That's What I'm Talking About

Gabriel Bishop, former pro-Rugby player, was hired as CEO of Saxon & Archer to turn around the failing department store chain. He’s very good at what he does and always gets what he wants.

Charlotte Baird, long time Saxon & Archer employee, continually allows her supervisor, Anya, to use her talents for her own gain. So when the new CEO fires Anya and offers Charlotte a promotion, Charlotte must learn to get over her fears and work with Gabriel, aka. T-Rex.

Rock Hard is the second full-length romance in Ms. Singh’s Rock Kiss series (and third overall story). Although there is overlap with the earlier titles, this book can be enjoyed as a standalone.

Charlotte and Gabriel have a tough road, both professionally and romantically. While turning around Saxon & Archer is Gabriel’s primary focus when at work, he cannot stop thinking about Charlotte. Recognizing she’s been hurt in the past, and the fact that he’s her boss, Gabriel takes things slowly in an effort to woo Charlotte. This translates into a slow start to the book, and for a bit, I did wish for things to pick up, all the while wondering how they would hookup without it backfiring on them.

Generally, Gabriel and Charlotte’s romance is both sweet and sexy. Charlotte has a messy history, so I am thankful at how Ms. Singh takes time with pair, and why, in the long run, the slow start didn’t bother me. I also appreciate the pair’s openness and honesty with one another. Having the luxury of “hearing” both character’s POVs allows the reader to embrace the larger picture. And while their path had a few bumps that caused a sniffle or two, I love how they got to their HEA. Their first time together (sexually) was completely sweet and yet erotic. I appreciated how Gabriel listened to Charlotte and was able to pick up her non-verbal cues and signals. In the end, I’m glad it took time.

In addition to the romance, both characters have issues from their pasts that must be addressed in order for the pair to move forward. While I enjoyed the complexity each matter brought to the story, I felt in both cases, things were resolved a bit too easily. And in the case of Charlotte, I was a bit disappointed at how predictable the matter became over the course of the book. Additionally, I was very dismayed that the concerns over Gabriel being Charlotte’s boss seem to just disappear. However, I realized that I could either let these things bother me or let them go and just accept it. I chose to accept it and move on and enjoy the story.

In the end, Rock Hard is a delightful romance between two great characters. The author does a wonderful job handling Charlotte’s damaged past and puts a very realistic spin on her problems - giving her the right mix of time and pressure/care/kindness from Gabriel. I felt a couple issues were brushed over a bit too easily, but I was able to move on and enjoy the story for the sake of the romance and characters. Because I liked both characters so much and as a couple, I enjoyed the book tremendously and read it from cover to cover very quickly. I can’t wait for more of Ms. Singh’s Rock Kiss series!

My Rating: A-, enjoyed it a lot!

Originally posted at That's What I'm Talking About

Review copy provided by author.