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Wednesday Waypoints | Five Winter Sport Romances

by Danielle Grandinetti | Sep 23, 2026 | Wednesday Waypoints | 0 comments

Today’s Wednesday Waypoints book list features ...

Five Winter Sport Romances

In honor of my newest release, Sabotage Games, I'm featuring five winter sport romances. Hockey is probably the most popular, and I included one of my favorite hockey romances. There's also Downhill Skiing, Mountaineering, and Dog Sledding. And, of course, speed skating, which is the Olympic sport the hero in Sabotage Game races in during the 1932 Olympic Games.

Each week, I share a small, curated collection of books to brighten your day—including recommendations, first lines, and even short excerpts.

What is hygge (pronounced "hoo-gah")? According to Visit Denmark, "In essence, hygge means creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people."  So grab a cuppa, slow down, and enjoy.

If you'd like to browse my recommended reads, I have an Amazon Affiliate Storefront divided into easy-to-peruse sections. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Visit the storefront here!

Today's Curated Winter Sport Romances Book List

Book cover for courtney walsh's 'my phony valentine' a couple stands against a pink background with hearts the man holding a hockey stick and wearing skates the woman in a pink top and apron holding a spoon

Courtney Walsh

My Phony Valentine

A chance meeting. A hunky hockey player. A fake romance.
Hardly an ordinary day in the life of Poppy Hart.

My days usually consist of agonizing over my failing restaurant, worrying about my mountain of debt and nursing my broken heart.

Everything changes when I bump into a man in the coffee shop and claim him as my new boyfriend. To my absolute horror, he turns out to be hockey’s most renowned bad boy, Dallas Burke. To my absolute delight, he goes along with my story.

When his no-nonsense manager and meddling grandmother jump in the picture, they see a win-win solution for my failing restaurant and Dallas’s less-than-stellar reputation.

A full-fledged fake romance complete with contract negotiations, pretend dates and phony PDA.

But as I get to know the real Dallas Burke, who is not the man the press says he is, it becomes clear that if this isn’t real. . . someone better tell it to my heart.

I don?t know why I did what I did.

Close up portrait of a man with blue eyes in a rainy urban night setting book title night fall and author susan sleeman are displayed above and below

Susan Sleeman

Night Fall

She faces dangerous situations all the time…
Olympic downhill skier, Harper Young, knows what it’s like to look danger in the face. After all, she does it every time she races down a ski slope. She’s fine with that danger and even excels under the pressure, winning Olympic gold. And as a governor’s daughter, she’s familiar with receiving threats from the general public. But when a stalker turns his sights on Harper, she possesses zero skills to protect herself.

But she has no idea what lurks in the shadows.
Former Navy SEAL and ATF Agent, Aiden Byrd of Nighthawk Security is well versed in protection skills and knows the dangers she faces. Problem is, there’s an instant attraction between Aiden and Harper, and as Aiden and the Nighthawk team contract to protect her, he has to fight to remain professional. When the stalker grows bolder and tries to end Harper’s life, Aiden’s only hope in keeping her safe is to deny his feelings. Something that borders on impossible.

She was dying, and it was his fault.

Book cover sabotaged by dani pettrey close up woman's face with snowy alaskan mountains and a dog sled team in the foreground

Dani Pettrey

Sabotaged

Finally Returned Home, Reef McKeena
Finds His Beloved Alaska Facing Its Greatest Threat

Growing up, goody-two-shoes Kirra Jacobs and troublemaker Reef McKenna were always at odds. Now, working together as search-and-rescue for Alaska's arduous Iditarod race, a growing attraction seems to be forcing aside old arguments. Then Reef catches Kirra sneaking from camp in the middle of the night.

Kirra's uncle, a musher in the race, has disappeared. Kirra and Reef quickly track the man, but what they discover is harrowing: Frank's daughter has been kidnapped. Kirra and Reef, along with the entire McKenna family, are thrown into a race to stop a shadowy villain who is not only threatening a girl's life--but appears willing to unleash one of the largest disasters Alaska has ever seen.

Frank woke to a low rumble churning in Diesel's throat.

Book cover for 'a view most glorious'woman in a blue coat with scarf holding a staff in a wildflower meadow with mountains

Regina Scott

A View Most Glorious

Reluctant socialite Coraline Baxter longs to live a life of significance and leave her mark on the world. When her local suffragette group asks her to climb Mount Rainier to raise awareness of their cause, she jumps at the chance, even though she has absolutely no climbing experience. If she can do it, any woman can do it. And after her mother issues an ultimatum--that Cora marry the man of her mother's choosing if she is not successful--Cora must do it. But she can't do it alone.

Noted mountain guide Nathan Hardee initially refuses to help Cora, but has a change of heart when he sees what is at stake. He knows enough about the man Cora's mother has chosen to know that the headstrong young woman should have nothing to do with him, much less marry him.

Climbing Rainier will require all of Cora's fortitude and will lead her and Nathan to rediscover their faith in God and humanity. These two loners make unlikely partners in righting a wrong and may just discover that only together is the view most glorious.

She was causing a stir.

Book cover of sabotage games by danielle grandinetti featuring a 1930s woman holding a baseball bat

Danielle Grandinetti

Sabotage Games

Who will pay the ultimate price for Olympic Gold?

LAKE PLACID, N.Y., 1932—Sports journalist Emma Hancock is determined to claim her place in the press box, despite the male colleagues who slam the door in her face. But when a mysterious illness begins systematically sidelining athletes, Emma’s gift for spotting patterns reveals a plot far more sinister than mere competition.

With the Games in his own backyard, Olympic sprinter Ryan Callahan laces up his speed skates to compete in his first winter games. He has no time for distractions—especially not the inconvenience of the beautiful female journalist staying as a guest in his family’s crowded home.

But when the pattern of sabotage deepens, Emma and Ryan must work together to follow the threads before they become the next targets to fall.

“Emma!”

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~ Danielle.

author avatar
Danielle Grandinetti historical romantic mystery author
Danielle Grandinetti writes award-winning 1930s historical romantic mystery and suspense. She is the 2026 Holt Medallion winner and a second-generation Italian-American. Fueled by tea and nature, she crafts hope-filled historical romance novels exploring immigrant heritage, found family, and cozy Midwest traditions. Find her at daniellegrandinetti.com.

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