Books like 'The Red Zone'
Readers who enjoyed The Red Zone by Amie Knight also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary friends to lovers sports slow burn athletes virgin heroine football m-f competent heroine independent heroine
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Stone Rules by Samantha Christy
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsCharlie Tate doesn’t live by the rules. Ethan Stone is bound by them. When Charlie returns home after five years away, she has only one thing on her mind – revenge. When she enlists the help of Ethan, a private investigator, she has him challenging many of his rules. And Charlie begins to look at him as she has never been able to look at any other man...Categorized as:
m-f competent heroine strong heroine independent heroine sassy heroine new adult contemporary abuse -
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... -
She Loves Me by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsWhat are two besties willing to risk for something more? The New York Times bestselling author of This Is Love has the answer in this fun, sexy, and emotional romance about friendship, family, and giving love a chance. Something is off in Piper Dalton’s life, and she has a feeling it might just be her. All her siblings are blissfully settled with their forever loves...Categorized as:
friends to lovers independent heroine sassy heroine strong heroine m-f humor contemporary audiobook -
Season for Love by Marie Force
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 32 ratingsHis idea of permanence is the VW van that takes him from one gig to the next. . . Owen Lawry has made a living as a traveling musician and enjoys his footloose and fancy free lifestyle... -
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Roman by Samantha Whiskey
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsI’m one of the fastest running backs in the NFL, but I can’t outrun my feelings for my best friend.I’ve wanted Teagan Hall for over a decade, but I’ve never been willing to risk our friendship.Then she shows up at my doorstep, fleeing her abusive ex, and everything changes.Now she’s not just my best friend—she’s my roommate.She's also the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.Every innocent touch crackles... -
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... -
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... -
Mine To Love by Natasha Madison
Presley After my sisters’ disastrous weddings, I’m never going to get married. I’ll just stay single forever. It doesn’t matter that I’m in love with my brother’s best friend. Or that Bennett and I shouldn’t even be friends with benefits. Until the positive sign tells me I’m pregnant. Bennett I fell in love with Presley when she was eighteen and asked me for a favor...Categorized as:
sassy heroine friends to lovers strong heroine pregnancy m-f contemporary humor explicit-open-door -
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... -
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... -
The Hardest Route by A.S. Teague
My friends used to tell me ‘What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.’ Clearly, they lied because a few months later, I found out my one-night stand was pregnant. I couldn’t handle a baby. I was Griffin Rockwell, the best wide receiver the league had ever seen. But what choice did I have? My baby girl was coming whether I was ready for her or not... -
Nixon by Samantha Whiskey
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsI’m the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL because I know how to read the field.I control the plays—and my life—with absolute precision.Until Liberty Jones delivers the ultimate hit to my blind side with a story about two pink lines.The beautiful, free-spirited brunette has starred in my dreams since she disappeared after our wild weekend in Vegas, but I’ve been burned before... -
Delayed Call by Toni Aleo
Vaughn 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...Categorized as:
sports athletes independent heroine m-f contemporary from hate to love explicit-plentiful audiobook -
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Flat-Out Matt by Jessica Park
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 47 ratingsMatt is a junior at MIT. He’s geeky, he's witty, he's brilliant. And he’s also very, very stupid. When beautiful, cool, insightful Julie moves in with Matt’s family, why (oh why!) does he pretend to be his absent brother Finn for her alleged benefit? It seems harmless enough until her short-term stay becomes permanent. And until it snowballs into heart-squeezing insanity...Categorized as:
friends to lovers virgin heroine slow burn sweet-hero m-f contemporary college angst -
Bliss by Kaylee Ryan
Cooper Reese Latham was about to make the biggest mistake of her life. At eight-years-old, we vowed to be best friends for the rest of our lives, thinking nothing could ever change that. We were both wrong— we made mistakes, and grew apart. Until I realized living without her wasn’t an option.I was almost too late... but I wouldn’t stand by and watch her walk down the aisle to another man...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers sweet heroine sweet-hero football new adult contemporary length-short -
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 pregnancy athletes contemporary alpha male hockey length-medium -
Happy Valentine's Day, Omega by Bridget Blake
This Valentine's Day, I'm determined to checkmate Alpha Novikov's arrogance.He's my chess nemesis. Wicked smart, cunning, always three moves ahead, and he's in my path to chess glory.No matter how good Alpha Novikov looks and smells, I can't afford to be distracted.The Omega Academy says I'm too competitive and unruly to be an Alpha's mate... -
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... -
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... -
For Everly by Raine Thomas
