Books like 'Hard Reception'
Readers who enjoyed Hard Reception by M.J. Masucci also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
sports from hate to love high-school new adult
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Always You by Emilia Finn
Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsWhat does any self respecting socialite do when she finds her husband screwing his secretary on HER dining room table? She gets petty revenge a'la Louisville Slugger, then she runs home and pretends her whole life isn’t in tatters... -
Without You: Scotch and Sammy duet - book 2 by Emilia Finn
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsSammy I left because I thought I was doing the right thing. I was falling on my sword. I thought I was saving everyone a lot of heart ache, and in exchange, I took all that ache on my own. I was supposed to be the hero, but instead I was the villain.He hates me with every fiber of his being…It’s been thirteen years since we last saw each other. It turns out ghosts can’t be buried... -
Battle Scars by Emilia Finn
Rated: 4.82 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThey call him Romeo—though no one would accuse him of being a romantic. Troy ‘Romeo’ Rosa has been a mystery for years. A mercenary used to working away and taking orders from his tutu wearing, ruthlessly savage boss. Her domineering ways mean his most recent assignment should be a walk in the park. The last thing he expects is a family so corrupt, it may destroy Checkmate from the inside out... -
Remember Us This Way by Sheridan Anne
Noah Ryan was my whole life. From start to end, it was always him.He taught me pain, patience, forgiveness, and the impact of the footprints I will leave in the sands of time. But most of all, he taught me what it meant to truly give my heart to another. It was short-lived and intense—a soul-shattering type of love—but it was mine, and I clung to it right until the end.Noah Ryan was my salvation...Categorized as:
sports from hate to love new adult high-school contemporary friends to lovers suspense length-epic -
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A Little Jaded by Kelsie Rae
Moving in with the infamous Everett Taylor was not on my bingo card.But, after my ex hit me then left me on the side of the road, I had no one else to call.Everett is bossy and moody and controlling.He’s also my ex’s hockey rival, my new very fake boyfriend.The plan is to keep me safe until my ex gets bored and leaves me alone...Categorized as:
sports new adult from hate to love contemporary hockey length-long m-f explicit-open-door -
Until My Feet Bleed and My Heart Aches by Reiya
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFandom: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)Relationship: Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov--------------------------------------------------‘…Of all the rivalries in the world of sports over the years, perhaps none has become so legendary as that of Russian figure skater Viktor Nikiforov and his rival, Japanese Yuuri Katsuki…’ A single event changes the course of Yuuri’s life, throwing him into a bitter rivalry... -
And Then by Taylor Fitzpatrick
David Chapman has achieved almost everything he's ever wanted. He may not have been anyone's first pick, and he may not have the respect he knows he deserves, but he also knows he has no shortage of chances to prove himself. And he has Jake. So it doesn't make sense for him to feel so dissatisfied. And it really doesn't make sense for him to feel so afraid... -
Duchess of Forsyth by Angel Lawson, Samantha Rue
Possess. Defile. Menace. The Dukes are trained for one to fight.To fight for West End.To fight their enemies.To fight one another.It’s no surprise that when Lavinia Lucia comes into their lives, they want to fight her too.Unfortunately for Nick, Remy, and Sy, their new Duchess wasn’t born to fight back... -
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... -
Jax by E.M. Moore
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI had real love once. The all-consuming, toe-curling kind of love.Fate had other plans for the two of us though.Ruled by a world of dangerous men, I did something reprehensible. I did what I needed to survive. I betrayed Jax—the only man who ever truly cared whether I lived or died.Years later, I remain a brokenhearted plaything. A puppet to maneuver around a chess board... -
Always by Chloe Walsh
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 17 ratings"If I told you a secret, would you keep it?"He's damaged.I'm determined.I've loved him my whole life, but he's broken, older, full of secrets.The bruises on his skin, the silent tears, the hidden pain... I know I'm in over my head.My father warns me against him, but his eyes plead with me to save him.All I know is that I can't walk away from him. I promised I would be there for him.And I will... -
Dangerous Exes by Rachel Van Dyken
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsIn #1 New York Times bestselling author Rachel van Dyken’s scorching series, revenge is a justified pleasure… Isla made one teeny little mistake. Now she and her PI company, Dirty Exes, are being targeted by one seriously angry and furiously sexy ex-quarterback. Jessie freakin’ Beckett. But there’s no way some NFL superhunk is going to take her business away... -
Sexiled by Mickey Miller
