trope
Sports Romance
A romance novel where the hero or heroine is an athlete, coach, or sports industry insider, and the love story is intrinsically tied to their sport, training, or the high-stakes world of competition.
Why readers love it
Readers love the vicarious thrill of high-stakes athletic achievement paired with the emotional payoff of a partner who sees past the stats, plus the built-in tension of competing priorities and public scrutiny.
Also called
hockey romance
football romance
MMA romance
fake relationship with a rival
coach's daughter
enemies to lovers on rival teams
