Books like 'Just a Game'
Readers who enjoyed Just a Game by Ruby Starr also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary sports athletes heroine athlete mma-boxing love triangle
-
Pucks, Sticks, and Diapers by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsFirst came love, then came the NHL, then came Baylor and Jayden with a baby carriage... -
A Cranberry Inn Christmas by Beth Ehemann
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsChristmas at the Murphy household has always been a big deal, but with her daughters getting older, Kacie Murphy is feeling a bit sentimental, so she decides to give her family the perfect Christmas. Plans of cookie baking, sleigh ride taking, and snowman making are quickly put in jeopardy when Kacie receives devastating news—her mom has sold the beloved Cranberry Inn... -
Just One Look by Rosalind James
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLuka 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... -
Edge by Brenda Rothert
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsOne bad hit has left the career of young NHL Center Luke Hudson in question. When he arrives for rehab with a minor league team, his injury has robbed him of the edge that made him great. Team trainer Adella Price’s job is to help Luke get back in peak condition. But their one on one sessions shake her resolve to remain unattached... -
-
Hart to Heart by ME Carter, Murphy Rae
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWe’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 Jaxon, Addison and myself. 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... -
Losing an Edge by Catherine Gayle
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn any other family, Levi “501” Babcock would have been the golden boy. Instead, he’s lived his entire life in the shadow of his almost-perfect older brother. They both play for the NHL’s Portland Storm, but Levi is tired of being the second-best Babcock brother. He’s determined to find at least one thing he can do better... -
Ignite by Kelly Elliott
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThere were two things Emmit Lewis loved. Racing cars and Adaline Morgan. Time was stolen from the two young lovers and Emmit vowed never again would he allow anything to come between the two of them. Blurred lines both on and off the track have Emmit being tested beyond his limits... -
Offensive Formations: Connecticut Kings Book 8 by Christina C. Jones
Rated: 4.71 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsPedestals are lonely places.Teagan Tolliver is learning the hard way that for every new trophy, every tournament win, comes more scrutiny, more pressure - far beyond what she can do on a court. As an elite, Black female athlete in a sport dominated by people she has little in common with beyond a match, she’s got the eyes of the world on her - for better or worse... -
Portland Storm: The Second Period by Catherine Gayle
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDelay of Game With her father’s health in question, Sara Thomas is focused on reducing his anxiety. That’s no small feat considering his high-stress job. Everyone knows Sara’s single; no one knows she’s pregnant. There’s never a good time to unexpectedly get knocked up, but now is not it... -
Open Wheel by Shey Stahl
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsHow do you choose? How do you keep from hurting the ones you love when you know your heart belongs with both of them? Seven years ago Arie Riley married Easton Levi, current heart-throb of the NASCAR Cup series. She made a commitment to him. She gave her heart and soul to another. Her love is heavy. Consuming. And it’s inherently tied to two people. Arie thought she had made her mind up... -
Britches Get Stitches by Elicia Hyder
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsBe brave. Be strong. Be badass. After a two-year struggle to conceive ends with her husband getting another woman pregnant, Grace “Britches Get Stitches” Evans is taking out her frustrations on the roller derby track. Full-contact violence and absolutely no cheating men? Best divorce-support group ever... -
Tame The Player by Hope Ford
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHolden is a professional baseball player on the injured list. His only goal is getting back on the field… until he meets me.Everyone knows about Holden Gray's reputation.He goes through women faster than most baseball players go through sunflower seeds.When he becomes my next physical therapy patient, I'm determined to keep things professional... -
Breakaway (The Rule Book Collection) by A.M. Johnson
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAs 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... -
When Our Worlds Stand Still by Lindsey Iler, Pink Ink Design
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsTime is said to heal all wounds. Kennedy Conrad embraces survival. Group therapy, friends, and dance are helping her find the person she was. Overcoming the darkest period of her past is getting easier every day. Still, the ache in her chest tells her something is missing. Him. The more precious something is, the harder you fight for it. Graham Black embraces change... -
-
Fighting for Control by Melynda Price
For Nikko “the Bull” Del Toro, an ex-marine turned MMA fighter, only two things quiet the demons raging inside him—facing an opponent in the cage…and the memory of his hottest one-night stand. But when his PTSD resurfaces, causing him to lose control at a CFA press party, it’s his career that may be KO’d. Dr... -
Tapping out by Nikki Ash
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBeing a fighter is in my blood. My grandfather was a fighter, my father was a fighter, and I'm a fighter. I live for the rush of adrenaline and sensation of victory. When I fight, I give it my all. I step into the octagon and I fight until there's nothing left to fight for. He's been my best friend for most of my life... -
The Off Series Boxed Set: Books 1-5 by Sawyer Bennett
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe Off Series boxed set, brought to you by USA Today Bestselling author, Sawyer Bennett, contains five, full-length novels... -
Cruz by H.J. Bellus
