Ten to Try: Sports Romances

I make no secret of my love of baseball. I wouldn't object to being locked in Fenway Park or Coors Field for a week during the season. (I imagine my letter: Dear Family, I am afraid I can't make it home for several more days, as an emergency situation has cropped up....) There's something about the energy of the crowd, the scent of freshly-cut grass and red dirt, and the sight of wide-eyed kids at their first MLB game that gets me every time.

Of course, my other love is a great story. I write romance because it allows me to delve into the human condition in a way other genres don't always permit. Given those two loves, sports romances are a natural go-to read for me. If you've never tried one, here are ten to consider. And if you're already a fan of these stories, please post your own suggestions in the comments!

1) It Had To Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. You wouldn't know it from the poodle on the cover, but this romance is about a fiesty, ultra-feminine woman who inherits a professional football team. The first in Phillips' popular Chicago Stars series, it's a classic...and one of my favorite romances of all time. 

2)  Double Play by Jill Shalvis. Pitcher meets reporter in this endearing baseball romance. Jill's books are compulsively readable; if you haven't read the two books in her Pacific Heat series (Double Play is the first, Slow Heat is the second) you're missing out.

3) Against the Ropes by Sarah Castile. Fascinated by mixed martial arts competition? This MMA romance features a steely, focused hero and a woman who takes a job as a medic in an elite MMA club. This was a Publisher's Weekly Top Ten Pick for Romance & Erotica, so expect a steamy, blazing hot read along with a great storyline.

4)  Simply Irresistible by Rachel Gibson. Gibson is a master at gut-splitting humor. Mix in a runaway bride and a sexy hockey star, and you have a surefire winner. This classic is on sale for $1.99 on Kindle as I post this, which is a total steal. I've read and reread this story. It's that much fun.

5)  Miracle Road by Emily March. If you've visited my Facebook page, you know that I consider author Emily March one of my dearest friends. Even if we'd never met, she'd still be one of my favorite authors. Her stories are optimistic, humorous, sexy, and offer readers a rich sense of community. Every. Single. Time. That being said, Miracle Road is probably my favorite Emily March book. It features Lucca Romano, a college basketball coach engulfed by guilt after two of his players are killed when the team bus goes off the road, and the schoolteacher who shows him that his life has meaning. This is a can't-miss read from a New York Times and USA Today besteselling author.

6)  Game for Love by Bella Andre. Bella is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller with good reason: she creates characters readers love. This book, with a linebacker hero, is no exception. If you haven't read Bella's books, this is a great place to start.

7) Dare to Love by Carly Phillips. Like alpha heroes? Strong women? Billionaire romances? If so, give Carly Phillips Dare to Love series a try. Dare to Love is currently free on Kindle.  It tells the story of wealthy football team owner Ian Dare and the woman sure to bring him to his knees. And what better way to see if you like a new series than by reading the first book free?

8) Flat-Out Sexy by Erin McCarthy. NASCAR fans, Erin McCarthy's steamy Fast Track series is for you! Two years after Tamara Briggs lost her husband in an wreck at Talladega, she crosses paths with a rookie driver who's sexy, fun, and great with her kids. But Tamara knows all too well what can happen during a race, and how devastating it can be. This eight-book series has rave reviews on both Amazon and Goodreads.

 

9)  Changing the Game by Jaci Burton. A sports agent and her top client, a professional pitcher, rely on each other for career success. But when personal feelings and business mix, complications arise. Jaci's Play by Play series features athletes from a variety of sports (there are baseball, football, auto racing, and hockey books in the series) who know each other via family and hometown connections. This is a seductive, emotional read.

10) Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally. Jordan Woods has been surrounded by great-looking, athletic guys her whole life...mostly because, as quarterback of her high school's football team, they consider her one of the guys. She's devoted her entire existence to being the best athlete she can be. But when a new, talented quarterback moves to her high school, he threatens everything she's worked to achieve. This young adult romance has received raves from the moment it was published in 2011, and it's destined to be a classic. If you enjoy YA romance, grab this one!

Now Available - The Royal Bastard

It's here! The Royal Bastard, the fourth book in the Royal Scandals series, is available everywhere. If you haven't read the other books in the series, never fear: this was designed to be enjoyed either alone or as part of the overall series.

The story features wealthy, reclusive Rocco Cornaro and his estranged wife, World Cup skier Justine Flyte.

Want a taste?  Here's the beginning:

Chapter One

            Five hours after Rocco Cornaro buried his mother, having tossed the last shovelful of dirt over her grave while wishing her a swift ascent to heaven, Satan knocked at his front door.

More accurately: Satan’s driver rang the bell at Rocco’s wrought iron security gate.