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 26 ratings**Mature Content Warning** This is a New Adult novel recommended for ages 17+ due to language, sexual content, and mature subject matter. Determined to overcome a dark and tragic past, college student Everly Wallace is only months away from earning her degree in physical therapy. She’s consumed with school, caring for her ailing grandfather, and figuring out how to pay the next bill... -
Tabitha in the Moonlight by Betty Neels
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsHer Prince Charming? Sister Tabitha was an efficient nurse, but when it came to matters of the heart she was less sure of herself. So when she fell in love, she had no idea how to deal with her feelings. Was that why the Dutch surgeon Marius van Beek called her Cinderella? If only Marius would ride up on a white horse and ask for her hand in marriage... -
Hot Receiver by Fiona Davenport
Things are about to get hot for this Nighthawks wide receiver... -
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Fragile by M. Leighton
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsHer heart, as delicate as glass. His love, as strong as steel. Can either survive life and death? Hardy Bradford is an eighteen year old football phenomenon who has the girl, the school, the town and the future in the palm of his hand. His life is all mapped out for him, right down to who he’ll marry and how he’ll become a professional football player...Categorized as:
virgin heroine athletes possessive hero sweet heroine m-f football sports contemporary -
Caught in a Jam by Lila Felix
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI’ve loved her since we were kids. But loving someone gets tough when they don’t love you back. Nixon Black has made mistakes. He made one mistake that would change his life forever. Now he’s working and in school—and he’s got a three year old. He gave up dating when Scout was born, but every night he retreats to another life in his mind, one he could’ve had with her...Categorized as:
pregnancy possessive hero sports sweet heroine contemporary tattoos heroine athlete length-short -
Waiting Game by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsComing April 1!My wedding to Prince Charming is interrupted with accusations that it’s a sham.It is, but we both hold tight to the story that we’re marrying for love. I don’t have to fake it, but I’m not so sure about my husband.As I play the waiting game for him to return home from training camp, I start to find my niche with the wives of his pro football teammates... -
Chance Encounters by Jessica Prince
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThere are three kinds of nerdy women in the world. - The Sexy Nerd - The Confident Nerd; and - The So-Socially-Awkward-it’s-Painful-to-Watch Nerd. You can probably guess which one I am. After witnessing me making a fool of myself, Chance Hoffman decided to take pity on me. He’s smart, sexy, charming, and totally out of my league… and for some unexplainable reason, he wants to help me... -
Slow Heat by Jill Shalvis
From the New York Times bestselling author of Double Play, Rescue My Heart, The Trouble with Paradise, and the Lucky Harbor novels... After a woman claims she’s pregnant with Wade O’Riley’s love child, Major League Baseball’s most celebrated catcher and ladies’ man is slapped on the wrist by management and ordered to improve his image...Categorized as:
friends to lovers athletes sports sweet heroine m-f contemporary fake relationship forced proximity -
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... -
Mick by C.M. Steele
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratings“I’d die for you…” As the “Princess” of the Steele Riders, Morgan Steele is untouchable. A mere tattoo artist isn’t worthy of her, but Mick’s going to do whatever he can to win her love. Morgan wants her man and is going to do whatever she can to get Ewan “Mick” McMann to claim her body and soul... -
Fighting Dirty by Stacey Lynn
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Raleigh Rough Riders are back, and this time Super Bowl Quarterback Beaux Hale finds himself playing the most important game of his life. Every woman knows Beaux Hale is nothing but a player. Yet the first time he walks into Paige Halloway’s restaurant and flashes his sexy grin, she feels a heat between them spark. Too bad he opens his mouth and ruins it... -
Bodychecking: Seattle Sockeyes Hockey by Jami Davenport
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsAs the wild child of the family, Bellani Maxwell isn’t interested in settling down. Between a fledgling party crashing business, teaching self-defense at a martial arts studio, and hitting the bar every night, she has her hands full. She doesn’t need the added responsibility or commitment of a relationship... -
Faking the Face Off by Anne Kemp
There’s a reason you shouldn’t fake date a friend—because the biggest mistake you’ll ever make might just be falling for them... and NEVER ever wanting to let them go. As the assistant to the coach of the River City Renegades, my life is a whirlwind of schedules, crisis management, and saving the day when things go sideways. I love my job, but sometimes I wonder if there’s more for me out there...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers m-f competent heroine sassy heroine sweet-hero athletes hockey -
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Curveball by Kate Angell
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsThe bad boys of baseball, they are the top power hitters of the Richmond Rogues, and the team's best hope for a shot at the World Series. But when all three have to be benched for brawling, it's the beginning of a whole new ball game, and the opposing team could win something more than a trophy--these ladies are after their hearts... -
To Win Her Trust by Mackenzie Crowne
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCan she trust this player with her heart? Ever since experiencing a childhood trauma, reclusive artist CC Calhoun has suffered from panic attacks. But when a fateful kiss from handsome wide receiver, Kevin “Tuck” Tucker, is enough to stop one of those episodes cold, she wonders if guarding her heart has been the right choice... -
