Books like 'The Summer Playbook'
Readers who enjoyed The Summer Playbook by Jaqueline Snowe also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance sports university friends-to-lovers found-family forced-proximity multi-pov season-summer grumpy-sunshine
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On the Surface by Nikki Ash
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsPeople see what they want to see. They only view what’s on the surface, and they’re easy to fool. I let them see on the outside that I’m a successful businesswoman. My clothes are designer, my makeup flawless, and I live in a high-rise condo in Lennox Hills. They see perfection, not what lies beneath the surface...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc forced-proximity grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine multi-pov sports adult age-gap -
Finn Rhodes Forever by Stephanie Archer
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe guy who broke my heart is now an arrogant, too-hot firefighter… who’s hell-bent on getting me back. This summer, I have one goal: field work. I need it to finish my PhD. I never expected Finn Rhodes to offer help. He broke my heart twelve years ago, and now that he’s back in town, I want nothing to do with him. Finn wants one thing—me. We were inseparable as kids until everything changed...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc forced-proximity friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine multi-pov adult book -
Tutoring the Player by Rebecca Jenshak
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA sexy opposites attract standalone novel from USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Jenshak.I have a type.I love the good guy.Responsible and stable. Safe.So when a beer-drinking, quick-witted, tattooed hockey player asks me to tutor him, I'm suddenly thrust into the world of bad boys and bad decisions.Jordan is a renowned player on campus...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine multi-pov sports university athlete -
Starting Over Scottish: A Grumpy Sunshine Holiday Romance by Tricia O'Malley
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 12 ratings...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc forced-proximity found-family grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine multi-pov adult book -
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1 Last Shot by Nikki Castle
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHe's running from his past.She's searching for a new future.Their journeys are about to collide.When an injury overturns her ballet career, Isabella decides to move to a new city so she can start fresh and discover who she is without dance. The last person she expects to meet is the angry MMA fighter living next door... -
A Little Complicated by Kelsie Rae
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsArcher Buchanan is perfect. He's sweet. Attentive. Passionate.He's been my best friend for as long as I can remember and when I find myself in a pickle, he's the first to bail me out.Always.I should've known he'd insist on taking me to prom after my Mystery Man broke my heart an hour before he was supposed to pick me up.Now I'm moving in next door to my new boyfriend and his twin brother..Categorized as:
sports university forced-proximity friends-to-lovers multi-pov found-family romance new-adult -
My Kind of Perfect by Nikki Ash
Rated: 4.45 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom author Nikki Ash comes a roommates to lovers, single dad romance...GeorgiaI’m surrounded by love, yet have no one to call my own.But then Chase, my new roommate, is suddenly there.He could be the perfect guy for me, if he wasn’t nursing a broken heart.The more time I waste looking for love, the more I realize that what I want has been right in front of me all along...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc forced-proximity friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine adult age-gap book -
Strike Zone by Ginger Walls
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWYATT:All my friends are under the impression I’m only at Newhouse to chase women and play baseball. Those are two of my favorite pastimes.The truth is, Newhouse is my chance to save my family’s farm. If I don’t get drafted, we’ll lose everything we’ve been working hard to keep.Then I hear her sing and she’s all I can think about. It’s messing up my game and putting my future in jeopardy...Categorized as:
university sports friends-to-lovers grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity romance -
Out of Focus by Cristina Santos
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCan two people, brought together by chance and mutual need, overcome their differences and find a love that defies the odds?Rafael and Charlie are two souls destined to collide. He is a vibrant Brazilian CEO with a deep seated desire to find love. She is a British redhead navigating life in finance while trying to prepare for a potentially monotonous relationship... -
Forever Wild by Rebecca Jenshak
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe annoyingly handsome hockey captain glaring at me needs my help.He won't admit that, of course. But with his teammate's gone for the summer and him fresh off a season-ending injury, someone has to keep him in check and it's not the nurses he keeps running off... -
Reckless Fate by Kate Crew
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsDaisy WellsI never planned to kiss Kye that night, but with him being the only one not scared of my ex, it became my only chance to get back at him. But now, I’m pretending to be the girlfriend of the town troublemaker while trying to not let that be known to my father...Categorized as:
university found-family friends-to-lovers grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc sports romance -
Savor It by Tarah Dewitt
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsSummer won't last forever.Sage Byrd has lived in the coastal town of Spunes, Oregon (not to be confused with Forks, Washington) her entire life. She's learned to love her small world, with the misfit animals on her hobby farm, and her friendships with the town’s inhabitants... -
