Books like 'Passion or Penalty'

Readers who enjoyed Passion or Penalty by Leah Brunner also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.

contemporary  funny  friends to lovers  sports  siblings-bff  hockey  m-f  height-difference  second chances  working class heroine 

  • 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...
  • 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...
  • Sponsored links
  • Time by Penny Reid

    Time by Penny Reid

    Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 3 of 5
    Open door [?] · 58 ratings
    From the New York Times Bestselling Author Penny Reid A (brokenhearted) physicist. Now an infamous (who is LITERALLY EVERYWHERE!! UGH!) musician. The worst has already happened. Mona has learned that she has nothing figured out and plans are meaningless. After leaving her in Aspen, Abram is now breaking sales-records, rising to rock star fame almost overnight. Mona can’t seem to escape him...
  • Once Upon a Wild Fling by Lauren Blakely

    Once Upon a Wild Fling by Lauren Blakely

    Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars
    · 26 ratings
    There are a million reasons why Miles Hart isn't the man I should date but allow me to enumerate the top three. He's friends with my brother, he's a single dad, and he's a sexy, in-demand rock star. He might as well wear an off-limits, totally unavailable, and don’t-even-attempt-to-ride-this-ride sign. And there’s one more, little itty-bitty thing -- he's never asked me on a date...
  • 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...
  • 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
  • Hold Me Forever by Layla Hagen

    Hold Me Forever by Layla Hagen

    Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars
    · 28 ratings
    Tyler Maxwell's story will be released on January 18th.As the leagues’ top goalie for the Chicago Blades, I stay disciplined and follow three principles:1. Keep a pristine image.2. Play smart and hard on the ice.3. Stay out of relationships...
  • The Rookie by Olivia T. Turner

    The Rookie by Olivia T. Turner

    Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 16 ratings
    I'm the last of the original crew still working at the pub.Bridget met a guy online and moved to Australia, James got fired, Ivy had a kid, Zara went to work for her dad in Miami, and now Lauren is leaving too.I'm the only one left.With no prospects and no opportunities.Until out of the blue, I get one.I had long given up my career as a real estate agent.It was over before it even started...
  • A Smoky Mountain Hockey Holiday by Toni Aleo

    A Smoky Mountain Hockey Holiday by Toni Aleo

    Rated: 4.59 of 5 stars
    · 11 ratings
    One chalet in the Smokies. Four loving families. While all the grandbabies are on Santa’s Nice List, a few of the adults are getting coal in their stockings. But no matter their status with the man in the red suit, Elli Adler will spoil each and every one of her favorite people with love and holiday cheer...
  • 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...
  • Rogue Wave by J. Bengtsson

    Rogue Wave by J. Bengtsson

    Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars
    · 15 ratings
    A love story that survives the test of time. Keith McKallister is the king of the stoners. You know the type. Every school has one – the hot, fun, dopey guy beloved by the student body but despised by, well, just about everyone else. He spends his early mornings in the ocean and his days trying to get to class on time...
  • 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...
  • Crave by Adriana Locke

    Crave by Adriana Locke

    Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars
    · 29 ratings
    Hadley Jacobs is over Machlan Gibson. Sure, she’ll always be a little weak to the dimple in his right cheek and the way his five o’clock shadow makes him ruggedly handsome. But that’s not enough to cover every other thing about him because they all drive her nuts. Like how he won’t admit he’s wrong even when he knows it and how he drives his stupid car a million miles an hour on wet asphalt...
  • Pucked Under by Helena Hunting

    Pucked Under by Helena Hunting

    Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars
    · 36 ratings
    Randy Ballistic and Lily LeBlanc are head-over-heels, bed-breakingly, screaming orgasmically in love. But even they have their challenges, mostly outside of the bedroom. With the off-season coming to a close and the boys gearing up for training camp, one more weekend of fun is the perfect way to welcome the new season...
  • Felix by Lulu Moore

    Felix by Lulu Moore

    Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 24 ratings
    I have a secret. Twelve years ago I crushed on my teammate’s little sister, before firmly putting her in the friend zone. Which then became the best friend zone. And my teammate became more of a brother.But now we have two problems.1. I just found out she’s been crushing on me too, and my feelings have come hurtling back like a puck heading for the net2...
  • 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...
  • 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...
  • Are We There Yet? by Savannah Scott

    Are We There Yet? by Savannah Scott

    Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 1 of 5
    Glimpses and kisses [?] · 14 ratings
    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...
  • Tight Hold by Lisa Suzanne

    Tight Hold by Lisa Suzanne

    Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    The pro football player I’m faking a relationship with has the perfect solution to my career woes. He’s encouraging me to lean into the pseudo-celebrity life I was born into instead of trying to outrun it, and for the first time in my life, someone sees me for me.I feel like he’s falling for me, too.And then my ex shows up...
  • ICED by Jacob Chance

