Sports Romance

Do you enjoy your romance with a side of muscular jock? Do you prefer fictional athletes written by women? Maybe you've heard about these hockey romance hunks but don't know where to start? We've got you covered this week! From hockey to football there is a sports rec for you. 

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Welcome to Romance Wrecks where three book besties explore the world of romance novels and encourage you to expand your TBR. Join us as we dive into the hottest releases and hidden gems of the genre. You can find us on on Instagram and TikTok at Romance Wrecks Pod. I am Jordan and I just finished reading Beautiful Carnage by Caroline Peckham and Suzanne Valenti. Surprise, surprise. Surprise, surprise. Hey guys, I'm Dev and I just finished reading Collide by Balacabra. And next up, I've got quite a selection. So I am in the middle of Zodiac Academy. I think I'm on book five, but I've been told I need to go back to book one. So there's that. And then I'm also going to listen to one and a half. I'm also going to listen to Funny Story by Emily Henry. So we'll see how that goes. Hi guys, I'm Christina and I'm starting to read The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armin, so buckle up for some bookish banter. Thank you, we are recording in the middle of the week, this week, so we're all It feels like it's been a long week. Just, it does not feel like it should be Wednesday. It feels like it should be Thursday or Friday. It's so weird. This week is long, although we are going to get some sunshine this weekend. So I'm very excited about that. The weather's going to be like 80 degrees. Cannot wait. Very excited. Yep. Perfect. Me too. All right. So I have a quote actually from Collide by Bal Cabra, which I am, when I tell you I am eating this book up, like it is so good. I am so obsessed with the female main character and the male main character. And this book specifically has a trope that I love reading. But it's when the female main character reads romance books and then the male main character reads those books. So this quote in this scene, she's basically walked into the hockey house to see that one of the boys are, is reading and she's like making a big deal about it. And he's like, We've all read it. And she's like, huh? What? It's like, yeah, you left the book out. We decided to read it to see, but it's really good. We actually got booked to like that kind of vibe. And then her boo thing comes down and then the guy's like, oh, you should read this Aiden. And he's like, oh, I have. And then she flips around, like, what do you mean you have anyway? So she goes, so you've been reading my books. Yep. I'm a big fan of the ones that have all the red tabs. My eyes widen when he smirks and drops a kiss on my lips. Let's go upstairs so I can show you what I learned. I love that. I think it is so cute when they like, I don't know when they read the romance books and then like try to take it a step further, but also when they enjoy it, because let's be real. Some of the guys out here. Who are saying, Oh, I wouldn't read romance. Let me introduce you to some seven foot tall blue aliens and tell me if you're not going to read some romance. Okay. Cause I bet you'd be into it, babe. I bet you'd be into it. So yeah, that's like one of my favorite tropes in books. So I love that. I love that little quote from collide. It's adorable. Sounds so sweet. Christina, what do you have? Steamy. Yeah, right. It is steamy. Right. Cause you. The imagination. You just, you don't know what It's sweet, but steamy. Yeah. You can imagine, you can imagine the scenes that you would want someone to do. Exactly. Yeah. Mm hmm, mm hmm. Okay, so mine's from a book called Bagging the Blue Liner by Sienna Trapp. It's one I'll recommend later. Okay, I'll try to get through this. Oh! Wait a minute. Who do you belong to? I gasped, trying to form a coherent thought with the painful pleasure he wrought from between my thighs with every pass. Say it, he gritted out, his control slipping. You, I cried. That's right. You're my little whore and you will be for the rest of your life. You'll only be allowed to come around my fingers, my tongue, and my cock for so long as we both shall live. You went for it. You went straight for the spice. My pits are sweating. That was hot. Maybe we should have worked up to this. Maybe you should have been last. Because I, no, I'm seriously always the one who's not on par. Like, you guys always have the steamiest, spiciest No, mine's about on par with yours, Dev, because mine's like the lead up to it, also. Okay, yeah. Christina should have went last, because, what do you mean? She's a closer. Um, text me, text me the book info, babe. Text me the book. I'm going to talk about it later. Yeah, right. It's a hockey one. Ooh, love that. All right, Jordan, what you got for us? Let's hear it. I see your hockeys and I raise you a football. So mine is from Fair Catch by Kandi Steiner. He just walked in, because they're roommates, and caught her about to hook up with someone, and he literally ripped the guy, the guy off of him. Possessive. And threw him out of their apartment. I wanted to kill him, he seethed. His neck's breath rippling over his taut chest, his ribs, and mountains and valleys of muscle lining his abdomen. He kissed me again, hand wrapping around my throat and tilting my jaw up until I whimpered into his mouth. I wanted to fucking murder him, Riley. Why? I breathed. He shook his head, his forehead against mine, as he licked his lips. Because I'm scarred by the fire you started in me. Because you have reduced me to fucking ashes. Oh, that is cute. It ended kind of cute. It ended cute, but it definitely started like super possessive. Yeah. It was kind of psychotic at the beginning, but love the cute. And look, ignoring the red flags. Oh, what red flags? I don't see a red flag on the play. A red flag on the play. Yeah, nevermind. Nevermind. He's fine. He's fine. It was good. Those are good. Okay. But also as right when I finished that, I thought to myself, and I didn't think this the entire book, so that's a good sign and I'll talk about the book later, but I thought no freshman in college is gonna have lines like that. There's no way. They just escaped high school. They're 18 year old boys. They have, they are not this, no, yeah, that's why sometimes sports romances, right, exactly. That's why sometimes sports romances, it's a reach because the lines that these kids be delivering kids, cause I get there grown, but like kids, you, you don't call a kid after that. Like, but I mean, that's, it's. It's fiction. So we roll with it, but yeah, I like when they're older, when they're like leaving college and they start talking. They're leaving college. Yeah. I like them the most two years, most seniors in college. It does. Two years makes all the difference. Okay. And especially when you were in college, life comes at you fast in college. I also have to say that because in one of my books that I'm recommending collide They are in college and they're about to graduate. Well, all of that leads us right into the topic of today's episode, which is drumroll, please We are talking Sports Romance! Woo hoo! We've got some selections for you. And the crowd goes wild! We've got some sports recs for you guys today. I am like chomping at the bit to talk about some of these because some I had to revisit to remember why I love them. I've got a mixed bag here. I've got like a novella. I've got, yeah, just really easy, mindless read. We've got some depth, so a good little mix. I'm excited about today's episode. Love it. Yeah, two of my recs are actually big series, so I'll be sharing what the series entails so. Yeah. Christina, I know that you, this is not a regular subject for you. No, I had to pull two out. I had to go deep. I had, I went deep down the field. Yeah, I went long. You went long, yeah. I bought Hail Mary for these, yeah. That's the name of one of my books. Hail Mary. Perfect. Is it? Oh, that's so funny. Okay, with that though, who's gonna start us out then? Who's gonna Okay, I'll go. Oh, you go, Christina. Go, Christina, go. Yeah. My first one is Bagging the Blue Liner by Sierra Trapp. This book is the first in a series called The Connecticut Comets, which is imaginary hockey team, obviously. It's a hockey romance. This one's about Hannah, who is the daughter of the team's coach. Oh, I love that! So she has, has one strict rule. Players must abide by absolutely no touch leave his daughter alone. Yes, that's my favorite trope. I have that everywhere in here. Hannah doesn't like that role. She thinks she needs to get a hockey guy. She's like, I can just one and done it. I just want to try it out because she's grown up around hockey her whole life and she sees the men working out she knows. So, um, she tries to go to the guys, you know, like each one she tries and they're all like, We're not putting our career on the line for you. She just, she propositions them. Yeah. And then so she even starts going to like the players that are coming from other teams. She like goes out with them. But she's grown up around this hockey rink. So she's like their little sister they kind of see her as, right? So they're just like, no. But, uh, she gets a drunk call from one of the guys one night. And, uh, so she decides to show up to his house wearing nothing but his jersey. You ready? And decides to go for it with him. You know, make a score, right? And, yeah, it's got a lot of spacey scenes in this book. And it is literally the opposite of a pregnancy trope, because they decide to be dinks their whole life. So, they choose Oh, spoiler alert! And she chooses, she always says she never wants, I should say. She chooses that she's always said she doesn't ever want. it's always refreshing to hear that. You're welcome. Yeah, yeah, which it was so different because like I like skipped to the end of the book at the blog because I'm like she's gonna change her mind because I just see so many women change their mind and she didn't so I thought that was unique. I love that for her. Yeah. So this book has praise kink. Banking, and he has a Jacob's Ladder piercing, so. Oh, I love those. Say no more. Say no more. Not that I would know in person, but they sound good. I have no idea. Yeah, no, in fiction, I am obsessed. I've never seen one. Like, I have no idea, really and truly, if it changes the experience. But in fiction, baby, I know exactly how it looks. You can't tell me that I don't know my way around a Jacob's Ladder. It's up here. So. Yeah, it's all in my mind. Yeah. She's literally like, Does it feel any different? He's like, Why don't you get on and see? Oh! I know that's right! I love that. So, there's gonna be three books in this series. I think the sea For this season. team that rotates like different players on the team. So this one's about the blue liner, which is a defensive position. Didn't know a thing about hockey till I read this book, let me tell you. So the next one I think is about like the goalie or something. Two are already out and the third's coming out this summer. And then there's three books about royalty. That's a spinoff of the series too, so it's also if you're into royalty instead of sports. Interesting. But the sass on this female main character, she's crazy, because she basically doesn't listen to anyone, not even her dad. But they're 30 year old characters, so you know, she doesn't have to listen to her dad. She's 30 and she's just about propositioning all these men. Yeah. I mean, like, good for her, but It started, there was a 10 year time jump, so like from her first time meeting the main character. And he like is a freshman starting his career, not freshman, but like fresh out of