Recommendations For Closed Door Sports Romance Books

If you’re here you probably love a good closed door sports romance book right? That’s a good thing since I have quite a few “favorites” to talk about! Most of these are available in Kindle Unlimited, if you have not heard of that I highly suggest you check it out if you read a lot. Most of these are indie-published romance novel’s and are considered to be sports romcoms where at least one of the main characters plays in a sport. All of these recommendations are closed-door romances. As in nothing “spicy” and no explicit content is on page. 

This list has sports romance books consisting of Hockey, Baseball, Boxing, Golf, Winter Sports, Football, Soccer, Surfing, and If I can ever find one, a closed door Basketball romance will be added. I hope you find some good ones on this list that you haven’t read yet. Sports romance, hockey, in particular, are some of my favorite books to read. All the books on this list are ones I have personally read and enjoyed; if you have more recommendations I’d love to hear them, please reach out via email ([email protected]) or via my social media. 

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Closed Door Sports Romance Book Recommendations

Closed Door Sports Romance Books: Hockey

Hockey Romance Books:

All of these are Closed Door Romance Books as I stated above, I left content warnings on a few that have heavier content or swearing. They all have a happy ending 🙂 

My Phony Valentine

I LOVE Courtney Walsh’s take on romcoms in general but this one make just take the cake (pun intended) for a good book about rolling with what life brings. It is book one in her Holidays With Hart series.

A chance meeting. A hunky hockey player. A fake romance.
Hardly an ordinary day in the life of Poppy Hart.

My days usually consist of agonizing over my failing restaurant, worrying about my mountain of debt and nursing my broken heart.

Everything changes when I bump into a man in the coffee shop and claim him as my new boyfriend. To my absolute horror, he turns out to be hockey’s most renowned bad boy, Dallas Burke. To my absolute delight, he goes along with my story.

When his no-nonsense manager and meddling grandmother jump in the picture, they see a win-win solution for my failing restaurant and Dallas’s less-than-stellar reputation.

A full-fledged fake romance complete with contract negotiations, pretend dates and phony PDA.

But as I get to know the real Dallas Burke, who is not the man the press says he is, it becomes clear that if this isn’t real. . . someone better tell it to my heart.

Find it on Goodreads, Amazon, and Bookbub.

My Lucky Charm By Courtney Walsh

This one is my favorite in the series so far and I was hooked after that first chapter.  It is one of the best slow burn romance books I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading.

A humiliating break-up leads to an impulsive New Year’s Kiss with a complete stranger.
What could possibly go wrong?

It’s no secret that I love life. And Dr Pepper. But also, I love a challenge. . .

So when the coach of the Chicago Comets gives me the opportunity to help their star player, newly traded to their team, acclimate to life in Chicago, I’m all in.

I have to be. After my last job went up in flames, I have something to prove.

It turns out that the player, Grayson Hawke, is the rudest, most off-putting, reclusive guy I’ve ever met.

It also turns out that he is the beautiful stranger I kissed on New Year’s Eve.

I can do this job. I can do this job. I can do this job.

And I can. Really well.

I can make Gray’s life easier, show him all the reasons to fall in love with this city, and in the process, hopefully completely forget that the amazing kiss ever happened.

How hard can it be? We’re total opposites anyway.

I love people . . . and all their stories. Gray loves hockey . . . and nothing else.

I love to talk. Gray only stares.

I’m happy-go-lucky. Gray’s all work and no play.

There’s just one problem. The more time I spend with Grayson Hawke, the more I start to see that underneath his bristly, standoffish exterior, he’s nothing like the man everyone thinks he is.

And suddenly, all the reasons for keeping my distance, staying professional, and not falling for someone again. . .are impossible to remember.

Find it on Goodreads, Amazon, and Bookbub.

TEAM APPIES ❤️

This series. This series. Guys if you never read another sport book in your life read this series. It is what brought me back to sports romance and romcoms in general. It’s full of humor, sass, tension, and hope. They are all stand alone novels based on the same team (the Appies) so you’ll get to see different characters reoccurring through out them all.

Just Don’t Fall by Emma St. Clair

I love the humor in this one and the pop culture references. A note though, this one does have two different covers in paperback format, one in the Sweater Weather Series and one as I’ve got it below for the Appies series. It’s the same book in both cases I just like them all to be matching!

Before Logan Barnes was hockey’s hottest bad boy, he was my brother’s best friend … and my first crush. Oh, yeah–and the guy who ghosted me and broke my teenage heart.

