Books like 'The Way We Play'
Readers who enjoyed The Way We Play by Tia Louise also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
sports found-family grumpy sunshine dual-pov forced proximity from hate to love small town virgin heroine athletes competent heroine
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The Forgotten One by Catherine Bybee
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsNew York Times and USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee spins a dazzling tale of long-lost relatives, overnight riches, and unexpected romance in the dramatic second book of The Heirs series.Sarah McNeilly is a rare find in the tabloid industry. She won’t ignite gossip. She finds the truth. And for once, that’s what her boss wants... -
![Made For You by Natasha Madison]()
Made For You by Natasha Madison
From Wall Street Journal and USA TODAY bestselling author Natasha Madison comesA brand new stand-alone enemies-to-lovers grumpy/sunshine sports romance.A spin-off from the Only One seriesVivienneI did the last thing I ever expected to do. I bought a boat. A beautiful boat that was all mine to spend the summer on.Only thing I was looking forward to was the calm being on the water brought me...Categorized as:
sports athletes forced proximity dual-pov grumpy sunshine from hate to love m-f contemporary -
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![Flaunt by Adriana Locke]()
Flaunt by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsLooking for a Fake FiancéHave you ever wanted to prove someone wrong so badly that you could taste it?It doesn’t matter if they’re right. The fact that they had the audacity to go there is what counts.Hi. It’s me. I’m that person.The man I’ve been casually seeing told me I’m not “wife material” and I should “lower my expectations... -
![Billionaire Unreachable ~ Wyatt by J.S. Scott]()
Billionaire Unreachable ~ Wyatt by J.S. Scott
Rated: 4.62 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWhat happens when the man you think you despise turns out to be a completely different guy beneath the surface? I didn't like Wyatt Durand. He might be my friend's older brother, but he was unpleasant, sarcastic, and the grumpiest guy on the planet. It didn't matter to me that he was a breathtakingly gorgeous, ultra-wealthy billionaire with the very prestigious Durand last name... -
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![The Best of All by Karla Sorensen]()
The Best of All by Karla Sorensen
He’s commitment phobic. She believes in happy endings. The twist of fate that binds them is a surprise they never saw coming in a bittersweet romance about instant family—and not-so-instant love.A decade-old animosity is the only thing Liam Davies and Zoe Valentine have in common... -
![This Much Is True by Adriana Locke]()
This Much Is True by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsWhen celebrity Laina Kelley bolted from her small hometown church on her wedding day, she ran to the first place that came to mind—the home of the local farrier, a gorgeous playboy who just so happens to be her first love … and biggest frenemy... -
![Jake Understood by Penelope Ward]()
Jake Understood by Penelope Ward
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsFrom the New York Times bestselling author of Jake Undone, comes a full-length companion novel and sequel. A different side to the story: Jake’s side. “We’re getting a new roommate,” they said. I thought nothing of it...until she walked in the door. Her hand trembled in mine as she looked at me with fearful eyes. My entire world spun on its axis. Nina.. -
![Hart to Heart by M.E. Carter, Jacob Morgan]()
Hart to Heart by M.E. Carter, Jacob Morgan
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsListening Length: 5 hours, 6 minutesWe’re the Harts. Between an engagement, a wedding and an adoption, we’ve had the best year of our lives. Things have never looked better for any of us.But just because you say “I do” doesn’t mean you get a happily ever after. And sometimes, you get tackled more in life than you ever did on the football field... -
![Path To Resolution by TheFeveredBookaholic]()
Path To Resolution by TheFeveredBookaholic
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsWolfe Emerson is notorious for two things: being an absolute beast in a boxing ring and being a voluntary mute. His story remains unspoken and he prefers to live his life in silence. That is, until, his world is turned upside down when he meets someone who is louder than life... -
![Killing Booth by Lani Lynn Vale]()
Killing Booth by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsEvery single thing you want is going to require you to be uncomfortable. Those words had been shared with her by the one man she didn’t think she could take a chance on. She just didn’t know that he was right, or that he was going to be the one making her uncomfortable. Nash Wilder Christopherson was the world’s golden boy. For fifteen years, she watched Nash race from the safety of her phone...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine sports from hate to love forced proximity dual-pov strong heroine m-f humor -
![All Hail the Underdogs by E.L. Massey]()
All Hail the Underdogs by E.L. Massey
When seventeen-year-old Patrick Roman is offered a scholarship to a top hockey preparatory school, he thinks maybe his notorious bad luck has finally ended. With a hearing for his legal emancipation on the horizon, he dreams of getting scouted and securing a place on a D1 college team. There’s only one Roman has serious beef with his new winger on the team, Damien Bordeaux... -
