Books like 'Hard Hitter'
Readers who enjoyed Hard Hitter by Nikki Hall also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
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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... -
Wild Side by Lacey Black
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsJamesonLast man standing. I’ve watched all three of my friends fall in love with no desire to ever follow in their footsteps. Collectively, we own the hottest restaurant, bar, and brewery in town. They are a few of the places I find peace, a refuge against this cruel world. When I’m on the stage playing music, everything just seems to fade away.Until I saw her...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine steamy adult book contemporary -
Bad Reputation by Krista Ritchie, Becca Ritchie
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsEveryone knows the Hales.Mega-rich and salaciously famous.No one knows shy, quiet Willow Moore.Until she makes one daring move that changes her world forever.At seventeen, Willow moves across the country to connect with her famous older brother, Loren Hale. Before she can even say hello, she runs into the teenager who’s been vandalizing Loren’s house with his group of delinquent friends...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine university adult book contemporary -
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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 -
Vengeful Rotten Casualties by Lucy Smoke
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI sold my soul to the devil only to turn around and slit his throat… Thomas Kincaid took everything from me. My mother. My hopes. My innocence.Now, it’s my turn.He thought he was safe.They all did.They were wrong.Men always think they can take without ever having to deal with the consequences. Well, now I’m back, and I'm the last consequence they’ll ever see... -
Wild Card by Maggie Rawdon
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThe infamous playboy and star wide receiver for the Seattle Phantom is the last person on earth I would ever expect to come to my rescue. Tobias Westfield and I can’t see eye-to-eye on anything. But when my date goes to hell and I end up stranded in the pouring rain on my birthday, he’s there—holding my hand and playing the adoring boyfriend. I might have had him all wrong... -
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 steamy romance -
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... -
Written at Randy's by Katherine McIntyre
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 5 ratingsAn adorkable author and an outgoing club kid as roommates only results in one thing—shenanigans! And of course, love.Love beyond the binary, serving up low angst trans romances at Randy's DinerWritten at Randy’s is a low angst M/X roommates to lovers romance between a reclusive trans male author and a life of the party bigender club kid that reads as a standalone...Categorized as:
found-family grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc friends-to-lovers steamy romance mlm -
Rapture by Skye Jordan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsNew York Times bestselling author Skye Jordan brings you another steamy Renegades story! As a premier stuntwoman in Hollywood, Zahara Parrish is no stranger to risk. Neglected as a child, she learned early on never to depend on others to keep her safe. Now, she’s as protective over her heart as she is over her hard earned success, which is why she’ll never mix business and pleasure... -
Not As Planned by Harlow James
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratings“So you’re single?” “Are you seriously hitting on me right now while I have breastmilk all over my shirt?”When Grant Thomas, the handsome stranger standing in front of me in line at the coffee shop, stripped his uniform shirt off and handed it to me, I could have sworn I was on an episode of Punked...Categorized as:
found-family grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc friends-to-lovers romance contemporary fiction -
The Fall Out by Jenni Bara
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsLet me tell the story of how I fell in love with a woman who had no idea that we were even dating. The ridiculousness started when she stole my beer, and trust me, my grumpy self doesn’t normally share. But somehow, Avery Wilson is the exception to every one of my many rules.Unfortunately, I’m not hers...Categorized as:
sports friends-to-lovers grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc romance slow-burn contemporary -
Houston, We Have a Problem by Dana LeCheminant
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsHouston Briggs is at a crossroads, facing the possible end of his career after a devastating injury. With an uncertain future ahead of him and his siblings finding their own happy endings, he’s desperately seeking peace and purpose.Enter Darcy Paxton, his refreshing new neighbor who is nothing like the women of his past relationships... -
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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...Categorized as:
sports found-family grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc friends-to-lovers multi-pov romance -
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... -
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... -
Fake it For Fortune by Weston Parker