Now Logan is back in Harvest Hollow, but not willingly. Recovering from an injury (and some bad press), he’s stuck playing for our minor league team.

Which means I’ll be working with him almost daily.

As the hockey team’s social media manager, it’s my job to wrangle all the guys into filming TikTok trending videos. But Logan doesn’t want to be wrangled.

Turns out … neither does my heart.

Because my old crush never died.

And when Logan becomes my accidental fake boyfriend, those old feelings flare hot enough to melt the ice.

But this is all totally one-sided. Totally fake. Isn’t it?

No matter what signals he seems to be giving me or how real things start to feel, I know Logan’s not home for good.

I survived Logan leaving me once. But this time, I’m not so sure my heart will recover …

Find it on Goodreads, Amazon, Bookbub, and Barnes and Noble (on Audiobook only).

Absolutely Not In Love by Jenny Proctor

Like the last one in the Appies Series, this book has a different ebook cover as it is also apart of the Sweater Weather Series.

My 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 Beethoven floating across the hall.

Have I mentioned how incredible he looks in his game day suit?

Still, my history with hockey is complicated. My older brother played, and let’s just say he stole enough limelight to land a plane at midnight. I was forced to be a part of that world for so long, now that I have a choice, it’s the last thing I want.

But something tells me Felix is about to change my mind…

Find it on Goodreads, Amazon, Bookbub, and Barnes and Noble.

A Groom Of One’s Own By Emma St. Clair

This one made me smile and not want to leave my book.

He always dreamed of getting married–but for love, not to avoid deportation.

Eli Hopkins has it all–almost. A hockey career with the wildly popular Appies. Teammates who are like brothers. The only thing he’s missing is someone to share it all with.

Oh–and correctly filed visa paperwork.

Due to administrative error, Eli is about to lose everything.

Unless he can find someone to marry him in the next thirty days.

And he might have the perfect woman in mind. The only problem? He’d like to marry her for real, not simply for legal purposes.

Now Eli faces the challenge of winning over a wife who thinks the marriage is in name only …

Find it on Goodreads, Amazon, Bookbub, and Barnes and Noble.

Romancing the Grump by Jenny Proctor

By far one of the best Grump/sun shine books I’ve ever read. My favorite quote:

We make eye contact, and I smile, lifting my hand to the glass. He stops directly opposite and lifts his glove to the same spot.
And then he smiles.
Not that little half-grin I’ve seen whenever I tease him, or the annoying smirk he gives his teammates when he thinks they’re being ridiculous. This smile is wide and real and it makes his eyes crinkle at the corners and it’s possibly the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen.

He’s a grump and happy to stay that way. But can her sunshine melt the ice around his heart?

Nathan Sanders didn’t earn his reputation as the grouchiest player on the Appies hockey team by chance. So when Summer Callahan breezes into his life with her flirtatious smiles and endless charm, he responds like he always does: he completely ignores her.

But Summer is intrigued by the surly defenseman, so when a viral social media post requires her to step in and fake it as Nathan’s girlfriend, she jumps at the chance. She’s convinced the ones with the hardest shells are often the softest underneath, and she’s determined to prove it.

But Nathan doesn’t crack so easily. Despite their obvious chemistry, he makes his lack of interest in a relationship—any relationship—perfectly clear. But the longer they pretend, the less fake everything seems, and the more Summer starts to fall.

She can only hope her fake relationship doesn’t lead to real heartbreak.

Find it on Goodreads, Amazon, Bookbub, and Barnes and Noble.

Runaway Bride and Prejudice by Emma St. Clair

I can’t believe how each of these books just gets better and better, but they do and I’m addicted.

There’s one rule smart hockey players know not to break: never, and I mean, NEVER date the coach’s daughter. But no one ever accused Van of being smart.

When the mouthy bad boy of the Appies catches the groom cheating on the coach’s daughter, he can’t just walk away. Not on her wedding day.

Maybe his own relationships are casual, but he would never cheat and never treat wedding vows so carelessly. Not after he and his sisters watched their divorced parents cycle through marriage after marriage.

But forcing the groom to come clean sets off a chain reaction Van couldn’t have expected.

Ending with a black eye, an unexpected trip to Florida with one runaway bride, and a secret bargain struck with Coach.

A bargain that may just jeopardize the very real and very inconvenient feelings he’s developing for the very last person he ever should.

Find it on Goodreads, Amazon, and Bookbub.

