Taylor Swift getting engaged to Travis Kelce may have been the biggest news of the year, and we’re still 4 months away. Since the beginning of their romance, everything has been dreamy. They are two successful, famous people, both talented in their respective fields, and they match each other’s energies? Kelce gives off major book boyfriend vibes and this popstar-sportstar dynamic has us hooked. We don’t know about you, but their adorable story scratched an itch for us: sports romances! And we cannot stop reading them. So here we bring you some of our favourite sports romances you can read as Taylor and Travis prepare to tie the knot.
Many of these books we’ve chosen for this list have something to do with weddings: whether it’s a marriage of convenience, fake marriage, or a runaway bride…you get the drift.
Play Along by Liz Tomforde
If you like the male main character to be down bad for his girl, Play Along will leave you giggling and kicking your feet. Isaiah Rhodes is a shortstop for the Windy City Warriors and Kennedy Kay is the physical therapist for the team. But she’s actually a qualified doctor, and has only been working at a lower position because her boss is a misogynist. She’s interviewing to be a doctor in a different city soon, and all of this will be over soon! Meanwhile, Isaiah has been obsessed with her for years, but never shot his shot because she was engaged, until a few months ago. Right before the season starts, Kennedy — who normally does not give him the time of the day — bumps into him in Vegas, and after a night of tequila-drunkennness, they get married. To help her keep her job, they have to keep up the pretence of the marriage, and Isaiah, the hopeless optimist that he is, looks at this chance to win his girl. We don’t know about you, but the premise is making us smile on its own, and the book (which is part of the Windy City Series by Liz Tomforde) absolutely delivers on all its promises. We challenge you not to fall in love with these two.
Fall With Me by Becka Mack
If a good reformed playboy romance is your kryptonite, Fall With Me is going to hit all the right spots. Jackson (yes, Jaxon with an “x”) starts out as exactly the kind of guy you’d roll your eyes at — he literally takes a random girl to Cabo and cannot, for the life of him, remember her name. Not exactly swoon material. Enter Lennon, who’s in Cabo for a heartbreak of her own — her almost-wedding that crashed and burned.
When Jackson’s girl-of-the-week bails, fate conveniently puts Lennon in his path, and the two decide to have a one-night stand that is way more unforgettable than either of them planned. Fast forward, and boom — they’re colleagues now. Lennon’s chasing her dream of photography and ends up working as a team photographer, which means plenty of deliciously awkward, “let’s pretend that night never happened” tension.
Between the toxic ex drama (so satisfying to watch him get put in his place), the banter, and the undeniable chemistry, this book is just… chef’s kiss. And let’s not forget the found family vibes and female friendships sprinkled throughout, which balance out the angst beautifully. Oh, and in case you were wondering — yes, the spice level is absolutely off the charts.
Caught Up by Liz Tomforde
Caught Up by Liz Tomforde (part of the Windy City series) gives us Kai Rhodes’ story — yes, Isaiah’s brother. Kai is a starting pitcher for the Windy City Warriors and suddenly finds himself the single dad of baby Max after an old fling leaves the child on his doorstep. Between having one of the biggest contracts in MLB history and a newborn he’s determined to raise well, Kai is stretched thin. He can’t keep a nanny to save his life, and his coach Monty starts worrying.
Enter Miller Montgomery, the coach’s daughter. Miller is a celebrated chef — she’s won a James Beard award, travelled the world, and built a wildly successful career, but she’s also at a crossroads, unsure of what direction to take next. When her dad suggests she step in to help as Max’s nanny, she reluctantly agrees. What follows is a dynamic that’s as hilarious as it is heartwarming.
Miller is younger (she’s 25, Kai is 32), outspoken, independent, and unafraid to call Kai out. Kai, meanwhile, is steady and serious to the point of stiffness. Watching Miller shake him up, while also slipping seamlessly into Max’s life, makes this more than just a single dad/nanny romance. In Liz Tomforde’s hands, the trope feels fresh and layered — full of banter, heart, and one of the funniest dynamics in the series.
Gloves Off by Stephanie Archer
Gloves Off by Stephanie Archer is a marriage of convenience romance that also doubles as a classic enemies-to-lovers. Alexei Volkov is a hockey player for the Vancouver Storm, and Georgia Green is one of the team doctors, though she also works at a hospital outside the team. They’ve always hated each other in the earlier books, which makes it even more fun when circumstances push them into this arrangement.
