Wake Up, Nat & Darcy (Puck Struck series #1)

Wake Up with Nat & Darcy by Kate Cochrane is the story of two ice hockey rivals learning to work together. This is the first book in the Puck Struck romance series.

Cut from the US women's hockey team right before her third chance at gold, Natalie Carpenter is scrambling for a plan that'll help her avoid moving back home. The answer: a guest-hosting gig on Wake Up, USA's winter games coverage. Her cohost: Darcy LaCroix, Nat's ex-girlfriend, one-time college teammate turned adversary.

Since leaving Team Canada, Darcy has worked hard to make a name in broadcasting. If her big break requires sharing screen time with the former cocky freshman who turned her world upside down, so be it.

At this point, there's nothing between them except history.

But audiences disagree. #PuckingHotties is trending hard, and Nat and Darcy agree to lean into it – for ratings, obviously. It's not like Nat can forget the way Darcy broke her heart or their bitter team rivalry.

Between working, travelling together and that irresistible spark, it's getting hard to separate what's real and what's for the camera. Because somewhere underneath everything that went wrong is the sneaking suspicion that nothing will ever feel quite this right again.

Cochrane, Kate. (2024). Wake Up, Nat & Darcy. Toronto, Carina Press.

It's A Love / Skate Relationship

It's A Love / Skate Relationship by Carli J. Corson is set around an ice skating competition and a skater who needs a temporary partner while her usual one is injured. 

Charlie Porter is a force to be reckoned with, both on and off the hockey rink. When she accidentally starts a brawl after a game, she’s suspended from school, meaning no hockey this season—and no chance to play in front of college scouts.

Alexa Goldstein’s pairs skating partner was hurt in the fight, and with only four months until their next competition, pickings for a replacement are slim. So she strikes a deal with Charlie—skate with her at the competition well enough to place, and her Olympian mother will use her formidable connections to get Charlie in front of scouts at D-1 schools, even without her team.

It seems impossible, and not just because Charlie has never figure skated before. Where Charlie is powerful, Alexa is elegant; where Charlie is quick to blow up, Alexa is cold as ice. But as the frostiness between them starts to thaw, they begin to wonder if they’ve found a partner for more than just skating.

Fun read for skating fans or YA queer romance. 

Corson, Carli J. (2025). It's A Love/Skate Relationship. New York: Harper

Playing for Keeps

Playing for Keeps by Jennifer Dugan is a young adult lesbian romance between a baseball pitcher and an umpire.

June is the star pitcher of her elite club baseball team—with an ego to match—and she's a shoo-in to be recruited at the college level, like her parents have always envisioned. That is, if she can play through an overuse injury that has recently gone from bad to worse.

Ivy isn't just reffing to pay off her athletic fees or make some extra cash on the side. She wants to someday officiate at the professional level, even if her parents would rather she go to college instead. 

The first time they cross paths, Ivy throws June out of a game for grandstanding. Still, they quickly grow from enemies to begrudging friends . . . and then something more. But the rules state that players and umpires are prohibited from dating.

As June's shoulder worsens, and a rival discovers the girls' secret and threatens to expose them, everything the two have worked so hard for is at risk. Now both must choose: follow their dreams . . . or follow their hearts?

Jennifer Dugan writes great lesbian romance novels for adults and young adults. Read one today.

Dugan, Jennifer. (2024). Playing for Keeps. New York: Putnam.

Cleat Cute

Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner is a lesbian sports romance set mostly in New Orleans.

Phoebe Matthews is going to be a professional soccer player. She has been drafted to the New Orleans Krewe of the NWSL. She has a couple of weeks before she is due at practice when she is called to camp for potential US national team players.

Grace Henderson is a national soccer star, playing professionally for ten years even though she is only 26 years old. She is the captain of the Krewe and the National Team. Grace thinks players should be serious, not like this new kid, 22 years old, but full of energy and making jokes.

Grace is Phoebe's idol. She actually has Grace's poster on her wall in her childhood bedroom. Now she has to follow Grace-the-captain while not making a fool of herself - an not stare or drool!

Wilsner has created a steamy romance for soccer fans. Fun read. 

Wilsner, Meryl. (2023). Cleat Cute. New York: St. Martin's Griffin.

Here to Stay

Here to Stay by Sara Farizan is the story of high school jealousy leading to a racial slur. 

Bijan Majidi gets called to fill in for an empty spot on the varsity basketball team. When one of the senior players fouls out, Bijan is put in. He is a good player who is getting his chance to prove himself - but the player he is replacing blames Bijan for showing him up.

The next day everyone at school receives an email of Bijan dressed as a Jihadi. Suddenly his loyalty and Americanism is being questioned. 

Farizan is known for her wonderful characters who have to deal with the problems of being non-white in America. Her writing is beautiful, poignant and compelling, Read all of her books.

Farizan, Sara. (2018). Here to Stay. New York: Algonquin.

Carrie Soto is Back

Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid is awesome! I was already a fan, and then Reid wrote a tennis story!

