Hard Count

The Piper Ashton Saga #1

by Lucas Malone

Football consumed Piper Ashton.
Every snap, every route, every victory was a masterclass in control.
Until Noah Reyes.
Piper’s rival quarterback, who smiled like sin and threw like a freight train.
Noah was the one player who could make Piper’s perfect world crack wide open with nothing but a wink across the line of scrimmage.
An obsession, so all-consuming, that two of the league’s most watched men began making the kind of mess that could end careers, reputations and their lives.
The truth is, Piper’s life was never really his to begin with. It belongs to a powerful billionaire who has spent years pulling every string in his life, and that man doesn’t share.
One championship.
One forbidden, toxic obsession.
One secret that could burn the entire league to the ground.
This isn’t a sweet enemies-to-lovers romance.
This is raw, filthy, addictive MM dark romance.

LET THE GAY FOOTBALL SEX OPERA BEGIN.

But first… a warning.
Hard Count is an unapologetically dark MM romance. It contains explicit sexual content, psychological abuse, coercive control, homophobia, eating disorders, trauma, gun violence, coarse language, and other disturbing themes. If you’re looking for a lighthearted sports romance, this isn’t it.

Genres: Sports Romance, M M Romance, Fiction, LGBT, Gay, Romance, Sports

379 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 9, 2026

About the author

Lucas Malone writes glossy novels that feel like Thelma & Louise put the keys in their 1966 Ford Thunderbird and, instead of driving off a cliff, drove straight into a power plant across the street from a Birkin factory.
When he isn’t writing, he’s watching far too many movies, watching football, and pretending to live a normal life collecting material for the continuing Piper Ashton Saga.
He has a particular weakness for Paul Verhoeven movies and attractive people making terrible decisions. Preferably while carrying a large balance on their black AMEX card.

Reviews

[gracie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yeah I can't finish this. Moment of death is 50% in.

Have to preface this by saying that the author did give a foreward on the influences behind the book and it's advertised as a gay sex opera, so I did expect the 80s US scape and the borderline satirical nature of the entire thing. However, I regrettably can't read it. I've tried and now it's time to give up.

The writing in this is also not very refined. Yes I'm aware that it's a dramatic, over-the-top romance book but at the very least I expected it to not have overt fanfic writing I'm sorry. I'm sure this is probably going to hit exactly the way it was intended to for somebody out there, but that somebody is not me.

Thank you to the author for the arc.

[Melissa (Nissa_the.bookworm) · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
⛺️ like campy novels
🎶 love music, especially Britney Spears
🏈 are a big football fan
🖤 enjoy dark romance

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

Meet Piper Ashton. The golden boy quarterback with a problem on his hands. Among other things.
 
Football consumed Piper. Every snap, every route, every victory was a masterclass in control. Until Noah Reyes. Piper’s rival quarterback, who smiled like sin and threw like a freight train. Noah was the one player who could make Piper’s perfect world crack wide open with nothing but a wink from across the field.
 
An obsession, so all-consuming, that two of the league’s most watched men began making the kind of mess that could end careers, reputations, and their lives. The truth is, Piper’s life was never really his to begin with. It belongs to a powerful billionaire who has spent years pulling every string in his life, and that man doesn’t share.
 
One championship.
One forbidden, toxic obsession.
One secret that could burn the entire league to the ground.

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

This was a dark romance, in the best ways. I loved watching Piper and Noah and their rivalry turn into something more. I also felt that this story hit on a lot of darker themes that need to be addressed. The things that Piper was suffering through probably happen in real life, it’s just incredibly well hidden. I think that these scenes could have hit harder if we saw just a little more emotion in them though. Sometimes it felt like Piper didn’t even acknowledge it, and maybe that was just a defense mechanism. I also enjoyed the characters of Carmen and Vivienne. They were hilarious and likable in all the best ways. Add in short chapters and a whole lot of spice, and dark romance readers will be eating this one up!

[Rachel Oak · Rating 4.75 out of 5]

When my mother enrolled me in English lessons at 6 years old, I'm sure she hoped I'd be a bilingual prodigy or, at the very least, improve my future career prospects. She was right on both accounts.
However, I doubt she expected me to use that knowledge to also read graphic depictions of men getting down and dirty, and for that I can never thank her enough.

The 24 hours it took me to consume this book remain some of the most joyful, gut-wrenching, anxiety-inducing ones I've had all year.

I could've done with fewer music references and a couple longer sentences, but who am I to dictate an author's writing style?
At the end of the day, my heart did palpitations that were cause for medical concern according to my health tracking app and I cackled so loud my dogs came to check on me, which is proof that not a damn thing should be changed.

The saga has two more books due, Lord help us all, I'm about to milk each one (pun very much intended)

Book gifted via bookinfluencers

[Erik McManus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard Count was a very spicy football romance that definitely knows how to turn up the heat. If you enjoyed Heated Rivalry and thought, “I need this energy, but make it football,” this one might be right up your alley. The chemistry was intense, and the spice was definitely one of the highlights.

I also really enjoyed the short chapters. As someone who loves a book with quick chapters, this made Hard Count incredibly easy to fly through. Just one more chapter quickly turned into “okay, maybe five more.” 😂 That said, definitely check the trigger warnings before picking this one up, as there are some heavier themes throughout.

One thing I found particularly interesting was seeing how the pressure of being in the spotlight can affect someone. Watching the main character struggle with fame and the expectations surrounding him showed how someone can slowly become a shell of themselves when they're constantly being scrutinized and expected to perform.

And I have to give a special shoutout to Vivienne and Carmen, because these agents were EVERYTHING. I absolutely loved their characters and the energy they brought to the story. They added some much-needed personality and support throughout.

Overall, Hard Count was a steamy, fast-paced football romance with great chemistry, short chapters, and some deeper themes underneath all that heat. If you like sports romances with plenty of spice and a look at the darker side of fame, definitely add this one to your TBR.

[Jine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am emotionally traumatized LOL
When this book started it said it was gonna be like a soap opera but just with a lot of difficult material annnnd it delivered on that
This is the story of Piper and Noah both are football players and after a game they become rivals or the media wants them as rivals but when their first game is over Noah winks at piper and it’s over
They are put up for a commercial where they are oiled up putting them as rivals but during the commercial everything changes they go in a bathroom together and end up kissing
Normally you would just have to be careful and keep it under wraps but piper is connected to a giant dbag who’s basically evil
Jayson funded pipers career he was there when he was younger and painted himself as a saviour and someone who could help him but turns out Jayson’s help comes with strings he gets paid but he has to do disgusting things with Jayson and his rich friends
Reading those parts when he was being passed around to his friends honestly broke my heart that’s where I cried the hardest
So when Piper is getting to close to Noah Jayson notices and makes him do things again and he tries to protect Noah to keep him at arms length but they want each other they do separate for a while and that’s another thing that made me cry like just let them be
One of their last times together piper broke down and told Noah what was happening
Jayson wanted piper to sign a new clause basically telling Jayson that he would obey and if he had a relationship with Noah he would owe the irs 140 million!
Noah and Piper have hilarious and fantastic managers in this I mean it’s one of the things that made me smile and laugh
Viv stepping in to protect piper was everything
She was notified that pictures that were taken by Jayson were gonna be leaked and they did that’s when Jayson paid Piper a visit let him know he owned him and how mad he was that Noah tried to steal him but finally and I mean finally Piper stood up to him shot a chandelier and told him to get out!
Viv whisked him away to keep him safe while they build the case against Jayson he was going to Iceland! So when he got on the plane and a weird playlist was playing he didn’t know Noah was on the plane waiting for him! I cried again LOL
It’s not all doom and gloom I mean Noah creates weird sex playlists LOL Piper talks to Joan in his head who’s based off of Joan Rivers
They have plenty of steamy scenes but the best is the last one they flip and Piper is the one who’s taking and not taking it and we get I love yous in the most Noah and Piper way!
I absolutely cannnnnot wait for book 2 because I need to see more of Piper and Noah annnnnd see Jayson in jail or dead or maimed or thrown off a cliff!

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Getting to read Piper and Noahs story was a roller coaster of emotions that had me screaming obscenities at Jayson on so many occassions.

The instant attraction between Piper and Noah and the decisions they make causes a kalidescope of chaos but even with that chaos, Piper finally sees that there is more to his life than football and the control Jayson, the billionaire tech guy has had over him since the start of his career.

It is a spicy yet moving story that delves into the traumatic experience of control and how it leaves your self esteem completely ruined. Sometimes, with the help and support of someone who loves you, you finally start to see your worth.

There are some difficult parts of this story that can be hard to read (the abuse that Piper is subjected to) and so heed this as a warning before going into reading this book. There are plenty of funny moments that try to balance out the heaviness that underpins the whole story and overall I enjoyed reading this book and defintely want to see what happens next as the story ended without tying up a significant amount of the story.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Josephine Thornton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Book Sirens for the ARC — this review is my honest opinion.

I got totally hooked on this book right from the start. Seriously, it was a full-on "GAY FOOTBALL SEX OPERA," as the author put it. It's a story about Piper and Noah. They're both pro footballers. A billionaire is exploiting Piper by trapping him in a terrible contract. Piper and Noah meet during a photo shoot. They eventually connect and form a friendship that blossoms into romance. Facing the media, fans, and the billionaire intent on retaining Piper is their challenge.

