Books like 'The Best Thing'
Readers who enjoyed The Best Thing by Mariana Zapata also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary funny second chances slow burn secret child athletes cold heroine sports strong heroine grumpy sunshine
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Becoming A Vincent by C.M. Owens
When you live in a place where “turbo speed” internet is a slight step above dial-up, men carry on nine-year beard-growing challenges out of stubborn pride, and your brothers do things like nail all your panties to the outside of your cabin just for funsies, you tend to be a little crazy. You can call it a "locational" hazard, if you will. That’s Tomahawk for you... -
A Redo by C.M. Owens
Allie Thrash: Wren Prize is the asshole who got me pregnant seven years ago. And gave me a false name. And walked out of the hotel without a backward glance. Sure, I know I wanted to have sex just as much as he did, but I didn't want to be tossed aside like garbage the second it was done. I also wasn't planning to get pregnant... -
Caught by Love by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.70 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe’s set on pleasure, but she’s all business. Sizzling chemistry and a surprising connection set this sexy love story in motion. But is it enough to last forever? Find out and fall in love on the sandy shores of Silver Island, home to coffee shops, boat races, midnight rendezvous, and the sexy, sharp-witted Steeles.Archer Steele is one of the leading vintners on the East Coast... -
Stay Wild by Kaylee Ryan
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsWhat happens when your wandering heart is captured by your friend with benefits?ScarlettArcher Kincaid is supposed to be all the fun and none of the strings, but the longer I stay in Willow River, the more I feel roots pulling me to settle down.I plan to complete a one-year photography contract with Captured Moments, then move on to travel the world...Categorized as:
friends-benefits insta-love new adult strong heroine friends to lovers humor dual-pov contemporary -
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No Easy Dare by Samantha Christy
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsSecret heir. Pompous womanizer. King of lies. And my protector. Hunter McQuaid is definitely a fish out of water. Or maybe a shark out of the tank. He's a cocky, arrogant, playboy. Something he shouldn't be considering he can barely scrape together the rent for his craptastic apartment. After an ill-advised one-nighter with him, I end up pregnant. Which puts me in a precarious position... -
Real Fake Love by Pippa Grant
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsIf people have polar opposites, Luca Rossi is mine.His butt is in the baseball hall of fame. Mine’s comfortably seated in the hall of lame.When he’s not snagging fly balls out in center field, he’s modeling in shampoo commercials. I once jammed my own finger while stirring cookie dough, and sometimes I forget shampoo is a thing.He’s a total cynic when it comes to love...Categorized as:
sports new adult friends to lovers athletes grumpy sunshine m-f first-person-pov humor -
Mourning Wood by Heather M. Orgeron
She’s hard up.He’s just hard…After an ill-fated one-night stand, Wyatt Landry was the last person I ever expected to see again.By design, mind you, as I spent the last two years avoiding him.He was only ever meant to be a good time—a really good time—and now, thanks to one teensy little mistake, he’s back in my life and wielding an entirely different set of tools... -
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 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... -
Riptide by Kathryn Nolan
Avery Dacosta never expected to find a protester in front of her office.Especially not now, when she’s this close to achieving a professional milestone years in the making: building a luxury hotel on Playa Vieja, San Diego’s untouched beach paradise.Finn Travis, local surfer and all-around nice guy, never expected to find himself the leader of Playa Vieja’s resistance... -
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 new adult alpha male friends to lovers athletes career professional friends-benefits humor -
She Loves Me by Melissa Foster
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsWhat are two besties willing to risk for something more? The New York Times bestselling author of This Is Love has the answer in this fun, sexy, and emotional romance about friendship, family, and giving love a chance. Something is off in Piper Dalton’s life, and she has a feeling it might just be her. All her siblings are blissfully settled with their forever loves...Categorized as:
friends to lovers independent heroine sassy heroine strong heroine humor contemporary -
Happy Halloween from the Montgomerys by Kristen Proby
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsCaleb is spending his first Halloween as a... -
One by Jewel E. Ann
