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jeannethinks's review
4.0
This story is fabulous on so many levels.
First, the Esera Brothers are hot and each of their stories has been balanced. Second, dealing with the double amputee and the ongoing daily issues was eye opening. And lastly, frenemies to lovers, super fun trope.
Daniel Esera, the sexy baby of the family is a kick tale rugby player living in the shadow of giants from his family. He's ready to grow and be his own person. Catie River has learned to rely on herself and opening up and letting people in is not in her wheelhouse. She's been focused on her goals and being the best runner out there. But when faced with a public relations issue she decides to fake her way to a relationship with Daniel. They've known each other for years and their families are close, they can totally pull this off. So much more than they bargained for and time may prove they may just be the best thing ever
First, the Esera Brothers are hot and each of their stories has been balanced. Second, dealing with the double amputee and the ongoing daily issues was eye opening. And lastly, frenemies to lovers, super fun trope.
Daniel Esera, the sexy baby of the family is a kick tale rugby player living in the shadow of giants from his family. He's ready to grow and be his own person. Catie River has learned to rely on herself and opening up and letting people in is not in her wheelhouse. She's been focused on her goals and being the best runner out there. But when faced with a public relations issue she decides to fake her way to a relationship with Daniel. They've known each other for years and their families are close, they can totally pull this off. So much more than they bargained for and time may prove they may just be the best thing ever
christinareadsontheroad's review
3.0
Full disclosure - this was a new author to me, so I hadn’t read the previous books in the series. Sometimes, that works out just fine, but I do wish I had read the other books for more context on the characters and their storylines.
Paralympic sprinter Catie and rugby star Danny are childhood nemeses who’ve seen each other through thick and thin. When Catie covers for Danny in a public incident, the media eats up the potential that they might be together. So, they agree to keep up the charade in public, even though they quickly realize that the joke’s on them and their pent-up emotions toward each other. They help each other through professional and personal challenges, and learned how to break down their walls and build a future together.
Even though this was aiming for enemies-to-lovers, their whole “enemy-ship” was prior to the timeline of this book. They were more friends than enemies and just kept talking about how much they didn’t like each other, maybe to keep their enemy sparks alive? I’m usually a sucker for all the tropes in this book (enemies/friends to lovers, fake dating, forced proximity) but this book sort of fell flat to me. It took me forever to get into it, and even though there were some sweet (and spicy) scenes, it wasn’t a story that gripped me emotionally. That said - I think this book may have been more enjoyable if I understood the characters and how their families were intertwined, which I imagine is covered in the previous 3 books.
Thank you Netgalley & Victory Editing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Paralympic sprinter Catie and rugby star Danny are childhood nemeses who’ve seen each other through thick and thin. When Catie covers for Danny in a public incident, the media eats up the potential that they might be together. So, they agree to keep up the charade in public, even though they quickly realize that the joke’s on them and their pent-up emotions toward each other. They help each other through professional and personal challenges, and learned how to break down their walls and build a future together.
Even though this was aiming for enemies-to-lovers, their whole “enemy-ship” was prior to the timeline of this book. They were more friends than enemies and just kept talking about how much they didn’t like each other, maybe to keep their enemy sparks alive? I’m usually a sucker for all the tropes in this book (enemies/friends to lovers, fake dating, forced proximity) but this book sort of fell flat to me. It took me forever to get into it, and even though there were some sweet (and spicy) scenes, it wasn’t a story that gripped me emotionally. That said - I think this book may have been more enjoyable if I understood the characters and how their families were intertwined, which I imagine is covered in the previous 3 books.
Thank you Netgalley & Victory Editing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
leabookjoy's review against another edition
5.0
French & English reviews
*Cette chronique est basée sur un NetGalley ARC en échange d'un avis neutre et honnête*
Ce livre !! C'est tout ce que j'imaginais pour Catie et Danny mais en mieux <3
Ce livre était une surprise parce que les fans savaient que ce tome allait venir un jour mais l'annonce s'est faite tout récemment et je dois avouer, quand j'ai découvert que j'avais eu la chance d'avoir reçu un ARC j'étais FOLLE DE JOIE !! J'ai vu grandir et évoluer la famille Bishop-Esera depuis Charlie et Gabriel (tome préféré toujours indétrônable <3) jusqu'à aujourd'hui avec les (presque) plus jeunes membres de la famille !
