Sandy M’s review of Hard to Handle (SBC Fighters, Book 3) by Lori Foster
Contemporary romance released by Berkley 5 Feb 08
I know that books are supposed to have conflict to offer suspense, tension, and mystery. Sometimes the conflict goes on a little bit too long and a story loses its shine. This is one of those books for me.
Harley and Anastasia, although they’ve know one another for a time through business dealings (he rents a cabin from her every year), have never looked at one another with attraction until the day Harley stops by her cabin and helps her chop some wood. He sits in her kitchen in his skivvies while his clothes are drying, and the banter between these two characters is fun and friendly with Harley being slightly insulted that Stasia doesn’t seem interested when every other woman he’s ever met is ready and willing to jump into his bed.
We learn that she has secretly pined for him, watched his fights on TV, but she won’t let him know that because of the rumors she’s heard around town. However, even though he is interested now because of her lack of it, she knows nothing can come of their attraction, so she pushes him out the door and heads him on his way. But an ensuing mystery brings them back together and they spend a semi-heated night together that will keep them yearning for each other even while apart.
Harley is a strong, alpha male determined to control the women in his life and in his bed, but he enjoys those women only for a night or two before he goes on to the next one waiting in the wings. His training to win the belt in his weight division is more important than anything, especially a lasting relationship. Stasia is also strong-willed and independent and won’t give in to Harley’s seductive ways, as much as she’d love to. She knows a relationship with him is not to be.
There are a couple of teasing scenes to show us how good they would be together, but they also show us that Harley won’t stick around once the final deed is ever done and Anastasia knows that. It’s Harley’s attitude that goes on a little too long for me. He is so attracted to Stasia that he thinks about her all the time, but that never makes him look at having a relationship with her any differently from any other woman he’s ever had. I got really frustrated with that after a while, which irritated me further because I like Harley. He’s a stand-up guy. He works hard. He knows what he wants most of the time. I like Stasia too. She sticks to her guns because she knows Harley and she wrestles with herself more about her feelings than he does.
I enjoyed all the characters in this book, so much that I’d like to read the two previous books in the series, Causing Havoc and Simon Says. I really liked Barber and so liked when the love bug bit him. Jasmine is perfect for him: puts him in his place every time and makes him forget any other women he’s had in his life.
The mystery in the story is a good one, but it’s wrapped up a little too quickly with an ending that didn’t play right for me. It was too convenient and not explained completely enough once we find out who the culprit is.
If Harley had come to his senses a little earlier, I would have enjoyed this book more. By the time he got there, I was too far past caring that it didn’t have the impact it should have.
Grade: C-
From the back cover:
After Fate deals Supreme Battle Challenge (SBC) fighter Harley Handleman a sucker punch, his uncle secretly hires a pretty life-coach to get Harley back in the ring of life. Anastasia Kelley has actually known Harley for years, but never as well as she’s going to now. Hot for his fighter’s form, she has trouble keeping it professional, especially since Harley doesn’t know she was hired. And when Anastasia turns the tables on him, it’s as if he’s been hit below the belt. But that’s also where his uncontrollable lust for her burns.
Read four (count ’em, 4) excerpts.
Other books in this series:
