Book Review of Going Hard (Steele Ridge Series)
Title: Going Hard
Series: Steele Ridge Series
Author: Kelsey Browning
Date Published: October 11th 2016
Date Read: October 8th, 2016
The Blurb:
Slick sports agent Griffin Steele is living the highlife in Los Angeles, far from the shadow of the North Carolina mountains where he grew up. But when his hometown falls on hard times and needs his help, Grif reluctantly agrees to commute between coasts. He never expects the lush scenery, in the form of pretty tomboy Carlie Beth Parrish, to be such a temptation.
After an impetuous one-night stand with Grif Steele fifteen years ago, hardworking blacksmith Carlie Beth has tried to make a living and raise her daughter in the hometown she loves. Then, too-sexy-for-his-Rolex Grif blows back into town like the perfect storm, making Carlie feel less like a thirty-something mom and more like an infatuated teenager.
When a stalker targets Carlie Beth, Grif can’t help but step in to protect her. But once he discovers the fourteen-year-old secret she’s been keeping from him, will he embrace the truth or will he turn his back on Steele Ridge and Carlie Beth forever?
After an impetuous one-night stand with Grif Steele fifteen years ago, hardworking blacksmith Carlie Beth has tried to make a living and raise her daughter in the hometown she loves. Then, too-sexy-for-his-Rolex Grif blows back into town like the perfect storm, making Carlie feel less like a thirty-something mom and more like an infatuated teenager.
When a stalker targets Carlie Beth, Grif can’t help but step in to protect her. But once he discovers the fourteen-year-old secret she’s been keeping from him, will he embrace the truth or will he turn his back on Steele Ridge and Carlie Beth forever?
My Review
3 I loved Grif Stars
Spoilers ahead and some ranting
Going Hard the 2nd book in the Steele Ridge series was just an okay read for me. I'm going to be honest this book would have been a 4 to 5 star read for me if it wasn't for the heroine Carlie Beth . I couldn't stand her. Hated her with all of my soul. My deep dislike for her colored the whole book.
Grif was great. He was cocky, sexy, sweet, and way too understanding. If I was Grif I wouldn't have forgave Carlie Beth as fast and easy as he did. He just accepted the fact that Carlie kept his daughter from him her whole 14 years of life. He may have been fine with it, got over it right away, but I didn't. Here is the thing. I read books where there is a secret child all the time. I really like that trope. But it didn't work for me here because Carlie had no good reason to keep his daughter from him. She also had tons of chances to tell tell him or his family about their child together, Aubrey, and she didn't.
maybe not so silently
Here's why I couldn't forgive Carlie. Grif came to town every year. She could have told him about Aubrey any of the 14 or more times he came back to town but nope. Then the small town in which Carlie and Aubrey live, Grif's mom and other family also live. His mom Joan was a receptionist at the elementary school in which Aubrey went to school. So not only did Carlie keep his daughter from Grif she let Aubrey go to school and see her grandma daily never telling either they were family. How many times did Aubrey talk with her aunt, uncles and grandma and didn't know. Tons! And she had no reason to keep it from any of them. None. He wasn't hateful, he didn't leave town and never come back, they hadn't been together and he cheated. She just didn't tell him. Carlie said a one point that she didn't want to hold him back because he was heading to LA to make it big but she had 14 years to tell him.
Here's why I couldn't forgive Carlie. Grif came to town every year. She could have told him about Aubrey any of the 14 or more times he came back to town but nope. Then the small town in which Carlie and Aubrey live, Grif's mom and other family also live. His mom Joan was a receptionist at the elementary school in which Aubrey went to school. So not only did Carlie keep his daughter from Grif she let Aubrey go to school and see her grandma daily never telling either they were family. How many times did Aubrey talk with her aunt, uncles and grandma and didn't know. Tons! And she had no reason to keep it from any of them. None. He wasn't hateful, he didn't leave town and never come back, they hadn't been together and he cheated. She just didn't tell him. Carlie said a one point that she didn't want to hold him back because he was heading to LA to make it big but she had 14 years to tell him.
Then... Then she doesn't even tell him. He figures it out after meeting his daughter at his mom's party. She let her daughter and Grif sit there and talk and laugh while neither knew that they were father and daughter. When he comes to her and tells her he knows Aubrey's his and gives her a ton of money in back child support she has the balls to ask him if he can just forget that he knows Aubrey's his and go on with his life.
"That, Carlie Beth, is where you're wrong. Even more wrong than you were to keep my daughter from me. Aubrey is a Steele. You've not only stolen that from her, but you've stolen her from my family. And I think you know that if there's one thing in this world I cannot abide, it's someone doing wrong by my family." Like an instinctive shield, her eyes squeezed closed. His family? No, she couldn't afford for him to go down that path. Aubrey was her family. She slowly opened them again, trying to project sincerity toward him. "If I say I had your best interests at heart, can we pretend this conversation never happened? Just leave well enough alone?"-Grif and Carlie
"That, Carlie Beth, is where you're wrong. Even more wrong than you were to keep my daughter from me. Aubrey is a Steele. You've not only stolen that from her, but you've stolen her from my family. And I think you know that if there's one thing in this world I cannot abide, it's someone doing wrong by my family." Like an instinctive shield, her eyes squeezed closed. His family? No, she couldn't afford for him to go down that path. Aubrey was her family. She slowly opened them again, trying to project sincerity toward him. "If I say I had your best interests at heart, can we pretend this conversation never happened? Just leave well enough alone?"-Grif and Carlie
Like she didn't steal 14 years of his daughters life from him. Like she didn't take away his chance to see her be born, say her first words, walk for the first time, learn to ride a bike, start school, etc. Then she looks at him and tells him he should thank her for keep his daughter from him. Really Thank her?
"Well, you couldn't have hustled that way here in Canyon Ridge. You probably would've hired on at one of the Christmas tree farms outside of town, making little more than minimum wage." And he'd been so bright, so smart, so ambitious that she hadn't been willing to sentence him to that life. "You should thank me."- Carlie
"Well, you couldn't have hustled that way here in Canyon Ridge. You probably would've hired on at one of the Christmas tree farms outside of town, making little more than minimum wage." And he'd been so bright, so smart, so ambitious that she hadn't been willing to sentence him to that life. "You should thank me."- Carlie
Carlie was selfish, thoughtless, and immature. I couldn't stand her. For most of the book she acted like she was justified in her actions. A few time she acts like Grif was the one who did something wrong. Then my favorite part was when she tells him
"I didn't keep her from you," she insisted. "You make it sound like I hid her away in a cave somewhere and fought you off with sharp sticks."-Carlie
"I didn't keep her from you," she insisted. "You make it sound like I hid her away in a cave somewhere and fought you off with sharp sticks."-Carlie
You didn't keep his daughter from him... really? What would you call it Carlie? It was just too much for me. She never even really said sorry that I can remember. I never warmed to her. Most likely because she wasn't likable at all and she never really grew as a character. Even after she and Grif are together and he ask her to marry him she ruins the proposal. Grif and his daughter deserved better. I would have been happy if he would have took his daughter met someone new and left Carlie's selfish butt behind. Just sayin'! Now after a rant like there you probably wonder why 3 stars and not something lower. Well Grif and the others were great. I liked the plot of the stalker. So pretty much I like everything but Carlie!
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