Books like 'The Penalty'
Readers who enjoyed The Penalty by Andi Jaxon & J.R. Gray also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary gay romance funny sports college hockey siblings-bff queer sunny hero friends to lovers
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Him by Sarina Bowen, Elle Kennedy
They don’t play for the same team. Or do they? Jamie Canning has never been able to figure out how he lost his closest friend. Four years ago, his tattooed, wise-cracking, rule-breaking roommate cut him off without an explanation. So what if things got a little weird on the last night of hockey camp the summer they were eighteen? It was just a little drunken foolishness. Nobody died...Categorized as:
friends to lovers sports athletes new adult anal sex college secret-relationship hockey -
![Us by Sarina Bowen, Elle Kennedy]()
Us by Sarina Bowen, Elle Kennedy
Can your favorite hockey players finish their first season together undefeated? Five months in, NHL forward Ryan Wesley is having a record-breaking rookie season. He’s living his dream of playing pro hockey and coming home every night to the man he loves—Jamie Canning, his longtime best friend turned boyfriend... -
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![The Long and Winding Road by T.J. Klune]()
The Long and Winding Road by T.J. Klune
Sequel to The Art of Breathing Family is not always defined by blood. It’s defined by those who make us whole—those who make us who we are. And here, at the end, Bear and Otter will be tested like they’ve never been before. There’s a knock at the door from a little girl who has nowhere else to go. There’s a phone ringing, bringing news they do not expect...Categorized as:
angst new adult queer found-family friends to lovers m-m contemporary age difference -
![Line Mates & Study Dates by Eden Finley, Saxon James]()
Line Mates & Study Dates by Eden Finley, Saxon James
ASHER Hockey, studying, and school runs. That’s my life now. After a tragic accident that took our parents’ lives, it’s up to me and my big brother to take care of our five younger siblings. In between burning their meals and keeping them from killing each other, I’m supposed to get a college degree...Categorized as:
college athletes sports friends to lovers new adult grumpy sunshine secret-relationship hockey -
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![Broken Ice by Marina Vivancos]()
Broken Ice by Marina Vivancos
After being forced to take suppressants for a year by his coach, Beau’s body is a mess. He has a debilitatingly painful heat every two weeks, and there’s no medication available to help him.Being traded from the team that did that to him is a slap to the face. Being traded to their direct competitors, the Miami Manatees, is just the cherry on top of the sh*t sundae that has become his life... -
![Poetry On Ice by Jesse H. Reign]()
Poetry On Ice by Jesse H. Reign
I can’t tell if we’re fighting…or flirting? Being traded to the Seattle Vipers has left me with mixed feelings. On the one hand, they’re my team, the team I’ve loved and supported since I was a kid, but on the other hand, he’s here. Him. Ant Decker. Infamous NHL bad boy. Right wing to my left. A man who’s made it his sole purpose in life to be better than me...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine hockey forced proximity queer sports anal sex found-family secret-relationship -
![Presidential Chaos by Saxon James]()
Presidential Chaos by Saxon James
Two houses. Two Presidents. One hell of a happy ending. Zeke Being President of a frat house means everything is on my shoulders.Idiot brothers, epic pranks, a list of organizational duties long enough to make my eyes bleed.None of it fazes me.But senior year is almost over, and I’m ready to take a step back.Until the hazing rumors start... -
![The End Zone by Riley Hart]()
The End Zone by Riley Hart
JeremySeeing my best friend West, happy with his fiancé opened my eyes to things I’ve been missing in my own marriage. My divorce, which was amicable, followed. Strangely, at West’s wedding, I find myself confiding in Darren, the straight, confirmed bachelor and star quarterback of the Atlanta Lightning...Categorized as:
sports athletes friends to lovers secret-relationship queer angst anal sex found-family -
