Subgenre

Sports romance books

Hockey, football, F1 and every other sport with locker rooms and unreasonable thighs. 26 books so far, including Binding 13, Icebreaker and The Deal.

Personalise: add your spice & hard nos

SpiceWhere to start only

Binding 13
Chloe Walsh · Book 1 of 6 in Boys of Tommen
Spice 2/5 · Simmer
An abused girl and the golden-boy rugby star who sees her. Heavy, huge and impossible to put down.
- Hurt / comfort
- He falls first
- Touch her and die
Heated Rivalry
Rachel Reid · Book 2 of 6 in Game Changers
Spice 5/5 · Scorching
Two rival hockey superstars, a decade-long secret situationship and the TV adaptation that sent it viral.
- Rivals to lovers
- Secret relationship
- Enemies to lovers
Icebreaker
Hannah Grace · Book 1 of 3 in Maple Hills
Spice 4/5 · Spicy
A figure skater has to share the ice with the hockey captain. BookTok's favourite college hockey romance.
- Forced proximity
- He falls first
- Hockey player
Keeping 13
Chloe Walsh · Book 2 of 6 in Boys of Tommen
Spice 3/5 · Steamy
Johnny and Shannon continue. More healing, more heartbreak, a little more heat.
- Hurt / comfort
- Touch her and die
- Athlete
The Deal
Elle Kennedy · Book 1 of 5 in Off-Campus
Spice 4/5 · Spicy
She tutors him, he fake-dates her to make her crush jealous. The OG college hockey romance.
- Fake dating
- He falls first
- Hockey player
Behind the Net
Stephanie Archer · Book 1 in Vancouver Storm
Spice 4/5 · Spicy
A goalie with a twenty-year crush and the team physical therapist who has no idea. Pining hero supremacy.
- Workplace romance
- Roommates
- He falls first
Caught Up
Liz Tomforde · Book 3 of 5 in Windy City
Spice 4/5 · Spicy
A single-dad baseball player hires a free-spirited nanny. Yes, it is that trope and yes, it delivers.
- Single parent
- Nanny romance
- Athlete
Consider Me
Becka Mack · Book 1 in Playing for Keeps
Spice 4/5 · Spicy
A hockey star bets he can win her over. He actually means it. Golden retriever hero, big yearning.
- He falls first
- Hurt / comfort
- Hockey player
Daydream
Hannah Grace · Book 3 of 3 in Maple Hills
Spice 4/5 · Spicy
A golden retriever hockey captain and an anxious overachiever with too much on her plate.
- He falls first
- Hockey player
- Smart / nerdy heroine
Deep End
Ali Hazelwood
Spice 4/5 · Spicy
A college diver and a swimmer agree to a no-strings arrangement with a dom/sub-lite twist. Spice starts around 30% and does not get old.
- Friends with benefits
- Athlete
- Smart / nerdy heroine
Flawless
Elsie Silver · Book 1 of 5 in Chestnut Springs
Spice 4/5 · Spicy
A bull rider with a reputation and the sharp-tongued woman hired to babysit his image. Cowboy summer, any season.
- Bodyguard
- Grumpy x sunshine
- Cowboy
From Lukov with Love
Mariana Zapata
Spice 2/5 · Simmer
Two figure skaters who have insulted each other for years become pairs partners. Banter is the love language.
- Enemies to lovers
- Rivals to lovers
- Athlete
Him
Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy · Book 1 of 2 in Him
Spice 4/5 · Spicy
Two former best friends, one summer hockey camp and a lot of unresolved feelings.
- Friends to lovers
- Second chance
- Hockey player
Mile High
Liz Tomforde · Book 1 of 5 in Windy City
Spice 4/5 · Spicy
A cocky hockey defenceman and the flight attendant on his team's charter plane. Fraternizing is very against the rules.
- Workplace romance
- Forbidden love
- He falls first
Powerless
Elsie Silver · Book 3 of 5 in Chestnut Springs
Spice 4/5 · Spicy
A hockey goalie in a slump falls for his best friend's sister. Sweet, steamy, very Silver.
