Books like 'Hard Hitter'
Readers who enjoyed Hard Hitter by Sarina Bowen also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary sports office friends to lovers suspense athletes strong heroine tortured hero new adult competent heroine
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Men of Honor, Books 1-4 by K.C. Lynn, Callie Dalton
This military romance boxed set series includes all four Men of Honor stories: Fighting Temptation, Sweet Temptation, Resisting Temptation, and The Final Temptation. Best if in order, but all can be listened to as standalones! You will not break me for I am unbreakable. I will live with integrity, fight with honor and die for what's right... -
Always You by Emilia Finn
Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsWhat does any self respecting socialite do when she finds her husband screwing his secretary on HER dining room table? She gets petty revenge a'la Louisville Slugger, then she runs home and pretends her whole life isn’t in tatters... -
Power Play by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 23 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... -
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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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... -
REGRET by Emilia Finn
Rated: 4.72 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsPreston Danes was born and raised on the streets.Unloved. Unwanted. And quickly discarded.Now he’s a man on the verge of a new career when the infamous Checkmate Security offers him a job.They want to shut down a mafia family, and they need the assistance of a skilled hacker to get the job done.Preston knows code like others know their left hands. He’s perfect for the job... -
Overtime by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 33 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... -
Sacrifice The Knight by Emilia Finn
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsSacrifices are never ideal, but to win the game, sometimes the knight must fall. Katrina Blair is a single mom to a daredevil teen, which means she has no time for fruitless endeavours such as dating. Why? Because men are all the same: liars, thieves, and unreliable a**holes... -
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... -
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... -
Changing Lines by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 15 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... -
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... -
Delayed Call by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 28 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... -
Spiked by Love by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsAllison Titov and Asher Brooks have been best friends their whole lives. Brought up together as part of the Assassins family, they might as well be related. But... Ally has never felt anything sisterly toward Asher.In love with Asher since she was a teen, Ally has gone pro at keeping her feelings a secret. It’s been easy.. -
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The Difference Between Somebody and Someone by Aly Martinez
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsThe world owes you nothing. It took losing the woman I loved and facing the paralyzing task of moving on without her for me to truly understand that. Consumed by regret and razor-sharp memories, I’d resigned myself to a life of loneliness until a survivor from the same plane crash that took my fiancée stormed into my life.Remi Grey was chaos and sunshine, fire and freedom... -
Sinful Corruption by Emilia Finn
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSinful Corruption is the 14th standalone Mayet Justice novel.Full blurb coming soon... -
Castling The Rook by Emilia Finn
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsDie a hero. Forever remain a hero. Junior, baby-faced, rookie – Riley Cruz has heard it all. The youngest police recruit in town, Riley is thirty-one years old, but is constantly overlooked because of his youthful features and habit to keep his mouth shut when everyone else is loud. But not everything is as it seems. Not everyone is as innocent as they appear... -
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... -
Pucked Under by Helena Hunting
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsRandy Ballistic and Lily LeBlanc are head-over-heels, bed-breakingly, screaming orgasmically in love. But even they have their challenges, mostly outside of the bedroom. With the off-season coming to a close and the boys gearing up for training camp, one more weekend of fun is the perfect way to welcome the new season...Categorized as:
sports hockey new adult athletes alpha male friends to lovers strong heroine contemporary -
Until May by Aurora Rose Reynolds
When May Mayson signed up with a popular dating app, she never thought she would get catfished. After being stood up for a date, she finds out that the man she’d been talking to for weeks was lying about who he is.After that horrible experience, she changes her number and deletes the app… only to have fate shove Aiden Bender right into her path... -
Wild Heart by Beth Ehemann
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFor Lawrence “Viper” Finkle, hockey isn’t just a sport, it’s a way of life. Since the first time he stepped onto the ice at just eight years old, he knew what he was meant to do, and he does it well. When his career takes an unexpected hit, and his relationship is pushed to the breaking point, he’s left sidelined and wondering what his future holds... -
