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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I adored K. Bromberg’s “Hard to Handle,” a sweet, emotional story featuring incredibly likeable, well-developed characters and a compelling plot that kept me turning the pages long past my bedtime. Main characters Hunter Maddox and Dekker Kincade were both wounded souls dealing with a lot of emotional baggage from their pasts, but something kept drawing them together no matter how hard they tried to convince themselves that they weren’t interested in or capable of pursuing a real relationship. When they finally moved past the obstacles standing in their way and cast off the weight of the past, it was lovely to see how their relationship blossomed.
I enjoyed getting to know several of the book’s secondary characters as well, particularly Dekker’s younger sisters, Brexton, Chase, and Lennox. The three remaining Kincade sisters will be featured in upcoming books of the Play Hard series as they continue the family’s efforts to recruit star athletes away from a rival agent who has been stealing business from KSM, the sports management agency founded by their father, Kenyon.
Overall, “Hard to Handle” was truly an excellent read, and I highly recommend it for all fans of contemporary romance. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!
*ARC provided by the author via Valentine PR. All opinions expressed are my own.
Wow! This was an emotional heart twister! I loved the premise of this new series by one of my favorite authors. Four sisters working with their father in his sports management company. All different but kickass in a man’s world. (Didn’t really care for their names though.) Their father’s decides to steal clients from their biggest competitor and sets up the oldest sister, Dekker, to go after the biggest hockey star and her former friends-with-benefits lover, Hunter “Mad Dog” Maddox. She fell for the closed-off hottie and decided to cut and run before she was really heart broken. Three years later and Dekker and Hunter circled round and round with words and actions that lead to nowhere and to each other. The emotions were high as each dealt with loss and grief. Hunter’s is still ongoing and affecting every part of his life, especially his star-studded hockey career. It looks like he is imploding at the wrong time. On the cusp of playing for the Cup and living out a life-long dream for his twin brother as much as for himself. His twin is his other half that never got the chance fulfill his dreams or live a full life. So much sadness. But the real sadness is in Hunter’s dad’s rejection of the son still standing. Their relationship was emotional overload for me. Sometimes it seemed like Hunter was still in his teens rather than a thirty-two year-old man that needed to let some of the pain go. Dekker’s fight to help him was terrific. What a spirited heroine so full of caring and sympathy. And what a hot pair of sexiness they are. Sizzling! I really got into the story when this luscious pair settle into a relationship that I could get on board with. Finally, they were communicating on all levels. I was rooting for the hockey star to fulfill his destiny and get the girl. The final resolution was no surprise but I loved these characters. The hunky, tortured Hunter and the smart, sexy Dekker, along with the Kincade sisters. Those girls could love and fight in equal measure. I can’t wait for the next story in the sexy new series!
This is the first book in The Play Hard Series, a Sports Romance. I love the cover! Hard to Handle was effectively Hard to Handle without crying! OMG! I wasn’t prepared for this story. Hunter and Dekker’s story is emotionally intense, heartbreaking, and beautiful. The characters are wonderful. Hunter wasn’t my favorite hero at first… but OMG! I was wrong! He is a wonderful broken soul. Dekker is beautiful, strong, independent, caring and supportive. They are perfect together. They share a strong and beautiful chemistry. The storyline is slow paced, and captivating. The back and forth, past to present, is emotionally heartbreaking, at least to me. By the end, while listening to the first epilogue, I was a crying mess. What a beautiful and emotional story! I started by reading it, and I Immediately decided to switch to the audiobook version. I didn’t regret it, not a minute. Jacob Morgan and Emma Wilder did an outstanding job with the narration. They were perfect as Hunter and Dekker. This is a great author/narrators team! I LOVED it, and I HIGHLY recommend it! Looking forward to listen to the next installment in the Series.
4.5 Stars
This book started off a little slower, at least to me, than other titles by Kristy Bromberg. Not a criticism, not at all, I just thought this one felt like there was a little more foundation before you get into the weeds, so to speak, with Hunter and Dekker.
I actually liked getting a little more foundation, as there is a lot going on in this book that is emotional and internal for the characters, so knowing them a little better is great as you move into the story.
