Rock Hard

Rock Kiss #2

by Nalini Singh

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.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Sports, Adult, Sports Romance, Audiobook

387 pages, Paperback

First published March 10, 2015

About the author

I've been writing as long as I can remember and all of my stories always held a thread of romance (even when I was writing about a prince who could shoot lasers out of his eyes). I love creating unique characters, love giving them happy endings and I even love the voices in my head. There's no other job I would rather be doing. In September 2002, when I got the call that Silhouette Desire wanted to buy my first book, Desert Warrior, it was a dream come true. I hope to continue living the dream until I keel over of old age on my keyboard.


I was born in Fiji and raised in New Zealand. I also spent three years living and working in Japan, during which time I took the chance to travel around Asia. I’m back in New Zealand now, but I’m always plotting new trips. If you’d like to see some of my travel snapshots, have a look at the Travel Diary page (updated every month).

So far, I've worked as a lawyer, a librarian, a candy factory general hand, a bank temp and an English teacher and not necessarily in that order. Some might call that inconsistency but I call it grist for the writer's mill.

Reviews

[KristenReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2–Unforgettable–Stars

Rock Hard is one of those classic romance stories that will remind you why you love romance.



I really enjoyed reading this book. It's a character driven story that's emotional and endearing and full of heart-and-soul. It features one of the most patient, protective, ambitious, charming, and SWOONWORTHY heroes I've read to date. To say I fell in love with Gabriel (T-Rex) would be an understatement. I liked Charlotte (The Mouse) and had immense empathy and respect for her character, but T-Rex is the reason why I fell in love with this book.



What I enjoyed most about this story, though, was that it revolved solely around the hero and heroine's feelings and relationship. The issues and drama weren't contrived or manipulated, but were designed to fit the ongoing storyline. I also appreciated the slow paced romance. It fit the context of the story and Charlotte's history.

Rock Hard is a sweet, emotional, and engrossing story with believable characters and plot. It has the perfect blend of real-life issues, heart-melting romance and heart-and-soul. If you're looking for a well written contemporary romance with a charming and swoon-worthy hero, a likable heroine, a believable romance and a couple you can root for, then I highly recommend this book.

ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review.

[Val ⚓️ Shameless Handmaiden ⚓️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4+ Stapler Stars

I was unreasonably excited to read this book...

...which usually just leads to sadness, disappointment and unmet expectations.



So I am seriously excited that this thing stuck its landing.



BAM.

Another thing that excites me?

The fact that reading this book - and the subsequent composition of this review (see how fancy I made that sound? #SelfAggrandizementAlert)- gives me a blatant excuse justification to do some important research I like to call "Salivating Over Rugby Players."

Possible risk factors of this research include:

1) The short-circuiting of one's keyboard due to inadvertent spillage of drool from one's mouth.

2) Cramping of one's hand from all the required picture pinning.

3) Passive aggressive chastisement from one's spouse when said spouse discovers a new folder entitled "Hot Rugby Studs" on the family desktop.

Obviously, this is a very serious, intense process and takes a great deal of training, thought, and determination.

Definitely not for the weak of heart.

#WorthIt

Case in point?

This finding:





So ri-god-damn-diculously hot. Can't take it.

Even off the field.







But I digress.

I really enjoyed this story. As always, Singh's writing was tight and perfect. There were also some really cute, funny moments.

"'I survived.'
No anger in his voice, though the eyes he turned on her were assessing.
'The stapler was too heavy for you to throw with any accuracy. Next time, try a hole punch.'"

There was also some slow, good old-fashioned gradual relationship building - a seemingly lost art these days - and I really enjoyed the fact that Singh stayed true to Charlotte's past.

Many times, you will have a "damaged" character with longstanding issues that are suddenly and miraculously just "healed" overnight with the appearance of the H or h...And as much as I sometimes wanted to say "Oh lord, just get over it and bang him already," it was refreshing to see some issues handled with a little more reliability and realism.

But my favorite thing about this book?

Gabriel.

Be still my cold dead heart, I loved him.

He was the perfect mix of asshole alpha and sweet male man meat. Book boyfriend material for sure.

I can't wait for the next one in this series.

Until then, there is always more Rugby research.

[~ Becs ~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's Game On for Charlie and T-Rex!

I absolutely bloody loved this – it’s classic contemporary romance at it’s finest.  For me this series got off to a fairly average start with Rock Addiction but improved a lot with Rock Courtship and Rock Hard is, for me, the best yet.  It features a familiar plot for romance – the tough, protective alpha hero and the shy, retiring heroine with a traumatic past but it’s so beautifully written, the characters so vividly drawn that I was completely enthralled from beginning to end.  Nalini Singh does a fantastic job of focussing the reader entirely on the journey being taken by the two central characters and she keeps it fresh all the way through.  My attention never wavered once – in fact, I found it hard to put down at all.

I’d actually been dying to read this story ever since we were treated to little snippets during Molly and Fox’s story in Rock Addiction.  Charlotte (our Charlie Mouse) is Molly’s best friend and we heard through conversations and texts about her ferocious and very demanding new boss, Gabriel Bishop AKA T-Rex especially after she threw a stapler at his head when she thought he was an intruder!  I’d been dying to hear their story – the tough alpha hero and the slightly nerdy heroine is pretty much my favourite romance scenario and I can hand on heart assure you that Rock Hard completely lived up to my expectations and then some.

Quick synopsis – Gabriel Bishop, a former pro rugby player who’s career ended early and unexpectedly due to injury has turned all that incredible intensity and focus on saving failing businesses with great success and he’s been brought in to save the company that Charlotte works for and turns out to be an extremely exacting boss.  He, of course, knows that he wants her for himself but he can see the terror hidden in her eyes, realises that she’s been hurt badly along the way and realises that he has to tread carefully and take things slowly.  And it’s his slow pursuit of Charlotte, the beautiful journey they take that takes centre stage in this novel and, despite the slow pace, it kept me engrossed even though it takes forever for them to get together.  I wasn’t once bored – I enjoyed all that consuming sexual chemistry that was building to a crescendo between them and loved every second of Charlotte finally letting go of her demons and allowing Gabriel in.

She swallowed and lifted trembling fingers to his hair, tears rolling down her face. “Why are you doing this?”

“You need to ask me that?” A growl of sound. “You haven’t figured out by now that I think you’re fucking amazing? You have a brain that won’t quit, a smile that lights up my soul, and a body I want to do dirty things to and with three ways to Sunday.”

I had a few worries before beginning this book that Charlotte would be too much of a mouse, that she would irritate me but my fears were ungrounded.  Yes, she’s guarded and very skittish but you learn slowly why she is that way and, even though she appears to be a mouse, she’s actually a bit of a tigress beneath that facade and it’s the little glimpses of her true character that so enthral Gabriel.  Charlotte is an easy character to identify with – she’s just a regular girl working in an office for a boss who’s never satisfied and always demanding more and living and getting by in a big city (this is set in Auckland, NZ).  I actually really liked her right from the get go and was dying for her to let her ferocious T Rex of a boss get a little closer to her.

And Gabriel Bishop – oh, be still my beating heart.  I think I fell deeply in love with him right along with Charlotte.  I think he has to be my favourite book boyfriend of 2015 to date.  He’s one of the guys that my teenage self would have sighed over in romance novels when I was just beginning to discover the genre.  He’s in a position of power, he’s growly, demanding yet very protective and hot as hell and he’s decided that he wants Charlotte Baird pretty much from the first moment he sets eyes on her and plays a long game to get her.  I smiled goofily and often at the things that he said and did, even when Charlotte didn’t realise what he was up to.  With our reader’s birds eye view of the action, we knew exactly what his game is and I think I just swooned with happiness and got a really bad case of the warm and fuzzies.  Even now, as I type, I’m grinning like a loon.

The story focuses almost completely on the journey that Charlotte and her T-Rex take and the pacing was just pitch perfect.  Despite very little else going on, the story never dragged or flagged and I was completely rapt and dying to carry on, to see the little victories that Gabriel claimed and the baby steps that they took together.  Their growing feelings for one another are just blissful and sigh-worthy and, above all else, I loved the way that Gabriel loved Charlie – how he realised he had to go slow, how patient he was with her, so understanding and just so, SO wonderful  Ok, so I know I’m gushing now but you get the picture right?  I’ll take his memo any time he demands *snigger*

“What are you talking about?” he said as things went all melty and hot low in her body. “You wrangle T-Rexes, don’t you?”

