Book picks similar to
Not a Player by A.J. Wynter
romance
sports
hockey
sports-romance
Healthy Scratch
Robyn M. Ryan - 2021
The only kind she’s willing to consider are friends-with-benefits and even a red-hot and sexy hockey player like Dave Martin isn’t going to change that. Right?When those chocolate brown eyes threaten to melt her defenses she has to remind herself that demons from her past could rise up at any moment. Which is going to be pretty hard to do, since she loses herself every time they touch.Dave used to love the benefits that came easily to professional athletes; especially when they were in the form of puck bunnies who only wanted one night. But when he meets the pint-sized girl with bewitching green eyes and sun-streaked auburn hair his outlook suddenly changes. He wants forever with Lauren. Now he just has to convince her.Can Lauren risk everything for the man she’s secretly been falling for? Or will her past stop her from taking a chance on love?Healthy Scratch—book #1 of the Tampa Suns Hockey Series—is a standalone romance whose main characters’ lives are intertwined with those introduced in The Clearing the Ice Trilogy. You don’t need to read the trilogy to enjoy Healthy Scratch. The book stands on its own, promises HEA, and no cliffhangers! To heighten your enjoyment of the Tampa Suns Hockey Series, you may wish to read The Clearing the Ice Trilogy.
Use Me
Kimberly Knight - 2018
Rhys Cole’s life has always revolved around hockey. Growing up, he knew he’d play in the National Hockey League, but when his dream of being drafted didn’t happen, he chose the next best thing: becoming a hockey sportscaster for a local sports station. But just like in sports, you win some, you lose some. When Rhys discovers his girlfriend cheating with a stranger in his bed, he walks to the local bar down the street to let off some steam. After moving her way up the journalism field by covering stories in extreme weather conditions and working late hours, Ashtyn Valor is now the lead anchor for the nightly news. Finally settled into her career, Ashtyn is ready to take the next step in life with her boyfriend. But when he unexpectedly breaks up with her, Ashtyn decides to numb the pain with alcohol at the closest bar. Rhys and Ashtyn both expected an evening of alcohol to mask the pain of that October night. What they didn’t expect was meeting someone who could shield them from the darkness of their heartaches. Or that their pasts would dangerously intertwine … When obsession becomes dangerous, Ashtyn turns to Rhys for safety. But how safe are they really? The game of love always goes on. And their game was just beginning.
Resisting Roots
Audrey Carlan - 2016
She makes the most out of raising her two siblings in the wake of their parents’ tragic accident. At twenty-four, she doesn’t have time to devote to a man…especially not the devastatingly handsome. Trent Fox, who’s known for being a “player” on and off the baseball field. Trent has the best hitting average in the league. Recently, he suffered a torn hamstring that takes him to the Lotus House Yoga Center for recuperation. There he meets the curvy, petite blonde with soulful black eyes and candy-coated glossy lips he’d like to do more to than kiss. He secures the flexible hottie for daily private lessons that ultimately show him how sensual the art of yoga can be. Can love grow between a woman who’s rooted in her life and a man who resists any notion of staying in one place?
Hooking
Kristine Allen - 2020
Hooking was my penalty. It’s never something I set out to do, but it happens. After all, it’s hockey.Hockey is life. Getting traded was a kick to the nuts, but at least I was still playing. It was all that mattered.Until Sydney.Our relationship was forbidden, but I didn’t care—I hadn’t run from a fight yet.I had her right where I wanted her, until everything crashed around me. My past came back to bite me in the ass and I was faced with getting kicked off the team. Now, I’m trying to pick up the goddamn pieces.I’m not going to choose between her or hockey. I want it all. Because despite everything, she’s the best thing I’ve ever hooked.
Strike Out
Cheryl Douglas - 2013
The business helps to fill the void in Zach’s life during the off-season, but when he closes his eyes at night, he still can’t forget the girl who left that gaping hole in his heart when she left him standing at the altar. Lauren ‘Rennie’ Alexander would do anything to fulfill a sick child’s wish. Not only is it her job, as director of the Sky’s the Limit Foundation, but it’s her passion. So when her assistant brings her a letter scribbled in crayon, complete with an application from the little boy’s loving parents, Rennie is ready to make another dream come true. Until she realizes that sick little boy’s dream is her worst nightmare. He wants to meet his hero, baseball player, Zach Foster. The same lying jerk who broke Rennie’s heart. It’s seems she has no choice but to take one for the team.
Lush
K.D. Elizabeth - 2021
It’s part of a series about a bunch of hot brothers and features a naughty bartender with an absolutely filthy mouth. You can jump into the series here without having read the others. There is no cheating and it has a HEA.
Juked
M.E. Carter - 2016
/jook-t/A slang soccer term meaning: faked out, deceived, confused your opponentSee examples Daniel Zavaro and Quincy Watson:As the rising star in Houston, Daniel has found fame as Captain of his Pro soccer team and the city’s most eligible bachelor. Daniel has everything – except someone special – and that suits him just fine. He doesn’t want, or need, complications.Quincy has baggage, and lots of it. After a tragic accident spins her world on its axis, she finds herself as a single mother, raising a newborn nephew she never knew she had. Between parenthood, her full-time job, and dealing with the suffocating grief of losing her sister, every day is a struggle. When they begin to cross paths unexpectedly and often, an unlikely friendship starts to evolve. Feelings change. Lines get crossed. What happens next surprises them both...Before they know it-- they’ve been Juked.