This one is one of those books that is difficult to review, as there is a lot that happens and a lot of moments that I want to talk about…but they are all spoilers and I hate those, and I would hate to ruin this for someone else…so, I will say there are a lot of wonderful moments in this story that really bring Hunter and Dekker together and make this a wonderful romance.
I enjoyed and recommend this title.
Finding that the client Dekker needs to woo in order to help save her family’s sports agency is someone with whom she has a complicated past is not going to take Dekker down. The fact that Hunter is a spoiled, womanizing athlete acting out for the world to see, though, just may bring her down. She’ll need to do her level best to keep her heart intact, keep herself out of Hunter’s clutches, if she stands a chance at this. Is she up to the task?
Nobody does a tortured, layered alpha quite like K. Bromberg. I think Hunter just may be her most damaged AND lovable hero yet. His backstory is absolutely heartbreaking – expect to need a box of tissues while reading, everyone! But my girl Dekker was more than up to the task of not just signing, but more importantly, loving, him. I love how she had his back against the people who were always trying to bring Hunter down. And I love how he was the vulnerable one and she lifted him up. Kudos for the strong heroine bringing the damaged hero to his knees all while lifting him up and supporting him. Bromberg has absolutely outdone herself with Hard to Handle and I for one, cannot wait for more of this series and more of these sisters.
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Hunter Maddox is a man with a problem he doesn’t know how to fix. He has a lot on his shoulders – pressure most of us can’t even imagine. Dekker Kincade isn’t above fighting dirty for the greater good. She has a lot riding on her shoulders as well – family business.
This book shows the business side of sports – the side fans don’t get to see. You get to see what players deal with once they’re away from prying eyes. Some of them put a lot of pressure on themselves to be something for everyone and that can be a lot to live up to.
These two are like a stick of dynamite. But once in a while I think Hunter is more of a lit match. It was fun to watch and see if the stick will light or will it be all sweat and no boom. Maybe the dynamite will turn into more of a firecracker. What a great reason to keep turning the page.
The story’s not all heat and passion. There’s true human emotion here and that includes sadness and guilt – things that may bring a tear to your eye. Some of those scenes could be tough to read but our author is good that she knows the perfect time to reign that in and get us back to the heat that comes from our main characters. Our author also finds time to put in scenes that may get you to laugh. From beginning to end, you are going to feel something or maybe it will bring back memories – depending on how you connect to the story. That tear I mentioned earlier, may just make an appearance at the happiest moment.
I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Huner and Dekker’s story was simply fantastic, astonishing, phenomenal, Ok you get the picture, I enjoyed each page of this book, it hooked me up from the very start and I couldn’t put it down even if I had to, sleep was overrated. Each character in the story is amazing, the emotional turmoil this book had me on edge, this is not just another hockey second chance story, is about finding what you lost along the way, the guilt and sorrow they face and how wanting the love and respect from the one you need is more important than anything. Can’t wait to find out the story of Dekker’s sisters. The Jumbotron is displaying 5 brilliant stars!
I have to be honest I was a bit hesitant going into this book. As a Canadian and lover of all things hockey, I find that many books completely miss the mark. This book shot the puck and scored!!!! I loved Hunter and Dekker from the start and hated them on and off as the story progressed. They were great characters both afraid to love and be loved. As this book played out the hockey scenes were spot on and full of the history of hockey that I love and even a shout out to my Red Wings and their octopus tradition. This book was well written and had me hooked (no hockey pun intended) from the first page. If you like enemies to loves, hot sports stars and a well written book, then this is the one you should be reading. I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book for an honest review.
I love sports romance and K. Bromberg’s books, and this was one was perfection. This book pulled all kinds of emotions out of me. I knew I was going to be reading another epic book from one of my favorite authors.
After reading the blurb I could not wait to get my hands on this book. Plus, have you looked at the cover, wow! Hard to Handle is the first book in the new series Play Hard, we meet four sisters who don’t really get along. Dekker is assigned a hockey client to win over, but she was not expecting it to be someone from her past that was just a hookup.
