Hard to Love: An Emotional, Sports Romance, Standalone Kincade Sisters Romance in the Play Hard Series

K. Bromberg

Sep 2021 · JKB Publishing, LLC

About this ebook

New York Times bestselling author, K. Bromberg, is back with a heartfelt, enemies to lovers romance and a hero who redeems himself to steal your heart . . . 

 

He was the one-night stand that didn’t exactly go as planned. Now he’s standing before me as if he’s never seen me naked, telling my manager he’ll take the job. Reluctantly. 

Finn Sanderson.

Sports agent extraordinaire. Handsome as hell. The man who just signed on to control my every move.

 

Sure, I’m to blame for my recent bad press, but when your whole life has been so regimented, isn’t it normal to want to live it up a little? 

But when the partying stops and the grief I’m running from has nowhere else to hide, reality sets in. Turns out, Finn’s the only person I have left to help pick up the pieces. The only person to call.  

Staying with him is a temporary thing. But when our fighting turns into laughter and our friendship turns into something more, will I fight for a man who swears he’s hard to love? Or is it wiser to walk away? To follow the plan?

* * *

Offering to help with a client is a way to repay a long overdue IOU to my mentor. Little did I know she was the woman who left my hotel room at four in the morning.  

Stevie Lancaster.

Top-seeded US tennis player. Good girl gone bad. The woman currently about to throw her career away. And now my problem. 

The compensation to “babysit” her is great, but she isn’t worth my trouble. 

But when her world falls apart and she has no one else to turn to, I try to be a good guy by gathering her up and hiding her from the media’s eye.

Now she’s in my house, in my space, and even though I’m enjoying the side benefits of this unexpected arrangement, surely she’s better to leave when the time comes and follow her destiny. Because I’m not the man she needs. Not the man she could love. Right?

Are you ready to fall for the Kincade sisters and then men who love them in K. Bromberg's sexy, contemporary, sports romance series? These books can all be read as standalones, but you’ll enjoy reading them as a series!

Hard to Handle (Hunter & Dekker's story - hockey romance)

Hard to Hold (Rush & Lennox''s story - soccer romance)

Hard to Score (Drew & Brexton's story - football romance)

Hard to Lose (Gunner & Chase's story - baseball romance)

Hard to Love (Finn & Stevie's story)

Read what others are saying about New York Times bestselling author, K. Bromberg:

“. . . riveting, sexy and pulsing with energy. And I can't wait for more!" - Lauren Blakely, #1 NYT bestsellingauthor

“An irresistibly hot romance that stays with you long after you finish the book.” - Jennifer L. Armentrout, # 1 NYT bestselling author 

“Captivating, emotional, and sizzling hot!” — S. C. Stephens , #1 NYT bestselling author

“Bromberg is a master at turning up the heat!”  — Katy Evans, NYT bestselling author

“K. Bromberg is the master of making hearts race and pulses pound.” — Jay Crownover, NYT bestsellingauthor 

“She has the most delicious heroes in the book world! A master storyteller!!” — Pepper Winters, NYTbestselling author 

“K. Bromberg writes the perfect romance, packed with steam, sizzle, and soul. — Ella James, USA Todaybestselling author 

"Super charged heat and full of heart. Bromberg aces it from the first page to the last." – Kylie Scott, NYTbestselling author

“Bromberg reminds you why this series was the phenomenon it is. Sexy, heartwarming, and so much more.” – Corinne Michaels, NYT bestselling author

". . . everything you want in a romance; sexy, sweet, and amazingly perfect." —KL Grayson, USA Today bestselling author

". . . everything you’ve ever wanted in a romance. Simply unputdownable." – Helena Hunting, NYT bestsellingauthor

Topics: contemporary romance, small town, second chance, friends to lovers, series, romantic series, women’s fiction, romance saga, romantic small town, series starter, first in series, romance series, romance saga, romantic family saga, new york times bestseller romance, NYT romance, new york times romance, sexy, heartwarming, sports romance, heart-warming, family, love, love books, kissing books, emotional journey, captivating romance, emotional, healing, hot, hot romance, forbidden love, sparks, loyalty, swoon, K. Bromberg romance, funny romance, modern romance, new release, office romance, forbidden romance, boy band, older in life, childhood crush, friends to lovers, one night stand, second chance romance, hidden romance, strong alpha, alpha hero, family business, strong female lead, strong heroine, family secrets, top romance reads, best seller, emotional romance, family romance, Driven series, military romance

Perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover, Nicholas Sparks, Maya Banks, Penelope Sky, Kendall Ryan, Kennedy Fox, Lexi Blake, EL James, Carrie Ann Ryan, Lani Lynn Vale, Chelle Bliss, Sarina Bowen, Penelope Ward, Nora Roberts, Marie Force, Melanie Harlow, Corinne Michaels, Laurelin Paige, Lauren Blakely, Lexy Ryan, Audrey Carlan, Melissa Foster, Kristen Proby, Devney Perry, Susan Stoker, Tessa Bailey, Jana Aston, Sally Thorne, Christina Lauren, Kristan Higgins, Elle Kennedy, Anna Todd, Debbie Macomber, Robyn Carr, Julia Kent, Sylvia Day, K.A. Linde, Catherine Cowles, Jill Shalvis, J. Daniels, Jessica Hawkins, Rachel VanDyken, Jodi Ellen Malpas, L.J. Shen, Natasha Madison, Kylie Scott, Kennedy Ryan

