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Sybil Bartel
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Hard Limit (The Alpha Antihero Series Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Sybil Bartel (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 508 ratings
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One breath.

That was all I needed.

Air in my lungs so I could exhale through the pain.

Stabbed and broken, my limbs useless, I tried and failed to lift my head. Mosquitoes swarmed, and the sun dropped. My face in the mud, I swore to myself I would not die out here.

Then I heard her voice—angel soft and breathless—and I wondered if I had been kidding myself. I did not have time to figure it out. A small hand landed on my back, and I fisted my bloody knife.

If I was going to die tonight, I was taking someone with me.


*HARD LIMIT is the first book in the Alpha Antihero Series. It is Tarquin “Candle” Scott’s story, and it is not a standalone.

The Alpha Antihero Series:
HARD LIMIT
HARD JUSTICE
HARD SIN
HARD TRUTH
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  1. Book 1 of 4
    The Alpha Antihero Series
  2. Print length
    124 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    December 20, 2019
  6. File size
    370 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0826391B8
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ (December 20, 2019)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 20, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 370 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 124 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 508 ratings

About the author

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Sybil Bartel

Sybil Bartel

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Sybil Bartel is a USA Today Bestselling author of unapologetic alpha heroes. Whether you're reading her deliciously dominant alpha bodyguards, her page-turning romantic suspense, or her heart-stopping military romance, all of her books have sexy-as-sin alpha heroes!

Sybil lives in South Florida and she is forever Oliver’s mom.

Find her at www.sybilbartel.com or https://www.facebook.com/sybilbartelauthor

Or sign up for her newsletter to get a free book! http://eepurl.com/bRSE2T

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
508 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Debbie G. Criscitiello
5.0 out of 5 stars First of four - read them all and loved them.
Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2022
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I could not get enough of this world and was so glad there were four books. Candle has always been fascinating whenever he showed up in her other books. Sybil gave him a dark and dreary backstory that shaped him into the man he became, complex, strong and wonderful. Shaila was a worthy queen for him. She has become a favorite heroine of mine and their love story was so gripping and endearing. Highly recommend all four books.
One person found this helpful
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ReaderGurl!
4.0 out of 5 stars Be prepared to be left hanging...
Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2019
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Be prepared to be left hanging.
I thought this would be a complete story and the next 2 in the series would continue the story...It’s not. It is just a smidge of the beginning of Tarquin and Shaila’s story-and I do mean a smidge. You when you talk to your hubby and he stops talking Mia-sentence because he stops to read a text (what? No one else has a husband like that?!) that is what I feel like at the end of these 17 chapters. Ugh🤦🏻‍♀️
All that being said it’s going to be a really good story after it’s all put together. I am confused as to when in the timeline of all Sybell’s stories this one falls. I’m thinking after Tarquin leaves the cult ranch, but before he enters the MC. A bit confusing...a disclaimer at the beginning would not go amiss.
11 people found this helpful
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Book Addicted
5.0 out of 5 stars A Most Delicious Anti-Hero
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2020
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Well, Ms Bartel writes the most delicious Heroes so it only figures she'd do justice to an anti-Hero.
And WHAT an anti-Hero Tarquin 'Candle' is.
Ms Bartel's loyal readers have seen peeks of the mysterious, scary & intense Candle who manages to keep up with & compete with Andre Luna's security operatives. But that's after Candle becomes an Army Ranger & serves multiple tours overseas.
This novella, 'Hard Limit' gives the reader a tiny taste, a foundation of just what type of forge took Tarquin & created Candle. A hard, unforgiving violent one: a cult where everyone is home schooled per the 'ways' of the leader. Where women are merely vessels for the male cult members lust & to produce future cult members. No actual mothers are known by the children. Mistakes are dealt with immediately, harshly & with finality.
And no one in the compound knows that better than Tarquin.
Yet one innocent kindness by Tarquin results in heinous punishment & he is cast out of the compound into the brutal swampland to die.
But Shaila lives in the swamp & despite her fear, reservations & better judgement she saves the unconscious boy. Hiding him from her drug addled mother & vicious father, she manages to nurse him in secret.
But Tarquin has very skewed visions of the world, of men, of women & their place in it. And Shaila has her own fears driving her & saving Tarquin wasn't part of her plans.
This one has Ms Bartel's wonderful writing, plot & characters; steam, danger, suspense & tentative romance between two vastly different young people with targets on their backs. This is a short introduction to Tarquin's story & my appetite is more than whetted to continue on Candle's journey.
3 people found this helpful
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gillian
3.0 out of 5 stars interesting read
Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2023
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Once I figured it out it was an interesting ride but still think it could have been 2 books instead of 4.
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Sharon
5.0 out of 5 stars no limit here
Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2024
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Always love your stories but this one caught me off guard and like a fish you dangled the right bait. I’m caught!!!!
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Andrea
5.0 out of 5 stars Back to the beginning
Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2020
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Just wow! What an amazing start to such an intriguing story. Having read about candle previously I had a hard time imagining how Sybil was going to redeem this man. She takes us way way back to the beginnig where he was still just Tarquin. Our h is just as feisty as you would expect but has such an innocence about the real world. I absolutely cannot wait for the next 2 installments to see what is in store for these two and see how this story will come full circle.
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Gillek2
4.0 out of 5 stars Tarquin!
Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2020
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Tarquin is a man who is not meant for the life he is living but it is the only life he knows. When he finds himself ostracized from everyone he knows it is only because of the assistance of a stranger that he doesn’t perish from his injuries.

His rescuer is already leading a difficult life, but she is unable to walk away from the injured Tarquin even though she knows it places both of them in danger.

This story does end on a cliffhanger and I can’t wait to learn more about these characters and what the future holds in store for them.
3 people found this helpful
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Kiki Reader
5.0 out of 5 stars Tarquin 'Candle' finally gets his story
Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2020
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Hard Limit is an amazing story by Sybil Bartel. This is Tarquin “Candle” Scott’s story. I am thrilled that Candle finally got his story. Tarquin is an alpha antihero, and this gives the reader a different perspective on him. Shaila is a strong and feisty young woman, who doesn’t shy away from Tarquin. I absolutely love Candle and Shaila’s characters. Hard Limit is the first of 3 parts, but it is a captivating story that will have you begging for more. I look forward to the next books in this series.
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Top reviews from other countries

Corrie
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved Every Second!
Reviewed in Canada on February 2, 2024
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I devoured this book! I couldn't put it down, I was up to the wee hours of the night saying, just one more chapter and before I knew it, the book was done and it was 2:30 am… You know it's a good book when you sacrifice yourself on a work night! LOL! It was suspenseful, dramatic, intense, steamy, hot AF, passionate and raw! I love the female main character, she seems to have a really good head on her shoulders for not having an education and seemingly been groomed since her childhood. Clearly she was born with a mind of her own and not easily manipulated. Tarquin is "sheltered "because of the cult living, he isn't aware of how the real world really works, how women have the rights to speak how they want to, do what they want to, not just bow down to their so-called "leader" and service only one man, but he falls for her anyways. First book down, 3 more to go and I'm going to whiz through them because so far I haven't met a Sybil Bartel book I haven't loved!
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Sally
5.0 out of 5 stars Escape from the compound into the Glades
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 11, 2023
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Ummm, slightly different from her other series but very captivating book . Tarquin escaped from a cult compound beaten very badly, Shaila finds him in the swamps and drags him to the garage where she tends to his wounds and keeps him safe until Rush the biker turns up to claim her then all he'll is let loose. I would totally recommend it to everyone. Now going to downloaded the next one for a gripping read and find out what happens next.
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling romance
Reviewed in Australia on May 10, 2023
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Brilliant piece of work. I highly recommend reading it.
Thrilling from the start with a strong Alpha male romantic lead and a strong female character. The pacing is urgent throughout the story. It ends with a cliffhanger.
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Susan Banwell
4.0 out of 5 stars exciting
Reviewed in Canada on February 23, 2022
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It was a good start to the story and I’m looking forward to the others in the series. Have read previous books too
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MsMerylB
3.0 out of 5 stars Undecided.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 2, 2022
Verified Purchase
Still trying to decide if I liked it or not. The characters both have crazy and dysfunctional upbringings as little snippets appear throughout the story. Shaila finds Tarquin half dead and drags him into the shed to tend his wounds. Along the way they seem to develop an understanding and a slightly dysfunctional friendship.

It ends in a cliffhanger and is apparently the first of four books.
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