Hunter is the captain of this hockey team who you can’t help but love. He has demons he is battling. He is very talented. Hunter can’t figure out why a woman from his past is back in his life. He hasn’t seen her since she left his hotel 3 years ago.
These two have amazing chemistry and you can’t help but hope for them to get their second chance. K. Bromberg pulled me into this story from the beginning and held me captive till the very end. I loved Hunter and my heart broke for him at times. If you are looking for a second chance sports romance that will pull at your heartstrings and take you on an emotional rollercoaster, you need this book. I loved it and can’t wait for the next book in this series.
So much more than your typical sports romance, Hard to Handle was full of the complexity of emotions and family dynamics.
Shattered by losses years prior, both Hunter and Dekker have to learn how to move forward, their heartbreak having speared both of them forward in different directions.
In finding one another, they are able to realize the power of love and forgiveness, making room for a bright tomorrow.
As Always, Happy Reading!
“4/5 Beaming Brains!” – Lit-Up My Mind
Dekker is a sports agent for her family’s company, Kincade Sports Management, and her father has informed her and her sisters that they need to step up and take on more responsibility. Dekker’s dad tells her that she needs to lock up Hunter Maddox as their newest client to help keep their company alive. She does not want to go after the league’s most hard to handle player and her ex-fling. Hunter Maddox is one of the best in the league and has been struggling lately due to issues he is keeping close to the chest. With his agent threatening to drop him and his time to win the Stanley Cup is running out Hunter knows that he needs to get his back into the game. That is until a ghost from his past walks through the door after disappearing three years prior. With Dekker back in the picture, Hunter is now more than ever determined not to lose focus.
Hard to Handle is an edge of your seat, enemies to lovers, second chance hockey romance. This was a great beginning to the new Play Hard series by K. Bromberg which focuses on four sisters and their family sports management business. The chemistry between Hunter and Dekker is undeniable and they both have feisty personalities which cause them to clash with each other that makes for the perfect enemies to lovers, second chance story. I love a good sports romance and this one did not disappoint. This was my first K. Bromberg novel and will not be my last as I can not wait for the continuation of this series.
*ARC was generously provided in exchange for my honest review*
Two people in Dekker and Hunter dealing with their past that is intense and an amazing chemistry. A must read for sure by Kristy and can’t wait for the next book in this series.
Hard to Handle is definitely the perfect combination of my favorite tropes; enemies to lovers, sport romance and second chances. This is the beginning of the Play Hard series by K. Bromberg and she definitely started with a bang.
When I started this book I was not expecting for it to be so emotional. The type of story that brakes you and put you back together. I have all the feels with Hard to Handle. It was sexy, passionate, fun, emotional and a page turner.
The story brings you KSM (Kincade Sport Management) where Dekker Kincade and her 3 sister work as agents to superstars athletes. The company is in need of new fresh talent and Dekker’s dad is sending her to bring in the most coveted and talented hockey player on NHL to be part of their team. What he doesn’t suspect it’s that Dekker already knows PRETTY WELL the devastatingly handsome, cocky and brooding hockey star, Hunter Maddox. Dekker and Hunter together again after years? Only one thing I’ll say, Let’s the fun times begin!!!!
“Sure, you’re telling me you don’t think of me, but your eyes”—he emits a guttural hum in the back of his throat—“they’re telling me you can’t stop thinking about me . . . because as you know, I’m the triple threat.”
“Triple threat?” “All stick, all finesse . . . all stamina.”
There’s so much more than a good banter with this couple; which by the way was pretty fun to witness. I love the back and forward between them. Both with determined and strong personalities. There’s so much deep to Hunter’s broodiness and difficult attitude. So much for Dekker’s strong persona.
“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.”
I wont tell you more because then where is the fun of you discovering all the secret between this two characters. Just know that it was the perfect beginning for this serie of standalone and get ready for a hell of a ride.
“All I want is her. All I need is her. She quiets the demons.”
