Review: Tough Love by Lori Foster
Tough Love
Book Three
544 Pages
Release Date: 08/25/15
Publisher: Harlequin | Imprint: HQN Books
Genre: Romance | Contemporary Romance | Romantic Suspense
Series: Ultimate
She’s playing hard to get… to win the MMA fighter of her ultimate fantasies in a sultry new novel from New York Timesbestselling author Lori Foster…
Vanity Baker loves a good, clean match, but she’s not above playing a little dirty. She’s wanted Stack “The Wolf” Hannigan from day one. Seems as though the best way to corral the famously commitment-phobic fighter is to insist on keeping it casual. And her plan works—deliciously well—until Stack’s past steps out of the shadows.
Stack learned early to stay free of attachments. But with sexy, forthright Vanity, he’s the one always left wanting more. Then his troublemaking family comes back into the picture, threatening everything Stack cares about—Vanity included. Suddenly he realizes they’re much more than friends with benefits. He’s ready to go to the mat for her…but will it be in time to protect the woman who’s tamed him for good?
*E-ARC provided by Publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review*
*Print Copy Purchased*
Vanity Baker has wanted Stack Hannigan ever since she first laid eyes on him, but given his well-known issues with commitment, she decided to take a different approach to capturing his attention…playing hard to get. It works well for her, until outside events push in and complicate matters.
Folks, I loved this book! Stack Hannigan is everything I hoped he would be and more, and the sexual tension between Stack and Vanity is so much fun. I loved the development of their romance. It felt real and honest. That’s just one among many things Lori Foster is a master at in her books, and one of a million reasons why she is and will remain an auto-buy author for me.
Tough Love is an excellent romance read. Vanity and Stack are funny, playful, and sexy as hell together. I loved their scenes so much. The chemistry between them is realistic and believable. They spark whenever they’re together, and that spark leads to some fantastic love scenes, which, if you’re familiar with Lori Foster’s previous works, you’ll known isn’t a surprise. This author writes hot love scenes between characters who always have some really incredible chemistry and real-to-life wants, dreams, fears, and flaws. But more than that, she writes with depth, precision, and heart. Her characters live and breathe on the page. I love it!
I also love that Stack and Vanity make mistakes and are forced to learn from them. I love that Stack and the other men, Gage (Hard Knocks, 08/’14), Cannon (No Limits, 08/’14), Denver (Holding Strong, 03/’14), Armie (Fighting Dirty, 02/’16) are men who act like real men, real fighters on a team, and that each of their heroines are real woman, with real issues and desires and dreams and humor and passion. And I love that Vanity isn’t afraid to go after what she wants, even playing a little dirty if she has to get it, which in this case, what she wants most is Stack. She’s smart and capable and willing to take a risk, which just proves how right she is for Stack, and he for her. I seriously loved them together, their humor, their heat, and their journey to love. So, so good.
If you love your romance fun and sexy with a little bit of an edge, Tough Love is a fantastic read that will have you falling in love with Stack and damn near salivating while waiting for the next book in the Ultimate series.
Overall Impression: Impeccable writing with fascinating and magnetic characters who command the page and pull you into their story, making you fall in love on every page. Highly, highly recommend this read.
About Lori Foster
Lori Foster is a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author with books from a variety of publishers, including Berkley/Jove, Kensington, St. Martin’s, Harlequin and Silhouette. Lori has been a recipient of the prestigious RT Book Reviews Career Achievement Award for Series Romantic Fantasy, and for Contemporary Romance. She’s had top-selling books for Amazon, Waldenbooks and the BGI Group. For more about Lori, visit her Web site at http://www.lorifoster.com.