Series Review: Denver Kodiaks by Piper Lawson

Series Review: Is this series worth your time? Does it get better as the novels progress? Or does it get worse? Find out below:

Denver Kodiaks Series

Synopsis for Hard to Fake (from Goodreads):

To my brother’s teammates, I’m off-limits. But when my sorority sister announces she’s bringing my ex to reunion weekend, I need a hot date…and fast.

It’s not every day you ask your brother’s teammate to be your fake boyfriend. But desperate times call for gorgeous, heart-stoppingly impulsive measures.

Denver Kodiaks’ sharpshooter Miles is a world-champion athlete with a smile that lights up the darkest room and a cocky charm that’s impossible to resist.

But to me, he’s always been more: the guy who puts friends and family first, and my college crush.

When my sorority sister decides to bring my ex to the reunion, I need a swoon-worthy plus-one who can have my back and save my pride. It’s the perfect solution…until Miles raises the stakes for both of us.

He says he’s only playing to win. Except I wonder when his gaze hunts mine across a crowded room. When he protects me with a fierceness that steals my breath. When a make-believe kiss ignites a wildfire inside me.

I’ve built walls and acted tough, guarding myself from getting hurt again. Miles gets under my defenses and challenges me in ways I’ve never been challenged.

Soon, I’m fighting feelings that have been simmering for years. In the mountains of Vail, Colorado, our pretend relationship starts feeling dangerously legit…

Because it’s hard to fake what’s always been real.

SERIESous’ Top Picks: Favourite Author, Canadian Author
Author: Piper Lawson
Series: Denver Kodiaks

This is a spinoff of the King of the Court Series.

# of Books: 3 (Full Reading Order Here)
Book Order: Chronological
Complete?: Yes
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Sports, Basketball
Heat Rating: Toasty
Point of View: First Person, Alternating
Publication Date: June – November 2024
Source & Format: Author–eARC

**This post was originally published as a Fresh Friday review of the first book of the series. It has now been updated to include the newest publications in the series.**

Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:

So I’ve been waiting for this book since we first met Miles and Brooke in the King of the Court series. Their chemistry was so obvious to me that I couldn’t wait to dive into their own romance when the time came. I was also in a bit of a reading funk when this book came out but I knew Piper Lawson could easily remedy that with this book.

What I Liked:

–Loads of Tension–

I really liked the various tropes we had going on here: forbidden love (brother’s teammate); fake romance and longtime crush. It just gave this book so much tension and truly amplified the already great connection these two had. I just couldn’t get enough of their scenes together.

–Character Growth & More to Come–

I’ve read all of Piper Lawson’s books and I’m always impressed that her characters always feel unique and new to me. I never feel like I’m rereading the same story again and again.
And I can see that there is even more growth to come. We got little inklings and insights into these characters but with the foundation set, I can’t wait to see where this goes next.

What I Didn’t Like:

–It Ended!–

This felt a little rushed at the end but knowing this is going to be a trilogy, I’m just eager to see where this will go next.

My Expectations for the Rest of the Series:

I can’t wait to uncover more secrets and see their connection grow!

–August 19, 2024– Book #2: Hard to Take

What I really enjoyed about it was that the drama was grounded in realism; the actions and reactions came across as organic. Just makes it easy to read and has me craving more.

I just really love Miles and Brooke together. Always have; and this series so far has exceeded my expectations for them.

–November 30, 2024– Book #3: Hard to Break

This finale was a great blend of everything I had come to love about this series (and the Kodiak world) so far! Great characters (leads and sides); a focus on friendships; a passionate, meaningful romance; and just enough drama to challenge all those aspects to show the reader how far the characters (and the romance) have grown since the inaugural book.

When compared to the rest of the series, I’d say this book was about wrapping up those loose ends that have been plaguing Miles and Brooke from the start. Don’t worry: there’s still plenty of sweet moments between them to remind you how perfect they are for each other. And while it was a little messier than I’d like (I felt like we jumped around a bit when it came to the overall pacing), as a reader who has been watching their story progress, it was great to see how things wrapped up regardless. I appreciated watching these two communicate and working as a team to fight for what they wanted.

We got a few little inklings of what might come next in the Kodiak world and I CANNOT WAIT to see the next couple’s love story get published!