Book Review: Rock Hard by Nalini Singh

Rock Hard
Rock Kiss #2
Author: Nalini Singh
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Released: March 10th 2015
Review Source: TKA Distribution | Netgalley

Wealthy businessman Gabriel Bishop rules the boardroom with the same determination and ruthlessness that made him a rock star on the rugby field. He knows what he wants, and he’ll go after it no-holds-barred.

And what he wants is Charlotte Baird.

Charlotte knows she’s a mouse. Emotionally scarred and painfully shy, she just wants to do her job and remain as invisible as possible. But the new CEO—a brilliant, broad-shouldered T-Rex of a man who growls and storms through the office, leaving carnage in his wake—clearly has other plans. Plans that may be equal parts business and bedroom..

If Charlotte intends to survive this battle of wits and hearts, the mouse will have to learn to wrangle the T-Rex. Game on.

Over the past 6 months Nalini Singh has fast become a favourite author of mine, and her Rock Kiss series is a fantastic addition to her collection of novels.

Have you ever had a craving for a certain type of novel but the craving is never satisfied because after reading a few rocker/famous sportsman they all seem the same? Just one cliché after another. But this series always leaves me happy. Rock Hard had well developed characters, hot scenes, along with emotional ones, and the ride was one I enjoyed following. Oh boy, did I enjoy following it!

Having accidentally missed out reading book 1, I knew I was missing out on something. Don’t get me wrong, all the information was there and there wasn’t actually anything missing, but I felt like I missed out on witnessing the connection between Molly and Charlotte (best friends) because I didn’t read Rock Addiction. So while these are great stand-alone novels, read them as serial. You’ll get so much more enjoyment.

Now on to the good stuff! The whole story...I just loved it. Everything from Charlotte's timid side, then watching her grow into her boots. Gabriel's rugby past and his accomplished present, his dominating presence and attitude which has the whole office calling him a growling T-Rex. I thoroughly enjoyed both characters and their interactions together. There were moments where I smiled like a fool, giggled a little and gasped in shock. Really, I couldn't have asked for more. It had the perfect mixture of real-life issues, heart and soul, and the best kind of romance.

If you're looking for a contemporary romance with awesome characters, and an even better swoon-worthy hero, then grab Rock Hard. You'll be routing for the couple, and it's a novel I highly recommend.

Book Review: Rock Courtship by Nalini Singh

---

Rock Courtship
Rock Kiss #1.5
Author: Nalini Singh
Reading Level: New Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: September 30th 2014
Review Source: TKA Distribution | NetGalley

What happens when the Gentleman of Rock decides to play dirty?

A drummer for the hottest rock band on the planet, David has a single, powerful weakness: Thea, the band's publicist and the woman who steals his breath away with her every move.

Only problem is, Thea doesn't date clients--or musicians. Emotionally scarred by a cheating ex, she's not about to risk her heart with a man who has groupies buzzing around him like flies. Even if his sexy smile ties her up in knots.

What she doesn't know is that David is a one-woman man...and he's madly in love with her. David's determined to prove he's worth the risk, and willing to court her, step by exquisite step. Thea's about to discover just how long and hard this handsome drummer can play.

This book may be unsuitable for people under 17 years of age due to its use of sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and/or violence.

Note: you don’t have to read book 1 in order to understand this novella. I haven’t read the first installment and I understood the storyline perfectly.

David is head over heels for Thea, a beautiful and strong woman who is also the band’s publicist. Thea doesn’t date clients or musicians and the scars from a ex’s betrayal are still running deep. She’s not interested but David isn’t giving in. He wants her and is willing to prove that he’s a risk she should take. 

“He wasn’t going this on a whim or to add a notch to his belt. 

He was gone for her.

Seriously head over heels.”

I love David. How could I not? Classed as the Gentleman of Rock and all. David showed me a different rockstar from what I’ve seen before, but that didn’t make him any less badass. He wasn’t afraid to kick some butt when his manhood was threatened, but his heart and differentiation from the rest of the band stood out, gave him his own identity and he’s the most likable rockstar I’ve ever read. And he had the perfect woman, too. Thea is a strong, kindhearted female with an awesome reputation. You mess with her clients or family and she’ll sink her teeth into you.  I found her admirable. I loved the characters as individuals and together.  At the end of the novel I found myself grinning like an idiot. David and Thea were such a cute couple.

---

Click on the book cover to check out the 1st book in the Rock Kiss series.

Rock Addiction

Cover Reveals: Rock Addiction | House of Echoes | The Wicked Will Rise | Captured Love

There have been quite a few cover reveals in the bookish world lately. Here are a few that stand out to us. 

---

Rock Addiction

A Rock Kiss Novel #1

Author: Nalini Singh

Release Date: September 9th 2014

Publisher: TKA Distribution 

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh stuns with a sizzling contemporary romance…

A bad boy wrapped in a sexy, muscled, grown-up package might be worth a little risk…

Molly Webster has always followed the rules. After an ugly scandal tore apart her childhood and made her the focus of the media’s harsh spotlight, she vowed to live an ordinary life. No fame. No impropriety. No pain. Then she meets Zachary Fox, a tattooed bad boy rocker with a voice like whiskey and sin, and a touch that could become an addiction.

A one-night stand with the hottest rock star on the planet, that’s all it was meant to be…

Fox promises scorching heat and dangerous pleasure, coaxing Molly to extend their one-night stand into a one-month fling. After that, he’ll be gone forever, his life never again intersecting with her own. Sex and sin and sensual indulgence, all with an expiration date. No ties, no regrets. Too late, Molly realizes it isn’t only her body that’s become addicted to Fox, but her heart…

---

House of Echoes

Author: Brendan Duffy

Release Date: April 7th 2015

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Book synopsis coming soon

---

The Wicked Will Rise

Dorothy Must Die #2

Author: Danielle Paige

Release Date: March 30th 2015

Publisher: HarperCollins

In this dark, high-octane sequel to the New York Times bestsellingDorothy Must Die, Amy Gumm must do everything in her power to kill Dorothy and free Oz.

To make Oz a free land again, Amy Gumm was given a mission: remove the Tin Woodman’s heart, steal the Scarecrow’s brain, take the Lion’s courage, and then Dorothy must die....

But Dorothy still lives. Now the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked has vanished, and mysterious Princess Ozma might be Amy’s only ally. As Amy learns the truth about her mission, she realizes that she’s only just scratched the surface of Oz’s past—and that Kansas, the home she couldn't wait to leave behind, may also be in danger. In a place where the line between good and evil shifts with just a strong gust of wind, who can Amy trust—and who is really Wicked?

---

Captured Love

Author: Juliana Haygert

Release Day: November 1st 2014

It’s been four years since twenty-year-old Jessica Hayes has been home, but when she discovers her father is dying, she must return to her hometown in South Carolina and face her past. Jessica thought patching up her relationship with her father would be her biggest challenge, but when she runs into Ryan Dawson—the catalyst of all her problems—she wonders if coming home was a mistake.

Ryan knows he screwed up. Hell, he paid the price…with interest. But when he runs into his best friend’s little sister, Jessica, he’s reminded that his debt will never truly be paid. He may have turned his life around, but he can’t undo the damage. So, he does what he should have done all those years ago. He stays away from Jessica, and all the other personal demons that still haunt him.

Jessica thought she wanted nothing to with Ryan, but something is different about him and she needs to know why. When she discovers the truth behind his change, she puts her troubles aside and tries to help him. But is putting her heart back in the line of fire worth disrupting her stable life back in Ohio, or will the past repeat itself, leaving her brokenhearted once again?