Best laid plans get wrecked when a reclusive football star is forced to live with a reluctant nanny.
A standalone, slow burn novel.
Cam DeSantis’ life is a mess.
How else would you describe losing your husband, your job, and your money all at once? Desperate times call for desperate measures. So when salvation comes in the form of one intolerable jerk, she has no choice but to accept … once?
Desperate times call for desperate measures. So when salvation comes in the form of one intolerable jerk, she has no choice but to accept his offer as a nanny for his eight year old nephew.
Now all she has to do is find a way to ignore him for the next three months. Which is easier said than done.
NFL quarterback Calvin Shaw has zero interest in women.
It’s not that he doesn’t like women. In fact, he loves women. He just doesn’t want anything to do with them.
What he needs to do is focus on winning another Super Bowl before he retires.
Problem is, the woman living in his house is a major distraction. And he doesn’t know what’s worse, that he promised to be civil, or that he’s attracted to her.
Wrecking Ball(Hard To Love #1) is from Camilla’s point of view and let me tell you, it is a real treat. She has a spit fire personality and her sarcasm, great sense of humor and wit made this book worth reading. Her attraction to Calvin was immediate, her struggle and denial of it was quite entertaining. Also, her inner dialogue about Calvin was hysterical especially when she discovered he wasn’t wearing underwear underneath his clothes!!
And Calvin, HOT DAMN!! Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome football player with a man bun….yep I’ll take it!! He’s all man with an alpha personality, sexy and brooding demeanor yet deep down, he has a tender heart. Calvin and Camilla’s pasts have made them quite vulnerable which is why they are closed off and constantly fighting their attraction to each other. Wrecking Ball is a slow burn romance and I was okay with that since they needed that time to develop a friendship and open themselves up to the idea of love. It’s definitely worth the wait as Ms. Dangelico did a wonderful job with writing an appealing and engaging storyline. The sexual tension between Camilla and Calvin is scorching and oh so irresistible. And when they finally get together, it hot and sexy as hell!! They truly are a match made in heaven. Wrecking Ball is an enjoyable book and I highly recommend reading it.
Wrecking Ball by P. Dangelico a five-star read that will wreck your emotions in the best way possible. I loved this story so much from the amazing meet-cute of Cam’s parents that just made me want to pick up a pen and paper to the vines on skin and a Greek proverb that holds much meaning for me. It has taken me days to sit and write the words for this review as I enjoyed the story so much, and honestly I knew I wouldn’t manage to put across how much love I have for this author and her words. This one has it all, the slow burn, the brooding hero and sassy heroine, cute kid and so much else that pulls together to create a sublime story. Sam will also worm his little way into even the coldest of hearts, I also loved the common mispronunciation of the name and how frustrating it was, it’s an issue I know is held dear to many including myself. This had me gripped on every page, I started it and ignored life until I said goodbye on the last page, I didn’t do anything I just wanted to read. If you haven’t picked up this author yet then do yourself a favour and do it as you won’t be disappointed, she has a humour that will astound you.
SO GOOD – I loved this book from start to finish! I think my blood pressure rose from all of the tension in this book, but it was the best kind. It’s a sloooooow burn romance done just right, with characters that are fully developed and a rock solid romantic foundation.
Wrecking Ball follows Cam and Cal, two people who have experienced a lot of hardships in the last few years. They’re both struggling with trying to figure out who they are, and neither is in any place for romance when the book begins. When Cam becomes a live-in nanny for Cal’s nephew, their worlds collide and they are forced to share a home. It’s most certainly not an easy path to romance, but the dialogue and relationship building in this book are fantastic. Both Cam and Cal are great characters that I really wanted to see find happiness, and I loved their relationship. Typically, I prefer lighter romances but there is a lot of humor in this book and it pairs perfectly with the more emotional elements of the story. Can’t wait to read the next book in the series!
After Camilla lost her husband Matt 3 years ago she found he had been involved in a ponzi scheme. Losing her house, job and all she moves in with her parents. Desperately seeking a job (she was a school teacher) she applies to a job where she has to sign a NDA before meeting her employer. Calvin Shaw is the starting quarterback for the New York Titans and needs someone to teach his nephew while his sister is in rehab. Their initial meeting does not go very well! I liked Camilla taking a stand.