Over My Brother's Dead Body, Chase Andrews by Piper Rayne
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsChase Andrews.The Kingsmen’s top tight end.My brother’s friend and teammate.My new neighbor.The grumpy to my sunshine.But underneath that grumpy exterior, there’s so much more.Chase likes to pretend nothing affects him, but I’ve seen glimpses of his other side in the time we’ve spent together.And the more we get to know each other, the more I’m falling for him...Categorized as:
sports grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc friends-to-lovers forced-proximity multi-pov romance -
Don't Let Me Break by Kelsie Rae
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsMacklin and I are just friends.And even that's a stretch.He saw me at my most vulnerable, and now the guy's popping up left and right.Pretty sure it's because my friend is trying to set me up with him, but what do I know?It's not like I have much experience with guys.And he's...well, Macklin's older, much more experienced, and bluntly put?Way out of my league...Categorized as:
university sports friends-to-lovers grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc romance new-adult -
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Burnout by Rebecca Jenshak
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsHe’s the hot, tattooed bad boy that I traded insults with...and now he wants my help? Knox Holland is in a jam. After an incredible first year on the pro motocross circuit, he should be on top of the world. Instead, his bad reputation has landed him without a team. He’s untouchable and desperate to turn it around. Which is how he ends up at my gym asking me to train him...Categorized as:
sports university forced-proximity grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc multi-pov romance -
Stay by Willow Aster
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA scorching hot small town, age gap, single father/nanny romance by USA Today bestselling author Willow Aster... -
Upping the Ante by Emma St. Clair
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHe's been the grumpiest boss a woman could ask for--or he WAS until I quit. But former football star Deacon Clark doesn't seem to be getting the memo. Instead, he tags along with me to Sheet Cake, Texas, where I'm hoping to start a new business.Deacon's only hope is to hire me back as his assistant. At least, that's what I thought. Until ... the very clear lines we've always kept start to blur... -
When I'm with You by Samantha Brinn
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe first time I saw Julie Parker, the gorgeous, brilliant, sharp tongued lawyer knocked the wind right out of me.The second time I saw Julie Parker, our eyes met across a football field.The third time I saw Julie Parker, we had a *moment* and I was certain she was meant to be mine.The fourth time I saw Julie Parker, she was struggling... -
Second Down Scrooge by Lisa Suzanne
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA steamy pro football, second chance, single mom, single dad holiday romance from Amazon Top Ten Bestselling author Lisa Suzanne. I never planned to give Austin Graham, the tight end for the Vegas Aces and the father of my little girl, a second chance this holiday season. After all, he messed up. Big time... -
Perfect Praise by Grace Pearce
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsMaren and Locke both exist in the same world of professional golf—he's the number one player in the world while she just takes his picture.Never mind that Locke unintentionally leads the press to believe that he and Maren are dating, because when she confronts him, he couldn't care less...Categorized as:
sports grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc forced-proximity romance athlete contemporary -
Rule Breaker by Stacey Lynn
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSpending the night in jail isn’t exactly how I planned to spend Christmas, but I’ve had worse holidays… Now that I’m out, it’s time to accept my real punishment. Coaching ten-year-old terrors on the ice, in my non-existent free time. My Coach thinks it’d be good for me. Remind me where I came from. He should know I’ve tried every day of my life for the last ten years to forget...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc forced-proximity friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine sports adult book -
Unloved by Peyton Corinne
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe highly anticipated follow-up to Peyton Corinne’s “unputdownable and unforgettable” (Bal Khabra, author of Collide) TikTok sensation Unsteady follows hopeless romantic Ro and player—on and off the ice—Freddy as their feelings for each other grow from strictly friendly to so much more. Matt “Freddy” Fedderic is all smiles—at least on the surface...Categorized as:
sports university friends-to-lovers forced-proximity found-family romance contemporary new-adult -
How to Honeymoon Alone by Olivia Hayle
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA paradise island. Two strangers. The attraction they never saw coming…When Eden dumped her cheating ex before the wedding, the last thing she expected was to go on their tropical honeymoon alone. But with no refunds possible, she packs her budget guidebook and broken heart, and sets off... -
One Last Play by Annah Conwell
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsShe could be the one. I’ve spent twelve years caring for my niece Maddie who I adopted after my sister died. Having a daughter has made me picky when it comes to the women I spend time with. Not to mention dealing with the pressure of being a college football coach. But when I spot MJ at a mutual friend’s wedding, something draws me toward her...Categorized as:
sports grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc friends-to-lovers forced-proximity multi-pov romance -
