Books like 'Playing for His Heart'
Readers who enjoyed Playing for His Heart by Dillon Hunter also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
gay romance new adult sports queer
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#FinishLine by Cambria Hebert
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsEvery race has a finish line. Where you go after you cross it is what matters most. And sometimes, that's the most intriguing. Here at GearShark, we've featured lots of drivers. All of them are well acquainted with the finish line. And as race fans, we're well acquainted with cheering as they cross it. What we aren't privy to is riding shotgun, seeing where they drive once the race is over... -
Adoring Keaton: A Stand-Alone Friends-to-Lovers MM Romance by Siobhan Davis
Rated: 4.47 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsA friends-to-lovers new adult MM romance from USA Today bestseller Siobhan Davis. Stand-alone with HEA and no cliff-hanger. Keaton Moving to California was supposed to be my fresh start. A clean slate. An opportunity to drop the façade, escape the lies, find a focus, and just be myself.But I should have realized it wouldn’t be easy, especially when my last name is Kennedy... -
#Fate by Cambria Hebert
Rated: 4.78 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsWhat’s meant to be will always find a way. Perfection isn’t an illusion. I met it, held it in my hands. But then it slipped right through. Perfection isn’t an illusion. It’s elusive, cleverly evasive, and, in many ways, a horrible tease. I’m not a man to be toyed with. Quiet, thoughtful, and even sometimes careful, but never someone to taunt... -
You Are Cordially Invited by Jay Hogan
Rated: 4.71 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsThere’s a wedding in the air at Auckland Med, but Reuben wonders if they’ll survive the stress long enough to say, ‘I do’. Cam is directing the entire operation with his combat eyeliner in place, whilst the wedding party is doing its best to ignore him. The pressure is mounting and the cracks are beginning to show.There’s a bachelor party to survive.The paparazzi to outrun... -
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#Blur by Cambria Hebert
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsNothing but a #blur… There’s a new kid in town, and he’s hell on wheels. From what we’ve heard, it may be because he knows exactly what hell’s like. Lonely. Scorching. Unforgiving. You may know his brother, the NRR hotshot (and former GearShark cover model) Lorhaven... -
All In With Him by Lauren Blakely
Once upon a time all I needed was baseball, friends and extracurricular activities. Then everything changed when Declan Steele stormed into my life and upended all my priorities with his heart, his love, his passion.So my next five-year plan will include this new ground rule—Love big... -
Tigerland by Sean Kennedy
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsAfter an eventful and sometimes uncomfortably public courtship, Simon Murray and Declan Tyler settled into a comfortable life together. Now retired from the AFL, Declan works as a football commentator; Simon develops programs with queer content for a community television station. Despite their public professional lives, Simon and Declan manage to keep their private life out of the spotlight... -
Secret XXX by Meguru Hinohara, 日ノ原 巡
Shohei’s just trying to find love in a pet shop, so why are all these bunnies making it so difficult?Shohei loves bunnies! He loves them so much he’s even taken to volunteering at a local pet shop... -
Save The Date by R.J. Scott, V.L. Locey
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEver since he first set foot in Harrisburg, Tennant’s life has been a rollercoaster. Ups and downs too numerous to mention, hard knocks and championship rings. Through all of those monumental moments, one thing has been a constant for him, Jared Madsen. Now that their wedding day is drawing nearer, Ten is seriously considering eloping... -
Extra Credit: Three Ivy Years Novellas by Sarina Bowen
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsThree novellas, including all new Ivy Years fun! BLONDE DATE: A nervous sorority girl, a mean fraternity prank and an adorkable basketball player with a heart of gold. Blonde Date follows Katie and Andy’s first blind date… STUDLY PERIOD: One hunky hockey player with a language barrier. Plus one awkward English tutor with a big crush... -
Tigers on the Run by Sean Kennedy
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsYoung Australian Micah Johnson is the first AFL player to be out at the beginning of his career. Retired professional football player Declan Tyler mentors Micah, but he finds it difficult, as Micah is prone to making poor life choices that land him in trouble. Nothing Dec can’t handle. He’s been there, done that, more times than he’d like to admit... -
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... -
Picking Cherries by Kiki Burrelli
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsShy and unsure, what Shiloh needs is a steady hand to guide him.Shiloh Formes has lived his young adult life in fear of turning into his brother. Seamus couldn’t make the right choice if it bit him in the bottom. But Shiloh didn’t graduate high school early to spend his life partying like his brother... -
Baby Makes Three by R.J. Scott, V.L. Locey
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen baby makes three, Christmas will never be the same for Ten and Jared.There's not much that Tennant Rowe hasn't accomplished, and all before reaching thirty. Hoisting the Cup, marrying the man of his dreams, and becoming a spokesman for LGBTQ2+ athletes' rights have filled his world with great joy... -
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Against the Grain: Auckland Med #4 by Jay Hogan
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI don’t like labels and I’m happy that way, but it’s taken a long time to get here. A jerk of a father, too many bullies to name, and a string of dipshit boyfriends whose interest in me rarely made it past the skirts I sometimes wear. Suffice to say, my faith in men runs a little thin.The last thing I need is a gruff, opinionated, fiery, closeted, Paralympian jock messing with my hard-won peace... -
My Only Regret by Leigh Lennon
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDallas: He’s the one that got away. But, Banks Weston is more than just the man who got away. I let him go. He’d been ready to share with the world his true self, living life openly. He’s loud and proud. It’s all the many things I’m not. It took me a while, but I did it—everyone knows I’m gay. I want him back. My betrayal broke his heart. No—I obliterated it... -
You Could Make a Life by Taylor Fitzpatrick
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe first thing Dan says to him is, “we’re in the NHL!”, because that’s how he’s been greeting anyone wearing a jersey, and Marc Lapointe, 'the future of the franchise', is wearing Dan's colours.“I think you’re my new best friend,” Dan says, his excitement beating out common sense, social filters, the need to play it cool.“It is nice to meet you, new best friend," Marc says, his mouth twitching...Categorized as:
sports new adult queer m-m contemporary friends to lovers athletes secret-relationship -
Love Directions: An MM Shy/Flirt Instalove Romance by A.F. Zoelle
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsElias ForthwrightHoroscopes always seemed a bit woo-woo to me, but I don't know how else to explain why it feels like the cosmic universe is pushing me in the direction of the mysterious North Easton, who miraculously comes into my life at just the right time. We’re nothing alike, but for the first time since my mom passed away, life is finally fun again thanks to him... -
Definitely Deacon by Vawn Cassidy
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsJesse Ainsley’s life running his busy veterinary practice in the sleepy Cornwall bay he grew up in leaves no time for a serious relationship… at least, that’s what he tells himself, but the simple truth is much more cliché... -
Rivals by R.J. Scott, V.L. Locey
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsPlaying for their country in the Winter Olympics is the highest of all honors, but when family members are pitted as rivals and a dark specter from the past turns up in Beijing, tensions run high, and abruptly, it’s not all about the hockey.Jared is torn—assistant coach for Team Canada, with Ryker on the team; he bleeds red and white and wears the maple leaf with pride... -
Golden Boy and the Two Bears by Nash Summers
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsAsher Williams is obsessed with love. His column is thriving, fellow students trust him with their relationship woes, and he’s on his A-game when it comes to matchmaking. At least, matchmaking other than his own. After a heartfelt letter written to his column, Asher is set on aiding the two love-struck heroes who desperately need his help... -
And Then by Taylor Fitzpatrick
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsDavid 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... -
A Side Character's Love Story, Vol. 7 by Akane Tamura
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsAn incident at the park one evening prompts Tanaka and Irie to consider what it might be like to kiss the person they care for, with their nervous imaginings enough to distract them during their daily routines. It isn't easy to be yourself when you like someone, but the distance between them is closing a little more each day.. -
Love & Other Inconveniences by Catherine Cloud
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsMorgan Boyle wants two things in life: to play hockey and to be left alone. Noah Andersson is loud, outgoing and probably hasn’t stopped talking since he learned how to say words. When Morgan ends up on a team with Noah at the Olympics, they get closer than either of them expected, and even when they’ve returned home Morgan still finds himself drawn to Noah... -
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Inked Temptation by Carrie Ann Ryan
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThis Montgomery finds his match in this touching second chance romance from NYT Bestselling Author Carrie Ann Ryan.I thought I was moving on from my divorce, but now my ex is marrying someone else. I shouldn’t be this broken up, but it’s hard to put on a brave face when my family is basically an inked up Hallmark movie... -
