Books like 'Love Hurts'
Readers who enjoyed Love Hurts by Mandi Beck, Lauren Perry & Lisa Christman also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary mafia athletes bad boys alpha male fighters friends to lovers angst new adult sports
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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... -
![Favorite Mistake by Lisa Suzanne]()
Favorite Mistake by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe boy next door isn’t next door anymore.He’s in Vegas, preparing for the upcoming NFL season, and I’m still stuck in the small Midwestern town where we grew up.We should be together, but people wanted us apart. They won. Secrets are uncovered and lives are forever torn apart.Maybe it was a mistake to try to recapture what we once had after everything we’d been through... -
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![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... -
![Across the Horizon by Aly Martinez]()
Across the Horizon by Aly Martinez
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling author Aly Martinez comes a sizzling standalone contemporary romance. “Sometimes love happens when you least expect it.” That was what my husband’s mistress told me the day I found out about their affair... -
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![No Mistake by Lisa Suzanne]()
No Mistake by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAll I want is my happy ending with the boy next door.Every time we get close, something threatens to break us. Half-sisters, town gossips, and jealous exes throw punch after punch, but we hold on tight to each other as we attempt to navigate the chaos.With his life in the spotlight as a professional football player, I start to feel like it might always be like this... -
![The Boy I Grew Up With by Tijan]()
The Boy I Grew Up With by Tijan
I have loved Channing Monroe all my life. In first grade, he asked for my Trapper Keeper. I hit him in the head with it. Third grade, we were best friends. We kissed in seventh grade. Eighth grade, he turned into a bad boy and the rest was a tumultuous storm. Growing up, the problem was never love for us. Bad times. Good times...Categorized as:
new adult bad boys fighters angst alpha male friends to lovers suspense contemporary -
![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... -
![Revere by Bethany-Kris]()
Revere by Bethany-Kris
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA Legacy Novel She was once his liar. He was once her savior. Cross Donati fills his days with the mafia, family, and responsibility. The wild boy is a distant memory. A waiting prince now sits in his place. An old debt puts the gunrunner right back into the path of his past, but he only sees his future. Every king needs a queen... -
![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... -
![These Dirty Lies by L.A. Cotton]()
These Dirty Lies by L.A. Cotton
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA brand new gritty and angsty romance duet from USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author L A CottonHarleigh Wren Maguire is broken.At least, that’s what it feels like, a puzzle whose pieces no longer fit right.She knows one thing though: never trust your heart.It won’t lead you right, it’ll trick you. Betray you. And in the end, it’ll kill you.Phoenix Wilder is angry... -
![Our Unscripted Story by L.A. Fiore]()
Our Unscripted Story by L.A. Fiore
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsGreyson Ratcliffe. I met him at sixteen, the hot new guy sitting on my jetty, an aspiring artist just passing through. He was my first kiss and my first love. I wanted forever with him. I didn’t even get a year. Five years later, I’m a budding writer who scripts stories of love and struggle, the good and the bad and the ups and the downs... -
![Infatuation by Jane Henry]()
Infatuation by Jane Henry
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI'm in love with Timeo Montavio.If only it were that simple.He's my best friend. Practically my brother-in-law...And a cold-blooded killer.I mourned his loss when he vanished from my life six months ago.But now he's back, and he's no longer the boy I once knew.There's a darkness in his eyes that chills me to the bone...Categorized as:
friends to lovers suspense new adult super rich hero mafia contemporary length-medium m-f -
![Alpha Wolves Motorcycle Club: The Complete Series by Violet Blaze, C.M. Stunich]()
Alpha Wolves Motorcycle Club: The Complete Series by Violet Blaze, C.M. Stunich
