12 Steamy Romances For Winter

If you’re a bit tired of winter-themed books or holiday romances, here’s a list of some hot books for the season. These 12 sizzling romances bring all the best tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fake dating, friends-to-lovers, and second chances. Most of them are steamy sports romances, perfect for curling up with by the fire!

More Books For Winter Reading List

• 11 Best Books to Read by the Fireplace This Winter
• 11 Most Rated Winter Books On Goodreads
• 10 Spicy Christmas Romance Books to Turn Up the Heat This Winter
• 12 Cozy Books That Feel Like Winter
• 60+ Winter Book Quotes Perfect For Instagram Captions
• 19 Atmospheric Winter -Themed Books for Frosty- Chilly Days

Hot Romance Books For Winter

Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score

If you’re into grumpy-meets-sunshine books, checkout Knox by Lucy Score this winter. Knox, a tough barber who likes his quiet life with his dog, Waylon, isn’t thrilled when runaway bride Naomi crashes into town. Left stranded by her shady twin and suddenly responsible for a surprise niece, Naomi throws Knox’s simple life into chaos. It’s a perfect winter read with romance, laughs, and friendly neighborhood spirit.

Bearded, bad-boy barber Knox prefers to live his life the way he takes his coffee: Alone. Unless you count his basset hound, Waylon.
Knox doesn’t tolerate drama, even when it comes in the form of a stranded runaway bride.

Naomi wasn’t just running away from her wedding. She was riding to the rescue of her estranged twin to Knockemout, Virginia, a rough-around-the-edges town where disputes are settled the old-fashioned way…with fists and beer. Usually in that order.

Too bad for Naomi her evil twin hasn’t changed at all. After helping herself to Naomi’s car and cash, Tina leaves her with something unexpected. The niece Naomi didn’t know she had. Now she’s stuck in town with no car, no job, no plan, and no home with an 11-year-old going on thirty to take care of.

There’s a reason Knox doesn’t do complications or high-maintenance women, especially not the romantic ones. But since Naomi’s life imploded right in front of him, the least he can do is help her out of her jam. And just as soon as she stops getting into new trouble he can leave her alone and get back to his peaceful, solitary life.

At least, that’s the plan until the trouble turns to real danger.

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Daydream by Hannah Grace

This steamy romance is all about hockey, hot romance and rule breaking. Henry Turner, ice hockey captain, needs help with a tough class, so junior Halle Jacobs steps in to tutor him. They set rules to keep things strictly academic, but it doesn’t take long before those rules start to blur.

The new novel from the #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of Icebreaker and Wildfire…

When procrastination lands him in a difficult class with his least favorite professor, Henry Turner knows he’s going to have to work extra hard to survive his junior year of college. And now with his new role as ice hockey captain – which he didn’t even want – Henry absolutely cannot fail. Enter Halle Jacobs, a fellow junior who finds herself befriended by Henry when he accidentally crashes her book club.

Halle may not have the romantic pursuits of her favorite fictional leads, but she’s an academic superstar, and when she hears about Henry’s problems with his class reading material, she offers to help. But being a private tutor isn’t exactly ideal given her own studies, job and the novel she’s trying to write. New experiences are the key to beating her writer’s block, though, and Henry’s promising to be the one to give them to her.

They just need to stick to their rulebook. Oh, and not fall in love.

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Night Shift by Annie Crown

Night Shift is a sweet, unexpected romance to curl up with this winter. Kendall Holiday’s quiet Friday nights at the library get interesting when Vincent Knight, the basketball captain, drops by looking for some poetry help. What starts as tutoring soon becomes something more as they connect over books and late-night conversations.

The bookworm and the basketball player are about to meet their match.

Kendall Holiday spends her Friday nights exactly where she wants to be: with her head buried in a spicy romance novel while she works the graveyard shift at her university’s library. She knows she could join her friends for a weekend of drunken debauchery and college parties, but she likes her alone time, so she tells herself she isn’t hiding when she gets lost in the pages of fictional love stories.

