Books like 'Beautiful Nightmare'

Readers who enjoyed Beautiful Nightmare by Leila James also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.

contemporary  new adult  sports  cruel hero  vengeance  college  tortured heroine  virgin heroine  rich heroine  from hate to love 

  • Without You: Scotch and Sammy duet - book 2 by Emilia Finn

    Without You: Scotch and Sammy duet - book 2 by Emilia Finn

    Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars
    · 27 ratings
    Sammy. I left because I thought I was doing the right thing. I was falling on my sword. I thought I was saving everyone a lot of heart ache, and in exchange, I took all that ache on my own. I was supposed to be the hero, but instead I was the villain. He hates me with every fiber of his being…. It’s been thirteen years since we last saw each other. It turns out ghosts can’t be buried...
  • Take A Chance On Me by Emilia Finn

    Take A Chance On Me by Emilia Finn

    Rated: 4.62 of 5 stars
    · 21 ratings
    Oh Sh*t. This is part 2 of the Marc and Meg Duet. It cannot be read as a standalone. Due to spoilers, the above is all the blurb you will get. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️The conclusion to the Meg and Marc duet is phenomenal. It’s been a long time since I’ve found a writer that makes me laugh, scream, and cry in the same sitting. This is an epic story - epic love, epic friendship, epic woman finding her way. ..
  • Sponsored links / Remove ads
  • Twelve of a Kind by Sandi Lynn

    Twelve of a Kind by Sandi Lynn

    Rated: 4.73 of 5 stars
    · 15 ratings
    Carter:. I was grateful for my second chance at life and discovering a family I never knew existed. Relocating my company and myself from South Carolina to Los Angeles brought me closer to them. They were all happily married, except my brother Gabriel, who was engaged to the love of his life. I didn’t trust women, and for good reason...
  • Battle Scars by Emilia Finn

    Battle Scars by Emilia Finn

    Rated: 4.82 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    They call him Romeo—though no one would accuse him of being a romantic. Troy ‘Romeo’ Rosa has been a mystery for years. A mercenary used to working away and taking orders from his tutu wearing, ruthlessly savage boss. Her domineering ways mean his most recent assignment should be a walk in the park. The last thing he expects is a family so corrupt, it may destroy Checkmate from the inside out...
  • Power Play by Toni Aleo

    Power Play by Toni Aleo

    Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars
    · 23 ratings
    Posey 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...
  • Always You by Emilia Finn

    Always You by Emilia Finn

    Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars
    · 23 ratings
    What does any self respecting socialite do when she finds her husband screwing his secretary on HER dining room table? She gets petty revenge a'la Louisville Slugger, then she runs home and pretends her whole life isn’t in tatters...
  • Dillon by Siobhan Davis

    Dillon by Siobhan Davis

    Rated: 4.66 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 5 of 5
    Explicit and plentiful [?] · 15 ratings
    A companion novel to Say I'm the One, Let Me Love You, and Hold Me Close. Growing up in Ireland, I always felt like something was missing. I had an idyllic childhood, yet I was never happy. After Mum explained about the adoption, I constantly questioned my existence. Despite being surrounded by love, I struggle to accept it or reciprocate...
  • Loving You by Allie Everhart

    Loving You by Allie Everhart

    Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars
    · 30 ratings
    Since meeting Garret on her first night at college, Jade’s had to overcome many obstacles to be with him, including interference from Garret’s father. Now, months later, it seems that Mr. Kensington has finally accepted Jade dating his son, but the reason for that is unclear. After what Jade witnessed at the Kensington mansion, she’s not sure what his acceptance of her means...
  • Time for Love by Marie Force

    Time for Love by Marie Force

    Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars
    · 27 ratings
    Dr. David Lawrence has spent the last two years atoning for his sins and recovering from the devastating breakup with Gansett Island golden girl Janey McCarthy. As the island's only doctor, he's had ample opportunity to show his fellow island residents that there's more to him than the guy who disappointed Janey so profoundly...
  • Hart to Heart by M.E. Carter, Jacob Morgan

    Hart to Heart by M.E. Carter, Jacob Morgan

    Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars
    · 22 ratings
    Listening Length: 5 hours, 6 minutes. We’re the Harts. Between an engagement, a wedding and an adoption, we’ve had the best year of our lives. Things have never looked better for any of us. But just because you say “I do” doesn’t mean you get a happily ever after. And sometimes, you get tackled more in life than you ever did on the football field...
  • Follow the Play by Kaylee Ryan