This book was full of drama, spice, action, and humor. This is a very dark MM sports romance. It was a good read! Vivienne and Carmen are my favorites. They work as agents for Piper and Noah. They're real badasses and absolutely hilarious. They made the story even better .

This is perfect for MM romance fans who enjoy juicy drama and for sports romance fans who're all about the angst and melodrama.

[Joshua Bennett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sadly I didn't get anything new from this book. As a fan of Heated Rivalry, I'm sad to say this book feels almost beat for beat without the interesting characters to go with it.

The writing wasn't bad, the story wasn't bad, I just wanted to read a new story, not one that felt a little too similar to a popular story

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Ohdie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Lucas Malone and NetGalley for this E-Arc. All opinions are my own.

The best way I can describe Hard Count was as the author describes a gay football soap opera. We focus on Piper, one of the top quarterbacks in the league and after being on top for so long, he’s cracking. He’s on a billionaire’s shortening leash, has had a troubled upbringing and is just going through the motions. Then he meets Noah- his rival quarterback. The industry plays it off as a rivalry, behind closed doors feelings start to develop.
To be clear I liked the premise of the book. It was different and I do believe some trigger warnings should be heeded (I am unsure if they are present in the final publishing of the book- I read an e-ARC, so please check your version). There is some dark subject matter that is touched on here, and with all the recent news breaking about certain files I would heed the caution to the extent needed for your mental health.

Overall, the book delivers in one liners, quips, fun side characters with a nice dash of heart. I liked the characters and felt that friendships/relationships were interesting. I particularly would love to read an entire series on Carmen and Viviene if possible-they were my favorites. It is part of a saga, so the book does end in a cliffhanger and is very much Piper at the end.

My biggest dislike of this book is the narration jumps. I’m not quite sure sometimes who’s narrating as it can jump between Noah and Piper from one sentence to the next. It can be disorienting and I had to read a few chapters to make sure I got the correct context. It could be that I’m simply not used to this author’s writing style, but it did break up the book for me and took me out of it. We also have a lot of surface level players hinting at the deeper issues and I’m not sure it that’s part of the set up or if it was to give some light drama backdrop.
I think this book was interesting. It really did read like a soap opera that my grandmother would watch growing up- needless to say she was delighted when I told her about this book. The football was well done, and I could imagine the game well. In particular, the last game between the two was masterful in its description and I felt soaked to the bone. This book would be a good time for someone who wants a quick gay football romp that is setting up for hopefully a satisfying payoff in subsequent books.

[travis · Rating 1 out of 5]

I know this book is meant to be campy and over the top and like a soap opera, but the line between campy and just plain bad is very thin, and unfortunately this book fell into the latter category I fear

Ultimately the biggest flaw for me is that the characters are practically nonexistent. I mean they're there, but they have absolutely no substance. The one interesting thing going on for either of them is that Piper talks to Joan Rivers in his head, whatever the hell that's about. There's barely even character tropes to them, they basically just say things to move the plot along and to have sex. Which is another thing, the relationship just kind of happens. They play a game, their agents book them for an underwear shoot for some reason, to boost their popularity since somehow they're rivals. And at this one shoot they decide it's worth the risk to hookup in the bathroom there, and things go from there. There's no like buildup or anything. It doesn't happen over several photoshoots or ads or interviews. It's just the one to present them as rivals, and we're meant to not only buy this rivalry but buy that there's some intense connection, that they actually have feelings for each other. But there's nothing, nothing in their interactions to make me believe this, nothing in the way they talk or text that makes me feel like they care about each other. And I suppose if you want mindless sex, more power to you, but ngl even that wasn't that great, and it didn't help when we're constantly being told what song is playing. Like who actually has sex to Miley Cyrus' Wrecking Ball? Hello?

The other problem I had is that even though this book is decidedly unserious and attempting to be campy, it also deals with Piper being more or less owned by a tech billionaire, and we get scenes on the page of Piper being sexually assaulted by said billionaire and his other rich friends, and I don't really think this book had the tact to handle all that appropriately. It was jarring to go from chapters where they're talking about Britney Spears and "shut up about you're abuela while you're eating my ass" and talking to Joan Rivers in your head, to having to read about 4 separate men take advantage of Piper. To Piper being forced into a pup mask and caged for hours. It just felt all wrong considering the tone of the rest of the book. And on top of that all, Piper seems oddly unaffected by it all? His football playing takes a bit of a hit, but it could also be argued that's due to the relationship with Noah affecting things. But this man has been enduring some 9 years of sexual trauma from a man with a lot of power, but barely ever acts like anything's wrong or that has impacted him in any way. I guess it's not meant to be that type of book, since it's "campy" and all, but it raises the question of why even add all that then. Noah takes learning about it in surprising stride as well. Like he's upset when Piper is scared and ends things briefly, like Piper just has controlling parents and not an evil rich billionaire in control of his entire life

Carmen and Vivian made me roll my eyes. It was very clear the author was going for some sort of Dynasty, fierce diva frenemies on some Real Housewives reality tv show dynamic with them, but all their dialogue was just so... obvious and expected. They couldn't go a sentence without calling each other a bitch. Always had some #fierce line ready to #end someone. Like please just spare me. There was a point where a reaction gif was described out, and that's not something I want to see in a book ever again. And really just a whole lot of fucking mentions of whatever song was playing. I even like the songs too, Britney's Blackout album is a timeless classic! But the inclusion of songs from it and all the other songs feel like the intention is to get the reader to go "ooh I like that song" rather than actually add anything to the story

Ugh I could probably keep griping about this for a while, and I feel a bit bad like I'm being overly harsh. Maybe I'm taking it all too seriously when it was never meant to be taken seriously to begin with. I know it was meant to be a fun and campy romp, but I didn't find it fun and thus I didn't find it campy. I think I would be a lot more forgiving of the faults in this book if it actually gave me anything to work with. If the characters had any substance, if it felt at all moved by their relationship, maybe I wouldn't find it so bad. But they were both so bland and uninteresting, and no shiny "campy" veneer can cover that

[Vanessa (bookfairy.reads) · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

Heated Rivalry, but make it football ~

Hard Count is a mm football romance that is marketed as a soap opera and it definitely gave me a whole lot of telenovela vibes!

It has a secret romance between the two star quarterbacks of rivaling teams and while this is the main focus of the book there are things happening around this that raise the stakes and give more dimension to the story. Without wanting to spoil the book, I can say that there are secrets and plots happening that carry way darker undertones than simply two closeted quarterbacks who have their reputations on the line should their secret affair become public.

We're also getting more POVs than just the two male leads Noah and Piper. These POVs especially surprised me at around 50% of the book when a private investigator person entered the scene and discovered dark things that go in the direction of structural abuse. That being said; please read trigger warnings for this book if you are triggered easily, because "Hard Count" includes a lot of explicit scenes, not only between the two male leads, but also in other contexts where the consent is definitely more on the sidelines if there at all. Therefore, please proceed with caution and take care!! ♥️

Personally, I think apart from the deeper themes, "Hard Count" is easy to read in terms of writing style. Something I like and appreciate - especially in sports romances - is when there is an actual focus on the sport itself. This is definitely given here. Though, I must say I understand more when it comes to ice hockey and the rules of football still somewhat go beyond me, therefore it was a little hard for me to follow the flashed out game scenes.

Other than that, while I personally don't mind the soap opera/telenovela vibes, they are certainly strong. So they might not be to everyone's liking, but the book is also available on KU (or as it is now called Kindle+ I think??) so you can always give it a try there should you be interested. :)

One thing I didn't like as much is the two female managers of Noah and Piper. They call each other names and it's supposed to be funny or endearing, however, I don't really feel that. They are both portrayed as very strong and influential women, however, that seems to imply that they don't have a nice bone in their bodies in this case. Which I didn't really like, because they obviously seem to care about each other and their clients. So the strong wording in "nicknames" etc was a little much for my taste.

[Vann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ll be the first to say queer sports romances are my jam and a Sporty Queer myself. I know that with how some readers are consuming tha the way this was written will do well overall as it is done in a currently popular style, unfortunately it was not a style I enjoyed.
It was a tough read and not just because of the assault and abuse that was depicted. I do appreciate the authors note in the beginning regarding that and they were successful in making those scenes very uncomfortable and not sexy, which is an issue seen a lot tha I’ve noticed and usually diminishes it. The time jumps were in every chapter, sometimes multiple times in a chapter, with usually just the month but I am still not sure how many years Piper and Noah have been at this. The writing style just wasn’t for me either. It was very tell, not show. I want to have a story not a bulleted list of actions. It also just made none of the characters feel developed. I don’t know Piper or Noah or Tank, it’s hard to care even when rough or good things happen to them because they’re just names, no real fleshed out emotions. Also Over explaining/simplifying and just in basic sentences saying what happened in a way that got repetitive (everytime Jayson talked almost it was “it’s not what he said. It’s what he didn’t say. And it was just a matter of when…” I get it. Jayson is manipulative, it’s a veiled threat, I got that the first few times and I could have insinuated it myself just by reading what he said without it being spelled out every 10 pages. ) and a lot loooot of gratuitous swearing. I get that it’s sports and sporty locker room language but the two women saying bitch in almost every sentence even when it doesn’t seem natural felt very…teenager-y. They also seemed like token women characters, it is is possible to be less fleshed out than the guys.
There was a lot of potential, especially with Piper, to have an amazing character backstory and development.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[spacecamp · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Gay football sex opera” is how Lucas Malone describes his book. That’s really helpful, although I’d add “soap opera” into the mix to help you understand what you’re getting. This book cannot be taken too seriously if you want the right mindset before diving in.

Hard Count centers around Piper Ashton, a football star with terrible parents and a billionaire backer who’s trapped him in a terrible contract that Piper unfortunately did not read. Noah Reyes is a rival football player. Piper and Noah form a loose relationship in secret, while Piper is basically passed around in a powerful sex ring by his billionaire backer.


The good:
Loved the foreward, usually those are boring and I skip them. It helped to set the tone for 80s over the top big hair dramatic romance. If that didn’t give enough of a setting warning, Piper’s inner voice being Joan Rivers is probably a clue. Or maybe that’s just the millennial in me.

There are sports romances with a lot of sports on page, and there are sports romances where it’s like, “Adam is a quarterback!” and zero sports action sequences actually exist on page. Hard Count is the first one, opening with two chapters back to back on the field, and introducing us to both our main characters.

What didn’t mesh for me:
The writing style occasionally feels a bit stilted. There’s a real lack of contractions that makes it feel stiff. A pass through an editor could really help polish this.

It’s got fanfic vibes. The sex scenes can be a bit hilarious at times. Like when a character coming was described as like a Nerf Super Soaker gun. If the author hadn’t warned that this was a bit satirical instead of straight faced serious romance, I would have been a bit more worried.

Who I think will like this:
MM romance readers who like soapy dramatic romances
Sports romance fans
Anyone who grew up watching soap operas
Fans of angst and melodrama



Thank you to Lucas Malone and NetGalley for the ARC!

[Book Hoarder · Rating 5 out of 5]

he first time Piper Ashton saw Noah Reyes was from the other sideline. Reyes, the Seattle Quarterback, had been staring at him and had the guts to wink and turn away, Piper was always controlled on the field and off. He played like a machine, firing the perfect pass almost every time. Noah Reyes played, reckless and loose. They drove each other crazy. When they met on the field after the game, Noah whispered to Piper to come to his hotel room. They had a sex-filled night together and Piper walked away in the morning.
Piper Ashton had no freedom. He was owned by a tech billionaire, sold when he was a teen by his parents who signed on the contract as managers. Piper got 10 million every year, his mother got expensive toys and multiple rehabs paid for out of Piper’s account and his father get a one-way ticket off a cliff on the Pacific Coast Highway. For his 10 million, Piper got to play great football, but when the games were over, he was required to fly wherever Jayson wanted him so he could be paraded around and used by his very rich friends. This had been Pipers life for 10 years and Jayson was not about to let anything get in the way of that, especially not Noah Reyes.
This novel is unapologetically dark but the trigger warnings are well noted. If you can get around all that, this is a great novel. But there are some bright spots. Vivienne and Carmen are Piper and Noah’s agents respectively and those two ladies are a hoot. FYI: the boys do get their Happy for Now and there is more to come! Yes to all the stars. I received an advanced coy from Gay Romance Reviews

[Christine Sturman · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Hard Count: Book One of The Piper Ashton Saga” by Lucas Malone is about choices made by Piper Ashton. Piper is a quarterback on a professional football team. He and his parents made some choices at the beginning of his career that have had long term consequences that weren’t very obvious at the beginning. In the field he is ultra focused. He has followed one rule - “Don’t watch the other quarterback warm up”. Then Piper notices Noah Reyes. Things change, but Piper still has his obligations. He always fulfills his obligations - even when he doesn’t want to. One of his obligations is to Jayson Days, a tech billionaire. Jayson knows Piper extremely well and doesn’t want Pipers attention diverted. Piper just knows he needs some changes.

This book is about choices one makes to deal with a situation and then the choices that follow because of that first choice. This book deals with the dark side of human nature. It shows how some believe that their position in life gives them the opportunity and right to do whatever they desire. This book explores this from the MM relationship viewpoint that is very darkly explicit and at times hard to read. There is a warning note at the beginning of the book that should be taken very seriously. Some readers can handle this type of story, some can’t - so beware. This book ends on a peaceful cliffhanger that the books’s title alludes to. It will be interesting to see where the next book leads us. Readers who can handle a very dark MM story focused around American football are the ones who should read this book.

I wish to thank Lucas Malone for the complimentary eARC of this book and for selecting me to review it on NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

#LucasMaloneHardCount
#NetGalley
#LGBTQIAP+
#AdultRomance
#ProfessionalFootball

[Brittney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hard Count • Lucas Malone

One phrase: gay football sex opera 🏈🔥

Two rival quarterbacks. One forbidden obsession. One billionaire monster pulling the strings.

