Books like 'The Player and the Bookworm'
Readers who enjoyed The Player and the Bookworm by Erin McCarthy also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary funny sports pregnancy grumpy sunshine athletes cold hero possessive hero friends-benefits dual-pov
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Made For You by Natasha Madison
From Wall Street Journal and USA TODAY bestselling author Natasha Madison comesA brand new stand-alone enemies-to-lovers grumpy/sunshine sports romance.A spin-off from the Only One seriesVivienneI did the last thing I ever expected to do. I bought a boat. A beautiful boat that was all mine to spend the summer on.Only thing I was looking forward to was the calm being on the water brought me...Categorized as:
sports athletes dual-pov grumpy sunshine cold hero contemporary forced proximity from hate to love -
![One Day Fiance by Lauren Landish]()
One Day Fiance by Lauren Landish
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsI’m Poppy Woodstock.Romance author and wholehearted believer in Happily Ever Afters.A terminal case of writer’s block should be my biggest worry. Then I crash into him—literally—and fall into the most gorgeous pair of blue eyes I’ve ever seen. Connor Bradley.Thief, rebel… and my new neighbor.One slip with the bad boy next door, and my life becomes stranger than any fiction I could ever write... -
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![Killing Booth by Lani Lynn Vale]()
Killing Booth by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsEvery single thing you want is going to require you to be uncomfortable. Those words had been shared with her by the one man she didn’t think she could take a chance on. She just didn’t know that he was right, or that he was going to be the one making her uncomfortable. Nash Wilder Christopherson was the world’s golden boy. For fifteen years, she watched Nash race from the safety of her phone...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine pregnancy sports dual-pov humor friends to lovers suspense contemporary -
![Wishing on a Star by Mandy Baggot]()
Wishing on a Star by Mandy Baggot
A single mum. A superstar athlete. A Christmas like no other.Anna Heath is divorced, a single mum and trying desperately to keep her life in order. Despite her friends' best efforts, Anna has stopped looking for love and is determined to give her daughter, Ruthie, a Christmas to remember.Sam Jackman has just been dealt with life-altering news, and all he could think to do was run... -
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![The Legend by Shey Stahl]()
The Legend by Shey Stahl
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsIn a lifestyle of speed, adrenaline and desire, one racer has sacrificed everything for the sport he loved. In turn, he will fight for his name, his family and now his life to be the legend he’s been portrayed to be. You can be everything you set out to be if you want it bad enough. You can be that record breaker you said you’d be. You can be that hero you always thought you would be... -
![Black Flag by Shey Stahl]()
Black Flag by Shey Stahl
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsWhen the taste you thought you never needed becomes a thirst you cannot quench, then what? Jameson Riley, a NASCAR rookie driver, and Sway Reins, his pregnant girlfriend, are put to the test. They have love; they have lust, and a bond that proves to be vital. But do they have what it takes to make it through his lifestyle. When tested, it’s either fight, or give in... -
![Just One Look by Rosalind James]()
Just One Look by Rosalind James
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLuka Darkovic has some tackling skills. He hadn’t planned on using them to bring down a runaway dog the size of a Shetland pony, though, especially not when his neck is already buggered. At 33, a rugby forward protects his vertebrae.. He’s even less happy when the dog’s incompetent owner turns up in his hospital cubicle the next day with a plan to fix those vertebrae... -
![The Champion by Shey Stahl]()
The Champion by Shey Stahl
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsA powerful love story of tragedy, love, and commitment. The fourth book in the Racing on the Edge series submerges you in the lifestyle of a champion of a sport that dominates America. Through smoke and methanol, you learn the good, the bad, and the secrets no one wants you to know... -
![Happy Halloween from the Montgomerys by Kristen Proby]()
Happy Halloween from the Montgomerys by Kristen Proby
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsCaleb is spending his first Halloween as a... -
![Dangerous Fling by Crystal Kaswell]()
Dangerous Fling by Crystal Kaswell
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsHe's her rock star crush, her go-to fantasy, and he's offering to make all her dreams come true... Rock star Malcolm Strong is used to being in control. Of the band. Of his feelings. Of the woman he has tied to his bed. He never gets close enough to get hurt. He never wants to. Until Lacey. The sassy brunette is working on the band's latest music video... -
