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carleneinspired's review against another edition
5.0
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
Joel Anderson doesn't take things seriously unless he's angry. His tattoo shop runs smoothly, his life is easy, he takes what he wants, and things tend to go his way. That is, until Annika Belousov shows up with her fancy clothes and her cameras. Annika takes everything seriously, from her family to her love life, but especially her job as a reality TV producer that's going to share the inside scoop on Joel's shop. He wants to find the girl behind the tight bun and serious attitude. Joel fits none of the boxes Annika wants to check off in a man, but she soon finds he's more than tattoos and easy-going smirks, he's the man who could change everything in her carefully constructed life.
So, I have been dying from day one to get my hands on Tonic. I loved the blurb, fell head over heels in love with the cover, and as soon as I opened page one I was hooked. Trust me, there was a point where I was sure when I wouldn't get a chance to read it right away and I was prepared to just cancel everything and go into hiding to get my time with it. Reality TV, tattoo shop, hot man who gets what he wants and has a past that's changed him, and a strong female character? Everything I love in a book combined.
“That guy. That hairy fucking guy. That hairy fucking guy with those stupid fucking eyes that looked at me like he could see me naked.”
"She looked like a doll, a cold, beautiful doll that belonged on a shelf where no man should touch her."
Joel and Annika and their love story are unique from the very start; their meeting unusual, the circumstances not ideal, but there's a spark between them that can't be ignored. Joel is shaped by his past, though he denies there's anything wrong with that. He's brash, hairy, and attractive, and his POV is more than interesting. Annika is the ice queen, in fact I might have pictured Elsa in business suits the entire time. She's just as confused as she is confusing, the polar opposite to Joel's exuberant personality, but she's also attractive, smart, and something about her just pulls at Joel. I loved the changing POV, Staci Hart hit it out of the park. The characters are a mess, their emotions overflowing into the pages, and the reality TV show just blows the situation into giant proportions. These two were meant to be and I felt like that from the moment they met. Though the characters didn't experience insta-love, I certainly did. The push and pull between them brings out passion and anger, with the two joining together at the risk of everything.
“She left me shaken. Shaken from pleasure, from emotion, from breathing her breath and touching her skin, she shook me to the core. She was an earthquake, and I was changed forever because of her.”
Their attraction takes over the pages, but weaved into the romance are their individual lives, just as important as the connection the two share. There's family, friendships, careers, and most importantly themselves. Both characters make significant changes and steady growth through out the novel. They experience loss, hurt, acceptance, forgiveness, and most of all love, something neither had ever planned on having. Staci Hart uses beautiful prose to detail the sacrifices people make in their lives for other's happiness, as well as learning how to welcome their own happiness in as well. I loved the tattoo aspects, especially as they were used as metaphors for the struggles each went through apart and together.
"Transparent, translucent, like the ice that I was. Freezing him out would never work, not when he could see the fire in my heart."
Tonic was my perfect type of novel, meeting every item on my book checklist. I fell in love with every character, with the story Staci Hart wove across the pages, and with the emotions I felt with every word. It's a romance with just a bit of angst, some humor, and a whole cast of characters I'd love to see again.
Joel Anderson doesn't take things seriously unless he's angry. His tattoo shop runs smoothly, his life is easy, he takes what he wants, and things tend to go his way. That is, until Annika Belousov shows up with her fancy clothes and her cameras. Annika takes everything seriously, from her family to her love life, but especially her job as a reality TV producer that's going to share the inside scoop on Joel's shop. He wants to find the girl behind the tight bun and serious attitude. Joel fits none of the boxes Annika wants to check off in a man, but she soon finds he's more than tattoos and easy-going smirks, he's the man who could change everything in her carefully constructed life.
So, I have been dying from day one to get my hands on Tonic. I loved the blurb, fell head over heels in love with the cover, and as soon as I opened page one I was hooked. Trust me, there was a point where I was sure when I wouldn't get a chance to read it right away and I was prepared to just cancel everything and go into hiding to get my time with it. Reality TV, tattoo shop, hot man who gets what he wants and has a past that's changed him, and a strong female character? Everything I love in a book combined.
“That guy. That hairy fucking guy. That hairy fucking guy with those stupid fucking eyes that looked at me like he could see me naked.”
"She looked like a doll, a cold, beautiful doll that belonged on a shelf where no man should touch her."
