Books like 'Unexpected'
Readers who enjoyed Unexpected by EJ Blaise also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary college grumpy sunshine forced proximity friends to lovers sports new adult alpha male friends-benefits secret-relationship
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The Stolen Moments Trilogy: Carter & Emilia's Love Story by Catharina Maura
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA single kiss changes everything for two lifelong rivals in this best friend’s brother romance.It was hate at first sight for Emilia and Carter. Neither remembers how their feud started — yet every day, their war intensifies.Until one night. One unexpected kiss blurs the lines between love and hate, and their lives are forever changed.The stakes have never been higher... -
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... -
Adoring Keaton by Siobhan Davis
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsA friends-to-lovers new adult MM romance from USA Today bestseller Siobhan Davis. Stand-alone with HEA and no cliff-hanger. Keaton Moving to California was supposed to be my fresh start. A clean slate. An opportunity to drop the façade, escape the lies, find a focus, and just be myself.But I should have realized it wouldn’t be easy, especially when my last name is Kennedy...Categorized as:
new adult sports friends to lovers college secret-relationship contemporary suspense m-m -
This Much Is True by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsWhen celebrity Laina Kelley bolted from her small hometown church on her wedding day, she ran to the first place that came to mind—the home of the local farrier, a gorgeous playboy who just so happens to be her first love … and biggest frenemy... -
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What's It Gonna Take by Lacey Black
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsGarrethFrom the first moment I saw Reagan Turner at the bar and restaurant I help manage, I was drawn like never before. She was dating someone at the time, which meant she was off-limits, until the jerk broke up with her. I can’t get her out of my head, can’t stop wanting to kiss those perfectly lush lips. Fighting this attraction has been my kryptonite.So, I give in to temptation... -
Gotta Be Bayou by Erin Nicholas
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsHow do you get over a woman you never should have been, ahem, under in the first place?Just when FBI special agent Spencer Landry had decided to forget about investigative journalist Maxine — Max — Keller and their one hot night together, there's a threat made against her and Spencer's protective instincts get all riled up. Again... -
Broken Deal by Yinn Quirós
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSophiaIn front of the world, I'm the loud, funny best friend. The perfect eldest daughter. The talented journalist. The one who plays the game but never lets her heart get involved. But underneath, I’m a mess—hiding from the one thing I fear love.Then I meet Lorenzo Mancini, the infamous billionaire player... -
Kissing the Rival by Kaylee Ryan
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 15 ratings**Kissing the Rival is part of a multi-author series following a group of friends. Each book in the series can be read as a standalone novel.Charlotte I’m not just kissing the rival… I’m falling for him. Spencer Pennington has always been a shameless flirt, but when it came to being the best in our MBA program, all bets were off, and the competition was on... -
Perfect Boy by Hannah Gray
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 22 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... -
Strike Zone by Ginger Walls
WYATT:All my friends are under the impression I’m only at Newhouse to chase women and play baseball. Those are two of my favorite pastimes.The truth is, Newhouse is my chance to save my family’s farm. If I don’t get drafted, we’ll lose everything we’ve been working hard to keep.Then I hear her sing and she’s all I can think about. It’s messing up my game and putting my future in jeopardy... -
All This Time by Harlow James
Fletcher Adams is not just the man that stole my heart at fifteen and never gave it back.He’s also my brother’s best friend, and now one of the most famous players in the NFL.But now he’s back in Blossom Peak for our mutual friend’s wedding, and guess who are the maid of honor and best man?That would be us... -
Almost Rotten by Abby Millsaps
Delusions spiral toward disaster in Almost Rotten, the second book in the new dark, why choose, college hockey romance series from bestselling author Abby Millsaps. He called me his wife.My brother’s best friend and star hockey defenseman Tytus Tremblay stood in front of the Dean, declared we’re married, and bullied the man into bending to his will.To Ty’s credit, it worked. My job is safe... -
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... -
Be My Temptation by Rachel Brookes
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsYou met Josh Crawford and Ashlyn Hart in Be My December, now its time to hear their story. One night connected them.One decision separated them. One craving tempted them. Ashlyn Hart was done with men, or at least those outside of her books. After stupidly falling for the charms of her cheating ex and having her heart broken yet again, she decided to create a new life... -
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Anger Banger by S.M. Shade
The residents of Happy Haven Trailer park have been waiting for this for a long time. The slumlord who abandoned this place and let our homes deteriorate has been court ordered to live here while making repairs. Imagine our surprise when the guy who shows up to move in to the dilapidated trailer across the street isn't the sixty year old man we expected, but his son... -
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...Categorized as:
sports from hate to love forced proximity found-family new adult contemporary hockey length-medium -
Writing the Rules by Mariah Dietz
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsPoppy Anderson was nailing her sophomore year at Brighton University. She liked her classes, had the greatest best friend, and was finally ready to start dating again. Or she was … until her ex, Mike, transferred to Brighton and started exchanging long stares and inside jokes that Poppy thought he’d forgotten.Paxton Lawson was long ago labeled ‘The Golden Boy...Categorized as:
new adult sports friends to lovers college siblings-bff contemporary football length-long -
Play to Win by Ja'Nese Dixon
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsKamal’s an ex-football player. Jayda’s a single mother uninterested in another relationship until she sees Kamal with her daughter.Every rejection will only make his victory sweeter. He plans to lick, taste, and devour her like the delicacy she is until the world, her ex, and Jayda recognizes his name tatted on every inch of her curvy body... -
Running Wild by K.A. Tucker, Callie Dalton
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 42 ratings11 hours, 40 minutesFrom the internationally bestselling author of The Simple Wild comes the story of a woman at a crossroads in her life, struggling between the safe route and the one that will only lead to more heartbreak.Veterinarian Marie Lehr knows unrequited love all too well after pining for her best friend, only to watch him marry another woman... -
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... -
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Of Pucking Course by Sarah Smith
I’ve had a crush on Dakota Richards since I met her five years ago. One problem: she’s my teammate’s little sister, which means she’s off-limits. When she breaks up with her ex and needs a place to stay, I offer her the guest room in my house. It’s a favor between friends, nothing more... -
Beautiful Broken Love by Shanora Williams
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsFrom New York Times bestselling author Shanora Williams comes an emotional page-turner about two people still reeling from tragedy who look to each other for the strength to move forward.It’s been months since her dreams of forever were brutally shattered. Seven long months since her husband and soulmate, Lew, died in her arms, leaving her to carry on. Alone... -
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Caught from Behind by Elise Faber
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsIt's always the quiet ones you have to watch out for. I’ve had a crush on my brother’s teammate and friend for a long time… Long enough to know that my interest isn’t reciprocated. I’m destined to be his teammate’s little sister—untouchable and completely off-limits no matter how hard I try to convince him otherwise. But then…everything changes... -
On Thin Ice by L.A. Cotton
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsAn 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...Categorized as:
sports new adult forced proximity from hate to love college grumpy sunshine dual-pov angst -
Golden Boy and the Two Bears by Nash Summers
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAsher Williams is obsessed with love. His column is thriving, fellow students trust him with their relationship woes, and he’s on his A-game when it comes to matchmaking. At least, matchmaking other than his own. After a heartfelt letter written to his column, Asher is set on aiding the two love-struck heroes who desperately need his help... -
Quake by Giuliana Victoria
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLark Hughes is the kind, sweet, and outgoing veterinarian who owns Toute la Famille, a non-profit veterinary clinic on the outskirts of Philadelphia. It's a typical night for Lark, working a late shift at the clinic, when one of the players from the Divine Flyers soccer team arrives with his golden retriever rescue, Pickles.He clearly takes them both by surprise when he asks her out...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers friends-benefits found-family soccer contemporary length-long -
A Callahan Wedding by Monica Murphy
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe sweet and sexy conclusion to New York Times bestselling author, Monica Murphy’s standalone Callahan series, bringing readers along for the ride as fan favorites, Jake and Hannah get married! Hannah Walsh. Gorgeous. Intelligent. My first love. My high school sweetheart. My everything. And now my fiancée...Categorized as:
alpha male friends to lovers sports new adult found-family athletes contemporary m-f -
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:
friends to lovers grumpy sunshine forced proximity from hate to love contemporary m-f -
Van by Kat Mizera
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 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 friends-benefits friends to lovers new adult contemporary hockey length-medium -
Burn by Ginger Scott
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratings**Burn is the third and final book in the brother’s-best-friend, friends-to-lovers Fuel Series by Ginger Scott. This second-chance romance completes this angsty, steamy, new adult trilogy.Dustin Bridge’s world is about speed. About the edge. His life has been carved by cutting corners and making moves, following impulsive decisions while weighing the facts at hand... -
Searching for Sunshine by Hollie Luckie
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsYou know what they say— when everything’s falling apart, move to the beach and marry the grumpy boat captain you haven’t seen in over a decade. After losing both my teaching job in the city and my grandmother, I feel like I have no idea what to do with my life... -
In Pieces by Danielle Pearl
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThree years ago she was left in pieces . . . Most college freshmen love the newfound freedom of living on campus, but none of them craves it like Beth Caplan. One ill-fated night when she was fifteen left her locked in a posh prison of private tutors. It's for the best , everyone said, and maybe it was...Categorized as:
new adult friends to lovers college friends-benefits siblings-bff contemporary angst length-medium -
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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... -
Baby for my Brother's Best Friend by Josie Hart
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIf “sexy” had a mascot, my brother’s best friend would be it.Deep hazel eyes and a diamond cutting jawline.He offers me the business deal of a lifetime,If I play a convincing date for his ex’s destination wedding.But pretending we're smitten is easier said than done.His devilish smirk and cocky attitude work me up,Until I can't decide if I want to punch him or kiss him... -
Undeniable Love by Samantha Chase
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA Small Town, Enemies to Lovers, Sports Romance from New York Times bestselling author, Samantha Chase She’s a small town girl looking to escape her monotonous life. He’s the NFL superstar looking to return to his roots. Twelve years ago, he nearly destroyed her family. Now they’re working together and the attraction she feels is…completely undeniable. Lucy Dawson dreamed of leaving South Creek... -
Wicked Waters by Becca Steele
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsFrom USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Becca Steele, comes an all-new standalone M/F academy romance.Roman Cavendish. The bad boy of Hatherley Hall. Once we were friends. Once I thought I meant something more to him. Once I was the person who knew him best.Until I left without an explanation, ruining everything between us... -
Lace 'em Up by Elise Faber
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI’d decided long ago it was easier to pretend embrace my namesake than to try to prove myself to the world.No one ever had ever seen through that…Until I rescued a runaway bride from the side of the road.Then my mom—my interfering, matchmaking mom—saw the diamond ring, made assumptions I didn’t have the heart to dispel, and, suddenly, Rory and I were pretending to be engaged... -
Cruel Love by Isla Vaughn
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI 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...Categorized as:
from hate to love sports new adult found-family forced proximity angst second chances contemporary -
Cruel Love by Isla Vaughn
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI 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...Categorized as:
from hate to love sports new adult found-family forced proximity angst second chances contemporary -
Fallen Crown by W. Million
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMaren 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... -
Fortunate Misfortune: Clear Lake Quartet Book 1 by Miah Onsha
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMallory Edwards is the queen of plans and hers are always on schedule. Captain and soccer goalie for Clear Lake University? Check. 4.0 student? Check. On track for graduate school and an amazing career? Check. Everything is right on target.Until it suddenly isn’t... -
Stolen Vows by Penelope Black
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsGraham Carter: ethical hacker, resident grump of Avalon Falls, and the man who’s about to make me his wife.For convenience, of course.I need an escape plan—fast. My family expects me to marry a man I can’t stand, and Graham needs a wife to secure his inheritance. A simple deal, no emotions involved. Just one year of marriage, and we both walk away with exactly what we want... -
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THE RULE BREAKER by Crystal Kaswell
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsRule #1 Hands off my kid sister’s best friendRule #2 See rule number oneRule #3 Seriously, don’t even think about touching LunaLuna is my new room mate. My very off limits room mate. My gorgeous, feisty, painfully tempting room mate.I try to keep my distance. To ignore her soft laugh, her intense eyes, her sweet smile... -
For Crosby by J. Nathan
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsCrosby Parks had the life most guys only dreamed of. A wealthy family, girls vying for his attention, and pro scouts after his hockey skills. But when the life he knows comes crumbling down, he’s sent to Alabama to escape the media storm and to rebuild his life. If Crosby has any shot of playing professional hockey, he must keep a low profile and graduate from college... -
Wreck by Ginger Scott
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratings**Wreck is the second book in the brother’s-best-friend, friends-to-lovers Fuel Series by Ginger Scott.When Dustin Bridges left Camp Verde to try to make it on his own, he left half his heart behind. A life with Hannah Judge was just too dangerous... -
Make You Keep Me by L.A. Shaw
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBook Two in the Fight for me duet.She disappeared without a trace. Leaving me with a piece of paper and a shattered heart.We grew up in a world full of demons, but I never expected her to become one of mine.The ghost of her haunted me for over two years.I was finally moving on with my life in more ways than one...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers found-family siblings-bff new adult pregnancy mma-boxing contemporary -
Promise Me by Jami Rogers
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHudson Asher is my brother’s best friend and my number one enemy—I think.One accident later, and I can’t remember the last three years or the exact reason why my childhood nemesis and I still refuse to hold a civil conversation.Heck, I didn’t even know he had moved back to our small town of Lovers until I woke up in the hospital and he was the only one sitting next to my bed... -
Starting Line by Michae Marie
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTJ BrennerAmerica’s Golden Girl, the one they love to loveGold is a heavy weight, but I’ve learned to carry it with grace. It’s what they expect as I prepare for another Olympic Games. Smile, entertain, and most importantly, win.I’ve sacrificed everything for gymnastics and the sport has taken its toll. I’m not sure how much I have left in me, but I also don’t know who I am without it...
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