HARD TO HANDLE
Lori Foster
Berkley/ Penguin
ISBN:9780425219720
February, 2008
Contemporary Romance

Harley Handelman is focused on one thing - winning a title belt in ultimate fighting. He's missed his opportunity three times before and he's not going to let anything get in his way this time. He keeps his options open where women are concerned but won't let himself become emotionally involved or tied down. Anything more than a one night stand is too much involvement for "Hard to Handle". He can not miss another opportunity at the belt because how many chances does one man get at his dream?

Anastasia Bradley knows Harley is attractive but keeps her distance for a reason. For the past several years he has rented a cabin from her and they never spoke much other than polite conversation. Stasia has hear about his reputation as a "love 'em and leave 'em" kind of guy but she's also heard that he's up front with all the women he sleeps with and lets them know that there's no future with him. She can respect his honesty, but she's certainly not going to be another notch on his bed post. Sure, Harley is a fine male specimen but she'll just enjoy him from afar.

When a possibly deadly encounter with a couple of thugs forces Harley and Stasia to spend the night together they both realize their attraction to one another except Stasia is determined not to get involved - despite what her body is telling her to do. Can they learn to rely on and trust one another before it's too late?

Ms. Foster does an excellent job at building the sexual tension between the main characters. We get to see what motivates each of them and really understand why they are the way they are and do the things they do. The characters are very well developed, the supporting characters add a lot to this story as well. Part of a series, we also get to see some old favorite characters and see how their lives have changed. A very satisfying read.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Harden
Rating: 4