I love the Bishop-Esera clan. So amazing. Danny and Caite are both world class athletes in their own sports. Their comebacks to each other were great. Cried a little bit at the end, but I loved this story.

wow, this book was so much more than I expected.

If you love
frenemies to lovers,
sports romances,
low drama,
and just great characters,
you are going to LOVE this book!!!!

Can't tell you guys how much I loved the couple. Loved them individually but especially their "frenemy" friendship over the years, their banter, and subtle understanding of each other. SO GOOD!!!!

Catie is a double amputee, kick ass athlete and strong woman - she is such an amazing heroine, truly one of a kind.
Daniel is swoon worthy in every way. Loved his strong side when it came to Catie, the way he just got her and supported her.

I'm a HUGE fan when both main characters are athletes. When both understand how much dedication, training, and at times even sacrifices are needed to be one of the best. And it's even better if they make it work.

Throughout the story there were so many moments when they clicked in a way that was dreamy and just amazing. They were totally in sync. And it made for a wonderfully easy and enjoyable read.

My favourite book in the Hard Play series, Kiss Hard takes place around a few years in the future and concentrates on Catie and Danny. We were introduced to Catie in Cherish Hard, the younger half-sister of Isalind with the negligent father, Clive. She's also on her way to become a Paraolympic champion. Danny is the youngest of the Bishop-Esera brothers and also a rugby superstar; at 19 years old he became one of the youngest to be placed on the New Zealand national team. So, he's a big deal. But he's also a huge marshmellow.

Ever since Catie was introduced to the Bishop-Esera family, her and Danny have been 'enemies'. The kind of enemies that are all banter but would do anything for the other because their families are so closely tied. So I guess on the surface, you could consider this an 'enemies to lovers' romance, but it's so much deeper than that.

After an incident at a bar when Catie realises something is wrong with Danny, the aftermath of her and Danny leaving the club together catapults them into having to...fake date. Nalini Singh literally said, 'yes' to every trope that I love with this book.

Only one bed? Yes.

Need to fake date to preserve our reputations? Yes.

We're enemies but also kind of friends and whoops, now we're in love? Yes.

Pure wholesome delight.

The history that Catie and Danny have together made this story so deep and brilliant. At every moment, their love for their families would come up in each of their own internal dialogues - because the challenges of actually dating someone who is inextricably linked with your own family is hard. They both thought about this in such depth, they understood the risks involved but their feelings became so overwhelming that...it felt almost natural to begin a relationship.

Catie is also an amputee, having to choose to lose her legs after getting extremely sick when she was younger. Being an athlete, Catie has honed her body into a machine - she needs to be in order to achieve her dream to become a paraolympian. Catie might be my favourite character in this series. I found her to be so intelligent, so funny and witty and most importantly, wonderfully sarcastic. Her banter with Danny?! Exquisite. But, the exploration of her trauma, especially regarding her father (and also her mother) and how it directly impacted the way she interacted with Danny and how she percieved her relationship with him, showcased an emotional and mental growth. They deserve each other.

Danny was also an interesting character, and I thoroughly enjoyed how Nalini Singh portrayed him. We have this incredibly masculine man, who plays what could be considered one of the most hyper-masculine sport...and he loves to bake. His dream after rugby? To open a bakery. The exploration of the complexity of identity, of deconstructing what it means to be 'masculine', of Danny realising his own dream is <em>worth it</em> and nothing to embarrassed about, was so lovely to read.

I can't obviously speak to whether Catie's experiences are accurate or if there was anything problematic, if there was, I am not in a position to see it. I would recommend people check out some ownvoices reviews to ensure Catie's representation of being an amputee is not offensive.

An absolutely fantastic edition to the Hard Play series, and perhaps the best.

I have been impatiently waiting for Daniel and Catie, and this book did not disappoint! Such a wonderful story about two people I already loved. Serious issues were addressed beautifully, and their love is just so special. A spectacular addition to the series!

A big thank you to NetGalley and TKA Distribution for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is part of a series, but reads well as a stand alone. I have not read all this series. This is a very different read for me as the main character has a disability. I found it super interesting and fun. Catie and Danny have fantastic chemistry. Really good read. 3.5 stars

Anything by Nalini Singh is always going to be a win for me! And this was another one! Daniel and Catie have been friends for year, but nemesis in sports. A bad situation for Daniel turns into PR saving, and they fake a relationship to help each other out. But BOOM BABY their chemistry is through the roof, and they realize that their friendship has the opportunity to become so much more. They navigate their families and public lives with aplomb, and realize they've been right for each other all along.

This was a really fun romance read, and it's def different from a lot of the stuff I'm used to. I thought of Nalini Singh as a fantasy author, so I was quite surprised to see her writing contemporary romances. Not to mention, this book is quite proud of it's Kiwi-ness(?) I learned quite a lot about New Zealand and Rugby and such, and it was quite interesting. Also, I really loved reading about Catie. Seeing the representation of her as a paralympic sprinter was really cool. However, the book never really emphasized her disabilities while still doing a good job of going over some of the inherent struggle she faces (although as someone who has not gone through a similar experience I suppose my opinion is a bit unfounded)

My only qualm is that sometimes I felt that the dialogue was a bit over the top. It was like Dan and Catie were trying a bit too hard to be witty, so it felt really exaggerated. But overall, I really enjoyed how the focus of this book was the strict relationship development rather than the tropes used to push them together =D. Overall, a great read

A huge thank you for the review copy!

