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Football is more than just a game. It’s a source of passion, camaraderie, and love. And what better way to combine these elements than in a romance novel centered around the sport? From the explosive chemistry between players on the field to the slow burn of forbidden love off the field, football romance books are impossible not to love.
If you’re a die-hard fan of both football and love stories, then get ready to kick off a new reading adventure. Get your roster ready because you’ll want to add some of these to the line-up. Without further ado, here are the best football romance books that will have you swooning and cheering for your favorite team.
Also, quick side note, if your book addiction is making quite a dent in your wallet, you should think about getting a Kindle Unlimited Membership Plan. It’ll save you money in the long run and support your reading addiction. It’s a win-win.
The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata
Vanessa Mazur is a glorified mother to the famous football legend nicknamed The Wall of Winnipeg. What was supposed to be a temporary position turned into a two-year game of running around like a chicken with its head cut off for a man who never even had the time to acknowledge her birthday.
Knowing it’s time she moves on, Van hands in her letter of resignation. Imagine her surprise when Aiden Graves shows up on her doorstep, asking that she come back.
The Friend Zone by Kristen Callihan
The last thing bigshot tight-end Gray Grayson wants to do is cram his six foot six frame into his agent’s daughter’s bubblegum-pink Fiat 500, but he needs a set of wheels to get him to and from practice and she’s studying abroad.
That’s exactly what he tells Ivy Mackenzie after she sends him a particularly cross text outlining the consequences if any shenanigans should take place in her cherished ride. In no time at all, the two become fast friends.
Everything changes the day Ivy returns home. All Gray wants is to be with Ivy, but Ivy lives by two rules: never sleep with friends and never, under any circumstance, fall into bed with one of her father’s clients.
On the hunt for a college football romance? The Friend Zone is hands down one of those gems. And if you love sports romances mixed with cute banter, Kristen Callihan’s novel will be a touchdown.
Sweet Fall by Tillie Cole
Determined to take back control of her life and make the most of her senior year, Lexi Hart starts by snatching a highly coveted spot on the University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide cheer squad. Everything in her life is finally going according to plan.
What nobody knows is that beneath Lexi’s happy facade are voices that threaten to tear down everything that she has ever worked towards achieving.
But then something happens that has never happened before: the voices fall completely silent when the Alabama Crimson Tide’s star Wide Receiver Austin Carillo enters the picture, a wild card she never saw coming.
Intensely emotional, breathtakingly honest, and hauntingly beautiful, Sweet Fall is a heartbreaking college football romance that will destroy you in the best way possible and stay with you long after you turn the last page.
The Jock by Tal Bauer
Justin Swanscott’s Parisian study abroad itinerary includes visiting the French Riviera, hitting up the gay clubs, and bagging a French lover. All of that evaporates the second his football-playing cowboy roommate walks in, dazzling him with his shy little smile and sweet gestures.
Wes Van de Hoek seized his dreams and made them come true. After scoring a football scholarship to one of the best universities in Texas, he’s now three years into his college career and making a name for himself as one of the most promising NFL draft picks in the country. Everything would be perfect if not for the secret he’s been keeping from everyone.
The Endgame by Riley Hart
After leaving home at 18, U.S. Senator Weston Calloway vowed to always remain true to himself and, since then, has worked tirelessly to change the world for the better as an out and proud gay man. Known for his revolving door of hook-ups, everything changes the second he lays his eyes on the pretty guy with the chocolate eyes.
From the moment his father tossed him his first pigskin, Anson Hawkins has lived and breathed football. And now at 26, he is living out his dreams as the best tight end in the NFL, playing for the Atlanta Lightening. Except his life is far from perfect. That is until the confident senator from California walks into his life.
As one of the best slow-burn NFL football romance books on the market, I recommend adding Riley Hart’s standout novel to your bookshelf. After reading The Endgame, I suggest getting your hands on The End Zone because Darren and Jeremy’s story is a must-read.
One by Jewel E Ann
At twenty-four, Lake Jones has it all: A dream job as a cover girl for cutting-edge prosthetic legs, nightly binge-watching marathons to satisfy her Netflix addiction, and what is possibly the world’s ugliest cat.
The one thing that could take her life to the next level is a romp under the sheets with a sexy hunk to curb her sexual frustration. And who better to put the moves on than Cage Monaghan, the NFL quarterback whom she shared an undeniable connection with one day three years ago during one of the worst periods of her life.
One is a hilarious sports romance filled with cute banter, laugh-out-loud dialogue, and memorable characters.
The Boyfriend Comeback by Lauren Blakely
San Francisco Hawks quarterback Jason McKay lives and breathes football. Nothing has ever been able to divert his laser focus on the gridiron. That is until a rookie throws him off his game after a one-time smoking hot makeout sesh followed by a less-than-stellar ghosting.
