Books like 'Defensive'
Readers who enjoyed Defensive by J.D. Rivera also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance friendship sports athlete crime family drama angst
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![Operation: Break the Casanova's Heart by Aly Almario, Alyloony]()
Operation: Break the Casanova's Heart by Aly Almario, Alyloony
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratings10 Tasks To Accomplish 1. Make him notice you. 2. Differentiate yourself from other girls. 3. Get an invite to a date. 4. Make the said date memorable. 5. Make him take you seriously. 6. Ensure that he's dating you exclusively. 7. Snag an invite to meet his parents. 8. Get a kiss – a sincere one. 9. Be the best girlfriend he's ever had. 10. And finally, break his heart... -
![A Cranberry Inn Christmas by Beth Ehemann]()
A Cranberry Inn Christmas by Beth Ehemann
Rated: 4.43 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsChristmas at the Murphy household has always been a big deal, but with her daughters getting older, Kacie Murphy is feeling a bit sentimental, so she decides to give her family the perfect Christmas. Plans of cookie baking, sleigh ride taking, and snowman making are quickly put in jeopardy when Kacie receives devastating news—her mom has sold the beloved Cranberry Inn... -
![Kade by Tijan]()
Kade by Tijan
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI have fought. I have bled. I have wreaked havoc for my family. Anyone who threatened us, tried to break us, I broke them instead. Then, there was peace. Marriage. Children. Life was good. Life was great.Until my phone rang one night. Retired, I was no longer in the NFL. We'd recently moved back to Fallen Crest.So I should’ve known. I should’ve remembered. There is no peace in Fallen Crest... -
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![This Is Wild by Natasha Madison]()
This Is Wild by Natasha Madison
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsFrom the best selling series, Something So comes the spin-off Series This is... Zoe When you grow up surrounded by hockey players you know one thing for sure, I was never going to settle down with one. Heck, I didn’t even know what icing was. I was too busy climbing the corporate ladder, becoming one of the most successful realtors in New York City... -
![Ayah by Andrea Hirata]()
Ayah by Andrea Hirata
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsBetapa Sabari menyayangi Zorro. Ingin dia memeluknya sepanjang waktu. Dia terpesona melihat makhluk kecil yang sangat indah dan seluruh kebaikan yang terpancardarinya. Diciuminya anak itu dari kepala sampai ke jari-jemari kakinya yang mungil. Kalau malam Sabari susah susah tidur lantaran membayangkan bermacam rencanayang akan dia lalui dengan anaknya jika besar nanti... -
![Changing Lines by Toni Aleo]()
Changing Lines by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsClaire and Jude Sinclair have been living the perfect life for the last ten years. Blissfully in love, professionally successful, happily married… They have everything they want—except a baby to make their family complete... -
![Torn Between Two Lovers by Carl Weber]()
Torn Between Two Lovers by Carl Weber
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom the New York Times bestselling author of Big Girls Do Cry comes a deliciously provocative new page-turner starring plus-sized diva Loraine Farrow, and the men in her life. . . One of Richmond, Virginia's, hottest, most successful women, Loraine Farrow finally wants to settle down with her husband, Leon, and focus on her marriage... -
![Bring It Home by Toni Aleo]()
Bring It Home by Toni Aleo
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsBoon Hoenes only has three goals in life. To make Posey Adler his wife, to win the Stanley Cup for the second year in a row, and for Shea Adler to like him.The first, he’s got on lock. The second, he’s well on his way. And the third… Well, two out of three ain’t bad... -
![Fast Time by Shey Stahl]()
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... -
![Las Vegas Sidewinders: Jared by Kat Mizera]()
Las Vegas Sidewinders: Jared by Kat Mizera
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe game of love has no rule book... Former hockey star Jared Wylde is tired of living life on the sidelines. Ten years ago, he lost it all... his career, his wife, his entire world. Everything changes when he's offered the job as head coach of the Las Vegas Sidewinders. It's taken him a long time to let go of the past, but it turns out the past isn't ready to let go of him... -