Ratings and reviews

I am SO glad that I wised up enough to jump back on the K. Bromberg train, because I am in love with every single one of her books. Case in point, HARD TO LOVE, the final book in Kristy's Play Hard series. Now, while I'd said that if anyone could redeem Finn Sanderson, the arrogant, sneaky, sort of slimy bad guy in the series, it would be Kristy, I was still eager to see how it would be done, and she did not disappoint. Finn and Stevie are perfect for each other. It was so satisfying to finally get a look inside Finn, to see what shaped him and made him, well, him. It was really hard to find anything redemptive at all in his appearances in prior books, but getting his backstory, and seeing a side of him in his interactions with Stevie that showed his vulnerability and his commitment to her and her well-being had my heart pitter-pattering. Stevie Lancaster may have been a tennis phenom, but losing her touchstone and anchor when her father died left her reeling. Once she realized that she could count on Finn, and that he wasn't going to leave, was exactly what she needed to do some growing of her own, and I really think that she is as responsible for Finn's actualization and healing as he is for her. HARD TO LOVE was the perfect ending to this series, and I am so glad that Kristy saved this story for last. I can happily say that I adore Finn now. Like all of Kristy's books, it left me with a smile on my face, and looking forward to whatever's coming next, and that, to me, is the mark of a really good book, and a wonderful author. 4.5 stars, and a place as one of my favorite reads of 2021. Make time to read these books, and see what you've been missing. You'll be glad that you did. ❤️

5 star review Hard to Love (Play Hard #5) by K. Bromberg I have been not so patiently waiting for Finn’s story and Ms. Bromberg did not disappoint. From the first chapter I was riveted to the story Ms. Bromberg wove about sports agent Finn Sanderson and top-seeded US tennis player Stevie Lancaster. This book ticked all the boxes for me and I fell hard and fast for both Finn and Stevie. The chemistry and attraction between them is steamy, intense and impossible to ignore. K. Bromberg has written a strong, emotional storyline with characters that you cannot help but fall for. After a one night stand, Finn and Stevie’s relationship becomes complicated when he agrees to take charge of her publicity, someone has to take control as she is on the brink of throwing her career away. When Stevie needs a place to stay, against his better judgement, Finn offers up his house. He has no idea just what he has opened himself up to. The demons that trouble Stevie are real as she struggles with her grief , she finds the only one she can count of is Finn. The journey that Finn and Stevie embark on is rocky but if they can learn to trust one another then they have a chance at a great future together. Hard to Love is an emotional roller coaster of a read that will get to you on many levels as she peels back the layers. This book was exactly what I've come to expect from K. Bromberg; it will make you laugh, it will bring tears to your eyes.

Okay, okay, okay, she did it. Kristy succeeded in making me fall hard and fast for Finn Sanderson. Dagnabit, that man made me forget all about how much I detested him and his arrogant, cheating a-hole self that we saw in the previous books in the series. And Stevie Lancaster? She most certainly put Finn through his paces and gave him a run for his money. Stevie - a take no BS, feisty tennis player turned out to be exactly what Finn had no clue he was looking for. A woman whose entire life has been dedicated to the sport of tennis under the tutelege of her uber strict father. But now, that man is gone and Stevie has no anchor and is spiraling out of control. My heart went out to her so many times for everything she was struggling with. And she couldn't even do any of that struggling in private, being the tennis sensation she is. She also didn't do herself any favors with her out of control behavior and multiple faux pas, live and in techinicolor for the whole world to see. Enter Finn Sanderson being called in by his mentor to wrangle this strong willed woman back into some semblance of control. These two headstrong people made for a very entertaining story! The verbal sparring was a hoot, the sexual tension was spot on. Stevie's father pushed her so hard she never got to experience the normal things in life like go to the prom or fall in love. And Finn's father pounded into his head that women can't be trusted and true love doesn't exist. So can these two people find a way to experience it, together? I really didn't think Finn would ever be a redeemable character. He was insufferable throughout this series, with his constant stealing of talent from the Kinkade agency and his ex-girlfriend Chase. Not to mention that he cheated on Chase and was seemingly unapologetic about it. He was always a character you wanted to knee in the balls with his arrogant smirk and smartass comments. But slowly, through each book, he started some type of transformation, and then he became the guy I desperately wanted to find that one woman who would bring him to his knees. And Stevie is exactly the hurricane force that Finn needed in his life to show him that his father's speeches about women being evil were total and complete bunk. Kristy always knows how to wring every emotion out of me in her stories. I went from highs to lows and back again. I smiled, and frowned, laughed and cried. I ran the gamut. And I totally loved the epilogue! I'm so sad to see this series come to an end! It has kept me totally captivated through each and every book. I would still love to see something for the patriarch of the Kinkade family, Kenyon as I feel like his story isn't quite done yet. As for now, this was such a perfect conclusion to the Play Hard series!

About the author

New York Times Bestselling author K. Bromberg writes contemporary romance novels that contain a mixture of sweet, emotional, a whole lot of sexy, and a little bit of real. She likes to write strong heroines and damaged heroes who we love to hate but can’t help to love.

A mom of three, she plots her novels in between school runs and soccer practices, more often than not with her laptop in tow and her mind scattered in too many different directions. 

Since publishing her first book on a whim in 2013, Kristy has sold over two million copies of her books across twenty different countries and has landed on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists over thirty times. Her Driven trilogy (Driven, Fueled, and Crashed) is currently being adapted for film by the streaming platform, Passionflix.

With her imagination always in overdrive, she is currently scheming, plotting, and swooning over her latest hero. You can find out more about him or chat with Kristy on any of her social media accounts. The easiest way to stay up to date on new releases and upcoming novels is to sign up for her newsletter (http://bit.ly/254MWtI) or follow her on Bookbub (http://smarturl.it/KBrombergBB)