Hard Count is dark, messy, explicit, dramatic, and absolutely not your lighthearted sports romance.

Piper Ashton lives for control. Football is his entire world, until Noah Reyes smiles across the line of scrimmage and cracks that control wide open. Their rivalry turns into obsession fast, and the stakes are brutal: careers, reputations, freedom, and the kind of secret that could burn the league down.

This sounds intense in every direction. Football tension, toxic desire, power imbalance, coercive control, trauma, high drama, and two men making the kind of mess you cannot look away from.

Please check content warnings before reading, because this is dark dark.

✨ Tropes and vibes:
🏈 rival quarterbacks
🔥 dark MM romance
👀 forbidden obsession
💋 toxic chemistry
💰 billionaire control
🖤 psychological abuse
🍸 addiction and trauma
⚡ high drama
📣 sports romance
🔞 explicit content

📚 Read this if you like:
Dark sports romance, MM rivals, messy obsession, football drama, toxic power dynamics, high stakes secrets, and books that feel like a full blown emotional trainwreck with shoulder pads.

Dark, explicit, chaotic, and very much for the readers who want their football romance feral.

#HardCount #LucasMalone #MMRomance #DarkRomance #BookReview

[Allison Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark MM romance is a subject my brain and heart adore yet so few authors write in a way I enjoy. I can count on one hand the number of dark MM books I have genuinely loved and this book has now joined that tiny list. To say this booked absolutely fucking wrecked me is an understatement.

Let’s gooooo - right away I was hooked and intrigued by this book. It had everything I wanted and I went in hoping it would succeed. Holy shit did it succeed. The tension between Noah and Piper was thick and steamy 🥵
It was dark and gutting and at times was extremely difficult to read. There was so much to mentally unpack while reading this but I would expect no less from a dark romance. God, my heart hurt so much for Piper.

So many things about this book that I loved. Honestly, probably too many to list, but here are a few:
- How much music was interwoven into the writing, the playlist told its own part of the story🎵
- The Friendship between Piper and Tank 🥹
- The inner dialogue to Joan from Piper 🧠
- The writing style ✍️
- Uncrustables 🥜🍓
- Vivienne & Carmen 😍💁🏻‍♀️🪽
- “Bitch” 🤌

Perfect book. No notes. Cannot freaking wait for the next one.

Thank you to @netgalley & @lucastmalone for the chance to read this book in advance. Lucas, you just earned yourself a lifetime fan ❤️

Title - Hard Count
Author - Lucas Malone
Star rating - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spicy Rating - 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Overall - Autistic Allie Approved✅

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review for (The Piper Ashton Saga-1) Hart Count by Lucas Malone

Trigger/Tropes

Alcohol use
Psychological Manipulation
Coercive control
Homophobia
Panic attacks along with anxiety
Eating disorder
Gun violence
Explicit sexual content
Toxic relationships
trauma


This book had some things that I lived through myself. I had an eating disorder/panic attacks/anxiety. I look for stories like this so I can see if they get a happy ending. I waited years to get mine, so I love it when an author writes stories with these true-life traumas/disorders. This story has Piper, who loves his football. He had things you need in a game down pat till Noah walked into his life. I love a good rival romance/story. Noah, who is hot as crap, which should be illegal. Piper hates that Noah can change his life in the game and out. All he has to do is give a wink and smile, and he has you, which Piper hates. I love a good story where two men have the heat they do but also have the angst because they are each alpha types. They each can cause each other to fall apart in the game with how well they can play. I have to say Lucas Malone can write a good story full of angst and heat, along with emotions; like, I love his stories. This book I couldn't put down till I read the last page. I look forward to seeing what comes next.

Nicole Harvey

[Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance reader copy of this book, and while I appreciate the opportunity to read it, this one unfortunately fell short for me. If I hadn't been reading this to maintain my NetGalley feedback percentage, it likely would have been a Did Not Finish (DNF).
The narrative layout made for a challenging read. The story is told from a dual POV in third person, but the chapter headings only list the location rather than the perspective character, making it confusing to figure out whose eyes we were seeing the scene through. Combined with the third-person style and confusing dialogue, the overall flow felt choppy rather than cohesive.
In terms of plot and characters, I struggled to stay engaged. The constant song mentions took me out of the story, and the dynamic between Vivian and Carmen came across as more annoying than compelling. Additionally, the character development felt rushed—specifically Jason’s transition from being human trafficked to becoming a murderer happened far too quickly to feel earned or believable. The repeated "Joan" plot element also felt odd and out of place.
It was a struggle to cross the finish line with this one, and I was mostly just glad to reach the end. While this is part of an ongoing series, I won't be continuing with future installments.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Madyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fucking trip. LMAOOOOOO

That’s honestly the best way to describe this book. If you’re like me and enjoy light hearted romance as a palate cleanser between heavier reads, this is NOT the book for that objective.

