Rock Hard Boss

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
This was such a good read. I was hooked from the very beginning. Started it during a two hour car ride and didn't stop until I finished it. Like the others, I just couldn't put it down. I fell in love with these characters, especially little Emery. It's different than most boss-employee books in that it was about two chefs and not lawyers or some other billionaire position. This one seemed to have more humor than the others, which was really awesome! I also enjoyed that it was a little longer than her other books. Overall, a great read. Ms Hart's books just keep getting better and better!!

Book-Lovin-Momma

3,926 reviews31 followers

Luke hired Amber and took her under his wing, but the attraction between them was both instant and magnetic. He wanted her to excel and was extra hard on her, but he knew she had talent. I loved when they finally did get together, but then I turned right around and wept when he walked away from her. So many ups and downs, which made for an amazing bossy romance! I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

Patricia

1,955 reviews5 followers

June 16, 2017

This has got to be one of the hottest yet cutest books I have read.
I'm not usually into books where there are single parents and romance yet Emery won my heart and loyalty as a reader.

I loved the hard lesson Luke learned by letting Amber into his and Emery's life. He is a hard nosed chef with a booming restaurant. He is in need of a new cook and Amber fits the bill. Little did he know that she would get under his skin and make him change his rules and his way of thinking.

The romance was electric but the best part of everything is the sweet, intelligent child who will worm her way into your heart and help win the day.

This one is not to be missed.

DawnMarie Carpintero

Author 2 books19 followers

June 5, 2017

Romantic

4 stars

This book has everything in it. Confusion, romance, hot sex and a dad that loves with all his heart for his little girl.

This author did a great job with all the elements and then some.

Happy Sexy Reading

Michelle Harris

856 reviews78 followers

hero-celibate-during-separation safe

Love Rye's writing style. Was well written and thoroughly entertaining. The story flowed really well and I loved the characters. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

Alex ♈

1,568 reviews1,406 followers

December 18, 2018

3.25 - 3.5 stars

I don't read older men younger women smut normally.
But the author indicated in the blurb, that the heroine was fierce, so I gave it a try.
Well, the blurb doesn't lie ☺

He was an a$$hole extraordinary indeed and she was pretty decent girl.
She was a bit reluctant at the beginning, but got stronger later.

Cute child. Odd drama, but every romance needs some drama 😉.

Fortunately she WASN'T a virgin and there was no OW.

Sweet epilogue.

Beth

500 reviews22 followers

June 6, 2017

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

He is one tough son of a gun, and he doesn't care. All he cares about is his daughter and his restaurant. He has no time for clingy women who want relationships. He had that once and he will never allow that to happen to him again. Luke goes by Chef to his staff, he is revered and feared. Doesn't matter, that is who he is and he doesn't care if he is liked, but he wants his restaurant and the food being served in that restaurant to WOW each and every time. He has hired a new chef, she doesn't really have any experience. Oh, she has a lot of schooling and awards from that schooling.....but does she have it? Will she make it in his kitchen?

She starts working at the restaurant today, she arrives quite early, and decides to wait in the car and calm her nerves a little. She is now watching a very handsome man throwing trash away. Amber notices him and now he has noticed her. He storms over and starts shouting. Not a great way to make an entrance on her first day. Did she make a mistake by applying for this job? Her boss is hot, but rather a jerk. He is rude, arrogant, and mean. Amber decides then and there that she is going to keep at it and be more than her boss expects of her. Will he notice that she is good enough?

Things start off on the wrong foot, but Amber doesn't allow Luke to win. After a week, she still feels she is learning from him, but she is unhappy with his treatment. Her friend gives her some rather helpful advice. Amber follows that advice and when nothing happens right away, she forgets about it. There just so happens to be a reason she forgets about it...something unexpected happens. What is supposed to be a secret for Luke is found out, and to make matters more difficult, the surprise is a happier place for Amber. Things move quickly and heat up just as fast. These two become a lot more than boss and employee. Both are fighting fears and hurts from the past that need addressing or it will ruin it for them.

One very bad choice on Luke's part has dire consequences for Amber and him. He isn't really being selfish about it, but rather trying to be helpful to Amber, however at that moment it seems very selfish and hurtful. Instead, it is a bad choice and they are apart and both miserable. Amber runs into a part of her she is missing in a store, and things start to click. No more allowing Luke to be the one making all the decisions, Amber shows up at the house and now things move quickly again, only this time there is no turning bad or walking away, and they both know it and neither of them are going to argue about it. These two have ups and downs in their delicious journey together and the only spoiler I will give is that they do get their happily ever after. Such an awesome journey to go through with them.

Emily Pennington

20.7k reviews359 followers

June 3, 2017

Chef Luke Harrison loved his restaurant and all the bustling around him. But when one of his staff plated an overcooked steak, he was angry and pushed the man to work harder and do better. That’s how Luke was; he wanted the best from his people. Even being understaffed, they had to maintain the quality people expected. And he had the same expectations for the new chef he had just hired.

Amber Foster showed up early for her first day’s work. She knew Chef Harrison was a difficult task-master, but she could learn so much from him if she hung in there. But before she even got out of the car, a man she first thought was a bus-boy emptying the garbage turned out to be the Chef himself. He stormed over to her, demanding to know why she was in his parking lot. Then he had some non-flattering words to shout at her. Amber normally stood up for herself, but he had knocked her off balance and she had not yet recovered from the onslaught! He gave her 20 minutes to learn all of the lunch recipes before they opened for business! But he saw her potential very quickly and used his gruffness to make her even better at her craft.

One morning Luke’s daughter, Emery, wasn’t feeling good. He wanted to keep her in his office at work where he could keep her close. He introduced her to Amber and was amazed at how the two of them enjoyed each other’s company. Emery begged that Amber put her to bed, and since she was willing, Luke agreed. Since Emery was still not 100% well, Amber offered to come the next day and spend it with her. They were getting closer. Would this turn into a relationship? Would either of them be able to back away?

This book was very well written and enjoyable to read! The author is a master at developing her characters! They were all so vivid and real, as if the reader had met some of them in real life! And watching the relationship slowly developing among Luke, Amber, and Emery was wonderful! There are surprises coming, but this book is so worth reading! I highly recommend it. It’s an emotional journey you won’t want to miss!

reviewed

ViolinVixen

535 reviews26 followers

Don’t get too close to the chef, you might get burned.

This is one of my favourite Rye Hart romances so far!

Luke is an arrogant, demanding, foul-mouthed chef who insists on perfection from his staff. He’s also a single dad who saves the softer side of his heart for his one and only girl, his 6 year old daughter Emery. He’s had zero interest in dating and is not willing to risk having his or Emery’s heart broken by getting attached to a woman only to have her abandon them. He’s had zero interest in women, that is, until he meets his new chef Amber.

Fresh out of culinary school with all of the shiny awards and praise that her college had to offer, Amber is starting her first job in a real restaurant kitchen. Luke is not going to go easy on her just because she’s beautiful. He’s going to break her in or break her down.

Surprisingly though, it’s Luke who starts to break down bit by bit. He slowly starts to let Amber into his life (mostly at Emery’s insistence) and he begins to realize what they’ve been missing all this time. Amber is just at the start of her promising career though and Luke is scared to hope for a future with her. She’ll be offered the world on a silver platter and leave Luke and Emery behind.

Adorable family moments with Emery’s no BS questions and answers. Amber and Luke share some super steamy scenes and intense sexual tension/chemistry the entire book. I’m not going to lie, there were some tears for me towards the end of the book, but just because I was so invested in these characters. Loved the happy ending and the beautiful epilogue.

No cheating. No cliffhanger. Standalone. HEA.

SBee Reviews

2,656 reviews82 followers

Review Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars.

Sexy chef runs a mighty tight ship.