![The Chronicles of Audy: 4R by Orizuka]()
The Chronicles of Audy: 4R by Orizuka
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsHai. Namaku Audy. Umurku 22 tahun. Hidupku tadinya biasa-biasa saja, sampai kedua orangtuaku jatuh bangkrut karena ditipu. Aku hanya tinggal selangkah lagi menuju gelar sarjanaku. Selangkah lagi! Tapi kedua orangtuaku rupanya tega merusak momen itu. Jadi sekarang, di sinilah aku berada. Di rumah aneh yang dihuni oleh 4 bersaudara yang sama anehnya: Regan, Romeo, Rex dan Rafael... -
![Far Beyond Repair by A.K. Evans]()
Far Beyond Repair by A.K. Evans
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsScarlet Morgan knows all about happy endings. As a best-selling romance author, it’s her job to be an expert on the subject. It’s just too bad her own story doesn’t write so well. Ryker Holt can build a car from the ground up. While there isn’t much the highly-skilled mechanic can’t fix when it comes to his profession, it’s Ryker’s personal life that’s still in pieces... -
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![Melody by Helen Hardt]()
Melody by Helen Hardt
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHe’s the melody in her mind… Beautiful Brianna Steel has her life planned out. Graduate college early. Check. Work with her father in the Steel family orchard. Check. Marry Jesse Pike. No check there. Jesse has never given her a look. Finagling her way onto a rock and roll tour with Jesse and his band, Dragonlock, should help move her final goal along. At least Brianna hopes it will... -
![Truth Game by Chloe Walsh]()
Truth Game by Chloe Walsh
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsHis silence wounded her pride, but his truth will crush her world... Daryl King was the person I was meant to be with. My best friend since childhood. The peanut butter to my jelly... until I lost him. Now our school's star quarterback is back in my life and our worlds are colliding once more... -
![Hot Puck by Skye Jordan, Joan Swan]()
Hot Puck by Skye Jordan, Joan Swan
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom the New York Times bestselling author who brought you the adrenaline junkie, scorchingly sexy stuntmen of Renegades. Skye Jordan delivers another sizzling series starring her mouthwatering brand of high-octane, insomnia-inducing heroes. Introducing the Rough Riders’ Hockey Series... -
![Adriana by Kat Masen]()
Adriana by Kat Masen
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe vows were exchanged and Adriana had her whole life planned out. Marriage, babies and a fabulous career. Life was perfect, until the day the only man she had ever been with, the man who had stolen her heart at the tender age of seventeen, was taken away before his time. Desperate, angry and unable to heal, Adriana hits rock bottom and is forced to seek help for the sake of her son... -
![Wild Heart by Beth Ehemann]()
Wild Heart by Beth Ehemann
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFor Lawrence “Viper” Finkle, hockey isn’t just a sport, it’s a way of life. Since the first time he stepped onto the ice at just eight years old, he knew what he was meant to do, and he does it well. When his career takes an unexpected hit, and his relationship is pushed to the breaking point, he’s left sidelined and wondering what his future holds... -
![Going Deep by Nikki Ash]()
Going Deep by Nikki Ash
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratings*Standalone enemies-to-lover's football romance* Going deep: In football it means running down the field for a long pass. You’re serious. Committed. Unstoppable. As a wide receiver, it’s a term I’m all too familiar with. It’s who I am, at least when it comes to my career. For the past decade, football has been the only thing I’ve allowed myself to commit to... -
![Livvy by Lori L. Otto]()
Livvy by Lori L. Otto
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIn her first year of college at Yale, challenging courses and new friends provide a much-needed distraction for Livvy Holland. Beyond the tears–for the most part– she won’t allow the lingering anger she harbors toward her ex-boyfriend to consume her. Even after taking steps to conceal her identity, Livvy is still very recognizable and popular among her new classmates... -
![Enjoy the Ride by Rebecca Sharp]()
Enjoy the Ride by Rebecca Sharp
