Hardpressed

Ocean Falls #1

by Peyton Storm

After the passing of his mother, then sixteen year old Greyson Ty Thomas, aka Tack, was forced to live with his uncle in Ocean Falls, a sleepy, coastal Texas town. While Uncle Jake worked long hours at the local chemical plant, Greyson spent his time training, with dreams of leaving it all behind once he was drafted into the National Football League. Until he met her.

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance, Contemporary

231 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 15, 2020

Reviews

[Dawn Hosmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me start by saying I don't read many romance novels. I'm so glad I read this one. I absolutely loved the cast of characters in this book. Presley was a strong, independent woman who did whatever was necessary to keep herself and her child safe. Paisley was loveable and endearing. Carter was the kind of dad all little girls deserve. Greyson (who I didn't like at first) showed that we all deserve second chances, especially when our mistakes are made when we're young & not so smart. Belle was the best friend we all long for - funny, smart, and sassy. I loved how this book dove into the complexities of parenthood and relationships and didn't sugarcoat the oftentimes difficult decisions that must be made with both. I thought about these characters and what was going to happen even when I wasn't reading - they felt like real people going through a difficult time, struggling to find forgiveness, redemption, and healing. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more by Peyton Storm.

[Luvsbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply one of the best books I have read in a very long time. I have no idea why I had it on my Kindle and put it off. Life, really. But I'm so glad I read this right before the launch of Book #2. I loved every single character in this book - Presley, Greyson, Carter, Paisley, Belle, and Dax. This is a second chance romance with grit, determination, triumph, tragedy, and a threesome I DID not see coming. The way Peyton blends her characters together is not your typical happily-ever-after, it's real life and it was a most welcome sigh of relief. My romantic heart simply swooned with the Froot Loops passage. I actually teared up a little, it was so damn poignant. I have zero knowledge of Texas, yet it felt like I was right there. I love football, having been a cheerleader in High School and dated the Quarterback (many, many years ago), so this was like a small trip down memory lane in some ways. Peyton is a master story-teller and I am so excited for the continuation of the Ocean Falls Trilogy. This series is a must read. Keep writing Peyton, keep up that sass, and remember, Leo season is coming our way soon!

[Steph's Romance Book Talk · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars / 2.5 Steam Fans

Hardpressed was the first book that I read by this author, and I believe it is also a debut novel. With that being noted, I found a few things that I didn't connect to within the story and others that I enjoyed. Even though the story could have used some streamlining when it came to the flow, I enjoyed the journey and looked forward to reading more from this author.

Video review available in Week 50: Dec 12 – Dec 18, 2021, full weekly book reviews on Steph's Romance Book Talk Patreon.

For other bookish content, check out my YouTube Channel: Steph's Romance Book Talk.

[Vera West · Rating 4 out of 5]

A steamy unconventional romance with just the right amount for sass and bite to leave you deeply invested in the characters and rooting for them. The characters felt well developed and thought out and the plot elements weren't guessible or cliche even thought it felt realistic and relatable. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

[Melissa Sercia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Storm’s first novel and it does not disappoint. The chemistry between Presley and Greyson oozes off the pages creating the perfect amount of steam to please any romance reader. Really enjoyed this story and look forward to the next book!

[Chuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a Surprise

I am not a reader of romance, nor am I drawn toward books that lean more explicit in their story, and that is exactly what makes me so excited about this book. In spite of my preferences, I loved it! I was introduced to the book by friends on social media and I expected I would like it, but what an amazing read.

Mixing painful mistakes, missed opportunities, and the possibility of redemption, I was drawn in from the beginning. The storyline was compelling and that characters were real. There is no missing the raw telling of the story, and that might be hard for some who are sensitive to explicit language and images, but I would argue overall, the characters need to be portrayed this way. It is what lends authenticity to the story.

Overall, Hardpressed is a journey through personal choices, messy relationships, and challenging growth. I am glad I stepped out of my comfort zone to read it.

[Eryn McConnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am NOT a romance fan particularly. I have nothing against the romance - by and large I find that the saucy bits tend to hold together a lacklustre plot or the characters are horribly misogynistic - alpha males do not do a thing for me.
That being said: I do like a romance when it is character driven and believable. I want to be able to root for those characters.
I do root for these ones. Presley and Greyson are good, flawed characters and I can see why they would be drawn together. A good story. I'll have to revisit this series soon!

[Gladys Cross · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had not previously read a story like this one and loved it. The characters were beautifully flawed and relatable. The story line kept you guessing. All the feels. I especially liked the hero’s move into maturity and how he decided to handle his mental health issues. The best friend and little girl add a little humor to what starts out as a hard situation that the characters turn into something truly beautiful.

