Silly or not I was drawn to this book because of the author and the fact there was a book store in it. Being a reader I thought that has to be good if books are involved lol. Dawn seems to have the kind of bookstore I would go into but also it brings in someone who wants it too. The reasons are his own but Rory I do believe has also meet his match. Curiosity will have you going on with these two to see how they bump heads and a few other things. A war of wills is fun to read especially if the two doing it have the right chemistry. It was also fun to see which direction he would go or whom he would follow. Anyways I knew this bookstore would be fun and it certainly was.

Hard Cover by Jamie K. Schmidt is a good read. This over the top, quirky read is full of sexiness and steam. Dawn and Rory are as opposite as you can get but they generate a lot of heat and sizzle. I liked the plot and banter between the two. A fun and entertaining read. I am posting an honest review after reading an ARC copy of this book.

What fun this book is! Dawn is quirky and sassy and more than enough woman for Rory! Rory is all sorts of hot and smoldering, gentleman on the outside but oh-so-bad-boy on the inside! When the sparks start flying between these two, it's just the beginning of their push-pull relationship. Rory and Dawn really bring out the best and the worst in each other. The author brilliantly builds their relationship slowly, past the immediate red-hot physical attraction into something much more emotionally solid as each character works through their own issues and secrets. Theirs is a journey of the heart, and it's a beautiful story. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book through NetGalley.

A really well written immersive read. A definite go-to author if you're looking for a quality romance read.

A billionaire that starts as a jerk and then falls in love!

Billionaire Rory Parker wants to revitalize the dock area with more upscale shops in his hometown and the thorn in his plans is Dawn Nolan who is in the middle of a ten year lease for her sex-positive bookstore. Dawn is the wayward daughter of a judge and just wants to run her bookstore without being bothered by people that didn’t like the types of products that she carried.

Rory and Dawn are like fire and water with each other and when Rory finally decides that he doesn’t care what other people think about Dawn their relationship starts to grown and giving up his plans to make Dawn move her store is a start.

Rory needs to grovel some when he finally see that Dawn’s bookstore is needed by the community but I think the author needed to show a little more of Dawn’s relationship with her parents.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book took me by surprise with how much I loved it. It was unexpected, entertaining and had some really great characters.

Honestly, I love it when a book surprises me like this. This was an enemies to lovers trope and I really like how the author handled the enemies part. They weren't really true enemies but there was enough opposition to make their encounters full of heat.

I think what really drew me in was the quirkiness of Dawn and the customers of her book store. I like that Nolan was an overachieving rich man who never treated Dawn like she was beneath him. When these two fought it always turned into sex. The chemistry was pretty heated between these two.

I highly recommend it! ARC provided by Netgalley.

Hard Cover by Jamie K. Schmidt Is the story of Dawn Nolan and Rory Parker.
Dawn isn't the usually bookstore owner..nor are some of the book she has. Rory comes knocking on her door because he needs to get rid of her bookstore but Dawn isn't jumping at the offer. But what they both find out is that they may more between the then her bookstore.
I have read a previous book by Ms. Schmidt and really liked it...so when I saw this book I knew I wanted to read it too. Its was a hot quick read that I had to finish in one sitting.

This is my first read by Jamie K. Schmidt and I have to say that I had fun with Hard Cover. Admittedly, I thought there might be a bit more drama and more of an enemies to lovers story line but in the end I liked where it went. 

Dawn seems to be the outcast of the town. She's the daughter of a Judge but she hasn't talked to him in over a year. She's got purple hair and a tongue ring and doesn't fit the mold that her father wants her to be. Over the years, she's learned to be an independent woman who stands up for herself and works to help empower women. So when the gorgeous billionaire who wants to buy our her eccentric store shows up, she's ready to give him a piece of her mind. And maybe a piece of her body. She can't deny the attraction she has towards him. 

Rory has his reasons for wanting to change up the stores in the town of Haven and Dawn's store is one of the last ones he needs to go. He's sweetened the pot in hopes that she would go but he also wouldn't mind of getting a little piece of her in the process. Neither of them would have thought things would go as far as they did. 

