Books like 'On the Ropes'

Readers who enjoyed On the Ropes by Kathryn Nolan also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.

contemporary  romance  small town  sports  lgbtq  friends-to-lovers  slow-burn  steamy  fighter  humor 

  • Doing It Right: A Second Chance, Single Parent Romance by Harloe Rae

    Doing It Right: A Second Chance, Single Parent Romance by Harloe Rae

    Rated: 4.86 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    “This doesn’t have to be the end for us.”Except it was.What did we know about happily ever after at the age of eighteen?Mason Braxter was a football legend—destined for glory far bigger than the confines of our small town. Meanwhile, I had dreams of my own—a simpler life that included staying put and growing roots.And all those plans of mine were going splendidly...
  • Stoffer by Cee Bowerman

    Stoffer by Cee Bowerman

    Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    After years of wandering around the country, car trouble stopped Stoffer in Rojo, Texas, and he quickly realized he never wanted to leave. Not one to share much of himself, Stoffer has found a place to fit in with the Texas Kings even while he holds most of himself back from the men and women around him...
  • Somebody Like You: A Small Town Single Mom Sports Romance by Carrie Elks

    Somebody Like You: A Small Town Single Mom Sports Romance by Carrie Elks

    Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    He’s rich, talented and way out of her league. Now he’s making her an offer she can’t refuse…Football has always been Cam Hartson’s life. When he's forced to retire following an injury, he slinks back to his small home town, planning to lie low and lick his wounds. Until he meets Mia Devlin. The beautiful single mom of two tearaway boys has no interest in love...
  • Sweet Home Louisiana by Erin Nicholas

    Sweet Home Louisiana by Erin Nicholas

    Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    A sexy, small town, second chance rom com! Thanks to a drawn-up-while-drinking-moonshine partnership agreement, Madison Allain has to spend thirty days back on the bayou before she can sell her part of the family business...
  • Slow Burn by J.H. Croix

    Slow Burn by J.H. Croix

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    I put out fires for a living. I can take some heat. But Maisie drives me crazy. She’s smart-mouthed, sarcastic and argumentative. This town’s too small for both of us. But she works for me. Unfortunately. It’s a big no-no for me to f*ck her. Every time I lay eyes on her, I want to throw her over my shoulder and find the closest place to get my hands all over her curvy body...
  • Puck Performance by Alley Ciz

    Puck Performance by Alley Ciz

    Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    All's fair in love and potatoes. Melody Brightly Broadway Star. Pink hair. A smile that hits me harder than a slap shot. Terrible taste in hockey teams. Full of secrets. The one woman I fail to defend my heart against. Jase Donnelly Defenseman.Charming. Sexy as puck. Makes my hormones give a standing ovation. The one guy I can never be with, but can't stay away from...
  • Everything I Always Wanted by Stephanie Nicole Norris

    Everything I Always Wanted by Stephanie Nicole Norris

    Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    It was a mouthwatering kiss that changed everything… One thing that held constant in Shelby Donovan’s life was her career. As a world renowned artist, Shelby’s paintings traveled the globe, landing in museums and homes across the nation. But what she couldn’t seem to get under control was her love life. Her mother insisted it was because of her best friend, Sebastian Cartwright...
  • Ronan by Cee Bowerman

    Ronan by Cee Bowerman

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    When payback goes wrong, Ronan Conner finds himself on the auction block and there’s no way to get out of it. Try as he might, he can’t force the woman who put him there to help him out, but he might just be able to convince her to let him take her to dinner.An event planner who is damn good at her job, Thea enjoys order. She has her life planned out down to the very last detail...
    Categorized as:
    humor  lgbtq  steamy  adult  book  contemporary  fiction  insta-love
  • Whisper of Love by Melanie Shawn

    Whisper of Love by Melanie Shawn

    Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    Stand-alone Whisper Lake romance, complete with HEA—and plenty of heat and heart along the way! There is a thin line between love and hate. For Allison Walsh, that line was a tightrope hanging a hundred feet in the air, with no safety net to catch her if--or when--she fell. Ali was barely treading water after losing her big brother, who was her hero and best friend...
    Categorized as:
    fighter  friends-to-lovers  humor  sports  steamy  adult  angst  book
  • Could Be the One: (Lucas and Becca) by Claire Kingsley