But that all changes when Vincent Knight, captain of the basketball team, turns up with an injured wrist, a sour mood, and a pressing need for poetry recommendations for a class he hates. Vincent is tall, smart-mouthed, and challenges Kendall like no one has before. Suddenly, she’s falling headfirst into her very own romance novel—but it takes a lot more truth than tropes to get to a happy ever after in real life.

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Collide by Bal Khabra

If you’re into enemies-to-lovers vibes, Collide is your book. Summer Preston just wants to pass her class, but she’s stuck working with hockey captain Aiden Crawford, who’s totally her opposite. Their clashing personalities bring out tons of heat and banter, but as they get through it, they start seeing each other differently.

An ultimatum from her professor thrusts Summer Preston into an unexpected collision with hockey captain Aiden Crawford. She’s caught in a delicate balance between fulfilling her lifelong dream of becoming a sport psychologist and veering far away from this god-awful sport.

For Aiden Crawford, being the captain of the college hockey team has its perks, except when a reckless mistake by his team threatens to jeopardize their entire season. Consequently, his coach nominates him as the subject of a research paper. It’s the last thing he wants to do, especially since the girl leading the project looks like she could wield his skates as a weapon.

Summer can’t stand his blasé approach to life, and Aiden doesn’t understand her uptight, scheduled one. They are off to a rocky start, and provoking each other is what they do best, but defeat isn’t something either of them is willing to accept.

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Icebreaker by Hannah Grace

Icebreaker is hands down the hottest romance I’ve ever read. You’ve got to put this one on your winter romance list. It follows Anastasia Allen, a figure skater on scholarship, who has to share her rink with Nate Hawkins, the hockey captain. There’s a ton of fun, chemistry, and team vibes in this one.

Anastasia Allen has worked her entire life for a shot at Team USA. It looks like everything is going according to plan when she gets a full scholarship to the University of California, Maple Hills, and lands a place on their competitive figure skating team.

Nothing will stand in her way, not even the captain of the hockey team, Nate Hawkins.

Nate’s focus as team captain is on keeping his team on the ice. Which is tricky when a facilities mishap means they are forced to share a rink with the figure skating team—including Anastasia, who clearly can’t stand him.

But when Anastasia’s skating partner faces an uncertain future, she may have to look to Nate to take her shot.

Sparks fly, but Anastasia isn’t worried . . . because she could never like a hockey player, right?

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Offside by Avery Keelan

For a fun, drama-filled steamy romance Offside by Avery Keelan is a great choice! After a messy breakup, Bailey James rebounds with Chase Carter—her ex’s biggest rival. What starts as a drunken mistake and a fake dating scheme soon leads to real feelings.

An addictive college hockey romance.

Heartbreaker. Troublemaker. And my ex’s biggest rival.

After my boyfriend of two years unceremoniously dumps me on my twenty-first birthday, my friends drag me to a trendy new nightclub to drown my sorrows. Several drinks later, I spot the perfect rebound standing next to the bar: Chase Carter, my ex’s worst enemy. A notorious antagonizer, Chase is cocky, smart-mouthed… and undeniably hot. Even better, he’s rumored to be impressively skilled at more than just hockey. What better way to move on?

Unfortunately, my plan falls apart after I have one cocktail too many and throw up all over Chase’s shoes. Following a night of him taking care of me while I’m at my worst, I’m certain he’ll never want to see me again. But the next time our schools face off, he finds me in the crowd after the game—and when we fake a kiss in front of my ex, the sparks that fly are real.

Before I know it, we’re having “study dates” and he’s taking me out for a do-over birthday to replace the bad memories with good ones. Beneath his brash exterior, he’s protective and sweet, not to mention generous in every sense of the word. The only problem? We’re caught in the midst of a bitter rivalry that extends far beyond the arena. My brother hates him, my friends don’t approve, and I’m being forced to choose between my loyalties and my heart.

He’s the last person I should fall for, but it might just be too late.

Offside is a college hockey romance with lots of spice, swoon, and a happily ever after. It’s the first book in the Rules of the Game series and can be read as a standalone.

