Books like 'Cruz'
Readers who enjoyed Cruz by H.J. Bellus also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary fighters suspense strong heroine mma-boxing forbidden love sports athletes
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Forever Paired by Kathleen Brooks
Rated: 4.77 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsLandon Davies had worked hard to start his own restaurant. It was a very different path than most of his family had taken. He was one of the few family members that were not military or law enforcement. But his hard work had given him a restaurant that was beginning to take off when a woman’s scream in the alley outside his kitchen changed everything... -
Checkmate by Emilia Finn
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsBishop men are nothing but a plague on this planet, a disease that needs eradication before it spreads. They’re murderers. Liars. Thieves. The day I met Colum Bishop, I thought my life was finally turning around. I was led to believe he would be our saviour. He was supposed to be our hero, a long awaited reprieve from the hardships life insisted on throwing at my mom and me... -
Kade by Tijan
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsI have fought. I have bled. I have wreaked havoc for my family. Anyone who threatened us, tried to break us, I broke them instead. Then, there was peace. Marriage. Children. Life was good. Life was great.Until my phone rang one night. Retired, I was no longer in the NFL. We'd recently moved back to Fallen Crest.So I should’ve known. I should’ve remembered. There is no peace in Fallen Crest... -
Keeper of Secrets by Denise Grover Swank
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsThe final book in the Carly Moore series.Carly had every intention of heading to Dallas to bring down her father, but not as Wyatt Drummand’s hostage. After Wyatt kidnaps her at gunpoint and threatens to turn her over to her father--the man she’s spent the past nine months hiding from--she explains that his plan will get them both killed... -
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Holding on to Forever by Siobhan Davis, S.B. Alexander
Rated: 4.49 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsSecretly dating Coach Parker’s daughter was never part of the plan. Neither was becoming her dealer… ADAM Returning to my drug-dealing past wasn’t on the agenda when I accepted the full ride to play ball at Cypress U. But Mom lost her job. And my sister’s medical bills are mounting. So, I’ve no choice but to change the playbook... -
Ryker by Nyssa Kathryn
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsSometimes, the quest for vengeance can cost more than you’re willing to pay.Blakely Sullivan was a foreign aid worker in the Middle East when a deadly bombing took the lives of families she’d come to know and love, collateral damage in someone else’s war... -
The Wrong Bones by Melinda Leigh
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsA frantic chase to catch a grave robber reveals a startling discovery in this tenth installment of the Widow’s Island novella series by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Melinda Leigh.Deputy Tessa Black spots a man disturbing a grave in the local cemetery and gives chase. But when Tessa catches him, she learns that the ghoulish trespasser wasn’t robbing graves; he was burying a box of bones... -
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... -
Fighting for Honor by J.B. Salsbury
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsNew York Times and USA Today Bestselling author JB Salsbury brings her Fighting series to Harper Sloan’s Hope Town in Fighting for Honor. UFL fighter Caleb hasn’t been to Hope Town since he was eighteen. His next big fight takes place in Atlanta and the serene lakefront home from his childhood is the perfect place to train without distractions... -
Grand Slam by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAlexis’s father tells me he’s going to ruin me. He does not want his pop star daughter or her brand associated in any way with the bad boy of baseball.I make it my mission to prove to her father that I’m not the bad guy he thinks I am. But he takes things a few steps too far, causing major issues that will affect my upcoming baseball season... -
Bitter Pill by Fern Michaels
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsNo one weaves a story as well as beloved New York Times bestselling author Fern Michaels. In the latest in the Sisterhood series, a team of unscrupulous doctors is profiting from others’ distress—but these loyal friends know just the cure . . . For the Sisterhood, there’s a special satisfaction that comes with helping a friend in need, especially when it’s someone as dear as Charlotte Hansen... -
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... -
Fields' Guide to Dirty Money by Julie Mulhern