    Follow the Play by Kaylee Ryan

    Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 1 of 5
    Glimpses and kisses [?] · 22 ratings
    NYT and USA Today Bestselling author Kaylee Ryan brings you a new standalone series surrounding the Nashville Rampage football team. Follow the Play is a single dad, nanny, friends-to-lovers, forced proximity sports romance. Baker. Being a single dad was never part of the playbook, but one look at my son and everything changed...
  • Path To Resolution by TheFeveredBookaholic

    Path To Resolution by TheFeveredBookaholic

    Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars
    · 15 ratings
    Wolfe 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...
  • Sea of Love by Melissa Foster

    Sea of Love by Melissa Foster

    Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
    · 22 ratings
    You fell in love with Lacy Snow in Sisters in White (Snow Sisters, Book Three). Follow her on her path to her forever love in Sea of Love. Lacy Snow hadn’t been looking for love when she met strikingly handsome and seductive Dane Braden...
  • False Start by Lisa Suzanne

    False Start by Lisa Suzanne

    Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars
    · 20 ratings
    Football season is fast approaching, and as a single dad, I need help. Even though I claim I have a little black book filled with names of women who could step up to the task, none of them will do. .. not when I see the bond that's forming between Victoria and my daughter. And not when the attraction between Victoria and I continues to grow despite our constant clashing...
  • Now's The Time by Harlow James

    Now's The Time by Harlow James

    Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    “Let me experience all of you tonight, Penelope…since this is all that we get. ”. That was the agreement between me and Maddox Taylor, the NFL’s most notorious playboy and mega-talented quarterback who happened to be out in California for one night—one night in which I broke all of my rules and gave in to the undeniable attraction I felt for the man...
  • Landon & Shay - Part Two by Brittainy C. Cherry

    Landon & Shay - Part Two by Brittainy C. Cherry

    Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars
    · 36 ratings
    Once upon a time, I fell in love with a boy. A beautiful, broken boy who had his own world of struggles. People warned me against our love, but I didn't listen. We looked weak. Young, foolish. Dangerously in love. We didn't care. In order to keep our hearts protected from the opinions of others, we became each other’s secret. We shared stolen moments. Tender touches. Secretive embraces...
  • Dr. Beckett by Grace Maxwell

    Dr. Beckett by Grace Maxwell

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    We were childhood enemies. Now I’m sleeping in his guest room… and I’m not sure I want to leave. Beckett. Sadie Calloway showing up on my doorstep in the middle of a storm wasn’t on my bingo card. She’s my best friend’s little sister, the girl I used to torment for fun, and now she’s standing in my living room, dripping wet and out of options...
  • Down To You by Jayne Frost

    Down To You by Jayne Frost

    Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    Every story deserves a soundtrack. And ours is epic. She started from perfect. A star who shone brighter than the rest. But then fate took it all away. Now she's broken. A beautiful song with a fractured beat. But I'm still on the rise. Chasing a dream that she's already left behind. If I'm lucky, I can find my redemption in the spotlight. Destiny brought us together. Put her in my path...
  • Kade by Tijan

    Kade by Tijan

    Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars
    · 17 ratings
    I have fought. I have bled. I have wreaked havoc for my family. Anyone who threatened us, tried to break us, I broke them instead. Then, there was peace. Marriage. Children. Life was good. Life was great. Until my phone rang one night. Retired, I was no longer in the NFL. We'd recently moved back to Fallen Crest. So I should’ve known. I should’ve remembered. There is no peace in Fallen Crest...
  • Changing Lines by Toni Aleo

    Changing Lines by Toni Aleo

    Rated: 4.48 of 5 stars
    · 15 ratings
    Claire 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...
    Categorized as:
    sports  new adult  m-f  contemporary  hockey  audiobook
  • Full Contact by Fiona Davenport

    Full Contact by Fiona Davenport

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 5 of 5
    Explicit and plentiful [?] · 8 ratings
    Micah Daughtry knew he was done for after one smile from the tired, stubborn waitress at The Tight Line. And the linebacker wasn’t subtle about what he wanted. He just started showing up for Rylin Curtis like she already belonged to him. Except Rylin has strict dating rules: no customers, no bosses…and definitely not a pro football player with a panty-melting smile...
  • Touched by Love by Melissa Foster

    Touched by Love by Melissa Foster

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    TOUCHED BY LOVE is a USA TODAY BESTSELLER. Readers’ Favorite calls Touched by Love, “The best book I’ve read all year! ” 5 Stars! An unexpected tragedy leads to an unexpected love. Fall in love with the story thousands of readers are raving about. Fiercely independent Janie Jansen has always believed there were worse things in life than being blind, and she’s spent her life proving it...
  • Path To Realization by TheFeveredBookaholic