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThe Alpha Wolves Motorcycle Club owns my sleepy coastal hometown. Their inked-up a**hole president owns my heart. But I’m the mayor’s daughter, his righthand in the office. My whole life, all I’ve ever wanted is to succeed in politics... -
![Triumph by Cecilia London]()
Triumph by Cecilia London
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“All of your ideals, your hopes and dreams…they cease to matter if you abandon them in your darkest hour. We have to see this through to the end.”Jack McIntyre and Caroline Gerard have never shied away from a challenge. As dual commanders of the American rebel forces, they now face the greatest adversity of their lives. Every decision has permanent consequences... -
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![Truly Mine by Kennedy Fox]()
Truly Mine by Kennedy Fox
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratings𝑻𝑹𝑼𝑳𝒀 𝑴𝑰𝑵𝑬 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒔𝒕𝒚, 𝒔𝒍𝒐𝒘-𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒏 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒘𝒓𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒅 𝒖𝒑 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚. The night we met in the dimly lit bar, she looked like a brunette bombshell, and I wanted to learn her deepest secrets... -
![My Next Play by Carrie Ann Ryan]()
My Next Play by Carrie Ann Ryan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhat happens when you fall for your best friend, but they fall in love with someone else? Nothing is what it seems in this unrequited love, new adult romance.Miles knew Nessa never had eyes for him. Only when someone new tries to hurt her, he knows he can’t stand back any longer. It’s time she finds out the man he is behind the glasses and beneath the shell he wrapped himself in... -
![Almost Us by S.M. Shade]()
Almost Us by S.M. Shade
"Strip everything away from us and love is what’s left. It’s what we get to keep."We thought things couldn't get worse but the passing days proved us wrong.I could handle the public backlash and the cops at my door. I could handle the doubt and disbelief of our friends. As long as we were together, I thought I could handle anything.As the threats loomed closer, our days together dwindled away...Categorized as:
friends to lovers suspense angst new adult betrayal contemporary length-short explicit-open-door -
![Close Contact by Lori Foster]()
Close Contact by Lori Foster
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsThere’s no resisting a desire like this…MMA fighter Miles Dartman’s casual arrangement with personal shopper Maxi Nevar would be many men’s fantasy. She seeks him out, they have mindblowing sex, she leaves. Rinse, repeat. Yet lately, Miles wants more... -
![Causing Havoc by Lori Foster]()
Causing Havoc by Lori Foster
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsOrphaned and torn from his sisters as a boy, sexy extreme wrestler Dean "Havoc" Conor gets a letter revealing how much his siblings want him back in Harmony, Kentucky. To stop his sister from marrying a sleazeball, Dean finds himself teaming up with her pretty-but-smart-mouthed friend Eve-who's heard of Havoc's reputation and doesn't need some hunk trampling on her heart... -
![Last Chance: A Second Chances Novel by L.P. Dover]()
Last Chance: A Second Chances Novel by L.P. Dover
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsA steamy, second chances novel by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, L.P. Dover. Can be read as a STANDALONE. One Taste, the prequel to Last Chance, has been added at the beginning with all new scenes. One last chance. That's all Luke Collins, local bad boy and motocross champion, has to not only find his redemption, but win back the girl he lost...Categorized as:
athletes new adult suspense friends to lovers sports contemporary second chances length-medium -
![Cruz by H.J. Bellus]()
Cruz by H.J. Bellus
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsShe hates fighting. He lives for it.Layla’s vicious past drove her away from her hometown. She couldn’t live with all the reminders surrounding her, so she ran.Cruz Felix found a new home. A place where he could get his head on straight, train, and fight match after match toward the end goal: the championship in Las Vegas...Categorized as:
fighters sports mma-boxing athletes strong heroine suspense forbidden love contemporary -
![Broken Ties by L.A. Cotton]()
Broken Ties by L.A. Cotton
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFrom bestselling author of the Rixon Raiders comes a new spin-off next generation series. More angst...More drama...More Raiders...Categorized as:
