Books like 'Hands Down'
Readers who enjoyed Hands Down by Mariana Zapata also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary funny sports athletes friends to lovers himbo second chances slow burn age difference sassy heroine
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One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune
A radiant escape to the lake from #1 New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After and This Summer Will Be DifferentAs featured in People ∙ Good Morning America ∙ Cosmopolitan ∙ TODAY ∙ E! News ∙ Buzzfeed ∙ Us Weekly ∙ The New York Post ∙ SheReads ∙ and more!I never anticipated Charlie Florek.Good things happen at the lake. That’s what Alice’s grandmother says, and it’s true... -
![Full House by Emilia Finn]()
Full House by Emilia Finn
Rated: 4.79 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsMiles “Iowa” Walker is a fighter on a mission.He’s determined to win this year’s Stacked Deck tournament. He plans to get his six-year-old daughter out of a bad situation. And if there’s any time and money leftover, he’d love to take her out for ice cream without worrying about the cost or deadly consequences.Miles and his daughter have known only what it’s like to struggle...Categorized as:
sports m-f found-family sweet heroine cheerful heroine strong heroine athletes new adult -
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![Dynamite by Emilia Finn]()
Dynamite by Emilia Finn
Rated: 4.74 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsThey call us the devil twins - a fallacy and unfair assumption on everyone’s part.Well... mostly.My name is Luke Hart, and I’m the oldest of identical twin boys. Although I may be responsible for the ‘devil’ in our name, I have no urge to set the record straight and exonerate the innocent half of our pairing.There’s no point letting the truth get in the way of a good story.Right?Not so...Categorized as:
sports m-f found-family competent heroine independent heroine new adult humor length-medium -
![That Swoony Feeling by Meghan Quinn]()
That Swoony Feeling by Meghan Quinn
USA Today bestselling author Meghan Quinn brings more humor and heart with the fourth novel of her Getting Lucky series: a story about breaking curses and finally finding that swoony feeling. I'm single . . . so single it's painful. Yup, ladies, Brig Knightly--that's me--is still a lonely bachelor, stumbling through the streets of Port Snow, looking for the girl he's supposed to end up with... -
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![Ready or Not by Cara Bastone]()
Ready or Not by Cara Bastone
A surprise pregnancy leads to even more life-changing revelations in this heartfelt, slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romance of found family and unexpected love.Eve Hatch is pretty content with her life. Her apartment in Brooklyn is cozy and close to her childhood best friend Willa, but far from her midwestern, traditional family who never really understood her...Categorized as:
friends to lovers sunny hero slow burn m-f sweet-hero height-difference sassy heroine siblings-bff -
![Absolutely Not in Love by Jenny Proctor]()
Absolutely Not in Love by Jenny Proctor
My requirements for a man are simple. Must love books. Must NOT love hockey. Which is why I will never be interested in my neighbor, the aloof and mysterious Felix Jamison, no matter how many books I see him hauling into his apartment. Unless he loses his pro hockey skates, I’m out. But then he shows up at my symphony concert. And I catch the sweet strains of Dvorak floating across the hall... -
![Dirty Little Midlife Drama by Lilian Monroe]()
Dirty Little Midlife Drama by Lilian Monroe
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsGeorgia wants a fresh start, and that doesn't include the handsome cowboy from her past.But Sebastian is in town now, and he has no intention of leaving until he gets what he wants...My high school sweetheart kissed me so naturally, I slapped him.Listen, I’m forty-three years old. I’m divorced. I’m in a new town. I don’t need ghosts from the past haunting me anymore...Categorized as:
second chances super rich hero cowboys m-f contemporary humor length-medium audiobook -
![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... -
![Hold Me Forever by Layla Hagen]()
Hold Me Forever by Layla Hagen
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsTyler Maxwell's story will be released on January 18th.As the leagues’ top goalie for the Chicago Blades, I stay disciplined and follow three principles:1. Keep a pristine image.2. Play smart and hard on the ice.3. Stay out of relationships... -
![Call Me Maybe by Cara Bastone]()
Call Me Maybe by Cara Bastone
