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Hard to Hold (Hold trilogy #1)

by Stephanie Tyler (Goodreads Author)

3.85 · rating details · 714 ratings · 76 reviews

THE SPECIAL OPS HERO FEARED NOTHING—
UNTIL HE MET A WOMAN TOO HOT TO HOLD.…

Lieutenant Jake Hansen has survived some of the riskiest missions known to man. But now the wounded Navy SEAL faces his toughest job yet: smuggling Dr. Isabelle Markham out of Africa without triggering an international incident. Not easy to do when the gorgeous hostage happens to be a senator’s daugh...more

Mass Market Paperback, 370 pages

Published November 24th 2009 by Dell (first published November 4th 2009)

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Aug 05, 2010

Zosia rated it

Shelves: romantic-suspense

(Okay, so I read this ages ago, but I just reread it and still feel the same way!)

There were a lot of good ideas in this story, but too many tangents for it to come together in a satisfying way.

I did love some aspects of the story, but there is so much great romantic suspense out there, and having just reread some of my favourite Cindy Gerard and Shannon K Butcher books, I expect more from military romance.

However, if you're looking for a decent, quick read, ...more(Okay, so I read this ages ago, but I just reread it and still feel the same way!)

There were a lot of good ideas in this story, but too many tangents for it to come together in a satisfying way.

I did love some aspects of the story, but there is so much great romantic suspense out there, and having just reread some of my favourite Cindy Gerard and Shannon K Butcher books, I expect more from military romance.

However, if you're looking for a decent, quick read, give this a go. After being rescued from a horrendous attack in Africa, Isabelle tries to put her life back together. Her new job finds her working near Navy SEAL Jake, one of the men who saved her. But the nightmare is far from over for Isabelle, and, unbeknownst to her, Jake has been assigned to protect her.

There is a lot happening in this story. It is the beginning of a series, and while I love reading series where each book focuses on a different pair of characters, this book tries a little too hard to establish too many characters. I would have loved more time devoted to Isabelle and Jake.

I would also have liked to have seen a little more in the way of plot. Most of the interactions between the hero and the heroine involved them talking - and experimenting - with how to help Isabelle get over her attack. As such there wasn't much in the way of suspense, but plenty in the way of relationship development. I loved the relationship development, to an extent, but it dragged sometimes.

And what's the deal with the psychic aspect? Is this a paranormal or not? It was a part of the story that didn't seem to serve any particular purpose. In fact, the psychic father (and son), and the bizarre birth scene involving secondary characters (a scene that played no part whatsoever in the story) seemed like a waste of space. Perhaps they were setting up future stories, but they did not belong in THIS story unless they had something to do with it. Why did the editor not insist on taking them out?

That said, I enjoyed the story enough that I will keep reading the next two books - being released over the next few weeks. Stephanie Tyler has promise, but I don't think she's quite found her way yet.

Two and a half stars, if I could give that rating.(less)

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Jan 02, 2012

Wendy rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, romantic-suspense, men-in-uniform

Great storyline with a broody tortured hot alpha who's a hot Navy SEAL and with a headstrong, sometimes pain the ass heroine, this was an enjoyable read. Loved it!

My Jake.

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Dec 26, 2009

Shawna rated it

Shelves: cop-bodyguard-govop-merc-military, romantic-suspense, stephanie-tyler, older-gal-younger-guy-cougar, 2009-reads, hero-abused-scarred-tortured-angst, hero-alpha‎, hero-antihero-gamma, heroine-abused-traumatic-past-rape, military-romance, series-hard-to-hold-trilogy, im-a-cover-hottie-ho, brothers-sisters-cousins-family, hero-stud-mantel-hall-of-fame, exotic-wild-settings-survivor-lovin, doctor-or-nurse-in-the-house-shrink, 4-to-5-stars, i-read-no-longer-own-sold-swapped

4 ½-5 stars – Romantic Suspense

This is a very good start in a promising new military romantic suspense trilogy that's intense, hard-edged, and emotional. I just wish there had been a bit more romance (and hot sex!) between the H/H. Still, I really enjoyed it, and I'm looking forward to reading the second book in the trilogy, Too Hot to Hold. 4 ½...almost 5 stars!

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Feb 15, 2010

Kathrynn rated it

Shelves: own, romance-suspense, 2010, reviewed, theme-bodyguard, theme-hero_hard_to_like, theme-heroine_hard_to_like, theme-heroine_tstl, theme-psychic_abilities, theme-uniform

Disappointing. I tried to like this romantic-suspense, but several things bugged me. First and foremost I grew to distrust the writing. "Things" would be relayed, piece by piece, but changing in such a way that completely contradicted how "something" was initially implied. Distrust. That's how I felt about the writing. And it got much worse.

