This is a contemporary romance that is set in a longer running series of books but can be read by itself. Jacob is a single dad after his high school sweetheart Callie died from meningitis not too long after giving birth to their only child. Jacob is a rising star rugby player much like most of his siblings but is a devoted single father. When he is teamed up with Juliet, Callie’s best friend from high school sparks fly. They had always verbally sparred but both dearly loved Callie. Juliet was sent away to live with her grandparents in Samoa and missed the birth of Esme and the funeral. When she came back to New Zealand she made a clean break from her past and never got in touch with any old friends. When they do meet again it is due to Juliet’s friendship with Jake’s soon to be sister in law. They continue to cross paths due to Juliet’s work and sparks fly. The interconnected series of book is a great payoff to the long time reader but with the plot so focused on the main characters it can be picked up without getting lost. A lovely ending to the book and good to know there is still one more brother to have his book.

Digital review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley

My Thoughts:

Love Hard was an emotional second chance at romance. Jacob Esera was madly in love with high school sweetheart, Callie, and they had a beautiful daughter together. Shortly after Esme's birth, Callie got bacterial meningitis and passed away. As a single father, and star rugby player, Jacob doesn't have much time for a social life and dating. All of his time is spent on training, and making the most out of quality time with his daughter, and the rest of the tight-knit Esera family.

Jacob's life changes the day of his oldest brother, Gabriel's, wedding to Charlie. He is shocked to see none other than Juliet "Jules" Nelsi, Callie's high school best friend, and the girl that managed to drive him crazy all those years ago. She has matured into a beautiful woman with lots of curves. When Jacob and Jules interact there is a spark of powerful chemistry, but they still manage to push each other's buttons. As fate brings these two together, will they manage to break down each other's walls and take a chance on love?

I loved the characters in this story. Ms. Singh brought their personalities to life, and they were so real, that they could have walked right off of the page. Jacob and Jules were only in there mid-twenties, but life experience had aged them. When they were together you could feel the sparks between them. They were so passionate together, whether they were pushing each other's buttons, teasing, or getting swept away as they fell madly in love.

I loved how dedicated and loyal Jacob and Jules were. Jacob had known grief, and after that had never gotten close to another woman before. I loved how he was as a father. I swooned at his loving, patient, and sweet interactions with his daughter, who was absolutely adorable! He was such a devoted, dedicated, and loving man, and I fell in love with his character.

Jules had been let down by all of the people in her life before, and had learned to stand on her own two feet without any kind of help or support. She was independent, feisty in a fun way, intelligent, loving, and hard working. I enjoyed Jacob's pursuit of Jules. He was the kind of person that once he knew what he wanted, nothing could stand in his way. These two together were scorching hot, and adorably sweet to watch!

The Esera family was a wonderful addition to this story. I loved Jacob's parents; Allison and Joseph, as well as his brothers, Gabriel, Sailor, and Danny. There was a full cast of secondary characters, and even though this story can be read as a standalone, the previous books give insight in to this robust cast. It took me a little while to get all of the characters straight in my head and remember who was who.

The pacing of the story was a little slow at the beginning, picked up in the middle, and flew by with a romantic, sweet, and spectacular end. The characters were the best part of this story, as they were deeply layered, and three-dimensional. I found myself invested in them, and Ms. Singh really has a talent in bringing them to life!

If you are looking for a sweet and sexy second chance romance, that will tug on your emotions, check out,
Love Hard by Nalini Singh.

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.

Nalini Singh never fails to write a book that you just can't help but devour. She is just one of those authors that I never hesitate to read.

But first... can we just take a moment to appreciate the cover? Just... Yassss, please!

And also, can the Ezra-Bishop men be real? 'Cuz that'd be awesome.

In Love Hard we finally have the dets on Jacob. Jacob is a single dad to a beautiful little girl, Esme. Jacob and his highschool sweetheart, Callie, ended up being teen parents. Then tragically not long after, Callie very suddenly passed away due to meningitis. Oy, this book with the feels. It absolutely gets you. Juliet was Callie's crazy and outspoken best friend. Jake and Jules weren't outright enemies but they were absolutely oil and water, only tolerating each other due to their love of Callie. Jules mysteriously disappeared in high school before Callie's passing and they hadn't heard a thing from each other since shortly before Callie's funeral. On the day of Gabriel's wedding, they both come back into each other's orbit and soon the cosmic twists and swirls of life keep throwing them back together.