I received an Advance Reader Copy for Rock Hard Boss written by Rye Hart and voluntarily reviewed this book. The “Dreaded Pirate” Chef Luke Harrison was taking on a new crew member, a very promising replacement chef, Amber Foster to his restaurant named after his daughter, Emery. He nearly sent her to her knees in defeat on the first day and then into the week, as he pushed through his instant attraction to her, playing things uber tough and cool, meanwhile evaluating her ability to work in his fast-paced and thoroughly demanding kitchen. She passed with flying colors, in his kitchen as well as behind his zipper, but he was never going to tell her that…He has to protect all he has fought so hard to maintain these last few years: mainly both Emery’s heart and his own.

Amber spotted this hunk of a chef throwing out the garbage while waiting to start her first day in the staff parking lot and thought he was just a busboy cleaning up for the day’s start. Little did she know she was looking into the eye of the hurricane and was going to be swept up soon. When she is suddenly and unexpectedly drawn into Luke’s private life, things are going just fine until an event occurs that puts them at a crossroads. What will happen, even though both know what they want, and what choices will they make?

Great story and enjoyed the added levity that a six-year-old, straight-shooting girl can bring. Sexy, sweet, and heartwarming all at once!

Maria Hunt

1,133 reviews9 followers

August 5, 2017

Rock Hard Boss is my favorite Rye Hart book to date! I love Rye's writing style and getting dual points of view. The characters in this book were fantastic and pulled me right into this story. Chef Luke Harrison is demanding, arrogant and expects perfection in his kitchen. He is hard on his staff but pushes them to always do their best. The only one that ever sees his softer side is his six year old daughter, Emery. He has no plans on risking either of their hearts by dating. What he didn't plan on was his new chef, Amber Forest. Amber is fresh out of culinary school and working in Luke's kitchen will be her first job. Luke isn't taken in by her looks or the awards she has won. He is tough and demanding because he wants to help make her a better chef. Slowly and little by little Luke lets down his walls and allows Amber into his and Emery's lives. He soon realizes what they have been missing but doesn't hold out hope that Amber will stay around. The chemistry between Amber and Luke is scorching. Can Amber make Luke realize what they have is worth fighting for? This book made me laugh out loud, shed a few tears and root for a happily ever after. I couldn't put it down until I was finished and I loved the ending and the epilogue! You're definitely going to want to one-click Rock Hard Boss!!

Keryth Belvin

868 reviews2 followers

Fell In Love With Luke, Amber & Emery

Fantastic book. I loved the characters, even Luke. I loved how Luke was able to show his softer side with his daughter, Emery and Amber, outside of work. I love books with children in them, is seems to add depth to the adult characters. And the characters in Rock Hard Boss come off as quite real and believable. Well done.

Luke is a single father and busy owner of a thriving restaurant. Amber is the new chef that Luke hired to work there. Amber was rather excited to be working with Luke until she met him and discovered what an *ssh*le he was as a boss. But then one day Luke's daughter, Emery was sick and he brought her with him to work, to spend the day in his office. When Amber met Emery, is was like at first sight. The next day, Amber ended up caring for Emery at Luke's house and when he got home that night, Amber and Luke gave into their immense attraction and ended up in bed together. Luke began to change after that at work. Luke became a nicer boss and he, Amber and Emery were spending time together. Everything was wonderful, until... Luke screwed up. Was there any coming back from it? Had Luke permanently destroyed what they had together? Would Amber forgive Luke if he were to ask?

