Books like 'The Penalty Box'
Readers who enjoyed The Penalty Box by Deirdre Martin also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary sports alpha male athletes
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Whistleblower: The Senator's Wife Series Book III by Jen Lyon
Rated: 4.81 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAs Alex's career continues to flourish as a US soccer star, Catharine struggles to keep her world from falling apart. Dealing with the repercussions of a high-profile divorce, while Carlton's campaign marches toward the primary election, her only solace remains in her blossoming relationship with Alex... -
The Final Fight by J.B. Salsbury
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWhen life brings you the perfect person at the worst possible time… On a weekend visit to Las Vegas to visit his brother, Marine Braeden Daniels meets a woman who challenges him in ways he can’t deny. The best part is she wants what he wants. No strings. No feelings. Just fun. AJ is a Las Vegas performer who is finally living her dream. Growing up poor, she’s determined to succeed at any cost... -
Let Me Hold You by Alexandria House
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsNBA player, Leland McClain, the baby of the McClain family, is tall, handsome, talented…and spoiled. He’s a man who gets what he wants, and what he wants is the lovely Kimberly Hampton. Kim Hampton is the director of a community center, a woman who lives to help others while trying to forget a troubling past. As far as she’s concerned, a relationship with any man is a horrible idea...Categorized as:
sports athletes alpha male age difference contemporary african-american abuse single-mother -
Room for Just a Little Bit More by Beth Ehemann
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsFive years ago, my dreams were shattered in an instant. One year ago, a horrible rainstorm flooded a bridge in town, leaving us with an Inn full of stranded travelers. Turns out one of those travelers would give me a whole new set of dreams, ones I never thought possible. Brody Murphy spent the last year teaching me what it was like to live, and more importantly love, again...Categorized as:
athletes sports alpha male contemporary pregnancy secret child new adult sweet heroine -
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Pretty It Up by Cee Bowerman
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsDescriptionSometimes love just isn’t enough, or is it?Lana Gold, one of the Donovan triplets, found her one true love in college but lost him when the life he’d dreamed of became reality. Being an outsider looking in and so far away from her family and hometown took its toll on Lana and her marriage until she’d finally had enough and left it all behind... -
The Legend by Shey Stahl
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsIn a lifestyle of speed, adrenaline and desire, one racer has sacrificed everything for the sport he loved. In turn, he will fight for his name, his family and now his life to be the legend he’s been portrayed to be. You can be everything you set out to be if you want it bad enough. You can be that record breaker you said you’d be. You can be that hero you always thought you would be... -
Bound by Desire (Ravage MC Bound Series) by Ryan Michele
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsHave you ever wanted something so badly it consumes you? There is a fine line between needs and wants. Deke Gavelson has wanted his Ravage cut for as long as he can remember. He’s earned it. He was born to be in this club. He’s not afraid to fight for his place, either. Then she barreled into his world, and Deke suddenly desires something more than his rag and winning the next round... -
Mason by Tijan
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 31 ratingsMason Kade is not known to be nice. He is ruthless, manipulative, and unforgiving. Most will say that he is an a**hole and he is to those that cross him or cross his loved ones. However, he does not want to be who he is. He does not enjoy hurting others, but there is no limit to the lengths he will go to protect himself and his brother... -
A Cranberry Inn Christmas by Beth Ehemann
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 12 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... -
Power Play by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsPosey Adler is coming home. After a devastating journey for what she mistakenly thought was true love, she is saying to hell with men and love forever. As the Nashville Assassins’s new assistant coach for special teams, Posey is ready to focus on her job and have the attention on her for a change... -
Lucky Bastard: A Hero Club Novel by Kaylee Ryan
Emma When my best friend Aubrey asked me to tag along to an event with her, I never could have imagined that it would be the day that my life changed forever.He’s arrogant and demanding and doesn’t take a hint. Landon Barker, the quarterback for the Hermosa Beach Trojans, is a player on and off of the field. He’s got his sights set on me as his next play, but I see right through him... -
Hart to Heart by M.E. Carter, Jacob Morgan
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 13 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... -
Losing an Edge by Catherine Gayle
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 10 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... -
Losing Princeton Charming by Frankie Love, C.M. Seabrook
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAll is fair in love and war ... but is this love? Spencer Beckett may have fallen hard for Charlotte Hayes, but one lie has their relationship crashing to the ground. Their glass castle is about to shatter. Breaking Spencer's heart in the process. When tragedy strikes, Charlie needs a man who won't let let her down. Even Princes need second chances .. -
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Delayed Call by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 16 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... -
Breaking Away by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsBREAKING AWAY is a story of loss, healing, and love… where unexpected turns and heartache lead to passion. To Nashville Assassins’ leading scoring center Phillip Anderson, playing hockey has always been easy… as natural as breathing. His life is no different. That’s until his world is turned upside down by the death of his sister...Categorized as:
athletes alpha male sports contemporary bad boys sassy heroine friends-benefits secret-relationship -
Saved by Love by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsEvan Adler can’t get out of his own head.Worthless.Broken.Failure.Those are just a few of the words he uses to describe himself now. Medically retired from the NHL before he even had a chance to live up to the Adler legacy, Evan has returned to his hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, to focus on his mental health... -
Play to Win by Ja'Nese Dixon
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsKamal’s an ex-football player. Jayda’s a single mother uninterested in another relationship until she sees Kamal with her daughter.Every rejection will only make his victory sweeter. He plans to lick, taste, and devour her like the delicacy she is until the world, her ex, and Jayda recognizes his name tatted on every inch of her curvy body... -
Her One and Only by Becky Wade
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 12 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... -
Something So Unscripted by Natasha Madison
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFrom the International Best Selling Series Something So Zack Finding my teammate in bed with my wife made the decision I had been fighting with for years easier. It’s time to move on. A fresh start and a new NHL team in a big city. Most importantly, it’s my son Jack’s best shot. It would be both of our best shots...Categorized as:
sports athletes alpha male contemporary friends to lovers strong heroine single-father -
Just One Look by Rosalind James
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 9 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... -
Two Minute Warning by Alexandra Warren
There’s a lot that can happen in two minutes or less…Kendall “Snoop” Dogwood has something to prove.After a devastating ending to his first year with the Houston Skyhawks, getting redemption is the only thing on the veteran quarterback’s mind coming into the new season... -
Endurance by Amy Daws
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsHe rejected her. She loathes him. Now they have to fool everyone and pretend they actually like each other. Tanner Harris has been busy shagging his way through the ladies of east London, but getting caught by the paparazzi buck-naked with his trouser snake in his hands means he's sowed his last wild oat. Dr...Categorized as:
sports alpha male athletes humor new adult friends to lovers contemporary career professional -
Coen by Sawyer Bennett
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsCoen Highsmith was a league star, but he lost more than his team the day the Pittsburgh Titans’ plane crashed... -
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Tight End by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsI knew playing with my feelings was a huge gamble with someone like him, but I did it anyway. And now I’ve learned the hard lesson that gambling and life in Vegas just aren’t for me.I have a lot of decisions I need to make on my own, so I take a job that will allow me to relocate, regroup, and make new friends as I try to figure out what comes next for me... -
Fighting for Control by Melynda Price
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFor 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... -
Kickin' It by Rachel Van Dyken
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsLove breaks the offside rule in New York Times bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken’s irresistibly sexy Red Card romance. Successful, high-profile sports agent Matt Kingston thinks he can handle anything. Then soccer player Parker Speedman shows up at his door. She is young and gorgeous, has natural talent, and is looking for a team... -
Hart to Heart by ME Carter, Murphy Rae
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 12 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... -
When I Fall in Love by Susan May Warren
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHawaii was the last place Grace Christiansen ever imagined she’d vacation, much less fall in love. But when her family surprises her with a cooking retreat in paradise, she is pulled—or maybe yanked—away from her predictable, safe life and thrown headfirst into the adventure of a lifetime. Max Sharpe may make his living on the ice as a pro hockey player, but he feels most at home in the kitchen... -
Finding Infinity by Layne Harper
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 17 ratings"Finding Infinity" as described by Colin... "Fine Charlie.” Colin says dropping his hands in defeat. “Here's what I want. I want everybody to back off and let me play football. I want you to go back to practicing medicine because I’m ready for you to be happy again - not this forced shit that you keep trying to sell me... -
It Had to Be You by Susan May Warren
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsEden Christiansen never imagined her role as her younger brother Owen's cheerleader would keep her on the sidelines of her own life. Sure, it feels good to be needed, but looking after the reckless NHL rookie leaves little time for Eden to focus on her own career... -
Portland Storm: The Second Period by Catherine Gayle
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDelay of Game With her father’s health in question, Sara Thomas is focused on reducing his anxiety. That’s no small feat considering his high-stress job. Everyone knows Sara’s single; no one knows she’s pregnant. There’s never a good time to unexpectedly get knocked up, but now is not it... -
Home Ice by Catherine Gayle
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsUSA Today bestselling author Catherine Gayle presents another novella in the Portland Storm hockey romance series. There’s only one person in the world that Mattias Bergstrom allows to see his soft side: his younger sister, who was born with Down syndrome... -
Maxim by Samantha Whiskey
Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe leading scorer on the Reapers has the unspeakable yips…and it’s me.The second my NHL legend of a father appears, I can’t shoot to save my life.And my mistakes might cost my team our playoff spot.No pre-game superstition can fix it—I’m broken.Adding to the pressure, my little sister’s best friend just became my roommate for the next five months.Evangeline Walsh...Categorized as:
sports alpha male athletes contemporary forced proximity friends to lovers age difference new adult -
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Team Player: A Sports Romance Anthology by Adriana Locke, Charleigh Rose
