*Book source ~ NetGalley

Substitute teacher Cerise Norrell’s life would be perfect if she could just find the right sub to obey her very specific Domme demands. About ready to give up her search, she goes to a BDSM-type Speed Dating event and meets William Gentry. William is known in the community as Chilly Willy because his skin is always cool to the touch. She agrees to give him a chance and William is ecstatic. He believes he’s finally found the Domme he’s been searching for throughout his very long life, the one who will put an end to his loneliness and satisfy his every need. But he’s got a huge secret and his Mistress Cherry has a crap-load of baggage. Will they be able to work through their issues or are they doomed to be alone forever?

The description of this story is what hooked me. A Domme looking for a specific type of submissive and when she finds him it turns out he’s a vampire. Come on! That’s intriguing! I love Femdom especially when the sub is a big strong guy or in this case, supernaturally strong and one you would think would be the one in charge. I love the juxtaposition. If you’re expecting a lot of kinkiness then this really isn’t the BDSM book for you. However, if you like role play then this is it. Cerise’s fetish is role playing and she never likes to do the same scene twice. The variety is wonderful and the sex is pretty good. Not overly graphic, but more hot, steamy and even sweet. I wouldn’t call this erotica, per se, but it’s definitely paranormal romance with a lot of steam. And I mentioned sweet, right? Because it is. Cerise and William have issues that they need to work out and there were plenty of times I wanted to smack Cerise, but overall I enjoyed their story.

I believe March Madness is about the place.

Enjoy these Basketball Romances with some snacks! These romances are hard to find but they are out there!

My lists are never in any particular order. 

1. Smooth Play  by Regina Hart

A passion for the game is what it takes to win. But off the court, it takes a different kind of savvy to heat things up. . .

He's part problem-solver and dream-maker. There's not a crisis he can't avert. And handling the NBA's most explosive team has put PR ace Troy Marshall at the top of his game. It also gives him a chance to give back to the community. But one determined reporter is messing with his flow. And he'll need way more than skill and charm to win this tempting one-on-one. . .

Andrea Benson's instincts tell her that something major is going on behind-the-scenes with this franchise. And a headline story is the only way she can regain the career and good name she let slip away. But Troy's sincerity is throwing her for an unexpected--and very seductive--loop. Can they trust each other enough to uncover the truth. . .or will too many secrets be their breaking point?

2. BB and the 'Baller by L. Langdon

Sara Mosby was a brilliant young history professor at a university near Seattle and loved teaching and her research. Lately, however, her life had turned sour. Several irresponsible students--particularly some athletes--sought to get easy grades by making trouble for her. They complained to her new department chair, who seemed willing to do anything to deny Sara tenure. She was intrigued when a tall handsome man watched one of her classes from the hallway, then asked for direction in a self-study program. Now if she could just keep her mind on History when he smiled at her... Joshua Weathers was a pro basketball player, and the toast of Seattle--constantly in the public eye. Seeking to continue his education, which he had cut short for a basketball career, he chanced upon a dynamic class given by a small, black woman. He was fascinated by her lecture as well as by the woman herself. Could she serve as his mentor? Could she become more?

3. How to Reprimand Your Rock Star by Mina Vaughn

Thea is a star basketball player at UConn on track to be Rookie of the Year. That is, if she can stay focused on the game. Lately that hasn’t been going so well, as her knee has been bothering her. But that’s not the only thing on her mind…

Ever since rock star Keaton Lowe surprised her in the girl’s locker room, Thea can’t stop thinking about him. On top of his status and enticing ways, he seems to know everything about her. But some of his actions cross the line, and Keaton needs to be punished. Will Thea keep her head in the game, or get distracted by her other favorite pastime—reprimanding her rock star?

4. What the Heart Knows by Kathleen Eagle

Thirteen years ago, alone and secretly pregnant, Helen Ketterling left her job as a school teacher on the Bad River Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. Her summer love affair with Reese Blue Sky had ended abruptly when he left the reservation to pursue his chance at a NBA career.