Scrunching up her nose at him, she fought a smile. “Only one.”

“Good, because this T-Rex is possessive as hell and does not share well.”

So, this is a fantastic addition to the Rock Kiss series – it’s quite clear how experienced and accomplished Nalini Singh is as an author.  This is virtually flawless romance, an absolute pleasure to just lose yourself in. It’s romantic, sweet, sexy and actually very funny. Highly recommended!

5 die hard romantic stars

ARC courtesy of INscribe Digital via NetGalley.

Edited 2 days after reading to upgrade my rating to 5 stars as a I book that stays so strongly with me after finishing really does deserve that rating.

[Isabella. R · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Highly Inappropriate Stars ⭐

An intimidating CEO and a traumatised wallflower who prefers to hide in the background. Except Gabriel Bishop has every intention of getting Ms. Baird out of her comfort zone. It's just a matter of time.

When Gabriel is brought in to salvage a flailing company, the first order of business is sorting out the trash. Whilst praying to just hold on to her job, Charlotte never expected to be promoted to the boss's PA. A boss who’s authoritative, demanding and insists on pushing all her buttons.

Charlotte may hide behind her dreary clothing, however Gabriel is slowly seeing the bigger picture. What he initially mistook as shyness is actually an abused woman who he can’t stop thinking about. He could just let it be or he could propel her in the right direction; his direction.

"I'm just telling you what we'll be working toward. Any problems with my goals?"

"I don't know," she said at last, "I'm not very good at sex."

"Ms. Baird, no one is good or bad at sex by themselves," he drawled. "It's a team effort, and you know I'm a team player."

A dirty talking alpha versus the little mouse who’s slowly revealing that she’s not completely broken, just on pause. Gabriel is relentless in his pursuit of Ms. Baird but also patient and caring. When he finally tears through her resistance, they burned up the sheets together.

I will say this is not a fluffy read. It touches on real issues of stalking, domestic violence and trauma. Fortunately, it was damn romantic and steamy, so the balance was just right.

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Get it here:
Amazon US * Amazon UK

♫Listened to the audio for another re-read 12/4/2017♫
Is it weird that I liked this narrators voice more when she was speaking in the guys voice?

First re-read 8/22/16
Reading Rock Wedding made me want to revisit Charlotte and her T-Rex

[Geri Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 T-Rex Wrangler Stars!

I have been waiting to read the story between Gabriel aka T-Rex and Charlie aka Mouse since I've read about them in Rock Addiction. I'm quite certain I mentioned in my review for that book how these two stole the spotlight for me. To say that my expectations were quite high would be a major understatement. But Nalini Singh delivered and I couldn't be happier. Gabriel is the perfect T-Rex to Charlie's mouse and like what my friend Kristen said, this book is a reminder of why I love to read romance.

Rock Hard runs parallel to the events of book one. Gabriel Bishop just got hired to help an ailing company where he met Charlie. Charlie-mouse is painfully shy while T-Rex is forceful and used to getting what he wants. But there was something about Charlie that drew Gabriel to her. He wanted her but because she was so shy and jumpy, he needed to draw her out without her getting suspicious. And thus, their delicious dance began. And this part of the book was...



Gabriel is best example of what an alpha hero should be, in my opinion. He knows what he wants and he goes after it. Sure, he's possessive but he's also caring, sweet, loyal and very, very, patient. He's just perfect in every way.

And Charlie is no slouch either. She's shy and scared because of what happened to her but despite that, she never lost her inner strength. She surprised me at every turn. And Gabe being the patient and caring alpha that he is just brought out the best in Charlie and vice versa. Their interaction throughout the book had me swooning.

I am so glad that I stuck with this series because it definitely got better with each book. Nalini Singh's talent just shined through and her lush characterizations made Gabe and Charlie came alive for me. I felt every emotion conveyed by the author and I finished this book being reminded once again why I love this genre so much.

For those asking, yes, this is part of her Rock Kiss series and yes, this can be read as a standalone. So for anyone who is looking a book that is heavy on the romance and low on the angst, then this book is definitely for you.

ARC courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Duchess Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 HUGE Stars!! Nalini Singh flat out nails it with her second book in the Rock Kiss series. No one can say she can't write New Adult now...



I was glued to these pages...it was a perfect cocktail of personalities and circumstances that Singh gave these two. Gabriel is the quintessential man of power and Charlotte the shy, introverted pretty girl hidden by her own insecurities.

"Gabriel found himself interested, and he'd never before found a mouse interesting..."

So what made this so different than other boss/secretary stories? Singh did, that's what. She gave Charlotte legitimate reason to be so mousy, but she also made her kick ass, too. Charlotte is so much more than what she shows the world, if only they would take the time to get to know her. Gabriel does, and for me, therein lies the allure of stories like this. Gabriel instinctively knows there are all these hidden layers and he expends the energy unwrapping this girl....all the while, loving every minute of it. And when he gets to the heart of her and realizes where her insecurities stem from...ahhhhh!!!! That protective alpha male comes roaring to the surface, and It. Is. Golden.

"He had decided on Charlotte. The first time he'd decided on something, he'd been eight and it had been rugby. A seven-year international pro career later, he'd suffered the injury that took him out of play. So he'd decided on kicking ass and taking names as a man who specialized in rescuing drowning companies.
Now he'd decided on Charlotte."

Charlotte's timidity is understandably hard for her to get over, considering what caused it. Add that to the fact that Gabriel is the epitome of power and fame, and she's just Charlotte, and it was easy for me to relate to her. She's lived her life trying to fade into the background, to an extent. It's hard for her to turn it all around and accept this larger than life guy into her heart and her body.

Enough. She might be shy and tongue-tied when it came to any kind of flirtation but this wasn't flirtation on Gabriel's part. It was a moment's amusement. Because T-Rexes didn't date mice. They stomped on them on their way to other, sexier pastures."

Let's not forget the sexy here...it takes awhile (which was another point in favor of five stars) but these two light it up, and it was that perfect pinnacle moment of emotional and passionate and intense as heck. Their chemistry was palpable, and I'm not so much a feminist that I don't LOVE the power of a man losing control. Gabriel was hottest when on the edge of "Mine" and "I'm Yours."

"If you tell me you don't want me, I'm going to demand you give me your panties to prove they're not damp."
Cheeks going bright red, she stamped on dainty foot. "That's totally inappropriate!!"
"No rules outside the office, Ms. Baird."

Which reminds me...every time Gabriel says "Ms. Baird", I swear I wanted to change my name just so I could pretend it was me :D

Awesome, awesome book. All the issues I had with the first book in this series were not present here. The sex was timely and meaningful. The over the top drama was quenched to believable (and likeable) levels. The heroine was a true warrior, overcoming her past and living up to all she could be. The hero, a true hero, in more ways than one. In all ways that mattered. This, my friends, is what New Adult should be.

Advance copy provided for review

[Corina · Rating 5 out of 5]

SALE ALERT

One of my favorite office romances is on sale - don't miss this opportunity!!


____________________________________

OMG Rock Hard was my favorite ROCK KISS book so far. ♡♡♡ It deserved ALL THE STARS!!!

I loved it.

If you love office romances as much as I do - this is the book for you!!!!

If you love a snarly and bad tempered T-Rex of a man, being ensnared by a quiet but strong minded PA that wraps him around her little finger - you need to read this book!!! I was in love from the very first page. And I was so ecstatic to finally start Charlotte and Gabriel's story.

I had a feeling their story would be worth writing about and Nalini Singh definitely delivered.

When Charlotte's company is taken over by a T-Rex kind of guy, a shark in the business world, and an all consuming personality that easily overpowered poor Charlotte, all bets were off. The interactions between Gabriel and Charlotte were beautifully written. Witty, funny and engaging. Charlotte's struggle was believable and the author took her time to solve her hangups in a timely manner-which gave it an authentic feel. I especially liked that they had a slow burn romance going. I adored the lengthy foreplay, and their interaction at work were a highlight. It was a true delight!!

Gabriel was unexpectedly patient with Charlotte. I loved him so much more for that. He was endearing, understanding but when he became snarly all bets were off - SWOON.

