Books like 'Playing It Tough'
Readers who enjoyed Playing It Tough by Amy Andrews also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary funny sports athletes strong heroine friends to lovers alpha male dual-pov grumpy sunshine from hate to love
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No Easy Dare by Samantha Christy
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsSecret heir. Pompous womanizer. King of lies. And my protector. Hunter McQuaid is definitely a fish out of water. Or maybe a shark out of the tank. He's a cocky, arrogant, playboy. Something he shouldn't be considering he can barely scrape together the rent for his craptastic apartment. After an ill-advised one-nighter with him, I end up pregnant. Which puts me in a precarious position... -
![Made For You by Natasha Madison]()
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 forced proximity dual-pov grumpy sunshine from hate to love contemporary cold hero -
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![Flaunt by Adriana Locke]()
Flaunt by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsLooking for a Fake FiancéHave you ever wanted to prove someone wrong so badly that you could taste it?It doesn’t matter if they’re right. The fact that they had the audacity to go there is what counts.Hi. It’s me. I’m that person.The man I’ve been casually seeing told me I’m not “wife material” and I should “lower my expectations... -
![Enticing Her Love by Melissa Foster]()
Enticing Her Love by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.65 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsPro: Stuck sharing a bed with my hot, broody boss Con: He’s trying to get me fired Discovery Hour reporter Sutton Steele spends her days trying to keep her job, while her insanely hot, infuriating boss, Flynn Braden, would love nothing more than to see her gone... -
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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... -
![Kissing The CEO by Layla Hagen]()
Kissing The CEO by Layla Hagen
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsWhat’s that they say about the best laid plans? They are easily derailed. Especially when my high school crush is the CEO of the competition, and his matchmaking grandmother is plotting to bring us together. After getting the promotion of my dreams, I’m determined to prove to my boss that I’m the right person for the job...Categorized as:
insta-love dual-pov friends to lovers from hate to love contemporary humor super rich hero bad boys -
![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... -
![Cinder by Chelle Bliss]()
Cinder by Chelle Bliss
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsOlive Thornbury only had one crush in high school, and his name was Asher Gallo. She was smitten with him from the first time she had laid eyes on him. But instead of acting on how she felt, she kept her nose stuck in a book, finding safety in the words rather than emotions.Asher had never thought of Olive as anything more than a friend. She was aloof, preferring to read books...Categorized as:
friends to lovers insta-love dual-pov alpha male contemporary suspense humor sweet heroine -
![Gotta Be Bayou by Erin Nicholas]()
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... -
![Strictly Pretend by Carrie Elks]()
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... -
![Kiss Me Tonight by Maria Luis]()
Kiss Me Tonight by Maria Luis
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsI had it all.The Super Bowl rings.The hot shot TV gig.Then I got fired.Now I’m living in middle-of-nowhere Maine, playing assistant coach to the woman of my nightmares.Did I mention that she and her son are my new neighbors?If you talk to the locals, they’ll tell you Aspen Levi is the queen of high school football.But if you ask me, my new head coach is a pain in my left nut sac.She’s too blonde...Categorized as:
sports from hate to love forced proximity athletes dual-pov friends to lovers alpha male office -
![Matchmaking The CEO by Layla Hagen]()
Matchmaking The CEO by Layla Hagen
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsJake Whitley and I start on the wrong foot. And then it goes downhill from there.After my career implodes, I’m determined to make a living with my new event planning business.But Jake and I are at odds from the moment I step on his private plane.He wants to get rid of me. I want to throw his grandmother the celebration of a lifetime…on his property in Martha’s Vineyard... -
![Hot Heir by Pippa Grant]()
Hot Heir by Pippa Grant
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsIf I had to pick a bride of convenience, my first choice would NOT be Peach Maloney.My fiftieth choice would NOT be Peach.Top spot on my list of occupational hazards? Yes. Royal pain in the crumpets? Yes.A bride of convenience? No.But I’ve unexpectedly gone from royal bodyguard to monarch, having inherited a crown that was stolen from my family long before my birth...Categorized as:
from hate to love dual-pov alpha male forced proximity grumpy sunshine sports contemporary humor -
![Text Me Baby One More Time by Teagan Hunter]()
Text Me Baby One More Time by Teagan Hunter
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsA SECOND-CHANCE ROMANTIC COMEDY! I love you , he said. Forever , he said. Turns out, he lied. When he leaves me high and dry after a cross-country move, I push him out of my life as much as I can, which is hard to do when the guy who broke your heart also happens to be the most famous dude in town...Categorized as:
athletes friends to lovers from hate to love sports dual-pov humor new adult contemporary -
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![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... -
![Anger Banger by S.M. Shade]()
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...Categorized as:
from hate to love grumpy sunshine forced proximity new adult found-family contemporary humor -
![Musical Games by Evie Alexander]()
Musical Games by Evie Alexander
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHe's never been kissed, and she's about to rock his world... Bubbly actress Sam is on the brink of the bigtime — all she needs is one lucky break. But when she drops everything for the chance to meet Hollywood’s biggest star, she blows it by blurting out a lie.Now, she’s got ten days to write an album with a man who wants nothing to do with her...Categorized as:
forced proximity grumpy sunshine insta-love contemporary virgin hero humor length-medium -
![Born to Sin by Rosalind James]()
Born to Sin by Rosalind James
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBeing sentenced by a woman in a black robe is not a meet-cute.Quinn Jeffries follows the rules. A judge in small-town Sinful, Montana, doesn’t have much room for missteps, and when you spend your childhood training for the Olympics, you don’t have time for anything but discipline anyway. And, see? It’s worked! Her life is just fine... -
![The One I Need by Chelle Sloan]()
The One I Need by Chelle Sloan
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsYou’re cordially invited to the wedding of Oliver Price and Izzy McCall…That’s how my wedding invitations should have started. I should know, I’ve had my wedding planned since I was ten. I should’ve been wearing a designer tuxedo, not a tuxedo t-shirt. The wedding should’ve been in a church with family and friends, not in a 1960’s style chapel with Elvis as the officiant... -
![Knock Out by Jiffy Kate]()
Knock Out by Jiffy Kate
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn the blink of an eye, Willow Bernard goes from stocking shelves at the Piggly Wiggly to kicking butt at Viking MMA.Willow Bernard has taken a lot of hits in her twenty-two years but always manages to come back swinging. Hoping to fly under the radar for a change, she relocates to Green Valley...Categorized as:
sports grumpy sunshine friends to lovers forced proximity fighters contemporary humor length-long -
![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... -
![The Scientist by Kristen B. Cole, Margo Lipschultz]()
The Scientist by Kristen B. Cole, Margo Lipschultz
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsWhen an outgoing musical maven meets the enigmatic neuroscientist next door, will their worlds clash in a dramatic showdown of art versus science, or will they discover that love is the ultimate experiment worth conducting?When celebrated Broadway composer Hadley Olivier’s best friend receives a life-threatening diagnosis, Hadley says goodbye to her beloved home in NYC and sets off to the West...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine friends to lovers forced proximity contemporary humor menage length-long -
![The French Chateau Dream by Julie Caplin]()
The French Chateau Dream by Julie Caplin
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsYou are invited to a summer of sparkling champagne, warm buttery croissants and a little bit of je ne sais quoi… With a broken heart and a broken spirit, Hattie is in need of a summer escape. So when an opportunity comes up to work at a beautiful, stately chateau in the Champagne region of France she books her flights quicker than the pop of a cork...Categorized as:
friends to lovers insta-love forced proximity contemporary humor love triangle length-medium -
![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... -
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![Wishing for Champagne Kisses by Brittanee Nicole]()
Wishing for Champagne Kisses by Brittanee Nicole
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBest Friends Don’t Kiss.Ryan Manning has been my best friend since we were kids. He’s my secret keeper. The holder of all my truths and the person I admire most in the world. He’s also a Lumbersnack and the man I’ve secretly pined after for decades.But we don’t talk about that.I’m just here in Lake Tahoe for the next week to play the part of his doting girlfriend...Categorized as:
friends to lovers forced proximity dual-pov alpha male humor contemporary christmas angst -
![The Day the Jerk Started Falling by Max Monroe]()
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... -
![How to Love a Rockstar by D.E. Haggerty]()
How to Love a Rockstar by D.E. Haggerty
I’m a librarian. Dylan’s a rockstar. We can’t possibly be a match despite what the meddlesome matchmakers of the small town of Winter Falls think.No one is more surprised than me when Dylan walks into a wall the first time he catches sight of me. Even more surprising? He immediately asks me out.Um, I don’t think so...Categorized as:
from hate to love dual-pov friends to lovers contemporary humor length-medium open-door -
![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 insta-love dual-pov grumpy sunshine forced proximity contemporary humor super rich hero -
![Some Kind of Blunderful by Livy Hart]()
Some Kind of Blunderful by Livy Hart
If you ask Mia Madden, the road to dating hell is paved with suspiciously hot online profiles. Take tonight’s date, for example. Alex Conroy’s whole “boardroom in the streets, lumberjack in the sheets” thing totally works for her, but his profile did not convey that he represents everything she loathes about corporate hustle culture. He’s not even worth her bottle of purse wine... -
![Kissing A Stranger by Lacey Black]()
Kissing A Stranger by Lacey Black
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDeckerIf you ask my family, I’m wasting my life. If you ask me, I’m living it to the fullest. Am I capable of doing more? Absolutely. However, slinging drinks at the resort makes me happy. At least for now. Not that my family would understand.It’s just another night behind the bar, until it isn’t. She’s everything I never knew I wanted wrapped up in one breathtaking package... -
![Forever Pucked by Helena Hunting]()
Forever Pucked by Helena Hunting
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsBeing engaged to Alex Waters, team captain and the highest paid NHL player in the league, is awesome. How could it not be?In addition to being an amazing hockey player, he’s an incurable romantic with an XL heart, and an XXL hockey stick in his pants. And he knows how to use it. Incredibly, orgasmically well. Alex is the whole package and more. Literally. Like his package is insane... -
![Isabelle and the Beast by Marie Soleil]()
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... -
![Coaching the Kicker by Jacob Chance]()
Coaching the Kicker by Jacob Chance
From USA Today bestselling author Jacob Chance comes a brand new laugh-out-loud enemies-to-lovers romance about two professional athletes finding love where they least expect it. When I purchased a home in an upscale neighborhood, I never imagined having one of the Charleston Pirates living next door.Knox Irons knows just how to push my buttons... -
![Saving Zane by Kaci Rose]()
Saving Zane by Kaci Rose
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsHe's fighting the silence; she's painting his world with color again.ZaneBattled, broken, and branded by war, I came to Oakside seeking refuge, not redemption.The blast took my hearing and tossed my world into silence.Now I’m a grizzled former Navy SEAL battling with my demons and the silence of my world, until I stumble upon Carlee... -
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![Kind of a Sexy Jerk by Lili Valente]()
Kind of a Sexy Jerk by Lili Valente
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsSo let me get this straight... For the next few days I’ve got myself a grumpy fake husband who’s also kind of my...bodyguard?I guess that’s a better way to spend the weekend than binge-watching reality television, especially since it’s kind of my fault we’re on the run from the mob and I need a protector.Oops... -
![Things I Wrote About by Kelsey Humphreys]()
Things I Wrote About by Kelsey Humphreys
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsTheir story started over ten years ago but nothing brings out plot holes and character flaws like being stuck together on a private island for a week…Sadie Canton writes America’s favorite romance novels. She’s created one hit happy ending after another, all while avoiding her own painful cliffhanger.But she can’t avoid him anymore... -
![Freak Show by Lani Lynn Vale]()
Freak Show by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsWelcome to the Circus is a brand-new series that centers around a family that owns a circus, 6 sisters and one brother. This is book 1 featuring Val & Felix...Categorized as:
athletes insta-love sports friends to lovers alpha male strong heroine contemporary suspense -
![50 Ways to Win Back Your Lover by Kelly Siskind]()
50 Ways to Win Back Your Lover by Kelly Siskind