I really enjoyed this book. Both Camilla and Calvin have trust issues and their romance is a sloooooowwww burn. He is grumpy and introvert and she is trying to overcome her fears and face life after the scandal. They do not get intimate until after the 80% mark, to give you an idea how slow burn this is. But so sweet and real. I will absolutely read the next! (2017)
I absolutely loved the rocky enemies to lovers path of these two. Such a great read!!!
Since the death of her husband, Camilla has been struggling… finding out her husband swindled nearly a million pounds off of innocent people, having everything she owned repossess and no chance of a job because of the press… she’s left living with her parents and working however many shifts she can with her best friend amber in a bar.
Vanillas only chance of a job… also happens to be the job of a life time comes up, homeschooling an 8 year old boy she jumps at it… that is until she’s insulted by a gorgeous and grumpy NFL Athlete Calvin Shaw, who also happens to be the uncle of her potential charge.
Things go from bad to worse when she realises they can barely stand to be in each other’s company… finding out that they have similar baggage when it comes to their past relationship it’s becomes harder and harder to keep cal at arms length especially when she’s also roped into being his pretend girlfriend.
So I’m reading this series backward… I started with book 3 the newest release Bulldozer (Which was absolutely fine because each book can be read as standalone) .. I loved that book and HAD to read cam and cal’s Story. Which was as sweet as it was spicy, with that old school romance flavour that I absolutely adore. A sign of a truly gifted author, the skill at blending a true romance feel that is new and relevant to today.
I’m a total sucker for marshmallow book boyfriends and HWAT DAYUM.. if Cal isn’t the ultimate marshmallow!!! Stoic and brusq…with a dry wit that left me howling with laughter over his and Cam’s interactions. Their chemistry was a wonderfully paced build up that left me smiling inside and out!
Loved it!
I don’t mind a well written grumpy footballer who likes to cuddle. Hands down I dig Cam, she’s so awesome. I love how she didn’t hold anything back from Cal. That girl gave him her all. Her life took a big ole dump on her, but she pulled up her big girl underoos and dealt with it the best way she knew how. My black heart was kinda breaking for Cal when he talked about his past. I just wanted to squeezy hug the big grump. I’m really not into the whole slow burn thing, but I didn’t mind so much because these two were so entertaining. The epilogue gave me the warm fuzzies!
I just found another author I want to stalk. P. Dangelico has created one hell of a slow burn with Wrecking Ball. I dived in without any expectations and boy oh boy did she deliver. Camilla is freaking awesome. What a woman. My kind of woman who doesn’t take crap from anyone and stands up for herself. Especially with that infamous cow remark. Also she’s so funny. She and her best friend Amber were fantastic and made me smile numerous times.
Calvin Shaw you brooding, yummy and closed off man. You made me swoon. You gave me goosebumps with your words and actions.
I enjoyed every moment of Wrecking Ball thanks to some wonderful and well developed characters. The tension between Cam and Cal was delicious and I loved how they went from enemies to friends then lovers. The pace was spot on which allowed their feelings to grow and evolve as did my connection to them.
Cam’s friend Amber made an impression on me so much that I can’t wait to read her book.
When I read that wonderful book, Baby Maker, by this author, I knew I had found another favorite author of the kind of reads I like: funny and angsty. Also, I suspected there were connected books to Baby Maker and bingo! Found this one and the next one, Ethan’s book. I felt like I had won the lottery. This book is as good as Baby Maker and it has a similar vibe to The Wall of Winnipeg, so for those who liked that one, you’re gonna love this one too.
This story starts very sad. Camilla lost everything, car, house, jewelry, except her clothes and her cat. Her husband had developed a Ponzi scheme and had swindled lots of people of their savings. Then he died in a car accident. The investigation of the accident turned into an investigation of his work and Camilla got a double whammy. Lost her husband to a tragic accident and got involved in an investigation where she had to prove her innocence. After this she didn’t want to get involved with any man and with good reason. Her trust in men and in her instincts was destroyed. Also, her professional reputation as a teacher was ruined, so she couldn’t find work.
A fluke offer to homeschool a little boy, eight years old, appeared, and she went to interview. To her big surprise, the boy’s uncle, was Calvin Shaw, quarterback of the New York Titans. Upon meeting, he behaved like a huge grumpy jerk, calling her a cow and asking his friend/manager Ethan to get her out of the house. She ran out of the house and later on, Calvin started to appear at her current place of work, a high end bar in Manhattan, and hounded her to accept the job. He had to apologize three times and almost beg to get her to reconsider. The salary of a hundred thousand dollars was a huge incentive. This way she could repay her parents for her financial assistance during her legal fiasco.
