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Hard as You Can
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Hard as You Can (Hard Ink #2) by Laura Kaye [Start Date: July 11, 2016]
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Well, I liked this series alot and have read all of them. They were really good
I'm in. I'll have my aunt here, though.
I started listening to this today, and am getting pretty far into it while cooking and doing laundry. I have so many longer books to read this month, that I'm glad I was able to borrow this on audio through the library.So far I like it better than the first book, though the immediate lusting is a bit over the top.
I'll start tomorrow. Glad that it's better than the first one.
I'm starting tonight!
I'm on chapter 3. I'll come back with a few questions when I finish chapter 8.
I just started chapter 9 and am absolutely loving it! ; )
Just A Few Questions chapters 1-81.Is Shane going to find his sister? or at least find out what happened to her?
2.How do you think Crystal/Sara got the scars on her back from Bruno or Church? What do you think of the name change?
3. Will they save the girls Church is going to give Aziz (whoever that is) ?
4. Is it believable for someone with a violent/abusive boyfriend to be attracted to someone this quickly?
5. Jenna doesn't know what's going on with Crystal. Isn't it better or safer for her to know?
Silvia wrote: "I just started chapter 9 and am absolutely loving it! ; )"Yep I'm going to start chapter 9 right away.
My response to ShoSho's questions (so far) based on what I thought at the time:1.Is Shane going to find his sister? or at least find out what happened to her? I would hope so, but don't think so. At least, not in this book. I think it would be too much with the romance and mystery.
2.How do you think Crystal/Sara got the scars on her back from Bruno or Church? What do you think of the name change? I assumed they were whip scars and that she got them in the rooms in the lower level of the club when she was first brought in. Clearly she experienced some horrible abuse, even though it's only slightly alluded to. As for the name, it's a control thing and distances her from her past and self. It makes her who he wants rather than acknowledging who she is.
3. Will they save the girls Church is going to give Aziz (whoever that is) ? I am betting they will.
4. Is it believable for someone with a violent/abusive boyfriend to be attracted to someone this quickly? Hmm, that was one of my reservations. I can see the emotional attraction, since she's so on edge. However, I didn't buy the immediate physical attraction. To recognize he's attractive, yes. To lust after him, no.
5. Jenna doesn't know what's going on with Crystal. Isn't it better or safer for her to know? That is a really hard one. I can see that she doesn't want Jenna to worry or feel guilty. However, it also makes it more likely that Jenna will do something to increase the danger she's in without realizing the implications.
@Lara#1. I hope so too
#2. Eeep I didn't think that. I hope it's not that, is it?
#5.Yes I'm worried that she would something to put them in more in danger because she doesn't know what's going on.
1.Is Shane going to find his sister? or at least find out what happened to her?I think she will be found.
2.How do you think Crystal/Sara got the scars on her back from Bruno or Church? What do you think of the name change?
Church...I don't think Bruno did it although I think he's vile. I think her name change was more Bruno's idea of getting her to depend on him by completely stripping her of her former identity.
3. Will they save the girls Church is going to give Aziz (whoever that is) ?
Yes, maybe that's where Shane's sister is...hope so!
4. Is it believable for someone with a violent/abusive boyfriend to be attracted to someone this quickly?
Yes....she is probably attracted to Shane because he is so genuine in his feelings for her. I just hope she doesn't get mad at him for bugging her apartment...and she will find out...or Bruno will and if he finds out she'll end up paying for it!
5. Jenna doesn't know what's going on with Crystal. Isn't it better or safer for her to know?
Maybe Crystal thinks that if Jenna is questioned by Bruno or the Church gang, she will come off as not being in the know, that her ignorance vibe will come off as authentic because it is.
A question:Do you want to read
in August and
in September?or do both in August ?
@Silvia#2.I agree
#3. Although I hope they find his sister , I don't think she'd be in this delivery.
#4. Oooh I'm pretty sure she'll get super mad if she finds out.
ShoSho wrote: "A question:Do you want to read
in August and in September?or do both in August ?"
I would rather have one in August and one in September.
Silvia wrote: "ShoSho wrote: "A question:Do you want to read
in August and in September?or do both in August ?"
I would rather have..."
Yes me too. #2.5 is a novella but I think it's around 200 pages so it's long enough to have its own discussion.
I agree.
is too long for a really quick read.
I'm listening to the audio with 1.4 speed, the original was too slow. I'm making good progress.
