Books like 'Initiation'

Readers who enjoyed Initiation by Maris Black also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.

contemporary  romance  mlm  sports  university  lgbtq  steamy  athlete  friends-to-lovers  drama

  • Line Brawl by Bianca Sommerland

    Line Brawl by Bianca Sommerland

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Not all fights are one on one. In a team, no man should stand alone. ‘You can’t keep me.’ Shawn ‘Easy’ Pischlar has given his speech so often, it should be written on the white board in the Dartmouth Cobra’s locker room. Too many of his own teammates have heard the words. And the games he’s played are finally catching up to him...
    Categorized as:
    athlete  lgbtq  mlm  sports  steamy  adult  book  contemporary
  • Seth by Carly Marie

    Seth by Carly Marie

    Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    Be yourself because everyone else is taken. But what if that risks everything you know? Seth Johnson has worked his entire career to be remembered more for his skill than as an openly gay NHL player. Finding a boyfriend has been pushed to the back burner. As for exposing his softer side, the side that loves lace and lingerie? It’s not happening...
  • Extra Credit by Sarina Bowen

    Extra Credit by Sarina Bowen

    Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    Three novellas, including all new Ivy Years fun! BLONDE DATE: A nervous sorority girl, a mean fraternity prank and an adorkable basketball player with a heart of gold. Blonde Date follows Katie and Andy’s first blind date… STUDLY PERIOD: One hunky hockey player with a language barrier. Plus one awkward English tutor with a big crush...
  • Unexpected Dreams by Isabelle Peterson

    Unexpected Dreams by Isabelle Peterson

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    Divorce is a big change... But there are bigger ones. A few months after his divorce and may failed blind dates, Greg Fairchild met Tanner Williams. What started out as a good friendship unexpectedly turned into something that Greg didn't know what do with...attraction. Why would he be attracted to a man? He had been a ladies man back in the day...
  • Finding Their Balance by M.Q. Barber

    Finding Their Balance by M.Q. Barber

    Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Three’s the naughtiest kind of crowd. Getting to the one-year mark is hard enough in a relationship between two lovers. For three, just getting through the day can be half the battle. Between Alice’s headstrong insistence on pushing her sexual limits and Jay’s need to confront an abusive former lover, Henry has his hands full keeping both his partners safe and happy...
  • The Dartmouth Cobras Box Set by Bianca Sommerland

    The Dartmouth Cobras Box Set by Bianca Sommerland

    Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Learn to play the game... Knights of ice and Masters in the bedroom, The Dartmouth Cobras struggle to save their franchise while losing their hearts to the only women who can handle how hard and fast they live. Between corrupt owners, pressure from fans and the media, and desires beyond the norm, they have to fight to make their mark as a hockey team. All the men share a common goal...
    Categorized as:
    athlete  mlm  sports  steamy  adult  book  contemporary  fiction
  • Concussion Protocol: A Short & Spicy MM Romance by Rebecca Rathe

    Concussion Protocol: A Short & Spicy MM Romance by Rebecca Rathe

    Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    A sweet and spicy short story by Rebecca RatheHe's a ten, but he's my ex-boyfriend's straight teammate and my patient...
  • The Professor's Date by Lane Hayes

    The Professor's Date by Lane Hayes

    Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    The professor, the hair stylist, and a wedding date…TommyHelp! My sister is getting married and according to her, I need a date. And a makeover. I’m a busy man, though. I don’t have time to meet eligible bachelors, and the tape holding my glasses together works just fine. Until my hair stylist steps on them...
  • Surprise Play by Carly Marie

    Surprise Play by Carly Marie

    Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    An innocent gift has the power to change everythingMalcolm Ward is a retired wide-receiver, NFL offensive line coach, and husband to one of the best wide-receivers in the NFL. His life is hectic and the last thing he expects is to walk into the bedroom one afternoon to find his husband sleeping with the pacifier Malcolm had jokingly given him a decade before...
    Categorized as:
    lgbtq  mlm  sports  steamy  adult  book  contemporary  fiction
  • Una maldita confusión by América Rodas

    Una maldita confusión by América Rodas

    Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    Jean intenta confesar su atracción hacia Olivia en una fiesta, pero por culpa del alcohol termina declarándose a su mejor amigo, Oliver. ***Cuando invitaron a Jean a la fiesta de una desconocida sabía que debía decir que sí, sobre todo porque necesitaba liberar el estrés de la escuela, de su casa, de su equipo de básquetbol y de él mismo...
  • Guys on the Side by Darien Cox