![Davo by N.R. Walker]()
Davo by N.R. Walker
When Fergus Galloway takes on a research trip to a tiny mining town in the far Western Australian outback, he’s as far from Sydney as he can get. Which is entirely the point. He arrives in Pannalego totally unprepared for the baking heat, unprepared for the people who call it home, unprepared for the craziness and the laughs...Categorized as:
friends to lovers insta-love forced proximity queer sweet-hero found-family anal sex sunny hero -
![Role Model by Rachel Reid]()
Role Model by Rachel Reid
Troy Barrett has been freshly traded to Ottawa after calling out Dallas Kent during a team practice. He wants to be a better person, and the weird, scrappy energy of the struggling Ottawa team seems like the place to...well. It seems like the only place that will have Troy right now... -
![Face Offs & Cheap Shots by Eden Finley, Saxon James]()
Face Offs & Cheap Shots by Eden Finley, Saxon James
JACOBS For the last three years, I’ve lived and breathed hockey with one goal: team captain.There’s only one thing standing in my way. TJ Beckett.Beck is irresponsible and immature, and I’ve hated him since the moment we met freshman year.Yet, the coaches see something in him I obviously can’t, and they refuse to choose between us... -
![Iced Out by C.E. Ricci]()
Iced Out by C.E. Ricci
All's fair in hate and hockey.My path to success never included an enemy as a teammate, especially one as infuriating as Quinton de Haas.Clawing under my skin is his favorite pastime, only feeding the animosity between us as the years pass.We’re as completely opposite as two people can be; the golden boy and the black sheep.Constantly at odds or at each other’s throats... -
![Playing Games by Riley Hart]()
Playing Games by Riley Hart
BraxTyson Langley thinks the king in Franklin University Kings is in reference to him. Star lacrosse player and God’s gift to the female and male population, there’s nothing the spoiled jock can’t have.It’s impossible for us to be in the same room without talking crap to each other. But I also have a secret… As much as I despise Ty, I want him too...Categorized as:
sports grumpy sunshine new adult athletes forced proximity college secret-relationship queer -
![Goal Lines & First Times by Eden Finley, Saxon James]()
Goal Lines & First Times by Eden Finley, Saxon James
COHENIt turns out making out with my best friend in high school could be considered gay. Who knew? Apparently, everyone but me.Now that it’s been pointed out, I can’t help reliving it in my head. Repeatedly. Goodbye Denial Town, hello Confusionville.When my path leads me down the gay dating app route, I don’t expect to meet anyone I like, but then I meet him.He can’t be more opposite than me...Categorized as:
college sports friends to lovers athletes secret-relationship anal sex hockey new adult -
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![How to Be a Movie Star by T.J. Klune]()
How to Be a Movie Star by T.J. Klune
Sequel to How to Be a Normal PersonA How to Be Novel Josiah Erickson wants to be a movie star. The problem with that is so does half of Los Angeles. But he’s on his way, what with memorable roles as a TV show background cadaver and a guy in a commercial for herpes medication. All he needs is his big break...Categorized as:
friends to lovers sunny hero forced proximity queer found-family m-m contemporary humor -
![King of Thieves by Saxon James]()
King of Thieves by Saxon James
We’re basically Romeo and Juliet. But dudes. And without all the dying. ChadBeing VP of Sigma Beta Psi is wild. I get all the benefits of being in charge with hardly any of the responsibility. Parties, pranks, and frat politics—college life has never been sweeter. Until I meet Bailey Prince.He has the face of a goddamn angel. I don’t know where he came from or why I’m so obsessed...Categorized as:
new adult college sports grumpy sunshine secret-relationship queer found-family athletes -
![Bromantic Puckboy by Eden Finley, Saxon James]()
Bromantic Puckboy by Eden Finley, Saxon James
BilsonThe idea of moving away from Seattle was a joke at first.I have too many failed relationships here. Too much baggage.So when I find myself signing with Nashville and leaving everything behind, I’m hopeful a new start will cure me of my attachment problems.I fall fast and hard, and I’m quickly realizing it’s not so easy to escape my emotional damage. That follows no matter where I go...Categorized as:
sports hockey friends to lovers found-family athletes queer secret-relationship sunny hero -
![Just a Taste by Briar Prescott]()
Just a Taste by Briar Prescott
LakeSo... I’m getting married.Just three minor details: my husband-to-be is technically also my step-brother, he’s straight, and we’re absolutely nowhere in the vicinity of being in love.RykerOnly then comes the you-may-kiss-your-husband part. Turns out kissing your husband is a terrible idea because it makes you have strange thoughts you’ve never had before...Categorized as:
queer new adult sports grumpy sunshine college sunny hero hockey secret-relationship -
![An Unrivaled Off Season by Ashlyn Kane, Morgan James]()
An Unrivaled Off Season by Ashlyn Kane, Morgan James
Any other year, hockey player Grady Armstrong would be licking his wounds after a disappointing playoffs exit. Somehow, this year, he’s in the stands as his rival-turned-boyfriend Max Lockhart competes for the Stanley Cup… and there’s nowhere he’d rather be. Well, except maybe lifting the Cup himself... -
![Seth by Carly Marie]()
Seth by Carly Marie
Be yourself because everyone else is taken. But what if that risks everything you know? Seth Johnson has worked his entire career to be remembered more for his skill than as an openly gay NHL player. Finding a boyfriend has been pushed to the back burner. As for exposing his softer side, the side that loves lace and lingerie? It’s not happening...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers athletes queer secret-relationship found-family hockey sweet-hero -
![The Legend Next Door by Jesse H. Reign]()
The Legend Next Door by Jesse H. Reign
I didn’t think hockey was the game for me…now I’m obsessed. My new neighbor, Ben Stirling, is a beautiful, famous ex-player. A living NHL legend. A single dad with sad eyes and a smile I feel in my knees.I’ve never met anyone like him. He’s what would you’d get if you squeezed masculinity through a sieve. He’s the grit. The pulp. The hard stuff that leaves a sweet taste in your mouth... -
![Stubborn Puckboy by Eden Finley, Saxon James]()
Stubborn Puckboy by Eden Finley, Saxon James
ColbyOnce upon a time, playing for the NHL was my dream. Then Radimir Novicov skated circles around me and made it clear I’d never be good enough. He was smart, talented, and worst of all–sexy. Every closeted guy knows that you don’t hit on your teammate, even if his gaze lingers longer than it should...Categorized as:
queer hockey sports new adult athletes grumpy sunshine secret-relationship found-family -
![Semantic Error, Vol. 1 by Angy, Soori Jeo]()
Semantic Error, Vol. 1 by Angy, Soori Jeo
Computer science major Sangwoo Choo values reason, routine, and rules above all, so when the rest of his teammates fail to contribute to the group presentation, he doesn’t hesitate to cut everyone’s names from the project entirely―including design major Jaeyoung Jang, which ruins his plans to graduate and study abroad... -
![Here Comes My Man by Lauren Blakely, Teddy Hamilton]()
Here Comes My Man by Lauren Blakely, Teddy Hamilton
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsListening Length 9 hours and 57 minutesA red-hot, enemies-to-lovers, fake boyfriend, second chance romance, and the conclusion to the Hopelessly Bromantic Duet!Let me just say this -- fake dating the cocky movie star was not my idea. Especially since he’s my former roomie and, gulp, my secret ex...Categorized as:
queer angst forced proximity friends to lovers m-m contemporary from hate to love second chances -
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![Right as Raine by Lucy Lennox]()
Right as Raine by Lucy Lennox
Tiller:As the first openly gay professional football player, I can’t afford to make any mistakes, on or off the field. And the absolute biggest mistake I could make right now would be to fall for Mikey Vining, my best friend, employee and, more importantly, Coach’s baby boy. I might fantasize about Mikey at night-—every night—but actually touching him would be a serious personal foul...Categorized as:
friends to lovers sports athletes forced proximity secret-relationship queer contemporary humor -