I liked both Dawn and Rory. She's feisty and doesn't let anyone walk all over her. Yet, she's struggling and it makes her a bit more relatable when she fights for her beliefs but enjoys the attention that Rory gives her. He's a savvy businessman with a sharp mind and some alpha tendencies in the bed. Ultimately, he's just a sweet guy with a big heart and I enjoyed watching him fall for Dawn and stand with her proudly. 

Hard Cover is sweet, sassy and fun wrapped up with a hot mouthed bedroom alpha. If you are looking for a quick read that will make you laugh and feel the heat all at once, then this is the book for you!

4.5 stars
This book starts with a bang. And to be honest, Dawn is so blunt and harsh I wasn’t sure if it was going to be a good bang or a bad bang. She won me over pretty quickly with her handling of a disgruntled customer, yet I still wasn’t 100% sure I was going to love her. The same can be said for Rory. He definitely seemed like the type who would need to check his white male privilege at the door.

With both Dawn and Rory, I’m happy to say I quickly saw their true spirits and ended up head over heals for them. Their chemistry was combustible and, although they seem like opposites, they truly rounded each other out perfectly. Dawn owns her sexuality and wants all women to have the same sense of self she has. No shame, no holding back. Rory is not threatened by this and, in fact, embraces Dawn’s strong personality. Let me take this opportunity to let you know that this story is not for the faint of heart. It is beyond steamy and uber-sexy!

I couldn’t help but note this story is super timely. With all that is going on in the United States with inappropriate actions coming to light and debates on what is or is not appropriate, well Dawn has some things to say about that. A woman can be sexual and embrace her sexuality without it being a bad thing or a threatening thing. And no matter how she wants to dress or carry herself it gives nobody a right to say or do anything to her about her choices. Super relevant right now, but since it’s a story of fiction you get the fun and the HEA that the real news stories don’t have for many of these women.

One of the things I do wish we would have gotten a bit more information on was the drug use in the town. It was such a huge reason for everything the selectmen were pushing the old businesses out of town, but it was almost in passing that Dawn gave Rory a glimpse of the reality. Then it wasn’t followed up on. At least on the deeper level I thought it would be when it came to Cammy and her issues.

Don’t let anything I said above make you think this is a super serious book. It had plenty of serious issues, but I lost count of how many times I laughed out loud. I mean real belly laughs. I love a book that can bring that out of me, even when I’m sitting in a quiet place and get funny looks.

This book has really reinforced my belief that not many authors can come close to really getting the sassy, snarky, sexy heroine down on paper so perfectly. I can’t wait to read more by this author. She reels me in every single time.

The good storyline has a well planned out plot and the great character development kept my interest from page one until the very last page!

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

I hate giving negative reviews but I have to be honest otherwise what is the point in writing a review? As much as I wanted to love this one, I didn't like the main characters at all and didn't feel any chemistry or connection. They both irritated me and it just missed the mark with me.

Oh, what fun! I love Rory and Dawn’s dynamic! There are so many elements to this story and it keeps you well entertained while bringing emotional touches as well.

A tantric book store owner and preppy billionaire looking to renovate the shops; he wants to buy her out, she’s not interested. As they spend more and more time together there is no denying their chemistry. And boy is it hot! I liked that they had a small history, having gone to high school together.

I really enjoyed these characters. Rory’s feelings and actions were unexpected. I loved watching his focus transform and see what an amazing person he is. Dawn kept me smiling and her personality shined throughout the story. I loved watching all the events unfold and seeing how Dawn and Rory brought out the best in each other.

I loved the turn-around of the story. How it leaves you to believe Rory is just a rich jerk out for himself, but come to find out, he’s really a great guy with a big heart and loves Dawn for who she is. I enjoyed the turns the story took and that nothing was over-dramatized. The story incorporates fun humor and friends that warm your heart.

This heartwarming, opposites attract story will leave a smile on your face.