Once she starts working, she falls in love with Sam, her pupil. He was a broken little boy but under her guidance he blossomed and changed into a normal, happy little boy. Calvin, not so much. He stayed huge, gorgeous, and a grumpy, scowling Shrek. Camilla gave as good as she got, she didn’t back down from his royal grumpiness, she demanded his attention to his nephew and eventually won his respect and admiration. They turned into a regular mutual admiration couple and he loved being with them. She gave them both the sensation of home, loyalty and structure. When Cam was devastated by actions taken by others, Calvin was there to defend her and protect her.
This was a lovely love story with funny moments, lively and snarky repartee between the characters, tender moments with Sam, and all around delightful reading. I met Mercedes, Stella’s Cuban mother, but she doesn’t have such a strong character in this book. We do meet Amber, Camilla’s best friend and she is fierce and deadly LOL. I can’t wait to read her book, it should be wild. Camilla’s parents and Calvin’s manager Ethan also appear in this book and add to the sensation of a big family.
A truly entertaining read. Sweet, funny and some moments of lovely angst.
So enjoyed the richly layered characters and wit of the heroine. Highly recommend this fast paced romance.
I heard so many great things about this book that I was a little bit nervous when I decided to read it. Because what if my expectations were too high?!!! But I’m very happy to say that all the positive comments were right. ‘Wrecking ball’ is a really great story!
This story is a slow burn story, no question about it but that’s just what I loved about it. I really liked the built up of the story. I liked both character. Cam DeSantis is a kind woman who went through a lot. She’s strong enough to open her heart again for a lonely young child and his lonely, grumpy uncle Calvin Shaw. Because both need her love very much. Calvin is something else. I liked his quiet, grumpy character and his young nephew was just adorable! One of the things that I really appreciated in this story is the fact that the male character wasn’t a manwhore. On the contrary! That’s something that I really, really loved!!! It was like a breath of fresh air.
The side characters were also very funny.
So if you love Mariana Zapata her books (just like me) than I would recommend this book to you too. ‘Wrecking ball’ gave me the same feeling as MZ’s books. I’m really looking forward to the next book.
To say that I absolutely adored this book would be a gross understatement. Kinda like me saying that I “hardly ever” wait until my kids go to bed and then break out the good snacks and go eat them in the car in shame. Yeah. So I more than adored this book. I loved every stinking period and comma on these damn pages.
I was NOT expecting it to be so funny!! It was hilarious in parts and then gut-wrenching in others and it was an amazing mix of both of these in between. I immediately connected with the main character, Cam. Cam is my spirit animal. I hope to be like her when I grow up. She’s sassy and spunky and just a tad bit crazy. I thought that her relationship with the leading man, Calvin was adorable. Holy shit, he was an amazingly huge asshole when these two first met and I was kind of waiting for her to set him on fire, if I’m being completely honest. I would seriously debate doing that myself if Calvin had talked about me the way he did about Cam. That man is lucky he’s fictional.
The story moved along at a great little clip, never pausing to let the reader get bored or tired of anything. My attention is sometimes hard to keep but not this time. I was totally entertained the entire time I was reading this book. Not that I was reading for that long … I sped through this book and then wanted to smack myself for blowing through it and not taking my time because before I knew it, it was over and I had to move on to the next novel.
This is an author that I will ALWAYS follow. I really hope that the rest of the series is this funny and romantic and sweet and infuriating. My emotions were really all over the place with Wrecking Ball and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Such a great book and so much more than the blurb leads you to believe. I hope I forget about it so I can experience this one all over again.
* I received this novel in exchange for an honest review *
Camillia “Cam” lost her husband, job, and money all at once. She takes a job as a live- nanny/teacher for the 8 year-old nephew of Calvin, starting quarterback for the NY Titans. Calvin does not want anything to do with women. He wants to focus on winning another Super Bowl before he retires. The problem is that Cam, the woman living in his house, is a major distraction. – This is an interesting book about moving on, strength, and character. I admired Cam; she endured and helped others do so. I also admired Calvin. He worked hard to get where he was. Calvin was hard on the exterior but generous and caring Cam’s best friend and parents were good characters, as were Calvin’s nephew, agent, and housekeeper. There is a good epilogue.