![Headstrong by Eden Finley]()
Headstrong by Eden Finley
A straight guy gives gay hookup tips to a virgin. What could go wrong? When I first met Whit, I couldn’t get away from him fast enough. He’s a hockey player, and I hate everything to do with the sport that once broke my heart.But I can’t help feeling sorry for the guy. He’s newly out and desperate to meet someone, but his eagerness seems to scare potential hook-ups away...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers new adult athletes grumpy sunshine anal sex sunny hero queer -
![Torn & Bound Duet by K. Webster, Nikki Ash]()
Torn & Bound Duet by K. Webster, Nikki Ash
From USA Today bestselling authors K Webster and Nikki Ash comes an angsty, new adult, poly romance.I’ve spent the past three years in college terrorizing the dean, also known as my father.I’m everything he hates.Troublemaker. Slacker. Gay.But I’m only getting started.I’m about to make Dad really proud with my newest life choices…I fall for my best friend, Mia, who’s a freaking chick...Categorized as:
new adult sports queer friends to lovers hockey college athletes secret-relationship -
![The Amazing Alpha Tau Self-Improvement Project by Lisa Henry, Sarah Honey]()
The Amazing Alpha Tau Self-Improvement Project by Lisa Henry, Sarah Honey
Dalton Beauregard has a plan, and it involves acing all his exams, making the Dean's List every year he's at Lassiter College, and going to med school and becoming a doctor.Marty O'Brien has a plan too. His is to improve his life by emulating those around him. He's going to need a study plan, a tutor, and... a boyfriend?Dalton can't believe he's even considering this. It's utterly ridiculous...Categorized as:
new adult friends to lovers college himbo queer sunny hero sweet-hero super rich hero -
![Upside Down by N.R. Walker]()
Upside Down by N.R. Walker
Jordan O’Neill isn’t a fan of labels, considering he has a few. Gay, geek, librarian, socially awkward, a nervous rambler, an introvert, an outsider. The last thing he needs is one more. But when he realises adding the label asexual might explain a lot, it turns his world upside down. Hennessy Lang moved to Surry Hills after splitting with his boyfriend... -
![Method Acting by N.R. Walker]()
Method Acting by N.R. Walker
Chase SoriaEvery budding actor knows acting is a difficult gig. There will be grueling auditions and punishing rejections. If you’re lucky, there’ll be roles that pay the bills and even roles that won’t.Roles we don’t believe in.But that’s what acting is—acting as if we do believe in them.So when the semester’s production project is announced and I’m cast as one of the leads, I’m ecstatic...Categorized as:
found-family grumpy sunshine new adult forced proximity queer college sunny hero anal sex -
![Between the Pipes by J.J. Mulder, Ivanna Nashkolna]()
Between the Pipes by J.J. Mulder, Ivanna Nashkolna
Nico Mackenzie is angry and argumentative— in every way, he is the exact opposite of NHL goaltender Anthony Lawson. Thrown together for a summer of coaching college hockey at South Carolina University, Anthony makes every effort to be friendly; Nico, on the other hand, seems intent on being infuriating and keeping the other man at arm’s length... -
![From Coast to Coast by J.J. Mulder]()
From Coast to Coast by J.J. Mulder
NHL forward Remy Stone steps off the plane in Calgary a newly divorced man. While he doesn’t necessarily want to live in Canada, the trade offered a good excuse for a fresh start and he means to capitalize on it.Defenseman Grayson Brody has played most of his career with Calgary, but has long fallen out of love with his team...Categorized as:
sports hockey queer forced proximity friends to lovers athletes sunny hero sweet-hero -
![Caught Stealing by C.E. Ricci]()
Caught Stealing by C.E. Ricci
Let me tell you how Holden Sykes operates. As the campus playboy and one-and-done king, he doesn’t do strings. Or repeats. Or names, for that matter. So when he tries making my best friend the next notch on his bedpost, I react poorly. Some would call it jealousy or an unrequited crush, but friends protect each other from making mistakes. The same ones I’ve already made...Categorized as:
sports new adult anal sex possessive hero super rich hero queer college secret-relationship -
![The Head Game by Brigham Vaughn]()