St. Cloud Series is a recent find I stumbled upon and I devoured it. It is the first sports romance book I’ve found where the Female Main Character (FMC) is playing the sport too! See my reviews of the St. Cloud Series.

Faceoff

He’s the cocky captain of the men’s hockey team, and now we’re stuck together for a class project.

LUZ

The 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.

But then something that can only be defined as a meet-disaster with Max Cassiano, the men’s team captain, leads to open hostility between our teams. Fortunately, that whole mess helps me ignore how freaking hot he is.

Kinda.

MAX

I might seem like the hottest prospect to everyone in town, but I’m chopped liver to my massive Italian family. My focus has to be on my hockey career if I want to wow them, and I’m sure being named captain of the men’s team is the ticket.

Until a snobby professor pairs me up for an assignment with the one distraction I can’t seem to shake: Luz, the captain of the women’s team. And she’s way cuter than anyone who hates me has a right to be.

Sparks fly when we faceoff off the ice, but can we win this game if our teams hate each other?

Faceoff is a dual POV, closed door hockey college romance with mild language, and heat without spice. It’s the first book in the St. Cloud Hockey trilogy and can also be read as a standalone.

Find it on GoodreadsAmazon, and Bookbub.

Overtime

He’s the grumpy hockey captain with a bad boy reputation, and now I’ve been assigned as his tutor for the rest of the semester.

ARAN

The pressure is on in my senior year to wow hockey recruiters no matter what. My only outlet was casual dating until the latest fling makes a scene in the middle of my team’s locker room, and gets me in trouble with the coach. And that’s without him even knowing I’m about to flunk an elective.

So I have a plan: Step one, swear off girls for the rest of the season. Step two, do some overtime school work with the help of a tutor.

Except said tutor is about to ruin the whole plan.

MADDIE

Just a few months left of college and I’ll officially start my career as an author. But before that, I’m in desperate need of more income to move away from my fatphobic roommates. So I ramp up my tutoring gig, and start working on a hockey romance idea that I can self-publish quickly. There’s only one problem: I know nothing about hockey—or real life romance.

Insert Aran. Not only I’ll get paid for tutoring him, but maybe he can also teach me about the sport. All I have to do is remember that a real-life romance is off the table.

The overtime tutoring sessions start getting less academic, but can we beat the ticking clock?

Overtime is a dual POV, closed door hockey college romance with mild language, and heat without spice. It’s the second book in the St. Cloud Hockey trilogy, set six years after book one, and can also be read as a standalone.

Find it on GoodreadsAmazon, and Bookbub.

Shutout

He’s the golden retriever hockey captain who was once my best friend, turned perfect stranger, and now he’s come crashing back into my life.

OLIVIA

I’m not huge into the party scene, especially after what happened last year at the Bolt House where the hockey jocks live. I’d rather stay home reading a book or cooking up a new recipe to the tune of some hard rock. But now my friends convince me to go to a party and what could go wrong, right?

Of course, we get there and find my boyfriend cheating on me with a random girl. And even worse, the one who confronts my now ex is none other than Brooklyn, Bolt House resident, hockey captain… and my former best friend.

Yep, the same one I had a major crush on basically all my life.

BROOKLYN

I haven’t seen Olivia since she basically shut me out of her life a year ago. Yeah, I was a jerk and deserve it, but does it make me even more of a jerk if I’m happy to see her break up with her boyfriend?

Maybe this is my chance to get back in her good graces, and what better opportunity than fulfilling the promise we made freshman year of signing up for a Spanish elective together.

But just as I’m starting to think I’m better suited for the role of Olivia’s boyfriend rather than her friend, I get a huge offer that could kickstart my hockey career with a bang.

And I really don’t want to choose between hockey and her again.

Are we playing the only game we can both win by shutout or are we about to lose each other forever?

Shutout is a dual POV, closed door hockey college romance with mild language, and heat without spice. It’s the third and last book in the St. Cloud Hockey trilogy, set three years after book two, and can also be read as a standalone.

Find it on GoodreadsAmazon, and Bookbub.

On Thin Ice by Anna Augustine

I love Anna Augustine’s writing and this book was really fun.

He is her biggest mistake. 

She is his biggest regret. 

Can they ever find their way back to each other?

Molly Pruitt wants nothing to do with the man who broke her heart. As the newest teacher at Cloverfield High School, she’s determined to start the new chapter of her life free from the tangled strings of her past. There’s no need to think about Tanner Bradshaw anymore.

Until he shows back up in Cloverfield.

Out of the NHL because of a career ending injury, Tanner’s life is in shambles. Now the new coach of the high school hockey team, he’s struggling to gain the boys respect and sorting through his tumultuous feelings for the girl he left behind five years ago. Regret doesn’t begin to cover it, but Tanner isn’t sure if Molly will ever give him a second chance.

Sparks fly when Tanner finds his office placed in the back of Molly’s classroom. Is it fate, or just dumb luck that keeps forcing them together? And when Molly helps win some of the team over to Tanner, he can’t help but wonder if maybe they’re still meant to be.

Now if he can only get Molly to think the same…

Find it on Goodreads, Amazon, Bookbub, and Barnes and Noble.

Cross Check Crush by Dulcie Dameron

I am a huge fan of Dulcie Dameron and this book was so fun to read.

This is one crush she’s willing to bet on…

Reality star sweetheart, Freya Danielson, is no stranger to living under a microscope. But not even her fans know about her secret crush on hockey’s hottest bad boy, Bridger Baros.

Bridger’s grumpy persona might be off-putting to some, but Freya sees past the bluster to who he is underneath. Sweet, shy, considerate…

And woefully oblivious to how deep Freya’s feelings run.

Bridger can’t catch a break. If it’s not his brother’s constant passive-aggressive comparison bringing on a headache, it’s his teammates ragging about his aversion to dating. But when everything comes to a head after a frustrating phone call, Bridger finds himself in need help.

He needs a fiancée. Fast.

When Bridger finds out the owner of his social media fan page is none other than the country’s most beloved “good girl,” he proposes they strike a deal: If she’ll pretend to be his fiancée at his family’s Thanksgiving get together, he’ll help her monetize her fan page by giving her an insider’s scoop into what it’s like to be a Dragon.

There’s just one catch—for Freya, nothing with Bridger is pretend. And she’s secretly hoping that by the time their holiday weekend away is over, Bridger has caught feelings for her too.

Putting it all on the line for a self-proclaimed bachelor is scary, but Freya’s determined to win Bridger’s heart—or get crushed trying.

**Cross-Check Crush is a sweet hockey romance full of flirty messages, fake dating, and fuzzy, warm feelings that are most certainly NOT fake.**

Find it on Goodreads, Amazon, and Bookbub.

Kissing Beck Thomas by MJ Pagett

I love how this book is apart of a series about a family of brothers.

What harm can come from a little kiss contest? A lot… apparently.

Vivien Mays is in love with her best friend, but she’d rather die than tell him. Enter her sister, Lorelai, with a crazy plan to test the waters with a social media challenge sure to get Ezra Thomas’s attention—a kiss challenge. Vivien finally gives in to her sister’s insane idea and kisses her best friend, but in a moment of mistaken identity, she kisses his twin brother instead… her lifelong nemesis.

Beck Thomas watches his dreams go up in smoke when an injury ends his hockey career. The grumpy pessimist wants to be left alone, but when his brother’s annoying best friend accidentally kisses him, it sparks an interest he didn’t know he had. Despite Vivien’s freak-out when she realizes the truth, Beck can’t help but wonder if there’s something more to the kiss, and he’s willing to work to find out.

When the opportunity to spend more time together arises, Beck seizes the chance to prove to Vivien that they can not only get along but they might be perfect for each other. Vivien, on the other hand, is pretty sure she won’t survive two weeks pretending to like Beck.

Kissing Beck Thomas is an enemies to lovers, sweet new adult romance with swoony kisses, everyday faith in action, and a side of comedy.

Find it on Goodreads, Amazon, and Bookbub.

Closed Door Sports Romance Books: Golf

Golf Romance Books:

Summer Ever After by Kortney Keisel

I’ll be honest. This one was a little hard for me to get into, but I really enjoyed it by the end.

Falling in love is easy. Finding the right guy to spend happily ever after with… that’s the hard part.

But I have a foolproof plan. I’m taking the tropes that work in romance books and applying them to my love life.

Only one bed? Never fails.

Caring for someone when they’re sick? A classic.

“Who did this to you?” Seals the deal every single time.

So long, loneliness. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

But the more I try to force romance, the more feelings naturally progress with the one man who’s off limits: Walker Collins, the guy I’ve had a secret crush on since 7th grade, not to mention my best friend’s older brother.

Dating Walker crosses BFF lines I swore I’d never cross. Plus, he hates Sunset Harbor, and his pro golf career will take him off the island as fast as he came, sending me back to the land of singlehood, loneliness, and broken hearts.

