New York Times bestselling author K. Bromberg is back with an all new second-chance, standalone hockey romance.
At first, the request seemed simple—sign a new athlete to the agency.
Then I found out the new athlete was none other than the most wanted man in hockey today: Hunter Maddox
Gifted. Sexy. At the top of his game. And the only man who has ever broken my heart.
If signing him will help … has ever broken my heart.
If signing him will help save our family business, I’ll swallow my pride and do what’s asked.
But when it becomes clear his uncharacteristic antics off the ice are a hint of something deeper, keeping things strictly professional between us becomes more than complicated. But I know better than to cross that line.
I’ll never date a client. Not even for him.
***
Win the Stanley Cup and do it before time runs out.
Not a small feat, but it’s what’s motivated me since the start of my career.
And time is running out.
Enter Dekker Kincade.
Feisty. Dogged. Damn gorgeous. The one I let get away.
I have no idea why she’s traveling with the team, but hell if resisting her is going to be easy.
But I have a job to do, and I refuse to lose sight of that end game. Even if she confuses me. Even if she sees parts of me I’ve hidden from the world.
I can’t lose focus. Not even for her.
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Hard to Handle is a second chance sports romance between a feisty sports agent and the only man who has ever broken her heart, hockey phenom Hunter Maddox.
Don’t miss this downright sexy and emotionally charged standalone summer read from K. Bromberg
A second chance hockey romance? Yes!!!
“Stick. Skill. Finesse.”
I love a good name in a book and Hunter Maddox and Dekker Kincade are both outstanding names. Dekker’s sisters have equally amazing names (can’t wait to meet them). Hunter’s brother fab name too; I love the name Jonah. Ahhhh Jonah.
Hunter is the grumpy, petulant sport’s star with his head up his arse but the more you read and find out about him, the more you realise why that is. I want to put his head in my lap and run my fingers through his hair and let him sleep. Seriously that guy needs a break.
Dekker works for the family sports management business and is given the task of recruiting Hunter. The fact that they have previous makes it all the more interesting.
Hard To Handle is sexy without being overly so but the thing that packed the biggest punch for me is family. They can be great, they can be mediocre it’s life’s lottery but when you get a wonderful, supportive one the jackpot has been hit.
“It’s the unseen that touches your soul. It’s the unexpected that makes you fall in love.”
Best, most amazing epilogue ever. I blubbed like a baby.
I was totally consumed by this breathtaking, emotional, and sizzling second chance romance. This journey through love, loss, hope, and healing will have you in tears of heartbreak and joy! Hunter is the captain of his hockey team on the road to winning the cup and achieving personal goals. But he has demons that he keeps hidden and the pressure he’s experiencing is soul crushing. Dekker is a sports agent working for her father and sisters in their family business. They need to make some changes and scoring Hunter as a client would be huge. Her father sends Dekker on a scouting and recruiting mission, not knowing that Dekker and Hunter had a passionate affair 3 years ago that ended in heartbreak. Traveling with the team puts Dekker and Hunter in close contact, bringing back long buried feelings and blurring professional lines. They both have tragic pasts that keep their hearts guarded, not willing to open up to more pain. They both are so blinded by what they believe as truth, they miss the love around them. But their souls cry out to each other, they see what others miss and provide a comfort and strength no one else can provide. I felt their pain so strongly, that there were moments that I wanted to put the book down and cry for them, but then I couldn’t stop reading. I loved both Hunter and Dekker, they felt real and authentic and their relationship was so raw, poignant, and hard fought. They were so perfect for each other and their chemistry was palpable. I love that Ms Bromberg did not cut corners but allowed us to feel every thought, and emotion that Hunter and Dekker experienced. Her writing is so beautiful, and moving, and the banter and levity between her characters makes them feel genuine and easy to relate to. I loved everything about this mesmerizing story of hope, second chances, forgiveness and unconditional love. What a great start to this new ‘Play Hard’ series of standalone stories! I can’t wait to read more about Dekker’s sister’s next!
* I received an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. *
There is a small list of authors that can publish a book and I want to read it without even seeing a blurb and K. Bromberg is one of them. She has proven once again why she is one of my favorite authors.
