THE HARDEST FALL by ELLA MAISE

‘He was the dream, the one you always wanted to end up with, the other half of your soul, if you believed in that kind of thing. I was willing to bet Dylan Reed would check every single box every single woman had on the their must-have list….’

They say all good things come to those that wait. Hmm they also say…be careful what you wish for. Well, we waited, we wished and we hoped The Hardest Fall would be everything we had excitedly anticipated, and we’re thrilled to say it was all that! A beautiful slow burn friends to lovers sports romance that captured everything we love in a romance. Fun, Swoon, sweetness and tormenting sexual chemistry together with the perfect infusion of emotion and drama to enthral us and move us. Yep, Ella Maise delivered and our book hearts were euphoric, our romantic hearts sated.

‘As far as I was concerned, even though it had lasted only one second, that brief kiss was the best kiss of my life.’

We’ve adored this authors books in the past and have waited with bated breath for this release, being taunted with teasers, until finally Dylan and Zoe’s story was ours to devour! And if fate and timing is everything, then Dylan Reed and Zoe Clarke didn’t get the memo because timing and circumstances didn’t seem to be on their side. Though that fickle finger of fate does have a way of realigning itself in the most mysterious of ways, and for Dylan and Zoe, we feel fate leant a hand.

Dylan Reed is in his final year of College, focused on his Football and destined to be a sought after draft pick in the NFL down the track. He’s been burned by an ex-girlfriend and decides to focus on his future, committing himself to studying, working and football. However, he didn’t bank on Zoe Clarke stumbling (quite literally and amusingly) into his life, and eventually his heart.  Sigh….Dylan, where do we start with this man! He was the stuff book boyfriends are made of! A dependable, tall, strong, handsome, talented, sweet, thoughtful, protective with a romantic streak. He stole our hearts!

“This is the strangest thing, but I think you’re going to be my best friend, Zoe Clarke.”

Zoe Clarke. We adored this shy, quirky, amusing  sweetheart, although Zoe was oblivious to just how special and beautiful she is. A loyal friend, a talented photographer and a young girl whose life has been turned upside down through secrets and lies, and who is trying to come to grips with these changes.

‘I knew he was one of a kind, and I knew with every passing day I wanted him to be mine – not my buddy, but mine, just mine.’

A miscommunication sees Zoe and Dylan ending up as flatmates and buddies. Oh yeah, nice try guys, the sexual tension, the emotional pull, the jealous tendencies , those longing looks and swoony heart flutters all proved you were both never going to remain in the friend zone! Never!

Ella Maise really gave our hearts a jolt at the beginning  of The Hardest Fall, when we thought the story was going in a direction we weren’t sure we were too happy with. We should’ve known she was merely toying with our hearts, (mean, Ella…real mean! haha) and once we realised where this particular element was heading, we were able to become swept up in Dylan and Zoe’s story.

‘Why I wanted to know her name, why my eyes looked for her every now and then the entire night…back then, I didn’t know.’

We adored Zoe, Dylan and all the secondary characters. We couldn’t get enough of them, (*cough, cough…..Chris NEEDS his own book!!), with each playing such a pivotal role in this story.

Through her beautiful slow burn romance, and her captivating writing, Ella Maise ensured we became a part of Dylan and Zoe’s love story, allowing us to  feel the joys and disappointments with them. We didn’t just read about it, we weren’t just spectators. No, we lived it beside them day by day as their feelings transitioned from friends to lover, making our connection to these characters so strong. Every laugh, every smile, every tear, every delight and every heartbreak was felt in the depths of our hearts.  If you’re looking for a dual pov, sports romance with humour and heart, look no further and 1Click The Hardest Fall now!

“On and off the field, you’re my hardest fall. No one has ever compared, and no one ever will.”