I was very kindly provided with an ARC of Three Hard Lessons to read and review by the author.
I say this every time I read a book by this author but by golly is the woman a genius. Once again she has produced something that has cemented her even further into my all time favourite author spot and stolen my all time favourite book spot. This can easily be read as a standalone but as the previous book in the series, Three Simple Rules, is so fabulous and will give you a greater insight into Payton I highly recommend giving the first book a go first.
This time around we get the story of Payton, Evie's best friend from Three Simple Rules and Dominic, the best friend of Logan. Working in the club that she introduced Evie to in 'Rules', Payton is the star attraction of the business and until recently really quite happy with her lifestyle choices. But what happens when the feeling of discontent takes root inside of her and she wants a piece of the happiness that she's witnessing everyone else around her finding for themselves?
Payton is one tough cookie. She's independent, funny, fierce and takes no prisoners with no exceptions. But she's also incredibly human. Shaped by such a monumentally crushing moment in her younger years she spends her life with such a headstrong feeling of never needing another person to make her life feel complete. Payton tries her best to get over it but some kinds of hurt and betrayal aren't so simple to move on from. That is until the irresistible Dom crosses her path in a mix up one evening and she gets a chance to see that not everyone is out to use her purely for their own gain. From her emotions to reactions to her sex appeal this is one flawless character. I identified with Payton in ways that almost crushed me but the way Nikki Sloane has written her journey has given me hope that there is such a thing as happily ever afters after all.
I flopped down, turning over in a huff, and heard him settle back down. I knew this was stupid, and if I ever wanted to belong to someone else, I was going to have to let them in. Yet I’d only done that once in my life and been burned so spectacularly, I couldn’t stomach the thought of trying again.
His eyes were captivating, and stunned me motionless. His serious expression spoke volumes. Like he sensed how crossing this physical threshold was really crossing a greater one for me. Letting him not just get his way, but letting him get . . . close.
" It destroyed me.”The only person I thought truly loved me, abandoned me. “I don’t do love. It’s just a lie.”
Dominic is sweet, caring and with a hidden highly kinky side, it's possible that he's actually kinkier than Payton and I never thought I'd ever be able to say that. He was absolutely fantastic in every way, he could be sweet enough to make you sad of the fact that he's fictional and hot enough to make you angry. Payton wasn't the only one with issues but I loved that Dom wanted them both to progress and to learn to love as a unit. As much as he wanted to push Payton's boundaries and to break as many of her rules as she owned, he was only ever patient and caring towards her, even when he was messing up. How can you not love him, you really won't be able to resist all of his charms when you read this.
“No. I’m never going to do that again.”Another lesson he probably thought he’d learned the hard way with me. Two for him, but I’d learned three. Don’t tease him. Don’t give him boundaries. Don’t think you get a choice in who you love. All of my struggle against falling for him had been pointless. I was his, and he was mine. My body had known it from the moment his hand brushed my fingers our first night together, cluing me in with those unexpected sparks.
Nikki Sloane can write scenes hotter than lava so when reading this I highly suggest having a man, woman or a lot of batteries (maybe all three!) and most definitely an ice cold drink close to hand to quell all the hotness you'll be experiencing. But this isn't just one long sex session, Nikki has written a book filled with heartfelt moments of love and pain so touching and realistic that I once or twice found myself with tears in my eyes and a deep ache in my heart. Payton and Dom may be fictional characters but they are as three dimensional as their tales. Not only can I not recommend any of Nikki's books enough but this one especially has become without a doubt my favourite and will stay with me for the rest of my life. I've already reread this twice and I swear it gets better every time. If you like books with super hot sex, emotional cores, flawless writing, three dimensional characters and storylines and a good few chuckles thrown in then 'one click' this right this minute, I promise you won't regret it!
And lastly thank you to the amazing Nikki Sloane for my copy of and for writing this book, because I don't think I remind her enough how wonderful she is!