Arrogant Officer: A RomCom Standalone (going live on March 21st 2021)
<— This was exactly what I was in the mood for. Every time I’ve asked for “cop romance” recommendations, I meant regular cop in uniform, all alpha-male-y, plenty of fun handsome yet annoying cop stuff that gets under her skin (er… you know what I mean – like tickets, and she keeps coincidentally seeing him after). And of course, all of the awesome protector “hero” moments.
And this one is all that… but with all of the infuriating romance stuff too. 😉
P.S. Bonus? It was almost ENTIRELY from her POV so from start to almost finish, I only saw him, and got to know him, through HER eyes. His issues, his reactions… all of her concerns, and questions… I FELT them as my own. What the heck was HIS problem? Ahhhhh… you know how that goes.
So what’s it about?
Er… wait. Before we get started, let me tell you that while I totally got a blurb jolt (I KNEW I’d be into this), I did have a serious OMG NO WAY moment when I realized what his name was. —> DAX HARDER <— Officer Harder. Oh jeez. 😏 Just go with it, ok?
“Yes, my last name is Harder. Dax Harder.” He holds out his hand to me. “Nice to meet you.”
Now, I feel like a complete jerk. I got upset about him calling me cheese, and here I am, acting no better and giggling at his last name. Little does he know, it’s not that I think his name is funny. It’s the opposite actually. I mean, the name Harder couldn’t fit a man more perfectly. In the physical sense at least.
So anyway, Bree (<– “cheese”) gets an email one night blackmailing her for her part in “pornwatching” telling her she’s been hacked and videoed and all of it will be released unless she pays. Poor, sweet, innocent, horny, chemistry teacher, Bree… falls for it, and FREAKS OUT.
She runs with her laptop to the police station, and well… that’s where she meets Officer Harder. <— 🙃 *giggle* I can’t stop giggling when I say that. It’s just… toooooo much!! 😂😂😂
Of course, he already knows what’s up, but can’t help but umm… indulge Bree with an “investigation”. But once he lets the cat out of the bag (it’s just a scam-spam) she’s furious with him.
Then… lo and behold, she can’t stop seeing him wherever she goes (including a bar-outing with her BFF just a day or so later). Coincidental, mind you, but she can’t escape him it seems. And he starts noticing her too. She’s not the type he usually goes for (we hear about this later), but he seems to think she’s too cute, and sexy in her “teacher” way.
And she learns a lot about Dax as they keep running into each other.
The ALPHA… (when an impromptu opportunity has him taking her to his favorite restaurant to eat)
“You should only come here with me.” He points the fork back to himself.
“You don’t think I can protect myself?”
“I’m sure you have some sort of chemical concoction in that purse of yours to spray at a perpetrator, but I would feel better if you didn’t put yourself in that predicament. Anytime you want Mexican, you call me.”
I have to bite my lip. While I don’t need a man to protect me, it’s an awfully sweet sentiment for a man to say to a woman he’s known only a few short days.
“Anytime?” I ask.
His eyebrows rise, and he nods. “You only come here with me.” <— sidenote from Maryse: Yes sir. 😏
He’s stoic, he coaches kids after work, he has a huge family of sisters!! I LOVE IT! And I love their reaction to HER. OMG another huge-giggle moment for me.
How it started… had me giggling (mind you, I’m not so sure that kind of “investigation” would “pass” in real life – eeeeeeep!), but I went with it. Why not?
Though I GRRRRRed a few times too (a lot of times – maybe even a roar 😉 ). AND YOU KNOW I LOVE WHEN THAT HAPPENS. Yep. This had all of the steam, and all of the romance angst that I crave in a budding relationship.<— In books. Always and only in books. Just sayin’
A man as attractive as Dax should have a girlfriend. The fact that he doesn’t is beyond surprising. If he has some weird kinks or peculiar habits, I haven’t seen them yet. Now that I think of it, there must be something wrong with him.
Yep. That moment when she realizes the cop she’s falling for might just be a little more *ahem* romantically “avoidant” than she expected, had me on edge. Plenty of romance resistance. Oh boy did this one provide it in spades. Her reaction had me panicking and saying STOP IT!!!! STOPPPP!!!! <— And I’m taking my own hint, and stopping there. 😉
4.5 STARS!! <— Sweet, sexy, steamy and infuriating. And just plain fun. And while it might be somewhat predictable (it is pure contemporary romance, after all) it still made me feel it the whole way through. The good and the bad, and that’s all I ask for.
P.S. Thank you to the authors for sending me a review copy. I WAS SO IN THE MOOD FOR THIS!!! 😀
➔➔➔ Looking for more of my must-read recommendations? Browse my 5 star and 4.5 star and 4 starreviews. 😀
➔➔➔ Love this trope? Check out more of my police romance or men in uniform features and reviews on my blog!
I enjoyed it too!
Did you review it yet, Nancy?
Yes! On Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57039007-arrogant-officer?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=ZqISUvG9Ej&rank=1
I need to read when it come out. I love a alpha cop!
Plus I need a fun read right now. Thanks for the review.
Yay! I’m so excited about this review! XOXO