The Effects of Falling by Mariah Dietz
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI have loved my best friend for eleven years. Eleven years of celebrations. Eleven years of victories and losses. Eleven years of inside jokes and shared smiles. Eleven years of helping him raise his daughter as a single father. He smiles at me and my world brightens. He ignores me and I forget how to function. He holds my hand and takes more of my heart... -
The Art of Falling in Love with Your Fake Fiancé by Anne Kemp
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAll’s fair in love and war…until you agree to be your best friend’s fake fiancé.Levi: Life as an NFL player has always been fast-paced, but nothing prepared me for becoming the guardian of my godson, Duncan. With his grandmother contesting custody, I need to prove that I’m a steadfast influence who’s not going anywhere and there’s one sure-fire way to show that: get engaged... -
Tiller by Shey Stahl
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThey call him Wild Cat. I knew him before he was the sinfully gorgeous FMX rider with infinite hate in his blood. I knew him back when he was a shy little boy hoping a girl would love him back. That guy, he’s nowhere to be found inside the devil known as Tiller Sawyer. Truth is, I didn't know who he really was.. -
The Best Friend Problem by Mariah Ankenman
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsPrudence Carlson has been lucky in life. A fulfilling wedding-planning business run with her girlfriends in Colorado, plus the best guy friend ever in her firefighter bestie Finn. All that’s missing from it is a baby. Luckily, it’s the twenty-first century—Pru can take matters into her own hands. She doesn’t need to find true love to create the future love of her life... -
Jock by C.M. Foss
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCLICHESShe can't stand them.Hates them.Refuses to be one.But...Tessa Brooks is strong-willed, sassy, and determined, on the brink of dominating in the testosterone-fueled sport of horse racing. She’s spent her life avoiding the norm, staying true to herself to achieve her ultimate goals.Her relationship with Jace Hitchen, her brother's best friend, just might be the biggest cliche of all... -
No More Mr. Chai Guy (The Coffee Loft: Fall Collection) by J.P. Sterling
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWelcome back to The Coffee Loft, where a new round of stories has been brewed especially for you.Those of you stopping by to visit again, we’ve missed you. The feeling of home is the same that you loved before. If it’s your first time, prepare to be swept off your feet.While our menu hasn’t changed, we think you’ll be pleased with the fall favorites we’ve added... -
The Story of Us by Brittney Sahin
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsA football fanatic sports columnist. A sexy Italian soccer player. When in Rome . . . Maggie Lane, a sports columnist and diehard football fan, is not exactly enthused when her editor-in-chief sends her to Rome, Italy, to write a feature story on Italian soccer star Marco Valenti... -
Layla Meets Her Match by Ranee S. Clark
LaylaI’m not interested in falling in love.I used to dream of a glamorous life, falling in love, being a star...Categorized as:
sports football m-f friends to lovers slow burn independent heroine sweet-hero athletes -
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Three and Out by Meghan Quinn
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsPiper was dead to him. The minute she walked out the door on Mason, he was done. D.O.N.E. Now, three months later, he’s still trying to act like he doesn’t care. Like his heart hasn’t been torn into shreds and obliterated beyond recognition. But it’s not working. He’s broken and beyond repair. Then Piper goes missing... -
Flat-Out Celeste by Jessica Park
Rated: 4.02 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsFor high-school senior Celeste Watkins, every day is a brutal test of bravery. And Celeste is scared. Alienated because she’s too smart, her speech too affected, her social skills too far outside the norm, she seems to have no choice but to retreat into isolation. But college could set her free, right? If she can make it through this grueling senior year, then maybe...Categorized as:
slow burn friends to lovers sweet-hero m-f contemporary college length-medium audiobook -
Curveball by Kate Angell
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsThe bad boys of baseball, they are the top power hitters of the Richmond Rogues, and the team's best hope for a shot at the World Series. But when all three have to be benched for brawling, it's the beginning of a whole new ball game, and the opposing team could win something more than a trophy--these ladies are after their hearts... -
Reconciled for Easter by Noelle Adams
Abigail has been separated from her husband for almost two years. After a marriage that brought her only insecurity, she seeks a life now of peace and independence with their six-year-old daughter. Thomas wants to put their marriage back together, because he liked the wife he used to have, but she never wants to be that person again... -
End Game by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsComing April 15!When the worst-case scenario becomes reality, all the Lucky Charms in the world can’t solve our problems. Just when Luke started to open up, he closes himself off again.When we first met, he assured me he was no Prince Charming. I’m starting to believe him.And then tragedy strikes.This can go one of two ways... -
Didn't Expect You by Claudia Y. Burgoa
USA Today Bestselling author Claudia Burgoa brings you a fresh romantic comedy filled with an unexpected surprise, a wicked billionaire, and plenty of laughs. The right life is the one you never see coming.I had it all. The luxury apartment, hot dates, and the big office to go with long nights at work. Life was perfect...
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