If you still want more sports romance after Icebreaker, Off Campus, or Heated Rivalry, then Liz Tomforde's Windy City series will be your next obsession. The series has sold millions of copies worldwide, generated over a billion Kindle pages, and has been translated into 21 languages. The Express Tribune
And there's big news: Amazon MGM Studios is developing the Windy City series as a TV show. This is the time to start — or re-read. The Express Tribune
Who is Liz Tomforde?
Liz Tomforde is a New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author known for her sports romance books full of slow burn, intense chemistry, and characters who feel like friends you never want to let go of.
Tomforde began writing while working as a flight attendant for a professional hockey team. What started as a personal passion project has blossomed into a career she never thought possible. The Express Tribune
The Windy City series is set in Chicago and follows a group of professional athletes — hockey players, basketball players, and baseball players — who fall in love with strong, complex women who enter their lives.
The Windy City reading order
The recommended reading order for the Windy City series is the publication order: Mile High, The Right Move, Caught Up, Play Along, and Rewind It Back. Amazon
Each book is a standalone and follows a different couple — but the characters reappear in each installment. For the best reading experience, the publication order is therefore recommended.
Part 1: Mile High — 2022
Trope: Enemies to lovers, forbidden romance
Sport: Hockey
Zanders is Chicago's favorite player to hate. He spends most of his playing time in the penalty box and leaves the arena with a new girl on his arm every night. What he doesn't like is the new flight attendant on the team's private jet. bybookishbabe
Mile High is the perfect entry point: fast, funny, and full of the tension that makes the series so addictive.
Start here. Never skip.
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Part 2: The Right Move — 2023
Trope: Fake dating, roommates, forced proximity
Sport: Basketball
Ryan Shay is the new captain of Chicago's NBA team. The last thing he needs this season is for his twin sister's best friend to become his new roommate and fake girlfriend. bybookishbabe
The Right Move combines fake dating with forced proximity in a way that kept BookTok engaged for years. Ryan Shay is many readers' favorite book boyfriend of the entire series.
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Part 3: Caught Up — 2023
Trope: Single dad romance, opposites attract
Sport: Baseball
Kai Rhodes is a professional baseball player and a single dad. The story he tells the world and the story he lives at home are two totally different things — until someone forces him to combine both.
Caught Up is considered by many to be the most emotional part of the series. The combination of single dad romance and sports romance is rare and works surprisingly well.
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Part 4: Play Along — 2024
Trope: Brother's best friend, slow burn
Sport: Baseball
Monty is Kai's teammate and the best friend of someone he should have left alone. Play Along has the longest slow burn of the entire series — the build-up takes time, but the payoff is commensurate.
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Part 5: Rewind It Back — 2025
Trope: Second chance romance, grumpy sunshine
Sport: Hockey
The fifth and final part of the main series returns to the hockey setting of Mile High. Rewind It Back has the same energy as the first book but delves deeper into the emotional layer.
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Spinoff: In Her Own League — 2026
Trope: Forbidden romance, boss/employee
Sport: Baseball
In Her Own League follows the first female team owner in professional baseball and Chicago's favorite coach. The spinoff is set in the same universe as the main series and previous characters return — but the story is completely standalone. The Express Tribune
Read after the main series or as a standalone.
Spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
The complete reading order at a glance
| Order | Title | Sport | Trope | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | Mile High | Hockey | Enemies to lovers | 2022 |
| Part 2 | The Right Move | Basketball | Fake dating | 2023 |
| Part 3 | Caught Up | Baseball | Single dad | 2023 |
| Part 4 | Play Along | Baseball | Brother's best friend | 2024 |
| Part 5 | Rewind It Back | Hockey | Second chance | 2025 |
| Spinoff | In Her Own League | Baseball | Forbidden romance | 2026 |
New series: Wilder Woods — November 2026
Liz Tomforde has announced a new four-part series: Wilder Woods, set in the same universe as the Windy City series but now in Northern California. The first book will be released on November 3, 2026. Fantastic Fiction
For fans who can't get enough of the Windy City universe: Wilder Woods brings you back into the same world with new characters and a new setting.
