If you’re into sports romance with just the right amount of steam, banter, and swoon-worthy athletes, hockey romance is where it’s at. There’s just something irresistible about the combo of gritty gameplay, emotional tension, and soft-hearted players hiding behind all that protective gear.
Whether you love a good college hockey romance, can’t get enough of grumpy x sunshine dynamics, or are fully here for the slow burns and spicy locker room tension, this list is basically your next obsession on ice.
So get comfy, maybe grab a blanket (and a fan), because these hockey romance books are guaranteed to melt your heart—even if the setting’s freezing.
Pucked by Helena Hunting
With a famous NHL player for a stepbrother, Violet Hall is well acquainted with the playboy reputation of many a hockey star. So of course she isn’t interested in legendary team captain Alex Waters or his pretty, beat-up face and rock-hard six-pack abs. But when Alex inadvertently obliterates Violet’s misapprehension regarding the inferior intellect of hockey players, he becomes much more than just a hot body with the face to match. Suffering from a complete lapse in judgment, Violet discovers just how good Alex is with the hockey stick in his pants.
Violet believes her night of orgasmic magic with Alex is just that: one night. But Alex starts to call. And text. And email and send extravagant – and quirky – gifts. Suddenly he’s too difficult to ignore and nearly impossible not to like. The problem is, the media portrays Alex as a total player, and Violet doesn’t want to be part of the game.
If you read at a standard rate, say 30 pages per hour, it will take you 12 hours and 40 minutes to finish Pucked by Helena Hunting.
The Deal by Elle Kennedy
She’s about to make a deal with the college bad boy… Hannah Wells has finally found someone who turns her on. But while she might be confident in every other area of her life, she’s carting around a full set of baggage when it comes to sex and seduction. If she wants to get her crush’s attention, she’ll have to step out of her comfort zone and make him take notice…even if it means tutoring the annoying, childish, cocky captain of the hockey team in exchange for a pretend date. …and it’s going to be oh so good!
All Garrett Graham has ever wanted is to play professional hockey after graduation, but his plummeting GPA is threatening everything he’s worked so hard for. If helping a sarcastic brunette make another guy jealous will help him secure his position on the team, he’s all for it. But when one unexpected kiss leads to the wildest sex of both their lives, it doesn’t take long for Garrett to realize that pretend isn’t going to cut it. Now he just has to convince Hannah that the man she wants looks a lot like him.
If you read at a standard rate, say 30 pages per hour, it will take you 12 hours and 0 minutes to finish The Deal by Elle Kennedy.
Icebreaker by Hannah Grace
Anastasia Allen has worked her entire life for a shot at Team USA. It looks like everything is going according to plan when she gets a full scholarship to the University of California, Maple Hills, and lands a place on their competitive figure skating team.
Nothing will stand in her way, not even the captain of the hockey team, Nate Hawkins.
Nate’s focus as team captain is on keeping his team on the ice. Which is tricky when a facilities mishap means they are forced to share a rink with the figure skating team—including Anastasia, who clearly can’t stand him.
But when Anastasia’s skating partner faces an uncertain future, she may have to look to Nate to take her shot.
Sparks fly, but Anastasia isn’t worried . . . because she could never like a hockey player, right?
If you read at a standard rate, say 30 pages per hour, it will take you 14 hours and 54 minutes to finish Icebreaker by Hannah Grace.
Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid
“Sexy, hot, funny and sweet, Heated Rivalry is a game changer in sexy sports romance.” — All About Romance
Nothing interferes with Shane Hollander’s game—definitely not the sexy rival he loves to hate.
Pro hockey star Shane Hollander isn’t just crazy talented, he’s got a spotless reputation. Hockey is his life. Now that he’s captain of the Montreal Voyageurs, he won’t let anything jeopardize that, especially the sexy Russian whose hard body keeps him awake at night.
Boston Bears captain Ilya Rozanov is everything Shane’s not. The self-proclaimed king of the ice, he’s as cocky as he is talented. No one can beat him—except Shane. They’ve made a career on their legendary rivalry, but when the skates come off, the heat between them is undeniable. When Ilya realizes he wants more than a few secret hookups, he knows he must walk away. The risk is too great.
