Books like 'Playing Dirty'
Readers who enjoyed Playing Dirty by Beth Bolden also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
contemporary romance sports mlm friends-to-lovers lgbtq forced-proximity
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Free from Falling by E.L. Massey
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsJustin “Matts” Matthews is good at a lot of things: Rubik’s Cubes, playing guitar, herding cattle, and most importantly for his career in the NHL, hockey. He’s not good at human interactions or social cues, especially when it comes to women. This deficiency is an annoyance rather than a problem, right up until he meets Sydney Warren. If it’s not love at first sight, it’s sure something close... -
Splintered by Isabel Lucero
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWelcome to Black Diamond Resort and Spa —the best place to go when all you want to do is disappear and not have anyone expect anything of you.Overwhelmed with work and feeling like I’m being pulled in multiple directions at once, I crave the serenity a private island holds for me...Categorized as:
mlm sports lgbtq friends-to-lovers forced-proximity romance contemporary bisexuality -
Censored Soul by Anne Malcom
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI give myself to strangers. When I'm on stage, and when I'm off it. Whether it's throngs of screaming fans or just one man, it's always outsiders. People who don't know me. Not the real me. It's easier, because then it's not so obvious that there is no real me. Just layers of lies. Then I'm peeled back to the nerve. Showing the world my ugly. Everyone sees me for what I am... -
#HEA: Happily Ever After by Cambria Hebert
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsJingle Bells Christmas smells Chopping down a tree Travis states: Santa’s fake! Oh for goodness sake! Trent, Drew, and the entire hashtag crew are back for holiday shenanigans! When Travis declares, “Santa’s fake!” the family bands together to deliver Christmas magic and the joy of family into the heart of a little boy who never had a reason to believe... -
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Take a Chance on Me by Alexa Land
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFree-spirited ballet dancer Quinn is sure he made a terrible mistake by agreeing to be Duke’s roommate. The big cop is the most uptight person Quinn’s ever met, and both men begin driving each other crazy from day one. Before long though, an undeniable spark of attraction ignites between them... -
Blood & Milk by N.R. Walker
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratings** LGBT Romance.Heath Crowley is an Australian man, born with two different coloured eyes and the gift—or curse—of having premonition dreams. He also has nothing left to live for. Twelve months after having his life upended, his dreams tell him where he needs to be. So with nothing―and no one―to keep him in Sydney, he simply boards a plane for Tanzania... -
Old Ink by Ali Lyda
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsHe’s way too young and he works for me … so why can’t I stay away? I had no trouble saying no to Channing when he left for college two years ago. I’m two and a half decades older than him and he was just a kid. But he’s all man now and it’s hard to stay away. Especially when he takes a job at my tattoo shop for the summer. He’s got his whole life ahead of him. I can’t let him waste it on me... -
Messy Ink by Ali Lyda
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsDane Chris is a great doctor, but he can’t heal me… I learned to look out for myself on the streets and in juvie. I’ve cleaned up my act, but it doesn’t mean that I’m about to start trusting a guy to stick around. Especially not a clean cut doctor like Chris. No wonder I ended things between us the first time around. I’m sure it’s for the best... -
Jem and Tean: Guys Gone Wild by Gregory Ashe
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsJem and Tean: Guys Gone Wild is a collection of short stories. It includes the following:“First Dates”A prequel to The Lamb and the Lion books, this short story shows Jem and Tean as they are set up on blind dates—with disastrous results.“Cheap Seats”Jem and Tean go to the movies. Jem insists it’s an epic bromance date. Tean insists they’re just casual acquaintances... -
Wheels Down by Beth Bolden
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsShaw isn’t his friend—until Ross discovers he’s so much more. Ross Stanton is having a bad week—a bad month—really, a bad year. But the last thing he wants, after the betrayal of his friend and business partner, is for anyone else to know just how much he’s fighting for survival... -
Forbidden Ink by Ali Lyda
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsI’m not a deadbeat.I didn’t know my kid existed before Milo showed up, but now that I do, I’m determined to keep my beautiful little Sofie in my life. Even if it means I need to spend time around her irritable uncle, Milo. The man pushes all of my buttons.He riles me up until I can’t think of anything except kissing him. Definitely not the reaction he expects... -
Rules of Engagement by Brigham Vaughn
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsRule #1: Don't fall in love with your best friend's brotherAfter Anders Lindholm lost his wife and baby daughter in a car accident, he knew he’d never find love like that again.Hockey, routines, and his team are all that have kept him going since.But as he approaches forty, an injury makes him consider what life after retirement will be like... -
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... -
Lost And Found by Aiden Bates
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI’m going to die on this cliff with only a bobcat kitten for company. I’m sure of it until the hottest man I’ve ever seen swoops in and makes me leap.Eli’s made for danger, and he dedicates his life to finding desperately stranded hikers like me.He’s too perfect to be true.I’ve fallen hard before and ended up bruised and battered.I have to resist him... -
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Text Talk by merlywhirls
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsFandom: Harry PotterRelationship: Sirius Black/Remus Lupin--------------------------------------------------Sirius is in boarding school, Remus is in the hospital, and they don't know each other until Sirius texts the wrong number... -
Stick Shift by K.M. Neuhold
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIs it possible my straight best friend had a sudden stick shift?I made peace with my hopeless crush on my straight best friend, Journey, years ago. It helps that he’s never in the country long and our relationship consists of sporadic texts and video chats at odd hours.Now Journey is back. Back in the country, in my space, sharing my bed, and something is changing between us... -
Don't You Dare by C.E. Ricci
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsIt was never meant to be more than a dare.A party game. A dare. A single kiss.That’s all it took to flip my world upside down.I’ve always classified myself as straight, and as far as I can tell, so has he.I didn’t think one kiss would change that, but I was so wrong.Now, I can’t stop thinking about him. In all the ways I shouldn’t.My best friend.Aspen... -
The Freshman Year by Adam Van Dyck
Rated: 4.13 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsHey guys! It’s Tyler here, and this is the newest chapter of my life. Y’all are not going to believe this, but…I just joined the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee’s Men’s Soccer team! No, seriously, I actually did! I’m officially a Panther now! I did well on my youth soccer team, and I destroyed the opposing team in high school lacrosse, so I should be ready for college soccer, right?I wish... -
Unexpected Dreams by Isabelle Peterson
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDivorce 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... -
Handmade Holidays by 'Nathan Burgoine
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAt nineteen, Nick is alone for the holidays and facing reality: this is how it will be from now on. Refusing to give up completely, Nick buys a Christmas tree, and then realizes he has no ornaments. A bare tree and an empty apartment aren’t a great start, but a visit from his friend Haruto is just the ticket to get him through this first, worst, Christmas... -
Suffocate: A Senses Series Novel by Xavier Neal
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsER Nurse, Luke Hart, is known for his desire to take care of others and his need to be in control at all times. However, Stuart Ducane knows exactly which buttons to push to make sure Luke relinquishes both. When the chance comes for them to take their delicate friendship that's coated in secret desires to the next level, the timing isn't convenient and neither are the circumstances... -
Blooming by Sean Ashcroft
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsInstagram crush. Instant fling.The last thing amateur food photographer Milo expects to find in the sleepy town of Otter Bay is the cute boy he’s been crushing on from Instagram. He’s in town to help his pregnant sister, not to look for a fling, but his best friend is right—it’s been so long since he got laid that they’ll be reissuing his v-card any day now... -
Maddie by Annabella Michaels
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAfter witnessing firsthand just how dirty and underhanded a life in politics can be, Maddie Vanderhorne steps off the campaign trail to follow his passion. Starting his own event planning business is the best decision Maddie’s ever made, quickly winning over his clients with his vibrant and outgoing personality... -
Winning the Season by Beth Bolden
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCoach Asa Dawson has fallen wildly in love only twice in his life.First with football.Then with Scott Callaway.But Scott isn’t just the one who got away.He’s the one person—the one man—Asa hoped might finally show him how all-consuming passion could be.Instead, fate (and football) intervened and they never got the chance to explore their attraction... -
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The Red Zone by Beth Bolden
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSpencer’s deep in the Red Zone and it’s time to even the score. Nine years ago Spencer Evans became the first player out of the closet to be drafted into the NFL. Everyone believed he had aspirations to change the world but all Spencer ever wanted to do was play football for a team that accepted him wholeheartedly... -
When the Storm Comes by M.A. Innes
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDonovan’s day just keeps getting worse. It might not have been the zombie apocalypse, but a tsunami and hurricane hitting the East Coast at the same time was definitely the start to a bad B-movie. Alone and doing his best to run from the impending wall of water that was only hours away, Donovan thought his day couldn’t get any worse. It could...Categorized as:
mlm forced-proximity lgbtq friends-to-lovers contemporary slow-burn new-adult fiction -
Head Over Heels by Jayda Marx
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDwayne - Twenty years ago, there was a terrible accident which put my son in a wheelchair and took the life of the woman whom I thought I’d spend my life with. I became depressed and despondent, and pushed everyone away. I could have lost it all forever, but fate, a little luck, and a firecracker named Finn helped me piece my life back together... -
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... -
Sheets by Sareyen
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratings[BxB] Waking up next to someone after having a little too much to drink was no new, riveting story in this day and age. Waking up next to another boy, when you were also a boy, was a little more interesting, but still nothing to write home about. But waking up in Nico Beckett's sheets?To Wesley, it was a nightmare come to life... -
Let’s Bi Curious by Romeo Alexander
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsDalton: It was just a kiss! I didn’t mean anything by it. We’ve always been close, but I’ve barely shown an interest in anyone, and Zane’s only ever chased women. We know what’s what and where we belong. Zane was the one who said we should do it again…just to check…and wow! Now everything’s changing, and it’s great…but it’s terrifying... -
Finding Their Balance by M.Q. Barber
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThree’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... -
Chandler: Training Days Book 1 by J.D. Light
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsChandler Bell When my boyfriend breaks up with me because I'm overweight, I go to the one place I feel the most comfortable. Oddly enough, it's the gym I was basically raised in. Things have changed over the years, but the people inside are my family. Some of them literally. Baker reluctantly agrees to help me get in shape, and so begins the torture... -
