Hard as Stone: a BBW, MC Lite Romance

Stoneheart MC #2

by Megan Wade

He's the Road Captain of a motorcycle club. She's the traffic controller who keeps making him take detours. Their love story was never going to be a straight road.



POPPY

Growing up watching Hallmark movies, I thought moving to a small town would be my dream come true.

Instead, I'm directing traffic in steel-toed boots while explaining to a grumpy biker that no, he can't drive through my construction site just because he's the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.

And boy, is he hot—in that ‘might be a felony waiting to happen’ kind of way.

He's everything I shouldn't want, especially with my family's construction company hanging by a thread.

But there's more going on in this town than missing permits and mysterious road work delays.

When the truth comes out about my father's dealings,

I'll have to choose between the family I was born with,

And the leather-clad one that's stolen my heart.



AXEL

I didn't expect her—this sassy traffic controller who thinks bedazzling safety equipment is appropriate work attire.

She stands up to me like I'm just another guy in her way.

Not someone who could make her life difficult.

Instead of being intimidated, she names me Toto and threatens to make me a rhinestone collar.

But while she's busy driving me crazy with her smart mouth, I'm trying to uncover who's really behind Summit's corrupt development plans.

The last thing I need is to fall for the daughter of the man I'm investigating.

Yet every time she challenges me, every time she makes me laugh, I fall a little harder.

Now I have to choose between protecting the club, and protecting the woman who's become my everything.

Even if it means losing her in the process.



Hard as Stone is a steamy, laugh-out-loud motorcycle club romance featuring a sassy traffic controller who's never met a stop sign she couldn't wield with attitude, a protective biker who's met his match in more ways than one, and a small town being torn apart by corporate greed. With elements of enemies-to-lovers, found family, and choosing love over loyalty, this story delivers heart, heat, and humor in equal measure. If you love curvy heroines with sass to spare, possessive heroes who aren't afraid to be put in their place, and a supporting cast of lovable bikers who can't spell to save their lives, this book is for you.

As with all Megan Wade books, this OTT MC romance comes with her Sugar Promise. High heat, low drama, guaranteed.

Genres: Romance, Forbidden Love, Enemies To Lovers

211 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2025

About the author

Megan Wade is a USA Today Bestselling Author of curvy billionaire romance featuring confident plus-size heroines and alpha heroes who adore them. With 70+ books published, she's known for steamy love stories with guaranteed happily ever afters. Her signature style: high heat, low drama, and heroines who never have to shrink to find love.

Reviews

[Doris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Axel and Poppy

This was an enemy to lovers’ book with an older grumpy biker and a sassy mouth woman who works as a traffic controller. Poppy isn’t afraid to smart off to Axel. The banter between these two was great as well and the steamy times. The secrets in this book only added to the likeable story.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars but leaning towards 4. This book was better written that the 1st in this series by Evie Mitchell. This one felt like it actually had an editor. It continued the plot of the first book which was decent. I liked the characters in this one. I liked the background plot and seeing characters from the 1st book. I don't love the MC terms like old lady and "property of " on leather vests but otherwise it was pretty decent.

[BiblioDarling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating System (as of 8/14/2025):
⭐: It was a struggle to read. I almost DNF
⭐⭐: This could have been so much better.
⭐⭐⭐: Good/Average
⭐⭐⭐⭐: Great book. I will probably reread it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: I absolutely loved this book.
***********************************************************************
Triggers:
🚩Violence
🚩Harsh Language
Tropes:
💕MF Romance
💕MC Romance
💕Enemies to Lovers
💕Series
💕Small Town Romance

Spice Level: 🔥🔥🔥

Spice Level Rating System (as of 9/4/25)
🔥: Clean. Handholding. Kissing.
🔥🔥: Non-Descriptive/Implied on Page Sex
🔥🔥🔥: Hot-Descriptive on Page Sex
🔥🔥🔥🔥: So Hot—Do Not Read in Public
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥: Oh My-BDSM. Blood Play. Smut.
************************************************************************
Quote:
"Let me guess, you're late for a frown convention? Or maybe there's a sale on brooding at the local mall?"

Summary:
FMC and her family have been hired by the town to perform construction. MMC and his MC are suspicious of all the work that is being done and with good reason. FMC has made it her duty to piss the MMC off. This of course, leads to a love hate relationship which ultimately ends in love. Add in some town corruption and a choice the FMC has to make between her family and the MMC---you have a great read.

Review:
I believe this is my first book by this author. I enjoyed this book. I went in just expecting a good read. The push and pull of the MMC and FMC was cute. The family dynamics were well written. I mean I started wondering what was going on with the FMCs dad. I also wanted to punch her brothers at points in the books.