As their attraction intensifies, they struggle to keep their relationship out of the public eye. If the truth comes out, it could ruin them both. But when their need for each other rivals their ambition on the ice, secrecy is no longer an option.
If you read at a standard rate, say 30 pages per hour, it will take you 12 hours and 30 minutes to finish Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid.
A Lie for a Lie by Helena Hunting
Sometimes I need an escape from the demands, the puck bunnies, and the notoriety that come with being an NHL team captain. I just want to be a normal guy for a few weeks. So when I leave Chicago for some peace and quiet, the last thing I expect is for a gorgeous woman to literally fall into my lap on a flight to Alaska. Even better, she has absolutely no idea who I am.
Lainey is the perfect escape from my life. My plan for seclusion becomes a monthlong sex fest punctuated with domestic bliss. But it ends just as abruptly as it began. When I’m called away on a family emergency, I realize too late that I have no way to contact Lainey.
A year later, a chance encounter throws Lainey and me together again. But I still have a lie hanging over my head, and Lainey’s keeping secrets of her own. With more than lust at stake, the truth may be our game changer.
If you read at a standard rate, say 30 pages per hour, it will take you 9 hours and 30 minutes to finish A Lie for a Lie by Helena Hunting.
The Risk by Elle Kennedy
THE RISK takes you back to the world of hot hockey players, feisty heroines, bro banter, and steamy scenes…
Everyone says I’m a bad girl. They’re only partly right—I don’t let fear rule me, and I certainly don’t care what people think. But I draw the line at sleeping with the enemy. As the daughter of Briar’s head hockey coach, I’d be vilified if I hooked up with a player from a rival team.
And that’s who Jake Connelly is. Harvard’s star forward is arrogant, annoying, and too attractive for his own good. But fate is cruel—I require his help to secure a much-coveted internship, and the sexy jerk isn’t making it easy for me.
I need Connelly to be my fake boyfriend.
For every fake date…he wants a real one.
Which means this bad girl is in big trouble. Nothing good can come from sneaking around with Jake Connelly. My father would kill me, my friends will revolt, and my post-college career is on the line. But while it’s getting harder and harder to resist Jake’s oozing sex appeal and cocky grin, I refuse to fall for him.
That’s the one risk I’m not willing to take.
If you read at a standard rate, say 30 pages per hour, it will take you 13 hours and 24 minutes to finish The Risk by Elle Kennedy.
Overnight Sensation by Sarina Bowen
Everyone knows the girl is off limits. But it’s so good to be bad.
There’s this girl…
Heidi and I have been trading hungry looks all year, and everything she does makes me smile. But I don’t do girlfriends, and I certainly can’t get involved with the league commissioner’s daughter. I need shots on goal, not a hookup and a widely misunderstood paparazzi photo.
Can I resist her, though? The way she teases me should be a game penalty for interference with my libido.
There’s this guy…
Jason wants me, but he won’t admit it. That man looks at me the way a hockey player eyes the lunch buffet after practice—and I love it.
But when victory is finally within my grasp, I blow it and humiliate myself. Even then I can’t even avoid him—as the team intern, I’m in constant view of his hard body and cocky smile.
I need another chance. Jason Castro is about to learn the true meaning of an overnight sensation.
If you read at a standard rate, say 30 pages per hour, it will take you 11 hours and 22 minutes to finish Overnight Sensation by Sarina Bowen.
Play to Win by Kelly Jamieson
After an injury forced Théo Wynn to give up professional hockey, he turned to his second love: numbers. Now, as the general manager of his grandfather’s NHL team, the Los Angeles Condors, Théo is dying to prove to the rest of his family — especially the brother who betrayed him — that he’s just as successful as the rest of them. If only Théo had a gorgeous woman on his arm to complete the picture…
Lacey Olson needs to get out of Las Vegas right now, thanks to her no-good, crooked brother. When a handsome stranger who’s out partying with friends comes to her rescue in the cocktail lounge where she works, they strike up a conversation that leads to a crazy plan: her leaving with Théo for L.A. tomorrow. A few drinks later, the idea gets even crazier: a quickie marriage that works for both of them.