A sexy steamy story that will entertain and amuse. I truly enjoyed this one. The characters are intriguing, the story is well written, and the pace of the story moves along nicely.

Dawn lives life on her terms. Her father may have tried to break her spirit but he failed. Now she owns her own business and she'll do whatever it takes to keep it safe from the greedy real estate guy buying out all the other store owners so he can put in some high scale stores. Rory is a billionaire who is use to getting his way in both his business and personal life. He's never met anyone like Dawn though and while he does want her business out of the building he wants her in his personal life for as long as she will stay.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good steamy romance.

This story had the potential to be so much more than what I found in its pages. While it did have some amusing dialogue at times, it fell short for me. From the blurb, I expected some drama surrounding a steamy video and maybe even some intrigue surrounding blackmail over that video. As it turned out, the video in question presents an issue for all of a hot minute and the story is more about Dawn hiding her less than prosperous circumstances from everyone, including Rory. In the end, Dawn is more tedious than quirky and Rory is an arrogant show-off. At one point, it appeared that there would be some intrigue surrounding Dawn and the people who wanted her out of business, but the book quickly becomes more about Rory and Dawn's sexcapades than anything else and considering that I never felt the connection between the two, much less found either of them particularly likable, the whole thing just missed the mark for me. I did keep reading to see if that initial intrigue would lead anywhere but was disappointed in the end.

Rory is the billionaire that wants to oust Dawn from her feminist bookstore. His plan is to place high-end stores that bring more money and moneyed clients After months of back and forth email messages, their chemistry has become explosive. Dawn is the bad girl from the right side of the tracks. Rory is the billionaire that may make her dreams come true. Can they really make this work further than a summer fling? When danger lurks around the corner, we will know for sure. A scorching roller-coaster ride! Fantastic read!

I really love Jamie K. Schmidt's brand of erotica. Raunchy and dirty with a good doze of emotions thrown into it to make it not only hot but also sweet. Not to mention that her heroines enjoy sex and are sassy. In this series the heroes are New York City billionaires who are not only forces to be reckoned with in the boardroom, but are also a fantasy in the bedroom.

In all honesty, Dawn Nolan isn't the kind of person I like. She is too confrontational and in your face. I get that a lot of her issues stem from her judgemental parents who have been trying to pigeonhole her her whole life. However, she seems to not see when there are people who are only trying to help her and care for her with no ulterior motives. She has been a fighter for so long that she can't seem to hold back and show her weaknesses. Purple hair and tongue piercings may not be my thing but I liked the fact that she wasn't timid about her sexuality and lived it out to the fullest without holding back. I may have not agreed with some of the things she did but I understand her reasoning. And sometimes you don't have to actually like a heroine to appreciate her.

Rory Parker is your typical billionaire who likes to get what he wants and refuses to take no for an answer. But what sets him apart from his set, is the fact that regardless of what others thought of Dawn, he wasn't afraid to pursue her and let everyone know that she was his. And for that he definitely gets points! I also loved that even though he really tried to get his way, he wasn't against finding a compromise.

The love scenes will definitely leave you blushing ;) and you won't be forgetting them any time soon. I enjoyed not only the two main characters and their sizzling chemistry but also the secondary characters. I especially loved Millie. She gives a whole new meaning to the phrase, "never judge a book by its cover". Hope that there will be more books to come in this series!

Wowza! To say that there is no chemistry between these two would be a flat out lie. Good thing they had that, because the way they bickered with each other made for some great make up sessions.

Dawn owns a book store on the waterfront in Haven. When she first moved in, she signed a ten year lease that was ironclad. Problem? Yep. There's a new developer buying out of the all the current owners of the waterfront, turning old stores into upscale new ones. Lets add in the fact that the developer happens to be her freshmen high school crush who's still drop dead gorgeous. Although the buy out money he's offering Dawn is WAY over the top, she still can't find it in her heart to leave. Looks like we're at a stalemate.

