Hard Pass is book 2 in the Lone Star Rebels series and follows not quite rookie quarterback, Cole, as he falls for the one person who is completely off limits.
About Hard Pass
Cole is the only child of parents who have a tumultuous relationship. His father is overbearing, domineering and mentally and verbally abusive. For years, his father would make him practice harder, work harder to be the best. But when he made a mistake, his father punished him by making him do even more work. He thought this was normal until he met his friend’s father and realized it was not. But it did not diminish the impact it had on him.
Dublin grew up with loving and supportive parents. No matter what happened, they stood behind her. When she was in college, she went to Cabo for a getaway with her friend. She met a guy and fell into instant lust with him. She had been drinking, but regretted her actions, or lack of, in the morning. As part of her studies, she applied for an internship with GIA, who specializes in determining if gambling rumors and anomalies are, in fact, fact or just coincidence.
Cole, and the Rebels, are in their second season and trying to prove they have championship capabilities. So when GIA shows up at the team facility, everyone is surprised. Especially Cole.
While Dublin is waiting for her flight in Atlanta, after closing a case, she receives a call from her boss, Marcus. She is ready for some downtime at home, but he has other ideas. But the upside is she will be home. Working for GIA is never dull, involves a lot of travel, and very little downtime. So when he says she will be home she is shocked. The Rebels have only been a NFL team for one year, just now starting their second. What could possibly be going on there?
Dublin knows who she is investigating, but she does not say anything about the fact she knows Cole. When he walks in to the conference room, he is shocked to see her again. She introduces herself, as if they have never met. He goes along with it. But afterwards, words are said. Did she tell her boss about the fact she knows him? No. Could this be a conflict of interest? Absolutely. But she is determined to be professional and prove her case, however it may turn out.
But good intentions usually lead to bad decisions. So when Dublin and Cole finally stop being enemies and start being lovers, all bets are off. She is still professional in her work, documenting everything. But if anyone were to find out about them, her career would be in jeopardy, if not completely ruined.
When Dublin finally spots Cole’s tell after watching and rewatching team tape, she now goes on a mission to find out who is responsible. When she tells Cole what she found, he starts thinking about who it could possibly be as well. But then their relationship is outed.
Although Marcus is furious with her and the NFL is questioning the company’s ethics, Dublin is still working to clear Cole’s name and find the one responsible, on her own.
But Cole has an idea who it could possibly be. So he starts testing the people he suspects. When it turns out to be someone in his inner circle, he is devastated.
Will Cole turn in the person responsible? Will he and Dublin make their relationship permanent and public? What will happen with his inner circle if the truth ever comes out?
Impressions
This book brought out some hard truths about our society today. I think my favorite point that Dublin tried to make to Cole was when she told him that he will get an atta boy from his friends and teammates. But she will be raked over the coals. Women are held to a completely different standard, in work and in life, than men. It is a double standard that has existed for centuries and will continue to exist well into the future if no one stands up to the hypocrisy.
I was excited to see Cole admit that he needed help with dealing with his issues on the field. He took awhile coming to conclusions about the problem, but when realization finally hit, he dealt with it like a man. I was so proud of him. It was such a major step for him to take.
Dublin has such a great support system in her parents. I love her dad. He is down to earth and supports her no matter what. But their conversation about her job was what made me love him the most.
Narration
Christian Alexis and Mariana Olmeda are both new to me narrators, but I truly loved them in this book. There is so much going on, and they brought their best to the game. Here is to more audiobooks narrated by them.
Availability
Hard Pass is currently available to read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited and for purchase in all formats on Amazon.
Series Listing
- The Backup Plan (Lone Star Rebels Book 1)
- Hard Pass (Lone Star Rebels Book 2)
- Playmaker (Lone Star Rebels Book 3)
About K Bromberg
New York Times Bestselling author K. Bromberg writes contemporary romance novels that contain a mixture of sweet, emotional, a whole lot of sexy, and a little bit of real. She likes to write strong heroines and damaged heroes, who we love to hate but can’t help to love.
A mom of three, she plots her novels in between school runs, sports practices, and figuring out how to navigate parenting teenagers (send more wine!). More often than not, she does all of this with her laptop in tow, and her mind daydreaming of the current hero she is writing.
Since publishing her first book on a whim in 2013, Kristy has sold over two million copies of her books across twenty different countries and has landed on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestsellers lists over thirty times. Her Driven trilogy has been adapted for film and is available on the streaming platform Passionflix as well as Amazon.
You can find out more about Kristy, her books, or just chat with her on any of her social media accounts. The easiest way to stay up to date on new releases and upcoming novels is to sign up for her newsletter or follow her on Bookbub.
Check out K Bromberg’s current book list.
