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jgilge's review against another edition
2.0
Reads exactly as you'd expect. Short, cute, and a bit over the top.
thebookishattitude's review against another edition
3.0
This story was fast, kinda cute, with a lot of a taste of your own medicine kinda concept, which was where I found the most humour in this book.
Trace "Buzz" Wallace was that overly enthusiastic best friend that you either loved or hated in Hard Pass. But in his own story he's a little more, not much but a little more, complex than that.
His happy go lucky, annoying personality is not quite a front but something like that. Trace is a massive attention seeker and the kid who just doesn't know when to stop talking but he also seems to be extremely sensitive, fun and a completely kind hearted human bean. He just wants someone that sees behind the person that they fans believe him to be. Though the media attention is isn't over board it still paints him in a not so "boyfriend" like light.
Enter Hollice Westbrooke. The General Managers daughter who, despite her silver spoon is completely wholesome and a thousand percent jaded. Having had to fight for her Independence only to have people still use her for her name is something that Hollice doesn't want to let go off.
I couldn't really connect with Hollice's character, it's not always a bad thing when a major character annoys you a little but in this instance for me personally it was. So I think that hindered my ability to score this story more than a 3.5 I did however find something captivating about Trace. He wasn't really what I was expecting and really even though he was Noah's "Best Friend" in Hard Pass we didn't really know that much about him. I loved his family, they were hilarious and I'm kinda hoping Tripp and Tru get their own stories too!
Trace "Buzz" Wallace was that overly enthusiastic best friend that you either loved or hated in Hard Pass. But in his own story he's a little more, not much but a little more, complex than that.
His happy go lucky, annoying personality is not quite a front but something like that. Trace is a massive attention seeker and the kid who just doesn't know when to stop talking but he also seems to be extremely sensitive, fun and a completely kind hearted human bean. He just wants someone that sees behind the person that they fans believe him to be. Though the media attention is isn't over board it still paints him in a not so "boyfriend" like light.
Enter Hollice Westbrooke. The General Managers daughter who, despite her silver spoon is completely wholesome and a thousand percent jaded. Having had to fight for her Independence only to have people still use her for her name is something that Hollice doesn't want to let go off.
I couldn't really connect with Hollice's character, it's not always a bad thing when a major character annoys you a little but in this instance for me personally it was. So I think that hindered my ability to score this story more than a 3.5 I did however find something captivating about Trace. He wasn't really what I was expecting and really even though he was Noah's "Best Friend" in Hard Pass we didn't really know that much about him. I loved his family, they were hilarious and I'm kinda hoping Tripp and Tru get their own stories too!
readbycatt's review against another edition
5.0
This book had me giggling and smiling the whole time. It mixes friends-to-lovers with fake dating which makes for a sweet story. I laughed out loud so many times, Buzz is hilarious and the relationship between him and Hollis is lovely to read. This was a fun and easy book that I found hard to put down!
This is the second in the series and I can't wait to read the next two.
This is the second in the series and I can't wait to read the next two.
sarahcophagus's review against another edition
3.0
I despised this MMC with a fiery passion as a side character in the first book and had written him off as a meddling inappropriate asshole. However as a main character in this, I actually found him relatively charming in a boyish, immature way that I 100% understand won’t work for everybody. That surprise is primarily the reason why this mostly worked for me overall.
readwithrach's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book! I wasn’t sure what to think of Trace a Wallace in the first book (Hard Pass) but after reading Hard Fall my love for him in undeniable. He was ridiculous in the best way. He is so sweet under his joker exterior. Hollis Westbrooke was the perfect woman for Trace. She appreciated his jokes but didn’t make anything easy on him. This book had me laughing out loud multiple times and I highly recommend it. I cannot wait until Tripp’s story!
yesididbringabook's review against another edition
2.0
Oh boyo.
There were some logistical issues I had, but I like the general story. Unfortunately, many of the problems were v similar to the last book, which is annoying.
