The Enumerative: 5 Sports Romances Needed

On the news that the world's first MMA romance will be published--the book the world has yearned for all these years--naturally my attention wanders to the other growth areas for the multimillion dollar romance novel industry within the realm of sport.

5. Nascar. Scratch that: it's already happened. The novel In the Groove, published by Harlequin in a licensing agreement with NASCAR, debuted in 2007 to mostly positive reviews. One Amazon reviewer did have issues with the lack of "pit action" in the book:

Britton does, though, skip out entirely on the physical aspects of the romance, ie sex. Lance and Sarah share some kisses, but the rest is implied. We don't even get any groping. That's a bit disappointing, and unusual.

So not only is there a market for NASCAR romance novels, but there is also a demand for NASCAR-themed smut, as well. Take note, marketing department.

4. Cycling. Bonuses: can take advantage of cycling's exotic settings like Italy and France, adding multicultural spice to any love story between rider and adoring fan. Heroes of story will also plausibly have ripped abs, a necessity for any romance novel. Drawback: hero may have serious issues with performance during certain elements of the story due to long hours in the saddle during training.

3. Curling. Heating up the ice! A particularly promising marketing niche awaits the person who can put together a successful and compelling curling romance novel, since the aging Baby Boomer market craves romances written about sports older people can play...like curling, where competitors may be in their 50s and 60s at their peak.

2. Hockey. What's more romantic than overlooking the loss of teeth in the name of love? In addition to appealing to an international market, the hockey romance would feature enough fighting and brawling to capture the niche of the market looking for a "bad-boy" protagonist (with a scar from where a puck knocked him out on an errant slapshot in the minors).

1. The World's Strongest Man. He can move Atlas Stones with ease...but can he lift the shadow of a love affair gone wrong off her wounded heart? Watch as our hero Ginormus Von Sigmarsson deadlifts his way into our heroine's heart with his charm, warmth, and ability to throw a fifty pound beer keg over a twenty foot-tall barrier.

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.