The MMC falling first was cute and unexpected. The misspelling issue was funny. All in all, I consider this a good read.
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[Chandra Luna · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’ve ever fallen for someone you absolutely shouldn’t, you’ll feel every twist and turn of Hard as Stone by Megan Wade. This isn’t your typical small-town romance—it’s louder, hotter, and packed with more heart than a Harley engine on overdrive.

Poppy thought small-town life would be a Hallmark fantasy—cozy shops, friendly neighbors, maybe a sweet guy who owns a coffee shop. Instead, she’s directing traffic in a hard hat, dodging orange cones, and clashing daily with Axel Stone—the brooding, tattooed Road Captain of a local motorcycle club who thinks rules are optional and her construction zone is his personal racetrack.

From the moment they meet, sparks fly—and not the safe, worksite-approved kind. Poppy’s sass and stubborn streak meet Axel’s grumpy alpha energy head-on, and watching them banter is pure gold. She calls him “Toto.” He grits his teeth but secretly loves it. She bedazzles safety gear. He tries to pretend he’s not obsessed. Their chemistry is chaotic, hilarious, and dangerously addictive.

But Hard as Stone isn’t just about witty one-liners and smoldering stares. Beneath the laughter and steam lies a story about loyalty, identity, and what happens when love forces you to question everything you thought you knew. When secrets about Poppy’s family and Axel’s investigation collide, both of them have to choose between where they came from and who they want to be.

Megan Wade balances the grit of biker life with the warmth of a found family and the sweetness of a love that refuses to quit. Poppy is the kind of heroine you wish you could grab coffee with—bold, funny, and real. And Axel? He’s the rough-around-the-edges protector with a heart that only beats steady when she’s near.

Hard as Stone is a story about finding your person in the most unexpected place—right in the middle of a construction zone, surrounded by chaos, orange cones, and fate’s wild sense of humor.

If you love enemies-to-lovers chemistry, laugh-out-loud banter, fiercely loyal heroes, and curvy heroines who give as good as they get, this one’s your next five-star ride.

So buckle up. It’s going to be one unforgettable trip down love’s most dangerous detour.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Laura Moylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poppy wanted to get away from the stench of the city and live out small town dreams. She and her family are there on a construction job to fix the roads, pipes, etc., of the small town infrastructure. However, Stoneheart, home of the Stoneheart MC, has a lot of corruption in it. It is the MC that is trying to protect the people of the town. Poppy usually handles dealing with the paperwork and acting as a crossing guard, and detour watcher. Her two brothers, Hugo & Felix work too, but they always look to the father for everything. Poppy likes to rock the boat. When she meets Axel, who is one of the MC, steam practically wafts off the page as they look at each other and throw words at each other. Some sarcastic, some other things, but they can be hilarious. We get to learn more about the town as well as the MC. Poppy & her family start jobs, and then move onto the next, because that is what the city tells them to do. So a lot of the streets are torn up, so much in fact, that the poor section of the city, people can’t always drive to their jobs, or shopping, etc. The book made me angry a lot. I’m glad Stoneheart has the MC. IF they didn’t the town wouldn’t have a chance.

Learning about Axel’s past was shocking. Poppy is freaking awesome in how she handles pretty much everything. There is fun & funny things in the book, as well as upsetting and problems that arise and need to be dealt with. There is also romance, sweetness, and steaminess. I also teared up a few times. There were a few people I wanted to smack a few times. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nancy Koske · Rating 5 out of 5]

Axel,MC biker,lives in Stoneheart so when he starts seeing a road repair traffic controller in her yellow vest and sassy woman named Poppy. Everyday a new route is get around the detours, he encounters her. What is happen with roads blocked over their small town especially in the poor communities. The MC know that the cartel is involved in something with their money paying for things as buying properties when the older and poor owners encounter inspectors reporting issues that force the owners to move out or sell their properties. What is the reason for the missing road repair permits, delayed road repair supplies, torn-up streets in the poorer communities? Axel has interacted with Poppy aka Trouble from sass at detours, the MC's bar & pool tables; is there an attraction between them? When he loses a game of pool, he had wagered a steak dinner for her. Will he take her? Her father tells her to stay from the bikers; will she listen to him? What happens when the MC gets evidence about the rich with their suited guards?-- Will the sexual tension between Axel and Poppy get serious? What does Poppy learn about family and support?--.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poppy meets Axel in a small town where she and her family are working construction on the roads. They banter every day, then try to hustle each other at pool, and the rest is history. Things are a little more interesting than just insta-love though, Poppy's family is dead set against him, and the town is at threat of being taken over and Axel's MC is trying to stop that. I love how the story developed, the many side characters in the book, and how the love between Poppy and Axel was kind of instant but also slowly bubbling beneath the surface.