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsLake Jones is a cover girl for cutting-edge prosthetic legs, a binge-watcher of Netflix, known to spy on her neighbor through her door’s peephole, and fond of laser games with her hairless cat. She’s also a bit sexually-frustrated. Until … God bestows a breath of mercy upon her in the form of Minnesota’s NFL starting quarterback. But this gift is no stranger... -
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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... -
Hot Flashes and Hockey Slashes by Marika Ray, Sylvie Stewart
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHe's a hot, shirtless hockey player…and he’s my fake date for my ex-husband’s wedding. Talk about a hot flash to beat all hot flashes...Categorized as:
sports single-mother from hate to love athletes strong heroine new adult contemporary single-father -
Sledgehammer by P. Dangelico
Amber Jones is in a pickle. And when I say pickle, I mean deep do-do. She knew she shouldn’t have gone to her ex’s New Year’s Eve party. And she reeeaally didn’t mean to almost burn his house down. It was the chafing dish’s fault, dang it! Now she needs a good lawyer, stat. But where to find one? All work and no play make Ethan Vaughn a very sad and lonely lawyer. Not to mention horny... -
Freak Show by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.40 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. This is book 1 featuring Val & Felix...Categorized as:
athletes insta-love sports friends to lovers alpha male strong heroine contemporary suspense -
Unforgettable by Melanie Harlow
Back then, I had it all.Wicked fastball. Killer instinct. Cocky grin. Full package. (And believe me, I knew how to score.)My senior year, I was a first round draft pick with a two-million-dollar signing bonus. Before I could even legally buy myself a beer, I made my Major League debut. Point is, I was invincible.Until one day I wasn’t...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers second chances pregnancy athletes new adult secret child grumpy sunshine -
Two to Tango by Fiona Davenport
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThere was no way Lisa Morisette was going to fall for her celebrity dance partner. No matter how sexy the professional wide receiver was. Or how hard he pursued her.Hale Bucannon wasn’t used to giving up on what he wanted. And he wasn’t about to start when the stakes were the highest they’d ever been. Winning the beautiful ballerina’s heart was the best prize of all...Categorized as:
new adult sports pregnancy alpha male insta-love athletes career professional contemporary -
Rules for Dating Your Ex by Piper Rayne
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsIf your ex arrives in your hometown eighteen months after you walked out on him while you were eight months pregnant, follow this short list of rules before you give him a second chance.Rule #1 – Don’t stand in the way of your brothers who want to rough him up.Rule #2 – Don’t meet him for coffee and agree to allow him to meet your daughter... -
Big, Bossy Problem: An Accidental Baby Romance by Lilian Monroe
Being a dog walker isn’t as glamorous as you might imagine.Unless, of course, you’re walking a tech billionaire’s German shepherd mix... -
Jasper by Lulu Moore
As Captain of an NHL team, I'm rich, successful and have women falling at my feet.I thought my life was perfect until a pint sized blonde checked into me one day, knocking my life off course.Wolfie Williams is sass personified. Beautiful, fiery, funny and oh so sexy. With every eye roll she gives me I become more and more wrapped around her finger, making me realise she is my missing piece... -
Body Check by Maria Luis
They call me the Bad*ss of Hockey. The Beast of the Northeast. And I’m not just referring to my stick play on the ice. As Captain for the Boston Blades, I’ve spent years working toward bringing home the Stanley Cup. But when the owners sell us out to Hollywood, suddenly we’re not just playing for thousands of fans, we’re cracking open our lives on a new reality show, Getting Pucked... -
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Conflicted Love by Lola Stark
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsCONFLICTED LOVE (Needle's Kiss #2) - An Erotic Romantic Comedy Book #1, TATTERED LOVE, is available now! Mature - Ages 18 and Up. Contains erotic sex scenes, humor and strong language. From Amazon Bestselling Author Lola Stark. Trip’s life motto is simple: get in, get off, get out...Categorized as:
new adult from hate to love friends to lovers alpha male pregnancy humor contemporary bikers -
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:
new adult athletes friends to lovers from hate to love sports m-f humor contemporary -
Indescribable: A Friends to Lovers Romance by Jennifer Van Wyk
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI walked down the aisle and said “I do” to the wrong man.Unfortunately, it took me eight years to figure it out.It took me even longer to realize who was in front of me the entire time.You’d think that being a romance author would have helped me to see the signs that I chose wrong the first time and I would have been able to write my own happily-ever-after so easily...Categorized as:
second chances sassy heroine alpha male friends to lovers contemporary humor siblings-bff -
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... -
Playboy’s Reward by Gina Azzi
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIt was supposed to be a favor between neighbors…When sexy-as-sin Harper Henderson launches profanities into the night sky from the balcony below mine, I intervene. I volunteer to be her date to her ten-year high school reunion. I may be a professional hockey player with a playboy reputation, but I’m also a good guy and I make an exceptional plus-one.Being Harper's fake date is easy... -
Watch and Learn by Rebel Shaw
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNateAll I wanted to do was be me, for one night. I didn’t want to be the number one quarterback in the league. I just wanted to be Nate. I couldn’t tell you exactly what made me stop at that dive bar on the outskirts of town, but it changed my life.Our connection was instant and undeniable. Our night together was explosive, which led to another, and then another. No strings...Categorized as:
sports friends to lovers second chances friends-benefits new adult contemporary humor -
Reputation by Adriana Locke
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsCoy Mason is a jerk.If there is one truth that Bellamy Davenport knows, it’s that. Hands-down. (Well, that and the fact that she didn’t mean to hurt him. Physically. Coy can’t be hurt emotionally because he doesn’t have a heart.)Coy is not just the small-town, literal boy-next-door... -
After All: A Romancing Manhattan Novel by Kristen Proby
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe last sizzling novel in Kristen Proby's Romancing Manhattan series finds a widower falling deeply in love again with a woman who has scars of her own. When Carter Shaw’s wife died five years ago, he was left to pick up the pieces not only of his own broken heart but also that of his devastated eight-year-old daughter, Gabby—leaving him with no time for anything else, let alone dating...Categorized as:
new adult friends to lovers second chances pregnancy contemporary humor single-father -
Daddy on Duty by Taryn Quinn
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI’ll do anything for the cookie… I’m used to playing the field. But specialty baker Tabitha caught my attention the first time I tasted her…frosting. Suddenly I’m offering my services in any way I can. Need some furniture moved? Check.Followed by rogue ducks? Check.Weird noises late at night? Check. Except that late night when I’m on patrol and she calls for assistance, we fall into bed...Categorized as:
friends to lovers alpha male pregnancy secret child insta-love contemporary humor men in uniform -
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... -
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Incredible You by Lili Valente
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 13 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. Lord have f*cking mercy, but the man’s been given a gift... -
British Banger by Jennifer Woodhull
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsBritish accents should come with a warning label. When they’re attached to deep, baritone voices that belong to sexy, cocky men, you should have to sign a waiver.Most people wouldn’t touch short-term rental properties, but since my business partner took off with my client list, I need every deal I can get. Enter, one insanely sexy and completely exasperating Camden Reid... -
Bucking Bear by Izzy Sweet, Sean Moriarty
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSometimes, the biggest fights of your life are the ones outside the ring. Grace They call Max "Bear" for a reason. He's enormous and hairy, and not someone you want to mess with -- in the ring or out of it. But he's wonderful with my daughter and he makes me feel like a queen. Things were great until my baby daddy started causing trouble... -
Mine To Love by Natasha Madison
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsPresley After my sisters’ disastrous weddings, I’m never going to get married. I’ll just stay single forever. It doesn’t matter that I’m in love with my brother’s best friend. Or that Bennett and I shouldn’t even be friends with benefits. Until the positive sign tells me I’m pregnant. Bennett I fell in love with Presley when she was eighteen and asked me for a favor... -
Hard Fall by Sara Ney, Alexander Cendese
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 18 ratings"Hard Fall"That's what my mom is always saying: "The bigger you are, the harder you fall." She's talking about love—I've never been in it myself, but that doesn't stop me from secretly matchmaking for my friends. Who would suspect me, a world class athlete, of meddling in other people's love lives? I love Love, especially when it’s not me who’s doing the falling…"No Thanks... -
