Books like 'Second Down Darling'
Readers who enjoyed Second Down Darling by Lex Martin also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary virgin heroine college sports athletes single-father new adult forbidden love friends to lovers latinx-mc
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Pretty It Up by Cee Bowerman
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsDescriptionSometimes love just isn’t enough, or is it?Lana Gold, one of the Donovan triplets, found her one true love in college but lost him when the life he’d dreamed of became reality. Being an outsider looking in and so far away from her family and hometown took its toll on Lana and her marriage until she’d finally had enough and left it all behind...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers second chances multicultural contemporary alpha male length-short -
Hart to Heart by M.E. Carter, Jacob Morgan
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsListening Length: 5 hours, 6 minutesWe’re the Harts. Between an engagement, a wedding and an adoption, we’ve had the best year of our lives. Things have never looked better for any of us.But just because you say “I do” doesn’t mean you get a happily ever after. And sometimes, you get tackled more in life than you ever did on the football field... -
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... -
Lovestruck by Julie Capulet
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsShe’s completely off-limits.But some rules were made to be broken.Elias O’Shea isn’t just Hawthorne University’s star quarterback—he’s the campus heartthrob. With the looks of a god and an easygoing charm that leaves women swooning, he’s at the top of his game. The NFL is within reach and endorsements are pouring in...Categorized as:
sports football new adult college virgin heroine forbidden love friends to lovers contemporary -
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The Consolation Duet Books 1-2 by Corinne Michaels
Rated: 4.62 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLiam wasn't supposed to be my happily ever after. He wasn't even on my radar. He was my husband's best friend-forbidden. But my husband died and I fell in love with Liam only to be left shattered into a million pieces. Again. I want him. I need him. I yearn for him, but he's gone. Now I have to decide if it's him I love or if he was just the consolation prize all along... -
Kade by Tijan
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsI have fought. I have bled. I have wreaked havoc for my family. Anyone who threatened us, tried to break us, I broke them instead. Then, there was peace. Marriage. Children. Life was good. Life was great.Until my phone rang one night. Retired, I was no longer in the NFL. We'd recently moved back to Fallen Crest.So I should’ve known. I should’ve remembered. There is no peace in Fallen Crest... -
Landon & Shay - Part Two by Brittainy C. Cherry
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsOnce upon a time, I fell in love with a boy.A beautiful, broken boy who had his own world of struggles. People warned me against our love, but I didn't listen.We looked weak. Young, foolish. Dangerously in love. We didn't care.In order to keep our hearts protected from the opinions of others, we became each other’s secret. We shared stolen moments. Tender touches. Secretive embraces... -
Hard to Score by K. Bromberg
I’ve signed numerous players to my family’s agency—I assumed winning over my next client would be just as easy. The last thing I expected was to run into the boy who took my first kiss and broke my heart: only now Drew Bowman is all grown up. Sexy. Scandal-tainted. Second-string. The crush I never got over. I tell myself work is the reason I can’t get him out of my head...Categorized as:
sports angst forbidden love friends to lovers second chances football contemporary betrayal -
From Now Until Infinity by Layne Harper
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsEight years have passed since Colin and Caroline “Charlie” ended their college romance. A chance meeting reunited them confirming that time had not diminished their love for each other. Now, they have to turn their passionate reunion into a legitimate and sustainable relationship. Charlie’s medical practice is in Houston. Colin is the starting quarterback for Dallas... -
Moonstruck by Dana LeCheminant
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsWith his knack for bad luck, Liam isn’t surprised when he’s awarded house arrest after protecting a fan at his last show. What he didn’t expect was the girl of his dreams showing up with his lunch delivery and turning his confinement into an unexpected friendship... -
The Fake by Rebecca Jenshak
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsI've made a lot of dumb mistakes but none dumber than losing her.Senior year. I should be partying and living it up with my friends before graduation, but one more mistake and I'm off the team.Enter Chloe. She comes into my life at a low point, but she becomes the bright spot I reach for every day. She's the kind of girl who makes a guy want to be a better man... -
Jersey Girl by Rhonda James
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsBrantley Cage is a standout D-man on Great Lakes University hockey team. Now that his dream of signing with the Detroit Red Wings has come true, his goals for senior year are simple: Work hard. Score big. Stay away from love. And then he meets her. There's just one problem... -
Outta My League by Ali Parker, Weston Parker
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe 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... -
Nixon by Samantha Whiskey
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsI’m the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL because I know how to read the field.I control the plays—and my life—with absolute precision.Until Liberty Jones delivers the ultimate hit to my blind side with a story about two pink lines.The beautiful, free-spirited brunette has starred in my dreams since she disappeared after our wild weekend in Vegas, but I’ve been burned before... -
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Only One Forever by Natasha Madison
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsFrom The Something So Series and the This Is series comes Only One Forever.DylanMy dreams came true when I was adopted at ten.I was the best on the ice. Living the life of what every kid dreams of.We’ve been best friends since then. Even when she was the annoying little sister following us around.I would do anything for her.It is another family vacation; except this time it feels different...Categorized as:
sports new adult forced proximity friends to lovers forbidden love athletes m-f contemporary -
Knowing You by Allie Everhart
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsNow that Garret’s decided he’s no longer following the rules of his wealthy family, he can finally develop a closer relationship with Jade. Things are going well, but Jade still worries that being with Garret is only temporary. And because of that, she’s not sure how much of herself and her past she’s willing to let him see... -
All To Pieces by Susan Henshaw
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsA closed-door, high school sweethearts, second chance, football romance from Amazon bestselling author Susan Henshaw. Millions watch him play. Except the one who matters most.BlueI made the worst mistake of my life when I let my dad move me across the country after my sophomore year of high school.Had my football career taken off? Yes... -
Branded by a Song by L.J. Evans
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHas this country-rock legend finally met his match? A woman who can fill the aching void for “more” that’s been missing from his life? Brady O’Neil tells the world he’s temporarily returning to upstate New York to help his sister. While it’s the truth, he’s also searching for the soul his music has lost... -
Locked Up One Night by Chasity Bowlin, Laramie Briscoe
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI shouldn't want my ex-wife's little sister, but I do. And turns out, she wants me, too...TroyThere’s one person who pushes all my buttons… Lizzie. My former sister in law. My ex wife’s baby sister. Who was a freaking kid when Emma and I were married. But she’s not a kid anymore and my feelings for her aren’t brotherly. At all... -
Golden Boy and the Two Bears by Nash Summers
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 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... -
With a Hitch by R.C. Boldt
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsRC Boldt brings us a smart, sexy new standalone about a matchmaker/dating coach who's faced with the challenge of finding Mrs. Right for the city's beloved NFL wide receiver... She’s playing it safe. He’s playing for keeps. DARCY Growing up in the foster system, I learned the hard way that lasting love doesn't always come easy... -
Sugar and Spice by Kat Baxter
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsAll she wants is a weekend rendezvous…I love the small town I’m from. I love having so much extended family close by and I love my mail order chocolate company. But what what I don’t love is being everyone’s favorite aunt. It’s like being cock-blocked by the entire town... -
A Wild Card Kiss by Lauren Blakely
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsA sexy standalone romance between a single dad athlete and the woman who got away!Things that suck on my wedding day -- walking in on my groom kissing another woman twenty minutes before the ceremony.Things that suck worse? The woman he’s kissing is my mom.I head straight for the bowling alley bar down the street and ask for a double...Categorized as:
sports athletes forbidden love second chances friends to lovers single-father contemporary humor -
Heart Starter by Michelle Hercules
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsMy plans were simple. Graduate from college, get a job, and not worry anymore if I can make next month's rent. It turns out I might have a shot at getting drafted to play in the NFL, and nothing will distract me from that goal.I didn't count on Sadie Clarkson wrecking my plans. Our first meeting was explosive, to say the least. Now I can't stop thinking about her sassy attitude or sexy mouth... -
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A Friendly Wager: A Secret Baby, Fake Engagement Romance by Ajme Williams
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMy next-door neighbor is wifey material .Calm down... I’m not proposing to her.A fake engagement will do for now.My mother won’t get off my back.As a star hockey player love isn’t on the cards for me.Not now, not ever.I had a one-night stand with Ruby a decade ago.But that shouldn’t come in the way of our ruse.I doubt she misses the way I made her shake when I took her v-card...Categorized as:
new adult sports friends to lovers second chances contemporary secret child length-medium -
The Two of Us by Taylor A. Torres
