Books like 'Down for the Count'
Readers who enjoyed Down for the Count by Christine Bell also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary funny athletes bad boys cheating alpha male fighters friends to lovers sports tortured heroine
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Aideen by L.A. Casey
Aideen Collins is fed up. She is at her wits’ end with her eon long pregnancy, her new-found paranoia, but mostly she is fed up with her boyfriend’s constant hovering and nit-picking. Kane Slater is happier than ever. He is about to become a father for the first time with the woman he loves. Little does he know that Aideen is both literally and figuratively a ticking time bomb... -
Star by B.B. Easton
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsIn 1999, I met my Prince Charming. He was the tall, tattooed, wickedly handsome bass player for the up-and-coming rock band, Phantom Limb. But, more importantly, he was mine. I knew it the moment he flashed me that shy, dimpled smile. And he knew it too. Hansel "Hans" Oppenheimer wore his heart on one sleeve and scrawled lyrics about me on the other...Categorized as:
angst friends to lovers cheating bad boys other-man-woman m-f new adult contemporary -
Swink by Adriana Locke
I’m that guy. Camilla Landry rustles against me, the silky fabric of her overpriced lingerie slipping along my bruised rib. The porcelain perfection of her skin is even more innocent against the colorful ink dotting my own. It’s demure meets damaged, pampered meets punctured. So, yeah, it’s obvious I’m that guy. Dominic Hughes. Her attempt at rebellion... -
The Moment of Truth by Shari Low
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsThe Moment of Truth…Laney Cochrane loves her life.With her friends Millie and Tash, she runs a proposal agency, organising the perfect setting for their clients to pop the question. Finding that forever love is something Laney knows all about. Her marriage to Cameron is blissfully content and she has never doubted they’ll live happily ever after.Then Cara Deacon walks into their office... -
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Mistake by Emilia Finn
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsCole Miller is a good-for-nothing nobody who skulks around dark alleyways and makes money by boosting cars from those more fortunate than he. He’s the unwanted child of a couple of deadbeats, so he never truly understood what family meant until he stumbled onto a treasure far more valuable than the GT he’s supposed to steal from the heavyweight world champion... -
The Legend by Shey Stahl
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsIn a lifestyle of speed, adrenaline and desire, one racer has sacrificed everything for the sport he loved. In turn, he will fight for his name, his family and now his life to be the legend he’s been portrayed to be. You can be everything you set out to be if you want it bad enough. You can be that record breaker you said you’d be. You can be that hero you always thought you would be... -
Black Flag by Shey Stahl
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsWhen the taste you thought you never needed becomes a thirst you cannot quench, then what? Jameson Riley, a NASCAR rookie driver, and Sway Reins, his pregnant girlfriend, are put to the test. They have love; they have lust, and a bond that proves to be vital. But do they have what it takes to make it through his lifestyle. When tested, it’s either fight, or give in... -
Home Run by Jordan Marie, Robin Harper
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsGreen Lucas doesn't know what's about to hit him. Complete Standalone Romance Wanted A woman with grit and fire who will help me get my son’s head out of his ass. You must be self-sufficient and not looking for a gravy train. Common sense is a plus, book smarts are optional. Cannot have red hair, as my son seems to go for that type and he needs something to shake him up... -
Hold Me Forever by Layla Hagen
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsTyler Maxwell's story will be released on January 18th.As the leagues’ top goalie for the Chicago Blades, I stay disciplined and follow three principles:1. Keep a pristine image.2. Play smart and hard on the ice.3. Stay out of relationships... -
Just One Look by Rosalind James
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLuka Darkovic has some tackling skills. He hadn’t planned on using them to bring down a runaway dog the size of a Shetland pony, though, especially not when his neck is already buggered. At 33, a rugby forward protects his vertebrae.. He’s even less happy when the dog’s incompetent owner turns up in his hospital cubicle the next day with a plan to fix those vertebrae... -
Come Rain or Shine by Sarah Bennett
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThere are worse fates than growing up knowing that you will one day inherit a vast and magnificent Cotswolds country estate, but for Rhys Travers it has always felt like a huge responsibility.Juniper Meadows is home to much of his extended family, not to mention the many local businesses that operate on the estate, so there’s no time to sit back and enjoy the view... -
Mr. Park Lane by Louise Bay
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsI haven’t seen him in over a decade, but Joshua Luca can still get to me. And I hate it.At twenty-nine, I’m a doctor and I’ve travelled the world, but just the thought of him has me sliding my sweaty palms down my jeans and wishing I could steady my racing heartbeat.Joshua was an almost obsession until, at seventeen, he cost me my future. In one night, I grew up and let go of my silly crush... -
Rogue Wave by J. Bengtsson
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsA love story that survives the test of time. Keith McKallister is the king of the stoners. You know the type. Every school has one – the hot, fun, dopey guy beloved by the student body but despised by, well, just about everyone else. He spends his early mornings in the ocean and his days trying to get to class on time... -
The Champion by Shey Stahl
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsA powerful love story of tragedy, love, and commitment. The fourth book in the Racing on the Edge series submerges you in the lifestyle of a champion of a sport that dominates America. Through smoke and methanol, you learn the good, the bad, and the secrets no one wants you to know... -
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Sinner by Giulia Lagomarsino
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsSinner is the first book in the Reed Security Series. It is preceded by the series For The Love Of A Good Woman and it is recommended that the series be read in order, as characters from the first appear in the second. Cara I've been broken for six years...Categorized as:
friends to lovers cheating m-f bad boys other-man-woman contemporary suspense military -
Good Girl Gone Badd by Jasinda Wilder
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsEvangeline du Maurier is the definition of a good girl. Attending Yale, raised with the best tutors and etiquette instructors, she's expected to toe the family line and be a trophy wife for a future senator. But when this good girl takes a quick getaway to clear her head, she finds a whole lot more than she'd bargained for. She finds herself in the arms of a bad boy. Baxter Badd... -
Tight Hold by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe pro football player I’m faking a relationship with has the perfect solution to my career woes. He’s encouraging me to lean into the pseudo-celebrity life I was born into instead of trying to outrun it, and for the first time in my life, someone sees me for me.I feel like he’s falling for me, too.And then my ex shows up...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers m-f contemporary humor age difference length-short audiobook -
Mr. Mayfair by Louise Bay
It should be the most shocking news I’d ever gotten—My boyfriend is getting married.Okay, technically he’s my ex-boyfriend. Two months ago he decided he wanted a break. I still thought he was my happily ever after.On any other day, knowing he was gone for good would be the worst thing that could possibly happen. But not today...Categorized as:
angst cheating alpha male friends to lovers other-man-woman m-f contemporary super rich hero -
Born to Sin by Rosalind James
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBeing sentenced by a woman in a black robe is not a meet-cute.Quinn Jeffries follows the rules. A judge in small-town Sinful, Montana, doesn’t have much room for missteps, and when you spend your childhood training for the Olympics, you don’t have time for anything but discipline anyway. And, see? It’s worked! Her life is just fine... -
Catch a Wave by Savannah Scott
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsDid you ever see a guy and just know you had to meet him?That was me and Bodhi Merrick. I couldn't take my eyes off him as he donned his wetsuit at the famous big-wave surf spot, Mavericks. I'll never forget that day. Or every time our paths crossed after that. Big wave surfing is a small world. And, as it happens, Bodhi felt the same tug---this irresistible attraction that drew us to one another...Categorized as:
sports siblings-bff m-f multicultural humor forced proximity contemporary length-medium -
Outta My League by Ali Parker, Weston Parker
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe way she looks, smells, laughs is killing me.I fell in love with my sister’s best friend. To top it all off, she’s brilliant. And I’m failing Chemistry.Of course, when I get her help, she’s laidback about it. Charming and helpful as always, like she doesn’t know how much I want her. I’ve got to play it cool and let her see a different side of me... -
PUNCHED by Jacob Chance
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsReagan is the one who got away - or should I say the one I drove away? Now, four years later, she’s back to manage the gym where I train. Seeing her everyday is a distraction I can’t afford. I’m so close to achieving the big payoff I’ve been working for. Nothing’s going to keep me from winning this belt - not even her.This is a second chance MMA romance standalone... -
Can't Resist Him by Molly McLain, Sommer Stein
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 12 ratings*** SPECIAL PRE-ORDER PRICE OF $2.99!*** Sometimes what you want and what you need are two very different things. Always relegated to the "friends with benefits" corner of small town River Bend, Jenny Riley is done giving the milk for free. Falling hard for a bad boy? Not in the plan, either. Sexy, emotionally-wounded Marine Reservist Brody Nelson just needs someone to lend an ear... -
Off Limits by Chelle Sloan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsProfessional football has an actual rulebook, but it’s the unwritten rules that come with the harshest consequences.The biggest one of all: don’t date your teammate’s sister. And if you do, don’t you dare fall in love with her.I never meant to fall, but when it comes to Brenna Donald, I never stood a chance. She’s everything I’m not--a light-hearted wild child who shines brighter than the sun...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers athletes siblings-bff forbidden love contemporary humor length-medium -
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Tight Spot by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsI don’t date football players.I’m not interested in the ones who are a decade older than me. I want nothing to do with the ones who play on the same team as my brothers, and I certainly avoid the ones who spend more time in strip clubs than kids’ clubs... -
Playboy’s Reward by Gina Azzi
