Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish where we get a new topic for a top 10 list.

This week is all about characters. Following my discussion post on why you should read sports contemporary novels, I thought it’d be appropriate to focus this weeks Top Ten Tuesday on books that feature athletes. Most of these books are ones I’ve read but there is one that is on the must read list.

1. Rusk University by Cora Carmack: Amercian Football fans are going to want to pick up this series. It’s angst free, romantic and has plenty of football. If you liked Friday Night Lights, you’ll enjoy this series.

2. Dare You To by Katie McGarry: Katie McGarry is known for her addictive romances. Her characters are ones that face a lot of hardships at a young age. However, this book also has a sports element to it as our lead guy, Ryan, is an aspiring baseball player. In this book we see him grappling with pursuing a professional career right our of high school or take the time to develop his skills and also consider other paths and passions beyond baseball.

3. Falling From the Sky by Sarina Bowen: Bowen’s Gravity series focuses on snow sports, specifically snowboarding. Out of all three books this one became my favourite as it focuses on the life of an Olympic Athlete who is left paralyzed after a crash during competition. This book explores the consequences of this accident and how Hank navigates life without Snowboarding.

4. The Hard Count by Ginger Scott: This book is all about heart. It explores the way a sport can bring a community together and tear it apart. It looks at social and racial divides and all the highs and lows that comes with being part of a sporting community.

5. Sacked by Jen Frederick: Romance fans are going to want to pick this book up. The steam factor is off the charts but more than that the development of the relationship between our main characters is sweet, sexy and well developed. When it comes to sport, we get to explore the multitude of dynamics within the team and how it can contribute to a teams overall performance.

6. Off-Campus Series by Elle Kennedy: You knew this one was coming, right? This series introduced me to the world of sports contemporary romances and it is such a fun read. There’s hockey, humour, heart and a whole lot of romance. What more could you want?

7. Whatever Life Throws at You by Julie Berry: Baseball fans will love this book as it explores the life of a young athlete that’s looking to put his troubled pass behind him and make an impact in the major league. Factor in a sweet friends to lovers romance with the coach’s daughter and you have a hit.

8. Play On by Michelle Smith: Here we explore the life of a small town. A town that places their high school baseball team on the pedestal. It a simple but effective book.

9. Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway: An understated contemporary novel. This book is beautifully executed as it looks at the fallout of Oliver’s return after being taken by his father 10 years earlier. It’s about rebuilding friendships and relationships. Both Emmy & Oliver face a fair share of troubles but for Emmy she has to hide her passion for surfing from her overprotective parent.

10. Him by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy: The one book on this list I’ve yet to read. I’ve heard nothing but amazing things about this series and I’m making it my mission to have finished it by the end of the year. Hockey romances are my favourite after all.

What’s your favourite sport?
Do you have any sports contemporary recommendations?