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsShe hates fighting. He lives for it.Layla’s vicious past drove her away from her hometown. She couldn’t live with all the reminders surrounding her, so she ran.Cruz Felix found a new home. A place where he could get his head on straight, train, and fight match after match toward the end goal: the championship in Las Vegas...Categorized as:
sports mma-boxing athletes fighters forbidden love contemporary strong heroine suspense -
Heller Brothers Hockey - A Five Book Hockey Romance Collection by Kelly Jamieson
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsAn amazing opportunity to own all 5 Heller Brothers Hockey romances In One Limited Edition Digital Boxed Set... -
Smoke Signals by Catherine Gayle
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsUSA Today bestselling author Catherine Gayle presents the second novel in the Tulsa Tunderbirds hockey romance series. Desperation changes a person. Leads them to do things they never would have dreamed. Thanks to his mother, Ray “Razor” Chambers knows what desperation can lead a person to do. But as a defenseman for the Tulsa Thunderbirds, those days are long in the past for both of them... -
The Friend Face Off by Grace Worthington
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsGetting 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... -
Ghost Dance by Catherine Gayle
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsUSA Today bestselling author Catherine Gayle presents another novel in the sexy Tulsa Thunderbirds hockey romance series. He had it all. And lost it in an instant. The night Dmitri Nazarenko won hockey’s Holy Grail, he lost more than he ever bargained for. With a world of guilt weighing him down, Dima can never forgive himself for his tragic misjudgment... -
-
Running Away with You by Suzanne Sweeney
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsRunning Away With You continues the journey of Juliette and Evan that began in “Running Back to You” and "Running Home to You". Juliette Fletcher’s life has been full of surprises ever since she began dating NFL superstar Evan “Big Mac” McGuire. He’s everything she could ever have wished for – strong and tender, and wrapped up in an exquisite package... -
-
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... -
Extreme Devotion by Cami Checketts
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsAn extreme sports athlete desperately in love; an independent woman afraid to trust. Can they both let go of their fears and embrace their future? Jex Steele lives for his insane stunts and his flirtations with Pearl Jacobsen-Davenport. He prays for the day the independent Pearl will change her last name to one syllable—Steele... -
Caged by Brittany Crowley
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSavannah I was perfectly content with my life, or at least I thought I was. Then Zander ‘The Hitman’ Cage walked into my bar with those hypnotizing blue eyes and everything I ever thought I wanted flew out the window. Giving him a chance was the easiest decision I ever made. He ripped apart my safe little existence and took me along for the ride of my life... -
Uncaged by J.B. Salsbury
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsNew York Times Bestselling author JB Salsbury celebrates the five-year anniversary of Fighting for Flight with UNCAGED: A Flight Short Story. Eighteen years after Jonah and Raven said “I do”, they find themselves free of demanding pimp fathers and life or death ultimatums. Now, they have an entirely different nightmare to battle... -
Ice Queen by A.J. Wynter
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Ice Queen has a SecretEvery hockey player knows that the coach's daughter is off-limits.But, what about the owner's daughter?Is she off-limits too?Asking for a friend...To make things even more complicated, she's the general manager of the team.AKA my BOSS.So, yeah. If I want to see the playoffs, we need to keep this relationship a secret... -
Full Coverage by Erin Nicholas
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsYou can take the boy out of Quinn, Texas, but you can’t take the love for sexy cowgirls out of the boy. Evidently. Nolan Winters left his hometown after high school, wanting bigger things than Quinn could offer... -
Rowdy by D.M. Davis
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsD.M. Davis’ ROWDY is a messy, meant-for-me, sexy, contemporary romance and Book Two in the Black Ops MMA series.ROWDY:You think this is a love story. You’re wrong. It’s a massacre. A massacre of who I think I am, where I come from, and who I thought I’d have a future with. One wouldn't have me.The other couldn't.Both stole my heart.You think you know me. You have no idea... -
Steele by Sawyer Bennett
A second chance may be just what James Steele needs…I might be one of the older players on the Arizona Vengeance, but I like to think that also makes me one of the wisest. Or at least I used to.Turns out I was a bit of a selfish prick. I’ve been married to hockey and my team for years, which hasn’t left much time for my actual wife, Ella... -
Fighting For Grace by Hope Ford
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFighting For Grace Evan I’m down on my luck and out of patience. If I can’t fight, who am I? I still go to the gym every day to train and get better. When I get talked into teaching self-defense lessons, I never expected to meet her. She’s sweet, innocent... and in trouble. Injured or not, I’m fighting for Grace... -
Changing Lanes by Katie Graykowski
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsProfessional Football Player, Devon Harding found his soul mate at the age of seventeen. Trouble is, he can’t remember her last name. For the last fourteen years, he’s been waiting for The Universe to send her back to him. When that day comes, he nearly falls all over himself to get to her. But he plays it cool and waits for her to come to him. And she walks right past him... -
-
Love to Hate You by Isabelle Richards
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsSome connections are so powerful they will not be denied. Despite doing everything in their power to fight their feelings, Chase and Arianna decide to give their love a second chance. They hope that the long, painful journey back to each other will have taught them not to make the same mistakes again. This time they’ll get it right. All they need is a little time for the wounds to heal... -