![Free Agent by Christina C. Jones]()
Free Agent by Christina C. Jones
For Rori Mitchell, delulu is decidedly not the solulu.Getting her lick back is.What starts as chance encounter at a sporting event ends up being a perfect distraction from the chaos of a broken heart. Instead of throwing herself into work, she throws herself - for good or bad - into Tatum Wilder.An offensive tackle for the Connecticut Kings, Tatum is used to high-stakes games and intense scrutiny... -
![Playing Mr. Perfect: Clay Braden by Melissa Foster]()
Playing Mr. Perfect: Clay Braden by Melissa Foster
Quarterback Clay "Mr. Perfect" Braden is determined to show sexy scientist Pepper Montgomery the benefits of hands-on research in PLAYING MR. PERFECT, the first book in the Bradens at Ridgeport series by New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melissa Foster. Loaded with heat, humor, and heart, this steamy, small-town, opposites-attract standalone romance is unputdownable... -
![Now's The Time by Harlow James]()
Now's The Time by Harlow James
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 12 ratings“Let me experience all of you tonight, Penelope…since this is all that we get.”That was the agreement between me and Maddox Taylor, the NFL’s most notorious playboy and mega-talented quarterback who happened to be out in California for one night—one night in which I broke all of my rules and gave in to the undeniable attraction I felt for the man... -
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![The Score by Kristen Proby]()
The Score by Kristen Proby
An all-new meet-cute sports romance from New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Kristen Proby, featuring Sophie Montgomery!I have millions of followers on social media, and it has absolutely nothing to do with my last name. It’s because I’m good at what I do. I work hard, and it has paid off. I’m not a trainer who only talks the talk, either...Categorized as:
sports dual-pov sassy heroine m-f contemporary insta-love alpha male explicit-open-door -
![Just One Look by Rosalind James]()
Just One Look by Rosalind James
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsLuka Darkovic has some tackling skills. He hadn’t planned on using them to bring down a runaway dog the size of a Shetland pony, though, especially not when his neck is already buggered. At 33, a rugby forward protects his vertebrae.. He’s even less happy when the dog’s incompetent owner turns up in his hospital cubicle the next day with a plan to fix those vertebrae... -
![Gotta Be Bayou by Erin Nicholas]()
Gotta Be Bayou by Erin Nicholas
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsHow do you get over a woman you never should have been, ahem, under in the first place?Just when FBI special agent Spencer Landry had decided to forget about investigative journalist Maxine — Max — Keller and their one hot night together, there's a threat made against her and Spencer's protective instincts get all riled up. Again... -
![Strictly Pretend by Carrie Elks]()
Strictly Pretend by Carrie Elks
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsA knight in shining armor? Hardly. More like my worst enemy wrapped in a swoon-worthy tux… When Brooks Salinger saves me from heartbreak at a wedding, I never expect to see him again—let alone find him back in my life, set to destroy my family’s bookstore.But when he offers me a wild deal—pretend to be his girlfriend at a ritzy wedding in exchange for saving the store—I reluctantly agree... -
![Play Call by Lisa Suzanne]()
Play Call by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsA trip across the country to cover an event plus one failed hotel room reservation means there’s only one bed for me to share with the new Vegas Aces head coach. We’ve been fighting each other nonstop as we push against the past, but it only takes one weekend for feelings two decades old to come rushing back.We can’t be together...Categorized as:
sports from hate to love football forced proximity dual-pov m-f single-mother contemporary -
![Coen by Sawyer Bennett]()
Coen by Sawyer Bennett
Coen Highsmith was a league star, but he lost more than his team the day the Pittsburgh Titans’ plane crashed...Categorized as:
sports from hate to love forced proximity grumpy sunshine athletes m-f contemporary tortured hero -
![Hot Heir by Pippa Grant]()
Hot Heir by Pippa Grant
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsIf I had to pick a bride of convenience, my first choice would NOT be Peach Maloney.My fiftieth choice would NOT be Peach.Top spot on my list of occupational hazards? Yes. Royal pain in the crumpets? Yes.A bride of convenience? No.But I’ve unexpectedly gone from royal bodyguard to monarch, having inherited a crown that was stolen from my family long before my birth...Categorized as:
from hate to love m-f dual-pov forced proximity found-family grumpy sunshine sports contemporary -
![The Two Week Stand by Samantha Towle]()
The Two Week Stand by Samantha Towle
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsFrom NYT bestselling author Samantha Towle comes a sizzling beach romance, that will leave you hot in all the right places…Dillon Dawson loves to write romance despite her latest relationship ending with her traveling to the Maldives alone on what was supposed to be her honeymoon. Now, the only thing she wants is two weeks of uninterrupted peace and quiet with absolutely no men in sight... -
![Hart to Heart by ME Carter, Murphy Rae]()
Hart to Heart by ME Carter, Murphy Rae