This book checked all of my boxes. The characters were fabulous, the story enchanting, captivating and romantic and the writing was off the charts awesome!! I already have the feeling that I'm going to read it again. Gabriel and Charlotte completely took me by surprise and I had the worst book hangover in a long time.




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[Blacky *Romance Addict* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dear Gabriel




and




and you make me



and





Boy, am I glad I didn't give up on this series after the first book! This one was great!!!! Gabriel was sheer perfection *.*

[Sharon ∞❥ is an emotional book junkie ❥∞ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about Charlotte, Molly's (from Rock Addiction) best friend and her boss, Gabriel or T Rex, as we've come to know him.

I have to say I was a bit hesitant to read this book mainly because I never really had a connection with Charlotte and I actually pictured T Rex being an older creepy guy...I don't know why! Thank goodness I gave it a chance because I was so far off it wasn't even funny.

Gabriel is really yummy and I have to say that as much as I came to like Charlotte, Gabriel stole the show. Ex rugby player turned star CEO with a heart of gold (if you're on his good side)...what's not to like?

Charlotte, aka Charlie or mouse, turned out to be a real sweetie that suffered a horrible event in her past. I really admired her strength and courage and while it seemed like things dragged out because of what happened, you couldn't help but feel for what she went through.

And the steaminess...well, I saw this gif on NS blog and I couldn't resist posting it. It's just so apropos!



Gabriel is a force to be reckoned with. Charlie has zero chance in resisting him...not that she wants to. I just loved how sweet and gentle Gabriel was with her! And it really helped to get his POV as well.

I love how Molly was infused into the story and Gabriel's family was amazing and exactly what Charlie needed!

Of course, there's plenty of drama...not only with Charlie's past coming to haunt her but Gabriel's is messing with him too. I loved how they were there for each other and so supportive!

I did think Gabriel did a few jerkish things (red roses) but it was so funny how Charlie was right up to the challenge! They really work well together and they both have great senses of humor! The offers and counteroffers were hilarious.



I loved how it ended but I have no clue who the next book could be about! Maybe one of the other guys in the band?? One of Gabriel's brothers? Well, whoever it is, I know that NS will write another amazing story!




Favorite quotes:

♥ "Looks like Egor is a quick draw, Ms. Baird. There are pills for that, you know."

♥ "Ms. Baird, no one is good or bad at sex by themselves," he drawled. "It's a team effort, and you know I'm a team player."

♥ "That's my Ms. Baird."

♥ "Weightlifting," he said as he passed the items over. "That's clearly your secret hobby."

♥ "Come on, let's reheat this and eat and you can tell me what some of those words mean. I grew up on a rugby field, but Jesus, baby, I have no idea where you learned all that."

♥ "You're mine now, Ms. Baird. And I'm yours. Always."


(ARC provided by author)

[Jilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I just met my new boss. Or more specifically, I threw an industrial-strength stapler at his head."

Now, that's a good first impression! Let's him know that you aren't a pushover, and that maybe you have a good arm for the company softball team. Even better? Gabriel, the new boss, even gives her advice that a hole-punch would be a better weapon for next time. That's right, that comment put him straight into my book-boyfriend corral.


That's right, it's all chocolate rivers and hot book boyfriends..

So, Gabriel was a former rugby player. I have to be honest, rugby confuses me. It looks like more men on the field than your typical mob riot, and utter mayhem, like your typical mob riot. And, I have no idea what the hell is going on. The hubs has tried a few times to explain, but has given up after over 20 years together. He sees my eyes glaze over. He knows the signs.


The dot I understand...

So, if you get rugby at all, it will help because they go to games, talk about games, and even play the damn sport. Those were the parts I skimmed.


Pictures might have helped..

Gabriel is totally into his new assistant, Charlotte, and has every intention of winning her over. But, he's a huge, intimidating man, along with being an absolutely demanding and workaholic boss. Charlotte is terrified of him.

But, it turns out that Charlotte is terrified of everything because she was a victim of a violent crime when she was younger. We don't get every detail, but it is pretty horrifying. And, she is majorly messed up still - with good reason.

The way Gabriel handles Charlotte's mental scars is so Nalini Singh. She can write the hell out of an amazing alpha male. He is protective, but patient. He helps her walk through her healing process, but doesn't suddenly fix her with his magic penis like we see in so many books. He actually helps her get into therapy! A man admitting that he can't fix everything? That's hot.








Yes, yes it is.

Now, how much do you want to bet that all of these "fixes" were done by men? Just sayin... Gabriel is a keeper!

[Sandy ღCoffee Addict Booksღ · Rating 3 out of 5]

***3.5 muffin stars***

Charlotte Braid is timid, and intelligent simple woman hiding behind the hideous looking clothes and spectacles working as a records clerk and who happens to be intimidated by the smallest things. On sensing the presence of an intruder in the late hours of the office, she musters enough courage to confront the said intruder, suddenly startled by the presence of muscular male she throws a stapler on his way, (Yep! She actually used a stapler as weapon!) least did she know this stranger happens to be the new CEO Gabriel Bishop, former star rugby player turned businessman famously known as T-Rex for his ruthless, temperamental and compelling nature.

After an injury Gabriel had to retire from playing rugby, he now saves the companies which is in state of drowning. Most of the time he’s difficult on his employees, but he also respects the one's who works hard. It’s when he realizes Charlotte though being a clerk, knew more about their clients than anybody else, he soon promotes her to be his P.A and that’s when their lives changes forever.

Dear Ms. Baird,

As of today, you do have a slave clause in your contract. It means you do everything I say. Under no circumstances are you to eat, sleep, take breaks, or check in to hotel rooms with men named Eggplant.

Sincerely,
Gabriel
Bishop

Gabriel is smitten by his smart yet shy assistant and is determined to bring this timid mouse out of its burrow. For weeks they avoid the growing attraction between them not only because it’s against the work ethics, but her tragic past left no room for love or trust. Nothing stood in his way when he set his mind on something and now all he wants is Ms Baird, will the scars of her tormented past keeps them for having a future together?

This is my first book from Nalini Singh and I’m so impressed by her writing, and her characters easily lovable. While I loved both the MC’s I did not connect with Gabriel like I did with Charlotte, it seems like the entire story was focused on developing her character and his thoughts were mostly on how he felt about her which IMO was quite blunt. But his charming, sweet, protective Alpha personality made up for it, I loved that he was ever so patient with her, and the best part of the book was the banters and the dirty talking!

“I want to pin you under me and fuck you hard, then I want to slam you up against pretty much every wall in this place. After which I want to bend you over my desk, my bed, this table. For starters.”

This was more like 'it's me' situation since there was no much flaws in this story but it didn't amaze me or stick with me, so I had to knock couple of stars!

Overall it was pretty decent story with great writing, set with a right pace and I liked it! Hoping to read more from this author.

*ARC kindly provided by TKA Distribution via Netgalley, for an honest review*

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed my re-read/listen of Rock Hard but it cracks me up listening to an American "reading" a book with Kiwi characters set in New Zealand. Would I have preferred it read by a Kiwi? Not sure, but I would have loved to give it a try.

Saying that, the narrator has a very easy voice to listen to and does a fantastic job as both the male and female character.

Loved visiting with the Rock Kiss gang and I will definitely be back for more soon.

**********

The Bishop takes his mouse...

I had to go back and re-read Rock Hard after reading my ARC of Cherish Hard. I needed to experience Gabriel in his natural habitat and see him go all T-Rex.

Just so you know...if you are planning on reading Cherish Hard when it releases on November 14, Rock Hard is after Cherish Hard. So, that means we're seeing a love story for an established couple from Rock Hard. Does that make sense? It's early in the morning and I haven't finished my first cup of coffee. In other words...you could read Cherish Hard before Rock Hard or vice-versa and still love both of them.

I advise reading both because they're both bloody awesome.

**********

T-Rex chases his mouse...

I absolutely loved this story. Charlotte was on a mission to stay invisible when the new CEO, Gabriel recognizes her hard work and decides to make her his personal assistant. Gabriel knows that he intimidates the little mouse who works for him, but doesn't know what causes her fear. This story covers some hard topics including abuse and abandonment. What makes this story so good is we see the steps involved to overcome problems. It's not just a case of telling someone to - "get over it".

T-Rex, as Charlotte likes to call him, is a hard-working man who loves his family. He feels protective of the people close to him. Charlotte has her issues to overcome, but she does want to overcome them and get stronger. She doesn't want to bury her head in the sand any longer. I loved both of these characters, him for his need to protect Charlotte and her for her strength trying to get better. They are better for knowing each other.

The sexy times came later in the book and when they did come they were HOT. There were some violent scenes, but they were written tastefully and never made me feel uncomfortable.

Overall I loved this story. Definitely, will be reading more in this series.

[NMmomof4 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars

Overall Opinion: I really enjoyed the initial dynamic and the whole hate-you-but-I-want-you type relationship going on, but it felt like it majorly fizzled out. I don't mind and actually enjoy damaged characters in my books, but I felt like it became too much of a focus and made the book too slow and even boring at times. The conflict is mostly from dealing with their pasts, so it was pretty low angst. It also was definitely a slow burn, meaning that it took until 74ish% to get to the sexy times. I know lots of people might really enjoy this (and did according to their reviews), but it just ended up being kind-of meh to me.

Brief Summary of the Storyline: This is Charlotte and Gabriel's story. The company Charlotte works for just got purchased by Gabriel, and he is doing a big change in staffing. She ends up being his PA, and they both spend a lot of time together. They both are attracted, but Gabriel senses that he needs to take his time with the timid, frightened Charlotte. They eventually work through some baggage from their pasts and fall in love....and get a HFN ending.

POV: This alternated between focusing on Charlotte and Gabriel in 3rd person narrative (not my favorite).

Overall Pace of Story: Ok. I did feel like it was slow for the second half -- but that could be because my attention was waning. I never skimmed through.

Instalove: No, I felt like they took a while to develop stronger feelings.

H rating: 4 stars. Gabriel. He was pretty darn patient and understanding! I didn't quite get the appeal tbh, so he seemed like a pretty amazing man.

h rating: 3 stars. Charlotte. She was ok. Her constant reference to herself as a mouse got old, but I felt bad for her past trauma.

Sadness level: Low, no tissues needed

Push/Pull:Yes The h is traumatized from her past relationship, so she is oblivious to and pushes away the H's advances. The H is the main pursuer of the relationship.

Heat level: Good. They have some good tension, chemistry, and scenes -- but not so much it takes away from the story (but takes then a while to get to it).

Descriptive sex: Yes

Safe sex: Yes Mentions of condoms being used. I don't remember any mention of birth control, std statuses, or previous practices.

OW/OM drama: Yes The h is under the impression that the H has all these other partners while working for him (but he doesn't), and this causes some drama. The h's ex also causes some drama.

Sex scene with OW or OM: No

Cheating: No

Separation: No

Possible Triggers: Yes The h was abused emotionally and physically as well as stalked by her last (and only) boyfriend (off page - through memories), loss of parents (off page h), child/spouse abandonment (off page - through memories H), the h works under H (on page), and parent being sick and dying of cancer (H on page).

Closure: That had ok closure with what I would call a HFN ending they get engaged . I would've liked a farther jump ahead epilogue to see their HEA tbh.

How I got it: I got it on loan through my public library.

Safety: This one should be Safe for most safety gang readers

- Does Not have cheating
- Does Not have a descriptive sex scene with OW/OM
- Does have the h pushing the H away
- Does Not have a separation between the h and H
- Does have abuse (See trigger spoiler)
- Does Not have OTT sad parts
- Does Not have a HEA ending

[✰♊ Angie ♊✰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought it was great!

Fantastically written, hot rugby player, tons of possessive alpha male growling, dirty talk and loads of spice, insanely hot rugby player, emotionally damaged characters who truly fought to overcome their issues, super flippin' hot rugby player. I mean, what's not to love?

[Giorgia Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Hmm, all I can say about this one is that there was nothing wrong with it and it was a solid read. That being said, it just didn't have something. I don't know what that something should have been but I didn't feel much reading it and I kind of just wanted to get it over with. I suppose this is a situation of me not the book because I just couldn't connect with it.

[Alp · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual, Nalini Singh delivers a wonderful and entertaining story. This was cute, sweet, beautiful, and emotional!

I found the first 40% of the book to be very appealing and the rest of it was pretty good. The banter between Gabriel and Charlotte was lovely and hilarious at times that it kept me laughing and smiling like an idiot. Seeing Gabriel tried so hard to make Charlotte see him as a man, not her boss, and tried to get her attention by making her jealous was very funny, yet it totally made my heart swell. He’s incredibly sexy and sweet! The story was good, almost great, and I did enjoy it.

Then why not 5 stars?

Let me put it this way, I apparently had a few problems with this book.

First of all, I admit I’m not a big fan of the stories about abusive ex-boyfriend/husband. This kind of plot thoroughly pisses me off—a damaged heroine who has been abused and tortured by her psychopath boyfriend/husband. Nope. It’s just not to my personal liking.

Secondly, I was so frustrated with Charlotte that she had too many issues getting over her traumatic experience, it was very realistic though. (It wasn’t that simple to get past this kind of horrible experience, especially in her case that she didn't get proper therapy after what she had been through.)

And finally, there was not much happening in this book, yet it was overly long.

Aside from my dissatisfaction due to those issues, I loved everything in Rock Hard. There was a great storyline, a ton of sweet moments, and interesting characters, of course, especially Gabriel—my T-Rex! He’s so special!

Mouth dry, she said, “You’re asking me to marry you?”
“No. You are marrying me.” Taking her hand, he thrust a ring onto her finger.

Here’s my Gabriel. How could I not love him?

Overall, this was a pleasurable and lovely read.

[Christie«SHBBblogger» · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Rock Hard
Series: Rock Kiss #2
Author: Nalini Singh
Release date: March 10, 2015
Rating: 4 stars
Cliffhanger: No
HEAYes



Well, consider me shocked, and slap a happy reader label on me. This book was a gamble for me because while I ended up giving the first book in the series an average rating, it was a struggle to even finish for a good part of it. It was such a struggle for me, that I swore I wasn't going to try any more in the series. The major insta-love was hard to swallow. I passed on the novella before this one, but there was a little voice inside me that wouldn't let me pass this one up.

If you read Rock Addiction, you know that Charlotte (otherwise known as the mouse) is the best friend of Molly. And the hero here is none other than her frightening, dominant-type boss that scares the wits out of her. (Hence the nickname T-rex)

He really was a T-Rex, stomping through the company, chewing up people and spitting them out left, right and center.

The little snippets we got of her discussing her unreasonable, tyrannical boss were some of the funniest points in book one. So my willpower was low in resisting this one. And thank god, it payed off because I couldn't get enough of the naughty T-rex and his Ms. Baird.

Ms. Baird, no one is good or bad at sex by themselves," he drawled. "It's a team effort, and you know I'm a team player."

The author did a fantastic job making the predatory essence radiate right off of Gabriel. He was so exacting and merciless with anyone who crossed his path and his people skills were pretty much non-existant. But I loved his razor sharp intelligence. And his bullshit meter was working in prime form. Nobody could get a thing past him. Including Charlie's extreme shyness and fear around him. When others would blow her off as insignificant, he sees all her hidden strengths and promotes her to his assistant. And the clash of wills begins.



It's important to explain that another fear for me was the heroine's mousy attitude. A huge pet peeve of mine is a weak or annoying heroine. Knowing what her personality was, I was scared she would grate on me after a while.
Surprise of surprises, I didn't feel that way at all. Knowing what brought her to that place, and seeing her come out of her shell, I accepted her-flaws and all.

Charlie is a barely functioning survivor of a relationship gone very wrong culminating in one night of terror. This man destroyed her sense of safety and confidence and she became a minefield of triggers that would bring on a panic attack. Her history was heartbreaking. I didn't see her as weak, I saw her as a survivor just trying to learn how to deal. She made me laugh out loud at so many points in the book with her quick wit. So, while this was light and entertaining with a surprising dose of humor, it also dealt with her recovery from her trauma and Gabriel's patient hand in bringing that about.



Did it take a bit long to break through to her? Yeah, I could have handled it happening quicker. Normally I would be getting annoyed at how long it takes for them to get together. But realistically, I don't think that would have been plausible. And their long foreplay only made even hotter burn when it culminated.

