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Sports (Romance), Go Sports (Romance)!

August 8, 2024

I don’t love sports. But I do love some sports romances. And I’m not picky about which sport it is either. Hockey, basketball, baseball, golf - I’ll pretty much read anything. As long as there is a ball that bounces and an HEA, I’m in. Check these out and see whatcha think.

Not since Happy Gilmore have I enjoyed golf so much. Bad boy Wells Whitaker is struggling with his golf game. It’s gotten so bad that even hard-core fangirl Josephine Doyle is on the verge of giving up on him. But when a hurricane takes out her family’s Florida golf shop, Wells takes pity on her and hires her to caddy for him. Turns out she is a master of the game and she is the only one capable of turning Wells’ game around. I really liked this one. Wells and Josephine, aka Wells’ Belle, are great characters. It looks like this is going to be a series, with the second title being The Au Pair Affair.  I can’t wait to see what happens next!

For some reason, hockey romances have taken off here lately. Not sure why, but I enjoy them every time. And this first entry into the Vancouver Storm series also combines my love of music. Pippa had no luck making in the music business, mostly because her ex didn’t believe she was talented enough. So know she’s stuck taking a job as an assistant to grumpy hockey player, Jamie. At least he’s pretty to look at. The trope might be expected, but the story certainly wasn’t. I couldn’t put it down once I started. And luckily I had already checked out the next book in the series, The Fake Out. These were so good I read them both in a weekend

I liked this one because it was a bit of a change up. Instead of the guy being the athlete, the girl is. Marley is broke and out of options, so she moves home to her parent’s house and takes a temp job at her old high school (this sounds like my nightmare). Part of the job includes coaching a hopeless and win-free soccer team. When she catches the eye of the sexy track coach, things might just be looking up. I really enjoy Lucy Score books - especially her Knockemout series.

I’ve been enjoying local author Sarah Adams for a while now. I always try to catch her new books as soon as they are released. A couple of years ago, I read The Cheat Sheet - which features Nathan, quarterback of the LA Sharks, and a retired ballet dancer, Bree, who owns her own studio, which happens to be in the building that Nathan just bought. Adams’ latest release, The Rule Book, follows fellow Sharks teammate Derek, who is coming back from a bad injury. His new agent, and former college girlfriend, Nora is trying to help him rehab his career. But after getting accidentally married after a drunken night in Vegas, they both have to scramble to save their jobs. These are both good reads, and they aren’t quite as racy as some of the other options. You can’t go wrong with any books by this author, but if you need somewhere to start, I’d highly recommend these two.

This series starts with Stevie, who gets hired on as a flight attendant for the Chicago NHL team. Unfortunately, that job comes with a hard no-fraternization clause. If she hangs out with any of the players, she’ll lose her position. When hockey’s bad boy, Evan Zanders shows an interest, Stevie can be bothered. Or can she? The second book in the series (The Right Move) switches from hockey to basketball. Stevie’s brother, Ryan, is the franchise player for Chicago’s storied basketball program. When she convinces him to let her best friend Iris move in after a bad breakup, Ryan reluctantly agrees, but it may be the best decision he’s ever made. These books are long, but they held my interest. The third installment (Caught Up) moves to baseball. Can Kai keep a nanny when she is the daughter of his coach? And can Miller stay in one place long enough to make some relationships? Keeping an eye out for the fourth book - Play Along.

So those are my best sports picks. Did I knock it out of the park? Or hit a homerun? If not, I hope at least that you enjoyed them as much as I did.

Happy sporting…
:) Amanda

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Amanda

Amanda is a classically-trained pianist who loves to read. Like any good librarian, she also has two cats named after Italian cities. Amanda spends her free time sitting in Nashville traffic, baking, and running the Interlibrary Loan office at the Nashville Public Library.

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