Books like 'Bench Player'
Readers who enjoyed Bench Player by Julianna Keyes also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary funny sports from hate to love baseball
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Irresistible Trouble by Pippa Grant
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsI, Cooper Rock, baseball god, worshipper of women, hometown hero, beloved son and brother, and owner of a well-deserved ego, have always reached for the stars. Usually in baseball.In love? Nah. When you’ve played the field as much as I have and haven’t been bit by the bug, you’re immune.Or so I thought until she walked back into my life.Waverly Sweet. Pop music sensation... -
Love Is In the Air Volume 1 by Susan Stoker, A.M. Kusi
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratings30 of your favorite authors come together to celebrate love and romance in this anthology featuring brand new, original short stories.All proceeds will go to the American Heart Association.Featured authors include:A.M. Kusi, Abbie Zanders, Alley Ciz, Anna Blakely, Anna Brooks, Becca Steele, Cora Kenborn, Darcy Burke, Elizabeth SaFleur, Emery Rose, Greer Bailey, Ivy Layne, J. Kenner, Jeana E... -
Arrogant Playboy by Alex Wolf, Sloane Howell
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThere’s a hot new hire. Too bad she’s Donavan’s ex. Oh, and there’s one other problem—they hate each other. The last thing he expected to see when he walked into the office was Paisley Williams. She was the only person to graduate ahead of him at Columbia. The one woman who could give it back better than he could dish it out. She was also the biggest regret of his life... -
Playing Dirty: A Bad Boy Sports Romance by Mickey Miller
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI'm going to teach Andrea to play dirty...she just doesn't know it yet. Jake Pulling in eight figures a year as star pitcher for the Chicago Jaguars, there's no shortage of parties, booze, and women. I'm a beast on the mound and between the sheets but when my social media presence becomes a major problem, the team’s owner brings in a PR expert to clean up my image... -
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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... -
Killing Booth by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWelcome to the Circus is a brand-new series that centers around a family that owns a circus, 6 sisters and one brother...Categorized as:
from hate to love sports contemporary dual-pov grumpy sunshine angst suspense forced proximity -
Check Swing by Carrie Aarons
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSinclair Callahan is a trust fund baby.Born into one of the richest, most notorious families in the country, the black sheep title was stamped on him from an early age. While the rest of his relatives earn their keep at the top tier baseball team they’ve owned for generations, Sin prefers spending his time and money on booze, babes and bad decisions... -
Now's The Time by Harlow James
Rated: 4.71 of 5 stars · 7 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... -
The Curveball by Emily Childs
He's the charmer of the infield. I'm the uptight, jaded author who won't give him a chance. And he's out to change my opinion whether I like it or not... -
The Grumpy Player Next Door by Pippa Grant
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsAn enemies-to-lovers / sports / grumpy-sunshine / neighbor romanceI, Tillie Jean Rock, am not in love with my brother’s teammate...Categorized as:
sports from hate to love baseball contemporary humor forced proximity grumpy sunshine sweet heroine -
Absolutely Not in Love by Jenny Proctor
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsMy requirements for a man are simple. Must love books. Must NOT love hockey. Which is why I will never be interested in my neighbor, the aloof and mysterious Felix Jamison, no matter how many books I see him hauling into his apartment. Unless he loses his pro hockey skates, I’m out. But then he shows up at my symphony concert. And I catch the sweet strains of Dvorak floating across the hall...Categorized as:
sports from hate to love humor contemporary forced proximity friends to lovers hockey -
Outta My League by Ali Parker, Weston Parker
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe way she looks, smells, laughs is killing me.I fell in love with my sister’s best friend. To top it all off, she’s brilliant. And I’m failing Chemistry.Of course, when I get her help, she’s laidback about it. Charming and helpful as always, like she doesn’t know how much I want her. I’ve got to play it cool and let her see a different side of me... -
Houston, We Have a Problem by Dana LeCheminant
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHouston 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... -
Shopping for a Highlander by Julia Kent
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI’m a professional chickenblocker.Except “chicken” is a euphemism.I get paid to follow a womanizing troglodyte who thinks rules are for other people and that my pants are the next pair he’s getting into.Dream on.Bet your first professional job didn’t involve babysitting an extremely hot, muscle-bound Scottish Highlander with an ego the size of a kilt and a libido bigger than his…well…Chicken... -
