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.

Warning if you have not read the first two books in the Hard Ink series, you will want to read them before diving into Easy’s book, Hard To Hold On To.  Laura Kaye has each of the books follow immediately from where the other one left off at, but with different characters getting the limelight.

I was excited to read Easy’s book because ever since he was introduced, I became intrigued to find out more about him.  Easy is the sweetest guy of the bunch who is dealing with a lot inside. In Hard To Hold On To, Easy finally opens up to his troubles with his friends.  What Easy is dealing with, many Veterans and military members currently serving suffer from daily.  This is not the first book I’ve read that has covered this before and every time I read a book that includes it; it breaks my heart knowing that our veterans and military members are going through this.  I remember listening to and watching videos on what is currently happening in the military and what to do to help someone like Easy. I know when I served in the Navy, every command I worked at always looked out for their sailors and if someone needed help, they knew where to go and who to talk to if a sailor required assistance.  It was covered quarterly, annually, and it was drilled into us. Unfortunately, it’s not enough. There needs to be more for our veterans and military members.

Laura Kaye also covered what happens to someone after a traumatic experience and what his or her reaction is afterward.  Jenna had just been rescued, and she went through a lot during the time she was captured.  Easy knows she is going through a lot and he wants to help in any way he can.  There’s an instant kind of love with these two, which I wish could’ve been more. In other terms, I would have loved to have more of these two together because they deserved to have some time together.

I will say this; I adored every bit of Easy and Jenna having an age gap.  I love when authors write couples that are not close in age because I’m married to someone 15 years older than I am.  He’s my handsome Scottish/Creole man that annoys me at times, but he’s my best friend/soulmate.  When I read characters that have an age gap, I immediately have a connection with them.  (Laura Kaye though knows how to write characters that I fall for any ways….no matter what)

I loved reading about the other characters in the Hard Ink series and I seriously adore Jeremy.  His crazy shirts and his personality alone have me mad about him.  I can’t wait to read more of Jeremy (even though he’s only Nick’s brother).

I give this book 4 full moons and recommend it to romantic suspense readers out there and readers that adore Laura Kaye’s books.

I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

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FranJessca

Owner/Reviewer at A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog

I guess I should type a bio here. I'm FranJessca, or Fran for short. I'm the owner/reviewer behind A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog. I've been reading and reviewing books on my blog since leaving the Navy in 2011, and I will keep doing it as long as possible. My favorite genres will always be Romance & Fantasy, and I read every subgenre underneath those two genres. (Sorry, not a fan of nonfiction, so don't try to convince me to read it.)
My obsession with reading started over 30+ years ago when I went to my first Scholastic Book Fair and found R.L. Stine's Fear Street series. Later, I came across Anne Rice's novels at my public library when I was fourteen when my obsession with vampires started. I was the girl who preferred to be a vampire over a princess any day. My husband says I would leave him a heartbeat for a vampire that looked like Spike or Angel (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) or Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. (It's true, though, and he's accepted it.)

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