Love Hard

A Billionaire in a Small Town Romance (Colorado Club Billionaires, Book 3)

By: Louise Bay

Narrated by: Jason Clarke, Erin Mallon

In my world, love comes with a rulebook.

Marry the right girl. From the right family. With the right last name.

I’m Jack Alden—the only son of the Alden dynasty. The kind of New York family that’s been around since ships were made of wood and fortunes were built on steel.

My mother’s been trying to find me a “suitable” wife for years.

So naturally, I fall for a woman who couldn’t care less about any of it. Iris Williams.

I first saw her at the New York City Ballet—crying in the stalls like the music had cracked her open. She didn’t know who I was. She wasn’t performing for anyone. She was just…real.

One night with her, and I remembered what it felt like to actually breathe.

Then she disappeared.

Months later, I find her again—on a fruit farm in the middle of Colorado, hurling raspberries at me like she’s auditioning for a food fight. Turns out, Iris is smart, stubborn, and not remotely impressed by a billionaire with a trust fund and an overbearing mother.

She makes me laugh.She makes me think.

And for the first time in my life, I want something that isn’t written in my family’s history books.

But old money comes with old rules.

And loving Iris means breaking every single one.

They say you can’t choose where you come from.

Maybe not.

But you can choose who you fight for.

And this time, I’m choosing her.

Because when it comes to Iris Williams—I don’t just love.

I love hard.

©2025 Louise Bay (P)2025 Louise Bay

My favorite duo...

I love listening to anything that Jason and Erin read together so this did not disappoint!

Love Hard

Love Hard is a very special love story between Jack, who is expected to run his family dynasty in New York City, and Iris, who is from a small town in Colorado working on her family's fruit farm. Both characters have family expectations which interfere with their dreams. Jack wishes to find true love but is expected to wed a woman of status who can contribute to the family and business, while Iris dreams of being a ballerina and performing on the New York City stage. The couple actually meet at the New York City ballet during Iris' annual trip to watch a performance. This heartfelt romance has strong emotions, family expectations, amazing characters, and a delightful journey to finding true love.
I received a free copy of this book via the author and am voluntarily submitting an honest review.

Heartwarming and wonderful!

I listened to the audiobook version of this novel (after reading the ebook version), narrated by Jason Clarke and Erin Mallon. It was an amazing experience to listen to this story (the best kind of re-reading!) with the outstanding emotional energy of Mr. Clarke and Ms. Mallon to convince me of how incredible Iris and Jack's love at first sight relationship really is. I definitely award them all the possible stars for this brilliant performance! I found this story to be very intense and at the same time very believable. I never doubted for a moment that Jack and Iris's case of love at first sight was anything but the real thing. That said, their path to finally getting together and making a go of it is not an easy one, and I was completely enthralled with reading about their journey. I love the cast of extended family and found family that surrounds the main characters with love, advice, and plenty of clever banter. I don't have the words to describe how incredible the spicy moments are, not only because of all the yearning that leads up to them, but because they are written just right. The writing is so evocative that I found myself feeling jealous of Jack and Iris and their care for each other. This was just the right book for these cold winter evenings.

Loving this series

It was so good to be back in Star Falls. This world always feels familiar and welcoming, and I loved spending time there again while meeting new characters and catching up with favorites from the series.

Iris and Jack come from completely different worlds. Iris is a small-town farm girl from Colorado who gave up her dream of dance and ballet after losing her mother, choosing family and responsibility over the life she once imagined. Once a year, she travels to New York to visit what could have been, and that’s where she meets Jack.

Jack is an uptight New Yorker, confident and successful, and instantly intrigued by Iris’s grounded, real-as-it-gets nature. Their connection is immediate and intense, especially as distance and very different lifestyles complicate things.

This story delivers the elements I enjoy most in a Star Falls romance. There’s small-town charm, billionaire romance vibes, long-distance tension, and an opposites-attract dynamic that pulls you in quickly. The emotional beats are strong, and the setting feels lived in and familiar.

If you’ve been enjoying the Star Falls series, this is a great addition and a return to a beloved town with a new couple to root for.

Love Jack and Iris

First and foremost, I would listen to Jason Clarke read anything and absolutely swoon… he is so good.

I loved the audio, it made me like the characters so much more. I love a man who falls first and this is exactly what happened when Jack saw Iris for the first time.

They come from two completely different worlds but they tried to hard to navigate a relationship. The long distance, family influences and the different dynamics of social status made it really difficult at times, but they were able to build their life together. I loved this.