So your social media is filled with hockey romance book lovers and you don’t even know where to start. An accidental Vegas marriage between the grumpiest man in the NHL and a social media influencer. A ladies’ man who has to actually chase the woman he’s interested in (gasp!). Two teammates fighting against their budding attraction for each other. A fake dating exchange that goes way beyond fake dating.
Hockey romance is taking the book world by storm right now. BookTok and Bookstagram are having a field over this genre and I can’t say I’m not with them. I’ve read my fair share of sports romance novels and hockey seems to take the cake every time. There’s just something about guys who have to wear suits to a game and then put on padding to fight each other on the ice that gets the blood pumping.
If you need a big boy to keep to spice up your life (iykyk), or just want to see what all the hype is about, here are 15 hockey romance novels (and series!) that you’ll want to read. Settle in, grab a snack, and get ready to read about some aggressive hockey players who win Stanley Cups and hearts.
1. The Deal by Elle Kennedy
Elle Kennedy’s Off Campus series is arguably the series that started the hockey romance phenomenon. This series takes place in college and follows a group of friends that live together and are on the same hockey team over the course of four books as they navigate love, messy pasts, and, of course, romance. The Deal is the first in the series and, quite possibly, my favorite although they’re all pretty swoony. It follows Garrett Graham and Hannah Wells as they strike up the deal of all deals. Hannah will tutor Garrett to ensure he doesn’t tank his GPA and gets to continue playing hockey and in return, Garrett will help Hannah get the guy of her dreams. Easy peasy, right? This book has a little bit of everything: a mild slow burn, a cocky team captain who may or may not fall first (!!), and a few emotional moments to pull on the heartstrings. Elle Kennedy’s world of hockey begins here!
2. The Chase by Elle Kennedy
But wait. There’s more! Elle Kennedy wrote a spin-off series to the well-beloved Off Campus series that takes place at the same college after our friends from Off Campus have graduated and moved on with their lives. Some of the characters are even seen in the original series although they’re younger and a little dumber. The Briar U series kicks off with The Chase which follows Colin Fitzgerald and Summer Di Laurentis, Dean from Off Campus’ little sister. Colin is our resident tattoo-covered gamer who also happens to play hockey. When Summer becomes roommates with Colin and his best friend, who happens to have a crush on Summer, things get a little complicated. And heated.
3. Consider Me by Becka Mack
This series is just getting started and boy does it start off with a bang. Consider Me is book one in the Playing for Keeps series which takes place in Canada, unlike many of the other hockey romances which I’ve read. Like similar series, this one follows a group of friends and teammates on the Vancouver Vipers hockey team as they balance work, romance, and every messy thing that comes with it. Consider Me features a confident and flirty hockey player forced to chase after a woman for the first time in life. A woman who, after dealing with her middle grade aged students all day, is not interested in But one unexpected New Years Eve kiss might just change it all.
a fiesty gym teacher
4. Blind Pass by Teagan Hunter
What happens when you wake up in Vegas with a wedding ring on your finger and a professional hockey player in your bed who definitely wasn’t there yesterday? Blind Pass is the second book in the Carolina Comets series that made me walk around with hearts in my eyes. While this series can be read out of order, it can be more fun to read the books in order to get the true breadth of the world and this hockey team. This book follows a grumpy professional hockey player, Rhodes, who’s always been defined by his attitude and the terrifying scar on his face. And the sunshine-y social media influencer, Ryan, who’s doing everything in her power to keep everyone in her life happy despite the fact that she’s running out a money. When an accidental marriage turns into an agreement to benefit both parties, Rhodes and Ryan think they have it all figured out. But what they don’t count on is the chemistry between each other that id definitely not in the agreement. This series seems to be wrapping up as we come up on the release of book six, but don’t fret. There are still five other books to keep you occupied and swooning until then.
5. Mile High by Liz Tomforde
This is, quite possibly, my favorite hockey romance book of all time. Zanders is the ultimate book boyfriend and Stevie is so real and relatable. The plot of this book is the romance so for anyone who is looking for a dose of romance to the veins, this is your book. First, both Zanders and Stevie are BIPOC characters which rocks. Second, Zanders falls for Stevie way before she even knows what’s going on. There’s just enough sexual tension and little scenes to keep you hanging on until things really heat up (and trust me, they heat way up). The characters in this book are heartfelt and passionate and real. I definitely teared up towards the end so don’t say I didn’t warn you! This is the first in a series that—so far—follows a different professional athlete in a different sport. Only book one and two are out so far so there’s plenty of time to catch up!