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsPoppy Fields, social influencer and secret spy, is on Grand Cayman. Her mission? Maid of honor at her mother’s wedding to Russian billionaire Yurgi Prokorhov. No surprise, Chariss Carlton is a difficult and demanding bride.When Poppy witnesses a murder, her days change from irritating to dangerous... -
Tastes Like Candy by Lauren Gilley
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsRaised by a widower and a pack of uncles, Michelle Calloway has known only one way of life, that of the Lean Dogs MC, London chapter. When circumstances force her to flee to America, she fears her days of working alongside the club are over. But Derek Snow isn't the sort of man to let talent go to waste...Categorized as:
strong heroine forbidden love suspense contemporary bikers age difference alpha male angst -
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A Cranberry Inn Christmas by Beth Ehemann
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsChristmas at the Murphy household has always been a big deal, but with her daughters getting older, Kacie Murphy is feeling a bit sentimental, so she decides to give her family the perfect Christmas. Plans of cookie baking, sleigh ride taking, and snowman making are quickly put in jeopardy when Kacie receives devastating news—her mom has sold the beloved Cranberry Inn... -
Who's Loving You by Mary B. Morrison
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author Mary B. Morrison sizzles with her edgy, new novel Who's Loving You. When Honey Thomas receives a sudden stroke of good luck, she gets a second chance--and the man of her dreams. But as Honey is about to discover, anything worth having in life comes with a high price.. -
Tempting Fate by Pamela Clare
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA woman with no roots… Naomi fled the cult-like nightmare of her childhood and learned to rely on one person—herself. Her resourcefulness keeps her alive during a catastrophe in the mountains, but it’s no help at all when it comes to Chaska Belcourt, the sexy EMT who saves her life... -
Hustle by Chelle Bliss
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsVinnie Gallo's the hottest rookie in professional football. He's a smooth-talker, good with his hands, and knows how to score. Bianca Hernandez thinks she's immune to Vinnie's charms. She's not impressed by the glitz, glamour, or fame, but after a six month self-imposed break from men and sex, she feels her resistance slipping... -
A Deeper Fear by Allison Brennan
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsFBI Agent Lucy Kincaid is back in the new e-Novella, A Deeper Fear, from New York Times bestselling author Allison BrennanFBI Agent Lucy Kincaid’s husband, Sean Rogan, is in a dark place after being held captive. He won’t talk about it with anyone, not even Lucy... -
Ryley's Revenge by L.P. Dover
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsUFC Middleweight fighter, Ryley Jameson, swore it would never happen again. He was done with his ex, and over the pain she’d inflicted when she left him. At least, that’s what he tells people. Maybe if he says it enough, he’ll begin to believe it himself.Regretting her decision to let Ryley go, Ashleigh Warren comes back into town and confronts him... -
Revere by Bethany-Kris
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA Legacy Novel She was once his liar. He was once her savior. Cross Donati fills his days with the mafia, family, and responsibility. The wild boy is a distant memory. A waiting prince now sits in his place. An old debt puts the gunrunner right back into the path of his past, but he only sees his future. Every king needs a queen... -
Hard To Handle by Lori Foster
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsSometimes Fate delivers a left hook. After Fate deals Supreme Battle Challenge (SBC) fighter Harley Handleman a sucker punch, his uncle secretly hires a pretty lifecoach to get Harley back in the ring of life. Anastasia Kelley has actually known Harley for years, but never as well as she's going to now... -
Britches Get Stitches by Elicia Hyder
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsBe brave. Be strong. Be badass. After a two-year struggle to conceive ends with her husband getting another woman pregnant, Grace “Britches Get Stitches” Evans is taking out her frustrations on the roller derby track. Full-contact violence and absolutely no cheating men? Best divorce-support group ever... -
Losing an Edge by Catherine Gayle
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIn any other family, Levi “501” Babcock would have been the golden boy. Instead, he’s lived his entire life in the shadow of his almost-perfect older brother. They both play for the NHL’s Portland Storm, but Levi is tired of being the second-best Babcock brother. He’s determined to find at least one thing he can do better... -
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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... -
Simon Says by Lori Foster