“There are moments in life where you don’t get a do-over, where the true nature of your character is revealed…”
This book just won a new shelf in my Goodreads profile, sexy-NFL; I mean who doesn’t enjoy a story with a moody hot NFL player and a hot nanny, add some cracking moments and you’ve got yourself a new hobby on Friday nights.
Camilla’s current situation is not ideal, she lost her husband three years ago and the only thing she gained from that was tears and a whole lot of problems, she was targeted for something her late husband did and she didn’t have a clue but life is like that, so when she starts looking for a job no one even dares to look her way, and then an offer is landed, to be the nanny of a boy and so she takes it; only to be confronted by NDA and a hot moody player who she thinks can manage just fine.
Calvin is the hot shot right now on NFL, he plays football and that’s all he cares about, but when his nephew arrives to stay with him Calvin knows he need help to make Sam happy; and the only person that can do that is Camilla, there’s something about her that he knows is good for his nephew but is everything he can’t stand.
This book deserves more than a new shelf on Goodreads, I was looking for a fresh start, and with this I got it and I loved it!!!!
I loved this book! A great slow burn romance with strong intelligent characters – Camilla and Calvin were wonderful and the side characters added so much. The humor in the book was so well done, and the writing was superb and smart.
So wonderful and sweet. Loved the rocky, enemies-to-lovers path of these two and the way the hero goes from seeming jerk to someone the heroine can count on with it question. Loved it!
Is this really a 4 star book? Probably not, but it’s one of a few I’ve read recently that I truly enjoyed. The heroine and her POV was a charmer.
Camilla is trying to recover from basically losing almost everything of her old life: she’s a widow, and her dead husband began a Ponzi scheme where she lost everything. Not only is she unable to get a teaching job, she’s still randomly attacked by bystanders, and her parents took money from their retirement fund to help her.
She’s offered a dream job of nanny/homeschool teacher to a celebrity’s nephew, $100,000 for three months. Unfortunately, at the interview she hears her future boss tell the attorney to get rid of the “cow”. Doesn’t go over to well.
Cal, our shut-down, soon to be hero, tracks her down because his nephew really liked her. Groveling ensues.
She agrees as she wants to pay her parents back. There are a lot of similarities with this story and The Wall of Winnipeg and Me. Lots. Heroine POV, mum’s the word, SILENT hero with baggage, pithy heroine, plant-based diet for football star. The H ditches his as soon as she starts cooking her Italian food.
I loved Camilla as her inner dialogue is hysterical if a little crude at times; she takes no guff off Calvin or “Champ” as she calls him. She falls in love with her adorable charge, and she has an awesome, kickass, has-my-back best friend. Their relationship was portrayed very realistically and, once again, made me think how much I miss MY best friend.
Calvin opens up very slowly, and he has quite a bit of baggage between his parents and is ex-wife. Camilla falls for Calvin although she struggles with her dead husband loss as well as wondering how she could have prevented his spiral down. Their consummation is a long time coming for those used to the more lickety-split, hop in bed of current romances, but the author does an excellent job with both characters and why they waited.
I really enjoyed this book. The dialogue sparkled; the heroine not only had a spine but a moral code she lived by. The hero was gobsmacked by this addition to his life and had no idea what to do about. it.
Below is sample of Camilla’s inner thoughts that I loved.
“ Every time I read something like this, “His masculine beauty took my breath away.” I used to think…
A: what kind of a dumbass wrote this dreck.
And B: what kind of dumbass reads this drivel.
And yet, here I stand, making doe eyes at this man, and what am I thinking? His masculine beauty takes my breath away. That’s right. Who’s the dumbass now?”
Excerpt From: P. Dangelico. “Wrecking Ball (Hard To Love Book 1).” iBooks.
Just amazing
I loved the characters so much. I just wish the ending had been a bit stronger. The resolution was just too fast for me. Like others mentioned, it did remind me of the Wall of Winnipeg. While I didn’t like this as much there are a few things that I thought it did better than the Wall. The supporting characters were much more developed and varied, i think, then the Wall and i sure hope they will be featured in another book. I will definitely add this author to my “to read” list.