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFrom International Bestselling author, Dr. Rebecca Sharp, comes the new standalone in the Winter Games series... Chance The Wheel of Fortune (Card 10): Things tend to go in cycles. Good times then bad.Do you know what it's like to lose everything? I do.Eight years ago, Jessa Lynn Madison and the title "Best Snowboarder in the US" were both mine... -
![Rock Me Harder by Jenna Jacob]()
Rock Me Harder by Jenna Jacob
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsI dazzle the world when I play the guitar, But I never let anyone dazzle my heart… Until I spent one night with her. Darren Ash is living the dream. As lead guitarist for iconic rock band Licks of Leather, he seemingly has it all. But secretly he’s struggling to forget the woman he shared a scorching encounter with over two years ago... -
![Nate by Kat Mizera]()
Nate by Kat Mizera
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTo win, you have to play the game... Rising hockey star Nate Calloway has overcome a lot to get where he is. Playing professional hockey for the Las Vegas Sidewinders, he plans to keep his head down and do the one thing he’s good at: hockey. Everything is going according to plan until a gorgeous, spunky journalist falls into his lap... -
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![The Wolfe Brothers Trilogy by Jami Davenport]()
The Wolfe Brothers Trilogy by Jami Davenport
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThree sports. Three broken brothers. Torn apart by tragedy and forever bound by traumatic pasts. Thrust together once again when their paths cross in Seattle. MELTING ICE Brimming with attitude and broken beyond repair, Isaac "Ice" Wolfe has a heart as cold as his nickname, and he likes it that way--until he meets his neighbor Avery Maxwell... -
![Love and Other Things by Juliana Stone]()
Love and Other Things by Juliana Stone
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBeck Jacobs makes a living restoring and fixing homes. The only thing he can’t fix, is himself. A part of him died the night his fiancé was taken, and he’s accepted the fact he’ll live his life alone. What he doesn’t count on is Sidney Barrett, a woman more broken than he is... -
![Penalty Play by Jami Davenport]()
Penalty Play by Jami Davenport
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSingle dad and star defenseman Matt LaRue lives for his kids and hockey. He's had one failed marriage and doesn't have any interest in going through that hell again. As conservative as they come, he can't comprehend his unexplainable attraction to a free-spirited female who changes hair color more often than his boys create new excuses to avoid doing their homework... -
![Bliss by Kaylee Ryan]()
Bliss by Kaylee Ryan
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsCooper Reese Latham was about to make the biggest mistake of her life. At eight-years-old, we vowed to be best friends for the rest of our lives, thinking nothing could ever change that. We were both wrong— we made mistakes, and grew apart. Until I realized living without her wasn’t an option.I was almost too late... but I wouldn’t stand by and watch her walk down the aisle to another man... -
![The Hail Mary by Ginger Scott]()
The Hail Mary by Ginger Scott
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsSixteen years is a long time. In a marriage, it’s a milestone. On the gridiron, it’s a miracle. Reed Johnson wants more time for everything, but time is funny that way. It can be cruel. With a body that can’t quite take the hits it used to and a heart tired of being torn in two different directions, Reed is faced with a reality he’s not quite ready for—life without the game... -
![Coen by Sawyer Bennett]()
Coen by Sawyer Bennett
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsCoen Highsmith was a league star, but he lost more than his team the day the Pittsburgh Titans’ plane crashed... -
![Tigerland by Sean Kennedy]()
Tigerland by Sean Kennedy
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAfter an eventful and sometimes uncomfortably public courtship, Simon Murray and Declan Tyler settled into a comfortable life together. Now retired from the AFL, Declan works as a football commentator; Simon develops programs with queer content for a community television station. Despite their public professional lives, Simon and Declan manage to keep their private life out of the spotlight... -
![One Minute Later: A Novel by Susan Lewis]()
One Minute Later: A Novel by Susan Lewis
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsInternational bestselling author Susan Lewis’ riveting, unforgettable novel of a woman whose life changes in an instant and the handsome young man with whom she shares a secret history—perfect for readers of Jodi Picoult, Diane Chamberlain, and Susan Wiggs. How well do you know the people you love? For one young woman returning to the past, the answer could be heart-shattering.. -
![Kau, Aku, dan Sepucuk Angpau Merah by Tere Liye]()
Kau, Aku, dan Sepucuk Angpau Merah by Tere Liye
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsAda tujuh miliar penduduk bumi saat ini. Jika separuh saja dari mereka pernah jatuh cinta, maka setidaknya akan ada satu miliar lebih cerita cinta. Akan ada setidaknya 5 kali dalam setiap detik, 300 kali dalam semenit, 18.000 kali dalam setiap jam, dan nyaris setengah juta sehari-semalam, seseorang entah di belahan dunia mana, berbinar, harap-harap cemas, gemetar, malu-malu menyatakan perasaanya... -
![Secret Keeper by Stacey Lynn]()
Secret Keeper by Stacey Lynn
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhat started as a typical night out with my team, became the best night of my life.Picking up a smoking hot blonde, I take her back to the hotel, expecting the evening to go down like any other.But nothing about her is average… she’s sassy, witty and throws me off my game. After one incredible night, I wake up wanting to see her more than I want to go to hockey practice... -
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![Denim Diaries 1: 16 Going on 21 by Darrien Lee]()
Denim Diaries 1: 16 Going on 21 by Darrien Lee
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAnother great book in the Denim Dairies... -
![Strike Zone by Eva Haining]()
Strike Zone by Eva Haining
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLove isn't a BALL GAME... it's a CAGE FIGHT!I find her so elegant, and yet I know she could kick my ass with ease.Lincoln Nash is the top hitter in major league baseball, and a World Series Champion. When his best friend hooks up with the sister of MMA fighter, Dee Lex, he’s eager for an introduction. She’s strong, fearless, and effortlessly beautiful... -
![Interception: A sports romantic comedy (Hall of Fame) by Eva Haining]()
Interception: A sports romantic comedy (Hall of Fame) by Eva Haining
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsBecoming a baby daddy wasn’t part of the plan…Cooper ‘Coop’ Danford is an NFL Titan and hot commodity to his female fans. Not one to settle down, Coop enjoys the spoils of fame and fortune. It's not until sassy, sexy, Zoey ‘Zee’ Porter literally shows up on his doorstep that he contemplates something more.Zee is a woman who knows what she wants, and she's not afraid to take it... -
![Changing Lanes by Leaona Luxx]()
Changing Lanes by Leaona Luxx
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCHANGE... It's change and how well you handle it which defines a person. Three times in my life, I have been faced with such changes. Once when I was fourteen. Again, at eighteen. And now again at twenty-eight. Twice, she was there. Ten years ago, I gave up everything, including her. At the time, it was the right thing to do, for both our sakes... -
![Be With Me by Jessica Cunsolo]()
Be With Me by Jessica Cunsolo
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsJessica Cunsolo’s With Me series continues with Jason and Jackson Parker who are all grown up now and ready to follow in their brother Aiden's footsteps. Sisters Siena and Gia Amato have just moved to King City. On their first night in town, Siena is almost run over by the devastatingly handsome Jason Parker who’s trying to evade arrest after getting caught drag-racing by the police... -
![Ruthless Heir by Aidèe Jaimes]()
Ruthless Heir by Aidèe Jaimes
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsIf love is the deadliest weapon, I’m about to discover just how much I can bleed.My father always warned me against falling in love. That all it would bring is pain and betrayal. But when I meet Noah and his golden gaze trails over me like a fiery tongue that heats my skin, I want nothing more than to prove him wrong.I should know better... -
![Whisper by Cambria Hebert]()
Whisper by Cambria Hebert
