From #1 NYT Bestselling author Lauren Blakely comes a hot & hilarious new standalone romantic comedy…Women often say a good man is hard to find. And a hard man is even better.That’s why I’m quite a catch– good, hard, loaded, and wait for it…I’m ready to settle down too. But the woman I want to pitch my tent with lives clear across the country. Neither of us wants to get lost in those … us wants to get lost in those woods. All I have to do is resist her for the week she’s in town.
I try. I swear I try. But yeah, that doesn’t work out.
And after one fantastic night with my good friend Mia, I’m ready to give her years of nights under the stars. What’s a few thousand miles when love’s involved? But there’s a hitch in my plans — she just hired my adventure tour company. If there’s one thing I’m committed to, it’s running a squeaky clean business. Number one on my list of iron-clad rules?
Don’t screw your customers.
But what’s a guy to do when she’s so hard to resist? How hard can it be to keep our hands off each other for a quick group tour down the hills and over the trails? I’m about to find out, and I have a feeling I’m going to need a new badge of honor because things are about to get very hard in the woods.
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loved the whole series….great characters
I’m going out on a limb here and saying that Patrick is the most romantic Blakely boy to date. I know some won’t agree, because lord knows Clay Nichols is all kinds of romantic and swoony, but Patrick, man, there is just something about him that hit me in all the right places. If you ask me what that something is, I honestly couldn’t break it down to anything specific; it’s everything about him. It’s the complete joy he gets from his job. It’s the fact that he has a freaking adventure cat with its own Instagram account. It’s how totally and utterly he is into Mia, and has been from the moment he met her.
I want to be Mia and have all that love and affection directed at me.
I’m not going to lie, I got more emotional with this book than I have with any of the other ones in this series of standalones. And it’s not because this is the last of the bunch, although that makes me teary-eyed, too. I really felt the emotion between Mia and Patrick. And as much as I have adored all the other books and couples, (and believe me I have!), this one was just a little more special to me.
My go to book is always a rom-com and Lauren Blakely always guarantees me perfect one! Hard Wood is another best friend’s sister romance in a male POV, which I LOVE.
Patrick (Max’s friend and Evie’s brother) and Mia (Chase and Max’s sister) have been each wondering “what if” from the time they met and sparks flew immediately. They have amazing chemistry, flirty banter and just an overall hot sexual tension.
I loved Hard Wood for a multitude of reasons but most of all, Patrick. He is just a normal guy running a successful business who is looking to settle down. I mean, have you read about a normal guy recently? They are usually bad boys, have skeletons or are a bit of an asshole. It was so refreshing to read about someone that you could easily know in real life!!
Mia is the typical Lauren Blakely girl…hardworking, sexy, sassy and fun! She owns her own business, works hard, but realizes she just might want to see where it leads with Patrick. But with both of them on separate coasts, how would this relationship even work?
Patrick and Mia were absolutely wonderful as a couple and I enjoyed catching up with the rest of the crew. There was minimal drama, no angst, but just a fun loving time between two people falling madly in love!
3.5 stars–HARD WOOD by Lauren Blakely is a contemporary, erotic romance found in the author’s series of standalone male point of view story lines including Well Hung, Mr. O, The Sexy One, Big Rock, Joy Ride and Full Package, connected by the familiarity of family, friendships and lovers. This is professional hiker and trail guide Patrick Milligan, and beauty company owner Mia Summers’ story line. HARD WOOD can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty . Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. Mia is the younger sister of Chase Summers (Full Package) and Max Summers (Joy Ride); Patrick is best friends with Mia’s brother Max.
Told from first person point of view (Patrick Milligan) with a few pages from Zeus the cat HARD WOOD is a best friends, little sister trope that follows the friends to lovers building romance between adventure tour owner and operator Patrick Milligan, and beauty company owner Mia Summers. Mia is a West Coast girl; her beauty products company is based in San Francisco but she struggles with the distance between herself and her brothers back in New York. Enter Patrick Milligan, Max Summers’ best friend, and the man with whom Mia will fall in love. What ensues is the quick building romance between Patrick and Mia, and the potential fall out of a long distance relationship.
The relationship between Mia and Patrick is quick to build; a friends to lovers insta-love/lust romance wherein Patrick is ready to settle down but Mia battles issues from the past. Convincing herself that New York is where she wants to be, Mia moves her head office and her heart to be closer to the man with whom she is falling in love. The $ex scenes are intimate and erotic.
Most of the previous story line couples play secondary and supporting roles. The author gives the reader a glimpse into the ongoing relationship dynamics, and the growing families and friendship.
HARD WOOD is a sweet story of romance and love. There is no outside conflict, and little to no confrontation or struggle between our leading couple. The premise is engaging; the characters are real; the romance is sexy and hot. HARD WOOD takes the reader on an adventure with one sexy man; his hiking-loving cat Zeus; and one woman who is willing to take a chance on a happily ever after.
The queen of double entendre is back with a clever, scandalous and hard to resist anti hero. Hard Wood is another Lauren Blakely original. Relevant and at times deep subjects are tackled with humorous dialogue, risque innuedoes and sassy characters. Patrick and Mia are dynamite. Heat, humor and heart are on display with some wicked fun for good measure.