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Liar, Liar, Hearts on Fire by Pippa Grant
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 22 ratingsThe lies will come back to bite you every time...Never borrow pants from your brother. Especially if he’s a size smaller than you are, because all that pressure in the junk will short-circuit your brain.And you’ll lie to a woman in a club about your real name.Leave her unsatisfied after making out in a bathroom.Then find out that she’s the one thing standing in the way of your dreams...Categorized as:
sports from hate to love baseball humor contemporary super rich hero new adult office -
Wise: A Dark Sports Romance by Cora Brent
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsThe NFL King and the Mafia Princess ignite the pages...Conner Wiseman was once my only friend.Until a cruel accident made him forget me.All through high school I watched him, the boy of my dreams.Longing for him to see me standing there.Then one night he noticed me in a big way.But only for one night.For that, I hated him.So I decided to make him hate me back...Categorized as:
from hate to love sports suspense contemporary vengeance humor friends to lovers new adult -
The Anti-Heroes Collection: Three Full-Length, Enemies-to-Lovers Romances by Parker S. Huntington, L.J. Shen
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling authors L.J. Shen, Parker S. Huntington, and Ava Harrison comes a collection of three full-length standalone romances, featuring filthy anti-heroes and the sassy women who tame them. Includes never-before-seen bonus epilogues!Shattered Dynasty by Ava HarrisonTrent Aldridge is the devil.Rich. Arrogant. Sinfully handsome.He holds my inheritance in his hands... -
Dangerous Exes by Rachel Van Dyken
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 15 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... -
The Wild Card: A Small Town Fake Dating Sports Romance by Cassie-Ann L. Miller
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 10 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... -
The Day I Stopped Falling for Jerks by Max Monroe
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsI’m Luciana Wright. Everyone calls me Lucky, but when it comes to love, I’m anything but. I have a long history of dating the wrong men. You know the ones I’m talking about. The beautiful, charming guys who are quite literally too good to be true. The ones who are impulsive in love and prefer short flings over long-term relationships. I’m talking about the jerks... -
Slow Pitch by Amy Lane
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTenner Gibson has a job he enjoys, a prickly ex-wife, and an adorable daughter he wouldn’t trade for the world. With no romance, no sex life, and no other hobbies, a rec league softball team is as close as he gets to hedonism. But life throws him a curveball when cocky Ross McTierney sets his sights on getting under Tenner’s skin... -
Home Run by Jordan Marie, Robin Harper
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsGreen Lucas doesn't know what's about to hit him. Complete Standalone Romance Wanted A woman with grit and fire who will help me get my son’s head out of his ass. You must be self-sufficient and not looking for a gravy train. Common sense is a plus, book smarts are optional. Cannot have red hair, as my son seems to go for that type and he needs something to shake him up... -
The Problem with Second Chances by Piper Rayne
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFor Rylan Greene and me, it was simple. Love only got us so far.I’ve known him since we were six, long before he became the professional soccer star he is now. We’ve weaved in and out of one another’s lives as rivals, teammates, friends, and lovers...Categorized as:
sports from hate to love friends to lovers athletes angst contemporary humor forced proximity -
Simply the Best by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 15 ratings#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Elizabeth Phillips returns with the next book in her Chicago Stars series where a successful sports agent and the sister of his biggest client engage in a take-no-prisoners battle of the sexes... -
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Simply the Best by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 14 ratings#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Elizabeth Phillips returns with the next book in her Chicago Stars series where a successful sports agent and the sister of his biggest client engage in a take-no-prisoners battle of the sexes...Categorized as:
sports from hate to love contemporary mystery forced proximity grumpy sunshine humor football -
Swing and a Mishap by Tara Sivec
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 15 ratings“Hawks fans still in shock after centerfielder, Shepherd Oliver, sustained season-ending injury last night in the 5th inning of the playoffs against Chicago.”Two years ago, I was a pretty big deal. I thought I had it all, until a blast from my past popped up on my social media feed, keeping my ego in check and reminding me how basic I am. Except sassy Wren Bennett isn’t just a blast from my past... -