The Chase is Over by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsYou are cordially invited to the wedding of Shelli Adler and Aiden Brooks…Shelli has been planning her wedding to Aiden in her scrapbook since she was old enough to wield a glue stick. And now that day has finally arrived... -
Unraveled by Ivy Layne
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSummer Evers Sinclair is dangerous. One flash of that teasing smile, and I know he’s going to ruin me. He makes my body shiver and my brain melt. He’s also a huge mistake. Girls like me don’t land guys like Evers. But every time he knocks on my door, I let him in. I thought we understood each other. I thought we were playing the same game. I was wrong... -
Rosie and the Beast Next Door by Kaylee Baldwin
Rosie Forrester is in desperate need of cash after an embarrassing run-in with the law. Enter Dylan Savage, the prodigal son of Winterhaven's sheriff, who needs a place to stay for a few months. He's taciturn and every bit as beastly as his fans' nickname for him would imply—nothing like the handsome, charming bookstore owner she's in love with from afar... -
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Jersey Girl by Rhonda James
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsBrantley Cage is a standout D-man on Great Lakes University hockey team. Now that his dream of signing with the Detroit Red Wings has come true, his goals for senior year are simple: Work hard. Score big. Stay away from love. And then he meets her. There's just one problem... -
QUIVER by Jacob Chance
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThey met under the most unusual circumstances and fell deeply in love. Their relationship thrived, despite all the secrets Kyle kept from Janny. When the sordid details of his betrayal were revealed in the worst way possible, he had to fight to win her back. Now Kyle’s in the battle of his life and the obstacle in their path might be impossible to overcome... -
A Callahan Wedding by Monica Murphy
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe sweet and sexy conclusion to New York Times bestselling author, Monica Murphy’s standalone Callahan series, bringing readers along for the ride as fan favorites, Jake and Hannah get married! Hannah Walsh. Gorgeous. Intelligent. My first love. My high school sweetheart. My everything. And now my fiancée...Categorized as:
alpha male athletes friends to lovers sports new adult m-f contemporary found-family -
The Roomie Rulebook by Crystal Kaswell
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsOliver is my best friend's older brother. He's brooding, bossy, and painfully off limits. But all rules are off when I move in as his new roommate. When I need a place to crash, I go straight to the guy I know best. My best friend's older brother, Oliver. Who's right in the middle of enjoying his alone time. No big deal, right? It's not like I'm going to die of embarrassment... -
ICED by Jacob Chance
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsOliver Ice, one of Boston University’s notorious hockey players, has been on my radar since I slammed into his rock-hard body during my first week of college, three years ago. He helped me to my feet, muttered an apology, and ran off after his girlfriend, dashing my hopes of a happily ever after. Now, he’s the bartender where I work, and this time, very much single... -
Only One Forever by Natasha Madison
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 28 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 hockey m-f contemporary forced proximity -
STRIKE by Cora Brent
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsA summer job. That’s all it was supposed to be. It never crossed my mind that I was about to collide with a man who would obliterate every plan I ever made. My mother has always warned me that love is like a lightning bolt and it strikes without warning. But I had no intention of getting struck by either lightning or love... -
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... -
Van by Kat Mizera
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTemptation could destroy everything he’d spent his career building…Professional hockey player Jean-Michel Vander is living the dream…. And the Las Vegas strip is a long way from the small town in Quebec where he grew up. He works hard but he plays harder, especially in the off-season. The sexy redhead he spots doing a striptease in a Paris nightclub is all kinds of fun...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers new adult hockey friends-benefits contemporary length-medium -
The Younger Man by Karina Halle
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsStarting over was her only option.Forty-years old and still reeling from a public and painful divorce, Thalia Blackwood is looking for a fresh start, somewhere far away from her upside down life. When she’s offered a new job as the sports therapist for a football (soccer) team, she jumps at the chance...Categorized as:
sports new adult athletes alpha male friends to lovers office contemporary age difference -
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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... -
Playboy’s Reward by Gina Azzi
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 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... -
Hot Shot by Kat Mizera