Now her new position, a dangerous assignment for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Reese's father's sudden death bring them both back to Bad River for a reunion at once fiery and bittersweet. Not only does Helen fear a custody battle if Reese learns that they share a son, but she can't reveal that she's working undercover at the reservation's casino.

And Reese has his own secret--one that ended his basketball career and could endanger his son. While much has changed in the years since he left home, he finds that his roots and his heritage still matter as he reaches for reconciliation with his past. Family ties are the basis of Lakota tradition, and all are threatened by political intrigue and corruption. Was Reese's father murdered because he planned to blow the whistle on the casino's outside management company?

As their investigation into his death leads them down a treacherous path, Reese and Helen struggle to bridge the memories and heartaches of a time when she was an idealistic young teacher and he was a lonely man on the verge of reaching for the stars. They'll have to search deep inside themselves to challenge the doubts that have kept them apart.

5. Playing the Game by Stephanie Queen

Superstar athlete Barry Dennis, needs to get knocked down a peg or two and Roxanne Monet thinks she is the woman to do it–
If she can keep herself out of jail after being accused of murdering her wealthy husband...

Since her disastrous marriage ended, Roxanne has sworn off serious relationships with men. Right now she has more important things to worry about, like being flat broke with no job and accusations of murder hanging over her head.
But when she meets the elite athlete Barry Dennis and he challenges her to a game of seduction, she decides to play ball. But the game turns serious and she unintentionally exposes the legend to be a flawed man.

Barry Dennis realizes too late that he picked the wrong woman to play games with when he decided to flirt with the enigmatic Roxanne. Being the best takes all he has. He can’t afford to let anything or anyone interfere with his first and only priority--Basketball. But as the attraction between him and Roxy heats up, he finds himself losing sight of his life’s game plan.

While the sports world’s microscope is trained on Barry’s game and the media hounds Roxanne about her husband’s mysterious death, the stakes are ratcheted up even higher when Barry’s young daughter, Lindy is injured. Roxanne gives Lindy the attention she needs while Barry struggles to cope with the demands of his new priorities.

Can Roxanne rely on Barry to do more than play ball? She takes the risk and gives him the last thing she owns--her heart.

6. Full Court Press by Mike Lupica

This is what happens when the desperate golden-boy owner of the worst pro basketball team in the world and his equally desperate golden-boy coach do the unthinkable: sign the first woman ever to play in the NBA. Her name is Dee Gerard, the daughter of a New York playground legend and the product of God having an exceptionally good day. A star in Europe, but weary of bad arenas, she retires-until the day a scout for the hapless New York Knights calls his boss: "I found you a point guard who is perfect, except for one thing." What, no heart? "It's not a heart, exactly. But you're close."

The league doesn't want the circus. The other players don't want her. The owner wants fannies in the seats. The sportswriters just want their column inches. What she wants . . . is to play in the best game there is. How she gets there, the hilarious and sobering things that happen to her, the personal and professional entanglements that spring up everywhere, the pitfalls of remaining old-school when all about her are tattooed, self-indulgent, young millionaires-this is the smart, funny, outrageous, wonderful story of Full Court Press.

7. Can't Get Enough of You by Bette Ford

Jenna Gaines has her Ph.D., a great teaching job at her alma mater, everything she ever wanted in life . . . almost. Once upon a time she wanted Scott Hendricks, but the NBA called and he left her to become a hoops star. Now hiscareer is over, and the only man Jenna ever loved is back at her school and in her life—too many years too late, as far as she's concerned.

Jenna would have given up her dreams to follow Scott, which was the last thing he wanted. All Scott can think about now is the taste of her lips and how it feels to caress her silky ebony skin, but Jenna won't give him a second chance to break her heart. She will, however, let him be her backup and support when she reconnects with her long-lost brother.

But anything could happen on their fateful trip—because Scott still has the moves . . . and the magic.

8. Rush to the Altar by Jamie Carie

Madeline Goode is devastated when her husband dies in a car accident. After moving back in with her parents with her two year old son, Max, she attempts to put the pieces of her life back together. But she didn’t plan on meeting Jake Hart, the star NBA player that she keeps bumping into at her new job as a charity coordinator for the Racers. And she certainly didn’t plan on learning that her husband’s accident may have been no accident at all.