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsMorgan Kennedy:Campus Legend.Ruggedly handsome superstar athlete turned hedge fund manager.My one night stand mistake.And now my boss at my internship.Every staff meeting, I’m taken back to the night I was filled with a need I never knew was possible.Sparks fly between us in the office... -
Shallow by Cora Kenborn
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsThe Higher The Star…The Harder The Fall Shiloh Only the good die young. But I’ve never been good. I’ve lived a life most people only dream about—famous men, expensive booze, and the finest drugs money could buy. But every vice has its price and living a life of excess has finally dragged me down, forcing me back to the one place I swore I’d never return... -
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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... -
No Paine No Gain by McKinley May
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsOne thing I've learned from three years as an undergrad?College is all about balance.Juggling a science-heavy course load, weekend bar crawls, and my plentiful dating life is an art form. An art form I've got down to a T...Until the campus Casanova comes barreling into my biology class and throws my mojo for a major loop... -
Broken Ties by L.A. Cotton
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFrom bestselling author of the Rixon Raiders comes a new spin-off next generation series. More angst...More drama...More Raiders...Categorized as:
sports high-school new adult friends to lovers contemporary angst athletes length-long -
The Trouble With Gravity (Gravity Series) by K.K. Allen
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsKai's life is a series of choreographed steps, each one shielding her from the tragic memories of her past. Audition, dance, paycheck, repeat. It's a broken record, but it's what keeps her world spinning... -
The Trouble with Gravity by K.K. Allen
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsKai’s life is a series of choreographed steps, each one shielding her from her tragic past. Audition, dance, get paid, repeat. It’s a broken record, but it’s what keeps her world spinning.When a dangerously handsome man with trouble written all over his face rides into her life, his entrance makes a disastrous splash... -
For Crosby by J. Nathan
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCrosby Parks had the life most guys only dreamed of. A wealthy family, girls vying for his attention, and pro scouts after his hockey skills. But when the life he knows comes crumbling down, he’s sent to Alabama to escape the media storm and to rebuild his life. If Crosby has any shot of playing professional hockey, he must keep a low profile and graduate from college... -
Breaking Free by Isabel Lucero
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAt a party on a rival college campus, I drunkenly stumble into a bathroom just as a tall, muscular man steps out of the shower...naked.Instead of fleeing, I stay put and end up having the hottest bathroom hookup with someone whose name I don’t know. Because I’m still in the closet, I don’t talk about what happened that night, glad that it was with a guy who doesn’t live in the same town... -
Two for Charging by Lasairiona E. McMaster
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDedicated. Driven. Divorced.Coach Elliott Swift is under pressure from all sides. His players are counting on him to return the team to championship success despite his recently graduated star players. His toxic ex-wife dogs his every move, and his sickly, aging parents require constant care... -
The Winning Defense by Jamie Bennett
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIf she follows her rules, Chloe is guaranteed a win—but now she’s not sure what she’s playing for.Chloe Carpenter has developed a system. After a life that has been anything but easy, she has a plan to get what she wants, and what she wants is justice. She’s on offense to make up for the wrongs done to her and punish those responsible.They’re going down... -
Waiting to Win by Evey Lyon
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsConnor Spears is hockey royalty who most definitely never planned to accidentally marry his childhood irritation Hadley Crews. Connor is smug, grew up destined for his hockey career, and he’s irritatingly good-looking. He was also my next-door neighbor growing up... -
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Catching Feels: Brothers Best Friend, Forbidden, Sports romance by MJ Fields
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsComing... -
Wright Kind of Trouble by K.A. Linde
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsAn age gap, enemy’s little sister romance set in the Wright world about Harley Wright & Chase Sinclair from USA Today bestselling author K.A. Linde. He didn’t know I was ten years younger.I didn’t know he was a Sinclair.He didn’t care that I was a Wright.I knew exactly what I wanted.Yet, I know none of this when I fall into his bed... -
Risk by Skye Jordan
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author Skye Jordan returns with another adrenaline-infused story from the Renegades stunt team!After two years sidelined from the Renegades, Duke Reid wants nothing more than the excitement of his stuntwork—except for Caitlyn Winters. She's country fresh and just as naive, the kind of woman you rarely find in LA... -
The Way Back To me by Anne Mercier