6. Wild Ever After by Rebecca Jenshak
This sports romance is the epitome of slow burn when a writer for a wedding column is forced to ask her friend and professional hockey player to marry her after her fiancé calls off the engagement. I think we’ve all done crazy things for our job so can you really blame Jade for getting married to save her dream job? This marriage of convenience trope pulls out all the stops in the third book in the Wildcat Hockey series. Jenshak has created a bromance of hockey players you’ll wish you were a part of and female counterparts to keep these Wildcats from going too wild.
7. Offside by Avery Keelan
This book has blown up on social media! Originally a Wattpad story, this book has now been revised and expanded and everything else that makes it bigger and better than ever. This is a rivalry and revenge romance of sorts. Our lovely FMC Bailey decides to rebound from her horrible ex to a hockey player on the rival team. Chase is the womanizer on the rival team that can’t seem to stay away from the one girl he shouldn’t even be talking to. Lots of forbidden romance feels with big brothers and bitter rivalries to keep things interesting. This one is worth jumping on the band wagon for.
8. Icebreaker by Hannah Grace
This book has been breaking the internet so doubt you’ve heard of it if you’re involved in the social media book world. Icebreaker is book one in the UCMH series that takes place in a Canadian college. While we might not see much hockey in the rest of the series, book one has everything you need to get your hockey romance fix. Stassie is on track to make her Olympic debut in ice skating soon which is why she doesn’t a too nice hockey captain or a melted ice rink in her life. No thanks. But when her skating partner gets hurt and Nathan Hawkins is the only one willing to step in, she reluctantly agrees, even if it means spending more time than she’d like with the hockey player. This book does have a character with an eating disorder although they are duly supported by friends and receive the necessary help along the way. Hannah Grace has a way of writing characters that are total opposites in every way, but fit so well together romantically. She is
9. Him by Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen
Ex-best friends are reunited in this sports romance when, after an awkward summer leaves Ryan and Jamie with more questions than answers, they’re forced to face off on opposing teams at the national championship. Yes, Kennedy is back with another hockey romance but this time she’s being joined by another author to write the gay sports romance of your dreams! Double the hockey players, double the romance, right? Forced proximity, an exploration of sexual orientation, and spicier hockey romance than you can imagine make Him the first in a must-read duology.
10. Always Only You by Chloe Liese
This is book number two in the Bergman Brothers series which is one of my favorite series of siblings ever! The series in general has some of the best representation I’ve ever read, but here are a couple of reps you can expect; autism and arthritis. Reading book one in this series is not necessary to reading this book, but it would definitely make for a sweeter experience. Most of the books in this series have a professional athlete as one of the main characters so if you like sports romance in general, this is the series for you!
11. Iced Out by C.E. Ricci
The first book in a new, totally M/M series, the Leighton U series. This book has one of the highest spice levels I’ve ever read in sports romance. It follows two hockey players who had a bad run-in with each other in high school and now play on the same team in college. It’s the ultimate rival teammates romance for anyone who loves superstitious athletes, enemies with benefits, and queer representation.
12. Puck Me Secretly by Odette Stone
I found this book from a BookTok video (guilty :/ ) and sped through it in nearly one sitting. Another first book in a professional hockey series (Vancouver Wolves Hockey series), this book starts with a bang (almost literally). In the heat of a scary moment (their plane is crashing), our FMC admits to her seatmate that she’s never climaxed. He promises if they make it out alive that he will help her out with her “problem.” Spoiler alert: they make it out alive. After one night together, our FMC never expects to see this mystery man again. But when she shows up at her new job that week, she realizes the man who left her hotel room only a few hours ago is the new hockey player on the team she’s working for. Tension for days and a bit of forbidden romance make this a must-read for all!
13. Breakaway by Grace Reilly
This one is for those of you who can’t resist a coach’s daughter, forbidden romance. Breakaway, book two in the Beyond the Play series, takes place in college and follows a couple as they navigate growing feelings in a friends-with-benefits agreement. Each book in this series follows a different couple and a different sport so there’s something for everyone here.
That’s it for now! There are so many more hockey books out there that I have and haven’t read so maybe this will be a part one. Stay tuned.
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