"Men like you don't go for women like me."
"How many men like me do you know?" he asked with a lingering look at her mouth. God but he wanted to kiss Charlotte, wanted to feast on her. Every part of her.



Seeing her confidence grow in every facet of her life was lovely to see. Her sense of style from shapeless to sexy. Her evolution from terrified mouse to cheeky and smart mouthed. It made me love her all the more. It wasn't all one sided either. Charlie helps him make some tough realizations about himself and brings positive changes to him as well.

After dominating the rugby field, followed by the board room, his goal of a complete take over of his worthy opponent Ms. Baird is his current obsession. And what Gabriel wants, Gabriel gets. If you're looking for a book with humor, a sexy dominant boss, and a woman who learns how to take back the power that was stolen from her, this book could be for you. I was delightfully surprised, and I'm more than willing to see what's to offer from this series in the future.



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[RLbooks (in and out) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ate this up. I was just in the right mood for a more forceful H paired with a traumatized, but still feisty h. I was so invested in how Gabriel (H) was going to win Charlotte (h) over and how she was potentially going to grow as a character since she had many PTSD triggers. He’s a famous former rugby star turned head of a business empire and also her brand new boss that’s a workaholic and demanding. Though once Charlotte’s got her feet under her in the role as his personal assistant, she could lay into him when needed. The story’s character-focused and relationship-driven.

Written in third person, dual POV. No om drama (though H does get jealous when someone asks the h out in front of him) and not really ow drama but the H had the h send flowers after he’d go on dates with ow (that’s all they were, first dates and nothing more; he was trying to make her jealous and prod at her because he’s stupid). The H also says that there’s a woman he’s trying to win over (he means the h but she thinks it’s someone else) so there are some moments of discomfort and jealousy on her part, however he’s been celibate since meeting her. She had only been with her abusive ex before.

Some tropes/themes:
☆ Previously abused FMC with PTSD
☆ Wealthy, driven MMC
☆ Female friendship
☆ Loving family on MMC’s side/deceased family on FMC’s side
☆ MMC likes to get FMC annoyed at him
☆ Holding back to wait for her
☆ Size difference
☆ He takes his shirt off around her
☆ Dirty talker
☆ Office romance and romance *in* the office ;)
☆ He apologizes with gifts
☆ Overcoming trauma
☆ Moving on

What Charlotte went through, which we learn about in bits and pieces, was devastating. Please mind your triggers as there are recollections and discussions of abuse. She was so much braver than she gave herself credit for and I hated that she considered herself a mouse, though it was amusing that she called Gabriel a T-Rex. I loved that he saw beyond her attempt to blend in and recognized her intelligence and capabilities, even if he wasn’t the most easy to work with boss. Charlotte found a way. I also liked that Gabriel knew almost immediately that he wanted his Ms. Baird (her last name), though his attempts to make her jealous were idiotic.

There are a lot of scenes of Charlotte and Gabriel working closely together, at first laying the foundation for their working relationship and then Gabriel’s first forays into flirting and tempting her for more. He was quite the dirty talker and though it takes some time for them to get physically intimate, he was very clear on what he wanted to do with her. The story is very steamy in places. Charlotte was both into it and intimidated by it at times, which was completely understandable. I thought the author did an excellent job of highlighting that she wasn’t instantly healed just because this forceful and attractive guy was into her. There are setbacks and frustrations. Charlotte does goes back to therapy.

Sometimes Gabriel did push too hard or showed frustrations (usually with himself) in a way that hurt Charlotte too. I actually thought this was pretty realistic. In a new relationship, there are going to be learning curves anyway and then when you throw together someone who’s used to getting what they want with someone who isn’t always sure what they can or can’t tolerate, pain points were going to be found and have to be addressed. He also does some very sweet things like paying attention to what she likes and showing her how into her he is, when she doesn’t understand why he’d feel that way about her.

Gabriel’s family were amazing and I immediately want to read more with them in it (I have at least one of their books already on my TBR thanks to friends’ reviews). Charlotte’s parents were gone already, but her best friend (whose book was the first in the series, though this stands alone) was a fantastic bestie from afar. You could feel their bond in the scenes where they encouraged and pushed each other.

Most of the story is Charlotte and Gabriel working through their business and personal relationships. There is a side plot line involving Gabriel’s father that becomes emotional and underscored that it wasn’t just Charlotte that needed to be vulnerable and emotionally intimate. There’s also a side plot line for Charlotte regarding her abuser and concerns about her continued safety.

The climax is executed well and I cheered for Charlotte. She fought for her HEA and wasn’t going to let it get taken away. The proposal was not my favorite, but the ending with their negotiations for their marriage was so them that I ended the story with a smile. I’m sure that they’ll be in his younger brothers’ books too and I’m hoping for Gabriel as a father because I bet that would be just the most precious thing. I don't think that Gabriel's going to be the H for everyone and some of my friends' reviews mention liking this less on reread than they did the first time, just FYI.

[Wendy'sThoughts · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 T-Rex Love Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free
Good or bad... I think the essence of who we are always comes out. We can try to present ourselves as a nondescript, average, a worker bee in order to blend... but if we have an inner spark and strength... it will be revealed.

We have the story of Big, Over the Top, Ex Professional Rugby Star turned Wealthy Businessman Gabriel Bishop. His presence and ways merit capital letters. He was injured early during his successful sports career and has transferred all of his determination and skills to purchasing businesses on the brink of failure and taking over, cleaning house if necessary and then moving on.

Charlotte Baird loves her company. She has been working here for quite some time and has seen how the past CEO ran it into the ground. She has been living her life quite happily in lower case letters... trying to just be what needs to be done without fanfare. She works for the classic bitch in the industry... the boss who is always demeaning, always cutting and rude and always having her assistant do all of the work and personally take all of the credit.

The story starts with Charlotte doing nothing unusual...she is there on a Saturday working alone, finishing up a project the witch wanted first thing. She is getting ready to leave and then she hears a noise...a person and that is just wrong...It is coming from the file room and as Charlotte gets closer, all types of ideas run through her head...Is someone trying to steal files...why would someone be there...In a panic, she grabs an industrial-size stapler as a weapon and ends up throwing it at the head of the man coming out of the file room.

A large, actually beautiful hand blocks the stapler catching it. Charlotte would like the floor to open up and swallow her...her new boss, Gabriel Bishop looks at her and suggests a three-hole punch as a better weapon in the future.

Dying, Charlotte mumbles her apologies and Gabriel starts a conversation with her.... or he attempts to... because the poor thing is so rattled and nervous... She reminds him of a little mouse. After somehow getting her to talk a bit about the company and its strengths and weaknesses, he takes her home.

An impression was made on Gabriel. He sees something in her and follows up a hunch. He investigates all of the projects that have come out of her boss' department. He notices a pattern and acts accordingly. He decides his little mouse is not so invisible or meek.... she just needs to have the chance to show what she is made of and be able to get credit for her own work. He puts together a plan not only for the company using her talents... but also a plan for himself as well. Because Big Strong Intimidating Gabriel... T-Rex in Charlotte's mind... has decided Charlotte is someone he wants to know better.... much much better.

Charlotte has reasons for trying to stay in the wings of life... letting others take center stage. She had a relationship with a man who did everything a man shouldn't. He is far away from her now and she never wants to draw that type of attention to herself again. She even has been having a "friendship" with a nondescript man... sort of dating...but nothing romantic. This has been her life... and now Gabriel has forced his way in and caused her to feel things which have been slumbering.

This was a terrific read. It had all the makings of the cat and mouse game of romance. It was quick-witted and the lead up to this couple finally becoming a couple was worth it. Gabriel was swoony and Charlotte worked hard to push back and tame him a bit. The banter was top notch.

There was a strong plot and was a quick read. This was my first book by Nalini Singh and it definitely won't be my last.


A gifted copy was provided by the author via NetGalley for an honest review.

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[Penelope ✘ that awkward girl that doesn't go here ✘ · Rating 5 out of 5]

FOUR AND A HALF STARS!



So, I totally have a weak spot for gingers. Who can sing. And play mad things on his guitar.

Totally not relevant to this review. What is relevant is that this is an amazing story and I think Nalini Singh has been peeking at my Christmas list because it had all the things that I love, not only in a hero but also in the story that enfolds said perfect hero.

