Books like 'Hard to Love'
Readers who enjoyed Hard to Love by K. Bromberg also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary from hate to love sports forced proximity heroine athlete
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Pucks, Sticks, and Diapers by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsFirst came love, then came the NHL, then came Baylor and Jayden with a baby carriage... -
Path To Resolution by TheFeveredBookaholic
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsWolfe Emerson is notorious for two things: being an absolute beast in a boxing ring and being a voluntary mute. His story remains unspoken and he prefers to live his life in silence. That is, until, his world is turned upside down when he meets someone who is louder than life... -
All Hail the Underdogs by E.L. Massey
When seventeen-year-old Patrick Roman is offered a scholarship to a top hockey preparatory school, he thinks maybe his notorious bad luck has finally ended. With a hearing for his legal emancipation on the horizon, he dreams of getting scouted and securing a place on a D1 college team. There’s only one Roman has serious beef with his new winger on the team, Damien Bordeaux... -
The Day I Stopped Falling for Jerks by Max Monroe
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsI’m Luciana Wright. Everyone calls me Lucky, but when it comes to love, I’m anything but. I have a long history of dating the wrong men. You know the ones I’m talking about. The beautiful, charming guys who are quite literally too good to be true. The ones who are impulsive in love and prefer short flings over long-term relationships. I’m talking about the jerks...Categorized as:
sports from hate to love forced proximity humor contemporary new adult siblings-bff length-medium -
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Strictly Pretend by Carrie Elks
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsA knight in shining armor? Hardly. More like my worst enemy wrapped in a swoon-worthy tux… When Brooks Salinger saves me from heartbreak at a wedding, I never expect to see him again—let alone find him back in my life, set to destroy my family’s bookstore.But when he offers me a wild deal—pretend to be his girlfriend at a ritzy wedding in exchange for saving the store—I reluctantly agree... -
Arrogant Playboy by Alex Wolf, Sloane Howell
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThere’s a hot new hire. Too bad she’s Donavan’s ex. Oh, and there’s one other problem—they hate each other. The last thing he expected to see when he walked into the office was Paisley Williams. She was the only person to graduate ahead of him at Columbia. The one woman who could give it back better than he could dish it out. She was also the biggest regret of his life... -
Blackbridge Security Box Set 1 by Marie James
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsBox Set contains Hostile Territory, Shot in the Dark, and Contingency Plan!Hostile TerritoryCan you call someone an enemy if you haven’t seen them for the better part of a decade?Deacon Black is perfectly content with the status quo—work, sleep, repeat.Who cares if he’s rigid, structured, and set in his ways?It’s a job requirement that keeps his men safe and his company’s doors open... -
Perfect Boy by Hannah Gray
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsAn entire campus knows my name. Women throw themselves at me, hoping I’ll take them home that night. Whispers from the NHL say I’m the one to watch. And the weight of each game is on my shoulders because if our opposing team scores … that’s on me. All the things that keep me up at night are probably someone else’s dreams... -
I Need You To Love Me by Genicious
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsTogether they are nothing more than madness,but they say there’s always some madness in loveSix years elapsed since he shattered her life. Four years since she’s brought him to his knees.Now, Ace is the youngest boxing champion in the world – a force to be reckoned with. He’s dangerous, heartless, and always gets his way.Calla moved to New York to chase her career... -
Sexiled by Mickey Miller
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsMorgan Kennedy:Campus Legend.Ruggedly handsome superstar athlete turned hedge fund manager.My one night stand mistake.And now my boss at my internship.Every staff meeting, I’m taken back to the night I was filled with a need I never knew was possible.Sparks fly between us in the office... -
Still Not Love by Nicole Snow
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsNot the heck again. I've had my alpha-jerkface fix.Now he's my sworn protector... I'm about to go nuclear. Yet I have to smile and pretend I won't slap him into the next century. James Nobel and I have history. Raging hearts. Dueling kisses. Firestorm nights. A man like him breaks laws with that suit and that smirk... -
The Beginning of Forever by Heidi McLaughlin
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsPeyton Westbury is determined to make her dreams of motherhood come true, even as she faces the physical and emotional toll of the IVF process. With hormonal ups and downs and the strain it places on her relationship with her husband Noah, Peyton must find the strength to persevere... -
Wedding at the Riverview Inn by Molly O'Keefe
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsAn emotional tale of a magical inn, a wedding gone terribly wrong and a woman searching for a second chance.Alice has hit rock bottom. Once a Michelin-starred chef, she is now drowning in debt, working the line at a chain restaurant and drinking too much. The last person she ever expected to come knocking with a job offer and a fresh start is her ex-husband, Gabe... -
Offensive Formations: Connecticut Kings Book 8 by Christina C. Jones
Rated: 4.71 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsPedestals are lonely places.Teagan Tolliver is learning the hard way that for every new trophy, every tournament win, comes more scrutiny, more pressure - far beyond what she can do on a court. As an elite, Black female athlete in a sport dominated by people she has little in common with beyond a match, she’s got the eyes of the world on her - for better or worse... -
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The Correspondent by Tess Thompson
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsShe can’t stand him. He loathes her. Fate has other plans.When a snowstorm strands these enemies in an abandoned cabin, will they begin to see each other in a whole new way?After fighting her way out of poverty, Stormi Collins is finally going places... -
A Christmas Auction: A Marriage Auction Novella by Audrey Carlan
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Audrey Carlan comes a new story in her Marriage Auction series…“’Tis the Season,” some people say, as if the month of December could somehow magically make the world a better place. Fat chance of that happening in Sin City.In my world, nothing is merry and bright. More like dark and dank... -
Rest In Pieces by Candice M. Wright
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIf you’d told me years ago that I’d become a stunt woman after a car accident turned my Olympic dreams of gold to rust,I’d have called you crazy.Yet here I am, throwing myself off a perfectly good building.I guess I’ve always been a little fearless, except when it comes to matters of the heart.I keep my relationships light and meaningless, which is why my exes tend to have big.. -
The Comeback Pact: Discreet Cover by E. M. Moore
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsHe’s everything she hates… So, why can’t she say no to him?Introducing Book 1 in the Warner University Bulldog series...KennaWest Brooks stands for everything I despise. He’s a meathead jock whose silence says it all: He only cares about himself and his football season.So, why can’t I say no when he offers me his help?I should run the other way... -
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... -
The Day the Jerk Started Falling by Max Monroe
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsMy name is Oliver Arsen, but my mates call me Ollie. I live hard and love harder, and it’s love that usually gets me in the most trouble. According to the greater population, I’m the ultimate jerk. My affection tends to be short-lived—a quality I’ve been assured multiple times by the fairer sex isn’t becoming—and the leaving part of loving and leaving has always come natural... -
Falling into Forever by Avery Maxwell
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsWhat’s a brokenhearted romance novelist to do when an interview accidentally turns her into the villain? I’ll tell you one thing—the plan definitely wasn’t to turn to the man who taught me that happily ever afters exist only on the page...Categorized as:
forced proximity from hate to love contemporary friends to lovers grumpy sunshine m-f -
Sparks Like Ours by Melissa Brayden
Gia Malone wants one thing and one thing only: to be the best surfer in the world. Her biggest obstacle is the annoyingly perky Elle Britton. Not only is Elle number one in the rankings, she’s also a fan favorite. But there’s a lot about Elle that Gia never noticed, like her surprising sense of humor and picture-perfect mouth. Elle Britton is tired...Categorized as:
sports forced proximity from hate to love heroine athlete contemporary f-f cheerful heroine queer -
Loser of the Year by Carrie Byrd
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsMattie Belman’s life has gone from dismal to desperate. After the loss of her acting career, her marriage, and her usual optimism, she’s back home teaching high school theater. Maybe it’ll be a fresh start.St. Rita’s arrogant soccer coach Jillian Reed sees Mattie’s musical as an outrageous distraction for her champion players. When Jillian declares war, Mattie is far too stubborn to back down...Categorized as:
from hate to love forced proximity sports queer contemporary f-f office cold heroine -
SEAL's Fake Girlfriend by Leslie North
Rated: 4.80 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsDanger and desire go hand in hand…When her little sister Robyn is kidnapped, Rhianne Carlson promises herself she’ll do anything to bring her home safely. Even if it means reluctantly teaming up with private security agent and former Navy SEAL Eric Cruz.Despite his smoldering good looks and undeniable talents, Rhianne has never trusted this sinfully sexy agent... -
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The Changeup by Nicole Falls
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFor the entirety of her life Geffri Robinson has known that being a girl who plays baseball was a novelty. At some point, however, the novelty wore off and she stepped away from playing the sport until a chance exhibition places her at the center of attention once again...Categorized as:
sports forced proximity heroine athlete african-american contemporary black-mc m-f baseball -
The Deeper I Fall by Erika Kelly
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHe's a rough and rugged hockey player. She's a posh British princess. To win an enormous inheritance, they’re forced to live together.This is not going to go well.When his former hockey coach passes away, Declan Cadell is shocked to learn the man left him a cattle ranch. Well, not exactly. He’s got one little hurdle to jump first... -
Tex by Zoe Dawson
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMichael “Tex” Penn comes under fire when a mission goes bad and the Navy pilot embedded with the team is killed in action. The pilot's wife, the daughter of an influential senator, wants answers the Navy has forbidden him to give. The OP was as black as night and Top Secret classified... -
Scoreless Nights by Katie Rae
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 ratings"I knew I wouldn’t be strong enough to resist her anymore."Our parents wanted us to spend quality time together, but I’m not sure this is what they meant….CruzAs the goalie of the Miami Inferno FC, it was my job to keep everyone scoreless.So how did I end up being the one that couldn’t score?The answer: Lily Harris. My step sister, and apparently my new roommate... -
Enemies in Paradise: A Sweet Romantic Comedy (Love in Paradise Valley) by Brittany Larsen
Paradise is supposed to be my escape from burnout and bad guys, but I’ve already burned bridges with the hottest guy in town.Bear Thomsen and I both want the same thing—his grandpa’s old auto shop. My dream is to rehab it into a bookstore. Bear’s is to tear it down to build a hockey rink... -
Men or Paws by Rich Amooi
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWatch a dog for three weeks, get fifteen thousand dollars. Piece of cake, right?Wrong.First, I have to stay in my client’s guesthouse while he’s in the main house working on an important project. That may not sound so bad, but HE is Hollywood’s Bad Boy, Rocco Romano, voted “Sexiest Man Alive.”The guy could charm the pants off a mannequin.Luckily he’s not my type.Seriously... -
Men or Paws by Rich Amooi
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWatch a dog for three weeks, get fifteen thousand dollars. Piece of cake, right?Wrong.First, I have to stay in my client’s guesthouse while he’s in the main house working on an important project. That may not sound so bad, but HE is Hollywood’s Bad Boy, Rocco Romano, voted “Sexiest Man Alive.”The guy could charm the pants off a mannequin.Luckily he’s not my type.Seriously... -
Wild Blades by V.H. Nicolson
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI’m ‘Wild’ Wade Collins, defenseman for The Eagles.Drafted at eighteen, I have my life mapped out, until it all comes crashing down around me.Which is how I find myself being managed by a specialist team, the threat of transfer looming over me if I don’t learn to behave. I can’t lose my spot on the team; I bleed Eagle colors, so I agree.I just didn’t know that I’d have to work with her.Kali Roth... -
Hit 'em Hard by Kat Mizera
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Phantoms are back with a vengeance… and the City of Angels will never be the same. JENSEN: Chasing my pro hockey dreams in the City of Angels has been a relentless battle. Each season feels like starting over, and being miles away from my family only adds to the struggle. I don’t know what I would do without my online gaming friends. Especially @Empress... -
Family First by RJ Scott, VL Locey
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAn injury threatens to end Stan's career. Will he choose to fight for his beloved hockey, or put his family first? Few goalies are as dedicated as Stan Lyamin, known for his resilience on the ice, talking to his pipes, and his love of Elvis. Add in his adoration of his family and his life has been filled with all the things that bring him joy... -
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Isabelle and the Beast by Marie Soleil
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIt was supposed to be a quick meeting.I’ve been trying to break into acting for years, and now I’m FINALLY up for a lead role in a romcom movie. It’s a huge step up from barista #3, especially considering who’s supposed to play my love interest—Adam Stone... -
Fumbled by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsAs a pro football player, I’m known for scoring both on and off the field. But all that changes when a tragic accident leaves me as a single dad to a little girl. With both our lives flipped upside down, I’m scrambling to balance my career while supporting the needs of a girl who just had her life torn apart... -
Love You From Afar by Morgan Paige
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsI always thought a person had to be a ghost to haunt you, but Everett Thompson is very much alive, and to make matters worse, he's my fiancé's brother.For years, I promised myself I would stay away from him. I tried putting as much distance between us as possible, yet here we are on a twelve hour road trip together... -
Once Upon a Grump by Penelope Bloom
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAll I wanted was a fresh start.Instead, I got him.Mr. Mysterious Millionaire in His Tower.Mr. Don't Dare Question Me.Mr. Grumpy With a Side of Fine.Well, he’s about to get introduced to his newest employee,Ms. Doesn’t Give A Flying Toot.All right, all right. I’m exaggerating a bit. I give one or two toots, but I just got finished fleeing the ruins of my former life... -
