Tall Poppy writer and author Priscilla Oliveras shares the origins of her love for sports romances and a list of her recommended faves.
Practically everyone who knows me, receives my News & Notes email filled with insider info, or follows me on social media knows that I’m a BIG sports fan. As in: I’ve even painted my face orange and blue for a Gator game!
It’s also no secret that I’m a devoted romance genre fan — a long-time reader who, since 2017, is a published author of romance novels that spotlight my Latine comunidad and celebrate the power of healthy, loving relationships.
So, it should come as no big surprise that I’m also a fan of melding these two interests into…
*waving magic wand*
Sports romances!
I come by my penchant for sports and romance novels naturally. One might even say, it’s in my DNA.
You see, my Mami is also a sports devotee. She and I have been each other’s cheering buddies at countless University of Florida Gator games, matches and meets. We also share a devotion to the game of baseball — AKA beísbol, as we say in Puerto Rico where my Mami was born and raised in a beísbol-fanatic familia. My love for the game was nurtured during the summer hours I sat in front of the TV alongside my Abuela watching our Cubbies or over our phone calls dissecting a game when my grandmother and I couldn’t watch together. The first time I passed through the turnstile at Wrigley Field was also hers. It was a chilly, drizzly May evening, but after years of dreaming of being there, we didn’t care that Mother Nature rained on our parade. We were consumed with exhilaration as our Cubs took the field and we finally got to see them play in person.
Now, believe it or not, my Papi is the source of my romance novel fascination. For as long as I can remember, my father left for work every day with a mass market romance tucked into his back pocket, ready for break times. Sure, I watched telenovelas with my Abuela and Mami. Dramatic shows that help fuel my emotional, familia-themed novels. But my romance reading habit? That’s all my Papi’s doing.
Many readers talk about sneaking their first romance novel from a mother’s, grandmother’s or maybe an aunt’s bookshelf. Me? I didn’t have to sneak-read. My Papi willingly shared his.
To help you understand why I think sports and romances go together so well, let’s draw an imaginary Venn diagram with them. In mine, the spot where the circles overlap has two important words: Emotional impact.
From start to finish, a great game AND a Keeper Shelf romance novel will evoke a riot of emotions in you. Absolute joy, utter heartache, pulse-pounding exhilaration, nail-biting tension, tears of sorrow and laughter, and of course press-a-hand-to-your-chest swoons. Yes, I have swooned over the athletic physique of a player in their uniform. *wink*
So, as the NHL and NBA seasons wind down … as tennis fans watch the French Open … as the MLB nears its mid-season All-Star break … as NFL training camps prepare for their late July start … as the Premier League preps to begin anew in August … here’s a short list of sports romance recs readers and reviewers consider winners!
Huddle With Me Tonight, book 1 in New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Farrah Rochon’s New York Sabers football series.
Intercepted, an NPR “Best Books of 2018” selection and book 1 in Alexa Martin’s football series, The Playbook, now in development.
The Wall of Winnipeg and Me, a fan-favorite football romance by Mariana Zapata, New York Times and USA Today best-selling author known by many as the “queen of the slow burn”.
Long Shot, book 1 in New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Kennedy Ryan’s critically acclaimed HOOPS (as in, basketball) series.
Cleat Cute, a sapphic, rivals to lovers soccer rom-com and instant USA Today bestseller by Meryl Wilsner.
Recipe for Persuasion, a second chance romance between a FIFA-winning soccer hero and a talented though tormented chef, book 2 in USA Today bestselling author Sonali Dev’s must-read, Jane Austen retellings series, The Rajes.
40-Love (There’s Something about Marysburg), by Olivia Dade, a tennis fan’s delight with an age-gap romance, body positivity and swoony heat.
The Bromance Book Club, an Indie Next and LibraryReads Pick, a baseball romance by Lyssa Kay Adams that has countless fans singing her and the entire series’ praises.
The Art of Catching Feelings, releasing on June 18, this Alicia Thompson baseball romance is already an Amazon Editor Pick that has me excited for the post office to pitch my pre-ordered copy into my mailbox.
And finally…
Holiday Home Run, my holiday, baseball romance novella starring a retired Chicago Cubs pitcher and a career-focused event planner who, as the sister of three baseball-lovin’ brothers, has vowed to never date a ball player.
Here’s to lots of time for us to get lost in great books this summer. I do hope you’ll curl up with the ones I’ve rec’d here. If you do, let me know!
Remember, if you love a book, a great gift you can give an author is a stellar review and a shout-out on your socials! Happy Reading, mis amigos!
