Books like 'Defending Your Heart'
Readers who enjoyed Defending Your Heart by Emma Tharp also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
sports hockey friends to lovers cheating other-man-woman
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Tacker by Sawyer Bennett
I am not okay. Fifteen months ago, my life was turned upside down when the plane I was piloting went down. Injured and trapped in the wreckage, I had to watch my fiancée die a painfully slow death, which is something that can really mess with your head. Since that day, I’ve had little desire to do much of anything. Except play hockey, that is... -
![Craving Lucy by Terri Anne Browning]()
Craving Lucy by Terri Anne Browning
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsUSA Today Bestselling Author Terri Anne Browning’s New Adult series. One kiss can change everything… I wished I’d known that before I’d kissed my best friend. Things are different now. We can’t go back. I’m not even sure I want to go back. I guess the question is…...Categorized as:
friends to lovers cheating other-man-woman contemporary new adult alpha male virgin heroine -
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![Hold Me Forever by Layla Hagen]()
Hold Me Forever by Layla Hagen
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsTyler 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... -
![Only Fools Get Fouled : The Cambridge Crew by Connie Easton]()
Only Fools Get Fouled : The Cambridge Crew by Connie Easton
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsLyfe Cambridge is a man that saves the games for the court. When it comes to his marriage, he takes every vow serious. A man that knows what he wants is a man of certainty. However, when the smoke clears from around his marriage, things began to change for all parties involved. Sometimes all one needs is that one person they can’t touch to make things better... -
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![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... -
![Only One Touch by Natasha Madison]()
Only One Touch by Natasha Madison
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsNicoWhen I inherited the Dallas Oilers from my father , I became one of the youngest owners in hockey history. Even though the team was at the bottom of the hockey standings,I had big plans to change that and bring the Cup to Dallas.Falling in love was something I never believed would happen to me... -
![Puck the Holidays: A Vipers Sin Bin Novel by K.D. Miller]()
Puck the Holidays: A Vipers Sin Bin Novel 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... -
![The Love List by B. Love]()
The Love List by B. Love
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAs a well-known social media Influencer, Arya Ingram has created a lifestyle for herself outside of her family that she never thought was possible. When her boyfriend, Zion, proposes, Arya believes she has everything she will ever need in life—until a scandal erupts on social media… threatening to taint not just her character but destroy her career as well... -
![Irresistible Revenge by Amanda Bentley]()
Irresistible Revenge by Amanda Bentley
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsYou’re going to think I’m a shitty person, and I can’t say I’d even blame you. But before you make a snap judgment, let me help you understand.You see, I slept with my coworker.Now, I know what you’re thinking. Okay…and?Well, I slept with my coworker, but I still had a boyfriend.“How could you?”“That is WRONG.”“(insert choice expletives here)!”I know.You’re right.It is... -
![Defining Us by Karen Deen]()
Defining Us by Karen Deen
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHe's my brother's best friend.No one can know he visits my dreams each night.In the naughtiest of ways. But they are just fantasies.They'll never be anything else. Until that accidental kiss, changes everything.His eyes now roam my body.I can't ignore the heat he arouses in me.I'm just longing for his touch. But he's about to leave, and I need to stay... -
![See You Again by Heidi McLaughlin]()
See You Again by Heidi McLaughlin
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsA powerful love story of second chances for two people who are both running from the past, by the New York Times bestselling author of Forever My Girl. It’s been fifteen years since Brooklyn Hewett has stepped foot in Southport. After the accident that took Austin—the love of her life—away from her, Brooklyn fled, hoping to leave the pain behind her for good... -
![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.. -
![Rafe by Sawyer Bennett]()
Rafe by Sawyer Bennett
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsI was living my dream until one phone call changed everything. As the second line center for the Arizona Vengeance, my mind has been on one thing—helping my team bring home a championship. But that all changed when I found out my dad had cancer and only months to live. In that moment, nothing mattered more than getting home to North Carolina to be by his side... -
![Van by Kat Mizera]()
Van by Kat Mizera
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 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 hockey friends-benefits contemporary new adult length-medium -
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![Foul Play by Kat Mizera]()
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... -
![The Bro-Code by Melissa Adams]()
The Bro-Code by Melissa Adams
I’ve always been the most popular girl on campus. President of the hottest sorority, dating one of the hottest hockey players, but this fall it seems like my luck has run out.When my sorority house is destroyed, I’m forced to move into the frat house with not only most of the sexy-as-hell hockey team.I know I’m in trouble...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers hockey contemporary new adult length-medium explicit-plentiful -