Will Jake stick around while her life gets complicated? And if she gives in to her heart, will she just be making another mistake? Rushing to the Altar may be the most daring and risky move of her life.

9. Love Becomes Her by Donna Hill

Fate has one last zinger in store for Barbara Allen. His name is Michael Stevens, he is a basketball millionaire, he's little more than half her age and he wants to spend the night!

Does Barbara dare throw convention to the wind and enjoy her very own boy toy?

It's a decision she'll need the help of her three best friends to make. But as the trio weighs in on whether Barbara should or shouldn't, they come up with an outrageous plan that will mean a life change for them all.

10. In the Paint by Philana Marie Boles

Detroit art gallery assistant Danni Blair is frustrated. Her NBA Detroit Piston boyfriend has been acting shady, she and her best friend end up arguing more than laughing, and her job has been filled with endless drudgery and incompetent co-workers.

When her world suddenly shifts in every way imaginable--her cheating boyfriend breaks up with her and she's fired from her job--Danni goes on an emotional journey that she hopes will reunite her with a love of her life, bring peace to her tumultuous childhood, and reconnect her with her passion for painting.

Want more? I have more! Go to my Goodreads list: Hoops: Basketball Romance. 

I met my love in college so I have a fondness for College Set Romances. 

Here are some wonderful Undergraduate Heroines for your reading pleasure! 

1. Isn't She Lovely by Lauren Layne 

Stephanie Kendrick gave up her whole summer to ace her NYU film school screenwriting course, so she’s pissed to be stuck with a preppy, spoiled frat boy as her writing partner. Then again, with her piercings, black-rimmed eyes, and Goth wardrobe, Stephanie isn’t exactly Ethan Price’s type, either. He’s probably got his eye on some leggy blonde with a trust fund . . . or does he?
 
As the summer scene kicks off in the Hamptons, Ethan is desperate to make his snobbish mother forget the pedigreed girl who broke his heart. While Stephanie’s a stretch as a decoy, the right makeover and a pastel cardigan just might do the trick. She may not love the idea of playing Ethan’s brainless Barbie girlfriend, but the free rent and luxurious digs make a tempting offer. So does the promise of a ready-made screenplay idea inspired by their charade.
 
But when Stephanie steps into Ethan’s privileged world, the “acting” begins to feel all too real. The kissing and touching that were intended to fool the Hamptons crowd wind up manipulating them. And Stephanie faces a question she’s too afraid to ask: Is Ethan falling for the real her or for the dolled-up princess he wants to see?

2. True  by Erin McCarthy 

I married my college sweetheart (although he dropped out and didn't finish his degree for another decade) so I am partial to romances with Undergraduate Heroines. 

Here is a list of some good ones! 

1.  Sheltered by Charlotte Stein

Evie has lived her entire life under her abusive father’s thumb. He controls everything. Where she goes to college, who she sees, what she does. But when she meets Van—a punk who shows her how different life could be—she realizes how much she’s been missing.Van offers her excitement, protection, love…and most of all, sex—even if he’s at first reluctant to give her all the things she’s been craving. She wants to explore this new world of arousal and desire, but Van is only too aware of how fragile she is, how innocent…And how much is at stake, when their love is forbidden.

2. Lothaire by Kresley Cole 

Driven by his insatiable need for revenge, Lothaire, the Lore’s most ruthless vampire, plots to seize the Horde’s crown. But bloodlust and torture have left him on the brink of madness—until he finds Elizabeth Peirce, the key to his victory. He captures the unique young mortal, intending to offer up her very soul in exchange for power, yet Elizabeth soothes his tormented mind and awakens within him emotions Lothaire believed he could no longer experience.

Growing up in desperate poverty, Ellie Peirce yearned for a better life, never imagining she’d be convicted of murder—or that an evil immortal would abduct her from death row. But Lothaire is no savior, as he himself plans to sacrifice Ellie in one month’s time. And yet the vampire seems to ache for her touch, showering her with wealth and sexual pleasure. In a bid to save her soul, Ellie surrenders her body to the wicked vampire, while vowing to protect her heart.

