Double Review: Hard To Hold On To & Hard To Come By by Laura Kaye

Hard To Hold On To by Laura Kaye

(Hard Ink #2.5)

August 19, 2014

208 pages

Genre: Military Romance, Suspense 18+

Contains: Strong language, explicit sex, violence

Source: Personal purchase

Edward "Easy" Cantrell knows better than most the pain of not being able to save those he loves--which is why he is not going to let Jenna Dean out of his sight. He may have just met her, but Jenna's the first person to make him feel alive since that devastating day in the desert more than a year ago.

Jenna has never met anyone like Easy. She can't describe how he makes her feel--and not just because he saved her life. No, the stirrings inside her reach far beyond gratitude.

As the pair are thrust together while chaos reigns around them, they both know one thing: the things in life most worth having are the hardest to hold on to.

This was the first book I read in this series. I was intrigued by the cover because I love inter-racial couples. Plus, it's a novella, so it was an easy way to see if this series was for me or not. Well, I'm so glad I did. I felt like I could jump right into this series and get caught up quickly without feeling out of the loop. Yet, now I am also intrigued to read the previous books, if not for the story set-up, then for the love stories of the previous couples. So this can definitely be read as a standalone, but if you like it like me, you may get hooked into the rest of the series.

As for Easy and Jenna, I loved them. There is an age gap, but it didn't bother me. Probably because they are so great together, and I know couples with age gaps and it isn't a big deal. These two have a great connection, and I loved their chemistry as well as the sincere bond, respect, and consideration I felt between them. The beauty of their relationship is also how well they help and heal each other. Jenna has just been rescued from a kidnapping, but Easy has been struggling with suicidal ideation since his military discharge. Easy's situation was the most compelling for me. I'm really glad that the author used this story to bring to light the suicidal struggles so many military and ex-military go through, and I thought Easy's story really did it justice.

Now, if you don't like a quick romance, than be warned that these two fall fast and hard. But if you like a whodunit where this group of ex-military are trying to clear their names, find out who set them up, and get into all kinds of suspenseful situations, combined with couples like Easy and Jenna finding love in the midst of these intense situations, then you will love this. I'm looking forward to catching up on, and continuing this series.

Hard To Come By by Laura Kaye

(Hard Ink #3)

November 25, 2014

384 Pages

Genre: Military Romance, Suspense 18+

Contains: Strong language, explicit sex, violence

Source: Personal purchase

Caught between desire and loyalty…

Derek DiMarzio would do anything for the members of his disgraced Special Forces team—sacrifice his body, help a former teammate with a covert operation to restore their honor, and even go behind enemy lines. He just never expected to want the beautiful woman he found there.

When a sexy stranger asks questions about her brother, Emilie Garza is torn between loyalty to the brother she once idolized and fear of the war-changed man he's become. Derek’s easy smile and quiet strength tempt Emilie to open up, igniting the desire between them and leading Derek to crave a woman he shouldn’t trust.

As the team’s investigation reveals how powerful their enemies are, Derek and Emilie must prove where their loyalties lie before hearts are broken and lives are lost. Because love is too hard to come by to let slip away… 

Once again, this series tackles another sensitive but important topic that military members (or anyone) can face: amputation. Derek not only has had to adjust to life with one leg, but he also lost that leg while protecting a friend, causing a bit of awkwardness and guilt from said friend. Derek's storyline was quite compelling and I loved how the author dealt with another issue too common amongst veterans. But Derek himself is more than a disability. I loved Derek! Gosh, what a fantastic character. He is honorable and sincere and truly swoonworthy. 

Derek meets Emilie in not-so-ideal circumstances, but the attraction between the two cannot be denied. Emilie has her own set of difficulties in her life, namely her loser ex-husband and her increasingly erratic brother. Though there are choppy waters to wade through, Derek and Emilie are just what the other needed, even though they weren't looking. I loved these two together. There was something beautiful about how they respected and treated each other, while at the same time they could mirror each other's passion.

I also loved the continuing intrigue about where the big mystery of what happened to this group of men and women was going. It's one of those question everything/assume nothing situations. Because truths and lies continue to be revealed, and I found myself glued to the pages. This is such an exciting series, full of both romance and suspense, and I can't wait to see what happeens next!

Hard Ink series:

Hard As It Gets #1

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Hard As You Can #2

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Hard To Hold On To #2.5

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Hard To Come By #3

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Hard To Be Good #3.5

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Hard To Let Go #4

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Hard As Steel #4.5

Goodreads ~ Amazon