I have had all the Hard Ink books for a couple of months and have been meaning to get to them. Now that The spin off series Raven Riders is newly released, now is the best time to so I can jump right into Ride Hard.
4 Stars
Going in I wasn’t sure what this series was going to be like. I knew it was a romance, but also had a military and suspense type component. I really was surprised how great of a balance it was between the romantic story line and the suspense of the gang story line. It reminded me a bit of Jay Crownover’s Welcome to the Point series. The world is dark and there is violence. I really liked the suspense story line and was very interested in what was going on with Charlie and what Becca was having to go through. I really liked Nick’s character and enjoyed his journey of dealing with was happened to him while he was in special forces and how he was coping with everything now. The romantic story line was good, a little insta-love for my taste. It was accelerated a bit, but it wasn’t over the top. I really liked Becca and Nick’s dynamic and how they leaned on each other. It wasn’t like Becca was a damsel in distress and Nick swoops in to save the day. She works to figure things out just like he does. I really liked the story over all and thought it was a good read.
4 Stars
I enjoyed the back and fourth between the romantic side of the story and working the case against Bruno. I thought Hard as You Can was a little darker than the pervious book. Crystal has a very rough background and Shane has a few things from his past that are weighing him down. Crystal had so much going against her, but was still strong in the face of everything. I liked how protective both Shane and Crystal are with the people they care about. I really liked how the gang story line progressed and evolved through out the book. I really think this book did a great job showing off how deep this series is in great characters. Many of the men have a lot to deal with from their days in special forces, but they are different and make up a great group of characters along with others like Jeremy. I think Shane and Crystal’s relationship was a little accelerated like Becca and Nick. I did still like their story though. Shane showed a very sweet side with her and I loved the juxtaposition of that side with his military, tough side. I enjoyed this book just as much as the first, great complex suspense and romance.
4 Stars
I liked much of this novella, but missed some of the suspense and gang storyline from the others. That is understandable given it is a novella though. I wasn’t expecting the depth to Easy and learning about how his time in the military affected him. I think Laura Kaye does a wonderful job in this series showcasing how veterans have to deal with the effects of serving. I think she did a wonderful job writing about Easy and his feelings. I think the depth she gives to these guys is great and that is one of my favorite things about this series. I am so intrigued by them and invested in their journey. I enjoyed Jenna from the last book and liked that this novella gave us a good idea of how she is holding up after Hard as You Can. I liked their story and though they were really cute with each other. They don’t seem like they would work as a couple, but their chemistry is great. There were times it felt a little like Jenna liked Easy more for him ‘being her hero’, so that held me back from liking it more. I enjoyed this story more for Easy’s personal story line than their romance. By the end I did really like them as a couple, especially how much they help each other through everything.
4.5 Stars
I was really excited going in to read about Derek (Marz), I loved him in the other books. I enjoy that he is very opposite the other special forces guys. He had the most traumatic injury, yet isn’t dark and surly about things. He is a much lighter character which was a nice change of pace. I liked the story line for Emilie with her brother Manny. I liked how Marz and Emilie’s relationship developed and their was a little more realistic and a little less insta-love than the last two full novels. By the end Marz became my favorite hard ink man. He is sweet and sexy rolled into one, I enjoyed how complex he was. It was nice to also see more of his friendship with Beckett, as we haven’t learned much about him in the entire series. I really liked the Church Gang and Seneka storyline a lot in this book. I have really liked the overarching story line that has progressed in the series so far and I thought this book added more complex problems and new angles. Over all Hard to Come By has been my favorite hard ink book.
4.5 Stars
I liked this novella more than the last. I have loved Jeremy and Charlie so far and was really excited to see the two of them together. I love how opposite the two boys are, yet make sense together. I loved reading about Charlie and his shy awkwardness mixing with Jeremy and his charisma. I thought it was short and sweet. I really was thoroughly entertained!
