[Note from Frolic: We’re so excited to have author Joanna Shupe guest posting on the site today. She has some recs for anyone in the mood for both sports and historical romance. Take it away, Joanna!]
Athletes are a natural fit in romance books. I mean, they’re in peak physical form, are competitive, and don’t mind working up a sweat. 😉
But when most readers think of sports in romance, they probably assume the book is a contemporary. Sports have been around for a long time, though, and were enjoyed by men and women alike.
In my latest release, The Heiress Hunt, the heroine Maddie is a tennis player chasing her dream of winning the US Nationals Championship, later to be known as the US Open. Maddie is loosely based on the first women’s tennis superstar, Suzanne Lenglen, a Frenchwoman who dominated in the early 20th-century with her aggressive style of play. The unconventional Lenglen pioneered “sportswear” attire for women, drank cognac during her matches, and was unapologetic about her superior skills on the court. (Seriously, where is this woman’s biopic??!)
So if you like hot and sweaty action, here are some great historical romances with sports references to check out:
BOXING