The Day the Jerk Started Falling by Max Monroe
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 13 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... -
The Trouble With Gravity (Gravity Series) by K.K. Allen
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 10 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... -
Text Me Baby One More Time by Teagan Hunter
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsA SECOND-CHANCE ROMANTIC COMEDY! I love you , he said. Forever , he said. Turns out, he lied. When he leaves me high and dry after a cross-country move, I push him out of my life as much as I can, which is hard to do when the guy who broke your heart also happens to be the most famous dude in town...Categorized as:
from hate to love sports baseball humor new adult athletes friends to lovers contemporary -
Shopping for a Highlander by Julia Kent
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI’m a professional chickenblocker.Except “chicken” is a euphemism.I get paid to follow a womanizing troglodyte who thinks rules are for other people and that my pants are the next pair he’s getting into.Dream on.Bet your first professional job didn’t involve babysitting an extremely hot, muscle-bound Scottish Highlander with an ego the size of a kilt and a libido bigger than his…well…Chicken... -
Third and Long by K.T. Quinn
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTHIRD AND LONG is a scorching sports romance filled with humor, suspense, and football-related excitement...Categorized as:
sports from hate to love new adult humor super rich hero age difference contemporary strong heroine -
Coaching the Kicker by Jacob Chance
From USA Today bestselling author Jacob Chance comes a brand new laugh-out-loud enemies-to-lovers romance about two professional athletes finding love where they least expect it. When I purchased a home in an upscale neighborhood, I never imagined having one of the Charleston Pirates living next door.Knox Irons knows just how to push my buttons... -
Love on Display: A Sweet Romantic Comedy by Dana LeCheminant
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThey’re sworn enemies. They also happen to be incredibly attracted to one another.After bonding at a half-marathon, rival gym owners Cam and Kailani discover the person they thought could be their soulmate turns out to be the reason their respective businesses are failing... -
Tripp by Alex Wolf, Sloane Howell
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTripp Patton is not the guy you take home to meet your mom.He is the number one sports agent in the world, and he didn’t get there by playing nice.On the verge of signing the biggest player of his career, someone gets in his way.Lennon Edwards, a younger agent trying to make a name for herself. She’s hungry for success, relentless, and drop-dead gorgeous... -
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Resisting the Rookie by Jacob Chance
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBodhi Shine, my brother’s best friend, is the closest thing I have to an enemy. Tall, with irritatingly good looks, this cocky jerk has been a thorn in my backside for as long as I can remember.We’re like oil and water—we just don’t mix. I do my best to avoid him, but now that he’s the new running back for the Charleston Pirates and staying with my twin, that’s damn near impossible...Categorized as:
sports from hate to love forced proximity humor sassy heroine alpha male contemporary siblings-bff -
Hooked On You by Kate Meader
The steamy Chicago Rebels series returns with this racy and sassy tale of embittered hearts, second chances, and going for the goal—on and off the ice. Violet Vasquez never met her biological father, so learning he left his beloved hockey franchise—the Chicago Rebels—to her is, well, unexpected. Flat broke and close to homeless, Violet is determined to make the most of this sudden opportunity...Categorized as:
sports from hate to love contemporary humor single-father latinx-mc explicit-open-door m-f -
My Kinda Player by Lacey Black, Sara Eirew
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsAJ Summer witnessed four of her sisters fall in love and settle down. But not her. She’s stuck in a rut, destined to spend the rest of her life watching from the dugout, kissing frogs. Then one night, she meets a mysterious stranger, who makes her feel alive and realize she’s not as broken as she thought–until she wakes up alone... -
Secret Babies for My Brother's Best Friend: A Second Chance Sports Romance by Meg Summers
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI’m trapped in a hotel room with the grumpy NFL superstar I’ve had a crush on since I was a teenager…And there’s only one freaking bed!Trevor Lightning was my first love.He was the man I gave my innocence to.And he was the one who broke my heart.He’s also my older brother’s best friend and teammate.And the sexiest, most infuriating man I’ve ever laid eyes on... -
Things I Wrote About: An Enemies-to-Lovers Second Chance Romance by Kelsey Humphreys
