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.
sports forced proximity found-family single-father friends to lovers grumpy sunshine football siblings-bff dual-pov athletes
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Dice by Teagan Brooks
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsDaphneMy life took a drastic turn when my husband of three years told me he was leaving me. He’d been having an affair, and the woman had just given birth to his child. To say I was shocked would have been an understatement, but not for the usual reasons. What surprised me was the overwhelming feeling of relief I felt when he said he was leaving... -
![Hook Shot by Kennedy Ryan]()
Hook Shot by Kennedy Ryan
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 39 ratingsA deeply emotional standalone romance set in the worlds of professional basketball and high fashion. Divorced. Single dad. Traded to a losing squad.Cheated on, betrayed, exposed. My perfect life blew up in my face and I'm still picking up the pieces.The last thing I need is her.A wildflower. A storm. A woman I can't resist...Categorized as:
sports single-father friends to lovers dual-pov athletes contemporary basketball abuse -
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![Roman by Samantha Whiskey]()
Roman by Samantha Whiskey
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 26 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.Every innocent touch crackles... -
![Bonus Game by Susan Renee]()
Bonus Game by Susan Renee
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsI was the first one on the team to get married.I was the first one of us to have a kid.I was also the first one of us whose marriage went up in flames, making me the team's first single dad.Yeah, not one of my better saves.Not that I'm complaining. My daughter is my life... -
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![One Night Valentine by Hope Ford]()
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... -
![Tight Laced by Lisa Suzanne]()
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 -
![Are We There Yet? by Savannah Scott]()
Are We There Yet? by Savannah Scott
A vintage VW van. Four friends. A cross-country road trip.It will be the best adventure of my life, if only I can shake the feelings I have for Cameron .Cameron Reeves is as gorgeous as his name makes him sound.He’s about six feet tall, which is the height I always wrote in my ideal man list in my journal. Yes. I have a list of qualities I want in a man... -
![Finding Home by Jenn McMahon]()
Finding Home by Jenn McMahon
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsBlair Andrews has spent the better part of her adulthood playing trophy wife to her politician husband in San Francisco. All she knows is her pampered, polished, perfect life.Until it all comes crashing down around her.After hiding out in her sister’s spare bedroom for months to avoid pitying looks on the streets, she decides it’s time to escape city life and learn to stand on her own... -
![Promise Me This by Hannah Bird]()
Promise Me This by Hannah Bird
Forever wasn’t supposed to look like this.When Leona Granger studied abroad in Ireland, she spent a lot more time falling in love with Callum Walsh than she did in the classroom. On the eve of her return to the States, she promised to come back for him when she finished college. They said goodbye under the stars, sealing their promise with more than just a kiss... -
![The One I Need by Chelle Sloan]()
The One I Need by Chelle Sloan
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsYou’re cordially invited to the wedding of Oliver Price and Izzy McCall…That’s how my wedding invitations should have started. I should know, I’ve had my wedding planned since I was ten. I should’ve been wearing a designer tuxedo, not a tuxedo t-shirt. The wedding should’ve been in a church with family and friends, not in a 1960’s style chapel with Elvis as the officiant... -
![Knock Out by Jiffy Kate]()
Knock Out by Jiffy Kate
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn the blink of an eye, Willow Bernard goes from stocking shelves at the Piggly Wiggly to kicking butt at Viking MMA.Willow Bernard has taken a lot of hits in her twenty-two years but always manages to come back swinging. Hoping to fly under the radar for a change, she relocates to Green Valley...Categorized as:
sports grumpy sunshine friends to lovers forced proximity fighters contemporary humor length-long -
![Someone You Love by Kristen Granata]()
Someone You Love by Kristen Granata
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsA touching forced proximity summer romance about healing and taking chances.Charly Johnson created a bucket list when cancer left her mother with less than a year to live. They didn’t make it all the way through the list before she died, but she made Charly promise to finish it and live her life to the fullest.Spending the summer in a coastal mountain city in Maine is next on her list...Categorized as:
sports forced proximity grumpy sunshine football new adult contemporary christian length-medium -
![Writing the Rules by Mariah Dietz]()
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 -
![Flirting With Forever by Claire Kingsley]()
Flirting With Forever by Claire Kingsley
He’ll break all her rulesNora Lakes is sophisticated, successful, and happily single. Career problems aside, her life is fine the way it is, thank you very much. Sure, her best friends are all moving into a new season of life—full of husbands and babies and white picket fences. But that’s not what Nora wants. Neither is the gruff, tattooed guy next door. Tattoo artist Dex St... -