Carrie Soto dominated women's tennis for a decade. She holds the record for the most Grand Slam wins at 20. But five years after retiring from the sport, Nicki Chan has is about to tie her record.

Raised by a tennis playing father, Carrie was convinced that with hard work, she would become the best tennis player of all time. Now she will have to get back in fighting shape to defend her title. 

Carrie will enter four tournaments. At age 37 she will set a new record with every win she collects.

Tennis fans, good storyteller fans, read this book - as well as the rest of Taylor Jenkins Reid's work!

Reid, Taylor Jenkins. (2022). Carrie Soto is Back. New York: Ballantine Books.

Home Field Advantage

Amber McCloud is a high school junior in the Florida panhandle. She is a cheerleader who is campaigning to be head cheerleader next year – hoping to turn that into a college scholarship so she can move far away. She has everything planned and nothing can interfere with the plan.

At the end of the last school year, the previous football quarterback died while drunk driving. As the new year starts there are rumors of a new quarterback, recruited at the summer football camp. For the first day of school, the cheerleaders decorate the players lockers, including the new Jack Walsh – who no one has seen yet.

Jack Walsh agreed to move to a new school to play football for one reason, it is likely the only offer that will come. It is not easy being accepted, despite an incredible set of skills, Because Jack is a girl.

Adler is a great storyteller. Read any of her great YA books!

Adler, Dahlia. (2022). Home Field Advantage. New York: Wednesday Books.

Zeroboxer

Zeroboxer by Fonda Lee is a novel about a whole other level of mixed martial arts fighting - fights in a glass cube in zero gravity.

Carr Luka has been training most of his life to be a professional zeroboxer. Now he is one of the youngest ever to fight for ZGFA (Zero Gravity Fight Association) on Valtego - the floating city-station on the dark side of the moon.

When Carr wins a couple of key fights ZGFA decides to make him the face of zeroboxing - always more popular with Martians than Terrans. They assign Carr a brandhelm to oversee his public image. His brandhelm is Risha Ponn - a genetically engineered Martian colonist.

With Risha's help, Carr becomes more and more popular, becoming a hero on Earth, the planet that has fallen into the background of the more advanced settlements in space. But when Carr finds out a shocking secret all will be at risk - his career and his heart.

Lee has created a gripping novel that will thrill fans of sports and science fiction alike. Her world building and characters are completely drawn and will keep readers engaged until the last punch.

Lee, Fonda. (2015). Zeroboxer. Woodbury, MN: Flux.

Driving Lessons: Soph Year (You Know Who Grils #2)

Driving Lessons by Annameekee Hesik is the second book in her You Know Who Girls series.

Abbey Brooks is now a sophomore. She has gotten over the awkward year when she figured out she was a lesbian and had her heart broken. Now in the new school year she will focus on basketball and her friends - and maybe a new girlfriend or two.

Hesik has captured the feeling of high school and the struggle to figure out who you are. Abbey is a wonderful and flawed character who is surrounded by good and bad friends as she finds her way through another school year. The You Know Who Girls series is a must read for any teen questioning her sexuality.

Hesik, Annameekee. (2014). Driving Lessons. New York: Sililoguy.

Freshman Year (You Know Who Girls#1)

The You Know Who Girls: Freshman Year by Annameekee Hesik is the first book in her Gila High YA series.

Abbey Brooks and her best friends are about to start high school. Kate has come up with a list of rules for them to guide their behavior and (hopefully) make them fit in with the older crowd. The list includes not joining the basketball team - partly because there are rumors that some of the players are lesbians.

Abbey and Kate are tall so they are being encouraged to try out for basketball by current team members. Abbey wants to try out. She wants to join because she thinks maybe she is lesbian - or at least she knows that there is a senior girl who she finds fascinating.

Hesik has written a great start to this series. Abbey Brooks finds her way through her feelings and the opinions of others to decide the type of person she wishes to become. Great lesbian YA book.

Hesik, Annameekee. (2012). The You Know Who Girls: Freshman Year. New York: Bold Strokes Books.

One Sweet Ride (Play by Play #6)

One Sweet Ride by Jaci Burton is the sixth book in her Play by Play series featuring professional sports figures - this time a race car driver.

Gray Preston is a stock car driver. He started his own team that currently consists of two cars. Though his father is a US Senator and a wealthy rancher from Oklahoma, Grey is doing things on his own. He was written out of the family money when he chose a sports scholarship to a school in Oklahoma instead of pre-law at an ivy league.

Evelyn Hill works for Senator Preston, who is in the running for the vice president spot in the next election. He job is to convince Gray to help his father's campaign - bringing he thousands of fans with him. But her job will not be easy. Gray has not spoken to his father for a long time and wants nothing to do with him or politics.

Burton's Play by Play series is filled with sexy stories of hot athletes. This is the first in the series not featuring a member of the Riley family that began the series, but branching out to their friends. Still, look for cameos by the former stars of the series in this book. Grab one of these books to take to the beach this summer.