The Head Game by Brigham Vaughn
Fisher Cats Defenseman Rushed to Hospital After In-Game Fall—Mystery Beau Revealed? The Fisher Cats defenseman is conscious and in stable condition following a seizure that occurred during the recent game against Buffalo. Updates indicate that while still hospitalized, he’s hopeful for a quick return to the ice... -
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![Icebound Rivals by Hayden Hall]()
Icebound Rivals by Hayden Hall
Grayson Reed is into me.We are each other’s fiercest opponents in the rink. But now, Grayson’s eyes are stripping me down whenever we cross each other’s paths.I don’t mind being the object of another guy’s desire, but I also refuse to jump into a stranger’s bed so quickly. It’s just that I’m not really dating material... -
![Football Royalty by Eden Finley]()
Football Royalty by Eden Finley
If you never fooled around with someone of the same gender, did you even go to high school?PEYTONMy whole life I’ve had the pressure of being Marcus Talon and Shane Miller’s football prodigy. I’ve been destined to follow in my NFL-playing fathers’ footsteps since the day I was born. I usually thrive under pressure, but as senior year looms, it all gets too much, and I need an outlet...Categorized as:
sports new adult college athletes friends to lovers queer found-family super rich hero -
![Road Rules (Rules of the Game) by Brigham Vaughn]()
Road Rules (Rules of the Game) by Brigham Vaughn
Rule #1: Hockey Comes First As NHL team captain, Zane Murphy’s goal for the upcoming season is simple: take the Evanston River Otters all the way to the Stanley Cup. Rule #2: Only On the Road But an unexpectedly hot night with his best friend and teammate Ryan Hartinger throws Zane’s carefully laid plans and his sexuality into disarray... -
![By the Numbers by K.M. Neuhold]()
By the Numbers by K.M. Neuhold
Two hot roommates, minus clothes, plus a drawer full of debauchery, and a WHOLE lot of tension. You don’t have to be a math genius to figure out the sum of that equation...Categorized as:
friends to lovers new adult college anal sex forced proximity queer contemporary m-m -
![Blitzed by S.E. Harmon]()
Blitzed by S.E. Harmon
NFL tight end Andrew McAdams isn’t thrilled to be sidelined with an injury. He’s even less thrilled about his legal troubles. Community service is the only thing standing between him and jail so...yeah. That’s a no-brainer. It's not all bad news, though. He gets to work with Jesse Fox, who is as gorgeous as he is guarded. And there's no rule saying he can't do his hours and have a little fun...Categorized as:
sports athletes friends to lovers grumpy sunshine forced proximity queer found-family m-m -
![Composed at Randy's by Zile Elliven]()
Composed at Randy's by Zile Elliven
"How do I tell the guy I like that I’m not homeless, just a dumbass?"Love beyond the binary, serving up low angst trans romances at Randy's Diner.Composed at Randy’s is a 'dumbasses in love', cis male/trans male pairing with a smooth-brained (not remotely smart) genius, a goth himbo, and all the help they can get to achieve their happily ever after...Categorized as:
queer new adult forced proximity insta-love found-family himbo sweet-hero sunny hero -
![Musical Mayhem by Alley Ciz]()
Musical Mayhem by Alley Ciz
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsHelp Wanted: Producer for the latest album from multi-platinum selling band Birds of Prey.Enter Sammy Rhodes.Famed DJ The Spin Doctor.Musical genius.Fits with the band like he's our sixth member.We hired him on the spot.So what's the problem?He's also all broad shoulders and dazzling smile, and has this flop of hair I constantly yearn to brush away from his handsome face... -
![Irresponsible Puckboy by Eden Finley, Saxon James]()
Irresponsible Puckboy by Eden Finley, Saxon James
Tripp The worst part of being in love with my straight best friend is the fact he’s too oblivious to see it.Years of pining have left me exhausted, and I need a break from Dex. I need space to get over my feelings. But when his relationship falls apart and he turns to me for comfort, I cave immediately.If there’s one thing I hate more than being hurt, it’s seeing Dex struggle... -
![Hopelessly Bromantic by Lauren Blakely, Shane East]()
Hopelessly Bromantic by Lauren Blakely, Shane East
