What Romance to Read Based on Your Favorite Sports

Favorite Sport: Football
Where to Start: It Had to Be You, by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
If football is your sport of choice, you’re in luck. It’s one of the most popular sports in romance, and you’ll have plenty of books and series to choose from for the perfect half-time read. No sports romance list is complete without mentioning Susan Elizabeth Phillips Chicago Stars series (about the fictional Chicago Stars football team), so if you’re drafting your romance reads, make sure to put it at the top of your list. The first in the series, It Had to be You, follows Phoebe Somerville after she inherits the team and comes into conflict with the Stars’ head coach, Dan Celebow. Also make sure to check out Jeanette Murray’s Santa Fe Bobcats series and Kristen Callihan’s Game On series.

Favorite Sport: Hockey
Where to Start: Simply Irresistible, by Rachel Gibson
I’d never watched a game of hockey before Rachel Gibson’s Chinooks Hockey Team series, but then I just happened across See Jane Score (the second book in the series), and my eyes were opened to the wonders of the worlds of hockey and Rachel Gibson. The first book, Simply Irresistible, follows Georgie and hockey superstar John as they get a second chance at love seven years after he accidentally helped her leave her fiancé (John’s boss and wealthy owner of the Chinooks) at the altar. They only had one night of passion, but when John realizes he has a daughter, he finds he’s willing to risk his boss’s wrath in order to be a part of her life.

Favorite Sport: Basketball
Where to Start: Fast Break, by Regina Hart
If you’re a basketball fan, I can think of no better series than the Brooklyn Monarchs trilogy, by Regina Heart. And the first novel in the series, Fast Break, is the perfect jumping-off point. It goes deep into the business of basketball and game details, while still delivering a heart-warming romance between two former professional basketball players. Jackie has inherited her family’s team—the worst team in the league—and it’s up to her to turn the team around. Enter DeMarcus, a former NBA championship player and first-time coach. But egos clash, as both parties try to do what’s best for the team.

Favorite Sport: Baseball 
Where to Start: The Devil in Denim, by Melanie Scott
It’s a universally accepted truth that baseball pants are among the sexiest items of clothing, so baseball players are a clear choice for romance heroes. But flipping that slightly, The Devil in Denim‘s hero is the new owner of the New York Saints—not a player. And the heroine is the former-owner’s daughter, who once dreamed of owning the team before her father sold it to shrewd businessman Alex Winters. They aren’t players themselves—they’re fans of the game and the focus is on what it means to run a sports team, which any fan of baseball can appreciate. But if you want a baseball player hero, don’t worry: this is just the first book in Scott’s New York Saints series.

Favorite Sport: None of the Above
Where to Start: It Depends
Perhaps, though, you find yourself drawn to sports where the athletes don’t chase around balls or pucks. That’s okay. There’s likely a sports book for you too. For example, don’t let people tell you golf isn’t sexy: their problem is just that they haven’t read Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ Lady Be Good. If you want to get your figure skating fix, check out Getting it Back, by Elizabeth Harmon, which features a heroine who trains figure skaters and a hero whose figure skating career appears to be over after a devastating injury. For the MMA fans out there, check out Causing Havoc, by Lori Foster. And if you love anything cars and racing, try Flat Out Sexy, by Erin McCarthy.
What romances are you sports fans reading these days?