    Could Be the One: (Lucas and Becca) by Claire Kingsley

    Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    I’ve always been the good girl, doing what people expect. But when I find myself dumped, instead of engaged, I realize it’s time for a change. I want to stop being so timid. Take risks. Find my naughty side. And who better to help me than my friend Lucas? Sure, Lucas is sexy as sin, with a smile that turns my brain inside out and a body that makes me think a lot of very bad girl thoughts...
  • Filthy Little Midlife Fling by Lilian Monroe

    Filthy Little Midlife Fling by Lilian Monroe

    Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    She's about to discover exactly what this hunky, small-town mechanic is hiding under the hood...I’m having a bad week.First, I get a call from my scumbag ex-husband asking for a favor. He wants to hire me to organize his new house.The house he’s sharing with his new wife.The one he cheated on me with.But the worst part? I’m so broke I might have to take the job...
  • What the Heart Learns by Jessica Gadziala

    What the Heart Learns by Jessica Gadziala

    Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Liam has always preferred spending his life inside books, only looking up to occasionally growl at customers in his shop. Until the day someone new comes to town. A woman who could keep up with him, someone who sees beyond his guards, who makes him want something decidedly non -fiction for a change. The only problem is, Riley has a secret. One that just might tear them apart...
  • Tangle by Adriana Locke

    Tangle by Adriana Locke

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 18 ratings
    Sparks fly between a die-hard romantic and a sexy cynic in this fresh, funny romance from USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke. That cream-filled, caramel-topped doughnut should have been hers. Still, Haley Raynor can’t deny that the pastry thief with the dreamy blue eyes looks even more delicious...
  • Shots Not Taken by Nicole Falls

    Shots Not Taken by Nicole Falls

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    “If there isn’t a risk, is it worth wanting at all?” Starting Forward for the Tennessee Trojans Nikolas Verette hasn’t always lived the golden life. After personal setbacks placed barriers in his path to professional basketball superstardom, he took to approaching life with the motto “you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”...
  • A Change of Heart by Hannah Ellis

    A Change of Heart by Hannah Ellis

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    She was never meant to fall for her best friend’s brother...Seren has had a soft spot for her best friend’s brother for as long as she can remember. But when she starts to see Kit as more than just a friend, she knows she’s on dangerous ground.Avoiding him is probably her best course of action, but that’s easier said than done when you live on a tiny island...
  • Difficult by R.L. Mathewson

    Difficult by R.L. Mathewson

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    Surviving high school was going to be hard enough, but surviving telling the one girl that he couldn’t live without how he felt was going to be one of the most difficult things that Sebastian Bradford was ever going to do.From New York Times and USA Today’s bestselling author R.L...
  • Jock Blocked by Pippa Grant

    Jock Blocked by Pippa Grant

    Rated: 4.32 of 5 stars
    · 19 ratings
    COMING MAY 19, 2020She can't let him score… Call it superstition, but when a guy bats as hot as Brooks Elliott, you don't mess with what's working. And what's working is him keeping his pants zipped and doing all of his scoring on the field...
  • Slap Shot Surprise by Melanie Harlow

    Slap Shot Surprise by Melanie Harlow

    Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    In my defense, I thought the plane was going to crash.Otherwise, I never would have blurted out those embarrassing things to a perfect stranger.Did I mention he turned out to be a scorching hot superstar of professional hockey?But wait, there’s more.When the plane lands safely, I rush off, praying I’ll never have to face him again...
  • The Sweet Spot by Adriana Locke

    The Sweet Spot by Adriana Locke

    Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars
    · 18 ratings
    She wants forever. He plays it day by day. They’re both wishing for the best in USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke’s charming and sexy hopefully-ever-after romance.Single mom Palmer Clark will not be sidelined by the new man in town. Sure, the honey-tongued baseball legend is gorgeous, loves puppies, and has charmed his way into the community’s heart, but Palmer craves stability...
  • Object of My Desire by R.L. Kenderson

    Object of My Desire by R.L. Kenderson

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    A romance author, a cover model, a book signing … a crush. Ordinary women like me know we shouldn’t fall for beautiful men like Travis Zehler, one of the hottest cover models in romance fiction. But, sometimes, we can’t help ourselves. When I meet him at a book signing, my attraction to him is instant. I’m infatuated, and I can’t stop thinking about him...
  • The One I Need by Chelle Sloan