Paint your toes. Pick up the wrong coffee and bagel order. Drive from Brooklyn to Jersey in traffic so slow you want to tear your hair out. It's amazing all the useless things I can accomplish while on hold for three hours with customer service. Three hours when I should be getting the Date-in-a-Box website ready to launch at the big business expo in a few days... -
![Spoke Too Soon by Dulcie Dameron]()
Spoke Too Soon by Dulcie Dameron
It’s every girl’s dream to move in with the hot guy who ghosted her...NOT.I’m about to be homeless at almost twenty-five.Cue the pathetic wah, wah, wah sound effect.And to make matters worse, I’m nowhere near having enough money to fund the clothing line startup I’ve dreamt about for years.But bemoaning my current situation won’t move the needle and it certainly won’t find me a place to live...Categorized as:
found-family m-f second chances sassy heroine independent heroine sweet-hero himbo contemporary -
![Scarlett and the Big Bad Billionaire by Tru Taylor]()
Scarlett and the Big Bad Billionaire by Tru Taylor
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsIn my expert opinion, every woman who’s been left at the altar should follow up that singularly humiliating experience by spending a week in paradise with a totally inappropriate—and totally sexy—stranger.Even better if you meet him at the bar of the resort hotel where your destination wedding and honeymoon were supposed to take place...Categorized as:
super rich hero second chances friends to lovers m-f contemporary military humor new adult -
![Mr. Park Lane by Louise Bay]()
Mr. Park Lane by Louise Bay
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsI haven’t seen him in over a decade, but Joshua Luca can still get to me. And I hate it.At twenty-nine, I’m a doctor and I’ve travelled the world, but just the thought of him has me sliding my sweaty palms down my jeans and wishing I could steady my racing heartbeat.Joshua was an almost obsession until, at seventeen, he cost me my future. In one night, I grew up and let go of my silly crush... -
![Saving the Game by Susan Renee]()
Saving the Game by Susan Renee
Has this ever happened to you?You’re minding your own business after the game, buying drinks at the bar for your teammates when you overhear a woman talking on the phone. You don’t know her, but she’s telling her mother she’s in a serious relationship with you. You decide to play along and ask her when you get to meet the parents...Categorized as:
sports m-f found-family cheerful heroine sweet heroine independent heroine sunny hero sweet-hero -
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![Mine To Love by Natasha Madison]()
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 m-f contemporary humor pregnancy explicit-open-door -
![Flirting with Trouble: Wells Silver by Melissa Foster]()
Flirting with Trouble: Wells Silver by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsForgetting playboy Wells Silver was supposed to be easy. If only he didn’t make it impossible. Secrets are made on the sandy shores and in the sweet small towns of Silver Island, where friendships run deep, passions run hot, and the sexy Silvers are considered island royalty... -
![The Christmas List by Maren Moore]()
The Christmas List by Maren Moore
From bestselling author of The Mistletoe Bet, Maren Moore comes a second chance, single dad, holiday novella full of Christmas sugar and spice. I love Christmas. So much so that in my smalltown I’m known as The Queen of Christmas. And no one knows holiday festivities quite like Strawberry Hollow. Only this Christmas season delivers an unexpected twist in the form of Wyatt Owens... -
![Tight Hold by Lisa Suzanne]()
Tight Hold by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe pro football player I’m faking a relationship with has the perfect solution to my career woes. He’s encouraging me to lean into the pseudo-celebrity life I was born into instead of trying to outrun it, and for the first time in my life, someone sees me for me.I feel like he’s falling for me, too.And then my ex shows up...Categorized as:
sports age difference friends to lovers m-f contemporary humor length-short audiobook -
![Power Play Pursuit by Marion De Ré]()
Power Play Pursuit by Marion De Ré
In the game of love, can she learn to trust again? After a disastrous relationship, my heart is closed to men—especially smoldering hot hockey players.Only problem? James Adler, star player of the New York Raptors, hasn’t received the memo. He flirts with me like it’s a full-time job, but I’m not about to fall for his charm—no matter how many abs he sports...Categorized as:
m-f slow burn found-family sports sassy heroine independent heroine sunny hero sweet-hero -
![Secret or Shutout by Leah Brunner]()
Secret or Shutout by Leah Brunner
A 6'5 NHL goalie walks into a bar and meets the love of his life...no, this isn't the start of a bad joke.I had a chance encounter in a dimly lit bar that led to an earth-shattering kiss with a beautiful stranger.But then the next morning my world is rocked again--when I walk inside my team captain's house and see her...Categorized as:
sports m-f siblings-bff age difference competent heroine independent heroine sweet-hero sunny hero -
![The Hot Mess and the Heartthrob by Pippa Grant]()
The Hot Mess and the Heartthrob by Pippa Grant
A rock star / single mom / fairy tale romcomYou don’t know me, but you do know me... -
![I Knew He Was Trouble by Amanda Schimmoeller]()
I Knew He Was Trouble by Amanda Schimmoeller
I’ve never needed help from anyone. I certainly don’t need it from the infuriating doctor next door.I loathe my uncivil neighbor and the loud music he blares before the sun has risen. Even the dogs I walk—for one of my four jobs—despise him.I’d be happy never seeing him again... -
![The Romcom Remake: A Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Opposites Attract, Soccer RomCom by Jen Atkinson]()
The Romcom Remake: A Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Opposites Attract, Soccer RomCom by Jen Atkinson
She’s plotting a romcom. He’s playing without a game plan.But sometimes the best love stories are the ones that don’t follow the script.Is it too much to ask for a romcom-level romance?Fran Fairchild doesn’t think so.After growing up in a loveless home, she is determined to script her own happily-ever-after.True love is out there. It’s real. And Fran won’t be leaving without it...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers m-f found-family cheerful heroine sweet-hero athletes soccer -
![First and Tension by Tara Sivec]()
First and Tension by Tara Sivec
It all started with a dare.Emily Flanagan has been living her dreams the last four years as a professional cheerleader for the Los Angeles Vipers, thousands of miles away from her tiny hometown of Summersweet Island, Virginia. She’s got the world at the tips of her pom-poms... until she tells her boss to shove those pom-poms where the sun doesn’t shine...Categorized as:
sports sweet heroine football m-f slow burn cheerful heroine competent heroine independent heroine -
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![The Fall of East by Nana Malone]()
The Fall of East by Nana Malone
Rated: 4.83 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTHE SIZZLING CONCLUSION TO THE HEAR NO EVIL TRILOGYNyla Kincade has stolen my ruthless heart.Now that she owns it I’m not taking it back.I’ve vowed to protect her and all that we love with everything that I have.I will die before I break that oath.Considering the danger we face, that might be a careless promise.But I’ve fought this hard for vengeance, I must see it through... -
![Charity Case: The Complete Series by Piper Rayne]()
Charity Case: The Complete Series by Piper Rayne
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThese three women are the toughest juries they’ll ever have to plead their case to.THIS BOX SET INCLUDES…Clean Slate (Charity Case #0.5)Moving two thousand miles away wasn’t my plan, but when family needs you, you come. Before I can head back to my hometown of Chicago though, I have two men to say good-bye to. Neither one of them will be happy to hear the news... -
![Fore-Ever Yours by Bella Greene]()
Fore-Ever Yours by Bella Greene
A viral photo, a fake relationship, and one big problem.MatthewAll I wanted was a quiet few days.Instead, I get coffee poured on me, a gossip scandal, and a fake girlfriend.My agent insists this PR stunt will boost my career.Fake dating her for a few months? Fine. No problem.Except it’s definitely a problem.The more we fake this, the more I forget it’s not real...Categorized as:
sports m-f slow burn competent heroine cheerful heroine sassy heroine sweet-hero athletes -
![Happy New You by Brenda St. John Brown, Cassie-Ann L. Miller]()
Happy New You by Brenda St. John Brown, Cassie-Ann L. Miller
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratings★10 Resolutions. 2 Friends. 1 Shot At Love. ★ I’ll admit, having nine New Year's resolutions makes me twitchy. After all, I’m Allison Gottlieb; overthinker, overachiever, hot mess extraordinaire. I’ve spent my entire life trying to be the best but for some reason, I’ve always fallen short... -
![Conveniently in Bloom by Elise Kennedy]()
Conveniently in Bloom by Elise Kennedy
Lily Parker hates commitment. Annual subscriptions? No thanks. Tattoos?? Not on your life. She's already planned to leave Fairwick Falls after being there for 11 months...until a rogue patch of ice lands her in mandated physical therapy. The problem? She really meant to get health insurance (really!) but...it slipped her mind... -
![Jock Blocked by Pippa Grant]()
Jock Blocked by Pippa Grant
She can't let him score… Call it superstition, but when a guy bats as hot as Brooks Elliott, you don't mess with what's working. And what's working is him keeping his pants zipped and doing all of his scoring on the field...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers cheerful heroine competent heroine sassy heroine athletes slow burn m-f -
