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thebooktrollop's review against another edition
3.0
Ok, this review is a little late due to technical difficulties I was having with my computer. It was supposed to be posted last week and I have been playing catch up with my blog ever since!!
Hard As You Can starts off backtracking a little bit to the rescue scene from Hard As It Gets but this time it is told from Crystal's point of view. She tells us what happened from her end and why she helped the team free Charlie from the grasp of the local gang.
Crystal risked her life to help them and Shane has an inclination she just might be trapped under the thumb of the gang as well and wants to help her. He can't explain why he wants to help her (other than the demons that haunt him about his sister) and his subconscious won't let him forget Crystal. But when he tries to get close to her, Crystal completely wards off all his attempts because she is scared of a lot of things and the biggest one is her high level gang banger boyfriend.
This book had a lot of twists and aggravating moments that made me want to rip my hair out one minute and then throw the book the other.
I enjoyed this book but I did not like it as much as I loved the first one. There wasn't much story added to the overall theme of getting the team's name back in good standing, which is what I loved the most about the first book. This one was focused on more of Shane and Crystal's lives and what they regret and all their demons. Not much given to the questions I had after reading the first book.
I also didn't really FEEL the connection between Shane and Crystal. The writing was focused mostly on each character, individually, and not a lot on them together. I just didn't feel anything and I was hoping for a happy outcome but it didn't bother me either way. I didn't get any butterflies rolling around my tummy or anything that would make me want to go to the ends of the earth to make them work as a couple.
(AND come on, they had sex for the first time at the WORST possible time EVER!!) I know if I was in that situation I would have been waaaaaay to worried to even get my vagina to work properly!
But I am still interested in where this series is taking me and what Laura is planning, because I have a feeling once all the books are out and I see what she is working towards, I will love the overall series HARD CORE!!!
Based on this individual book though, I will have to give it a 3.5/5. I am still looking forward to the next one and will be anxiously waiting to learn more about these badass, sexy, ex army special operatives!!
Hard As You Can starts off backtracking a little bit to the rescue scene from Hard As It Gets but this time it is told from Crystal's point of view. She tells us what happened from her end and why she helped the team free Charlie from the grasp of the local gang.
Crystal risked her life to help them and Shane has an inclination she just might be trapped under the thumb of the gang as well and wants to help her. He can't explain why he wants to help her (other than the demons that haunt him about his sister) and his subconscious won't let him forget Crystal. But when he tries to get close to her, Crystal completely wards off all his attempts because she is scared of a lot of things and the biggest one is her high level gang banger boyfriend.
This book had a lot of twists and aggravating moments that made me want to rip my hair out one minute and then throw the book the other.
I enjoyed this book but I did not like it as much as I loved the first one. There wasn't much story added to the overall theme of getting the team's name back in good standing, which is what I loved the most about the first book. This one was focused on more of Shane and Crystal's lives and what they regret and all their demons. Not much given to the questions I had after reading the first book.
I also didn't really FEEL the connection between Shane and Crystal. The writing was focused mostly on each character, individually, and not a lot on them together. I just didn't feel anything and I was hoping for a happy outcome but it didn't bother me either way. I didn't get any butterflies rolling around my tummy or anything that would make me want to go to the ends of the earth to make them work as a couple.
(AND come on, they had sex for the first time at the WORST possible time EVER!!) I know if I was in that situation I would have been waaaaaay to worried to even get my vagina to work properly!
But I am still interested in where this series is taking me and what Laura is planning, because I have a feeling once all the books are out and I see what she is working towards, I will love the overall series HARD CORE!!!
Based on this individual book though, I will have to give it a 3.5/5. I am still looking forward to the next one and will be anxiously waiting to learn more about these badass, sexy, ex army special operatives!!
shannon_cocktailsandbooks's review against another edition
5.0
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
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
thriller_chick's review against another edition
5.0
Great book! I absolutely love Shane's character. :) Can't wait to read the next one.
mimireadsromance's review against another edition
4.0
There isn't one thing about this series that I don't love. The characters and plot draw me in, and I'm completely lost to the story. Best feeling ever!
This book, had one of the sexiest lines I've ever read! "Don't do this for me. Do it for you."
Yes, yes, yes! I just love Shane! His own pain and sorrow have made him the perfect man to help Crystal take control of her life. I love when he thinks of her as a phoenix, rising from the ashes of her past. Absolutely beautiful!
This book, had one of the sexiest lines I've ever read! "Don't do this for me. Do it for you."
Yes, yes, yes! I just love Shane! His own pain and sorrow have made him the perfect man to help Crystal take control of her life. I love when he thinks of her as a phoenix, rising from the ashes of her past. Absolutely beautiful!
agrutle's review against another edition
5.0
I started reading this one or should I say listening to this one a week ago when I was going to spend some time with my mom. I really enjoy this narrators voice and it makes the characters come alive. Anyway I didn't finish it in one trip because its not too far so I started reading the book on my phone and computer. I couldn't stop reading it.
I loved Shane and his intensity for Crystal. He didn't know her but something about her called to him. So much shit going on at Hard Ink, he still had her in the back of his mind. Shane didn't know what was going on with her but he knew it was bad and it had to be stopped.
Crystal is not a trusting person. She's had a super hard life, since her father died and left a mess for her to clean up at just 19. She's working at a strip club, has a horrible boyfriend and her life is not her own. The only bright spot in her life is the plan she has to escape. Shane busts into her life and from there she knows that she has to make it out. She deserves it and she has to do it for her sister.
Everything doesn't work out the way you want it. Crystal didn't want to be attracted to Shane, she knew she couldn't have him but she couldn't fight it either. Shane thought he didn't deserve love because of his past and Crystal thought the same. Two peas in a pod and Shane was going to do anything he could to make sure she believed that he wanted to help her and more.
