Hard As You Can (Hard Ink, #2)

by Laura Kaye

Five dishonored soldiers. Former Special Forces. One last mission. These are the men of Hard Ink. Ever since hard-bodied, drop-dead-charming Shane McCallan strolled into the dance club where Crystal Dean works, he's shown a knack for getting beneath her defenses. For her little sister's sake, Crystal can't get too close. Until her job and Shane's mission intersect, and he reveals talents that go deeper than she could have guessed. Shane would never turn his back on a friend in need, especially a former Special Forces teammate running a dangerous, off-the-books operation. Nor can he walk away from Crystal. The gorgeous waitress is hiding secrets she doesn't want him to uncover. Too bad. He's exactly the man she needs to protect her sister, her life, and her heart. All he has to do is convince her that when something feels this good, you hold on as hard as you can-and never let go.

• ISBN10: 0062267906
• ISBN13: 9780062267900
• Publish Date: 25 February 2014
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 10 April 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Avon Books
• Format: Paperback (A-Format (178x111 mm))
• Pages: 384
• Language: English
• URL: http://harpercollins.com.au/9780062267900

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 3.5 stars, rounded up because, well, Shane.

We are back with the Hard Ink crew, as they continue to unravel the mess the colonel left for them. The focus of this book is the romance between Shane and Crystal. Crystal is stuck in a bad situation. She has been used, abused, and is essentially imprisoned to this life she doesn't want. She is very selfless, and sacrifices her own wants and needs to take care of her sister. How do you not love her? I had tears in my eyes as she recounted some very horrid events in her life to Shane. It really broke my heart, but Crystal was able to find enough strength to keep going. I admired her for that. Shane was perfect and swoony, the way I like my heroes. I loved how Crystal just being his life was helping alleviate some of the guilt he is buried under.

We discover more layers of our guys, as we continue to enjoy their interactions. I love the chemistry between the guys. That brotherhood bond is so strong! I look forward to more adventures with these guys.

[littleread1]

Hard As You Can is book 2 in the Hard Ink Series by Kaye, but can be read as a stand alone. I read it without reading the first book and had no trouble following along, although I think you lose some of the context of the conversations between a couple of the characters.

Quickie Review:

This was my second book by Kaye, and I doubt it will be the last. Even though this story deals with some very dark issues (human trafficking, hello?) the romance is still very sweet. It is very much an Alpha Male coming to the rescue of the damsel in distress, but set in modern times. I think sometimes we all need that story, no matter how strong we are as women. It is nice to be protected and saved every once in a while.

[leelu92]

Shane. Shane, Shane, Shane. Love ya, babe. He is the perfect combination of sweet, southern and Alpha. I thoroughly enjoyed Shane and Crystal’s story. This one had a very slow build up (build up meaning, it took forever for the sexytimes to happen) BUT and there is a good reason for the but… it was warranted. It took awhile for Crystal to get out of the situation she was trapped in and realize that Shane had made up his mind and that she was going to be HIS. Awwww, don’t you just love it when they go all alpha like that? Shane was a big badass but he was so gentle and sweet to her. Getting to catch up with the rest of the Hard Ink crew was nice and getting to know some of them a little bit better was also a big plus for me. Especially….Easy. I want Easy’s story…like yesterday.

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

[kimbacaffeinate]

3.5
The story picks up right where Hard as It Gets left off. These can be read as standalone, since each features one case and romance but I am not going to recommend it since there is an overall story arc that is intense. The team is still trying to decipher clues that Becca’s Dad left and to clear the men’s dishonorable discharge. Shane decides to see if Crystal; the sexy waitress at the dance club will help them again. When Shane realizes she is in trouble he makes it his mission to help her.

While we get some fun banter between the men and get to know Shane’s character better, this second novel was heavier on the action. We get his back story and it was heart-breaking. He is such a sexy, heart on your sleeve kind of guy. I liked Shane but at times his feelings especially regarding Crystal were intense. I am not talking about her situation but the romantic aspect. It came on a little too strong and left me floundering to completely connect with the romantic element. Crystal is incredibly strong, and her need to protect her sister helped me understand her predicament. The rest of the gang was present, and I enjoyed the banter, and tidbits regarding their personalities. They all share a common bond and have their own voices. I love that I am able to visualize each of them. There are moments of laughter and camaraderie that I simply ate up.

Hard as You Can takes us into the seedier side of organized crime, and gave us a few nibbles regarding the overall series ARC. Kaye can write suspense and kept me engaged. I felt Crystal’s fear and loathed her boss. This tale had everything from kidnapping to human trafficking and even a biker gang. While some of it was over the top, I took the little blue pill and enjoyed the ride. The human trafficking and darker tones made me squirm and I felt for these victims. It is quite common for insta-love in romantic suspense, but I needed more moments with this couple. The romance went from zero to sixty leaving my hair wind-blown but I wanted a slower more scenic ride. Kaye does a good job of tying threads together and making connects with the mystery aspect and it felt genuine. There are several threads and all get equal page time as we slowly built towards the action-packed and intense ending. Time spent with the gang were the threads I enjoyed most and love this dynamic team. Kaye wrapped things up nicely while setting things up for the next book a novella called Hard to Hold on To.

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

[Cocktails and Books]

Sometimes you live in hell for the ones you love, both Shane and Crystal are living in their own versions of hell and together they can learn to live again.

I really loved this story, I enjoyed the first book but I definitely loved Shane and Crystal way more. Shane has a lot of guilt on his shoulders and is willing and ready to help Crystal even more so when he starts to fall for her and her inner strength.

Crystal is a very strong heroine and one I really liked. Yes, she’s allowing herself to be in a bad relationship but she’ll do anything and everything for her younger sister. I loved that even though Crystal has lost a big chunk of her identity she is willing to open herself up to love and the possibility of a future with Shane.

Full of action, suspense and a continuing story arc from the first book, this is a great addition to what I can easily see becoming a favorite new series of mine. I look forward to the rest of the crew finding love and solving the mystery that brought them all back together. Ms. Kaye is doing a beautiful job of building up the suspense and I look forward to the completion of that story arc.

I highly recommend this book and while I think a reader can enjoy this story as a standalone I recommend reading the first one since it sets up the story very well.

Reviewed by Sheri for Cocktails and Books