friends to lovers sports angst athletes new adult high-school contemporary length-long -
![Bad Boy Brody by Tijan]()
Bad Boy Brody by Tijan
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsOne punch took him from Hollywood’s Golden Boy to Bad Boy Brody. The media didn’t care he was grieving his brother’s death. They descended on him, but to change his reputation, his manager got him a deal. Act in an indie film, one that already had Oscar buzz, and he’d get the movie roles he needed to secure his future. He took the deal... -
![Tapout by J.C. Valentine]()
Tapout by J.C. Valentine
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsHistory brought them together. Circumstances may keep them apart. Alyson Blake’s past left her with scars. Scars that she tried to fix the only way she knew how—by helping others. But actions have consequences, and Alyson is about to find out that being naïve is no excuse. Fighting is Jamison Weston’s passion. Alyson is his obsession...Categorized as:
friends to lovers bad boys alpha male athletes fighters sports contemporary cruel hero -
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![Zariah: Sacrificed (Angels Halo MC Next Gen) by Terri Anne Browning, Sara Eirew]()
Zariah: Sacrificed (Angels Halo MC Next Gen) by Terri Anne Browning, Sara Eirew
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWe had plans.Until we didn’t.His entire life revolved around baseball, and even the part he wanted me to play in it was to help him succeed.Crap happens. Plans change, and life goes on.Sure, I’m bored out of my mind at times—boring job, boring dates…boring life.But I’m over Nolan Krenshaw.At least…I’ve tried to move on and get over him... -
![Rain After Fire by Amber Kelly]()
Rain After Fire by Amber Kelly
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIf you play with fire, expect to get burned.I learned at a young age to trust no one, protect myself, and guard my heart. All lessons my mother burned into me. She may not have had a lot to offer in way of help but she poured all she had into me and made me the independent woman I am today. So after laying her to rest, I packed my belongings and moved to the place that she talked about often...Categorized as:
new adult angst friends to lovers alpha male strong heroine contemporary firefighter length-short -
![Ice Queen by A.J. Wynter]()
Ice Queen by A.J. Wynter
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Ice Queen has a SecretEvery hockey player knows that the coach's daughter is off-limits.But, what about the owner's daughter?Is she off-limits too?Asking for a friend...To make things even more complicated, she's the general manager of the team.AKA my BOSS.So, yeah. If I want to see the playoffs, we need to keep this relationship a secret... -
![Rookie’s Regret by Gina Azzi]()
Rookie’s Regret by Gina Azzi
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLioness. That’s the first word that comes to mind when I see the brilliant redhead selling cupcakes at the hockey arena.With the soul of an artist and the spirit of a nomad, Bea Turner is gorgeous, quirky, and refreshing. She’s also my teammate’s little sister.As the Tennessee Thunderbolts' Rookie, I should steer clear...Categorized as:
sports athletes friends to lovers new adult angst alpha male contemporary insta-love -
![Defending Hayden by L.P. Dover]()
Defending Hayden by L.P. Dover
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsThe Carolina Cougars keep fighting for love as the Second Chances series from bestselling author L. P. Dover continues! In Defending Hayden, a damaged football star teams up with the only woman who can take the pain away. No one’s tougher than Carolina Cougars linebacker Derek McLaughlin... -
![Crazy Maybe by A.D. Justice]()
Crazy Maybe by A.D. Justice
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsAndi Stone is a strong, smart and independent woman, thanks to the help of a famous boxing trainer, Mack, and his protégé, Shane, who have respectively been like a father and brother to her. But that wasn't always the case. Andi never knew what a “normal” life was like... -
![Memphis by Ginger Scott]()
Memphis by Ginger Scott
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsMy mom always said it was just something about the way he moved. The same swagger Archie Valentine wore in the ring when he took his opponents down followed him like a halo everywhere he went. But make no mistake about it—he was no angel. He was like a drug. My mother was his addict. I never understood it…how love could make you blind and convince you to drink the poison... -
![In Jack's Arms by Roxie Rivera]()
In Jack's Arms by Roxie Rivera