college, fresh starting at the NHL. And he's like, I'm not risking my career over some girl. And then for 10 years, he's been like haunted by seeing her because she's also like an amazing singer. And so she sings the national anthem before every home game. Of course. He just has to watch her. But, and he's a very, Pine from a distance. And it's like grumpy sunshine vibes. So. Ooh, love that. Loving it all, sounds great. Mm hmm, mm hmm, mm hmm. That's Bagging the Blue Liner. And then I have one more. This one's called First Meet Thou by Jacqueline Snow. This is the first book in a series called Central State Football. It follows Lorelei, or Lo as she goes by, as she embarks on her junior year of college, so another college one. She's an amazing soccer player at her college at a soccer scholarship, um, but her real passion is marketing and she's vying for an internship in her marketing class. Um, the only problem is at the start of the semester, her boyfriend dumps her and she finds out her apartment is being sold, the building. Um, and since it's the beginning of the school year, you know, all the places nearby are filled up already with incoming students. So she asks her twin brother if she can move into his place. He's the quarterback of their college football team and he lives in the football house. Right? And there just so happens to be an open room in this football house across from another football player. But his rule is he doesn't want any of the boys on his team touching his sister. Another one of those. Shocker! Yeah, possessive. He says you can move in just for the semester but can't touch anybody. Did, when you were of college age, did anyone, like, go to university and hang out with the football guys? Do you know what they're like in real life? Do you know what they're like in real life? I would not want my sibling anywhere near them either. Really? In real life? Yeah. Nope. Yeah, he's like, this is a party house, you're not gonna like it. And she's like, I'll just stay in my room all the time. Right. That's for times, man. She threatens to call in mom. The girl needs somewhere to live. So he brings her in. Alright, so she moves across. It's the haul from Luca, who's an offensive lineman. And he's a grumpy guy whose sole focus is getting drafted this year. He wants to skip his senior year and go to draft early because he's taking care of his grandma who's living in like this rundown nursing home, and he wants to provide her a better place. So his goal is to get drafted so he can get money. Thank you. And so Lorelai is vying for this internship, and lo and behold, her ex boyfriend is in the class, also vying for this internship. So, she decides to do this, like, fake boyfriend thing with Luca, so she can, uh, piss her boyfriend off. But also, she's helping Luca by doing the marketing project for the grandma's nursing home to make them money. So, they decide that they're pretending and all this, but their one rule is no feelings, just sex. So, Of course. Oh, so they're gonna do it, they're gonna do it, like, fake date, but also get something out of it. Yeah. They decided to be, you know, friends with benefits. Mm hmm. You know, fake dating. Um, but she also is keeping the fake dating from her brother, so she's only fake dating in front of the ex. And, yeah, it's a whole funny fiasco of them trying to, like, run around and keep all these different threads without intertwining. So, then you get to see what happens. How's the smut? Yeah, it's good. It's pretty good. Yeah, it's college guys, you know, so. Wild. Anything goes. Anything goes and no one knows what they're doing. Yeah. There's a lot of, they're drunk. Exactly. I had a great time in those years, but looking back, it's embarrassing now to look back on, but it wasn't at the time. They're both athletes, so he like, Comments her how flexible and strong she is. And she also makes the comment like, most guys are threatened by like my large muscles and like that's a turn off to them. But this is the one guy I don't feel threatened by because he's a big offensive lineman. Mm, I know. I love, that's cute. Those are my two books. Thanks. Sorry to learn more. I really, I thought you were gonna do, um, I know, I thought you were gonna do Fangirl Down too. I don't know why I thought that was on your list. Well, cause I had talked about that for another episode, I think. Oh, okay. That makes sense. But I love that book. But special mention. That's the only other one I've read. Yes, special mention. Special mention. If you haven't read that one, go read that one. It's a golf romance. It is perfect. Tessa Bailey, right? And golf is an extremely, yes, sexy sport that I didn't. Just the amount of sexual innuendos in that sport that you wouldn't have thought of. Mm hmm. Mm hmm. It was really nice to read a golf romance because that was my first one. And Tessa Bailey is just hilarious in the things that she comes up with. So yeah, I enjoyed that one too. Yeah. That's good. That's my list. Who's next? Thanks. Dev, you are eager. You are an eager reader. Okay. Yeah. All right. I'm gonna do it. So first up, I'm gonna talk about Collide because that's like fresh on the brain. It's also the quote that I, the book with the quote that I just used. Um, but okay. So in Collide, it follows Summer Preston and Aidan Crawford. And Summer is a sports psychology major. She wants to be a sports psychologist. That is like her dream. All right. When we meet her, she is actually applying for a master's program, um, to study sports psychology. Like that is her dream, but it's at the school that she's currently at. Like, she's always wanted to go to Dalton. She goes to Dalton and she wants to complete the master's program that is there. Aiden is a captain of the hockey team. He Takes the fall for a party that his team throws where they, it's just a mess. Cause he's always like designated