Questions for chapters 9-156.They didn't find anything in the bear I still think there is something in there, do you think they missed something?
7.Well in the back of his truck! I was wondering where and how they are going to get to that! What did you think of her reaction when he touched her scars?
8. What do you think is going to happen to Bruno? Is he going to survive the book? He's not a %100 bad person (he's getting worse and worse in her eyes though). He's abusive and controlling but without him she wouldn't have been alive. What do you think about his character?
9. She's telling Jenna everything , are the boys listening too?
ShoSho wrote: "I'm listening to the audio with 1.4 speed, the original was too slow. I'm making good progress."I did the same :-)
ShoSho's Questions for chapters 9-156.They didn't find anything in the bear I still think there is something in there, do you think they missed something? I'm not sure. They seemed pretty certain there should be something else there.
7.Well in the back of his truck! I was wondering where and how they are going to get to that! What did you think of her reaction when he touched her scars? And not exactly a safe or truly private place either! Given her situation, it was stupid to get physical someplace where she could possibly be seen and recognized.
8. What do you think is going to happen to Bruno? Is he going to survive the book? He's not a %100 bad person (he's getting worse and worse in her eyes though). He's abusive and controlling but without him she wouldn't have been alive. What do you think about his character? I think he's nice when he feels like he's in control. Otherwise he loses his sh*t and shows how uncontrolled he really is. And I agree, he starts out as not completely terrible (he does pay for Jenna's medication and allow her to stay there), but the tension is starting to ratchet up against him. Well, he's an abuser and they often make life threats if someone leaves even if they aren't in a violent gang.
9. She's telling Jenna everything , are the boys listening too? She turned on music and they are whispering (mostly), so I don't think they'll be able to make anything out.
@Lara#7. Yes I was expecting Bruno to show up while they were at it!
#8. At first I was thinking he's not so bad but now ...
#9.I stopped at the end of that chapter and I was pretty sure the boys were listening but yes it turned out they had the music on.
I'm on chapter 20.
I'm done.
Just a wrap-up chapters 16-end10. Yep there was something in the bear. I'm a bit skeptical of what just a chip can do. In real word a lone chip doesn't do you good unless you have the right breakout board , the datasheet ...or if it's a memory chip the right memory reader! Anyway this is fiction. What do you think they'll find on it? Proof that their father was undercover or that he was traitor or ...?
11.How realistic was their first love making considering Jenna , Sara's past and ...?
12. Is Church going to find out who blow up his club?
13.What did you think of the book?
Just a wrap-up chapters 16-end10. Yep there was something in the bear. I'm a bit skeptical of what just a chip can do. In real word a lone chip doesn't do you good unless you have the right breakout board , the datasheet ...or if it's a memory chip the right memory reader! Anyway this is fiction. What do you think they'll find on it? Proof that their father was undercover or that he was traitor or ...? At the end of the last book I started thinking that the Colonel may have been part of an undercover operation. Now I'm really thinking that, but wondering if it was officially sanctioned or not. Especially given the agency they've revealed and it's connection to Church's gang
11.How realistic was their first love making considering Jenna , Sara's past and ...? Well, somewhat in that she did have some reactions. However, it was also pretty clear to me that she'd been sexually active with Bruno many times over the past several years. It's not like they just started dating, after all. And he's not a philanthropist. So, another part of me was wondering why she was suddenly so traumatized given that she's been intimate with her owner/abuser for quite some time.
12. Is Church going to find out who blow up his club? At some point I'm sure he will. I do think they are deluded about how safe their building is.
13.What did you think of the book? I liked this one better than the first, but still have reservations about how quickly they fell in love. To be fair, it was based less on lust and more on emotional connection, so that was a definite improvement. However, it took place over less than a week.
@Lara#10. Yes I'm with you on that.
#11. They'd been together for 4 years and she actually liked him at first and after a while started tolerating the sex rather than enjoying it.
So yes it didn't make sense that she wasn't sure if she could have sex with Shane. but overall I liked how the author dealt with her trauma.
#12.I agree I think they are depending on the safety of their building too much.
#13. I liked this one better too. Not a big fan of insta love but I liked how their relationship played out.
I was glad that the attraction wasn't immediate sexual fantasy as it was in the first book. They were attracted to each other, but that wasn't enough. I did find the fantasizing on her part surprising given her (justified) anxiety level.