    Guys on the Side by Darien Cox

    Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    In the sequel to Guys on Top, we meet up with the Boston boys several months later. Corey has developed a close friendship with Doug, who’s still living in the apartment downstairs...
    Categorized as:
    drama  lgbtq  mlm  steamy  adult  book  contemporary  fiction
  • Changing the Rules by Brigham Vaughn

    Changing the Rules by Brigham Vaughn

    Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    Rule #1: Don’t fall in love with the coach.Gabriel Theriault’s been skating on thin ice for the past two seasons with Toronto but his arrest following an off-ice fight is the final straw.His only shot at redemption is to start over in Evanston and prove that he still has what it takes to be a pro player.No more fights. No more drinking. No more random hookups. Rule #2: The team always comes first...
    Categorized as:
    athlete  lgbtq  mlm  sports  adult  book  contemporary  fiction
  • Bang by Charity Parkerson

    Bang by Charity Parkerson

    Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    Maksim doesn’t do strings. Marshall doesn’t date men. They’re both about to be proven wrong. Marshall is the golden child. He wins every game he plays—on and off the field. He’s living the dream and knows it. That’s why he refuses to let a thing like preferring men in his bed get in his way. Right now, he’s all about his career. Everything else can wait, or so he thinks, until he meets Maksim...
    Categorized as:
    athlete  mlm  sports  steamy  adult  book  contemporary  fiction
  • Love by Shaw Montgomery

    Love by Shaw Montgomery

    Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    As his muscular, submissive boys grow more confident, Dare couldn’t be more proud of them. Each step they take brings them all closer together and gives Dare glimpses of the family they’ll become. They just have a few hurdles to get over first, like the fact that his boys need to move and that they aren’t exactly forthcoming with what they want from a Dom or a boyfriend...
  • Breaking the Record by Raleigh Ruebins

    Breaking the Record by Raleigh Ruebins

    Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    “When will I see him again? And why do I want to so badly?” Ben Lakeland owns a failing record store in small-town Welling, New York, and it's the last place he wants to be. Everything used to be easy: watching football with his frat buddies, drinking beer, and being popular in school. But at 24 years old, everyone else seems to have grown up but Ben...
  • Andre by L.A. Witt

    Andre by L.A. Witt

    Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    MattThere’s nothing quite like a night with one of the Gentlemen of the Emerald City. No strings. No complications. I’ve been burned by love, and I’m not going there again.Unlike my teammates who fell for their Gentlemen, I know how to keep emotions from coming into play.At least… I used to.AndreI used to love this job. The money doesn’t matter—just the thrill. But that thrill is gone now...
    Categorized as:
    mlm  sports  lgbtq  steamy  romance  contemporary  fiction  book
  • Pacies and Photographs by Della Cain

    Pacies and Photographs by Della Cain

    Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    Stepping out from behind the camera isn’t as easy as it seems. Dax needs cash, and he needs it now since his roommate has moved away without notice. Dax has a week to either make up the difference or break his lease. Both options are out of his price range...
  • King of the Mountain by Aiden Ainslie

    King of the Mountain by Aiden Ainslie

    Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    American cycling sensation and heartthrob Clifford Du Frey is riding the wave of success. Brand Du Frey is a multi-million-dollar business, and during the Tour de France, Clifford is mobbed by fans wherever he goes. The superstar must focus on winning the Tour de France and maintaining the image of the athletic hetero alpha male at all costs.But Clifford has a secret...
  • The Viking and the Drag Queen by V.L. Locey

    The Viking and the Drag Queen by V.L. Locey

    Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    Who will emerge the victor on the battlefield of love?Tyr Hemmingsen had his life mapped out at a young age. The only son of the late Danish hockey great, Elias Hemmingsen, Tyr has always done his best to follow the plans his father had laid out for him...
    Categorized as:
    sports  mlm  lgbtq  steamy  romance  contemporary  fiction  book
  • The Tight End: Red's Tavern, Book 6 by Raleigh Ruebins

    The Tight End: Red's Tavern, Book 6 by Raleigh Ruebins

    Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    He’s an introverted nerd, and I’m the football player everybody wants.But I only want to drag his shy, adorkable, irresistible self into my bed. All I’ve ever been good at is running fast with a football clutched tight to my side. As a star football player for the KMU Wolves, I’ve had any guy I wanted for years, and I'm more muscle than smarts...
  • Facts, Smacts! by Becca Seymour