*There is a short bonus story about a tattoo Nick get in Hard to Be Good and him showing it to Becca. Its under 20 pages and worth the read*
5 Stars
Given the way Beckett and Kat meet I was really excited to see how their relationship would evolve. I tend to really enjoy books with relationships where the characters go from getting on each others nerves to becoming lovers, and I was not disappointed. Given we didn’t know much about Beckett going in I really enjoyed getting to learn about what goes on in his head. He had a rough childhood and that affected him and he is a much more introverted guy. I was on the fence about him going in and I really grew attached to him through out the book. I really liked Kat and that she really is a Rixey through an through. I loved how their relationship grew through out the book. It felt like a natural progression and I loved their chemistry. Kat really helped open up Beckett a lot more as the book went on. He was always closed off and more to himself, but with Kat we saw a sweet and caring side to him. They had a sexy and sweet relationship. On the mission side of things I think that storyline was the best in this book as it had been all series long. There were a few twists and turns that kept me guessing as to what was happening. I thought it was intense and exciting. I was very interested in what was going on and how everything was going to wrap up. I think the book did an excellent job wrapping the mission up and setting up what lies ahead for all our hard ink men. I thought the end was filled with emotions and gave me the feels. I am very excited for the other novellas, as I am not ready to say good bye to these characters.
4 Stars
I liked Ike and Jess’s story, they have been co-workers for years and have a good friendship that both sides want more. I liked Ike’s protective side for Jess and how much he cares for her. He also has a dirty side that she seems to share that draws them together, leading to plenty of sexy times. They have a similar dark spot from their past that they both need to overcome. This takes place during events from Hard to Let Go, so there is mention of what is going on from the hard ink side of things. It also gave a little more insight to the raven riders so we have a little more of an idea for the spin off series.
5 Stars
This story was so cute! I was excited to get a novella that is after everything is resolved in the final book! I grew to adore Nick and Becca as the series went on more and more. There was still some intense drama that they had to deal with and one final loose end tied up. I liked that we still had some of that on this novella along with the sweet storyline of Nick and Becca’s wedding. It was a really good read and even has a couple nice surprises at the end for some of the other characters. Loved it!
Raven Riders Spin Off Series
Brotherhood. Club. Family.
They live and ride by their own rules.
These are the Raven Riders . . .
Raven Riders Motorcycle Club President Dare Kenyon rides hard and values loyalty above all else. He’ll do anything to protect the brotherhood of bikers—the only family he’s got—as well as those who can’t defend themselves. So when mistrustful Haven Randall lands on the club’s doorstep scared that she’s being hunted, Dare takes her in, swears to keep her safe, and pushes to learn the secrets overshadowing her pretty smile.
Haven fled from years of abuse at the hands of her criminal father and is suspicious of any man’s promises, including those of the darkly sexy and overwhelmingly intense Ravens’ leader. But as the powerful attraction between them flares to life, Dare pushes her boundaries and tempts her to want things she never thought she could.
The past never dies without a fight, but Dare Kenyon’s never backed down before . . .
OUT NOW :Buy on Amazon
To protect and serve is all Detective Kyler Vance ever wanted to do, so when Internal Affairs investigates him as part of the new police commissioner’s bid to oust corruption, everything is on the line. Which makes meeting a smart, gorgeous submissive at an exclusive play club the perfect distraction… The director of the city’s hottest art gallery, Mia Breslin’s career is golden. Now if only she could find a man to dominate her nights and set her body—and her heart—on fire. When a scorching scene with a hard-bodied, brooding Dom at Blasphemy promises just that, Mia is lured to serve Kyler again and again. As their relationship burns hotter, Kyler runs into Mia at work and learns that he’s been dominating the daughter of the hard-ass boss who has it in for him. Now Kyler must choose between life-long duty and forbidden desire before Mia finds another who’s not so hard to serve.
OUT JUNE 28TH : Pre-Order on Amazon
3 Ladies with a Love of Books 