![Houston, We Have a Problem by Dana LeCheminant]()
Houston, We Have a Problem by Dana LeCheminant
Houston Briggs is at a crossroads, facing the possible end of his career after a devastating injury. With an uncertain future ahead of him and his siblings finding their own happy endings, he’s desperately seeking peace and purpose.Enter Darcy Paxton, his refreshing new neighbor who is nothing like the women of his past relationships...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine sports dual-pov mystery from hate to love contemporary humor length-medium -
![Are We There Yet? by Savannah Scott]()
Are We There Yet? by Savannah Scott
A vintage VW van. Four friends. A cross-country road trip.It will be the best adventure of my life, if only I can shake the feelings I have for Cameron .Cameron Reeves is as gorgeous as his name makes him sound.He’s about six feet tall, which is the height I always wrote in my ideal man list in my journal. Yes. I have a list of qualities I want in a man... -
![Beach Please by Melanie Summers]()
Beach Please by Melanie Summers
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsA hilarious and heartwarming story that’ll have you snort-laughing, swooning, and sighing with happiness… Lola Gordon's dreams of a thriving surf shop were shattered when her ex vanished with all the money in their business account, leaving her on the brink of losing everything... -
![The Shake Off by Lulu Moore]()
The Shake Off by Lulu Moore
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsMy name is Ace Watson, and I’m having an existential crisis.I finished last season as one of the league's best pitchers. Baseball’s smooth-talking boy wonder. The future of The New York Lions.I'm starting this season as the worst.And I don't want to sound dramatic, but the fault lies entirely with Payton Lopez...Categorized as:
sports dual-pov grumpy sunshine friends-benefits baseball contemporary found-family new adult -
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![Blades of Glory by Toni Aleo]()
Blades of Glory by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsOld vs. YoungExperience vs. AttitudeNo Teeth vs. Also No Teeth…It’s the game some of these players have been waiting a lifetime for. The veterans of the Nashville Assassins versus the new generation of players—their sons.As part of their prewedding festivities, Aiden Brooks and Shelli Adler have invited the retired Assassins to play a friendly game against the Stanley Cup-winning current team... -
![Rosie and the Beast Next Door by Kaylee Baldwin]()
Rosie and the Beast Next Door by Kaylee Baldwin
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIt is a truth universally acknowledged that a hockey player in possession of a bad reputation must be in want of a fake girlfriend.Rosie Forrester is in desperate need of cash after an embarrassing run-in with the law. Enter Dylan Savage, a disgraced hockey player who needs a place to hide out for a few months while he figures out how to get back on his team... -
![The Wild Card by Cassie-Ann L. Miller]()
The Wild Card by Cassie-Ann L. Miller
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt was supposed to be harmless. One fake date with a football player.Except Harry Westbrook is the exact opposite of harmless. My first mistake? Underestimating that boyish smile, those playful eyes, the charming words on those perfect lips. He claims to have a crush on me. But, as hot as he is, I'd bet he's scheduling booty calls like a dentist booking teeth cleanings... -
![Flirting With Forever by Claire Kingsley]()
Flirting With Forever by Claire Kingsley
He’ll break all her rulesNora Lakes is sophisticated, successful, and happily single. Career problems aside, her life is fine the way it is, thank you very much. Sure, her best friends are all moving into a new season of life—full of husbands and babies and white picket fences. But that’s not what Nora wants. Neither is the gruff, tattooed guy next door. Tattoo artist Dex St... -
![The Plan by Karla Sorensen]()
The Plan by Karla Sorensen
Have you ever fake dated your bodyguard? I don't recommend it. Especially if he's anything like Erik Wilder: former football player, world class know-it-all and unapologetic grump. To be clear, I didn't want a bodyguard (hence the fake dating idea). Most days, I can’t figure out why he wants the job either. We drive each other insane, probably because we’re as opposite as two people can be... -
![Man Candy by Vanessa Vale]()
Man Candy by Vanessa Vale
From USA Today best-selling author Vanessa Vale, a small-town billionaire romance with a hot-as-puck hockey hero and a wannabe romance writer.I’m looking for Mr. Right. Date after blind date, they’re all duds. None of them meet the requirements on my Man List.Until Dex James.My brain? It says he’s all kinds of wrong.He’s young. In town on vacation. A lazy billionaire.He’d only be a fling...Categorized as:
sports dual-pov grumpy sunshine contemporary humor super rich hero insta-love forced proximity -
![Breakaway (The Rule Book Collection) by A.M. Johnson]()
Breakaway (The Rule Book Collection) by A.M. Johnson
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAs Tampa Bay's star center, Mark Carmelo's life was hockey, and after a bitter and public break up, all he wanted to do was focus on the game. Until he saw her. The one that got away. The one he thought he'd never see again. For thirteen years, Stevie West drowned in her lackluster life. Recently divorced from her “roommate” with passionless benefits, she was ready to start over... -
![Real Fake Love by Pippa Grant]()
Real Fake Love by Pippa Grant
If people have polar opposites, Luca Rossi is mine.His butt is in the baseball hall of fame. Mine’s comfortably seated in the hall of lame.When he’s not snagging fly balls out in center field, he’s modeling in shampoo commercials. I once jammed my own finger while stirring cookie dough, and sometimes I forget shampoo is a thing.He’s a total cynic when it comes to love... -
![Power Play by C.J. Cartwright]()
Power Play by C.J. Cartwright
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhat if the one who got away… comes back? They say you never forget your first love. But does time truly heal all wounds?Levi Fawkes knows hockey, and not much else. As the captain of the Astoria Bay Thunder, his eyes are always locked on the goal... -
![Palisades Point by Jennifer Griffith]()
Palisades Point by Jennifer Griffith
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA dark and stormy night.A pillared marble mansion.A grumpy but gorgeous CEO. Un-photogenic photographer Beatrix Bay is out to snap pics of the historic mansions on the ocean-side cliffs. But, when her car overturns in the snow, she finds much more than a photo op... -
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![Meet Dare by D.E. Haggerty]()
Meet Dare by D.E. Haggerty
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAll it takes to change everything is an enraged woman and a dare…Love is not for me. Nope. I don’t deserve it, so I keep far, far away from relationships.Archer – a drifter who won’t stick around – is perfect for me. I can touch those sexy broad shoulders and stare into those smoldering hazel eyes to my heart’s content.Except, it turns out Archer isn’t Archer at all. He’s Cedar... -
![Sure Shot by Kat Mizera]()
Sure Shot by Kat Mizera
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWelcome to Fort Lauderdale... where the days are hot and the Knights are hotter!I gave up everything for hockey… even my chance at love. But relocating to Florida to be the starting goalie for the Lauderdale Knights is still the best decision I’d ever made. I have everything… except someone to share it with... -
![Love on Display by Dana LeCheminant]()
Love on Display by Dana LeCheminant
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsThey’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 friends-benefits from hate to love contemporary multicultural humor length-medium -
![Two to Tango by Fiona Davenport]()
Two to Tango by Fiona Davenport
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThere was no way Lisa Morisette was going to fall for her celebrity dance partner. No matter how sexy the professional wide receiver was. Or how hard he pursued her.Hale Bucannon wasn’t used to giving up on what he wanted. And he wasn’t about to start when the stakes were the highest they’d ever been. Winning the beautiful ballerina’s heart was the best prize of all...Categorized as:
sports pregnancy possessive hero athletes contemporary new adult alpha male virgin heroine -
![No Strings by Nikki Ash]()
No Strings by Nikki Ash
From USA Today Bestselling Author Nikki Ash comes a brand new, contemporary, stand-alone romance about a single dad who thinks he has everything figured out... until he meets her.SavannahA sexy, single dad and his teenage son weren’t a part of my white picket fence fairy tale, but if life has taught me anything, it’s that things don’t always work out according to plan... -
![Finding Dandelion by Lex Martin]()
Finding Dandelion by Lex Martin
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsWhen soccer all-star Jax Avery collides with Dani Hart on his twenty-first birthday, their connection is instantaneous and explosive. For the first time in years, Jax isn’t interested in his usual hit-it and quit-it approach. But Dani knows better. Allowing herself a night to be carefree and feel the intensity of their attraction won’t change anything when it comes to dealing with a player... -
![Three Weddings and a Baby by Crystal Monroe]()
Three Weddings and a Baby by Crystal Monroe