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsHot jocks. We love them all. Sexy baseball players. Intense footballers. Sweaty MMA fighters, and sizzling hockey hotties. Score! The good news? Eleven bestselling authors have gathered to give you a set of stories focused on the men we love most—sports heroes. We bet you’ll love this thick…book. The bad news? The men in these novellas don’t actually exist...Categorized as:
sports alpha male athletes contemporary anthologies bad boys friends to lovers new adult -
Running Away with You by Suzanne Sweeney
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsRunning Away With You continues the journey of Juliette and Evan that began in “Running Back to You” and "Running Home to You". Juliette Fletcher’s life has been full of surprises ever since she began dating NFL superstar Evan “Big Mac” McGuire. He’s everything she could ever have wished for – strong and tender, and wrapped up in an exquisite package... -
Sugar and Spice by Kat Baxter
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAll she wants is a weekend rendezvous…I love the small town I’m from. I love having so much extended family close by and I love my mail order chocolate company. But what what I don’t love is being everyone’s favorite aunt. It’s like being cock-blocked by the entire town... -
Savor by Xavier Neal
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLately, Logan "Unbreakable" Kellar's life has been a series of miscommunications with catastrophic consequences. However, this time around, the consequences threaten to not only damage his current relationships but erase a future he only ever dreamed of... -
Incredible You: A Sexy Flirty Dirty Standalone by Lili Valente
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsFrom the USA Today Bestselling author of Magnificent Bastard comes a sexy, flirty, dirty standalone…on ice. They say Jake “The Dragon” Falcone earned his nickname by setting fire to the ice his first season in the NHL. But just between us ladies, I’m pretty sure he earned it for the dragon in his pants. From my first hug as his fake girlfriend, it’s clear he’s packing below the belt... -
A Callahan Wedding by Monica Murphy
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThere's a Callahan wedding happening...but who's the happy couple?More info coming soon... -
Second Shot: A Men With Wood Novel by C.M. Seabrook, Jessica Hildreth
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsAUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a stand-alone spin-off of the Amazon Top 25 bestseller Second Draft. You do not have to read Second Draft first. No cliffhanger and a Guaranteed HEA. Kane Madden As one of the top paid defensemen in the NHL, my life has been a revolving door of beautiful women and no-strings-attached sex. Until Brynne. It was only supposed to be a one-night-fling...Categorized as:
sports athletes alpha male new adult contemporary from hate to love secret child pregnancy -
Trading Paint by Shey Stahl
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsA must have companion to Happy Hour that give you an inside look into the characters of the Racing on the Edge series. Step into the magic where the clay met rubber and desire defined greatness. Trading Paint takes you inside the hasty driver’s mind to what led him to a decision that changed the path of two souls... -
Captive by Brenda Rothert
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsTwo years ago, Jason and Kate Ryker were brought together by grief and bound to one another by love. Now married, they’re confronting their fears together. But heartbreak finds them again, and the ties that bind Kate and Ryke are tested as she struggles against fear and sadness. As a grief counselor, Kate understands all too well the pain of her clients... -
Edge by Brenda Rothert
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsOne bad hit has left the career of young NHL Center Luke Hudson in question. When he arrives for rehab with a minor league team, his injury has robbed him of the edge that made him great. Team trainer Adella Price’s job is to help Luke get back in peak condition. But their one on one sessions shake her resolve to remain unattached... -
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Rush by Samantha Towle
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsFrom Samantha Towle, New York Times bestselling author of Breaking Hollywood and Ruin, comes a new powerful, passionate and dramatic contemporary romance. “With the first pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the New York Giants select…” It’s been three years since quarterback Ares Kincaid’s NFL dream came true, and he’s living the high life... -
Hot Shot by Kat Mizera
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWelcome to Fort Lauderdale—where the days are hot and the Knights are hotter.Wolf:I’ve been in love with the same girl since we were seventeen. Back before our careers took off and pulled us away from one another. No amount of fame, money, or puck bunnies could ever replace Scarlett. But she has a mind of her own, and dreams that don’t include me... -
Infinity. by Layne Harper
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsColin McKinney has wanted three things since he met Caroline “Charlie” Collins when he was a junior at Texas A&M University: to make her his wife, play professional football, and have a family. In the first three books of the Infinity Series, Colin and Charlie met, fell in love, broke apart, reunited eight years later, and got married... -
Love To Love You: A Love/Hate Novella by Isabelle Richards
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 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... -
Let Me Be the One by Bella Andre
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 34 ratingsHow far would you go for a friend? Back in San Francisco preparing for her big art show, Vicki Bennett needs help protecting herself and her career from the unwelcome advances of one of the judges. She knows that her longtime friend and baseball star, Ryan Sullivan, will know just how to handle things, and he's the only person she can imagine asking for help...Categorized as:
alpha male athletes sports contemporary second chances friends to lovers fake relationship -
Defending Hayden by L.P. Dover
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 10 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...
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