At the end of the day, I don’t want to be the fool in my foolproof plan.

◆ Summer Ever After brings all the sizzle and chemistry without the explicit scenes and language. It’s the perfect romcom to make you laugh and fall in love.

Find it on Goodreads, Amazon, Bookbub, and Barnes and Noble.

The Perfect Putt by Annah Conwell

This is the second book in a series (More Than A Game) but I really enjoyed it and I’m looking forward to the rest of the series releasing.

Golf is for rich, pretentious jerks who need something to do while they gossip.

That’s always been my opinion. So when my best friend lands me an interview with Miles Day–the youngest golfer to ever win the Masters–I almost say no.

But the six-figure salary attached to the position is too good to pass up.

Miles gives me the job as his assistant, with one caveat–don’t fall in love with him. Easy. So easy that I laugh in his face when he so much as suggests the possibility.

Except… the more time I spend with Miles, the harder it is to resist his charming smile and glittering green eyes.

Catching feelings for him isn’t an option though, because I have goals to reach, and he has an aversion to commitment. Falling in love would be a mistake, one neither of us are willing to make.

The Perfect Putt is a sweet golf romcom perfect for fans of sports romance. It has all the sizzling chemistry you love, without any explicit scenes. Check out the second book in the More Than a Game series, an interconnected standalone series based around four men in four different sports.

Find it on Goodreads, Amazon, and Bookbub.

Closed Door Sports Romance Books: Football

Football Romance Books:

The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams

Guiltily peaking through my hands here… For someone who’s never watched a complete Football game before (I know, I know) this was a really enjoyable book.

Is it ever too late to leave the friend zone? Discover the heartwarming friends to lovers romance that became a sensation on TikTok—now with a new chapter and a Q&A with the author!

The friend zone is not the end zone for Bree Camden, who is helplessly in love with her longtime best friend and extremely hot NFL legend, Nathan Donelson. The only problem is that she can’t admit her true feelings, because he clearly sees her as a best friend with no romantic potential, and the last thing Bree wants is to ruin their relationship. But those abs . . .
Nope! Nothing but good old-fashioned, no-touching-the-sexiest-man-alive, platonic friendship for Bree. In any case, she has other things to worry about. After a car accident ended her chance at becoming a professional ballerina, Bree changed paths and now owns her own dance studio, with big dreams to expand it. But one more rent increase could mean the end of the studio entirely.

Then, as usual, Nathan comes to the rescue and buys the entire building. A stubborn Bree is not happy about it and decides to rebel with a couple—okay, maybe more than a couple—of tequila shots. Then her plan backfires as she spills her deepest, darkest secret to a TMZ reporter. One viral video later, the world thinks Nathan and Bree are the perfect couple. Before they can really talk about her confession, Nathan’s publicist proposes a big opportunity that could mean financial security for Bree. The catch? They have to pretend to be in love. For three whole weeks.

What will happen when Bree gives in to the feelings she’s been desperately hiding for so long, and could she be imagining that Nathan is actually enjoying it? Sarah Adams scores more than touchdowns in this exciting romantic comedy.

Find it on Goodreads, Amazon, Bookbub, and Barnes and Noble.

I Got You by Stacy Williams

This was my first book by Stacy Williams and I am definitely going to read more by her.

Sacrifice…is there any too great? How far would you go to protect the innocent?

Maggie is living from one day to the next and making things up as she goes. Her life is four kids and a whole lot of chaos, but the best kind. Two years ago, she gave up her dreams, and after a devastating loss, she may have to give up one more. With four kids depending on her and not a chance she’ll let them down, she’s about to learn just exactly how far she’ll go to keep them safe.

Shane just lost the only thing he’s ever loved – the only thing he was good at – the only thing he’s ever wanted. After a career-ending injury upends his life, he’s forced into a coaching career he’s not even sure he wants. Just weeks into his new position, he finds himself tugged back to a time he’d prefer to never revisit. Now, Shane’s left with a decision that could change everything. It’s the one thing he told himself he would never do.

I Got You is a touching love story that reminds us that when everything else fades…love stays.

Find it on Goodreads, Amazon and Bookbub.

The Billionaire Benefactor by Emma St. Clair

While not my favorite story by Emma St. Clair (see the Appies love above). This story was still a sweet story about dealing with the blows life throws at you.

Love stories don’t usually start like this…

Pro football player Roman Bennett is Jenny’s celebrity crush. But when he shows up on the widowed mother’s porch with a giant check, she slams the door in his face.

