Novela para adultos

3.5

Mal día ayer, necesitaba una lectura ligera.

Me encantó!

Es decir, obvio, tiene sus fallas e irrealidades, y fantasías animadas... pero a fin de cuentas, más allá de si es plausible o no, más allá de comparar y tratar de ver las situaciones que se dan en el libro, con la vida real; y las consecuencias obvias de actuar como hace la protagonista y bla bla bla.... sacando de lado toooodo eso, Hard Time es una novela erótica muy dulce, muy entretenida y muchísimo mejor que la gran mayoría que anda dando vueltas.

Creo que Cara McKenna es una de las mejores autoras (yanquis) contemporáneas de romance erótico que hay.

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4.5 stars
This is my first time reading one of Cara McKenna's books and I can assure you it won't be the last. She has a beautifully poetic way of writing and I was captivated by this story from the beginning. Eric and Annie's story is an unconventional romance, one that may sound unlikely, but from the moment I met these characters I felt a real connection. I was able to feel Annie's trepidation on her first day at Cousins, I felt the instant lure of Eric.

"His eyes were steady, and I felt them on me. Felt them drinking up every word my mouth formed, licking them straight off my lips."

I felt each tremble, each erratic heartbeat, each soft, momentary touch as their attraction took hold. The anticipation was palpable and it was sensual and sexy. This was no fairytale, perfect, always happy romance, but it was a beautiful love story from beginning to end. Each character had their own story with a common thread, each having to find peace and strength in the consequences of past decisions and circumstances that had lead them to where they were. Annie was courageous and fierce in her desire to move forward, and Eric was just as determined.

I loved the way they both were with each other. I loved Annie's strength and how she kept her composure in front of Eric, regardless of how uncertain she was about what they were doing and the precarious position they put themselves in. All the uncertainty she felt, the intense feelings for Eric, the inner dialogue as to what she should ultimately do, was easy to relate to. I liked the resoluteness she showed when setting the boundaries for their relationship, letting Eric know where she stood and how they could move forward.

Eric was a prison inmate, incarcerated for a serious crime. We find out what he did but I would have liked to know why he did it, not just guess the reason. He was also tall, muscled, handsome and mysterious. He wasn't as outspoken as the other inmates but had a commanding presence that demanded respect. And here is the beautiful contrast that I loved about Eric. While he obviously had this hard side to him, he also showed his vulnerable side. He wrote the most romantic love letters and was unfraid to show his sensitive side to Annie. I'm a sucker for a good love letter and these were beautiful in their honesty and sensuality. Eric was fiercely protective and loyal and when he fell for Annie he fell hard.

The only thing that left me wanting, was to tidy up a few ends like the exact motivation for Eric's crime, and what happened with Annie's family when they found out about Eric. Greedy I know, but that would have rounded it off perfectly for me.

I just loved this novel, the vulnerability of the characters, the way the characters taught each other about love and the depth of love they felt. I loved the way the story was told, each paragraph was eloquently written, so expressive and passionate. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

copy kindly provided by Netgalley and the publisher ( )