Not only do I LOVE the Ezra-Bishop men but I love the whole family. They rally and support one another. They helped Jake get professional help when his girlfriend suddenly passed and left him a single father and utterly obsessed with everyone's safety, his sister-in-law pumped extra breastmilk for Jacob's infant daughter, the brother's helping Jacob train to get back into rugby... It's just a beautiful thing. I loved being able to (re)connect with the family and see all their interactions, support, and love for each other but also how they accepted Jules.

Now, I know very little about rugby, except that my college has won many national championships, it looks absolutely brutal when played, many serious injuries can occur while playing it, and most importantly the physique of rugby players. My goodness gracious.... buns of steel? Nope. Thighs of steel. Even if you've never really thought of thighs as being particularly saucy on a man... seriously re-think it.

I really enjoyed this book. I love the enemies to lovers trope. Ms. Singh did a great job intertwining honoring Jacob's first love and his acceptance of her passing when entering a new relationship with so many ties to the first. I never felt like it was Jake, Jules, and Callie in the relationship. Sometimes adding children into a romance equation can be a bit off-putting or strange but it was very well executed here. The smexy was definitely brought....

I mean seriously, if I hadn't already had a (not so) secret desire for my very own Kiwi man, I would now.

Go buy this! You won't be sad.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.*

Let me begin with the disclaimer- I received a copy of this book via Netgalley. The opinions expressed are entirely mine.

I requested this book because I loved the cover and the description/ blurb of the book. The Indian name of the author also had its role in me picking up the book. The fact that she was from New Zealand added the interest factor as I had never read a story set in New Zealand.

As I began reading the story I pretty much realised that this book is part of a series but at no point I felt as if I didn't know anything about the family. This book can be enjoyed as a standalone story too.

This is the story of Jacob Esera and Juliet who had known each other at school. The common factor between them was Calypso who also happened to be Jake's girlfriend and the mother of his hold Esme. Jacob and Juliet meet at the wedding of his brother and are paired together. The banter between them is thoroughly enjoyable and I had a constant smile all through the wedding scenes. Both of them are from vastly different families. Jacob has had his upbringing in a loving family while Juliet never had anyone look out for her in her life. With opposing personalities and different family structures they find themselves attracted and the story is about how they progress in their relationship.

The story is paced well and pretty much has had me glued to it from the start. I thoroughly enjoyed the chemistry, the love of the family, the deep respect and understanding that both of the characters display. Am so thankful that they didn't have any unnecessary misunderstanding as a story plot. The drama in the story comes from Juliets's ex husband and has been done well. I also liked that the story was in the background of a sport, rugby which I do not have a good understanding of but that does not effect the story in any way. I enjoyed that balance. The 6 year old Esme is adorable and loved how the relationship between the father and daughter was portrayed.

This is the first time am reading a story by the author and am definitely going to be looking for the earlier two books in this series.

I would love to recommend this book to all those who love to read contemporary romance. If you love rugby then you will doubly enjoy the story.

This was a beautiful, feel good story. Jacob and his family brought all the feels. I love how they took Juliet in and made her their own. The tension and witty banter between Jake and Jules in the beginning was so much fun. Their shared bond from the past really brought them together in a special and unique way. Esme added a sweetness to the story to round it our perfectly.

I really enjoyed this story. It was full of heart and fun. I enjoyed the banter between the two protagonists, and the real way in which their relationship unfolded. It was very relatable and realistic.
The focus on family was heartwarming, especially with Jake being a single father.
The romance was a slow burn that I really enjoyed. I would highly recommend this if you have read the rest of the books in the series.

Jules and Jake were the most adorable couple! Throughout the book, you forgot how young they are because they both had to grow up so fast! Jake's relationship with his daughter was adorable and I liked that he wasn't afraid to trust Jules with her. Love Hard might be up there with Rock Hard for my favorite Nalini Singh contemporary!

Jacob Esera and Juliet Nelisi have known each other since they were teenagers. And they hated each other then. Or, maybe not hate but a strong dislike. But they were in each other's lives because Juliet's best friend was Jacob's girlfriend. At least until the day Juliet suddenly disappeared from school. She had been an indifferent student anyway. And her reputation wasn't the best. Which made Jacob confused as to why his sweet, intelligent girlfriend had kept in touch with her, even after Juliet left. But then his sweet, intelligent girlfriend got pregnant. And they were planning on being young parents together when she suddenly died. Six years later, he's a single dad raising their daughter. And he's shocked to find out that Juliet is back in town, the friend of the woman who's about to become his sister-in-law. A close enough friend that they're paired up in the wedding party. The old animosity explodes. But so does... lust?
Juliet feels the same. Jacob isn't her favorite person but there must be something redeeming about him. And when work throws them into close proximity, they decide to give their relationship a dry run.
This book was So. Good. Regular Singh readers will enjoy that Jacob and Juliet actually talk to each other. They discuss whether their relationship is even "okay" given the context that he once loved her best friend. The flow is steady and the reading was easy. I can't wait for the next book in the series.

