Books like 'The Crash of Hearts Upon the Hill (Penalty Box)'
Readers who enjoyed The Crash of Hearts Upon the Hill (Penalty Box) by Ari Baran also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary sports friends to lovers
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Nora Roberts Bridal Quartet Boxed Set by Nora Roberts
This boxed gift set from the New York Times bestselling author of more than 190 novels features four books that follow the love lives of four childhood friends who have teamed up to form one of Connecticut's premiere wedding planning companies. Or. -
The Stolen Moments Trilogy: Carter & Emilia's Love Story by Catharina Maura
Rated: 4.83 of 5 stars · 3 ratingsA single kiss changes everything for two lifelong rivals in this best friend’s brother romance. It was hate at first sight for Emilia and Carter. Neither remembers how their feud started — yet every day, their war intensifies. Until one night. One unexpected kiss blurs the lines between love and hate, and their lives are forever changed. The stakes have never been higher... -
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Pretty It Up by Cee Bowerman
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsDescription. Sometimes 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 contemporary alpha male second chances multicultural length-short -
Roman by Samantha Whiskey
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsI’m one of the fastest running backs in the NFL,. but I can’t outrun my feelings for my best friend. I’ve wanted Teagan Hall for over a decade, but I’ve never been willing to risk our friendship. Then she shows up at my doorstep, fleeing her abusive ex, and everything changes. Now she’s not just my best friend—she’s my roommate. She's also the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers contemporary football length-medium standalone standalone-first -
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Path To Realization by TheFeveredBookaholic
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsAsher Pryce hides behind a wall of secrets he's spent most of his life building up. How else is the adopted child whose birth parents run a drug cartel supposed to fit in? He's notorious for his overconfident swagger and total lack of patience for bullshit - a master of masks. The one thing in his life he can't fake? His feelings for his best friend's twin sister... -
I Want to Hold Your Hand by Marie Force
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsFor the Abbott siblings, the Green Mountain state has always been an idyllic place to call home. But it isn’t until they open themselves up to love that they’ll truly discover how fulfilling life can be…... -
Play to Win by Ja'Nese Dixon
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsKamal’s an ex-football player. Jayda’s a single mother uninterested in another relationship until she sees Kamal with her daughter. Every rejection will only make his victory sweeter. He plans to lick, taste, and devour her like the delicacy she is until the world, her ex, and Jayda recognizes his name tatted on every inch of her curvy body... -
Tight Hold by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe 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...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers contemporary humor age difference length-short m-f audiobook -
Hold 'Em Tight by Alisha Williams, Amber Nicole
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThey weren't kidding when they say life can change in the blink of an eye. One moment, I think I have it all. My men. Happiness. Friends. Family. And the next, my whole life comes crashing down around me. Betrayal like I’ve never felt before consumes me. A heartbreak so gut-wrenching it hurts to breathe...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers new adult from hate to love contemporary queer length-medium m-m -
Puck the Holidays by K.D. Miller
A holiday hockey romance that will make you laugh, swoon, clutch your pearls, and believe in holiday magic. Hattie McNamara, a southern girl born and bred, has never seen a hockey game in her life, but when the offer to become the Seattle Vipers’ new Assistant Director of Media and Marketing lands in her lap, she can’t possibly say no... -
Power Forward by Nicole Falls
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratings"It’s your world, baby. Whatever you want, whatever you need, I got you. "Starting Center for the Nashville Trojans Zebediah Kennedy has always been known as the guy everyone turns to for a good time. As a free agent going into the next season his future is unknown, but he’s determined to make the best of it, now matter how the cards may fall... -
My Next Play by Carrie Ann Ryan
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsWhat happens when you fall for your best friend, but they fall in love with someone else? Nothing is what it seems in this unrequited love, new adult romance. Miles knew Nessa never had eyes for him. Only when someone new tries to hurt her, he knows he can’t stand back any longer. It’s time she finds out the man he is behind the glasses and beneath the shell he wrapped himself in... -
Golden Boy and the Two Bears by Nash Summers
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 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... -
Quake by Giuliana Victoria
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsLark Hughes is the kind, sweet, and outgoing veterinarian who owns Toute la Famille, a non-profit veterinary clinic on the outskirts of Philadelphia. It's a typical night for Lark, working a late shift at the clinic, when one of the players from the Divine Flyers soccer team arrives with his golden retriever rescue, Pickles. He clearly takes them both by surprise when he asks her out...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers soccer friends-benefits contemporary found-family length-long -
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Tight Fit by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt’s okay to admit I’m scared. Outside forces are working hard to tear us apart, but we’ve teamed up against them. It’s the internal struggles we’re battling that could spell the ultimate end. When Ben makes a public show to prove how committed we are, I’m left confused as I struggle to figure out whether his feelings for me are real or if they’re part of the act...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers age difference forced proximity contemporary length-short m-f audiobook -
Bangshift by Winter Travers
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 11 ratings*Skid Row Kings Series, Book 3. Kurt Jensen has had enough. Tired of being under his brother's thumb and having the one person he wanted push him away, Kurt knew it was time to leave. California was supposed to be the new start he craved and needed, but one wrong turn brought everything crashing down around him, literally... -
Holding On by Pamela Clare
A hero barely holding on… Harrison Conrad returned to Scarlet Springs from Nepal, the sole survivor of a freak accident on Mt. Everest. Shattered and grieving for his friends, he vows never to climb again and retreats into a bottle of whiskey—until Kenzie Morgan shows up at his door with a tiny puppy asking for his help... -
Taking the Leap by Kelsie Rae
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA girl who’s competing in a man’s sport. And a guy who can’t wait to help her shine. My world fell apart when my dad was diagnosed with dementia. Now, I need money and a way to provide stability for my father. When an opportunity falls into my lap that can provide both, I grab hold of it with all my strength. I just need to. .. focus... -
It Happened on a Sunday by Tracy Wolff
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom #1 New York Times bestselling author Tracy Wolff comes a fierce, emotional romance about surviving the spotlight, outrunning your past, and choosing love when everything says you shouldn’t. They call her the Black Widow. A pop star. A tabloid tragedy. A girl who set the world on fire—and got burned in return. But Sloane Walker doesn’t care what they say. Not anymore...Categorized as:
friends to lovers sports found-family football contemporary humor length-long audiobook -
Foul Play by Kat Mizera
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe Phantoms are back with a vengeance… and the City of Angels will never be the same. When the world's top supermodel’s friend zones you, what's a determined hockey player supposed to do? Change her mind. But it’ll take more than a trick play to convince her. Cheyenne is more than a stunning beauty; she's a part of my life, my bed, and now my heart... -
Van by Kat Mizera
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsTemptation could destroy everything he’d spent his career building…. Professional hockey player Jean-Michel Vander is living the dream…. And the Las Vegas strip is a long way from the small town in Quebec where he grew up. He works hard but he plays harder, especially in the off-season. The sexy redhead he spots doing a striptease in a Paris nightclub is all kinds of fun...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers friends-benefits contemporary new adult hockey length-medium -
Hot Shot by Kat Mizera
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWelcome to Fort Lauderdale—where the days are hot and the Knights are hotter. Wolf:. I’ve been in love with the same girl since we were seventeen. Back before our careers took off and pulled us away from one another. No amount of fame, money, or puck bunnies could ever replace Scarlett. But she has a mind of her own, and dreams that don’t include me...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers contemporary pregnancy alpha male athletes hockey length-medium -
Smokeshow by Raine Miller
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsBe "just friends" with a smokeshow like her? That's pretty much a p#cking impossible ask. —Tyler Lockhardt, VEGAS CRUSH. I'm just over here minding my business playing hockey for the Crush when the. SMOKESHOW. of my dreams turns up and seriously rocks my world. For real. Beautiful, smart, and so incredibly sweet I cannot help myself from wanting to get to know her a whole lot better... -
Burn by Ginger Scott
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratings**Burn is the third and final book in the brother’s-best-friend, friends-to-lovers Fuel Series by Ginger Scott. This second-chance romance completes this angsty, steamy, new adult trilogy. Dustin Bridge’s world is about speed. About the edge. His life has been carved by cutting corners and making moves, following impulsive decisions while weighing the facts at hand... -
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Winning Whitney by Kat Mizera
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHot shot hockey player Jake Curruthers has a plan – focus on his game and avoid distractions. He's succeeding at the first. The Alaska Blizzard has been on the upswing lately, but his focus shifts when the heart-stopping blonde from his past shows up in Anchorage. Yeah, his head is definitely not in the game anymore... -
Mountain Time by India Reiste, Trevor Reiste
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSix weeks. That’s all the time I have before the summer rodeo run begins, and I need to stay focused. My goal is simple—become a world champion bull rider. And I only have one rule—No girlfriends. No exceptions. But when I agree to spend the spring shoeing horses in the Colorado mountains, the last thing I expect to find is Kacey Hart...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers cowboys contemporary length-medium first-in-series standalone-first -
Breakaway by Emily Silver
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFinding out my fiancé is cheating on me? Not how I imagined my wedding day…. Gorgeous white dress. Champagne. Husband. All of that goes out the window when I overhear a call between my fiancé and another woman. Hurt and angry, I turn to the only person I can trust—my fiancé’s brother. Dax. Otherwise known as my best friend. I run. And take him with me... -
Fight by Molly McLain, Sara Eirew
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 12 ratings**This is not a standalone. Check out FLY (Velocity, #1) first. amzn. to/2dPfsgW :) **. The story continues. .. I trusted Colton with every bit of myself. I believed him when he promised he'd never hurt me. But he broke me. .. and now I watch him give another woman everything I thought would be mine. I never saw this coming... -
A Friendly Wager 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:
sports friends to lovers contemporary new adult second chances secret child length-medium -
Slow Burn by Pamela Clare
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsVictoria Woodley is done with men. Fresh off a dating nightmare, she flies from her home in Chicago to Scarlet Springs to take part in her best friend’s wedding. Who picks her up at the airport? Eric Hawke. Of course. She made a fool of herself over him last time she was here. He’s cocky, charming, and sexy as sin...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers contemporary small town cheerful heroine rich heroine m-f length-medium -
Play With Me by Claire Wilder
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsA shy librarian and a charming ex-tennis pro single dad come together in this steamy friends-to-lovers romance from USA Today bestseller Claire Wilder. With banter, steam, and a guaranteed Happily Ever After. I’ve been in love with my best friend Jude Kelly—and his dark-haired mini-me son Cap—since the moment they walked into my library... -
Intermission by Lisa Suzanne
I’m in love with two men. I’m torn and need to choose which man from my past I want as a permanent part of my future. My heart leads me one way as my brain pushes me toward the other. I want them both, but each of them holds a secret that will change everything. Can I overcome the betrayal with a simple intermission, or am I better off alone? -
Aftersome by Remi Rose
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsTen years ago, I lost the love of my life. In a blink of an eye, he was gone and to this day, I still seem to be picking up the pieces of my broken heart. But in losing Hayes, we had also lost Mal. The misunderstood hockey player who wished more than anything that he could turn back time and trade places with his best friend. So, in his grief and guilt, he left. Without a goodbye... -
Game Changer: A Wynn Hockey Novel by Kelly Jamieson
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsJackson Wynn. I don’t want anything to do with my crazy family’s drama, which I’ve been watching unfold from a distance over the last year, but now my grandfather has Alzheimer’s and I feel I need to at least make a quick visit to see him. My hockey season’s over, all I have to do is get through my teammate Steve’s wedding, and then I’m on a plane to Los Angeles to do my family duty...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers contemporary m-f siblings-bff hockey length-medium audiobook -
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Two for Charging by Lasairiona E. McMaster
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDedicated. Driven. Divorced. Coach Elliott Swift is under pressure from all sides. His players are counting on him to return the team to championship success despite his recently graduated star players. His toxic ex-wife dogs his every move, and his sickly, aging parents require constant care... -
Stout of My League by Sylvie Stewart
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLynn Brooks is officially over it. With four overprotective brothers, the youngest Brooks sibling has had enough with bossy alphas. So, when professional baseball star Joey Martel makes a play for her, she's determined to steer clear of him and his toxic circle of jocks. Being the latest conquest for another overbearing caveman? No thanks...Categorized as:
friends to lovers sports contemporary age difference grumpy sunshine athletes humor length-medium -
Falling For His Fake Fiancè by J.B. Heller
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhat’s a guy to do to save his MLB career after one too many of his exploits hit the tabloids? Marry his housekeeper, apparently…. I’m a pretty laid back guy who doesn’t take much outside my job seriously, preferring to party my way through life. But my poor decisions have landed me with The Bad Boy of Baseball, title. I’m totally cool with it, management however, is not... -
One Knight's Stand by Tanvier Peart