Burton, Jaci. (2013). One Sweet Ride. New York: Berkley Sensation.

Thrown by a Curve (Play by Play #5)

Thrown by a Curve by Jaci Burton is the fifth book in her Play by Play series featuring professional sports players.

Alicia Riley is a sports therapist for the St. Louis Rivers baseball team. She has earned her spot on the sports medicine team through study and hard work and is about to be assigned to her biggest case yet.

Garrett Scott is the starting pitcher for the Rivers, but he is out with a shoulder injury. He has been working for months to get back in shape for the start of the new baseball season, but it is not going quickly enough.

When Alicia comments that he is not recovering faster because he has his head up his arse, he requests to work with her. She has a different approach to his recovery because she recognizes that what is slowing him down is his head an not his shoulder. For the next few weeks they will be working closely together to get Garrett back on the pitcher's mound.

Burton writes steamy romances revolving around great characters. Fun read that will make you blush.

Burton, Jaci. (2013). Thrown by a Curve. New York: Berkley Sensation.

Playing to Win (Play by Play #4)

Playing to Win by Jaci Burton is the fourth book in her Play by Play series - a romance series featuring professional athletes.

Like his cousins (from the first books) Cole Riley plays sports. He is a professional football player who has just been traded to his home team in St. Louis. He has been on a few teams and has a reputation as a great athlete who is not a team player. But Suzanna Brooks has been hired by his manager to be his image consultant.

Suzanna is a well respected image consultant who has not worked with a professional sports figure before but has some ideas. First she needs to get to know Cole and see if his image is anything like the real person.

Burton has written sexy series that romance readers will devour.

Burton, Jaci. (2012). Playing to Win. New York: Penguin.

Taking a Shot (Play by Play #3)

Taking a Shot by Jaci Burton is the third book in her Play by Play series about gorgeous sports stars.

Jenna Riley hates sports. She is surround by them - she has a brother who plays professional football and another who plays professional baseball, and her family owns a popular sports bar that she now manages. She can quote stats for any local team but only because she absorbs it at work and needs to be able to talk about sports with her customers. So in her time off, she wants nothing to do with sports. She will not date anyone who plays sports or obsesses over them on television.

The problem is that she cannot get Tyler Anderson out of her head. She met him through her sister-in-law who is a sports agent but she will not date him because of her rule. Maybe the only way to get him out of her head is to invite him into her bed. Then he will not be some mysterious attraction and she can move on with her life.

Ty knows about Jenna's rule but once he decides something he does not give up. And he has decided that he wants to get to know Jenna better. He is not sure why since she is the opposite of the women he usually dates - she has short spiky hair with blue tips, a row of ear piercings, and wears boots that could squash him - but he cannot stop thinking about her.

Burton has delivered another fun read in this series filled with talented men and the amazing women with whom they fall in love. Great read if you find yourself on a tropical breach anytime soon.

Burton, Jaci. (2012). Taking the Shot. New York: Heat.

Changing the Game (Play by Play #2)

Changing the Game by Jaci Burton is the second book in her Play by Play series about professional athletes.

Gavin Riley is a professional baseball player for the St. Louis Rivers. He is a great player and, thanks to his agent, he has a great contract - but he would almost play for free he loves the sport so much.

Elizabeth Darnell is his agent. As one of the very few female sports agents, Liz has to use some interesting tactics to get some people's attention. She has had to work twice as hard to be taken seriously. And she has some unbreakable rules including: never mix business with pleasure.

That being said, she has been in love with Gavin for about five years. She represents him and his brother - a professional football player. She considers their parents to be family and spend holidays with them.

Her relationship with each member of the family is about to change because her relationship with Gavin is changing. They can both pretend they are just having fun and it won't affect their working relationship, but they can only pretend for so long.

Burton is known for her sexy romance novels that border on erotica, but she is also great at character development. Readers will feel like they know each character and will come to care about the outcome of the stories - not just the hot sex along the way.

Burton, Jaci. (2011). Changing the Game. New York: Heat.

The Perfect Play (Play by Play #1)

The Perfect Play by Jaci Burton is the first book in her Play by Play series - a steamy romance series about professional athletes.

Mick Riley is the quarterback for the San Fransisco Sabres. He is at the top of his game. Thanks to his agent, he has a reputation as football's playboy.

Tara Lincoln is an event planner. She is a single mother of a teenage son. One of her biggest events so far is for the Sabres - where she meets Mick.

When Mick shows interest Tara figures she should go for it - it is out of character for her to have a one-night stand, but why not. Her son is out of town for the weekend and she has no other plans.

While Tara thinks of Mick as a great one time deal - based on his bad boy reputation, Mick can't get Tara out of his mind.

Burton has thrown together to seemingly opposite characters who have great chemistry. Readers will enjoy the play by play of their relationship. Look for book two - Changing the Game - about Mick's little brother who plays pro baseball.

Burton, Jaci. (2011). The Perfect Play. New York: Heat.