Hard to Love by Stacy Williams: Book Review

 **ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own. 

The Book

What if no one really sees you?

What if you don’t want them to?

Ryder Jones typically spends her days and nights busting down doors to rescue innocent victims from a dangerous world most can’t fathom. But when an injury puts her out of commission, her boss gives her a new and anxiety-provoking assignment: 24-hour protection detail for a charming athlete with a target on his back.

Cole Matthews’s sole focus is winning football games. That is, until a stalker threatens his life. But it’s his sullen, highly trained blonde bodyguard—and new roommate—who’s turning his regimented life upside down. As Cole and Ryder dig into who has a vendetta against him, their forced proximity leads to an undeniable attraction neither has experienced before.

A relationship would never work—Ryder operates in the dark, and Cole commands the spotlight. When their opposite worlds collide and the stalker closes in, Ryder must admit that Cole is more than an assignment. She’ll do anything to protect him, even if it’s from herself. But what if the one thing that needs rescuing. . . is her heart?

The Author

Stacy Williams lives with her husband and children in Illinois. She writes in five-minute increments between homeschooling and extracurricular activities. She’s spent years dreaming about writing love stories that in a worn and broken world, remind us of what we're truly made for.

Book Review

Wow, what a story! I love a good bodyguard romance, but this was the first time I'd read one where SHE was the bodyguard and HE was the one in need of protection. This added a really unique dynamic to Ryder and Cole's story... but I loved that though he respected her strength and capability, he was also equally protective of her as well. And the more we learn about her history, we see that he's exactly what she needs. This story isn't an easy one, touching on topics of sex trafficking and abuse, but doing so in a way that didn't sugarcoat anything but also didn't lay out all the graphic details on the page either. We see that pain and trauma, but we're not left in the darkness of it. It still might not be an easy one, but I think it's a story that is important to tell. The romance was tender and healing, a perfect slow burn with just the right amount of suspense... all with that sense of found family that Stacy Williams does so beautifully. If you love an emotional romance that will break your heart, but leave you with a sense of healing, this is one not to be missed. 

Hard to Love is a closed-door romance with a fade to black moment and strong language (to include multiple f-words). 


You can purchase your copy here: https://amzn.to/4vpFcE8