I have been wanting Catie and Danny’s story since I first met them in Cherish Hard and Nalini Singh delivers!

I believe the beginning of this book needs a content warning and will explain why at the end of this post with a spoiler warning.

After years of antagonizing each other, our heroine and hero find themselves snowed in together. Best part? Danny stress bakes! As if that’s not enough of a running start, they decide to fake a relationship to mutually benefit their careers.

This romance was so satisfying to finally read. Catie and Danny are both such inherently good people with outstanding work ethics, exemplary athletes, and watching them go from enemies to lovers is a delight. They modeled great communication and genuine support for one another which reflected their long-time connection. Also, they are so responsible that I give them an A+ for condom usage!

I honestly didn’t want this book to end, and I could have easily read 100 more pages about their growing relationship and interactions with their families. I hope that there will be a holiday novella with all the Bishop-Eshera clan reunited, and updates on everyone someday, because this is a Nalini world I can’t get enough of!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Spoiler/Content Warning
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A character is drugged in a bar at the beginning of the book and I think a content warning is in order for it. This particular storyline is handled well in the beginning but then is not addressed again until the epilogue.

Been waiting very patiently for this story! Been rooting for Danny and Catie since we met Catie in Cherish Hard and saw their first interaction together. These nemeses were definitely meant to be together and I absolutely adored their story. Danny and Catie have always said the other was their nemesis. Though they tease and prank and give one another a hard time, they never have disliked the other. Their friendship has built over ten years. And when a situation causes them to be in close proximity, it finally makes both of them look at the other a little differently. That small moment sets off a chain of events that has them wondering why they never got together earlier. So their story starts when Catie rescues Danny when they happen to be at the same club with friends. Danny's drink is spiked and Catie is able to get him to her mom's apartment that her friends and her were staying at for the getaway. To avoid any bad media, their friend tells everyone that they had slipped away to be together. Sparking an instant reaction. Fans love them together and their friends are all yelling finally! They decide to keep up the charade so neither will get bad press, though let their family in on the fake relationship. Yet, when they spend this one on one time they realize that there is a chance of something between them. But only if both are brave enough to take it. Danny has been in his head on the rugby field and Catie's father never being there for her has made her guard her heart so fiercely. But together they can break down the walls of the other. Loved these two. Their story was just so sweet. Danny is just another great guy in the Bishop Esera family. And I loved seeing everyone in the family and what they were currently up to! Specifically Gabriel and Charlotte since they have been my favorite since day one. But Danny and Catie's story was hilarious and sweet and one I couldn't put down. So sad that this series may finally be over since Danny was the last brother left. But I absolutely adore this series!

Catie and Danny have known each other forever. They have a snarky exchange that they have been doing forever. When Danny is drugged at a bar Catie comes to his rescue, as a result the gossip starts that they are in a relationship. To protect Caties reputation they agree to have a fake relationship. They definitely get more than they bargained for as their feelings change and the fake relationship becomes real. This is a fun romance with a happily ever after ending. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

Ahhhh I loved this warm, funny, tender romance so SO much. Catie and Danny are adorable together, the disability rep (she's a double-amputee as well as a professional athlete) is fantastic, and I just loved every moment of their time together - from her rescue of him at the beginning of the story to their fake dating adventures, silly texts, and incredibly heartfelt falling-in-love process (after having been in-laws and official nemeses for years).

This is officially #4 in the Hard Play series, but you could absolutely read it as a standalone - and it's by far my very favorite of Nalini Singh's contemporary romances. (I didn't think anything would ever beat Rebel Hard, which I love soooo much - so this is really saying a LOT!) However, I had been waiting a long time for Catie and Danny's romance after seeing their relationship in the background of the first three stories, and obviously, it MORE than delivered. :)

100% joy - as I was reading it, I kept on grinning over different great lines and moments (my husband interrupted me at one point to ask what I was reading, because I was so obviously having so much fun with it!) and I was BEAMING by the end. I was lucky enough to get an e-ARC for review, but I've also preordered a final copy, and it will definitely be a comfort re-read in the future.

I was sold on a book about Danny and Catie from the get-go. Finding out it has a fake relationship? And they are SNOWED IN together when they decide on it? Followed by not being able to unsee how sexy they find each other? It's magic.
I really liked the balance of personal development alongside the romance. For Danny, it's finding his place in life - while successful, he still has his struggles/doubts, and for Catie, it's in being able to trust and believe in a relationship when one is possible. Especially with her beloved nemesis! They have some advantage in that they've known each other for so long, certain things are easy for them, but building a romantic relationship is all new.
The book gave me such a satisfying, warm feeling with their romance. It's a great contemporary romance of two people who realize they could fall for each other and take the steps forward at their own pace. I loved the glimpses and updates of the Bishop-Esera family. Now I have to go reread all of their stories. The Hard Play series has been a favourite for me, especially Rock Hard, and I'm so glad that we got the final brother's story and it was truly an engaging joy to read.