Six Riveting Sports Fiction Books That Score Big

Sports make a great backdrop for a book. Many of us have played a sport at one time or another in our lives. We likely know the thrill of a score. The camaraderie of being on a team. The thrill of facing an opponent. The joy of a win. The pang of a loss. The setbacks of an injury. The highs, the lows, the adrenaline, and the letdowns. It’s this familiarity that draws readers to these athletically inclined storylines and has resulted in the recent rise of and excitement for sports fiction. 

Get your hands on these recent heart-pounding (and heart-warming) novels that take us to the court, the rink, a studio, and even a surfboard. 

Pickleball

Pickleballers by Ilana Long

Meg Bloomberg is in a pickle. When Meg’s ex turns out to be a total player, she and her bestie take off for a mood-lifting pickleball excursion to Bainbridge Island. It’s supposed to be an easy lob, a way to heal, not the opening serve to a new courtside romance that’s doomed to spin out. It’s time for Meg to take control of her own game. And maybe, just maybe…love will bounce back. “Pickleballers delivers the ultimate serve,” says Cosmopolitan. “A fun new rom-com that will definitely have you hitting the court ASAP as you follow along with Meg’s new journey in the sport that comes with some unexpected game (and life) changing experience.”

Hockey

Puck and Prejudice by Lia Riley

Goalie for the Austin Regals, Tucker Taylor is benched due to health issues. So he decides to visit his sister in England. But an accidental plunge into an icy pond thrusts him back to 1812 where he comes face to face with a captivating blue-eyed woman who regards him as if he’s grown two heads. From the author of Mister Hockey comes a sizzling marriage of convenience romance between a pro hockey player and the brazen contemporary of Jane Austen, Lizzy Wooddash, who Austin just can’t help but fall for.

Dancing

Variation by Rebecca Yarros

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Fourth Wing comes a new contemporary romance. Elite ballerina Allie Rousseau is no stranger to pressure. With her mother’s eyes always watching, perfection was expected, no matter the cost. When an injury jeopardizes all she’s sacrificed for, Allie returns to her summer home to heal and recover. But the memories she’s tried to forget rush in and threaten to take her under. “With shades of The Summer I Turned Pretty and Bunheads” (The New York Times), “Yarros keeps the twists coming as her complex but lovable characters find their way back to each other in the face of impossible odds. Readers who like their romance on the soapy side will be more than satisfied” (Publishers Weekly).

Surfing

The Maui Effect by Sara Ackerman

They say opposites attract, but are they meant to last? In this thunderous love story, we travel deep into the Maui rainforest and hop across the globe from Hawai’i to California to Portugal, chasing waves the size of nine-story buildings—where the unthinkable is always just one breath away. Booklist says, “With its fascinating locales, ecological and surfing facts, adventure, intrigue, and a realistically complicated romance, Ackerman’s latest has broad appeal.”

Ice skating

The Favorites by Layne Fargo

She might not have a famous name, funding, or her family’s support, but Katarina Shaw has always known that she was destined to become an Olympic skater. When she meets Heath Rocha, their instant connection makes them a formidable duo on the ice. Clinging to skating—and each other—to escape their turbulent lives, Kat and Heath go from childhood sweethearts to champion ice dancers, captivating the world with their scorching chemistry, rebellious style, and roller-coaster relationship. Until, a shocking incident at the Olympic Games brings their partnership to a sudden end. Part Wuthering Heights and part Daisy Jones & The Six, Jodi Picoult says, “this novel is as brilliantly choreographed as a gold medal performance and will keep you guessing until its last page.”

Editor’s Note: For a riveting tennis story, check out Jenni L. Walsh’s Ace, Marvel, Spy. Sports icon and equality champion Billie Jean King says it “captures the thrill of being on the court in a vivid and detailed portrayal of Alice Marble’s rise to sporting greatness, as well as her struggles to fulfill her dreams both on and off the court.” She also calls the book “A smashing success!”