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsThree weddings as my boss’s fake date.One baby I didn’t count on.Trent “Diablo” Dillon.He’s my devilishly hot boss, and he’s gonna make my money problems disappear.The catch?Pretend to be his girlfriend at three weddings this summer.He needs to get his pushy family off his back.I need a windfall.Besides, I’m used to dealing with Trent’s demands at work... -
![Off Track: A surprise baby, football romance by Chelle Sloan]()
Off Track: A surprise baby, football romance by Chelle Sloan
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFirst comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby carriage. I have wished for that saying to come true every day of my life. But that’s not my reality.Here is my version: First comes the blind date with an incredibly sexy football coach. Then comes the friends with benefits that you know is so wrong but you don’t care because it feels so right. Then comes the unexpected baby carriage... -
![The Friend Face Off by Grace Worthington]()
The Friend Face Off by Grace Worthington
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsGetting involved with your brother’s best friend is risky enough. But when he's a hockey player? It's a whole new level of bad idea.As a ravenous reader, I’ve got a I’m obsessed with hockey romances.But let me tell you, real life hockey players are nothing like my book boyfriends.So I threw down the gauntlet on BookTok. I challenged any single guy out there to prove me wrong... -
![Sexy Motherpucker by Lili Valente]()
Sexy Motherpucker by Lili Valente
When the family dog trots in with my diaphragm in its mouth—in front of my date, his parents, and his adorable little girl—you would think I’d hit rock bottom. WRONG. Let’s back this up a sec… Brendan Daniels is the sexiest man alive... -
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![Just Say (Hell) No by Rosalind James]()
Just Say (Hell) No by Rosalind James
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsNeed an Escape to New Zealand?Valentine's Day. Even a hard man needs a soft side. Marko Sendoa isn’t a beach man. He’s not an Auckland man. He’s a hard man. Born Basque tough, raised in the heart of New Zealand’s Southern Alps, and bred on hard work, discipline, and getting the job done... -
![Happy Hour by Shey Stahl]()
Happy Hour by Shey Stahl
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsBetween revving engines, smoking tires, and high speeds, two friends form a vital bond in the shadows of the blaring spotlight. Sway Reins, a track owner’s only daughter, and Jameson Riley, a gritty NASCAR rookie driver, have been best friends since they were kids. Over the years, Sway becomes his safety shield during his rapid rise to the elite levels of auto racing... -
![Grump Daddy's Baby by Josie Hart]()
Grump Daddy's Baby by Josie Hart
Mr. Tattooed, Dark, and Grumpy was supposed to be a one night stand.So how the hell did I end up becoming the nanny…Dressed to kill in all black,Dropping bills like he owns the place.I'm glad I didn't wear panties because they would be destroyed .A bit of fun was all I expected that night. End of story.Until I show up to the nanny interview, and it's him.We clash like oil and water during the day...Categorized as:
pregnancy dual-pov cold hero possessive hero athletes grumpy sunshine contemporary new adult -
![Tempt Me With Forever by Maria Luís]()
Tempt Me With Forever by Maria Luís
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsNever trust a bad boy. That's what Beauty Influencer Lizzie Danvers tells her YouTube subscribers after getting dumped on Instagram. Lizzie may have the devil's luck in choosing men, but she's determined to prove that the age-old "once a playboy, always a playboy" theory is bulletproof. All she needs is thirty days and one sexy commitment-phobe to do it.. -
![Grumpy Goalie by Delancey Stewart]()
Grumpy Goalie by Delancey Stewart
My life was in order until a bikini-clad trespasser decided to take a dip in my hot tub in the middle of a cold winter night. So I asked her to be my fake girlfriend.She’s house-sitting next door, got locked out, and decided the best way to stay warm was to sit in my hot tub...Categorized as:
sports dual-pov grumpy sunshine cold hero athletes hockey contemporary length-medium -
![Trivial Pursuits by Aven Ellis]()
Trivial Pursuits by Aven Ellis
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLandon Holder is exactly the kind of man Livy Adams should stay far away from. The flashy, flirty star defenseman for the Chicago Buffaloes is known for hooking up with women all over Chicago. Livy finds herself attracted to Landy, but his sexy good looks and charm are irrelevant... -
![Going All In by Ali Parker, Weston Parker]()
Going All In by Ali Parker, Weston Parker
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBeing the nice guy leaves me open to being a rebound romance.Which I’m not interested in. I’ve got better things to do.Like taking my spot on the NBA draft picks. It’s all that matters to me.Love has never been on the radar. I’m too focused for all that fluff.Then life slows me down. Way down.An injury at the end of the spring semester has me working my way back to full health all summer long... -