Too bad Roman loves a good challenge, whether that’s finding a way to serve Jenny or staking his claim to her heart.

Nothing worthwhile ever comes easy. After a rocky start, an accident on the field changes everything.

Can Roman and Jenny find their way to a happy ending?

Find it on Goodreads, Amazon and Bookbub.

Closed Door Sports Romance Books: Baseball

Baseball Romance Books:

Game Seven by Megan Cousins

This was my first book by Megan Cousins and I LOVED the characters and the pacing.

re·spect·a·ble/rəˈspektəb(ə)l/
1) Regarded by society as being good, proper or correct
2) Of some merit or importance

After a respectable career as a catcher on professional baseball’s grandest stage, Adam Powell is returning to his hometown to manage the Detroit Mustangs. Taking on the biggest challenge of his career, Adam has to manage expectations – from the fans, the city, the team, and one baseball writer determined to get under his skin.

ex·pec·ta·tion/ˌekˌspekˈtāSH(ə)n/
1) A strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future.
2) A belief that someone will or should achieve something.

Molly Mitchell, in her fourth season as beat writer for the Detroit Mustangs is no stranger to the expectations that come with her job. That come with being a woman in sports media. The Mustangs new manager proves to be a challenge for the seasoned writer – challenging her expectations and her preconceived notions of the man behind the manager. When the two begin to grow closer, will they strike out or will their love be a home run for the ages?

Find it on Goodreads, Amazon and Bookbub.

Mom Ball by Kaci Lane

After reading another series by Kaci Lane I was really excited to see her write a sports-inspired one!

The last person I expected to see in the cow pasture was the father of my child . . .

Especially since I’m wearing a bathrobe and flip-flops with spa cream smeared on my face.

How ironic that the first time my son shows interest in baseball, his Major League dad shows up. Now it will be harder than ever to keep my secret about “Nate the Great.”

The complications continue when I discover Nate bought the abandoned mansion within spitting distance from my family’s apple orchard. Then he agrees to help my son with baseball.

When things couldn’t get any more stressful, my friend Morgan tricks me into helping her coach our kids’ Little League team.

We all know Nate would be the perfect guy to help. But the more I’m around him, the closer I come to spilling my secret.
I never told him about Timothy for fear it would ruin his career.

If I confess everything, will we become a real family? Or will he hate me for keeping Timothy from him and leave town for good?

This sweet-heat-level small town, romantic comedy is the second in a new series set in the fictitious Apple Cart County, Alabama. Hart of Dixie meets Sweet Magnolias as friends navigate raising kids among busy lives and nosy neighbors.

Find it on Goodreads, Amazon, Bookbub, and Barnes and Noble.

Caught Stealing: A Savannah Sharks Baseball Romance by M.J. Padgett

Yes, MJ Padgett yes. This book was so good and I am uber excited for the rest of the series to release. #SavannahSharksFan4Life

Charlotte Clarke’s life revolves around numbers and facts. But when life throws her a curveball, will she rely on her brain or her heart to guide her?

Love is the last thing on Charlotte’s mind. She’s too busy teaching uninterested high school students mathematics to make time for dating, despite her best friends’ protests that she needs a man. They seem to forget that the breakup with her long-time boyfriend shattered her heart.

When Charlotte’s friends discover a new dating app, they sign her up, surprising her with a list of men interested in stealing her heart. Not wanting to disappoint them, Charlotte chooses the first name on the list, preparing herself for utter humiliation and rejection. What she doesn’t know is the app is a cover for athletes looking for serious love. And one thing Charlotte doesn’t need is another athlete breaking her heart.

Andrew Rossi is sitting out with his second injury of the season. At his age, he’s beginning to worry his career with the Savannah Sharks might be coming to a close. What’s worse is he has no one to share the rest of his life with. Sick of superficial dating and flimsy relationships, Andrew decides to sign up on an elite, super secret athlete dating app. The second his eyes land on a gorgeous, brainy redhead with a deep love for dogs, his heart leaps in with cautious optimism.

The only problem? His sunshiny, sweet date despises athletes.

Keeping his athletic stardom a secret gives Andrew the chance to get to know Charlotte. As the two grow closer, he knows it’s only a matter of time before he has to come clean. But how do you tell a woman you’re falling for that you’re the one thing she hates?

Caught Stealing is a sweet, secret identity baseball romance with light faith elements, a side of comedy, and two show-stealing pups!

Find it on Goodreads, Amazon and Bookbub.

