear no one else will ever compare.Reader Advisory – Scored is an erotic romance suitable for mature readers.

Dare You to Hate Me


B. Celeste - 2021
    Lindon U’s star tight end.⁣⁣Still as attractive. Still as dedicated.⁣⁣With rumors of him being drafted to the NFL coming to fruition, I know it’s only a matter of time before we have to say goodbye again.⁣⁣But he can’t seem to let me go no matter what I say, and I don’t think I want him to.⁣

Better With You


Gianna Gabriela - 2018
    With killer looks and so much money he doesn't need his football scholarship, you'd think that he would have nothing to worry about.But behind his picture-perfect life lurks a dark secret - something that Colton has been forced to keep to himself for fear of what happens if he speaks out. Torn up inside by the deceit, he shuts everyone out, not allowing anyone to get close enough to see what hides behind the mask...That is until Mia Collins crosses his path, shakes his resolve and forces him to realize he doesn't have to be strong all the time.

Raw Deal


Cherrie Lynn - 2017
    Gone is the fierce, brutal beast she’s seen in the cage. In his place is a beautiful man torn with guilt, seeking forgiveness, and willing to do anything to ease her pain.Her family doesn’t approve, but her heart doesn’t stand a chance. Irresistibly drawn together, neither of them can deny the intoxicating desire unleashed between them, turning their pain into the most exquisite pleasure.But every time Mike steps into the cage, Savannah knows she could lose him too. She can’t go through that again, but how can she let go of the one man who sets her body and soul on fire?

Bryce


Nana Malone - 2017
    Bryce Coulter is The Player. Don’t call it a come back….Because no one else is. Poised to live up to his legacy, tennis player, Blake Colby, loses it all on one swing. Now, with the pressure on and his future in jeopardy, the last thing he needs is a smart-mouthed, training partner with attitude and a killer swing — or maybe she’s exactly what he needs. Rich, spoiled and moneyed — seen that, been dragged through the dirt behind that. Tami Ivey, gets enough of the bad boy trust fund kids at work. She doesn’t need it in her sanctuary too. Playing tennis is the only way to connect to the girl she used to be before tragedy struck. The day Bryce Coulter turns up at her court, she turns on that classic attitude. If there’s anything she’s learned it’s how to make a guy run. Except, he’s not running. And maybe she doesn’t want him to....