dad for his team, like trying to wrangle them. So he takes the fall and his coach gives him two options, either like community surface service or probation. He's trying to get to the NHL. Probation is not an option. So he's does the community service. His community service happens to be working with summer in the sports psychology realm. On a project that she needs to complete to send with her application, like this huge paper research, there are things that happen, right? Um, summer is when I tell you it is grumpy sunshine and summer is the grump. She is so mean, but she's so quick witted. She's and she really hates hockey players. She hates hockey. It's like a big thing for her because she is the child of a really famous hockey player. And. Her parents had her when they were 18, so they were really young parents. They went on to have, uh, two more daughters after her twins. But, you know, they were learning. You're 18, you have a kid, like, he's, at that time, he's trying to get into the NHL to provide for his family, but things fall, you know, between the cracks. And she just basically feels abandoned by her dad. Like he always chose hockey over her or always, she always felt like he wanted to push her to be a hockey player or like to do sports or just be on the ice to do figure skating. And he really didn't support, I guess, how academic she was because she's very academic, very studious. Um, so that drives the rift between them. The chemistry between Aiden and Summer is. It's phenomenal. Like their meet cute is horrible. They basically looking at each other and hating it because they don't want to work together. She doesn't like hockey players. He doesn't want to sit with some studious girl, even though he thinks she's gorgeous. The first time he sees her doing this thing, uh, there's so much that goes on. The paper takes up a lot of the, uh, story. They also. Showcase a lot of on ice playing, which I like. I like when you get like the sports romances, but you're on the ice with the players. So there's lots of on ice stuff about like what's actually happening in the game, which is cute. But it's, there's found family because of course Aiden lives in the hockey house. With his team, and you just have these characters that just jump off the page. Like, Kian, he is one of the characters that he is quite possibly my favorite. I really hope he gets his own book because he's so ridiculous. He finds out that the boys have a text thread without him and he loses his shit. He like wants to cry. He's like looking over his shoulder. He's like, uh, Aiden, who you texting? And Aiden's like, oh, the guys. And he's checking his phone. He's checking his phone like, I don't have any texts and he looks over and he goes, you guys have a thread without me and that's like the end of the chapter and he gives them a silent treatment, but he is such a sweet baby boy. Um, but yeah, I really love the, the character growth between the two because. Once Aiden makes up his mind that it's summer for him, it's summer for him, but he will not force her. Like he, I don't know. He's just, he's just so sweet and so understanding and so caring. And he doesn't push her, but he does not refuse a chance to say, um, your mind, babe, I don't know what you thought. I'm letting you run around in these circles, act like we're not together, but just so you know, just so we're clear. Okay. It's me and you. That's it. And she, of course, rejects him the whole time until she cannot. She literally goes on a date that two of the hockey boys crash because they're like, Aiden's moping around. You need to come get him. So they crash her date. And then she realizes that, yeah, this ain't my man. And there's a scene that you so expect from the male main character, right? It's raining. And he's running to go profess his love to the female main character, but it's Summer who does it and it is so cute. She's like soaking what has door and she's like, I couldn't let him kiss me because all I could think about is you and she like goes on this whole monologue about like why it's him and it is just. It is so good. The banter between them too. It's so good. They're just, you know, when you read characters and you're like, how are y'all together? Like, why, how did we get here? This is not Aiden and Summer. Or like, nothing has happened to make them actually, they shouldn't actually like each other. Yeah, no, when you read them separately, like when you read Aiden with his boys or when he's going through his own stuff and you read summer with her girls, you can still see why they would make a perfect fit, even when they're not together on page. But yeah, Paul Cabra, I think that's the author's name. She just has a fantastic way of writing. It's upbeat. The banter is great. It's funny. The story's good. And where I thought there was going to be third act breakup. Yep. There really isn't so I love that everything every dirty detail she's like, yeah, the whole book. I don't need to read it. And the spice is spicy. The spice is spicy. You're welcome. It's good. Good spice. Okay. So yeah, that's collide. Definitely a top sports romance book for me now that I've read it. The next one I have is actually a novella by Tessa Bailey and it's called same time next year. It, I think it was like an Amazon prime, something. I'm not sure how it was released. I just remember it being sent to me through Amazon, but it was such a funny read. Sumner is. Basically a hockey player from Toronto or from Canada and not Toronto, but from Canada. And he, his visa is up. So, baby needs a green card to stay on the American team. Enter the girl of his dreams, Britta, who is also, siblings with someone on the team. And they, the team basically begs Britta to marry Sumner so that he can stay and like do what he needs to do for the team. Why couldn't he get a work visa? Something about it. It's unclear. It's