Hunter’s life has been far from perfect. The inner struggle with guilt he has been dealing with since his brother’s accident has taken a toll on him. My heart hurt for him seeing how his parents treated him even before the accident. I was not surprised that he was filled with so much hurt and anger.
Dekker is one of my favorite heroines. Working in a man’s world cannot be easy but she holds her own. I love that in most books you have the Hero saving the heroine but, in this book, Dekker is saving Hunter. While I understood her fear of love and commitment, I wish she did not let the pain of losing her mother ruin her happiness.
The sexual attraction between Dekker and Hunter was there from the moment I start reading. You could feel the pain that they felt those years ago when Dekker walked out the door. They were both not ready to admit to each other and themselves that they loved the other until it was too late.
This second chance romance had me drawn in from the moment I started reading. I loved everything about this book from the characters to the storyline. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series about the other Kincade sisters. Great job K. Bromberg!
5 star review Hard to Handle (Play Hard #1) by K.Bromberg
I am not sure where to start this review , other than to say that K. Bromberg knocked this one out of the arena. I was riveted to this book from the first until the last page and could not put it down.
This is K. Bromberg writing at her best with a strong, emotional storyline and characters that you cannot help but fall for and become invested in. Hunter and Dekker have history and she is dismayed when her father asks her to target him to become their latest signing for their agency.
Both Hunter and Dekker have issues and personal demons to face and I was blown away how Ms.Bromberg was not afraid to take the readers on a deeper journey and tackle issues such as guilt, depression and self worth. Issues that are very prevalent in today’s society and often ignored or overlooked.
Hard to Handle is an emotional roller coaster of a read that will get to you on many levels as she peels back the layers. The author is not afraid to write about characters who are flawed and I appreciated that. This book was exactly what I’ve come to expect from K. Bromberg; it will make you laugh, it will make you cry,but oh how I loved it and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.
Hunter Maddox and Dekker Kincade’s story left me with one heck of a book hangover and I have to say this is one of my top reads, EVER. Nothing I can say will do justice to this book and I highly recommend that you one click, you won’t be disappointed.
Hard to Handle is Sports Romance at its best and it will certainly be on my best reads of 2020. I do warn you though please don’t start this book without the time to finish because I can assure you there will be no putting down till you have read the final line. Book 1 in a new series and this certainly kicked that series off with a bang, I was captivated and drawn in by the characters as well as the storyline, if this book is anything to go by Ms Bromberg will certainly have another hit on her hands.
Dekker along with her sisters and father run a successful agency that represents athletes and when her father asks her to sign a new athlete she doesn’t hesitate to agree until she finds out it’s none other than Hunter Maddox star player of the NHL, a man at the top of his game, a man so attractive he should be illegal and a man she has crossed paths with before, a man who stole a piece of her before she walked away from the secret fling they shared…..
Hunter is struggling in a year when he should have it all, on track to win a Stanley Cup with a great team around him but secrets he holds close to his chest are making him act out uncharacteristically off the ice so how will he react when Dekker turns up to come on the road with the team for the series of away games …..
I’m not saying anything else about the story because you need to read it with no preconceived ideas, no expectations and I’m sure like me you will love everything about Hunter and Dekker. An emotional roller coaster that will captivate and steal all your time, a book with all the feels and a romance that will have you sighing and swooning. You will laugh, you will cry and I’m sure anyone who picks this gem up will love this story. I hope my words have done Hard to Handle justice its a book that deserves more than 5 stars so please add to your TBR because this is a must read !!!!
It’s a sports romance about Hockey by one of my favorite authors, I couldn’t wait to dive into this book. Being busy with my full time job, it’s allowed me the time to enjoy the book slowly. I usually finish books in 1-2 sittings and don’t really retain much of the book but with this book I’ve been picking it up for an hour here and there in my me time in the morning and reading for a few hours in the evening after work and errands.
Kristy has done it again. Hard to Handle was an amazing book! A lot of sports romances don’t have a lot in them about the sport the hero plays but Kristy wrote a lot about the game in this one. Its a 5+ star read that almost had me in tears at times and then smiling ear to ear at others. It’s a must read.
