Hard Beat
Series: Driven #7
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: K. Bromberg
Release Date: November 3, 2015
From the New York Times bestselling author of Sweet Ache comes a blistering new novel filled with danger, secrecy, and a desire that can’t be sated…
Foreign war correspondent Tanner Thomas is addicted to living on the edge. Needing the adrenaline rush of his job to help him cope with a personal loss, he throws himself back into the game, concentrating all his energy on getting the next big story.
But when he meets his new photojournalist, Beaux Croslyn, he can’t help but feel like he’s losing his focus—and maybe risking more…
With secrets she won’t address, Beaux is far from your ordinary woman. Determined to keep her distance, she’s willing to pull Tanner in closer and hide behind the sparks flying between them. But as Beaux’s past begins to put their relationship—and their lives—at risk, Tanner’s determination to find the truth puts them both in jeopardy.
He’s ready to chase her to the ends of the earth to find out if what they had was real, or if the danger surrounding them was just an exquisite heat fated to burn out…
She’s my little piece of Heaven in the land full of Hell.
It’s been quite a while since I read an all male POV that was this engrossing. Hard Beat was simply unputdownable from beginning to end. It was everything I love, and I really do mean everything. It managed to tick all my boxes.
A reedemable asshole hero.
You may remember Tanner as Rylee Thomas’s older brother. Well now it’s his turn for a HEA and it’s going to be one bumpy road. Tanner is a famous foreign war correspondent. Now back to doing what he does best after a tragic loss that absolutely gutted him, he’s interested in one thing and one thing only; his career. No woman, especially not some newbie photographer that’s still green behind her ears will deter him from that. So when a dark haired beauty approaches him at a bar, he rejects her. But her appeal is just too much for him to fight, so when her flirtation turns into sarcastic insults after his treatment, a few heated words turn into something much hotter
“You don’t have to like me to fuck me,” I say, cutting her off. “You just have to want me.”
“Fuck you!”
I chuckle against her lips before pulling back and looking straight into her desire-laden eyes. “That’s the plan.”
…. until he figures out that she’s his new photographer.
I think that had this been written in dual POV the effect would have been lost. I absolutely LOVED being in Tanner’s head. You get to experience every single emotion right along with him. So even when he’s being a downright asshole, your heart still breaks for him because you know what’s behind every word.
Utterly delicious hate to love trope
The relationship development here was phenomenal. The rocky start, the hate lust, all of which leads to inevitable feelings. But man oh man was it done well. I couldn’t get enough of Tanner and Beaux. These two seriously burn up the pages together. So much so that the tension between them sizzle and crackles so much it practically vibrates your finger with every turn of the page. Ugh. It was perfection.
A sassy and sharp witted heroine that gives as good as she gets
Beaux Croslyn is a mystery for a large portion of the book, but in that lies her appeal. You’re figuring out the puzzle that is her right along side Tanner. But what you do know, is this is a woman that doesn’t give in easily. For every asshole remark Tanner has, she gives it right back. She’s no pushover and she sure has a smart mouth on her.
“It seems to me your mouth needs to be washed out with soap. Not real classy for a lady to keep repeating words like that.”
“Oh, I’m a whole lot of classy. I just reserve all my fucks for assholes like you who deserve them.”
I simply couldn’t envision a better match for Tanner.
An unputdownable story filled with twists and turns
While the romance is emotional, erotic and oh so satisfying, what truly made this a 5 star read for me was the plot that tied it all together. It was fantastic! Then that last 30% happened and I was completely blown away. The twists and turns I never saw coming kept me riveted to the pages. I couldn’t put it down until I finished.
There’s not a single part about this book that I didn’t love. Quick paced, filled with action and even a little suspense, erotic, and emotionally charged made this the absolute perfect read. A must read!
Read the series in order
Driven (Driven, #1)
Fueled (Driven, #2)
Crashed (Driven, #3)
Raced (Driven, #4)
Slow Burn (Driven, #5)
Sweet Ache (Driven, #6)
Hard Beat (Driven, #7)
Coming 1/11/16
Aced (Driven, #8)
