Books like 'Love's Defense'

Readers who enjoyed Love's Defense by Laura Marquez Diamond also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.

contemporary  funny  multicultural  sports  m-f  athletes  dual-pov

  • Forever Paired by Kathleen Brooks

    Forever Paired by Kathleen Brooks

    Rated: 4.77 of 5 stars
    · 19 ratings
    Landon Davies had worked hard to start his own restaurant. It was a very different path than most of his family had taken. He was one of the few family members that were not military or law enforcement. But his hard work had given him a restaurant that was beginning to take off when a woman’s scream in the alley outside his kitchen changed everything...
    Categorized as:
    sports  m-f  contemporary  suspense  humor
  • Made For You by Natasha Madison

    Made For You by Natasha Madison

    Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 3 of 5
    Open door [?] · 28 ratings
    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...
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  • When Alec Met Evie by Jenny Proctor

    When Alec Met Evie by Jenny Proctor

    Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 1 of 5
    Glimpses and kisses [?] · 29 ratings
    Evie told herself not to fall for her pro-hockey crush. But when she sees him holding her baby girl, all bets are off.When Evie moves South to the same mountain town where her childhood crush plays pro-hockey, she arms herself with all the reasons why she can’t fall for him again.Number Alec is her best friend’s much older brother...
  • Playing Games by Max Monroe

    Playing Games by Max Monroe

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 24 ratings
    Dickson University’s star quarterback and campus golden boy is used to winning on and off the field…until he meets the one woman who changes the game. Blake Boden is the ultimate distraction—annoyingly handsome, enigmatic, and confident enough to make my teeth grind. He’s the kind of guy who could charm anyone with a single smile, and somehow, I’ve become his latest challenge...
  • Black Flag by Shey Stahl

    Black Flag by Shey Stahl

    Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars
    · 25 ratings
    When the taste you thought you never needed becomes a thirst you cannot quench, then what? Jameson Riley, a NASCAR rookie driver, and Sway Reins, his pregnant girlfriend, are put to the test. They have love; they have lust, and a bond that proves to be vital. But do they have what it takes to make it through his lifestyle. When tested, it’s either fight, or give in...
  • Home Run by Jordan Marie, Robin Harper

    Home Run by Jordan Marie, Robin Harper

    Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars
    · 23 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...
  • Just One Look by Rosalind James

    Just One Look by Rosalind James

    Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    Luka Darkovic has some tackling skills. He hadn’t planned on using them to bring down a runaway dog the size of a Shetland pony, though, especially not when his neck is already buggered. At 33, a rugby forward protects his vertebrae.. He’s even less happy when the dog’s incompetent owner turns up in his hospital cubicle the next day with a plan to fix those vertebrae...
    Categorized as:
    sports  athletes  m-f  contemporary  humor  length-long
  • Puck Performance by Alley Ciz

    Puck Performance by Alley Ciz

    Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    All's fair in love and potatoes. Melody Brightly Broadway Star. Pink hair. A smile that hits me harder than a slap shot. Terrible taste in hockey teams. Full of secrets. The one woman I fail to defend my heart against. Jase Donnelly Defenseman.Charming. Sexy as puck. Makes my hormones give a standing ovation. The one guy I can never be with, but can't stay away from...
  • 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...
  • Thrill of Love by Melissa Foster

    Thrill of Love by Melissa Foster

    Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Discover the magic of New York Times bestseller Melissa Foster's writing, and see why millions of readers have fallen in love with the Bradens. Fall in love with Ty Braden and Aiyla Bell in this epic love story...
    Categorized as:
    sports  m-f  humor  contemporary  length-medium
  • Dirty Flirty Enemy by Piper Rayne

    Dirty Flirty Enemy by Piper Rayne

    Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 11 ratings
    He’s the arrogant Manhattan realtor with billboards advertising his six-pack more than his expertise in negotiations. I’m the competing broker who stupidly moved across the hall from his office. From day one, I’ve been his sworn enemy. Okay, so I might have accidentally stolen one of his clients...
  • Delayed Call by Toni Aleo

