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 sports athletes single-father college forbidden love dual-pov friends to lovers latinx-mc
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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]()
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... -
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![Time by Penny Reid]()
Time by Penny Reid
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... -
![Kade by Tijan]()
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... -
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![False Start by Lisa Suzanne]()
False Start by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsFootball season is fast approaching, and as a single dad, I need help. Even though I claim I have a little black book filled with names of women who could step up to the task, none of them will do...not when I see the bond that's forming between Victoria and my daughter.And not when the attraction between Victoria and I continues to grow despite our constant clashing... -
![Hook Shot by Kennedy Ryan]()
Hook Shot by Kennedy Ryan
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsA deeply emotional standalone romance set in the worlds of professional basketball and high fashion. Divorced. Single dad. Traded to a losing squad.Cheated on, betrayed, exposed. My perfect life blew up in my face and I'm still picking up the pieces.The last thing I need is her.A wildflower. A storm. A woman I can't resist...Categorized as:
sports new adult single-father friends to lovers dual-pov athletes contemporary basketball -
![Lovestruck by Julie Capulet]()
Lovestruck by Julie Capulet
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 17 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 dual-pov friends to lovers -
![The Champion by Shey Stahl]()
The Champion by Shey Stahl
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsA 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... -
![Hard to Score by K. Bromberg]()
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 -
![Kissing My Brother's Bride by Molly McLain]()
Kissing My Brother's Bride by Molly McLain
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsMy brother’s fiancée should have been mine. Now, I know what you’re thinking, and it’s not quite as bad as it sounds. Linc was running late for their first date and he begged me to stand in until he could get there.I only went to tell the girl to run. To warn her about my brother’s selfish ways and promise she wanted no part of it.But then I saw her...Categorized as:
friends to lovers forbidden love dual-pov new adult m-f contemporary strong heroine length-medium -
![Dump and Chase by Toni Aleo]()
Dump and Chase by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsShelli Adler has known what she wanted since she was eleven years old. Aiden Brooks. But Aiden has always had other ideas. After spending the early years of his life without his dad, hockey legend Lucas Brooks, Aiden is determined not to settle for anything less than true love. When he’s ready. Now he’s living the fast life of an NHL bachelor... -
![End Game by Toni Aleo]()
End Game by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThis is going to be Ryan Justice’s year. It’s his last year of college and his last year as a hockey player for the Bellevue Bullies. He’s making all the plays in preparation for achieving his dream of being drafted into the NHL. This is Sofia Castilleja’s beginning. She is starting her college career as a star member of Bellevue’s brand-new gymnastics team... -
![Change My Game by Kelsey Clayton]()
Change My Game by Kelsey Clayton
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsMy name is Jace London,And I may have screwed up.I’ve always been the guy who had it all.Privilege, entitlement, and a life of luxury.But after one college night gone tragically wrong,Nothing has ever been the same.Everyone thinks I should be happy.With a trust fund like mine, who could be sad?But no one knows what’s going on with me,Or the nightmares that keep me awake at night... -
![Only One Forever by Natasha Madison]()
Only One Forever by Natasha Madison
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 27 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 -
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![Jersey Girl by Rhonda James]()
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... -
![The Canary Cowards by Jescie Hall]()
The Canary Cowards by Jescie Hall
From Author Jescie Hall comes a compelling and angst-filled love story that will pull at your heartstrings and never let go."Occasionally, we all lack the courage to embrace the torture that is love."DylanAs a proud physiotherapist fresh out of school, I never imagined falling for a client. Especially not fallen football star, Lake Decker...Categorized as:
sports forced proximity angst friends to lovers new adult forbidden love athletes football -
![Spiked by Love by Toni Aleo]()
Spiked by Love by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsAllison Titov and Asher Brooks have been best friends their whole lives. Brought up together as part of the Assassins family, they might as well be related. But... Ally has never felt anything sisterly toward Asher.In love with Asher since she was a teen, Ally has gone pro at keeping her feelings a secret. It’s been easy.. -