Recommended for: fun and cute main guy/don't care about the girl, like sports but don't know much
1. This is nitpicky, but it's the same crap from the last book. If you don't know a topic, find a beta reader who does to fix this stuff. *Baseball doesn't have bye weeks-that's football. Baseball has occasional off days. *Baseball players absolutely take steroids. THERE IS LITERALLY A "ROID ERA" IN BASEBALL. HAVE YOU HEARD OF BARRY BONDS? And another baseball player would know why he would use steroids! To hit bombs. Ugh. Stuff like that pulls you out of a story.
2. I like the brothers. I want more of them, and less of the annoying stuff.
There were some logistical issues I had, but I like the general story. Unfortunately, many of the problems were v similar to the last book, which is annoying.
Recommended for: fun and cute main guy/don't care about the girl, like sports but don't know much
1. This is nitpicky, but it's the same crap from the last book. If you don't know a topic, find a beta reader who does to fix this stuff. *Baseball doesn't have bye weeks-that's football. Baseball has occasional off days. *Baseball players absolutely take steroids. THERE IS LITERALLY A "ROID ERA" IN BASEBALL. HAVE YOU HEARD OF BARRY BONDS? And another baseball player would know why he would use steroids! To hit bombs. Ugh. Stuff like that pulls you out of a story.
2. I like the brothers. I want more of them, and less of the annoying stuff.
sissiambre10's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
adverb's review against another edition
3.25
This book was just okay, but I clearly don't like these characters when the MMC isn't so awkward.
profromance's review against another edition
4.0
Overall Grade: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I admire writers who take a character and redeem them in some way. If you can make me adore a character who I formerly felt any number of contrary feelings: anger, annoyance, disdain, etc., then you win me over easily. I guess I’m an easy “lay” in the world of romance. This brings me to Sara Ney’s Hard Fall, her newest book in the Trophy Boyfriends series. If you read the first book of the series of standalones, Hard Pass, you’ve been introduced to Trace “Buzz” Wallace, and he isn’t a character you readily enjoy. He’s a pest, he’s vain, he ingratiates himself into situations, and he’s the kind of guy you love to hate. And Sara Ney decided to write him a romance. To be fair, he began to show readers his “true colors” at the end of Hard Pass when he acted like a matchmaker for her hero and heroine of that book. It piqued my curiosity enough that, once I realized Hard Fall would be Trace’s story, I one-clicked that pre-order fast.
Thankfully, what you find with Trace’s book is a whole bunch of hilarious witty banter between Trace and Ney’s heroine, Hollis, Trace and his brother, Tripp, the NFL player, and Trace and his mom. All of these relationships conspire to bring you a romance that makes you laugh at the absurdity of one “Buzz” Wallace, swoon when he acts as Hollis’s protector, and leave Hard Fall with a huge smile on your face.
Yes. I can say it. I love Trace Wallace. I’ll be honest. The Trace of Chapter 1 did not ingratiate himself to me. Not. At. All. Your love for Trace is a slow-burn. It takes a while to warm up to him. However, this occurs when you realize that there is more to this seeming “man-baby.” It also comes about because Ney’s heroine, Hollis, calls him to be more.
Hollis Westbrooke is the granddaughter of the Chicago Steam owner, the professional baseball team for which Trace plays. She is also the daughter of its General Manager, and she has made choices in her life to distance herself from her father’s choices. This has created some tension between her and her father, but she lives her life on her own terms. When she meets Trace, like many of us, she prejudges him. To be honest, some of that prejudgment is fair based on his initial experiences with her. But here’s the thing. Trace is like a fungus and he grows on you. And he woos Hollis over to him through some traits that are unexpected.
The crux of this book is that one’s initial impression isn’t always fair, and it oftentimes doesn’t epitomize the totality of that person. Through funny interactions, absurd moments, and some serious situations, Hollis and Trace realize their ability to complement each other. This makes for some serious chemistry, some heartfelt moments, and some laugh out loud experiences.