MJM

1,576 reviews10 followers

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. And what a book this is! Luke is a hard taskmaster chef whose renowned for his hard work ethics and relentlessness to only produce the best food ever. The only person who sees the softer side of him is his daughter Emery who he named his restaurant after. She is a little cutie and wraps him around her little finger. He employs a new chef for his restaurant called Amber who he is immediately attracted to and the feeling is mutual. But both, privately, feel it's better to ignore the chemistry between them especially when he makes her cry on her very first day. However, Emery is poorly one day and Amber finds her hiding out in Luke's office and forges a friendship that starts the beginning of their love/lust affair to the heart. This is so well written as you would expect from Rye Hart. The characters practically "jump" off the pages as they travel along their love story and I felt drawn in to the book. I loved the banter between the two of them and the many funny as well as steamy moments. As with the other Rye Hart books that I have read, I thoroughly recommend this book to you if you love reading steamy romance stories with humour and a HEA :)

Kimmie

1,330 reviews10 followers

July 15, 2017

Wow! Simply wow. I loved this story and it was one hell of a
story. I mean I love romance, but this was so much more. It
was so well-written and had so many little things that kept
you hot under the collar. In that hot kitchen.

This is Chef Luke, Amber Foster and who could forget, Emery both
of them the daughter and the restaurant. How sweet is it that he
named his restaurant after his daughter. Shows how much he loved
her. Oh and the heat between him and Amber was hot. Like hotter
then in the kitchen what’s that saying if you can’t handle the heat
stay out of the kitchen same goes for this book. That man was a
total jackass to her but he was so different with Emery and then
amber thanks to that little ray of sunshine. She was a sweet little
thing that brought them together. That is till he blew it all to hell.
Like an idiot who throws that away. Let’s hope he wises up and
can fix the mess he caused.

Now before I ruin this for you I will leave off here. I hope you
enjoy this book as much as I did. If you do like this book,
please consider leaving a review. The Authors really like it
when you do; they value your opinions too

Jackie D

1,845 reviews26 followers

Wow! I gotta say I loved this story! Rye Hart did a fabulous job giving us a story with an arrogant hard a** chef who just needed the right help to bring out the better side to him.
Luke is the hard a** cocky, chef, and single father and restaurant owner. He hires Amber after her application sticks out against the others, he is just as tough on her as he is the others, but the instant attraction between them sparks something more than just wanting to see her excel as a chef.
When Amber meets his daughter Emery she gets to see a different side to the arrogant chef, there is no coming back for either of them at this point, can they make this work? How will they manage with the rest of the staff? Will it be a relationship or a boss with benefits?\
Dueling POV, with hotness throughout, you could feel the emotions, they tugged at my heart, keeping me glued to this book. Witty, and sweet I do believe this is my favorite from Rye Hart yet!
I voluntarily an advanced readers copy of this book

arc fav-s hot

Rebecca Grove

3,492 reviews26 followers

Luke is a famous chef who is known for being a jerk. His attitude is that his kitchen is like a pirate ship. If they don't follow his orders exactly, he'll make them walk the plank. Luke is alo a single dad with a daughter he loves a lot. Luke is short-handed in the restaurant so he hires a new chef who had raves reviews at culinary school but no real restaurant experience. He is going to teach Amber that a real restaurant is a lot harder than school.
Amber is starting her new job as chef at a poplar restaurant. Her new boss is a jerk and is constantly on her back about things. She would quit except she is learning so much from him. As time goes on, she gets to know Luke better and finds out he is much kinder that he appears at work. Then Luke's daughter gets sick and she helps him take care of her. She becomes more than an employee and more of a friend.
This is a good book. Amber and Luke have a lot of heat between them and the tension of the job adds to the tension in the story. I voluntarily received a copy of this book and this is my honest review.

2,295 reviews18 followers

Loved this story about Luke and Amber. Luke is the owner of a top-notch restaurant and has a young daughter, he is a mean one at work, always barking orders trying to get his kitchen perfect. Amber just graduated from culinary school and is the new chef at his restaurant. The first meeting is a bit rough and soon he softens a bit towards her and finally lets his guard down when his daughter Emery takes a great liking to Amber.
When a once in a lifetime job offer is offered to her in front of Luke, she turns it down but then Luke decides she needs to take it and doesn't want to hold her back. Will she forgive him after what he does? Will he go after her?
A great great read and so far my favorite from this author. It has steamy scenes, a hot alpha man, a beautiful young woman, a cute little girl, no drama with exes or people trying to break them up, a story about the two of them falling in love, sacrificing happiness and learning to let go and not be scarred and with the epilogue that was perfect....I couldn't put it down.
*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book*