    Facts, Smacts! by Becca Seymour

    Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    It’s not my agility that catches basketball player Tyron Channing's attention. It can’t be when he found me grazed and hurt after an embarrassing slip. But my oh my, his breath-catching growls and him hauling me off my ass with a question that makes my head spin: Who did this to you? — make me dizzy with want...
  • Choke Up by Rebecca Rathe

    Choke Up by Rebecca Rathe

    Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Ellis Hope has one goal for his first year at be his own person. He’s determined to break free from his brother Elliot’s shadow, and get over the soul crushing attraction he has for his brother’s best friend. The campus meetup app provides an effective distraction from Gabe and Elliot making waves as the new star players for Huntston University’s baseball team...
  • Sweet Spot by Sloan Johnson, Quinn Ward

    Sweet Spot by Sloan Johnson, Quinn Ward

    Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    Four years ago, he gave his heart to a rookie pitcher and struck out. Now, they have a second chance to get things right.No longer living on the streets and surrounded by men who supported him, Cody Marshall’s life was finally looking up. He hadn’t expected to hook up with anyone on his first spring training trip, but there was something about Nick Stone that called to him...
    Categorized as:
    athlete  lgbtq  mlm  sports  adult  book  contemporary  fiction
  • The Swap Masquerade by Annabella Michaels

    The Swap Masquerade by Annabella Michaels

    Rated: 4.10 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    “A night of passion and pleasure awaits you. No names, no faces, just the chance to live out your wildest fantasies. Leave your keys in the bowl and let fate decide who you’ll end up with.” After years of hiding his sexuality from his family and teammates, Elliott Stone is tired of living a lie...
  • Triple Play by Sloan Johnson, Quinn Ward

    Triple Play by Sloan Johnson, Quinn Ward

    Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    When Eric is unable to help his friend recover, he has to put his feelings aside for a second time. He never imagined the man who could help would be the glue that bound them together.Drew Jackson had it all: a family who loves him, a tight circle of friends, and he’s a rising star with the Milwaukee Mavericks...
    Categorized as:
    athlete  friends-to-lovers  lgbtq  mlm  sports  steamy  adult  age-gap
  • Playing with Fire by Avery Cockburn

    Playing with Fire by Avery Cockburn

    Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    “I don’t want options. I just want you.”Robert McKenzie has a secret. As the only straight player on an all-LGBT soccer team, he’s known to fans as “McWhatAWaste.” No one would guess Robert’s actually bisexual. At twenty-one, on the verge of a brilliant career in video game design, he’s finally ready to be his true self...
  • The Trade Deadline by A.L. Heard

    The Trade Deadline by A.L. Heard

    Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars
    · 11 ratings
    After a fleeting encounter when they’re in Juniors, Ryan “RJ” Russell and Lars Nilsson find themselves thrown back together years later when they end up on the same NHL team. Being friendly to a new teammate just got way more complicated. It’s one thing to have a one night stand with someone from another country; it’s a whole other mess to sleep with your teammate...
  • Personal Secrets by K.C. Wells

    Personal Secrets by K.C. Wells

    Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    Blake Davis and husband Will are delighted when Ed Fellows turns up at the hospital the night their daughter is born—even if he is covered in mud from playing rugby and drunk out of his skull. Team-mate Colin is the Good Samaritan who drives him there, and when Colin takes Ed home, Colin finds himself on the receiving end of a blow-job. He has no problem with that whatsoever...
  • Obvious by R.G. Alexander

    Obvious by R.G. Alexander

    Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    From New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author R.G. Alexander, Book 10 in the Finn Factor Series! Could he be more Obvious? Matthew Finn is about to find out. He’s got a crush and a prickly pickle of a problem, but with a little help from his newfound family, he’ll convince Oliver “Legs” Garcia that he's the real thing...
  • False Start by Jessica Ruddick

    False Start by Jessica Ruddick

    Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    As an engineering major at Virginia Valley University, Becca Zizzo is used to being the only girl in the room. Until now, it didn't bother her to be just one of the guys. But she's been in love with her older brother’s best friend half her life, and she's sick of spending time in his friend zone. She’s studied his playbook, and she’s ready to go big or go home...
  • Always Together by Quinn Ward