Questions for chapters 9-156.They didn't find anything in the bear I still think there is something in there, do you think they missed something?
Not sure....maybe inside the id tag or inside the bear's ear. There has to be another clue in something else that belongs to her or Charlie.
7.Well in the back of his truck! I was wondering where and how they are going to get to that! What did you think of her reaction when he touched her scars?
It's understandable. The scars are disgusting to her so she thinks they're disgusting to him as well. She was ashamed of them and tried her best to keep them them hidden.
8. What do you think is going to happen to Bruno? Is he going to survive the book? He's not a %100 bad person (he's getting worse and worse in her eyes though). He's abusive and controlling but without him she wouldn't have been alive. What do you think about his character?
Even though he rescued her I'm wondering what his intentions were. It's almost like he expected her to be in debt to him. He's still a bad bad man. He's involved in Church's gang as an apostle and probably human trafficking ....not a good thing!
9. She's telling Jenna everything , are the boys listening too?
If they were I think Shane would have been at her door in no time flat!
@Silvia#8.Yes I wondered about his intentions, was it just because he felt indebted to their father or did he actually liked her or something else entirely.
#9.yes there is that!
I keep wondering about Bruno's motivations myself. Sara thought he was kind at first, and it seems he didn't have to be. I wonder if he saw her as a prize, or as something special to win over. And the need to control her is behind his abusive behavior.Shane did think about how men like Bruno are insecure and need to compensate for it through controlling others and violence.
Lara wrote: "I keep wondering about Bruno's motivations myself. Sara thought he was kind at first, and it seems he didn't have to be. I wonder if he saw her as a prize, or as something special to win over. And ..."I've been thinking about his character since I finished the book. I don't know how to justify him in my mind.
He didn't have to be kind to her and he had been at first.
Anyway I'm thinking if the author created a complex character or just a sloppy character with lots of contradictions!!lol
I think it was a bit sloppy. To me it read like the author wanted to make sure Sara was portrayed as good--so she dated a man who did nice things for her and only later realized how abusive and controlling he was. The fact that she didn't really have a choice isn't addressed there.However, Bruno had to be a bad guy to justify Sara's leaving him and (kind of) cheating on him without looking bad. So, the focus became his brutality. This made him very uneven because his character was based more on what made things work for Sara than being a more deeply realized person.
Lara wrote: "I think it was a bit sloppy. To me it read like the author wanted to make sure Sara was portrayed as good--so she dated a man who did nice things for her and only later realized how abusive and con..."Yes you said it very well!
10. Yep there was something in the bear. I'm a bit skeptical of what just a chip can do. In real word a lone chip doesn't do you good unless you have the right breakout board , the datasheet ...or if it's a memory chip the right memory reader! Anyway this is fiction. What do you think they'll find on it? Proof that their father was undercover or that he was traitor or ...?Probably more info on the $12 million and possibly who's involved in whatever bad went down in that Spec Ops fiasco and more info on how the dad was involved.
11.How realistic was their first love making considering Jenna , Sara's past and ...?
I'm of the opinion love/sex isn't cookie cutter. Fast....slow....it happens when it happens and however it happens as long it's good for both parties. They both needed each other and they were on the same page, all is good.
12. Is Church going to find out who blow up his club?
Yes. There's more action going down and I'm sure the Ravens are going to play a role too.
13.What did you think of the book?
I enjoyed it and will read the rest of the series. Great choice!
I don't really like this series so far. This book did not hold my interest. I mean, I'm sitting at the lake, watching the kids, talking with my friends and reading all at the same time. A complicated plot, this wasn't. Which was great, I read it with 3/4 of my brain otherwise occupied. Didn't you all know she was going to lose that phone the second she went into Bruno's office? And, didn't you all know that Jenna was going to get taken and Bruno was going to attempt to sell her? So glad they blew the club and Bruno got his brains splattered, he deserved it.
Anita wrote: "I don't really like this series so far. This book did not hold my interest. I mean, I'm sitting at the lake, watching the kids, talking with my friends and reading all at the same time. A complicat..."I enjoyed this book more than the first, but agree that it's not a stellar series. That is why I'm not seriously considering buying any of the sale ebooks of the Ravens series based on the motorcycle club we were introduced to in this book. I'm finding it light entertainment, but not particularly satisfying.
Romance Lovers for the Challenge-Impaired
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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.