This is the first book I've read by this author and sadly I have to admit I ended up skimming alot of scenes within.

I enjoyed the fake dating/maybe enemies to lovers/family life tropes but I found the writing style to need alot of concentration.

There were sections of the book that I feel were just there to add to word count with no real rhyme nor reason and that is my reasoning for giving this book a 3 star.

I love how inclusive Nalini Singh is. And it isn’t some trendy nuance. Historically, her worlds have been SO rich in inclusivity that a vibrant heroine who has a prosthetic fits right into what I’ve come to expect from this God-tier talented author. The way she has with words is unmatched. This contemporary series is beyond sexy AND substantive. Singh knows we love a sexy, smart romance and she doesn’t make us choose!

This book was a solid 3.5 stars for me. I enjoyed the plot, and the characters were well developed and interesting enough; it was very well written, and I think Nalini got the dynamic for an enemies-to-lovers spot on. My only problem was that I kept skimming large parts of it towards the end.

Oh how I loved Catie and Danny’s story!! All the swooning stars for this one.

Having known each other since childhood these two frenemies were so fun to watch as their feelings for each other changed. The authors representation of Catie and her physical disabilities was beautifully done. I loved the supporting characters and the slow burn feel of this romance. Definitely recommend.

I really love the authors writing and I have loved the Rock Hard series so when I saw this book was coming out I was so excited te read it. It was fun, sweet, dramatic and intense.

In it the star of the story is Catie who is a double amputee but also one who is interested in sports. Its a really interesting character and I loved how tough she was and how different this book was from others.

I also loved getting to know, Daniel Esera. He and Catie have a rivalry and are sort of competitors and are family as her sister is married to his brother. It was a lot of fun watching them prank each other and drive each other a bit crazy.

Trouble comes fro Daniel and I loved how Catie is there for them and then they enter a fake romance. That was my favorite part of the story and I loved how awesome Daniel was in how he treated Catie as he starts to fall for her.

Every time Nalini releases a new book in the Hard Play series, I declare it to be my favorite. All of these books receive five stars from me because they deserve nothing less.

Kiss Hard, with its multitude of diverse characters, respectful disability representation, focus on friendship and family, immensely likable characters, and wonderful story, is exactly the kind of romance I love. With Danny and Catie, Nalini created two of the softest, sweetest, fiercest young pair of lovers she's ever written. This book left me feeling warm and gooey like the goodies Danny bakes.

My adoration of Nalini Singh continues.

One of my favorite romance authors. I love her paranormal romance books the most but enjoy her contemporary books as well. Well written fun and also had depth.

A very quick and easy read. I enjoyed the enemies to lovers and fake dating trope, but…it could have been written better. However, I did enjoy reading it.

it

When I started this book, I'd actually forgotten that I'd already read the previous in the series. It soon came back as I got into it though. In actual fact, you don't really need to have read any of the other books, but the two that I've read are good, so why not.
This book tells the story of Daniel and Catie. Both of them are professional athletes. Daniel is a rugby player and Catie is a runner and set to compete in the Paralympics. they have known each other most of their life and have always spent that time winding one another up. But behind the teasing and jokes, it's clear that no one knows them as well as they know each other. While other people might think that their romance is inevitable, that's the last thing that they expect.
I really enjoyed this romance. I love friends to lovers stories, which this certainly is, but it's so much more than that. It took me a little while to warm to Catie, but I think that's part of the story's charm. Catie isn't a straightforward character, but her complexity and past make that story so much more believable and gripping than your run of the mill romance.
This was a great book and one I really enjoyed. I loved the New Zealand setting (it even begins in Dunedin, although not quite the place I recognise). I think I'll have to go back and read the first two books.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

I haven’t read any of the other books in this series but have read others from Nalini. it started, and seeing them shin. I love the story of Danny and Catie from childhood friends to the way Catie comes to Danny’s rescue when he is Drugged . What starts as a fake relationship does not stay fake long.. This is just a great love story, two people finally realizing that they have what it takes to make it through life together with all the ups and downs everyday life brings.I just loved the characters , the story had a lovely flow and progression on the characters romance . It had steam . I needed this book. Absolutely loved it!!!!

Kiss Hard brings us back into the warm and abundant bosom of the Esera family when their youngest, Danny, finds himself in a "fake" relationship with his frenemy. A slow steady burning romance that builds itself as two young sports stars find their way as they struggle to be true to themselves and each other.

This is the first book that I have read by Nalini Singh, and honestly it won't be my last! Her books have been on my TBR list for quite some time but I just hadn't gotten to them. But this one sounded really good and I decided not to wait to read it! And oh, man am I glad that I didn't! The synopsis alone was intriguing! "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."

Catie and Daniel are both phenomenal characters that you love right from the start and that never changes throughout the whole book. Daniel is this completely stand up and loving man who will do anything and everything for the people that he cares about. Catie went through something that would knock down any other other person but she has never let it hold her back nor to fully define who she is as a person. I loved not only them as individuals but their dynamic as a couple. This story definitely sucked me in and kept me engaged and reading right from the start. Loved it all!

A great book to read and love... I absolutely loved it... It wasn't your typical book but I enjoyed the humor and especially the heat lol....