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsSometimes holding on to pain means letting go of love.If there’s no place like home, that’s more than okay for Mara Makinen. In fact, she prefers it that way. Going back to the place where she made the worst mistake of her life? Not ideal... -
For Everly by Raine Thomas
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 26 ratings**Mature Content Warning** This is a New Adult novel recommended for ages 17+ due to language, sexual content, and mature subject matter. Determined to overcome a dark and tragic past, college student Everly Wallace is only months away from earning her degree in physical therapy. She’s consumed with school, caring for her ailing grandfather, and figuring out how to pay the next bill... -
Game Day by Piper Lawson
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsIn the heat of victory, I asked her to be mine forever. We’d both triumphed in our own way:Nova broke free from her past.I led my team to a championship and discovered life beyond the court. Our journey to "I do" was supposed to be easy. Except…The hottest resort in Aspen is only available is on short notice.A new season with the Denver Kodiaks looms on the horizon... -
Going All In by Ali Parker, Weston Parker
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBeing the nice guy leaves me open to being a rebound romance.Which I’m not interested in. I’ve got better things to do.Like taking my spot on the NBA draft picks. It’s all that matters to me.Love has never been on the radar. I’m too focused for all that fluff.Then life slows me down. Way down.An injury at the end of the spring semester has me working my way back to full health all summer long... -
Perfectly Imperfect by Tiffany Casper
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsDaemonWhen you learn at the young age of nine that words have the same impact as a fist, it shapes you into the man you grow up to be.It makes you hard.Unshakable.And sometimes… Cold.That was until he saw her in a classroom being the kind of mom that he wished he had. Being the kind of mom that all women should aspire to be... -
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... -
Faked and Fumbled by Gina Azzi
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsKnoxville Coyotes football heartthrob Cohen Campbell is my brother’s best friend. Now, he’s the man posing as my fake boyfriend. Simple, right? Wrong.I thought my luck couldn’t get worse than when my long-term boyfriend publicly dumped me. Wrong again. Now, my ex is dating my cousin, and our friend group is embarking on an annual ski trip.Desperate to save face, I beg Cohen to pretend to like me...Categorized as:
sports football friends to lovers athletes forced proximity new adult humor contemporary -
Defiant Heir by Michelle Heard
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsFrom International Bestseller Michelle Heard comes a new friends to lovers novel in The Heirs series. The man of my dreams is nothing short of perfect. Kao Reed is a hermit who loves to live in the shadows. With striking blue eyes and a gentle nature, he won my heart years ago. I’ve woven all my dreams and future around him. But then the worst happens...Categorized as:
new adult friends to lovers college virgin heroine m-f contemporary super rich hero length-medium -
Hearts on Air by L.H. Cosway
3 weeks. 5 cities. 15 impossible stunts. One reality show. Trevor Cross came into Reya Cabrera’s world with a bang and faded out with a whimper. They vowed to make it work, but life had other plans. After chasing his TV dreams for years, Trev finally became the UK’s next big reality star, but he alienated his family and friends in the process. Now he finally has everything he ever wanted... -
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Catching Summer by L.P. Dover
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsHailed by Heidi McLaughlin as a bestselling author who “knows how to create the men who make us swoon,” L. P. Dover returns with an edgy, emotionally gripping Second Chances novel about a beautiful widow who can’t resist a chiseled NFL player. Former nurse Summer Jacobs has seen her fair share of suffering, but she never expected tragedy to hit so close to home... -
Fortunate Son by Jay Crownover
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsRy Archer and Bowe Keller are as different as night and day. But that doesn’t stop the childhood frenemies from reconnecting whenever one of them needs some help tackling any of life’s major puzzles, like figuring out why getting what you always thought you wanted isn’t living up to all the hype... -
Next to Me by Allie Everhart
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsAfter losing her parents and brother in a car accident, Callie dropped out of college and went to live in the small town where her family used to spend the summers. A year later, and struggling to move on, she keeps to herself and wants to be left alone. So she’s not too happy when her new neighbor keeps knocking on her door... -
Epic Love by Trudy Stiles, Erin Noelle
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSecond chance romance - STANDALONE. HEATH STRICKLAND, the son of a prominent district attorney, lived his life surrounded by violence and crime. He was an unwilling witness to the corrupt lives his father swore to prosecute and keep behind bars. His escape was his music, which eventually led him to replace the iconic singer of the world famous band, Epic Fail... -
Undefeated by Stuart Reardon, Jane Harvey-Berrick
