HARD TO GET – Alyssa Brooks

Berkley Heat

ISBN: 978-0425-22175-4

July 2008

Erotic Contemporary Romance

Colorado and Tennessee ~ Present Day

Elizabeth “Lizzy” Cross runs a successful nightclub in Vail, where she has made a new life for herself. Lizzy had a torturous childhood that culminated in her running away with her teenage sweetheart Ty Black. Ty and Lizzy broke up shortly thereafter, and to survive, she tries to push away her past. That is, until Ty shows up one night at her adopted sister’s bachelorette party as part of the evening’s entertainment – a stripper. Lizzy’s shocked to see Ty has reached the bottom of the barrel and even more surprised when he wants to resume their relationship. She’s not into romantic relationships anymore. The only steady companion she has in bed with her is her sex toys.

Ty regrets having left Lizzy alone to fend for herself, but it couldn’t be helped as he was in trouble with the law. He looked for Lizzy afterwards, but she disappeared off the face of earth, until he happens to run into her at the party. She’s certainly different from the old Lizzy he knew. She now has pink hair and a hardened air about her and makes it clear she wants nothing to do with him. What he hasn’t told her yet is that he is only moonlighting as a stripper. By day he’s a college student well on his way to getting a justice degree. But none of that matters if he can’t get past the hard shell she’s put up. He does know that in order for them to have a future, they must deal with the past.

HARD TO GET is what Lizzy is to Ty. After landing on her feet, she’s built a new life which doesn’t include men because she prefers to be left alone, relying on plastic toys to provide her sexual pleasure. The way Lizzy and Ty broke up has left her angry at Ty, but she doesn’t know what he went through and that leaving her was the best thing for her. After all, being a nightclub owner can’t be all that bad, can it? Lizzy’s painful childhood has left its scars, and though Ty understands her pain, he also knows she can’t go on with her life until she’s dealt with it. Ty, for his part, didn’t have the best childhood either, but at least he knows he can return to Tennessee. Ty will do whatever it takes to protect the woman he still cares for.

Ty and Lizzy’s first interactions in HARD TO GET are as scorching as running your hand across a burning candle. Their reaction to each other after years apart leaves them alternately confused and desperate. Ty wants Lizzy, but she feels he betrayed her and is not worthy of any type of involvement.  When Lizzy does decide she wants to confront her past, it involves a road trip to their hometown in Tennessee with Ty. Along the way, they have some interesting side trips, which lead to even more interesting sex. I hesitate to say more, because I don’t want to spoil it for readers. Needless to say, Lizzy has a lot of issues, some appear to be insurmountable, but with Ty’s help, she overcomes them.

Scorching, sizzling, hot. Yes, they all mean the same, but in HARD TO GET they’re an understatement. Alyssa Brooks has penned a tale that will have readers booking the next trip to Antarctica in hopes of finding a place to cool down. Don’t miss another minute before reading HARD TO GET.

Holly Tibbs