Rock Hard is ultimately a story of resilience, of learning to cope when you've been stuck in a certain attitude for far too long, of a little mouse who manages to turn a T-Rex's life upside down. Charlotte Baird has suffered through horrific events that no woman should ever have to go through in her life. As a result, she has learned to protect herself as best as she knows how, living a sedate and uninspiring life that lets her feel safe. Life as she knows it changes radically when Gabriel Bishop, former rugby player turned CEO shark, takes on the company where she works at in the hopes of saving it from bankruptcy. He's pushy, determined and resourceful, exactly what the company and Ms. Baird needs to change the current outlook of their futures.

First things first, Gabriel is a bloody beast. He is the perfect combination of growly man beast with such a strong sense of loyalty and love for family that I couldn't help but salivate over him. Not only is the bastard a sneaky devil but he's such an absolute charmer that you can't help but be swept away by him.


Charlie on the other hand is such a loveable character. She's naturally shy so seeing her bloom and slowly come out of her shell with Gabriel had me rooting for her, not only to find happiness but to overcome the jagged pieces of her psyche left by a sorry excuse of a human being. My heart felt for her and I was proud to see her struggle so fiercely to stand on her own two feet and not be defined by what was done to her.

My absolute favourite thing about this book was the hilarious banter between the two mcs. They were just so hilarious together that I was left wishing for more.

"Ms. Baird, you sound breathless again." Gabriel's deep voice went straight to her nipples and the slick folds between her thighs. "Did I make you run to the phone?"
"No, 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."
Charlotte pulled up the sheet to cover herself, feeling exposed even though he was on the other end of the phone line. "I was just... doing something."
"Good, keep doing it. I want to hear you do it."

Oh, and on another note, I have to make mention how positively pleased I was about the positive portrayal of Polynesian people in this book. It's rare to see people like me in books (which I have no idea why since we very much deserve love as well, lol) and I haven't been impressed in the past, so I was glad to see it work for once in a book.

Overall, this book was top notch for me. I would definitely recommend this read for those who love a bit of a slow burning office romance filled with laughs, strong women, and a sinfully tasty beast who doesn't know the meaning of quit.

Rock Hard is part of a series and should be read in order for maximum enjoyment:

You can read my review for Rock Addiction here and Rock Courtship here.
------------------

Pre-Review:

I'm off to see Ed Sheeran tonight so review to come when I'm not feeling so lazy.

On a side note, props to Hayden for willingly getting pregnant by this guy. He looks like a beast. ;D

[Milla · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨5 stars forever and ever✨

"If he was right, he had an even harder road ahead than he'd realized. Giving up, however, was simply not an option. He had decided on Charlotte.

This book gets better every. single. time. How is that possible? God I'm on my 4th re-read and I still love it as much as the first go around.

Let's get into that.

First things first we gotta give it up for trauma informed writing! As romance readers we see a lot of shitty things happen to heroines. Either for the plot, the backstory, the motivation, the determination of the character whatever. What we very rarely see though is authors who give a shit about their characters who've been brutalized as if they were a real person. Because guess what! The reader is. If 1 in 4 women has been sexually assaulted, you might wanna write your books with a little bit of care and show your reader that you give a shit that they might be that 1.

And Nalini Singh fucking gets it. Because damn, Charlotte felt like a real person who'd gone through something so traumatic and wanted desperately to move on, but just couldn't because these things stain you. Charlotte said broken but I won't use that term because I don't think we're broken at all. I think we're marked by what's happened to us, but we're whole.

Anyway! You can see all throughout the book how trauma informed the writing is. There's discussions of multiple rounds of therapy, how your brain will blame you for your assault even when you logically know it wasn't your fault, how PTSD can affect you in a thousand stupid ways you wouldn't imagine, how you can carry your scars and grow from them, and most important - that love doesn't heal all wounds. I know I complain about a lot of shit in books lmao but that one has the be the realest. Why the fuck authors act like someone could be traumatized out of their mind, but then out of nowhere she's able to put her trauma in her past simply by a hot guy giving her a good dicking.




That's some bullshit, Mary.

If it were that simple I'm pretty sure PTSD wouldn't exist lmao but luckily none of that to be found here! This book addresses Charlotte's trauma and very slowly over time shows how she actively works on healing. And more than that, Gabriel isn't the person who "fixes" her.

Charlotte was already doing the fucking work!

"It was a crutch, but as Molly had said, so what? If having the phone within reach allowed her to function, to step outside into the world, to not live in a cage, then no one had any right to judge her. It had taken Charlotte time, but she'd stopped judging herself for the need too."

Charlotte did the damn work and healed herself, but Gabriel gave her confidence to be strong. He gave her a safe space to fight back in small ways, until she felt big enough to fight the scarier stuff. And excuse me?? Is that not the ultimate dream of a hero?? 😌💅🏽
Charlotte might have started out a mousey little girl, who luckily still had a big personality beneath the shy exterior, but by the end she's in a place of power and autonomy. Not exclusively because of ~*~The Power of Her Man~*~ but because she had him as a support system.

That being said... I feel like all of us would feel stronger with a mammoth of a man walking beside us tryna fight all our battles 👀


And if you're worried that a book about a traumatized heroine would be low on smut, I can assure you... Gabriel is a slut lmaoo Before they even get together the man is just running his slutty mouth all damn day, so you definitely don't lose out on the spice with the subject matter.

Do me a favour, read this book and then tell me I'm right that Charlotte and Gabriel are the ultimate angel icons.




Also putting in this little spoiler quote because I find it super cute and funny.

"We aren't canoodling."
"We will be." However, instead of a kiss, he reached into his pocked to pull out a piece of paper. "It's a prenuptial agreement."
Mouth dry, she said, "You're asking me to marry you?"
"No. You are marrying me." Taking her hand, he thrust a ring onto her finger.

[~Nichole~ Sizzling Pages Romance Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

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OK so my heart is beating out if my chest. I have swooning romantic
tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat. Nalini Singh is totally one
amazing perfect hero creator. I've read 2 PNR books of hers and now all 3
books in this series and every single solitary time she's given me
amazingly intense. . beautiful sexy dominant heroes who are totally
devoted to their women. Gabriel Bishop. . wow like fine wine he settles
warm in my tummy. Like a warm blanket in the dead cold of winter this
hero not only melted my heart. ... he caused it to simmer then boil.
Sweet bossy romantic sexy.. erotic. . passionate protective loyal and
just plain wonderful. If you haven't gotten my point.. hes completely
perfect alpha approved. 

 

 This story had healing and was so emotional.
For every scar on Charlotte's heart.. Gabriele had the healing balm of a
devoted and true touch and everything about this amazing hero captured not only my attention but kept me flipping pages like crazy. This book right here is the perfect example of why I ever started
reading romance. A hero who adores. .protects..seduces...romances..and
cherishes the heroine from day freaking ONE. I'm so addicted to this
read that I did not sleep. Gabriel Bishop has risen to the very top of
the perfect hero list. OMG! !!!"

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

1st read - March 2015
2nd read - November 2017

It wasn't easy for Charlie to put her life back together after escaping from an abusive relationship but she has worked hard to get where she is now and although she is still painfully shy she is good at her job and is independent. When Gabriel is brought in to completely overhaul the company she works for Charlie is terrified she's about to be fired but instead she finds herself promoted and working directly for Gabriel as his personal assistant. Gabriel is a terrifying T-Rex of a man, he demands a great deal from his staff and puts Charlie under a huge amount of pressure but at the same time she feels incredibly safe around him. No matter how scary she finds him she knows without a doubt that he would never hurt her and she finds herself gaining confidence in herself with him at her side. Gabriel wants Charlie from the moment he sets eyes on her and it doesn't take him long to realise just how special she is. He can see she's been hurt in the past though and he is more than willing to take his time stalking his prey.

This series really does get better and better with every single book, I've been looking forward to Charlie mouse and T-Rex's story for such a long time now and it was totally worth the wait. I've always been a huge fan of Nalini Singh for her paranormal romances but with this series she's proving that she's just as good at writing contemporary and this book was utterly perfect. I don't think I would change a single thing about it and just thinking about how much I enjoyed reading it has me wanting to pick it back up and devour it for a second time.