    The One I Need by Chelle Sloan

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    You’re cordially invited to the wedding of Oliver Price and Izzy McCall…That’s how my wedding invitations should have started. I should know, I’ve had my wedding planned since I was ten. I should’ve been wearing a designer tuxedo, not a tuxedo t-shirt. The wedding should’ve been in a church with family and friends, not in a 1960’s style chapel with Elvis as the officiant...
  • Southern Playboy by Jessica Peterson

    Southern Playboy by Jessica Peterson

    Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    A Nanny/Boss Romance Hiring the woman who wrecked me to nanny the kid I just found out I have is a dumb idea. Getting naked with her in the back of my truck is even dumber. But old habits die hard. Amelia Fox was my high school sweetheart, the girl who broke my heart and nearly ended my football career nine years ago...
  • Riptide by Kathryn Nolan

    Riptide by Kathryn Nolan

    Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    Avery Dacosta never expected to find a protester in front of her office.Especially not now, when she’s this close to achieving a professional milestone years in the making: building a luxury hotel on Playa Vieja, San Diego’s untouched beach paradise.Finn Travis, local surfer and all-around nice guy, never expected to find himself the leader of Playa Vieja’s resistance...
    Categorized as:
    female-mc  humor  slow-burn  steamy  adult  alpha-mc  athlete  book
  • Along Comes Trouble by Abby Brooks

    Along Comes Trouble by Abby Brooks

    Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    From the moment we met, Tessa Morgan pegged me as trouble. Why? Your guess is as good as mine. I’m funny. Easy-going. My years as a high school football star worked wonders on my body as well as my reputation. I’m Colton Carmichael. Everyone likes me. Everyone except Tessa. And believe me, the feeling is mutual...
  • Devil's Own by K.M. Neuhold

    Devil's Own by K.M. Neuhold

    Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    There’s nothing Devil loves more than giving Angel whatever he wants, especially when it’s what he wants too. The only question is… Does Raven want them?Of course, I’ve noticed Angel and Devil noticing me. I’ve felt their eyes and the deep pulse of their heated wanting...
  • The Wild One by Cassie-Ann L. Miller

    The Wild One by Cassie-Ann L. Miller

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    Jasper Westbrook. Code name: Swoon Machine.My best friend's older brother.Melter of ovaries. Destroyer of panties.And suddenly...a single dad.Guys like Jasper—I bet you know the type? The chiseled arms. The wavy hair. The melt-your-brain-cells smile.Good thing I'm a smart girl—Honey Hill's former child prodigy, to be precise—I should know better than to fall for this playboy's charm...
  • Snow Days by Melanie Shawn

    Snow Days by Melanie Shawn

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    She wanted to feel pleasure… After twenty-nine years, high school English teacher Amy Maguire realizes something is missing in her life…passion. Always one to tackle a problem head on, Amy makes a plan to remedy her situation. Phase One: find a suitable candidate. Phase Two: experience passion. Simple. Right? Except after countless dates she hasn’t once felt that spark, that chemistry...
  • Swing and a Mishap by Tara Sivec

    Swing and a Mishap by Tara Sivec

    Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    “Hawks fans still in shock after centerfielder, Shepherd Oliver, sustained season-ending injury last night in the 5th inning of the playoffs against Chicago.”Two years ago, I was a pretty big deal. I thought I had it all, until a blast from my past popped up on my social media feed, keeping my ego in check and reminding me how basic I am. Except sassy Wren Bennett isn’t just a blast from my past...
  • Triple Play for the Single Mom by Rebel Bloom

    Triple Play for the Single Mom by Rebel Bloom

    Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars
    · 14 ratings
    My plan was transfer to the college where my ex, the star quarterback, could finally be a dad.But life threw a curveball when I accidentally collided with three of his hunky teammates!Being a young single mom hasn’t been easy.My ex shirks fatherhood, and I’m a magnet for judgmental stares.But it’s all been worth it for how much I love my little boy...
  • Perfect Chance by Molly McLain

    Perfect Chance by Molly McLain

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    Kaden McMurray & Carly Walsh are coming to Mason Creek!We shared a single night together. No last names, no strings, no promises. Two months later, chance brings us together again. But this time around, things aren’t nearly as simple. In fact, they’re downright complicated...
    Categorized as:
    female-mc  humor  slow-burn  steamy  adult  book  contemporary  fiction
  • Loving the Coach by Cami Checketts

    Loving the Coach by Cami Checketts

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    Can a football superstar convince a broken scuba instructor to trust and love him?Annie Holman escaped her hometown after her father’s murder to protect herself and her family from a mafia lord’s threats...
  • Break the Ice by Piper Rayne

    Break the Ice by Piper Rayne

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    The Winter Games are over, but the bedroom games are just beginning… This is about the time I normally hang up my snowboard and chill for a while. Except this year. This year, I’m dealing with what fate dealt me at the Winter Games—nope, not gold. A broken arm. Since I’m not close to my family, I head to my best friend, Skylar’s pad to recoup...
  • All Autumn by Sandra Owens

    All Autumn by Sandra Owens

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    Autumn Stratton has it all. Or so she thinks until she catches her two-timing husband with his pants around his ankles. There is much Autumn can forgive but infidelity isn’t one of them. Since she obviously can’t trust her judgment in men, she decides they are only good for one thing… Connor Hunter has been friends with Autumn since the first grade, and she’s like a sister to him...
  • Fighting the Forbidden by Autumn Jones Lake

    Fighting the Forbidden by Autumn Jones Lake

    Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    My best friend’s little sister is the ultimate forbidden fruit.I’m the bad boy. She’s the good girl.I’ve fought for survival all my life. My best friend and I have built an empire with our fists, sweat, and blood.There's nothing I won't do to protect her, no matter the sacrifice – even my own heart.I should know better than to want her. She’s got big dreams that don’t involve me...
  • A.D.I.D.A.S.: All Day I Dream About S*x by Frankie Love, C.M. Seabrook

    A.D.I.D.A.S.: All Day I Dream About S*x by Frankie Love, C.M. Seabrook

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    I’ve loved her since we were ten years old, when she almost died in my arms. Dramatic? Not at all. I almost lost Joanne once, it’s not happening again. Thing is, she’s a scared little butterfly, living in a cocoon of her own making. It’s time for her to spread her wings. And her legs. Scandalous? Hell no. She wants it as bad as I do. I’m not the only one dreaming about it all day...
  • Levi's Love by K.C. Wells

    Levi's Love by K.C. Wells

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Unrequited love hurts like hell Levi Brown has loved Noah White since he was a teenager, but Noah isn’t looking for a relationship. Every time Levi sees him, his heart aches for what it cannot have. Because dear Lord, he wants Noah, in his life, in his bed.Especially in his bed. The only reason Levi is still a virgin is because he was waiting for Noah. Except Noah doesn’t want him...
    Categorized as:
    friends-to-lovers  humor  lgbtq  slow-burn  steamy  adult  angst  book
  • Bro Code Hell by Marika Ray

    Bro Code Hell by Marika Ray

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Living with my older brother’s best friend wasn’t even my worst idea lately.Keeping it a secret from my brother was on the list too. Oh, and actually falling (literally) for Blaze Hellman—when every frown clearly said to stay away—was most definitely at the top of the list.I was kind of a genius normally...
  • The Rebel by Lena Hendrix

    The Rebel by Lena Hendrix

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    I was supposed to lay low while my Hollywood drama blew over. Not fall for a man with golden retriever energy who isn’t afraid to take what he wants. I was supposed to lay low while my Hollywood drama blew over. Not fall for a man with golden retriever energy who isn’t afraid to take what he wants...
  • Mountain Seeking Pilot by Marley Michaels

    Mountain Seeking Pilot by Marley Michaels

    Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars
    · 8 ratings
    Helicopter Pilot, Rhys Cooper, has spent his life flying to new heights in dangerous and daring rescues. Wanting to slow down, he decides to move to his family's spiritual home to lay some roots just like his doctor brother before him. But first thing's first, knocking down the old house he just bought and building his dream home with a picture-perfect view of Moose Mountain...
  • Every Time I Fall by Lexi Ryan

    Every Time I Fall by Lexi Ryan

    Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    New York Times bestselling author Lexi Ryan brings you Every Time I Fall, a sexy standalone romance about a woman learning to love herself and the guy who’s loved her all along.He’s my brother’s best friend.The hot guy with the heart of gold I’ve never let myself want.Guys like Dean don’t go for girls like me.Curvy. Thick. A big girl...
  • Dirty Talk by Tara Crescent

