Happy Release Day to ROCK HARD, the second book of Nalini Singh's sexy contemporary romance series, Rock Kiss!
In New York Times Bestselling author Nalini Singh’s newest contemporary romance, passion ignites between a gorgeous, sinfully sexy man who built himself up from nothing and a shy woman who has a terrible secret in her past…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.Charlotte knows she’s a mouse. Emotionally scarred and painfully shy, she just wants to do her job and remain as invisible as possible. But the new CEO—a brilliant, broad-shouldered T-Rex of a man who growls and storms through the office, leaving carnage in his wake—clearly has other plans. Plans that may be equal parts business and bedroom.If Charlotte intends to survive this battle of wits and hearts, the mouse will have to learn to wrangle the T-Rex. Game on.
ADD TO GOODREADS
MY REVIEW
Rock Hard is, by far, my favorite of the Rock Kiss series, and ever since reading Rock Addiction which included brief cues to Charlie and Gabriel's potential love affair, I've been so excited to read their story.
Nalini Singh had a better take on Rock Hard, in comparison to how average I considered Rock Addiction to be for a series starter, but this book [Rock Hard] took it to the next level. Rock Hard is everything I look for in a romance; beautifully sweet and sexy, perfectly balanced with the right amount of tension and drama.
Charlotte "Charlie" Braid's new boss is the terror... or so everyone thinks. Labelled as the "T-Rex" or the "Beast" in their workspace, Charlie can't help but feel terrified by Gabriel Bishop's intimidating stature and the fact that he'd fired a whole lot of incompetent staff in his first two weeks in position, but when Charlie gets promoted to PA to the terror boss, it turns out she's the only one who can handle the T-Rex in and out of work.
Meanwhile, Gabriel Bishop isn't one to complain, especially when the woman who had intrigued him ever since he'd stepped up as CEO is now his PA who's beginning to learn how to snap back at him whenever he gets too demanding, despite her shyness and constant jumpiness during their first few meetings. He's determined to get brand her his, whatever it takes.
In comparison to the typical boss-employee cliche romances, this book did not feature the idea of a scandalous relationship, although, it was something I had been expecting, but good on Nalini Singh for providing a different twist in Charlie and Gabriel's relationship.
This book made me feel a lot of emotions, especially when reading about Charlie. Despite how she is introduced as a skittish and jumpy character with a terrible past, she's actually a fiesty one and very much strong willed. Reading about her was overwhelming, especially after finding out about her past. She's also a very relatable character; sweet, empathic, despite how broken she is.
Gabriel, on the other hand, is the perfect Nalini Singh hero I have ever come across. Although he does appear to be quite demanding and very possessive, he is the perfect alpha male; over-protective, a family man, with a perfect sense of humor. Not only that, he is also very patient with Charlie and her fears, as he constantly tries to walk on eggshells when around her.
Everything about this book is just perfect and I can't deny how much I adore this book, which has now earned a spot on my favorites shelf. It's all sorts of sweet and beautiful, and also fun to read, especially with the banter between Charlie and Gabriel. A simple praise for this book would be an understatement because this book was absolutely all types of amazing. And don't you worry, because this book can also be read as a standalone.
If you're looking for a contemporary read that will knock you off your feet and make you swoon and fall in love, this fantastic novel is what you should pick up and never miss out on.
***ARC courtesy of author via TRSOR Promotions in exchange for honest review. Thank you.
Meanwhile, Gabriel Bishop isn't one to complain, especially when the woman who had intrigued him ever since he'd stepped up as CEO is now his PA who's beginning to learn how to snap back at him whenever he gets too demanding, despite her shyness and constant jumpiness during their first few meetings. He's determined to get brand her his, whatever it takes.
In comparison to the typical boss-employee cliche romances, this book did not feature the idea of a scandalous relationship, although, it was something I had been expecting, but good on Nalini Singh for providing a different twist in Charlie and Gabriel's relationship.
This book made me feel a lot of emotions, especially when reading about Charlie. Despite how she is introduced as a skittish and jumpy character with a terrible past, she's actually a fiesty one and very much strong willed. Reading about her was overwhelming, especially after finding out about her past. She's also a very relatable character; sweet, empathic, despite how broken she is.