Rory is the rich, now billionaire, high school crush. He's made a ton of money in Florida, but he's currently helping his parents renovate the waterfront, hoping to drive out the unwanted "elements" (Yes, there's a hidden message there, but I'm not going to spoil that one). Rory knew he recognized Dawn's name, but when he finally saw her, the chemistry was super intense. Needless to say, the first encounter wasn't quick. However, it was memorable. Because they couldn't keep their hands off each other from that moment on. Too bad he still had a job to do. Or did he?

Yep, this has a LOT of sex in it. But it's not overly done. In fact, it worked with their relationship considering they needed it to get over the business aspect of what was really going on. Besides the sex, there was a nice story behind it. Dawn and Rory both have their issues, but I found it to be a nice reprieve that Rory was the one who seemed to have more baggage than Dawn. Dawn is total badass chick. Love her! Rory grew on me. In the end? Super cute story with the HEA we all were looking forward to.

reviewed by Chris

MY RATING: 3/5

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story follows the premise of our hero wanting to buy out our heroine so he can "clean up" the property he owns. However, he did not expect to fall for the quirky and adorable heroine who bites back. The thing about the book was that it was hard to connect with our heroine because i don't know it just seemed like she was this special unicorn who loved sex and had tattoos and amazing hair and it's just hard to connect cause I felt like Jamie K Schmidt tried to make an eccentric character and it fell into a stereotype in the end.

MY RECOMMENDATION:
Read it if you want to see how the story ends because I finished it to see how these two people can come together and make things work. And it did.

Everyone should be reading Jamie K Schmidt's books. If you're not you're missing out on some good reading. Jamie did an excellent job on Hardcover and I can't wait to read what's next.

I enjoyed this book, but it definitely wasn't my favorite by the author. I'd probably have rated this higher had I actually liked the heroine, but Dawn left a lot to be desired. The book was funny though and the hero was great, so it had a lot of redeeming qualities.

Dawn owns a 'sexy bookstore' in a small seaside town and a developer is looking to buy out all the tenants and bring in high-end stores. Dawn is holding out and refuses to back out of her lease or be bought out, even though the offer is pretty high. She's stubborn, but she also knows that she provides a safe place for some women and it's a store she truly loves and makes it her own. Her dad is a judge and because she was a bit of a rebel, her parents really have nothing to do with her now, so she's kind of on her own in the world and doing what she wants. The one thing I loved about Dawn was how fierce she was - the whole scene with the guy breaking in was hilarious and she scored points with me for her quick reactions!

Rory is a billionaire who has returned to his hometown to revitalize the shop area. Dawn is one of the last holdouts, so he tries his best to convince her to move, including offering that hefty sum of money. When Dawn refuses, he decides to help make her store into something that can appeal to more people. Little known to Dawn at the time, Rory had a huge crush on her in high school, so he doesn't back down from his chance to finally have the girl he use to want.

So why didn't I like Dawn? She purposely used sex to try and blackmail Rory. The way she went about it was just so wrong. I mean Rory found it funny and enjoyed watching the playback later on, but it was just sleazy the way she went about things. She was also incredibly stubborn and it nearly cost her her life in the end there. I get she had her pride and wanted to do everything on her own, but Rory was genuinely being a nice guy there and trying to help her out.

I loved Rory. Yes, he came off arrogant in the beginning, but the guy was great. He stepped up and was there for his disabled sister in such a sweet way and that really sealed the deal for me. I also liked how he tried to help Dawn in a way that would benefit her, even if it did mean he was losing money on another possible tenant for her storefront. He was just a good guy overall, even if most people may have only seen his wealth.

Both sets of parents were horrible, especially Rory's. Those people were too stuck up and didn't even want to visit their daughter in the hospital. I'm just glad Rory didn't take after them.

The one part that bothers me the most though is that we never found out who was causing all the problems with Dawn (i.e. who sent the guy to break in?). It was just kind of forgotten even though it played a big role for the first half of the book.

Overall, a good read - not my favorite, but it's memorable and one I'd recommend.