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA Rugby RomanceWhen your world crashes downWhen they all say you’re outWhen your body is brokenI will rise.I will return.And I will be undefeated. Nick Renshaw is the golden boy of British rugby. When a serious injury threatens his career, he starts to spiral downwards, a broken man.Feeling abandoned and betrayed by those closest to him, he fights to restart his life... -
The Art of Falling in Love with Your Fake Fiancé by Anne Kemp
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAll’s fair in love and war…until you agree to be your best friend’s fake fiancé.Levi: Life as an NFL player has always been fast-paced, but nothing prepared me for becoming the guardian of my godson, Duncan. With his grandmother contesting custody, I need to prove that I’m a steadfast influence who’s not going anywhere and there’s one sure-fire way to show that: get engaged... -
The Roommate Arrangement by Mickey Miller
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMickey Miller presents a brand new, second chance romance with all the feels. Is it true what they say: if it’s meant to be, it will be? Lucas:Eight years ago, I faked a marriage with my best friend.The arrangement was a ruse, but the feelings I developed were real.Then we graduated from college, and let each other go. At last, I tried to. Letting go of Sky was harder than I ever imagined... -
Until Now by Amy Donnelly
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsFocus. Dean Goldsmith is Indiana University’s star quarterback, and his dreams are about to come true. His undefeated season means he has a legitimate shot at the NFL. If he stays focused. Football comes first. College senior, Grace Yeates, is determined to defy the odds. She is months away from graduating with a business degree, something no one thought she would be able to pull off... -
Ryker by Samantha Lind
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsAfter years of trying to get back home to be closer to my daughter, I finally secured a spot on the newly expanded San Francisco Shockwaves. Juggling being the newly appointed Captain of the team and taking on full-time fatherhood to a teenager sends my life into chaos. I quickly find myself needing someone who can pick up the pieces and keep my life in order as I certainly can’t do it alone...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers new adult forced proximity single-father m-f contemporary hockey -
Owned By My Roommate by Imani Jay
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsOne curvy girl, one hot roommate... things are about to get steamy!Asher Lee is a retired professional rugby player, on his way to Europe to discuss a coaching opportunity.Anta Konan is a Silicon Valley working girl, flying to London for a much needed getaway...Categorized as:
multicultural forced proximity athletes sports contemporary alpha male length-novella -
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Three and Out by Meghan Quinn
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsPiper was dead to him. The minute she walked out the door on Mason, he was done. D.O.N.E. Now, three months later, he’s still trying to act like he doesn’t care. Like his heart hasn’t been torn into shreds and obliterated beyond recognition. But it’s not working. He’s broken and beyond repair. Then Piper goes missing... -
Curveball by Kate Angell
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsThe bad boys of baseball, they are the top power hitters of the Richmond Rogues, and the team's best hope for a shot at the World Series. But when all three have to be benched for brawling, it's the beginning of a whole new ball game, and the opposing team could win something more than a trophy--these ladies are after their hearts... -
Cutter by Stacy Borel
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsDid somebody say baby? Macie Rosewood was a firecracker, in and out of the bedroom. She lived her life according to her own rules and high standards. When she caught the attention from one of the most eligible Brooks brothers two years ago, Macie had found real love. Dodger Brooks was the sensible brother that played hard and loved even harder... -
The Revenge Plan by Linda Kage
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsAfter I caught my boyfriend cheating, I tried to be mature about it with an amicable split. But he took his retaliation too far, and I have officially had enough. No more Miss Nice Haven. No one is allowed to lie to me, betray, embarrass, and devastate me, fill me with self-doubt, or put my future at risk, and expect to get away with it. He is going to feel my wrath... -
Sugar Rush by Tracey Ward
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 24 ratings$.99 for a Limited Time! Colt Avery is on fire. Dubbed one of the NFL's best kept secrets, he's in the spotlight for the first time in his career. Women want him, coaches are courting him, and his Kansas cornfield good looks are too good not to be shared. His face is everywhere; TV, magazines, billboards. The entire world is in love with him. Everyone wants a piece of him... -
Most Irresistible Guy by Lauren Blakely
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsWhen he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close at my brother’s wedding, my heart beat faster. When we danced into the night, my mind raced far ahead, entertaining all the possibilities I’d longed for. And later, when Cooper told me he’d won the starting quarterback job before he shared the news with anyone else, I started to believe we could be more...
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