Gabriel, on the other hand, is the perfect Nalini Singh hero I have ever come across. Although he does appear to be quite demanding and very possessive, he is the perfect alpha male; over-protective, a family man, with a perfect sense of humor. Not only that, he is also very patient with Charlie and her fears, as he constantly tries to walk on eggshells when around her.
Everything about this book is just perfect and I can't deny how much I adore this book, which has now earned a spot on my favorites shelf. It's all sorts of sweet and beautiful, and also fun to read, especially with the banter between Charlie and Gabriel. A simple praise for this book would be an understatement because this book was absolutely all types of amazing. And don't you worry, because this book can also be read as a standalone.
If you're looking for a contemporary read that will knock you off your feet and make you swoon and fall in love, this fantastic novel is what you should pick up and never miss out on.
***ARC courtesy of author via TRSOR Promotions in exchange for honest review. Thank you.
EXCERPT
Charlotte arrived at work at seven thirty the next morning to find Gabriel Bishop’s office door open, but no carnivorous predator inside. A fresh suit was hanging on the back of his door, however, which meant he’d been in already.
Deciding to catch up on e-mails that had come in overnight from international suppliers as well as stores involved in a stock take, she was typing a reply when a sweaty Gabriel arrived fifteen minutes later. He was dressed in black running shorts and a faded University of Auckland T-shirt that was currently sticking to his body.
She’d known he was in shape, but now she realized none of it was an illusion created by his well-cut suits. Okay, she’d already known that, but seeing his muscled body in the flesh was a whole different ball game. He was built like a tank, hard and powerful.
Each of his thighs was thicker than both of hers put together, his biceps toned, his shoulders appearing even wider than usual. Everything about him was big. Civilized clothing didn’t make him look better, she realized—it toned down his intense masculinity. Out of his suits, with the ink on the upper part of his left arm exposed, as well as that on his opposing thigh and…
Her skin hot and lower body clenching, she just nodded in response to his “Good morning.”
Disappearing into his office, he returned with his suit pants and a fresh shirt slung over his arm, along with a sports bag. “Push the meeting with Sales to nine, will you, Ms. Baird? I need to talk to HR about something before then.”
“Yes, sir,” Charlotte said almost soundlessly, but he was already gone, heading toward the employee shower one floor down.
The thigh tattoo went all the way around, the design intricate.
Heart rate a rapid stutter, Charlotte got up after he disappeared and decided to go grab him a coffee. He’d bought her one yesterday after all. She was just being nice. “Oh, shut up, Charlotte,” she muttered once she was in the elevator, and slumped her face into an upraised hand.
The truth was she was running away. Only for a few minutes, but that’s what this was: strategic retreat. Gabriel Bishop was overwhelming. Once, before she’d ever met him and under the influence of cocktails, she’d told Molly she wanted to rip off his shirt and sink her teeth into his pecs.
That desire hadn’t waned even now that she knew he was a T-Rex. Of course, the desire was all strictly in her imagination. The idea of actually handling him in real life? So impossible as to be laughable. Charlie-mouse was not about to play with a predator who could eat her alive and not even notice the bones. The good news was that she could admire him in relative safety—there was no chance in hell he’d ever notice her as a woman.
Getting the coffee from a nearby café, she took it back upstairs. He was in his office when she entered, the striped dark gray of his tie hanging around his neck and his damp hair roughly combed. The scent of clean, fresh soap over warm skin permeated the office. Shooting her a smile that turned him from gorgeous to flat-out devastating, he flipped up the collar of his white shirt to get the tie in place. “Thank you, Ms. Baird.”
Nodding, Charlotte escaped, though she really wanted to stay. She’d never realized how erotic it was to watch a man dress until this precise moment. And she shouldn’t be having these thoughts about her boss—especially since she couldn’t keep from quivering like a rabbit in his presence. Sometimes she just annoyed herself.
“Get to work,” she muttered and knuckled down.
Gabriel was fine for the first hour, but then he began barking orders even a six-armed woman with a split personality would have had trouble handling.
