Books like 'The Playbook'
Readers who enjoyed The Playbook by Erin MacKenzie also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary grumpy sunshine forced proximity single-father siblings-bff friends to lovers football sports
-
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. -
Fumble. Pass. Repeat. by T'Lyn
Rated: 4.62 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsKyce Jefferson understood change. His life had been a continuous reminder that nothing last for ever. However, his one constant had always been football. Women come and go but the Chicago Bears was his team, his home and his life. Being traded was the last thing he expected or wanted. Iyoni Nixon lived and breathed for her son. He was her reason... -
Sponsored links / Remove ads
-
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... -
Without You by Lacey Black
Rated: 4.51 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTucker. I spend my days brewing beer for the popular Brew Crüe Beer Company and my nights devoted to being a dad. Raising a young child with special needs can be tough and stressful, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. He’s everything to me, and the reason I keep going. It’s him and me against the world, and I have no intention of changing that. Then, Kinsley McGregor walks back into my life... -
-
Hendrix by Samantha Whiskey
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsAs one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, I can catch anything. .. anyone. Except her—the coach’s daughter. Savannah Goodman is the one woman in the world I’m forbidden to touch,. and the only one I can’t stop thinking about. She’s fiery, funny, and sexy as sin. We can’t be in the same room without fighting,. but her quick wit only brings me back for more... -
Timeout by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsAs Jack’s wedding draws nearer, the cloud over him seems to darken as he goes through the motions. Instead of enjoying the bachelor party and rehearsal dinner, he needs a timeout from the woman he’s set to marry. If he really walks down the aisle toward her, I can’t keep working with him. Not when I’m in love with him... -
Dr. Beckett by Grace Maxwell
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWe were childhood enemies. Now I’m sleeping in his guest room… and I’m not sure I want to leave. Beckett. Sadie Calloway showing up on my doorstep in the middle of a storm wasn’t on my bingo card. She’s my best friend’s little sister, the girl I used to torment for fun, and now she’s standing in my living room, dripping wet and out of options... -
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 football contemporary length-medium standalone standalone-first -
Touchdown by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAs much as I’ve coached the pro football quarterback to believe he always has a choice, this time I’m the one backed into a corner. My biggest fears have come true. I’m an adult living with my parents as I contemplate my future. I’ve given up everything to make the ultimate sacrifice, but at some point I need to put what happened behind me... -
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... -
One Night Valentine by Hope Ford
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIt’s not a question of IF this football star can resist the curvy florist but rather WHEN he’ll give in…. Cruz. It is said that you only want what you cannot have. I hate to be a cliche, but that statement rings true for me. In my case it’s not what I want, but rather who. Tara Brooks. Sweet, funny, and my little sister’s best friend... -
Tackled by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.62 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen compromising pictures of me with the pro football quarterback I’m behavior coaching hit the press, we need damage control. I’m probably going to lose my job since his fiancée’s father—the man who hired me—discovered the pictures as I woke to a cloudy memory of the night before... -
Tight Laced by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsOne of us will have to give up the future we’ve dreamed of if we’re going to make this work. It’s not going to be me. We can’t both have that same thought if we want to stay together when our contract ends. But the more I see him struggle against the things his mother does to him, the harder I fall. The more his ex tries to get in his way, the more I want to stand up for him...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers forced proximity siblings-bff age difference contemporary length-short m-f -
Love for a Lifetime by Mandi Blake
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThey’ll always be friends, but they can never be more. Dawson Keller has held a torch for his best friend’s little sister for as long as he can remember. He might be a flirt, but his heart will always belong to Olivia. Olivia Lawrence lives to serve others and work on the family farm. Helping people and tending animals keep her mind off the one thing she wants but can’t have—a family... -
-
Rest In Pieces by Candice Wright
If you’d told me years ago that I’d become a stunt woman after a car accident turned my Olympic dreams of gold to rust,. I’d have called you crazy. Yet here I am, throwing myself off a perfectly good building. I guess I’ve always been a little fearless, except when it comes to matters of the heart. I keep my relationships light and meaningless, which is why my exes tend to have big. . -
Every Kiss You Steal by J.E. Parker
Her past is plagued with darkness. .. He's determined to make her future brighter. -Ashley-. My life was once a nightmare. Because of my past, the walls I've constructed are mighty. But those walls begin to waver the day I meet him. .. Chase Jacobs, star quarterback, and the cutest boy I've ever seen. With his easy smile and sweet words, he's perfect. Problem is, I'm not... -
It's Always Sonny by Kate Watson
Sunshine always melts ice eventually. And I’m starting to feel the burn. People may call me an “overachieving ice queen,” but I would do anything for the people I love. So when my friends ask me to host an event at their famous farm, I’m more than happy to help…until I discover I’ve been set up. The “event” is actually a reunion for my ex’s family...Categorized as:
forced proximity sports grumpy sunshine football contemporary m-f found-family humor -
Play Fake by Lisa Suzanne
A spicy Pro Football, Best Friend’s Brother, Marriage of Convenience Romance from Amazon Top Ten Bestselling author Lisa Suzanne. I was supposed to get married on national television. Instead, I was humiliated at the altar and ran straight into bad boy pro football star Dex Bradley. Literally. He’s my best friend’s grumpy older brother, and he needs a nanny for his surprise baby...Categorized as:
football sports grumpy sunshine forced proximity single-father siblings-bff contemporary audiobook -
Writing the Rules by Mariah Dietz
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsPoppy Anderson was nailing her sophomore year at Brighton University. She liked her classes, had the greatest best friend, and was finally ready to start dating again. Or she was … until her ex, Mike, transferred to Brighton and started exchanging long stares and inside jokes that Poppy thought he’d forgotten. Paxton Lawson was long ago labeled ‘The Golden Boy...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers siblings-bff football contemporary new adult college length-long -
Sterling Fight by L.B. Dunbar
These former friends might be faking their engagement, but revealed crushes prove there might not be anything fictional about their arrangement. In college, I often saw Judd Sylver in the library. He was a cool, broody type of guy who reminded me of a deeply tortured soul who might write poetry... -
Without You by Lacey Black
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTucker. I spend my days brewing beer for the popular Brew Crüe Beer Company and my nights devoted to being a dad. Raising a young child with special needs can be tough and stressful, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. He’s everything to me, and the reason I keep going. It’s him and me against the world, and I have no intention of changing that. Then, Kinsley McGregor walks back into my life... -
Protector of Misty Mountain: An ex-military, age gap, mountain man romance by Eve London
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsShe walked into my world like she belongs here… but I don’t let people stay. Juniper. The mountains were supposed to be my escape—a place to rebuild, to breathe, to prove to myself that I could make it on my own. But from the moment I set foot in Misty Mountain, one mountain man has made it his mission to send me packing. Griffin Calloway...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine forced proximity age difference contemporary military length-novella -
Careless Storm by Katherine Jay
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI’m not his to protect, but the NFL's bad boy has never been one to follow the rules. Six years ago, I was living my dream life. Supportive family, amazing friends, admission into my dream college. .. And a secret relationship with my brother’s best friend. Zane and I had it all worked out until one horrific moment tore our worlds apart, sending us spiraling in different directions... -
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... -
-
Silver Linings by Violet Page
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsSilver James has perfected the art of keeping everything at a distance—her career, her friends, and most definitely romance. Her motto is simple: keep life carefree and fun. The more she avoids the unexpected, the less likely she is to get hurt... -
Summer Camp Secret by Kait Nolan
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsWhen Aspen Fairchild finds herself face-to-face with Brooks Hennessey, a pro hockey player with a heart as guarded as her own, a simple act of kindness turns into a night they can’t forget. Neither can the media. When the playful lie about their engagement goes viral and lands them in the same cabin at Camp Firefly Falls, Brooks proposes continuing the charade for the week... -
Landon by Cora Brent
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLANDON. My former student. My new roommate. My greatest weakness…. Autumn:. It’s not that I’m hiding out in this hard luck little town. But I’m twenty-six years old, I’ve had one boyfriend and he ditched me for my sister. So I might be a little cynical. Then again, perhaps a high school math teacher shouldn’t expect romance... -
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... -
A Christmas Auction: A Marriage Auction Novella by Audrey Carlan
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Audrey Carlan comes a new story in her Marriage Auction series…. “’Tis the Season,” some people say, as if the month of December could somehow magically make the world a better place. Fat chance of that happening in Sin City. In my world, nothing is merry and bright. More like dark and dank...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine forced proximity from hate to love contemporary length-short audiobook -
Charlie and Her Sweet Escape by Kaylee Baldwin
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAgree to be on the Married in the Wild survival reality show? Check. Collect a paycheck that’s enough to help with my mom’s medical bills? Check. Get married? Um… Check? Enter Bennett Forrester. My best friend’s older brother is gorgeous, a huge flirt, and always in the wrong place at the right time when it comes to catching me in my most humiliating moments... -
Thrill Ride by Breezie Bennett
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratings"Flirty, dirty, and downright irresistible! Breezie Bennett's books sizzle like a steamy Florida night. ". - Kresley Cole, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author. Thrill Ride: South Florida Riders Book 4. NFL kicker Dylan Rivera and quirky yoga teacher Melody Hayes have absolutely nothing in common, except they both believe in "one true love... -
Nashville Lights by Julie Capulet
Roxie. Nate Boone. My brother’s best friend and the country boy I had a serious crush on all those years ago when we were both just kids. A lot has happened since then but a part of me never really moved on. Who am I kidding, all of me never moved on...Categorized as:
siblings-bff single-father virgin heroine contemporary length-medium explicit-plentiful -
The Billionaire and His Forever by Sadie S. Black
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWe were always going to be an impossible fantasy. There was never a future for us between the secrets and the scandals, the temptations and the lies, and above all--a child who never deserved this life... -
Turnover by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsI’m in love with a man who is marrying somebody else. At least that’s what was supposed to happen when I was kicked out of the wedding last night by the bride’s father. I find myself without a job, without a home, and without the pro football quarterback I’ve fallen for... -