The way the characters would react to a scene, then the author would--gradually--explain what was happening got on my n...more

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Jun 01, 2011

Lady Danielle "The Book Huntress" rated it

Recommends it for: Fans of Navy SEAL heroes

Shelves: navy-seal, romantic-suspense, medical-profession, exotic-setting-jungle-island-desert, african-setting, owned-copy, dhasg-june-2011-read, nursed-back-to-health, abused, bodyguard-protector, scarred-hero, tortured-hero, tormented-heroine, family, alpha-hero, soldier-or-military, happy-for-now, 2011-reading

Hard to Hold is a good start to a three book series about a trio of brothers (from another mother/father) who are all SEALs. This Navy SEAL-loving girl definitely appreciated the portrayal of these characters who are members of my favorite Elite Special Forces unit. While this wasn't a perfect book, I definitely feel it was worthy of the four star rating I gave it. Here are my thoughts:

What I Liked:
* I liked the message about family being more than just blood. Family is a gro...more

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Sep 10, 2011

UniquelyMoi *~*Dhestiny*~* rated it

Shelves: suspense, romantic-suspense, author-stephenie-tyler, series-trilogy-hold, first-in-trilogy, starts-with-e-thru-h, challenge-read-june, review-needed, heroine-just-ok, hero-seal, doctor-nurse-emt-paramedic-medic, rape, kidnapped-hostage, format-paperback, 2011-reads, 3-4-stars, 4-stars

Hard to Hold is the first book in the Hold trilogy and my first read by Stephanie Tyler. I enjoyed the writing and the story itself, finding it easy to follow and holding my attention. I’m in love with Navy SEAL stories anyway, and this was right up my alley! I’m not going to go into the plot in this review, as you can get that from the book synopsis, but I am going to give you my thoughts on the story as a whole.

As far as characters go, I really liked, but sadly, didn’t l...more
Hard to Hold is the first book in the Hold trilogy and my first read by Stephanie Tyler. I enjoyed the writing and the story itself, finding it easy to follow and holding my attention. I’m in love with Navy SEAL stories anyway, and this was right up my alley! I’m not going to go into the plot in this review, as you can get that from the book synopsis, but I am going to give you my thoughts on the story as a whole.

As far as characters go, I really liked, but sadly, didn’t love, Jake and Isabelle, and the reason I didn’t love them is that I don’t feel like we were really given a chance to truly know them. The constant switching back and forth between secondary characters took away from the necessary page time to really become invested in our hero and heroine, who had stories worthy of more details than we were given. Granted, it did allow for a great lead up to Chris’ and Nicks’ stories, but I really wanted to connect with Jake and Isabelle on a level that I just didn’t reach. And given the nature of their pasts, well… I just needed more from them. For them.

And kudos to Ms. Tyler! Rape is such a difficult subject to address, but I feel like she handled it well, not making it too horribly graphic or detailed, yet giving us enough of the emotional aftermath to such a heinous crime that I was still able to feel the destruction and devastation it wrought, and the effect it had on Jake and Isabelle’s relationship.

The bottom line – I’ll definitely continue this trilogy, no doubt about it! While I there were some things I had a hard time accepting regarding Jake’s past and his military career, I was able to put those things aside and just enjoy the story for what it was – an action packed, exciting adventure! I know some people find it hard to believe that at 15 (or 16?) years old Jake was able to fake his way into the military, but I’m here to tell you, my own father faked his way into the Navy just before his 16th birthday – and he didn’t have anyone on the inside watching out for him! So, yes, it can be done!

3.5/5 stars

(less)

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Mar 29, 2010

Miss Kim rated it

Recommended to Miss Kim by: Shawna Razzaz, Auntee, Stephanie

Shelves: romantic-suspense, cops-military-bodyguards, 2010, dnf

I'm going to stick with my resolution to not force myself to finish books that I'm not enjoying. I made it to page 76 and anbandoned it.

The story has potential. The characters were somewhat interesting, but I felt pulled around from point of view to point of view. It seemed every character in the book got his section, and I found it too much and took away from the story. Plus the hero was supposed to have been in the navy at fifteen. Fifteen! He was such a bad ass that he made a fak...more

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Oct 07, 2011

Rjsmommy rated it

Shelves: all-s-fair-in-love

Men in uniform...gotta love them! I've been trying to expand my horizons the last few months from purely paranormal romances and came across Stephanie Tyler's name. This is the first in the HArd to Hold-Navy Seals Trilogy and I loved it! Jake and his brothers were amazing and I even liked Isabelle. Jake is a Navy SEAL bigger than life legend despite his young age. His childhood was horrific and he was "adopted" by his friend's family along with another troubled homelife friend; the...more

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Sep 28, 2010

Jane Stewart rated it

Shelves: romantic-suspense

Way too much telling, not enough showing. The main characters’ developing relationship could have been better.

STORY BRIEF:
Rafe is a special forces soldier gone bad. Isabelle is a doctor working in Africa. Rafe kidnaps, rapes and beats her and then leaves her tied up in a hut. Navy SEALS receive an anonymous tip, rescue her, and bring her back to the U.S. She is so fearful of Rafe coming for her, that people close to her lie and tell her he is in prison. But he is not. Af...moreWay too much telling, not enough showing. The main characters’ developing relationship could have been better.

STORY BRIEF:
Rafe is a special forces soldier gone bad. Isabelle is a doctor working in Africa. Rafe kidnaps, rapes and beats her and then leaves her tied up in a hut. Navy SEALS receive an anonymous tip, rescue her, and bring her back to the U.S. She is so fearful of Rafe coming for her, that people close to her lie and tell her he is in prison. But he is not. After she heals she works in the Navy clinic where Jake is currently stationed. Jake was one of her rescuers. She is drawn to him. They have a developing relationship. She wants intimacy with Jake, but he keeps pushing her away (for her own good) because he knows she needs more mental healing time before she can have sex with anyone. Meanwhile Jake’s commanding officer Cal orders Jake to stay close to Isabelle to protect her from Rafe coming back. Cal also orders Jake to lie to Isabelle and tell her that Rafe is in prison.