[Judy Ferrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A blast from the past.

Her old boyfriend comes back and life changes forever. Peyton Storm has written a romance that entices the reader with hints of the main characters yesterday. I found myself involved in the ongoing drama of the three people who love one little girl. I loved this!!

[Lyric C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t even know where to start! This genre of books is not one that I typically pick up, and yet for some reason I could not put this down. The way everything unfolded make it hard to put the book down. I genuinely could not have expected half of the turns this romance took. I wanted to know more about each character and why they made the choices they did. I’m happy to see that this will be part of a trilogy because I can’t wait to see what more this author brings to the table.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hardpressed

The characters were totally believable. I’m not sure how I would have reacted if my ex came back into town. Gotta say, I really enjoy this novel can’t wait for the next one!

[D.L. Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's so much I have to say about Peyton Storm's first entry to the Ocean Falls Trilogy which would be me enthusiastically ranting about how captivating the world she created was, with realistic characters and dialogue, that to me, is a rarity in the genre. To say these things without spoiling anything because everyone needs to stop what they are doing and go read this book immediately will be a challenge that I will try to undertake in the next few short sentences.

"Hardpressed" was gripping, enchanting, intense, and surreal. A wonderful surprise as no aspect of it's description would normally make me raise an eyebrow and add this book to my cart. That is, however, a testimony to Ms. Storms ability to tell a story. I sat down on an early morning at work to read the first few pages and ended up reading the first seven chapters. The dual narrative gives you different angles of the same story as it runs parallel and perpendicular at times. Learning how events are both seen, and how they affect characters so enamored with each other had me rooting, cursing, and hoping for everyone involved in the story, and the ending was so satisfying I literally sighed with contention in the epilogue.

I love these characters. I love this book. Most of all, I love the author for braving the wilds of her imagination and releasing this to the world.

Looking forward to the next ride.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

About Hardpressed
Presley dreamed of being a dancer and leaving her small town until him.
Greyson wanted to leave their small town and he did.
Six years later he has the galls to show up at her doorstep as if she owed him answers.
Maybe she did.

The book opened in Greyson's point of view. His football career was going well except for his bad repuation. His agent wanted him to clean it up by going back "home" for some good press with some kids at his old high school.
I wasn't sure I liked Greyson.

Enter Presley.
Presley….life didn't go as planned for Presley.
I liked Presley and the story got more interesting in her point of view.

I liked the twists in this novel on a few populur troups found often in romance novels. (I'm not giving anything away. You have to read it to find out what I mean.)
It took a few chapters for me to like Greyson. Now his agent Dex...I liked him from the first line. :)

I also loved another character but I'm not telling who since it gives too much away.
My favorite part is Belle, Presley's best friend, with the gun...
By the end of the book I wanted to keep reading and can’t wait for the next one.

[CD · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do not usually like stories like this (young people and their stuff), but the writing was so good, the author made me invest in these characters. I wanted to know how they got to where they were, if what happened was as bad as I thought it was and if they would find their way. These characters were absolutely believable and I could understand the journey they had to go on.

I do not like stories about people who do not take responsibility for their actions or stories about women who can't make up their minds. I was wrong on both fronts. This is a story about three people who were young, egotistical, stupid, and not sure of who they were. The ride to discovery is a bumpy one and theirs was filled with potholes. The author did a beautiful job of bringing each of these characters to life and telling their story.

If you want an unconventional love story, this is the book for you.

[Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the wonderful opportunity of getting to read Hardpressed as an arc read.
Hardpressed has a unique, refreshing twist on romance theme that has been told over and over. Second chances aren't told like this and I loved it!
I loved the characters and their personalities. Presley and her tenacity to take what life has given her and make the most of it. Greyson, a live by the moment kind of guy, and eventually straighten himself out and know what he wants in life. Paisley was just adorable! Even Dax, Belle, and Carter. Storm made me want to know their stories as well.
I cannot wait to read more by Storm and see what else these characters will show us!

[Becs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this story! It is different from your typical romance, it has some mystery, suspense, some comedy sprinkles and of course what we're all here for...the awe moments. 

I will not give any spoilers, but let me say there is no typical "hero" here and I was NOT rooting for Greyson... At first ;) 

The supporting cast are just as important to the story as the main cast and each have their own hilarious one-liners. 

I laughed, I shed a tear or 2, I aww'd......ugh I am so ready for book 2!!!! 

