Hardass (Bad Bitch #2), by Christina Saunders
Publish Date: July 5, 2016
Publisher: Swerve
Format: e-ARC, provided by Netgalley
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Rating: 4.5 STARS
(Synopsis) I cave in to no one. My hardass exterior is what makes me one of the hottest defense lawyers around. It's why I'm the perfect guy to defend the notorious Bayou Butcher serial killer - and why I'll come out on top.
Except this new associate I've hired is unnaturally skilled at putting chinks in my well-constructed armor. Her brazen talk and fiery attitude make me want to take control of her and silence her - in ways that will keep both of us busy till dawn. She drives me absolutely 100% crazy, but I need her for this case. I need her in my bed. I need her to let loose the man within me who fights with rage and loves with scorching desire...
These Granade brothers are what it's all about. They're smart, sexy and difficult when they want to be. And Washington Granade is the most difficult one of the three. He's unrepentant, relentless and demanding. He's a total hardass. And he has absolutely met his match in Caroline Montreat.
Caroline is an associate fresh out of law school. She may not have been the best student, and she may not dress or talk like a high-power lawyer, and she may take every chance she can to check out Wash's ass, but that doesn't mean she can't do her job well or that she doesn't deserve this chance. So, she's going to take full advantage of this opportunity to both work very closely with the object of her affection, but also get some good experience assisting a big time criminal lawyer.
My favorite part about Hardass is Wash's reactions to Caroline's completely uncensored way of life. She speaks her mind (no matter how inappropriate her comments might be), she goes after what she wants and she doesn't care what anyone says about that. And that attitude throws him for a loop time and time again. Wash is used to structure and conformity, and in the beginning he tries to fit Caroline into the box he thinks she belongs in. She flusters him and frustrates him and delights him all at the same time. And he refuses to have reactions like that to an associate of his.
Eventually, though, Wash sees what a wonderful addition to both his personal and professional life Caroline is. With Caroline's mouth and unfiltered way of living, it's no surprise that they burn up the sheets (and the desks and the walls and...). There's just that pesky no fraternization policy at work...
I can tell that Christina Saunders has a background in law. The way she weaves legal terminology and procedure into this book is pure mastery. Even I understood all the legalese, which is saying something. There is tons of courtroom drama and legal investigation as Wash and Caroline try to figure out how to get their client exonerated. The ending is exciting and had me up reading into the wee hours of the morning just so I could find out what would happen next. The epilogue came a bit abruptly from - so much so that I suspect that perhaps a chapter was missing from my ARC copy. But, even if that isn't so, the other 98% of the book is so wonderful that it didn't even matter much to me.
If you enjoy a hot a sweet romance between an unlikely pair, you will love Hardass. If you love courtroom romance books, you will love Hardass. If you like to laugh a lot in between swooning, then you will really love Hardass. I did.
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