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhoever said money can’t buy happiness is a liar.Take it from me. It buys loads of thrills.That is until my father sabotages me with a contingency.To have all my riches?I need a wife.Talk about old school.When I catch wind of a dating agency that helps billionaire bachelors like me, I see an opportunity.Appease my dad.Pretend to have a bride for six months.Give her the money...Categorized as:
multi-pov steamy grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc romance contemporary billionaire -
The Has-Been and the Hot Mess by Isabel Jordan
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHer job is to resurrect his image. Falling for him is not part of the plan...Kendall Quinn is a PR goddess. Meanwhile, her love life is a complete mess. So, when her latest romantic disaster leaves her jobless and homeless, it's time to take drastic measures. And that means dragging a grumpy, has-been rock star kicking and screaming back into the limelight. The job will be easy...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc steamy friends-to-lovers romance contemporary humor -
Dash: Rushing the Play by Kayley Loring, Connor Crais
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratings#99 Dash Taylor. Rookie defensive end for the Boston Tomcats. 285 pounds of fast-twitch muscle. Nickname: Big D.I’ve been sacking quarterbacks since junior high and causing trouble since I was born.My college coach thinks I have a bad attitude, so he makes me take ballet lessons as punishment. If I don’t turn things around on the field next season, he’ll bench me...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine sports steamy university adult -
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...Categorized as:
sports friends-to-lovers grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc found-family multi-pov romance -
The Enforcer by Olivia T. Turner
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsHe's mean.And grumpy.When he's on the ice, he's the most violent player out there.But there's something about him I just can't shake.There's a sweetness hiding under that gruff, brute exterior.A little boy peeking out who wants to come out and play.I never thought I'd be with someone like Tucker McKinstry.But once I get past that rough hard shell, I can't imagine being with anyone else... -
Path To Redemption by TheFeveredBookaholic
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsRising boxer Jaxon Cage is known to be a fighter on and off the ring. He's a man on a mission; redeeming the death of his little brother, who was on his way to becoming a boxing star. Jaxon holds himself accountable for his brother's death and now takes his place in the ring to continue his dream. Turns out, he's a natural... -
The Loner by Riley Hart
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsDeclanAs a founding member of The Vers, a queer podcast I host with my three best friends, I’m The Loner—quieter than the others, and except for them, I don’t let myself get too close to people. Most of them just let you down anyway, or maybe it’s just that something about me chases people away.Infrequent, no-strings-attached hookups have always worked for me...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers found-family grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc steamy multi-pov romance -
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Never Kiss the Bad Boy by Lauren Landish
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsA full plate? More like an overflowing platter.The last thing I have time for is the bad boy next door.Even if he’s hot, sweaty, muscled, pierced, and makes sexy promises that keep me on edge.Survival Mode is how I live. My ghost kitchen is the place to be for every work crew in the city, and I bust my butt from sunup to sun down, while rubbing every nickel and dime together to scrape by...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc steamy found-family romance contemporary enemies-to-lovers -
Glove Save by Teagan Hunter
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsI’ve been told I’m the grumpiest goalie in the league, and that may be the case, but who cares when I’m also killing it this season? The Carolina Comets are currently on a record-breaking run, and I intend to keep it that way.This means the last thing I need is distractions, but my mother didn’t get that memo... -
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...Categorized as:
sports grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc multi-pov found-family friends-to-lovers steamy -
Rebel by Ginger Scott
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOn the surface, Cameron Hass always seems a bit risky. First to take the dare, last to leave the tracks in the face of an oncoming train, the Boston rebel has always liked to flirt with danger. But underneath, he’s terrified. Not about breaking an arm or getting pulled over for driving twice the speed limit, but about the man he’s going to become when he graduates from Welles Academy...Categorized as:
sports friends-to-lovers multi-pov steamy grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc university -
UnConVentional Kiss by Katherine McIntyre, K.C. Carmine
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsOne Comic-Con. One chance encounter. One kiss that changes everything.BeckI never claimed to be easy to love. My steady stream of ex-girlfriends is proof positive, and my anxiety pretty much confirms I’ll be alone for the rest of my life. No matter who I date, I can’t ever feel completely myself.At least until I met Cay, who’s bright, charming, and captures my attention from the start... -