Hard Fall is the type of book you read easily. It’s meant to make you laugh and swoon, and it does just that. Sara Ney brings some parts of her Douchebag series into her crafting of Trace, and if you’ve read that series, it reminds you of all the ways you love Sara Ney. If you haven’t preordered Hard Fall (or read its predecessor, Hard Pass), and you need a little funny in your life right now, then grab them now.
I admire writers who take a character and redeem them in some way. If you can make me adore a character who I formerly felt any number of contrary feelings: anger, annoyance, disdain, etc., then you win me over easily. I guess I’m an easy “lay” in the world of romance. This brings me to Sara Ney’s Hard Fall, her newest book in the Trophy Boyfriends series. If you read the first book of the series of standalones, Hard Pass, you’ve been introduced to Trace “Buzz” Wallace, and he isn’t a character you readily enjoy. He’s a pest, he’s vain, he ingratiates himself into situations, and he’s the kind of guy you love to hate. And Sara Ney decided to write him a romance. To be fair, he began to show readers his “true colors” at the end of Hard Pass when he acted like a matchmaker for her hero and heroine of that book. It piqued my curiosity enough that, once I realized Hard Fall would be Trace’s story, I one-clicked that pre-order fast.
Thankfully, what you find with Trace’s book is a whole bunch of hilarious witty banter between Trace and Ney’s heroine, Hollis, Trace and his brother, Tripp, the NFL player, and Trace and his mom. All of these relationships conspire to bring you a romance that makes you laugh at the absurdity of one “Buzz” Wallace, swoon when he acts as Hollis’s protector, and leave Hard Fall with a huge smile on your face.
Yes. I can say it. I love Trace Wallace. I’ll be honest. The Trace of Chapter 1 did not ingratiate himself to me. Not. At. All. Your love for Trace is a slow-burn. It takes a while to warm up to him. However, this occurs when you realize that there is more to this seeming “man-baby.” It also comes about because Ney’s heroine, Hollis, calls him to be more.
Hollis Westbrooke is the granddaughter of the Chicago Steam owner, the professional baseball team for which Trace plays. She is also the daughter of its General Manager, and she has made choices in her life to distance herself from her father’s choices. This has created some tension between her and her father, but she lives her life on her own terms. When she meets Trace, like many of us, she prejudges him. To be honest, some of that prejudgment is fair based on his initial experiences with her. But here’s the thing. Trace is like a fungus and he grows on you. And he woos Hollis over to him through some traits that are unexpected.
The crux of this book is that one’s initial impression isn’t always fair, and it oftentimes doesn’t epitomize the totality of that person. Through funny interactions, absurd moments, and some serious situations, Hollis and Trace realize their ability to complement each other. This makes for some serious chemistry, some heartfelt moments, and some laugh out loud experiences.
Hard Fall is the type of book you read easily. It’s meant to make you laugh and swoon, and it does just that. Sara Ney brings some parts of her Douchebag series into her crafting of Trace, and if you’ve read that series, it reminds you of all the ways you love Sara Ney. If you haven’t preordered Hard Fall (or read its predecessor, Hard Pass), and you need a little funny in your life right now, then grab them now.
nicandbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Funny, sweet and oh-so-sexy!
I wasn't sure about Buzz (Trace) after reading book 1 in the Trophy Boyfriends series... he came across cocky and arrogant and not someone I thought deserved a book. But I was more than happy to be totally wrong!! Trace's bravado hid a very sweet, sensitive and romantic side and I was thrilled that Hollis was the one that brought this out in him. This story was a lot of fun and one I will definitely read again!!
I wasn't sure about Buzz (Trace) after reading book 1 in the Trophy Boyfriends series... he came across cocky and arrogant and not someone I thought deserved a book. But I was more than happy to be totally wrong!! Trace's bravado hid a very sweet, sensitive and romantic side and I was thrilled that Hollis was the one that brought this out in him. This story was a lot of fun and one I will definitely read again!!