Discover the exhilarating world of sports romances as we explore how rugby’s raw power, football’s beautiful footwork, and ice hockey’s cool intensity create the perfect backdrop for love stories that balance athletic prowess with heartfelt vulnerability.
Sports Romance Recommendations
Rugby Romance
The power and pain of first love has never been more deeply felt than in Chloe Walsh’s extraordinary stories about the irresistible Boys of Tommen, which will give you the ultimate book hangover.
Binding 13
9780349439259 | Piatkus | BPB

An epic and unforgettable love story begins in Binding 13, the first in the international bestselling and TikTok-phenomenon The Boys of Tommen series, from Chloe Walsh.
They are from opposites sides of the track – but when their two worlds collide, nothing will ever be the same again.
Johnny Kavanagh has everything going for him. On the rugby pitch, he’s a force to be reckoned with. Primed for stardom, he’s heading straight for the top. Nothing can possibly get in his way, right? Not even the shy new girl at Tommen College. The one with the sad eyes and hidden bruises. The one that distracts him like no one ever has.
Life has never been easy for Shannon Lynch. Bullied and tortured, she arrives at Tommen College mid-way through the school year praying for a fresh start and desperate to shake off the demons that plague her. On her very first day at the prestigious private school, she comes into contact with the notorious Johnny Kavanagh. Thrown through a hoop over her feelings for him, and desperate to keep a low-profile, Shannon finds herself once again the target of bullies as she forms a fragile alliance with rugby’s rising star.
Falling into a complicated friendship and grappling with their undeniable chemistry, Johnny and Shannon could never have foreseen the obstacles that will threaten their blossoming relationship . . .
Keeping 13
9780349439273 | Piatkus| BPB

An epic and unforgettable love story continues in Keeping 13, the second book in the international bestselling and TikTok-phenomenon The Boys of Tommen series, from Chloe Walsh.
Falling in love was the easy part. What comes next is the test . . .
Following a devastating injury that has left him sidelined and stripped of his beloved number 13 jersey, Johnny Kavanagh is struggling to hold onto his dreams. Lost, insecure, and desperately seeking comfort, he sets his sights on unravelling the mystery of the girl with the midnight-blue eyes, who haunts his every waking hour.
Keeping secrets has never been a problem for Shannon Lynch. The life she was born into demands nothing less. She knows that demons and evil men don’t just exist in fairytales. They exist in her world, too. Traumatized beyond repair after her return from Dublin, and desperate to protect her little brothers, Shannon finds herself falling into the same old cover-up, barely keeping her head above water, as her future unravels before her eyes. Beaten and broken, her walls are up and her trust is shaken.
Only one boy has the ability to climb those walls. The boy who owns her heart. But secrets are about to be exposed and lives could be changed forever – can Johnny and Shannon’s love survive?
Saving 6
9780349439280 | Piatkus | BPB

An epic and unforgettable love story begins in Saving 6, the third book in the international bestselling and TikTok-phenomenon The Boys of Tommen series, from Chloe Walsh.
He’s a boy who’s lost. She’s girl who might just be the home he’s never had.
The second born son in a broken marriage, Joey Lynch has spent a lifetime picking up the pieces of a family unravelling. When his older brother Darren skips town, twelve-year-old Joey finds himself thrown into the role of protector to his younger siblings and mother. Plagued by self-loathing, and furious with the world, he grapples with teenage life and his unwavering sense of duty to his family, while balancing precariously close to a life of addiction that threatens to swallow him whole. The only light in his sea of darkness is his boss’s firecracker of a daughter who refuses to back down. A girl who just so happens to be his classmate.
Aoife Molloy has never been backwards in coming forward. Her bubbly and self-assured nature has never led her astray. Until her first day of secondary school when she collides with a hot-headed boy who sparks a burning curiosity inside of her that only grows stronger by the day.
Falling into a complicated friendship with her father’s apprentice, Aoife works to unravel the secrets around Joey Lynch’s life – while he desperately fights to keep her out.
Redeeming 6
9780349439303 | Piatkus | BPB