Work Song by Danielle Allen
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWhen society tries to put you in a box, knock the walls down. –Tati Green “You have a pretty face” is such a back-handed compliment. It’s like telling me that my face is beautiful, but the rest of me is not. Despite what society says, my curves are hot. My love life, on the other hand, is not. My mom says I’ll never find love because of my weight...Categorized as:
new adult friends to lovers slow burn sassy heroine sports sweet-hero humor contemporary -
50 Ways to Win Back Your Lover by Kelly Siskind
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsFrom Kelly Siskind comes a slow-burn romantic comedy about one man’s creative attempt to win back his high school sweetheart after a change in fortune gives them a second chance at love.Growing up, I had it all—my art, close friends, a gorgeous girlfriend who owned my heart—but then my life exploded.Turns out my father was laundering money, and my whole family got shoved into witness protection... -
You've Got To Be Kidding by Ali Parker
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe last time I saw my baby daddy, we were in the backseat of a limo at his brother’s wedding.Making magic—or a kiddo.No judging. There was a lot of liquor involved and the man is a god.He passed out before I could tell him my name, but payback is hell.I stole his pants for good measure. I’m sure he enjoyed that.It was supposed to be one night of fun... -
You've Got To Be Kidding by Ali Parker
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe last time I saw my baby daddy, we were in the backseat of a limo at his brother’s wedding.Making magic—or a kiddo.No judging. There was a lot of liquor involved and the man is a god.He passed out before I could tell him my name, but payback is hell.I stole his pants for good measure. I’m sure he enjoyed that.It was supposed to be one night of fun... -
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 friends to lovers from hate to love sassy heroine second chances athletes contemporary humor -
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Trying to Score by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.09 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsIn a captivating novel of second chances and healing hearts, the newest member of the Nashville Assassins pulls a power play to make things right with the one that got away. Fallon Parker’s dream has always been to turn her family’s wine company into a runaway success and eventually start a cellar of her own...Categorized as:
second chances alpha male pregnancy athletes sports secret child new adult sassy heroine -
Hard Fall by Sara Ney
"Hard Fall"That's what my mom is always saying: "The bigger you are, the harder you fall." She's talking about love—I've never been in it myself, but that doesn't stop me from secretly matchmaking for my friends. Who would suspect me, a world class athlete, of meddling in other people's love lives? I love Love, especially when it’s not me who’s doing the falling…"No Thanks... -
Tempting the Baller by Jacob Chance
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBeing a running back for the Charleston Pirates and a single father doesn’t allow for much free time. But an invite to spend the Fourth of July weekend in the Hamptons with friends is an offer too good to refuse.While there, the opportunity for a no-strings hookup with a stunning brunette presents itself and I jump at the chance...Categorized as:
sports second chances sassy heroine alpha male friends to lovers contemporary humor christian -
Home Run Baby by Tabatha Kiss
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTwo things I didn’t expect to happen to me over Spring Break at Chicago North University:1. Getting knocked out by a baseball.2. Getting knocked up by a baseball player. Hunter Novak. The most valuable player in college baseball. Home Run Hunter himself.But that’s not the name he gave me when he took me home from that bar a few months ago. We’re strangers. Now, we’re having a baby together... -
Quintessentially (ABCs of Love) by Aleatha Romig
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe ABCs have never been sexier... A secret baby, second-chance, contemporary stand-alone romance“Representing the most perfect example of quality or class” ~ QuintessentialA trip back to the small Indiana town of Riverbend to finalize my grandmother’s last will and testament throws my world off its axis... -
Flip Shot: A Friends to Lovers, Hockey Romance by MJ Fields
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTheoReturning from Texas after summer break, which I spent working, and training, I expected a temperature change. Hell, I welcomed the chill, but I didn’t expect to be completely frozen out by the only chick at Lincoln University who I thought about almost as much as I do hockey.When I saw Riley Park for the first time, the universe shifted...
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