This was the first book in this series that I have read. The author is newish to me, and I am definitely interested to read more from her! I don't mind MC stories although they aren't at the top of my list, but this book kept me hooked, I had to finish it in one reading!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ms. Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poppy Bennett works for her father’s construction company with her two brothers. Her job is to hold up the stop sign and send traffic on the detour around the streets that they are fixing. A motorcyclist comes up and tries to get past her. She tells him no and starts calling him Toto. After the encounter, her brothers tell her that he was wearing the leather cut of the Stoneheart MC and that she should stay clear of him.

Axel Thorn is the Road Captain for the MC. He is investigating anything to do with the reconstruction. This means that he is investigating Poppy’s family’s construction company. He is intrigued by Poppy and loves her sassy attitude. The other guys in the MC are giving him grief about it.

Poppy and Axel are both torn between family loyalty and their feeling for each other. It was fun watching them dance around each other.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Grinning Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

MC Romance is my catnip. This one was an enjoyable read, with a MMC who falls deeply in love with the woman his club president tells him to get close to. I really liked the intensity with which he loves her and the way he wants her always wearing his jacket. Rrowl. I loved how her snark never quits and the way she bedazzled parts of her construction uniform. That’s good stuff right there. And the fact that Duck can’t spell, although nobody noticed until Poppy pointed it out. Good times.
Cat’s Stats
MMC/FMC- Axel and Poppy
Heat- explicit
Safety? Y
Triggers- n
Tropes- Enemies to Lovers, Instalove, Forbidden Love.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars.

I loved the connection and chemistry between these two, their interactions were so good, Axel's attraction to Poppy was about to explode and I loved that Poppy stood up to him and knew what buttons to press. I really enjoyed seeing them get to know each other, I felt for them both because of what was going on at the same time. I was so pleased that Axel had people around him who supported him, advised him and stood by him when the truth came out. I wanted to hug Poppy reading this, I was pleased that their connection stayed true and she got what she had always wanted in the end.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Grinning Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

MC Romance is my catnip. This one was an enjoyable read, with a MMC who falls deeply in love with the woman his club president tells him to get close to. I really liked the intensity with which he loves her and the way he wants her always wearing his jacket. Rrowl. I loved how her snark never quits and the way she bedazzled parts of her construction uniform. That’s good stuff right there. And the fact that Duck can’t spell, although nobody noticed until Poppy pointed it out. Good times.
Cat’s Stats
MMC/FMC- Axel and Poppy
Heat- explicit
Safety? Y
Triggers- n
Tropes- Enemies to Lovers, Instalove, Forbidden Love.

[Leanne Bryson · Rating 4 out of 5]

For Poppy small-town life isn't what she expected. Instead, she’s directing traffic and battling Axel Stone, the tattooed MC Road Captain who treats her construction zone like a racetrack.
Sparks explode: her sass vs. his grump. She dubs him “Toto,” bedazzles gear; he pretends he’s not hooked. Banter’s gold, chemistry’s fire.
Beneath the laughs, loyalty and identity collide when family secrets and Axel’s probe force them to choose who they’ll become.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[lf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Digging up love

Hard as Stone by Megan Wade is part of the multi-author Stoneheart Motorcycle Club series. Poppy and Axel are such a fun, flirty and smexy hot couple that your Kindle will be smoking before you get to the HEA. She works in the family business and he is the Road Captain of the SMC. They meet one hot and distinctly stench filled day when she is directing traffic and he rolls up. She lets him know that the road is closed and he is going to have to find another way around....he definitely finds a detour that lands the two of them together before the end.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Axel and Poppy are two opposites, but they are so great for each other. She works with her dad and brothers on a road construction crew, and he is the road captain for the Stone Heart MC. I love how the author brought them together and the intense chemistry they had from the start. The storyline is great and filled with crazy, fun banter, steam, MC drama, suspense, and much more. Hard as Stone is a wonderful addition to the multi-author Stoneheart Motorcycle Club series, and I look forward to reading the rest of the books. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.

[Curvy Girl Book Nerd (Jen S) · Rating 5 out of 5]

HARD AS STONE is Book 2 of the Stoneheart MC series. It's a steamy, instalove with an enemies-to-lovers vibe, opposites-attract, age-gap, curvy BBW gets her bikerMC Lite Romance. Poppy is a sassy, curvy girl who works for her father's construction company as a traffic controller. Axel is a hunky, silver-fox road captain for the Stonehart MC. The two butt heads when he tries to bypass the construction area. I loved these two characters. The chemistry was hot, the banter was funny, and we got a great HEA after some mystery and drama. I loved it.