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCan you whisper?Something I never thought I’d ask the guy who is exactly my typebut completely wrong for me.Someone I sneak secret glances at from a distance while vowing to never get too close.And then I get tossed in jail. With him.Know how forced proximity and extreme panic go together?They don’t... -
![Good Sensations by S.L. Scott]()
Good Sensations by S.L. Scott
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsEvan Ashford is sex personified. He makes me feel things I never have and crave things I'm not sure I should. Time doesn't exist when we're together-all of our worries becoming obsolete. Our tongues touch, and as if by memory, they move in harmony, feeling at peace, feeling at home... -
![Home Run by Bernadette Marie]()
Home Run by Bernadette Marie
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIn one moment Christian Keller's life was changed. Now as he picks up the pieces he wonders if he can possibly recoup what he lost. Victoria Lincoln had a promising future with Christian until an accident took the life of her sister and left her as guardian to her two small children. Their lives have gone in different directions, but Christian and Victoria's paths will cross again... -
![Line Drive by Sloan Johnson]()
Line Drive by Sloan Johnson
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsPJ Nolan just has to get through this year. He’d been hoping for a trade to Milwaukee, where he wouldn’t have to hide the fact that he was gay, but that didn’t pan out. He’s close enough to achieving his goal that he can’t walk away, no matter how hostile the Miami clubhouse had become... -
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![Kick by Ali Dean]()
Kick by Ali Dean
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBuzzing anticipation. Floating weightlessness. Adrenaline rush. All the best feelings wrapped into an emotional high that never gets old. I think I might be addicted to falling in love. When rising rock star Jack Kingston comes to play on our college campus, I think he’ll be just another fix... -
![Want You to Want Me by Lorelei James]()
Want You to Want Me by Lorelei James
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe new sexy contemporary romance in New York Times bestselling author Lorelei James's Want You series, set in Minneapolis-St. Paul.Hockey player Gabriella "Gabi" Welk spent her life in pursuit of championships, but she has little to show for it besides dusty trophies and second-place medals. Now her career consists of several part-time jobs to make ends meet... -
![Fight by Molly McLain, Sara Eirew]()
Fight by Molly McLain, Sara Eirew
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratings**This is not a standalone. Check out FLY (Velocity, #1) first. amzn.to/2dPfsgW :) ** The story continues... I trusted Colton with every bit of myself. I believed him when he promised he'd never hurt me. But he broke me...and now I watch him give another woman everything I thought would be mine. I never saw this coming... -
![When Love Hurts by Shaquanda Dalton]()
When Love Hurts by Shaquanda Dalton
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsEver since her grandmother died on the day of her high school graduation, Jessica never had a family. Now she's grown up and has fallen in love with a man named Chris that she thought was her soul mate. But she was wrong. When she discovers evidence of Chris' infidelity she confronts him. One thing leads to another and she leaves his place battered and bruised... -
![Goaltending: Seattle Sockeyes Hockey by Jami Davenport]()
Goaltending: Seattle Sockeyes Hockey by Jami Davenport
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsWANTED: single dad needs nanny. In more ways than one. Martin "Brick" Bricker is living the good life. He's playing the sport he loves, has all the women he can handle, and parties like a rock star. At twenty-six, he has no interest in slowing down or taking anything seriously —except hockey, of course. Then a knock at his door changes everything... -
![Falling into Infinity by Layne Harper]()
Falling into Infinity by Layne Harper
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsPre-med student Caroline “Charlie” Collins, a sophomore at Texas A&M, knows exactly what she wants in life and the order that it will happen: finish college, complete medical school, and then fall in love. A chance meeting with A&M’s star quarterback Colin McKinney changes everything. A friendship between the two grows over time and blossoms into a powerful love affair...
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