Books like 'The Nature of the Game'
Readers who enjoyed The Nature of the Game by Amy Aislin also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary gay romance sports queer hockey second chances height-difference angst bisexual queer-awakening
-
Murphy's Law by Riley Hart
LawsonWe were eighteen when I met Remington Monroe. I’d never seen anyone like him. He got onstage at the coffeehouse, armed with a guitar and corny jokes…but unable to hide his lonely eyes. When he sang, I was entranced. When we spent the night talking together, I knew my world would never be the same.RemingtonMusic was my only passion until I met Lawson Grant... -
![Impaired Judgement by Youcouldmakealife]()
Impaired Judgement by Youcouldmakealife
Rated: 4.71 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsIt’s kind of a shame someone that talented is that big a...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers secret-relationship queer hockey m-m contemporary from hate to love -
![]()
![]()
Sponsored links -
![Grinding by Sean Ashcroft]()
Grinding by Sean Ashcroft
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsTwo childhood best friends. One accidental fake engagement. One Labrador puppy. One week to fall in love.When Harvey runs into his childhood best friend—literally—on the way into Otter Bay for his cousin's wedding, he doesn't plan to end up playing the part of the guy's fiancé... -
![The Boyfriend Comeback by Lauren Blakely, Teddy Hamilton]()
The Boyfriend Comeback by Lauren Blakely, Teddy Hamilton
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsA sexy, emotionally-charged, rivals-to-lovers, second chance sports romance… Some men are just off-limits. Like, say, all the other football players in the league. But I’ve been crushing hard on one quarterback in particular for the last year. When Jason invites me to his place the night before my first pro football game, I say yes so fast...Categorized as:
sports queer athletes friends to lovers bisexual secret-relationship second chances m-m -
-
![Second Wind by Aimee Nicole Walker]()
Second Wind by Aimee Nicole Walker
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSecond wind: a new strength or energy to continue something that is an effort. After an amicable divorce, Lincoln Huxley is ready to embrace the sexuality he repressed for more than two decades. Rush Holden is no longer willing to settle for closeted men or those who don’t share his dreams of marriage and fatherhood. A chance encounter on a lakeside pier is the second wind they both need... -
![Dauntless by Victoria Denault]()
Dauntless by Victoria Denault
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHe’s everything I’ve ever wanted, at the worst possible moment.One and done. That’s always been my motto when it comes to guys, because I’m not about to pull someone else into the closet my parents have locked me inside. I’ve been waiting years to claim my inheritance and live the life I want to live–out, free, and oh yeah, rich...Categorized as:
friends to lovers secret-relationship angst queer m-m contemporary length-short audiobook -
![Change of Heart by K.M. Neuhold]()
Change of Heart by K.M. Neuhold
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsDoes my husband's heart still miss me now that it beats in the chest of another man? Lub-dub A heartbeat more familiar than Easton’s own Lub-dub He vowed to love his husband until death do they part. And then the worst happened. Lub-dub His heart kept another man alive. River. A stranger in the world with Easton's husband's heart pumping the blood that warms his skin... -
![Frat Bro by Raleigh Ruebins]()
Frat Bro by Raleigh Ruebins
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThis fall, I have one simple rule: don't fall in love with my fake boyfriend.I’m awful at following the rules.One minute I was a nobody in a small Colorado town, getting by on contract work, home renovations, and a dumpster fire of a dating life—and then suddenly, my life was on TV...Categorized as:
friends to lovers athletes sports queer queer-awakening m-m age difference hurt-comfort -
![The Christmas Summons (Wild Heart Ranch) by Kelly Fox]()
The Christmas Summons (Wild Heart Ranch) by Kelly Fox
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom USA Today Bestselling Author Kelly Fox comes a Wild Heart Ranch Christmas novella. I’ve loved Gael Hernandez from the moment I laid eyes on him. We had a moment back in the summer, but he needed time to recover from the traumatic events that reshaped his family.It’s now Christmas, and I think my talented shoemaker is finally ready to let me love him for the rest of his life... -
![Huddle!, Vol. 3: A "Check, Please!" Sketch Zine by Ngozi Ukazu]()
Huddle!, Vol. 3: A "Check, Please!" Sketch Zine by Ngozi Ukazu