    Delayed Call by Toni Aleo

    Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars
    · 27 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...
  • 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:
    sports  m-f  humor  new adult  contemporary  length-medium
  • 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 ratings
    A 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...
  • Playing Dirty by Mickey Miller

    Playing Dirty by Mickey Miller

    Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars
    · 13 ratings
    I'm going to teach Andrea to play dirty...she just doesn't know it yet. Jake Pulling in eight figures a year as star pitcher for the Chicago Jaguars, there's no shortage of parties, booze, and women. I'm a beast on the mound and between the sheets but when my social media presence becomes a major problem, the team’s owner brings in a PR expert to clean up my image...
    Categorized as:
    sports  m-f  humor  new adult  contemporary  baseball
  • The Fall of East by Nana Malone

    The Fall of East by Nana Malone

    Rated: 4.83 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    THE SIZZLING CONCLUSION TO THE HEAR NO EVIL TRILOGYNyla Kincade has stolen my ruthless heart.Now that she owns it I’m not taking it back.I’ve vowed to protect her and all that we love with everything that I have.I will die before I break that oath.Considering the danger we face, that might be a careless promise.But I’ve fought this hard for vengeance, I must see it through...
  • Protecting Her Heart by Chance Carter

    Protecting Her Heart by Chance Carter

    Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    I'm going to make her beg. Emma asked me to take her all the way. She wants to experience every delicious thing a woman can feel. She wants to be brought to the very edge of ecstasy, and then she wants to leap right off the cliff. I'm a complete playboy, an expert in the ways a man can make a woman beg, so naturally I accept. I love a good challenge...
    Categorized as:
    sports  m-f  humor  contemporary  length-medium
  • Happy New You by Brenda St. John Brown, Cassie-Ann L. Miller

    Happy New You by Brenda St. John Brown, Cassie-Ann L. Miller

    Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    ★10 Resolutions. 2 Friends. 1 Shot At Love. ★ I’ll admit, having nine New Year's resolutions makes me twitchy. After all, I’m Allison Gottlieb; overthinker, overachiever, hot mess extraordinaire. I’ve spent my entire life trying to be the best but for some reason, I’ve always fallen short...
  • Crossing the Brooklyn Briggs by Dana LeCheminant

    Crossing the Brooklyn Briggs by Dana LeCheminant

    Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    High school teacher Brooklyn Briggs has always been great with chemistry but terrible with relationships. When a guy drops into her life—literally—and offers to coach her into getting a date with her longtime crush, she's willing to accept any help she can get.Even if her new flirting coach is her brother Houston's best friend, the guy who drove her crazy all throughout high school...
  • Catch a Wave by Savannah Scott

    Catch a Wave by Savannah Scott

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 13 ratings
    Did you ever see a guy and just know you had to meet him?That was me and Bodhi Merrick. I couldn't take my eyes off him as he donned his wetsuit at the famous big-wave surf spot, Mavericks. I'll never forget that day. Or every time our paths crossed after that. Big wave surfing is a small world. And, as it happens, Bodhi felt the same tug---this irresistible attraction that drew us to one another...
  • All Hung Up by Kathleen Brooks

    All Hung Up by Kathleen Brooks

    Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars
    · 13 ratings
    This novella originally appeared in the Three Southern Beaches collection released July of 2014. Taylor Jefferies fled the Hollywood spotlight and found herself helping the citizens of the small town of Keeneston. As luck would have it, the sexy man who caught her eye and found a place in her heart joined her at college that fall...
    Categorized as:
    athletes  m-f  humor  contemporary  length-novella
  • Second Dive: A Second Chance Sports Romance by Jasmin Miller

    Second Dive: A Second Chance Sports Romance by Jasmin Miller

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    Noah Winters was my heart’s desire, the boy I loved desperately and had hoped to spend my future with. Until our plans were derailed and life took us in completely different directions.When our fate changed, and our paths crossed again, nothing prepared me for the punch straight to the heart when I saw him . . . or his anger and bitterness...
    Categorized as:
    sports  m-f  contemporary  humor  length-medium
  • Somebody Like You by Carrie Elks

    Somebody Like You by Carrie Elks

    Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    He’s rich, talented and way out of her league. Now he’s making her an offer she can’t refuse…Football has always been Cam Hartson’s life. When he's forced to retire following an injury, he slinks back to his small home town, planning to lie low and lick his wounds. Until he meets Mia Devlin. The beautiful single mom of two tearaway boys has no interest in love...
  • Breakaway  (The Rule Book Collection) by A.M. Johnson

    Breakaway (The Rule Book Collection) by A.M. Johnson

    Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    As Tampa Bay's star center, Mark Carmelo's life was hockey, and after a bitter and public break up, all he wanted to do was focus on the game. Until he saw her. The one that got away. The one he thought he'd never see again. For thirteen years, Stevie West drowned in her lackluster life. Recently divorced from her “roommate” with passionless benefits, she was ready to start over...
    Categorized as:
    sports  athletes  christian  humor  contemporary  hockey
  • Real Fake Love by Pippa Grant

    Real Fake Love by Pippa Grant

    Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 52 ratings
    If people have polar opposites, Luca Rossi is mine.His butt is in the baseball hall of fame. Mine’s comfortably seated in the hall of lame.When he’s not snagging fly balls out in center field, he’s modeling in shampoo commercials. I once jammed my own finger while stirring cookie dough, and sometimes I forget shampoo is a thing.He’s a total cynic when it comes to love...
  • Hard Fall by Sara Ney

    Hard Fall by Sara Ney

    Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 32 ratings
    "Hard Fall"That's what my mom is always saying: "The bigger you are, the harder you fall." She's talking about love—I've never been in it myself, but that doesn't stop me from secretly matchmaking for my friends. Who would suspect me, a world class athlete, of meddling in other people's love lives? I love Love, especially when it’s not me who’s doing the falling…"No Thanks...
  • Savor by Xavier Neal

    Savor by Xavier Neal

    Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    Lately, Logan "Unbreakable" Kellar's life has been a series of miscommunications with catastrophic consequences. However, this time around, the consequences threaten to not only damage his current relationships but erase a future he only ever dreamed of...
  • Power Play by C.J. Cartwright

    Power Play by C.J. Cartwright

    Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    What if the one who got away… comes back? They say you never forget your first love. But does time truly heal all wounds?Levi Fawkes knows hockey, and not much else. As the captain of the Astoria Bay Thunder, his eyes are always locked on the goal...
  • Trey by A.M. Madden

    Trey by A.M. Madden

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    They say time heals all wounds. And maybe they’re right. But what about wounds no one sees? The kind that open again and again? The kind that have you feeling like you swallowed glass?Those are the wounds I carry. Years of heartbreak have created layer after layer of scar tissue over my whimpering heart...
  • Shopping for a Turkey by Julia Kent

    Shopping for a Turkey by Julia Kent

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    I don’t understand Americans. 
Or, as we say in Scotland, I dinna understand ye eedjits.
And I definitely dinna understand the crazy mother-in-law of my cousin Declan...
    Categorized as:
    sports  m-f  contemporary  humor  soccer  length-short
  • The Sweetest Chirp by Toni Aleo

    The Sweetest Chirp by Toni Aleo

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    AudrinaI ran.I left everything I knew, and I didn’t look back.I have loved my best friend since I the moment I knew what love was. While I adore a good best-friends-to-lovers trope, that was never our story. We danced around each other, skated along the line but didn’t cross it, and I never knew why. Until one night, I took matters into my own hands...
    Categorized as:
    sports  m-f  contemporary  humor  hockey
  • Bad Boy by Janet Elizabeth Henderson

    Bad Boy by Janet Elizabeth Henderson

    Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    A Bad Boy trying to be good, a Good Girl driven to be bad and a five year old who wants to rule the world… Being good is so freaking hard. And boring. Flynn Boyle has only been doing it for a couple of hours and already he’s had enough...
  • Play Me by Kelly Elliott, Kristin Mayer

    Play Me by Kelly Elliott, Kristin Mayer

    Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars
    · 15 ratings
    She has a head for business and a body for sin. He is a coach who knows how to use his equipment. Neither is looking for love. Should be easy, right? Wrong. This might be the most important game Kendall Wales and Hunter Owens have ever played where everything is on the line. With one wrong play, they could lose it all...
  • The Friend Face Off by Grace Worthington

    The Friend Face Off by Grace Worthington

    Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    Getting involved with your brother’s best friend is risky enough. But when he's a hockey player? It's a whole new level of bad idea.As a ravenous reader, I’ve got a I’m obsessed with hockey romances.But let me tell you, real life hockey players are nothing like my book boyfriends.So I threw down the gauntlet on BookTok. I challenged any single guy out there to prove me wrong...
  • Hot Pickle by J.J. Knight

    Hot Pickle by J.J. Knight

    Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    I'm rock hard.No, not like that.When that happens, you won't need me to tell you.I'm a competitive bodybuilder, ready for my very first contest. And winning requires more than killer workouts and stage presence.It's all about the tan.My training partner Franklin uses the best in the business — Camryn Schultz. She understands the career killer of a badly placed white spot.She’s also his sister...
  • Just Say (Hell) No by Rosalind James

    Just Say (Hell) No by Rosalind James

    Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    Need an Escape to New Zealand?Valentine's Day. Even a hard man needs a soft side. Marko Sendoa isn’t a beach man. He’s not an Auckland man. He’s a hard man. Born Basque tough, raised in the heart of New Zealand’s Southern Alps, and bred on hard work, discipline, and getting the job done...
  • Happy Hour by Shey Stahl

    Happy Hour by Shey Stahl

    Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars
    · 28 ratings
    Between revving engines, smoking tires, and high speeds, two friends form a vital bond in the shadows of the blaring spotlight. Sway Reins, a track owner’s only daughter, and Jameson Riley, a gritty NASCAR rookie driver, have been best friends since they were kids. Over the years, Sway becomes his safety shield during his rapid rise to the elite levels of auto racing...
  • Turn of the Tides by Jessica Prince

    Turn of the Tides by Jessica Prince

    Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars
    · 13 ratings
    When 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...
  • The Race by Alice Ward

    The Race by Alice Ward

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    I like it fast. She likes it faster. Who will win this race? As founder and CEO of UnCaged Fitness, I sponsor some of the hottest fitness properties around. Top female athletes and models beg for my attention. I’m rich. I’m ruthless. And when it comes to my business, I don’t play around. Until Emma James and her beautiful curves comes to Daytona...
    Categorized as:
    sports  m-f  humor  new adult  contemporary
  • Famous Last Words by Shann McPherson

    Famous Last Words by Shann McPherson

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    A 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...
  • Only One Chance by Natasha Madison

    Only One Chance by Natasha Madison

    Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 25 ratings
    Miller They called me the pretty boy on and off the ice. Hockey’s most eligible bachelor.When my teammate asked me to donate one date to his charity, I figured why not. Worst case, I’d spend the night with a fan. Best-case scenario, she would be hot. What I wasn’t expecting was for my dream girl to be the highest bidder...
  • Changing Lanes by Katie Graykowski

    Changing Lanes by Katie Graykowski

    Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars
    · 20 ratings
    Professional Football Player, Devon Harding found his soul mate at the age of seventeen. Trouble is, he can’t remember her last name. For the last fourteen years, he’s been waiting for The Universe to send her back to him. When that day comes, he nearly falls all over himself to get to her. But he plays it cool and waits for her to come to him. And she walks right past him...
  • One Steamy Pucking Meet Cute by Penelope Bloom

