aehamilton33's review
The writing is childish and the characters are annoying. Not for me
maudd's review against another edition
5.0
Buzz is the book boyfriend I hadn’t expected… But now he is my soulmate *swoon*
When I was reading Hard Pass, I liked Buzz, I thought he was funny and cutely annoying, but I couldn’t imagine an epic love story for him, I was seeing him as too much of a goof or a flirt. How wrong was I…. Trace (aka Buzz) is the ultimate romantic! He is so darn cute and sensitive while being HILARIOUS, you could make a joke book with only the nicknames he gives to Hollis, but the funniest thing is not what he says, but what he does (read the book and you’ll get it). Hollis… She is so sassy but so sweet at the same time, she is a book lover and Trace knows exactly what to do to win the heart of this junior publisher.
When I first read their “meet-cute” (that was sarcastic FYI), I had no idea that their story was actually going to be pretty darn cute! I think that what I love the most in Sara Ney’s books is how naturally the love story develops. There is no big revelation or the characters do not magically change for the best, they are just who they are and they fall in love (and let me tell you, Trace does not change one bit from the first page of the book to the last, you just learn so much about this big goof).
For people who adore drama in romance, you might be disappointed. For the others who are OBSESSED with Sara Ney’s low drama books? You’ve just found your next favourite read. I absolutely hate drama, I believe some books would be so much better without it, so you can only imagine how much I love all of Sara Ney’s romance stories.
For a tiny bit of criticism, as for Hard Pass, it was way too short! Sara?! How can you do this to us? I needed at least 200 more pages of Trace and Hollis!
Therefore, if you are looking for a story that will melt your heart and your panties… Hard Fall and Trace Wallace are made for you!
*ARC reveived in exchange for an honest review*
When I was reading Hard Pass, I liked Buzz, I thought he was funny and cutely annoying, but I couldn’t imagine an epic love story for him, I was seeing him as too much of a goof or a flirt. How wrong was I…. Trace (aka Buzz) is the ultimate romantic! He is so darn cute and sensitive while being HILARIOUS, you could make a joke book with only the nicknames he gives to Hollis, but the funniest thing is not what he says, but what he does (read the book and you’ll get it). Hollis… She is so sassy but so sweet at the same time, she is a book lover and Trace knows exactly what to do to win the heart of this junior publisher.
When I first read their “meet-cute” (that was sarcastic FYI), I had no idea that their story was actually going to be pretty darn cute! I think that what I love the most in Sara Ney’s books is how naturally the love story develops. There is no big revelation or the characters do not magically change for the best, they are just who they are and they fall in love (and let me tell you, Trace does not change one bit from the first page of the book to the last, you just learn so much about this big goof).
For people who adore drama in romance, you might be disappointed. For the others who are OBSESSED with Sara Ney’s low drama books? You’ve just found your next favourite read. I absolutely hate drama, I believe some books would be so much better without it, so you can only imagine how much I love all of Sara Ney’s romance stories.
For a tiny bit of criticism, as for Hard Pass, it was way too short! Sara?! How can you do this to us? I needed at least 200 more pages of Trace and Hollis!
Therefore, if you are looking for a story that will melt your heart and your panties… Hard Fall and Trace Wallace are made for you!
*ARC reveived in exchange for an honest review*
kfriend's review against another edition
3.0
<3.5 stars>
I’m loving this new series by Sara Ney- full of all the fun sports romance and rom-com flavor that I love, chock full of the sweet low-drama charm, and delivering on an interesting take on the stereotypical athlete and leading man. This is a series guaranteed to make you smile right alongside your swoon.
We met our hero Trace (aka “Buzz”) Wallace in Hard Pas as the slightly over the top best friend and superstar of the Chicago Steams. He’s a notorious playboy, he’s part charming, part obnoxious, flirtatious, optimistic and funny when’s he’s not grating. He’s the kind of guy who loves to be the center of attention. Just the type of personality to get under the skin of our heroine Hollis, the Steams’ general manager’s daughter whose patience is pretty thin when it comes to the type of guys like Trace. Especially since she wants to distance herself from the privilege associated with her- and the source of that? Well her family’s wealth and baseball fame. Unfortunately, a turn of events put these two in each other’s crosshairs in a fake-date situation, resulting in this two starting to connect as friends. Yet, despite Trace’s indomitable charm, Hollis is determined to resist and run. Can she overcome her preconceived notions and her own reluctance to rely on anyone else? Ney brings us her characteristic humor with some great steam and keeps the plot refreshingly low drama- this book is meant to just be a happy one.
When we get to know Trace, we find a bit more there- he’s not just a jolly attention whore, but he’s caring, and just a kind and generous heart- dare I say he’s sweet. What I used to see as slightly annoying attention seeking I began to recognize as defensiveness and fabricated charm- when he’s just a guy who wants to be seen and liked for him. His charm definitely grew on me. And Hollis, well, she was perplexing for me. One one hand, I related to her motivations- she craves independence and her own identity, she’s hesitant to lean on others and has never felt like she’s been cared for in the way that Trace wants to care for her. I related to that, so hard- but then on the flip side, I found myself having a hard time dialing into her emotionally despite that- she’s so closed off for much of the book, so resistant. And as such, I struggled to get into the couple’s emotional connection. Perhaps that is a bit self-flagellating to not connect to a character who has aspirations I find admirable and relatable (we’ll save that for therapy)- and it is not like I didn’t LIKE Hollis, because I did, I just felt some of the emotional depth wasn’t as strong for me as the prior book.