Four stars
This book comes out March 10th
ARC kindly provided by Independent Publishers Group and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

I have to admit that when I started the first chapter of Love Hard, I wasn't sure if it was going to be for me. I really shouldn't have worried. The next thing I knew, the time had just flown past and I was engrossed. This was a gripping read, made extra enjoyable for me as it was set here in New Zealand, which is sadly something that I don't come across that often.
This book had some of my favourite elements: A strong female lead, a very sweet male lead, enemies to lovers and baggage that is dealt with realistically, not just brushed over. It also features rugby, which isn't essential in a romance, but being one of my favourite sports certainly wasn't something that I didn't enjoy.
The romance between Jake and Jules was lovely. They are clearly into each other long before it's obvious to either of them. I like the way that they complimented one another and were written so that it was clear that they would make a good team in the future as their romance progressed. I also really liked daughter, Esme. Having two girls of my own of similar ages I can certainly relate to the Elsa obsession and in the case of my youngest, love of rugby.
This is the third in the Hard Play series and while the characters from the previous books are mentioned and appear, it didn't matter that I hadn't read those books. If anything, it just made me want to go back and check them out, which I certainly shall at some point in the near future. This was a very enjoyable read and I look forward to reading the younger brother's book in the future.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Nalini Singh ist meine absolute go-to-Autorin um eine schöne, romantische, ein bisschen kitschige Liebesgeschichte lesen möchte. Und ich muss zugeben, dass ich mich schon in den vorherigen Büchern in den Bishop-Esera-Clan verliebt habe. Als ich mitbekommen habe, dass es (endlich) eine Fortsetzung gibt und diesmal zudem eines der Kinder eine Rolle spielen wird, war ich entsprechend gespannt. Zudem war es eine kleine Belohnung für mich nach dem Ende der Klausuren. Und ich wurde nicht enttäuscht.
Jake, seine Tochter Esme und Juliet machen ein total witziges, süßes und herzerwärmendes Trio. Überhaupt ist für mich einer der großen Pluspunkte im Buch die fünfjährige Esme. Wie Jake mit seiner Tochter umgeht, liebevoll, Grenzen setzend und rücksichtsvoll gegenüber ihren Bedürfnissen, hat definitiv dafür gesorgt, dass ich mich ein kleines bisschen in ihn verliebt habe. Hinzu kommt, dass ich realistisch fand, wie Esme die sich entwickelnde Beziehung beeinflusst. Einerseits kommt sie manchmal dazwischen und macht den beiden das Leben schwer (wie Kinder es nun einmal tun) und andererseits sorgt es für eine gewisse Vorsicht von Jake und Juliet, da sie Esme keine Hoffnungen machen wollen, die sie nicht erfüllen können.
Insgesamt ist Love Hard eine tolle Fortsetzung über die Bishops und Eseras (mit Einblicken in das Leben der Paare, die man bereits kennenlernen konnte) und dank Esme kommt noch der Knuddel-Faktor hinzu. Für mich war es die perfekte Belohnung nach einer anstrengenden Klausurenphase.

Ahhh I love spending time in Nalini Singh's worlds. This book is the third in this series and continues the story of the rugby playing brothers. This is Jakes story. Jake is a single Dad whose high school girlfriend Callie got pregnant and died shortly after giving birth to their daughter.
Callie's best friend was Juliet aka Jules. Jules was sent to luve in Samoa as a teen for her"bad girl" behavior. She later married a publicity hound cricket player. She leaves him & wants out of the spotlight.
Jules & Jake did not get along but both repected the other's relationship with Callie.
Jules & Jake are reunited at Jake's brother. Gabe's wedding. ps loved the wedding as we revisit characters from several other books!!
Sparks fly ! Jules & Jake get their #HEA but not without some soul searching & interference from an ex husaband.
Full if fun, family & laughter once again Nalini Singh does not disappoint!!

I am a long time fan of Nalini Singh's writing; she continuously creates the most lovable characters. I was over the moon to receive this ARC from NetGalley.

Love Hard tells the story of Jacob Esera, the strait-laced rugby player trying to raise his daughter as a single father after losing his childhood sweetheart, Calypso and Juliet, Calypso's wild and drama magnet best friend. Jacob and Juliet view each other as complete opposites and have a not quite friendship, mostly because of their shared connection to Calllie. After reconnecting at the wedding of Jacob's brother Gabriel, they start to see that there is more than meets the eye in both of them.