Ce que j'ai particulièrement aimé :
- le style d'écriture de Nalini Singh, toujours aussi riche et exotique ! Quand cette auteure parle de l'Asie ou de la Nouvelle-Zélande, j'ai toujours l'impression d'y être et de vibre au rythme des descriptions ! Coup de cœur particulier ici pour la Chine et le Japon ... Et aussi les fringues (la tenue de Catie pour la pièce de théâtre <3) et la nourriture (j'avais envie de déguster une pâtisserie tout au long de ma lecture ><)
- les deux personnages principaux m'ont ravi du début jusqu'à la fin !! Les ayant déjà connu petits, j'ai adoré lire les adultes que sont devenus Danny et Catie ... Et j'ai adoré ce qu'ils sont devenus !! Des personnages très humains avec leur faiblesse et leur peur mais aussi leur courage et leur humour qui m'ont conquis !!
- les personnages secondaires qui m'ont tout autant enchanté que les personnages principaux !! Bien sûr la famille de Danny que l'on revoit ici (mention spéciale pour la scène où on a l'histoire derrière les photographies du Wall of Shame =D) mais aussi les amis de Danny et Catie qui m'ont bien fait rire
(j'avoue j'adorais des tomes ou des nouvelles sur eux, notamment Posey qui m'a beaucoup intriguée ou Vili un des amis rugbyman de Danny ou encore Veni une des amies de Catie !)
Mention spéciale pour Seraphina beaucoup trop mignonne mais dont je ne spoilerais pas l'identité =)
- LA romance !! Le grand talent de Nalini Singh c'est d'arriver à écrire des presque slow-burn qui font autant rire que vibrer avec autant de passion que d'humour que de romantisme ! Et c'est exactement comme ça que j'ai vécu la romance entre Danny et Catie : on passe de l'amitié "piquante" (j'ai adoré leur post sur les réseaux sociaux xD), à l'attirance (j'ai tellement ri quand ils sont tous les deux horrifiés par leur attirance xD) pour finalement atteindre un amour qui m'a fait fondre (le "cailloux de compagnie" <3)
- cette fin !!! Je ne dirais rien de plus mais j'ai ADORE cette scène !!
Bref, une romance à dévorer sans modération qui réjouira autant les fans de longue-date que les amateurs habituels de romance contemporaine !
PS2 : to the publisher and Netgalley, thank you so much for the ARC =D
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* This review is based on an NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion. *
This book !! It's everything I imagined for Catie and Danny but better <3
This book was a surprise because the fans knew that this book was coming one day but the announcement was made very recently and I must admit, when I found out that I had been lucky enough to have received an ARC I was CRAZY WITH JOY !! I saw the Bishop-Esera family grow and evolve from Charlie and Gabriel (still favorite book <3) until today with the (almost) youngest members of the family !
What I particularly liked :
- Nalini Singh's writing style, always so rich and exotic ! When this author talks about Asia or New Zealand, I always have the impression of being there and vibrating to the rhythm of the descriptions ! Particular crush here for China and Japan descriptions ... And also the clothes (Catie's outfit for the play <3) and the food (I wanted to eat a pastry while reading ><)
- the two main characters delighted me from start to finish !! Having already known them as children, I loved reading about the adults that Danny and Catie have become ... And I loved what they have become !! Very human characters with their weakness and their fear but also their courage and their humor which won me over !!
- the secondary characters who enchanted me just as much as the main characters !! Of course Danny's family that we see again here (special mention for the scene where we have the story behind the photographs of the Wall of Shame =D) but also the friends of Danny and Catie who made me laugh a lot !
(I must admit I'd love books or short stories about them, especially Posey who intrigued me a lot or Vili one of Danny's rugby player friends or Veni one of Catie's friends !)
Special mention for Seraphina much too cute but whose identity I would not spoil =)
- Romance !! Nalini Singh's great talent is to manage to write almost slow-burn romances that make you laugh and vibrate with passion, humor and romanticism ! And that's exactly how I experienced the romance between Danny and Catie : we go from "spicy" friendship (I loved their post on social networks xD), to attraction (I laughed so much when they are both horrified by their attraction xD) to finally reach a love that made me melt (the "pet rock" <3)
- this end !!! I won't say anything more but I LOVED this scene at !!
In short, a romance to be devoured without moderation that will delight both long-time fans and regular fans of contemporary romance !