    Path To Realization by TheFeveredBookaholic

    Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars
    · 15 ratings
    Asher Pryce hides behind a wall of secrets he's spent most of his life building up. How else is the adopted child whose birth parents run a drug cartel supposed to fit in? He's notorious for his overconfident swagger and total lack of patience for bullshit - a master of masks. The one thing in his life he can't fake? His feelings for his best friend's twin sister...
  • Delayed Call by Toni Aleo

    Delayed Call by Toni Aleo

    Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars
    · 28 ratings
    Vaughn Johansson is the Nashville Assassins' star player. He's brash, cocky, and talented. And he isn't afraid to let anyone know it. He lives his life on his own terms, never forming romantic attachments, and only allowing his very closest to see his true, caring self. Brie Soledad has the weight of the world on her shoulders...
  • Strays by Cora Brent

    Strays by Cora Brent

    Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    STRAYS (An Anti-Hero Romance). Before age sixteen I was kicked to the streets, condemned for a crime I didn’t commit. Since then I’ve done nothing to be proud of. Which is why a man like me isn’t cut out to be a dad. And if this kid had another option I wouldn’t try to be one now. But for once I’m going to step up. I’ll right the worst of old wrongs...
  • The Champion by Shey Stahl

    The Champion by Shey Stahl

    Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars
    · 21 ratings
    A 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...
  • Convincing the Catcher by Hannah Gray

    Convincing the Catcher by Hannah Gray

    Rated: 4.86 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 5 of 5
    Explicit and plentiful [?] · 7 ratings
    Book #2 in the Good Girls of NE University Series. Blurb and tropes TBA.
  • Infinity. by Layne Harper

    Infinity. by Layne Harper

    Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars
    · 25 ratings
    Colin McKinney has wanted three things since he met Caroline “Charlie” Collins when he was a junior at Texas A&M University: to make her his wife, play professional football, and have a family. In the first three books of the Infinity Series, Colin and Charlie met, fell in love, broke apart, reunited eight years later, and got married...
  • Every Kiss You Steal by J.E. Parker

    Every Kiss You Steal by J.E. Parker

    Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 11 ratings
    Her past is plagued with darkness. .. He's determined to make her future brighter. -Ashley-. My life was once a nightmare. Because of my past, the walls I've constructed are mighty. But those walls begin to waver the day I meet him. .. Chase Jacobs, star quarterback, and the cutest boy I've ever seen. With his easy smile and sweet words, he's perfect. Problem is, I'm not...
  • Hart to Heart by ME Carter, Murphy Rae

    Hart to Heart by ME Carter, Murphy Rae

    Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars
    · 18 ratings
    We’re the Harts. Between an engagement, a wedding and an adoption, we’ve had the best year of our lives. Things have never looked better for Jaxon, Addison and myself. But just because you say “I do” doesn’t mean you get a happily ever after. And sometimes, you get tackled more in life than you ever did on the football field...
  • Cocky Senator’s Daughter: Hannah by Faleena Hopkins

    Cocky Senator’s Daughter: Hannah by Faleena Hopkins

    Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars
    · 21 ratings
    HANNAH COCKER. Every man I've dated in this city has either bored me or hurt me. When Sofia Sol, my crazy cousin, offers a ride on the back of her Harley with no destination in mind besides out-of-Atlanta, what do you think my answer is? I'll give you one guess. TOBIAS KYRKOS. Life doesn't ever hand you what you want. You have to take it...
    Categorized as:
    new adult  sports  m-f  humor  contemporary  length-medium
  • Wild Heart by Beth Ehemann

    Wild Heart by Beth Ehemann

    Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars
    · 24 ratings
    For Lawrence “Viper” Finkle, hockey isn’t just a sport, it’s a way of life. Since the first time he stepped onto the ice at just eight years old, he knew what he was meant to do, and he does it well. When his career takes an unexpected hit, and his relationship is pushed to the breaking point, he’s left sidelined and wondering what his future holds...
  • Jax by E.M. Moore

    Jax by E.M. Moore

    Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    I had real love once. The all-consuming, toe-curling kind of love. Fate had other plans for the two of us though. Ruled by a world of dangerous men, I did something reprehensible. I did what I needed to survive. I betrayed Jax—the only man who ever truly cared whether I lived or died. Years later, I remain a brokenhearted plaything. A puppet to maneuver around a chess board...
  • Home Run by Jordan Marie, Robin Harper

    Home Run by Jordan Marie, Robin Harper

    Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars
    · 24 ratings
    Green 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...
  • End Game by Riley Paige

    End Game by Riley Paige

    Rated: 4.69 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Sloane-. My dad’s cancer is back and I keep trying to outrun the inevitable with practice, routines, and lists—anything to keep my hands busy so my heart doesn’t break. Logan Brooks, my brother’s best friend, moving back in with us was the changeup I didn’t see coming. I want to hate him, but he’s the only person who seems to quiet the panic in my chest...
  • Finding Infinity by Layne Harper

