Books like 'The Defende'
Readers who enjoyed The Defende by Gina Azzi also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary sports new adult christian single-father hockey
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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... -
![A Little Tempting by Kelsie Rae]()
A Little Tempting by Kelsie Rae
My friend's little sister moved in next door. Dylan Thorne. The one and only. She's cute, in a nerdy wallflower kind of way. She's also off-limits. Or at least that's what my other friend says. Everett's been friends with Dylan's older brother for as long as she's lived. Call it a hunch, but I think he has a thing for Dylan, too, which is why he's warned me to keep my distance... -
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![Power Play by Toni Aleo]()
Power Play by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsPosey Adler is coming home. After a devastating journey for what she mistakenly thought was true love, she is saying to hell with men and love forever. As the Nashville Assassins’s new assistant coach for special teams, Posey is ready to focus on her job and have the attention on her for a change... -
![Pucks, Sticks, and Diapers by Toni Aleo]()
Pucks, Sticks, and Diapers by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsFirst came love, then came the NHL, then came Baylor and Jayden with a baby carriage... -
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![Matchmaker by Ivy Smoak]()
Matchmaker by Ivy Smoak
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsMatthew Caldwell is NYC's most eligible bachelor.Charming.Gorgeous.Wealthy.Great with kids.Broken.Sixteen years ago he lost everything. He made a vow to never love again. But suddenly everyone in his life is acting like a matchmaker. He can't help but wonder if a broken vow is better than a broken heart.There's just one problem. Only one woman in the city has caught his attention... -
![Bring It Home by Toni Aleo]()
Bring It Home by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsBoon Hoenes only has three goals in life. To make Posey Adler his wife, to win the Stanley Cup for the second year in a row, and for Shea Adler to like him.The first, he’s got on lock. The second, he’s well on his way. And the third… Well, two out of three ain’t bad... -
![End Game by Toni Aleo]()
End Game by Toni Aleo
This is going to be Ryan Justice’s year. It’s his last year of college and his last year as a hockey player for the Bellevue Bullies. He’s making all the plays in preparation for achieving his dream of being drafted into the NHL. This is Sofia Castilleja’s beginning. She is starting her college career as a star member of Bellevue’s brand-new gymnastics team... -
![Dirty Toe Drag by Toni Aleo]()
Dirty Toe Drag by Toni Aleo
Stella Brooks is a woman who knows what she wants. From her first glimpse of Paris Fashion Week at the tender age of eleven, she has only ever wanted to be a designer. Hardworking and dedicated, she knows she can make a success of it. Until…she is driven to trade fashion for frosting, a move that makes her soul sing but shakes her confidence in her decision-making to her core... -
![Changing Lines by Toni Aleo]()
Changing Lines by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsClaire and Jude Sinclair have been living the perfect life for the last ten years. Blissfully in love, professionally successful, happily married… They have everything they want—except a baby to make their family complete... -
![Dump and Chase by Toni Aleo]()
Dump and Chase by Toni Aleo
Shelli Adler has known what she wanted since she was eleven years old. Aiden Brooks. But Aiden has always had other ideas. After spending the early years of his life without his dad, hockey legend Lucas Brooks, Aiden is determined not to settle for anything less than true love. When he’s ready. Now he’s living the fast life of an NHL bachelor... -
![Delayed Call by Toni Aleo]()
Delayed Call by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsVaughn Johansson is the Nashville Assassins' star player. He's brash, cocky, and talented. And he isn't afraid to let anyone know it. He lives his life on his own terms, never forming romantic attachments, and only allowing his very closest to see his true, caring self. Brie Soledad has the weight of the world on her shoulders... -
![Spiked by Love by Toni Aleo]()
Spiked by Love by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsAllison Titov and Asher Brooks have been best friends their whole lives. Brought up together as part of the Assassins family, they might as well be related. But... Ally has never felt anything sisterly toward Asher.In love with Asher since she was a teen, Ally has gone pro at keeping her feelings a secret. It’s been easy.. -
![We Said Forever by Marie James, T E Black]()
We Said Forever by Marie James, T E Black
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsRock bottom. They say the only way to go from there is up, but what is “up” when you’re born into someone else’s rock bottom? At ten, football became my first love. It’s what got me out of the house away from my self-destructive family... -
![Drew by Lulu Moore]()
Drew by Lulu Moore
Let me ask you a question.Have you met your soulmate?I did, then promptly lost her. Because what happens in Vegas stays there, right?Wrong.I’d never been the relationship type, but I’ve spent every spare second of the past twelve months wondering what if. What if I hadn’t slept through my alarm? What if I hadn’t lost her number? What if I’d known her name?But I came up blank... -