- Brother's best friend
- Forbidden love
- Hockey player
Pucking Around
Emily Rath · Book 1 in Jacksonville Rays
Spice 5/5 · Scorching
One woman, three hockey players and a team doctor. Why choose, MM spice included, maximum chaos.
- Found family
- Hockey player
- BDSM / dom-sub
The Long Game
Rachel Reid · Book 6 of 6 in Game Changers
Spice 5/5 · Scorching
Shane and Ilya, years later, still hiding. The Heated Rivalry sequel fans begged for.
- Secret relationship
- Rivals to lovers
- Hockey player
The Mistake
Elle Kennedy · Book 2 of 5 in Off-Campus
Spice 4/5 · Spicy
The campus player messes up on day one and then works very hard to fix it. Funny and charming.
- Big grovel
- Hockey player
- College / university
The Wall of Winnipeg and Me
Mariana Zapata
Spice 2/5 · Simmer
His former assistant quits; the NFL star needs a green-card marriage. The slowest, most satisfying burn.
- Boss x employee
- Marriage of convenience
- He falls first
Wildfire
Hannah Grace · Book 2 of 3 in Maple Hills
Spice 4/5 · Spicy
A summer camp job, a one-night stand who turns up as a co-counsellor and some heavy family stuff.
- Friends with benefits
- Second chance
- Hockey player
Collide
Bal Khabra · Book 1 in Spiral
Spice 4/5 · Spicy
A psychology student has to interview the hockey captain for her internship application. Sparks.
- Hockey player
- Grumpy hero
- College / university
Game Changer
Rachel Reid · Book 1 of 6 in Game Changers
Spice 4/5 · Spicy
A closeted hockey star and the smoothie-shop guy who makes him brave. Sweet start to the series.
- Secret relationship
- Hockey player
- Athlete
Kulti
Mariana Zapata
Spice 2/5 · Simmer
A pro soccer player's childhood hero becomes her grumpy assistant coach. Slow burn royalty.
- Workplace romance
- Opposites attract
- Athlete
Play with Me
Becka Mack · Book 2 in Playing for Keeps
Spice 4/5 · Spicy
Her brother's teammate has been in love with her for years. She has no idea. Yet.
- Brother's best friend
- He falls first
- Hockey player
The Right MoveLiz Tomforde
The Right Move
Liz Tomforde · Book 2 of 5 in Windy City
Spice 4/5 · Spicy
A basketball star fake-dates his team's videographer to fix his image. Very real feelings follow.
- Fake dating
- Workplace romance
- Athlete
Throttled
Lauren Asher · Book 1 of 4 in Dirty Air
Spice 4/5 · Spicy
The F1 bad boy fake-dates the team principal's daughter. Formula 1 romance with a big heart.
- Fake dating
- Opposites attract
- Racing driver

Popular tropes in sports romance

Sports romance: FAQ

What are the best sports romance books?

Reader favourites include Binding 13 by Chloe Walsh; Icebreaker by Hannah Grace; The Deal by Elle Kennedy; Behind the Net by Stephanie Archer; Consider Me by Becka Mack. Use the spice filter above to narrow it to your heat level.

What are the spiciest sports romance books?

For explicit sports romance romance, try Pucking Around by Emily Rath; Icebreaker by Hannah Grace; The Deal by Elle Kennedy; Behind the Net by Stephanie Archer; Consider Me by Becka Mack. These are rated 4 or 5 out of 5 on our spice scale.

Are there low-spice or clean sports romance books?

Yes: Binding 13 by Chloe Walsh; From Lukov with Love by Mariana Zapata; The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata; Kulti by Mariana Zapata are rated 1 or 2 out of 5, closed door or kisses only.

Are there standalone sports romance books?

If you do not want to commit to a series, try Deep End by Ali Hazelwood; From Lukov with Love by Mariana Zapata; The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata; Kulti by Mariana Zapata.