New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh brings you the next sizzling story in her Hard Play contemporary romance series… 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.
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Jacob Esera is trying to live a mostly quiet life for his six-year-old daughter, as quiet as he can while being a rugby star. He’s not interested in drawing extra media attention, all his focus is on the game and being the best dad he can be after the tragic death of his highschool sweetheart that left him a single father. What he’s not looking for is someone like Juliet Neilsi, a blast from his past. After a rough childhood, and the loss of her best friend in high school, Juliet wears her prickly personality as armor. Apparently, the only thing that can break that armor is watching Jacob Esera, a tough, serious rugby player nicknamed “the Saint”, turn to putty in his daughter’s hands.
Any book with a single dad pulls at my heart, and this was no exception, it’s so sweet. I loved that Juliet and Jacob were almost enemies in the past tied together by one person they both loved and lost. I haven’t read the others in the series, so the beginning was a bit of a character dump where I felt a little lost since it begins at a wedding for characters from another book, however, it wasn’t so much it put me off finishing and it’s my own fault for not doing the research. Despite not having all the background information, I was able to really enjoy the story. I adore super strong heroines and Juliet was right up there at the top of my favorites, and a hero that’s big, strong and slightly broody watching princess movies and braiding hair *swoon*. The secondary characters were fantastic, each having their own distinct voice, which not all authors do well, but Nalini Singh does. This book really has it all, it’s well written with lots of heart, humor, a touch of tragedy, and plenty of heat. I’ll definitely go back to the beginning and read them all.
Love Hard
Hard Play Series #3
Nalini Singh
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorNaliniSingh/
Release date 03/10/2020
Publisher TKD Distribution
Blurb :
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.
My review :
When nemesis’ teenagers rekindle year after, with their chemistry be stronger than their past bad blood …
I read Mrs Nalini Singh for her Psi-Changeling then Guild Hunter series, it is only last year that I have read her contemporary romance with Rebel Hard, I loved my journey in the Hindi community, so why not read the following book in this series.
It was so very different, still very emotional.
Like everything with Mrs Nalini Singh, the words flow, the emotions rise and the story finds its mark.
The Esera-Bishop brothers were only side-characters in my previous read, so I was happy to meet them here.
And oh my!
Jake is just awesome, so young but also so responsible, despite the tragic loss he suffered, he rebuilt himself in a confident and impeccable single father. And could never have become this accountable man if not for his kin and their support.
He has a dreamlike family, they never let one of them down, always backing up those they consider their own. How he grew up in this successful in his career man.
His daughter Esme is his sun and light, everything turns around her and he made his life with her at the center.
Juliet has a very different upbringing, she was seen as her parents failure, and reminded of it. Despite all her efforts to draw the attention of her relatives, it never worked as she hoped for. Worse, it cost her her only friend. From there, she built a wall of steel around her heart but it still beats and long for more. Thus the fiasco of her marriage.
With hard work, she raised herself and has every right to be proud of herself, if only she was not so lonely.
When they rekindle, their first instinct is to go back to their usual bickering, but something has changed in their years apart, sparks fly and not only because they were each other nemesis, there is now something new between them, a chemistry that was absent when they were only some lost kids.
I always love how Mrs Nalini Singh gives voice to her characters, they might cower at time but they are not cowards, they think and rethink before acting, analyzing everything before deciding if it is worth the effort and hurt.
Jake is a strategic thinker, a fixer and while he always keeps his daughter in mind, for once he is ready to take some risks and he leaps at Juliet’s side, prepared to stand for her. Juliet is more concerned by the reputation she carries with her name and might taint everyone getting to close.
« I’m the air and the wind to your earth and rock. »
Together they complete each other, so up to Jake to show her she counts and deserves more while Juliet brings a bit of colors and craziness in his well ordained life.
5 stars for this read full of emotions and charms.
« “What if I can be the steady heart of your life and you be my wings, teach me to fly past the walls I like to build? »
I was granted an advance copy by the publisher TKD Distribution and I had proof to it preordered my own. Here is my true and unbiased opinion.
https://www.facebook.com/429830134272830/posts/572799373309238/?d=n
***5 Stars***
#fangirldown #fangirldown
This isn’t even a hangover situation. This is pure, unadulterated book happiness.
I swear my cheeks hurt from all the stupid, dopey grinning I was doing while reading this baby.
I not only got an amazing second chance at love/frenemies to lovers/single parent romance, but got to spend time with a whole bunch of characters I adore and got to meet more that have me crossing my toes that the author has something up her sleeves for them in the future because I simply need more of them all.
I ADORED Jacob and Juliette. ADORED. Jake is, simply put, a really good man. He obliterated my ovaries anytime he was with his adorable daughter, Esme, but it was how protective he was with those he called his own that had me all kinds of twitterpated. Jules is a force to be reckoned with. This woman owns all that she is and isn’t afraid to speak her mind ~ whether it be snarky or sweet ~ she gives as good as she gets, and then some.
I thoroughly enjoyed Jake and Jules journey to their HEA. Their bantering/sniping at each other was a lot of fun and the chemistry between them was HAWT ~ OMG HAWT!. But what I truly enjoyed was watching as they came to terms with their shared past and started to see each other for who they truly were. While they are opposites in quite a few ways, they have the same core of honor, loyalty and compassion that made it so easy to see how they could be so much more.
Ever since meeting the Bishop-Esera clan in Rock Hard I’ve been hooked. The love these people have for each other makes my heart all kinds of happy, and getting to see how they all rally around each other is simple goodness ~ and this book is chock full of that goodness. Esme and Emmeline were absolutely adorable! And I loved catching up with the Bishop-Esera clan and those they call family. There were also some surprise appearances in this one that made my heart all kinds of happy, and a bunch of new characters that I’m crossing my toes will get their own books/novellas/shorts in the newsletter in the future, but I’m all kinds of excited for Danny’s book and cannot wait to see him brought to his knees!
~ Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley & voluntarily reviewed ~