**Review: *Hard to Get* by Laura Moher – 3⭐️**

*Hard to Get* brings together two characters whose emotional baggage makes their journey to love a slow burn. Andi Salazar, who works at a women’s shelter, carries deep trauma that has kept her from dating. Kevin Mahoney, still reeling from a painful breakup where he was criticized for being “too vanilla,” is struggling with his own self-worth.

When the two share a one-night stand, their lives become unexpectedly intertwined. While the story eventually builds toward something meaningful, it takes time—and patience—to get there. The connection is believable, but the pacing and the characters’ hesitations make it feel like a long road to romance.

A solid story about healing and second chances, but one that takes its time getting to the heart of it.

**Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for ARC.

This book is a romance with a DV lesson. I liked the story line and the characters, but this book was heavy with domestic violence references and lessons on how to prevent or care for others who have experienced it. While it's a great lesson that is needed in the world, I'm not sure the author hit her target audience with this one.

2.5-3⭐️

I’m finding this one a little difficult to rate because I don’t feel it quite had the cozy country vibes the description gives and the writing style it was like a merging of 2 different types of writing. It is definitely a personal perspective and preference though as to what you anticipate going in.

I appreciate the characters storyline for Kevin was to get out of his “vanilla” funk he was in however for me this area wasn’t delivered particularly tastefully and just didn’t merge well with the overall cozy country vibe. I think it was the words used just didn’t work for me however it is clear from the description it is going to be a little bit of spice I felt this could have been delivered in a slightly more rom-com way that would have worked much better with the country vibe.

Andi meets Kevin after she has been through a lot and what I did feel was delivered well was the way that DV was written in the context of male understanding and therefore allowing Andi to feel she could trust and open up again.

The narration on this I have to be honest and say it didn’t grip me and pull me in maybe I was put off because I had a barrier up with some of the story so more reflection of me than particularly the narrators. They were clear and well paced throughout so I do believe it was simply this just wasn’t the right book for me.

I will say although this is the 3rd in the series it works absolutely fine as a stand alone I hadn’t read / heard the first 2 and didn’t feel like I couldn’t pick up what was going on so if you like the description then this may be for you!

With thanks to NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for this ELC in return for an honest review. 📚🎧

Hard to Get written by Laura Moher and narrated by Michelle Price and Paul Bellantoni was a sweet romance that delved into domestic violence topics and breaking the cycle of DV. I felt the main character’s feelings and inner dialogue were very relatable and realistic. Hard to Get was pretty 50/50 with dual POV. I initially was not fond of the male POV but ended up really enjoying Kevin. Narrators did a fantastic job with the characters and emotions.

I tried. I love a unconventional couple. Here's my issue, I do not care in the least, what size the main character is. I could not care less about her being curvy. The amount of time that was spent on this was insane. Then we have the male character. I agree, some people are odd and different but I do not want to hear every single lusty thought about someone's body parts. Blech. This was bad. DNF

Sweet & steamy small-town romance! Loved Andi's strength & Kevin's charming pursuit. Opposites attract with great chemistry. The narrators brought these characters to life beautifully, adding extra depth to their connection and the small-town charm! A heartwarming listen with relatable characters. Perfect for fans of feel-good romance!

I really enjoyed Hard to Get by Laura Moher. I received an ALC from NetGalley and didn’t realize it was part of a series—book 3. It works well as a standalone, but I’m definitely planning to check out books 1 and 2!

The book was narrated by Michelle Price andPaul Bellantoni. Both did a fantastic job.

April 15, 2025
#HardtoGet #NetGalley

Thank you @NetGalley and @Dreamscapemedia for the audio ARC. I loved this story. The narrators were great. I listened in one day. Andi is in charge of a domestic abuse shelter and has some family tragedy in her life. Kevin left his loving family to lick his wounds from a broken engagement. They find each other one night in a bar and their love story is so beautiful. A must read.

I received this audiobook as an ARC. This is book 3 in the series. The story has a lot of layers and touches on difficult life experiences. If you liked the first two books in the series, you will love this story.

I really enjoyed this book & will be going back to read the first two in this series. This is a stand alone, but I’m sure the additional context from the other two will make this one better during a reread! This book touches on some important topics, has good representation & is a fun read! The audiobook was good, the accent was done well & I love a dual narration!

3.5!

This was my first book from Laura Moher and I would definitely be interested in going back to read the rest of this series. This did work well as a standalone but I think the added context from the previous relationships would have made this sweeter for the found family aspect of this small town.