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsListening Length 8 hours and 37 minutesAn irresistibly sexy, emotionally charged, forbidden MM romance between a broody American and a charming Brit! My first day in London feels ripped from the pages of a rom com when I meet a charming, witty guy in a quaint bookshop. We vibe like crazy, and our chemistry is almost too good to be true because...It is. Turns out he’s my new roommate... -
![Gemini Keeps Capricorn by Anyta Sunday]()
Gemini Keeps Capricorn by Anyta Sunday
Sometimes, one stubborn Capricorn is all it takes… to drive Wesley Hidaka to crazy, flirtatious lengths. Wesley loves annoying his RA Lloyd Reynolds. He just can’t help it. Lloyd is focused, decisive, grounded. He has this amusing ability to follow rules . Of course Wesley wants Lloyd to break one… or three hundred...Categorized as:
new adult friends to lovers college grumpy sunshine secret-relationship queer m-m contemporary -
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![Unrivaled by Ashlyn Kane, Morgan James]()
Unrivaled by Ashlyn Kane, Morgan James
People say there’s a fine line between love and hate. If you ask Grady Armstrong, the line’s as obvious as the one across the middle of a hockey rink.So he can’t explain why he doesn’t walk away when his Grindr hookup—a guy who accused him of impersonating himself—turns out to be Max Lockhart, a rival player Grady once punched in the face... -
![Rules, Schmules! by Becca Seymour]()
Rules, Schmules! by Becca Seymour
The first Zone Defense series spin-off with a rule-following basketball player and an unimpressed twink who thinks rules are made to be obliterated.It’s not my milkshake that brings Kieran Kendall to my yard. Okay, maybe it’s a little bit my milkshake. But I also like to think it’s my dazzling personality and my magical… uhm… you get the idea...Categorized as:
sports new adult college athletes queer anal sex friends to lovers secret-relationship -
![Got Me Merry by Casey Cox]()
Got Me Merry by Casey Cox
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsCan my best friend get me to enjoy the holidays? Ho... Ho... Um…No? Christmas just isn't my jam. The crowds. The cold. That Mariah Carey song blasting everywhere I go. Thanks, but no thanks.Don't get me wrong. I'm no Grinch. The holidays are awesome if you have a great family and money to shower them with gifts. Unfortunately for me, I have neither of those things...Categorized as:
friends to lovers grumpy sunshine college queer contemporary humor m-m mature couple -
![Pumped by Linden Bell]()
Pumped by Linden Bell
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsEverestOwen and I do not get along. He thinks I'm irresponsible and I find him arrogant and uptight. Good thing we only see each other when my sister and his brother pester us into attending family events.But when a fatal car accident leaves our niece orphaned, my brother-in-law and I are forced to raise her together--as long as we don't strangle each other first...Categorized as:
forced proximity grumpy sunshine found-family himbo angst sports queer from hate to love -
![Waking Up Filthy by R. Cayden]()
Waking Up Filthy by R. Cayden
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsWhy in the hell is there a naked, tattooed man in my bed?I’m a closeted tennis pro, and I’m certainly not accustomed to waking up with strange men.Never mind that Gabriel is a notoriously flirty rock star and, according to the marriage certificate we find in our Vegas hotel room, my new husband.Last night is a drunken blur, but there’s no doubt in my mind what needs to happen this morning...Categorized as:
sports grumpy sunshine friends to lovers athletes queer m-m contemporary lgbtqia hate -
![The Linebacker by Emerson Beckett, Rheland Richmond]()
The Linebacker by Emerson Beckett, Rheland Richmond
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIs it wrong for me to want the world to know I’m in love with Patrick Griffin and have been since we were eight-years-old? Patrick Griffin I hurt him. I didn’t mean to.Now he’s gone, and I deserve it.As a linebacker in the NFL, I've never found the right time to come out of the closet. Not even when I promised Cole I would...
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