Hunter Maddox is a thirty something NHL hockey player who you fall in love with right away. He’s the typical athlete alpha. Dekker describes him perfectly in the book “Complicated and multi-layered, incredibly gifted, a god in the sack, yet troubled by something significant” I don’t think I could describe him any better.
Dekker is not your typical heroine. She’s full of sass and takes it as good as she gets it. She’s an agent for her fathers agency and is asked by her dad to sign Hunter as a client with the family business. Her and Hunter were lovers years ago, friends with benefits type deal that ended when she developed feelings for him.
Watching the buildup between the two of them felt real. She doesn’t feel like she can love or be loved by a man and Hunter has ghosts in his past that has him believing hes not good enough to be in a relationship. Hockey is all he needs, all he has time for.
I loved the subtle reference Kristy put in this book that referenced her very first book, Driven. With Dekker being a sports agent, I kept waiting to see Colton or Zanders name pop up in conversations. Coincidence that Hunters jersey number is 13? My hometown teams colours are red and white like the LumberJacks so I think I need to get a jersey made with the number 13 on it.
(3.7 stars) Dekker Kincade and her sister’s need to save their family’s, Kincaide Sports Management, business. Signing Hunter Maddox, hockey captain of the NJ Lumberjacks, player extrodanaire & troublemaker as of late, might just be the way to save it. Too bad for her he is quite the handful and they sort of have a past! Hunter is burnt out after playing for 12 years and all the drama that is happening off the ice. When his agent is thinking of dropping him a blast from the past enters his life again. Can Dekkar and Hunter find a way to exist together peacefully or is that an impossible feat? What is he hiding that has made him so bitter? This is the first book in the Play Hard Series and a slow burn, second chance at love, sports romance with an emotional twist. My heart breaks for all Hunter is dealing with. I loved that they are a NJ, my hometown, team!! I enjoyed the characters even if this was a little slow for me to get into. Overall, I did enjoy the storyline and it is well written. Told in dual POV
“She’s a savior and a sinner, and I’m not quite sure which one I need to hold on tighter to. But I do know one thing. I want both…”
You know that feeling when you’re reading a book and you get to the part where you just feel that your heart is beating so fast, and you know in that moment that the story you’re reading just stole a little bit of you? This book is like that, I gave a little bit of my heart willingly on this story, and I really don’t want it back…I loved every second of it.
As one of the agents at Kincade Sports Management, Dekker Kincade is now assigned to recruit the only player she’s not sure she wants to be near again, three years after she walked away from him, there’s no way Dekker can protect her heart for the second time. But one look at Hunter and she knows something is happening to him, she wants to be there for him but getting too close is not safe and Hunter is not making thing easy.
Hunter Maddox is the hockey player everyone wants to be, the LumberJacks recruited him for his great abilities on ice, the best player on the NHL; but his mind is not in the right place, anger, poor conduct are messing with his future, he is everything he swore never to be and he can’t find a way out of it, he is about to lose everything he vowed to have.
Second chances are always full of emotions and to read how the characters grow on those emotions is even better; the story evolves into its best version and I am on the edge here holding my heart and waiting for more of this amazing sports romance series.
Hard to Handle is the 1st book in the Play Hard series which follows the Kincade sisters, all sport agents who work for their fathers sport agency & their adventures on finding love. All books in this series can be read as a standalone but I do recommend reading them all just to get the real feel of the characters.
Dekker Kincade is the eldest sister & the most determined/rule follower. When their mum died suddenly, Dekker stood up for the family & became the “mum” around the house. Even though her father & sisters all didn’t feel like she needed to. Following on from this, her father has huge respect for her & treats her like his favourite. So Dekker is confused when her father sends her to poach the hockey legend; Hunter Maddox. The one man Dekker has ever fallen for & pushed away 3 years ago.