    Always Together by Quinn Ward

    Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    They’ve been best friends since they were little. Can their relationship survive the secrets one of them has been keeping?No one believes Matt when he swears he and his roommate are just friends. That probably has something to do with the way he looks at Brandon when he thinks no one is watching and the fact Brandon doesn’t balk whenever Matt teasingly calls him Daddy...
  • Scoring Position by Ashlyn Kane, Morgan James

    Scoring Position by Ashlyn Kane, Morgan James

    Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    Ryan Wright’s new hockey team is a dumpster fire. He expects to lose games—not his heart.Ryan’s laid-back attitude should be an advantage in Indianapolis. Even if he doesn’t accomplish much on the ice, he can help his burned-out teammates off it. And no one needs a friend—or a hug—more than Nico Kirschbaum, the team’s struggling would-be superstar...
    Categorized as:
    athlete  lgbtq  mlm  sports  adult  book  contemporary  fiction
  • Daddy Cam by K.M. Neuhold

    Daddy Cam by K.M. Neuhold

    Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    Just when I thought my secret crush on my Daddy-Dom best friend couldn’t get any worse, I stumbled on his Daddy Cam Channel… I can run a multi-million dollar tech company, but I can’t seem to work up the courage to tell my best friend that I’ve been in love with him for years. In my defense, Saxon is a gorgeous, successful, big-d**k Daddy with a million SUBscribers drooling over his Daddy Cam...
  • The Spice Play: A Single Dad Hockey Romance by Mia Mara

    The Spice Play: A Single Dad Hockey Romance by Mia Mara

    Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    I let an irresistibly hot stranger pleasure me with my purple toy—and then he ghosted me.So, imagine my shame when I find out he’s my new boss.And I’m moving into his guest house… as his son’s nanny!Okay, just because Atlanta Fire's star hot center knows how to handle his stick doesn't mean I'm going to let him out of the penalty box.Sebastian Blue is a walking mistake in a hockey jersey...
  • Wish Come True by Keira Andrews, Joanna Chambers

    Wish Come True by Keira Andrews, Joanna Chambers

    Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    First love. Young love. Holiday love... Wish Come True is a collection of contemporary, new adult, holiday short stories by some of our favorite authors! Included in this anthology: "A Very English Christmas" by Keira Andrews "Mr...
  • Luca by L.A. Witt

    Luca by L.A. Witt

    Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    EthanHockey season is over, and that means one thing—returning home to my empty condo. With nothing to distract me from this loneliness, it’s going to be a miserable summer.Then I hire Luca for one night.At least, it was supposed to be one night.LucaEthan isn’t like my other clients (not that I have many these days). He’s nice. He’s genuine. He doesn’t treat me like I’m here to earn my pay...
    Categorized as:
    athlete  lgbtq  mlm  sports  steamy  adult  book  celebrity
  • Yesterday by Sarina Bowen

    Yesterday by Sarina Bowen

    Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    It’s been seven years since John Rikker left his childhood home in Michigan. Surely that’s long enough to scar over the wounds he received there...
  • Stick Lessons by Crea Reitan

    Stick Lessons by Crea Reitan

    Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Everyone should learn how to handle a stick. AttyHigh school sweethearts, dream wedding, exotic honeymoon, white picket fence, two and a half kids… that’s the dream. My prescribed future. Except, I don’t want any of that. When me and my on/off girlfriend of fifteen years finally call it quits for good, I decide that I’m ready for a new beginning.I didn’t expect that new beginning to be a dude...
    Categorized as:
    mlm  sports  lgbtq  steamy  romance  contemporary  fiction  book
  • Frat Wars Presidential Chaos Bonus Scene by Saxon James

    Frat Wars Presidential Chaos Bonus Scene by Saxon James

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    ...
    Categorized as:
    mlm  university  lgbtq  sports  romance  contemporary  fiction  book
  • Play Hard by Avery Cockburn

    Play Hard by Avery Cockburn

    Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    “I’ll always want more of you.” Robert McKenzie lives to work. He’s fresh out of university as a video-game entrepreneur, and his new app could actually save lives. But burning the candle at both ends means missing out on the best parts of his own life—including his boyfriend, Liam. Liam Carroll works to live...
  • Defend by Charity Parkerson