    One Steamy Pucking Meet Cute by Penelope Bloom

    Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    I’ll tell you about the two very large pickles I’ve found myself in, but only if you promise not to laugh… Pickle number one: I'm unexpectedly pregnant by an NHL star, who just so happens to be my big brother's best friend—and no, we weren't exactly dating. For reasons that totally make sense (trust me for now), I never told him about the baby...
    Categorized as:
    sports  m-f  hockey  contemporary  humor  length-medium
  • Day One by Lauren Runow

    Day One by Lauren Runow

    Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 3 of 5
    Open door [?] · 10 ratings
    My thoughts of how I’m going to survive this indefinite amount of time alone are interrupted by a notification from my Tinder app.Yes, we’re on quarantine. Yes, I reactivated my account out of pure boredom. And, yes, Drew’s one profile photo is smoking hot.I hit Reply.Day by day, as the world tries to stay healthy, we find creative ways to pass the time together...
  • Surprise Package by Donna Alam

    Surprise Package by Donna Alam

    Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars
    · 11 ratings
    Technically, I might be breaking and entering, I didn't come down the chimney. And I'm no Ho (Ho Ho) But I did get my hands on his . . . Surprise Package. When I arrive at my remote holiday cottage, I don't expect to find a hot Scotsman in my bed. I also don't plan on being snowed in with him. He says I have the wrong address—that the cottage is his, But I think there's another story...
  • Thanks For Last Night by Lauren Blakely

    Thanks For Last Night by Lauren Blakely

    Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars
    · 21 ratings
    A sexy new friends-to-lovers standalone!Let me list the reasons why dating a sexy, charming, pro hockey star is a bad idea:1. He’s one of my closest friends2. All our friends are friends3. The wounds I’ve got from past relationships go deep. And so do his.We’re both devoutly single -- it’s just safer for the heart that way...
  • Cocky Quarterback: Eric Cocker by Faleena Hopkins

    Cocky Quarterback: Eric Cocker by Faleena Hopkins

    Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars
    · 24 ratings
    This series is 18+ERIC do you capture a girl's heart? Make her laugh. The waitress with the bird tattoo drawn up her middle finger got my attention by not caring if she has it. My team thinks it's hilarious she's not into me. Trouble is she likes musician types.... But hey, I'm a star quarterback and a Cocker which means I don't drop the ball...
  • Dear Hattie by Cassie Mint

    Dear Hattie by Cassie Mint

    Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars
    · 17 ratings
    Hattie’s Guide to Crushing on Your Workplace Arch Nemesis:Rule one: Do not engage. Do not give that doorway-leaning, sinful-smirking jerk the satisfaction.Rule two: No more late nights together in the office. No more sparks flying by the water cooler. And absolutely no tackling him into the corporate ball pit.Rule three: Never forget that you loathe each other. Never admit to any squishy feelings...
  • The Shake-Up by Evie Mitchell

    The Shake-Up by Evie Mitchell

    Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    AnikaMy milkshakes may bring all the boys to my bar, but that doesn't mean they wanna hang around for dessert.Despite being the perfect woman - attractive, confident and a world class chef - I'm not marriage material. I've resigned myself to that fact. But that doesn't mean I don't want a man in my bed.And Mac? Or should I say, Mac-Daddy? Well, he's just the man I'm looking for.Temporary...
  • Pitch to Palace by Aven Ellis

    Pitch to Palace by Aven Ellis

    Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    She was a princess who found solace and happiness in books, determined to stay hidden from the world forever. But will her crush—a sexy Canadian footballer with a playboy past—be the one to lure her out of her shell and into his arms instead?Comfort for Isabella York is found buried in the pages of books...
    Categorized as:
    sports  m-f  new adult  humor  contemporary  length-long
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