REVIEWER’S OPINION (WITH HINTS OF SPOILERS):
There were some excellent plot ideas, but the execution was lacking. The problem was that almost everything was “told not shown.” What a disappointment. There was so much potential. There are various mysteries introduced early in the book. Later in the book for each mystery someone “tells” the story behind the mystery. We don’t get to experience what happened using action, conversations, and feelings. For example, Isabelle later tells what happened when Rafe kidnapped her. Cal later tells the story of his past connections to Isabelle’s mother and Rafe. Sarah later tells someone about things that happened in her past. And the worst telling was done in the final climactic scene. A kidnaps B and C. But we don’t see A’s actions leading up to the point where he is able to grab them. H is going to be the hero. I thought good, now I can watch some action actually happening - but no. I don’t get to see H’s thinking or action that allowed him to follow A. A just says how did you find me, and H “tells” him what he did. After that scene resolves, H finds C tied to a bomb. The next scene has the sound of a bomb going off and then H and C are in a different location talking to another guy. We don’t get to see how H disconnected wires or whatever and got C free. In addition, there are other parts of the story which are told and not shown.

By the end of the book, I had many unanswered questions. (I have a list but I’m not printing them here because that would be too many spoilers.) Providing answers could have been so rich. There was potential for so much more depth with interesting motivations and actions, but it wasn’t done.

I liked the characters, but their relationship was disappointing. Jake kept distance between them for Isabelle’s own good. Another problem was the “separation/conflict scene.” When Jake told Isabelle that he was ordered to lie to her about Rafe being in prison, she got mad at “him” for lying. He could have been court-martialed for disobeying an order. Why is she mad at him? Then Jake has his own inner monologue feeling “guilty” thinking “He’d betrayed her by not telling her the truth.” Page 308. What? He was following orders. I was annoyed. The author should have come up with something better.

I thought about giving it 1 star, but because I had some interest while reading it, I brought it up to 2 stars.

DATA:
Story length: 370 pages. Swearing language: strong, including religious words. Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: 9. Total number of sex scene pages: 16. Setting: current day Africa and U.S. Copyright: 2009. Genre: romantic suspense.(less)

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Nov 27, 2009

Mojca rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: stephanie-tyler, gr-author, bodyguard-military-merc-gov-cop-leo, suspense-mystery-adventure-thriller, e-book, part-of-a-series, once-and-never-again, own, hb

This is the first book by Stephanie Tyler I've read and though I love storylines with über-alpha SEAL heroes, I must confess this story was a huge disappointment to me.
There were too many stories overlapping (though they all held a remote common thread), too many characters, too many personalities vying for attention, until I truly got the urge to take out an old notebook and pencil just to be able to keep it all straight.

It was too crammed with details and suspense elements, t...more

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Sep 29, 2011

Cindy Overton rated it

I started with the Shadow Force books and once caught up thought I would go back and read her first series. Being that I was now familiar with Stephanie's writing style of having multiple story lines going on in one book the influx of information given being that this was the first in the trilogy didnt bother me. This trilogy is about 3 brothers. 2 adopted and one natural. Jake Hansen had to kill his abusive step father when he was young and it has forever haunted him. Isabelle Markham was in Af...more

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Sep 22, 2011

Shelley Hoerauf rated it

Shelves: paperback-book, kindleebook, action, military, romance-suspense, hold-trilogy, stephanie-tyler, 9-2011-read

This was an excellent book,rated it 5 stars. I would recommend it if you like military romance suspense books. This is my first Stephanie Tyler book and won't be my last. This is the first book in a trilogy. Jake is a Navy SEAL who was instrumental in rescuing Isabelle(who had been kidnapped,abused, and raped) from Africa. Isabelle is a Plastic Surgeon who had been working for Doctors Without Borders when she was kidnapped by her bodyguard Rafe (who had been hired to protect her because...moreThis was an excellent book,rated it 5 stars. I would recommend it if you like military romance suspense books. This is my first Stephanie Tyler book and won't be my last. This is the first book in a trilogy. Jake is a Navy SEAL who was instrumental in rescuing Isabelle(who had been kidnapped,abused, and raped) from Africa. Isabelle is a Plastic Surgeon who had been working for Doctors Without Borders when she was kidnapped by her bodyguard Rafe (who had been hired to protect her because of threats her Senator mother had received.) This book had lots of suspense, intrigue, and of course sex scenes which were steamy. Both lead characters had scars both mental and physical which both had to fight to overcome if they were going to be together. Jake had a horrid upbringing. He was raised by an abusive stepfather, Steve, which ended when Jake killed him in self defense at age 14. That still haunts Jake to this day. Jake moved in with his adopted family then,Chris's mom and dad, Maggie and Kenny and his other best pal who also ended up being adopted, Nick Devane. Kenny is the only person he's ever called Dad. There's a slight paranormal aspect to the book in the sense that both Kenny and Chris have "The Sight" which comes from their Cajun roots.Kenny's wife died 12years ago which sent all 3 boys into a tailspin and Kenny into deep grief which I guess is why all three brothers ended up in the military. Jake was for the discipline, his 2 brothers it was jail or the military. Since Chris's mother's death, Chris won't use his gift on purpose, Kenny still uses it all the time to keep tabs on his boys. There was a secondary love story in this book which I'm not sure why it was included unless its going to be brought up later between Clutch and Sarah. I found this story distracting but interesting and craving for more of their story. So I hope Ms. Tyler brings them up in the next books. The agency GOST sounds horrible what it did to Clutch and and others like him, so I do hope its included in the next books,otherwise it was a waste of my time and energy. There was so much crammed into this book, so many twists and turns, a lot of introductions of characters, I think in preparation for the next two books. The climatic ending was so good. I will definitely be reading the next two in the series and more of Ms. Tyler's books.(less)

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Nov 25, 2010

Jess rated it

Shelves: 2010, romantic-suspense

I really enjoyed this book.. I have seen it on a few of my friend's shelves and have been a bit of a rut lately so I decided to go out on a limb and try this series out. Needless to say I'm happy that I did. I blew through this book in about a day, it was really great. Suspenseful, romantic, alpha males everything I enjoy in a book.

Lieutenant Jake Hansen is the main character in this book, although his brothers are also featured quite often. Jake is a Navy Seal and at the beginning of ...more

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Apr 04, 2010

Wendy rated it

Shelves: contemporary-romance, hot-military-characters, navy-seals-included, part-of-a-series

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I found this book to be a little less than I had expected. It got a great start, but I kept getting lost because of the writer jumping around with the topic or scenes. I thought it could have been so much more.

Jake is a navy seal sent into Africa to save a woman that has been kidnapped by her bodyguard because she is the daughter of a Senator. When they find her she has been beaten and raped. She is badly wounded and may not make it. While one of the Seal's goes to find transportati...more

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Jul 25, 2010

Amber Williams rated it

Catherine Mann is the only military romance author on my auto-buy list. However, when I tackled the first title in Stephanie Tyler’s SEALs trilogy, I was blown away! It’s not just the chiseled, bad-ass alphas that make these books must-reads – it’s the whole package. The heroes are so real, especially Jake in Hard to Hold, which is my new favorite romantic suspense. (It even edged out Nora’s Honest Illusions and Public Secrets…which is saying something!) The heroine deals with the recent and hea...more

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Jul 18, 2010

Darcy rated it

Shelves: 2010

I have been wanting to try this author for a long time after reading the books she writes with Larissa Ione, as Sydney Croft, but just hadn't gotten around to it. So finally when I was at the library I saw the book sitting on the shelf and I grabbed it and now I am just kicking myself for not having made this a priority to try sooner.

The main men in the book are so alpha male types that they rate off the chart. Like most men that need control they have issues and if Jake's are anyt...more

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Jun 08, 2010

Dee rated it

Shelves: kindle, reviewed

You know how some books you feel at home on the first page and, before you know it, you're finished? Well, this wasn't one of those books for me.

I love books on SEALS especially when there's plenty of action and hot sex but there wasn't alot of either in this first book of the "Hold" series.

Perhaps it's because I just finished reading Alexis Morgan's "Paladin" series and, before that, some of Lora Leigh's "Breeds". After that, I read "...more

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Jan 16, 2010

Jacqueline rated it

Shelves: from-work-borders, romantic-suspense, in-the-jungle-wilderness-desert-tun

I really wanted to like this book more. On page 4 though, I almost put the book down. The hero tells us he as been in the Navy 11 years since he was 15. I'm sorry, there's just no way that would have happened in 1998. You have to show too much paperwork to join the military these days. They know who you are and they don't let 15 year olds in. Second, he was put in the SEALS training straight out of bootcamp to teach him a lesson or something. Again not going to happen. You have to be at t...moreI really wanted to like this book more. On page 4 though, I almost put the book down. The hero tells us he as been in the Navy 11 years since he was 15. I'm sorry, there's just no way that would have happened in 1998. You have to show too much paperwork to join the military these days. They know who you are and they don't let 15 year olds in. Second, he was put in the SEALS training straight out of bootcamp to teach him a lesson or something. Again not going to happen. You have to be at the top of your rate to even apply. Not a single blemish on your career is allowed. Lying about your age is a pretty big blemish. I love stories about Navy SEALS. I've read every one I can find. I want to read a story that I can believe might happen though. I don't understand why the author chose to do this. What would have been wrong with him going in at 18 and then spending a couple of years being a darn good sailor and getting to the top of his rate before joining the SEALS?

I forced myself to go on and finish the book though. I didn't care for the heroine. Her motivations seemed kind of wimpy, like the author thought okay raped heroine, we need scene a, b, and c. Her hesistations and backing off from the hero seemed forced. He seemed sometimes thoughtful and sometimes an ass about it. The book seemed like there was way more sex (and I don't mind sex in a book) and anguishing about sex than actual story. And at the end when the bad guy's motivations are explained and he is taken down I had a bit of a huh? reaction. Not quite fully explained.

I did kind of like the clairvoyant dad and I liked the story of the side characters Clutch and Sarah better than the story of hero and heroine. Sarah's character seemed much more alive in the few pages she had than Isabelle's did. I'd be willing to read her story.

The writing was okay and the characters did seem to have separate voices which is good but it just really missed the gritty realism, realistic action sequences and solid motivations that I like in a SEAL story.(less)

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Nov 06, 2009

Lea rated it

Recommended to Lea by: i_love_my_kiera@yahoo.ca

Shelves: 2009-favorites, read-in-2009

If you stop by Stephanie Tyler’s blog you will see a picture of a very pretty lady with long dark hair hugging ‘Gus’, her big Weimaraner dog. Appearances can be deceiving and I cannot believe this sweet affectionate appearing lady could craft such a gritty, action packed, thrilling novel about total Alpha military heroes, and yet, she has.

I first came to know of Stephanie Tyler’s work through author Larissa Ione when I followed the breadcrumbs after reading her books to the ACRO ser...more

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Mar 23, 2010

Rochelle rated it

Recommends it for: Karen Peret

Shelves: romantic-suspense, man-in-uniform, 2010-read

I enjoyed this book, especially since I've been going through Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooters withdrawal!
This was of a similar theme, a Navy SEAL rescuing a woman, they both have issues, they eventually fall in love.
I found this was a book that took me a little more concentration or I miss details. Perhaps that is why the book didn't flow perfectly for me, but still very good.
I did think that Isabelle's feelings for Jake moved a little fast, but that might have been driven...more

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Nov 02, 2011

Alicia rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: uniforms-oh-yeah, romantic-suspense, wtf-is-this, disappointing, fire-your-editor-from-a-canon, series-completed, should-have-flounced, trees-died-for-this-crap

Note to Contemporary Authors: LEARN BASIC GRAMMAR. That's how one writes comprehensible sentences that allow your readers to understand what they're reading. It looks like Tyler was trying to emulate Nora Roberts's inability to write intelligible sentences, but she does it with none of the charm. For example, (view spoiler)...moreNote to Contemporary Authors: LEARN BASIC GRAMMAR. That's how one writes comprehensible sentences that allow your readers to understand what they're reading. It looks like Tyler was trying to emulate Nora Roberts's inability to write intelligible sentences, but she does it with none of the charm. For example, (view spoiler) These are just a scant few examples of the grammar fail throughout the book. At least when Roberts does it I'm reading a well written story otherwise.

Overall, the story didn't make sense. And not just because of crazy nonsense like Jake forging papers and enlisting in the Navy at fifteen, and was then sent into SEAL training right out of Bootcamp. Or that two of the characters are supposedly psychic. It was mostly because Tyler attempted to dole out a little bit of information on several different storylines over time, but the information we were given didn't make sense when it was all put together later on (the worst being the build up to the reveal of Jake's big, secret night of horror – and in the end it didn't deliver on any of what was said throughout the book). There were too many flashbacks and sometimes the only way you could tell you were going into or coming out of a flashback was the italics, there was no other transitioning. It all felt and read like it was incomplete. The timeline seemed all over the place (this was primarily the story of Jake as a teenager, (view spoiler) Did an editor even read this?). It was like Tyler couldn't make up her mind about exactly what story she was going to go with or about who these characters were, and that came through because all of the characters appeared to be confused about their feelings, beliefs and motivations. And it never became clear. It was all a spectacular failure of mystery, suspense and characterization.

On top of that, nearly half the book was taken up with the story of these minor peripheral characters, Sarah and Clutch. They really only partially intersected with the main story at all. Their in-depth back stories and love story were completely irrelevant to the book and to the endgame. I started skimming quickly over these sections looking for anything of relevance to the story – there was very little. Meanwhile, we were only given half-ass information on Nick and Chris, obviously because we're going to get their full stories in their installments of the trilogy, but it made for half-ass storytelling.

Finally, the climax was lame. It was all way too easy, and even though everything was supposed to have been revealed/come together at this point it was so stilted and jumped around so manically it was difficult to get the full picture. Some authors can write in a way to leave intrigue, or only give partial information for a later reveal – Tyler is not one of them.(less)

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May 08, 2011

Inga rated it

Shelves: seals-special-ops, romantic-suspense, have-the-book, stephanie-tyler

I've spent entire Sunday reading this book and enjoyed it so much that I grabbed the second book the next day.

What I liked most. Main characters’, their relationships, loyalty and support. Jake and Isabelle were well developed and had their charm. Both with their issues but those issues were resolved smoothly. I also was intrigued by two other brothers and am eager to read their stories.
What I also liked: all four of them sticking together. Firstly brothers and then, brothers a...more

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Jan 05, 2012

Sharon (twilightcrazie) rated it

Shelves: military-romance

Jake!!! I really liked this Navy Seal who has a dark past and is constantly haunted by it!

This really could have been an excellent story, but it was a bit too jumpy and that really took away from what could have made Jake and Isabelle's story stand out. I really liked how Jake and Isabelle couldn't get each other out of their minds after her rescue (She was a Dr and was kidnapped and raped by her own bodyguard while she was in the Doctors without Borders program. Jake and his SEA...more

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Jun 19, 2010

Leontine rated it

“We want to be in a situation under maximum pressure, maximum intensity, and maximum danger. When it is shared with others, it provides a bond which is stronger than any tie that can exist.”- SEAL Team Six Officer.

I read this quote at the beginning of the prologue and instantly was taken to Africa where a situation unfolded that was maximum pressure, intensity and danger. It was where Jake rescued Isabella from her captor and instantly a connection is formed. From the moment I read h...more“We want to be in a situation under maximum pressure, maximum intensity, and maximum danger. When it is shared with others, it provides a bond which is stronger than any tie that can exist.”- SEAL Team Six Officer.

I read this quote at the beginning of the prologue and instantly was taken to Africa where a situation unfolded that was maximum pressure, intensity and danger. It was where Jake rescued Isabella from her captor and instantly a connection is formed. From the moment I read her “confession” to Jake and Jake in return revealed a secret of him I wanted to dig into their motivations. What had happened with Isabella prior to her rescue? What was her connection to her captor? And where was this all going? The prologue was one where my curiosity was triggered and the suspense was already anchoring me to the story. The other thing I immediately was drawn to in HARD TO HOLD was the characters Stephanie Tyler brought to life, yet it is the numbers of that group of characters that initially threw me off.

After the rather intense prologue there were many set-up of storylines; Jake, Nick and Chris with their past, Jake and Isabella with their romance, Jeannie, mother of Isabella, with the general Cal, Clutch and Sarah, and then there’s also Rafe McAllistar who has his role to play out too. While it all was interconnected it initially tempered my connection with the story until I was firmly adjusted to the writing style and got more in sync with the characters. Besides the fact of the many POV’s I had a bit of trouble surrendering to the fact Jake was so very young when he entered the army. At one hand I could believe that due to his past he had the emotional maturity to go through army training, and after that, SEAL training. Yet at the other hand I saw a 15 year old in front of me that didn’t fuse with the needed expertise of an extreme tough soldier.

Even though I had some issues with HARD TO HOLD Stephanie Tyler hit the bulls’ eye for me with Jake, Nick and Chris as men. They are an addictive combination of male toughness, attitude, vulnerability, virility and skills. They are a tight unit together that will stick by one another through the good and the bad. In their teenage years their bond as brothers by choice began and through all those years it never wavered, leading up to a point they now know each other like the back of their hand. So Nick and Chris knew when Jake offered Isabella a place to stay at their house that there was more going on then Jake just protecting Isabella.

While I tried to get my grip on the several storylines the romance was heart rendering beautiful. Isabella’s emotional healing process spoke of resilience, overcoming fears, courage and uncovering the naked truth of the past and the present. I think Isabella’s road to recovery was done in a believable way; it was an internal sparring of the strength to get her life back and yet feeling the fear and the pain of what was done to her. Jake is a great opposite for Isabella and they emotionally fit together like white on rice, still their strong personality’s clash where they create a fiery friction and have passionate dialogues. Neither is willing to back down easy but the underlying hunger for each other is evident in many choices, gestures and conversations. I loved how Jake restrained his libido to a certain level so that Isabella held the power yet at other area’s Jake is all take charge and a man not to be messed with.

Another romance that caught up with me is that of secondary characters Clutch and Sarah, who reside in Africa. They have their own romantic battle to fight but by pursuing an enemy are connected to the larger picture. Stephanie Tyler gave me another intriguing set-up with an organization named; GOST, and as I didn’t get a conclusion regarding this supporting storyline I am fiercely hoping I will get to meet Clutch and Sarah in book two again.

By the second half of HARD TOO HOLD past secrets, the present dangers, the romance and the characters worked together in a way I finally could feel the full effect of this author’s voice. The plot was in full swing and gave some more time for Chris and Nick and while I really liked all the characters Chris sealed his fate with me with his offbeat attitude and his two different colored eyes. What can I say; the man had me at hello. Now that I was firmly hooked I read the chapters, one right after the other, to deliver an ending that was nail biting good.

HARD TO HOLD had a somewhat rocky start but it only got better and better that by the end I could feel the eagerness for book two humming through my veins.
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Sep 15, 2010

Gina rated it

Recommends it for: action romantic suspense lovers

Shelves: buddy-read, own

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. **Spoiler Alert!** If you plan on reading this book, do not read any further. ... okay, don't say I didn't warn you!

Jake Hansen, Navy SEAL, gets a transmission in the middle of an African jungle while on their way out: a doctor with Doctors Without Borders had been kidnapped and left for dead, not a mile from his current location. Splitting up, his team continues on, one man goes with him.

Finding Dr. Isabelle Markham nearly brought Jake to his knees, although he doesn't k...more

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Feb 28, 2010

Natasja rated it

Jake Hansen grew up with an abusive step-father and when he died in a fight with Jake, the Waldron family took him in and raises him as one of their own. But Jake was trouble from day one and the only thing left for him was joining the Military at the age of 15. Now he is one of the best Nave Seal of their unit, because Jake doesn’t hold back. While a dangerous mission in Africa, his unit finds an American woman, a hostage. Jake cannot believe his eyes when he sees the woman tied up, and beaten ...moreJake Hansen grew up with an abusive step-father and when he died in a fight with Jake, the Waldron family took him in and raises him as one of their own. But Jake was trouble from day one and the only thing left for him was joining the Military at the age of 15. Now he is one of the best Nave Seal of their unit, because Jake doesn’t hold back. While a dangerous mission in Africa, his unit finds an American woman, a hostage. Jake cannot believe his eyes when he sees the woman tied up, and beaten half to death, his instinct kicks in and he do everything in his power to get her home safe.

Isabelle Markham has everything in her life that every woman dreams about, a successful career as a surgeon and a fiancé who says he loves her. But Isabelle feels restless, so she joins the Doctor without Borders program in Africa. For the first time in her life she feels free of obligations, pressures and definitely her mother’s political career. But then she is kidnapped for ransom, tied up and beaten half to death.

Hard to hold by Stephanie Tyler is the first novel in the Hard to Hold Trilogy and one hell of a book. I never knew that I could love those Navy Seal romance novels so much, but Stephanie Tyler change all that. It’s full of action, fears, excitement and definitely sexual attraction, one fabulous combination.

Jake Hansen is one tough man, who isn’t afraid of anything; he grew up in an abusive home. Luckily for Jake, the Waldron family took him in after his step-father death and the bond between him and his adopted brothers Nick Devane and Chris Waldron became stronger than ever. But when he and Nick rescue a woman, during their mission in Africa Jake’s though heart begin to melt for that woman.

Isabelle is strong and good at her job, but she is restless so she needs to find out what she wants with her life before it’s too late to change anything. She joins the Doctor without Border in Africa, but she never could have imagined being kidnapped, raped, tied up and left to die. But the moment Jake walks through that door and save her life, she knows he is the right man for her.

I cannot believe that Isabelle had any will left to live after all she’s been through in Africa. You can say that makes her one hell of a strong determined woman. She isn’t afraid to go after things she wants and she wants Jake. And what about Jake…OMG what a man, with scars of his own from his past, trying hard to avoid Isabelle, but have to admit that beside his brother Nick and Chris, she is the only one who can chase away the nightmares.

I loved the interaction between the three brothers, not bound by blood but a bond stronger than that, along with a loving father. I couldn’t stop reading until I came to the last pages. All I have left to say is that this is a fabulous first book in this new trilogy and I cannot wait to find out more about Nick and Chris.
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Jan 30, 2010

Janna rated it

Shelves: z2010-contemporary-romance-challeng, men-in-uniform, z2010-100plus-reading-challenge, z2010-dik-book-reading-challenge, m-f

There are some books you really look forward to reading and then they just can’t live up to your own high expectations. There’s no one else to blame but yourself. Hard To Hold by Stephanie Tyler turned out to be such a book for me. Based on three Blaze novels about three SEAL friends by this author I really wanted to read her new contemporary military romance series about the brothers Jake, Nick and Chris, all Navy SEALs too. The first book about Jake was released on November 24, 2009 and the th...more

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Nov 24, 2009

Pearl rated it

Shelves: favorites-2009

At the end of a mission in Djibouti, Jake, his brothers Nick and Chris and the other members of his Navy SEAL team are on their way to the extraction point when word reaches them a doctor working with Doctors Without Borders has been held hostage and left for dead. They are to rescue her and get her out of Djibouti. The hostage is none other than a US senator's daughter, Isabelle Markham. When they get to her, she is in very bad shape and the fear she won't survive is great. But they manage to r...more

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Mar 13, 2010

Laura rated it

Shelves: romantic-suspense, military-fbi-gov-spy, ebook, store-fictionwise, 2010

3 1/2 stars
1st in a Navy SEALs trilogy.

Lt. (jg) Jake Hansen helped rescue Dr. Isabelle Markham with his SEAL team in Africa. They connected during the rescue, but he knew it was a high-stress situation and maybe not what it seemed. When Isabelle arrives at his base in Virginia to work at the hospital, he is shocked and a little shaken by her presence. When he is asked to help protect her from the same man who harmed her in Africa, he is uncomfortable, but wants to keep her s...more

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Nov 28, 2009

Auntee rated it

Recommends it for: Fans of romantic suspense featuring Navy SEALs

Shelves: men-in-uniform, romantic-suspense, 2009_reads, tortured-hero

Hard To Hold is the first book in Stephanie Tyler's new trilogy about Navy SEALs, and for a first book in a series, it was pretty good. Not outstanding, but good enough to hold my interest and wanting to see where this series is heading. As I've found out with most series, the first book seems to be the toughest to read. There's lots of background about the numerous characters and details about the direction of the series that the author has to lay out, and usually the first book of the serie...moreHard To Hold is the first book in Stephanie Tyler's new trilogy about Navy SEALs, and for a first book in a series, it was pretty good. Not outstanding, but good enough to hold my interest and wanting to see where this series is heading. As I've found out with most series, the first book seems to be the toughest to read. There's lots of background about the numerous characters and details about the direction of the series that the author has to lay out, and usually the first book of the series suffers a bit by getting bogged down by these facts. I felt that was the case a bit with this one, but it was still a well-written, interesting, thought-provoking read, but did leave me wanting just a bit.

Basically the plot of the story is that there's three adoptive brothers (Jake, Nick, and Chris) who are all Navy SEALs on the same team based (I'm guessing) in Virginia. (The author wasn't real clear on that, but I was eventually able to figure it out.) They're on a mission in Africa when they're detoured to rescue a doctor working for Doctors Without Borders who has been kidnapped and left for dead. And it just so happens that beautiful, 31 year old Dr. Isabelle Markham is the daughter of a V.I.P., Senator Jeannie Cresswel. When 26 year old Jake and his brothers locate Isabelle, she's naked, bound and gagged on a dirty floor of a small hut in the jungle, and hurting badly from the beating she received by her now missing captor. Jake has to make some tough decisions about moving her and risking hurting her more or risking her being captured by the rebels fighting in the area, and in the end pulls off a heroic rescue. Of course, during the rescue Jake and Isabelle form a 'connection' by sharing some upsetting secrets with each other and a couple of kisses, and later Jake secretly visits her when she's hospitilized, while Isabelle longs for the company of the brave, handsome SEAL who rescued her.