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 -
Hard Facts by Penny Clarke
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsSummer knows secrets.Everyone has a secret. Everyone, that is, except Grayson Rowe. With my new tutor, apparently what you see is what you get. Though what I see is fine, I know he’s hiding something behind those dorky glasses and annoyingly endless collection of facts. And it’s not just a superhero set of biceps.I don’t date nerds... -
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... -
Rocked by the Roadie by Eve London
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsTwo hearts, one bed, no looking back.DaisyWhen the hottest boy band on the planet gets back together for an epic reunion tour, there’s no decision to make. I’m going. It’s been ten years since I’ve had the chance to hang out with my groupie besties. They don’t know it yet, but my parents are forcing me to settle into a life they’ve pre-planned, right down to the man they want me to marry... -
Tangling with the Mountain Man by Lilah Hart
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsShe’s a massage therapist, in town temporarily. But he might not ever let her leave.I'm off the clock when a gorgeous mountain man shows up at the new spa at the Rosewood Ridge Retreat Center. He's hot and in need of help. How can I turn him down?When the massage turns a little steamy, I know I'm going beyond my professional boundaries. But this guy has me feeling things I’ve never felt...Categorized as:
friends-to-lovers grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc steamy romance audiobook friendship -
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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 -
Beautiful Devil by Rachel Leigh
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsA Deliciously Sexy Ex-Boyfriend’s Rival, New Adult, Hockey Romance by USA Today and International Bestselling Author Rachel Leigh.Two sports collide when a feisty sideline cheerleader meets her match in an arrogant hockey player who is more than just his bad boy reputation.I fell for the wrong Devil…Hayes Madden was never on my dance card...Categorized as:
sports university grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc multi-pov steamy friends-to-lovers -
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 -
Unwrapping His Package by Cameron Hart
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsIndie: I trust my gut, the universe, and the healing power of sugar. I’ll admit I had my doubts in all three of those things when my sister wanted to move all the way here to Christmas, Michigan in the dead of winter. I’ve been scrambling to be the supportive sister after her messy divorce, but I’m exhausted. Just when I think I’m at my breaking point, I sense something... -
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 steamy -
Single Shot by Pippa Green, Eden Dunn
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Minnesota Raider’s PR Guru calls me into her office. No big deal, right? I’m Dominik James. I’m the goalie with the most and the most charming player we’ve got...and now I’m supposed to use my charm to win over the journalist who’s gonna be tailing me for two weeks.Two weeks.I start out with nothing against Fiadora Brown or what she does for a living...Categorized as:
sports grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc steamy romance contemporary enemies-to-lovers -
Choke Hold by Eve Holmes
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratings“But it ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward.”-Rocky Balboa Ty Roscoe and Luca Mitchell have moved beyond their rivalry in MMA, becoming more than just teammates. Now working together both in and out of the cage, they’re focused on one common making it to the Ultimate Fighting Championship... -
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...Categorized as:
sports friends-to-lovers found-family grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc multi-pov romance -
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...Categorized as:
sports grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc friends-to-lovers steamy found-family romance -
Off Limits: A brother's best friend sports romance by Jerica MacMillan
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsShe’s my best friend’s little sister …That alone should be enough to make me keep my hands to myself. Knowing her brother’s extra protective should seal the deal.But after Ellie turns up on our doorstep while her brother’s not home and falls asleep on the couch after a misunderstanding with her roommate, I can’t seem to stay away... -
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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 friends-to-lovers grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc romance contemporary -
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...Categorized as:
sports university friends-to-lovers multi-pov grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc romance -
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...Categorized as:
grumpy-sunshine cheerful-mc grumpy-mc friends-to-lovers multi-pov found-family steamy romance -
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... -
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...Categorized as:
cheerful-mc found-family friends-to-lovers grumpy-mc grumpy-sunshine multi-pov sports steamy
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