Hunter is having an award winning career, but unfortunately doesn’t seem to feel satisfied. After a car accident when they were teenagers, Hunter’s identical twin brother unfortunately suffered life injuries which resulted in him living his life with a weaken immunity and paralyzed. With this, Hunter’s parents have put more pressure on Hunter to succeed for Jonah. This leaves Hunter in where no matter what he does, his parents are not proud because they feel like they have lost a son in Jonah. But what if the one person who made him feel worthwhile, shows back in his life?
Dekker & Hunter have had chemistry from day one. They just did not have communication on their side. They both still have feelings for each other, even though it has been 3 years since they saw each other. This leaves them trying not to pick up where they left off but only have a professional relationship. But feelings, especially deep feelings, need to be known. And when Hunter finds himself leaning on Dekker more than he should, Dekker finds herself caring about Hunter more than she should.
The emotional strain in this story made me cry. Especially the letter Jonah writes to Hunter in the end (no spoilers). I blabbed like a baby.
K Bromberg succeeds in the novel with not just building an emotional connection between Dekker & Hunter, but building that emotional feeling to what Hunter is going through & Dekker being the perfect support that he just doesn’t want but needs. They are unstoppable couple when together & I loved seeing their relationship grow.
4.5/5 stars with 3/5 steam.
It’s been a long while since I’ve read K. Bromberg and Hard to Handle reminded me of exactly what I was missing. Hunter Maddox is the epitome of a broken man who has a single focus. The Stanley Cup. Don’t get in his way and don’t ask questions because he is incapable of giving you the answers. Dekker has her own issues and now tasked with trying to “land” Hunter as a client, brings back feelings and misgivings and pain that she’d rather not deal with. She only wants to help, however Hunter might need but he is just too mired in the past to be able to give anything to anyone much less himself. There are roads to navigate and sometimes in life, facing your past is the ONLY way to move forward with your future and enjoy the journey of your present.
5
Spanish & English Opinion
ESP ::
Me encantó. Justo como la autora lo comenta, hay deportes, segundas oportunidades y enemigos a amantes. Es una trifecta. El universo creado para la serie es original, divertido y llamó mi atención desde el inicio.
Me encantan los nombres de las hermanas Kincaid. También me gustó que no son cercanas pero van a ir construyendo su relación a lo largo de la serie.
Dekker y Hunter son la pareja de esta historia. Me encanta su pasado y lo original de su reencuentro. Hunter vive bajo presión y muchos demonios que, no merece tener. (Siento que Jonah pudo haber ayudado cuando aún hablaba…)
¡Quiero leer toda la serie! Los nombres de las Kincaid están increíbles y su profesión, más
ENG ::
Loooved it! The author actually says it: the book contains second chance, sports and enemies-to-lovers. Trifecta! The universe created for this series is amazing and the characters are endearing.
I love that the Kincaid sisters have very original names and their jobs is also very refreshing. They are not very close but throughout the series and that’s also really cool. Dekker and Hunter’s story is very different and I loved that. They have so much angsty feelings and off the charts chemistry.
Hunter lives with lots of demons that really torment him and they are not fair. (I also feel Jonah could have spoken earlier, while he still could and help Hunter but… that’s me tho). Dekker is the perfect girl for him and I love their love.
Definitely, will continue reading the rest of the books!
Hard to Handle is powerful, strong, meaningful, and heartfelt. Hunter and Dekker embarked on an emotional and hard-fought journey for a second chance.
WOW What an incredible and emotional story.
This is a second chance romance between Hunter an exceptionally successful and talented Hockey player at the top of his game,but who is losing his love of Hockey and is feeling burned out.Anger is his fuel to keep him going as the past eats away at him and an event that took place that he blames himself for.
Dekker is a sports agent and who had a 6 month fling with Hunter 3 years ago,and now she has to try and recruit Hunter to her families agency.
These two are like fire and ice,the heat between them sizzles but they are always at eachother throats,but they still have feelings for one another that have never gone away.
Hunter broke my heart the burden he carried crushed me as I read his heartbreaking story,thank the heavens for Dekker she was so strong and supportive and never backed down no matter how Hunter tried to push her away.She was his salvation.
K Brombergs beautiful words squeezed my heart so tight,I felt every word deep in my bones and I cried so hard at certain points in the book. I couldnt stop thinking about this story even when I wasn’t reading and was trying to get on with day to day life.
