Hard & Deep is a football-related romance that is much sweeter and much more developed than the title indicates. Judging by the title, I expected this to be a raunchy romp, but was happily surprised that the two main characters were really well-developed and got to know each other *before* the sex happened. For those who are used to sex scenes happening pretty early in the book, don't worry because they are definitely there - we just get to know and like the characters before they take place.
I will admit to being unsure about how I was going to feel about Oliver at the beginning of the book. His actions regarding the women at the club made me grimace and worry that he was going to be another one of THOSE male characters who was a total pig, but unlike in other books in this genre, Oliver Lance actually matured beyond his adolescent objectifying and mental degrading of women and grew into exactly the kind of Hero that I love to read about. Thank you for that, Ms. Lakes!
Elsie was fantastic. Although she felt something for Oliver, she stayed professional – which again, is rare for the genre – and true to herself until her job was through. Although she lost her mind and jumped to conclusions a little toward the end, I actually found it amusing that she was so stubborn, even when Oliver was wooing her with all he had. (“You're not getting a tip” made me laugh out loud as I read it, and I loved her surliness while everyone else was rooting for the Bandits.)
If you're a stickler for details in your romance novels as so many reviewers seem to be these days, a few sports-related things might bug you (the fact that his team wouldn't know how injured he was is not remotely plausible and the football coach being called the 'manager' repeatedly) but for the most part, Ms. Lakes does a really good job of using the correct terminology. There were a few general editing issues that slipped by, but nothing that kicked me out of the book as I read it or cost the book a review star.
I love football, but haven't really liked a lot of the football-related romance novels that I've read recently, but this one is an exception – I really, really enjoyed this book. Ms. Lakes' books are all great, but this book really showcased her growth as a writer, and it stands out to me as her best all-around work as an author yet. I'm excited to see what next year holds in store for her. (Perhaps a book about Matthew or Sean?)
I received a free copy of this book, but was under no obligation at all to write this review.