Elizabeth tempts Lothaire beyond reason, as only his fated mate could. As the month draws to a close, he must choose between a millennia-old blood vendetta and his irresistible prisoner. Will Lothaire succumb to the miseries of his past…or risk everything for a future with her?

3. He's Come Undone by Theresa Weir 

Penniless and behind on rent, college student and once famous child actress Ellie Barlow takes on the role of a lifetime when she's hired by a group of young women to break the heart of the campus player who cruelly dumped them. 

Transformed from slob slacker to jaw-dropping beauty, Ellie is dressed, styled, bleached and waxed, her chunky glasses exchanged for violet contacts. Along with physical prepping, she's coached on Julian's obsessions, which include long-distance running, Doctor Who, and J.D. Salinger. 

In no time, Julian is in pursuit of his custom-made next victim, but when Ellie goes off script and begins to fall for her target, the newest broken heart in this risky game could be her own. 

4. How to Reprimand Your Rock Star by Mina Vaughn

In this fun and saucy romance novel, all-star college basketball player Thea dominates on the courts—and off—with a rock star who is determined to win her over.

Thea is a star basketball player at UConn on track to be Rookie of the Year. That is, if she can stay focused on the game. Lately that hasn’t been going so well, as her knee has been bothering her. But that’s not the only thing on her mind…

Ever since rock star Keaton Lowe surprised her in the girl’s locker room, Thea can’t stop thinking about him. On top of his status and enticing ways, he seems to know everything about her. But some of his actions cross the line, and Keaton needs to be punished. Will Thea keep her head in the game, or get distracted by her other favorite pastime—reprimanding her rock star?

5. Deeper: A Novel (Caroline & West) by Robin York 

When Caroline Piasecki’s ex-boyfriend posts their sex pictures on the Internet, it destroys her reputation as a nice college girl. Suddenly her once-promising future doesn’t look so bright. Caroline tries to make the pictures disappear, hoping time will bury her shame. Then a guy she barely knows rises to her defense and punches her ex to the ground.
 
West Leavitt is the last person Caroline needs in her life. Everyone knows he’s shady. Still, Caroline is drawn to his confidence and swagger—even after promising her dad she’ll keep her distance. On late, sleepless nights, Caroline starts wandering into the bakery where West works.
 
They hang out, they talk, they listen. Though Caroline and West tell each other they’re “just friends,” their feelings intensify until it becomes impossible to pretend. The more complicated her relationship with West gets, the harder Caroline has to struggle to discover what she wants for herself—and the easier it becomes to find the courage she needs to fight back against the people who would judge her.
 
When all seems lost, sometimes the only place to go is deeper.

6. Flat-Out Love by Jessica Park 

He was tall, at least six feet, with dirty blond hair that hung over his eyes. His T-shirt read Nietzsche Is My Homeboy.

So, that was Matt.  Who Julie Seagle likes. A lot.  But there is also Finn.  Who she flat out loves.

Complicated? Awkward?  Completely.

But really, how was this freshly-minted Boston transplant and newbie college freshman supposed to know that she would end up living with the family of an old friend of her mother's? This was all supposed to be temporary.  Julie wasn't supposed to be important to the Watkins family, or to fall in love with one of the brothers.  Especially the one she's never quite met. But what does that really matter?  Finn gets her, like no one ever has before. They have connection.

But here's the thing about love, in all its twisty, bumpy permutations—it always throws you a few curves.  And no one ever escapes unscathed.

7. Fading by E.K. Blair 

Fine arts major, Candace Parker, grew up with a mother who thinks image is everything, and her daughter’s perfection will never be good enough. About to graduate college and pursue her dreams of becoming a professional ballerina, Candace decides it’s time to let go and have a little fun. But fun is short-lived when a brutal attack leaves her completely shattered. 