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThree years ago, I decided to have my first one-night stand. The plan was simple: research how to do it and meet a man at the bar before nerves playing with my guts got the best of me. I wanted to ring in the new year between a stranger’s legs. Someone with good hygiene and exceptional tensile strength to take the edge off of studying mechanical engineering. Then he walked in... -
Definitely Deacon by Vawn Cassidy
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsJesse Ainsley’s life running his busy veterinary practice in the sleepy Cornwall bay he grew up in leaves no time for a serious relationship… at least, that’s what he tells himself, but the simple truth is much more cliché... -
Two for Roughing by Lasairiona E. McMaster
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt’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...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers new adult humor contemporary siblings-bff hockey length-medium -
Risk (The Driven World) by Harlow Layne
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHarlow Layne's Risk is a forbidden, sexy, doctor/patient contemporary romance in K. Bromberg's Driven world. There was no turning back once the line was crossed. .. Callum Crew loved control— on and off the track. It’s what made him the best Formula One driver of his generation. But being the best was a lonely road. In his line of work there was no room for doubt or distractions... -
Snow Days With You by Leonie Mack
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratings‘I love Leonie's books - so romantic! ' Sandy Barker When Luna Rowntree gets an unexpected and life-changing legacy from a man she’s never met, she’s determined to find out why – even if it is Christmas Day and her family are expecting her... -
Puck Proposal by Delancey Stewart
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMy hockey career is on fire, so when my best friend from high school (and the girl I'd always want) shows up on my doorstep in trouble, I have a turn her away (not likely! ) or propose. Back then, Josephine Baxter was the unattainable debutante who took pity on the kid from the wrong side of town. We were unlikely best friends. And she was the girl I’d never have. At least not like that... -
One Timer on Top by London Casey
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDON’T SLEEP WITH YOUR BEST FRIEND’S EX. Okay. I get that. I respect that. But what about sleeping with your biggest rival’s ex? And… what about marrying her…? * * *. I caught my boyfriend enjoying some “oral service” from another woman. Dumping him is easy. Getting rid of him his almost impossible since I work in PR and he’s one of my clients. (Yeah, I know, don’t mix business with pleasure... -
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The Perfect Assist by Jillian Arly
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNiko Koskinen, captain of the Green Bay Bobcats, is one of the most talented hockey players in the NHL. He may be a hero to hockey fans around the world, but there’s only one person that matters to him—his daughter. Sadie Wilson has been an outcast her entire life—with a passion for chakra stones and yoga, she’s trying to find her place in Green Bay...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers single-father dual-pov forced proximity hockey contemporary m-f -
Faceoff by Rebecca Connolly, Heather B. Moore
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsShe isn’t supposed to want him. He isn’t supposed to want her. But wanting each other is inevitable. Clint McCarthy has finally achieved his dream of playing for a professional hockey program, and is eager to make his mark with his new team... -
Unbroken Promises by Nikki Ash
When we were kids, we made all kinds of promises. We promised to always be best friends, to always put each other first, and that no matter what, no one would come between us. Little did we know that life had its own plans. We grew up and reality set in. We realized that not all love lasts forever, and some promises are meant to be broken...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers contemporary explicit-open-door m-m-f poly length-short audiobook -
Pretend You're Mine by Crystal Kaswell
This is the worst idea in the history of the world. Leighton is my best friend. My subordinate. My girlfriend. That’s the story we're selling. To our co-workers. To our friends. To everyone who's anticipating the breakdown of the year at my ex's wedding. It's a terrible idea. This ruse is going to f*ck sh*t up. Losing her is out of the question. Touching her is all kinds of wrong... -
Blindsided by Shey Stahl
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsLandon Slade. Highest paid quarterback in the NFL. Demi-god. Certifiable ladies’ man. It’s no secret my ego is boosted. Being light on my feet and good with my hands, I control the plays and my stamina is legendary. And on and off the field, I make the decisions, the rules. Do I do complicated? Hell, no. I take what I want, tackle life my way. But then there’s her...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers humor contemporary single-father length-long standalone standalone-first -
Bender by Colleen Charles
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsMy second chance is the biggest gamble of my life. I am Marco Rossi, once an Italian nobody, now living the dream as a Vegas Venom player. I thought I was swapping my lonely orphan past for a team-family. But I was wrong. I am on thin ice with everyone, but especially when it comes to Madison McKay...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers hockey athletes curvy heroine contemporary humor length-medium
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