Hard As You Can: A Hard Ink Novel

Too action/suspense for my liking.

Summary When Crystal first meets Shane McCallan, he rambled in the dance club where she was working, gorgeous and charming, she got a glimpse of what it would be like to really be treated with respect and affection. But Crystal is in a bad spot and must be careful of her actions or her sister may pay the price. But when she sees Shane back with a few other men, to rescue their friend who has been tortured and held prisoner, she aids them. Crystal doesn't know why she risked herself like that, but she would do it again just to get a glance at those kind eyes. Crystal and Shane keep meeting up accidentally and the attraction between them builds. Shane along with his other teammates, need information on the Churches Gang and Crystal is the perfect way to get in, but there is more than one reason Shane is building a trust with Crystal. He admires her, and he knows that she is in a bad situation, and wants to help her get out of it. He knows that not everything is as it seems, and Crystal is the way in not only in destroying Church's evil ways and putting a stop to the drug runs and the selling of women, but also she is the way to opening his heart that has been closed off for years.The Hero Shane McCallan, is part of a special forces team, they have been ruined and betrayed and are searching for answers and a way to clear their names. Shane has always been protective of women, and if he hears or notices one being hurt by a man...he interceds, its automatic for him. Shane carries a huge burden of guilt from a mistake he made in the past when he was just a teenager. His sister was kidnapped, and he was babysitting at age thirteen, and he has blamed himself ever since. Shane is quite protective and caring and he wants to save Crystal. Shane is one of my favorites so far, just because of his protective instincts especially when it comes to women being abused. He takes action and doesn't hold back if he senses something wrong. And there is this scene (which I won't reveal too much about) that really won me over with this character. Where Shane battles with his inner demons, over what he can and can't do and almost put everyone he loves at risk for wanting to do the right thing. I admired his character so much mostly because has such a open heart, he is a fighter and can handle just about anything, but he has this kind and affectionate nature I couldn't get enough of.The Heroine Crystal McCallan, has been put in a bad situation not of her own making. When she was just a teenager, her father was branded a traitor among the club, sent to prison and Crystal was taken captive....raped, beaten and even whipped. She had a savior, and in return for her acting the girlfriend act, her younger sister is left alone. Crystal has only eight more months and then she and her sister can be free. She has never told her sister of what has really happened to her, and the price she has had to pay for their fathers mistakes. My heart ached for Crystal. At first you know that she is in a bad spot, but it isn't until certain truths are revealed, that you realize how much Crystal has suffered. She will do anything in her power to save her sister. “I’m tired of being afraid,” she said, her breath hitching. Shane shook his head. “The definition of courage is action in the face of fear. By that definition, sweetness, you’re the bravest person I know.” I loved her strength and courage, but also she has this loving nature and despite what has happened to her she is sweet and kind. I love that no matter how bad it got, it didn't break Crystal, it only made her stronger and a fighter.Plot and Story Line Hard As You Can is the second book in this fabulous Hard Ink Series. And what a fabulous book this was. I have had it on my Nook forever it seems, and when I was looking for a new book to read from my shelf, I decided to pick this one up. I have been in the mood for romantic suspense lately and this one just seemed perfect for me. From the first couple of pages I was pulled in and I got caught up in the story. I just couldn't put it down, it is the type of book that will keep you up late reading. What was most wonderful about this book was the emotional engagement. It really tugged at those heart strings, in an almost painful way at times. We get to see more interaction between the team members and loved the humor. “Why were you so happy to see me? You know, besides my general awesomeness." Marz pushed out of his chair, big grin on his face, and held out his hands. "I'm getting married!" Shane sighed. The expressions on the other two said they'd already been down this road. "All right. I'll bite." "I think the appropriate sentiment is 'congratulations'," Marz said, crossing his arms and feigning insult. "Just spill the brilliance of whatever this is about," Shane said. "Only because you acknowledged its brilliance." Marz sat excitement rolling off the guy. "I figured out how to solve the problem of getting us eyes and ears in the back of Confessions." "By getting married?" "By pretending to get married. And what does every pretend groom need?" Marz's grin was full of anticipation. "A bride?" Shane said. Marz rolled his eyes and waved his hands. "Okay, but what else?" Shane looked between the three of them. And then the lightbulb went on. "A bachelor party," Shane said. Marz clapped his hands. "Ding ding ding. Give the man a cigar." Yup. The idea was, in fact, brilliant. Really brilliant.” It was such fun to see the team again, and I love all the characters and reading this book was a reminder on how much I adore Laura Kaye. She is fabulous and one of my favorites when it comes to this genre. She really balances a love story with a suspenseful plot real well. They flow so smoothly with one another, and I loved the way the story develops. The romance between Shane and Crystal is poignant and powerful. They have a spark, but they also want more than just sex....you see them bonding on a emotional level quite early in the story and it really sets the stage for the rest of the story to progress. He leaned down and cupped her face in his hand. “Every one of the men on my team has scars. And you know what those scars are?” Heaving a shaky breath, she shook her head. “They’re proof of survival. They’re badges of honor. They’re marks of strength.” Shane swallowed hard. “You don’t have to show me, Crystal. But you do need to know there’s nothing on your body I won’t love and respect. Because it’s you.” The words reached into her chest and soothed her heart. I think one of the other things that I couldn't get enough of was the supporting side characters...they rocked the house in this one. We have Shane's team and brothers and I loved the feeling of family you get from them. They tease and mock each other, but they also are at each other's back 100%. There were a couple of others, the bartender at the club...he was friends with Crystal's father and tries to protect and shield her when he can. Then we have Crystal's younger sister, Jane. She was superb, and she is like her sister in many ways, but she fights for Crystal just as Shane is trying to do. I really admired how Jane stands up to Crystal, and that Crystal needs to fight for freedom and get away from the abuse that Jane senses is happening. I really loved her character because only a sister can see what is truly happening and fights to save her. This story was fantastic, and I just gobbled up every delicious moment.The Cover I love the pose here, its so sensual and moving. And love the back with the tattoo....gorgeous!! I love the artwork.Overall View Hard As You Can is a stimulating read that will have you at the edge of your seat in anticipation....thrilling, edgy and captivating!! You are not going to want to miss out on this one. I want you. I want you so bad I can hardly breathe.

This book is one of those that does grabs your attention and hold on till very end, this was that book.
This was not a steamy, sex-filled novel, with a knuckle-dragging hero, but it was just beautiful to read. There was a slow build up to the romance and the action, not everything was resolved because the rest of the team have to get their stories but I can't remember the last time a book left me feeling so satisfied. In large part, due to this amazing hero, there's a scene halfway through the book where the hero helps the heroine into the cab of his truck and cares for her in a way that was so sweet, it was touching. Then she runs and I felt every bit of the pain that was in that scene. This was a rare book, in general I dislike reading about abuse and the gratuitous misery that authors like to throw into romance stories, but in this case, it was written in such a way that I could not help feeling the ugliness of this heroine's situation and urgently wanted her to be free of it, as much as the hero did. For me this story was better than 5 stars.

This is a good second entry in the Hard Ink series. As in the first book, however, the main characters fall in love much too quickly. Also, some of the dialogue is not believable. Otherwise this is a good story continuing the mystery of the SEALS who have seemingly endured betrayal at the hands of their commander. However, things may not be as they seemed in the beginning. Some of the emotions don't ring true in this story, but overall this is a good book.

This is a good second entry in the Hard Ink series. As in the first book, however, the main characters fall in love much too quickly. Also, some of the dialogue is not believable. Otherwise this is a good story continuing the mystery of the SEALS who have seemingly endured betrayal at the hands of their commander. However, things may not be as they seemed in the beginning. Some of the emotions don't ring true in this story, but overall this is a good book.

Hard As You Can picks up immediately after the events of Hard As It Gets. The courageous waitress who helped Shane and his team rescue Becca’s brother, Charlie, from the Churchmen is front and center of this action-packed story, and things are about to get more intense for her and for the men of Hard Ink.

Crystal was a wonderful heroine with depth and many layers. Through no fault of her own, she got dragged into the sordid world of human trafficking, drug dealers and gangbangers. Her dreams of a normal life were snuffed out the moment her father had gone to jail, and she was forced to pay of her father’s debts and care for her ill sister. She paid a very high price for her family. Crystal was a survivor and a fighter. Her motives for enduring the abuse at the hands of her keeper were utterly selfless. Though she suffered horribly, she never lost hope, her compassion or the perseverance to find a way out. Everything she did was a calculated move to survive. If you can imagine, her physical scars bothered her more than the way she was perceived based on her occupation or the company she kept.

Sixteen years ago, Shane’s little sister, Molly, went missing, presumed dead, and he has carried the guilt of feeling responsible for her disappearance since that time. Molly was just part of the reason why Shane felt the need to help Crystal and her sister, Jenna. In his mind, saving them would have been a small step in redeeming himself. Shane embodied everything you could ask for in a hero. He was patient, compassionate, protective, confident, he had a sense of humor and he had demons to overcome. I’m also pleased that his interest in Crystal wasn’t that he had to have her in order to “get her out of his system” (like so many heroes lately seem to think is a good plan).