Boarded by Carly Marie
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCourage is following your heart when your brain says run “Boarding, two minutes.” Collin Harringford has delivered the penalty countless times as an enforcer with the Nashville Grizzlies. When life delivers the boarding, he’s forced home to sort out his grandpa’s estate... -
Left Behind by Michele Notaro
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMy god, if I have to watch one more happy couple get together, I’m going to lose it completely and probably rip out all of my awesomely pink hair... -
Neutral Zone by Catherine Gayle
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsUSA Today bestselling author Catherine Gayle presents another novella in the emotional Portland Storm hockey romance series. Being stuck in the Neutral Zone is no way to live… Portland Storm defenseman Cole Paxton never intended to be the poster boy for gay hockey players... -
A Fool and His Manny by Amy Lane
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSeeing the truth and falling in love. Dustin Robbins-Grayson was a surly adolescent when Quinlan Gregory started the nanny gig. After a rocky start, he grew into Quinlan’s friend and confidant—and a damned sexy man. At twenty-one, Dusty sees how Quinlan sacrificed his own life and desires to care for Dusty’s family... -
Masterpiece by H.J. Welch
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“I want to trust you.” Koby Duvall always knew his place at school. Art nerds like him were just target practice for guys on the football team. NFL star Vince Russo may never have bullied him, but the two men are still nothing alike. Except when Koby is asked to create a sculpture of Russo, they find themselves stuck together... -
Strike a Chord by K.M. Neuhold
“You want to fake date me?” Music is my life, my band is my heart and soul, and it’s all falling apart before my eyes. A plan hatched from desperation as we both watch our careers burn down around us. Dating my best friend’s twin brother, Paris, who just so happens to be a gay icon at the moment seems like the perfect plan... -
Catching Kalen by Maya Nicole, Britt Andrews
Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe call never came.So, I did what any major league hopeful reject would do: I went to the bar to escape my reality.When I locked gazes with a pair of gorgeous blue eyes, I knew the night was going to be anything but normal.Especially since I’d never been with a man.One night of passion left me questioning everything... -
Luka by Jane Harvey-Berrick
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsI'm not a good man. I'm not a bad man. But I've made some bad mistakes, made the wrong choices. Who hasn't? But the consequences are tearing us apart. I love two people. I love them differently. The world tells me I have to choose. Why? Why do I have to choose? Loving hurts. Dancing heals... -
Play Dead by Avery Cockburn
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsThe popular Scottish gay-romance series returns with this must-read novella! Colin’s wounds have finally healed. He’s ready for his big comeback on the football pitch and can’t wait to return to a normal life—especially the rampaging sex he and his boyfriend, Lord Andrew, once indulged in. But Andrew has his own invisible wounds... -
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The Hardest Fall by Christina Lee
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsLee trades country ballads for show tunes in the next standalone book of her M/M series, Roadmap to Your Heart. After licking his wounds from a painful relationship, Tate Sullivan is ready to move back home. He picks up where he left off as drag queen extraordinaire Frieda Love in a West Village bar in New York City... -
Wrapped Up In You by Kate Meader
Get wrapped up in a Rebel this holiday season ... The holidays are coming and hockey player, Cade “Alamo” Burnett knows exactly what he wants for Christmas: an assurance that his happily-ever-after with Chicago Rebels general manager, Dante Moretti, stays that way. But festive gremlins are conspiring to throw a wrench in the forever Cade and Dante fought so hard for... -
Just for Me: A Rugby Romance by Rosalind James
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsLuke Armstrong doesn’t want to be a pioneer or an inspiration. He just wants to be a prop.What’s it like to be the first All Black to come out while he’s still playing rugby? Luke has spent over thirty years not wanting to find out, but hiding has become so hard. He’s a man who doesn’t get tired, but now, he’s soul-weary... -
Awkward Love by Riley Hart
JamesonBeing a twenty-two-year-old virgin was not on my list of life goals. I don't know how it happened. Well...I never date, dedicate all my time to college, and I'm awkward with a capital A around hot guys--okay, so I know exactly how it happened. When my best friends come up with a plan to make the most of this summer before grad school, I'm all for it... -