    ICED by Jacob Chance

    Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars
    · 15 ratings
    Oliver Ice, one of Boston University’s notorious hockey players, has been on my radar since I slammed into his rock-hard body during my first week of college, three years ago. He helped me to my feet, muttered an apology, and ran off after his girlfriend, dashing my hopes of a happily ever after. Now, he’s the bartender where I work, and this time, very much single...
  • Born to Sin by Rosalind James

    Born to Sin by Rosalind James

    Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Being 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...
  • Boomerangers by Heather M. Orgeron

    Boomerangers by Heather M. Orgeron

    Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 28 ratings
    Boomerangers [boo-muh-rang-ers] noun, informal: an adult that moves back home to live with a parent after a period of independence. Spencer I love sex. I love the power, the intimacy, the euphoria it brings. Too bad I’m not having any . . . You’d think as New Orleans’ most renowned sex therapist that I’d be swimming in single men. In a way, I am . .
  • Outta My League by Ali Parker, Weston Parker

    Outta My League by Ali Parker, Weston Parker

    Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    The way she looks, smells, laughs is killing me.I fell in love with my sister’s best friend. To top it all off, she’s brilliant. And I’m failing Chemistry.Of course, when I get her help, she’s laidback about it. Charming and helpful as always, like she doesn’t know how much I want her. I’ve got to play it cool and let her see a different side of me...
  • 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  hockey  christian  humor  contemporary
  • Mr. Broody by Piper Rayne

    Mr. Broody by Piper Rayne

    Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 36 ratings
    I’ve loved Henry Hensley since I was seven years old. We’ve gone from best friends to lovers to nothing. To most people, he’s the Chicago Falcons starting right winger and hot single dad, but to me, he’s my first boyfriend, my first kiss, my first love. Eight years ago, that all changed when our lives took us in two different directions...
  • 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...
  • No Rep by Lani Lynn Vale

    No Rep by Lani Lynn Vale

    Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars
    · 20 ratings
    Taos was tired.Tired of everything that came with living. Not to the point where he was suicidal or anything, but tired enough that he just didn’t give a crap anymore.He’d seen all the ugliness this world had to offer due to his job as a police officer for way too many damn years of his less than stellar life...
  • The Trouble with #9 by Piper Rayne

    The Trouble with #9 by Piper Rayne

    Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 18 ratings
    Trouble.One word that comes to mind when someone talks about me. I like to think of it as protection, watching out for the ones I love. But now I’m spending more time in the penalty box than on the ice and the team owner isn’t happy.Finding myself across the room from the hot therapist I kissed on New Year’s Eve only makes me push my problems down further...
  • Made For Me by Natasha Madison

    Made For Me by Natasha Madison

    Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 32 ratings
    From Wall Street Journal and USA TODAY bestselling author Natasha Madison comes a brand new stand-alone friends to lovers sports romance. A spin-off from the Only One seriesChaseEveryone expected me to play hockey.I was good at it, but I was better at being a doctor.So I hung up the skates and joined Doctors without BordersBut there is no place like home, so now I’m back...
  • 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...
  • Playboy’s Reward by Gina Azzi

    Playboy’s Reward by Gina Azzi

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    It was supposed to be a favor between neighbors…When sexy-as-sin Harper Henderson launches profanities into the night sky from the balcony below mine, I intervene. I volunteer to be her date to her ten-year high school reunion. I may be a professional hockey player with a playboy reputation, but I’m also a good guy and I make an exceptional plus-one.Being Harper's fake date is easy...
  • Off Limits by Chelle Sloan

    Off Limits by Chelle Sloan

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Professional football has an actual rulebook, but it’s the unwritten rules that come with the harshest consequences.The biggest one of all: don’t date your teammate’s sister. And if you do, don’t you dare fall in love with her.I never meant to fall, but when it comes to Brenna Donald, I never stood a chance. She’s everything I’m not--a light-hearted wild child who shines brighter than the sun...
  • 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  hockey  m-f  contemporary  humor
  • Tight Spot by Lisa Suzanne

    Tight Spot by Lisa Suzanne

    Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars
    · 9 ratings
    I don’t date football players.I’m not interested in the ones who are a decade older than me. I want nothing to do with the ones who play on the same team as my brothers, and I certainly avoid the ones who spend more time in strip clubs than kids’ clubs...
  • Face-Off at the Altar by Toni Aleo

    Face-Off at the Altar by Toni Aleo

    Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars
    · 24 ratings
    Markus Reeves is sucking. Big-time. Toiling away on a minor-league hockey team hundreds of miles away from home, he's watching his dreams of an NHL career fade away. Add in the lingering guilt he has over the dramatic demise of his relationship with college girlfriend, Mekena, and he's a mess on and off the ice. But the family of his heart, the Sinclairs, won't let Markus suffer any longer...
  • Dirty Flirt by Mira Lyn Kelly

    Dirty Flirt by Mira Lyn Kelly

    Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 14 ratings
    Bad ideas are kind of my superpower... I’m Ben Boerboom, the NHL’s favorite puck boy, and Lara's my slamming hot, former bestie. She's also the friend who got away and my dirty, dirty accomplice from those two insane weeks that weren't supposed to change anything... but did.I wanted it all. Would have wrapped my forever around her finger if she'd let me...
  • Fake Start by Jasmin Miller

    Fake Start by Jasmin Miller

    Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    You know that awkward moment when your agent tells you to fake date your best friend’s sister so you can get the endorsement deal of your dreams? No? Call me crazy for considering it, but why not? Daisy’s my friend, after all, and I’ve gotten quite close to her and her two awesome boys over the last few years since her douche-nozzle husband divorced her...
  • Crossing the Line by Kendall Ryan

    Crossing the Line by Kendall Ryan

    Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars
    · 37 ratings
    Recovering from a pulled groin muscle isn’t exactly how I planned to spend my much-needed summer vacation. But I’ll admit, being nursed back to health by my gorgeous friend Bailey, who’s just graduated from medical school, doesn’t exactly sound like a hardship...
  • 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...
  • Wild Steamy Hook-Up by Piper Rayne

    Wild Steamy Hook-Up by Piper Rayne

    Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 14 ratings
    He’s the quiet brooding guy who’s owned my heart since I was sixteen but has refused to claim it. I’m the naïve woman who believes that someday our time will come.I just didn’t realize that someday would include waking up in Vegas with a raging hangover and a ring on my finger...
  • Trying to Score by Kendall Ryan

    Trying to Score by Kendall Ryan

    Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars
    · 30 ratings
    Teddy King excels at many things. Playing hockey. Check. Scoring on and off the ice. Check. Being stupidly attractive ... Double check. I knew him way back when. Before he was the guy everyone wanted a piece of, he was just a rebellious college co-ed and one of my more energetic study partners...
  • 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...
  • My Lucky #13 by Piper Rayne

    My Lucky #13 by Piper Rayne

    Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 32 ratings
    Lucky.The one adjective used to describe my entire hockey career. I prefer to call it hard work, at least I did until my game went to complete crap. I haven’t scored in eight games and my team owner is talking about trading me. I’ve never believed in superstitions. Never needed one. I suppose I was “lucky” in that way. But now the best way to refer to me is desperate...
  • Trivial Pursuits by Aven Ellis

    Trivial Pursuits by Aven Ellis

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Landon Holder is exactly the kind of man Livy Adams should stay far away from. The flashy, flirty star defenseman for the Chicago Buffaloes is known for hooking up with women all over Chicago. Livy finds herself attracted to Landy, but his sexy good looks and charm are irrelevant...
  • Big Buns More Fun by Penn Rivers, P. Jameson

    Big Buns More Fun by Penn Rivers, P. Jameson

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 3 of 5
    Open door [?] · 8 ratings
    Big buns mean more fun.I know it’s true because I spent summers with my best friend and his sister as a teen. Kimmi and I shared enough laughs to make me realize, even then, that she was meant for me.But our family got in the way, and over the years I lost hope that I’d ever have a chance with my big booty cutie.Except now, her brother is married and finally minding his own business...
  • 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: 4.12 of 5 stars
    · Steam rating: 4 of 5
    Explicit open door [?] · 24 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...
  • Getting Wound Up by Jennifer Bernard, Erin Nicholas

    Getting Wound Up by Jennifer Bernard, Erin Nicholas

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    A fun and flirty crossover novel from bestselling authors, Jennifer Bernard (Love Between the Bases) and Erin Nicholas (Sapphire Falls)! Caitlyn Murray has never let on that she’s had fantasies about her brother's friend Eli Anderson for years. She'd do anything for the sexy baseball player who walked away from stardom to stay in Sapphire Falls and take care of his family...
  • Two for Roughing by Lasairiona E. McMaster

    Two for Roughing by Lasairiona E. McMaster

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    It’s a simple rule: don’t bang your teammates’ siblings.Finn O’Brien didn’t just break the rule, he annihilated it. Falling in love with his best friend’s younger sister when they were teens was an accident. He fought it for years, hiding behind a list of one-night stands a mile long, anything to convince himself Molly Morrison wasn’t the woman for him...
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.