So The Play wrecked you. Welcome to the club. Whether it was the fun vibes, the single mom, or Elle Kennedy's ability to make you forget you have a life outside these pages — we've been there. These aren't random "if you liked X" picks. Every book on this page was matched element by element against what made The Play hit different. Same energy, new stories.
We broke down The Play into the elements that made it hit — and found books that match each one.
The fun and steamy and slow burn that made The Play unforgettable? If We Ever Meet Again channels that exact energy. 366 pages of emotional, steamy that'll fill the void.
The fun and steamy and hockey that made The Play unforgettable? Pucking Around channels that exact energy. 608 pages of steamy, fun that'll fill the void.
You loved The Play for the fun and steamy and hockey? Pucking Sweet is your next obsession. Same emotional frequency, different story — and Emily Rath might just become your new auto-buy author.
You loved The Play for the fun and emotional and slow burn? Hands Down is your next obsession. Same emotional frequency, different story — and Mariana Zapata might just become your new auto-buy author.
The fun and steamy and slow burn that made The Play unforgettable? If We Ever Meet Again channels that exact energy. 366 pages of emotional, steamy that'll fill the void.
Answer one question and we'll point you to the right book.
Based on mood, trope, and pacing analysis, the most similar books to The Play include If We Ever Meet Again, Pucking Around, Pucking Sweet. Each matches on specific elements like fun and steamy that made The Play resonate with readers.
We recommend starting with If We Ever Meet Again by Ana Huang — it shares The Play's core Fun energy while bringing something fresh to the table.
The Play is a standalone novel. You can jump right in without reading anything else first.
The Play has a spice level of 3/5. The recommendations on this page range across spice levels — each one is labeled so you can find your comfort zone.
Yes — several recommendations on this page have lower spice levels while keeping the same Fun energy. Look for the ❄️ or 🌶️ (1/5) tags.
Every "Books Like" page on Sort By Cravings is built from element-level matching — not surface genre tags. We compare mood profiles, trope density, pacing, heat levels, and emotional tone across our entire library of 12 profiled books to find reads that match on the things that actually matter to readers. Read our editorial standards.