Hard To Handle is a Magnificent Love story that swept me up in so much emotion.
I really Loved it and Highly recommend it.
5 exquisite Stars.
Audio Review
Sports romance is one of my favourite romance sub genre and K Bromberg has managed to cement that even more.
Of course, the agents that represent athletes at the top of their games, are needed to negotiate the best deals as well as the best from, their clients.
In the audio version, Jacob Morgan and Emma Wilder bring the beautifully penned words of Ms. Bromberg to glorious technicolour and make the ‘reading’ experience so much more!
Hard to Handle is the first in this particular series and I can’t wait to delve into the others.
Audio review:
Wow, wow, Wow.
Jacob and Emma did a stellar job with this narration.
I was close to tears several time from the poignant and heartfelt delivery alone.
The hurt, the pressure, and the blame placed on Hunter’s shoulders had my eyes welling up – I couldn’t help the tug on my heartstrings the words caused.
Hunter and Dekker definitely had enemies to lovers vibes, they fought hard but loved harder. Their chemistry was inescapable, their banter hilarious, the attraction and pull – almost magnetic.
Despite their reluctance and resistance to sharing their feelings with each other, they were there, in plain view for all to see.
Gah, SO MANY FEELS.
The epilogues were the icing on an already sumptuous cake.
And the tennis balls? Perfection.
I hope I can listen to more of this series, this book was amazing. One of my top reads for the year.
Hard To Handle is the 1st book in The Play Hard series. This was a second chance, sports romance focused on hockey and it was angsty, emotional and tension filled with some family issues included. This story had two complex characters, both dealing with their own issues but the chemistry between them sizzling hott and their steamy scenes were intense and scorching. This was a story about love, loss, forgiving oneself and second chances. I would recommend it to lovers of contemporary romance.
The audiobook was narrated by Emma Wilder and Jacob Morgan. These two did a good job bringing out the emotions of the characters and while I did love Jacob’s voice, there were certain times I felt that the female narrator’s voice was a bit whiney and it was annoying. However I was able to listen out to the entire audiobook.
It’s been a minute since I read a book by K. Bromberg, an author I love, so when I had the chance to listen to Hard to Handle by K. Bromberg, I jumped at it. Narrated by Jacob Morgan and Emma Wilder, I loved Dekker and Hunter’s story so much. An emotional enemies to lovers story, Dekker and Hunter have steamy chemistry, but also history. Now Dekker needs to get him signed to her father’s sports agency to help save his business.
I loved Hunter so much, even as he broke my heart. He is one determined man, but also carries so much that weighs him down. Dekker is just as determined, smart and ready to do her job. Can they find a way to work together without falling into the past? Or is this finally their chance to be together? I loved listening to Hard to Handle by K. Bromberg and am excited to dive into the rest of the series.
Happy reading!
Oooh, it’s been a while since my list K. Bromberg book, and HARD TO HANDLE was just perfect to remind me while I love her stories so much. Emotional, heartbreaking, beautiful.
Dekker and Hunter take you along on their bumpy roller coaster ride to happiness. I swooned, I cried, I laughed, then swooned some more, before tearing up once more. Hunter is going through the motions, to an extend that it’s jeopardizing his career. That’s when Dekker steps back into his life, the one who got away …
Constant back and forth, all while Hunter’s heartbreak slowing being revealed (boy, I wasn’t prepared. At. All. My eyes get misty even now), makes for one tension-filled, dramatic second chance romance that had me wanting to shake some sense into each of them a time or two throughout. Sheesh, seriously!
Sweet and sexy, yet heavy on emotion, and full of angst and explosive chemistry. An enemies to lovers (kinda), second chance, hockey romance about healing, forgiveness and self-discovery. While it could have been cut shorter here or there, I was never once bored. It’s the first in a series of standalones about the Kincade sisters, and I can’t wait to dive into the next one.
So, Emma Wilder and Jacob Morgan. They’re both a force on their own, but together they make this audio experience straight perfection. The intonations, the emotions they each convey … more, please!