Name: Rock Hard
ISBN: 9781942356165

Nalini Singh

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. Emotionally scarred and painfully shy, Charlotte just wants to do her job and remain as invisible as possible. But the new CEO clearly has other plans.

Rock Hard

came HIGHLY recommended in r/romancebooks so i was like sure. and i totally understand why it’s so heavily loved. he’s a perfect dichotomy of gentle and strong, tough and kind. also he ALWAYS complimented her brain and intelligence first before her appearance which does a lot for a woman. i will say, she’s like very heavily traumatized. like extremely. and sometimes reading about such heavy heavy topics in fluffy romances makes me feel nauseous. but i feel like the author did an ok job with this. 

big ab

aleksandra

4/5

Damn right, I ate it up. 


  
    "You’ve just proven you’re my perfect woman.” Gabriel’s grin lit up everything inside her.”

One of my all time favorite’s. Probably my third read. It’s just so beautiful the way he helps and supports her.

Sofia Spinnato 

Lover of Romance 

I received a ARC copy in exchange for a honest review, Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity.
Summary
Gabriel Bishop, is a wealthy businessmen, who once played on a rugby team before an injury prevented him from playing. Gabriel is hard, tough and ruthless. He doesn’t allow any laziness from any that work from under him. He is famous for saving companies from crashing. Charlotte Baird, is smart and intelligent, but is intimidated by their new CEO…who has come in like a “T Rex” tearing apart everything, firing her co workers left and right. And she fears that she is next. Her first mistake is throwing a stapler at him, the next is underestimating her worth to Gabriel. From the first moment that Gabriel meets Charlotte, he knows that she is not his “typical” woman that he would ever be attracted to. She is a “mouse”..timid and shy and reserved. Hides her delicious curves behind baggy but professional clothing, and glasses. But he senses something more to her, and he soon can’t resist her…and is determined to have her in his bed and his life forever…

Hero
Gabriel Bishop (T-Rex), is tough as nails, but he has had to learn to be through tough experience. He is hardened by challenges that have made him the gritty man he is today. He has demons, and those demons are haunting him. Gabriel feels a closeness to his family, loves the sport “Rugby”, and can have any woman he wants. He is wealthy and successful, and considered one of the top catches. Gabriel was my type of hero, and you don’t always see this type in contemporary as much. He is one “Alpha Male” and oh man, would I have him. He is an animal in bed, loves taking command and doesn’t take “no” for an answer. Oh did he put my panties in a twist, he is sexy, sensual and has that commanding presence you can’t resist. He is yummy and delicious and most delectable. He breathes mouth-watering sex. What woman could resist that, and he makes the book.

Heroine
Charlotte Baird (Mouse), is quite the heroine and boy is she a match for Gabriel that you don’t see in the beginning. At first you see her as timid and shy, and terrified of Gabriel. But as the story progresses, you sense that there is something in her past that makes her fear him. When you learn the truth, behind her panic attacks and her fear of Gabriel, you begin to admire Charlotte. She is tough, strong, independent and a tigress beneath her (mouse) exterior. I felt a kinship to her. There were many things about her I felt I could relate with. She isn’t afraid to say things how they are, and she stands up to Gabriel when it matters most. She was such a sweet and charming heroine that I fell in love with. Her character became very real to this reader.

Plot and Story Line
Rock Hard is the second full novel in the series. And even though the series is based on a rock star theme, we don’t see that here. We do see a connection to previous characters though, since Charlotte is best friends with Molly who is the heroine in the first book. I will say if I had to choose a favorite book of the series or even by this author, this book will top my list. I adored every moment of this story, it had its hooks in me from the beginning. And seriously the first scene when these two meet….its priceless. Despite Charlotte’s fear of men really, she isn’t going to back down from a fight either, she has spunk and gumption. She faces things head on despite the fact that she is shaking in fear on the inner part of herself. What I really admired about this story was the growth of the characters…not just to each other but for themselves personally. You see their personalities develop into strong beings. The previous two books in the series, I felt like there was more focus on the sex, but this story seemed more like the rest of Singh’s book….more development on the relationship. The sex scnes….they are scorching hot, and sexy in every way, but that isn’t what the story is about. It does take a while for these two to admit what they feel for each other. I loved seeing Molly involved a bit and I still love her character after all this time. I will admit that Gabriel or T Rex as he is nicknamed….is one sexy hot specimen. Oh he is the center of the book for me, *sigh*…he was so delicious. I just couldn’t get enough of him, and this book just wasn’t long enough, ended way to soon for me…I just wanted more from these two characters. They were so fun together, and I loved how much depth is portrayed in this one. I will warn you, that it is an emotional wringer, and really pulled at those heart strings….a impossible to put down book. So make sure you have some peace, quiet and time to read this with zero interruptions…or you might be tempted to throw your own stapler at the intruder….*giggles*. I loved how you see that these two aren’t perfect at all. They both have pasts, insecurities and struggles. You see them develop and work through them and come together as a couple and work as a team. Loved that. If you are a romance lover of any kind, this is a must read for all.

