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A review by booksplantsandtea
Kiss Hard by Nalini Singh
4.0
This book gets 4 raccoons from me! Why raccoons, Alyson, you ask. Well, I guess you'll have to read the book to find out!
What I love most about the Hard Play books, is that everyone in the Esera clan is so family oriented that they all play a part in each other's books. I loved how Isa and Sailor played such a big role in Kiss Hard, that Jake and Juliet made an appearance, that Gabe and Charlotte were included, that we even got a reference to Molly and Fox's story... It gave me so much nostalgia to think back to each couple's love story and just fall further in love with them and their kids through Catie and Danny's book. This is why I love reading series that follow a family or friend group so much.
Ever since I read Isa and Sailor's book (strongly recommend Cherish Hard!), I was curious about the Isa's little sister with two prosthetic legs who has an unreliable father and is determined to fiercely love those around her. Reading about the woman she's become, a woman who strives to be independent and to give back to her community, to make life for other disabled kids better by being the guinea pig for experimental prosthetics and setting up foundations and camps for them... It made me love her even more for her strength and kind heart.
Ever since I read that beach scene where Catie piggybacked on Danny while both were while jabbing at each other, I was in love with them. Catie and Danny make sarcasm a love language, and I'm here for that!
"Are you calling me a thirst trap?"
"Not even if I was gasping for a drop of water in a godforsaken desert in the middle of nowhere, Daniel."
You wouldn't believe the amount of times I was smirking, snorting and wheezing of laughter because of the on point sarcasm between these two. But what I loved most about them, was the way they showed up for each other during tough times. Both were so in tune with the other's needs and boundaries, and respectful of them. In a bookworld where unhealthy relationships are being idolized, it was refreshing to read about a couple (even when they were still pretending to be each other's nemesis, which I never believed) who have such a healthy way of engaging and treating each other, and through that mending their insecure attachment styles that got build on (adverse) childhood experiences. That's why I loved those last few chapters so much, since we got to see both Daniel and Catie grow as people in their relationship. And that, to me, is the strength of a great relationship. The balance of loving the other while giving them their space to grow, and then loving them even more for it. And let's be honest, Catie and Danny excel at this!
If you think you'd love a sarcastic frenemies to lovers, fake relationship with forced proximity, sports romance between a tattooed professional rugby player and a strong paralympic runner, this book is definitely for you!
Out now, because life got in the way of me finishing the book before it's release date on May 3rd. Thank you to the publisher for granting me an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
What I love most about the Hard Play books, is that everyone in the Esera clan is so family oriented that they all play a part in each other's books. I loved how Isa and Sailor played such a big role in Kiss Hard, that Jake and Juliet made an appearance, that Gabe and Charlotte were included, that we even got a reference to Molly and Fox's story... It gave me so much nostalgia to think back to each couple's love story and just fall further in love with them and their kids through Catie and Danny's book. This is why I love reading series that follow a family or friend group so much.
Ever since I read Isa and Sailor's book (strongly recommend Cherish Hard!), I was curious about the Isa's little sister with two prosthetic legs who has an unreliable father and is determined to fiercely love those around her. Reading about the woman she's become, a woman who strives to be independent and to give back to her community, to make life for other disabled kids better by being the guinea pig for experimental prosthetics and setting up foundations and camps for them... It made me love her even more for her strength and kind heart.
Ever since I read that beach scene where Catie piggybacked on Danny while both were while jabbing at each other, I was in love with them. Catie and Danny make sarcasm a love language, and I'm here for that!
"Are you calling me a thirst trap?"
"Not even if I was gasping for a drop of water in a godforsaken desert in the middle of nowhere, Daniel."
You wouldn't believe the amount of times I was smirking, snorting and wheezing of laughter because of the on point sarcasm between these two. But what I loved most about them, was the way they showed up for each other during tough times. Both were so in tune with the other's needs and boundaries, and respectful of them. In a bookworld where unhealthy relationships are being idolized, it was refreshing to read about a couple (even when they were still pretending to be each other's nemesis, which I never believed) who have such a healthy way of engaging and treating each other, and through that mending their insecure attachment styles that got build on (adverse) childhood experiences. That's why I loved those last few chapters so much, since we got to see both Daniel and Catie grow as people in their relationship. And that, to me, is the strength of a great relationship. The balance of loving the other while giving them their space to grow, and then loving them even more for it. And let's be honest, Catie and Danny excel at this!
If you think you'd love a sarcastic frenemies to lovers, fake relationship with forced proximity, sports romance between a tattooed professional rugby player and a strong paralympic runner, this book is definitely for you!
Out now, because life got in the way of me finishing the book before it's release date on May 3rd. Thank you to the publisher for granting me an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.