This book did a great job highlighting the advocacy for shelter work, explaining how and where domestic violence can show up and the inner workings of a victim's mindset trying to move on with that trauma. Andi has experienced the unfathomable in life and the way she acted was based in so much fear and informed by her personal trauma that I wish, as readers, we had learned her full story prior to 70% through the book even if Kevin hadn't learned about it until that point.

When Kevin asked, "why do you keep holding me responsible for something I've never done, something I would never, ever do," my heart broke for him. He deserved to have the communication he needed from Andi, even if it was new territory for her.

This was an enjoyable listen! The male narrator was not really my cup of tea, but I do think it worked for how Kevin was portrayed as a character.

Thanks, Dreamscape Media + NetGalley for the ALC!

Good plus size representation, good balance of spicy-ness, interesting plot twists although the second one seemed a little out of place. Overall very enjoyed

ARC REVIEW:

This was just not for me but I do want to highlight that it does an amazing job of advocating for domestic violence victims and shedding light on how harmful it is for men to take a non-active role in prevention. I felt like the MMC’s challenges were realistic but also from a female point of view … dumb? Maybe that’s also insensitive but I just couldn’t get past my “get over it” mindset.

A fun spicy beach read. Andi Salazar was such an icon, although pain always alters a way women go after men. The sheer independence this woman, she is strong without having to depend on a man. kevin a new addition to the small town, feeling ackward and made poor selections in the past. Andi and Kevin meet one night at the local bar, hook up, and then Andi goes on her way. They end up connecting in various situations after that night, and begin a platonic friendship. Then they find out their one night stand led to pregnancy. This seemed a bit cliche but it was a nice flow to the story with the family coming in to take care of Kevin after a situation. Rating this as a beach read it is nice and has an easy story. Vanilla is a valid flavor. Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the opportunity. 3.5 rounded up

This was my first Laura Moher book and I really enjoyed it! Hard to Get is technically book 3 in the Big Love from Galway series, but you can still read it as a stand alone. I’m excited to go back and read the stories about Andi’s friends though!

This book includes representation of some really important topics, and I loved the size inclusivity and body positivity in the book. Andi works at a women’s shelter and domestic abuse is a big theme of the book. I love how Kevin, the MMC, took everything he learned from her to heart.

Andi and Kevin’s story was so fun to read, and this is so random but I love that they were just normal, real people navigating life.

Big thanks to Dreamscape Media for providing the audiobook ARC! The narrators did a fantastic job as well 👌🏽

A great story about living life and trusting and love. What loveable characters! It was frustrating at times, but trauma can make a person frustrating AND frustrated. It was an accurate description of what people can experience and I just loved the growth of both characters.

Andi has been through hell, and back again. But once in a while she lets her hair down and dons a persona of Andrea hot singer with the band when they need a fill in. That's where Kevin meets her for the first time.

Kevin is smitten from the moment he lays eyes on this curvy goddess (thank you author for depicting curvy girls in such a wonderful light). But after a night of unbridled passion, Andrea disappears and Andi comes back. It isn't until football season starts that Kevin runs into Andi again, and even though Andi isn't all dolled up Kevin is still entranced.

The only problem I've had with this book is that the author didn't include trigger warnings in the beginning of the audiobook which I think are more than needed.

While it did seem to take FOREVER to get Andi to loosen up and let Kevin in, I loved the chemistry the two had in this book. The portrayal of the hypervigilent person, and also the talk they had with the football players in the beginning of the book... *chef's kiss*

Michelle Price and Paul Bellantoni were excellent narrators in this book. Thank you for giving me something that I can listen to at even my 1.75% and still love every single word. You are amazing and your talents are well used.

I'd like to thank NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read/listen to this book.

I received an advanced copy of the audio version of this book. This is my own opinion. Thanks to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for the ALC.

**Because I received an ALC, I'm not sure if the final version will have content/trigger warnings. If you are interested in this book and are triggered by domestic violence, I will provide more information below the full review. If you're not interested in this, don't read below the line as it contains mild spoilers for the sake of warnings.

<b>Genre:</b> Contemporary Romance

<b>Tropes:</b> only one bed, unexpected pregnancy, snowed in, golden retriever x black cat, he falls first and harder

<b>Spice Level:</b> 1.5/5 there are a couple of on page scenes, but I noticed a lack of words other than breasts and nipple I think. The spicy scenes were there and kind of descriptive but without using genitalia words. I feel like that's kind of hard to accomplish, honestly, so kudos for that.