![Writing the Rules by Mariah Dietz]()
Writing the Rules by Mariah Dietz
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsPoppy Anderson was nailing her sophomore year at Brighton University. She liked her classes, had the greatest best friend, and was finally ready to start dating again. Or she was … until her ex, Mike, transferred to Brighton and started exchanging long stares and inside jokes that Poppy thought he’d forgotten.Paxton Lawson was long ago labeled ‘The Golden Boy...Categorized as:
new adult sports friends to lovers college football contemporary siblings-bff length-long -
![Landon & Shay - Part Two by Brittainy C. Cherry]()
Landon & Shay - Part Two by Brittainy C. Cherry
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 33 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... -
![On Thin Ice by L.A. Cotton]()
On Thin Ice by L.A. Cotton
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsAn emotional and angsty grumpy x sunshine hockey romance from USA Today and WSJ bestselling author L A Cotton. Are you ready to fall in love with a Laker?When Harper Dixon discovers her father is the Lakeshore U Lakers new assistant coach, she wonders if her life can get any worse.Enter Mason Steele.Arrogant. Cold. With enough ice around his heart to freeze anyone who gets too close... -
![Brazen Steele by Ali Dean]()
Brazen Steele by Ali Dean
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsBeckett Steele knows what he wants and he’s finally going after it. But there’s one thing that might complicate his mission. It was easy to sign the legally-binding contract prohibiting a public relationship when he had no intention of falling in love... -
![All To Pieces by Susan Henshaw]()
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... -
![Locked Up One Night by Chasity Bowlin, Laramie Briscoe]()
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... -
![Call Me Teach by S.J. Sylvis]()
Call Me Teach by S.J. Sylvis
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe deal is simple: my brother’s best friend--who just so happens to be my new roommate--shows me the ropes in the bedroom, and I owe him a favor when the time comes. No big deal, right? Except that the favor he asks for is something I never saw coming.Call Me Teach is a spicy lessons hockey novella that takes place in SJ Sylvis's upcoming series: Wilder U (coming 2026)... -
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![With a Hitch by R.C. Boldt]()
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... -
![Play Maker by Nikki Hall]()
Play Maker by Nikki Hall
Friends without benefits. For now.MacLast year, I only wanted three things out of a good time, a date with Wonder Woman, and a shot at playing and singing in the same Superbowl. This year, I can’t bring myself to care. Until Blue. The quiet girl with the rainbow hair refuses to let me suffer alone, and I’m starting to think losing everything is worth finding her... -
![The Two of Us by Taylor A. Torres]()
The Two of Us by Taylor A. Torres
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 20 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... -
![Outta My League by Ali Parker, Weston Parker]()
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... -
![Sugar and Spice by Kat Baxter]()
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... -
![Last Chance: A Second Chances Novel by L.P. Dover]()
Last Chance: A Second Chances Novel by L.P. Dover
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsA steamy, second chances novel by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, L.P. Dover. Can be read as a STANDALONE. One Taste, the prequel to Last Chance, has been added at the beginning with all new scenes. One last chance. That's all Luke Collins, local bad boy and motocross champion, has to not only find his redemption, but win back the girl he lost...Categorized as:
athletes new adult friends to lovers sports second chances suspense contemporary length-medium -
![Fumbled by Lisa Suzanne]()
Fumbled by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsAs a pro football player, I’m known for scoring both on and off the field. But all that changes when a tragic accident leaves me as a single dad to a little girl. With both our lives flipped upside down, I’m scrambling to balance my career while supporting the needs of a girl who just had her life torn apart...Categorized as:
sports dual-pov athletes forced proximity single-father m-f contemporary from hate to love -
![Heart Starter by Michelle Hercules]()
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... -
![Broken Ties by L.A. Cotton]()
Broken Ties by L.A. Cotton
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFrom bestselling author of the Rixon Raiders comes a new spin-off next generation series. More angst...More drama...More Raiders...Categorized as:
friends to lovers sports angst athletes new adult high-school contemporary length-long -
![The Fake by Rebecca Jenshak]()
The Fake by Rebecca Jenshak
