Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE: Hard Knox

AUTHOR: Riley Hart

SERIES: Havenwood #3

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 224 pages

RELEASE DATE: July 9, 2020

BLURB:

Callum

A gay guy walks into a straight bar and notices the hottest man he’s ever seen…

Why am I not surprised my life sounds like the beginning of a bad joke? First, my ex cheated on me, and I went running to Havenwood and the mom I have a complicated relationship with. Then, there’s Knox, the gorgeous lumberjack I don’t stand a chance with. To top it off, he’s more than just a pretty face, and I start to fall for him. Knox is kind, funny, honorable, quickly becoming my best friend, and unfortunately, straight with a capital S.

Knox

My life has taken a few unexpected turns lately. First, the new guy in town, Callum, has me strangely confused. Then my son, Logan, comes to live with me. He connects with Callum instantly, and I do too. Before we know it, he’s become a daily fixture in our lives, making us laugh, calling me his lumberjack and making this foreign warmth spread inside me.

It doesn’t matter that I’ve never been with a guy before–one kiss from Cal, and it’s clear I’m bi. He turns me upside down. With every laugh, every conversation, every touch and exploration, I fall harder. Sneaking around isn’t ideal, but there’s a lot for us to consider. All I know is I need him. Life has a funny way of throwing a wrench into your plans, though, and things become a mess. But then I’m reminded that while nothing in life is guaranteed, not even love, what Callum and I have built is worth fighting for.

REVIEW:

Hard Knox is another great addition to Riley Hart’s Havenwood series. The plot is a common one but Hart makes her story fresh with her character development and the creation of her shared world. Here, as in other series she has written, Ms. Hart has set the bar high for how to successfully create a shared world series. She does it better than most.  

Callum is new in town, having recently moved to be near his mother. He seeks to repair their relationship after she didn’t take his coming out well years before. Now he’s searching for happiness. But complications arise; after being cheated on numerous times by his ex-boyfriend – and betrayed by his friends – Callum has the misfortune of falling for the straight guy. His mantra, like that of many gay men, is never fall for the straight guy. His heart speaks louder than his brain, though, and he soon finds himself best friends with Knox and trying to suppress his feelings. But lo and behold, Knox experiences a bi-awakening and Callum is on his radar. 

W.C. Fields famously said of show business: never work with children or animals, implying they steal the scene. Well, thankfully writing is not the same. Hart does a lovely job of smoothly incorporating Knox’s son, Logan, and his dog, Frankie Blue, into the narrative. Logan is an absolutely endearing twelve-year-old boy who immediately likes Callum and treasures him in his life. They bond over medical issues, difficulty with peers and teasing, and feeling different from everyone else. Logan is a joy in this book, kind and welcoming and written so that he never has an overwhelming presence. 

It’s the well-developed, appealing characters, both primary and secondary, that make the Havenwood series. Both Callum and Knox are super likable. All the same supporting characters are here with an expanded role for Mary Beth, Callum’s mom who works at Law’s café. Law and Remy are revisited and their interaction serves to solidify how in love this couple is. Chase isn’t featured much, but Callum bonds with both Kellan and Josh. Griff is on the periphery but does interact with Josh, setting up their story next. The one oddity to me is the nearly non-existent role for Natalie, just as in book two. She was a big part of Giving Chase and it would be nice to have her female voice added to all the testosterone in the series with a few lines of dialogue.  

Hard Knox is a sweet and sexy novel with a loving couple, a disarming kid, and a happy ending. I can’t wait for the conclusion of the series, book four, Griff and Josh’s story. 

RATING: 

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon