ARC Review: Hard As It Gets by Laura Kaye

I will admit that I took one look at this sexy cover and decided I wanted to read this book. I hadn't even read the blurb yet when I knew that I was interested, but after reading it I knew this story was going to be good. I definitely was not disappointed with Hard As It Gets, and I really enjoyed reading this one. I thought that this was a great way to start this series, and I already cannot wait to read the next one.

Becca's brother goes missing and the only clue she has is from her brother telling her to find Nick Rixey. Becca goes to Hard Ink and finds Rixey only for him to turn her away. After a few days of keeping an eye on her though, Nick quickly figures out that something isn't right and could very well have something to do with the disaster that forced him to leave the Army. Rixey begins to help Becca look for her brother Charlie and hopes that along the way he can get to the bottom of everything that happened. He enlists the help of what is left of his team, and they begin to work together. As Becca and Rixey search for Charlie, things between them begin to heat up. But there is more than just attraction growing between them, and the more that Rixey gets to know Becca the deeper their feelings become. Can they find Charlie and get the answers that Nick and his team have been searching for? Can Becca and Rixey make it out of this dangerous situation they have found themselves in and be together?

I loved Nick Rixey. He was sexy and a total tattooed alpha, but he was also really sweet and caring. I loved how he really wanted to take care of Becca and be protective of her, but he also didn't baby her. He really let her be herself and made sure that he didn't shut her out of what was going on. He was also a really great friend. Even though he had made some bad decisions and there was a lot of tension between the members of his team, he really cared about them and the trust and camaraderie was easy to see. I also really liked Becca. I liked that she was tough and strong, definitely not your typical shrinking violet type of heroine. She wasn't afraid to risk everything for those she cared about, and it was clear to see how much she really loved her family. Even though she was very insightful about what Nick was feeling and going through, she made it a point to never bring up anything in front of others so that he wouldn't be upset or embarrassed. I thought that spoke volumes about her character and how much she really thought of Nick. Their connection was so real and believable. I was surprised just how strong their connection was in such a short period of time, but I never once questioned it. They were just naturally a perfect fit for each other in every way. They were a great balance to each other, and they had amazing chemistry! These two really generated a ton of steam, and their sex was very hot!

Overall, I thought that this one was a great read! I loved that as the first book in this series we got to meet all the players and set everything up, but that we also got a really great romance out of it as well. I thought that Laura Kaye did a great job of answering some of our questions, but also of making us ask more. She didn't leave this on a huge cliffhanger, but was able to leave us with unanswered questions and wanting more. I really enjoyed the guys from the team and I thought that their interactions with Becca and Rixey were definitely some of the high points of this book. I cannot wait to get more of them as this series progresses. I also really liked Jeremy, Jess and am curious to get to know more about Charlie. I did feel as though the first few chapters and a few other parts of the story moved a little slowly for my liking, and that is what kept me from rating this one higher. I did however keep reading despite that, and I am so glad that I did. If you are looking for a book with suspense and romance featuring some hot tattooed guys, this is definitely one you won't want to miss. I am anxiously awaiting the next book in the Hard Ink Series which is Hard As You Can. This one will be Shane's story, and I cannot wait to get to know him better!

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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