Books like 'The Close-Up'
Readers who enjoyed The Close-Up by Kennedy Ryan also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance sports forced-proximity multi-pov athlete lgbtq celebrity second-chances
-
Sawyer by Samantha Whiskey
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsI never thought I’d achieve my dream of playing for the NHL— Not while I’m my mom’s sole caretaker. But the Carolina Reapers offer me a deal I can’t refuse: A spot on their roster and top-rated support for my mom’s battle with Parkinson’s... -
-
-
Fast Time by Shey Stahl
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHow can you move on when your heart is taken away from you? Axel and Lily Riley live the life most dream of. Seven years after saying, “I do,” they have three great kids and a life full of speed and adrenaline that most men can’t handle. Being a professional racecar driver, Axel’s dream is winning that prestigious World of Outlaws Championship... -
-
Ever Mine by Laura Pavlov
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsHe’s hockey’s golden boy, my new client, and the man I’ve avoided for the last nine years. I was hired to fix him—but he’s not the only one who’s broken.Hawk Madden was my first love.I thought he would be my forever.But life wasn’t always fair.And grief could be a cruel beast.Fight or flight?I’d always run.But now he’s back in my life after all these years.With one look.One touch.One kiss... -
Brazen Steele by Ali Dean
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBeckett Steele knows what he wants and he’s finally going after it. But there’s one thing that might complicate his mission. It was easy to sign the legally-binding contract prohibiting a public relationship when he had no intention of falling in love... -
Seth by Carly Marie
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBe 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... -
Hat Trick by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsGood things happen in threes. D’Artagnan Miklas is a lucky dude. He’s the leading scorer of hat tricks for the Carolina IceCats, he’s got a solid group of loyal friends, and he has a cute little sister he adores.But his friends are all coupling up, and Dart is tired of being the odd man out... -
Just Winging It by Crea Reitan
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsOne weekend can change everything. CaulderI’ve lived a very quiet life, keeping my deepest secrets close to my chest. I let no one in; not even my closest friends. When I’m invited to participate in the All-Star Games, I’m suddenly forced to share a hotel room, and a single bed, with a stranger. My carefully guarded world starts to come undone when he kisses me, and I can’t get enough... -
Traded by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe first time I met pro football’s hottest quarterback, we ended up horizontal just before the most embarrassing moment of my life.The second time, I unleashed all my pent-up anger on him.The third time was when the owner of the Vegas Aces introduced him as the newly traded player I’d be coaching for the next year. No…I’m not a football coach. I’ve been hired as his full-time behavior coach... -
Connell by Samantha Whiskey
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsI’m famous for two things—being one of the best defensemen in the NHL and my classic pranks.My teammates always said one of my jokes would bite me in my Scottish arse one day, and they were right.After a prank goes wrong, I’m sentenced to six weeks community service under none other than the sexy, rule-abiding, smart-mouthed city clerk of Sweet Water—Annabelle Clarke.Lucky for me it’s offseason... -
Perfect Gifts by R.J. Scott, V.L. Locey
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFamily comes first in all things. Whatever the cost.Ten had always heard the saying ‘Out of the mouth of babes,’ but he’d not expected it to hit home as it had. After a comment from their daughter, Ten and Jared find themselves pondering an addition to the family. Moving into the adoption process is nerve-wracking and riddled with anxiety—kind of like how the Railers have been playing of late... -
Desert Dreams by R.J. Scott, V.L. Locey
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhen danger stalks their new home, it’s only their strength as a couple that keeps them safe.Ryker misses Jacob every day he’s away. At the start of a new Raptors season with everything to play for, Jacob, the desert ranch, and their small menagerie of animals have become an oasis of peace in a turbulent world... -
Strong and Wild by Sloane St. James
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMickyI’m new to this city, but things are looking up. My bestie’s husband hooked me up with a great apartment above the hockey bar where I currently work, and I’ve got a great side gig bringing in plenty of cash to help fund my dream of opening my own cocktail lounge, Sugar & Ice. Life is sweet. My new neighbor, on the other hand, is not.When he reveals his true self, I hate what I discover...Categorized as:
sports forced-proximity multi-pov romance enemies-to-lovers contemporary steamy fiction -
-
Hat Trick by R.J. Scott, V.L. Locey
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsStan Lyamin has seen many of his dreams come true. He’s found his soulmate, loves Noah like his own, hoisted the Cup, and has his Mama living with him in his new country. But his fantasies of a loud, loving, madcap home overflowing with childish laughter linger... -
Switch Stance by M.E. Carter, Andrea Johnston
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratings****An additional 25% of the ebook proceeds for the month of October 2018 are being donated to charity. This is on top of the September donation. Check out M.E. Carter and Andrea Johnston's FB pages for more information.**** A #MyNewLife & Country Road Series Crossover Standalone .. -
Home Game by Raleigh Ruebins
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHe’s pro football’s hottest wide receiver…But for me he’s pure, red-hot trouble.Storm Rosling is cocky. Charming. A bad boy football player who can’t keep his name out of headlines and scandals.In my life, he’s one big red flag.I’m working with Fixer Brothers Construction to take their home renovation TV show to the stratosphere. I’m all business, and I’m damn good at it... -
You Could Make a Life by Taylor Fitzpatrick
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe first thing Dan says to him is, “we’re in the NHL!”, because that’s how he’s been greeting anyone wearing a jersey, and Marc Lapointe, 'the future of the franchise', is wearing Dan's colours. “I think you’re my new best friend,” Dan says, his excitement beating out common sense, social filters, the need to play it cool. “It is nice to meet you, new best friend," Marc says, his mouth twitching... -
Scoring Position by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsI wasn’t looking to change my “bad boy of baseball” reputation. At least not until my dream girl, Pop Princess Alexis Bodega, stepped foot in my clubhouse to sing for the stadium on opening day. There’s just one problem, and it’s a big one. Her manager is also her boyfriend, and her father is her agent... -
Curveball by E.J. Blaise
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsCass Morgan is used to hitting home runs.Sunday Lane is the strike he never saw coming.An MLB legend and a single mom.Ordinarily, their paths would never cross. But when a career-threatening injury and a cross-country move put them in each other’s paths, two pink lines forever entangle their lives.One night.One drink.One encounter that changes everything... -
Playing Offside by Jax Calder
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsFalling for the guy whose starting spot you're after? Never a good idea.Aiden Jones, aka the Ice King, is one of the best rugby players in the world. He got there by working hard and sacrificing a lot, including denying a large part of himself. But there’s plenty of time to be the poster boy for gay rugby players after he retires... -
Hit the Brakes: A Fake Boyfriend Food Truck Romance by Beth Bolden
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCan they fake it til Tate makes it?Tate Ward is in a bind. His food truck hasn’t been the runaway success he’d always dreamt it would be. When he tries to join a new food truck collective to gain a larger following, his sales aren’t even high enough to win a spot. What he needs is a high profile endorsement—and he knows just the guy.Tate hasn’t seen Chase Riley since high school... -
Trade Off by Cheryl Douglas
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsProfessional hockey player, Aiden Cooper, should be happy. He’s been traded to Nashville. But going home also means he has to face the truth. The love of his life is married to his former best friend and new teammate there’s not a damn thing he can do about it. When Sela Clarke finds out her former boyfriend, Aiden Cooper, is finally coming home, she panics... -
Writer's Block by J.A. Armstrong
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLife for Addison and Emma is wonderful but chaotic. They are about to take an enormous step in their relationship. At the same time, OFF SCREEN has earned Addison her first Emmy nomination and she is feeling the pressure to live up to everyone's expectations. Tamara and Christie have their own revelations and each turn to Addy and Emma for advice... -
-
Full Contact by H.J. Bellus, Kathy Coopmans
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFrom USA Today Bestselling Authors comes book one in The Crossover Series. A mafia princess. The nation’s favorite football player. Can they make it work? An unlikely matching of the stars. The opposites had it all for one year. Justice Bexley, the daughter of Cain and Calla leaders of The Diamond Syndicate, sacrificed true love to protect Liam. Her selfish action destroyed them both... -