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Shutout by Avery Keelan

If you’re into secret romances with a bit of tension, Shutout is another good book. Seraphina moves in with her brother and his hockey teammates, one of whom happens to be her recent fling, Tyler. They try to keep things under wraps, but their chemistry only grows.

He’s the tall, tattooed stranger I hooked up with on Halloween… and now he’s my new roommate.

After a sudden cross-country move, I’m stuck crashing with my older brother and two of his hockey teammates for sophomore year. I’m not thrilled about shacking up with three athletes and their stinky gear, rotating door of hookups, and tendency to inhale every snack in the house. Just one reason of many that hockey players aren’t my type.

When I walk in the front door with an armload of boxes, however, I’m faced with another problem.

My anonymous fling from two months ago is Tyler Donahue, the superstar goalie for my brother’s team.

We both agree to pretend it never happened, but it quickly becomes clear neither of us can forget. Before I know it, we’re exchanging heated glances from across the room, sending spicy texts at all hours of the night, and stealing kisses behind closed doors.

Since my overprotective brother would freak out, we decide to keep things between us a secret. There’s no point in rocking the boat when I don’t want a boyfriend, and Tyler doesn’t have time for a girlfriend with his grueling hockey schedule. But as our no-strings arrangement turns into something deeper and more meaningful, I begin to see a softer side of the broody, closed-off goalie. He’s gentle, protective, and giving in every sense of the word. Despite what I told myself going in, I’m falling hard and falling fast.

We said we’d keep things casual, but hearts have a way of breaking all the rules.

Shutout is a college hockey romance with lots of spice, swoon, and a happily ever after. It’s the second book in the Rules of the Game series and can be read as a standalone.

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Matching All the Way by Veronica Eden

If you are looking for lighthearted romance, check out this steamy Christmas romance. Evie keeps matching with her brother’s best friend on a dating app, and despite their differences, the attraction is real. What starts as a secret fling quickly grows deeper. Matching All the Way is good book if you’re in the mood for something light and swoon-worthy!

Nothing’s more romantic than matching with the same guy every time you reluctantly download a dating app. Hotter than ever—check. Off limits—double check. Why does the universe hate me?

Cole Kincaid is unfairly irresistible and the one guy I’ll never have. My brother’s best friend is all grown up, but he’s not here to witness my messy girl era. He’s Dad’s new assistant coach for Heston U’s hockey team.

Match me once, we’ll laugh it off and never talk about it again.

Match me twice, well this is awkward.

Match me three-four-five times? My resolve is only so strong.

Constantly enduring Cole’s charm in this small town is tempting enough thanks to the pesky crush I never got over. We’re matching all the way whether I like it or not. After a bad breakup, I’m only interested in avoiding loneliness through winter.

And at rematch number…I’ve lost count, it turns out he wants to help me with that.

What begins as an enticing game of sneaking around in secret turns into something neither of us can walk away from once the snow melts. The question is…how long can we hide this?

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Catching Feelings by Maren Moore

In Catch Feelings Viv is forced to crash with Reese, her annoyingly hot former fling, after spending her dorm money to pay off debts. Even though she’s reluctant, Reese steps up and supports her through tough family issues.

I accidentally hooked up with the guy I despise. A mistake I’d love to forget…except now he’s my new roommate.

Reese Landry is Orleans University’s arrogant, All-Star catcher.

And I’m the one girl he can’t seem to catch.

If anything, it only makes him want me more.

He’s disgustingly rich, stupidly charming, and everyone loves him.

Except me.

But then life throws me the ultimate curveball: He’s my new temporary roomie.

I thought it was going to be easy, keeping him at a distance.

Turns out, I was wrong.

He’s nothing like the cocky, rich playboy that I thought he was.

I told myself one more time wouldn’t hurt.

We promised to keep things casual, no strings attached.

But soon lines blur, and he somehow becomes my only safe space to land.

And now, we’re catching feelings.