Smooch
Susan Renee - 2020
No names. No rules. Just fun.Meant as revenge against my ex-boyfriend,And it was hands down the most physical and best night of my life.So, imagine my surprise when my one-night stand shows up at my workplace the following Monday, greets me by name, and asks for my number, adamant that fate is bringing us together.Of course, I refuse. I’m not looking for love, but within minutes I’m somehow shaking hands and agreeing to a convoluted blind date deal with Chett Hayes, my ridiculously nice, and very…gifted, one-night stand.Oh, and four other men.Four blind dates and a date with Chett after each one. That’s his deal.Choose Chett in the end and live happily ever after with apparently the new love of my life, or don’t and never hear from him again.The way I see it, this is a win-win for me,Until things start to get blurry and the rules are broken.Rules that were meant to keep my heart from breaking all over again.Maybe I’m right and I’m just not meant for a happily ever after,or maybe Chett Hayes was right all along and fate is real, and love is worth fighting for
Dominic
Kat Mizera - 2016
Dom Gianni takes a lot of punishment in the hockey rink, but when he sees Molly McCarran getting beaten up by her husband, he’s ready to throw down his gloves and fight for her. But Molly isn’t about to trust another man—and Dom is already skating on thin ice with his NHL-mandated probation. Besides, how could a hotshot player like Dom really care about a woman so much older than he?Then a kidnapping ups the stakes. If Molly can’t believe in Dom, and if he can’t dig deep to save her, it might be the final buzzer for them both.
Skating on Thin Ice
Jami Davenport - 2014
Ethan Parker, a billionaire determined to bring professional hockey to Seattle, will stop at nothing to realize his dream. After signing an agreement to purchase another city's team, Ethan plans to make the move to Seattle, but a gag order by the League forces him to keep the sale a secret until the season ends, leaving him no choice but to go undercover as a consultant to study his team during the playoffs. Lauren Schneider, Assistant Director of Player Personnel for the Giants hockey team, gets no respect from the team's testosterone-loaded staff. So when Ethan bursts onto the scene, full of charm and genuinely interested in her opinions, she shares the team's weaknesses and discovers a weakness of her own--for Ethan. But when his true identity is revealed, and he starts cleaning house based on her unwitting input, his betrayal cuts deeply on both a professional and personal level. Bound by an employment contract, Lauren reluctantly moves to Seattle to work for the newly christened Seattle Sockeyes and her sexy, infuriating boss. Lauren and Ethan must come to terms with their passions--for the team, for hockey, and for each other. Will their situation build a frozen wall between them, or will their love burn hot enough to melt the ice shielding their hearts?
The Guy Next Door
Kelly Myers - 2021
What could possibly go wrong? How about a baby…Getting dumped is the pits.At least I still have my job.Until the hot guy next door becomes my new boss and lays me off.Thankfully, he gives me a new job as a favor and only asks one thing in return…A date.Only the fake date leads to something very real happening…in bed.Zack Noble is every bit as confident between the sheets as he is in the boardroom.I’m helpless to resist him.I know office relationships are forbidden.Yet sneaking around makes what’s happening between us even hotter.Until our secret is discovered…But I have one of my own—a little munchkin with the same blue eyes as his dad. When the truth finally comes out, will I lose Zack forever, or will we have our second chance at love?
Faster Harder
Colleen Masters - 2013
The esteemed daughter of Alfonso Lazio, the greatest driver F1 has ever seen, Siena seems to have it all figured out. All she has to do is uphold her family's honor and ensure her brother Enzo's public image is pristine while he rises to fame and clenches the title as Formula One's new champion.Everything is perfect......Until she's swept mercilessly off her feet by the one man she can never be with. The one man who can fuck it all up.Harrison Davies is Team McClain's secret weapon and he's the only driver who threatens to steal the championship from Enzo. The tattooed British bad boy knows how to get what he wants. And always gets what he wants.Harrison and Siena fall deeper and deeper with each secret tryst. Passion flares, reality fades, and the lines between right and wrong begin to blur. Driven by lust and ambition the couple delves into a world of treachery, deceit, lies, and ultimate betrayal. Is Siena ready to place her fragile heart into the hands of a speed demon and will the thrill of falling for him be worth it when they wreck?Full length New Adult Contemporary Romance novel. Readers 18+ only. Contains adult themes and explicit sexual content.
Coming Down
Carrie Elks - 2014
That was before she met Niall Joseph, a gorgeous Irish art student who for one hot summer turned her world upside down.Almost a decade later, Beth is living in London and desperately trying to forget her past. But then Niall walks back into her life, reigniting a desire that threatens to engulf them both.Faced with a choice between her reliable, steady life and the unexpected joy that Niall offers, Beth finds herself torn. Can they remain just good friends, or is their connection too strong to be ignored?
Focused
Karla Sorensen - 2020
requited. That day was bad enough, but things just got worse.Noah Griffin turned himself into one of the best football players in the country and a transfer to the Washington Wolves— the team I work for—lands him on my doorstep. The timing couldn't be worse, because my boss just handed me the opportunity of a lifetime. And that promotion rides squarely on Noah's big, muscular, condescending shoulders.He wants nothing to do with me, and the feeling is so very mutual. But for the sake of my career, I can ignore all those things about him that drive me insane. His eyes. His mouth. His big, big … hands. Until one day, we can’t ignore them anymore.You know what they say about the line between love and hate though? They’re so very right.
One More Shot
Victoria Denault - 2015
He was crazy in love with her, and had finally told her so. They shared an amazing night . . . and then everything fell apart. Jessie tries not to think about the night she gave herself to Jordan—or how he broke her heart. She tries not to think about it, but she does. Especially now, when she's staring into his sky-blue eyes for the first time in six years. After so much time and torment, she can't tell if she loves him or hates him. But Jordan has learned enough to know a connection like theirs is rare. He was lucky to find Jessie once. No way will he lose her again.