Playing With Attraction by Melanie Shawn
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSafe. Loved. Protected.As a single mom, my son was my world.From the moment I gave birth to Anthony when I was just a scared teenager, my fate was sealed. I knew that I would do anything; sacrifice anything, to make him feel the love I'd never had. And most days, I was pretty sure I succeeded. Life hadn't always been easy. In fact, it pretty much never was. But that was fine... -
Power Play by C.J. Cartwright
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhat if the one who got away… comes back? They say you never forget your first love. But does time truly heal all wounds?Levi Fawkes knows hockey, and not much else. As the captain of the Astoria Bay Thunder, his eyes are always locked on the goal... -
Dear Coach's Daughter by Lana Dash
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsa curvy girl romance (sincerely yours book... -
Trade Deadline by Jodi Oliver
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBLAINEWhen my name is involved in yet another scandal, I’m told to keep my head down and my stats up. The trade deadline is looming, and I don’t want to leave Chicago.But that night, I meet Alex. The guy with the bluest eyes and the kindest smile.My reputation precedes me, and he’s determined to resist me, but the more time we spend together, the harder it is to deny the chemistry between us... -
The Island Between Us by Wendy Hudson
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLesbian romance and adventure collide in this gripping story of survival and second chances. Georgia Hamilton is an adventurer. After a life spent exploring the most remote places on earth, she's found her way back home to Scotland, where she teaches her expert survival skills...Categorized as:
lgbtq forced-proximity second-chances celebrity romance action-adventure wlw audiobook -
Blindsided by Carly Marie
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI sent my boss into subspace before lunch. Now what?Easton knows, in the world of professional hockey, he’s getting old and his body can’t take many more hits. When a job offer too good to pass up falls into his lap, Easton goes for it. What should be the start of a new chapter, opens another he thought had closed when he'd been drafted... -
Fake The Game by Julia Jarrett
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI’m the bad boy of baseball. And she’s the good girl who’s meant to repair my image. Falling in love with my pretend girlfriend is not part of the plan…My life is a mess. My career is in serious jeopardy because of one stupid decision that had disastrous results. I’m stuck on the injured list, for who knows how long, and losing endorsements because of my reckless behaviour...Categorized as:
sports multi-pov forced-proximity romance contemporary fake-relationship sad fiction -
Save The Date by R.J. Scott, V.L. Locey
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEver since he first set foot in Harrisburg, Tennant’s life has been a rollercoaster. Ups and downs too numerous to mention, hard knocks and championship rings. Through all of those monumental moments, one thing has been a constant for him, Jared Madsen. Now that their wedding day is drawing nearer, Ten is seriously considering eloping... -
Off the Ice by Lindsay Paige, Mary Smith
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn the second installment of The Penalty Kill Trilogy, Levi Carr and Presley McCarthy continue to rebuild their relationship as they deal with surprises and other problems. Levi is trying his best not to hover with worry over his father after his heart attack. Presley is still trying to gain the love and respect from her parents and keep her independence as well... -
-
#HookUp by Cambria Hebert
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMissing your favorite #family? This is your exclusive invitation back into their world. #HookUp is an explosion of the award-winning #Hashtag series by Cambria Hebert and makes the perfect collector’s item and addition to the series... -
Bad Boy of Baseball by Hope Ford
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHe’s going to get his.I drink, disrupt the team, and disrespect everyone in my path.I’m trying to leave my past behind, but it’s there, following me everywhere I go.When I’ve finally hit rock bottom, I’m about to give up, throw in the towel, and be done.Until the one woman that destroyed my walks back into my life... -
Stealing Home by Carrie Aarons
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWalker Callahan has loved from afar for as long as he can remember.The golden boy of the Callahan baseball dynasty, he’s the only player to ever secure a top spot on a roster controlled by his own flesh and blood. The pressure, duty and plans laid out for him since birth loom large, causing things like love and a family to fall by the wayside... -
Tagging Up by Carrie Aarons