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsIt was supposed to be a favor between neighbors…When sexy-as-sin Harper Henderson launches profanities into the night sky from the balcony below mine, I intervene. I volunteer to be her date to her ten-year high school reunion. I may be a professional hockey player with a playboy reputation, but I’m also a good guy and I make an exceptional plus-one.Being Harper's fake date is easy... -
Freak Show by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsWelcome to the Circus is a brand-new series that centers around a family that owns a circus, 6 sisters and one brother. This is book 1 featuring Val & Felix... -
Fake Start by Jasmin Miller
You know that awkward moment when your agent tells you to fake date your best friend’s sister so you can get the endorsement deal of your dreams? No? Call me crazy for considering it, but why not? Daisy’s my friend, after all, and I’ve gotten quite close to her and her two awesome boys over the last few years since her douche-nozzle husband divorced her... -
Talk British to Me by Robin Bielman
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsAs the Dating Guy on L.A.‘s top morning show, I give the single guy’s perspective on dating, love, and sex—and I give great advice. Everyone’s hooking up…well, except for me. Sure, I can get any woman I want, but I’ve got a “no relationship” clause in my contract and the only woman I want has “relationship” written all over her. Probably stamped on her ass, too... -
Hot Pickle by J.J. Knight
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsI'm rock hard.No, not like that.When that happens, you won't need me to tell you.I'm a competitive bodybuilder, ready for my very first contest. And winning requires more than killer workouts and stage presence.It's all about the tan.My training partner Franklin uses the best in the business — Camryn Schultz. She understands the career killer of a badly placed white spot.She’s also his sister... -
Them by Carey Heywood
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsFirst comes love, then comes marriage, then comes… As Will and Sarah Price settle into being Mr. & Mrs., they meet a stumbling block neither of them anticipated. All of their friends are starting families of their own, but not them, and not for lack of trying. For them, their dreams of a happily-ever-after always included a baby... -
Mine To Hold by Natasha Madison
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsAre you ready for The Southern Wedding Series?Things are supposed to go smoothly on your wedding day.Aren't they?Shelby I got a love letter the night before I was supposed to marry the love of my life.Except the letter wasn't for me.My future husband had written it to someone else. Weston (Ace)Standing at the altar to watch my best friend get married was an honor...Categorized as:
cheating friends to lovers other-man-woman m-f contemporary humor forced proximity new adult -
Checking It Twice by Claire Hastings
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsShe's made a list of her own, and he's just the man to help...Haven Taylor is tired of being called a Goody Two-shoes, and her brother's best friend might be the key to fixing that.DB Elliot is seriously sexy and without a doubt someone she can trust for a no-strings-attached secret fling. After all, she's known him her entire life...Categorized as:
friends to lovers sports alpha male siblings-bff christmas contemporary humor length-novella -
Indescribable: A Friends to Lovers Romance by Jennifer Van Wyk
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI walked down the aisle and said “I do” to the wrong man.Unfortunately, it took me eight years to figure it out.It took me even longer to realize who was in front of me the entire time.You’d think that being a romance author would have helped me to see the signs that I chose wrong the first time and I would have been able to write my own happily-ever-after so easily... -
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Stout of My League by Sylvie Stewart
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLynn Brooks is officially over it.With four overprotective brothers, the youngest Brooks sibling has had enough with bossy alphas. So, when professional baseball star Joey Martel makes a play for her, she's determined to steer clear of him and his toxic circle of jocks. Being the latest conquest for another overbearing caveman? No thanks...Categorized as:
friends to lovers sports athletes contemporary age difference grumpy sunshine humor length-medium -
Faked and Fumbled by Gina Azzi
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsKnoxville Coyotes football heartthrob Cohen Campbell is my brother’s best friend. Now, he’s the man posing as my fake boyfriend. Simple, right? Wrong.I thought my luck couldn’t get worse than when my long-term boyfriend publicly dumped me. Wrong again. Now, my ex is dating my cousin, and our friend group is embarking on an annual ski trip.Desperate to save face, I beg Cohen to pretend to like me...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers siblings-bff athletes football humor contemporary forced proximity -
Getting Wound Up by Jennifer Bernard, Erin Nicholas
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA fun and flirty crossover novel from bestselling authors, Jennifer Bernard (Love Between the Bases) and Erin Nicholas (Sapphire Falls)! Caitlyn Murray has never let on that she’s had fantasies about her brother's friend Eli Anderson for years. She'd do anything for the sexy baseball player who walked away from stardom to stay in Sapphire Falls and take care of his family... -
Two for Roughing by Lasairiona E. McMaster