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsWhen pawn broker Abby Kirkwood discovers the evidence of a chilling drug cartel hit on one of the video cameras hocked in her store, she turns to the only man she can trust—Jack Connolly. The smolderingly sexy former Marine runs a successful gym down the street and coaches her brother's special needs baseball team. He's the one man who is always there when she needs him... -
![Broken Ties: A Friends-to-Lovers Sports Romance by L A Cotton]()
Broken Ties: A Friends-to-Lovers Sports Romance by L A Cotton
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsFrom USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author L A Cotton, comes a slow burn, friends-to-lovers romance. Angst... drama... friendship... and football. Will you survive senior year?Poppy Ford has been in love with her best friend forever.But she’s firmly in the friend zone and fears she may never get out.Aaron Bennet has been dreaming of a football scholarship forever...Categorized as:
new adult sports athletes angst friends to lovers high-school contemporary length-long -
![Uncaged Love, Volume 1 by J.J. Knight]()
Uncaged Love, Volume 1 by J.J. Knight
Colt McClure is a rising MMA fighter out to prove that he has what it takes to be a champion. Jo is on the run from her one terrible mistake. When Colt drags Jo from a brawl with street thugs, he recognizes her potential as a female fighter. But as they begin her training, their desire for each other sparks a love affair that could jeopardize them both. Uncaged Love is a five-part series... -
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![Mobster's Vendetta by Amy Rachiele]()
Mobster's Vendetta by Amy Rachiele
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsMy soul was drawn to him. It isn’t about the danger or his dark beauty, it’s the connection I feel – the feeling of home I have with him even though I am miles away from it. Megan, Mobster’s Vendetta The mob underworld never changes. It hides itself deep in the cities. The rules, people, and danger are identical no matter where you go. Sometimes I wish things were different, but they're not... -
![I Need You To Save Me by Genicious]()
I Need You To Save Me by Genicious
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsPerhaps the stars aligned, but fate had other plans…Ace and Calla face the ultimate test as they navigate through the harsh realities of his arrest. The stakes are higher than ever before. With their future crumbling and their past lurking in the shadows, they must confront the demons that threaten to consume them... -
![Passing His Guard by Melynda Price]()
Passing His Guard by Melynda Price
Aiden “Disco Stick” Kruze walked away from it all—money, family, friends, and a successful career as a lawyer in Manhattan—to pursue his dream of being an MMA fighter. When a sexy private investigator shows up at Aiden’s gym, he mistakenly assumes she’s a cage-banging groupie. Ryann is determined to haul Aiden back home... -
![Catching Summer by L.P. Dover]()
Catching Summer by L.P. Dover
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsHailed by Heidi McLaughlin as a bestselling author who “knows how to create the men who make us swoon,” L. P. Dover returns with an edgy, emotionally gripping Second Chances novel about a beautiful widow who can’t resist a chiseled NFL player. Former nurse Summer Jacobs has seen her fair share of suffering, but she never expected tragedy to hit so close to home... -
![Stacked Up by Sidney Halston]()
Stacked Up by Sidney Halston
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsOpposites attract in this seductive novel from the author of Against the Cage (“Funny, steamy, scorching.”—Toni Aleo), with a chiseled MMA fighter falling for a single mom who could use a real man in her corner...Categorized as:
athletes fighters alpha male friends to lovers suspense sports mma-boxing contemporary -
![Paradise Fought: Abel by L.B. Dunbar]()
Paradise Fought: Abel by L.B. Dunbar
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsI'm not a fighter. I was born into a fighting family. As the middle child, I was overlooked in favor of my older brother. He took the negative attention, too. In comparison, there's nothing special about me. I’m not as big as Cobra. I’m not as strong as Cobra. He's the alpha. I'm a beta. The second son. The lesser one... -
![Defiance Falls Revolution by Ali Dean]()
Defiance Falls Revolution by Ali Dean