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWelcome to Huddle! Vol. 3 . If you're brand new here, Huddle zines are 18+ fan Service booklets that feature characters from the webcomic Check Please .And for a sketch zine that started on a goddamn whim, the Huddle series continues a strong legacy of spiciness and smut. How did we even get her, folks?.. -
![Hit the Brakes by Beth Bolden]()
Hit the Brakes by Beth Bolden
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsCan they fake it til Tate makes it?Tate Ward is in a bind. His food truck hasn’t been the runaway success he’d always dreamt it would be. When he tries to join a new food truck collective to gain a larger following, his sales aren’t even high enough to win a spot. What he needs is a high profile endorsement—and he knows just the guy.Tate hasn’t seen Chase Riley since high school... -
![Rebound by V.L. Locey]()
Rebound by V.L. Locey
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsIf there’s one thing that’s a certainty in life, it’s change. It’s taken Victor Kalinski years to settle into the kind of happiness that he thought he’d never find. The small town of Cayuga, New York, has welcomed him warmly. It’s given him a championship team to coach, a tightly-knit group of friends, a father who he has reconciled with, and a safe place to raise the son he adores... -
![Definitely Deacon by Vawn Cassidy]()
Definitely Deacon by Vawn Cassidy
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsJesse Ainsley’s life running his busy veterinary practice in the sleepy Cornwall bay he grew up in leaves no time for a serious relationship… at least, that’s what he tells himself, but the simple truth is much more cliché... -
![When Stars Align by Denver Shaw]()
When Stars Align by Denver Shaw
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsScarred by the past. Terrified to love again. SavionOnce upon a time, my life was a fairytale. Engaged to a beautiful woman, we were planning our perfect future. Then, the sick act of an obsessed man ruined everything. Alone, disfigured, and betrayed, I fled to LA to focus on my work as a paleontologist.It was there I met Declan... -
-
![Third Time Lucky by R.G. Alexander]()
Third Time Lucky by R.G. Alexander
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom Author New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author R.G. Alexander, Book 3 in the Finn's Pub Romance series! Ever had a thing for the man next door? My sexy new neighbor is confusing the hell out of me. Elliot Ransom is a baseball player and a single dad, but he doesn’t know his butter beer from a snozzberry... -
![The Professor's Date by Lane Hayes]()
The Professor's Date by Lane Hayes
The professor, the hair stylist, and a wedding date…TommyHelp! My sister is getting married and according to her, I need a date. And a makeover. I’m a busy man, though. I don’t have time to meet eligible bachelors, and the tape holding my glasses together works just fine. Until my hair stylist steps on them... -
![Delicious by Sierra Riley]()
Delicious by Sierra Riley
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 17 ratings“You’re exactly what I never knew I needed.” “I don’t have time for love.” Gavin Campbell has poured everything he has into starting up his bakery, Delicious... -
![Between the Teeth by Taylor Fitzpatrick]()
Between the Teeth by Taylor Fitzpatrick
In the final installment of the Between the Teeth trilogy, David has the fresh start he’s always wanted. He’s on a better team, one that doesn’t depend on him for their wins and blame him for their losses. In a better room, with teammates David might even consider friends. It doesn’t make any sense for David to feel more out of his depth than ever... -
![School and Rock by R.J. Scott, V.L. Locey]()
School and Rock by R.J. Scott, V.L. Locey
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsWhen Colorado Penn finds an unexpected package on his front step, his life will be changed forever.Colorado Penn is living the dream. Starting goalie for the Arizona Raptors when in season, lead singer for a hard rock band when summer rolls around. He’s the quintessential free spirit who’s making sure he enjoys all the carnal blessings of his athleticism, and gritty singing voice... -
![See You in Boston by Eden Finley, Saxon James]()
See You in Boston by Eden Finley, Saxon James
All I want is to be dicked down, why is that so much to ask? When graduation night hits and I still haven’t crossed bottoming off my bucket list, I’ll do anything to make it happen. Including hitting on the bashful, dimpled cutie from the CU Hockey team. He’s not queer, but he is curious. One last college experience with someone we never have to see again...Categorized as:
queer secret-relationship queer-awakening sports friends to lovers hockey bisexual m-m -
![Yesterday by Sarina Bowen]()
Yesterday by Sarina Bowen