[Jennifer Porter · Rating 4 out of 5]

**I was given the chance to receive an ARC for an honest review**

Greyson, a football star, crosses paths with his ex girlfriend, Presley after 6 years. None of them knew how much their lives would be turned upside down as a result.

After all the times I've read this, I've always enjoyed it, and it still holds up as a fun read! Presley is a well written badass while Greyson is a hard-headed klutz, lol. Their story is a gut puncher and is tastefully told. I look forward to more of their story in the future!

[Leilani Graceffa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great job, awesome book! 😎 And before I forget… buy this book, pretty please! 😍🥰

I got to read this while it was a draft, an amazing story! It’s definitely a different romance story, and Presley and Paisley are my favourite characters, Greyson is okay, and the other characters are sweet. 😅

Great job, Peyton! More please! 😄

[B.A. Ellison · Rating 3 out of 5]

The words we use matter. Every single which one, because Time is the most precious resource to the individual of all. Time well spent. I'm someone who has tremendous respect for the potential of the future and how bright it may be, and for that reason, I've settled on a 3.5 ratting for Hardpressed, by Ms. Storm.

I don't think the book is terrible, but reading it wasn't totally time-well-spent for myself. Having multiple-conflicting-POVs in a first-person based narrative simply created numerous swaths of pages where I was very uninterested in the material, and really struggled to keep track of just what exactly was happening, or why it mattered at all. I thought the concept of the book was great in potential, but I just believe that if you're going to write a book about football, there has got to be more of it that's actually proven on the field-of-play. Greyson is a top NFL Draft prospect, but there isn't a single scene set on the field with pads that's particularly elaborated upon. There are also far too few hyphenations present in what I read, so, development could have been extended for several more weeks to clean this up. I think the characters are well-formed, the setting is fine, and the plot could be really-relatable for the type of reader who doesn't normally come along for romance or sports based novels, which is me.

I do, however—like to come out of my way to be supportive for my peers who I feel have the potential to deserve support from myself, and that is what I see in Peyton. Recognizing this is worth everything in the future we will share moving forward as a human-species, after this deluge of covid and human-shittery that has become so rampant in this reality since 2019. It's a genuine litmus test to know the true-worth of an author, in this day and age, because of just exactly what we've read of their work with honest integrity, that they've chosen to make available to us publicly—for our consumption. All that we each really have is the worth of our own opinions and the amount of time left in our lives, that we can never know truly, for our actions to prove it. I encourage the read if this seems like exactly what you are looking for, but I would traverse with trepidation otherwise.

I do not believe I will re-visit Ocean Falls—largely because of my taste preferences—but as someone who has self-sacrificed so much they never had to, in the first place—to bring a trilogy of books to life, I ultimately respect the foresight I suspect it took to ultimately bring this work to fruition.

[Lucy Appadoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this second chance love story between Greyson, a popular football player and Presley, a former dancer and current dance teacher.

Greyson and Presley re-unite after six years apart. They had broken up in high school after an incident involving another man.

Presley doesn’t forgive him easily when he returns to Texas and comes back into her life for his sport (NFL). He visits her at home, and in a drunken state, sleeps on her couch and stays longer than he knows he should. She can’t forgive him for the past but lets him rest on her sofa.

Greyson discovers she has a daughter, Paisley and is none too happy who the father is. He accidentally meets Paisley at a football game, then realises later she is Presley’s daughter. But Presley is the type who speaks her mind and won’t accept his jealousy, especially when she’s not in a relationship with the father, who was Greyson’s old friend in high school.

I like the way Greyson’s manager, Dax looks out for him and how Presley’s friend, Belle looks out for her. They are interesting characters who care about their friends, having each other’s backs.

Through challenges, reminiscing of the past, communication and admitting to past mistakes, they get through to a happy ending, with Greyson having formed a new family.

My only issue would be that I do prefer reading less inner monologue or narrative and more action and dialogue, as I felt it slowed the pace of the story down. It could have been toned down a little (and this is only my opinion and others may not agree). Despite that, it was an entertaining and easy read.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

You know what I actually really liked this book. It told a story and I think books these days lack that. Now maybe it was written a while back but this is my first book from the author and I have to say, you know it’s good when you’re itching to read especially when you should be working.

Greyson and Presley were so sweet bless them, especially little Paisley. I think it was nice to see the twist on how paisley came to be because it was clear Greyson had some problems he was working through. However, seeing mental health being written about proves it’s actually a real thing and not just a taboo subject. Belle was a character in and of herself which was funny, she honestly made me chuckle at times.

