Books like 'Hard Knocks'
Readers who enjoyed Hard Knocks by Lori Foster also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary sports friends to lovers alpha male athletes fighters mma-boxing new adult m-f
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Chasing You by Kelly Elliott
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsI chased, you pushedI chased, you friend zonedI chased, you fellNow I chase to protect you.You chased, I resistedYou chased, I acceptedYou chased, I fell Now I pray you’re not too late.After finally winning the heart of the woman I loved, there was no way in hell he was taking her from me... -
![Checkmate by Emilia Finn]()
Checkmate by Emilia Finn
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsBishop men are nothing but a plague on this planet, a disease that needs eradication before it spreads. They’re murderers. Liars. Thieves. The day I met Colum Bishop, I thought my life was finally turning around. I was led to believe he would be our saviour. He was supposed to be our hero, a long awaited reprieve from the hardships life insisted on throwing at my mom and me... -
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![Hearts at Play by Melissa Foster]()
Hearts at Play by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsBrianna Heart has a six-year old daughter and a twelve-year plan to keep her life as simple as possible until Layla turns eighteen. That means swearing off relationships and the drama that goes along with them, working two jobs, and being the best damn mother she can be... -
![Hart to Heart by M.E. Carter, Jacob Morgan]()
Hart to Heart by M.E. Carter, Jacob Morgan
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsListening Length: 5 hours, 6 minutesWe’re the Harts. Between an engagement, a wedding and an adoption, we’ve had the best year of our lives. Things have never looked better for any of us.But just because you say “I do” doesn’t mean you get a happily ever after. And sometimes, you get tackled more in life than you ever did on the football field... -
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![Path To Resolution by TheFeveredBookaholic]()
Path To Resolution by TheFeveredBookaholic
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsWolfe Emerson is notorious for two things: being an absolute beast in a boxing ring and being a voluntary mute. His story remains unspoken and he prefers to live his life in silence. That is, until, his world is turned upside down when he meets someone who is louder than life... -
![Seven Summers by Paige Toon]()
Seven Summers by Paige Toon
Six summers to fall in love. One summer to change everything. Liv and Finn meet six summers ago working in a bar on the rugged Cornish coastline, their futures full of promise. When a night of passion ends in devastating tragedy they are bound together inextricably. But Finn’s life is in LA with his band, and Liv’s is in Cornwall with her family—so they make a promise... -
![Endeared by J.S. Scott]()
Endeared by J.S. Scott
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsAfter finishing a hard-won medical residency, Owen Sinclair now lives his dream as a family physician. The windfall that brought him newfound wealth has also made handsome Dr. Sinclair the town’s most eligible bachelor... -
![Power Play by Toni Aleo]()
Power Play by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsPosey Adler is coming home. After a devastating journey for what she mistakenly thought was true love, she is saying to hell with men and love forever. As the Nashville Assassins’s new assistant coach for special teams, Posey is ready to focus on her job and have the attention on her for a change... -
![Stay Tonight by Kaylee Ryan]()
Stay Tonight by Kaylee Ryan
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsSterling It’s always been her, and I just never realized. Now that I’m looking at her that way, I can’t unsee it… and I don’t want to. Alyssa has been my best friend since kindergarten, and these intense new feelings could cost me our friendship. She’s the one I share everything with, good or bad. It makes sense to share my life with her... -
![She Writes Love by Sandi Lynn]()
She Writes Love by Sandi Lynn
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsTwo lives, two losses, and one meeting that changed their lives forever. Learning to move and learning to love again isn’t always easy. The circle of life. It’s something we all know about but are never truly prepared for the unexpected. The unexpected that comes out of nowhere. No warning, no heads up, nothing... -
![Kade by Tijan]()
Kade by Tijan
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsI have fought. I have bled. I have wreaked havoc for my family. Anyone who threatened us, tried to break us, I broke them instead. Then, there was peace. Marriage. Children. Life was good. Life was great.Until my phone rang one night. Retired, I was no longer in the NFL. We'd recently moved back to Fallen Crest.So I should’ve known. I should’ve remembered. There is no peace in Fallen Crest... -
![Unexpected Fall by Kaylee Ryan]()
Unexpected Fall by Kaylee Ryan
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsLife is full of ups and downs. Events that shape who you are, even those that are filled with heartbreak and tragedy. What do you do when actions bring devastation? How do you pick up the pieces and keep moving forward? One breath. One second. One minute. One hour. One day at a time, you learn to live with your unexpected fall... -
![Sea of Love by Melissa Foster]()
Sea of Love by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsYou fell in love with Lacy Snow in Sisters in White (Snow Sisters, Book Three). Follow her on her path to her forever love in Sea of Love. Lacy Snow hadn’t been looking for love when she met strikingly handsome and seductive Dane Braden... -
![Fighting for Honor by J.B. Salsbury]()
Fighting for Honor by J.B. Salsbury
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsNew York Times and USA Today Bestselling author JB Salsbury brings her Fighting series to Harper Sloan’s Hope Town in Fighting for Honor. UFL fighter Caleb hasn’t been to Hope Town since he was eighteen. His next big fight takes place in Atlanta and the serene lakefront home from his childhood is the perfect place to train without distractions... -
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![Tacker by Sawyer Bennett]()
Tacker by Sawyer Bennett
I am not okay. Fifteen months ago, my life was turned upside down when the plane I was piloting went down. Injured and trapped in the wreckage, I had to watch my fiancée die a painfully slow death, which is something that can really mess with your head. Since that day, I’ve had little desire to do much of anything. Except play hockey, that is... -
![The Final Fight by J.B. Salsbury]()
The Final Fight by J.B. Salsbury
Rated: 4.51 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsWhen life brings you the perfect person at the worst possible time… On a weekend visit to Las Vegas to visit his brother, Marine Braeden Daniels meets a woman who challenges him in ways he can’t deny. The best part is she wants what he wants. No strings. No feelings. Just fun. AJ is a Las Vegas performer who is finally living her dream. Growing up poor, she’s determined to succeed at any cost... -
![Saved by Love by Toni Aleo]()
Saved by Love by Toni Aleo
Evan Adler can’t get out of his own head.Worthless.Broken.Failure.Those are just a few of the words he uses to describe himself now. Medically retired from the NHL before he even had a chance to live up to the Adler legacy, Evan has returned to his hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, to focus on his mental health... -
![Home Run by Jordan Marie, Robin Harper]()
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... -
![Overtime by Toni Aleo]()
Overtime by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsDown and out with an injury keeping him away from the game, Assassins’ defenseman Jordie Thomas lives for the blades of his skates on the ice and the feeling of oblivion off it. With no choice but to heal, he’s forced away from the sport that runs through his veins. With everything at stake and darkness setting in, he quickly finds himself spiraling even further out of control...Categorized as:
athletes sports alpha male new adult m-f contemporary second chances heroine athlete -
![Queen of Klutz by Samantha Garman]()
Queen of Klutz by Samantha Garman
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsChoose the best phrase to describe Sibby Goldstein's 1) Sucky. 2) Really sucky. 3) Major suck-fest. D) All of the above. I started my day with a boyfriend and a job. I ended my day with a bottle of tequila. I'll let you connect the dots. Somehow, I wound up working as a waitress at an Italian restaurant. I have no idea what I'm doing. And I'm not just talkin' about life... -
![Playing Mr. Perfect: Clay Braden by Melissa Foster]()
Playing Mr. Perfect: Clay Braden by Melissa Foster
Quarterback Clay "Mr. Perfect" Braden is determined to show sexy scientist Pepper Montgomery the benefits of hands-on research in PLAYING MR. PERFECT, the first book in the Bradens at Ridgeport series by New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melissa Foster. Loaded with heat, humor, and heart, this steamy, small-town, opposites-attract standalone romance is unputdownable... -
![Unstable by S.E. Hall]()
Unstable by S.E. Hall
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsAfter eight years, Henley Calvert is headed home. Back to the family farm and small town she left behind, never to be thought of again. Too much regret and shame to bear. But she’s the only one left to see to her family’s legacy, so she must return to Ashfall and face all the ghosts that haunt her... -
![Fighting Fate by J.B. Salsbury]()
Fighting Fate by J.B. Salsbury
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsAxelle’s broken. I live to hold her together. Killian McCreery only has two dreams . . . Fight for the UFL. And Axelle. He’s watched her give her time and her body to men who don’t deserve to breathe her air. He’s waited, worked hard to become the kind of man she deserves, hoping one day, when the time is right, he’d get the opportunity to make her happy... -
![Just One Look by Rosalind James]()
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... -
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![Touched by Love by Melissa Foster]()
Touched by Love by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsTOUCHED BY LOVE is a USA TODAY BESTSELLER Readers’ Favorite calls Touched by Love, “The best book I’ve read all year!” 5 Stars! An unexpected tragedy leads to an unexpected love. Fall in love with the story thousands of readers are raving about. Fiercely independent Janie Jansen has always believed there were worse things in life than being blind, and she’s spent her life proving it... -
![Path To Realization by TheFeveredBookaholic]()
Path To Realization by TheFeveredBookaholic
