Kiss Hard

 

Kiss Hard (Hard Play 4)- Nalini Singh

TKA Distribution

Release Date: May 3, 2022

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Daniel Esera is a young god on the rugby field, a sexy and charming man who's got the world at his feet. There's just one problem: his sudden potent attraction to his number one nemesis--Catie River. No. Just no. Not happening.

Catie River is on her way to Paralympic gold, and she's not about to allow Danny "Hotshot" Esera to derail her plans. Too bad her body isn't cooperating. Even worse? Her heart might be coming along for the ride. No. Nope. Never.

The pair are united in their desire to remain enemies... until a stranger's reckless action threatens both their careers. Now, the only way out for Catie and Danny is to pretend to be in a relationship. How bad can it be? They're adults in full control of their hormones and their hearts. There will be no kissing. No PDA. And definitely no falling in love.

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Anyone who has been along for the ride as Nalini Singh introduces us to the Bishop-Esera men and the women they love (Rock Hard, Cherish Hard, Love Hard) will enjoy Kiss Hard, where Danny Esera, young rugby star, and Catie River, a professional runner, finally change their relationship status from frenemies to lovers. Anyone new to the series will be hard pressed not to instantly fall in love with this closely knit family and cheer for the youngest brother to get his happy ending.

 Danny and Catie have known each other since they were teens and always had the kind of snarking, pranking relationship that best friends or siblings might have. As adults the snark and humor is part of their brand on social media and their fans love the banter that everyone is sure is flirtatious fun. When a situation comes up where they need to pretend to be dating, everyone outside the family buys the act and are happy to cheer the relationship on. But what happens when it becomes more than an act- for both of them?

Fake dating, enforced proximity, enemies to lovers- they may sound like stereotypes that have been done to death but here Singh makes everything fresh and new, and makes you hope for the moment when the heroes are ready to push past their fears and admit they want a real relationship. Catie has been hurt before, learning as a child never to emotionally depend on or reach out to anyone based on an emotionally distant mother and a feckless gambling father. She's not sure how to break down her walls and allow herself to be emotionally vulnerable to anyone outside of her tiny circle, even for Danny. Singh makes you cry for her as she struggles between her new love and her ingrained need to never allow anyone to hurt her. She has plenty of confidence in herself, yet still finds herself wondering if/when Danny will get bored and move on because she learned from her father that this is what men do. I also really loved how emotionally vulnerable Danny could be at times- his worries about living up to his brother's lives and standards, even though no one in the family is pushing him to do so, are something I wouldn't have guessed a confident looking man would have in his head, yet here it is, messing with him even though it shouldn't be an issue. Danny does a great job (or Singh, through Danny) as an example of how everyone needs help once and awhile, and you can only hope more real life examples stand up to help erase the stigma around treating our mental health the way we do physical health. 

The chemistry between Danny and Catie are sizzling, even when they don't want it to be there, the emotions leap off the page and wrap around you in the best possible way.  A wonderful story of two people battling more than others would expect to find exactly where they need to be, and exactly who they need to be with. 

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review