Customer Reviews

A Hard Man to Love

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Montana Blackstone is getting close to opening day at her ranch expansion known as Black Creek Resort. Trying to run both the established ranch, and opening the new spa are proving too difficult for her, so unbeknownst to her, former mother in law Helen hires a new foreman for the ranch.

The minute Steele Hardt and Montana meet, sparks fly, and they immediately become lovers. Steele is a former gambler hired to evaluate and make recommendations on the success/failure of the new spa. He is undercover as the foreman, and the only one on the ranch that knows his true motivations is Helen.

Montana has control issues and Steele has commitment issues - neither believing happily ever after exists for either of them. There is constant sex in this book, but not enough story telling. The characters are lacking in development - not only Steele and Montana, but others such as Sloan and Helen. We are given a hint at character traits, but no real explanation as to the reason they exist, and those that are hurriedly explained, are just glossed over. The premise for this story was good, and I expected much more.

When a beautiful widow hires a professional gambler to run her ailing ranch/spa, she soon wonders if she is the one who has gambled . . . with her heart.
Widow Montana Blackstone has struggled to keep her ranch afloat, deciding to open an exclusive spa on the property for high-paying guests. Her mother in law hires former gambler Steele Hardt to bring the ranch back to life. After she and Steele have a heated disagreement, Montana immediately fires him, but the attraction between them has already been struck and they're both helpless against it. Montana is excited at the way the spa is coming together, but when she learns that she has been deceived about the true reason behind Steele's appearance, she brokenheartedly orders him to leave.
When Steele and Montana first meet, they immediately become lovers, and their affair continues to heat up from that point. Steele knows that if Montana finds out the truth she will send him away, but he is willing to risk it for the chance to be with her. The unthinkable happens when Steele falls in love with Montana; about the same time he realizes that he loves her, she discovers the secret behind his employment and demands that he leave.
Kathleen Lawless has written a real keeper with A HARD MAN TO LOVE. Montana and Steele are excellently written as fiercely independent characters that come to heavily rely upon one another. Montana has struggled for her independence and to keep her ranch in the black; it's only natural that she would buck against Steele's smooth, seductive nature, as a businessman and as a lover. Love scenes are passionately erotic while remaining romantic and sweet, and the author delves deep into the emotional insecurities that make these characters seem very real. The secondary characters are equally well-written and are a wonderful complement to the story. I highly recommend this book for lovers of contemporary, erotic love stories.
COURTESY LAURIE/ROMANCE JUNKIES

A Hard Man To Love by Kathleen Lawless is one wickedly sensual tale.

Montana Blackstone has her heart set on making the Black Creek Resort and Spa a success. She is used to depending only on herself, so when her former mother in law hires a new foreman it doesn't sit so well with her. Montana soon realizes that she could use some help in shouldering the burden of opening up the spa. But Montana can't seem to keep her mind or her body on business while Steele Hardt is around.

Steele Hardt is the man with the magic touch. His visions and actions have turned many of businesses around. But Montana thinks he is there as her new foreman. Will she still want or need him when she finds out the real reasons why he is at the ranch.

Montana and Steele set the room on fire from their first glance. Their chemistry is so hot your hands will be burnt from reading their scenes. They both realize that they have found something so much deeper that they must cherish it.

A Hard Man To Love is a treat from page one. The tantalizing scenes between Steele and Montana will make you want for more. Its one hot book but also a deeply moving one as well.

So here is what you get when you read this book. A heroine who plays that "I am in control ALWAYS!" bit to the hilt, plus the "I hate you but lets have hot sex day and night!" Cliche? Yeah, I thought so too. The hero is a sex stud who has no self-esteam issues what so ever. He knows he's a hot sex partner, and is turned on by the heroines willingness to match his desires. The sex scenes are hot, but don't expect love and passion to be part of it. It's all lust and body contact sport. And there is a backstory, something about getting her ranch profitable by opening a deluxe spa and the hero being a secret undercover man who holds way too much control over the outcome of the ranch. And of course, he is a millionaire.