Hard To Handle was nothing like I expected to be but man did I love this book! I found it so different from the authors usual style but was quite impressed with the level of angst and over all story line. This book hit all my favorite troupe boxes. Sports romance . Second chance . Everything about this read was engaging, and had very likeable characters. If I had one warning it would be this book is quite lengthy. However it is worth every single page! Hard To Handle kept my emotions all over the place. One page I was laughing at the snarky easy banter between characters, to holding my breath the next when the tidal wave of emotions hit. I can’t give kudos enough on that ending! It seriously brought tears to my eyes. Hunter and Dekker are one of my new favorite couples! For real, their chemistry was off the charts and scorched through your kindle pages. I loved them so incredibly much y’all. They are the perfect example of two characters that stories will stick with you long after the book ends.
“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.”
Dekker was one of those heroines you could instantly connect too! I was all for her snarky comments and even more of a fiesty attitude. She constantly kept me on my toes throughout the book. I could not get enough if her straight laced to the point persona. She knew exactly what she wanted in life and refused to settle for less. What you seen was what you got with Dekker and it was so refreshing.
“He’s heaven , hell, and everything in between”
Hunter was one more hero. Talk about keeping you on your toes. His character had it down to a T with his hot and cold attitude. Hunter was definitely complicated and I never knew if I wanted to punch him or hug him. Hunter was vulnerable and so incredibly broken. And I was completely helpless to his charm. He had me eating out the palm of his hand in no time.
*5 STARS*
Was so well earned with this excellent story! I can NOT recommend one clicking this book enough. It is truly a emotionally beautiful read.
Hunter and Dekker together are fire!! I was so into their banter and chemistry. I was really looking forward to their interactions, I found my eyeballs couldn’t move fast enough. Not gonna lie, there were some parts that had me feeling all sorts of emotions. *sniff* I just really enjoyed this book, I read it all in one shot so the flow was great.
I love a good hockey romance & second chance romance. So, the fact that K. Bromberg released a hockey romance AND a second chance romance, it was a no brainer for me. I one clicked based off of the title. Dekker & Hunter are two of my favorite characters to date.
Hunter is all man. He’s full of arrogance and you see that right off the bat. Dekker is this feisty, spitfire who had her heartbroken but is doing something her dad asked of her. There is some serious sexual tension with these two and a history that you’re dying to learn more about. Their journey they take together is one of my favorite to date by the author.
K. Bromberg does it again. I don’t typically go for a sports romance, but this one is amazingly good with a twist. It’s so unique and has a hero you can’t help falling in love with. The chemistry between Hunter and Dekker is stellar. You feel their highs and lows, especially with Dekker’s pain from her past. The banter is great, not cheesy at all. It’s definitely a sports romance you don’t want to miss. Thanks so much K. Bromberg for providing this entertaining arc in exchange for an honest review.
Sports romance with a female lead that is strong and confident. I love the setup and knew this would be a winner when I realized Dekker and her sisters are sports agents. Her job is to “steal” a client from her competition. However, there is history there. Hunter is the best. He plays hard and give it everything. But lately, he had become the problem child. When secrets are revealed we find two people who are scared of their feelings and a lot of emotional baggage. Fear, guilt, redemption and love give is an emotional read.
I LOVED HUNTER SO MUCH!!!!
Kristy legit made me swoon like I haven’t in a long time. Hard to Handle had all the feels, Dekker is out to to get a new client she just never thought Hunter would make her want so much more. These two had a chemistry that had my kindle on fire. Dekker was someone who was scared of falling in love, so when she goes after Hunter the last thing she expects is to him him her heart. These two were the best, this book had all the feels!!!
This book was seriously EVERYTHING!!!! Get ready to fall head over heels in love with Dekker and Hunter
This is one of the few books that I’ve wanted to sit and read and do nothing else for a while. It was that good! Bromberg has been a favorite author of mine for awhile, and now it seems she can write a sports, hockey no less, romance like one of my other favorite authors, Helena Hunting! As usual we got a wonderful emotional read, with great character backgrounds, as well as the steamy scenes that I know and love from the author. Now I wish that Dekker had told Hunter sooner about how she was supposed to be there to recruit him, but I feel like the way he handled it when he found out was realistic both in the being upset, as well as how he was able to deal with it. Love, love, loved this story, and so glad this is a series because I can’t wait for more!