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt’s a simple rule: don’t bang your teammates’ siblings.Finn O’Brien didn’t just break the rule, he annihilated it. Falling in love with his best friend’s younger sister when they were teens was an accident. He fought it for years, hiding behind a list of one-night stands a mile long, anything to convince himself Molly Morrison wasn’t the woman for him...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers siblings-bff new adult humor contemporary hockey length-medium -
The Boy Friend by Mika Jolie
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsAccording to the law of attraction, women and men can’t be friends. Contrary to this myth, my friendship with Coriander Phillips does not rest on unrequited love or un-actualized lust. We’ve been inseparable since the day I pulled one of her pigtails and she punched me in the gut. She’s hilarious, fun to hang out with... -
Going for Four by Erin Nicholas
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 10 ratings"It's either true love...or the biggest mistake they've ever made. " "Counting on Love, Book 4" Hot firefighter Cody Madsen has stayed away from Olivia Dixon for almost two years-technically. Even though he talks to her every day and sees her every weekend. But there's no kissing, touching, or telling her how he really feels. Because they're "just friends... -
All the Wright Moves by K.A. Linde
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA sexy brother's best friend roommates romance set in the world of the Wrights from USA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde…When I moved in with my brother’s best friend, I thought it was temporary.Weston Wright would be in LA with my brother for six months. I’d get the place to myself to get back on my feet. A perfect plan.Until he comes back and asks me to stay...Categorized as:
friends to lovers alpha male angst m-f siblings-bff contemporary humor forced proximity -
Finding Dandelion by Lex Martin
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsWhen soccer all-star Jax Avery collides with Dani Hart on his twenty-first birthday, their connection is instantaneous and explosive. For the first time in years, Jax isn’t interested in his usual hit-it and quit-it approach. But Dani knows better. Allowing herself a night to be carefree and feel the intensity of their attraction won’t change anything when it comes to dealing with a player... -
Day One by Lauren Runow
My thoughts of how I’m going to survive this indefinite amount of time alone are interrupted by a notification from my Tinder app.Yes, we’re on quarantine. Yes, I reactivated my account out of pure boredom. And, yes, Drew’s one profile photo is smoking hot.I hit Reply.Day by day, as the world tries to stay healthy, we find creative ways to pass the time together... -
Tempting Sophia by Jessica Prince
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsHaving my heart broken once was enough to make me give up on the idea of love all together. Instead of searching for The One I decided to embrace variety and turn by back on monogamy. I made a living convincing women they didn’t need a man to feel complete. And I totally rocked at it... -
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Ryan Hunter by Anna Katmore, Piper Shelly
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsRyan Hunter kissed more girls than he cares to remember. But the only one he ever wanted is in love with his best friend. Watching Lisa Matthews’ obsession with Tony Mitchell is a torture Ryan conceals from everyone. Until after a five-week soccer camp, where Tony gets involved with someone else, things suddenly take a different turn... -
Redemption by Tia Lewis
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI won't stop until I have my title back and Hannah Collin's is mine. Owning Chicago's best MMA gym, the Warrior Zone, doesn't compare to the high I got from being inside the octagon—the lights, the screaming fans, the women. I used to be the top MMA fighter until a near fatal injury forced me to retire and stripped me of that title... -
Dropkick My Heart by Winter Travers
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsKellan Countless hours of practice, and enough determination to succeed no matter the cost is what has brought Kellan to standing at the door to his life coming full circle. Life on the competition circuit was fast-paced, and exciting, but now Kellan is ready to settle down, and stay in his own bed for longer than a week...Categorized as:
sports fighters friends to lovers contemporary from hate to love humor length-medium audiobook -
Bender by Colleen Charles
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsMy second chance is the biggest gamble of my life. I am Marco Rossi, once an Italian nobody, now living the dream as a Vegas Venom player. I thought I was swapping my lonely orphan past for a team-family. But I was wrong. I am on thin ice with everyone, but especially when it comes to Madison McKay...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers athletes hockey curvy heroine contemporary humor length-medium -
Cement Heart by Beth Ehemann
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsLawrence Finkle, known simply to his die-hard Minnesota Wild fans as Viper, isn’t used to hearing the word "no." He lives his whole life just a little on the reckless side. After all, life is just one big game, right? Wrong. When what was supposed to be an innocent bet goes horribly wrong, he’s left to deal with the aftermath—and the guilt... -
Big Buns More Fun by Penn Rivers, P. Jameson
Big buns mean more fun.I know it’s true because I spent summers with my best friend and his sister as a teen. Kimmi and I shared enough laughs to make me realize, even then, that she was meant for me.But our family got in the way, and over the years I lost hope that I’d ever have a chance with my big booty cutie.Except now, her brother is married and finally minding his own business...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers m-f siblings-bff contemporary humor curvy heroine open-door
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