Rebel Hard
Author: Nalini Singh
Reviewer: Jen
Rating: A-
What I’m Talking About:
Nayna Sharma has spent most of her life trying to keep peace within her family. She is the ultimate good child to her mostly traditional Indian parents because her older sister shamed the family with her personal affairs. Although her sister has been accepted back into the family, Nayna continues to feel the pressure to make peace, doing little to make waves; which is why she’s letting her parents choose her husband for her.
Along comes Raj Sen. At first he was to be a one-night fling for Nayna – an attempt to break out before being tied down in marriage. But then he becomes a prospective husband, and Nayna discovers he is an amazing man. While Raj thought he wanted a traditional Indian wife to love, meeting Nayna changes everything.
Rebel Hard is a wonderful love story based in tradition, and brought to life with modern sensibilities. The slow-burn romance juxtaposes the ideals of an Indian arranged marriage and traditional roles with a modern, successful woman who longs to be free of conventions. The author takes care to allow Nayna and Raj to be true to themselves while discovering change and compromise can lead to happiness.
The improbable love story works because Raj falls hard and fast, refusing to let Nayna slip away out of fear. He understands her right from the start, and he continues to adjust his expectations and how he woos Nayna as he gets to know her, her family, and her history. He also realizes that he is willing to alter his own expectations for a wife when he meets the right woman, which is Nayna. Due to his sensitivity, perseverance, and heart, he is the perfect match for Nayna.
And while Nayna has many fears over living the life her parents expect of her, she doesn’t give up on loving Raj. She learns to stand up for herself, remaining respectful to her parents but finding a way to be happy. Her relationship with her grandmother is everything, keeping Nayna steady and wrapped in unconditional love. I also like that Nayna recognizes her parents love her deeply, regardless of their actions, and she never thinks “poor me,” rather she accepts the things she can’t change and acts on those she can.
Rebel Hard has all the makings of an entertaining Bollywood movie. I enjoyed the ups and downs. The laughs and tears. The joy and pain. The mix of traditional and new. I love that Nayna and Raj find a way to make it work because they love one another and want it to work.
My Rating: A- Enjoyed A Lot
Jen
About the Book:
Nayna Sharma agreed to an arranged marriage in the hope it would heal the fractures in her beloved family… only to realize too late that a traditional marriage is her personal nightmare. Panicked, she throws caution to the winds, puts on the tiniest dress she can find, and ends up in the arms of a tall, rough-edged hunk of a man who has abs of steel—and who she manages to mortally insult between one kiss and the next.
Abandoned as a child, then adopted into a loving family, Raj Sen believes in tradition, in continuity. Some might call him stiff and old-fashioned, but he knows what he wants—and it’s a life defined by rules… yet he can’t stop thinking about the infuriating and sexy woman who kissed him in the moonlight then disappeared. When his parents spring an introduction on him, the last woman he expects is her. Beautiful. Maddening. A rulebreaker in the making.
He’s all wrong for her. She’s all wrong for him. And love is about to make rebels of them both.
Release Date: September 18, 2018
Publisher: self-published
Series: Hard Play #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format(s): paperback (398 pages), e-book, audiobook
Book Source: Author
Purchase Info:
Amazon
Reviews in the Series:
Cherish Hard by Nalini Singh (Hard Play #1) – Audiobook Review