Chasing Fate by Mia Monroe
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHooking up with your friend is a totally acceptable way to pass the time until your soulmate shows up. Right?I’m on a mission - happily ever after or bust. I just know my handsome, successful, bearded prince is out there waiting for me to find him. I’ve had my cards read a million times. This is my destiny... -
Fancy Free by Mia Monroe
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe last thing I need is a curious straight guy sniffing around me. So why is he so hard to resist?My life is everything I ever wanted - by design. Being one of the nation’s most sought after wedding planners has led to a life of traveling to glamorous locations, bumping elbows with the rich and famous, and sampling every handsome hunk the world has to offer... -
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Operation Makeover by D.J. Jamison
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWill a makeover bring his fantasy to life or lead him to a love he never saw coming? As a professional X-ray tech, Ridley has come a long way from the geeky kid Jace took under his wing in high school. Not that his best friend has noticed. Tired of pining, Ridley decides to show Jace what he’s missing... -
Reckless Impulse by L.A. Shaw
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAs kids, we had an unexplainable bond. One I don’t think we even understood back then.Over time, the pull between us developed into something we could no longer ignore.We were reckless, we were impulsive, we were… everything.Until it all came shattering down...Categorized as:
sports friends-to-lovers forced-proximity mlm romance contemporary small-town family -
The Best Wedding Ever by Eden Finley, Saxon James
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA short featuring Jacabs and Beck from Face Offs & Cheap Shots book two of the CU Hockey by Eden Finley & Saxon... -
Concussion Protocol: A Short & Spicy MM Romance by Rebecca Rathe
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA sweet and spicy short story by Rebecca RatheHe's a ten, but he's my ex-boyfriend's straight teammate and my patient... -
Traded by Carly Marie
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDangerous is moving the new trade in when you have secrets to hide Trevor Cane’s built a name for himself in the NHL. At 5’4” he’s one of the shortest players to ever play professional hockey. He also has a secret. A secret that he’s kept from everyone. But a surprise phone call from a friend leaves Trevor risking it all... -
Surprise Play by Carly Marie
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAn 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... -
Two Best Men, Only One Bed! by Romeo Alexander
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBlake: Planning my twin brother’s wedding seemed like a feat on its own. But I’m the only family he’s got left, and really, I couldn’t be happier for him. Turns out, planning a wedding isn’t so hard, especially when the other best man is such a big help. Of course, I wasn’t expecting to have to share a bed with the man or to discover he’s a cuddler and a little handsy... -
Snowed by R.J. Scott, V.L. Locey
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA second chance at love is all Kyle wants for Christmas, but a dark menace from his past wants him dead, and love is second to staying alive.Kyle Lourenco has carved out a comfortable life and career for himself in Boston. With the holidays quickly approaching, he’s heading home for the first time in several years. Home to his loving parents and the small Canadian town where he was raised... -
Una maldita confusión by América Rodas
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsJean 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... -
My Ride, I Love You by Patrick Rangimant
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsThis is a love story of Mork, who is a motorcycle taxi driver in Bangkok, and Tawan, a junior internal medicine resident doctor in the university hospital. Seems like they both have a small chance to meet, let alone the falling in love, but it did happen... -
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Forever Man by A.J. DeWall
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA bond forged in Catholic school, an unspoken attraction that outlasts years of separation and other relationships. Ren and Cole never acted on that thing that always bubbled beneath the surface of their friendship, not until a chance encounter in a Santa Fe bar and a song that would tip the scales forced them to confront their feelings... -
The Soccer Field Is Empty by Mark A. Roeder
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe Soccer Field Is Empty is the story of teen love, steamy romance, friendship, loyalty, understanding, and ancient prejudice. Here is a tale that breaks the stereotypes of the ignorant and peers into the soul of two boys who want what we all want; to love and be loved... -
False Start by Sloan Johnson
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNixon Cross isn’t wired to share his life with anyone. He’d considered a relationship once, but after the one man patient enough to put up with all his quirks shut him down, he committed all of his energy to football and helping his players. Now, one of his players need more help than Nixon can provide and his former flame is the one man who will know what to do... -
Spiced Kisses by Charlie Novak
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOne broken collarbone, two stubborn men, three interfering chefs, four weeks to go, five chewed garlands, and The Pear Tree covered in snow…Ben’s Christmas Plans:1. Finish the staff schedules, get the orders done, and make sure the next month runs smoothly because December is hell.2. Break collarbone at rugby.3. Scrap all plans. Drag Ianto in to help.4... -
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 Parker St. John
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOld enough to know better. Straight enough to know better. But this rugged cowboy can’t rein it in around his innocent young ranch hand…Michael Whittaker survived two military tours and more tragedy than any man could bear, but it was his wife’s death that broke him. The rugged widower has sworn off relationships. Celibacy might make him cranky, but it keeps everyone safe...
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