Joel and Annika and their love story are unique from the very start; their meeting unusual, the circumstances not ideal, but there's a spark between them that can't be ignored. Joel is shaped by his past, though he denies there's anything wrong with that. He's brash, hairy, and attractive, and his POV is more than interesting. Annika is the ice queen, in fact I might have pictured Elsa in business suits the entire time. She's just as confused as she is confusing, the polar opposite to Joel's exuberant personality, but she's also attractive, smart, and something about her just pulls at Joel. I loved the changing POV, Staci Hart hit it out of the park. The characters are a mess, their emotions overflowing into the pages, and the reality TV show just blows the situation into giant proportions. These two were meant to be and I felt like that from the moment they met. Though the characters didn't experience insta-love, I certainly did. The push and pull between them brings out passion and anger, with the two joining together at the risk of everything.
“She left me shaken. Shaken from pleasure, from emotion, from breathing her breath and touching her skin, she shook me to the core. She was an earthquake, and I was changed forever because of her.”
Their attraction takes over the pages, but weaved into the romance are their individual lives, just as important as the connection the two share. There's family, friendships, careers, and most importantly themselves. Both characters make significant changes and steady growth through out the novel. They experience loss, hurt, acceptance, forgiveness, and most of all love, something neither had ever planned on having. Staci Hart uses beautiful prose to detail the sacrifices people make in their lives for other's happiness, as well as learning how to welcome their own happiness in as well. I loved the tattoo aspects, especially as they were used as metaphors for the struggles each went through apart and together.
"Transparent, translucent, like the ice that I was. Freezing him out would never work, not when he could see the fire in my heart."
Tonic was my perfect type of novel, meeting every item on my book checklist. I fell in love with every character, with the story Staci Hart wove across the pages, and with the emotions I felt with every word. It's a romance with just a bit of angst, some humor, and a whole cast of characters I'd love to see again.
mamabookwyrm's review
4.0
So I’ve been sitting on a Staci Hart novel for about half a year now but just never got around to reading it. I’ve had a huge case of oh shiny with some of my favorite authors and never got around to it. Then the blurb for Tonic crossed my e-mail and the premise caught my eye. Even though I can’t stand most reality shows in real life, I find them interesting in books. Then I saw the cover and drooled, tattoos and beards? I’m in!
Joel is my favorite type of hero. Tattooed, bearded and alpha with a soft spot he likes to hide. He’s bit of a grizzly bear. I just want to cuddle up to him. Annika is an ice princess. She comes off as cold and prissy. But she’s got a feisty side she’s hiding. And Joel brings it out in her. The chemistry between the two is fabulous, the banter even better. I loved watching the tug of war between their attraction and the desire to keep away from each other. And when they give in….KABOOM! The side characters are all great as well. Laney’s the wicked witch of the editing room. I wanted to throw a bucket of water on her to see if she’d melt. And I’d love to see a follow-up book about Roxy. Bunny needs a daddy to protect her.
While not a sweet and soft romance or a fun and flirty one, this was a pretty easy read. While there was some drama, there was no heavy angst that made me ugly cry. It was a good book to read and enjoyable. There are some feels, some humor and maybe a little bit of tears. I think it’s time to dust the other Hart novels off in my TBR and get them read; she certainly knows how to keep me engaged.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
For more reviews, visit
Joel is my favorite type of hero. Tattooed, bearded and alpha with a soft spot he likes to hide. He’s bit of a grizzly bear. I just want to cuddle up to him. Annika is an ice princess. She comes off as cold and prissy. But she’s got a feisty side she’s hiding. And Joel brings it out in her. The chemistry between the two is fabulous, the banter even better. I loved watching the tug of war between their attraction and the desire to keep away from each other. And when they give in….KABOOM! The side characters are all great as well. Laney’s the wicked witch of the editing room. I wanted to throw a bucket of water on her to see if she’d melt. And I’d love to see a follow-up book about Roxy. Bunny needs a daddy to protect her.
While not a sweet and soft romance or a fun and flirty one, this was a pretty easy read. While there was some drama, there was no heavy angst that made me ugly cry. It was a good book to read and enjoyable. There are some feels, some humor and maybe a little bit of tears. I think it’s time to dust the other Hart novels off in my TBR and get them read; she certainly knows how to keep me engaged.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
For more reviews, visit
floppybutton's review
5.0
5 Ink-&-Milk Stars!!!!
My heart! Staci, what have you done with my heart?! And my cheeks…..I’m going to need my cheeks back because they have melted off my face with all of the smiling. I’m just a pile of goop.
…his dark skin against my white, the ink of him against the cream of me, the marked and the blank…
Staci….effing…..Hart. Where have you been all my life?! This is my first Staci Hart book, and I am never looking back. I will be purchasing this gorgeous paperback and keeping it on my bookshelf forever. This review might be a little random, but I just FEEL so GOOD after this book that I’m a little crazy right now. Staci’s words. All of Staci’s words. It’s not just the story or characters that I loved so much….it’s her words.