Closed Door Sports Romance Books: Basketball

Basketball Romance Books:

… Um yeah I can’t find anything so if you have recs I’m all ears. 

Closed Door Sports Romance Books: Soccer

Soccer Romance Books:

Fake Dating the Footballer by Marion De Ré

I LOVE playing soccer and this book was really fun UK version of “football”.

She hates football, but can a swoon-worthy footballer change her mind?

I hate football with every fiber of my being.
Ironic since I’m dating Wade Hunter a.k.a England’s most eligible player.

Oops. Fake dating.
Long story short, my longtime crush, Karl, came back from a mission abroad with a fiancée at his arm when I thought he was about to declare his love to me.
Humiliating, right?
Well, that’s why I grabbed the first guy in the airport and introduced him as my boyfriend.
Surprisingly, he went along with the charade.
Even more so, he showed up at my door days later asking me to keep it going.
Dating a footballer, even if its fake, is the last thing I want to do while I’m nursing a broken heart. But when he said I could use this relationship to make Karl jealous, and win the feature contest at work, I signed on the three dotted lines and scored myself a fake boyfriend.
A fake rebound still counts, right?

Find it on Goodreads, Amazon, Bookbub, and Barnes and Noble.

Kulti by Mariana Zapata

One scene with “spice” (closed door) at the end, and it has language sprinkled throughout the storyline. This book is one of my all time favorites because of the main character Sal. She is a fierce protector and goes after what she wants. Be advised that this book has multiple covers.

“Trust me, I’ve wanted to punch you in the face a time or five.”

When the man you worshipped as a kid becomes your coach, it’s supposed to be the greatest thing in the world. Keywords: supposed to.

It didn’t take a week for twenty-seven-year-old Sal Casillas to wonder what she’d seen in the international soccer icon—why she’d ever had his posters on her wall, or ever envisioned marrying him and having super-playing soccer babies.

Sal had long ago gotten over the worst non-break-up in the history of imaginary relationships with a man that hadn’t known she’d existed. So she isn’t prepared for this version of Reiner Kulti who shows up to her team’s season: a quiet, reclusive shadow of the explosive, passionate man he’d once been.

Nothing could have prepared her for the man she got to know.

Or the murderous urges he brought out in her.

This was going to be the longest season of her life.

Find it on Goodreads, Amazon, Bookbub, and Barnes and Noble.

Closed Door Sports Romance Books: Boxing

Boxing Romance Books:

Love in the Squared Circle by Heather Greer

I had the privilege of being an early reader of this book and couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Trinity Knight is not a fan of professional wrestling. But with her husband gone, it falls to her to give their son the father-son trip they daydreamed about when he was alive. After Trinity causes them to miss a meet and greet with Jay’s favorite wrestler, a random act of kindness saves the trip and starts Trinity on an unexpected path.

Universal Wrestling Organization Champion Blane Sterling hears whiny children at photo ops all the time. However, overhearing a young boy comfort his mother piques his interest. Touched by their story, Blane works with the UWO Public Relations team to give Jay the experience of a lifetime.

As they learn each other’s stories, Trinity and Blane are drawn to each other. But they don’t just come from different states. They live in different worlds. Trinity might learn to fit into his life, but can those in her world look beyond Blane’s profession to see his heart? Or will a lack of acceptance cause Trinity and Blane to lose their shot at love?

Find it on Goodreads, Amazon and Bookbub.

After She Falls by Carmen Schober

I got to meet Carmen Schober in person a few years ago and she is someone I wish I could be friends with in life, she is truly an inspiring person. See my Book review of After She Falls.

She’s always had that fire in her. She just needs to find it again.

Strong-willed Adri Rivera nearly achieved her goal of being a professional mixed martial artist, but then she fell in love with a man who knocked all the fight out of her. When their abusive, tumultuous relationship finally comes to a head, Adri flees with their young daughter to her small hometown in the mountains of Pennsylvania. There, she must face the people she left behind and put her broken life back together again.

A hardened Max Lyons can’t believe Adri is back in town after abruptly cutting him and everyone else off years ago. Despite the distance that grew between them, he feels compelled to help her regain her independence and offers her a job at his gym. But regaining each other’s trust is another matter, made even more complicated by the lingering spark between them. As Adri dares to pursue her dream again, she trains for a big tournament with Max’s help, but they’ll both have to confront their own doubts in order to rise victorious.

Find it on Goodreads, Amazon, Bookbub, and Barnes and Noble.