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWelcome to Fort Lauderdale—where the days are hot and the Knights are hotter.Wolf:I’ve been in love with the same girl since we were seventeen. Back before our careers took off and pulled us away from one another. No amount of fame, money, or puck bunnies could ever replace Scarlett. But she has a mind of her own, and dreams that don’t include me...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers alpha male athletes hockey contemporary pregnancy length-medium -
The Bro-Code by Melissa Adams
I’ve always been the most popular girl on campus. President of the hottest sorority, dating one of the hottest hockey players, but this fall it seems like my luck has run out.When my sorority house is destroyed, I’m forced to move into the frat house with not only most of the sexy-as-hell hockey team.I know I’m in trouble...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers hockey new adult contemporary length-medium explicit-plentiful -
Penn by Sawyer Bennett
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsPenn Navarro is the best player in the league—unstoppable on the ice, untouchable off it. But the moment the game ends, so do the celebrations. Because no amount of goals, no number of wins, can silence the demons that haunt him.Hockey is my life. It’s what I was born to do. That’s not ego talking, just fact—I’ve spent years honing my skills, earning my place among the elite...Categorized as:
sports hockey suspense grumpy sunshine friends to lovers tortured hero alpha male office -
Blizzard by Cambria Hebert
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsAn arctic blast is coming… Fleeing to the wintry town of Caribou was always meant to be temporary, BearPaw Resort just a place to hide. Never in a million years did I expect that running back to the past would bring me face to face with my future. But it did, and now everyone I love is in danger. I’ve already escaped death three times, and I know my luck is running out... -
Smokeshow by Raine Miller
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsBe "just friends" with a smokeshow like her? That's pretty much a p#cking impossible ask.—Tyler Lockhardt, VEGAS CRUSHI'm just over here minding my business playing hockey for the Crush when the SMOKESHOW of my dreams turns up and seriously rocks my world.For real.Beautiful, smart, and so incredibly sweet I cannot help myself from wanting to get to know her a whole lot better... -
Goal by Holly S. Roberts
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsQuarterback Aiden Patrickson has a goal to win even though he plays for the worst team in pro football. When management pulls a stunt to put his team in a good light they go too far. No women in the locker room is Aiden’s motto. Raised by a strong mother and two demanding sisters, the NO WOMEN zone is his sanctuary.Jordan Givens has a goal too and she’ll do just about anything to achieve it... -
Slammed by Victoria Denault
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsNot every goalie plays it safe... As a publicist for the San Francisco Thunder hockey team, Dixie Braddock is too busy rescuing the players from trouble to get into any of her own. Except, of course, when it comes to the super hot new goalie... -
Whiskey Undone by Carrie Ann Ryan
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTwo best friends follow a dangerous and seductive path in the final standalone novel of the bestselling Whiskey and Lies series from NYT Bestselling Author Carrie Ann Ryan. Ainsley Harris has always kept a secret from her best friend. She’s stood by his side, helped him raise his daughter, and tried to keep her distance even though she’s been in love with him for years... -
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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...Categorized as:
suspense athletes sports friends to lovers alpha male strong heroine m-f contemporary -
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 -
Ghost Dance by Catherine Gayle
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsUSA Today bestselling author Catherine Gayle presents another novel in the sexy Tulsa Thunderbirds hockey romance series. He had it all. And lost it in an instant. The night Dmitri Nazarenko won hockey’s Holy Grail, he lost more than he ever bargained for. With a world of guilt weighing him down, Dima can never forgive himself for his tragic misjudgment... -
Frostbite by Cambria Hebert
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsRevenge is a dish best served cold. What if we lose everything? It was a question that had haunted me even after I spoke it aloud. Turns out one loss--one profound loss--is enough to put everything else at stake. What a house of cards life can be. How easily everything ices over. We've survived an avalanche, made it through a blizzard, but now a chill has set in... -
Game Day by Piper Lawson
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsIn the heat of victory, I asked her to be mine forever. We’d both triumphed in our own way:Nova broke free from her past.I led my team to a championship and discovered life beyond the court. Our journey to "I do" was supposed to be easy. Except…The hottest resort in Aspen is only available is on short notice.A new season with the Denver Kodiaks looms on the horizon... -
Love To Love You: A Love/Hate Novella by Isabelle Richards
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAfter a long year of heartache and loss, Chase and Arianna pulled together the shattered pieces of their hearts and rebuilt a relationship that is stronger and more secure than ever before. Letting go of the mistakes of their past, their focus is on the future—their happily ever after...
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