Melissa

1,676 reviews110 followers

June 3, 2017

I think this is my favourite Rye Hart book to date!
Luke is a single father of a 6 year old daughter and owner of his own restaurant. At work he is tough, Gordon Ramsay tough! He expects nothing but the best from his employees and pushes them hard to achieve this. At home he is a sweet, loving and doting dad!
Amber is fresh out of culinary school where she excelled at everything. She is not prepared for the shock she gets when her new boss Luke Harrison refuses to treat her kindly.
Luke's world is thrown off its axis when he meets Amber. He is attracted like no woman before her. He tries to keep his distance and push her away with his a#*hole attitude but he just can't seem to resist her.
Amber not only has great chemistry with Luke but has amazing chemistry with his daughter Emery. The three of them make a great team.
This book was well written with great characters, steamy sex scenes and a well developed plot. I thoroughly enjoyed this story! I voluntarily read an arc copy for my honest review!

Nickole

1,477 reviews9 followers

rvcd an advanced reader copy from the author for giving my two cents. what a whirlwind of a story. we meet Luke, chef and A-hole extraordinaire who is a single father trying to keep his restaurant running perfect. He needs to hire someone and after looking an applications he picks a young woman with many accolades from culinary school. Amber just landed a dream job with a chef known for being a hard a$$. on her first day she sees a total hottie outside only that hottie is her new boss. luke is a complete dick to her and treats her as such. Amber is flustered not just by work but by her boss. one day lukes daughter is sick and has to take her to work. Amber meets Emery and falls in love with the child and vice.versa. luke is amazed at his daughter opening up to a stranger. that leads to Amber babysitting the next day and luke can't take it anymore and makes his move. they embark on a whirlwind romance but can it survive? will luke be able to let Amber go when opportunity knocks?

Reva Parks

1,770 reviews15 followers

June 3, 2017

When hard-assed Chef Luke Harrison hires award wining (in school) newly graduated from Culinary School Amber, she expects to continue to receive awards while he is committed to teach her in the real world of a hot, over worked kitchen that every order is to be plated perfectly and timely no matter whose chores she has to do in addition to her own! Imagine her surprise when the fogey shows up at work with a sick six year old daughter. And the points she makes when she delivers her secret cure to Emory for whom the restaraunt is named. It isn't long before Amber sees herself as the center of this little family taking the place of her parents that were killed when she was young! And she's made herself a solid member of the crew at Emory's.
My heart broke for all of them when Luke let Amber go. You will love this Rye Hart offering, too! I voluntarily reviewed this ARC! Could read it again right now!

Cathy

248 reviews5 followers

June 5, 2017

I bought this book after reading a sample of the book. I love reading Rye's books! This has more than one story included with the main book.
I absolutely love chef romances something about food and love mixed together is hit to me! This story didn't disappoint. Chef Harrison is an arrogant control freak in the kitchen and out. It doesn't hurt that he is a total hot alpha stud too. He needs a new chef for his 5 star restaurant Emery. Amber who was top of her class was chosen to fill in as their new chef. I loved the chemistry between Luke and Amber. Luke's daughter was a sweet character that put an extra cuteness to the storyline. I can't say enough about the story. It was extremely well written, and with the bonus book included which were all enjoyable to read, I would rate this higher than a 5 if I could. Excellent job as always Rye! Love your books. Grab your copy now for a exceptional look at a great author's work.

Laila Viking

4,090 reviews30 followers

I loved this book - as always Rye Hart did not disappoint!
I had to read the whole book without putting it away. I caught me from page one.
I like to great chemistry between the characters and the way Rye Hart describes it all.
The book has dual POV and that does you get to know the persons better and it catches you more.
This story very well be taking place in the real world and I love that about it.
There are hot steamy scenes but they are not taking over the story. They just give a bit of edge and makes it more real and erotic.
That this book is about two CHEFS and not some billionaire or whatever makes it unique. I loved to read it also because of the daughter - Emery - she is very grown up for her age but her comments where well placed and gave to story a push.
Keep up the good work!