This book killed me….with BEAUTIFUL WORDS. I loved this so much, I literally grabbed a napkin while reading it and started writing down notes for my review.
Joel & Annika:
Joel (aka Hairy) is a tattoo artist….a hairy tattoo artist. He owns the tattoo shop, Tonic, which is getting its own reality tv show. He isn’t excited about it, but he realizes he would rather be the show on tv than the competition to get the show. When he first meets Annika…..FIRE! I LOVED the animosity between the two right away. Annika tries to give him the cold, but his fire is so hot that she cannot resist him. I’ll take a little bit of THIS and THAT.
”I’m not supposed to want you. You…you make me mad and you make me laugh and you make me crazy, and I’m not supposed to want you, but I do. What am I supposed to do? What do you want? You want me to throw away my career? How about you? Should I use you up and toss you out too? Or maybe you’ll do the same to me. I don’t know, because I don’t know you. But that hasn’t stopped me from wanting you, not since the first time I ever saw your stupid, hairy face. I hate you, and I want you, and I hate that I want you. But I do.”
Annika is the ice queen, known for her ability to scare men away with a glare, but Joel is resistant to her ice. Annika is a producer of the reality show, so she know it would not be a good idea for her to get involved with Joel. He is all hairy smirks and jokes. He knows right away that he wants Annika, wants to figure her out and break through that ice.
Her eyes finally snapped to mine, and I tried to melt her panties off with my mind.
I loved that there was low drama, despite the reality show setting. I loved loved loved all of the side characters. I cannot wait wait wait to read MORE OF STACI HART. Always more Staci Hart.
ARC courtesy of publisher in exchange for an honest review
Find me on
My heart! Staci, what have you done with my heart?! And my cheeks…..I’m going to need my cheeks back because they have melted off my face with all of the smiling. I’m just a pile of goop.
…his dark skin against my white, the ink of him against the cream of me, the marked and the blank…
Staci….effing…..Hart. Where have you been all my life?! This is my first Staci Hart book, and I am never looking back. I will be purchasing this gorgeous paperback and keeping it on my bookshelf forever. This review might be a little random, but I just FEEL so GOOD after this book that I’m a little crazy right now. Staci’s words. All of Staci’s words. It’s not just the story or characters that I loved so much….it’s her words.
This book killed me….with BEAUTIFUL WORDS. I loved this so much, I literally grabbed a napkin while reading it and started writing down notes for my review.
Joel & Annika:
Joel (aka Hairy) is a tattoo artist….a hairy tattoo artist. He owns the tattoo shop, Tonic, which is getting its own reality tv show. He isn’t excited about it, but he realizes he would rather be the show on tv than the competition to get the show. When he first meets Annika…..FIRE! I LOVED the animosity between the two right away. Annika tries to give him the cold, but his fire is so hot that she cannot resist him. I’ll take a little bit of THIS and THAT.
”I’m not supposed to want you. You…you make me mad and you make me laugh and you make me crazy, and I’m not supposed to want you, but I do. What am I supposed to do? What do you want? You want me to throw away my career? How about you? Should I use you up and toss you out too? Or maybe you’ll do the same to me. I don’t know, because I don’t know you. But that hasn’t stopped me from wanting you, not since the first time I ever saw your stupid, hairy face. I hate you, and I want you, and I hate that I want you. But I do.”
Annika is the ice queen, known for her ability to scare men away with a glare, but Joel is resistant to her ice. Annika is a producer of the reality show, so she know it would not be a good idea for her to get involved with Joel. He is all hairy smirks and jokes. He knows right away that he wants Annika, wants to figure her out and break through that ice.
Her eyes finally snapped to mine, and I tried to melt her panties off with my mind.
I loved that there was low drama, despite the reality show setting. I loved loved loved all of the side characters. I cannot wait wait wait to read MORE OF STACI HART. Always more Staci Hart.
ARC courtesy of publisher in exchange for an honest review
Find me on
phoenixinthecity's review against another edition
4.0
I really loved Annika's relationship with her family - the description of her parents and how much her father loves her - the way he calls her "My star"; her relationship with her cousin Roxy and her niece Kira. She and Joel seemed like an unlikely match given how cool and corporate she is in contrast to him and his body that's tattooed from neck to heel but they are the epitome of opposites attract, at least on the surface.
prettymessreading's review against another edition
3.0
***3 STARS***
I was super excited to read this book because the reviews were wonderful but - I'm wasn't a huge fan of the book. What killed me was Joel's POV...why? Because men don't have conversations like the ones he carries on with his male friends and his brother. It felt more like a female conversation.
