Hard Beat by K. Bromberg Series: Driven, #7
Published by Signet Publication Date: November 3rd 2015
Pages: 400
Also in this series: Slow Burn, Sweet Ache, Hard Beat
Buy on Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org
Find on: Goodreads
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…
Cocktails and Books received this book for free from Blog Tour, TRSoR Promotions in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect our opinion of the book or the content of our review.
This is a hard review to write. I love Kristy Bromberg’s books especially Colton’s. I, unfortunately, think that those books were so good that it has unfairly tainted me for all of her future works. I enjoyed this story, but I expected more and wanted more from this story.
Hard Beat is the story of Tanner (Rylee’s brother) and Beaux Croslyn. Tanner has a broken heart. Stella, his partner/photographer and best friend was killed while they were on assignment in a war-torn country. He blames himself and can’t move past it. BJ (Beaux) Croslyn is assigned as Tanner’s new partner//photographer and Tanner dislikes her immediately. He loves the way she looks and her fiery spirit but he just can’t get a clear read on her. She will not tow the line with Tanner. BJ is free spirited, not afraid to take risks and doesn’t hold back on her opinions or thoughts. Tanner is overwhelmed with being back where Stella was killed and he feels he is living in deja vu. Once again, he is doomed to failure: another female partner taking unnecessary risks. Beaux is not what he needs to make his journalistic comeback and to move on in his personal life. But maybe Beaux is just what is required for Tanner to heal and move on.
The first part of this book was slow to develop. Tanner and Beaux sit around waiting for nuggets of information that they can report on and waiting to embed on missions. I found the dialogue between the two lacking at times. The sex scenes were hot. Kristy Bromberg never disappoints in that regard. I felt the relationship between the two of them could have been developed more. I also didn’t understand why Tanner (an awarding winning journalist) never followed Beaux when she disappeared at night. Curiosity is always the greatest weapon a journalist has and he never questions her comings and goings enough.
About 3/4 through the book, you sense a plot twist coming. It didn’t surprised me but from that point on, it was a fast paced ride. I wish more time had been utilized developing this part of the story. I started to really get into the book wanting to see what would happen next. Kristy wrote this book entirely from Tanner’s perspective and I am wondering if she would have written chapters from Beaux’s perspective maybe the book would have rounded out a bit better in not only dialogue but flow and plot development.
With all of that said, I still enjoyed this book. Kristy Bromberg is a strong writer with a fantastic story telling ability. Tanner and Beaux’s story was good but not her best. I wanted more of her signature dialogue that makes you highlight 2-3 passages on a page. Hard Beat just makes me excited and anxious to see what she has in her pocket for us next.
Meet Tanner & Beaux in HARD BEAT – the newest stand alone in the
Driven Series by K. Bromberg!
NOW AVAILABLE
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/20laOb3
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1PZxwlp
Nook: http://bit.ly/1XIwjk2
iBooks:http://apple.co/1Hlkve0
The tension in the car between us thickens. The current of desire is so palpable, I feel like it kick-starts my heart every other beat. I blow out a breath as the elevator ascends, Beaux shifting her feet beside me.
“Did I do something wrong?”
I snort. Fuck, yes. But where do I even begin to explain? You made me want you? You made me worry when I told myself I wasn’t going to put myself in that situation ever again? You fucking don’t ever listen about not going off on your own? I want you so goddamn bad right now that the desire is so sharp, it’s painful.
The elevator dings, and I stride off the car to her door without looking back to see if she’s following. My body just knows she is.
It takes her a moment to fumble with her bag, get her room key out, and open her door, all the while casting curious glances my way.
“Put the camera down,” I order the minute we’re inside the door and it’s shut.
“What is your problem—?” she asks, but the question is cut off the second the camera strap leaves her hand, my body crashing into hers and pushing her up against the wall behind her. My lips find hers instantly.
It takes her a millisecond for the shock to fade and for her to respond, but once she does, we meet in a savage union of frenzied hands gripping, mouths taking, bodies begging to join in every way possible.
Beaux weaves her fingers in my hair and holds tight as she tears her mouth momentarily from mine. “I thought you were pissed at me.”
I kiss her fiercely, all tongue and teeth and possession, before I respond. “I’m furious. But I want you more.” It’s as true a statement as I’ve ever given, the moment stripping away any superfluous words. “You came back to me.”
“I’ll always come back to you,” she says, her voice breathless but resolute.
About K. Bromberg
New York Times Bestselling author K. Bromberg writes contemporary 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 and hate 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.
Since publishing her first book in 2013, Kristy has sold over one million copies of her books across sixteen different countries and has landed on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists over twenty-five times. Her Driven trilogy (Driven, Fueled, and Crashed) is currently being adapted for film by Passionflix with the first movie slated to release in the summer of 2018.
She is currently working on her Everyday Heroes trilogy. This series consists of three complete standalone novels—Cuffed, Combust, and Cockpit (late spring 2018)—and is about three brothers who are emergency responders, the jobs that call to them, and the women who challenge them.
She loves to hear from her readers so make sure you check her out on social media or sign up for her newsletter to stay up to date on all her latest releases and sales: http://bit.ly/254MWtI