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The C*ck Down the Block Amy Award

The C*ck Down the Block is a playful friends-to-lovers romance, about Trix, a self-proclaimed nerd, ropes her football player best friend into being her fake date. But as they keep up the act, he starts to realize he’s got real feelings for her, and she begins to see him in a whole new light.

Always the nerdy girl, never the girlfriend~

Until her cocky best friend and his *ahem* rooster take charge.

Look, I’ve had it bad for the girl with all the curves next door forever. She turned me down in high school and since I’m not a total douchecanoe, I lusted after her all by myself in my shower, and we stayed just friends for years.

Now she’s the adorkable librarian next door and I’m the star quarterback of the best pro football team in the league.

So when she asks me to be her fake date to her all-girls school reunion I am totally down to show her off to the mean girls who bullied her back then so they can see just how incredible she is.

I’ll be the best boyfriend they’ve ever seen. The best fake boyfriend that is.

Until I find out from her slightly-stalkery classmates that she still has her v-card. I don’t see how that is even possible. Not with how sexy and sweet she is. Could it be because she knows she belongs with me?

This curvy girl and football quarterback sports romance has a baddie plus-size woman who knows her own worth and a Bridgertons-meets-American-Football family you’ll wish you were a part of.

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Wildfire by Hannah Grace

Wildfire centers around Russ and Aurora who share a one-night stand, only to end up as counselors at the same summer camp. Both are dealing with baggage from home, and while camp rules say “no romance,” the chemistry between them is hard to ignore. This steamy, tension-filled book is another good romance for winter night.

The latest in the Maple Hills series follows two summer camp counselors who reconnect after a sizzling one-night stand.

Maple Hills students Russ Callaghan and Aurora Roberts cross paths at a party celebrating the end of the academic year, where a drinking game results in them having a passionate one-night stand. Never one to overstay her welcome (or expect much from a man), Aurora slips away before Russ even has the chance to ask for her full name.

Imagine their surprise when they bump into each other on the first day of the summer camp where they are both counselors, hoping to escape their complicated home lives by spending the summer working. Russ hopes if he gets far enough away from Maple Hills, he can avoid dealing with the repercussions of his father’s gambling addiction, while Aurora is tired of craving attention from everyone around her, and wants to go back to the last place she truly felt at home.

Russ knows breaking the camp’s strict “no staff fraternizing” rule will have him heading back to Maple Hills before the summer is over, but unfortunately for him, Aurora has never been very good at caring about the rules. Will the two learn to peacefully coexist? Or did their one night together start a fire they can’t put out?

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Behind the Net by Stephanie Archer

Behind the Net is a charming, slow-burn romance perfect for winter nights! We follow Pippa who lands a job as the assistant to NHL player Jamie Streicher, her high school crush. Living and working closely with him, she starts seeing the real Jamie beneath the fame.

He’s the hot, grumpy goalie I had a crush on in high school… and now I’m his live-in assistant.

After my ex crushed my dreams in the music industry, I’m done with getting my heart broken. Working as an assistant for an NHL player was supposed to be a breeze, but nothing about Jamie Streicher is easy. He’s an intimidatingly hot, grouchy jerk who can’t stand me. The guy has a massive ego. Keeping things professional will be no problem, even when he demands I move in with him.

Beneath his surliness, though, Jamie’s surprisingly sweet and protective.

When Jamie learns how bad my ex was in bed, his competitive nature flares, and he encourages and spoils me in every way. The creative spark I used to feel about songwriting? It’s back, and I’m writing music again. Between wearing his jersey at games, rowdy parties with the team, and being brave on stage again, I’m falling for him.

He could break my heart, but it might be worth it.

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More Books For Winter Reading List

11 Best Books to Read by the Fireplace This Winter

11 Most Rated Winter Books On Goodreads

10 Spicy Christmas Romance Books to Turn Up the Heat This Winter

12 Cozy Books That Feel Like Winter

60+ Winter Book Quotes Perfect For Instagram Captions

19 Atmospheric Winter -Themed Books for Frosty- Chilly Days