Hard As You Can (Hard Ink #2) by Laura Kaye-Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway

Hard As You Can
Hard Ink #2
by Laura Kaye
Genre: contemporary, suspense, action, romance, adult
Release Date: February 25, 2014

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About the book: Release Date February 25, 2014

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.

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REVIEW: HARD AS YOU CAN is the second storyline in Laura Kaye’s contemporary, adult, romance, suspense Hard Ink series focusing on five former Special Forces soldiers trying to prove their innocence from a mission that went horribly wrong. This is Shane McCallan and Crystal (Sara) Dean’s story and begins immediately on the tail of book one – Hard As It Gets. Nick and his men are hoping to extricate Becca’s brother Charlie from the men who hold him captive and Crystal Dean may be Charlie’s ticket to freedom.

The storyline follows Crystal as she is in desperate need of help if she is to ever save her life and that of her younger sister but Crystal knows that to run could mean the end. When her father’s past bleeds into her present, Crystal is caught between illegal activities and the law. Her only choice is to remain bound to a man and a job she does not want and hope that in the near future she will be able to escape. Enter Shane McCallan-the man who will become both her protector and her future.

The attraction between Crystal and Shane is immediate-there is no denying the heat-but Crystal’s life is not hers to command. As the storyline progresses, Shane will discover that Crystal and her sister Jenna are in danger and the people behind the threats are tied directly to the Special Forces mission in Afghanistan that all went to h*ll. Crystal has suffered horribly for her father’s sins and Shane will ensure that it will never happen again.

The world building continues from book one. We learn more about the men who have each other’s backs as well as the emotional scars that have kept them apart for so long. A family of survivors, our Special Forces soldiers will pull together to save those they love and get one step closer to the truth about what happened.

Laura Kaye writes from the heart-her storylines are about survivors –men who have survived the war in the Middle East only to return to a war on drugs, gangs and human trafficking -are all topics tackled in the stories of Hard Ink. Each member of the Special Forces team has a story to tell and a special someone to find.

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy

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Hard As It Gets
Hard Ink #1
by Laura Kaye
Genre: contemporary, suspense, action, romance, adult
Release Date: November 2013

Click HERE for our review of HARD AS IT GETS

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Tall, dark, and lethal…

Trouble just walked into Nicholas Rixey’s tattoo parlor. Becca Merritt is warm, sexy, wholesome–pure temptation to a very jaded Nick. He’s left his military life behind to become co-owner of Hard Ink Tattoo, but Becca is his ex-commander’s daughter. Loyalty won’t let him turn her away. Lust has plenty to do with it too.

With her brother presumed kidnapped, Becca needs Nick. She just wasn’t expecting to want him so much. As their investigation turns into all-out war with an organized crime ring, only Nick can protect her. And only Becca can heal the scars no one else sees.

Desire is the easy part. Love is as hard as it gets. Good thing Nick is always up for a challenge..

HARD AS YOU CAN is your second book in the “Hard Ink” series (after USA Today bestseller, HARD AS IT GETS). What can readers look forward to?

Readers can look forward to tons of sexy alpha male goodness, awesome bromance between the Hard Ink men, more antics from the Hard Ink puppy, and another great love story between Shane and Crystal. But readers should also be ready for a book that is darker, more intense, and more emotional. This book pushed me to emotional places that were tough as a writer, and might be tough for readers, too. But I think that just makes the payoff at the end so much sweeter!

Describe Shane and Crystal. What are their best traits? What are their weaknesses?

Shane and Crystal are such an amazing couple to me. They’re each exactly what the other needs. Shane’s best traits are his protectiveness, his fundamental kindness, and his soul-deep loyalty (his southern accent and humor are also right up there!). His biggest weakness for sure is a tragedy from the past for which he blames himself—and it’s something that continues to motivate him in Hard As You Can. Crystal’s best traits are her courage, protectiveness, and selflessness—she’s willing to do anything to keep her younger sister safe. Her biggest weakness is also that selflessness, because the sacrifices she’s required to make are getting bigger and bigger and bigger.

If you could describe your book in a 140 character tweet, what would it be?

When a woman in trouble assists an ex-soldier’s covert mission to regain his team’s stolen honor, he finds a new mission to save her, too

What are you most excited about with this second book release?

I’m really excited to take readers deeper into these awesome characters and into the mystery behind the Hard Ink team’s ambush and discharge!

What books are you reading right now?

I’m almost done with Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander (yes, I’m very late to the party but OMG JAMIE FRASER!!!). And I’ve recently devoured and loved Juliana Stone’s Offsides and Shelly Thacker’s time-travel historical romance, Forever His.

What can fans of your “Hard Ink” series look forward to next?

There will be two more Hard Ink books in 2014!

Hard to Hold on To – August 2014
Hard to Come By – November 2014

About Laura Kaye:

Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over a dozen books in contemporary and paranormal romance. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

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