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 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... -
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![The Hate of Loving You by Maya Hughes]()
The Hate of Loving You by Maya Hughes
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsSix years ago, in the dead of night, I woke up to a cold bed and an even colder future without her. I would’ve followed her anywhere and she left. I thought I’d moved on and left all she meant to me behind. But a first love is never easy to forget. Even harder when I once felt our love is inevitable--inescapable. And I’ve been proven right once again... -
![For Everly by Raine Thomas]()
For Everly by Raine Thomas
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 25 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]()
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... -
![When The Rain Falls by Rea Riley]()
When The Rain Falls by Rea Riley
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSince losing his wife, Finn Hudson's struggled in the bedroom. Can the younger woman next door win over his heart...and his body? Aimee Jones is done being the “fun for a night” girl. She’s ready to be someone’s “forever.” Unfortunately, her impulsiveness and desire for thrills keep getting in the way, so does the broody older man next door... -
![Perfectly Imperfect by Tiffany Casper]()
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... -
![Fight Dirty by Emily Goodwin]()
Fight Dirty by Emily Goodwin
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsOwen Dawson is one of Eastwood’s most eligible bachelors. He could have any woman he wants, but when it comes to settling down, he only has eyes for Charlie Williams, and he blew his chance with her years ago. While Owen is busy trying to convince everyone—and himself—that the playboy life is for him, Charlie is trying to put her life back together... -
![Faked and Fumbled by Gina Azzi]()
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 -
![A Wild Card Kiss by Lauren Blakely]()
A Wild Card Kiss by Lauren Blakely
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 21 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 -
![Flow by Kennedy Ryan]()
Flow by Kennedy Ryan
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsIn 8 years, Marlon James will be one of the brightest rising stars in the music industry. Bristol Gray will be his tough, no-nonsense manager. But when they first meet, she’s a college student finding her way in the world, and he’s an artist determined to make his way in it. From completely different worlds, all the things that should separate them only draw them closer...Categorized as:
new adult friends to lovers multicultural dual-pov angst forbidden love contemporary strong heroine -
![Defiant Heir by Michelle Heard]()
Defiant Heir by Michelle Heard
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 15 ratings...Categorized as:
new adult friends to lovers college virgin heroine m-f contemporary super rich hero length-medium -
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![Three and Out by Meghan Quinn]()
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... -
![The Virgin Game Plan by Lauren Blakely]()
The Virgin Game Plan by Lauren Blakely
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsA sexy standalone forbidden sports romance from #1 NYT Bestseller Lauren Blakely! The woman I want is as off-limits as they come.I had an excuse two years ago when I met her on campus. She interviewed me for a story on major league baseball's rising stars, and we shared a hot, passionate night that ended far too soon, and without a mention of who her father was... -
![Broken Ties: A Friends-to-Lovers Sports Romance by L A Cotton]()
Broken Ties: A Friends-to-Lovers Sports Romance by L A Cotton
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsFrom USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author L A Cotton, comes a slow burn, friends-to-lovers romance. Angst... drama... friendship... and football. Will you survive senior year?Poppy Ford has been in love with her best friend forever.But she’s firmly in the friend zone and fears she may never get out.Aaron Bennet has been dreaming of a football scholarship forever...Categorized as:
new adult sports athletes angst friends to lovers high-school contemporary length-long -
![Off-Ice Collision by Cali Melle]()
Off-Ice Collision by Cali Melle
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsVaughn One moment in time, one freak accident, and my entire hockey career was over. Two years had passed since my injury and I am still mentally struggling with this loss. Mad at the world and everyone in it, I sought solace at my parents' lake house for the summer. It was supposed to be somewhere for me to be alone and heal...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers dual-pov new adult forced proximity college grumpy sunshine contemporary -
![Hearts on Air by L.H. Cosway]()
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... -
![Catching Summer by L.P. Dover]()
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...
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