[Merry Jelks-Emmanuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something shady is going on around town and people are being pushed out of their homes and businesses. Looks like Poppy's father and some big city officials are up to no good and when the truth comes out Poppy and her brothers are caught in the middle of it. Will the MC come to their aid and help them. This thrilling story has the laughs and the romance not to mention an awesome cast of characters that kept me glued to the ages.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Merry Jelks-Emmanuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something shady is going on around town and people are being pushed out of their homes and businesses. Looks like Poppy's father and some big city officials are up to no good and when the truth comes out Poppy and her brothers are caught in the middle of it. Will Axel and the MC come to their aid and help them. This thrilling story has the laughs and the romance not to mention an awesome cast of characters that kept me glued to the ages.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Danee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short and delightful MC story. We follow Poppy and Axel, two polar opposites. She's a sunny, curvy woman, and Axel is older and grumpy. But that doesn't deter her, because as soon as they get closer, sparks fly. The fact that she's not afraid of him or bothered by the age difference is a blessing for Axel, he thinks. I enjoyed their journey, and it's highly recommended reading.





I received an Advance Reader copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Didi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Megan Wade is a one-click author for me because I know I will always get a story I fall into. Axel is challenged by a young sassy Poppy and falls hard. I loved Poppy’s personality. The overarching plot with the Summit evil continues. Heartache, witty banter, sizzling slowburn to combustion, MC loyalty, suspense, betrayal and so much more! Cannot wait for the next in this series!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sarah Nielsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good instalove romance. It was a well written story written story that had a nice flow. I liked the storyline but my favorite thing about the story was Poppy’s sass, she was just such a delight and it was clear why Axel couldn’t help falling for her.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Dee Mac · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this quick and easy read. Poppy is feisty and sassy and she just came alive off the pages. Axel is older, a bit gruff and busy solving a town corruption mystery.
However, a construction zone meet-cute has these two delivering sparky banter, sweetness, swoons and steam.
Their journey is full of heart and emotion, family, danger,secrets, drama, romance and healing.

[Cindy Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Axel and Poppy's story. This is a MCish short story with grumpy - sunshine vibe. Poppy is a traffic controller and a curvy gal. Axel is a grumpy older MC guy. She's not afraid of Axel and that is a huge turn-on for Axel. When these two get together sparks fly.

[CJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author has given us an older man/younger woman story that pulls us into the lives of Poppy and Axel. The heartwarming story keeps us turning the pages with connection, suspense and humor.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[CJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author has given us an older man/younger woman story that pulls us into the lives of Poppy and Axel. The heartwarming story keeps us turning the pages with connection, suspense and humor.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Josie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trouble and The Road Captain

Fast paced and full of surprises. Excellent read!
She's so sassy and full of attitude. My favorite so far! Bring on the rest!

[lisa jung · Rating 4 out of 5]

Axel

Axel has fallen for Poppy the constitution guard . As he investigate her family construction company and Summit. But when secrets are revealed will he come out the winner.

[Stacie Hegenauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly loved Poppy’s character! Her take no 💩 attitude and smart mouth make her a great FMC. She doesn’t let her family dictate who she sees or what she does and she is willing to sacrifice to get what she wants. I also liked that Axel isn’t wishy-washy…he knows he likes her and he doesn’t have to flirt with others to make her jealous. And he lets her inner brat come out to play and isn’t embarrassed when it is in front of the MC. Overall a fun story with LOL moments!

[Nicole M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talk about caught up in a story. Holy smokes. I have loved this MC so far, and this story had me so invested. Shady things are happening around town, and I was ready to start investigating myself. I loved the mystery and intrigue. I was absolutely in love with Poppy and Axel. Talk about a woman who can keep a big, bad biker on his toes 🤣. These two had me laughing, swooning, and getting a little heated up. I can't wait for the next story!

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was instantly hooked with their snarky banter. Poppy is sassy and won't put up with anything and Axel is the grumpy bad boy, the tension is wound up so tight it's ready to burst. I loved the mystery in this story of what the town was really doing. Poppy and Axel have hot chemistry and the secrecy of the town was intriguing and made it difficult to put this book down. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a light and funny MC book!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Siobhan D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poppy has no problem saying what she thinks. Axel is an older grumpy MC member. Even with the chemistry between them Alex puts the club before Poppy in truth is a pain.
With the towns secrets these two must work together. Even with Poppy is hurt by Axel. Even with angst between the two of them, there is a lots of heat.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.