Even so, the humor was there, the fun was there, and this was a charming and quick paced read that was low on angst- a nice breath of air. I love what Ney is doing with heroes in this series- they are sweet, often more vulnerable and open emotionally, “softer” in a way- which is refreshing and interesting and pretty damn endearing. Buzz’s sincerity and sweetness really encapsulate what she’s doing in this series, and we have plenty of characters to look forward to enjoying. I’ll definitely be checking out the next one. (3.5 stars overall)
I’m loving this new series by Sara Ney- full of all the fun sports romance and rom-com flavor that I love, chock full of the sweet low-drama charm, and delivering on an interesting take on the stereotypical athlete and leading man. This is a series guaranteed to make you smile right alongside your swoon.
We met our hero Trace (aka “Buzz”) Wallace in Hard Pas as the slightly over the top best friend and superstar of the Chicago Steams. He’s a notorious playboy, he’s part charming, part obnoxious, flirtatious, optimistic and funny when’s he’s not grating. He’s the kind of guy who loves to be the center of attention. Just the type of personality to get under the skin of our heroine Hollis, the Steams’ general manager’s daughter whose patience is pretty thin when it comes to the type of guys like Trace. Especially since she wants to distance herself from the privilege associated with her- and the source of that? Well her family’s wealth and baseball fame. Unfortunately, a turn of events put these two in each other’s crosshairs in a fake-date situation, resulting in this two starting to connect as friends. Yet, despite Trace’s indomitable charm, Hollis is determined to resist and run. Can she overcome her preconceived notions and her own reluctance to rely on anyone else? Ney brings us her characteristic humor with some great steam and keeps the plot refreshingly low drama- this book is meant to just be a happy one.
When we get to know Trace, we find a bit more there- he’s not just a jolly attention whore, but he’s caring, and just a kind and generous heart- dare I say he’s sweet. What I used to see as slightly annoying attention seeking I began to recognize as defensiveness and fabricated charm- when he’s just a guy who wants to be seen and liked for him. His charm definitely grew on me. And Hollis, well, she was perplexing for me. One one hand, I related to her motivations- she craves independence and her own identity, she’s hesitant to lean on others and has never felt like she’s been cared for in the way that Trace wants to care for her. I related to that, so hard- but then on the flip side, I found myself having a hard time dialing into her emotionally despite that- she’s so closed off for much of the book, so resistant. And as such, I struggled to get into the couple’s emotional connection. Perhaps that is a bit self-flagellating to not connect to a character who has aspirations I find admirable and relatable (we’ll save that for therapy)- and it is not like I didn’t LIKE Hollis, because I did, I just felt some of the emotional depth wasn’t as strong for me as the prior book.
Even so, the humor was there, the fun was there, and this was a charming and quick paced read that was low on angst- a nice breath of air. I love what Ney is doing with heroes in this series- they are sweet, often more vulnerable and open emotionally, “softer” in a way- which is refreshing and interesting and pretty damn endearing. Buzz’s sincerity and sweetness really encapsulate what she’s doing in this series, and we have plenty of characters to look forward to enjoying. I’ll definitely be checking out the next one. (3.5 stars overall)
tallyvauthor's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of the best short trashy romance books I've read in a while.
First and foremost, never has there been a bigger dumbass with ADHD in literature, and I AM HERE FOR IT. Like, a Golden Retriever but really, really likes getting pet.
Also, Hollis Wallace gave me so much joy everytime they said it.
And yes, Hollis is a good strong female heroine, but I was totally in this one for Trace.
First and foremost, never has there been a bigger dumbass with ADHD in literature, and I AM HERE FOR IT. Like, a Golden Retriever but really, really likes getting pet.
Also, Hollis Wallace gave me so much joy everytime they said it.
And yes, Hollis is a good strong female heroine, but I was totally in this one for Trace.
lucyanna's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
syndi3's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is fun. I feel so entertained by Wallace. He is super cute. Perfect boyfriend material. I love how persistent he is pursuing Hollace. Miss Ney brings this book to a different level. Instead of man whore, we got commited hero.
What a fresh breath of air. Hard Fall is the first book I read in this series. Hopefully I can get copy of other books.
Very entertaining reading to start Christmas holiday.
What a fresh breath of air. Hard Fall is the first book I read in this series. Hopefully I can get copy of other books.
Very entertaining reading to start Christmas holiday.
iggyebab's review against another edition
4.0
I loved Trace in book one. He’s such an adorable pain in the ass. I was really curious about the kind of woman that would catch him. He needed someone who could appreciate his immaturity but also see beneath it to the caring man underneath. He is a lot to deal with. But he is also such a marshmallow.
I really enjoyed these two and how they started to see one another differently. Trace’s family was a lot of fun and I hope his brother & sister get stories too.
I really enjoyed these two and how they started to see one another differently. Trace’s family was a lot of fun and I hope his brother & sister get stories too.
sasha2599's review against another edition
5.0
Baseball players are totally my things and I am loving the Trophy Boyfriends series. Buzz is just as endearing as I hoped he would be- he's goofy and hilarious and just plain adorable. And he's a romance reader! Such a perfect match for book editor Hollis. I loved how hard and fast he fell for Hollis and how he courted and pursued her. Hollis was so no-nonsense and sassy and I loved their chemistry. Sara Ney is such a sports romance dynamo and I never tire of her unique characters and settings.