a novella. We had 85 pages to get the whole story. I don't know. Tessa mentions it, I'm sure, but by God I can't remember marriage. Yeah, so Oh, oh, no, no, no I think it was a timing thing. So he could, the time it would take, he would miss his opportunity for like going to the big leagues or something. Like people were looking at him. I think it's something like that Also, you can't get a visa if you're already in the u. s. Sorry tangent. Go ahead. Oh, can you not see you know? If you go back to your homes Yes, and that's what happened. He had to leave he he had to leave and apply and wait So look at us. We're like, that's what I'm everything tonight Right. Yeah. Yeah. That does happen though. He has to actually leave and they're apart for a little bit, but it's the banter is so funny. The spice is spice because when I saw you, Sumner is about this girl, like he has been in love with her for years. And now that she's given him the time of day, he's It's like everything he's ever wanted and he's definitely the type talk to me. Tell me what's wrong She has her own things going on, but they fall in love and it's just the cutest quick read That you will just ever read in sports romance. So if you're looking for something short with a little bit of Sports in it, not too much, but still a sports romance. I think this is a good one for you. Just real quick, easy to digest. My next one is Sunny Disposition by Deanna Gray. This is also hockey. I feel like out of all the sports, I read hockey, romance, It's the most that's the one that I gravitate toward. It's the most primal, I feel like. Yeah, yeah, they hack. They're just so brutal, you know? Like, so rough, man. They open their mouth and then there's missing teeth. It's very, yeah, very primal. And they get put in punishment. it's also very, whitewashed. The sport. Oh, for sure. So, that's, that's, there's a big, there's a big discussion on like, why it's so prevalent in Romance and it's because of that. There's a lot of things, but I want, like, Just, I like to try to do it at least once because I try to look for, Sorry to take over your time. I try to look for basketball, more basketball recs and they're so Hard to find. I'm like, give me the basket. Sorry. Yeah. You'll definitely have more, more hot young black men in, basketball recs and basketball sports, or sometimes football too, but even I know it's a football sports. Different, gimme variety. Yeah, not white, because you're absolutely right. Every hockey romance I've wet, it's the same exact guy. Mm hmm. But, and this next one is a hockey romance, however it is interracial. He's, yeah, he's very hot. I just wanna say they're hot. Super hot. I don't wanna take away from that. I just, I wanna spread the hotness. Right, because there are other hot people. Yeah, no, I agree. In Sunny Disposition, again by Deanna Gray, this follows Naomi and Finn. Finn is a hockey player. Naomi is, how do you describe her? She's a gamer babe. Okay? She's like on the streams. So she has a stream. She's a gamer. She has a stream. And she has. Yes, exactly. I'm pretty sure. I don't know if they say it's Twitch. It sounds like Twitch. She has a moderator. Mm hmm. She has a moderator who's anonymous, who happens to be Finn. Okay, they go to the same school, but they don't know because the moderator's anonymous. They communicate through chats and stuff, right? So they have not met each other. I'm done. Sold already. I want to read it. Wait, let me tell you a little more. I'm not going to give anything away. But something happens. So they decide eventually, because it's been a while, they decide to meet in real life. Something happens that prevents them from doing that. And then after that, Naomi and Finn end up living together in a housing situation. And she's in the hockey house with the one girl in the hockey house with like other boys. A gamer girl in the hockey house? Yup. And it's so stinking cute. And she's not just a gamer girl. She's a black girl. Love a black girl from infinity to infinity. Exactly. So she's a black gamer girl in this hockey house, like just living her beautiful black life. And I love that for her, but yeah, it's, it, I will say. Sometimes the book felt very slow, but not in a oh, it's dragging just It's very fluffy. It's very light. It is kind of spicy, but it's just it's a quick read you'll digest it very quickly, I think but I did love it. I loved seeing these two characters because I Rarely read black girl gamers in books So that it was really nice to get naomi in her perspective and just the thing she says like She has some lines that are really good. Deanna gray, did a good job with her dialogue because she said some things i'm like Damn, babe, you're smart. Love that for you But yeah, those are my recs. I do have two honorable mentions just because, I'm big Elsie silver fan. I love the chestnut spring series. So flawless and powerless, flawless follows, Rhett. Who is a bull rider, which I think is just honorable mention because it's a different sport, right? That's also difficult dangerous. It's a sport. And then we got another hockey player Jasper, who is probably my favorite hockey player. I've ever read because the mouth on this man, but also he's very brooding. There's something about a brooding man, like this man, if you look up brooding in the dictionary, Jasper's looking right at you, but he is so soft when it comes to his female main character. So yeah, those are my two honorable mentions, flawless and powerless by Elsie Silver. Love it. Yeah. Thanks. I've got some new ones to add. Oh my gosh. I forgot a book, but it's all right. We can go Yeah, because i've already said i've already given you out too many rights Give it a shot about the megan quinn. Oh another one Perfect so yeah another megan quinn book i'll talk about just I know jordan will give you a whole bunch but Untying the knot