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt’s been seven years since John Rikker left his childhood home in Michigan. Surely that’s long enough to scar over the wounds he received there... -
![Unconditional Love by Andrew Grey]()
Unconditional Love by Andrew Grey
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratings"A Seven Days Story" Can a person's life change in just one day? How about seven? Donald Pottier and Jason Greene are barely more than boys when they meet on Chincoteague Island, Virginia. A day of crabbing soon turns them from strangers to friends, then to something more, but the boys' time is limited: at the end of the summer, Jay will leave Don and the island behind... -
![Playing the Player by Beth Bolden]()
Playing the Player by Beth Bolden
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCenter Logan Banks didn’t come to Miami looking for a best friend.He came for football and for a chance at freedom—the freedom to live out of the closet.But after a water main break, he lands an unexpected roommate, the new Piranhas kicker, Dylan Leonard. Between practices, games, and too many late nights on the couch, a best friend is exactly what he gets... -
![Holiday Crush by Lane Hayes]()
Holiday Crush by Lane Hayes
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThe hockey has-been, the barista, and some holiday magic… Court Cut from the team, fired my agent…now what? This can’t be it for me. Unfortunately, the phone isn’t ringing. My best bet is to head home for the holidays and regroup. Problem: I don’t know what to do with myself. Helping out at the rink might be my ticket out of here, but nothing is happening fast enough. And then there’s Ivan... -
-
![Nauti or Nice by Ava Olsen]()
Nauti or Nice by Ava Olsen
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBeing a first officer on board the superyacht Now, Voyager is a dream come true. And my personal life? I’m in and out and on to the next port, so to speak. I don’t have the inclination for a boyfriend. So when my boss asks me to work over the Christmas holiday, I’m happy to say yes.And then Kiernan Doyle arrives.The Irish bodyguard is a brawny grump with sad eyes and a shy smile...Categorized as:
friends to lovers queer bisexual height-difference christmas contemporary m-m length-short -
![Break Down by Rebecca Norinne]()
Break Down by Rebecca Norinne
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsHis heart says no, but his body says yes Liam Donnelly's honed, athletic body craves something he can't have. Not when the last time ended in disaster. Now, the Dublin Rugby player is seeking redemption with a new team in Edinburgh. His fresh start is going strong, but one look at Chef Lachlan MacLeod's inked forearms and whiskey-colored eyes and he's tempted by far more than what's on the menu... -
![Broken Ice, Mended Hearts by Ryan Taylor, Joshua Harwood]()
Broken Ice, Mended Hearts by Ryan Taylor, Joshua Harwood
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsPIERRE (“GAGS”)My life is complicated.Hell, I’m complicated.I don’t know a life beyond how I’m perceived. After a devastating divorce, it looked like I never would.Can a hockey fight change your life?I may not understand my attraction to Sven Holmer, but I can tell you my obsession with kissing him started in the middle of a fight... -
![Playing With Fire by Avery Cockburn]()
Playing With Fire by Avery Cockburn
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 15 ratings“I don’t want options. I just want you.” Robert McKenzie has a secret. As the only straight player on an all-LGBT soccer team, he’s known to fans as “McWhatAWaste.” No one would guess Robert’s actually bisexual. At twenty-one, on the verge of a brilliant career in video game design, he’s finally ready to be his true self... -
![Extended Stay by Mia Monroe]()
Extended Stay by Mia Monroe
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsI’ve never been interested in a man before. So why do I want to kiss this one?Promising my sick uncle I’d help fix his rundown hotel in San Diego was just the beginning of my problems. I plan to do what I can, convince him to sell, and then take off, returning to my calm and structured existence back east. I double down on that plan when I arrive to find it in worse shape than I expected... -
![You, Again by Lane Hayes]()
You, Again by Lane Hayes
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsThe hometown hockey hero and his best friend's brother...VinnieHockey is in my blood. I learned to skate before I learned how to ride a bike. I’ve been on a wild ride, playing at the highest level for some of the biggest and best teams in the league. But now it’s over, and I’m not sure what to do with myself.So I'm going home to Elmwood... -
![Three Is the Luckiest Number by Catherine Cloud]()
Three Is the Luckiest Number by Catherine Cloud