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsAsher Pryce hides behind a wall of secrets he's spent most of his life building up. How else is the adopted child whose birth parents run a drug cartel supposed to fit in? He's notorious for his overconfident swagger and total lack of patience for bullshit - a master of masks. The one thing in his life he can't fake? His feelings for his best friend's twin sister... -
![Hushed Torment by Bella Jewel]()
Hushed Torment by Bella Jewel
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsFrom USA Today, and international bestseller, comes the second book in the Iron Fury MC! One accident changed my life. One single second changed everything for me. In one terrifying moment, everything I knew was gone. Music is the only thing that keeps me holding on. When the opportunity arises for me to tour with country music star, Scarlett Belle, I take it. An escape. A chance... -
![Rogue Wave by J. Bengtsson]()
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... -
![Dirty Toe Drag by Toni Aleo]()
Dirty Toe Drag by Toni Aleo
Stella Brooks is a woman who knows what she wants. From her first glimpse of Paris Fashion Week at the tender age of eleven, she has only ever wanted to be a designer. Hardworking and dedicated, she knows she can make a success of it. Until…she is driven to trade fashion for frosting, a move that makes her soul sing but shakes her confidence in her decision-making to her core... -
![Hard To Handle by Lori Foster]()
Hard To Handle by Lori Foster
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsSometimes Fate delivers a left hook. After Fate deals Supreme Battle Challenge (SBC) fighter Harley Handleman a sucker punch, his uncle secretly hires a pretty lifecoach to get Harley back in the ring of life. Anastasia Kelley has actually known Harley for years, but never as well as she's going to now... -
![Playing For Keeps by Emilia Finn]()
Playing For Keeps by Emilia Finn
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsLife is all about choices, right? Everything we do, from brushing our teeth in the morning, until we climb into bed at night, is a series of choices. Sometimes we make bad choices, sometimes they’re good, sometimes they’re made under duress, and sometimes they’re the lesser of two evils kind... -
![Edge by Brenda Rothert]()
Edge by Brenda Rothert
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsOne bad hit has left the career of young NHL Center Luke Hudson in question. When he arrives for rehab with a minor league team, his injury has robbed him of the edge that made him great. Team trainer Adella Price’s job is to help Luke get back in peak condition. But their one on one sessions shake her resolve to remain unattached... -
![Prodigal Son by Jay Crownover]()
Prodigal Son by Jay Crownover
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen she was a little girl, Remy Archer fell in love with Hyde Fuller at first sight. In fact, he was the only thing she could see for a very long time. For Remy, it never mattered to her that Hyde was always too serious and always seemed so sad. To her, he was the very best, and the center of her entire world. She never dreamed he would let her down when she needed him the most... -
![Hart to Heart by ME Carter, Murphy Rae]()
Hart to Heart by ME Carter, Murphy Rae
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWe’re the Harts. Between an engagement, a wedding and an adoption, we’ve had the best year of our lives. Things have never looked better for Jaxon, Addison and myself. But just because you say “I do” doesn’t mean you get a happily ever after. And sometimes, you get tackled more in life than you ever did on the football field... -
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![Delayed Call by Toni Aleo]()
Delayed Call by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsVaughn Johansson is the Nashville Assassins' star player. He's brash, cocky, and talented. And he isn't afraid to let anyone know it. He lives his life on his own terms, never forming romantic attachments, and only allowing his very closest to see his true, caring self. Brie Soledad has the weight of the world on her shoulders... -
![Cocky Senator’s Daughter: Hannah by Faleena Hopkins]()
Cocky Senator’s Daughter: Hannah by Faleena Hopkins
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsHANNAH COCKER Every man I've dated in this city has either bored me or hurt me. When Sofia Sol, my crazy cousin, offers a ride on the back of her Harley with no destination in mind besides out-of-Atlanta, what do you think my answer is? I'll give you one guess. TOBIAS KYRKOS Life doesn't ever hand you what you want. You have to take it... -
![Trust the Push by Kaylee Ryan]()
Trust the Push by Kaylee Ryan
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsI'm making strides in the world of dirt late model racing. With back-to-back championships under my belt, I'm determined to win a third and be the youngest driver in history to do so. I'm going to make it happen. My career is my focus. That is until the ultimate distraction in the form of a redheaded bombshell drops into my life... -
![Play to Win by Ja'Nese Dixon]()
Play to Win by Ja'Nese Dixon
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsKamal’s an ex-football player. Jayda’s a single mother uninterested in another relationship until she sees Kamal with her daughter.Every rejection will only make his victory sweeter. He plans to lick, taste, and devour her like the delicacy she is until the world, her ex, and Jayda recognizes his name tatted on every inch of her curvy body... -
![I Need You To Love Me by Genicious]()
I Need You To Love Me by Genicious
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsTogether they are nothing more than madness,but they say there’s always some madness in loveSix years elapsed since he shattered her life. Four years since she’s brought him to his knees.Now, Ace is the youngest boxing champion in the world – a force to be reckoned with. He’s dangerous, heartless, and always gets his way.Calla moved to New York to chase her career... -
![Playing Dirty: A Bad Boy Sports Romance by Mickey Miller]()
Playing Dirty: A Bad Boy Sports Romance by Mickey Miller
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsI'm going to teach Andrea to play dirty...she just doesn't know it yet. Jake Pulling in eight figures a year as star pitcher for the Chicago Jaguars, there's no shortage of parties, booze, and women. I'm a beast on the mound and between the sheets but when my social media presence becomes a major problem, the team’s owner brings in a PR expert to clean up my image... -
![Dump and Chase by Toni Aleo]()
Dump and Chase by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsShelli Adler has known what she wanted since she was eleven years old. Aiden Brooks. But Aiden has always had other ideas. After spending the early years of his life without his dad, hockey legend Lucas Brooks, Aiden is determined not to settle for anything less than true love. When he’s ready. Now he’s living the fast life of an NHL bachelor... -
![Made to Love You by Megan Smith]()
Made to Love You by Megan Smith
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsJaylinn McCormick had finally found the man who makes her life complete. After putting the most terrifying night of her life behind her, she’s moving on. Suddenly, unexpected life altering events have Jaylinn spiraling in an unknown direction. Will she be able to survive? Cooper Cahill finally found a balance in his life... -
![End Game by Toni Aleo]()
End Game by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThis is going to be Ryan Justice’s year. It’s his last year of college and his last year as a hockey player for the Bellevue Bullies. He’s making all the plays in preparation for achieving his dream of being drafted into the NHL. This is Sofia Castilleja’s beginning. She is starting her college career as a star member of Bellevue’s brand-new gymnastics team... -
![Ignite by Kelly Elliott]()
Ignite by Kelly Elliott
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThere were two things Emmit Lewis loved. Racing cars and Adaline Morgan. Time was stolen from the two young lovers and Emmit vowed never again would he allow anything to come between the two of them. Blurred lines both on and off the track have Emmit being tested beyond his limits... -
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![Southern Attraction by Kaylee Ryan]()
Southern Attraction by Kaylee Ryan
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsI had everything I ever wanted, living the dream, at least that's what I always thought. The night we met, we had an instant attraction, but she was with someone else. When we reunited a few months later, that pull was still there, stronger than ever. So strong, that even though she was hundreds of miles away, I pursued her. I told myself that I just wanted to get to know her... -
![Changing Lines by Toni Aleo]()
Changing Lines by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsClaire and Jude Sinclair have been living the perfect life for the last ten years. Blissfully in love, professionally successful, happily married… They have everything they want—except a baby to make their family complete... -
![Hopelessly Devoted to Violet: Hopelessly Devoted Novella by Terri Anne Browning]()
Hopelessly Devoted to Violet: Hopelessly Devoted Novella by Terri Anne Browning
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEvery time someone mentions planning their wedding, Violet finds a reason why they should wait.Luca is her soulmate and Love Bug’s favorite person.They are already a family, but they need to make it official.Luca is getting tired of calling her his fiancée and not his wife.But Vi is torn.Saying “I do” to Luca will mean releasing the last hold Remington had on her heart... -
![Bad Boys After Dark: Carson by Melissa Foster]()
Bad Boys After Dark: Carson by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBad Billionaires After Dark are a series of stand-alone romances. "With her wonderful characters and resonating emotions, Melissa Foster is a must-read author!" -NYT Bestseller Julie Kenner "Melissa Foster is synonymous with sexy, swoony, heartfelt romance!" -NYT Bestseller Lauren Blakely Indulge your inner vixen with these sexy billionaires! Meet the Bad Boys.. -
![Only One Forever by Natasha Madison]()
Only One Forever by Natasha Madison
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsFrom The Something So Series and the This Is series comes Only One Forever.DylanMy dreams came true when I was adopted at ten.I was the best on the ice. Living the life of what every kid dreams of.We’ve been best friends since then. Even when she was the annoying little sister following us around.I would do anything for her.It is another family vacation; except this time it feels different...Categorized as:
sports new adult friends to lovers athletes m-f contemporary forced proximity forbidden love -
![Stars Over Castle Hill by Samantha Young]()
Stars Over Castle Hill by Samantha Young
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsJoss and Braden Carmichael are blissfully married living in their townhouse on Dublin Street with their three beautiful children. It's a life Joss never expected to have, and one she's grateful for every day. But..
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