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![If It's Only Love by Lexi Ryan]()
If It's Only Love by Lexi Ryan
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 16 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 -
![Falling into Forever by Avery Maxwell]()
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...Categorized as:
friends to lovers grumpy sunshine forced proximity contemporary from hate to love m-f -
![The Marriage Auction 2, Book One by Audrey Carlan]()
The Marriage Auction 2, Book One by Audrey Carlan
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThree women and one man put themselves up for auction in a high-stakes game of marriage, money, and mayhem. The spice is high, the characters intense, and the plot will keep you guessing until the bitter end. This is the filthy, gritty, angsty soap opera you never knew you needed. Welcome to The Marriage Auction... -
![The Sneak Peak by Victoria Wilder]()
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...Categorized as:
sports forced proximity grumpy sunshine single-father dual-pov friends to lovers contemporary humor -
![Off Limits by Chelle Sloan]()
Off Limits by Chelle Sloan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsProfessional football has an actual rulebook, but it’s the unwritten rules that come with the harshest consequences.The biggest one of all: don’t date your teammate’s sister. And if you do, don’t you dare fall in love with her.I never meant to fall, but when it comes to Brenna Donald, I never stood a chance. She’s everything I’m not--a light-hearted wild child who shines brighter than the sun...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers athletes siblings-bff forbidden love contemporary humor length-medium -
![The One I Want by Chelle Sloan]()
The One I Want by Chelle Sloan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAs a professional football player, I had a playbook for everything on the field. Then I retired and found out there’s no playbook for life—especially when the one you thought was perfect gets flipped upside down. There’s no play for suddenly becoming a divorced, single dad. There’s no plan for moving your family back to the town you grew up in...Categorized as:
sports single-father forced proximity friends to lovers football age difference contemporary humor -
![Accidentally In Love with my Best Friend's Brother by Abby Greyson]()
Accidentally In Love with my Best Friend's Brother by Abby Greyson
This is a kisses only, sweet romance.My best friend’s annoying brother, some spilled tea, and a crazy proposition.Josh Owen’s is the top receiver in the NFL, with a bad boy reputation. He’s click bait fodder for any, and all, gossip columns.A released video shows us “kissing”, and the news is spreading like wildfire.Now me, "good girl" Brie, is in the rumor mills with him... -
![Accidentally Falling For My Fake Wife: A Sweet, Marriage Of Convenience, Football RomCom by Abby Greyson]()
Accidentally Falling For My Fake Wife: A Sweet, Marriage Of Convenience, Football RomCom by Abby Greyson
This is a dual POV, kisses only, sports romance and the second standalone in the Accidentally In Sports Series.A hidden identity, a fake marriage, and one very real crush.AdamFinding out my visa expired days after being traded to a new professional football team?Worst two weeks of my life.Now my agent tells me my sole option, if I want to keep playing and not end up deported, is to get married... -
![Caution by A.K. Evans]()
Caution by A.K. Evans
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLike every hardworking member of Harper Security Ops, Forrest Hickman takes time away from work to relax and recharge. And he often does that while riding his snowboard on the slopes of his favorite ski resort.He wasn’t sure anything would be better than some time alone to clear his head. That is, until he meets someone to spend his break with... -
![Make Your Save by Cali Melle]()
Make Your Save by Cali Melle
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFalling for my ex-boyfriend’s brother was never supposed to happen… especially while I’m pretending to be his fiancée.When I find Rowan Taylor’s infant daughter abandoned outside the hospital I work at, both of our lives are instantly flipped upside down...Categorized as:
single-father forced proximity sports friends to lovers dual-pov found-family hockey secret child -
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![Silent Knight by Beth Bolden]()
Silent Knight by Beth Bolden
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsJeremiah—or Jem, as his friends like to call him—Knight is stuck at a crossroads. Injured and unsure if he’ll be spending another season on the football field, he returns home for the holidays, hoping to lick his wounds in private. Only to be roped into being the mascot and grand marshal of the annual Christmas Falls festival and parade... -
![Burn by Ginger Scott]()
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... -
![Kind of a Sexy Jerk by Lili Valente]()
Kind of a Sexy Jerk by Lili Valente
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsSo let me get this straight... For the next few days I’ve got myself a grumpy fake husband who’s also kind of my...bodyguard?I guess that’s a better way to spend the weekend than binge-watching reality television, especially since it’s kind of my fault we’re on the run from the mob and I need a protector.Oops... -
