My love story with sports romance took a dive a few years ago. I’ve always loved them and enjoyed them, but at one point in my reading life, I realized that sports romances were being whitewashed immensely. Ten months ago, Jess Pryde wrote a piece on sports romances that aren’t steeped in white supremacy culture, and if you haven’t read it, you should. When 70 percent of the NFL are players of color, reading sports romance book series where the majority of the players are white is very unrealistic. Since then, I definitely think we’ve seeing a change in published books that feature players of color, and in how many books are written by authors of color. Though not nearly enough as I would like, it’s a good change from what we had years before. Let me support these books! I want to keep getting excited alongside the protagonists, whether they are achieving a dream of winning a championship or telling their love interest how much they love them (finally!). One more thing to comment is that there is also a lack of queer sports romance books, though we’ve seen some growth in these past few years. Our own Rioter, CJ Connor, wrote this article with some great recs! Make sure to also check out books like So Forward by Mina V. Esguerra, Fire On the Ice by Tamsen Parker, and Off Pitch by Brianna Kienitz. (Note: they all feature women athletes too! We don’t get a lot of those either, sadly.)
Must-Read Soccer Romance Books
Football Romance Books
Hockey Romance Books
Basketball Romance Books
Baseball Romance Books
Other Sport Romances
If you’re looking for more sports romances, look no further! Only When It’s Us marks the start of the Bergman Brothers series, which focuses on a Swedish American family of five brothers, two sisters, and their individual journeys to their happily ever afters. I love that we see Willa’s undying love for soccer. She lives and breathes the sport. It’s always nice to get that little glimpse of how the main character interacts with their sport and maybe experience important matches on text. When these two meet, Warren is instantly captivated by Camila. It comes as a surprise to him when she turns him down. You see, she doesn’t want to enter his world. But the chemistry is undeniable, and Warren will do anything—turn up that charm!—to have Camila be his forever. Patrice thinks this year is going to be an epic one. Her classes are looking good, she has a good chance at winning the regional soccer championships, and her rock star crush might reciprocate her feelings. But then a new classmate arrives at her university—an arrogant math nerd she cannot stand—which was not in her plans for her perfect school year! He claims he needs a fake girlfriend to protect him from “misunderstandings.” He finds Aria to be the perfect person to help him, but he wants her for more than just a fake relationship; he wants her for a real one. Christina C. Jones never disappoints. I swear that each and every one of her books is a must-read. This one right here is going to mess you up (in a good way!). You will have so many emotions while reading about America’s sweetheart, Wil, and former NFL star, Ramsey. Make the Play is the start of the Body and Soul: Those Jones Boys series, about three brothers who play football. Carter Jones, the youngest of the brothers, needs a new place to stay. When he drives by an open house, he thinks things couldn’t get any better. But they do when he meets the real estate agent. Chyna knows not to get involved with football’s Most Eligible Bachelor, Jared. He’s a heartbreak waiting to happen! But how can she deny the way he makes her feel? Will she be just a fling for him or will this become a happily ever after for both of them? Tristan knows he cannot play hockey forever, so he decides to go back to school to finish his business degree. He doesn’t expect the attraction he feels to his sociology professor, Sebastian. But Sebastian has his sights set on tenure, so he cannot afford any distractions, especially not from this student who tempts him. But after summer classes end, that’s another story. Two pro-hockey stars have built their careers around a legendary rivalry. But when the skates come off, they cannot deny their attraction for each other. When Ilya realizes he wants more than some secret hookups, the game changes completely for both of them. Calinda and Ramirez met each other ten years ago when she was the rising star of women’s skating and he was the superstar forward of men’s hockey. But Calinda eventually chose skating over a guy and decided to focus on her career. Ten years later, they meet again. The attraction is there, but it’s still not a good time to be together. Yet she proposes to spend these three weeks together to see what could have been. Ava knows she’s the best girls basketball player in the country and that going pro is just around the corner for her. Once her senior year ends, the big leagues await. She knows she doesn’t have the time to find a man, but surprises are everywhere and they come in unexpected ways. When she meets a freshman who has no idea how college life is, Ava’s world turns a bit sideways and her plan changes. August meets Iris at a bar. They laugh, they connect, and they know they could easily fall in love. But their life paths end up being different and soon, they separate after that one epic night. Long Shot is about second chances: for August and Iris, for life, for a future. Basketball ace Garnet knows she can bring a championship to her team. Her good friend (and long-time crush) Charles is a cheerleader on the team, so everything really feels good. But then she finds out Charles’s girlfriend is cheating on him and her emotions get the best of her. What’s going to happen next? A songwriter and a basketball player meet in this delicious romance novel. This couple will make it easy for you to fall in love with them because their relationship is so natural. Get ready to have a big smile on your face the whole time reading this novel! NBA superstar Malcolm has a perfect life. The only thing missing is someone to share it with. When his ex, Charmaine, comes to his town to sing the national anthem at the All-Star Game, he cannot contain all the emotions he still has for her. But this time, if they want a shot at a relationship, they will have to put in the work! If you were sad and hurt when Pitch was canceled, The Changeup is going to be the perfect recipe to relive all those epic emotions. Softball coach Geffri becomes a viral sensation when she enters a pitching competition that leads to an opportunity to pitch for Team USA. But with great success comes the trolls and Noah Fence is that opinionated sports blogger who cannot stop bantering with Geffri. Baseball ace Sutton has returned home after many years in the majors. He then moves next door to a troubled young man and decides to help him. But helping him involves getting close with the boy’s older sister, Zoey, who has sacrificed everything to keep her family together. We don’t get a lot of tennis romance, so when Olivia Dade announced she was going to publish this novel, I was ready to eat it up. And I did. It was a wonderful romance set on a secluded island where the heroine is spending her holidays before meeting this really tall, sexy tennis player with whom she cannot stop bantering. Rugby player and single father Jacob only wants stability for his 6-year-old daughter. Meeting his childhood classmate and bad girl Juliet again is not in his plans, but opposites attract as they say. These two face many detours before arriving at their happily ever after. A Thanksgiving long weekend, forced proximity, and these two together are going to make Snowflake one of your favorite books of all time.