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsComing October 10. You need to read Defiance Falls first before reading this book.Hazel Ross had no idea what she’d stepped into that night at my 18th birthday party. I’d waited years for the right moment, and there she was, forcing me to show my cards before it was time. Now she wasn’t only a pawn for our enemies, she had a target on her back.I don’t regret it, even though I should... -
![Six Secret Babies by Layla Valentine]()
Six Secret Babies by Layla Valentine
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsHe tried to keep their fling under wraps,But six adorable babies aren’t going to stay hidden for long…HERThe Wenstown Wolves were in need of a new physical therapist, and apparently I was the only one they were interested in,Now I’m halfway across the country, making twice what I made in Seattle, and the team’s new management is an even more welcome surprise…Jason Munro is the buff, big-headed... -
![Contract with the Mafia Boss by Ashlie Silas]()
Contract with the Mafia Boss by Ashlie Silas
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA chance encounter led to a dating contract... with a mafia boss.I was desperate and needed a pretend boyfriend.Of all the people in the city, I collided with the ice-cold Carlo D’Angelo.When mistaken for my imaginary beau, I just went with it – my first mistake.His gorgeous, rock-hard body and the warmth in his eyes make it hard not to fall for the ruthless millionaire...Categorized as:
suspense mafia possessive hero super rich hero alpha male contemporary humor length-short -
![Faster Longer by Colleen Masters]()
Faster Longer by Colleen Masters
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsTwo star crossed lovers racing together at breakneck speeds, barreling along at 200 miles per hour willing to destroy everything and everyone in their path. Siena can't escape. She's trapped now. How did she fall so helplessly, recklessly in love with the one man who could single handedly turn her life upside down? Harrison has her wrapped up in his strong, muscular, tattooed arms... -
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![Hannah by Faleena Hopkins]()
Hannah by Faleena Hopkins
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsEvery boyfriend I've ever had either bored me......or hurt me.I'm tired of what the world thinks they know.The gossip. Retaliation.So after another 'date' betrays my trust,when Sofia Sol, my rebellious cousin, says,“Hey...let's get out of here.A vacation from EVERYTHING.”My answer?A big fat YES.I mean, why not?Life can be an adventure.With true love where you least expect it…If you just say yes... -
![Fighting Love by Abby Niles]()
Fighting Love by Abby Niles
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsFighting Love by Abby Niles Talk about kicking a fighter while he’s down. Former Middleweight champion and confirmed bachelor Tommy "Lightning" Sparks has lost it all: his belt, his career, and now his home. After the devastating fire, he moves in with his drama-free best friend, Julie...Categorized as:
athletes bad boys alpha male fighters friends to lovers possessive hero sports mma-boxing -
![Rhapsody by Cecilia London]()
Rhapsody by Cecilia London
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings"I'm never going to stop loving you, Caroline. It's just not possible."Major Caroline Gerard returns from a dangerous mission battered and bruised. Terrified to confront the emotional and physical gap between her and her husband, she's determined to do whatever it takes to avoid reality. Commander Jack McIntyre has been tasked with saving American democracy, but he has to save his marriage first... -
![Big Bad Wolf by Matilda Martel]()
Big Bad Wolf by Matilda Martel
Who’s afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?ScarlettI’m not afraid of much, but when it comes to Vasily Volkov, heir to the most brutal Bratva in Brooklyn, I’m shaking in my Louboutins.Vas is obscenely rich, sinfully handsome and seriously obsessed with me. He’s made it abundantly clear he will have me. But I know the truth, he only wants me to curry favor with my senator father...Categorized as:
suspense angst alpha male mafia new adult height-difference possessive hero contemporary -
![Take Your Time by Julie Johnson]()
Take Your Time by Julie Johnson
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsDelilah Sinclair has a certain reputation. Maybe it's the way she walks (in skyscraper designer heels) or the way she talks (in total absence of a filter) or simply the shade of her hair (strawberry blonde). Maybe it's the string of broken hearts she's left across the city of Boston. (Sorry, boys.) For Lila, catching a man's attention is never a struggle... -
![Savage Oath by Ivy Davis]()
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