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Books like The Mistake

The Mistake by Elle Kennedy reads as witty, steamy. These 12 books share its genome — matched by how they actually read, not just their shelf label.

What The Mistake is like to read

A wry, confiding college romance in which a charming hockey player must overcome a drunken misstep to win over a woman who has every reason to resist him; Kennedy's signature conversational intimacy carries readers through the second-chance courtship. Best for: fans of Kennedy's Briar U romances; readers seeking playful new-adult romance with athletic leads and emotional depth.

The Deal cover
The Deal
Elle Kennedy · 2015
A banter-heavy fake-dating romance between a driven music student and a cocky hockey captain that turns unexpectedly tender as their tutoring sessions crack open real vulnerability.
guaranteed HEAhigh heatcomplete story
Wait for You cover
Wait for You
J. Lynn · 2013
Another road into trust and college life, taken at steady pacing.
The Wall of Winnipeg and Me cover
The Wall of Winnipeg and Me
Mariana Zapata · 2016
A long-suffering personal assistant and the football star she quits on end up married for convenience, and readers get a slow, banter-filled burn as professional resentment melts into real intimacy.
deep cut
Daydream cover
Daydream
Hannah Grace · 2024
A tender, confiding exploration of the liminal space between deep friendship and romantic love, grounded in the specific pressures of collegiate athletics and young adulthood.
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Him cover
Him
Sarina Bowen · 2015
Same steamy, witty register, circling second chances and hockey from its own angle.
Maybe not cover
Maybe not
Colleen Hoover · 2014
A high-heat enemies-to-lovers romance anchored by intimate, earnest dual perspective as two clashing personalities navigate forced cohabitation and undeniable attraction.
Game Changer cover
Game Changer
Rachel Reid · 2018
A contemporary M/M hockey romance built on a closeted-star / out-and-proud barista dynamic, with the heat of a secret affair pressing against the ache of being hidden.
guaranteed HEAhigh heatcomplete story
The Score cover
The Score
Elle Kennedy · 2016
A charming, character-driven college romance tracking a hockey player's genuine emotional reckoning when he meets someone who won't play the game.
Walking disaster cover
Walking disaster
Jamie McGuire · 2013
A gender-flipped retelling of Beautiful Disaster that gets inside Travis's head as he obsesses over Abby, wrestles with his temper and addictions, and fights to become someone worthy of her.
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First Comes Scandal (Rokesbys #4) cover
First Comes Scandal (Rokesbys #4)
Julia Quinn · 2020
A Quinn-signature witty Regency romance where a scandalous reputation forces a practical marriage that transforms into genuine intimacy.
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The Do-Over cover
The Do-Over
Lynn Painter · 2022
A witty, earnest YA romance where a magical do-over of prom night becomes the catalyst for an unexpected romance and self-discovery, delivered with Painter's signature conversational voice and emotional interiority.
YAdeep cut
Powerful cover
Powerful
Lauren Roberts · 2024
A quick companion novella set in the Powerless world, following Adena's scrappy street survival and a wary bond with a mysterious Elite.
mildly eeriedeep cut

About The Mistake — what the genome says

Who is The Mistake for?

fans of Kennedy's Briar U romances; readers seeking playful new-adult romance with athletic leads and emotional depth

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