But back in California, Lacey immediately turns Théo’s precise, well-ordered life into one big beach party. And before long, she’s tempting him with her smart mouth, sexy body, and sunny charm. The last thing Théo needs is a real relationship to distract him. Because he only plays to win…
If you read at a standard rate, say 30 pages per hour, it will take you 8 hours and 58 minutes to finish Play to Win by Kelly Jamieson.
Only One Kiss by Natasha Madison
Ralph
Being traded to Dallas was a dream come true. I had everything I wanted, my game had never been better, and my wife was due to have our baby any day now.
What could go wrong?
Everything.
I was now raising our baby on my own. After hockey practice and games, I didn’t have time to sleep, let alone make sure my social media was up to par.
I never thought I’d get a second chance at love.
Candace
When my hotshot brother was drafted in the NHL, he didn’t have time to do his social media, so I took over for him. Little did I know it would become my career.
My plate was full with over fifty NHL players, and I wasn’t taking on any new clients.
Yet when he showed up on my doorstep with the cutest little girl in the whole world, I couldn’t say no.
I was just helping, but it turned into more than that. He’s the man I’ve been waiting for.
All it takes is one touch, one night, one chance, and only one kiss.
If you read at a standard rate, say 30 pages per hour, it will take you 8 hours and 44 minutes to finish Only One Kiss by Natasha Madison.
Hard to Score by K. Bromberg
I’ve signed numerous players to my family’s agency—I assumed winning over my next client would be just as easy.
The last thing I expected was to run into the boy who took my first kiss and broke my heart: only now Drew Bowman is all grown up.
Sexy. Scandal-tainted. Second-string. The crush I never got over.
I tell myself work is the reason I can’t get him out of my head. I tell him his talent far outweighs his position, and I know I can help. I lie and lie, because admitting that I want a second chance at my first love is impossible.
Some lines cannot be crossed, and ours was drawn in the sand years ago.
***
I’m supposed to hate her.
I’ve been told so time and again for ten years – her father ruined our family, smeared my name before my career even began.
But that’s not what I’m feeling now.
Brexton Kincade just strode out of my memories and onto my field.
Driven. Determined. Grown up. The Capulet to my Montague.
Being with her would be an unforgivable sin against my father, but I can’t resist the pull between us. Even if it means hiding what we have. Even if it means confronting the secrets I’ve always feared were lies.
Are you ready to fall for the Kincade sisters and the men who love them in K. Bromberg’s sexy, contemporary, sports romance series? These books can all be read as standalones, but you’ll enjoy reading them as a series!
Hard to Handle (Hunter & Dekker’s story – hockey romance)
Hard to Hold (Rush & Lennox’s story – soccer romance)
Hard to Score (Drew & Brexton’s story – football romance)
Hard to Lose (Gunner & Chase’s story – baseball romance)
Hard to Love (Finn & Stevie’s story)
If you read at a standard rate, say 30 pages per hour, it will take you 10 hours and 8 minutes to finish Hard to Score by K. Bromberg.
The Perfect Catch by Meghan Quinn
“Kiss me. Just this once… please Walker.”
Those whispered words were my undoing… As the most hated player in baseball, I had two options: either clean up my image or pack my bags. Being traded wasn’t an option which only meant one thing, I had to become compliant.
That’s how I found myself sharing a small bistro table with Kate Chapman, the Chicago Bobbies newest PR Manager. Devastatingly beautiful, vastly intelligent, and incredibly cunning, she knows exactly how to handle my grumpy demeanor. It was supposed to be simple. Book some PR events, show up, smile for the camera, and be done. But one massive mistake on my end sends me into the trenches with Kate, forcing me to open up to her.
Innocent glances turn into cordial encounters.
Secret touches turn into tempting invitations.
And dangerous nights alone turn into consuming desperation.
I’ve never wanted a woman as much as I want her. And I know she wants me, but there’s a no fraternizing with the players rule. Neither of us can afford to lose our jobs, but we also can’t seem to keep our hands off each other either.
If you read at a standard rate, say 30 pages per hour, it will take you 15 hours and 16 minutes to finish The Perfect Catch by Meghan Quinn.
Wildcat by Rebecca Jenshak
I met my dream girl.
That’s right. She’s stunning and the worst bartender I’ve ever seen.
I should have gone home and gone to sleep—dream girl or not. I had an early morning and the season was starting soon. But when she threatened me with boy band karaoke I couldn’t help myself. I went. The stars aligned.
I have never felt more alive or wanted anyone more than I want her.
When it’s time for me to head on my annual pre-season boys trip, I barely let her go.
It’s been a week and I can’t stop thinking about her.
Except there she is. Right here at the Wildcat’s kickoff party.
And as luck would have it, my dream girl is the coach’s youngest daughter.
But everyone knows the coach’s daughter is off limits. Right?
Wildcat is a full-length sports romance with a hot-as-puck hero, the coach’s daughter, and an unfortunate case of mistaken identity.
If you read at a standard rate, say 30 pages per hour, it will take you 12 hours and 56 minutes to finish Wildcat by Rebecca Jenshak.
Broken Play by Samantha Kane
Birmingham Rebels offensive linemen Beau Perez and Cass Zielinski are inseparable, on and off the field. Cass, the captain with the cowboy swagger, is a loose cannon. Beau, the veteran tight end, is cool under pressure. And ever since they were caught on tape in a steamy threesome, their exploits have fueled more than a few tabloid headlines—and naughty fantasies.
Marian Treadwell knows all about the video. And now that she’s the Rebels’ new assistant offensive coach, she can’t look at Beau and Cass without picturing their hard, naked bodies—with her pressed in between. Marian would like nothing more than to indulge those impulses, but she knows better than to get too close to her players, a bunch of adrenaline-fueled alpha males who don’t always follow the rules.
Just the thought of sharing the gorgeous yet guarded Marian drives Cass wild. At first, Beau isn’t sure she’s right for them . . . and lately, all he desires is a little alone time with Cass to explore their new intimacy. But it’s only a matter of time before Cass breaks through both of their defenses. Because when seduction is the game plan, he always plays to win.
If you read at a standard rate, say 30 pages per hour, it will take you 7 hours and 18 minutes to finish Broken Play by Samantha Kane.
Puck Shy by Teagan Hunter
I’m having the definition of a bad year.
Game Six loss costing my team the Cup? Check.
Getting arrested and ruining my image? Check.
Almost getting run over after my car breaks down? Oh, look—a hat trick.
My contract is up with the Carolina Comets this year, and I need to get it together if I want to stay with the team.
I need relaxation, not a relationship.
But when I’m scrolling on a dating app and stumble across the pretty girl who almost ran me over, I know I can’t let her walk away this time.
Harper is funny, smart, and doesn’t care about hockey.
I’m not supposed to be focusing on anything other than my career, yet I can’t get Harper off my mind.
I know I shouldn’t fall for her…but I think I already have.
PUCK SHY is a standalone hockey romantic comedy. It’s good, low angst fun with some hot hockey players.
If you read at a standard rate, say 30 pages per hour, it will take you 11 hours and 28 minutes to finish Puck Shy by Teagan Hunter.
Sin Bin by Teagan Hunter
I should stay away.
Emilia Anderson is the team’s social media manager, and there are strict rules about not fraternizing with the staff. It doesn’t matter that we already accidentally broke them—we can’t let it happen again.
Besides, my time in the NHL is winding down, and this is my last shot at winning the Cup. I need to focus on the game, not some girl I have no business chasing.
She’s ten years younger than me.
She’s the assistant coach’s niece.
And she works for the team.
She’s off-limits…and too hard to resist.
I know better than to play this game…
But it looks like I’m heading to the sin bin.
If you read at a standard rate, say 30 pages per hour, it will take you 11 hours and 4 minutes to finish Sin Bin by Teagan Hunter.
The Enforcer by Avery Keelan
I spent two years convincing myself what we had wasn’t real—and the moment our eyes lock from across the room, all those lies I’ve been telling myself shatter at my feet.