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsWe’re the Harts. Between an engagement, a wedding and an adoption, we’ve had the best year of our lives. Things have never looked better for Jaxon, Addison and myself. But just because you say “I do” doesn’t mean you get a happily ever after. And sometimes, you get tackled more in life than you ever did on the football field... -
![Delayed Call by Toni Aleo]()
Delayed Call by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsVaughn Johansson is the Nashville Assassins' star player. He's brash, cocky, and talented. And he isn't afraid to let anyone know it. He lives his life on his own terms, never forming romantic attachments, and only allowing his very closest to see his true, caring self. Brie Soledad has the weight of the world on her shoulders... -
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![The New Doctor at Peony Practice by Christie Barlow]()
The New Doctor at Peony Practice by Christie Barlow
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsPreorder the next book in the heartwarming and bestselling Love Heart Lane seriesLove Heart Lane – where friends are there for you no matter whatAll’s fair in love and…medicine?Dr Katie O’Neil has only been in Heartcross a few hours when she finds herself already ruffling feathers – not least with medical school nemesis and new colleague Ben Sanders...Categorized as:
small town forced proximity from hate to love m-f humor suspense contemporary length-medium -
![Houston, We Have a Problem by Dana LeCheminant]()
Houston, We Have a Problem by Dana LeCheminant
Houston Briggs is at a crossroads, facing the possible end of his career after a devastating injury. With an uncertain future ahead of him and his siblings finding their own happy endings, he’s desperately seeking peace and purpose.Enter Darcy Paxton, his refreshing new neighbor who is nothing like the women of his past relationships... -
![I Need You To Love Me by Genicious]()
I Need You To Love Me by Genicious
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsTogether they are nothing more than madness,but they say there’s always some madness in loveSix years elapsed since he shattered her life. Four years since she’s brought him to his knees.Now, Ace is the youngest boxing champion in the world – a force to be reckoned with. He’s dangerous, heartless, and always gets his way.Calla moved to New York to chase her career... -
![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... -
![Anger Banger by S.M. Shade]()
Anger Banger by S.M. Shade
The residents of Happy Haven Trailer park have been waiting for this for a long time. The slumlord who abandoned this place and let our homes deteriorate has been court ordered to live here while making repairs. Imagine our surprise when the guy who shows up to move in to the dilapidated trailer across the street isn't the sixty year old man we expected, but his son...Categorized as:
found-family from hate to love grumpy sunshine forced proximity new adult contemporary humor -
![Mine To Cherish by Natasha Madison]()
Mine To Cherish by Natasha Madison
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsThings are supposed to go smoothly on your wedding day.Aren't they?ClarabellaDid I want to get married today?It's hard to say when he proposed in front of over a hundred people.Everything happened so fast, and I thought it was just nerves.It was not.The knock on the door showed me that what I was feeling was more than just cold feet.I was a runaway bride... -
![A Wonderland Wish on Ever After Street by Jaimie Admans]()
A Wonderland Wish on Ever After Street by Jaimie Admans
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA picture-perfect town, a place where dreams come true. Welcome to Ever After Street...There's always time for tea... unless you've lost your teapot…Cleo Jordan has only ever wished for one thing – to open her own teashop in memory of her lovely gran...Categorized as:
found-family grumpy sunshine forced proximity small town contemporary humor length-medium -
![Wishing for the Mountain Man by Lilah Hart]()
Wishing for the Mountain Man by Lilah Hart
He could be her forever, but first, she has to tell him the truth about her.I know this man.I’ve seen him in my dreams. I even know his name before he says it.Does that mean we’re destined to be together? It certainly feels like it. But I’m too afraid to tell him the truth about myself... -
![A Christmas Auction: A Marriage Auction Novella by Audrey Carlan]()
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... -
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![Finding Home by Jenn McMahon]()
Finding Home by Jenn McMahon
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 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... -
![Dirty Flirty Enemy by Piper Rayne]()
Dirty Flirty Enemy by Piper Rayne
He’s the arrogant Manhattan realtor with billboards advertising his six-pack more than his expertise in negotiations. I’m the competing broker who stupidly moved across the hall from his office. From day one, I’ve been his sworn enemy. Okay, so I might have accidentally stolen one of his clients... -
![It's Always Sonny by Kate Watson]()
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 m-f found-family football contemporary humor -
![The Wild Card by Cassie-Ann L. Miller]()
The Wild Card by Cassie-Ann L. Miller
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt was supposed to be harmless. One fake date with a football player.Except Harry Westbrook is the exact opposite of harmless. My first mistake? Underestimating that boyish smile, those playful eyes, the charming words on those perfect lips. He claims to have a crush on me. But, as hot as he is, I'd bet he's scheduling booty calls like a dentist booking teeth cleanings... -