![Fumbled by Lisa Suzanne]()
Fumbled by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsAs a pro football player, I’m known for scoring both on and off the field. But all that changes when a tragic accident leaves me as a single dad to a little girl. With both our lives flipped upside down, I’m scrambling to balance my career while supporting the needs of a girl who just had her life torn apart... -
![That Time I Kissed The Groomsman Grump by Julie Christianson]()
That Time I Kissed The Groomsman Grump by Julie Christianson
BRADYYeah, I shouldn’t have kissed Natalie Slater.Not on the porch. Or at the beach. Or in the storage closet. Especially not the storage closet. But to be fair, she kissed me first. Six months later, I’m still thinking about it.Trouble is, I’ve made promises that tie me to our small town, while Natalie can’t wait to escape. I’ve got no business pursuing her or my secret ambitions... -
![Collide with Me by Claudia Y. Burgoa]()
Collide with Me by Claudia Y. Burgoa
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsUSA TODAY Bestselling Author Claudia Burgoa continues a romantic comedy series of enemies who become lovers. A romance where opposites attract and being different leads to falling in love. I love routine. Schedules. Stability.And I’m about to travel across the country with an actual chicken and the one man who I would schedule a root canal to avoid.How did this happen? Let me back up...Categorized as:
friends to lovers forced proximity dual-pov from hate to love contemporary length-medium -
![The Valentine's Bet: A Sweet RomCom by Kristine W. Joy]()
The Valentine's Bet: A Sweet RomCom by Kristine W. Joy
What happens when a hopeful romantic bets a grumpy skeptic that love really exists?Now that I’ve landed my dream job in NYC, I’m finally ready to find Mr. Right.What better way to meet new people in a big city than a speed dating event?Or so I thought—until I got stuck with the biggest cynic in the room... -
![Game Day by Piper Lawson]()
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... -
![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... -
![Perfect Praise by Grace Pearce]()
Perfect Praise by Grace Pearce
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsMaren and Locke both exist in the same world of professional golf—he's the number one player in the world while she just takes his picture.Never mind that Locke unintentionally leads the press to believe that he and Maren are dating, because when she confronts him, he couldn't care less... -
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![His Brave Girl by Landry Hill]()
His Brave Girl by Landry Hill
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsPresleyAs soon as my eighteenth birthday hit, I fled. No longer a prisoner to my parents’ divorce decree, I can finally live with my dad. But that means tomorrow I'll be starting another new school. My only intent for the next four months is to keep my head down, focus on my schoolwork, and graduate with honors. I'm done with high school drama. Done with the social hierarchy...Categorized as:
friends to lovers athletes football sports high-school cruel hero insta-love length-novella -
![The Fastball by Emily Childs]()
The Fastball by Emily Childs
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsShe's the coach's aggravating daughter. He's the shy guy on first base. And they have no idea they're keeping the same secret. After a devastating accident that leaves his throwing hand in shambles, MLB first baseman, Dax Sage, finds out the woman handling the PR for his recovery is none other than the gorgeous, frigid daughter of his head coach... -
![Stout of My League by Sylvie Stewart]()
Stout of My League by Sylvie Stewart
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLynn Brooks is officially over it.With four overprotective brothers, the youngest Brooks sibling has had enough with bossy alphas. So, when professional baseball star Joey Martel makes a play for her, she's determined to steer clear of him and his toxic circle of jocks. Being the latest conquest for another overbearing caveman? No thanks...Categorized as:
friends to lovers sports grumpy sunshine athletes contemporary age difference humor length-medium -
![Ice, Love, & Other Penalties by Claudia Y. Burgoa]()
Ice, Love, & Other Penalties by Claudia Y. Burgoa
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom USA TODAY Bestselling Author Claudia Burgoa comes an enthralling single dad, hockey romance that skates through the challenges of forbidden love, healing after trauma, and found family.They say never mix business with pleasure.As a single father, and the captain of the Seattle Sasquatches, I’m adamant to keep every corner of my life separate and running perfectly... -
![Undeniable Love by Samantha Chase]()
Undeniable Love by Samantha Chase
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA Small Town, Enemies to Lovers, Sports Romance from New York Times bestselling author, Samantha Chase She’s a small town girl looking to escape her monotonous life. He’s the NFL superstar looking to return to his roots. Twelve years ago, he nearly destroyed her family. Now they’re working together and the attraction she feels is…completely undeniable. Lucy Dawson dreamed of leaving South Creek... -
![Force Play by Lo Everett]()
Force Play by Lo Everett