PS2 : to the publisher and Netgalley, thank you so much for the ARC =D
*Cette chronique est basée sur un NetGalley ARC en échange d'un avis neutre et honnête*
Ce livre !! C'est tout ce que j'imaginais pour Catie et Danny mais en mieux <3
Ce livre était une surprise parce que les fans savaient que ce tome allait venir un jour mais l'annonce s'est faite tout récemment et je dois avouer, quand j'ai découvert que j'avais eu la chance d'avoir reçu un ARC j'étais FOLLE DE JOIE !! J'ai vu grandir et évoluer la famille Bishop-Esera depuis Charlie et Gabriel (tome préféré toujours indétrônable <3) jusqu'à aujourd'hui avec les (presque) plus jeunes membres de la famille !
Ce que j'ai particulièrement aimé :
- le style d'écriture de Nalini Singh, toujours aussi riche et exotique ! Quand cette auteure parle de l'Asie ou de la Nouvelle-Zélande, j'ai toujours l'impression d'y être et de vibre au rythme des descriptions ! Coup de cœur particulier ici pour la Chine et le Japon ... Et aussi les fringues (la tenue de Catie pour la pièce de théâtre <3) et la nourriture (j'avais envie de déguster une pâtisserie tout au long de ma lecture ><)
- les deux personnages principaux m'ont ravi du début jusqu'à la fin !! Les ayant déjà connu petits, j'ai adoré lire les adultes que sont devenus Danny et Catie ... Et j'ai adoré ce qu'ils sont devenus !! Des personnages très humains avec leur faiblesse et leur peur mais aussi leur courage et leur humour qui m'ont conquis !!
- les personnages secondaires qui m'ont tout autant enchanté que les personnages principaux !! Bien sûr la famille de Danny que l'on revoit ici (mention spéciale pour la scène où on a l'histoire derrière les photographies du Wall of Shame =D) mais aussi les amis de Danny et Catie qui m'ont bien fait rire
(j'avoue j'adorais des tomes ou des nouvelles sur eux, notamment Posey qui m'a beaucoup intriguée ou Vili un des amis rugbyman de Danny ou encore Veni une des amies de Catie !)
Mention spéciale pour Seraphina beaucoup trop mignonne mais dont je ne spoilerais pas l'identité =)
- LA romance !! Le grand talent de Nalini Singh c'est d'arriver à écrire des presque slow-burn qui font autant rire que vibrer avec autant de passion que d'humour que de romantisme ! Et c'est exactement comme ça que j'ai vécu la romance entre Danny et Catie : on passe de l'amitié "piquante" (j'ai adoré leur post sur les réseaux sociaux xD), à l'attirance (j'ai tellement ri quand ils sont tous les deux horrifiés par leur attirance xD) pour finalement atteindre un amour qui m'a fait fondre (le "cailloux de compagnie" <3)
- cette fin !!! Je ne dirais rien de plus mais j'ai ADORE cette scène
Spoiler
aux JOBref, une romance à dévorer sans modération qui réjouira autant les fans de longue-date que les amateurs habituels de romance contemporaine !
PS2 : to the publisher and Netgalley, thank you so much for the ARC =D
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* This review is based on an NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion. *
This book !! It's everything I imagined for Catie and Danny but better <3
This book was a surprise because the fans knew that this book was coming one day but the announcement was made very recently and I must admit, when I found out that I had been lucky enough to have received an ARC I was CRAZY WITH JOY !! I saw the Bishop-Esera family grow and evolve from Charlie and Gabriel (still favorite book <3) until today with the (almost) youngest members of the family !
What I particularly liked :
- Nalini Singh's writing style, always so rich and exotic ! When this author talks about Asia or New Zealand, I always have the impression of being there and vibrating to the rhythm of the descriptions ! Particular crush here for China and Japan descriptions ... And also the clothes (Catie's outfit for the play <3) and the food (I wanted to eat a pastry while reading ><)
- the two main characters delighted me from start to finish !! Having already known them as children, I loved reading about the adults that Danny and Catie have become ... And I loved what they have become !! Very human characters with their weakness and their fear but also their courage and their humor which won me over !!
- the secondary characters who enchanted me just as much as the main characters !! Of course Danny's family that we see again here (special mention for the scene where we have the story behind the photographs of the Wall of Shame =D) but also the friends of Danny and Catie who made me laugh a lot !