For Alexei, marriage to a Canadian could help secure his citizenship, something he desperately wants to honour the sacrifices his parents made when they fled Russia. For Georgia, her late grandfather left behind an inheritance — but only on the condition that she’s married. That money could save the athlete rehabilitation program she’s been building at her hospital. So, both of them have their reasons, and they strike a deal.
Naturally, it comes with all the fake-dating tropes you’d expect — having to sell the marriage as real, keeping it from their families and the team, and high stakes because this isn’t just for fun, it’s tied to Alexei’s legal status. And as the façade goes on, the layers of their supposed hatred start to peel back. The more they actually get to know each other, the more it becomes clear they’re not enemies at all. Watching Alexei’s grumpy exterior soften and Georgia win his heart makes this one of the most satisfying arcs in Archer’s Vancouver Storm series.
Power Play by Chelsea Cursto
part of the DC Stars series and gives us the grumpy-sunshine pairing of Liam Sullivan, the team’s goalie, and Piper Mitchell, the team reporter. Piper is recently divorced, stuck in a rut professionally, and terrified of dipping her toes back into the dating pool. Liam, meanwhile, is the definition of grump: quiet, broody, and not one to let people in easily.
On a team trip to Vegas, the two end up married after a night they can barely remember. With only one witness and no one else on the team knowing, they’re suddenly navigating an unexpected marriage while still figuring each other out. Piper, determined to reclaim her confidence, even asks Liam to “teach” her in the bedroom, which brings in the off-the-charts spice this book is known for.
What really shines here is Piper’s growth. From tentative and self-doubting, she transforms into a confident reporter who owns her space, both professionally and personally. And while Liam might come across as gruff, his love language is steady, protective, and deeply genuine, earning him the nickname “Goalie Daddy.”
Powerless by Elsie Silver
Powerless by Elsie Silver is part of the beloved Chestnut Springs series — though unlike most of Silver’s cowboy romances, this one gives us a hockey player at its centre. Jasper Gervais grew up as an honorary member of the Eaton family, practically raised alongside them, and Sloane Winthrop (their cousin) has been in his orbit since childhood. She was the girl with the crush, and he was the older boy who never looked back.
Sloane is a ballerina from an affluent family, her life carefully choreographed by her parents’ expectations. On the day she’s meant to marry her cheating fiancé, she bolts, literally a runaway bride. And who better to help her escape than Jasper, her childhood best friend and secret safe place? He becomes the getaway driver, and what starts as a frantic exit turns into a longer road trip full of laughter, banter, and long-buried feelings resurfacing.
As the miles tick by, it’s clear Sloane has always looked at Jasper a certain way — and now, he’s finally looking back. Their connection is messy, magnetic, and full of heat, but also tender in the way only two people who’ve known each other forever can be. Add in Elsie Silver’s trademark found-family warmth and hilarious side characters, and Powerless becomes not just a friends-to-lovers romance, but a story about truly being seen.
Behind the Net by Stephanie Archer
Behind the Net by Stephanie Archer kicks off the Vancouver Storm series with Jamie Streicher, a grumpy hockey player, and Pippa, his new assistant (and old high school classmate). Pippa once dreamed of a music career but lost her spark along the way. Living and working with Jamie brings the banter, the steam, and the support she needs to start writing again.
It’s grumpy-sunshine, hockey romance, and very steamy — with a hero who backs his girl’s dreams every step of the way.
War by Brittanee Nicole
Part of Boston Bolts Hockey, it takes a slightly different turn from the usual sports romance setup. War is in the process of adopting three kids who’ve each had difficult pasts, and while he’s determined to protect them, he doubts whether the courts will see him as enough on his own. Enter Ava, with whom he shares a brief, complicated history. The kids adore her, and on paper, she’s the perfect partner: she runs Boston’s biggest charity and could give the family the stability the court wants to see.
What starts as a practical marriage arrangement quickly turns into something deeper. Ava is facing her own struggles, War is figuring out fatherhood, and together they find a balance that blends comedy, yearning, spice, and plenty of heart. With its layered themes and strong found-family core, War is a little different from the usual hockey romance — but all the more memorable for it.
