Early Book Review: Rock Hard (Rock Kiss #2) by Nalini Singh

** This review is SPOILER-FREE! Read on with confidence! ***

Nalini Singh never ceases to amaze me. She can put out amazing book after amazing book, and Rock Hard is no exception. In fact, I think Gabriel and Charlotte may be my new favorite couple in the Rock Kiss series (sorry Molly & Fox, I still love you!) It’s sexy, it’s sweet, it’s emotional, and it has got one hell of an alpha male.

Gabriel Bishop was a gorgeous man. Charlotte could admit that in the privacy of her own mind. Too big and muscled and dangerous, but gorgeous. Like a tiger was gorgeous. Right before it ate you.

Gabriel Bishop is a professional ex-rugby player turned CEO who swoops in to save the floundering company that Charlotte- Charlie- works for. He quickly builds a reputation for himself amongst the employees as a man not to be messed with, one who will you cut you loose in a heartbeat if he sees fit. When the ruthless businessman, who Charlie has nicknamed “T-Rex,” sets his sights on her, she’s completely unprepared to handle the bossy, arrogant male that is Gabriel. She’s still in the process of recovering from one hell of a traumatic experience, one that has her understandably wary of men like Gabriel. To say she’s haunted by her past is an understatement. The thing about Gabriel, though, is that he’s not one for giving up…and this T-Rex has decided that Charlie is his. This is where the story gets great. Who knew watching a T-Rex and a mouse tangle would be so much fun?

Her quips today cemented his conclusion that she was ready for the next step in this game they were playing, a game of which she was currently unaware. The fact she remained his subordinate at work meant he’d have to take care when it came to how he went about this, but he was going to have Charlotte Baird.
Once he had her, he was going to take her. Over and over and over.

Cue the shivering. I loved Gabriel’s determination in this book, and boy is he determined. Charlie never stood a chance. I also loved his infinite patience with her. Charlie has a really awful past, one that comes with panic attacks and crippling fear. It was a delicate situation, but Gabriel knew when to push and when not to. He respected her fears and boundaries and he was going to do everything in his power to help her heal. Speaking of Charlie…well my heart broke for her. Her frustration at the person her past had shaped her into bled through the pages. I felt for her, because she felt so helpless and didn’t know how to go back to being the person she was before “the incident.” In some ways, she reminded me of Honor from Singh’s Guild Hunter series. Charlie and Honor both had to find ways to overcome the terrible things done to them and both possess a wonderful inner strength. Charlie may have thought of herself as the shy mouse, but she had more strength than she realized. I loved seeing her take her life back and engage in quite the dance with Gabriel. Despite what she’d been through, over time she began to hold her own with the man- heck, she even threw a muffin at his head! (It was quite deserved.)

 “I’m in bed,” she said and barely bit back a groan at what she’d revealed.
“Ah. And breathless.” His voice dropped. “You better be alone or we’ll be having a very interesting talk the next time we meet.”
Her skin grew tight at the rumbling warning. Inhaling jerkily, she said, “Of course I’m alone.”
“Then the breathlessness becomes far more intriguing.”

There’s no shortage of sexy scenes in Rock Hard. Sexy office scenes, sexy kitchen scenes…you get the idea. Gabriel is more than just a demanding boss and a former athlete that women fall all over themselves for. He’s got a charming side and a very protective side. He’s possessive as hell, slightly devious, and surprisingly romantic- quite the package! Check out Rock Hard to see this game of wills between Gabriel and Charlie in all its glory!

If you liked…

If you liked Rock Hard, you may like Fixed on You, book 1 in the Fixed series, by Laurelin Paige. Alayna, the heroine, has demons and  triggers of her own to deal with. She works at a nightclub, and when Hudson Pierce, a wealthy, gorgeous businessman with secrets of his own becomes the new owner of the club- and therefore Alayna’s boss- the two have an instant connection. Though Alayna tries to stay away from him, the battle is futile. This book has a high steam factor and two unusual and complex characters coming together.

Rock Hard is…