    Finding Infinity by Layne Harper

    Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars
    · 29 ratings
    "Finding Infinity" as described by Colin. .. "Fine Charlie. ” Colin says dropping his hands in defeat. “Here's what I want. I want everybody to back off and let me play football. I want you to go back to practicing medicine because I’m ready for you to be happy again - not this forced shit that you keep trying to sell me...
  • On Thin Ice by L.A. Cotton

    On Thin Ice by L.A. Cotton

    Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars
    · 13 ratings
    An emotional and angsty grumpy x sunshine hockey romance from USA Today and WSJ bestselling author L A Cotton. Are you ready to fall in love with a Laker? When Harper Dixon discovers her father is the Lakeshore U Lakers new assistant coach, she wonders if her life can get any worse. Enter Mason Steele. Arrogant. Cold. With enough ice around his heart to freeze anyone who gets too close...
  • Campus Legend by Jennifer Sucevic

    Campus Legend by Jennifer Sucevic

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 15 ratings
    He's Always Hidden Behind a Mask. Until it Was No Longer Possible. Asher Stevens is a legend when it comes to Wildcat football. If the gossip that swirls through campus is true, he’ll be one of this year’s top NFL draft picks. To say I can’t stand the guy is a major understatement. Other women might be taken in by his handsome face, chiseled body, and athletic prowess, but not me...
  • Game Day by Piper Lawson

    Game Day by Piper Lawson

    Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars
    · 11 ratings
    In the heat of victory, I asked her to be mine forever. We’d both triumphed in our own way:. Nova broke free from her past. I led my team to a championship and discovered life beyond the court. Our journey to "I do" was supposed to be easy. Except…. The hottest resort in Aspen is only available is on short notice. A new season with the Denver Kodiaks looms on the horizon...
  • Savage Vicious Heir: Part Two by Caitlyn Dare

    Savage Vicious Heir: Part Two by Caitlyn Dare

    Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars
    · 11 ratings
    Bestselling author Caitlyn Dare brings you a new dark high school romance story in the Heirs of All Hallows' series. Savage Vicious Heir is a dark high school bully romance. If possessive, rugby playing alphaholes aren't your thing, you probably won't like this book!
  • Breaking the Wrong by Calia Read

    Breaking the Wrong by Calia Read

    Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars
    · 28 ratings
    Emilia Wentworth would do anything for her sister. For three years, Emilia has lived in the past, feeling her sister's pain and hating those who are to blame, including one of the Sloan brothers. Finally, she has had enough. The only way to be free is to create a Burn List with all the people who have ever hurt her sister...
  • The Way Back To me by Anne Mercier

    The Way Back To me by Anne Mercier

    Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars
    · 23 ratings
    She 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...
  • Borrowed by Victoria Ashley

    Borrowed by Victoria Ashley

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    I was never supposed to want to keep her. She was meant to be borrowed. Mine for six days and not a day longer. She doesn’t belong to me. She belongs to someone else. My brother…. The closest person I have outside of the screaming fans and paparazzi—a constant in my new life— other than the whiskey I drown myself in to numb the pain left by someone else...
  • Going All In by Ali Parker, Weston Parker

    Going All In by Ali Parker, Weston Parker

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Being 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...
  • Cruel Love by Isla Vaughn

    Cruel Love by Isla Vaughn

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    I fell for the enemy. He broke me, and then put me together again. Our future? It’s worth fighting for. Or it was before the accident. The accident stole Phoenix from me. Now, he’s nice… kind even. But the memory of me—of our baby—is gone. Despite everything, I’m left fighting for our child and the man I’ve come to love...
  • From Now Until Infinity by Layne Harper

    From Now Until Infinity by Layne Harper

    Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars
    · 29 ratings
    Eight years have passed since Colin and Caroline “Charlie” ended their college romance. A chance meeting reunited them confirming that time had not diminished their love for each other. Now, they have to turn their passionate reunion into a legitimate and sustainable relationship. Charlie’s medical practice is in Houston. Colin is the starting quarterback for Dallas...
  • Fallen Crown by W. Million

    Fallen Crown by W. Million

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    Maren Tucker is done with men who check in for the good times and check out for the bad. As a member of one of the oldest families in Bellerive, she doesn't have to play nice with the Summerset Royals. Especially not the youngest who represents everything she detests...
Fantastic book recommendations by romance book lovers for romance book lovers.
Find out more about romance.io.


Get recommendations by genres & tropes

Use the romance book finder to mix and match over 100 content keywords to find the books that match your preferences

romance book finder

Looking for more inspiration? Enter another book title to get more suggestions on what to read next.


Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.