![Love Blooms at Mermaids Point by Sarah Bennett]()
Love Blooms at Mermaids Point by Sarah Bennett
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBestselling author Alex Nelson is slowly coming apart at the seams after a failed marriage and an abrupt change in career leave him at a crossroads in life. When an unexpected opportunity arises to escape to the idyllic village of Mermaids Point, he’s hot on the heels of his brother, Tom, who has recently moved there...Categorized as:
friends to lovers cheating other-man-woman small town contemporary humor death length-medium -
![Hot Shot by Kat Mizera]()
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 hockey contemporary pregnancy alpha male athletes length-medium -
![Athlete Status by Natisha Raynor]()
Athlete Status by Natisha Raynor
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe pressure to make it into the NBA has been on Kamari Brown's back since he could hold a basketball. His father molded him into the perfect NBA prospect making Kamari a beast on the court. As time passes, everyone else seems to want Kamari to make it more than he wants it for himself, but he makes it... -
![Crashing the Net by Lasairiona E. McMaster]()
Crashing the Net by Lasairiona E. McMaster
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsShe’s lost her mobility, her career, and her dreams... Can she risk losing her heart to her best friend as well?In the blink of an eye, everything I’ve worked my whole life to achieve is gone, maybe forever. I’m not prepared to accept that I’ll never dance again. It’s all I’ve ever known, and I’m scared to find out who I am without it... -
![A Justified Hall Pass by Denise Essex]()
A Justified Hall Pass by Denise Essex
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBrielle “Bree” Thomas is a phenomenal product marketing guru. She is a selfless woman who gives more than she receives. Her husband hasn’t made love to her in over a year. Although her best friend thinks it’s spousal abuse, Bree believes if she prays and is loyal in her marriage, things will turn around in her favor.Walter “Walt” Simmons is a captivating nonconformist...Categorized as:
cheating friends to lovers other-man-woman african-american office black-mc length-short -
![Interception by Lisa Suzanne]()
Interception by Lisa Suzanne
All I wanted was a second chance. Chase was still my every fantasy ten years after we broke up. He stepped back into my life the same night Gavin, once my closest friend, confessed his deep-rooted feelings and kissed me like I’d never been kissed...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers other-man-woman contemporary love triangle length-short open-door -
![Smokeshow by Raine Miller]()
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 CRUSHI'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... -
![Winning Whitney by Kat Mizera]()
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... -
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![Camden by Sawyer Bennett]()
Camden by Sawyer Bennett
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsCamden Poe is the last of The Lucky Three, the surviving Pittsburgh Titans who weren’t on the team plane the night it went down. By all outward appearances, he’s adjusted to post-crash life well but inside he’s wrestling with the guilt of living. The catastrophe that killed the Pittsburgh Titans changed my entire world. My teammates were more than my friends—they were my brothers...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers hockey contemporary single-mother athletes forbidden love death -
![HOLDING by Alexandria House]()
HOLDING by Alexandria House
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsChildhood neighbors, enemies, best friends, lovers, enemies, Sires lineman Terrence Ford and his ex-wife, Krystle, have meant all these things to each other. Once believing their union was indestructible, they find themselves unhappily apart. Maybe what they see as an ending is really the beginning of a stronger bond and a deeper understanding of what love really is...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers hockey black-mc contemporary love triangle m-f length-short -
![Intermission by Lisa Suzanne]()
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... -
![Canuck by E. Cleveland]()
Canuck by E. Cleveland
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsThe best friends to lovers you’ve been waiting for! Grab your copy for a front row seat to the funny, one-upping friendship, the tender understanding only best friends can give each other, and the blood-rushing sizzle they bring to the bedroom. Set some time aside, because you’ll devour this book in one sitting!Canuck. What a weird name. It’s like calling someone The American... -
![Aftersome by Remi Rose]()
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]()
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... -
![The Cleaner by Kiersten Modglin]()
The Cleaner by Kiersten Modglin
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsGunner James is good at death. An expert.His job is to clean up the messes no one else can.But behind that tough exterior, Gunner has a few secrets of his own.Eight years ago, Gunner left his hometown and vowed to never look back. When his past collides with his present in the form of a familiar face, Gunner must return home to take care of one final mess...the woman he left behind...Categorized as:
cheating friends to lovers other-man-woman suspense contemporary betrayal length-medium -
![Two for Charging by Lasairiona E. McMaster]()
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... -
![Waiting to Score by Evey Lyon]()
Waiting to Score by Evey Lyon