![Catch a Wave by Savannah Scott]()
Catch a Wave by Savannah Scott
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsDid you ever see a guy and just know you had to meet him?That was me and Bodhi Merrick. I couldn't take my eyes off him as he donned his wetsuit at the famous big-wave surf spot, Mavericks. I'll never forget that day. Or every time our paths crossed after that. Big wave surfing is a small world. And, as it happens, Bodhi felt the same tug---this irresistible attraction that drew us to one another...Categorized as:
sports multicultural siblings-bff m-f humor forced proximity contemporary length-medium -
![The Crush by Karla Sorensen]()
The Crush by Karla Sorensen
You know that girl from your past that you can’t quite stop thinking about? The one that you pushed away because you had a goal that seemed so much bigger, so much more important than any crush you might have had?That’s Adaline Wilder for me.Nothing came before football. Not in college, and not in my five years in the pros... -
![That Time I Kissed My Beachfront Boss by Julie Christianson]()
That Time I Kissed My Beachfront Boss by Julie Christianson
My dream job just got snapped up by the one man who rejected me…That’s right. I’m an unemployed twenty-something stuck sleeping on my grandmother’s old futon while Hudson Blaine, the guy who shot me down, gets to manage The Beachfront Inn.Talk about life being unfair.I’m about to flee town with what’s left of my pride when Mr. Rejection begs me to stay... -
![Connell by Samantha Whiskey]()
Connell by Samantha Whiskey
I’m famous for two things—being one of the best defensemen in the NHL and my classic pranks. My teammates always said one of my jokes would bite me in my Scottish arse one day, and they were right. After a prank goes wrong, I’m sentenced to six weeks community service under none other than the sexy, rule-abiding, smart-mouthed city clerk of Sweet Water—Annabelle Clarke... -
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![Your One True Love by Layla Hagen]()
Your One True Love by Layla Hagen
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsShe’s the one who got away. This time, he refuses to let her slip through his fingers. *A sizzling second chance romance* Daniel Bennett has no regrets, except one: letting go of the woman he loved years ago. He wouldn’t admit it out loud, but he’s been pining for Caroline ever since. But his meddling family can read him like an open book...Categorized as:
second chances super rich hero found-family m-f humor contemporary length-medium audiobook -
![She Loves Me by Melissa Foster]()
She Loves Me by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 28 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 -
![Charming as Puck by Pippa Grant]()
Charming as Puck by Pippa Grant
The man could charm the panties off a nun... Nick Murphy. Hockey god. My best friend’s big brother. My friend-with-mindblowing-benefits. The best thing to happen to my nether regions since my subscription to the toy of the month club. The man I’ve been secretly in love with for years. And total ass. I am so done with him. Except there’s one small problem...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers athletes himbo competent heroine m-f second chances siblings-bff -
![His Forever Muse by C.R. Alam]()
His Forever Muse by C.R. Alam
A childhood friends to lovers second chance romance.What if you've known the love of your life since he was six years old and happens to be your little brother's best friend? But the man whom Callie runs into in the middle of the desert in Morocco isn't the little Brandon Rossi she once knew. He is a work of art.Brandon Rossi is the boy-next-door in a rock star package... -
![Tussle by Jacob Chance]()
Tussle by Jacob Chance
“Why haven’t we had sex?” When Jesse Gunn, one of the biggest stars of World Class Wrestling, voiced that million dollar question, yet again, I was stunned. After turning him down countless times, I thought eventually he'd give up. Unexpectedly thrown together for a work project, my mind went to places I’d never allowed...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers m-f sweet heroine competent heroine sweet-hero sunny hero slow burn -
![Never Fall for the Bride's Father by Julia Kent]()
Never Fall for the Bride's Father by Julia Kent
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsPower outages. Runaway brides. Collapsed wedding cakes. Tainted caviar. Handsy grooms. And the always jealous MILs who wear white.No wedding catastrophe can faze Katie Gallagher, because when you plan for the worst, you deliver the best.The best wedding ever.Her company, Wedding Protectors, Inc., promises happily ever afters. Guaranteed. Whatever it takes...Categorized as:
sassy heroine age difference m-f slow burn sweet-hero competent heroine from hate to love humor -