that has been Baseball is a second chance romance slash marriage in crisis, which I love. So I thought you were going to say marriage in Christ. And I was like, I'm going to pass on that one. Thank you. Crisis much better. Okay. They're trying to get back! God bless you, children. Jesus, that's hilarious. But that's also good, and the sport in that one is baseball. Aw, I love it. Okay, I love sports romances, and it's just something I didn't anticipate. I grew up around so much sports, mostly basketball. Both my parents played in scholarship basketball in college, you know, before, I came along, and that had to end early. Before you hit the scene. Before my mom got knocked up. Anyways, shout out mom. Love you. Anywho, but I surprisingly, I didn't, yeah, thanks for putting your dreams away forever. Ah, parenting. What was I gonna say? I enjoyed it, but it was never, my thing. So I was around it a lot, but I didn't Get into it as much as my family did, but I love, love these books. So the first one, first book that I read that really got me into sports romance. It was called Midnight Kisses by Janine Benedict. This is about Otis Morgan. He is a Heisman winning quarterback. With a bad knee and a penchant for being in love. Like, when I tell you this boy loves love. I actually love that. He wants just to fall in love. And he, actively seeks it. And he's always falling in love. he falls easy. And hard. Oh, poor baby. And he acknowledges it. And Greta is the coach's daughter. She hates all things football, though. So she has Of course. So she's stayed away from the team, so the team doesn't even really recognize her or know her, because she stays away from all that. She can't stand it, right? She doesn't even go to parties if it's at the football players houses, anything like that. Well, her friend gets her to go out. Also, Greta is anti love. Oh, love that for her. She's very much like She's very much like Just give me sex and a good time and she's super sex positive always Getting it. She's got you know, I just love it. I love her. She knows what she wants and she goes and gets it She knows what she doesn't want, which is love. One of her best friends says they're going out to a hockey party, but it ends up being the football party. So she finds herself on the back porch trying to get away from everyone. And she ends up finding herself with Otis. She does not realize who he is. This. Player that her dad has been bitching about at the table but she doesn't really realize because they don't exchange names. So they hook up and she's like, this is it. And he's like, no, we need to get together again because you're amazing. She's like you need to GTFO like you need to get the fuck out So anyways, it's him trying to convince her But she's like this is who I am do not push this do not push my boundaries but if you want to have sex I can do that. I will not do anything else. So it's him trying to be there for her and girlfriend her up. But the sex is so good because she is sex positive. She knows what she wants and she tells him exactly what and how much pressure to apply. Love that for her. It's great. It's great. But also then, I don't know. There's an emotional rollercoaster, her, her kind of facing the things that she's had to with her dad and all this other stuff. But it's really good. Yeah, he, because eventually he finds out that it's the coach's daughter, right? And the whole team is like, no, you did not. This dude, no one let him know. No one tell him. I'm waiting for her to do a sequel because I loved it so much. The writing was so good. It was fun, meaningful, and hot, yeah, I love that. Midnight Kisses. My next Who's the author again? Janine Benedict. Janine Benedict. Mm hmm. I think this was her first. Her first Oh! I love that. And I'm waiting for the next one. I'm signed up to get an alert for it. I'm excited. But my second is Red Zone Rivals series by Kandi Steiner. The first book in that series is the one I quoted at the beginning of the episode. I've also talked about Blindside, which is the second book in the series. Not long ago, I can't even remember. Good Girl! Good Girl! I talked about it on a Good Girl episode. There are four books out right now, and I, it says there's a fifth one coming out, which I did not know because I thought it was a completed series. Anyways. So it's Fair Catch, Blindside, Quarterback Sneak, and Hail Mary. Fair Catch is teammates. So there is a female kicker. It's their freshman year. In college and they go chronologically. Yeah, they're all standalones, but they go chronologically So you see the other characters in the background and you kind of see their journey Up until their book, they are they knew each other growing up He is her twin's best friend and they grew up really close But a tragic accident that he was responsible for made her hate him So they are also kind of enemies slash childhood best friends And then so she is the only female on the team, right? So she has to overcome that and she doesn't she needs to be taken seriously, right? She fights for that every day on the team. The way that's written is You Amazing. I didn't read it for a long time because I thought it would be just No, I'm a girl. You need to take me seriously. But the the way it was written Was really well done and she just she goes in she does her business and she just earns their respect No, I love it. But all the players have to live in the player dorms and because of the number She can't have her own. None of the guys are willing to room with her. I didn't know colleges allowed that Except for him. Mm hmm. Mm hmm. Not roommates! So then they are also roommates. And they end up Best teammates. Best friends. She's yeah, she gets in a slump early on in the season, and he's like, helps her with her slump, and she helps him with his grades, cause he has dyslexia, and so he has a really hard time with