Closed Door Sports Romance Books: Winter Sports

Ice Skating:

An Unlikely Pair by Traci Hunter Abramson (book 1 in a 3 book series)

Be prepared to go into this series with the knowledge that the HEA doesn’t completely come until book 3.

After a family tragedy, aspiring ballerina Amaliya Marcell is adrift. When she is forced to leave behind everything she knows, the lost young woman struggles to build a new life in an unfamiliar city. But when she meets a handsome world-class figure skater, she finds a glimmer of hope.

After his sister’s unexpected retirement from figure skating, Tyler Linden is devastated to give up his shot at the US national championships. His only hope is to find a new partner, a task that proves nearly impossible—until he observes a beautiful young woman at the local ice rink. Struck by her grace and poise, Tyler takes an unthinkable risk and asks Amaliya to become his new partner. To both of their surprise, she agrees. The path to the championship won’t be easy, but Amaliya and Tyler quickly establish a solid partnership and a profound connection—both on and off the ice. However, competition at the championships is fierce, and when the time comes, they will be forced to put everything on the line if they hope to achieve their dreams.

Find it on Goodreads, Amazon and Bookbub.

Closed Door Sports Romance Books: Surfing

Surfing Romance Books:

Catch a Wave by Savannah Scott

I LOVE Savannah’s books and this is the 3rd book in her Love Trippin’ series.

Did you ever see a guy and just know you had to meet him?

That was me and Bodhi Merrick. I couldn’t take my eyes off him as he donned his wetsuit at the famous big-wave surf spot, Mavericks. I’ll never forget that day. Or every time our paths crossed after that. Big wave surfing is a small world.

And, as it happens, Bodhi felt the same tug—this irresistible attraction that drew us to one another.
We became known as surfing’s “it couple.” Our love was more famous than either of us.
Until life threw us for a loop and tore what we had apart.

Now, two years after our breakup, I find myself standing on my brother’s front porch, ready to beg my only sibling for a place to crash.
Only, the man who answers the door isn’t my brother.
It’s my brother’s best friend—also known as my ex-boyfriend, Bodhi Merrick.

Now we’re living in the same house on Marbella Island.
Bodhi seems to have moved on.
My heart will always be his.

How am I supposed to heal from the biggest tragedy of my life when he’s walking around in board shorts with his wavy hair falling across his forehead, and calling me the nickname he gave me years ago? Maybe I don’t want to get over him. The question is: After all we’ve been through, can we give our relationship a second chance?

Catch a Wave is a closed-door romcom that will grip your heart and take you on a ride ending in a sweet happily ever after. Catch a Wave is the third book in the Love Trippin’ series, but can be read as a stand-alone read without reading the other books in series.

Find it on Goodreads, Amazon, and Bookbub.

For Butter or for Worse by Dana LeCheminant

My first time reading a book by Dana LeCheminat and I am quickly going through her other books too! Such a good writer. I originally found this series through Dulcie Dameron who is another author in the collaborative Coastal Kisses.

In the quaint coastal town of Willow Cove, Georgie Carpenter returns to take over a bakery, only to discover that the sweet deal comes with an unexpected twist—a husband.

Royal “King” Kingston, overwhelmed with balancing surf lessons and the responsibility of his late uncle’s struggling bakery, is shocked by Georgie’s return from the big city to his little town. Though she’s renowned as a pastry chef and could save the bakery, King can’t shake the memories of her rejection of his proposal a decade ago. Yet faced with the ultimatum of losing his uncle’s legacy or handing it over to the woman who broke his young heart, King reluctantly agrees to her help.

However, there’s a catch—the bakery can only be passed down to family. Georgie suggests a solution: a temporary marriage to facilitate the transfer of ownership. With no strings attached, they can part ways once the paperwork is done. King is reluctant but agrees to the plan out of necessity.

But as their temporary arrangement evolves, both Georgie and King confront unexpected emotions and realize that what they bargained for may be more than they ever imagined. Will their makeshift marriage lead to a second chance at love, or will past insecurities tear them apart once again?

Find it on Goodreads, Amazon and Bookbub.

I hope you enjoyed this list and found some new books to add to your never-ending TBR pile. I will continue adding books to this list as I read and review more of them and again if you have any more “clean reads” you think I should add or a sport I completely missed please let me know. 

I have so much fun putting together these lists (though I have been known to go down a rabbit trail of finding new books) and I hope you’ll enjoy reading these books. 

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Travelers Wife 4 Life
Travelers Wife 4 Life

Quiet, Quirky, and a Lover of Adventure both indoors and out.

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