With his perfectly chiseled, lava-hot body, Simon Evans, an ex-fighter, also has a perfect life—great job, great girl, and more than enough dough. All that changes, though, when he catches his girlfriend cheating. To shake things up, Simon goes full force back into the ring, ready to take his rage out on his opponents... -
Her One and Only by Becky Wade
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsRomance Fans Eagerly Anticipate Every New Release from Becky Wade Gray Fowler, star NFL tight end, is being pursued by a stalker, so his team hires a protection agency to keep Gray under the watch of a bodyguard at all times. When Gray meets Dru Porter, an agent assigned to him, he's indignant... -
Fighting for Control by Melynda Price
For Nikko “the Bull” Del Toro, an ex-marine turned MMA fighter, only two things quiet the demons raging inside him—facing an opponent in the cage…and the memory of his hottest one-night stand. But when his PTSD resurfaces, causing him to lose control at a CFA press party, it’s his career that may be KO’d. Dr... -
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 forbidden love athletes friends to lovers contemporary humor siblings-bff length-medium -
Last Chance: A Second Chances Novel by L.P. Dover
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsA steamy, second chances novel by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, L.P. Dover. Can be read as a STANDALONE. One Taste, the prequel to Last Chance, has been added at the beginning with all new scenes. One last chance. That's all Luke Collins, local bad boy and motocross champion, has to not only find his redemption, but win back the girl he lost...Categorized as:
athletes suspense sports new adult friends to lovers contemporary second chances length-medium -
Unbreak This Heart by Betty Shreffler
Rated: 4.27 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsEver since that horrific night, I’d shut men completely out of my life. I’d gone from the spunky, fun, Alex DeMarco to a broken woman terrified of intimacy. Easing me back into dating, my best friend sets me up with kickboxing lessons from my charming and perfectly sculpted instructor—Carter Maxwell... -
Fast Burn by Lori Foster
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsFor the woman who’s his perfect match, he’s willing to break the rules… The moment Brand Berry meets beautiful, driven Sahara Silver, the connection between them is electric. It’s also something he can’t pursue. Sahara wants him, sure—to join Body Armor, where his MMA skills, size and cocky attitude make him perfect for her elite crew of bodyguards... -
Freak Show by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsWelcome to the Circus is a brand-new series that centers around a family that owns a circus, 6 sisters and one brother. This is book 1 featuring Val & Felix... -
Back in Black by Lori Foster
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsNever before published from the New York Times bestselling author Gillian is a PR expert hired to smooth out the rough edges on hot- headed sports club president Drew Black. He's rough, raw and ready for any challenge Gillian throws his way... -
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Memphis by Ginger Scott
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsMy mom always said it was just something about the way he moved. The same swagger Archie Valentine wore in the ring when he took his opponents down followed him like a halo everywhere he went. But make no mistake about it—he was no angel. He was like a drug. My mother was his addict. I never understood it…how love could make you blind and convince you to drink the poison... -
Causing Havoc by Lori Foster
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsOrphaned and torn from his sisters as a boy, sexy extreme wrestler Dean "Havoc" Conor gets a letter revealing how much his siblings want him back in Harmony, Kentucky. To stop his sister from marrying a sleazeball, Dean finds himself teaming up with her pretty-but-smart-mouthed friend Eve-who's heard of Havoc's reputation and doesn't need some hunk trampling on her heart... -
Love To Love You: A Love/Hate Novella by Isabelle Richards
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAfter a long year of heartache and loss, Chase and Arianna pulled together the shattered pieces of their hearts and rebuilt a relationship that is stronger and more secure than ever before. Letting go of the mistakes of their past, their focus is on the future—their happily ever after... -
Revived by Tia Lewis
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI'll stop at nothing until Julia Chase is safe in my arms. I had it all—fame, fortune, a woman who loved me, and the start of a family—until one tragic night took them all away... Now, only my nightmares keep me company. I haven't stepped in the cage since, keeping my distance from everything I once loved to avoid the pain of losing anything or anyone again... -
Believe by Natalie Gayle
