Hard as it Gets (Hard Ink, #1)

by Laura Kaye

The first book in a hot new series, Hard As it Gets has a smart series hook - using a tattoo parlor as a front, a brotherhood of elite Special Ops engage in secret operations that lead to all-out war with an organized crime ring...while falling in love with women who are truly their matches!

• ISBN10: 0062267884
• ISBN13: 9780062267887
• Publish Date: 26 November 2013
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 10 April 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Avon Books
• Format: Paperback (A-Format (178x111 mm))
• Pages: 368
• Language: English
• URL: http://harpercollins.com.au/9780062267887

Reviews

Hard Ink revolves around a team of ex injured Army Special Forces who were kicked out of the army after their commanding officer screwed them over. Each book in the series follows the overarching plot of who the commander was working with and how they can prove their team innocent of the charges. Each book focuses on a different couple with their own HEA but it's necessary to read them in order in order to understand the plot properly.

The first book in the series follows team leader, Nick Rixey and the commanding officer's daughter, Becca Merritt. Becca tracks down Nick when her younger brother, Charlie goes missing. I remember liking this a lot more when I first read it, on rereading I was a little bored. The romance happens pretty slowly but it's also instalove and I wasn't quite in the mood to read it. Still it is a good book with lots of action and the romance is about what you expect for a romantic suspense novel anyway, although definitely on the higher end of the spectrum. 4 stars.

[Sam@WLABB]

Great addition to my romance reading repertoire.

Becca's brother is missing, and all she has is a cryptic message to find Rixey. Rixey, it turns out, is an ex-member of Becca's father's special ops team. Though he resisted at first, Rixey could not leave Becca once he knew she was in danger.

Rixey was a great hero, with just the right balance of alpha tendencies and a tender heart. I enjoyed the chemistry between Becca and Nick, as well as, between the entire group. When the survivors of Nick's team reassembled with multiple motives, there was angst, bromance, and great camaraderie. This book is rather quick paced, and filled with lots of action. I gasped, laughed, and swooned.

Since I listened to the audiobook, I would like to comment on the voice talent. I thought she was great, and found she did a great job with conveying the gravitas and emotion needed for each scene.

[Nicole Lynn]

Review to come!

[leelu92]

Whoooo boy. What we have here is a great new series to look forward to. Nick Rixey and his band of Ex-Special Forces guys are going to be a lot of fun to read about, if the first book is any indication.

Sometimes, the first book in a series can suffer from "firstbookitis", too much information and too many characters being introduced. I did not feel like this book suffered at all. Ms. Kaye did a really great job of introducing Nick and Becca to each other, and she spread out into the family and friends from there.

This book is chock full of hot and hunky ex-military man candy. Also chock full of one Nicholas Rixey and I'm totally into him. He pushes all of my buttons, former military, kinda grumpy, Alpha guy who hangs out in jeans and no shirt... Ahhhh. I really need a visual...don't you think we could use a visual here?


For the rest of my review: Straight Shootin' Book Reviews

[kimbacaffeinate]

Hard As It Gets is a romantic suspense, with smokin’ hot ex-military men, and tattoos. Need I say may more? This is the first book in the Hard Ink series by Laura Kaye and I devoured it. With a compelling storyline, unique characters and a heated romance this tale offered the perfect read for a cold, windy night by the fire. Mini review: suspenseful, romantic and engaging.

Becca is one tough little cookie. She is a nurse and definitely the daughter of a military man. She made me giggle, as she gave these ex-military men a set down when needed. She will do whatever it takes to save her brother, and I admired her for it. Nicholas is struggling when we meet him. He was injured on his last tour in Afghanistan. A mission went south leaving him and his surviving comrades framed and forced out of the military. All of it centers on Becca’s father making this case complicated. He is attracted to this spit-fire of a woman but struggles with his own demons. Nick calls his former Special Forces, comrades when the situation heats up, and they have to face each other once again. I loved this dynamic team, and Kaye’s did a good job of giving each of them a voice. I am secretly hoping they are each fleshed out in their own book. Becca’s brother is an interesting character. He is a computer hacker who uncovers some secrets involving crime lords. Nick’s brother, co-owner and the brains behind Hard Ink is a hoot. A fur ball adds to the tale, providing humor in an intense situation.

The overall ARC for the series Hard Ink, is an intense one, and Kaye did an excellent job of providing the details and setting things up within the pages of Hard As It Gets. From the banter between this motley crew to the sexual tension between Becca and Nick, I found myself fully invested. The romance begins with physical attraction and slowly develops out of respect. Kaye teases us with some intense scenes before bringing on the heat and I found myself eager for those moments. While this reeks of insta-love, romantic suspense is a genre that lends itself to this type of romance. Kaye made it feel real and I was rooting for this couple. Some of the scenes made the pages sizzle and catch fire. Kaye didn’t skimp on the details and it was all very memorable. The dynamics of the special forces team, their banter and the way they accept Becca into the fold made the tale believable. We see growth with Nick as he faced his demons, bonded with his brother and reestablished bonds with his team. The tale wrapped up nicely, giving us a clear direction of where the tale is headed next.
Fans of military men, wicked banter, tattoos, and action-packed suspense will enjoy Hard As It Gets. The next book Hard As You Can releases in February of 2014 and features one of the special forces teammates as they continue to uncover the truth. I cannot wait to dive back into this series. Addictive and awesome, this is sure to be a winner.

Copy received from publisher in exchange for unbiased review that originally published @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer