ARC Review: Hard As It Gets: Laura Kaye
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...
I can’t pinpoint just one thing that didn't work for me; the book had its ups and downs. The ups is the main reason I made it all the way through. Every time I would think to myself, all right it’s time to walk away, something exciting would happen to pull my attention back in. It was a vicious cycle. For me, the biggest issue was the lack of chemistry and connection between the hero and heroine. No matter how hard the author tried to sell it, I just couldn't get behind this case of instalove. In my opinion she had a stronger connection with Jeremy, Nick's brother, than she actually did with Nick. There just wasn't any “spark” between them, and this left me easily distracted. I liked Nick and I liked Becca…individually. Nick was super hot, tatted, alpha, ex military and Becca was a sassy kick ass chick who held her ground. They should have been the perfect ingredients for a killer book.
The suspenseful plot, Jeremy, and Nick's Special Ops team is what held me engaged the entire time. I loved the added twists and those men were super hot. Special Ops romances are one of my all time favorite reads, especially when they hold the right blend of romance, suspense, and action. Unfortunately for Ms. Kaye, I thought there was more suspense and definitely not enough romance.
Would I recommend this book? Hmm...maybe. To hardcore Laura Kaye fans, definitely. To someone who has never read her books, I don't know. I don't really like to tell someone not to read something because no book is ever read or interpreted the same way twice. So what I don't like, you may.
Thank you, Avon and edelweiss, for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of Hard As It Gets in exchange for my honest opinion.
New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller Laura Kaye is the author of over a dozen books in contemporary and paranormal romance. Laura grew up amidst family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses, cementing her life-long fascination with storytelling and the supernatural. Laura lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.
Laura is a member of the Romance Writers of America and the Maryland Romance Writers.
Laura is represented by Kevan Lyon of the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.
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