As part of Jock Week, we have once again put together a list of some of our favorite books with this theme. Â Since we are celebrating athletes, I have also indicated what sport the book features.
The links below take you to our review if we have done one here. Â We will be updating the links and adding more books throughout the week. Â If you have additional favorites we can add, I’d love to hear your suggestions!
- 151 Days by John Goode (football)
- An Ace in the Tiebreak by T.A. Chase and Devon Rhodes (tennis)
- Blame it on the Mistletoe by Eli Easton (football)
- By the River by Katey Hawthorne (swimming)
- Canning the Center by Tara Lain (football)
- Caught Running by Madeline Urban and Abigail Roux (baseball)
- Counterpunch by Aleksandr Voinov (boxing)
- Dance with Me by Heidi Cullinan (football/ballroom dancing)
- Deep in the Count by Madison Parker (baseball)
- Double Full by Kindle Alexander (football)
- Double Up by Vanessa North (wake boarding)
- Eight Days by Cardeno C (baseball)
- Enforcing Emory by Mickie B. Ashling (figure skating, hockey)
- The Eskimo Slugger by Brad Boney (baseball)
- Exposed by Skylar M. Cates (golf)
- Fair Catch by Del Darcy (football)
- Fire Inside by Dawn Douglas (basketball)
- Four Corners by Kate McMurray (baseball)
- Frat Boy and Toppy by Anne Tenino (football)
- Genius and the Jock by Daisy Harris (football)
- Going for Gold anthology edited by EM Lynley (Olympics)
- Hard Fall by James Buchanan (rock climbing)
- Hard Tail by J.L. Merrow (mountain biking)
- Hat Trick series by Jeff Adams (hockey)
- Heart of the Race by Mary Calmes (motorcycle racing)
- Heavyweight by M.B. Mulhall (wrestling)
- Him by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy (hockey)
- His Roommate’s Pleasure by Lana McGregor
- Hostile Takeover by EM Lynley (fencing)
- An Isolated Range by Andrew Grey (basketball)
- Level Hands by Amy Jo Cousins (rowing)
- Life in Fusion by Ethan Day (skiing)
- The Locker Room by Amy Lane (basketball)
- Match Maker by Alan Chin (tennis)
- Memorizing You by Dan Skinner (football)
- Off Campus by Amy Jo Cousins (track)
- Offside Chance by Mercy Celeste (football)
- Offsides by Ryan Loveless (soccer)
- Omorphi by C. Kennedy (track)
- Out in the Field by Kate McMurray (baseball)
- Physical Therapy by Z.A. Maxfield (baseball)
- Pine Tar & Sweet Tea by Kerry Freeman (baseball)
- Pitch by Will Parkinson (baseball)
- Plan B by SJD Peterson (football)
- Play Me, I’m Yours by Madison Parker (swimming)
- Playing Ball anthology
- POZ by Christopher Koehler (rowing)
- Prize Package by Kyle Adams (wrestling)
- Promises by Marie Sexton (mountain biking)
- Safe by C. Kennedy (swimming)
- Secrets from the Edge by S.C. Lynne (snowboarding)
- A Shot at Forgiveness by Cardeno C (basketball)
- Sidelined by Mercy Celeste (football)
- Simple Men by Eric Arvin (football)
- Six Ways from Sunday by Mercy Celeste (football)
- Slow Bloom by Anah Crow and Dianne Fox (swimming)
- Sno Ho by Ethan Day (skiing)
- Social Skills by Sara Alva (football)
- Steamroller by Mary Calmes (football)
- Stroke to His Cox by J.L. Merrow (rowing)
- Tales of Foster High series by John Goode (baseball)
- Taxes and TARDIS by N.R. Walker (football)
- Tigerland by Sean Kennedy (football/rugby)
- Tigers and Devils by Sean Kennedy (football/rugby)
- Tigers on the Run by Sean Kennedy (football/rugby)
- Training Complex (figure skating)
- Training Season by Leta Blake (figure skating)
- Two Point Conversion by Mercy Celeste (football)
- The Unforgiving Minute by Sarah Granger (tennis)
- Where He Ends and I Begin by Cardeno C (football)
- With Caution by J.L. Langely (football)
- Worth a Shot by Kim Dare (archery)
- You Don’t Know Jack by MC Lee (track)
- Your Biggest FAN by Missy Welsh (baseball)
- Yours All Along by Roni Loren (baseball)
If you want a full list of all our athlete stories, click here.