An epic and unforgettable love story continues in Redeeming 6, the fourth book in the international bestselling and TikTok-phenomenon The Boys of Tommen series, from Chloe Walsh.
I’m saving you, six.
With his world unravelling around him, and pressure rising at home, Joey Lynch‘s life has never been in more turmoil. Desperate to prove himself worthy of the only person he’s ever put his trust in, Joey fights to stay away from a world that threatens to destroy everything. But with the odds stacking against him by the day, can he keep his head above water?
Unwilling to give up on the boy she loves, Aoife Molloy fights to save her best friend from the edge of self-destruction. Drowning in a world she doesn’t understand, with only her heart to guide her, Aoife refuses to turn her back on Joey, no matter how badly the odds are stacked against them.
Through heartbreak and horror, Aoife and Joey have had each other’s backs, and this time is no different. Come what may.
Taming 7
9780349439358 | Piatkus | BPB

Taming 7 is an epic and unforgettable love story in the international bestselling and TikTok-phenomenon The Boys of Tommen series, from Chloe Walsh.
She’s the quintessential sunshine girl. He’s the lovable class clown. But storm clouds are rolling in, and this Tommen boy is about to get serious.
Tommen’s cheeky lad, Gerard ‘Gibsie’ Gibson, is a comedian at heart, but underneath his happy-go-lucky-nature lurks a broken boy, tortured by the events of his past. Using humour to cope with his demons, Gibsie hides everything from the world.
Only one person knows who he truly is on the inside. His friend’s little sister. His Claire-bear.
Enveloped in sunshine, Claire Biggs has spent her whole life adoring the boy across the street. Her brother’s friend. Seeing a side to Gerard that no one else sees, Claire is determined to tame her wild-at-heart childhood best friend.
But when the unexpected occurs and lines are crossed, will Gibsie and Claire’s friendship survive? Will it blossom into something more, or will they lose themselves in the riptide?
Releasing 10
9780349439341 | Piatkus | BPB

Releasing 10 is an epic and unforgettable love story in the international bestselling and TikTok-phenomenon The Boys of Tommen series, from Chloe Walsh.
A love that couldn’t be broken, except by the truth.
Lizzie Young has always felt she was too much everything. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder at a young age, she’s never fit in with her family, her friends, her community. Lizzie wants to be accepted and understood, but with few people in her corner, she’s carried her burdens and her trauma on her own.
But when she meets a kind boy on the school bus, things start to look bright for the first time in her life . . .
Hugh Biggs has an old soul and the wisdom of someone far beyond his years. A young man with a sharp mind and a firm code of ethics, he sees something in Lizzie Young that he can’t resist. He wants to be her everything and shoulder her burden. And Lizzie wants that too.
Lizzie and Hugh’s bond seems unbreakable – their chemistry is electric, their love is potent, and their connection is soul deep – but even the truest love can be shaken by forces beyond control.
Ice Hockey Romance
Step onto the rink where frosty temperatures give way to steamy encounters. Ice hockey romances deliver the perfect blend of speed, strength, and sizzle as skilled players battle on the ice but surrender to love off it. These stories captivate readers with their combination of rugged athleticism and heartwarming vulnerability beneath those protective pads.
Icebreaker
9781398525689 | Simon & Schuster UK | BPB

A TikTok sensation! Sparks fly when a competitive figure skater and hockey team captain are forced to share a rink.
Anastasia Allen has worked her entire life for a shot at Team USA. It looks like everything is going according to plan when she gets a full scholarship to the University of California, Maple Hills and lands a place on their competitive figure skating team.
Nothing will stand in her way, not even the captain of the hockey team, Nate Hawkins.
Nate’s focus as team captain is on keeping his team on the ice. Which is tricky when a facilities mishap means they are forced to share a rink with the figure skating team—including Anastasia, who clearly can’t stand him.
But when Anastasia’s skating partner faces an uncertain future, she may have to look to Nate to take her shot.
Sparks fly, but Anastasia isn’t worried . . . because she could never like a hockey player, right?
Consider Me
9781761425820 | Simon & Schuster | BPB

