Whether you enjoy watching the body-tackling sport or commercials at halftime, football is one of the most lucrative and viewed sports in the professional arena. And that was before Taylor Swift found romance in the arms of number 87, Travis Kelce. There’s no mystery as to why, though. It’s entertaining in many ways but also inspirational — especially for a certain writing/reading demographic. We’re taking a closer look at the subgenre Football Romance. Let’s team up to see what this genre holds in store.
Football Romance — History, Tropes, and Themes
This has been a popular romance theme since the early 2000s. However, sales have exploded this past year after the Princess of Pop officially announced she’s in a romantic relationship with an accomplished Kansas City Chiefs Tight End. Thank you, Tay-Tay, for bringing more attention to this genre; the authors and readers are excited to have more people to share their love with.
Themes
While there’s surely a connotation of heterosexuality and toxic or barbaric masculinity that follows the physically challenging sport, there’s certainly no lack of diversity in the books. Santino Hassel’s Illegal Contact is a swoon-worthy MM romance where one bad boy player slowly falls for his PA-turned-behavior-babysitter.
Adding to the diversity and playfulness of the team sport is a plethora of why-choose novels centered around one female protagonist and several football player MMCs. We’re here for the polyamory! Set in the football capital of Texas, Hail Mary by Cassie Cole is a HEA football romance in which a reporter gets close to three teammates on and off the field.
These novels aren’t just centered around professional football players either. We know our romance book lovers are all about variety, so have no fear. Plenty of academic football romances are out there. Mason by Leila James is a college bully romance if you’re looking for a darker-themed read. Extra bonus: it’s also a why choose.
Tropes
As with most romance, football-centered stories run the gauntlet of tropes. Most popular are fake dating, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, and marriage of convenience. There’s even the family-member best friend trope, which happens often, like in Kristen Callihan’s The Game Plan, where Fiona’s brother-in-law’s best friend is star player Ethn Dexter. She really couldn’t care less about his career, but he wants her to care about him more than the guy who comes to her sister’s family functions.
Coming in with the fake dating trope is Blind Side by Kandi Steiner. A college football MVP and the PR coordinator become entangled when he has a bad breakup, and she can’t keep it together in front of a crush. They agree to fake date; he gets to save face, and she gets to lose her cherry and nervousness.
More Recommendations
The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata
Van is the personal assistant to one of the most prolific football stars in the professional league. But his attitude and ungrateful behavior have finally gotten the best of her, and she quits. She’s astonished when he shows up one day at her door, emotionally open and vulnerable, a state she’s never seen before, begging her to return. The catch: he needs her to fill a role far more personal than an assistant.
The Wrong Quarterback by C.R. Jane
In this dark, obsessive college football romance, our heroine is trying to get her life back together after a tragic accident only to become the sole focus of the school’s quarterback. When does obsession become stalking, and when do you draw the line when it’s a thrill and soothing to be in the sights of someone who knows what they want, especially when what they want is you?
Waiting for Friday Night by Synithia Williams
This small town romance is all about second chances, forgiveness, and finding the family you’ve been yearning for. Losing her parents at a young age with little to no other family, Hale knew she wanted to create a family of her own. So what if she was single? Becoming a single mother through the use of an anonymous donor, Halle got exactly what she wanted. Though there was still something missing. Fourteen years later, her headstrong daughter is determined to find her father and the missing piece to their perfect family unit. Can Halle put aside her hurt feelings when it’s discovered that her long-time love and ex, who just so happens to be her daughter’s football coach, is the anonymous donor?
Are you a football romance enthusiast? Let us know by reaching out to Bookstr on X, Instagram, and Facebook!
Want more crazy book genres of men in uniform? Check out Police Romance here.
Be sure to browse these books and more on our Contemporary Romance shelf on Bookshop.org.
