Joint Review: Kiss Hard by Nalini Singh

Hello all! Blodeuedd and I will be discussing "Kiss Hard" by Nalini Singh. Blodeuedd is in red and I am in purple.

Author: Nalini Singh
Title: Kiss Hard

(Hard Play #4)

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Sports
Published: May 3rd 2022
Format: ebook

Pages: 329

Summary:

Daniel Esera is a young god on the rugby field, a sexy and charming man who's got the world at his feet. There's just one problem: his sudden potent attraction to his number one nemesis--Catie River. No. Just no. Not happening.

Catie River is on her way to Paralympic gold, and she's not about to allow Danny "Hotshot" Esera to derail her plans. Too bad her body isn't cooperating. Even worse? Her heart might be coming along for the ride. No. Nope. Never.

The pair are united in their desire to remain enemies... until a stranger's reckless action threatens both their careers. Now, the only way out for Catie and Danny is to pretend to be in a relationship. How bad can it be? They're adults in full control of their hormones and their hearts. There will be no kissing. No PDA. And definitely no falling in love.

Let the games begin.

Discussion:

Since I read book 3 I have been dying waiting for this one to come out!!! 

I listened to them, so this was kind of weird, cos I kept hearing the narrator when I was reading. I must say I missed her!

I feel like I did at least one audio in this series. I’m blanking though. My memory is bad. 

I loved her NZ accent, sniff. So if I could change one thing then that would actually be to listen instead cos she was amazing! But this was fun too. Singh is amazing!

*does some digging* Ah yes, I did one of these with the narrator. #3 to be precise. I read over my review really quickly and I do remember liking the narrator a lot. However, you can’t go wrong! Reading or audio…Singh is good. I love her characters and her worlds. 

True true, I like her contemporary romances and her paranormal romances.  I can’t wait for her next psy book to come out. She is just always good.

I’m still playing catch-up with some of her paranormals. But she is good. This was good. And I love how she is willing to do different locations and whatnot. Like this is set in NZ. How often do we get NZ romances? 

tIt feels so refreshing, even if she is just like everyone else writing about what she knows - Well some do cave and write something boring set in NY ;) I really like the NZ aspect and rugby. And her pnr, I have not read all, but I am up to date with her latest.

Yess and I don’t recall ever reading a sports romance with rugby players. Maybe some guys that may casually play with their mates and whatever but with this one,, the rugby player is a celebrity. Oh and Catie working her way to win in the Paralympics. I loved Daniel. Big heart. And Catie too.

At the back of my brain I could see him and his team doing the Haka while I was reading. I feel like I need to watch a rugby game.

And yes Daniel was just so aww, cutie! And Catie was so cool, even if she had her issues with romance. But it will always work out. I liked the ending too. Go her!

It made sense why she was all anti-romance and anti-commitment. Between her unreliable father and emotionally-unavailable mother and that crappy ex….poor girl didn’t stand a chance. She really should see a therapist.Ooooo yes that ending was perfeeeeect! 

Yes she really needed to see someone to dig through her feelings. Her parents are the worst

Yepppp. Poor thing. And then wasn’t Daniel kinda a womanizer or at least a big ol’ flirt? So I can see why she was on the fence for a bit.

You always need some drama, and this was nice drama. It never felt like she made them suffer, lol

True, true. Plus, they have known each other for YEARS, so he totally understands and gets her worries and hesitations. Love him. He is so sweet. 

It felt so natural between them, cos yes they already knew each other. I was at home with them at once.

Same here. And it wasn’t insta-love which was perfect. They had the frenemies feelings, then more friendship, then lust mixed in, and then the love. It felt natural. 

I can’t say anything bad. A good romance. That is that lol

Indeed! It was a good romance. You really don’t have to read the other 3 but I would say at least read book 3. It was a nice stand-alone, but we do see the other couples and there are some references. 

I’d say perfect stand-alone, but if you want to know more and wonder about their family, the yes just read them all :D

The others are good too. I would highly recommend this series to romance lovers. 

Go read them :)

Oh and LISTEN!!! The audio is great

You can’t go wrong! Audio and reading…all great options!! I hope there is a book 5…doubtful bc I have no idea what couple would be next. 

Hmm, maybe one of her friends, his friends?

Was her bestie single? I can’t remember! She was a good egg and I would like to learn more about her. 

Dunno.

The end?

We shall see I guess! *fingers crossed* And yesss, the end. :) 

About the Authors

Carole and Blodeuedd have been blogging for a long while now. The last few years the epic duo has been discussing books, watching movies, and even wetting the pen and sharing their stories with the worldwide web. They both love cats, chocolate, and a good story.

Carole's reading challenge(s):

- #18 for Romance Reading Challenge - Sports romance

Audiobook Review: Love Hard by Nalini Singh

Author: Nalini Singh

Narrator: Justine O. Keef

Title: Love Hard

(Hard Play #3)

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Sports

Format: Audiobook

Published:  March 10th 2020

Where I got It: Library

Summary: 

Jacob Esera, star rugby player and young single father, has worked hard to create a joyous life for his six-year-old daughter. After the death of his childhood sweetheart soon after their daughter’s birth, all Jake wants is safety and stability. No risks. No wild chances. And especially no Juliet Nelisi, former classmate, scandal magnet, and a woman who is a thorn in his side.

As a lonely teenager, Juliet embraced her bad-girl reputation as a shield against loneliness and rejection. Years later, having kicked a cheating sports-star ex to the curb, she has a prestigious job and loyal friends—and wants nothing to do with sportsmen. The last thing she expects is the fire that ignites between her and the stuffed-shirt golden boy who once loved her best friend.

Straitlaced Jacob Esera versus wild-at-heart Juliet Nelisi? Place your bets.

Review:

Yayy Jacob's story!!!!

So yes, we follow Jacob Esera who is a rugby star and player. He is a young, single father who has worked hard to create a good life for his daughter. After the death of his sweetheart soon after their daughter's birth, all he wanted to do was have safety and stability. No risks. No wild changes. That includes Juliet Nelisi. Juliet had been his former classmate, scandal magnet, and a childhood friend to Jacob's late wife. She had always been a wild child and now he can't get her out of his mind. Juliet was a lonely teenager, so she embraced her bad-girl reputation throughout her childhood and young adult life. After finally kicking her cheating hubbie to the curb, she is ready to flourish. She has a prestigious job and loyal friends. She is done with dating sportsmen...until the stuffed-shirt golden boy comes back into her life. 

This was simply ADORA-FREAKEN-BLE. I loved Jacob and I loved Juliet. He is too stuffy and she is a wild card. They simply mesh perfectly together!

Even with the complete opposite thing going on and the fun banter, they really didn't have any drama and I was okay with that! There was enough external drama to deal with because of Juliet's stupid ex. Grrrr. I loved it. 

I do wish they had spent more time dealing with the weirdness....I mean....Jacob was in love with AND had a baby with Juliet's bestie. I feel like it would be awkward. Maybe because the girl died so young and it has been many years that they were able to grow and mourn? IDK. Seems like it needed more of a conversation between the two. They talked about it a tiny bit...but not enough for me I guess. 

Other than that. I loved it. The characters are fun. I love his fam and friends. I love her. I loved that kid. It was fun. CAN I MOVE TO NEW ZEALAND ALREADY???? Gah. I watched a movie and now this....please let me go there. I still want an Inn by darnit. 

The narrator was fantastic. The accents were flawless. I'm so glad I decided to shake it up a bit and try the audio. I adore this narrator and she sounded like what I envisioned. Fun!

Overall, I enjoyed this. The characters and the story were fun. I do wish we spent more time on a certain issue BUT there was a lot of external stuff going on so I can see why it wasn't a main concern. The narration is fun. I wonder if she did the other two??? MMM. I cannot wait for the next book! Hopefully soon! 4 stars from me.

Challenge(s):
- #47 for Audiobook challenge

Movie Review: Falling Inn Love (2019)

Film Title: Falling Inn Love

Length:   1h 38 min

Released: 2019

Genre:  Comedy, Romance
Rating: PG
Where I Got It: Netflix

SUMMARY:

When city girl Gabriela spontaneously enters a contest and wins a rustic New Zealand inn, she teams up with bighearted contractor Jake Taylor to fix and flip it.

REVIEW:

I need a cheesy, lovey movie and this has been on my TW list for a while so I dived in. 

We follow Gavriela who's life has fallen to shambles and she suddenly wins a contest and wins a rustic New Zealand Inn. It turns out to be too much work for her so she teams up with contractor Jake Taylor to help her. 

Okay...ya'll....I want to win an Inn in New Zealand and live my best life. I want that goat too!!!! It's a lot of work since the Inn was trashed, but still. I WANTS IT! I WANTS IT BAD!

Gabbie was adorable. She is spunky and funky and an independent woman. Dean wasn't bad but he doesn't want to commit to you sweetie. I would've jumped ship a long time ago esp after we meet Jake. *drools* He was adorable and big hearted. 

Now...this is super Hallmarkie and cheesy and SO unrealistic. It's fun though! 

Is it wrong I felt bad for our "baddie" Charlotte? She isn't really bad. Just..selfish and wants that Inn something bad. I did feel bad for her but I wanted to kick her when she did something (not spoiling). 

Overall, very cute and great with a glass of wine! I recommend this. 4 stars. 

 

Book Review: Rebel Hard by Nalini Singh

Author: Nalini Singh

Title: Rebel Hard

(Hard Play #2)

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Format: ebook

Pages: 409

Published: September 18th 2018 

Where I Got It: Borrow from library

Summary: 

Nayna Sharma agreed to an arranged marriage in the hope it would heal the fractures in her beloved family… only to realize too late that a traditional marriage is her personal nightmare. Panicked, she throws caution to the winds, puts on the tiniest dress she can find, and ends up in the arms of a tall, rough-edged hunk of a man who has abs of steel—and who she manages to mortally insult between one kiss and the next.