    Defend by Charity Parkerson

    Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    Loyalty demands he stay away. Lust challenges Nathan’s integrity. Love demolishes all boundaries. Nathan can’t recall the precise moment he fell for Derringer, but he knows exactly why he has to stay away. Derringer is dating Nathan’s brother. When Derringer is dumped in the worst of ways, Nathan comes to the rescue. His motives are pure. His intentions above par...
    Categorized as:
    athlete  friends-to-lovers  lgbtq  mlm  sports  steamy  adult  age-gap
  • Safety Net by Keiko Kirin

    Safety Net by Keiko Kirin

    Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    Crocker University isn't exactly known for its football program. But three hotshot freshman football players are about to turn that around, and in the process discover what it means to be a team, the challenges of adulthood, and the true meaning of love...
  • Pound by Charity Parkerson

    Pound by Charity Parkerson

    Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    Von lives by three relationship rules—no lies, no games, and no strings. Justin has him breaking all three. Von knew the first time he kissed Justin that the man was different. Justin didn’t play by Von’s usual rules. He also knew Justin was way too passionate to be tied down by someone who travels as much Von has to with his team...
    Categorized as:
    athlete  lgbtq  mlm  sports  steamy  adult  book  contemporary
  • Uncharted Waters: M/M Straight to Gay First Time Romance by Jerry Cole

    Uncharted Waters: M/M Straight to Gay First Time Romance by Jerry Cole

    Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    Daniel Barton, a multiple Olympic medal-winning swimmer, always knew he wanted to go out on a high. Now, retired before the age of thirty, he’s a well-known face across the USA, has sponsorship deals coming out of his ears and more money than he could reasonably ever spend. There’s only one problem: he has no idea how to be a good boyfriend, and he’s pretty sure the fame is the reason why...
  • White Noise by Ann Grech

    White Noise by Ann Grech

    Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    Everything he didn’t know he wanted, and now couldn’t live without… Paramedic and mountain rescuer Stratford ‘Ford’ Wallace fell hard and fast for pro-snowboarder, Reef Reid. For a ‘straight’ guy, falling in love with a dude was not what he expected, but his explosive attraction to Reef is undeniable. Neither of them have uttered those three little words yet, but Ford knows Reef feels the same...
    Categorized as:
    drama  lgbtq  mlm  sports  steamy  adult  book  contemporary
  • Play Harder by J.T. Fox

    Play Harder by J.T. Fox

    Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    WARNING: This book is 100% hard-riding, dirty-talking alpha times two. Read at your own risk. Having him is the most dangerous play of all... Now that Miami star quarterback Jordan Barr has had a hot, wild night with halfback Eric "The Brick" Higgins he can’t get him off his mind...
  • High-Sticked by Lily Harlem

    High-Sticked by Lily Harlem

    Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    Todd’s the best in the league and model-perfect. Damn shame he’s not gay...or is he? Hot Ice, #5 Dating Todd “Pretty” Carty is a trailblazing, headline-grabbing ride that has shocked and divided a team, a sport and a nation. While controversy rules, our feelings explode and we can’t deny the desire that sizzles between us. Nothing, however, is easy outside the bedroom...
    Categorized as:
    athlete  lgbtq  mlm  sports  steamy  adult  book  contemporary
  • Curious by Seth King

    Curious by Seth King

    Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    An all-new, full-length story spun from the world of Seth King's bestselling Straight series Two best friends. One week in paradise. One pact that goes explosively off the rails..
  • Learn The Rules: Rough Love Parts 1-5 by Leighton Greene

    Learn The Rules: Rough Love Parts 1-5 by Leighton Greene

    Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    Learn the Rules contains the first five parts of the Rough Love series, collected in one book for the first time.1. Bound by HimBenjamin Ballard always assumed he was straight - in every way possible. They invented the term 'vanilla' to describe him...
  • Three-Man Advantage: MMM Hockey Romance by Ariel Bishop

    Three-Man Advantage: MMM Hockey Romance by Ariel Bishop

    Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    He can’t choose... Leadership and setting an upstanding example are everything to Wisconsin Wendigos captain David Dickson. On ice, he’s got it all together. Off ice? Not so much. For years he’s been pining for not one, but both of the loyal alternate captains who’ve stood by him through thick and thin...
Fantastic book recommendations by book lovers for book lovers.
Find out more about thebooknaut.com.



Looking for more inspiration? Enter another book title to get more suggestions on what to read next.


Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.