his academics. Lots of stuff going on. It was so good. It was so good and moving. That's the first one and then so blindside is fake dating. I'm not gonna go into it because I talked about it in another episode. Quarterback Sneak is coach's daughter. The quarterback and she is the athletic trainer. They are, they live across the street from each other. He's, yeah, he's in the football house. She is in her own place. She's been through a lot in her life, and the way she processes that is through working out, particularly through stripping, not like actually stripping, but like pole dancing. Not stripping, pole dancing, excuse me. Through pole dancing. So she's got her pole in the living room, and if you it is cute. I actually love that. Wait, and they live together, so he lives with her, he gotta watch her. So he can see her from across the street sometimes. He can see her, okay. Yeah. Really hot. I really liked it. I always love a coach's daughter trope too. And then Hail Mary was the coach's daughter's best friend. So their pipe burst the next year, and she needs a place to stay. So she stays with the football guys. She hates the football guys because one of them, she went to high school with, and she loathes him because of something that he did in high school, but he doesn't remember her at all. He doesn't recognize her. She looks completely different. It's also the trope, it's too big, it's not gonna fit. Yes it will, I promise you it will. No it won't, no it won't. Love that. Yeah, so anyways, she loves the football guys and hates them. And it's a big, you know, they work through their past or whatever. He didn't, he does work through that. Is it, is it sports on the page? Do we get the football? We do. Yeah, you do. Absolutely. Hail Mary comes into play. Yeah, it's really cute. It's very, the camaraderie of the team is really fun and their banter. It's fun to listen to. That is Red Zone Rivals series by Kanye Steiner. Vancouver Agitators series by Megan Quinn. I have talked about this a few times. I think I've recommended Kiss and Don't Tell. I've just read a quote from another one of them. But this is probably my favorite Megan Quinn series. It's hockey. Okay, fake team Vancouver agitators. Kiss and Don't Tell is a meet cute ex boyfriend's brother Didn't know who he was for a long time kind of hidden identity You can find it on another episode. The second one is those three little words, it's best friend's sister, so best friend on the team, like his best buddy, Pacey from the first book, it's his sister, and Eli, and it's surprise pregnancy. It's a one night stand and then you better take care of my sister and don't worry He already was going to because he's always had a thing for her But he doesn't like he just could never sleep with her and finally I think it was like her birthday or maybe it was his birthday and their friends ditched them and they gave in and Then they had a little baby. I love that. And they, of course, have to move in together. And I never thought I would, like, surprise pregnancy. I loved this book. It was so good. Eli Hornsby is, like the horndog that turns into a sweet guy and I just love it. Oh, oh, that's, I actually love that more. I love when they go through that character development. Yeah. Yeah. And he's just like, she needs, ice cream. He's like, I don't know what to get you, I got you this one. She's like, I just got what I wanted. He's like, I'm so sorry. I love it. Yeah, I love it. I love that. Is this Vancouver, Washington or Vancouver, British Columbia? No. No, Canada. BC. Okay. Yeah, definitely. It's hockey, it's Canada. The third book in the series is Right Man, Right Time. It's Age Gap, fake dating. It follows Silas Taters. One of the characters calls him Tater Tot. Anyways. I was immediately thinking Tater Tots. Tater Salad. Anyways, sorry. He's hanging out at a bar one time, and this girl comes up to him. She's like, you're my boyfriend now. Because her ex boyfriend is in the place. So the female main character, she's actually in college. And he is about 30 ish more maybe older over 30. Yeah. He's like one of the older members of the team and Her ex is there now with her nemesis and they're dating now. So she's like She's had a few margaritas and she's like, no, I'm fine. I have a boyfriend. What do you mean who? And she turns around and spots the hot guy at the bar. She's like that guy and she walks up and just like you're my boyfriend now. And so they actually go with it and fake date because he wants to use her to make his ex jealous, too. Right? And, or no, he needs, and he needs a date to functions. So that's his deal. He's like, you have to come to these functions with me. But he feels weird about it because he's so much older. Yeah, and he's pierced. it's real fun. Another piercing. There's always gotta be a piercing. I mean, piercings are like, great in books. And then the fourth one, most recent one, is probably my favorite. He's not my type. It follows Halsey. And he has pined for this girl that works for the club for the whole time he's been there, right? She's like really good friends with the one from the second book who got pregnant. But she's always been dating someone. And he's just like the quiet, sweet guy on the team. He just, and all he does is read, like they'll go to their retreats on the off season. And he just, Holds up in a room and reads by himself. He's just so sweet. And then she breaks up with her long, long term boyfriend. Like, thought they were gonna get married. She needs a place to stay. So the guys in the locker room are like, Oh! Halsey has an extra bedroom. He has a two bedroom place. Halsey, you don't mind if she comes and crashes at your place, right? And he's just standing there like, uh, and she goes, Really? That's great. Thank you so much. And everyone's talking and he's just standing there He hasn't said anything yet. I