Abandoned as a child, then adopted into a loving family, Raj Sen believes in tradition, in continuity. Some might call him stiff and old-fashioned, but he knows what he wants—and it’s a life defined by rules… yet he can’t stop thinking about the infuriating and sexy woman who kissed him in the moonlight then disappeared. When his parents spring an introduction on him, the last woman he expects is her. Beautiful. Maddening. A rulebreaker in the making.

He’s all wrong for her. She’s all wrong for him. And love is about to make rebels of them both.

Review:

EEEEEE! Book 2! Been waiting for this one for a bit! I liked book 1 a lot and I've been wanting Nayna's and Raj's tale!

Nayna agreed to an arranged marriage in the hopes that it would help heal the hurts in her family. However, she has created her own personal hell and nightmare with this promise. In order to find some peace, she throws caution to the wind by putting on her tiniest dress and allows a stranger with abs of steel to kiss her. Those arms belong to Raj. He was abandoned as a child and is adopted into a great family. In order to please that family, he agrees to an arranged marriage. Yet, he can't stop thinking about that kiss with that stranger. The two meet again after their parents arrange an introduction to each other as a possible marriage match. 

This gave me anxiety. Lots of it. Why? I JUST WANTED THEM TO GET MARRIED AND START HAVING CUTE BABIES but Nanya was so pig-headed. Sure Raj was a little bit of a jerk, but she started it after that kiss. Gah. 

I enjoyed this anxiety though. I knew it was going to be very sweet and melt my heart when they finally got past their issues and agreed to be together. Awwwwwwwwwwww!!! They deserved love so much esp Raj. Poor guy suffered so much rejection. Gah! Brought a tear to my eye. 

I did get very angry at Nayna. Sure, sure, I get why she had her issues with Raj and following through on her promise to an arranged marriage, but she was very mean a couple of times to Raj. It even seemed slightly out of character and Raj just...forgave her SO quickly. Yes, yes, love is blind....but I feel like this gives the wrong message to readers. It bugged me that Raj would cave so easily. Maybe it's because I am biased and I liked Raj a hair more. I don't know. Not sure why her being a B word bothered me so much. I can't really pinpoint WHY it triggered me so much about how mean she would be. 

I'm so glad a certain side character found love too esp after a reveal. Poor thing!

Overall, this was really good. Just be prepared to be angry at our H/h here and there, because they are both stubborn butts. And Nayna was a super jerk. Even with my issues with Nayna, I enjoyed it a lot. 3 stars from me. 

Book Review: Christmas in July by Enni Amanda

Author: Enni Amanda

Title: Christmas in July

Genre: Holiday, Novella, Short Story, Contemporary Romance
Format: ebook

Pages: 65

Published:  November 23rd 2020 

Where I Got It: My shelf (Amazon)

Summary: 

Can you find the Christmas spirit in the wrong place, at the wrong time?

As Riley scores a job on a feature film, she’s eager to prove herself to Damian, the famous director she can’t stop thinking about. When they fly to Queenstown, New Zealand, to film on the snowy mountains in July, she’s ready for any discomfort. What she’s not ready for is a snowstorm that cuts her off from the rest of the crew or an unexpected visitor who seeks shelter in her cabin.

Any other girl would love to cozy up with Jonas, a gorgeous ski instructor carrying bags of party food. Not Riley. She’s desperate to get back to her job, back to Damian. The last thing she’s looking for is a protective Swedish guy telling her what she can and can’t do. But as things start to slip out of her control, Riley is forced to rethink her priorities.

Is she headed down the wrong path? And is it possible she has more in common with the Swedish guy than she thought?

Review:

Randomly found this little one on Amazon. Short and sweet Xmas tale. 

Riley scored a job on a feature film with a well-known and genius director! She is eager to prove herself to him and move up the chain and someday direct her own films. They fly to Queenstown, New Zealand to film the final scenes on a snowy mountain. What she's not ready for is a snowstorm that cuts off from the rest of the crew and leaves her stranded with a stranger. Any other girl would count themselves lucky to be stranded with such a gorgeous ski instructor who is carrying bags of party food, but Riley doesn't have time for that. She needs this storm to hurry up so she can join the rest of the film crew. However, things start to slip out of her control so she maybe has to rethink her priorities. 

I really feel like this should've been a longer novel. I would've loved to see them together more. They were adorable together and he was just the dang sweetest. Sure one part made me shake my fist at him, but I loved them together. I really think they needed more time!! Maybe I'm just biased ;) but yesssss I wish this was longer. 

They were adorable though. A very sweet romance. And a pretend Xmas celebration. Super cute and cheesy. 

Gah. I wanted to shake Riley though. How could she be so blind about that dang director???????? Especially after the story Jonas told her!!! Gah. Daft girl. But love/lust is blind for sure. I also really wanted to shake her when she tried to take off in car. Gah again. 

But yes - this was cute and short and sweet. Riley needed a good shaking tho, but they were cute. I really wish this had been longer. The love was too quick for my liking for these two completely different people. I'll give this 3 stars as an overall.