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAll Anna Callahan wants is her independence.Being the youngest member of her immediate family, and massive network of cousins, she’s always been sheltered. That ends now. After graduating with her masters in nursing, she’s ready to move out of her parents’ house, whether they support that decision or not... -
Clutch by E. Davies
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCocky racing driver Tyler Joseph is sidelined after one risk too many. After being at the center of a fiery crash, he’s forced to rest and recover at his best friend’s farmhouse or he’ll miss the rest of the season. Tyler does what he wants, though, and what he wants right now is the hot, sexy little physiotherapist whose hands only touch him where it hurts... -
The Linebacker by Emerson Beckett, Rheland Richmond
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIs it wrong for me to want the world to know I’m in love with Patrick Griffin and have been since we were eight-years-old? Patrick Griffin I hurt him. I didn’t mean to.Now he’s gone, and I deserve it.As a linebacker in the NFL, I've never found the right time to come out of the closet. Not even when I promised Cole I would... -
-
Immoral by Nicole Dykes
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsGrady A preacher’s son. I’ve done everything I can to defy his rules. Reckless, destructive, immoral. But after all this, there’s only one thing I haven’t allowed myself to indulge in . . . Him.Ryan A welder's son. I’ve done everything I can to make him proud. Hard-working, loyal, strong. I’ve accomplished all his dreams while denying my own. But there was only one thing I’ve ever wanted . . -
In the Zone by Catherine Gayle
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThere is an alternate cover edition for this ISBN here.One night. Unimaginable passion. Total anonymity.Star defenseman for the Portland Storm, Keith Burns welcomed the single night with a nameless beauty. The undeniable heat was exactly what he needed to let loose... -
Nixon by Samantha Whiskey
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsI’m the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL because I know how to read the field.I control the plays—and my life—with absolute precision.Until Liberty Jones delivers the ultimate hit to my blind side with a story about two pink lines.The beautiful, free-spirited brunette has starred in my dreams since she disappeared after our wild weekend in Vegas, but I’ve been burned before... -
-
Egotistical Puckboy by Eden Finley, Saxon James
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsEZRAPartying, dudes, and hockey. What more could a gay NHL player want?If it weren't for Anton Hayes, my life would be perfect.Not that he affects my life in any way. At all. That would imply I care what the winger from Philly thinks of me.Which I don't.Not even a one-night stand with him can thaw his misplaced animosity toward me.He says I'm the one with the ego, but he can talk... -
Curve Ball by C.L. Cruz
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLucy My teacher life is my only life. Every day I’m pleasant, logical, and respectable except for one night when I let my passions free. Now it's back to the real world, and I’m determined to leave it—and him—in the past. But that becomes impossible when he shows up at the school where I teach. Rhett Hartigan is everything I’m not. He's popular, outgoing, and a player, literally... -
The Hot Corner by Amy Noelle
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsProfessionally, Danielle Pierce is making a name for herself writing biographies of famous athletes. Her star is on the rise, and her publisher is pleased. Her personal life isn’t going as swimmingly, and she’s recently back on the market after calling off her engagement to Mr. Perfect-On-Paper, not that she’s looking for anyone special. Her career is her focus and it keeps her content... -
Changing the Rules by Brigham Vaughn
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsRule #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... -
Down in Flames by Kate Meader
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA steamy and emotional MM standalone firefighter-hockey player romance ...It was supposed to be a random hookup.At a crossroads, my life a hot mess, I swiped right on the guy with the washboard abs and the tree-trunk thighs... -
Rookie’s Regret by Gina Azzi
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLioness. That’s the first word that comes to mind when I see the brilliant redhead selling cupcakes at the hockey arena.With the soul of an artist and the spirit of a nomad, Bea Turner is gorgeous, quirky, and refreshing. She’s also my teammate’s little sister.As the Tennessee Thunderbolts' Rookie, I should steer clear...
Or - use our amazing romance book finder to get recommendations based on your favorite content tropes and themes. Mix and match at will.