Finally, pushed to the edge, Charlotte snapped. “I’m going as fast as I can!” she yelled when he asked her for something a minute after he’d asked her to complete another task.
He scowled and held out a file. “This is a priority.”
Grabbing it from his hand, she said, “Fine,” and slapped it down on her desk.
It was over an hour later that he disappeared for ten minutes. When he returned, it was to put a small bakery box on her desk. “I think you need something to sweeten your mood today, Ms. Baird.”
What she needed was for the T-Rex who was her boss to stop snarling and growling, she thought as he returned to his office. Not opening the box until her curiosity had almost killed her, she found it held a slice of decadent chocolate cake with a white-chocolate ganache topped with curls of both white and milk chocolate. “I cannot be bribed with cake,” she muttered, eating a bite nonetheless.
Deciding to catch up on e-mails that had come in overnight from international suppliers as well as stores involved in a stock take, she was typing a reply when a sweaty Gabriel arrived fifteen minutes later. He was dressed in black running shorts and a faded University of Auckland T-shirt that was currently sticking to his body.
She’d known he was in shape, but now she realized none of it was an illusion created by his well-cut suits. Okay, she’d already known that, but seeing his muscled body in the flesh was a whole different ball game. He was built like a tank, hard and powerful.
Each of his thighs was thicker than both of hers put together, his biceps toned, his shoulders appearing even wider than usual. Everything about him was big. Civilized clothing didn’t make him look better, she realized—it toned down his intense masculinity. Out of his suits, with the ink on the upper part of his left arm exposed, as well as that on his opposing thigh and…
Her skin hot and lower body clenching, she just nodded in response to his “Good morning.”
Disappearing into his office, he returned with his suit pants and a fresh shirt slung over his arm, along with a sports bag. “Push the meeting with Sales to nine, will you, Ms. Baird? I need to talk to HR about something before then.”
“Yes, sir,” Charlotte said almost soundlessly, but he was already gone, heading toward the employee shower one floor down.
The thigh tattoo went all the way around, the design intricate.
Heart rate a rapid stutter, Charlotte got up after he disappeared and decided to go grab him a coffee. He’d bought her one yesterday after all. She was just being nice. “Oh, shut up, Charlotte,” she muttered once she was in the elevator, and slumped her face into an upraised hand.
The truth was she was running away. Only for a few minutes, but that’s what this was: strategic retreat. Gabriel Bishop was overwhelming. Once, before she’d ever met him and under the influence of cocktails, she’d told Molly she wanted to rip off his shirt and sink her teeth into his pecs.
That desire hadn’t waned even now that she knew he was a T-Rex. Of course, the desire was all strictly in her imagination. The idea of actually handling him in real life? So impossible as to be laughable. Charlie-mouse was not about to play with a predator who could eat her alive and not even notice the bones. The good news was that she could admire him in relative safety—there was no chance in hell he’d ever notice her as a woman.
Getting the coffee from a nearby café, she took it back upstairs. He was in his office when she entered, the striped dark gray of his tie hanging around his neck and his damp hair roughly combed. The scent of clean, fresh soap over warm skin permeated the office. Shooting her a smile that turned him from gorgeous to flat-out devastating, he flipped up the collar of his white shirt to get the tie in place. “Thank you, Ms. Baird.”
Nodding, Charlotte escaped, though she really wanted to stay. She’d never realized how erotic it was to watch a man dress until this precise moment. And she shouldn’t be having these thoughts about her boss—especially since she couldn’t keep from quivering like a rabbit in his presence. Sometimes she just annoyed herself.
“Get to work,” she muttered and knuckled down.
Gabriel was fine for the first hour, but then he began barking orders even a six-armed woman with a split personality would have had trouble handling.
Finally, pushed to the edge, Charlotte snapped. “I’m going as fast as I can!” she yelled when he asked her for something a minute after he’d asked her to complete another task.
He scowled and held out a file. “This is a priority.”
Grabbing it from his hand, she said, “Fine,” and slapped it down on her desk.
It was over an hour later that he disappeared for ten minutes. When he returned, it was to put a small bakery box on her desk. “I think you need something to sweeten your mood today, Ms. Baird.”
What she needed was for the T-Rex who was her boss to stop snarling and growling, she thought as he returned to his office. Not opening the box until her curiosity had almost killed her, she found it held a slice of decadent chocolate cake with a white-chocolate ganache topped with curls of both white and milk chocolate. “I cannot be bribed with cake,” she muttered, eating a bite nonetheless.
BUY THE BOOKS
ROCK ADDICTION
(Book 1)
ROCK COURTSHIP
(Book 1.5)
ROCK HARD
(Book 2)
ENTER THE GIVEAWAY
NALINI SINGHNEW YORK TIMES AND USA Today bestselling author of the Psy-Changeling and Guild Hunter series Nalini Singh usually writes about hot shapeshifters and dangerous angels. This time around, she decided to write about hot and wickedly tempting rock stars (and one gorgeous ex-rugby player). If you’re seeing a theme here, you’re not wrong.Nalini lives and works in beautiful New Zealand, and is passionate about writing. If you’d like to explore her other books, you can find lots of excerpts on her website. Slave to Sensation is the first book in the Psy-Changeling series, while Angels’ Blood is the first book in the Guild Hunter series. Also, don't forget to swing by the site to check out the special behind-the-scenes page for the Rock Kiss series, complete with photos of many of the locations used in the books.
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16 comments
I read a few books in her psy-changling series but moved away from it because I think I just got bored with it. This series, though, sounds right up my ally. Have yet to read any of these books but oooh do I want to!!
ReplyDeleteMy best friend is obsessed with the psy-changeling series and for her, I'm reading it. I finished book 3 recently, but I'm gonna continue again soon. And yessssss, you definitely should check out this series, it's good. The first book wasn't as good though. Will have a review up of it soon! :)
DeleteI haven't heard of this author before but your brilliant review makes me think I should read it now, thank you for sharing a great book x Benish| Feminist Reflections
ReplyDeleteThanks Benish! Nalini Singh's books are really good! But they're mostly paranormal and this is her first take (I think) on a contemporary romance. :D
DeleteCan you believe I have yet to read a NALINI SINGH book? *hangs head in shame* I need to correct this ASAP! And goodness, that cover has me swooning! Fabulous review! *wink*
ReplyDeleteFor real? You gotta get that fixed soon, lol. Though she writes long books and really long series so sometimes it's kinda stressful to get into, but this contemporary one of hers is real good. :D Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteGreat review! I read a sample and I think it's one I will enjoy. I love your blog, too!
ReplyDeleteAwesome! It's a great read! Thanks for stopping by! :D
DeleteI haven't read anything by this author yet either despite having heard about her for years. Thank you for the great and informative review. I'm glad to hear that the heroine was actually a strong character despite being broken. That would be a breath of fresh air from the whining ones who bemoan their lives instead of doing something about it. Loved the quotes too, especially about the tiger being gorgeous right before it ate you. LOL. Thank you for putting this on my radar and TBR list.
ReplyDeleteFor real? Hope you enjoy Nalini's books when you do try them! They're great and she's got stellar writing styles! And this author really makes great heroines. They never disappoint. ;D Thanks for stopping by, Michelle! xx
DeleteI like strong heroines! I wanted to read more after reading the excerpt. :)
ReplyDeleteOh, totally. They make everything better, lol. :D
DeleteYou talk alot about this author, but she always has so many damn books in a series to the point it's intimidating lol. I think I have that one book by her that I haven't read just yet, I really should get on that huh lol
ReplyDeleteYes, girl! Because her writing is just beyond stellar! You gotta try to pick her books up! :D
DeleteI so agree with this. Gabriel was one of the most perfect alpha males among Singh's heroes and that says a lot since he creates a lot of alpha males! I remember describing him as my dream man. LOL.
ReplyDeleteMINE TOO! Gabriel is EVERYTHING and just perfect! <3
DeleteThank you, Mischievous Readers, for taking the time to read my post/review, and I would be so glad to know about your thoughts, so please leave me a comment, I'll surely reply!
(Oh, and it's best you click the NOTIFY ME check box to receive a notification once I reply to your comment)