(I must admit I'd love books or short stories about them, especially Posey who intrigued me a lot or Vili one of Danny's rugby player friends or Veni one of Catie's friends !)
Special mention for Seraphina much too cute but whose identity I would not spoil =)
- Romance !! Nalini Singh's great talent is to manage to write almost slow-burn romances that make you laugh and vibrate with passion, humor and romanticism ! And that's exactly how I experienced the romance between Danny and Catie : we go from "spicy" friendship (I loved their post on social networks xD), to attraction (I laughed so much when they are both horrified by their attraction xD) to finally reach a love that made me melt (the "pet rock" <3)
- this end !!! I won't say anything more but I LOVED this scene at
Spoiler
the OlympicsIn short, a romance to be devoured without moderation that will delight both long-time fans and regular fans of contemporary romance !
PS2 : to the publisher and Netgalley, thank you so much for the ARC =D
halfpintreads's review against another edition
4.0
Thanks to @readforeverpub and @netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.
Kiss Hard is the next book in the Hard Play series. It features Danny Eseara the youngest brother in the family featured in the previous books and Catie River half sister to Isa the heroine from Cherish Hard (book 1)
It was really a sweet romance, not a lot of external conflict which is something unusual that I really loved. Just two people falling in love and deciding to try to make a life together. This had great banter, hot chemistry, a Cinnamon Roll hero who stress bakes!
Catie has some serious trust issues due to her family history. Where Danny’s conflicts are determining who he is / wants to be outside of his role of baby of the family and younger brother to a family of sports royalty. I enjoyed seeing them find a way to make their relationship work. This book just felt like a giant warm hug.
I liked the portrayal of professional athletes and the dedication that it takes in terms of time / training / nutrition and mental health.
Tropes
Frenemies to lovers (nemesis? To lovers)
Sports (Danny Rugby, Catie paralympic track)
Fake dating
Snowed In
TW - Danny is drugged by someone slipping something in his drink in a club at the beginning of the story. While it isn’t a huge plot point in the book, it is something to be aware of.
Kiss Hard is the next book in the Hard Play series. It features Danny Eseara the youngest brother in the family featured in the previous books and Catie River half sister to Isa the heroine from Cherish Hard (book 1)
It was really a sweet romance, not a lot of external conflict which is something unusual that I really loved. Just two people falling in love and deciding to try to make a life together. This had great banter, hot chemistry, a Cinnamon Roll hero who stress bakes!
Catie has some serious trust issues due to her family history. Where Danny’s conflicts are determining who he is / wants to be outside of his role of baby of the family and younger brother to a family of sports royalty. I enjoyed seeing them find a way to make their relationship work. This book just felt like a giant warm hug.
I liked the portrayal of professional athletes and the dedication that it takes in terms of time / training / nutrition and mental health.
Tropes
Frenemies to lovers (nemesis? To lovers)
Sports (Danny Rugby, Catie paralympic track)
Fake dating
Snowed In
TW - Danny is drugged by someone slipping something in his drink in a club at the beginning of the story. While it isn’t a huge plot point in the book, it is something to be aware of.
halfpintreads's review
4.0
Thanks to @readforeverpub and @netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.
Kiss Hard is the next book in the Hard Play series. It features Danny Eseara the youngest brother in the family featured in the previous books and Catie River half sister to Isa the heroine from Cherish Hard (book 1)
It was really a sweet romance, not a lot of external conflict which is something unusual that I really loved. Just two people falling in love and deciding to try to make a life together. This had great banter, hot chemistry, a Cinnamon Roll hero who stress bakes!
Catie has some serious trust issues due to her family history. Where Danny’s conflicts are determining who he is / wants to be outside of his role of baby of the family and younger brother to a family of sports royalty. I enjoyed seeing them find a way to make their relationship work. This book just felt like a giant warm hug.
I liked the portrayal of professional athletes and the dedication that it takes in terms of time / training / nutrition and mental health.
Tropes
Frenemies to lovers (nemesis? To lovers)
Sports (Danny Rugby, Catie paralympic track)
Fake dating
Snowed In
TW - Danny is drugged by someone slipping something in his drink in a club at the beginning of the story. While it isn’t a huge plot point in the book, it is something to be aware of.
Kiss Hard is the next book in the Hard Play series. It features Danny Eseara the youngest brother in the family featured in the previous books and Catie River half sister to Isa the heroine from Cherish Hard (book 1)
It was really a sweet romance, not a lot of external conflict which is something unusual that I really loved. Just two people falling in love and deciding to try to make a life together. This had great banter, hot chemistry, a Cinnamon Roll hero who stress bakes!
Catie has some serious trust issues due to her family history. Where Danny’s conflicts are determining who he is / wants to be outside of his role of baby of the family and younger brother to a family of sports royalty. I enjoyed seeing them find a way to make their relationship work. This book just felt like a giant warm hug.
I liked the portrayal of professional athletes and the dedication that it takes in terms of time / training / nutrition and mental health.
Tropes
Frenemies to lovers (nemesis? To lovers)
Sports (Danny Rugby, Catie paralympic track)
Fake dating
Snowed In
TW - Danny is drugged by someone slipping something in his drink in a club at the beginning of the story. While it isn’t a huge plot point in the book, it is something to be aware of.
inmyhumbleopinion's review against another edition
5.0
This may be my favorite in this series. Danny and Catie are perfect for each other. Danny has been a professional Rugby player since he was just nineteen. Catie is headed to the Paralympics as a first-class sprinter. They’ve known each other for years and have a snarky give and take. When circumstances throw them together for the media it could lead to something more.
I loved each of these characters. Catie has reasons not to trust her heart to just anyone. Danny has to learn that he doesn’t need to compete with his older brothers he just needs to be himself. I laughed out loud and might have dropped a tear or two. I recommend this book highly.
I loved each of these characters. Catie has reasons not to trust her heart to just anyone. Danny has to learn that he doesn’t need to compete with his older brothers he just needs to be himself. I laughed out loud and might have dropped a tear or two. I recommend this book highly.
hookedbythatbook's review
5.0
It’s a can’t-put-down romance that had me smiling until the end.
Kiss Hard takes up the story of the youngest Esera brother. Danny leads a charmed life. He has a wonderful and supportive family, and his career is only getting better. He even has a shot at the England national rugby team. But his sponsors require him to keep his reputation squeaky clean and it’s put to the test when someone slips him a drugged drink one evening. Luckily, his nemesis, Catie, is on hand to divert disaster. And when social media has them in a romantic relationship, they decide to go with it, especially since it could be beneficial to both of their careers.
I love Catie. She’s had so much to overcome between her physical disability, her flaky father, her “dragon” mother, and her unconventional childhood. She is level-headed and mature, except for her interactions with Danny. But the snippy banter between them is a lot of fun. She also knows her body’s limits and how to take care of herself.
Both Catie and Danny are very driven and ambitious athletes and they fit well together. They understand the pressures that come with their careers. I love that Danny never treated Catie any different than he would anybody else.
Their relationship developed slowly out of a mutual loathing. Underneath their animosity, they still had a lot of respect for each other and that was a very good place to start from. What I liked most was that they kept trusting each other, no matter what happened. And don’t you just love that cover?
I’ve enjoyed the entire Hard Play series so far. I can definitely recommend it if you like your romance steamy, with steady, strong characters. It’s not necessary to read them in order.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
molliverr's review
5.0
I am a big fan of Nalini Singh and I love her books. I’ve read all the psy-changeling series (my ultimate fav!). But, this is the first non-fantasy romance from her that I’ve read, so I didn’t know what to expect. Safe to say I LOVED THIS BOOK!
I’m suchhhh a sucker for a sports romance and this certainly exceeded my expectations. I really liked the two main protagonists and their dynamic. Perfect frenemies to lovers and their banter is great (always the part o like the best from this trope). Also, I thought it was really refreshing. Although I’ve read lots of sports romance it isn’t usually rugby and I’ve not read one that featured a Paralympian or an amputee. I thought Singh portrayed this really well and Catie is such a great character in general.
Overall, I highly recommend!!
I’m suchhhh a sucker for a sports romance and this certainly exceeded my expectations. I really liked the two main protagonists and their dynamic. Perfect frenemies to lovers and their banter is great (always the part o like the best from this trope). Also, I thought it was really refreshing. Although I’ve read lots of sports romance it isn’t usually rugby and I’ve not read one that featured a Paralympian or an amputee. I thought Singh portrayed this really well and Catie is such a great character in general.
Overall, I highly recommend!!