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom Kelly Siskind comes a slow-burn romantic comedy about one man’s creative attempt to win back his high school sweetheart after a change in fortune gives them a second chance at love.Growing up, I had it all—my art, close friends, a gorgeous girlfriend who owned my heart—but then my life exploded.Turns out my father was laundering money, and my whole family got shoved into witness protection... -
![Meant for Stone by Natasha Madison]()
Meant for Stone by Natasha Madison
Ryleigh: Growing up in Hollywood, I was surrounded by liars and phonies. So when I got my law degree, I knew I wanted to work as a district attorney. Busy days turned to long nights—I was on my way up the ladder. Then he happened. Bullied his way into my life as if there was no choice. Suddenly everything I thought I wanted wasn’t as important...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers from hate to love grumpy sunshine dual-pov alpha male contemporary humor -
![The Wednesday Morning Wild Swim by Jules Wake]()
The Wednesday Morning Wild Swim by Jules Wake
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsFor fans of The Saturday Morning Park Run! Take the plunge and discover a gorgeous new read full of friendship, love and the healing power of community!Ettie is trying to figure out her future.Dominic’s just trying to forget his past...Categorized as:
sports insta-love disabilities and marks small town humor contemporary length-medium -
![That Time I Kissed The Groomsman Grump by Julie Christianson]()
That Time I Kissed The Groomsman Grump by Julie Christianson
BRADYYeah, I shouldn’t have kissed Natalie Slater.Not on the porch. Or at the beach. Or in the storage closet. Especially not the storage closet. But to be fair, she kissed me first. Six months later, I’m still thinking about it.Trouble is, I’ve made promises that tie me to our small town, while Natalie can’t wait to escape. I’ve got no business pursuing her or my secret ambitions... -
![How to Love a Rockstar by D.E. Haggerty]()
How to Love a Rockstar by D.E. Haggerty
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsI’m a librarian. Dylan’s a rockstar. We can’t possibly be a match despite what the meddlesome matchmakers of the small town of Winter Falls think.No one is more surprised than me when Dylan walks into a wall the first time he catches sight of me. Even more surprising? He immediately asks me out.Um, I don’t think so... -
![Truth About Nerds & Bees by Andrea Simonne]()
Truth About Nerds & Bees by Andrea Simonne
He's the beauty. She's the beast.Theodora Stewart, Bee BiologistThat's it. I've had enough. My new neighbor has been sending threatening letters for months and is now suing me. He's trying to force me to remove the beehives from my backyard. (What kind of jerk doesn't understand how important bees are?)It turns out he's some famous quarterback named Gabriel "Beauty" Bardales...Categorized as:
sports from hate to love strong heroine athletes dual-pov contemporary humor independent heroine -
![Puffin Bay by Annie Dyer]()
Puffin Bay by Annie Dyer
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsHeartbreak led me to Puffin Bay, searching for peace in a small, coastal town. Four years later, my bar is thriving and my next business is just what the town needs. It doesn’t need Roman Tominey. Arrogant, city-boy, suit-wearing grump - he knows how to push every one of my buttons, and after an evening of bad decisions, he knows how to push that one too... -
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![Perfect Praise by Grace Pearce]()
Perfect Praise by Grace Pearce
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsMaren and Locke both exist in the same world of professional golf—he's the number one player in the world while she just takes his picture.Never mind that Locke unintentionally leads the press to believe that he and Maren are dating, because when she confronts him, he couldn't care less... -
![Resisting the Rookie by Jacob Chance]()
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 alpha male from hate to love humor sassy heroine contemporary siblings-bff -
![Mr. Gray Sweatpants by Whitley Cox]()
Mr. Gray Sweatpants by Whitley Cox
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsNever underestimate the power of a strange pussy (cat).A hot boy summer romantic-comedy. The boy next door, the girl with a million secrets and an a$$hole cat that cares about nobody. This book takes passing love notes in class to a whole new level. Guitar music on the beach, plenty of hardcore wooing and way too much assuming. And we all know what assuming does ...Casey Savage is a workaholic...Categorized as:
forced proximity insta-love from hate to love alpha male contemporary abuse friends-benefits humor -
![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:
friends to lovers sports grumpy sunshine athletes contemporary age difference humor length-medium -
![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...
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