Wrecking Ball by P. Dangelico Series: Hard To Love #1
Published by Self Published Publication Date: January 19th 2017
Also in this series: Reckless Love, Sledgehammer, Bulldozer
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Cam DeSantis’ life is a hot, steaming pile. How else would you describe losing your husband, your job, and your money all at once? Desperate times call for desperate measures, so when salvation comes in the form of one intolerable a-hole, who just happens to be the starting quarterback for the vaunted NY Titans, she has no choice but to accept his offer as a live-in nanny slash teacher for his eight year old nephew. Now all she has to do is find a safe place in her mind to hide whenever she feels the need to throat punch him into tomorrow…which is often.
Calvin Shaw has zero interest in women. Wait, wait––let me rephrase that. He loves women, he just doesn’t want anything to do with ‘um. Not since his wife, presently ex-wife, got knocked up by the guy she was cheating on him with. Problem is––there’s one living in his house. And he doesn’t know what’s worse, that he promised to be civil, or that he’s attracted to her.
****explicit sexual content. ****18 and over. *****semi prolific use of profanity at appropriate moments. You've been warned.
Cocktails and Books received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect our opinion of the book or the content of our review.
WRECKING BALL is a delightful surprise. What makes the story so good are the layered, complex characters. They have depth and are developed slowly and there are plenty of funny lines that had me laughing out loud. Along with the laughter, there is also emotion and heartache as the two main characters stumble through their lives trying recover from their pasts.
Calvin, a professional quarterback for the New York Titans, has given up on everything but football. Football is the one thing Calvin excels at and it has never disappointed him. He is recovering from a bad childhood and a wife who cheated on him and he prefers solitude and doesn’t trust anyone.
Calvin and Cam are brought together when Cam is hired as a live in nanny to take care of Calvin’s nephew. From the moment they meet, Calvin and Cam disagree on everything. Calvin is used to being in charge and having everyone following his orders. He can not believe Cam blatantly ignores him and what he tells her to do. Cam does not put up with Calvin’s surly attitude and she has Calvin tied up in knots. She is direct, honest and she doesn’t care what Calvin thinks. In fact, Cam enjoys riling Calvin up. I love these two together. There is a push and pull between them and they are constantly bantering and bickering. Even though there is a lot chemistry between them, their relationship builds slowly.
Cam’s former husband lied and cheated many people out of all their money. Cam is left with nothing but heartbreak and is trying to pick up the pieces of her life. She is a sweet and giving person and tries to see the good in everyone.
Calvin and Cam slowly go through a transformation from the beginning of the story to the end. They are two lost, wounded souls and they help each other learn to enjoy life again. This is a beautiful, emotional, unexpected story and I am so glad I had the chance to read it. There are some fun secondary characters and I especially liked Cam’s best friend Amber, she is hilarious. I fell in love with Calvin right along with Cam. He is tough, stubborn, and vulnerable. I loved getting lost in this captivating story. The characters are endearing and unforgettable and I never wanted this story to end.
