Shatter

Hard Hit #4

by Charity Parkerson

One man’s trash…

He’s hockey’s bad boy. Alex’s reputation as one of the meanest defensemen in the league is nothing compared to his notoriety off the ice. After spending too much time and energy chasing someone who’d never feel the same, Alex is through playing games. He’s content with his self-indulgent nights of alcohol and strange men.

Is another man’s treasure.

His entire life Gannon has toed the line, doing his best to keep from becoming a burden to his older brother who ended up saddled with him way too young. Now Gannon has his sights set on Alex, and he’ll stop at nothing to have him. Including offering Alex something he can’t resist. One night. No strings.

Alex is exactly the brand of crazy Gannon’s been searching for.

From the beginning, nothing goes as planned between Alex and Gannon, but neither man can stay away. When a secret from Gannon’s past floats to the surface, Alex has to choose. Will he fight one last time or let life shatter him again?

Genres: M M Romance, Sports, Romance, Hockey, Contemporary, Abuse, LGBT

280 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 9, 2015

About the author

Charity Parkerson is an award winning and multi-published author with several companies. Born with no filter from her brain to her mouth, she decided to take this odd quirk and insert it in her characters.

*Eight-time winner of Readers' Favorite Awards
*2014 Golden Ankh nominee
*2013 Readers' Favorite Award Winner
*2013 Reviewers' Choice Award Winner
*2012 ARRA Finalist for Favorite Paranormal Romance
*Five-time winner of The Mistress of the Darkpath

**Connect with her online:
Website: charityparkerson.com
Facebook: facebook.com/authorCharityParkerson
facebook.com/TheMenofSin
Twitter: twitter.com/CharityParkerso

Reviews

[Gigi · Rating 1 out of 5]

This series has been Lays Potato Chips for me. Can't eat just one! Just keep bringing them on and I will read every one! But this one took a serious detour from the cheesy goodness I found in the other books in the series. I didn't connect with these MCs and their relationship was ridiculous with all the fights and break-ups and make-ups and whose-life-is-more-pathetic arguments.

Nope.

[Pam Eller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really don't get the people who criticize this book for the characters being "messed up". Not everyone in this world is cookie cutter normal. And every person who is a good person deep down deserves to eventually be happy. Some of us (myself included) think differently than others. We see the world differently, and we look for a "different" kind of person.

A lot of people also criticize that Alex should get a happy ending. Yeah, he was really bad to Ryker. I really disliked him then. The difference is that he KNOWS he was bad, and he does not want to be that way again. That is the difference between a bad egg and someone who gets caught up and makes crazy mistakes. Also, certain people just bring it out of us. Sometimes putting two certain people together is just asking for trouble, a perfect storm if you will.

The characters in this book are complex. I liked them. I felt for their stories, and I understood them. I think this is a great read, but if you have trouble putting yourself in someone else's shoes, then maybe you should read elsewhere. If you are open minded and empathetic you just may like this book.

[Aerin · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's been a looooooooooong time since I've read a book worse than this. This was atrocious and fucked up to the point where I'm not even sure what the fucking plot was.

And on top of that, guess what? The characters were even more weird and fucked up. I admit I've skipped the rest of the books in this series, and I'm so damn happy about it! So what if I supposedly missed stuff? It's not the first time I started a series in the middle; I've always managed to get the hang of what's going on and a feel about the characters. In his case, the only feel I got was that one that says THESE GUYS ARE SERIOUSLY FUCKING DEMENTED!

Conclusion? This is bad writing at its worst! Never again will I waste my time on this author's work, because our styles obviously couldn't be any more different!

[Monikat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow.😲
I did not see this coming, the mystery and confusion (and low key frustration) happening in this love story. Gannon and Alex were parallels to each other's ex and proved fate works in strange ways.
Gannon was like an angelic wraith.

Alex's story arc through the these three books has been redeeming, faults and mistakes are personal to one's self awareness, guilt and self flagellation and to the wronged one's sense of forgiveness, understanding and healing.
Chef's kiss.
The less said the better the experience.

Did Andrei steal the scene?
Absofuc🤴lutely.

*Sidenote, it's important these books are read in order. It is also important, especially in this book, to not read the blurbs or the about-the-story.
No spoilers.

[Vfields Don't touch my happy! · Rating 4 out of 5]

So messy.
So predictable.
So much machismo.
So hot.
I loved it.

[Chris Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insta-love. Again.

This was the best out of the four books. It started like most of the books but I really liked it. Alex was just too hot. Smoking. It was really a great book compared to the other three. Backstories where actually explained a bit more but still somewhat lacking.

I actually liked the sex between them. It was really hot. Their cuddling was cute too. I was jealous, I want me a Gannon or an Alex.

[Milica · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

The usual Charity Parkerson,but for the life of me I couldn't connect with the main characters. There was nothing wrong with them,I even think they were more fleshed out then,for example,Lincoln and Shane from the Collide (which I rated higher),but I just wasn't feeling it...

I still recommend this book for the lovers of this series and this author.

[Chocalicious Love · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the entire series. It's crack. Addictive. Who knows why? How does Charity do it? Who cares!? Love!!! Listened to all the audiobooks. Will listen again and again. :-)

[J. Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like messed up people who do bad shit for good reasons (Gannon)or do bad shit for wrong reasons but then greatly regret it (Alex) so therefore I liked this. Was it great? No. Could I not stop reading it? You bet not.

[Lauri MissDysfunktion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shatter is book four of the Hard hit series

I really enjoyed this one. There was great tension and hook to keep me interested. Looking forward to the next one

[Elithanathile · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another book I am SO glad I didn't buy and just borrowed through Kindle Unlimited (a platform I use when I just KNOW I'll be glad I don't own the book - a rarity that belongs to the 0.01% of the books I've read; the other 99.99% are the books that don't belong in this category that I definitely own and adore. Of course, I'll also use KU for novellas or other books I do think I'll like but don't have to own. Thank goodness for KU :-). Having said that, in spite of my wariness here, I had decided to give the book a try anyway. Mistake. There seems to be a nasty strain of Fuckerytitis circulating amongst a few of the books I've crossed paths with lately. Not many THANK GOD, but enough. This is one of them. To say these MCs are demented and entertain a pathologically dysfunctional relationship is a gross understatement. I mean, what on earth?!!? No. No, thank you!!

[Plainbrownwrapper · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow. Really dumb story, characters TSTL, nonexistent editing, AND it's one of those books where the characters have whole conversations during sex. How this drivel ever got a good rating I'll never understand.

“Damn, I can’t tell you what it does to me, knowing you’ve touched no one else like this nor has anyone touched you in all the ways I want to touch you.”

Does that sound even vaguely like anything anyone in real life would ever say?

2 stars.

[Billy J Stratton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprised

I was surprised that Alex got his own book. He was so hated in Ryker's and Gareth's book. He did kinda redeem himself in the next book. This was a little different than I was expecting but it was a good book.

[Denise Koopman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, OUTSTANDING. This will leave you crying. Sad I am on my last book.

[Amber Fueston · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a little surprised that I was able to enjoy this one. I didn't hate Alex as much as I thought I would. What bothered me even more than him getting mad and hitting Ryker is the things he said to him trying to beat him down and the stalking. It was nice to get to know him a little better though. I am excited to get to Andrei's story. He is hilarious!

[Denise GremoryKohta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!!

Once I started reading this I remembered why this book was so important and why Andrei and good darkness stuck in my head. It places a pivotal time in the series and opens many doors. As good as this one is, you're really going to love the next one.

[Jennifer Veer-Boyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and Sweet

Still love these books. This one was extra good. I loved the way Alex was a bad guy in one of the previous books and in this one he still is, but he finds someone to except those things. Kind of nice to see the bad boy stay a bad boy lol.

[Arwela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading about Alex, I just couldn't reconcile the one in this book and the one from the second book.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alex and Gannon. Alex gets redeemed. I really liked Gannon, his soft voice was interesting to me.

Bought as part of audible escape package.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick but intense read with compelling characters.

[Neisha † The Poet † · Rating 5 out of 5]

S. “Stalk me . . . Give me your worst”

[Vita · Rating 4 out of 5]

"At times, Alex was a new and exciting adventure. Others, he was like coming home. Gannon wasn’t sure which of those things scared him the most."

[Caydenspia · Rating 2 out of 5]

My thoughts: I give it ❤️❤️. I liked Gannon in the previous book in the series. What's up with him now that he is attracted to some obsessive kook that was stalking someone in the previous book? GAH!

[Debbora · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really have to enjoyed the series so far. I liked this story right up until about the 85% mark, then it took a strange turn. I actually had to read it twice to understand. I'm not a fan of how the author chose to end this one. The overall story was good. The characters are flawed in a sympathetic way that makes them endearing. I'm becoming a fan of this author. But still think this book could have used a few more chapter to explain a little more details. I'm off to read book 5.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gannon und Alex können nicht unterschiedlicher sein. Gannon, der reiche, hübsche Junge, der an einer der besten Universitäten des Landes studiert und Alex, einer der härtesten Eishockeyspieler der Liga. Sie haben so gar nichts gemeinsam. Doch sie fühlen sich zueinander hingezogen. Auch wenn sie beide wissen, dass sie einander nicht gut tun werden. Und dass ihre jeweilige Vergangenheit einen nicht zu unterschätzenden Sprengstoff in sich birgt.

Doch der Moment zählt und Gannon und Alex teilen Augenblicke der Nähe und Intimität, die ihnen beiden Frieden bringen. Die räumliche Distanz – schliesslich studiert Gannon und Alex reist mit der Mannschaft durchs Land – scheint kein Problem zu sein. Doch die Vergangenheit lässt sich nicht einfach verdrängen. Und Gannons Vergangenheit und sein Schweigen wird zum Problem für Alex, der spürt wie er seine niederen Instinkte und seine Besitzgier kaum noch unter Kontrolle halten kann.

Seine Eifersucht und sein mangelhaftes Anger-Management haben Alex seinen Lover Ryker gekostet und nun lebt er nur noch für den Sport, Alkohol und fremde Männer, die ihm Vergessen bringen sollen. Doch der unschuldig wirkende Gannon berührt etwas vergessen und verloren Geglaubtes in Alex und er lässt die Nähe zu. Erst ist es nur eine zaghafte Freundeschaft, die sich jedoch schnell vertieft. Hierbei sei erwähnt, dass die Autorin sehr gern ihre Geschichten mit SMS-Chats weiterbringt. Das erspart dem Leser Längen und man erfährt dennoch genug über die Befindlichkeiten der Helden.

Schliesslich wird aus Gannon und Alex ein Paar. Doch es gibt jemanden aus Gannon’s Vergangenheit, der diese Entwicklung nicht gern sieht. Ein Telefonterror beginnt und Gannon aus Scham und Angst schweigt. Alex kommt damit aber nicht klar und spürt die eigenen Dämonen und trifft eine einsame Entscheidung, die sie Beide hart trifft.

Alex ist jetzt nicht gerade der herzlichstes und liebenswürdigste Charakter der Reihe. Doch er macht sich. Buch für Buch und er vermag durchaus positiv überraschen. Er durchlebt eine sehr intensive Wandlung durch – ähnlich wie Henley, im vorigen Teil. Gannon ist hingegen anfänglich sehr unschuldig und scheu. Doch auch er wird stärker, selbstbewusster und darf am Ende die bösen Geister der Vergangenheit abschütteln.

[Robin French · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes the dark is only balanced by the dark, not the light.

I'm loving this series more with each installment. In Shatter we have Alex and Gannon's story. Alex is the bad boy of the hockey scene and seems to be more than a little crazy. Gannon is the sweet and innocent younger brother of mega-agent Kieran Steele. But things are not always what they seem. Both of these men know it's so hard to find someone to love that will look beyond the surface to see the truth of the person deep inside.