Anyway!

We all came here for the romance and smut, and Lucas Malone delivered both in spades. I’ve come to realize that I really appreciate the angst we get from characters in romance stories, especially where it’s rivals to lovers or enemies to lovers, when they’re trying to suppress their feelings and fight the inevitable and you could really feel that here. There’s also some great commentary on the importance of having a community of ppl who don’t treat their relationship with you as a transaction. Yes, reciprocity is important for any kind of relationship, but we all need ppl who care about us enough to take care of us when we can’t do it ourselves. Furthermore, given the things we’ve seen in the world over the past decade+, I appreciated how direct the commentary was with regard to the powerful, wealthy, and connected. When you have all the money, connections, and leverage, who holds you accountable when you hurt ppl? In the past, that used to be the media but now the media is owned by men like this. So, the answers to these kinds of questions aren’t easy, and I love that the novel doesn’t pretend like there are quick solutions or simple answers.

And I WILL be tuning in for book two because I need to see that motherfucker ENDED. I need that son of a whore exposed and humiliated! If you read the book, you know who I’m referring to.

* I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Kelly Kenyon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and author for an advanced copy of Hard Count by Lucas Malone.
This book consumed me. I read the first half before bed and couldn’t sleep because I could not stop thinking about it! I finished the 2nd half as soon as I woke up. This is a dark romance so check trigger warnings. It is not my first dark romance by any means but it really hit me hard. Piper’s story is absolutely horrific, it was hard to read certain parts. That said I couldn’t put it down.
The MMCs Piper and Noah are quarterbacks in the NFL. The media plays them up as rivals but they only are so on the field. Both of these guys were so likable. They both had a lot going on outside of their professional lives, Piper more so than Noah. But they both were genuinely good guys. Their relationship was very insta love without any real depth. Hopefully that will be more developed in the next book.
The side characters were also great! Tank and Darius were such supportive friends and Vivienne and Carmen were hilarious and badass.
The story doesn’t end on a complete cliffhanger but nothing is resolved by the end of the book so I will be not so patiently waiting for the next one.
4.25⭐️

[Cecilia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a quick read and exactly what I wanted while reading on the beach. The plot kept me interested and I thought it had a lot of potential. Unfortunately I don’t think the characters or the romance were developed enough to really make it work.

I never felt like I got to know Piper or Noah beyond the surface, especially Noah. We didn’t spend much time seeing them actually build a relationship. They met, hooked up, and suddenly they were calling each other boyfriends. I wanted more conversations, more moments of them interacting and being with each other and overall more emotional depth. The romance definitely felt like it took a backseat to the rest of the plot.

The writing also could have used another round of editing. There were a few grammatical and spelling errors that pulled me out of the story and some of the sentence structure felt awkward. Overall, I think the story and characters had a lot of promise but they needed more development to really reach their full potential.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Cassio · Rating 3 out of 5]

THANK YOU NETGALLEY FOR THIS ARC.

disclaimer this review is based on the unedited arc, not the edited one so this rating might have changed.

This book was very easy to read and was overall a fun time. It did keep me engaged throughout and i did love the whole mystery, Jayson aspect of the whole book. Its something I've ever read before and it lept me on my toes and made me wanna keep reading.

however it did take a bit to get into because at some points it just felt like a bunch of scenes put together there wasnt any cohesion at some points. I also felt as though the football talk was a bit too much, especially for someone who doesnt live in America i didnt know half of what they were talking about and it ended up confusing me alot throughout the book.

I also felt at for 30 year olds the characters spoke like they were 18, the slang that they used took me out of the story a bit because 30 year olds I know do not talk like that but the depth that we got from Piper was amazing and I love how Noah never gave up on him. Viv was also a great addition to this book she was so ride or die and it showed through the pages how much she loves Piper.

[Amanda Winter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard Count was dramatic, emotional, and had me hooked from the start.

Piper and Noah's rivalry-turned-romance was such a fun concept. Their chemistry was undeniable, but what really kept me invested was Piper's story. Watching him struggle under years of manipulation and control was heartbreaking, and I just wanted him to find some freedom and happiness.

This is definitely a darker read, with some heavy themes throughout, so I'd recommend checking the trigger warnings before diving in. The emotional weight balanced well with the sharp banter, entertaining side characters, and moments that made me genuinely care about everyone involved. Carmen and Viviene especially stole every scene they were in.

Just be prepared—this is the first book in a saga, and it absolutely ends on a cliffhanger. I'll definitely be picking up the next one because I need to know what happens next.