This story knocked the first one out of first place. There was a lot more action and suspense and the romance was a delicious slow burn. Excellent flow that was neither rushed nor boring. The main mystery of decoding Colonel Merrit’s secret messages was still being unraveled one puzzle piece at a time. The dialogue sounded very natural so that they suited the each individual character.

I loved Crystal and Shane as a couple. Crystal was a risk taker especially when it came to helping Shane, but I never felt her actions were that of a heroine too stupid to live. There was one heartbreaking moment where the reader got a glimpse of what she had to bear at the hands of Bruno. When she finally gathered the courage to tell Shane how she had ended up in that life, it was just …. I’m glad the author let Crystal summarize the horror rather than tell it through a flashback. That would have been just to painful to process. When they finally took things to the next level, it was like a huge exhale and well worth the wait.

The Bottom Line

Hard As You Can was a near 400 page powder keg of action, suspense, angst and romance. Shane and Crystal’s intense chemistry was a beautiful slow burn against the backdrop of the seedy underworld she had grown accustomed to. Great character development on both parts but most notably from the heroine made them easy to connect with. Rooting for them came easily and instantaneously. There’s a good reason why Laura Kaye is an auto-buy author for me, and the proof is in her writing. As soon as I finished reading this advanced copy, I read it again. There are no cliffhanger endings, but the men of Hard Ink continue to unravel the mystery that ended their careers one book at a time. They deserve to find their equals and the love of their lives along the way.

Favorite Lines

Crossing his arms, Shane waited.
“God, I can’t get rid of you.” Exasperation had her throwing up her arms.
“I specialize in pain in the ass, darlin’.” He smiled, forcing himself to gear down the intensity.
“Well, congratulations, because you clearly graduated with honors.” (Page 59)

***

“I already told you I’d share what I’d learned. You don’t have to play me.”
His eyes narrowed, and he frowned. “You listen hard and you listen good, sweetness,” he said, the words firm but the tone urgent, almost desperate, and laced with his southern accent. “I’m not perfect, and God knows I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life. But I would never play with a woman’s emotions to get information out of her. That kind of manipulation doesn’t hold with me. Ever.” (Page 136)

Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. The views and opinions expressed in this review are my own, and in no way represent the views or opinions of the publisher/distributor.

Read for Fun (Paperback)Overall Rating: 3.50Story Rating: 3.50Character Rating: 3.50First Thought when Finished: Hard as You Can by Laura Kaye was a 4.5 star read up till the last few chapters and even then it was still thrilling. (more below in spoiler brackets)[ Due to Sara's abuse both 4 years prior and current boyfriend, I had a hard time with how quickly the sex between them happened. I know because it is romance that it kind of HAD to happen but it just didn't sit right with me. The rest of the story was fantastic (hide spoiler)]Quick Thoughts: The overall storyline of this series is really engaging. It is hard to fathom that so far by the end of this book it has barely been a week. The action, pacing, and story is intense and fast paced. That part I LOVE. The romance is intense and sexy. That being said the get to know you to "I love you" reminds me a bit of the movie "Speed". You know that line "relationships that begin in intense situations"? I will buy the "I love you's" as the series goes on but right now they are more in the moment emotions to me. Nothing wrong with that just not totally sold. The intense connection between the couples is real though and that is good enough for me.From here to there TBRJar Reviews

LOVED.LOVED.LOVED

Five dishonored soldiers.
Former Special Forces.
One last mission.
These are the men of Hard Ink.

I love this series. Honestly if you like hot ex- military men, who are total Alpha, protective, sexy, sweet, caring, and loving all rolled into one, then you need to start this series.

Hard as You Can is book #2 in the series and it follows where book #1 left off but with a different one of the military men. This is Shane’s & Crystal’s story.

I would suggest to fully understand the series to start with book #1 and read them in order, because it does follow a story line, just each book is about one of the five men.

I loved Shane and Crystal. At the end of Book #1 we met Crystal. She works as a waitress in a strip club working on paying off her father’s debt from some bad men. She has no choice but to be where she is because she promised her father she would take care of her sister, so Crystal gave up her future she had planned for herself to look out for her sister and make sure that she does not end up where Crystal is.

Crystal needs help, but can she trust Shane with the life of herself and her sister?

Shane first ran into Crystal in Book #1 when the men went in on a mission to save someone. ( I won’t tell you who or say anymore than that as it will ruin book #1 for you) . Any Who Shane left that night thinking about Crystal and could not get her off his mind. When he goes back again to do some recon work he runs into Crystal again. From this point on it is Shane doing everything he can to figure out why a woman like Crystal is in a place like that.