[Last updated:Â 8/24/15]
I’m not a huge jock fan, but I do seem to have read a fair number. 🙂 Several years ago Sean Michael did a series called Going for Gold, there was a gymnast, a diver, a baseball player and a swimmer (Personal Best), all in relationships with their coaches. The swimming one is my favourite (and had three volumes and several shorts) and was my first exposure to breath play. I was like “No. What? You can’t. Wait? Should you…? Ack.” LOL But i still like to go back and read about Mike and his D/s relationship with his coach. Typical SM thought, TONS of sex.
I’m not a fan of baseball stories. Perhaps I’m too Canadian. I prefer hockey or unusual sports that you don’t normally see.
Oh, I will need to check those out Tam! Great suggestions!
A favorite book would be Marie Sexton’s Promises, which has mountain biking.
Yes, that is a great one! Â I have reviewed the series on the blog so we didn’t review it this time, but I totally should have added that to the list. In fact, I will right now!Â
Promises by Marie Sexton is my favorite (along with the whole series). Caught Running by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux is another favorite, when opposites really aren’t that opposite from each other.
I have been sadly sucked in to Real Person slash fanfics — I am BIG into the NHL ones (I will admit to a huge weakness for any story with Sidney Crosby ’cause he’s freaking ADORABLE).
Aside from that, & the Sean Michael series Tam mentioned above, I don’t necessarily remember (or even notice — I’m THAT oblivious!) if any MCs are athletes or not.
Oh, wait, I lie. I like all the college stories where one of the MCs is a jock. 😀 Ooooh, the Jock Dorm series by Bobby Michaels? They were all wrestlers, and YUM!
Now, gotta get back to that hockey game I’m watching with hubby… he’s determined to turn me into a fan. 😉
Count me in as another hockey fanatic, though I too tend to prefer the RPS fics. (Torrey Mitchell and Devin Setoguchi, former San Jose Sharks and current Minnesota Wild teammates, are my all-time favorite pair; I’ve loved watching them since they were rookie roommates onward.) I haven’t really found too many hockey m/m books that I like as much yet (though I’m definitely looking forward to a lot of the ones listed in the giveaway!), though Riley Shane’s IN THE PENALTY BOX and Carter Quinn’s “I’m Every Goalie” short are two I love. I definitely enjoy college themes, too, especially if the book’s sport isn’t one I follow. (I was surprised at how much I enjoyed STR8TE BOYS, for instance, since I’m not the biggest gay-for-you person normally.) Oh, there’s a high school-themed m/m I enjoyed recently: Jax Cordoba’s FATE LENDS A LEG is about the budding romance between a competitive runner (who gets injured early on) and a cyclist. The sports, high school, and relationship dynamics are all balanced really well. (That reminds me: anybody know of any m/m books where romance blossoms between an injured athlete and a trainer? I would be all over that!)
Oh, good suggestions Trix! I just read Str8te Boys (my review goes up later this week) but I haven’t read most of your others. I’ll be sure to check them out.
Hmm, injured athlete and a trainer… How about Physical Therapy by Z.A. Maxfield? It is not an exact match but pretty close. One of the MCs has been in an accident that ends his career and leaves him somewhat disabled and he gets massage therapy from the other MC to help aid his recovery. I loved this story (and the book that comes before it, St. Nacho’s). They are linked in the sense that one of the MCs plays a big role in the first story, but you can read it as a standalone.
I’ll have to think what else I can come up with. Anyone else have ideas?
I read Isa K’s HOW TO QUIT PLAYING HOCKEY after the event, but I definitely would have recommended it if I’d known…my favorite hockey story yet! Great romantic and team camaraderie, sympathetic couple and side characters, engaging plot without a lot of manufactured angst…just excellent.
Oh, thanks for the recommendation Trix!
Great list, particularly as you added in my Oz favourite Tigers & Devils.
Can I add a couple of “oldies”
The Dreyfus Affair (Lefcourt) – baseball
The front runner (Warren) – athletics/Olympics
Out of the pocket (Konigsberg) – football
A secret edge (Reardon)
PINS (Provenzano) – wrestling
Wrestling with desire (Starr) – wrestling
Something about Trevor (Hunt) – cricket
Hope you agree!
Wow, great suggestions! Thanks so much for adding to the list!
Just caught your review of Tigerland. Kennedy has some free reads on his website. which include Declan and Simon.
So you got down to Oz. I’m up north near Darwin, near Litchfield National Park. Call in if you ever get back this way.
One that comes instantly to mind is Wrestling with Jesus, by Stephen Osborne. (wrestling)
Great suggestion Sue!