    Dirty Talk by Tara Crescent

    Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    Secret confession – I love Dirty Talk. A standalone romance with an HEA ending and no cliffhangers. James Fowler and Lucas Bennett are the sexiest guys in New Summit. Vloggers, celebrities and hosts of the hottest, steamiest show on the internet. Dirty Talk. I might be a teeny bit attracted to them. Oh, who am I kidding? I can’t get enough of them...
  • Mine to Take by Natasha Madison

    Mine to Take by Natasha Madison

    Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    When two worlds crossover. From the This Is Series and The Southern Series. Things are supposed to go smoothly on your wedding day. Aren't they? Sofia Barnes I’ve always loved to play dress-up.Creating fake weddings was my childhood pastime.Now it is my dream come true.I’ve finally been handed my first client.But nothing could prepare me for who greeted me when I walked in...
  • Flirting with Disaster by Hailey Shore

    Flirting with Disaster by Hailey Shore

    Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars
    · 10 ratings
    There are two things you need to know about First, I am not cool. No, no, don’t let my tuxedo shirt and anklet socks fool you. I’m 26-year-old virgin not cool. I’m carry my cat around in a special backpack not cool.Second, I’m cursed. Every Piedmont woman is. We are doomed to fall in love with men who will break our hearts. So, I’m never going to fall in love.But I wouldn’t mind a little flirting...
  • Grumpy Bear by Slade James

    Grumpy Bear by Slade James

    Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    Hooking up with an employee is not on my to-do list.Making sure other men have a good time is my business, even if it means suppressing my own desires. It’s opening weekend at my clothing-optional campground, guests are starting to arrive, and I’ve got a pool party and a few hundred peoples’ vacations to save while battling Mother Nature’s tantrums...
  • My Fake Fiance by Piper Rayne

    My Fake Fiance by Piper Rayne

    Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars
    · 12 ratings
    I never felt truly desired by a man—until him.The second he stepped foot into my small town Alaskan inn, his gaze swept over my curvy figure with desire, igniting a flame I thought was dead. He flirted with me, and I might’ve left two chocolates on his pillow at turndown, but that’s where it stayed. Over the years, he’s floated in and out of town while a friendship developed between us...
  • How Sweet It Is by Melissa Brayden

    How Sweet It Is by Melissa Brayden

    Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars
    · 16 ratings
    Some things are better than chocolate... Molly O’Brien is a sweetheart. Her friends and neighbors all think so. While she enjoys her quiet life running the town bakeshop in Applewood, Illinois, she wonders if there could be more. After losing the love of her life four years prior in a plane crash, Molly thinks she’s ready to navigate the dicey dating waters once again...
  • Stud Muffin by Jiffy Kate

    Stud Muffin by Jiffy Kate

    Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars
    · 16 ratings
    It’s hard to get revenge without getting a rap sheet. After Tempest Cassidy walks in on her husband banging her high school nemesis, her whole world gets turned upside down. She goes from being known as the Duchess of Muffins to the town crazy. Her new MO: revenge.Eventually, Tempest grows weary being arrested. Yet what choice does she have? If she’s not angry, then she’s simply . . . sad...
  • Forever in Cape May by Jennifer Probst

    Forever in Cape May by Jennifer Probst

    Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars
    · 17 ratings
    What happens when friends become lovers? Not what a wedding planner plans in a novel of unexpected romance by New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst.Taylor Sunshine and Pierce Powers vowed to keep things platonic. They already have the best of each other: loyalty, friendship, and trust...
  • The Wrong Mr. Right by Stephanie Archer

    The Wrong Mr. Right by Stephanie Archer

    Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars
    · 21 ratings
    He'll make her a hot girl, but can he make her his girl?Shy, quiet Hannah is surrounded by handsome, sensitive, swoon-worthy men...who are fictional. As her thirtieth birthday looms, she takes stock of her life: her small-town bookstore isn't making ends meet and she's never been in love. Something needs to change.She knows exactly who's going to help her...
  • Harder They Fall by J.D. Light

    Harder They Fall by J.D. Light

    Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars
    · 6 ratings
    When his dad makes it obvious he isn't going to kick the good-for-nothing thief and liar of a son and Branson's brother to the curb, Branson decides he can't sit and watch his father shower undeserved praise on a man who will undoubtedly just steal from him again and leave him swinging in the breeze...
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.