The memories that consume and torment Candace are starting to destroy her when she meets Ryan Campbell, a successful bar owner. He feels instantly connected and tries to show her that hope is worth fighting for. But is Ryan harboring his own demons? As walls slowly begin to chip away, the secrets that are held within start to become painful burdens. 

8. Keep Me Still by Caisey Quinn 

Layla Flaherty had the perfect life, or close to it. Until a stranger gunned her parents down right in front of her, leaving her with seizure inducing PTSD. After years of trying to pass as normal and failing miserably, she resigns herself to being invisible. But new to town Landen O’Brien sees her, and he likes what he sees. Much to Layla’s surprise, he doesn’t freak out when she has a seizure in front of him. He does the exact opposite, calming her until the tremors subside. But Landen has secrets of his own. Secrets that both bind them together and tear them apart. 

Scarred by loss, Layla leaves her hometown of Hope Springs, Georgia, hoping to put her painful past behind her and start over in college in California. When she runs into Landen at freshmen orientation, she has a choice to make. Reinforce those steel walls she's built up around herself or give the only boy who can keep her still a second chance. 

Landen’s more than ready to tear down those walls but this time when they come crashing down, they might bury her.

9. Stay With Me by Elyssa Patrick 

I’ve been famous since I can remember. Singing, acting, dancing—I’ve done it all. The tabloids cover my every move, but I don’t want that anymore. I want to be normal, whatever that is.

When I leave Hollywood for college in Vermont, I’m on my own for the first time in my life. This is my chance to figure out who I am and what I want in life.

But it’s a lot harder than I expected. I can’t escape my image. Classes are difficult, and I’m struggling. And then there’s Caleb Fox.

Sexy, intriguing Caleb Fox.

Caleb is the one man who doesn’t want to use me. He breaks down my walls. He challenges me. He wants me. And I just don’t know if I can give him the same—or if he’ll stick around when he finds out my shameful secret that the tabloids haven’t managed to uncover.

Dating him is risky enough, but loving him could break me.

10. Believe  by Erin McCarthy 

friend’s boyfriend. Now she’s faced with being THAT girl, and couldn’t be more disgusted with herself. She can’t even tell her friends the reason for her sudden sobriety and she avoids everyone until she meets Phoenix—quiet, tattooed, and different in every way that’s good and oh, so bad…

Phoenix is two days out of jail when he meets Robin at his cousin’s house, and he knows that he has no business talking to her, but he’s drawn to her quiet demeanor, sweet smile, and artistic talent. She doesn’t care that he’s done time, or that he only has five bucks to his name, and she supports his goal to be a tattoo artist.

But Phoenix knows Robin has a secret, and that it’s a naïve dream to believe that his record won’t catch up with them at some point. Though neither is prepared for the explosive result when the past collides with the present…

11.  Isn't She Lovely by Lauren Layne 

Stephanie Kendrick gave up her whole summer to ace her NYU film school screenwriting course, so she’s pissed to be stuck with a preppy, spoiled frat boy as her writing partner. Then again, with her piercings, black-rimmed eyes, and Goth wardrobe, Stephanie isn’t exactly Ethan Price’s type, either. He’s probably got his eye on some leggy blonde with a trust fund . . . or does he?
 
As the summer scene kicks off in the Hamptons, Ethan is desperate to make his snobbish mother forget the pedigreed girl who broke his heart. While Stephanie’s a stretch as a decoy, the right makeover and a pastel cardigan just might do the trick. She may not love the idea of playing Ethan’s brainless Barbie girlfriend, but the free rent and luxurious digs make a tempting offer. So does the promise of a ready-made screenplay idea inspired by their charade.
 
But when Stephanie steps into Ethan’s privileged world, the “acting” begins to feel all too real. The kissing and touching that were intended to fool the Hamptons crowd wind up manipulating them. And Stephanie faces a question she’s too afraid to ask: Is Ethan falling for the real her or for the dolled-up princess he wants to see?

Did I miss your favorite undergraduate heroine? Let me know!

To vote for the best of the best, go to my Goodreads list: Dorm: College Student Heroines. 

If you missed the College Student Heroes list be sure to check it out on the blog!