can't, I can't even, I can't even get out words around her. And now she's gonna be living in my house. Everyone's like, Yeah, because then you can water his plant while he's gone. On the road. And she's like, You have plants? And he's like, Someone's like, Yeah, he has a bonsai. So they're like, giving him all this stuff. She leaves, he's like, You guys, now I have to go find a He's like, Now I have to go buy a fucking bonsai plant. And they gave everything, do Bon size need watered? they're very particular. I don't know, it's just, he doesn't even have hardly any furniture in his place.'cause it's just him and he doesn't add anything in the other room. So he goes and gets no. Yeah, this guys, he gives her his bed, but he has back issues because he is a professional. Hockey player. So he's on the blow up mattress, but didn't tell her She finds out and she's trying to like bring the bed back and he's shoving it. So it becomes a one bed situation too. Ah! I love that! That was unexpected. Yeah. And when I tell you, it is always the quiet ones with the dirtiest mouth in the bedroom. Mm hmm. Mm hmm. Mm hmm. It's so hot. Yep. It's always the quiet ones. It's so hot. So, really good. And the final one is gonna be a coach's daughter, and it's called, so this is War, and it comes out on June 25th. Mm, love that. I'm really excited for it. Oh, I do have special, so those are my recs. I do have special mentions. I did love Ice Breaker. I know Ice, yeah, Ice Breaker is everywhere by, Hannah Grace. Hannah Grace. Hannah Grace. I always wanted to say Grace Hannah. So Ice Breaker I think is worth the hype. People either love it or hate it. I absolutely loved it. And also Behind the Net and The Fake Out by Stephanie Archer, I thought were amazing. I thought they were really great, really well done, and they were really fun reads. I love all the videos on social media of the hockey teams reading their hockey romances. Yes! Oh yeah, that's so cute. Yeah, I've seen a couple of them. Yeah, I know a lot of hockey players for a while, they're like, when it hit the top of the hype, we're like, we are tired of this. Stop sexualizing us, we are playing a sport, knock it off. Women are just like, feral for it. Yeah, I know. Like men don't sexualize women all the time. Quite literally. Sorry, Aiden, you don't like it back. Sorry, I'm just kidding. It's crazy. Tough. That's Those are our recs, guys. That was a slam dunk. I hope you find It was a hole in one. It's a touchdown. It's a home run. Is that all of them? It was an extra point. It was a Yeah. Three pointer. Hail Mary. Yeah. All the sports slogans. That was the Stanley Cup Super Bowl Sack that quarterback. Sack. Sack. World series all in one. Go, keep going. I don't know other ones. More puns. The golf ones just don't hit the same. Actually, I know there's a lot. There's got to be four. We hit a grand slam with this episode. I just know. You guys are looking like you have all the energy right now. It's looking great. I see it there. Dev's got dead eyes just like staring at us like, stop talking. Knock it off. To be fair, I'm actually foaming at the mouth to go read. I'm not gonna lie to you. I just have things to read. I don't have time for this. She's got better places to be. She's like, you'll wrap it up, ladies. I don't want it to be wrapped up. I'm just I don't, you don't want it to be wrapped up. That's really, you're responsible of you. That's really. I hate y'all. I hate the both of y'all because like, why, why? Wrap it up, kids, please. So next episode, you can look forward to now that the weather is getting nicer, we're fully into spring, we're rounding the corners, it's going to be summer before you know it. I think next time is summer reads, right? That's what we're doing. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's just, some really. Fluffy beachies, beachy reeds. Yeah, summer reeds. I think that'll be good, especially to get that out ahead of time so you guys can have some wrecks to take with you. When you're out and about this summer, going on road trips, hanging at the park, actually at the beach. Yeah. On the airplanes. Right, exactly. Stuck at your family vacation that you didn't want to go to. Exactly. If you need this. Yeah, if you need an escape from the trip you are taking. Trip, not vacation. Right. We've got some Rex headed you away. Yeah, definitely. Can we also shout out to our listener in Peru who keeps listening to every single, like, episode? Please! Yes! Hello, our Peruvian friend, please make yourself known to us. Okay. Go on our Instagram page and say, hi, please. Cause we are just so obsessed with you we love you. We've officially had listeners on every continent. Well, besides like Antarctica, I'm not holding my breath from that, but like there, it looks like just one person in Peru who has listened to every episode. At least that's the count, the download count. And so. Yeah, we love you. We're just curious. Love. Yeah. Thank you so much. Thank you. We appreciate you. We appreciate all of our listeners. But yeah, this one Peruvian person, this is fun. Just tickle tickles us every time we see that they've downloaded, like we're listening to all our episodes, we're like, oh my goodness. Stop. You're making us so happy. So yeah, every week I'm like, oh, we have another one in Peru. Yeah. Thank you guys for listening to us. It really tickles our pickle. You validate us. Yes, exactly. All right, guys. So thanks for listening to us ramble about some sports romances. We hope you've enjoyed. If you're looking for more romance recs, be sure to follow us on Instagram and TikTok at romance recs pod. You can find our favorite book recs from our episode as well as behind the scenes content. Again, that's at romance recs pod. So make sure to give us a follow and we'll back next week with another episode. Bye. I wanted to be like, whose house? Our house.