I always love Charity's work. At the beginning of this series I truly thought Ryker was going to be my favorite character. Gannon has me questioning that now. As always, Charity weaves a tale that has it all... Strong, but flawed, men struggling to find that one person to love and be loved by, hot & sexy scenes, characters that are real enough you may find yourself wondering "What would Alex do?" in your daily life, a bit of mystery, and well.... let's just say that I laughed, I cursed, and I cried...

So far, Shatter is my favorite of the series and I can't wait to see what happens next in the Hard Hit series!

Here are two of my favorite lines in the book.
"Beautiful innocence was his biggest weakness." & "You smell like dreams. Like the kind I hate waking up from."

I was a beta-reader for this title. I also purchased it myself for my personal collection. All opinions are true, honest, and completely my own.

[NhaughtyV says Damn the Zon Save the Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Normal is an illusion. What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly.”—Morticia Addams

To be honest, I did not think I would enjoy Alex’s story. I’m not a girl to forgive and forget, and the way he treated Ryker in the previous Hard Hit books had me wanting to reach in and throttle him. But in SHATTER, the author gives us a glimpse inside of Alex…to the demons that drive him…and his need to just be wanted…to be held…to be loved. “Only good people think they’re bad. People who are truly rotten to the core think the problem is everyone else.”

Gannon is drawn to the darkness of Alex…he craves it. “You’ll let me do whatever I want…and you’ll scream my name.” Gannon has his own demons riding his back, and he sees in Alex a protector that would stop at nothing to have him. Alex and Gannon are both broken, but in different ways. “He couldn’t wipe away Gannon’s past, but Alex could and would love him better than anyone else.”

Charity Parkerson is taking me on a wild ride with her Hard Hit series. With each chapter unfolding and characters becoming more detailed, I’m falling more and more under her spell. Can’t recommend this series enough!

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leaving a good review after finishing book is a tricky thing. Do you rate the book based on writing style? Personal preference on theme, characters or otherwise? If you've read a book outside of your comfort zone, and didn't like it, does that mean the book was bad? It hurts my heart to read reviews that tear a book apart because the reader didn't connect, or they disagree with something they've read.

So, on to my review - I will admit that this was my least favorite book of the series so far, but it was still a good read. I was never a fan of Alex, and to see him in book 3, then getting his own book now was surprising to me. It's a very, very risky proposition to turn a villain into a hero (of sorts). I think that the author did a good job of helping us get to know Alex, and a little bit of how he thinks, but I wish we could have seen him apologize to Ryker.
Gannon (unusual name) was a neat character, and I enjoyed almost everything about him. Until he is revealing his backstory. I felt like after that, the pair got a little too codependent and it was sort of creepy.

Ultimately, I enjoyed the story, and look forward to the next installment.

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

After reading some of the reviews it's clear that one woman's trash is another woman's treasure. I love this series, and I think it's getting better with each book.

This is a series of novellas, therefore the books are short. Given the length of the books, the character development is great, but there's only so much that can be fitted into a novella.

If you don't enjoy messed up, in some instances downright crazy (*cough* Alex) characters, or novellas, then these books probably won't be for you.

I loved Gannon, and by the end of Shatter I began to like Alex too. At first I struggled to understand why Gannon would want to be with someone who had acted with his ex (Ryker) just like Gannon's ex (Seb), but it became apparent that the motivation/reasons for Alex's previous behaviour were not relevant to his relationship with Gannon. Doesn't excuse it, but did explain it somewhat.

I can't wait for Andrei's story next. I loved him in this story and I'm really excited to get to know him better in Crush.

[Gail Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is book four in a series. As I suspected, I like this book more than book three, but the second book is still my favourite of the series. This book has more of the dark issues and twists that the second book had but not as much of the wry humour. There is a sadness and desperation in this book that gives it a distinct feel from the others and is certainly more to my tastes than the first book. (that was good and I loved the humour but there was little substance to the characters for me).

The ending was dark and I worry about just what Sergei is into. Guess I will have to keep reading to find out.