Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Hard Crush (Back to You #1) by Mira Lyn Kelly


Do you ever think about your high school exes and wonder what your life might be like if you were still with them?  I’m thinking I’d be a lot worse off than I am now, but some of you might have had some better boyfriends than me.  Still, that’s the appeal of second chance romances, no?  A chance to do it over.  Hard Crush by Mira Lyn Kelly is light-hearted, positively adorable, and full of some cute romance that will make you wish you had a high school romance like Abby and Hank.

Blurb:

Abby

Technology has it out for me.  And I’m not talking about my ever-ailing phone or the temperamental Smart Board in my classroom.  I’m talking about the internationally hailed “Tech Genius” formerly known as the boy I used to love.  It was bad enough seeing that cocky smile staring back at me from my newsfeeds, the gossip sites, and—fine—the scorchingly hot men’s fitness magazine I bought in a moment of weakness.  But now he’s back home, teasing me with the memories I’ve tried to leave behind, crowding into my space and taunting me with the kiss I can’t resist.  I know it’s only a matter of time before I lose him again.  He’s already told me he isn’t staying, warned me he’s changed.  I know better than to let him get too close, so why can’t I push him away?

Hank

They call me a visionary.  An innovator.  Hell, last week a headline touted me as the billion-dollar geek keeping Silicon Valley’s panties wet.  Try living that down.  Strip away the media BS and I’m just a tech-minded guy with my eyes on the future and no time for a past I can’t change.  So what am I doing following the sweet sound of its laugh back to the woman who passed on our chance for forever?  I tell myself all I want is to say hello.  To see her smile.  Just a few minutes to pretend we’re still the ‘us’ I thought would never end.  But once I’ve had a taste of the too tempting woman she’s become, a few minutes isn’t enough.  The man I am today is used to getting what he wants, and I want her.  The problem? She wants the guy I used to be.

Review:

Reading Hard Crush was like taking a nice long bath after a hard day of work.  You just sort of sink into it and lose track of time, only snapping out of it when you’re a big prune and the water’s cold (or in my case, when the baby you’re watching wakes up).  It was a nice change of pace from the romantic suspense and erotica I’ve been reading lately—those novels can get so freaking stressful.  There was plenty of drama between indecisive Abby and lovesick Hank, but it wasn’t the sort that’ll make you sweat and grind your teeth.  Just your typical relationship conflict between two people who go back and forth more times than a ping pong ball in the Olympic matches.

Abby was a very likeable character.  She was pleasantly naïve, cute as a button, and god-awful with technology, but she was also so incredibly frustrating.  For instance, it is positively beyond me to imagine a world where a gorgeous, billionaire hunk is desperate to make me his and I say no.  My imagination just isn’t that good.  I mentally screamed at her time and time again to give up her dreams of small-town life and follow Hank wherever he wanted to go, but she wasn’t having it.  Eventually the author leads us to a greater understanding of Abby’s past and then I felt guilty about yelling at her so much.

Hank is a dream.  He’s sexy, he’s smart, he looks amazing in thick-rimmed glasses, and he’s desperately in love with his high school sweetheart.  Can you hear me drooling from here?  Sigh.  I have an absolute weak spot for men in glasses, but my husband has perfect 20/20 (he likes to brag a lot since I have shit eyesight).  It’s fun to read about standoffish men with commitment issues, sure, but it’s an absolute delight to mix it up once in a while and read about a man who loves his woman so much he’s willing to do whatever it takes to make her his… again.  Makes your belly ache and your heart clench, especially since Hank is just so freaking sweet.

Hard Crush is good for those readers who don’t want to sweat from anxiety during their romance reads but still want that tiny bite of excitement that comes from conflict.  Witty banter, cute kisses, and a warm loving feeling are the main things you’ll get from this book.  It comes out March 6th, so pre-order it here for your Kindle.

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