In the ice-hockey romance that has taken TikTok by storm, the ultimate player turns romantic in order to win over the woman he is desperate to be with.
Carter Beckett is the NHL’s best player – both on and off the ice. His career is at its peak, his team is performing better than ever, and there’s no shortage of women to spend the night with. What more could he want?
Olivia Parker isn’t new to professional hockey players, thanks to her best friend’s boyfriend, but she has no interest in dating one herself – no matter how hot he is. And anyway, she loves working as a teacher and hanging out with her best friend, drama-free. Why would she want to spend her time stroking the ego of an arrogant athlete?
But once Carter meets Olivia, he can’t think of anyone else. Too bad for him, Olivia is hell-bent on keeping him at arm’s length, with no intention of giving into his charms. Perhaps it’s time for Carter to up his game … after all, nobody ever said he had to play fair.
Sparks will fly as Carter does whatever it takes for Olivia to consider him.
The Fake Out
9781398724280 | Orion | BPB

The best way to get back at my horrible ex? Fake date his rival.
Being the team physiotherapist for a bunch of pro hockey players is challenging enough without my ex joining the team. He’sthe reason I don’t date hockey players.
Vancouver Storm’s new captain and the top scorer in pro hockey, Rory Miller is the arrogant, flirtatious hockey player I tutored in high school. And he’s just agreed to be my fake boyfriend. I get sweet revenge. Rory gets to clean up his image. It’s the perfect deal.
Faking with him is fun and addictive, though, and beneath the bad boy swagger, Rory’s sweet, funny, and protective.
He teaches me to skate. He sleeps in my bed. He kisses me like it’s real.
Was he ever faking it at all?
The Fake Out is a pro hockey fake dating romance. It’s the second book in the Vancouver Storm series but can be read as a standalone.
The Au Pair Affair
9780063374195 | Avon | BPB

#1 New York Times bestselling author Tessa Bailey returns with an all-new sports rom-com about a burly, surly, single dad who falls head-over-hockey-stick for his quirky live-in nanny…
Tallulah is smart, vivacious, and studying to be a marine biologist. She’s also twenty-six and broke. So when Burgess, a battle-scarred hockey veteran and newly single dad, offers her a job as his live-in nanny, she jumps at the opportunity to get paid while living in a super fancy neighborhood and being around Lissa, his cool but introverted tween.
Her tween charge isn’t the only one who could use some help fitting in, though. According to…well, everyone except Burgess, he needs to get back on the dating scene, and adventurous Tallulah is just the girl to show him how. But as boundaries are slowly crossed and Burgess finds himself pulled between his daughter, who wants her parents back together, and his insane chemistry with Tallulah, a huge rift is formed, and Tallulah does the “right” thing—breaks her own heart and walks away.
Though Burgess knows it’s for the best—he’s too jaded, with too much baggage—a chance meeting, and a new push from his daughter, forces him to put everything on the line and fight to prove he learned his lessons well and is worthy of a happily ever after with Tallulah.
Collide
9781526677525 | Bloomsbury Publishing | BPB

Collide is the first book in the Off the Ice series
The second novel, Spiral, is out now and the third, Revolve, will be out in October. You can pre-order Revolve now.
‘Equal parts spicy and sweet’ Peyton Corinne, author of Unsteady
When Summer Preston’s professor issues her with an ultimatum, she finds herself on an unexpected collision course with hockey captain, Aiden Crawford.
Summer hates everything about hockey, for good reason, but she isn’t going to let that stand in the way of her becoming a sports psychologist.
Aiden loves being the hockey captain, except when his team’s reckless mistakes risk jeopardizing their entire season. When coach puts him forward for a research paper as punishment, he has no choice but to accept.
Summer can’t stand his blasé approach to life, and Aiden doesn’t understand her uptight, scheduled one. They are off to a rocky start, and provoking each other – it turns out – is what they do best.
But losing isn’t something either of them does well. Maybe there’s a way for both of them to win?
Now with a never-before-seen bonus scene from Summer and Aiden’s love story as well as an extract from the next book in the Off the Ice series. Find out which of your favourite characters from Collide will be featured next!
Football Romances
When passion for the beautiful game collides with passion of the heart, football romances score big with readers. These stories capture the intensity of the pitch and transform it into sizzling chemistry, following players who are as skilled at stealing hearts as they are at stealing the ball.
The Striker
9780349442259 | Piatkus | BPB