Widow Montana Blackstone plans to open a deluxe spa resort at her Black Creek Ranch. Steele Hardt has come to the ranch under false pretenses - Montana thinks her mother-in-law has hired Steele to help with the ranch. In reality, Steele is a business troubleshooter checking out the spa and writing up a report for the investors.

From the moment Montana and Steele meet, they are attracted to each other and basically can't keep their hands off of each other. Montana needs to be in control at all times - can she let go and let Steele in her life?

I feel like I read a different book than the other reviewers. I didn't feel that this book was any type of sensual treat. Yes, the characters immediately have sex and continually have sex, but I didn't feel like there was any chemistry between them. That may be because I never felt like I knew the characters. There really wasn't much there about the characters - we read again and again about Montana having control issues, but what else about her - for example, what's the story on Charlie, her late husband? We get hints of what happened to their relationship, but nothing more. And I have no idea why Steele is so attracted to Montana.

This is my first Kathleen Lawless book, so I don't know if this is a typical book. I would read another one, but I won't be rushing out to buy it.

Widow Montana "Monty" Blackstone plans to convert part of her Black Hills Ranch into the Black Creek Resort, a spa for people to escape from their daily lives. Her mother-in-law Helen hires Steele "Midas" Hardt, a former professional gambler, to run the ranch which has seen some neglect. Monty fires Midas within seconds of meeting him, but he convinces her to retain him before he kisses her. To their shock that kiss leads to them making love in the not opened spa.

As Monty and Midas work together to make her dream come true, he hides his real agenda from her. Soon he finds himself in love and believes Monty reciprocates, but as he ironically tells his brother Sloan he will need all the luck in the world to pull off this deal without losing his girl.

Steele definitely has the Midas touch as he goes from fired to sex in minutes. The story line is a lighthearted contemporary romp starring an independent woman who follows her dream and the man who can help her make it happen if she gives up some of her obsessive need for autonomy. Fans will enjoy the lead couple's differing dilemmas as they fall in love but she fears the loss of her freedom and he worries about what will occur once she learns the truth. A HARD MAN TO LOVE is a fine ranch resort romance.

Harriet Klausner

The character have sex on the very first day they meet and then claim to fail in love with each other at the end of the book, Bull! This book is more appropriate for erotic fiction, just take out the ending, because that is just unrealistic.

Montana Blackstone is getting close to opening day at her ranch expansion known as Black Creek Resort. Trying to run both the established ranch, and opening the new spa are proving too difficult for her, so unbeknownst to her, former mother in law Helen hires a new foreman for the ranch.

The minute Steele Hardt and Montana meet, sparks fly, and they immediately become lovers. Steele is a former gambler hired to evaluate and make recommendations on the success/failure of the new spa. He is undercover as the foreman, and the only one on the ranch that knows his true motivations is Helen.

Montana has control issues and Steele has commitment issues - neither believing happily ever after exists for either of them. There is constant sex in this book, but not enough story telling. The characters are lacking in development - not only Steele and Montana, but others such as Sloan and Helen. We are given a hint at character traits, but no real explanation as to the reason they exist, and those that are hurriedly explained, are just glossed over. The premise for this story was good, and I expected much more.

Montana Blackstone is getting close to opening day at her ranch expansion known as Black Creek Resort. Trying to run both the established ranch, and opening the new spa are proving too difficult for her, so unbeknownst to her, former mother in law Helen hires a new foreman for the ranch.

The minute Steele Hardt and Montana meet, sparks fly, and they immediately become lovers. Steele is a former gambler hired to evaluate and make recommendations on the success/failure of the new spa. He is undercover as the foreman, and the only one on the ranch that knows his true motivations is Helen.

Montana has control issues and Steele has commitment issues - neither believing happily ever after exists for either of them. There is constant sex in this book, but not enough story telling. The characters are lacking in development - not only Steele and Montana, but others such as Sloan and Helen. We are given a hint at character traits, but no real explanation as to the reason they exist, and those that are hurriedly explained, are just glossed over. The premise for this story was good, and I expected much more.