At twenty-four, rookie quarterback Beck Cafferty is ready to kick start his NFL career with his recent trade to the reigning Super Bowl winners, the San Francisco Renegades. Everything would be perfect if not for the unresolved mess with his team’s rival quarterback.
With explosive chemistry, snarky banter, and super sweet swoon-worthy moments, The Boyfriend Comeback is an unforgettable MM football romance.
The Guy in the Middle by Kate Stewart
Lance Prescott is on his final leg of college ball.
Next up? The NFL.
Nothing will derail his plans.
Not even the coach’s daughter.
Breathtakingly honest, unimaginably romantic, and delightfully funny, The Guy in the Middle is a perfect example of Kate Stewart’s impeccable writing and beautiful storytelling.
Ruthless Knight by Ashley Jade
When star quarterback Cole Covington drunkenly lays his heart out to Sawyer Church, the sarcastic nerd and resident bible-thumping do-gooder of Royal Hearts Academy, the last thing she expects him to ask if for her to be his fake girlfriend.
Ashley Jade is a queen at crafting high school bully romances and Ruthless Knight is perfect for anyone who is looking to add football to that equation.
I Promise You by Ilsa Madden-Mills
At Waylon University, the legend goes that the first girl you kiss freshman year at the bonfire party is the one you will never forget.
Dillon McQueen called BS on that particular superstition until he turned into the living embodiment of that legend after the girl of his dreams became the one who got away minutes after partaking in a life-altering kiss.
Entertaining, passionate, and emotional, I Promise You is a captivating enemies-to-lovers college football romance.
Say You Swear by Meagan Brandy
They say your first love lasts forever. But what happens when they break your heart?
With summer coming to a close and college looming in the distance, Arianna is feeling the pressure to put the moves on her brother’s best friend before it is too late.
Arianna never foresaw the ultimate heartache Chase Harper would put her through, nor did she anticipate his future teammate’s determination to piece her heart back together again.
Emotional, heartrending, and unforgettable, Say You Swear is a swoon-worthy slow-burn sports romance that will have you head over heels for your future book boyfriend.
I Hate You by Ilsa Madden-Mills
After three months of radio silence from her former fling, Charisma Rossi is ready to break the silence in a blaze of glory. Except it doesn’t go quite as planned. The moment Charm’s brown eyes tangle with Blaze’s icy blues, she’s transported back to the night he dumped and discarded her like yesterday’s trash.
Determined to leave the notorious (football) player in the past where he belongs, Charisma makes it her mission to ignore his existence. But that proves futile when he keeps turning up wherever she goes, chipping away at her walls.
Ilsa Madden-Mills weaves a tale of love, acceptance and self-discovery in this captivating enemies-to-lovers college romance. If you’re a fan of second chance football romances, you need to get your hands on I Hate You.
Follow the River by CE Ricci
Unapologetically himself, college quarterback River Lennox has never been one to back down from a challenge, be it in football or life.
Enter Ciaráin Grady. Hostile, cruel, and broken, Rain despises his happy-go-lucky captain and tears him down at every chance he gets. But when the taunts and jabs are taken too far, the two will be irrecoverably changed.
Deliciously dark, intensely emotional, and uncomfortably raw, Follow the River is a powerful MM enemies-to-lovers romance. Make sure to read the trigger warning in the beginning.
The Quarterback by Tal Bauer
Star quarterback Colton Hall never expected to fall for his friend’s straight dad. But after a nasty injury leaves him bedridden, the future NFL draftee finds himself spending his days with his friend’s dad Nick Swanscott, who helps him through his recovery.
When Nick offers him an internship for the summer, Colton jumps at the chance, and amid the backdrop of Austin and the Texas Hill Country, the two fall into a whirlwind affair that can either end in heartbreak or love.
Stunning, sweet, and sexy, The Quarterback is a slow-burn, friends-to-lovers, bi-awakening MM sports romance that will warm your heart.
To Professor, with Love by Linda Kage
Noel Gamble is the popular and talented star quarterback for a college football team and from the outside, he seemingly has it all: looks, girls, and a future championship… except that is far from the truth.
If you asked students their opinion on Dr. Aspen Kavanagh, they would probably say she’s a cold-hearted b*tch… except it’s all a charade.
When Aspen and Noel’s lives collide, they could have never anticipated how much they would fall for each other, but with so much on the line, is it all worth it?
Do you love your forbidden college football romance books drowning in sexual tension? If you answered yes, To Professor, With Love is the next taboo love story you should add to your growing list of books to read.