The Trip by Robin Alexander
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWho wants to take a road trip with two old, bickering women and a complete stranger? Not Jill Savoy. She finds herself behind the wheel of her father’s sacred Winnebago anyway, responsible for her grandmother and adopted aunt, both of whom are mischievous teenagers in old bodies, and then there’s Shay. The last thing on Shay Macaluso’s mind was a vacation... -
The Way Back To me by Anne Mercier
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsShe was perky, fun, and full of life—everything I hated about girls and their bullshit exterior. People called her bubbly; I called her “fake-as-hell.” The edgy, dark, lonely girl in front of me was not the Olivia Brennan I knew from high school—far from it, actually. I knew the story—the whole town knew the story, we witnessed it all... -
The Trouble With Gravity (Gravity Series) by K.K. Allen
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsKai's life is a series of choreographed steps, each one shielding her from the tragic memories of her past. Audition, dance, paycheck, repeat. It's a broken record, but it's what keeps her world spinning... -
Worth Every Game by Rae Ryder
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsHe's only looking for fun, but she's playing to win.Elly CarterI’ve never been interested in Jack Lansen. Sure, we’ve flirted over the years, and I can’t deny he’s gorgeous, but he’s my best friend’s older brother, and a reputed womanizer.I’d never go near him.On top of that, I’m a musician, and he’s a businessman.We have nothing in common...Categorized as:
forced proximity from hate to love super rich hero contemporary new adult siblings-bff -
The Trouble with Gravity by K.K. Allen
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsKai’s life is a series of choreographed steps, each one shielding her from her tragic past. Audition, dance, get paid, repeat. It’s a broken record, but it’s what keeps her world spinning.When a dangerously handsome man with trouble written all over his face rides into her life, his entrance makes a disastrous splash... -
Turn of the Tides by Jessica Prince
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsWhen Beau Wade left his small hometown of Whitecap, Oregon, he swore to himself he’d never go back. But when his NFL career goes up in smoke, that’s exactly what he finds himself doing. Not much has changed in the ten years he’s been gone... -
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Romancing the Quarterback (Galentine's Getaway) by Eve London
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA curvy gal plus quarterback steamy instalove short.MinaAll I want to do is spend some time with my girlfriends on our valentines getaway, not go toe-to-toe with the burly, cover model worthy guy who's staying in the room next door. And when I find out he's a pro football player, that lands him firmly in the swipe left category... -
Fate by Abby Brooks
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsHe shouldn’t have kissed me. But I shouldn’t have liked it.Garrett Cooper is grumpy. Bossy. Rude. We’re supposed to work together to save my family’s hotel, but sparks fly every time we’re in the same room. And not the good kind.Things get off to a rough start between us, and that’s on me…partially... -
Twice Knightley in my Bed: A friends-to-lovers romance by Serenity Woods
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsIt’s been zero days since I realized I’m in love with Leander Knight.Lee, or Knightley as everyone calls him, is my brother’s best mate, and he’s always treated me like his kid sister. Okay, so he might not put cockroaches in my lunchbox and lizards down my neck anymore, but even though we work together every day at Hartfield Wildlife Hospital, he’s never seemed interested in me in that way... -
Wright Kind of Trouble by K.A. Linde
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsAn age gap, enemy’s little sister romance set in the Wright world about Harley Wright & Chase Sinclair from USA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde. He didn’t know I was ten years younger.I didn’t know he was a Sinclair.He didn’t care that I was a Wright.I knew exactly what I wanted.Yet, I know none of this when I fall into his bed... -
Risk by Skye Jordan
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author Skye Jordan returns with another adrenaline-infused story from the Renegades stunt team!After two years sidelined from the Renegades, Duke Reid wants nothing more than the excitement of his stuntwork—except for Caitlyn Winters. She's country fresh and just as naive, the kind of woman you rarely find in LA... -
Resisting the Rookie by Jacob Chance
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBodhi Shine, my brother’s best friend, is the closest thing I have to an enemy. Tall, with irritatingly good looks, this cocky jerk has been a thorn in my backside for as long as I can remember.We’re like oil and water—we just don’t mix. I do my best to avoid him, but now that he’s the new running back for the Charleston Pirates and staying with my twin, that’s damn near impossible...Categorized as:
forced proximity sports from hate to love humor sassy heroine alpha male contemporary siblings-bff
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