Shane is fighting some of his own demons with his past and regrets that he has. He lost his sister when he was a kid and he lives with that regret everyday.

"God, what he wouldn’t give for five more minutes with his kid sister. Just five. Did she know how sorry he was? How much he loved her? That he’d devoted his life to making things right for others as a penance for getting so much wrong with her?"

He sees that Crystal is in a bad spot and he is going to do everything in his power to save her.


The story flows great, Laura definitely keeps you wanting to read more and find out what happens next. We get a bit of romance and suspense all packed into one hell of a story.

I can not wait for the next one which will be Easy’s story, and also to find out more about what is going on with Church and the links to Afghanistan.




Ahhhh Just got my ARC !!!!!!!!!!!!

Laura Kaye has written another fantastic, thrilling installment in the Hard Ink series. If you enjoyed Hard As It Gets, then you do not want to miss Hard As You Can, which I enjoyed even more than the first book. To follow the series, you do need to start at the beginning since the plot is a continuation of the external conflicts already introduced. The Hard Ink team is back in action as they search for the truth behind a cover up that cost five dedicated Army special ops soldiers their military careers and the deaths of their teammates under the command of the now deceased, Colonel Frank Merritt. Full of tension and suspense, Hard As you Can is a tantalizing blend of danger and heart-fluttering romance.Hard As You Can picks up immediately following the events in the first book to elaborate on an unresolved subplot that emerged when the Hard Ink team rescues Charlie Merritt from the basement of a strip club run by notorious crime boss, Jimmy Church and his gang of “apostles” who are heavily involved in drug and human trafficking. During the climatic rescue, Shane McCallan meets Crystal, a server at the club who plays a role in facilitating the team’s escape. Afterwards, Shane cannot stop thinking of Crystal and worrying that she’s in trouble and needs his help. Shane’s attraction to Crystal pulls him further into her dark world of abuse and torture.Crystal is an amazing heroine; she’s a fighter, a protector, and a survivor. Because of her father’s association to the Church gang, she is forced to work for Church and endure the physical and emotional abuse that Bruno, one of the gang’s enforcers, doles out. She’ll do whatever it takes to keep her younger sister, Jenna, innocent and safe from the seedy underbelly of Church’s organization. Driven by shame and fear, Crystal bides her time until she and Jenna can make their escape. The horrendous abuse Crystal has already suffered isn’t graphically described, but over the course of the story, enough details are revealed for me to imagine the severity of her experience and understand the pervasive fear that dictates her life. I can’t help but admire her courage and her unwillingness to be broken despite her circumstances.Crystal doesn’t trust easily, especially since the men in her life who are supposed to protect her have done just the opposite. So, when Shane barges into her life asking for help and offering protection, her reluctance to accept his help is understandable. Pretty boy Shane is a hero that will absolutely sweep you off your feet. Crystal is shocked and awed by Shane’s gentleness and genuine concern for her. The hope he arouses in her is both frightening and thrilling. There are quite a few tender moments between them that tugged at my heart and brought tears to my eyes. Shane’s desire to rescue Crystal is fueled in part by guilt from his childhood but is mostly driven by the irresistible chemistry between them, and their emotion-packed romance is one I greatly enjoyed. The cast of main characters from the first book continue to play significant roles in this storyline, including Jeremy with his quirky tee-shirt quotes and the adorable German Shepherd puppy, Eileen. Furthermore, the Hard Ink’s unexpected alliance with a motorcycle club also adds an element of intrigue to an already gripping story. Although the team is making progress in their mission to clear their names, there are still plenty of unanswered questions to keep readers waiting for the next book in this wonderfully engaging romantic suspense series. Source: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher for an honest review.Rating 4.5-Great

I first fell in love with Laura Kaye's writing style in Hearts in Darkness - it is still my favorite book she has released...so far. Yet, this series would have enticed me even if I was not already hooked...it features a group of former special force soldiers trying to redeem themselves after being betrayed and forced out of the military. Reunited and determined to prove they were framed - even out-manned they will not back down. Shane was a huge {pleasant} surprise - written to complement Crystal perfectly. A character that surprised this reader was Crystal's sister, Jenna, she will make an incredible heroine. The heroine, Crystal, is a victim in the story. I was impressed with the way the author handled it. I was not just glossed over; it was also not obsessed over - it flowed naturally into the story. Can't wait for more...Disclosure: This book was provided to BBMoreB free of charge for the sole purpose of an honest review. All thoughts, comments, and ratings are my own.