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![The Chase is Over by Toni Aleo]()
The Chase is Over by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsYou are cordially invited to the wedding of Shelli Adler and Aiden Brooks…Shelli has been planning her wedding to Aiden in her scrapbook since she was old enough to wield a glue stick. And now that day has finally arrived... -
![ICED by Jacob Chance]()
ICED by Jacob Chance
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsOliver Ice, one of Boston University’s notorious hockey players, has been on my radar since I slammed into his rock-hard body during my first week of college, three years ago. He helped me to my feet, muttered an apology, and ran off after his girlfriend, dashing my hopes of a happily ever after. Now, he’s the bartender where I work, and this time, very much single... -
![Griz by E. Cleveland]()
Griz by E. Cleveland
This fake relationship romance has it all! Funny, awkward moments. The “will they or won’t they”? And so much tension and steam it'll make you sweat! One thousand dollars.I wasn’t supposed to bid at Westbury’s Bachelor Auction. In fact, I was hosting the event when I decided to lean into the microphone and yell out that ridiculous amount.I blame Bridezilla's stupid text (oops, I mean my sister)... -
![Puck the Holidays: A Vipers Sin Bin Novel by K.D. Miller]()
Puck the Holidays: A Vipers Sin Bin Novel by K.D. Miller
A holiday hockey romance that will make you laugh, swoon, clutch your pearls, and believe in holiday magic.Hattie McNamara, a southern girl born and bred, has never seen a hockey game in her life, but when the offer to become the Seattle Vipers’ new Assistant Director of Media and Marketing lands in her lap, she can’t possibly say no... -
![All the Sauce by Toni Aleo]()
All the Sauce by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsOwen Adler has spent his whole life being half of a matched set. But when his twin brother Evan leaves hockey—and him—behind on the Carolina IceCats, Owen finds he has to skate a new path on his own.Angie Paxton knows a lot about being on her own. She pushed Nashville, and the trauma she experienced there, to the back of her mind and started over in South Carolina... -
![32 Rowan Blvd by Kelsey Kingsley]()
32 Rowan Blvd by Kelsey Kingsley
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsGet married.Buy a house.Have a baby.That's every girl's dream, isn't it? Well, maybe not every girl, but for Christy Bush, it was.So, when her boyfriend realized he didn't want any of those things, the obvious answer was to set him free and find a man who did...Categorized as:
christian new adult single-father contemporary age play friends to lovers single-mother length-long -
![Someone You Love by Kristen Granata]()
Someone You Love by Kristen Granata
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsA touching forced proximity summer romance about healing and taking chances.Charly Johnson created a bucket list when cancer left her mother with less than a year to live. They didn’t make it all the way through the list before she died, but she made Charly promise to finish it and live her life to the fullest.Spending the summer in a coastal mountain city in Maine is next on her list...Categorized as:
sports new adult christian contemporary forced proximity grumpy sunshine football length-medium -
![Face-Off at the Altar by Toni Aleo]()
Face-Off at the Altar by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsMarkus Reeves is sucking. Big-time. Toiling away on a minor-league hockey team hundreds of miles away from home, he's watching his dreams of an NHL career fade away. Add in the lingering guilt he has over the dramatic demise of his relationship with college girlfriend, Mekena, and he's a mess on and off the ice. But the family of his heart, the Sinclairs, won't let Markus suffer any longer... -
![PUNCHED by Jacob Chance]()
PUNCHED by Jacob Chance
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsReagan is the one who got away - or should I say the one I drove away? Now, four years later, she’s back to manage the gym where I train. Seeing her everyday is a distraction I can’t afford. I’m so close to achieving the big payoff I’ve been working for. Nothing’s going to keep me from winning this belt - not even her.This is a second chance MMA romance standalone... -
![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... -
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![Red Rocket by Raine Miller, Brit DeMille]()
Red Rocket by Raine Miller, Brit DeMille
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 12 ratings"Public Relations" is about to take on a whole new meaning for a standout Russian enforcer with a bad reputation and the feisty redhead from the PR department who just might be the one person who can help him shine up his tarnished image in this grumpy/sunshine hockey love story. "They call me 'The Mad Russian' for a reason... -
![Hot Boy Summer: A Charity Anthology by Kat Savage, J.R. Rogue]()
Hot Boy Summer: A Charity Anthology by Kat Savage, J.R. Rogue
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsToes in the sand. Umbrella cocktails. Shirtless hot boys. One fleeting summer. Will your heart survive? It’s about to heat up in here…Hot Boy Summer: A Charity Anthology is a collection of brand new stories from 31 amazingly talented authors. Each brings to the table their own unique take on the connections we form when we live wildly under the guise of momentary fervor...Categorized as:
new adult christian sports contemporary friends to lovers anthologies age difference length-epic -
![Van by Kat Mizera]()
Van by Kat Mizera
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTemptation could destroy everything he’d spent his career building…Professional hockey player Jean-Michel Vander is living the dream…. And the Las Vegas strip is a long way from the small town in Quebec where he grew up. He works hard but he plays harder, especially in the off-season. The sexy redhead he spots doing a striptease in a Paris nightclub is all kinds of fun...Categorized as:
sports new adult hockey friends-benefits friends to lovers contemporary length-medium -
![Commander in Briefs: The Complete Collection by Kristy Marie]()
Commander in Briefs: The Complete Collection by Kristy Marie
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsWelcome to the McCallister Jameson Foundation, the home to the hottest men with the surliest attitudes. Sure, they’re broody, stubborn, and stupid hot, but deep down, all they need is a little patience and a sassy woman to change their ways. All books are standalone with crossover characters... -
![A Midwestern Cinderella: A Royal Love Story by Krista Lakes]()
A Midwestern Cinderella: A Royal Love Story by Krista Lakes
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 ratings“I don’t care if you’re not royalty. You’re my princess.”Zoey is hardly what you’d consider princess material. Born in flyover country, she never learned how to curtsy, let alone walk in high heels. And when she literally trips into the arms of a handsome stranger at her friend’s wedding, she thinks she’s finally found love.Freddie Prescott is a charming prankster... -
![The Bro-Code by Melissa Adams]()
The Bro-Code by Melissa Adams
I’ve always been the most popular girl on campus. President of the hottest sorority, dating one of the hottest hockey players, but this fall it seems like my luck has run out.When my sorority house is destroyed, I’m forced to move into the frat house with not only most of the sexy-as-hell hockey team.I know I’m in trouble...Categorized as:
sports hockey new adult friends to lovers contemporary length-medium explicit-plentiful -
![Breakaway by Kris Butler]()
Breakaway by Kris Butler
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThis is book three in the series and will be the last book.Blurb coming soon... -
![Slammed by Victoria Denault]()
Slammed by Victoria Denault
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsNot every goalie plays it safe... As a publicist for the San Francisco Thunder hockey team, Dixie Braddock is too busy rescuing the players from trouble to get into any of her own. Except, of course, when it comes to the super hot new goalie... -
![When I Fall in Love by Susan May Warren]()
When I Fall in Love by Susan May Warren
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsHawaii was the last place Grace Christiansen ever imagined she’d vacation, much less fall in love. But when her family surprises her with a cooking retreat in paradise, she is pulled—or maybe yanked—away from her predictable, safe life and thrown headfirst into the adventure of a lifetime. Max Sharpe may make his living on the ice as a pro hockey player, but he feels most at home in the kitchen... -
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![If It's Only Love by Lexi Ryan]()
If It's Only Love by Lexi Ryan
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsFrom New York Times bestseller Lexi Ryan comes a sexy new standalone romance in the bestselling Boys of Jackson Harbor series. Meet single dad Easton Connor as he leaves the NFL and returns to Jackson Harbor to fight for another chance with the love of his life. *** I don’t regret much. Not my decision to enter the NFL draft before finishing college...Categorized as:
sports new adult single-father contemporary friends to lovers siblings-bff length-medium -
![Jonah by Brenda Rothert]()
Jonah by Brenda Rothert
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsReynaI don’t do relationships. A federal agent whose life revolves around rescuing kidnapped children, I’ve got no interest in catching any man who’s not a criminal. So when my new assignment in Chicago requires me to get closer to a VIP Chicago Blaze fan, Blaze goalie Jonah West is the perfect cover. Like me, he’s too focused on his career to make time for love, dates or even hookups... -
![The Auction by Melissa Adams]()
The Auction by Melissa Adams
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThree hot hockey players to take me on dates. This is my sister’s recipe to help me rebound from a broken heart. The kicker? She bought those dates for me at an auction. There’s the left winger playboy prince, followed everywhere by gaggles of adoring puck bunnies. The scholarship goaltender who has as much ambition as he has muscles... -
![One Night with the Rebel (Looking to Score) by Kendall Ryan]()
One Night with the Rebel (Looking to Score) by Kendall Ryan
She barged into my life and turned everything upside down. We spent one scorching-hot night together, and then she disappeared into the sunset with the golden jock everyone adored. Which makes sense, right? A girl as beautiful and brilliant as Eden Wynn doesn’t end up with a rebel like me.I expected them to live happily ever after, except that's not what happened... -