I loved this book, the first one took me a minute to get into it but I was all in. This one I was all in from the start. I can't help but love a southern boy and this shy girl that had just about everything against them fight for everything right in the world. If you've not read this series I'd suggest you read it. I am 3 books in and I'm itching to read the next one. Leave the author love in the form of a review!!
I loved Shane and his intensity for Crystal. He didn't know her but something about her called to him. So much shit going on at Hard Ink, he still had her in the back of his mind. Shane didn't know what was going on with her but he knew it was bad and it had to be stopped.
Crystal is not a trusting person. She's had a super hard life, since her father died and left a mess for her to clean up at just 19. She's working at a strip club, has a horrible boyfriend and her life is not her own. The only bright spot in her life is the plan she has to escape. Shane busts into her life and from there she knows that she has to make it out. She deserves it and she has to do it for her sister.
Everything doesn't work out the way you want it. Crystal didn't want to be attracted to Shane, she knew she couldn't have him but she couldn't fight it either. Shane thought he didn't deserve love because of his past and Crystal thought the same. Two peas in a pod and Shane was going to do anything he could to make sure she believed that he wanted to help her and more.
I loved this book, the first one took me a minute to get into it but I was all in. This one I was all in from the start. I can't help but love a southern boy and this shy girl that had just about everything against them fight for everything right in the world. If you've not read this series I'd suggest you read it. I am 3 books in and I'm itching to read the next one. Leave the author love in the form of a review!!
thegeekyblogger's review against another edition
3.0
Read for Fun (Paperback)
Overall Rating: 3.50
Story Rating: 3.50
Character Rating: 3.50
First 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)
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
Overall Rating: 3.50
Story Rating: 3.50
Character Rating: 3.50
First 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)
Spoiler
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 fantasticQuick 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
booksabrewin's review against another edition
4.0
I received an ARC copy of this book from the publishers in exchange for participation in the the release day launch and for an honest review.
I had bought the first book but had not yet read it when I requested an ARC for review for a release day launch. There are authors that I just know I will love so I continue to collect their books as I see them. This was one of those cases. But, in order to review the second book I had to read the first and I was incredibly happy with the first book. It introduced me to a group of men I was anxious to learn more about. So when I dove into this book knowing I was going to learn a bit more about Shane, I was very excited. Shane's interaction with Crystal started in Hard As It Gets and continues through this book.
Shane has always been the guy who seems to have a sardonic smile plastered across his face and not a care in the world. Little does most know, but he carries a heavy burden with him. He lost his baby sister at a tender age and has regretted it all of his life. It is this lapse in diligence that makes him a determined soldier. At least until he was disgraced along with the other men of his unit and cut adrift from the military. Now, he has been called back by his long time friend and unit second-in-command, Nick, to help retrieve the son of his biggest enemy. To say he is hesitant to help is putting it mildly, but after Nick's pleas and the chance to clear his name and restore his honor, how can Shane say no. This decision brings him face-to-face with Crystal.
Crystal is in a bad situation. After her father's death she is put in charge of caring for her epileptic sister and repaying the debt her father had with a notorious gang. She works as a waitress in a strip club and treads lightly in her abusive relationship with enforcer, Bruno. Crystal helps Shane and his men recover his ex-commander's son and is inadvertently dragged into their world. She must decide whether to play it safe and bide her time until she can be free of the gang's clutches or rage against them and help those who could possibly take them down. Add to that, a smoldering sexy man who seems determined to help her any way possible, and a very confusing situation for Crystal.
Crystal is damaged, but so is Shane. Can these two ragged souls come together and start to heal all while taking down an organization that may have been at the root of Shane's problems in Afghanistan?
Another beautiful installment in the Hard Ink series by Laura Kaye. I don't know what else to say that doesn't just gush love and admiration for the world she has created. As a southern myself, I am liking the southern gentleman air of Shane. That coupled with a military man and tattoos. Yum to the infinity squared.
I even found myself sympathizing with Crystal. I wanted so badly for her to find peace in her life after the crap storm she has had to deal with. She made me look at my trials and tribulations as nothing but small potatoes.
Hard As You Can is the second book in a series that is likely to be one of my favorites for quite some time.
Review Posted on: http://www.ladybugliterature.blogspot.com
hannas_heas47's review against another edition
4.0
I am reviewing this book from my own personal copy.
The covers on these books just grab me. Very sexy. This title though had very little action but it seemed the characters like foreplay instead. Crystal is a waitress in a sex club, and one night something nefarious is taking place in the basement. Crystal knows bad things happen down there, and keeps her mouth shut. She bumps into Shane one night when his team is there to rescue Becca's brother Charlie from book one. Crystal lets him go instead of sounding the alarm and is hooked on Shane from there to the rest of the book. It was an interesting dance they had, as they conquered fears and problems left and right. I enjoyed reading the book and gave it four stars!
The covers on these books just grab me. Very sexy. This title though had very little action but it seemed the characters like foreplay instead. Crystal is a waitress in a sex club, and one night something nefarious is taking place in the basement. Crystal knows bad things happen down there, and keeps her mouth shut. She bumps into Shane one night when his team is there to rescue Becca's brother Charlie from book one. Crystal lets him go instead of sounding the alarm and is hooked on Shane from there to the rest of the book. It was an interesting dance they had, as they conquered fears and problems left and right. I enjoyed reading the book and gave it four stars!
honey1382's review against another edition
3.0
It started out slow, and kept being slow, but then once Bruno figured things out the story got exciting. I hope the next one is better, but I need to find out how this series ends!