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhat Reviewers are Saying: "a wonderful slow burning love story of trifling ordeals and the power of the human spirit" Kawehi Reviews "I fell even more in love with Natalie Gayle's stories, characters, and writing style. She knows how to knock you out with inspiration, heat, and heart." Rochelle's Reviews "Dane... -
Close Contact by Lori Foster
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsThere’s no resisting a desire like this…MMA fighter Miles Dartman’s casual arrangement with personal shopper Maxi Nevar would be many men’s fantasy. She seeks him out, they have mindblowing sex, she leaves. Rinse, repeat. Yet lately, Miles wants more... -
Paradise Fought: Abel by L.B. Dunbar
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsI'm not a fighter. I was born into a fighting family. As the middle child, I was overlooked in favor of my older brother. He took the negative attention, too. In comparison, there's nothing special about me. I’m not as big as Cobra. I’m not as strong as Cobra. He's the alpha. I'm a beta. The second son. The lesser one... -
Defending Hayden by L.P. Dover
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsThe Carolina Cougars keep fighting for love as the Second Chances series from bestselling author L. P. Dover continues! In Defending Hayden, a damaged football star teams up with the only woman who can take the pain away. No one’s tougher than Carolina Cougars linebacker Derek McLaughlin... -
Crazy Maybe by A.D. Justice
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsAndi Stone is a strong, smart and independent woman, thanks to the help of a famous boxing trainer, Mack, and his protégé, Shane, who have respectively been like a father and brother to her. But that wasn't always the case. Andi never knew what a “normal” life was like... -
Redemption by Tia Lewis
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI won't stop until I have my title back and Hannah Collin's is mine. Owning Chicago's best MMA gym, the Warrior Zone, doesn't compare to the high I got from being inside the octagon—the lights, the screaming fans, the women. I used to be the top MMA fighter until a near fatal injury forced me to retire and stripped me of that title... -
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I Need You To Save Me by Genicious
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsPerhaps the stars aligned, but fate had other plans…Ace and Calla face the ultimate test as they navigate through the harsh realities of his arrest. The stakes are higher than ever before. With their future crumbling and their past lurking in the shadows, they must confront the demons that threaten to consume them... -
Until May by Aurora Rose Reynolds
When May Mayson signed up with a popular dating app, she never thought she would get catfished. After being stood up for a date, she finds out that the man she’d been talking to for weeks was lying about who he is.After that horrible experience, she changes her number and deletes the app… only to have fate shove Aiden Bender right into her path... -
Risky Game by Tracy Solheim
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsIn the next sizzling sports romance from the author of Foolish Games, Brody is at the top of his game… until Shannon changes the rules. Baltimore Blaze tight end Brody Janik is a natural-born football star. At twenty-seven, his record-breaking athletic performance and his cover-boy good looks have turned him into a household name... -
Camden by Sawyer Bennett
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsCamden Poe is the last of The Lucky Three, the surviving Pittsburgh Titans who weren’t on the team plane the night it went down. By all outward appearances, he’s adjusted to post-crash life well but inside he’s wrestling with the guilt of living. The catastrophe that killed the Pittsburgh Titans changed my entire world. My teammates were more than my friends—they were my brothers...Categorized as:
sports athletes forbidden love friends to lovers contemporary single-mother death hockey -
Last Chance by Christy Reece
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsPassion is their most dangerous move. Never Say Die McKenna Sloan saved Lucas Kaners's life and then vanished. Lucas moved mountains trying to find her again, and finally McKenna relented—for one fleeting night. The truth is, McKenna's life is all about the dark, deception-filled world of Last Chance Rescue, and for her, therers's no hope of love or Lucas...Categorized as:
suspense strong heroine sports contemporary rape mystery dangerous heroine length-medium -
Stacked Up by Sidney Halston
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsOpposites attract in this seductive novel from the author of Against the Cage (“Funny, steamy, scorching.”—Toni Aleo), with a chiseled MMA fighter falling for a single mom who could use a real man in her corner...Categorized as:
athletes fighters suspense sports mma-boxing contemporary alpha male friends to lovers
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