Hard to Love by Kendall Ryan

I’ve enjoyed all of Kendall Ryan’s books that I’ve read, and I must say this one is probably my favorite. When she told me the premise, I was so intrigued, and then she sent it to me to beta, and I fell instantly. How could you not with this opening line:

Cade and Alexa certainly meet under unusual circumstances. He’s in the ER facing the side affects of Viagra and she’s the nurse to um, help him? What she doesn’t realize upon meeting him, is that he isn’t some regular in the adult video industry. That day she met him was his first video shoot, and after meeting the incredibly nervous, also new to the scene, actress he was to “perform” with, he had a hard time doing what he was supposed to…or I guess not a hard time. ahem. Hence the need for the little blue pill.

Alexa knows it’s wrong to have this attraction to Cade. HELLO! Her parents would never approve. She shouldn’t approve. But something about him draws her further in. After a chance meeting a bar (which ends with her propositioning her virginity to Cade), she seeks him out the next day at his house. There, she finds out more about him. Like the fact that he is the sole caretaker of his little sister, who suffers from spinabifida. This just adds to Alexa’s falling. Who is this guy? He works so hard to provide for his sister, but can she overlook what he does for a living? Does his part time career define him?

They have some serious chemistry, and if there’s one thing Kendall knows how to write, it’s the sexy times. Cade and Alexa are no exception. They’re hot. But aside from that, they connect. Through Lily, Alexa falls more and more for this guy she knows she should run away from. Whereas Kendall’s other books seemed to move too quickly, this one is definitely more developed. The story has the perfect mix of drama and tension, with the steam, but it all makes sense. It’s not just a screw, a screw up, and then the make up screw. There’s more there. She’s definitely finding her rhythm and her niche in this genre.

I was happy that Alexa stood by her defenses against Cade’s career. It wouldn’t have felt believable or true to who she was (a virgin until he came around), if she would’ve so easily been okay with him continuing on that path while dating her. She knew she deserved better for herself, just like he deserved more than sex for money to care for Lily.

Overall, I thought this was a well-written story. Kendall’s books are always quick reads, too, so at only around 55k words, it’s a fast, easy read! It had a great mix of lust, passion, but also tension. There was a great dynamic with the characters, both leading and supporting. I’d love to see more from Mackenzie and Ian, perhaps? What do you say to that, Kendall? wink wink.

If you’re a fan of a contemporary romance, with some sexiness, but also interesting twists, Kendall Ryan is your girl. She’s got Unravel Me, you know, falling in love with a psych patient; Make Me Yours, the sexy, virginal firefighter; and now, Hard To Love, the virgin loving the porn star! Every story she writes gets better and better.

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