-
Her Pretty Words by Amber Evergreen
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsA canceled flight. A beautiful stranger who seems to delight in getting under her skin. A hotel with only one room. Everything that could go wrong during Macy’s escape to Florida does. But when Grayson—the frustrating stranger in question—offers to share the room he already has, she has no choice but to take him up on it—platonically, of course. One night with him is more than enough... -
The Way We Win by Tia Louise
Coach Bradford has a dirty little secret… and it’s not (just) me. Jack Bradford is the oldest of the Bradford siblings, my best friend’s brother, and my son’s football coach. He’s six-two, dark hair, ocean-blue eyes, broad shoulders, and a square jaw that’s perpetually flexed. He’s a hero in our small town, and the gentle way he cares for his young daughter will melt your… everything... -
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 forced proximity age difference contemporary length-short m-f audiobook -
Catch a Wave by Savannah Scott
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsDid you ever see a guy and just know you had to meet him? That was me and Bodhi Merrick. I couldn't take my eyes off him as he donned his wetsuit at the famous big-wave surf spot, Mavericks. I'll never forget that day. Or every time our paths crossed after that. Big wave surfing is a small world...Categorized as:
sports siblings-bff forced proximity multicultural humor contemporary m-f length-medium -
The Scientist by Kristen B. Cole, Margo Lipschultz
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen an outgoing musical maven meets the enigmatic neuroscientist next door, will their worlds clash in a dramatic showdown of art versus science, or will they discover that love is the ultimate experiment worth conducting? When celebrated Broadway composer Hadley Olivier’s best friend receives a life-threatening diagnosis, Hadley says goodbye to her beloved home in NYC and sets off to the West...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine friends to lovers forced proximity contemporary humor menage length-long -
The Hail Mary by Ginger Scott
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsSixteen years is a long time. In a marriage, it’s a milestone. On the gridiron, it’s a miracle. Reed Johnson wants more time for everything, but time is funny that way. It can be cruel. With a body that can’t quite take the hits it used to and a heart tired of being torn in two different directions, Reed is faced with a reality he’s not quite ready for—life without the game... -
The Sneak Peak by Victoria Wilder
My Best Friend. Young. Tempting . She bid on me at my company’s charity auction and won. Back then, she was too young, with hearts in her eyes and her whole life ahead of her. That’s how we started, and after all this time, she’s become my best friend. Being a single dad of twins and running Colorado's most successful summer sports company requires control and focus... -
End Game by Riley Paige
Rated: 4.69 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSloane-. My dad’s cancer is back and I keep trying to outrun the inevitable with practice, routines, and lists—anything to keep my hands busy so my heart doesn’t break. Logan Brooks, my brother’s best friend, moving back in with us was the changeup I didn’t see coming. I want to hate him, but he’s the only person who seems to quiet the panic in my chest...Categorized as:
sports siblings-bff friends to lovers football forced proximity new adult college found-family -
Tell Me a Story by Kaylee Ryan, Lacey Black
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsJoey. I don’t want to be someone’s dirty little secret. I know all too well what that feels like. Guarding my heart means staying out of pro football player Brock Williams’s bed and out of the spotlight. But after all these years, he’s exactly like I remember, charming, determined, and used to getting what he wants. And what he wants now is me. The chemistry between us is undeniable... -
Falling into Forever by Avery Maxwell
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsWhat’s a brokenhearted romance novelist to do when an interview accidentally turns her into the villain? I’ll tell you one thing—the plan definitely wasn’t to turn to the man who taught me that happily ever afters exist only on the page... -
-
If It's Only Love by Lexi Ryan
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsFrom New York Times bestseller Lexi Ryan comes a sexy new standalone romance in the bestselling Boys of Jackson Harbor series. Meet single dad Easton Connor as he leaves the NFL and returns to Jackson Harbor to fight for another chance with the love of his life. ***. I don’t regret much. Not my decision to enter the NFL draft before finishing college...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers single-father siblings-bff contemporary new adult length-medium audiobook -
Cage by Tia Louise
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsSometimes fate sends a sign, and sometimes it sends a bloodhound with a hot hockey player holding its leash, dragging it off you. Owen Stone is not your usual hockey player. He’s a six-foot-two single dad with dark hair, ocean eyes, and muscles for days. He’s also a last-minute trade trying to find a home for his seven-year-old daughter, his psychic sister, and his adoring bloodhound... -
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:
football friends to lovers sports found-family contemporary humor length-long audiobook -
Love You More by Julia Kent
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsColleen Luview's love life is cursed. No—really. The small-town nurse is notorious in her touristy mountain community. After every third date she's ever had, the guy ends up in her emergency room. She's untouchable now, and it's not her fault... -
After The Vows by D.E. Haggerty
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe sexy cop next door wants nothing to do with me. Until he asks me to marry him to save his daughter. When Lucas moves in next door, I don’t waste any time trying to get his attention. But the police officer who looks strong enough to throw me over those wide shoulders of his and carry me away isn’t interested in me. Time for desperate measures... -
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...
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.