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsTheir story started over ten years ago but nothing brings out plot holes and character flaws like being stuck together on a private island for a week…Sadie Canton writes America’s favorite romance novels. She’s created one hit happy ending after another, all while avoiding her own painful cliffhanger.But she can’t avoid him anymore... -
The Virgin Game Plan by Lauren Blakely
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA sexy standalone forbidden sports romance from #1 NYT Bestseller Lauren Blakely! The woman I want is as off-limits as they come.I had an excuse two years ago when I met her on campus. She interviewed me for a story on major league baseball's rising stars, and we shared a hot, passionate night that ended far too soon, and without a mention of who her father was... -
Winning Mr. Wrong by C.W. Farnsworth
A reality television dating show was never part of my post-college plan. Nearly broke, unemployed, recently dumped me let my best friend Haley decide it should be.They say don’t make important decisions after five shots of tequila, and I now believe whoever coined that phrase... -
The Fall Out by Jenni Bara
Let me tell the story of how I fell in love with a woman who had no idea that we were even dating. The ridiculousness started when she stole my beer, and trust me, my grumpy self doesn’t normally share. But somehow, Avery Wilson is the exception to every one of my many rules.Unfortunately, I’m not hers... -
Earn Your Extra Credit by Meghan Quinn
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 25 ratings"She went home with someone else that night?" Hearing the disbelief from my best friend's mouth makes the events of my failed date sting that much more. I would like to make it known, I have a lot more swagger than what it seems. I don't normally ask a girl out, have her fail to recognize it's a date, and then give me a high five--as if I'm her wingman--and take off with someone else. No...Categorized as:
from hate to love sports baseball humor friends to lovers new adult contemporary forced proximity -
Better With You by Brit Benson
Riggs Stanton is a thief.He’s also a liar, a jerk, and a playboy jock.Sure, I might have thought we had a connection. I might have thought he was worth breaking my “no dating” rule. He might have even given me the best orgasm I’ve ever experienced to date.But it was a farce. A trick. Another lie.And I don’t make mistakes twice. Now he says he needs me... -
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This Much is True by Tia Louise
A smart and sexy romance about a grumpy single dad on a mission of revenge, and the girl he can’t leave behind by USA Today bestselling author Tia Louise. Hope I blame the alcohol.I lost my restaurant business, was forced to sell my dad’s cherished 1967 Chevy Impala, and I got a little drunk...Categorized as:
sports from hate to love new adult humor contemporary grumpy sunshine cold hero open-door -
Want You to Want Me by Lorelei James
The new sexy contemporary romance in New York Times bestselling author Lorelei James's Want You series, set in Minneapolis-St. Paul.Hockey player Gabriella "Gabi" Welk spent her life in pursuit of championships, but she has little to show for it besides dusty trophies and second-place medals. Now her career consists of several part-time jobs to make ends meet... -
My Scorned Best Friend by Piper Rayne
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsXavier and Clara kissing in a tree…When your best friend growing up is a girl, that’s the song your classmates taunt you with over and over again. But it was never like that… until now.It’s always been Clara and me. She’s the only one who truly knows me. After I was drafted into the NFL and ended up the starting quarterback for the San Francisco Kingsmen, I begged her to come with me...Categorized as:
sports from hate to love contemporary humor friends to lovers sassy heroine second chances athletes -
Cold Hearted Baller by Logan Chance
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsI have three superstitions I live by:1. No dating all season.2. Don’t jinx a no-hitter while one’s in progress. 3. Be cold-hearted. If you find something you think about more than baseball, destroy it. Calliope Thomas is one of those things. Ever since she left a bad review on the Max Energy Drink I endorse, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her... -
Turn of the Tides by Jessica Prince
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen Beau Wade left his small hometown of Whitecap, Oregon, he swore to himself he’d never go back. But when his NFL career goes up in smoke, that’s exactly what he finds himself doing. Not much has changed in the ten years he’s been gone... -
The Virgin Scorecard by Lauren Blakely
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsPreorder Special! $0.99! Grab for a limited time before price goes up to $4.99!Indulge in this collection that begins with Mr. Right Now and Captain Romance -- two romances between virgins and athletes that complete the bestselling RULES OF LOVE series. Mr. Right Now...I’ve got a problem. After a dozen failed dates - but who’s counting - I’m done hunting for Mr. Right...
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