⇒ Download Hard As You Can A Hard Ink Novel Laura Kaye 9780062267900 Books

Hard As You Can A Hard Ink Novel Laura Kaye 9780062267900 Books

Download As PDF : Hard As You Can A Hard Ink Novel Laura Kaye 9780062267900 Books

Hard As You Can A Hard Ink Novel Laura Kaye 9780062267900 Books

Hard As You Can was the second book in the Hard Ink series by Laura Kaye. As expected, it picked up exactly where the first book left off.

Shane McCallan was part of the former Special Forces team that was working to clear their name from a betrayal on their last mission that killed six of their team. He also had guilt from a childhood tragedy that he carried on every mission.

Crystal Dean was living in hell. She promised her late father that she would take care of her younger sister. She was a survivor and took her role seriously. We met Crystal in the previous book when she assisted the team in rescuing Becca’s brother from the strip club basement.

I loved the suspenseful vibe; which was true to form for the series. The storyline was a continuation of the first book with the emphasis now on Shane and Crystal while the series plot unfolded. Also as expected, the storyline ended abruptly with Crystal and Shane’s relationship being acknowledged but the overall conflict only partially solved with the next book being the segue for its continuation.

All in all, it was well written, intriguing, and entertaining. I would prefer it not end so abruptly but I look forward to the next installment, Hard To Hold Onto, focusing on Easy and Jenna while guiding us through more of the suspenseful plot.


Tags : Hard As You Can: A Hard Ink Novel [Laura Kaye] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <div><b>A New York Times and USA Today Bestseller!</b></div><div></div> Ever since hard-bodied, drop-dead-charming Shane McCallan strolled into the dance club where Crystal Dean works,Laura Kaye,Hard As You Can: A Hard Ink Novel,Avon,0062267906,Romance - Contemporary,Romance - Suspense,Love stories,Man-woman relationships,Romantic suspense fiction.,Special forces (Military science),Tattoo artists,Veterans,Veterans;Fiction.,Waitresses;Fiction.,AMERICAN LIGHT ROMANTIC FICTION,AMERICAN MYSTERY & SUSPENSE FICTION,FICTION Romance Contemporary,FICTION Romance Military,FICTION Romance Suspense,Fiction,Fiction - Romance,Fiction-Romance,FictionLiterary,FictionRomance - Military,FictionRomance - Suspense,FictionWar & Military,General Adult,MASS MARKET,Maryland,Monograph Series, any,RomanceModern,Romance: Modern,Thriller suspense,United States,Veterans,Veterans;Fiction.,Waitresses,Waitresses;Fiction.,War & Military,FICTION Romance Contemporary,FICTION Romance Military,FICTION Romance Suspense,FictionLiterary,FictionRomance - Military,FictionRomance - Suspense,FictionWar & Military,War & Military,Fiction - Romance,American Light Romantic Fiction,American Mystery & Suspense Fiction,Waitresses,Fiction,Romance: Modern,Thriller suspense

Hard As You Can A Hard Ink Novel Laura Kaye 9780062267900 Books Reviews

"Crystal was well ware that much of her life was a lie, a charade, a play in a never-ending series of one acts where the climax determined whether she lived or died, remained free or got lost forever in the dark, seedy, underbelly of the world."

FINAL DECISION I enjoyed this continuation of the Hard Ink story, but I didn't feel the romantic connection between the hero and heroine as well as I would have liked. It seemed like they needed more time to get to know one another before confessing their love. But still a good addition to the series.

THE STORY Shane McCallan is former special ops who along with his former team members was forced out of the service in disgrace after an incident in Afghanistan. The remnants of the team are now trying to discover who was behind the incident that they ended up being the scapegoats for. While rescuing a hostage (events which occurred in the first book in the series), Shane meets Crystal Dean, a waitress at the strip club. Crystal's help lets the guys escape but puts her in more danger. Shane can't help but try and uncover Crystal's secrets and to protect her.

Crystal and and will do anything to protect her younger sister. She has been forced into this life in order to settle her father's debts to the club owner and to protect her sister. Just when the end is in sight, she meets Shane who tempts her to wish for a a different life and to risk everything.

OPINION There was much that I liked about this story. The interaction between the team members was still really good. I liked seeing everyone becoming one big family. I liked Shane who is a sweetheart. I thought the story was compelling and both the immediate story and the continuation of the ongoing one kept me turning pages. I thought Crystal's story was heartbreaking and I held my breath several times worried about her and the outcome of her troubles.

Unfortunately, the romance didn't work as well for me in this one. I never really got much chemistry or connection between Shane and Crystal. I felt that their romance felt too rushed and I found it difficult to believe in their "love" when they barely talked or knew one another. I don't mind these events in and of themselves (having read plenty of love at first sight romances), but I just didn't get them as well as I would have liked. I did like them and I felt they had potential, but just didn't feel it was realized here.

WORTH MENTIONING I am really interested in the potential between Easy and Jenna.

CONNECTED BOOKS HARD AS YOU CAN is the second book in the Hard Ink series. These books are closely connected because of the overarching story and should be read in order. The book can be read as a standalone for the romance, but there is some knowledge assumed.

STAR RATING I give this book 3.5 stars.
Series Hard Ink #2
Warning Past Torture, Abuse, Almost Rape

--What’s Going On--
Shane McCallan and the Hard Ink guys continue to search for information on what really happened when they were ambushed in Afghanistan. They get some unexpected help from Confession's waitress Crystal Roberts.

--What are the Issues--
Shane is charming and sweet but underneath it all he lives with the guilt that as a teenager, his little sister disappeared, never to be found again, while he was babysitting her. Crystal is forced to work at the strip club Confessions in order to pay back the debt that her gang member father has to Jimmy Church. Not only is Crystal trapped in this work but she's trapped in an abusive relationship with the high ranking Churchmen Apostle Bruno. She is planning her escape but she needs more money to support herself and her young sister who suffers from epilepsy.

--What I Liked--
This was an amazing follow up to Hard as It Gets and I am absolutely loving this series! Laura Kaye is an artist when it comes to creating characters and then interlinking them through relationships and bonds. Crystal has had a really hard life but after it all she's still a survivor and she still has the fight and will to live free. We see right away that Crystal is strong and she has a plan to escape her misfortune. I liked that Crystal isn't just wasting away until Shane comes in like a white knight. Instead, she's hiding away money, she planning to get out, and she's secretly disobeying Bruno. She might be oppressed and beaten down by life, but she's not a passive participant in her troubles. I also admire her dedication to her younger sister and the fact that she's willing to literally put up with anything in order to keep her sister safe. Shane is also a wonderful character who's a great foil for Crystal because he's so charming and sweet. He has that perfect Southern gentleman persona that provides a comforting and safe place for Crystal to finally be herself. I loved watching the slow and gentle development of Crystal and Shane's relationship. Though they fall in love under unusual circumstances and Crystal comes to trust and be attracted to Shane quickly, I think that Kaye does a great job of setting up her strength of character to later show that Crystal can take what she wants. I also loved how she moved from being Crystal (the name Bruno wanted her to have) to being Sara (her real self).

I'm also loving the rest of the Hard Ink guys, especially Mars! This book really showed his personality and his goofy humor and I really can't wait to read his book. This one was also interesting because the guys delve a bit deeper into vigilantism, but Kaye does a really good job of justifying these actions and not making it seem like just a bunch of ex-military guys going off and doing whatever they want. They can't trust the cops and they know this for a fact, so they have to handle things on their own and they're doing their best to not cross too many lines. They're always aware that what they need to do, needs to have a good reason and that the they are doing the right thing even when they break laws. I greatly respect Laura Kaye for doing this, as sometimes I read romance novels and the heroes just run around killing people left and right. Yes they're bad guys but they don't ever seem to have any regard for what they're doing and how it can sometimes come across. Kaye handles this much better than I've seen in the past. There was also a lot of really great emotional moments between the guys, especially when Nick and Shane finally have a moment to address how things went down after they returned stateside. Watching them have a chance to finally mend some fences was beautiful. Another thing that Kaye does so well is creating bonds and expressing the emotions of her male characters; often romance author's want their male characters to express their feelings and share their past and sometimes it comes across as feminine or like a bunch of women gossiping. Some of that goes back to stereotypes of how men are supposed to act and talk, especially in such alpha jobs like the military. But there is a way to write male characters emotionally bonding and still have it come across as very genuine and natural and real. I greatly look forward to the rest of this series!

--What I Would Have Liked--
I might be biased because I love this author and this series so much, but again I'm having a hard time finding something that wasn't perfect. If I had to say anything, I would have liked a little bit more character development of Beckett and Easy. We got a deeper look at Marz but not the other two.
Hard As You Can was the second book in the Hard Ink series by Laura Kaye. As expected, it picked up exactly where the first book left off.

Shane McCallan was part of the former Special Forces team that was working to clear their name from a betrayal on their last mission that killed six of their team. He also had guilt from a childhood tragedy that he carried on every mission.

Crystal Dean was living in hell. She promised her late father that she would take care of her younger sister. She was a survivor and took her role seriously. We met Crystal in the previous book when she assisted the team in rescuing Becca’s brother from the strip club basement.

I loved the suspenseful vibe; which was true to form for the series. The storyline was a continuation of the first book with the emphasis now on Shane and Crystal while the series plot unfolded. Also as expected, the storyline ended abruptly with Crystal and Shane’s relationship being acknowledged but the overall conflict only partially solved with the next book being the segue for its continuation.

All in all, it was well written, intriguing, and entertaining. I would prefer it not end so abruptly but I look forward to the next installment, Hard To Hold Onto, focusing on Easy and Jenna while guiding us through more of the suspenseful plot.