Hard Knox - Amber Molloy

Hard Knox
Amber Malloy
(Perfect Stats, #2)
Publication date: June 16th 2020
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

FROM POPULAR ROMANCE AUTHOR AMBER MALLOY

Book two in the Perfect Stats series

Everything comes easy to quarterback Gavin Knox—women, football, even money. However, the only thing he truly wants but can’t win is the beauty of his dreams, Remy Bell.

A simple favor to save the girl turns into the quarterback losing his heart.

As beautiful as she is fun, Remy Bell has only one problem—a psychotic killer with political power wants her dead. Always a ‘two steps ahead’ type of gal, she plans to outrun the maniac. Marriage and a sweet life in the football star’s hometown in Canada would give her the cover she needs, but Remy doesn’t stick around long enough to find out. She travels all over the world, photographing the most beautiful and devastating events, but her now-husband’s tabloid activities lead her to the one place she should avoid…back home.

Superstar Gavin Knox wins at everything. However, once he scores the girl of his dreams, he’s suddenly in danger of losing the one thing he has always needed. Before she can slip through his fingers, he offers her a deal she can’t refuse—marry him for Canadian citizenship, which will protect her, and after five years, they can divorce. Knox is positive that she will fall head over heels in love with him, but it doesn’t happen. After six years of marriage, two playoff titles and a third on the way, Knox is forced to contend with a successful wife almost more famous than he is.

Determined to get exactly what he wants, which includes having Remy and a family, he devises a stupid scheme that puts everything he’s worked so hard for in jeopardy.

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Author Bio:

Amber Malloy dreamed of being a double agent but couldn’t pass the psyche evaluation. Crushed by despair that she couldn’t legally shoot things, Amber pursued her second career choice as pastry chef. When she’s not writing or whipping up a mean Snickers Cheesecake, she occasionally spies on her sommelier. Amber is convinced he’s faking his French accent.

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My Review

I wasn't completely sure what I was going going to get with Hard Knox. The blurb suggests that Knox and Remy have a marriage of convenience and that he has feelings for her that he wants to take further. As the story progresses it soon becomes clear that this isn't really the case here. There's is a relationship that was possibly always going to end with them together, but in the early days, things happened that both rushed them to that place and then kept them apart.

As the story unfolds we quickly learn about Knox's feelings. But this isn't a one-way street and while they may have spent years apart, meeting up only at intervals, they understand each other well and know what the other wants and needs, even if they haven't fully admitted to themselves what they want.

I really enjoyed this romance. It wasn't a sporting romance in the usual sense. Or rather it was different enough from others that I have read to be set apart as something different. It was obvious, or at least I thought it was obvious why they loved one another. There were a couple of times where I felt the action jumped a little without it being obvious as to why, but I think that just helped things to move along at a fast pace and it didn't throw me out of the story.

Overall this was a great read and one that I would highly recommend. I haven't read the previous book in this series, but that didn't really matter. That said, I enjoyed this one so much that I'd be more than happy to go back and give it a go. 

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Finding Mr Right Next Door - Sarah Ballance

Finding Mr. Right Next Door by Sarah Ballance
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Friends to lovers is one of my favourite romance novel themes. In this story, not only are Lexi and Matt best friends, but they also happen to live next door to one another. They've been friends since they were small children and this is one of the reasons that they've never taken their relationship down a romantic path, they're already like a married couple and they seem to be the only ones that can't see that they really should be together. It isn't until Lexi starts to look elsewhere for a bit of romance in her life that they both realise what they stand to lose.
This is quite a sweet romance. There is quite a bit of heat between our hero and heroine, although they don't fully realise what it is straight away. There are some interesting secondary characters in this book, particularly Matt's grandmother who is growing old disgracefully and having a lot of fun in the process.
This is the second in a series and although I haven't read the first, that didn't really matter. I assume that there may be stories to come for the unattached firefighters in this book. I'd certainly be keen to read more about them.
Overall this was a good romance with a good dose of humour and fun. I really enjoyed it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Chance at Redemption - Samantha Harris

Chance at Redemption

Gwen Stevens had a privileged life until her father spoke three little words that turned her world upside down. “You’re cut off.”

Broke and desperate, Gwen is forced to accept a waitressing job, but this glimmer of hope has a price. As if being a cocktail waitress isn’t bad enough, she has to do it in a dive bar called The Den, and her bad luck doesn’t stop there. She also needs to deal with the new owner, a blue-eyed, self-righteous ass determined to make her life miserable.

Liam Sinclair walked away from the entitlement and obligation his family planned for him, vowing to make his own way in the world…

Adjusting to life as a new business owner, Liam has experienced more than his fair share of setbacks. When his only waitress breaks her leg, his sister takes it upon herself to hire a replacement—a spoiled, self-indulgent hothead with too much makeup and more than enough attitude. Gwen represents the world he’s trying to escape, a world of excess and greed that he was never cut out for.

Appearances can be deceiving, and first impressions aren’t always right…

Despite their apparent differences, the tension between them turns to a fiery passion that neither of them can resist. Together they find balance and learn to appreciate the simpler things in life. But Gwen soon discovers that old habits die hard, and one mistake is all it takes to ruin everything.

Forgiveness must be earned, but even a villain deserves a chance at redemption…

My Review

When I started this book, I really wasn't sure if I was going to get on with it. One of the key things about a good book, is how likeable the characters are. Gwen, when she is first introduced to us, is not particularly nice. She's a spoilt, selfish 'princess' who hasn't had to do a days work in her life. Unfortunately for her, her father has had enough and has cut her off. Finally Gwen has to make her way in the world.

To begin with, Gwen doesn't really improve, she's still the spoilt, privileged brat, who really doesn't care about anyone or anything else but herself. Fortunately, Liam is a lot more likeable. He struggles with Gwen to begin with, but the more he gets to know her, the more he sees behind the persona she projects.

Liam and Gwen can't deny their attraction, Gwen slowly leave behind the spoilt princess that she's always been before, and becomes a lot more likeable in the process. Has Gwen really changed though? Can Liam really trust her? Do they have the future that they dream of?

I enjoyed this story, I think the fact that Gwen starts out so unlikable, but then grows and redeems herself, really helps to drive the story along and you find yourself really hoping that they manage to sort out their differences. I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes a nice love story and people having the chance to prove that first impressions aren't always the right impression.

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