We all know that alpha heroes have become a huge trend in contemporary romances recently and I love strong, dominant heroes as much as the next girl but I'm often disappointed because some authors seem to think that alpha male is equivalent to domineering, abusive arse. If you want to meet a REAL alpha let me introduce you to Gabriel. Yes the man is grumpy and domineering at work, he knows what he wants and he expects his staff to do it immediately - he isn't known as the T-Rex for nothing - but he isn't unreasonable. He expects hard work from everyone else because he works hard himself, he puts in longer hours than anyone and wouldn't ask you to do something that he wasn't willing to do too. Outside the office Gabriel is the nicest guy you could ever hope to meet, he is sweet, kind, funny and thoughtful. He has a take charge attitude but he also knows when to take a step back and hand the reigns over to someone else.

I have a lot of respect for the way Gabriel treated Charlie, he set his sights on her very quickly but he could see that she was skittish and nervous and he respected her need for space and to take things slowly. He takes time to get to know her, to build trust between them and to just show her what a great guy he is before he even hints at wanting anything more than a business relationship between them. When he finally makes his move he knows just how far to push her so that things start to move forwards but he backs off immediately the second she gets nervous.

I absolutely loved seeing Charlie's confidence in herself increase, even before they're in a relationship Gabriel has a way of building her up and showing her just how special she is. She starts the story very mousy and almost afraid of her own shadow, something that isn't too surprising when you find out about her history, but by the end of the book she can really fight her own corner. I thought Nalini Singh handled her past sensitively and Charlie's progression was perfect, she wasn't cured of her fears overnight - nobody who had survived what she did could be - but she makes steady progress because she has the support of a guy who is willing to listen to her needs. Gabriel's instincts make him want to protect Charlie but he understands how important her independence is to her and he helps her live life on her own terms.

The whole Rock Kiss series has been brilliant but Rock Hard takes things up to a whole new level and Charlie and Gabriel are definitely one of my favourite Nalini Singh couples. I know I'll be reading this story again and again while I wait for the next book in the series to release and I'm really hoping that we're going to get stories about Gabriel's brothers that will allow us to catch up with these two too. I can't recommend Nalini Singh's books highly enough, she never lets me down and always, always makes me fall head over heels for her characters.

[Bubu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nalini Singh's name and her Psy-Changeling series have been popping up on my update site ever since I joined GR. Not being interested in PNR, it took The Hermit and the The Hooker for me to realise that Ms Singh has also a non-PNR CR series running. A quick look and I found Rock Hard - you have to admit, it is a rather silly name - which was the least NA sounding book. One 'Buy now with 1-Click' later and I settled into my Friday evening , expecting a nice dinner after reading the first few chapters and some quality snuggle-up time with my husband in front of the TV for a couple of hours.

What I didn't expect was a rather rushed dinner, an awkward 'Umm...' answer to the question which TV show's episode we should watch and a lot of secret glances at my watch wondering how much time on the episode was left. And what I most certainly didn't expect was to be up at half six in the morning with only a few pages of Rock Hard left.

Charlotte Baird, a young twenty something, is a mouse working for a company on the brink of ruin. With a naturally shy disposition to begin with, a traumatic event in her past has turned her into the Mouse. A woman who doesn't want to be seen or to be noticed, hard working, vulnerable to a degree that makes her an easy target for the lowlifes in the office who take advantage of her. With her company close to bankruptcy, she encounters the newly appointed CEO, Gabriel Bishop, one late evening, thinking he might be an intruder and throws a rather big stapler at him. Turns out, she actually knows him, but then so does almost the rest of New Zealand. A very famous and very successful Ex-Rugby player who turned into a successful business man after an injury finished his rugby career. Not only rich and famous, he's also Mr. Sex on a stick. direct, crude and very goal oriented. His goal being turning the company into its former glory. He's everything that triggers the worst kind of fears in Charlotte, very tall, broad and intimidating. It doesn't take him long to establish his working style, firing incompetent employees, leaving a sense of dread among those still wondering if they'll have a job the next day, Charlotte included. She aptly nick names him T-Rex.

He really was a T-Rex, stomping through the company, chewing up people and spitting them out left, right, and center.

Anyway, long story short, Charlotte ends up being Gabriel's new PA. Hard Rock is Charlotte's story really. We watch her slow transformation from the mouse who locks up in Gabriel's presence into a woman who conquers her fears. Slow is the keyword here. Whilst her transformations takes some time, the story itself is engaging and never slows down. Charlotte and Gabriel learn each other's ticks and quirks and the journey is utterly delightful.

Ms. Singh created two incredibly vivid and charming characters. Their developing work dynamic mirrors their growing attraction for each other without getting physical. In fact, they don't even kiss until well into the book.

Although it's more Charlotte's story and I truly loved seeing her change, Gabriel was the real surprise here. He starts out as the usual controlling, super confident alpha male and Ms. Singh doesn't change him, but she adds a depth to his character that made this book stand out for me.

Now, the reason why I usually avoid CRs is because the little cynic in me knows that such male perfection in body, soul and mind in the 21st century is rather a joke, whilst I can bend my belief in HRs. Gabriel is the reason why I gave this book 5 stars. The story is funny and engaging, Gabriel fulfilling all the stereotypical criteria of heroes, but already at the beginning of the book there are little hints here and there that there might be a little bit more to him than meets the eye. So here I am, happily reading along until the chapter called T-Rex Sets a Trap for Charlie-mouse and everything comes to a screeching halt. I stop, look up, go back and read it again, in case my eyes have been failing me. And out comes a big fucking SIGH!!!.

The lengths he goes to win Charlotte's trust knocked me right off my feet. He is incredibly perceptive and, although ignorant of the details, he doesn't need to be told what happened to her. Extremely self-aware of his own personality, he does everything to reach out to Charlotte without scaring her and without losing his bad boy-ness.

As a heroine-centric reader, my focus on the hero is rather limited compared to the heroine and the most I will usually say is strong, likable, adorable. Words like absolutely delicious, yummy, biteable and swoon-worthy are extremely rare to be found. But when Gabriel says to Charlotte (after she's had another one of her panic attacks)

“Teach me to make this sauce, then teach me what I did that set you off so I don’t do it again.” .

the little cynic in me was a crying mess.

I swear, with Gabriel being an ex-Rugby player, had Ms. Singh put in a Haka scene with him, I would have been on my way to New Zealand already. Too bad the other CRs are more NA novels. But she gave me Gabriel! GO! READ IT!

[Lila · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 stars

"...the mouse will have to learn to wrangle the T-Rex."



Ok, this one's a winner.:)

I know there were quite a few readers who disliked first book in series.
I know, because I had mixed feelings about it myself. So, as much as I was intrigued by those little tease details Nalini shared about T-Rex and Charlie... I went into it knowing that this book will decide whether I'll continue with series or abandon the ship.
Well, I can say that this book is the best in series and I am fully on board. :)

This time Nalini tackles another popular contemporary romance premise-Boss/Secretary. I like this plot more than Rock Star since it comes with possible intriguing ethical conflict. Said conflict doesn't happen, since Gabriel's idea of seduction is to drive Charlotte insane, so she doesn't even know she is actually being courted. :)
I always had a feeling that Nalini has a tremendous fun writing this series, but in this book it was obvious more than ever:
Gabriel and Charlie banter is everything.
He is this growly, slave driver of a boss and Charlie is losing patience (anyone would), and this epic clash of T-Rex and mouse is so damn fun to read!* I snickered and even laughed out loud few times.:)

But Gabriel is trying to aggravate and poke Charlotte not because he's got nothing better to do, but because he sensed that under quiet and shy persona lies incredibly witty and feisty woman and he wants to provoke reaction. I felt like I was slowly unraveling and discovering just how great character Charlie is along with Gabriel, because she grew on me more and more with every page.
So, I'll be honest: T-Rex is swoon-worthy hero, but the truth is he is not that different from other hot guys I read. He is ex-rugby player, he is inked, he wears expensive suits, he is fierce negotiator, he is billionaire...You know. But Charlie is the one who got all my love. She transforms from mouse to T-Rex tamer. :) She is scared at the beginning of her boss because she had a terrible traumatic experience and it left consequences on her: she has severe panic attacks, she chokes up when she has flashbacks and she is terrified of all men, especially those who are really large like Gabriel. I don't have a good experience with how PTSD is usually written in romance books, but I have to hand it to Nalini- she did everything right. My favorite thing has to be that she didn't make it sexual which is apparently a must in NA.
Charlie is thawing very slowly toward Gabriel and months passed before she is relaxed around him. So, no insta-love here. Also, they go really, really slow with everything, including sex. It happens around 65% mark.
Charlie wants to try and deal with her fear and demons from her past on her own with Gabriel's help- she is not stupid not to see benefits of his protection, but she is also not being helpless; woman in need to be protected by others. Seriously, Charlie rocks.
Nalini also didn't cure PTSD with a love of a good man which I can't stand. Charlie is still having issues at the end and that's ok.

