Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Release Day Launch: Hard to Hold on To (Hard Ink #2.5) by Laura Kaye - @laurakayeauthor

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We are so excited to bring you the Release Day Launch for Laura Kaye's HARD TO HOLD ON TO! HARD TO HOLD ON TO is a Contemporary Romance filled with suspense and is a novella in the Hard Ink Series, published by Avon Impulse (an imprint of HarperCollins). And if this novella weren't hot enough on its own, Laura is donating 100% of her proceeds from the first two weeks' sales to a national non-profit organization that assists veterans transitioning back to civilian life!!

  Hard To Hold On To

 Hard to Hold On To on Goodreads

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 About Hard To Hold On To: Edward "Easy" Cantrell knows better than most the pain of not being able to save those he loves—which is why he is not going to let Jenna Dean out of his sight.  He may have just met her, but Jenna's the first person to make him feel alive since that devastating day in the desert more than a year ago. Jenna has never met anyone like Easy. She can't describe how he makes her feel--and not just because he saved her life. No, the stirrings inside her reach far beyond gratitude. As the pair are thrust together while chaos reigns around them, they both know one thing: the things in life most worth having are the hardest to hold on to. 

HTHOT Teaser

EXCERPT
Easy tugged down the covers and gestured for Jenna to get in. She chose the side that would allow her to lie on the uninjured side of her face.
 “After what you’ve been through, I don’t want to do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable,” Easy said.
Propping herself on an elbow, Jenna shook her head.
“You won’t. You’re the—” She blanched as if she hadn’t meant to say whatever she’d nearly said. Which made Easy need to know. He crawled on the bed as if lured by the words.
 “Finish. That. Sentence.”
She eased back onto the pillow, red hair sprawling around her shoulders like silk, and stared up at him. And it took everything Easy had not to settle himself on top of her and tease the words out with his hands and tongue.
 “The only one who makes me feel safe," she whispered.
 Satisfaction humming through him, Easy turned and stretched out on his back. Because if he kept looking at her while she was looking at him like that, he might not be able to restrain himself from having what he wanted. A taste. A chance. None of which she was in any shape for. And given the shitstorm in his head, probably neither was he.
“Good. That’s good,” he murmured, blowing out a long breath.
Damn, he was tired. Not just because he hadn’t slept much the night before. But because of the size of the load he’d been shouldering for the past twelve-plus months. If he could only figure out how to put it down. He scrubbed his hands over his face, wishing he could shake himself out of this fucking slump. If Rimes were here, he’d kick Easy’s ass for being such a morose motherfucker. But he wasn’t here. Which was the damn problem in a nutshell. He dropped his arms to the bed and peered over at Jenna. She lay on her side facing him, hand tucked under her chin, not looking the least bit settled or relaxed.
 “Whatchu need?”
 “You.” She spoke the word without any hesitation, any doubt, any seeming self-consciousness. “Have me, Jenna. Whatever you want,” he said, his cock stirring no matter how hard he reined himself in.
 Holding his gaze, she moved closer until her head rested on his shoulder and her body trapped his arm between them. And, suddenly, she wasn’t fucking close enough.
Here,” he whispered, lifting his arm and inviting her closer.
And damn if his heart didn’t soar when she fitted herself the rest of the way against him, her face against his throat, her breasts against his ribs, her leg curling up onto his thigh. He wasn’t sure whose sigh was louder. All Easy knew was that this was the first time in more than a year he didn’t feel alone. Wrapping his arm around her, he couldn’t resist squeezing her in just a little closer.
 “Thank you,” she whispered, her breath ticklish against his neck. He laced his fingers between hers where they rested on his chest.
“I gotchu. You just close your eyes and know I’m here.”  

Did you have a favorite line? Thanks for reading!


   

  


This novella takes place over the span of about 3 days, after Jenna is rescued by Easy and the others after being taken and held by Church's gang for a few days.  Easy is the one to carry her to safety, and between the short amount of time they spent together before she was taken, and the feelings of security she has around him after he rescues her - their bond only intensifies.  She needs him close - and for the first time in the past year, he's realizing how much her needing him, is exactly what he needs to ease his pain.
These two are really a great couple, and I really believe they'll be able to help each other heal and grow as they get to know each other.  Jenna has her issues, but Easy has held so much inside - and when he opened up to his brothers about his feelings and thoughts, I found a whole other level of respect and admiration for them all.  The way they handle each other, and have each other's back is commendable.


I'm loving this series, and even though the books so far have only taken place over about the length of two to three weeks, with the intensity of the situation they are all in, all of the relationships they are developing feel realistic and believable.  I love that these guys are tough, hard ass, ex-military - but yet all of them are coming to realize and ask for the help that each one so desperately needs, which makes their characters all that more appealing to me.  I'm looking forward to seeing who the next book will be about and what situation will happen as they attempt to find out the answers regarding what ended their military career.  Laura Kaye is definitely one of my "Must Read" authors!






This was one sweet sizzling amazing read. I loved Easy from the first book and wanted this story from his introduction. There was just something about this gentle giant that drew me in and had me wanting to see beneath the layer of thick skin and gruff exterior. His name may be Easy..but he came off the opposite.. The way I'd describe him until Jenna came into his life would be Hard. Because of pain and loss that left scars on his body and his soul..he just felt empty. 
All of these soldiers are paying the ultimate price..that they shouldn't have had to pay. From one man selfish mistake they are being punished and together with the help of some amazing secondary characters ..things will be set right, one step at a time. Easy and Jenna were the sweetest couple. Both broken in some ways but strong when together. In a perfect world you might think that they were moving too fast or that this was the wrong time but one thing is for certain. This group of individuals and this couple have learned the hard way that life is too short to wait till tomorrow or wait till "the time is right". So I enjoyed the fact that Easy and Jenny were able to lose themselves in each other and find a little bit of peace, comfort and acceptance in a time when they needed it most. 
 
 

 Laura Kaye remains one of my go to authors for honest and realistic couples. When I open a story written by Laura, I am swept away to a better world. This series is fantastic and every installment just keeps getting better.

 
***From a personal standpoint there was subject matter in this book that touched my heart greatly. As a mother of a US Marine I have been on my knees in prayer so many days just asking for safety for my son. But after they come home and they are physically safe..that is when the WAR starts. 
This is when they battle demons they can't see. 
 I pray for each and every son and daughter that there comes a day our heroes stop being that next 22. 
*** Laura thank you.



LK Donation Promo Final 2   Men of Hard Ink
Other Books in the Hard Ink Series:
(11/25/14)
Hard to Be Good 
(3/10/15)
Untitled 
(7/28/15)
Praise for the Hard Ink Series:
 For Hard As You Can: 
 "TOP PICK! There is a sinister and desperate edge to this tale that will keep readers glued to their seats. Kaye has dark romantic suspense nailed!"
~ RT Book Reviews Magazine
 "Hard As You Can is another five star read. The characters Ms. Kaye has created are wonderfully broken and the drama is gritty, but the burgeoning romance and the tight-knitted relationship of the team leaves you with a sense of redemption. A must read series!"
~San Francisco Book Review  
For Hard As It Gets: 
 "Edgy, sexy and full of suspense!  A great read from a great new author!"
~ #1 NYT Bestselling Author J.R. Ward
"Sizzling romance... The intriguing tattoo parlor and military background will appeal to fans of Suzanne Brockmann and Lindsay McKenna."
 ~Publishers Weekly Review "Kaye's depiction of sexual tension and her sex scenes are masterful and this will appeal to fans of Maya Banks' KGI and Julia Ann Walker's Black Knight's series."
 ~Booklist

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   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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