I love to read books from multiple POV but I need them to be realistic to some degree.
Joel was also a little bit to sensitive for me. Without giving any spoilers let's just say his reason for breaking up with Annika was silly. Oh and when he called her a bitch......ummmmm, hell to the no. I was done!
And little miss Annika started out being such a strong charater and all of a sudden, BAM,she becomes a shell of herself.
I was super excited to read this book because the reviews were wonderful but - I'm wasn't a huge fan of the book. What killed me was Joel's POV...why? Because men don't have conversations like the ones he carries on with his male friends and his brother. It felt more like a female conversation.
I love to read books from multiple POV but I need them to be realistic to some degree.
Joel was also a little bit to sensitive for me. Without giving any spoilers let's just say his reason for breaking up with Annika was silly. Oh and when he called her a bitch......ummmmm, hell to the no. I was done!
And little miss Annika started out being such a strong charater and all of a sudden, BAM,she becomes a shell of herself.
11momo's review
I've decided to DNF this one, just couldn't get back into it. It's marketed as a romantic comedy but all I was getting was drama and angst with a predictable outcome.
kcsunshine25's review
3.0
It was an alright book. The writing was ok, it was well edited. I liked Hairy and Annika. There’s a sub plot about Annika’s parents.
The story is about the setting of a reality tv show set in Tonic, the tattoo parlour owned by Hairy aka Joel. There has to be drama for the book to work but the drama for me was a damp squib. It just didn’t work for me. I couldn’t understand why he would get his knickers in a twist.
The story is about the setting of a reality tv show set in Tonic, the tattoo parlour owned by Hairy aka Joel. There has to be drama for the book to work but the drama for me was a damp squib. It just didn’t work for me. I couldn’t understand why he would get his knickers in a twist.
tayslibrarybooks's review
2.0
2.5 stars
Loved the premise, but the interactions between the characters felt flat and cliche to me. Additionally, I felt that Annika was WAY out of Joel's league and should have left him in the dust.
Loved the premise, but the interactions between the characters felt flat and cliche to me. Additionally, I felt that Annika was WAY out of Joel's league and should have left him in the dust.
dlparrott's review
5.0
Staci Hart is a phenomenal author. She has never let me as a reader down. She writes in a way that her storyline plays like a movie in your mind. You have who would play the main characters, and because of that you get extremely attached. Staci Hart writes realistic sistiations, emotions, and characters. How the characters interact with each other is so realistic. No 2 of her books are alike which that right there is the selling point for me.
This book is about Joel and Annika. Joel is a sexy, tattooed, hairy man, who just so happens to own a tattoo palor. I love sexy hairy men. If they have tattoos its even better. He is the fire in this book, Annika she is the ice. You can totally understand why she is cold, she kind of has to be in her job. She is sassy, persistant, strong and she is the most beautiful woman Joel ahs ever meet. Annika and Joel have this push pull relationship from the start. I instantly connected with them both from page one.
I felt so many emotions with this book. I was routing for their hot and cold relationship, and i was disappointed.
I recommend this book, well all of Staci Hart's books actually. You will be a fan for life.
This book is about Joel and Annika. Joel is a sexy, tattooed, hairy man, who just so happens to own a tattoo palor. I love sexy hairy men. If they have tattoos its even better. He is the fire in this book, Annika she is the ice. You can totally understand why she is cold, she kind of has to be in her job. She is sassy, persistant, strong and she is the most beautiful woman Joel ahs ever meet. Annika and Joel have this push pull relationship from the start. I instantly connected with them both from page one.
I felt so many emotions with this book. I was routing for their hot and cold relationship, and i was disappointed.
I recommend this book, well all of Staci Hart's books actually. You will be a fan for life.
whitneywillis20's review
3.0
2.5 - 3 stars
I liked this book. The concept was engaging and the characters were like-able and believe-able. The steamy scenes were written very well. But right around the main conflict of the story everything just started to go wrong. Without spoiling, I woulds say that Joel started acting differently. His angry but mostly violence bothered me. I just didn't like how everything was blown out of proportion. It seemed everyone forgot what this story was about, a reality show, and got all butt hurt over something so pointless. I just did not get what the big deal was to warrant such a reaction from every character.
I liked this book. The concept was engaging and the characters were like-able and believe-able. The steamy scenes were written very well. But right around the main conflict of the story everything just started to go wrong. Without spoiling, I woulds say that Joel started acting differently. His angry but mostly violence bothered me. I just didn't like how everything was blown out of proportion. It seemed everyone forgot what this story was about, a reality show, and got all butt hurt over something so pointless. I just did not get what the big deal was to warrant such a reaction from every character.