Rocco stood at a second story window in his Dubrovnik villa, seething at the gall of the woman hidden behind the tinted windows of the rented black Mercedes.  The uniformed driver hadn’t given his client’s name, but Rocco knew.  Her appearance was inevitable after she’d phoned two days ago and he’d hung up after informing her that he had no interest in anything she had to say.  He’d thought she’d at least give him the day of his mother’s funeral in peace, but apparently royals did what they wanted when they wanted, and to hell with anyone else.

Rocco took a seat in his late stepfather’s favorite worn leather chair, kicked his feet onto the windowsill, and dragged his palms over his face.  Keeping it together while delivering his mother’s graveside eulogy was the toughest thing he’d done in his life.  Despite the emotion that threatened to overwhelm him, he’d made it through, his voice resolute as he addressed the small gathering of friends and family.  He finished a heartbeat before spying his wife watching from the shadows of a tree near the edge of the cemetery.  There was no mistaking Justine’s stature, still lean and tight as any Olympic athlete, nor the fact she recoiled as he glanced in her direction.  He hadn’t invited her, and she hadn’t intended to be seen.

What was it with women showing up where they weren’t wanted today? 

Thank God his siblings hadn’t noticed Justine standing alongside the trunk of the thick oak.  Double thanks that they hadn’t accompanied him back to his residence to see the sleek Mercedes now parked outside.  It would’ve spurred even more questions than his wife’s appearance. 

Rocco leaned forward in his chair to take another look outside.  The driver spoke near the Mercedes’ cracked rear window, nodded, then returned to the gate and folded his hands in front of him in a show of resolve.  On the roadway behind the Mercedes, a red BMW belonging to Rocco’s uphill neighbor slowed as it passed on its way to the heart of the city.

“Damn it all to hell.” 

“Sir?”  Kos Horvat stood in the doorway of Rocco’s study.  Twice Kos had informed the driver that Rocco was not available.  Twice the driver had insisted that Rocco would wish an audience with his passenger and that they would wait.

Rocco swirled the amber liquid inside the crystal tumbler he clutched in one hand, then took a long, slow sip, savoring the burn as it made its way down the back of his throat.  If anyone could be deterred from darkening Rocco’s entrance, Kos was the man to deter them.  Not only did he manage Rocco’s properties, he had extensive security expertise and a build as powerful and unyielding as Dubrovnik’s ancient city walls.  But Queen Fabrizia, whose husband ruled the wealthy Mediterranean island nation of Sarcaccia, apparently wasn’t one to be put off by a burly, sour-faced Croatian with a voice rough enough to intimidate men twice her size.  Nor was she one whose mood would improve with the delay.

“Talking to myself, Kos.”  Rocco rose from the chair and turned away from the window.  “Allow the visitor to enter, but the car and driver stay outside the gates.  If this person is so anxious to see me, they can walk.”

The corner of Kos’s mouth twitched.  It was as close to a smile as the big man ever revealed.  “Of course.”

 I hope you enjoy Rocco and Justine's adventure!  For more on the story, behind the scenes info, and links to bookstores, please visit The Royal Bastard page on my website.

Now Available in German...

Attention German readers! Two of my classic Silhouette Romances are now available in the EU in German language editions.

Romana Extra #29, which is on stands now, contains the German translation of Going to the Castle, the first book I ever published. Set in the fictional country of San Rimini, it tells the story of a crown prince reluctant to marry and the refugee camp worker who helps him see the world--and his role in it--in a new way.

Romana Extra #30, which will be released on Tuesday, June 16, contains the German translation of Falling for Prince Federico, which is set in the same fictional country as Going to the Castle. It features the crown prince's younger brother, who is a single father to two rambunctious boys, and the woman he hires to help care for them.

I haven't seen the German editions yet, so I look forward to hearing what you think of the translations (particularly those of you who've read them in English already and then try the German versions!)

CORRECTION  (posted three hours later...)  The book being included in Romana Extra #30 this coming Tuesday is NOT Falling for Prince Federico as I originally thought. Instead, it's another book in the same series, The Prince's Tutor.  It's the book that immediately followed Going to the Castle, and is about the family's youngest--and wildest--sibling, Prince Stefano di Talora. 

My guess is that, with the first two books in the series now being released in German, the others--including Falling For Prince Federico--won't be far behind. If and when I get more info, I'll share it here ASAP.

  

Eternity Springs

Many of you know I'm a huge fan of Emily March's Eternity Springs romance series. What I like best is that, though they're all set in the same fictional small mountain town in Colorado, the challenges the characters face and plot twists are different every time. Well-written, emotional, and fun...they're simply fantastic reads.

Right now, Goodreads is running a virtual book club for anyone interested in reading (or re-reading!) the series. There will be discussion, of course, as well as giveaways galore. Emily March herself will be checking in, so this is a great opportunity to get to know the author. Invite your romance reading friends or book club members and ENJOY! Check it out right here on Goodreads.