Silent Knight by Beth Bolden
Rated: 4.24 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsJeremiah—or Jem, as his friends like to call him—Knight is stuck at a crossroads. Injured and unsure if he’ll be spending another season on the football field, he returns home for the holidays, hoping to lick his wounds in private. Only to be roped into being the mascot and grand marshal of the annual Christmas Falls festival and parade... -
Headstrong Like Us by Krista Ritchie, Becca Ritchie
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsYou’re cordially invited to the wedding of Maximoff Hale & Farrow Keene, and according to Celebrity Crush—the ceremony for this American prince and his tattooed bodyguard is going to be the event of the century. There will be no wedding crashers. Including but not limited to: hateful people, rabid fans, nosy paparazzi, and other so-called media. There will be no drama... -
Unstable by Charity Parkerson
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 5 ratings“A bottle of liquor a day keeps the demons at bay.” After a childhood so horrific a book was published about it, Jimmy understandably didn’t become the most well-adjusted adult. He’s made it his business to blend into the background while drinking himself into an early grave. That is, until he pulls a homeless teen from the dumpster. Living on the streets hasn’t been easy for Eli... -
Sugar Port by Charity Parkerson
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsKato doesn’t realize he needs a port. Until Brad storms in, that is. Meeting Brad is a soothing balm to Kato’s soul. Since he lost his eyesight two years ago, nothing has been the same. Where he’d once been chased by all the men, now he feels like he’s nothing more than a burden on the only friend he has left. Then, Brad bursts into his life. It’s been a year since Brad caught his ex cheating... -
Sugar Sentry by Charity Parkerson
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsEaston’s been living one day at a time since his attack. Life has other plans for him. Exactly one year ago, Easton’s life came crashing down. A vicious attack left him deeply scarred inside and out. From the ashes of his life, he’s rebuilt himself into someone new. His life is different in many ways, but—mostly—he’s found a better version of happiness in a new business... -
Horribly Harry by Lisa Henry, Sarah Honey
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsBad Boyfriend, Inc—when you can’t find a good boyfriend, why not hire a bad one instead?To supplement his income while he’s completing his Early Education degree, Harry Townsend hires himself out as a terrible date—for a set fee, he’ll horrify parents and family members in all sorts of interesting ways. But when it comes to actual relationships—and sex—Harry doesn’t get the appeal... -
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Sugar Bear by Charity Parkerson
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen two men with zero inhibitions start a game of truth or dare, a love affair is born. Things with Jude started so harmless. One nice conversation, an offer to get drinks, and then nothing was innocent any longer. Hendrix has a past. One he strives to keep hidden. For that reason, and several others, he’s always kept to himself... -
Breaking Free by Isabel Lucero
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 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... -
Elliot, Song of the Soulmate by Anyta Sunday
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen you have the love of your life, you hold on tight.You don’t let go.Debate champ extraordinaire Elliot Anneston is a master in persuasion. He wins at everything. Until he meets sexy Scottish transfer Wentworth McAllister. Suddenly he doesn’t know what’s up and what’s up. The world is a whirlwind of feeling, and when it comes to the debate of his life, to lose is inevitable... -
A Hard Time by Jordan Marie
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSlater Daniels is a player.I’ve been around enough players to recognize one.If you looked the word up in the dictionary you would see his face.I don’t need the hassle. I have things to figure out.He’s persistent, though.He’s also easy on the eyes.A girl can only resist so much... -
Rookie: M/M First Time College Gay Romance by Eddie Cleveland
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings* Although part of a series, you will enjoy it as a standalone as well!Rookie is everything you love in an MM first time gay romance. A journey of self-discovery, the undeniable sparks with the man who makes him question everything, the moment of realization, the secret relationship, and coming out... -
Torn & Bound Duet by K. Webster, Nikki Ash
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling authors K Webster and Nikki Ash comes an angsty, new adult, poly romance.I’ve spent the past three years in college terrorizing the dean, also known as my father.I’m everything he hates.Troublemaker. Slacker. Gay.But I’m only getting started.I’m about to make Dad really proud with my newest life choices…I fall for my best friend, Mia, who’s a freaking chick...
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