I am not sure how this book ended up being full novel instead of novella because it's very loosely tied to whole Rock Star arc, but I am so glad it did. I love my Nalini with blood and carnage, so I am bigger fan of her other two series, but this book, despite being written in lighter tone than those, is simply adorable and fun.

*I'll share some quotes after book release.

*Copy from author. No compensation was provided and all opinions are strictly my own.

[Tanja ~ KT Book Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to be honest in saying that I am feeling a bit perplexed with the direction this series is going in. We have moved on from the rock stars and arrived at rugby player turned businessman. Now, I am all for branching out into other genres, but this just seems like a detour to me. Moving on.

As well as the direction, I am left a bit confused with the story of Gabriel and Charlotte too. It felt, to me, counterproductive and a terribly confusing character development.

Charlotte is incredibly shy and almost scared of anyone in authority. She is called a mouse throughout the book. Charlotte’s back-story is that she was kidnapped and held against her will by an abusive ex over a period of time being tortured and abused. The result is an overly careful, OCD type of home life and a nonexistent dating life.

Gabriel is an ex-rugby player turned businessman who sees the potential in Charlotte. He also sees her shyness as a turn on. So far so good right? Well, my issue is Gabriel as a tendency to be very demanding when it comes to their romance. Yet Charlotte still has panic attacks and freezes up when touched in certain areas. It just didn’t make sense to me when one moment they were tearing at each other and the next a total freeze out. I mean, if you know she has issues why would you use blatant sexual dominant talk that could trigger her reactions in the negative?

Don’t get me wrong, the office romance and banter is fantastic, that alone makes it worth the read. However, it just missed the mark for me. I just wish it could have been more a story of a timid mouse being shy and less of the traumatic issues causing the strife.



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[Izy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating~ 4.5 stars

ARC was generously provided in exchange for an honest review

Warning: If you know me then you know I love Nalini Singh’s books and her so this review is a tiny bit biased.

Charlotte Baird aka Mouse is a painfully shy woman especially after what happened to her during her college years. She carries scars both inside and out. She is also extremely intelligent and a wonderful best friend to Molly.

Gabriel Bishop aka T-Rex is is former rugby player and the new CEO at the company Charlotte works at. Gabriel promotes Charlotte as his new PA at the beginning of the book never mind that she threw a stapler at his head the first time they met in person.

I just loved Charlotte, her internal monologue could be hilarious at times and at others self deprecating.

"Eventually, she’d turn into a crazy woman with bird’s-nest hair who frightened small children and random telemarketers."

She was just a great heroine, she knew that she was shy and could be a coward. She knew that she didn’t want to be a scared woman living her life in fear and she was tiring to not let her fears and the nightmare win. How can anyone not admire and love that? She goes through a great development over the period of the book, which was done in a believable way.



Gabriel was wonderful; he was patient and understanding with Charlotte. He knew he wanted her from the get go. He helped her gain her confidence and made her feel comfortable in her own skin. He’s a swoon worthy hero truly, the way he adored Charlotte, cared for her, protected her and yes needled & teased her to get a out of character response from Charlotte. I think those teasing scenes were my favourite.

"Smart Women were his catnip-and Charlotte Baird was very, very smart."



One thing I did not except was Gabriel having a sense of humor. I have no clue why, maybe because he’s supposed to be a T-Rex *shrugs* but I loved it nonetheless.

Gabriel sighed. “I’m crushed, fragile flower that I am”

I think that Charlotte and Gabriel had a pretty darn amazing relationship. Gah and don’t even get me started on the romance. It was how you except romance to be; sweet, soft and passionate & sexy at times. Seriously I think I had a smile on my face the entire time I was reading.

That made him growl. “You used to be so compliant. What happened?’
“You did,” she whispered.




There were few twists and turns including Charlottes traumatic past, Gabriel’s biological father before they got their happy ending.

Random thing I liked: I really liked the chapter names, they were pretty much on point on what happens in the chapter but they were also funny and interesting.

Overall, this is my favourite book in the series and I really wish that Nalini can somehow write books for Gabriel’s brothers as well. I loved their family dynamic. I adored T-Rex and the mouse together. Happy Reading!

[WhiskeyintheJar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The company Charlotte Baird works for is going under and in a last ditch effort to try and save everything, they hire a new CEO, Gabriel Bishop. Gabriel is a former professional rugby player and has quite the reputation for storming into down and out companies and miraculously saving them. He is a bit pushy, demanding, and well, intimidating like a T-Rex while Charlotte is as forceful as a timid mouse. Charlotte has a traumatic past that has shaped her into who she is today but the more she faces off against the T-Rex, the more strength she gains and shows. The more Gabriel experiences and sees of Charlotte's mind and personality, the more he likes and wants her. He's smart enough to know to go slow and, barely, patient enough to wait for Charlotte to gain her strength before he shows her just how much he wants her. These two may just argue their way to true love.

The story starts off right out the gate with our heroine Charlotte throwing a stapler at our hero Gabriel, which he catches easily and sets the tone for the rest of the story; whatever Charlotte gives Gabriel to handle, he does. Charlotte had an abusive ex-boyfriend who traumatized her to the point of her having panic attacks, PTSD, and a general submissive fearful outlook on life and people. Charlotte sees herself as a mouse, just scurrying along trying to survive. She struggles to accomplish tasks and instead of celebrating any strides she makes, she puts herself down for not meeting the high standards she has set. When she meets Gabriel and comes up against his 6'5" muscular broad shouldered frame and even more forceful personality, she fights to not shut down immediately or run away. While Charlotte's obvious fear of him makes Gabriel angry, it is the not so obvious fight he catches glimpses of inside her that draws him.

Gabriel knows he is a beast to work with and learning Charlotte's nickname for him is T-Rex doesn't cause him to bat an eye. However, recognizing the fear Charlotte has of him and deducing why, he keeps a tight leash on himself around Charlotte while simultaneously giving her enough of a nudge to bring her fighting spirit out and help her gain strength. Rock Hard is wholly and completely a love story. Gabriel's restraint, handling, urging, needling, and patience set the tone while Charlotte's reactions, growth, temper, anger, regret, will, and fight set the pace. The pace may seem a little slow with focus on everyday actions but those seemingly innocuous instances are the power of this novel and what make this story a hidden fairytale. You will not find a truer prince charming or knight in shining armor than Gabriel, potty mouth and all. Gabriel slays Charlotte's demons and dragons in the gentlest, sexy, and most provoking ways.

Charlotte and Gabriel had great chemistry together and 95% of the story they are together and it works. However, since Charlotte's issues are such the focus, Gabriel as a separate being from Charlotte gets lost a bit. There is a little side line of issues pertaining to why Gabriel works so hard and how it relates to his feelings on his biological father but it isn't really focused on until the last 10%. Gabriel isn't quite a solid hero on his own but works beautifully as part and parcel with Charlotte. Charlotte is more dynamic and carries the reader along in the story well; you will be hurt for her and cheer her on. Secondary characters stay to the background with little snippets here and there to help carry our leads on. The villain of the story makes a physical appearance that I thought was a tad rushed and unnecessary as the impact of him psychologically was enough.

This is the second in the Rock Kiss series but can definitely be read as a standalone. The cover and title had me going in thinking I was to read a quick, light, and heavy on the sex contemporary. What I got instead was gutsy sweet characters with a beautiful crescendo of intimacy, contemporary. Rock Hard turned out to be a charmingly sweet fairytale and I am not disappointed in the least. If you have a secret pair of glass slippers in your closet, you'll want to grab a copy of this book and experience Gabriel for yourself.

[Jo ★The Book Sloth★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Pleasantly Surprised Stars

A definite improvement to the first book, although still not on the same level as NS's PNR series. What I enjoyed most was how little relationship drama was in the book.

Review to come...maybe.