Hard Love by Meredith Wild 

Description: Days after their nuptials, Blake and Erica Landon embark on their honeymoon—a journey that deepens their bonds and promises to fade the scars of their past.

Just when their troubles seem safely behind them, scandal surrounding would-be Governor Daniel Fitzgerald’s election threatens their newfound peace. Back home, Blake finds himself at the center of the controversy, haunted by the transgressions of his hacker past that he has no wish to relive.

With Blake’s freedom at stake and their future in peril, Erica will stop at nothing to clear his name. But when Blake defies the authorities and refuses to seek out the truth, their world gradually begins to crumble. Will he let his past win? Or can Erica convince him that their life together is worth fighting for—now more than ever…

Review: I read the first four books in this series within 3 days to prepare for this book. That proved to be both a good and bad idea. While it did allow the stories to flow and for me to become emotionally invested in the characters, I honestly have no idea what happened in each book. The fifth book is a bit of an exception to that. It is clear that Wild is trying to tie up any loose ends with Blake and Erica. However, she still manages to write an intense and innovated book about a couple we’ve been following for over a thousand pages already.

This book starts after Blake and Erica’s wedding. Usually, in romance novels, weddings are the happily-ever-after for the couple. Unless, of course, the plot focuses on a marriage of convenience. Just as Blake and Erica are settling into their life as a married couple, ghosts from Blake’s past threaten to tear the couple apart. There are still moments throughout the plot where Blake displays the traditional masculine over-protectiveness for Erica, but, for the most part, they face their challenges together. Actually, Erica becomes the stand-out for the couple in her determination to confront the problems from Blake’s past. There is an interesting juxtaposition of past versus future throughout this book. As a married couple and with this the last book in the series, Erica and Blake are attempting transition into their life but the shadow of the past is still clinging over them. The strength of their relationship is seen when they confront those problems. Overall, this was a very satisfying conclusion to the series. My only complaint was I would have liked to see more of Erica building a new business. However, her life had moved passed her previous desperate need to throw herself into work so maybe that lack makes sense. Even though I only recently read the series and didn’t have to wait between books, I’m still sad this series is over. Hard Love was an excellent finale book.

Rating: 4 out of 5. 

Received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Published by SomewhereLostInBooks

I’m Melisa! I’m an avid reader. I love romance novels and decided, hey, why not write about what I love and hate about the genre. And my favorite books. And when I get to meet authors. And all round why romance novels are awesome. Expect a lot of fan-girling, laughter, and some tears. View all posts by SomewhereLostInBooks