Review: Laura Kaye's "Hard as it Gets (A Hard Ink Novel)."

Review: Laura Kaye's "Hard as it Gets (A Hard Ink Novel)."

~ 3.5 Hearts Review ~

Amazon UK:   http://amzn.to/1jqoo6Q
Amazon.com:  http://amzn.to/1h14Aqw

Goodreads:  http://bit.ly/1jqqeHC

Synopsis:

Tall, dark, and lethal...

Trouble just walked into Nicholas Rixey's tattoo parlor. Becca Merritt is warm, sexy, wholesome--pure temptation to a very jaded Nick. He's left his military life behind to become co-owner of Hard Ink Tattoo, but Becca is his ex-commander's daughter. Loyalty won't let him turn her away. Lust has plenty to do with it too.

With her brother presumed kidnapped, Becca needs Nick. She just wasn't expecting to want him so much. As their investigation turns into all-out war with an organized crime ring, only Nick can protect her. And only Becca can heal the scars no one else sees.

Desire is the easy part. Love is as hard as it gets. Good thing Nick is always up for a challenge..

Review: Surj Harvey

Oh where to start? When writing my reviews, I try not to be negative. I try and do the whole "shit sandwich" thing but always try and explain why I feel the way I do. "Hard as it Gets" wasn't a bad book... not by a long shot. I mean the story itself was definitely one that kept me reading, especially with all the drama, action, suspense and intrigue interwoven into the main plot. And the characters.. well how could I not fall in love with them. 

Nick Rixey was ex special forces (yummy) with a past he just couldn't move on from. Riddled with guilt from what had happened before he was discharged, I was dying to know what the deal was. Either way, he was surviving day by day and definitely not living his life the way he deserved to. Instead he was in a job that really didn't suit him, living with his brother above a tattoo parlour he part owned. Oh yes, this meant that as well as being 100% solid muscle, he also had ink and lots of it (fans self). To top it off, he was all alpha and gruff and moody and angry and serious (very serious... not one to crack a smile) and intense... boy was he intense but he kinda did it for me. I loved his internal battle when it came to Becca, his past tormenting him making him feel that he wasnt worthy of happiness or any kind of affection. Unfortunately his nether regions won every time, his c**k standing to attention whenever she was around!!! lol

And Becca.. now she was one smart, strong ass woman who I couldn't help but admire. Hell bent on finding her brother I loved the courage she showed and her persistence in leaving no stone unturned... even if it meant putting herself in danger. Thank god for Nick because he always took her back! 

He needed to be there for her— to protect, comfort, support. 

And he needed the redeeming light of her sunshine on his body, his heart, his soul. 

God, he just wanted her. Right or wrong.

I loved the chemistry between these two but there just wasn't enough of it!!! I needed more... a lot more. Instead, as quickly as they had a rough and tumble, it was over and I was back to reading about the missing brother. The story was more about that than the relationship between these two and I really didn't like that balance. It needed to shift but it never did and I was gutted. The scenes I did get was brilliant.. heated, rough, desperate, hot but they were few and far between and I was left a little disappointed!

“I am wound too tight, Becca. Do you understand? In about ten seconds, 

I’m going to be all over you. And I’m not going to be able to go slow. 

It’s gonna be hard and fast and rough.”

In terms of the secondary characters, I loved Nick's brother Jeremy. He was the polar opposite to Nick but I loved his light hearted sense of humour and the banter the two shared. The introduction of Nick's special ops crew also added another dimension to the story and I loved the camaraderie they shared. They dropped everything when one of their brothers was in need ... even if they hadn't parted on the best of terms! Now that's what you call a bond! I can't to see who gets a book... I know Shane is getting one next!!! Excited??? Uhhh Yesss!!!! 

So let's talk about the elephant in the room. This book contained narrative.. a lot of narrative, so much in fact that I started fearing turning the page because of what I might find. I wanted conversation.. so much more conversation but it was like the characters didn't want to talk to each. Instead I found line after line, page after page of narrative and I ended up craving dialogue. I wanted to see those damn speech marks!!! I think this is one of the reasons the book just seemed sooooo long!!! There were moments it felt like I hadn't made any reading progress  and I ended up skimming... a lot. 

"Hard as it Gets" came across as more of a crime/ thriller with an undercurrent of romance and that was not the right balance to make me happy. Don't get me wrong, I was desperate to find out what all the secrets were so that I could make all the connections but overall, more dialogue and definitely more build up to Nick and Becca's relationship would have helped earn this book extra points. 

Overall, I rated "Hard as It Gets" 3.5 Hearts.

“Happiness wasn't something you found, happiness was something you made

by living in the moment, by cherishing the people in your life right now, 

by finding the courage to change those things you didn't like.”