Sports romance is holding its ground as one of publishing’s most reliable categories, according to editors and agents who spoke with Publishers Weekly at the 2026 Frankfurt Book Fair. The genre’s mix of physical competition and emotional stakes continues to drive acquisitions across romance imprints, with new deals in rugby, NFL, Formula 1 and hockey storylines surfacing at the fair.
Alice Moloney, commissioning editor at Harper Fire, recently signed three romance novels by Victoria Taylor centered on a university rugby team. Moloney said the sport allows writers to reshape a familiar archetype without losing what makes it appealing.
“Sports romance lets us play with these traditionally ultramasculine characters and keep that physicality and competitiveness but broaden them into rounded, emotionally intelligent leading men too,” Moloney said.
What’s Happening At Frankfurt
The fair has become a showcase for sports romance deals spanning multiple sports and formats. Lucy Frederick, associate publisher at Bookouture, edits the Oakwood Ranch series by Bella North, which follows three brothers who play in the NFL. Frederick said the genre gives readers a clear finish line that sharpens the stakes beyond the central relationship.
“We know what the end goal is for all of the characters: to win the championship, sign a new contract, or recover from a career-ending injury,” Frederick said. “There is something clear to strive for that drives the reader beyond just the romantic stakes.”
Literary agent Safae El-Ouahabi of RCW Literary sold J.K. MacLaren’s Formula 1 romance Full Throttle to Transworld, one of several motorsport-themed deals discussed at the fair. El-Ouahabi said the appeal runs deeper than the sport itself.
“Sports romances are ultimately less about the sport and more about what that high-stakes environment unlocks for a narrative,” El-Ouahabi said.
Why It’s Taking Off
Publishers and editors describe sports romance as offering readers worlds that feel familiar and comfortable while still delivering built-in tension and high stakes without extra narrative setup. El-Ouahabi pointed to the growing presence of women within motorsport fandom as part of the draw.
“Romance readers aren’t just interested in the sport as spectators,” El-Ouahabi said. “They’re finding ways to see themselves within these worlds and claim a space in them.”
Queer sports romance has also become a significant thread within the category. Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series, which follows hockey players, is widely viewed as a blueprint for the subgenre and inspired the television series Heated Rivalry. Deidre Knight of the Knight Agency, who represents Reid, said the format carries added emotional weight for queer readers.
“Queer sports romance hits so deeply because the stakes are inevitably higher: fear of discovery, of being outed, of career loss, and ultimately of losing the person they’ve fallen in love with,” Knight said. “It’s a very powerful elixir for romance readers, especially queer people, because it means the couple is fighting even higher odds to be together. It’s them against the world.”
Industry professionals at the fair also noted that queer sports romances often confront sport culture directly, addressing environments that can be toxic toward people who fall outside traditional athletic molds. One description offered at the fair captured the genre’s central tension as “that collision between people who are very competent at what they do and vastly less competent at managing their own hearts.”
The Numbers
Women now make up 42% of the Formula 1 fan base, a statistic agents at Frankfurt cited as evidence that motorsport romance has an expanding built-in audience. The figure was raised in discussions around deals like Full Throttle, where publishers see crossover appeal between sport fandom and genre readership.
What’s Next
Deals signed at Frankfurt, including Harper Fire’s rugby trilogy from Victoria Taylor and Transworld’s acquisition of Full Throttle, will move toward publication on each imprint’s own schedule. Readers interested in the genre’s range can look to existing series already in print, including Bella North’s Oakwood Ranch books and Rachel Reid’s Game Changers series, as touchstones for where new signings are headed.
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