International bestseller Nalini Singh has now dropped book 4 in her contemporary romance series Hard Play.Β KISS HARD brings us a rugby player and a paralympic runner.Β I love how inclusive Singh contemporary romances are.Β Set in New Zealand, KISS HARD features the fourth brother in the Esera clan, and so we get to see all the couples from the previous books, but newcomers to the series will be able to dive right in without any problem.
Β
I really enjoy Singhβs paranormal books.Β Her Psy-Changling books are great, and her Guild Hunter series books are absolutely marvelous.Β I am less of a fan of Singhβs various contemporary romance books in the Rock Kiss and Hard Play series.Β The action always feels a little smoothed out and not intense enough.Β Itβs a gentler vibe.Β Characters are, for the most part, very self-actualized.Β People respond to situations like theyβve had years of therapy.Β The characters have these amazingly unreal support systems.Β It seems artificial- without the grit of everyday life and struggles.Β Even the emotional challenges seem muted- gentle and quickly resolved.
Β
Catie is a runner who lost her legs as a child and is now a world class Paralympian.Β Sheβs overcome both her physical disability as well as a craptastic childhood due to her absent father and remote mother.Β Catie is super independent- sheβs had to be due to her upbringing- but I still found it jarring.Β Catie agrees to a fake romance to help her sisterβs brother-in-law, who happens to be her arch nemesis.
Β
Danny is a hotshot rugby player who was drugged without his knowledge in a bar.Β Catie helps Danny out of the bar and gets him to the hospital, but the media is now linking these two sports phenoms.Β Danny and Catie embark on a six-month fake romance, but of course they actually fall in love (raise your hand if youβre surprised). Danny is such an awesome guy. I love how noble and caring he is.Β
Β
This gentle romance is an easy slide into love for two athletes.Β Plenty of supportive characters make for a well-rounded story.Β Fans of Nalini Singh will want to read KISS HARD to complete the series.
New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh brings you a sinfully playful contemporary romance between two sworn enemies turned partners in crime...
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.
Let the games begin.
No excerpt available.
© 2003-2026