Last week, The Seattle Public Library’s Reader Services team debuted a new monthly column in the Seattle Times that promotes reading and book trends from a librarian’s perspective. Read the article by Reader Services librarian Misha Stone on the Seattle Times website or below. Let us know what you think!
The Super Bowl might not always conjure romantic vibes, but the Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce whirlwind has had hearts aflutter.
Luckily, the romance genre has long known the potential football offers for swoony behind-the-scenes hookups, rough-and-tumble plays and humorous fumbles. Unlike the actual Super Bowl, these stories offer a happily ever after and unified cheering from the sidelines (don’t we all want a shirtless Jason Kelce celebrating with abandon in our lives?).
Here, we suggest five romance titles — several with the classic, fun fake dating trope included — to get you in the mood for Valentine’s Day.
“Snapped” by Alexa Martin
Don’t we love it when art mirrors life? Author Alexa Martin is married to a former NFL star who teaches football at the high school where they met, so you know you’re getting the inside scoop. So much can happen on and off the field in a player’s life, so when Black quarterback Quinton Howard Jr. takes a knee during the national anthem as a stand against how the NFL treats players of color, biracial communications director Elliott Reed has her work cut out for her. Tension arises as Elliott tackles the blowback from Quinton’s stand, but how they challenge one another, personally and professionally, might just ignite a connection neither of them saw coming. This installment of the beloved “Playbook” series delves into racism in the NFL, reminding readers that romance can explore complex issues with humor and heart.
The Dating Playbook by Farrah Rochon
Taylor Powell is a personal trainer who is struggling financially, so when former NFL starting running back Jamar Dixon hires her to be his private (and secret) personal trainer, she accepts.After a knee injury, Jamar was told he would never play again, but a promise to a dead friend fuels his dreams of going back to stardom. Through intense cardio workouts designed to get Jamar in fighting shape, Taylor and Jamar get to know one another on a deeper level. While Taylor was attracted to the paycheck and the endorsement potential, she might be catching feelings, too.
Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley
This romance whips up a story of football and baking, a winning combination! The first two lines are everything: “Donovan Dell was a professional football player who loved to bake. Seriously.” It shouldn’t be such a surprise that a brawny man might also like to bake, but Donovan, who owns the Sugar Blitz Bakery in San Diego as a side hustle, is no stranger to being underestimated. Sugar Blitz’s new employee Jada Townsend-Matthews, tarts working there to escape the moment she went viral for rejecting a proposal on TV. While Jade and Donovan don’t connect at first, assumptions are made about their relationship in a frothy fake dating scheme that doesn’t skimp on the frosting.
Beauty and the Baller by Ilsa Madden-Mills
Former Pythons quarterback and avid Star Wars fan Ronan Smith loses it all when a car accident injures him and kills his fiancé. While out drinking with friends a year later, he meets Nova Morgan when she arrives decked out in a very revealing Princess Leia costume. Sparks fly between Ronan and Nova, but their one-night stand does‘nt end well. Their paths cross again in Blue Belle, Texas, where Ronan now coaches high school football. Nova returns to raise her younger sister after her mother’s death and remains angry at Ronan. But when she lands a job at the high school where her ex also works, she and Ronan agree to a fake dating ploy to help Nova navigate the hometown land mines. This is a sweet, smart romance with witty banter about two damaged souls who just may be right for each other, if they can learn to trust again.
May the Best Man Win by ZR Ellor
As “Heartstopper” fans can attest, sports fans deserve queer love stories too. In this young adult novel that appeals to all ages, senior Jeremy Harkiss decides to ignore the haters and announce his transgender identity in spectacular fashion: He challenges his football player ex-boyfriend Lukas Rivers to compete for the title of Homecoming King. This humorous and heartfelt tale of rivalry and bravery simmers with competition and residual feelings between this former couple as they duke it out for the crown.
Find more reading suggestions at www.spl.org, or submit a question at www.spl.org/Ask.
Re-published with permission from the Seattle Times.
Leave a Comment