The Harder They Fall (Loveswept) (1998) - Plot & Excerpts
Rating 4.5How romantic was this book?Totally about two people who seem opposite at the surface but share common experiences about childhood problems which helped them both become who they are as adults, the hero who is a successful NASA space scientist, a workholic and who craves control after a childhood with parents who were more like children and even now he's the one writing checks for the family and bailing them out, count being left two times at the altar, romance isn't something he wants especially with a woman who loves to live life to the fullest and is a klutz.The hero is left a duplex by his aunt who adored him and when he visits the place literally catches the heroine, who is a tenant. The first meeting is hilarious, the heroine riling the hero, the way she is honest, dresses up, plays music constantly etc. I loved the heroine and felt so bad for her when we learned about her past, how she was raised in a terrible manner by her strict aunt and uncle and now was finally breaking free.The scenes when the smoke alarms go off, the cuffs love confesssion plus seduction etc all were great. I liked how in touch the heroine was with her feelings while the hero was overwhelmed and running scared which caused him to pull away and hurt her.
I liked the opposites attract thing—the clumsy lingerie store owner for a heroine and the master-of-all-trades-but-relationships NASA scientist for a hero. But the narrative itself was pretty odd to read, the scene transitions were abrupt, and the dialogue was mostly stale. There certainly was chemistry between the couple, but I didn't think it was fully realised despite the steamy scenes and, of course, the cuffs. This was an older work by Shalvis; I saw little of what endeared her writing to me. Great premise, but weak execution.
What do You think about The Harder They Fall (Loveswept) (1998)?