The Amazon adaptation: everything we know
Amazon MGM Studios has acquired the rights to the Windy City book series with the intention of developing a TV series. Alison McDonald is writing and executive producing, with Premeditated Productions as the production company. The Express Tribune
McDonald is known for Russian Doll, Your Honor, and Nurse Jackie. Liz Tomforde herself is involved as an executive producer. Amazon
It's too early for casting, but the production structure is in place. Premeditated Productions is also working on adaptations of Fourth Wing and the Lux series — a promising track record for BookTok adaptations. Amazon
There is no release date or cast news yet. Use the waiting time to read the books.
Why is the Windy City series so popular?
You end the series with a favorite Rhodes brother, a favorite book boyfriend, and a sudden interest in professional sports. Those aren't our rules. Storytel International
The series works for a few concrete reasons:
Each book features a different sport. Hockey, basketball, baseball — the setting changes but the energy remains consistent.
The characters return. You never truly leave the friend group. Each new romance takes place within the same group, which gives the series the feel of one big found family.
The tropes are variable. Enemies to lovers, fake dating, single dad, second chance — every reader will find a book that suits their preferences.
The slow burn is real. Tomforde takes her time. The payoff is big.
🏒 Are you already reading Windy City?
Our sports romance bookmarks are specially made for readers who love hockey, basketball, and baseball romance.
→ View sports romance bookmarks
What to read after the Windy City series?
Icebreaker — Hannah Grace
The same sports romance energy but with figure skating and hockey. Now adapted for Netflix.
Off Campus — Elle Kennedy
The college hockey romance that made BookTok big. Now on Prime Video.
Heated Rivalry — Rachel Reid
The most discussed hockey romance after Icebreaker, now on HBO Max.
Want to be surprised? Our Blind Date Book (Romance) lets you choose the genre without knowing the title.
Complete your Windy City reading marathon
🏒 The perfect Windy City reading set:
✔ Sports romance bookmark — for every intense sports romance scene
✔ Romance bookmark — for the swoony moments
✔ Spicy bookmark — for the spicier scenes
✔ Blind Date Book (Romance) — for when you're waiting for the Amazon series
✔ Book Review Notepad — track your favorite couple for each book
✔ Reading Log (€1.99) — keep track of all six books
✔ Glass Can — for your iced coffee or matcha while reading
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Happy reading — and welcome to Chicago! 🏒📚
Frequently asked questions about the Windy City series reading order
How many books are in the Windy City series?
The main series consists of five books: Mile High, The Right Move, Caught Up, Play Along, and Rewind It Back. Additionally, there's the spinoff In Her Own League (2026) and the new Wilder Woods series, whose first installment will be released on November 3, 2026. Amazon
Do I have to read the Windy City series in order?
The books are true standalones, so you can start wherever you like. However, the publication order is the recommended route because characters reappear and the world will resonate more with you if you're familiar with the earlier books. Storytel International
Which Windy City book is best to start with?
Mile High is the most recommended starting point — it introduces the world, the hockey setting, and the friend group. The Right Move is a good second choice if you enjoy fake dating and basketball.
Is the Windy City series being adapted into a film/TV show?
Yes, Amazon MGM Studios is developing the Windy City series as a TV show. Casting and a release date have not yet been confirmed. The Express Tribune
Are the Windy City books available in Dutch?
The books are available via Storytel in Dutch. In print, they are primarily available in English.
Which sports are featured in the Windy City series?
The series includes hockey (Mile High and Rewind It Back), basketball (The Right Move), and baseball (Caught Up, Play Along, and In Her Own League). Amazon
What is the new Wilder Woods series?
Wilder Woods is a new four-book series by Liz Tomforde set in the same universe as the Windy City series, but now in Northern California. The first book will be released on November 3, 2026. Fantastic Fiction