The Hot Shot by Kristen Callihan
All-star NFL quarterback Finn Mannus can’t afford any distractions and until the season is over, dating is off the table.
But when the photographer hired for the team’s annual calendar photoshoot doesn’t instantly fall at his feet like so many others, he’s intrigued.
On the hunt for the best football romance books on the market? The Hot Shot may be the next sports romance to score a place on your favorites list.
Complicated Hearts by Ashley Jade
They say time heals all wounds. If only that held true for Asher Holden and Breslin Rae.
At sixteen, Asher stole Breslin’s heart. By eighteen, he destroyed it.
And after three years, she still remains frozen in the past. That is until Landon Parker enters the picture.
Bright, patient, and confident, Landon is resolute when it comes to his feelings towards the girl who stole his heart. But the question remains whether the ghost of her ex will forever stand in their way.
Raw, emotional, and steamy, Complicated Hearts is not an MMF college romance you want to miss. Filled with sexual tension, angst, and complicated matters, you won’t be able to put this page-turner down.
Misadventures of a College Girl by Lauren Rowe
College freshman Zooey Cartwright is ready to spread her wings and get the entire college experience, starting with losing her pesky “V” card while partying with her new roommates.
Determined to find the perfect douchey candidate, Zooey sets her eyes on the cocky, womanizing jock who purposely wears shirts that say things like “God’s Gift to Womankind.”
After all, there is no conceivable way that a one-night stand with Tyler Caldwell would lead to anything more than a one-and-done sexfest.
Right?
Hilariously sweet, insanely hot, and unbelievably cheesy, Misadventures of a College Girl is a page-turning college romance that will keep you thoroughly amused from start to finish.
The Reverse Play by Julia Clarke
Ever since she was a young girl, Blake has lived and breathed football, hoping to one day break through the glass ceiling in the NFL. No one ever said it would be easy and Blake understands that firsthand after being repeatedly passed up in place of men with less experience.
It isn’t until a chance meeting with the wide receiver on the Boston Rebels that she gets her big break. Working as a consulting coach is the perfect opportunity to showcase her talent and she’s ready to prove herself as a game-changer in the world of sports.
What she never foresaw were the three offensive players that would make the ultimate play for her heart.
Too bad she’s their coach…
Pretty Reckless by L.J. Shen
Four years ago, Daria Followhill took fate into her own hands when she single handedly destroyed a fellow dancer’s chance at achieving her dreams and, in doing so, destroyed a relationship with the guy who wanted all her firsts. Now, he’s back. Except, this time, he’s her foster brother.
Penn Scully adored Daria until he didn’t. When she shattered the only good thing in his life, everything changed. He still wants her, but not in the same way. This time, the roles are switched and he’ll become the guy who destroys her.
Enemies by Tijan
Ever since the sixth grade, Dusty’s loathed the town’s golden boy with a blistering hatred. While she became the invisible loner, he transformed into the local football god who left Dusty behind when she needed him most. And her resentment towards the NFL-bound star has only grown over the past eight years.
Determined to follow her dreams of becoming a marine biologist, Dusty transfers to one of the best college programs which just so happens to be in the same city where Stone Reeves plays.
Broken Knight by L.J. Shen
Knight Cole is the golden boy: charismatic, athletic, popular, wealthy, attractive. At a young age, Knight took up the position of Luna Rexroth’s knight. They were a package deal. When it comes to Luna, Knight’s protective side always shined through the brightest. That is, until she decides to attend an out-of-state college.
Luna Rexroth is Knight’s opposite in almost every way: quiet, gentle, charitable, shy, passive, kind. When Luna was two-years-old, her mother left and took Luna’s voice with her. For her entire life, Knight acted as a shield between her and the rest of the world. Post-college Luna, however, no longer needs that protection.
Stunning, emotional, and heartbreaking, Broken Knight is an unputdownable football romance. If you’re ready to hop onto this angsty rollercoaster, crack it open.
Top Secret by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy
Keaton Hayward has a lot on his plate. Between football, his frat president campaign, and the need to please his father, Keaton barely has time to shower, let alone plan a threesome for his girlfriend’s birthday. But Keaton has never been one to disappoint, which is how he ends up on Kinky, an app for hookups. There his entire world is upturned when he starts talking to SinnerThree.
Luke Bailey is struggling to make ends meet. Between working two jobs, dealing with his toxic family, and campaigning for the frat presidency, Luke barely has time to relax, let alone meet up for a threesome. But when he starts talking to LobsterShorts, he finds himself growing more and more curious about the biology nerd who has a tendency to spout off random lobster sex facts.
Cute, sexy, and hilarious, Top Secret is one of the best MM enemies-to-lovers romance books on the market right now.