<b>Content Warning:</b> stalking, gun violence, mentions of abuse and domestic violence, baiting of a character in an attempt to provoke/see if they can be provoked to anger/reaction

Don't go into this one expecting a kink exploration if you, like me, saw the whole Vanilla Kevin thing in the blurb and thought we were going to get something totally different than what we had. Kevin is a people pleaser, and as such has no clue what he actually likes, and that's where the vanilla thing comes in. It's not like...bedroom vanilla, if you catch my drift. I'm not disappointed by the lack of sexual exploration or kink, but I just wanted to put that out there for anyone who may also have thought that's where we were going!

Hard to Get is mostly cutesy fluffiness, with both MCs pining over each other, and neither willing to cross what they perceive as the other's lines (with a bit of miscommunication). Kevin falls fast and HARD, and Andi is slower to come around. Overall, this is cute and sweet. I'd have to recommend it with a lot of caveats, as I'm not sure this is for all readers, given the heavy emphasis on domestic violence and abuse throughout. Some readers may be triggered or upset by it. I do think some people may benefit from the way the author uses the shelter's education for volunteers and the community as a way to educate readers who may not be aware of what domestic violence/abuse may look like.

Overall I enjoyed it, but the way Andi and her friends treated Kevin before they officially got together rubbed me the wrong way. I understand Andi's reluctance to begin a relationship and let him in after her family history, and I wonder if I, as a reader, am supposed to find their baiting him humorous. I understand what they were trying to accomplish in their protection of their friend, but I don't know...it just didn't sit right.

This one would be good for fans of Katherine Center who maybe want a touch of spice in their books.
3.5/5 stars.





______________________________

The FMC of this book is the director of a women's shelter in a small town. Because of this, she constantly checks her surroundings, checks her car for people hiding, etc. Early on, she shows a video to the high school football team about the members of their family who've experienced violence/abuse. It's not detailed, but the MMC thinks about the implications and how he never realized what abuse might look like outside of the obvious physical evidence. Kevin thinks about this sort of thing A LOT, and becomes very self-conscious about it. When he volunteers at the shelter for a positive male influence for the kids there, he goes through training that has a lot of similarities but apparently goes into more depth. Again, not super descriptive, but we get a lot of Kevin thinking about what he's learned.

Andi the FMC receives threats in the form of letters until it escalates to a man catching Andi alone in a parking lot and attacking her with a gun. She kicks his a$$ though.

This was an overall very cute and engaging read. I liked both main characters and all the depth that was attributed to them individually. However, at first I was really into what they had going as a couple. The chemistry was off the charts, Kevin was very gentle and honestly just adorably nervous, Andi was a complete badass that knew exactly what she wants. The dynamics were working so well in their favor and I was excited to see what they’ll give.

Unfortunately for me, when their relationship started getting serious is where they lost me, because I personally feel like all the levity and fresh air I got from their initial interactions was overpowered but the underlying plot points. At this point, instead of focusing on actual relationship development in the present— their focus was heavily planted in the past and it’s reflection on their relationship now. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing but I would’ve liked if the past and present were more balanced all round.

The audiobook on its own was really great. The narrators voices were indeed very phenomenal especially the voice of the FMC. There was something about it that I particularly enjoyed which made me so excited to be in her POV for the sake of just listening to the narrator do their thing. I do which the tones used for expressing emotions like fear, frustration and anger throughout the story was clearer but it doesn’t take away from the general enjoyment of the story.

Thank you Dreamscape audio and NetGalley for the ALC.

Thank you, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, for my #gifted (free) copy of the audiobook.

The main female character, Andi, loves her small town, her job and has a fierce work ethic passed down from her grandma. Occasionally, she sings at a local bar. That is where she meets Kevin Mahoney, the main male character. He is recovering from a breakup and trying to rediscover himself. He runs into Andi onstage and off, and that leads to a steamy night he cannot forget.
Andi shuts things down fast, but when work throws them back together, a reluctant friendship sparks. As trust builds and feelings grow, both fight the pull toward more until something happens (no spoilers, right?), and it forces them to face what they really want.
The narrators did an excellent job, and the plot of the book moves fast. This was an excellent audiobook even though it has some trigger warning – please review before you start.
This was book #3 in the Big Love From Galway series. I did not read the first two and was just fine jumping into this one.