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.

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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....

Enjoyed this one - it's actually the first one I've read from the Hard Play or Rock Kiss series (I've read some of the author's paranormal stories but not her contemp romances) so now I know I have some other good ones to look forward to!

I really enjoyed that this book had both male and female athletes in Daniel and Catie who are longtime frenemies - always on each other's cases but when push comes to shove, willing to back the other one up. That comes to pass when they agree to be in a fake relationship in order to keep Daniel's reputation intact after someone roofies his drink at a bar , a malicious act that could cost Daniel his sponsorship and career. Catie steps up to defend her sometime friend, and from there their time spent together becomes more comfortable than either is willing to admit to. Going from frenemies to lovers (under the eyes of their families who are more than happy to believe that the two have finally found their way into a relationship) is easier than they would have thought possible, but comes with the fraught realization that ending it could cause heartbreak. The author handles Catie's double amputee status with matter-of-factness, showing Catie's strength of character and resilience. While this is a sports romance at heart, it's also a great example of a new adult romance with two people in their twenties learning all the best elements of how to turn friendship and companionship into love.

Nalini Sing can write stories that keep you hooked like this enemy to lovers. It's highly entertaining, compelling and i rooted for the characters.
Excellent storytelling and plot development.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This was my first novel by this author, and it took me a few chapters to get used to her writing and the third person style.

Danny and Catie are the main characters here, and I know this book is part of a series (that i haven't read previously), but the amount of information dropped about the other couples (all three of Danny's older brothers), is so overwhelming, that i don't feel the need to read them anymore... Until 50% of the story, i already knew the plot of all previous books, how they started, ended and even the plot twist to a couple of them.

So THAT was the main reason for my missing stars...
Too much facts and storylines about his/her family, that didn't added anything to their own story. It was just a lot of spoilers for who hadn't read it, or unnecessary reminders for those who had read it.

After a while the story starts to focus more around their struggles and their fears as a couple and as high performance athletes.

I really loved them individually as characters, and how they started to see each other as more than just that childhood nemesis and how their friendship was something always present and primordial.
Both were really good for each other and I loved their profound connection.

What attracted me to this book in the first place, was the disability of Catie, and how the author would show her day to day life, as not only a double legged amputee, but also as a Paralympian athlete.
I was not disappointed at all at the representation, even if Catie's life was easier cause she had a great financial support, her family wasn't a caring one and therein lies her insecurities.

It was a great reading with lots of kiwi characters and a good minority representation.

I don't know if I'll read the previous books... Maybe one day, after I forget everything that was spoiled about them.

Kiss Hard by Nalini Singh is book 4 in the Hard Play series.
I love a good Enemies to Lovers story and I absolutely adore Nalini's writing, making Kiss Hard a match made in heaven for me.
Danny and Catie made the best enemies and the best lovers. They are wonderful characters individually and together, they had an epic journey.
Fun, sweet, challenging, emotional, all the way to a HEA. Highly recommend.

I've read some of the others in this series, so it was fun to see cameos from previous couples.

This entry in the series was good fun. Strong female characters are always good to see and I loved that Catie's an amputee and that's no big deal. I'm not usually a fan of childhood friends become lovers because I'm not always convinced by what tips the balance but it worked in this case with the incident with Danny and the fake dating.
Obviously it doesn't stay fake!

Lots of fun, a warm easy read romance I thoroughly enjoyed.

3.5-4 stars
I really enjoyed this. I thought Daniel and Catie had a great relationship. Despite being frenemies, they really had a good understand of each other's personalities and needs. You could see that they fit so well together. Their upbringing shaped them in very different ways, and it was interesting to see how that played a part in the plot.

I've enjoyed reading this series, so I also liked the cameos of the rest of the family. In particular, Gabe and Charlotte. I loved seeing them as parents :') I'll have to reread their book again lol

This book is great as a stand-alone, I hadn’t read any of this series but will look for more from this author!

On the one hand we have Danny, with a strong career, wonderful family and the world at his feet.
Then we have Catie, she has her challenges and a life that’s less than easy!
When the two are thrown together, their prickly relationship soon has sparks!
I loved this book, the fast paced storyline with strong characters and emotions makes for a great read.
The respect, developing relationship and bond between Catie and Danny is definitely a special journey!

Thanks so much to the publisher, Netgalley and the very talented author for the opportunity to read and review this fantastic book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Kiss Hard was my first Nalini Singh book and it did not disappoint. I love a frenemies to lovers and fake dating trope, and Catie and Danny's story ticked off all the right boxes. This book was smooth, easy read and there weren't too many big conflicts which was great for the reading mood I was in when I started this story.

Thank you NetGalley and TKA Distribution for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I hadn’t read any of the preceding books in the series but this didn’t diminish my enjoyment of this book or storyline. Despite this being the 4th book in the series, it can easily be read as a stand-alone story.

This was an enjoyable book. A friends, if not frenemies, to lovers story, where the boy you grow up with is the one you end up with. The characters are both strong and relatable. It’s not often you also have a heroine like this one. Very enjoyable story that can be finished in one sitting.

Thank you to the Author, Publisher & NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this story.

I gave 5 out of 5 stars because why the hell not? The story was a great sports romance and nemesis to lovers troupe. There was nothing to turn my nose up at, it was light banter and sunshine for me all the way. I look forward to catching up on all the Hard Play series and the Rock series.

I absolutely loved this. This might be my favourite contemporary novel by this author. You can read this as a standalone despite it being book 4 of the Hard Play series. This more than delivered everything I possibly wanted.

Fake Relationship is a top tier trope and Nalini Singh’s Kiss Hard, the fourth book in the Hard Play series, gave me frenemies to lovers, banter and has so much heart.

Paralympic Catie River and Rugby player Daniel Esera have grown up with each other (her sister is married to his brother) and their pranks and sparring are notorious in the New Zealand sports world.
He calls her Princess, and she calls him Hotshot, but when his career is jeopardized after a night out, a fake relationship is the only way to save it. Catie is very guarded after being abandoned emotionally by her parents, and Danny’s reputation as a love ‘em and leave ‘em type makes her think they’ll burn out fast. But once Danny realizes his fake feelings are real, whew! He starts showing Catie through small acts (baking, texting, holding her hand when she’s walking on uneven ground with her prosthetics) how much he cares and it’s so sweet to see them go from frenemies to friends to lovers. Swoon!

This book can be read as a standalone but the other characters frequently appear since they’re all part of the same family group.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

3.5 but rounding up…..this book is frenemies to lovers with fake dating and being snowed in. I loved Danny as a cinnamon roll hero and Catie and her trust issues were so relatable. This was a sweet low angst romance which I appreciate and I enjoyed the full cast of family members.