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Homebound by Meredith Trapp
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsShe’s Texas's toughest bull rider, and he’s determined to win her heart.Dakota and Wyatt. Storm and sunshine. Growing up, they were as inseparable as a pair of cowboy boots. The best of friends—or so Dakota thought... -
The Fake Zone by Mariah Dietz
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsA romance that will have you on the edge of your seat by USA Today Bestselling Author Mariah Dietz.Greyson Meyers can’t afford the distraction of a relationship. His focus is football and earning his degree to ensure his mom never has to work another day.Mila Atwool has it all together—at least, that’s what everyone thinks... -
Brogan by Samantha Whiskey
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThey call me Demon for a reason—I’m the most ruthless Reaper on the ice.I’m not the person who finds a baby on their doorstep.Except, after a morning run, I am.And the note accompanying the little bundle says she’s mine.Looks like I'm the newest single dad in the NHL.I was nothing but a burden on my aunt and uncle after my parents died, and I’d decided I’d never have children... -
Mother Maker by Jenni Bara
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAll I want is one night.One night away from the falling down brownstone filled with my three best friends, a broody billionaire, and our seven children. Oh, and you can’t forget those adorable raccoons.But the universe apparently has other ideas because I get drunk and sleep with the baseball player.Now two little lines turn my escape into a completely new adventure... -
Shortbread & the Scotsman by Lana Dash
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAINSLIEThere is nothing like Christmas in the Highlands of Scotland. Our village is known for many festivals, but nothing compares to the Christmas Matchmaking Festival. People visit from all over the Highlands, but there is only one Scotsman that I wish to be matched with this Christmas. But after a kiss and a misunderstanding over the summer, he's given me the cold shoulder... -
Legend by Isla Olsen, Willow Thomas
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTomLegend of the Game. That’s me, apparently. I suppose it’s meant to be a compliment, but to me it just sounds like one of those labels people slap on you when you’re on your way out. Legend. Stalwart. Dinosaur. It all sounds the same to me.I’ve been in the Premier League for over twenty years and I’m not ready to leave... -
Cold As Ice by L.A. Cotton
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAn angsty single mom hockey romance from USA Today and WSJ bestselling author L A Cotton. Are you ready to fall in love with a Laker?When Madison Reynolds accepts a dare to hit on the cute guy sitting alone at the bar, she doesn’t expect to see him again.Enter Austin Hart.Broody. Mysterious. With an icy stare that burns her to the core...Categorized as:
sports university found-family grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc multi-pov friends-to-lovers -
Scene Queen by Charlie Novak
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNote to self: just because he's hot and funny doesn't change the fact he's annoying AF.Hooking up with my irritating as hell neighbour wasn't on my agenda for the week, even if he is ridiculously gorgeous with a smile that lights up my life. His music is too loud, he’s too nosy… but I can’t stop myself from wanting more than a taste... -
Charmed by the Mountain Man by Lilah Hart
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHe needs someone to help with his infant. She gives him more than he bargained for.I’m not a tough boss. I don’t ask for much.But when my nanny walks out on me, I question everything.Then my neighbor’s girlfriend recommends her best friend. She’s been working catering, but her degree is in early childhood education. This friend has no experience as a nanny, but beggars can’t be choosers...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc friends-to-lovers romance age-gap contemporary anthologies -
Lovers Heights by Annie Dyer
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe deal was simple… Pretend to be in a relationship without falling for each other. Only I’m not sure I can hold my end of the bargain. I’m the sensible one out of my brothers. The reliable one. The one who doesn’t make hasty decisions. Or at least that was me until Ruby Murray turned up in my small town with her long legs and red lips, and a secret she needed me to help keep... -
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Kiss To Defy by Anna B. Doe
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsShe's a figure skating prodigy. He's a guy from the wrong side of tracks.They belong to two completely different worlds...After dedicating her entire life to figure skating, Rei Mitchell-Nagasaki is ready for a little bit of normal...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine multi-pov sports university book -
Ignited by Becca Steele
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMy life was perfect. A dream degree course, amazing friends, a different guy every weekend.Until him. One night.No names.We thought we’d never see each other again.But the man that blew my mind turns out to be Dr. Wilder, a lecturer at my university with a reputation of being cold and unapproachable.Completely wrong for me. He’s a teacher. I’m a student...Categorized as:
university sports grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc multi-pov found-family romance -
Calling it Safe by Lo Everett
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFriends with benefits—that’s the agreement. No commitments. No complications … but it’s never that simple.At my wit's end, I planned to spend the winter focusing on my writing, away from the soul-sucking grind that’s become my norm. The last person I expected to step in and save me when things go awry is my brother’s teammate, the intense and sometimes grumpy Dean Harrison... -
Frozen Flames by V.H. Nicolson