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsShe was perky, fun, and full of life—everything I hated about girls and their bullshit exterior. People called her bubbly; I called her “fake-as-hell.” The edgy, dark, lonely girl in front of me was not the Olivia Brennan I knew from high school—far from it, actually. I knew the story—the whole town knew the story, we witnessed it all... -
Broken Ties: A Friends-to-Lovers Sports Romance by L A Cotton
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsFrom USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author L A Cotton, comes a slow burn, friends-to-lovers romance. Angst... drama... friendship... and football. Will you survive senior year?Poppy Ford has been in love with her best friend forever.But she’s firmly in the friend zone and fears she may never get out.Aaron Bennet has been dreaming of a football scholarship forever...Categorized as:
new adult sports high-school athletes angst friends to lovers contemporary length-long -
Icing by Jami Davenport
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSteele:I'm a second-year hockey player for the Seattle Sockeyes. Imagine my shock when I return from a trip to find my former roommate has transferred his lease to my nemesis. She's so annoying I can't stand to be in the same room with her. She pushes all my buttons and is my exact opposite. Despite it all, I want to rip off her clothes and make mad passionate love to her... -
Trick or Treat by L.A. Cotton
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsCalliope James would rather live life through a lens than in the spotlight. So when she reluctantly agrees to go with her best friend to a party, she doesn’t expect to find herself on the other side of the camera.Zachary Messiah left Bay View High School without so much as a word.Now he’s back. He’s not the boy she remembers, but she’s exactly the girl he’s tried so hard to forget... -
Cocky Quarterback: Eric Cocker by Faleena Hopkins
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThis series is 18+ERIC do you capture a girl's heart? Make her laugh. The waitress with the bird tattoo drawn up her middle finger got my attention by not caring if she has it. My team thinks it's hilarious she's not into me. Trouble is she likes musician types.... But hey, I'm a star quarterback and a Cocker which means I don't drop the ball...Categorized as:
sports new adult from hate to love athletes contemporary dual-pov humor length-medium -
Austin by Jeannine Colette, Lauren Runow
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 14 ratings"So HOT. So HEADY. So HEART-POUNDING. So HEARTFELT. So YES!!!" - Karen at Bookalicious Babes Blog “Tell me a secret,” I ask. “I’m falling for you.” Austin Sexton is a bad-boy media mogul and heir to the Sexton Empire. On the outside, he’s a whiskey-slinging bachelor with the world on a string. Problem is, strings break easily. Deep within lies a war hero who refuses accolades...Categorized as:
sports from hate to love new adult contemporary super rich hero insta-love m-f length-short -
How We Hated by Lauren Runow
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsAnyone who thinks star-crossed love is romantic has never actually experienced it. Natalie I know two things about Dalton Wick. First, he’s unreasonably hot. And … my father would disown me if I ever got involved with him. The hatred between our families runs deep. We’re still suffering from what his father did to our small town decades ago... -
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Manservant by Shari J. Ryan, Lisa Brown
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA (standalone) HOT ROMANTIC COMEDY I just wanted an easy summer job… That didn’t happen. Now, I’m in a living nightmare as I work alongside this monster of a man with mesmerizing emerald eyes that look at me inappropriately every time I see him. To add insult to injury, he has a tan I just want to lick, and a butt worth drooling over every time he purposefully walks by me... -
Blinded By The Fighter by Jaclin Marie
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHayden Night and Jaclyn King were bound to be together in the end. But they're so many things they do to each other that make them dangerous for one another. They care too deeply about one another and it puts them in a dangerous position. They always seem to have trouble following them whenever they are finally happy... -
My Roman by Rose Croft
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsFrom the author of The Mendoza Family Series comes a new college/NA enemies-to-lovers romance. Welcome to Hillside U and meet the alpha boys who rule it.𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧She’s both a liar and a thief.But she’s in my world now.She can run, but she can’t hide.Hope she’s ready to play...𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐚Hillside University was supposed to be my fresh start...Categorized as:
new adult sports from hate to love contemporary multicultural football length-medium -
Jump-Start by Bridget L. Rose
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 9 ratings“Everything in my life would be pointless without you, Starling.”Chiara de Luca is as dangerous as she is gorgeous. She’s also my brother’s best friend and the woman I swore I’d never care for. Turns out I’m better at deceiving myself than I thought because as much as I’d like to believe she’s my enemy, she has consumed my very existence... -
Rebel Heart by L.K. Farlow