![Taking His Shot by Kendall Ryan]()
Taking His Shot by Kendall Ryan
She says she doesn’t date players.She swears up and down that she’ll never handle my stick.We’ll see about that, sweetheart.When I win the pleasure of Harper’s company at a charity auction, I get exactly one date—one shot to win over the gorgeous and feisty brunette.Game on. I play hard, and I love a challenge.But just when I think I’ve finally carved out my shot . . -
![Flopper by Colleen Charles]()
Flopper by Colleen Charles
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Vegas Venom turn up the heat in this brand new standalone hockey romance series from USA Today Bestselling Author Colleen Charles!As one of the top goalies in hockey I live a sweet Vegas lifestyle: VIP treatment at all the hottest spots in town – ushered past every velvet rope – and all the puck bunnies I can handle... -
![Overtime by Kat Mizera]()
Overtime by Kat Mizera
Hotshot hockey star Patrick Graham has been groomed for the pros since before he could walk. Fast forward to his junior year of college, and he’s having the time of his life. What could be better than pucks, partying, and having his pick of campus women? But if Patrick doesn’t buckle down and get his grades up, he could find himself benched for the championships... -
![Single Dad Center by Latisha Sexton]()
Single Dad Center by Latisha Sexton
The Denver Dragon’s captain’s perfect life was ripped to shreds when his wife suddenly passed away two years ago, leaving him a single father to their toddler girl. Since then, Archer Sullivan has taken his grief and anger out on the puck. When he’s not shredding it on the ice, he’s playing princess and having tea parties with his four-year-old daughter, Indigo...Categorized as:
single-father sports christian hockey contemporary friends to lovers grumpy sunshine 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... -
![Free Agent by Catherine Gayle]()
Free Agent by Catherine Gayle
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsUSA Today bestselling author Catherine Gayle presents another novel in the emotional Portland Storm hockey romance series. Can you fall in love when you’ve never loved yourself? Universally misjudged, Blake Kozlow doesn’t let society get under his skin. After all, those misunderstandings have never affected his career... -
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![Catch of a Lifetime by Candee Fick]()
Catch of a Lifetime by Candee Fick
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFootball is his life, but she thinks athletes can get away with murder. After a tragedy involving a football player destroyed her family, graduate student athletic trainer Cassie Parker moves across the country looking for a fresh start, but a surprise change in financial aid lands her in the middle of her worst nightmare... -
![Sean by Sheridan Anne]()
Sean by Sheridan Anne
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSean -I’m a shell of the man I used to be.Three years ago, my world shattered.My wife died the day my daughter was born and she took my soul with her.I’ve never been able to get it back.Not until she came and saved me.Gigi -He came storming into my ER screaming for help.I never thought that moment would define the rest of my life.He’s broken and tortured, but not for long...Categorized as:
sports new adult hockey single-father contemporary friends to lovers dual-pov super rich hero -
![One Timer on Top by London Casey]()
One Timer on Top by London Casey
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDON’T SLEEP WITH YOUR BEST FRIEND’S EX. Okay. I get that. I respect that. But what about sleeping with your biggest rival’s ex? And… what about marrying her…?* * *I caught my boyfriend enjoying some “oral service” from another woman. Dumping him is easy. Getting rid of him his almost impossible since I work in PR and he’s one of my clients. (Yeah, I know, don’t mix business with pleasure... -
![Hook 'em Hard by Cathryn Fox, Bang Brothers]()
Hook 'em Hard by Cathryn Fox, Bang Brothers
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMaeve Carter, the Boston Bucks’ team physiotherapist, is the definition of beautiful. As a former model, her stunning looks have defined her—just ask the paparazzi or the stalker who made her life miserable. But I see more. Want more. And she can never know that.You see, she’s my oldest teammate's daughter, and I can’t touch that with a ten-foot hockey stick... -
![Playmaker by Avery Keelan]()
Playmaker by Avery Keelan
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsNHL superstar Gabriel Carter has everything: a thriving professional hockey career, an MVP trophy from last season, and a carefree bachelor lifestyle. He also has an infant daughter-one he didn't know existed. Summer Crawford isn't a fan of the cocky playmaker/heartbreaker she remembers from years ago. And working as his daughter's nanny? Not a chance... -
![Faceoff by Rebecca Connolly, Heather B. Moore]()
Faceoff by Rebecca Connolly, Heather B. Moore
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsShe isn’t supposed to want him. He isn’t supposed to want her. But wanting each other is inevitable. Clint McCarthy has finally achieved his dream of playing for a professional hockey program, and is eager to make his mark with his new team...
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