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsElliot Cowell spent his entire life training to become a superstar.A prodigy on the ice, likely the future captain of his team, there’s no room for mistakes when it comes to Elliot’s career, but knowing all that didn’t keep him from falling in love with Blake Samuels...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers secret-relationship queer hockey m-m contemporary new adult -
![Bad Pucking Timing by Michele Lenard]()
Bad Pucking Timing by Michele Lenard
The ice is my happy place. My sanctuary. The source of my happiest memories, and the promise of my future. It’s also the reason I’m living a lie.There’s no better feeling than holding another man in your hand while he comes undone.Smooth skin wrapped around rigid muscle, a tantalizing mixture of soft and hard that pulses like a heartbeat within your fist... -
![Change Up: An Out For You Gay Sports Romance by Quinn Ward]()
Change Up: An Out For You Gay Sports Romance by Quinn Ward
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsNo one expected the loudmouth of the team to be hiding in the biggest closet of them all. When he’s paired with someone who just wants to keep his head down and play the game, sparks are going to fly.Kevin Green has always been the life of the party. He’s the one everyone turns to for a bit of comic relief... -
![Red Lined by Crea Reitan]()
Red Lined by Crea Reitan
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsMaybe you can order love online… Julian I’ve spent a short lifetime learning that what people say they want is rarely what they actually want. What I hope for is a relationship where both of us feel comfortable together. I think I finally find what I’m looking for in a mail order bride. Then he shows up... -
-
![Mourning Heaven by Amy Lane]()
Mourning Heaven by Amy Lane
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHeroes fall. Peter first came to the tiny backwater of Daisy, California, as a child, and he was sure of one thing: his cousin Michael would take care of him. When Michael started a friendship with the fragile, haunted Bodi Kovacs, Peter's consolation in losing any claim to Bodi was that Michael would care for him too...Categorized as:
second chances friends to lovers angst queer contemporary m-m hurt-comfort length-short -
![Starfish and Coffee by Kele Moon]()
Starfish and Coffee by Kele Moon
Rated: 4.02 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsOn the island where they first met two lovers from opposite sides of the tracks are reunited. Now jaded and broken, Alex and Matt still can’t deny their sizzling connection or the memories of one perfect, uninhibited year together...Categorized as:
queer-awakening queer friends to lovers angst second chances bisexual m-m contemporary -
![Change Up by Sloan Johnson]()
Change Up by Sloan Johnson
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsKevin Green has always been the life of the party. He’s the one everyone turns to for a bit of comic relief. With so many of his teammates coming out of the closet and living healthy lives, it’s getting harder for him to keep the secret only one other person knows: that he’s not as straight as everyone assumes when they see him out with his hot girlfriend... -
![You Could Make a Life by Taylor Fitzpatrick]()
You Could Make a Life by Taylor Fitzpatrick
The first thing Dan says to him is, “we’re in the NHL!”, because that’s how he’s been greeting anyone wearing a jersey, and Marc Lapointe, 'the future of the franchise', is wearing Dan's colours.“I think you’re my new best friend,” Dan says, his excitement beating out common sense, social filters, the need to play it cool.“It is nice to meet you, new best friend," Marc says, his mouth twitching... -
![Biscuit in the Basket by Kit Oliver]()
Biscuit in the Basket by Kit Oliver
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsEvery love story needs its happily ever after - and then even more.Biscuit in the Basket follows Sebastian and Gil through the week after their first story ends in Light Up the Lamp.In this novella, they settle into their new lives, get their feet under themselves, and start to build their future...Categorized as:
hockey sports queer friends to lovers second chances contemporary m-m length-novella -
![Summer Catch by Beth Bolden]()
Summer Catch by Beth Bolden
Newly hired Charleston Condors’ coach Jonathan Kelley is very aware of all the uphill battles he’s got to climb.There’s a new owner he’s got to please. New culture to implement. New players to train. New rules to follow.But one rule hasn't don't spend so much time flirting with the cute bartender via text that you start to wonder if you're straight, after all...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers bisexual hockey queer-awakening secret-relationship queer m-m -
![Sweet Spot by Sloan Johnson]()
Sweet Spot by Sloan Johnson