Rated: 4.07 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsShe wants to see him get wild and he thinks she needs Jesus. When AJ Adams is coerced into tutoring Brock Larson, she can’t help but wonder what she’s done to deserve such an epic punishment. He’s the very definition of an All-American good boy—and a total kiss ass. He’s the perfect son, the perfect student, and according to rumor, by far the best golfer the university has ever seen. Puh-lease... -
MY PEN IS HUGE by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom New York Times bestseller Mimi Jean Pamfiloff comes MY PEN IS HUGE, a Standalone Romantic Comedy.Dear Mr. Merrick,I quit. And since you’re obsessed with your stupid pen collection, I thought it appropriate to take the big one you love so much and write my resignation letter... -
His Curvy Enemy by Piper Sullivan
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsWelcome to Pilgrim, Texas… home of women with curves and the men who can’t get enough of them! Oliver March was a thorn in my side.The man was determined to take down my Matchmaking Agency with his stupid blog.But I wasn’t going down without a fight. I had a proposition for the enemy.I bet the pompous jerk I could find him his perfect woman.It was supposed to be simple... -
The Tomboy and The Captain by Ginger Scott
Rated: 4.12 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsIt was supposed to be my year, but then he made a bet that I couldn’t refuse…A star senior on the Tiff U volleyball team, it’s been my goal to come back strong after an injury that nearly took me out of the game. But I’m Laney freaking Price, and I’m taking my shot to make it on the new pro women’s team, despite the lack of support from my father.The problem? Cutter McCreary... -
Superstar by Kate Meader
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHe never saw her coming ... After almost a year away from hockey, Bastian Durand’s return to the game should be a triumph. Instead he’s taken down by the Chicago Rebels mascot. It can’t get worse. Or maybe it can. Because the human inside the Rowdy Rebel costume is none other than Pepper Calhoun. His friend’s sister. His coach’s daughter. And the woman Bastian has wanted for the longest time...Categorized as:
sports from hate to love new adult contemporary forced proximity hockey length-medium -
Swinging Strike by Kimberly Readnour
Meet Braxton Smith in this New Enemies to Lovers romance.Dating the Hot Athlete? Yeah, Been There, Done That…Braxton Smith.Cessna University’s baseball captain.Naturally talented.Sinfully gorgeous.And exudes enough arrogance to fill a stadium. That same cocky attitude is what landed him in my anonymous gossip column. Believe me, I, Cara Gonzalez, don’t want anything to do with him... -
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One Blissful Night by A.M. Hargrove
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHow much are you willing to trust a liar?“Promise you won’t break my heart, Brax.”He promised. I believed.Brax Kent was a liar.He shattered every possible piece of me.Several years passed before I got through an entire day without shedding a tear.My existence was hollow, empty, bleak.Hate was the only thing that pushed me through the day...Categorized as:
sports new adult from hate to love contemporary dual-pov forced proximity humor betrayal -
Looking for Trouble by Stacey Lewis
Rated: 4.02 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsHe's:Cocky Crude Unapologetic Clay's all dirty jokes and curse words, while I'm quiet and shy. I try to blend into the background, while he strives to be the center of everyone’s attention. She's:UptightShelteredAllergic to fun I never expected to fall in love. Especially not with a girl I've known all my life. One who’s always been off-limits... -
On the Sideline by J.B. Salsbury
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsWaking up in Bex’s bed is a nightmare I’ll never forget. Now she seems to pop up everywhere I turn. And the more I get to know her, the more I like her. How had I never noticed her before? She shoves off every attempt I make to get close, and I don’t blame her. When I met her I was after her cousin. I’m stuck on the sideline waiting for my chance to get back in the game with the right girl... -
Our Breakaway by S.C. Kate
Rated: 4.05 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsDetroit sportswriter Addie Kessel was looking forward to the hockey season starting back up again, but all excitement flies out the window when she’s assigned to write a feature piece on the team’s new rookie, Tyler Jettersen.Because Tyler’s older brother… is her ex-fiance... -
Faceoff by Mari Loyal
He’s the cocky captain of the men’s hockey team, and now we’re stuck together for a class project.LUZThe days in my hockey career are numbered after an accident years ago that left me with chronic pain. Now that I’ve become the captain of the women’s team at my jock-hating ivy league college, the last thing I need is any distractions from school or hockey...Categorized as:
sports from hate to love new adult hockey contemporary college length-medium glimpses-kisses -
Summer Seduction by Rachel Van Dyken
Marlo and Ray's story continues… I wanted revenge. And I got it in the best way possible. Ray has always driven me insane, now that we're older, all I want is to make her feel the pain she put me through for four years. And then suddenly, everything shifts and I realize I just want her, It's bad enough that I'm the camp director — her boss...
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