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI’ve always been that guy; charming, charismatic, the one that things come easy for. Baseball is the only thing I’ve ever had to work at … until her. Maybe that carefree smile I wear is part of the reason why I’ve developed a reputation as a playboy. Okay, some of it is deserved. Deep down, under the one-night stands and fun-loving spirit, I’ve always wanted a lasting love like my parents have... -
![Faked and Fumbled by Gina Azzi]()
Faked and Fumbled by Gina Azzi
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsKnoxville Coyotes football heartthrob Cohen Campbell is my brother’s best friend. Now, he’s the man posing as my fake boyfriend. Simple, right? Wrong.I thought my luck couldn’t get worse than when my long-term boyfriend publicly dumped me. Wrong again. Now, my ex is dating my cousin, and our friend group is embarking on an annual ski trip.Desperate to save face, I beg Cohen to pretend to like me...Categorized as:
sports football friends to lovers siblings-bff athletes forced proximity humor contemporary -
![Saving the Halfback by Aly Westman]()
Saving the Halfback by Aly Westman
Traumatic past, dark secrets, found family.I spent most of high school as a ghost. Avoiding, blending, disappearing. It wasn’t until my ex slipped into a coma after a freak accident that something inside me shifted. I was able to breathe again, find myself. I even joined the football team, something my ex never would’ve allowed...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers dual-pov football reverse harem high-school contemporary poly -
![Single Chance: A Single Dad Small Town Romance by Amy Knupp]()
Single Chance: A Single Dad Small Town Romance by Amy Knupp
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSometimes all you get is a single chance to turn a surprise into happily ever after… Chance One night. That’s all I wanted. A single night to forget I’m a widowed single dad with a million responsibilities and a ton of emotional baggage. To remember what it’s like to just be a man. I didn’t need any extra drama in my life. Romantic complications? No thanks... -
![Kissing the Quarterback by Jacob Chance]()
Kissing the Quarterback by Jacob Chance
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAs the quarterback for the Charleston Pirates, the current Super Bowl champs, I lead a blessed life. Between my salary and endorsements, I have more money than I could ever spend.But when the sale of my old home doesn’t line up with the closing on my new one, I’m forced to take up residency in a friend’s empty house.Except, it’s not empty... -
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![Autumn Nights by Willow Aster]()
Autumn Nights by Willow Aster
He's a hot football star and a sexy-as-sin single dad. Zac Ledger is everything I never knew I wanted.A prince on a white horse swooping in to save the day...Isn't that every girl's dream? Maybe for some, but I've never expected to find my own happily ever after...Categorized as:
athletes friends to lovers grumpy sunshine sports single-father forced proximity dual-pov football -
![Reckless Impulse by L.A. Shaw]()
Reckless Impulse by L.A. Shaw
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAs kids, we had an unexplainable bond. One I don’t think we even understood back then.Over time, the pull between us developed into something we could no longer ignore.We were reckless, we were impulsive, we were… everything.Until it all came shattering down... -
![Baby Llama Drama by Kate Watson]()
Baby Llama Drama by Kate Watson
Embittered single dad Duke has sworn off love forever. Unfortunately, his daughter just met the mother of her dreams. I have it all. I work my dream job doing animal-assisted therapy, I live with the four best friends in history, and I own an actual pair of Louboutins. I should be content... -
![Lucky Number Eleven by Adriana Locke]()
Lucky Number Eleven by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.06 of 5 stars · 33 ratingsI’ve always been the person that does whatever someone tells me I can’t. Can’t graduate with a four-point-oh? Check.Can’t win a modeling contract without trying? Did it. Check.Can’t make it in the pro football league? Triple check with an MVP Award on top.When my best friend told me to stay away from his little sister, Layla, it didn’t sound like a challenge. Then again, I’d never seen her before... -
![Common Grounds: A Romantic Comedy by Allie Samberts]()
Common Grounds: A Romantic Comedy by Allie Samberts
Can a lifestyle reporter and a coffee shop owner find love brewing between them? Or will their blend be too bitter to succeed?Emery Darlis hates her job. She’s a journalist stuck writing feel-good local stories for a web magazine, and she’s grumpy about it. In fact, she’s going to burn out quickly if she doesn’t get to write something more interesting soon.Trevor Kovacic’s coffee shop is failing...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine forced proximity dual-pov found-family office humor mature couple length-medium -
![Off-Ice Collision by Cali Melle]()
Off-Ice Collision by Cali Melle
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsVaughn One moment in time, one freak accident, and my entire hockey career was over. Two years had passed since my injury and I am still mentally struggling with this loss. Mad at the world and everyone in it, I sought solace at my parents' lake house for the summer. It was supposed to be somewhere for me to be alone and heal...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine sports friends to lovers dual-pov forced proximity contemporary new adult college
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