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsFormer hockey star Declan Dash loves to play the game, and the one with his friend’s little sister, Violet Spears? He plans to win…Running into your brother’s billionaire ex-hockey-playing best friend at a special kind of party should have been a red flag. Pulling one another’s names from a bowl at said party was a coincidence... -
![Waiting to Win by Evey Lyon]()
Waiting to Win by Evey Lyon
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsConnor Spears is hockey royalty who most definitely never planned to accidentally marry his childhood irritation Hadley Crews. Connor is smug, grew up destined for his hockey career, and he’s irritatingly good-looking. He was also my next-door neighbor growing up... -
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![Scoring Grey by L.A. Ferro]()
Scoring Grey by L.A. Ferro
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEloise Grey wasn't looking for me… but I was looking for her.To be fair, I didn't know she was the girl I'd been obsessed with until it was too late.I was on the fast track to making my NHL dreams a reality with my girl by my side.She was my whole world. My kryptonite... till she got it wrong.I never chose another over her... -
![Maximum Dare by Vanessa Fewings]()
Maximum Dare by Vanessa Fewings
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsYou're probably wondering what I’m doing hanging off the edge of London's tallest building, The Shard.I can explain. Kind of. Because I’m not even sure who the invitation came from to join the Dare Club.But I’ve narrowed it down to two men:Max Marquis, a tall, gorgeous Brazilian lawyer with an accent to die for and Nick Banham, a dashing English athlete who may have just broken my heart...Categorized as:
cheating friends to lovers sports other-man-woman new adult contemporary love triangle humor -
![Under a Different Sky by Lindsey Iler]()
Under a Different Sky by Lindsey Iler
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMy life is a mess. I'm walking around with a black eye. My position on the hockey team is questionable at best, and if that’s not bad enough, I think I'm falling for my dead girlfriend's best friend. Every day, it's a fight to feel alive, and yet, I drink to numb the pain. Everyone is standing back, watching me fall apart. Everyone except Hannah... -
![Two for Roughing by Lasairiona E. McMaster]()
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 hockey new adult humor contemporary siblings-bff length-medium -
![Puck Proposal by Delancey Stewart]()
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]()
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... -
![Faceoff by Rebecca Connolly, Heather B. Moore]()
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... -
![Hotshot by Ahren Sanders]()
Hotshot by Ahren Sanders
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsI don’t remember a time I didn’t love Crenshaw Bennett. I tried to deny it, but my feelings grew deeper. I thought he could never love me the way I love him. I was wrong—outrageously, deliriously, and beautifully wrong. One innocent kiss changes my life forever. Suddenly, Shaw is mine. Loyal, devoted, and the most loving man on this Earth... -
![Mine To Hold by Natasha Madison]()
Mine To Hold by Natasha Madison
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsAre you ready for The Southern Wedding Series?Things are supposed to go smoothly on your wedding day.Aren't they?Shelby I got a love letter the night before I was supposed to marry the love of my life.Except the letter wasn't for me.My future husband had written it to someone else. Weston (Ace)Standing at the altar to watch my best friend get married was an honor...Categorized as:
cheating friends to lovers other-man-woman contemporary humor forced proximity new adult m-f -
![Dirty Flirt by Mira Lyn Kelly]()
Dirty Flirt by Mira Lyn Kelly
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... -
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![Crossing the Line by Kendall Ryan]()
Crossing the Line by Kendall Ryan
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 38 ratingsRecovering 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... -
![Bender by Colleen Charles]()
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:
hockey sports friends to lovers athletes curvy heroine contemporary humor length-medium -
![Fighting Dirty by Stacey Lynn]()
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... -
![Slap Shot: A Marriage of Convenience Hockey Romance by Maria Luis]()
Slap Shot: A Marriage of Convenience Hockey Romance by Maria Luis
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe’ll do anything for his best friend…even marry her. I live by two universal truths: When I step onto the ice, I’m a god. Daisy Hall is the other half of my soul. My teammates joke that I’m too co-dependent with the coach’s daughter, and maybe that’s true. We’ve been thick as thieves since college, and even when I got drafted to the Boston Blades, Daisy followed me across state lines... -
![Bodychecking: Seattle Sockeyes Hockey by Jami Davenport]()
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... -
![Wild Abandon by Jeannine Colette]()
Wild Abandon by Jeannine Colette
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsWhen you fall in-love it’s forever. But sometimes forever comes with a price. I never meant to meet Nathaniel Teller. It was by accident, on a Tuesday, that I walked into his bar. He was solemn, intense and hiding a secret behind those stoic green eyes. I never intended to fall in-love with him. We were supposed to be just friends. But I fell for him hard, deep. There’s no turning back...Categorized as:
friends to lovers cheating other-man-woman contemporary angst terminal-illness length-medium
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