![Waking Up Filthy by R. Cayden]()
Waking Up Filthy by R. Cayden
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhy in the hell is there a naked, tattooed man in my bed?I’m a closeted tennis pro, and I’m certainly not accustomed to waking up with strange men.Never mind that Gabriel is a notoriously flirty rock star and, according to the marriage certificate we find in our Vegas hotel room, my new husband.Last night is a drunken blur, but there’s no doubt in my mind what needs to happen this morning...Categorized as:
sports grumpy sunshine athletes m-m contemporary lgbtqia hate humor friends to lovers -
![The Fastball by Emily Childs]()
The Fastball by Emily Childs
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsShe's the coach's aggravating daughter. He's the shy guy on first base. And they have no idea they're keeping the same secret. After a devastating accident that leaves his throwing hand in shambles, MLB first baseman, Dax Sage, finds out the woman handling the PR for his recovery is none other than the gorgeous, frigid daughter of his head coach... -
![Stout of My League by Sylvie Stewart]()
Stout of My League by Sylvie Stewart
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLynn Brooks is officially over it.With four overprotective brothers, the youngest Brooks sibling has had enough with bossy alphas. So, when professional baseball star Joey Martel makes a play for her, she's determined to steer clear of him and his toxic circle of jocks. Being the latest conquest for another overbearing caveman? No thanks...Categorized as:
sports grumpy sunshine athletes contemporary friends to lovers age difference humor length-medium -
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![Famous Last Words by Shann McPherson]()
Famous Last Words by Shann McPherson
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA laugh out loud haters-to-lovers, fake-dating hockey romance. Not so long ago, Robbie Mason had it all. Three Stanley Cup wins, two Hart trophies, and sponsorship deals worth millions. But then he went and broke his own teammate’s jaw, and the best defenseman in the history of the NHL hit rock bottom, hard... -
![Reckless Goals by Katie Rae]()
Reckless Goals by Katie Rae
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsRhysDespite being in my mid thirties and one of the world’s best soccer players, I had never reached my main goals in life—to be a husband and a father.But after being left heartbroken and alone on the night I planned to propose to my girlfriend, I realized how reckless that goal was. Love, in general, was reckless…...Categorized as:
sports dual-pov athletes age difference forced proximity contemporary humor new adult -
![Changing Lanes by Katie Graykowski]()
Changing Lanes by Katie Graykowski
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsProfessional Football Player, Devon Harding found his soul mate at the age of seventeen. Trouble is, he can’t remember her last name. For the last fourteen years, he’s been waiting for The Universe to send her back to him. When that day comes, he nearly falls all over himself to get to her. But he plays it cool and waits for her to come to him. And she walks right past him... -
![Dear Roomie by Kate Meader]()
Dear Roomie by Kate Meader
Reid Durand isn't here to make friends. Coming from a legacy of hockey greatness, he has games to win and things to prove. With his focus during his first season as a Chicago Rebel purely on his drive to succeed, every vice is off the table. No booze, no sugar, and definitely no women. Kennedy Clark is the master of the side hustle... -
![Cocky Quarterback: Eric Cocker by Faleena Hopkins]()
Cocky Quarterback: Eric Cocker by Faleena Hopkins
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThis series is 18+ERIC do you capture a girl's heart? Make her laugh. The waitress with the bird tattoo drawn up her middle finger got my attention by not caring if she has it. My team thinks it's hilarious she's not into me. Trouble is she likes musician types.... But hey, I'm a star quarterback and a Cocker which means I don't drop the ball...Categorized as:
sports athletes dual-pov contemporary new adult from hate to love humor length-medium -
![Van2 by Sawyer Bennett]()
Van2 by Sawyer Bennett
Van Turner found fame as part of the Carolina Cold Fury, helping the team bring home a championship. He also found love and married his teammate’s little sister, eventually retiring from the game to enjoy a quiet life in the verdant hills of Vermont. Now, Van’s dark past threatens to unravel his future. I never once regretted my decision to walk away from hockey...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine dual-pov sports cold hero possessive hero athletes contemporary explicit-open-door
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