Beyond Temptation: A Ten-Book Romance Box Set by Summer Cooper, Sienna Chance
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsIt’s time to get Down Right Dirty... A 10 Book Box Set of Amazon Best Selling Romance Novels! Packed full of gorgeous alpha males and plenty of steam to keep the reading pleasure going all night long.Book 1 - Dirty Ella Inspired by Cinderella. Ella’s been living in hell with her stepmother, but things are about to change when her evil twin stepbrothers come home... -
Play to Win by Kelly Jamieson
Meet the Wynns—a hockey dynasty built on family, money, and drama. From USA Today bestselling author Kelly Jamieson, the first novel in a new series is a total win-win. “Kelly Jamieson is an auto-buy for me.”—Carly Phillips After an injury forced Théo Wynn to give up professional hockey, he turned to his second love: numbers... -
Fighting Dirty by Stacey Lynn
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe Raleigh Rough Riders are back, and this time Super Bowl Quarterback Beaux Hale finds himself playing the most important game of his life. Every woman knows Beaux Hale is nothing but a player. Yet the first time he walks into Paige Halloway’s restaurant and flashes his sexy grin, she feels a heat between them spark. Too bad he opens his mouth and ruins it... -
Just For You by Rosalind James
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsNo shirt, no shoes, no … problems? Hemi Ranapia isn’t looking for love. Fun, yes. Love, not so much. But a summer fishing holiday to laid-back Russell could turn out to be more adventure than this good-time boy ever bargained for. Reka Harata hasn’t forgotten the disastrously hot rugby star she met a year ago, no matter how much she wishes she could... -
Your Play to Call by Rachel LaBerge
Global superstar Willow already has ten best-selling albums and sells out stadiums across the world, so how can she say no to playing the Super Bowl half-time show? She has to keep it a secret until the moment she takes the stage, but it’s still a dream come true... -
Paradise Fought: Abel by L.B. Dunbar
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsI'm not a fighter. I was born into a fighting family. As the middle child, I was overlooked in favor of my older brother. He took the negative attention, too. In comparison, there's nothing special about me. I’m not as big as Cobra. I’m not as strong as Cobra. He's the alpha. I'm a beta. The second son. The lesser one... -
Melting Ice by Jami Davenport
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsUSA Today Bestselling author Jami Davenport presents another Seattle Sockeyes hockey romance and the fifth book in her Game On in Seattle sports romance series showcasing alpha male heroes of football, baseball, and hockey. Brimming with attitude and broken beyond repair, Isaac "Ice" Wolfe has a heart as cold as his nickname, and he likes it that way--until he meets his neighbor Avery Maxwell... -
Bodychecking: Seattle Sockeyes Hockey by Jami Davenport
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsAs the wild child of the family, Bellani Maxwell isn’t interested in settling down. Between a fledgling party crashing business, teaching self-defense at a martial arts studio, and hitting the bar every night, she has her hands full. She doesn’t need the added responsibility or commitment of a relationship... -
Enforce by Charity Parkerson
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsThey were supposed to be a one-night stand, and then a weekend fling… a just-for-this-season affair… soulmates. When Chip met Jai during All-Stars weekend, their hookup should’ve ended there. At the time, it was no big deal. As the assistant coach for the Phoenix Ice Rays, Chip can’t be in a relationship with a player from his team. Lucky for him, Jai plays for the Red Zones... -
-
Six Secret Babies by Layla Valentine
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsHe tried to keep their fling under wraps,But six adorable babies aren’t going to stay hidden for long…HERThe Wenstown Wolves were in need of a new physical therapist, and apparently I was the only one they were interested in,Now I’m halfway across the country, making twice what I made in Seattle, and the team’s new management is an even more welcome surprise…Jason Munro is the buff, big-headed... -
Curveball by Kate Angell
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 30 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... -
Illegal Motion: Boys of Fall by Erin Nicholas
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA Boys of Fall novel Carter Shaw isn’t a man anyone would mistake for a good guy. He’s has always been intense, up for anything and fearless —on the football field, when wearing his badge and in the bedroom. But pleasure is never mixed up with love. His unstable upbringing was more than enough to scare him off commitments for good. Until he meets Lacey Andrews... -
Break Away by Lisa B. Kamps
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsJean-Pierre "JP" Larocque is a speed demon for the Baltimore Banners. He lives for speed off the ice, too, playing fast and loose with cars and women... -
Trust Me: The Complete Box Set: Matty and Kayla's Story - Books 1-3 by Christine Bell
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTrust Me, the complete box set! All three books in Matty and Kayla's story... Book One: As the oldest McDaniels boy, it’s always been Matty’s job to take care of his brothers, but lately, he’s been doing a crappy job of it... -
Drive You Wild by Jennifer Bernard
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIt’s game on for love in the third novel of USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Bernard’s sexy, baseball-themed series. Kilby Catfish left-fielder Trevor Stark is a ballpark legend. With his good looks, hitting records, and played-for-the-fans arrogance, Trevor makes women lose their minds and men lose their cool...
Fantastic book recommendations by romance book lovers for romance book lovers.
Find out more about romance.io.
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

Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.