Tuesday, November 25, 2014

[Pat's Review]: "Hard to Come By" + Excerpt and Giveaway!

Hard to Come By by Laura Kaye
Publisher: Avon (November 25, 2014)
Series: Hard Ink, 3
Genre: Romantic Suspense

Caught between desire and loyalty…

Derek DiMarzio would do anything for the members of his disgraced Special Forces team—sacrifice his body, help a former teammate with a covert operation to restore their honor, and even go behind enemy lines. He just never expected to want the beautiful woman he found there.

When a sexy stranger asks questions about her brother, Emilie Garza is torn between loyalty to the brother she once idolized and fear of the war-changed man he's become. Derek’s easy smile and quiet strength tempt Emilie to open up, igniting the desire between them and leading Derek to crave a woman he shouldn’t trust.

As the team’s investigation reveals how powerful their enemies are, Derek and Emilie must prove where their loyalties lie before hearts are broken and lives are lost. Because love is too hard to come by to let slip away…


Where to Buy*:
More Info:

Reviews of Kaye's Previous Novels;

Hard As It Gets (#1) -- Pat
Hard As You Can (#2) -- Pat



Pat's Review:

I have been a fan of the Hard Ink stories since the first, Hard As It Gets. The former spec ops guys with their injuries, memories, anger and the women who have come into their life and their stories.  My favorite has been Hard as It Gets........until now. What is amazing to me, is the fact the whole series takes place as of this book, in two weeks time!


Decker DiMarzio is the computer genius/hacker of the group. He lost a leg in the debacle that caused the end of their career by falling on an IED to protect his brother in arms Bailey.  Marz misses his leg, but is comfortable with the reason he lost it. Bailey is not so comfortable.  The men are still hard at work to find any clue why their deceased commander Colonel Frank Merritt compromised their mission.  Hacking into government sites, enlisting outside friends to help, even putting their lives in danger is all part of the mission. They have been trying to figure out how a local drug, gun running, human smuggler gang is involved. They have come up with a key name, Manny Garza, part of the Church Gang. He's a mystery, but they have discovered he has a sister in nearby Annapolis.  Her name is Emilie, and she's a clinical psychologist.  She's in their sites.


Emilie is deeply troubled by her brother Manny's behavior lately. He has PTSD and at times seems delusional.  He appears at her home, occasionally violent and paranoid.  She know's she has to act, but she remembers him as a totally different man before the army. While stopping in a cafe for coffee she meets a man who helps with a computer glitch on her laptop. He introduces himself as Derek and is in IT.  They are mutually attracted and although Marz is feeling guilty lying to her he's all in.


Their is the usual action, banter and chest pounding, but with the women in the group now their is a softer side. Danger and death is a lot closer to home in this story and shocking news shakes these men to the core. Emilie never realized how strong she was until faced with deadly challenges and Marz is there to protect her. If you like heart pounding action and hot romance this is the series for you. I personally thinks it's best to start with Hard As It Gets.


5 STARS! 


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Pat received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher, via the tour host, in exchange for her honest opinion.

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Hard to Come By by Laura Kaye
Excerpt

Marz was playing with fire. He damn well knew he was. But that didn’t make him want to pull away.

He just wanted more of the heat.

Marz nuzzled the side of Emilie’s face with his nose, his lips. She turned her face toward him and offered her lips. He couldn’t refuse.

Capturing her mouth on a tortured groan, Marz poured every ounce of his longing and confusion and desire into the kiss. They grasped at each other and Emilie turned in his arms. He pinned her against the railing and planted his hands in her hair. She opened to him and accepted his tongue, sucking him in until Marz’s blood ran hot and his hard-on ached. He ground himself against her and devoured every little moan and whimper and gasp she spilled.

Trailing kisses from her mouth to her jaw to her ear, Marz dragged a hand down her body and grasped her breast in his palm. She cried out and her head dropped back, drawing his mouth to her neck, where he licked and sucked and nipped as he kneaded her soft flesh. “You are so damn sexy.”

Her hand flew to his hair and grasped the back of his head. “Touch me,” she said. “Don’t stop touching me.”

Marz pulled away long enough to do a three-sixty scan. The lighthouse cast a dark shadow over them, and the pier was otherwise empty. His heart raced and his pulse hammered. He dove back in, trailing kisses down her neck to her collarbone, which he traced with his tongue. Her nails scratched deliciously at his scalp and her grip urged him down.

Through the thin material of her blouse and bra, he mouthed and flicked at her nipple. He shifted the deep vee of the neckline to reveal a lacy royal blue bra. He tongued her through the lace until she was panting and moaning and writhing against the railing.

“Oh, my God,” she rasped as he shifted her shirt and moved to her other breast. This time, he tugged the lace down to bare the deep pink of her nipple. She tasted and smelled like something fruity and sweet, and it made Marz hunger for more. “Derek,” she gasped. “Yes, yes, yes.”

Her palm cupped and squeezed the bulge of his erection through his jeans. His hips jerked into the touch, craving more of her, all of her. He groaned and it seemed to egg her on, because she pressed and rubbed her hand against his trapped cock until he was panting and imagining taking her down to the ground.

“Jesus, Emilie, you’re driving me fucking crazy,” he said as he worked kisses back up her body to her mouth.

“I know just what you mean,” she said. Her molten hot gaze met his. Eyes hooded, lips shiny and swollen, cheeks flushed, she was a freaking goddess standing under the moonlit sky. He felt the force of her beauty every bit as much in his chest as in his cock.

“You sure about that, babe?” he asked as he took her mouth in a deep, wet kiss. “Because my imagination has me stripping you of those fuck-hot jeans.”

“Yeah?” She rubbed his cock in a long stroke with the heel of her hand. “Mine has us getting a room at the hotel back there. So I’m sure,” she said with a smile.

Marz’s heart hammered against his breastbone and his cock jerked, clearly liking her idea, too. Except, if he took her up on it, he was going to end up buried inside her for as long as she’d have him. And so long as this clusterfuck of a situation defined their relationship, he couldn’t take things that far. Could he?






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Thanks for the review, Pat! :) I've only read book 1 in this series, but I *LOVED* it, so I'm anxious to continue, especially with that excerpt and your lovely review!

Have you read Laura Kaye before? Do you have a favorite?



Enjoy!


Until Next Time,


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8 comments :

Sharlene Wegner said...

Hot excerpt!

Sophia Rose said...

Really looking forward to this one. Thanks for the share!

Adria @ Adria's Romance Review said...

Can you believe I haven't read this series yet? I really want to read it too!

The_Book_Queen said...

Oh, you are so missing out, Adria! Pat and I highly recommend! :D

The_Book_Queen said...

Me too. :)

The_Book_Queen said...

Yes. It. Is. :D

Adria @ Adria's Romance Review said...

I need to remedy that then. Ugh, so many books to catch up on, so little time!

The_Book_Queen said...

*sigh* I know that feeling very, very well.