Two months later Isabelle is nearly fully recovered physically, (although haunted by her kidnapping ordeal mentally), and has made a commitment to doctor on the Navy base for three months (the same base where Jake is stationed). It seems that the bodyguard that her mother hired to protect her while in Africa, former Special Forces soldier Rafe, was the one who kidnapped and abused her while he collected the ransom, but for some reason he didn't kill her. Why is that? Isabelle is led to believe (for her own good) by her mother and her 'Uncle Cal' (Admiral James Callahan, coincidentally Jake's mentor)) that Rafe has been captured and is in prison. Untrue. The unstable Rafe is on the loose and is not finished with Isabelle or her family yet. What does he want? What is his connection to Isabelle and her family?

Since Uncle Cal knows that Isabelle won't be safe until Rafe is captured, he arranges for Jake (who happens to be sidelined from duty while he recovers from an injury) to 'protect' Isabelle. After a bit of manuevering, Jake gets Isabelle to move into the house that all three brothers share (the better to keep an eye on her), and they grow even closer, talking and trying to figure out if they have a real relationship. Although Jake and Isabelle both desire each other madly, Jake has concerns that Isabelle just wants him because he was her rescuer, while Isabelle tries to deal with the emotions of being abused by a man she trusted, and what that means for a potential physical relationship with Jake.

Things come to a head when Isabelle finds out that her mother, uncle, and Jake have been withholding the information that Rafe is not behind bars but is actually on his way to the states and is gunning for her. Isabelle detests the betrayal and decides it would maybe be in her best interest to go into protective custody with the F.B.I. after all. Will Jake let her go willingly or will he somehow find a way to keep on protecting her? Will Rafe finally have the showdown between Isabelle and her family that he desires? Will Jake and his fellow SEALs save the day again? What is the connection between Rafe and Uncle Cal, the senator, and Isabelle? Will Jake and Isabelle get past all the emotional baggage in their lives and their loner-like personalities and decide to try for a long term relationship?

Wow, this book was chock-full of lots and lots of details and characters, but surprisingly, it was fairly easy to follow and keep everything straight. There was a side plot about a mercenary named "Clutch" (who reluctantly is involved in a mysterious government agency called "GOST") and his girlfriend Sarah (who was a friend to Isabelle in Africa but later betrayed her and regretted it) involved with finding the elusive Rafe, and this interesting plotline was left unresolved and I'm assuming ST will stick with it throughout the series. There were hints about the backgrounds of brothers Nick and Chris and their early lives with their psychic, rock band manager dad Kenny that sort of whetted my appetite to read about their future stories. And of course there was plenty of detail about Jake's own tragic, abusive past and how he came to be friends with Chris and Nick and later taken in by Kenny and his late wife. All good stuff that helped to round out the book and give plenty of meat to the story.

The only complaint I have with the story, and it's not really a complaint but maybe a wish, is that I wish the romance part would have been more detailed. I realize that after what happened to Isabelle, it wouldn't have made sense for her and Jake to jump right into bed, but when they finally did (after 300 pages and some almost there moments) I expected maybe a little bit more. I don't know exactly what was missing that could've made it hotter (maybe some more dialogue?), but I felt like the love scenes could have been a little bit more amped up--and although they said the "I love yous" I didn't totally feel it. Maybe it was all the dancing around each other that did it and what I felt was Isabelle's constant state of confusion about the direction of her life, but I didn't feel the "I've got to have you" passion with these two. Jake was certainly a worthy hero in a cool, calm, protective, patient and heroic way, and Isabelle was certainly a brave and admirable heroine, but I just wish they would have generated more heat.

All in all, a very worthy effort with some very good writing, an exciting, easy to follow plot, and some nice details about Navy SEALs in general and specifically about all that Jake endured to become one at a very young age. There was plenty of action, a very suspenseful conclusion and a handful of twists and turns along the way. Given the circumstances, the romance between Jake and Isabelle was about what you'd expect it could be, but I think there's much more ahead for them in the future. A very good start to what looks to be a promising series. 4 stars.(less)

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About Stephanie Tyler

NY Times Bestselling author Stephanie Tyler writes what she loves to read - romantic suspense with military heroes and paranormal romance - all with happy endings. Her Eternal Wolf Clan series begins with DIRE NEEDS, which is available March 6, 2012 from NAL.

She also co-writes paranormal erotic romance for Bantam Dell under the pen-name Sydney Croft.

She lives in New Yor...more

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Quotes from Hard to Hold

“You’ve got to start admitting it.”
“Why are you doing this to me? Are you trying to break me?”
“No, you won’t break. You’ll bend, but you won’t break. Because until you admit it, it’ll never really go away,” he said. “You might’ve taken control, but that man took something from you he shouldn’t have. And that’s not your fault—whether or not you gave in is irrelevant. Come to terms with it now, Isabelle, before it’s too late.” — 3 people liked it

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