Hockey superstar Nash Richards was my first everything: my first boyfriend, my first time, and my first love. I used to attend every Lakeside U hockey game, proudly wearing his jersey while I cheered him on from the stands. Then he cross-checked my heart into the boards, and I vowed never to set foot in that arena again.
Now, life just slap-shot me in the face: a senior internship with Nash’s team, and guess who I’m assigned to? I have to work one-on-one with Nash for an entire semester. Talk about a worst-case scenario.
I know better than to fall for his charms a second time, especially with the department’s no-dating rule between trainers and their athletes. But that’s easier said than done when our old spark is now a raging inferno and he’s hell-bent on winning me back.
As Nash gradually breaks down my walls, he reveals a side of himself that’s raw and more vulnerable than I’ve ever seen. Lines blur during late nights in the training room alone, a moment of weakness turning everything upside down. But beneath this newfound closeness, he’s keeping a dark secret that could tear us apart—and in this high-stakes game of love, we’re both risking more than just our hearts.
Tropes:
– athletic trainer x hockey player
– 6’4 grumpy mmc
– college romance
– hates everyone but her
– forced proximity
– found family
– tension & angst
If you read at a standard rate, say 30 pages per hour, it will take you 13 hours and 16 minutes to finish The Enforcer by Avery Keelan.
Offside by Avery Keelan
An addictive college hockey romance.
Heartbreaker. Troublemaker. And my ex’s biggest rival.
After my boyfriend of two years unceremoniously dumps me on my twenty-first birthday, my friends drag me to a trendy new nightclub to drown my sorrows. Several drinks later, I spot the perfect rebound standing next to the bar: Chase Carter, my ex’s worst enemy. A notorious antagonizer, Chase is cocky, smart-mouthed… and undeniably hot. Even better, he’s rumored to be impressively skilled at more than just hockey. What better way to move on?
Unfortunately, my plan falls apart after I have one cocktail too many and throw up all over Chase’s shoes. Following a night of him taking care of me while I’m at my worst, I’m certain he’ll never want to see me again. But the next time our schools face off, he finds me in the crowd after the game—and when we fake a kiss in front of my ex, the sparks that fly are real.
Before I know it, we’re having “study dates” and he’s taking me out for a do-over birthday to replace the bad memories with good ones. Beneath his brash exterior, he’s protective and sweet, not to mention generous in every sense of the word. The only problem? We’re caught in the midst of a bitter rivalry that extends far beyond the arena. My brother hates him, my friends don’t approve, and I’m being forced to choose between my loyalties and my heart.
He’s the last person I should fall for, but it might just be too late.
Offside is a college hockey romance with lots of spice, swoon, and a happily ever after. It’s the first book in the Rules of the Game series and can be read as a standalone.
Tropes:
boy obsessed
ex’s rival
cocky hockey hero
good girl x bad boy
soft for her
dual POV
If you read at a standard rate, say 30 pages per hour, it will take you 18 hours and 0 minutes to finish Offside by Avery Keelan.
Power Play by Maria Luis
He (was) the hottest player on the ice.
She’s a (struggling) sports journalist looking for her big break.
Charlie Denton has been handed the most impossible assignment from her stick-in-the-mud boss: get an exclusive interview with the NHL’s golden boy, Duke Harrison.
The catch? She’s got eight days or she’ll be demoted. Fired. Kicked to the curb – No way is she letting her future rest on the broad shoulders of a goalie who is at least three seasons past his prime.
She has eight days to convince Duke that the loyal fans of The Cambridge Tribune (annual circulation: 1,000) are dying to know about his life, on and off the ice. Eight days to stand toe to toe with a man who is pure sex on a stick. Eight days to remember that every mind-blowing kiss is nothing but a power play.
What could go wrong?
If you read at a standard rate, say 30 pages per hour, it will take you 6 hours and 28 minutes to finish Power Play by Maria Luis.
Conclusion
There’s just something about hockey boys falling hard that hits different, right? From off-the-ice drama to on-the-ice chemistry, these romances know exactly how to serve heat with heart. Got a favorite hockey romance series or swoony book boyfriend that deserves a spot? Slide into the comments, because there’s always room on the bench for one more.