She’s the only woman he wants . . . and the only one he can’t have.
Asher Donovan is a living legend – the darling of the Premier League, the (arguably) greatest footballer in the world.
But his reckless antics and recent team transfer have caused much controversy, and when his feud with his rival-turned-teammate costs them a championship, they’re forced to ‘bond’ during off-season cross-training.
Surviving the summer shouldn’t be hard . . . until Asher meets their new trainer. She’s beautiful, talented, and no matter how hard he tries, he can’t take his mind off her.
The only problem? She’s his rival’s sister – and completely off limits.
***
Scarlett DuBois is a former prima ballerina whose career was cut short by a tragic accident.
Now a teacher at a prestigious dance academy but still haunted by the ghosts of her past, the last thing she wants is to spend the summer cross-training Asher Donovan, of all people.
She swore she would never date a footballer, but when her brother leaves town for an emergency, she finds herself thrown into dangerously close proximity with the gorgeous, charming striker.
Training, she can deal with. But falling in love? That’s out of the question – especially when he’s the only person with the power to break her heart.
Playing the Field
9780008697556| Avon | PBO

Fun, sexy and full of heart, Playing the Field is perfect for fans of Icebreaker and The Cheat Sheet as well as shows like Welcome to Wrexham and Ted Lasso.
TROPES: Grumpy/Sunshine, Forbidden Romance, Secret Dating, will-they-won’t-they
He might be a player, but she’ll teach him some new rules…
When football-mad Lily’s local club relocates to a city more than 50 miles away, she’s just as devastated as all the other fans. Determined to keep the community’s love of football alive, Lily, along with her dad and sister, sets up a brand-new club, Crawford United, with the dream of making it big.
Everyone is shocked when notorious professional player Ben Pryce shows up out of the blue to help coach the new team. Despite being a top Premier League striker, he’s been temporarily suspended from his team for an altercation with a fan – and his image is in serious need of a revamp.
Within minutes Lily and Ben are clashing like rival teams on match day. But despite their differences, sparks fly – and it’s not long before Lily’s at risk of breaking her number one rule: no mixing business with pleasure.
Ben may have a bad-boy reputation, but might there be more to him than meets the eye?
Funny, sweet and oh-so-steamy, Playing the Field is perfect for fans of Icebreaker and The Cheat Sheet as well as shows like Welcome to Wrexham and Ted Lasso.
The Long Game
9781398522213 | Simon & Schuster UK | PBO

The unmissable romance from Elena Armas, bestselling author of The Spanish Love Deception and The American Roommate Experiment.
A disgraced soccer exec reluctantly enlists the help of a retired soccer star in coaching a children’s team in this small-town love story in the vein of Ted Lasso and It Happened One Summer.
Adalyn Reyes has something to prove. After years of working at her father’s football club she wants to make a name for herself. But not for the wrong reasons.
When an embarrassing video of Adalyn goes viral, her father sends her to a small town to turn around their struggling soccer team. She arrives armed with plans to kick them into shape only to find a group of nine-year-old girls. One person is there to help: Cameron Caldani, a goalkeeping legend who is also inexplicably in town. After an unfortunate incident involving a rooster, the two find themselves on opposing sides.
Adalyn thinks Cameron is a surly, scowling brute. Cameron thinks Adalyn needs to take life less seriously. Despite their differences, the two need to play nice and remember they’re on the same team. After all, it’s a long game…
The Wall of Winnipeg and Me
9781035408061 | Headline Eternal | BPB

If you loved From Lukov with Love – the sensational TikTok hit that is captivating readers all over the world – then you don’t want to miss any of Mariana’s unique romances! No one writes slow burn like Mariana Zapata and her millions of fans agree!
Vanessa Mazur knows she’s doing the right thing. She shouldn’t feel bad for quitting. Being an assistant/housekeeper/fairy godmother to the top defensive end in the National Football Organization was always supposed to be temporary. She has plans and none of them include washing extra-large underwear longer than necessary.
But when Aiden Graves shows up at her door wanting her to come back, she’s beyond shocked.
For two years, the man known as The Wall of Winnipeg couldn’t find it in him to tell her good morning or congratulate her on her birthday. Now? He’s asking for the unthinkable.
What do you say to the man who is used to getting everything he wants?