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFour years ago, it took no time at all for Cody Marshall to fall for the rookie pitcher at spring training. While their lives were nothing alike, Cody understood Nick Stone’s insecurities and pain. And then… Nick left. Eventually, Cody found his own passion and landed a dream internship with the Mavericks. His life was finally turning around. And then… Nick came back... -
![Knowing Me, Knowing You by Renae Kaye]()
Knowing Me, Knowing You by Renae Kaye
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLoving You: Book Four Can friends turned occasional lovers move beyond past mistakes and wrong assumptions to build something that can last? Quiet bookworm Shane has a big secret—one he’s kept for fifteen years. AFL superstar Ambrose Jakoby grew up next door to Shane. They were close friends, and Shane supported Ambrose through school. One night, everything changed... -
![Obsessed with the Heartbreaker by Rina Damen]()
Obsessed with the Heartbreaker by Rina Damen
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI’m the most boring guy in this college, but the Heartbreaker is secretly obsessed with me.People know Henry Campbell as the Heartbreaker, the unofficial college King that everyone wants but very few get to have. He hates me and yet he often secretly watches me, and once I find out, I can’t resist the temptation of slithering back into his life.We used to be close, neighbors.Then we weren’t... -
![Couture Crush by Charlie Novak]()
Couture Crush by Charlie Novak
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBeau Barrett is about to become Alt. Bride’s first male cover model, but what about his own fairy-tale ending?When Beau Barrett arrives to shoot for alternative bridal magazine, Alt. Bride, the last person he expects to see is Cash, his long-lost childhood best friend. The spark between them is instant, but with Beau’s calendar splitting at the seams, he’s not convinced a relationship is possible... -
-
![The Last Summer by Ruthie Luhnow]()
The Last Summer by Ruthie Luhnow
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 7 ratings"It's not even really a first kiss if you're practicing on a friend." Trapped in a conservative prairie town, Alfie Alder has spent his whole life enduring bullying from his classmates and indifference from his teachers. Only one person has ever seen past Alfie's sarcastic, standoffish exterior—his best friend and the love of his life, Wynn... -
![Keeping Kellan by Amy Aislin]()
Keeping Kellan by Amy Aislin
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsBrant Harkrader is done living by other peoples’ rules. He may not know exactly what he wants out of life, but he’s perfectly happy letting that question figure itself out while starting a new job as a tour guide.Too bad the one thing he does want—his sister’s BFF—only sees him as a little brother.Or so he thinks…Kellan Shelby-Briggs has never shied away from going after what he wants... -
![Shield by R.J. Scott, V.L. Locey]()
Shield by R.J. Scott, V.L. Locey
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsCan Jackson ensure the safety of his loved ones when the darkest elements of LA's underbelly seek retribution? Oliver knows the clock is ticking on his dream of winning the Stanley Cup. After fourteen years playing for New York, he’s beyond frustrated to leave friends behind when traded to the LA Storm... -
![Tell Me Lies by Hinsel Meyer]()
Tell Me Lies by Hinsel Meyer
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsDrewA wedding planner moves to Las Vegas to start a new business…Does that sound like the start of a bad joke? Well it’s my life... -
![Two Weeks and a Day by R.G. Alexander]()
Two Weeks and a Day by R.G. Alexander
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIt’s either the beginning of a great porno or a disaster waiting to happen. That feeling when you’re a thirty-year-old gay virgin with a little OCD, nosy neighbors and a lot of awkward, secret fantasies revolving around your straight best friend? Yeah, that’s me right now... -
![First Season by R.J. Scott, V.L. Locey]()
First Season by R.J. Scott, V.L. Locey
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLayton wants success, Adler wants family, how can love make both these things possible? Layton Foxx works hard for what he has. The condo, the career, the chance to make his mark, is all down to the sacrifices he has made. With tragedy in his past, he doesn’t want or need love...
Fantastic book recommendations by romance book lovers for romance book lovers.
Find out more about romance.io.
Find out more about romance.io.
Get recommendations by genres & tropes
Use the romance book finder to mix and match over 100 content keywords to find the books that match your preferences
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.