![Off Limits by Chelle Sloan]()
Off Limits by Chelle Sloan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsProfessional football has an actual rulebook, but it’s the unwritten rules that come with the harshest consequences.The biggest one of all: don’t date your teammate’s sister. And if you do, don’t you dare fall in love with her.I never meant to fall, but when it comes to Brenna Donald, I never stood a chance. She’s everything I’m not--a light-hearted wild child who shines brighter than the sun...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers athletes siblings-bff forbidden love contemporary humor length-medium -
![Writing Dirty by Alley Ciz]()
Writing Dirty by Alley Ciz
“I’ve always been her shelter in the storm.”Hockey players.MMA fighters. Rock stars. The boys in blue. Even sexy SEALs have all offered to slay my dragon—or in my case, my stalker. Why can’t they get it through their thick, stubborn heads that I can take care of myself? I’m no damsel!But.. -
![Tight Spot by Lisa Suzanne]()
Tight Spot by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsI don’t date football players.I’m not interested in the ones who are a decade older than me. I want nothing to do with the ones who play on the same team as my brothers, and I certainly avoid the ones who spend more time in strip clubs than kids’ clubs... -
![Summer Hate by Melissa Ivers]()
Summer Hate by Melissa Ivers
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsHe was the last person I wanted to see on my girls trip, let alone share a room with.Donovan Fitzroy is grumpy. Irritable. Annoyingly perfect. And as handsome as he is uptight. He’s also my best friend’s older brother.My bestie promised me a relaxing week at her family owned resort, but when I got there all I got was an apologetic phone call and a promise that her brother would take care of me...Categorized as:
second chances friends to lovers sassy heroine siblings-bff m-f humor forced proximity alpha male -
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![Playboy’s Reward by Gina Azzi]()
Playboy’s Reward by Gina Azzi
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 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... -
![Accidentally Falling For My Fake Wife: A Sweet, Marriage Of Convenience, Football RomCom by Abby Greyson]()
Accidentally Falling For My Fake Wife: A Sweet, Marriage Of Convenience, Football RomCom by Abby Greyson
This is a dual POV, kisses only, sports romance and the second standalone in the Accidentally In Sports Series.A hidden identity, a fake marriage, and one very real crush.AdamFinding out my visa expired days after being traded to a new professional football team?Worst two weeks of my life.Now my agent tells me my sole option, if I want to keep playing and not end up deported, is to get married...Categorized as:
football athletes sports m-f siblings-bff sweet heroine cheerful heroine sassy heroine -
![Love on Display by Dana LeCheminant]()
Love on Display by Dana LeCheminant
They’re sworn enemies. They also happen to be incredibly attracted to one another.After bonding at a half-marathon, rival gym owners Cam and Kailani discover the person they thought could be their soulmate turns out to be the reason their respective businesses are failing...Categorized as:
sports multicultural m-f found-family competent heroine independent heroine sweet-hero himbo -
![Cougar From Hell by Marika Ray]()
Cougar From Hell by Marika Ray
I have my fresh start in a new town, this time a widow with a preteen daughter who rolls her eyes enough to make them stay that way. Too bad my past mistake is also here to greet me.Daxon Hellman. Town a-hole. Hot young contractor hired to build my house in the woods.It’s only when I’m face-to-face with him for the first time that I realize he’s the mystery man from two years ago...Categorized as:
age difference m-f independent heroine competent heroine sunny hero humor contemporary cold heroine -
![Not As Planned by Harlow James]()
Not As Planned by Harlow James
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 13 ratings“So you’re single?” “Are you seriously hitting on me right now while I have breastmilk all over my shirt?”When Grant Thomas, the handsome stranger standing in front of me in line at the coffee shop, stripped his uniform shirt off and handed it to me, I could have sworn I was on an episode of Punked... -
![Dirty Flirt by Mira Lyn Kelly]()
Dirty Flirt by Mira Lyn Kelly
Bad ideas are kind of my superpower... I’m Ben Boerboom, the NHL’s favorite puck boy, and Lara's my slamming hot, former bestie. She's also the friend who got away and my dirty, dirty accomplice from those two insane weeks that weren't supposed to change anything... but did.I wanted it all. Would have wrapped my forever around her finger if she'd let me...
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