The Cover
How can you not love the cover??? I mean really…it is just amazing!! I adored it. I love a man in a suit…but this just might be one of the hottest covers I have ever seen. The half-open look, with that strong jaw line and those gorgeous manly hands….mmmm HOT!!! Love the color scheme…the black and white with the teal lettering.

Overall View
A sizzling contemporary romance that will have you on edge from page one. A love story of troubled pasts, high sexual tension, and a tender and poignant romance. Rock Hard is a story that gives you that sweet reminder of the true meaning of love and how it can heal and reach the deepest part of ourselves. UTTERLY CAPTIVATING!!

Sofia Arcângelo 

Loved the story, the way he spends months to make her feel safe again, and to be together.
I really, really liked this book!

Lacey

Also posted at Booklovers For Life

I have been DYING to read this book – Charlotte and T-Rex’s story – since I read Rock Addiction! I was fascinated by what Charlotte told Molly about her big, sexy, ferocious, tempting boss. Now we finally get the full story! And I’m so happy we did. Rock Hard is a sweet, heartwarming, captivating book that fans of the series won’t want to miss.

He really was a T-Rex, stomping through the company, chewing up people and spitting them out left, right, and center. But the T-Rex wasn’t looking Charlotte’s way, and that was fine with her. She’d just be a quiet, industrious little mouse in the corner, not worth bothering with but too useful to fire.
Then the carnivorous creature decided to notice her.

I think it’s so freaking adorable how Nalini Singh likens Charlotte to a shy mouse and Gabriel to a T-Rex. This heightens how very different they are, which made me all the more desperate for them to get together. Opposites attract? Hell yes! There is a serious, simmering chemistry between Charlotte and her new boss, though Charlotte is way too shy to even make sense of it. Her new boss is intimidating, but in that way-too-sexy, out-of-her-league kind of way. When Gabriel makes Charlotte his personal assistant and they spend more time in close proximity, the tension between them only gets tauter. And it’s only a matter of time before it snaps.

“Come on, Ms. Baird. I promised early on that I wouldn’t bite.” A slow smile. “Unless you make the request, of course.”

Rock Hard is so much more than just a typical office romance between an assistant and her boss. For one thing, Charlotte is incredibly shy. Normally, I wouldn’t be a fan of reading about a heroine who is this shy, but somehow, Charlotte’s character worked for me. It did take me a while to warm up to her, but as we delve deeper into Charlotte’s character, we see the scars from her past that have left her untrusting of other people. My heart went out to Charlotte for the pain she’d been through, and I found myself rooting for her to win the battle against her past. But it’s only with Gabriel that she truly begins to heal. With Gabriel, Charlotte becomes a spitfire, awesome and fierce, qualities she thought she’d never recover. Gabriel makes her feel safe, and how can you not love that about the man?

“I’m right here if you need me, and I’m more than big enough to help you fight your demons. Just say the word.”

Gabriel wants Charlotte – bad. This sexy hunk of a man is determined to win Charlotte, body, mind, and soul. And oh. my. goodness. Gabriel is so delicious and swoon-worthy! He’s a powerhouse in the office as well as in the bedroom, and I loved the way he awakens Charlotte’s sexuality. I was blushing alongside Charlotte sometimes from the things he says!

As deliciously sexy as Gabriel is, I also loved how sweet and patient he is with Charlotte. He can tell she was hurt in her past, so he’s extra protective of her. The romance is slow-going but no less intense. Charlotte’s scars need to be handled delicately, and Gabriel is more than happy to oblige. I was swept away by their sweet, deeply emotional romance. The perfect combination of sexy and intense, and slow and heartwarming, Rock Hard has the the kind of romance that feels very real and genuine – I highly enjoyed Charlotte and Gabriel’s book!

A little side note: Rock Hard can be read purely as a standalone novel. The glimpses that we saw from Rock Addiction are more fully told in Rock Hard, so there’s no need to read the previous book (although I’d still recommend it – it’s a great book!).

Quotes are taken from the ARC and are subject to change in the final version.

Thanks to the publisher for generously providing me an ARC to review.

Amazon Ebook: http://amzn.to/1zMHIDR
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/17PdGpA

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Rock Hard

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