Tropes/Highlights:

🏈 Rival quarterbacks
❤️ Rivals to lovers
😭 Heavy emotional themes
🥹 Hurt/comfort
🌈 Queer sports romance
⚠️ Psychological manipulation
💔 Trauma & healing
📖 Ends on a cliffhanger

[Katsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this one just wasn't for me. 😬

I really liked the premise and went into the book thinking I was almost guaranteed to enjoy it, but sadly, the execution didn't work for me.

One of my biggest issues was the narration. It felt very chaotic and disorienting at times, especially because I didn't always know whose POV I was reading. This made it difficult for me to fully connect with the characters or get immersed in the story.

I also struggled quite a bit with the writing style. It just wasn't something I could get into, and the more I read, the more I felt like I was watching a soap opera in book form. 😂 It had so much drama happening one after another that it sometimes felt a little too much for me.

I really wanted to love this because the concept sounded exactly like something I'd enjoy, but unfortunately, the execution and writing style just weren't my vibe. 🥲

Because of that, I don't think I'll be continuing the series. There were definitely some interesting ideas here, but overall, this one just didn't work for me.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Morgan Vorwald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for sending me this ARC!

3.25 stars rounded down to 3

The premise of this book drew me in, but the writing and its lack of flow kinda kept me from fully enjoying it. The things I really liked were how angsty this book felt, that there was ACTUAL football described on the page (which is not very common for sports romances, surprisingly), the romance wasn’t the whole plot because there was a lot going on with both MMCs (especially Piper), and the side characters added so much to the book. The things I didn’t enjoy were that sometimes it was hard to tell which piece of dialogue belonged to which character (which could definitely be fixed with some editing), and there were a few points where the conversations felt very stilted and didn’t belong in the story. I do wish there was a bit more on the romance side, because it felt a bit rushed. Overall, this was an okay book, but it needs a bit more flow from the writing for me to fully enjoy.

[Atul Kumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book. I know this isn't the best out there, its far from it,but i was just in the mood for something like this and it was right time. The characters are interesting.

Spoiler below :

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I probably shouldn't say this but I found the scenes between piper and the billionaire very sexy for some reason. Pls dont kill me but it was just a weird day when this book found me. The almost g*ngbang scene was very hot and I would have loved to read a detailed version.

Now dont get me wrong, I know what happened with piper was abhorrent and all ppl involved should be jailed and his situation doesn't seem very far from reality given what we know with the epstein files and stuff. I wouldn't be surprised if this was a realty of one or more sports stars, male or female and its wrong and the ppl involved should all be jailed.

All in all, I liked the book, its not the best but it was like a soap opera for me and very helpful to pass time. I would look forward to anything the author writes in this universe.

[Sara Irons · Rating 4 out of 5]

First let me say, please do not start reading this in the late evening. You won't get any sleep that night because you won't be able to stop reading once you start.

The world building grabs you from the start and refuses to let you go. The characters are amazing, even the evil ones are done well.

Piper's life has been anything but easy. The abuse he suffers keeps him from happiness. When Noah comes into his life he is a breath of fresh air. One he doesn't think he deserves. But Noah isn't taking no for an answer.

I very much enjoyed reading this story even though there were a few parts that were hard to read. But without reading them you wouldn't understand why Piper is the way he is.

There are some steamy parts so therefore this is an 18+ read. Please read all trigger warnings before proceeding.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Nana_Rea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC
The foreword promises satire, drama and trauma and the book delivers.
Two rival football players who can’t be together because one of them is ‘owned’ by a rich billionaire fall into ‘something’ and what follows is a miserable, satirical love story. It’s certainly different and as a reader you need to absolutely embrace the utterly ludicrous.
There was some difficult parts - the abuse that Piper is subject to, the third act breakup (because of course!!) the utter rage that someone like Jayson could (and does exist)
Some hilarious moments - the sex playlists are a personal favourite, Vivienne and Carmen deserve their own story.

I don’t love this book, I can’t quite figure it out, the flippant way such horrific things are mentioned just doesn’t work for me. Perhaps I’m just not a fan of satire, saying that. I am interested to know what happens in the next book.

[Marcos “MSMDragon” · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 ⭐️

Very intense at times, but still a very good story. It was a story about control and power and about a disgusting system that protects powerful men and leaves people with wounds nobody will ever see. Sure there was some nice romance and some hot sex scenes, but there were also sex scenes that made me absolutely sick to my stomach and red with anger. Even though this is a work of fiction, my heart honestly breaks for people who are actually in similar situations.

I really liked the contrast between Piper being forced to perform and not really being in control, to him willingly giving up control to Noah. Even though he played similar roles in the bedroom, the dynamic was entirely different. All because of choice. I love Noah and Piper together so I’m excited, and nervous, for what comes next.

Also, I really liked that you can tell the author isn’t just writing about football, but actually knows what they’re talking about and enjoys it.