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Viper Spaulding

3,147 reviews25 followers

I know I keep saying this about Rye Hart’s books, but honestly each one I read is better than the last and this one is no exception. This was a sweet love story between Amber and Emery (Luke’s young daughter), alongside a hot and steamy love story between Amber and Luke. Amber is everything Luke doesn’t want to admit he needs, and for a while he allows his fears to overrule his heart. The dialogue between the two was snappy and hilarious – I’m never going to hear “does your back hurt” quite the same way again! I was hooked right from the very first page, and it didn’t hurt that the author’s descriptions of Luke made me fall in love with him right from the start. Amber is a strong heroine, more than capable of matching Luke barb-for-barb and plate-for-plate, and she’s got a heart of gold that just spreads to everyone around her. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

Karina

2,318 reviews13 followers

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. Ms Hart does not disappoint with her latest Rock Hard book. This one is about Luke, a restaurant A owner and single dad and Amber the new chef he has just hired. Luke is known for being a really demanding and tough boss to work for. Amber has always wanted to work as a chef and is focused enough not to let Luke intimidate her her. She brings out a softer side of Luke. When they are together he is kinder to his staff. These two are such a great couple. I loved the whole story line. I enjoyed the sharp mind of Emery, Luke's daughter. She is one smart little girl. Once Luke decided that he could let himself let down his guard with Amber he became an even more hot alpha. And when he figured he couldn't function without Amber He made sure he wold never let her go. Enjoyed the HEA!

Beth C.

1,857 reviews15 followers

June 4, 2017

The actual story in this book was really good

I enjoyed this book very much. Rye did such a great job with the character development and getting the readers into their lives. As a new chat, Amber just got a highly coveted job at a top restaurant in Seattle, Emery. But her new boss Luke is a real hard-a**, and his reputation as such precedes him. But she sees him outside before she even knows who is is and all she can see is his sexiness.
Her first week is tough, but she gets into the swing of the new job and Luke she's the potential in her, both professionally and not so much... Their relationship grows. But of course, like all men with rockets in their heads, he screws it up. It was for good reasons, but he makes a mess of things.
No big spoilers here, but it's worth reading the book because the story was very well told.

Debs

1,189 reviews13 followers

June 16, 2017

Luke and Amber were absolutely sizzling in "Rock Hard Boss". Stir in Luke's 6 year old daughter, Emory, and you have a mixture of sexy hot romance, sweetness and fun. Amber not only shows her mettle in cooking at Luke's exclusive restaurant, but falls for her boss and his daughter. Luke keeps a tight grip on his emotions due to an unfortunate past with Emory's mother. Pushing Amber away should protect them all, right? Then why is he not happy she is gone? With all of the emotions of Luke coming to grips with his past and his protection of Emory, what will it take for them all to find their HEA? Rye Hart gives a story that is complete from start to finish that will keep the reader turning the pages. This is one of her best. I would like to thank Ms.Hart for gifting me "Rock Hard Boss". My opinion is my own. This is mine 4.5 Stars!

arc-books author-s-gift

Julianne Macneil

3,697 reviews28 followers

I reviewed this book as part of an arc program, I loved it, I thought Emery was such a cute kid, Luke was such a jerk at first, I thought some of the insults he said were funny. He was a chef who expected perfection from his staff and himself. He was hurt when Emery's mother ran off and he closed his heart from ever loving again, That is until he sees Amber, his new chef. Amber is thrilled to be working for Luke, regardless of his demeanor. One day Emery is sick and he brings her to his office at work and Amber sees her and befriends the little girl. Soon Luke finds himself opening up to Amber, but she is a little nervous of their new relationship. This was a good book and I really hated it to end.

Topaz May

Author 1 book