![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 -
![Just Say Yes by Rosalind James]()
Just Say Yes by Rosalind James
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsSome fires warm you up. And some burn you down. Kevin McNicholl may be a brutal force on the rugby field, but off the field, the star New Zealand All Black is a famously nice guy. His new tenant, though, arouses more than his protective side. She sets him on fire. Pity he’s evicting her. Every woman deserves her dreams. Chloe Donaldson can’t afford dreams, so she's given them up... -
![Luciano by taintedkissesxo]()
Luciano by taintedkissesxo
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsLiam Luciano is one of the most feared men in all the world. At the young age of 18, he inherited the family name. 10 years later, the Luciano name is well known for its role in the Mafia; along with two other families: The Costello's and The Corinelli's. But when a 21-year-old is put on all three of the family's radar, Luciano steps in the way; doing something he had never done before... -
![Home Is Where You Park It by Marika Ray]()
Home Is Where You Park It by Marika Ray
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe’s a giant of a man who grunts for words and barks out orders, yet circumstances require I be his fake girlfriend and spend the weekend with him in an isolated cabin.And of course there’s only one bed. Just my luck…But I need this commission check that only Boston can guarantee me...Categorized as:
grumpy sunshine forced proximity from hate to love small town m-f contemporary humor military -
![The Plan by Karla Sorensen]()
The Plan by Karla Sorensen
Have you ever fake dated your bodyguard? I don't recommend it. Especially if he's anything like Erik Wilder: former football player, world class know-it-all and unapologetic grump. To be clear, I didn't want a bodyguard (hence the fake dating idea). Most days, I can’t figure out why he wants the job either. We drive each other insane, probably because we’re as opposite as two people can be...Categorized as:
sports from hate to love forced proximity grumpy sunshine m-f contemporary humor age difference -
![The Day the Jerk Started Falling by Max Monroe]()
The Day the Jerk Started Falling by Max Monroe
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsMy name is Oliver Arsen, but my mates call me Ollie. I live hard and love harder, and it’s love that usually gets me in the most trouble. According to the greater population, I’m the ultimate jerk. My affection tends to be short-lived—a quality I’ve been assured multiple times by the fairer sex isn’t becoming—and the leaving part of loving and leaving has always come natural... -
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![Some Kind of Blunderful by Livy Hart]()
Some Kind of Blunderful by Livy Hart
If you ask Mia Madden, the road to dating hell is paved with suspiciously hot online profiles. Take tonight’s date, for example. Alex Conroy’s whole “boardroom in the streets, lumberjack in the sheets” thing totally works for her, but his profile did not convey that he represents everything she loathes about corporate hustle culture. He’s not even worth her bottle of purse wine...Categorized as:
forced proximity grumpy sunshine from hate to love dual-pov m-f humor contemporary new adult -
![Delayed Call by Toni Aleo]()
Delayed Call by Toni Aleo
Vaughn Johansson is the Nashville Assassins' star player. He's brash, cocky, and talented. And he isn't afraid to let anyone know it. He lives his life on his own terms, never forming romantic attachments, and only allowing his very closest to see his true, caring self. Brie Soledad has the weight of the world on her shoulders...Categorized as:
sports athletes from hate to love m-f contemporary independent heroine explicit-plentiful -
![Storm by Abbi Glines]()
Storm by Abbi Glines
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsBriar Falling in love with a man you can’t fully trust isn’t just unwise, it's a constant battle. Storm Kingston had busted into my life, shattering my well-maintained walls. He claimed I was his, promising to fulfill all my dreams. But I had already caught him in a lie that I couldn’t confront him about. To do so would mean the death of an innocent person... -
![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:
grumpy sunshine forced proximity from hate to love m-f contemporary friends to lovers -
![High Sticking the Heart by Marie M.]()
High Sticking the Heart by Marie M.
No last names, no phone numbers, no job titles…AriellaIn theory, it was the ideal way to keep me from getting attached. My life plans left no room for distractions—not if I was going to break out of my culture’s machismo and prove to my family that I could make it on my own. And the 6’4” Texan rocking boots and a cowboy hat? He was exactly the type of distraction I was avoiding...Categorized as:
sports found-family forced proximity grumpy sunshine athletes dual-pov hockey contemporary -
![On Thin Ice by L.A. Cotton]()
On Thin Ice by L.A. Cotton
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsAn emotional and angsty grumpy x sunshine hockey romance from USA Today and WSJ bestselling author L A Cotton. Are you ready to fall in love with a Laker?When Harper Dixon discovers her father is the Lakeshore U Lakers new assistant coach, she wonders if her life can get any worse.Enter Mason Steele.Arrogant. Cold. With enough ice around his heart to freeze anyone who gets too close...Categorized as:
sports dual-pov forced proximity from hate to love grumpy sunshine m-f new adult college
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