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI’ve been in love with Ash Johansson for as long as I can remember.Former hockey player for the NHL, he now has his dream job coaching the team he loves.Except, while he’s off living his best life, I’m left here.Not in a loveless marriage, but in something much worse; a lonely one.Our forever has fizzled out.So I do the only thing that makes sense... -
Scrape the Barrel by Karley Brenna
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHurt people know hurt people. Years ago, Sage McKinley thought settling down in small town Bell Buckle was the only way to protect her daughter. It didn't hurt that she managed to get a job at the local cafe, doing what she loved most: baking. The perfect life she'd built for them was all that mattered—until everything was turned upside down... -
Stealing Home by Grace Reilly
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsI should be focusing on my game–not on falling for my gorgeous, grumpy roommate… especially since she’s already left me once.SebastianIt’s my final season to prove myself before the MLB Draft. The last thing I need is a distraction–and especially not one as tantalizing as Mia di Angelo...Categorized as:
sports university forced-proximity friends-to-lovers grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc romance -
Before the Chaos by Maggie Rawdon
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsI have two goals when I head up to the mountain house with my older brother and his friends: get his best friend Xander to see me as something more than my brother’s little sister and lose my V-card before I leave on gap year. The more those two goals align, the better. So when I end up stuck sharing a room with the wrong best friend, I use it to my advantage... -
Bide by E.J. Blaise
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsOscar Jackson is a good man in a storm.Luna Evans is the storm.A notorious flirt.A serial anti-monogamist, Wild, carefree, and very, very loud.Luna has one rule in life; don't get attached.Until she meets Jackson. The nice guy on campus.People-pleaser to his core. Reluctant thrower of kick-ass parties. Quiet and unassuming and content to live his life firmly out of the spotlight...Categorized as:
sports university found-family friends-to-lovers grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc multi-pov -
Until Then by Micalea Smeltzer
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsI never thought I’d find myself craving the small-town life, but I’ve grown to hate LA and all that comes with it. When I get canceled after a celebrity interview goes terribly wrong, I put my life in the City of Angels on hold and hide out in Parkerville, Maine. My sister has made the small town her home, and my assistant lives there, too. So it seems like the most logical place to go... -
Playing Games by Max Monroe
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsDickson University’s star quarterback and campus golden boy is used to winning on and off the field…until he meets the one woman who changes the game.Blake Boden is the ultimate distraction—annoyingly handsome, enigmatic, and confident enough to make my teeth grind.He’s the kind of guy who could charm anyone with a single smile, and somehow, I’ve become his latest challenge... -
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But He's My Grumpy Neighbor by Annah Conwell
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIt’s not stalking if he’s your hot neighbor… right?At least, that’s what I tell myself when Adrian Carter moves in next door.His scowl should make me want to run in the other direction, but when I catch him smothering a smile around me, it makes me want to get to know him more... -
Seven of Hearts: A Best Friend's Brother Surprise Pregnancy Romance by Maggie C. Gates
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsI was living in a house of cards. All it took was one night for my mansion to come tumbling down.Every dream. Every goal.Forever changed.Either we own our mistakes, or the mistakes own us.Releasing Winter/Spring 2025. Cover and summary to come... -
The Fake Out by Jenni Bara
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThings only an idiot would do: 1. Develop an obsession for his best friend’s sister. 2. Agree to let her be his new roommate. 3. Kiss her. Hello I’m Emerson Knight and I am an idiot. I try to stay away from Gianna Damiano, I really do. But between crop tops and fiery glares I can’t get her off my mind... -
Heartless King by Maya Hughes
Rated: 4.11 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsTwo blue lines. That means not pregnant, right? Right? Oh, sh*t.Five years ago, Colm Frost asked me to marry him and I ran. I ran from my painful past too raw and fresh to escape. He was the only one who looked at me like I wasn’t broken and made me believe it. He made me feel it.Now, he’s the hot, angry, hockey player on the mend... -
Make the Play by Lucky Hart
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsJason King:Jason King has everything he could ever want—an amazing best friend, great relationships with his family, a job he loves, and the best fur babies in the whole world. He doesn't need a partner to share that with, and the burn in his chest when his baby brother snuggles up to his lifelong best friend is definitely indigestion and not jealousy, thanks...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers sports found-family multi-pov grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc romance -
Rush the Edge by S.J. Sylvis
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA brother’s best friend, enemies-to-lovers, hockey romance by Amazon Top 50 and USA Today bestselling author, S.J. Sylvis. I never would have moved to Chicago, if I had known he would be there.Moving to a brand new city to share an apartment with my older brother was bad enough...Categorized as:
sports forced-proximity found-family multi-pov grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc romance
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