Overall I think everything flowed, but it would’ve been nice to see their dynamics a bit more, especially with raising Paisley instead of that massive jump at the end, but it was a nice conclusion nonetheless.

[Renee Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greyson and Presley are delicious characters. High school sweethearts who vowed to be together forever, but one night changed everything. Greyson goes off to pursue his dream of being in the NFL. Presley never gets her chance to leave her small town of Ocean Falls,Texas to become a Broadway dancer, but she is content teaching dance classes to the locals. Years later, Greyson begrudgingly returns to meet fans and face his past. The NFL draft is a few months away and his eyes are set on being a top pick, until his eyes meet Presley’s. Is a second chance even possible? The storytelling is wonderful. Plenty of drama, humor, romance, and steaminess. The backdrop of South Texas and football is the best. Peyton Storm is a very talented author and I look forward to reading more of her work. I ordered this book in the evening and finished by 2am! I highly recommend!

[Jennifer Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is FIRE! I don't know what you are doing right now, but you need to go pick this up and read it! NOW!!

This book is a fast paced read and I was drawn to the story very early on and found myself not able to put it down when I started reading it!

I really loved the dual POV's and how you can get to know both the MC's and how they few the situations they are in. Sometimes when one perceives an interaction one way the other may not and it was so fantastic to read about both of them!

I really loved the world, the side characters and literally everything about this book.

I can't wait to read more about Dex! I really loved his agent and bring in Belle the best friend, this will be epic!

[R.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hardpressed by Payton Storm is a breath of fresh air for contemporary sports second-chance romance. You know how something happened years ago that authors will allude to until the end? That's not this book! The relationship issues are addressed right away, and you have the same info as the rest of the characters, and I absolutely enjoyed that! I loved how these people were far from perfect, but their struggles were front and center and drove the whole plot.

You don't really have to know anything about football to enjoy this book, but I loved the situation and how hard it was to really take anyone's side. The character development was fantastic, and the ending was extremely satisfying! 5/5 would recommend!

Make sure you check the content warnings.

[Sarah Delany · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me from the beginning and I couldn't put it down. It's dual POV which I am a fan of.
It's a second chance romance of high school sweethearts. Life doesn't always go to plan but sometimes what you end up with is so much better.
I love that the main male character suffered from mental health issues because it is usually the females that are shown to be affected. So it was definitely a nice change for it to be the man because men are affected just as much as women. The author has highlighted in a realistic way as well. Loved the writing as it was captivating and flowed well.
Definitely read if you love second chance romance. Great read.

[Lisa De · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a pleasure to read. It served as a little escape from all the negative things going on in the world today. Presley and Greyson are convincingly human, flaws and all. They grow through their experiences, from teenage sweethearts, to complicated adults, who never lost feelings for each other- or their undeniable chemistry. This is a romance that's not filled with love interests sweeping one another off their feet. Rather, it's a story that reveals the not so tidy ways in which love exists, and endures. It portrays different types of love, and hope, and how they play out in everyday life.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me preface this that Romance isn't my typical genre, but I like to step outside of my comfort zone every now and then with something different. This fit that bill and I decided to make it my first read of 2021. I enjoyed the story, the characters, and how very real they felt on the page. The emotions, the raw feelings, all of it drew me in again and again, page after page.

The ending? Hardly expected that but I loved it nonetheless! Overall I really enjoyed this book and am glad I stepped out of my normal habits.

[Eve Corso · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had some really great characters! I thought the different points of view were interesting and very good. I loved that each character had a little bit of spunk and sass and it made for a fun read.

Presley was a really likeable character, Belle was a great sidekick, Greyson took some getting used to, but he was fun to get to know a little better, to be honest.

I would definitely venture back to Ocean Falls! It was an enjoyable read.

[MyDogAteMyBookReview · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this second chance romance, if you know me, you know I’m a very fickle b!tch when it comes to this trope but I liked this one.

I liked Presley right from the start.
Greyson? I wanted to throat punch him. BUT I did like him in the end.

Sometimes life doesn’t pan out liked you’d hoped or planned. Sometimes somebody’s leaving isn’t for the reasons you thought.

I really want Dex & Belle’s book, those two are going to be awesome, they stole the show as side characters.

[thenerdybookworm_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peyton Storm is a new to me author and Hardpressed was really good. Hardpressed is the first in the Oceans Falls Trilogy.

Greyson and Presley have history together. He left town and she stayed. When he comes back 6 years later, it changes everything. And like before they’re drawn to one another.

I disliked Greyson in the beginning, but towards the end he had me warming up to him. The side characters are awesome and overall a great read!