I loved Jacob and his love and commitment to his daughter, Esme, and his family.. His kindness toward Juliet was also a major character plus in my opinion. Though he was cautious around Juliet in the beginning, due to past misconceptions, he was never cruel or a jerk. And, Juliet, I loved her too, maybe even more than Jacob. She endured a difficult childhood and was starved for love, but found family and friendship in Calypso. Her love and loyalty to her friend was featured in flashback scenes and was very insightful into the real Juliet and not the person she presented to the world.

Watching these two seemingly total opposites falling in love and form a family was absolutely joyful to read, I can always count on Nalini Singh to deliver the goods and Love Hard was no exception. I am excited to hopefully see more of this couple in the next book within this series; which I hope features Danny and Catie.

Love Hard is the third book in the Hard Play series, and we get to revisit some of our favorite characters from the Rock Kiss series as they exist in the same universe.

4 1/2 star review...

Nalini Singh continues to show the world why she is an exceptional writer as she dives into the contemporary genre and provides readers with this compelling story of the trials and tribulations of a single father, as he navigates parenting alone and the public focus of being an elite athlete. The story is packed with interesting characters and realistic situations and life choices. I was enamoured by the relationship between Jake and Juliet and their mutual love for Callie, and as the story progresses there are times for tears, and times for laughter, but more than anything, there is hope. Ms Singh initially reeled us in with Gabriel and Charlotte, and then dug a little deeper into our souls with Sailor and Isa; now as we experience the emotional pull between Jake and Juliet, I can’t imagine anyone’s heart remaining intact. Tissues, solitude and time to start and read till the finish; that’s what’s needed when you begin Love Hard.

So good... This contemporary romance is part of a series, but can be read as a stand alone. Juliet and Jake had know each other in high school, but haven't seen each other in a few years. Jake is a single dad raising a daughter, and a world class rugby player. Juliet is a businesswoman. They reconnect at his brother wedding, as Juiet is friends with the bride. Instant attraction, but of course there are problems. Great storyline, and such a great story. Nalini Singh is a fantastic author, you will enjoy this!!

Ladies and gentlemen, she's done it again.

There's something about Nalini Singh's contemporary romances that are just so real. No powers, no vampires, no shifters - instead, we have an enemies-to-lovers romance story about the importance of family set in my country and peppered with familiar references.

Jacob is a star first five-eighth (hi DC!) with the (unnamed) New Zealand national rugby team (go All Blacks!) who is also a devoted single dad to his adorable daughter Esme. Juliet is a high-powered exec who was his high school nemesis and the best friend of Jacob's now-deceased girlfriend, Esme's mom Calypso. After years without contact, they are reunited at the wedding of Jacob's older brother Gabriel (whose story can be found in Rock Hard). True to form, sparks fly.

Fair warning - while this reads well as a stand-alone, there are heaps of characters in this. In particular, there are a lot from Cherish Hard (Sailor's story) so I would recommend reading that before this one, not only to understand the relationships here but because it is a beautiful story about realising not only your dreams but someone else's - you can find my review here. The Bishop-Esera clan is getting large, people! It's past time for a family tree.

Things I liked:
- working out where Nalini got her inspiration, especially around the rugby players
- the absolute obliteration of Juliet's nasty ex
- all the banter
- Esme
- the really moving discussion around grief and moving on
- how Jacob got to be vulnerable and emotional
- family, both by blood and by choice

Things I didn't like:
- um
- maybe having too many characters and no character sheet?
- idk this was great

Unquestionably five stars. Touching, funny, and sincere - I loved this book.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC from NetGalley; all opinions are my own

N ormally, single parent stories are my absolute favorite.
Normally.
However, I’m quitting this book at 10%... I just cannot get into it.

I loved this book. Plus it was nice to see old friends again.. Juliet knew Jake in high school when he dated her best friend. She really didn't like him but tried for Callie's sake. Callie got pregnant and then tragedy hit right after the baby was born. Esme was a very sweet 6 year old but boy did she have a temper at times. There were some very hot scenes in this book. Jake is a hottie and I would have loved to be on the set when he was modeling underwear. Woohoo, that must have been hot!. Reading this story makes me want to read the first two books, So, I'm looking them up to start them again. Excellent read

I found this book a little slower to start than the others in the series. But I really enjoyed it once I got into it. Love all of Nalinis books.

Eine nette Liebesgeschichte war mein erster Eindruck. Erst nach der Hälfte er Geschichte hat sich die Story entwickelt und mich gepackt.. Besonders schön ist es von den Charakteren aus den vorangegangen Büchern zu hören.
Persönlich muss ich aber sage, dass ihre Serien im Bereich der Romantsy leicht gängiger zu lesen sind.