Hard to Hold On To

By: Laura Kaye

Narrated by: Seraphine Valentine

Length: 5 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's Summary

Five dishonored soldiers.

Former Special Forces.

One last mission.

These are the men of Hard Ink.

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 stretch far beyond gratitude.

When the pair is thrust together and chaos reigns around them, they both know one thing: The things in life most worth having are the hardest to hold on to.

©2014 Laura Kaye (P)2014 HarperCollins Publishers

A Vet Reading About a Vet

I have fallen in love with this Series.... but Easy so far is one of my favorites.... his story made me cry... read this book... read the series... fallen love with five American Heroes...they're a little tarnished but not broken...

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Easy Listening

What made the experience of listening to Hard to Hold On To the most enjoyable?

Hard to Hold On To was a great listen all around. I enjoyed the story and the narration brought the characters to life. Seraphine differentiates between the voices of the characters extremely well, so I don't have to rewind every few minutes to figure out who's talking. Despite the brevity of the book (wish it had been full length instead of a novella!), the characters were well developed, and I liked that there wasn't insta-love between the leads. There was strong attraction, a bond, but the L-word wasn't tossed out after 35 minutes of knowing each other.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Definitely Easy. He was very easy to empathize with, he was well performed by the narrator, and I found myself very invested in the outcome of his story.

Which character – as performed by Seraphine Valentine – was your favorite?

It's a toss up for me between Jeremy and Marz. She brings so much personality to her performance of them, and I really enjoy whenever they come into the story. Too bad they were only in HtHOT for a few scenes!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I did laugh a bit, and I was very choked up during some of Easy's scenes, especially the one he shared with Shane.

Any additional comments?

Can't wait for the next book in the series! I enjoyed this novella quite a bit, but I find I'm just as excited to get to the bottom of the mystery of the series as I am to get to know the rest of the guys better.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Short but powerful ...wow!!

How people are drawn to each other is amazing and beautiful. This series can be actual lives. That's why I love this series. It can be real in every way...not a dream book or a dream life but actual people. Can't say enough about this story. TRY IT!!!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

WOWZA.... the chanllenes.. sexy sexy

Just LIKE book 1 and 2.. I Absolutely LOVE the voices from Seraphine Valentine.. She’s one of my favorites and she gets me drawn into the story EVERYTIME. This one was a very touchy subject with so much PTSD, interracial relationship, and age difference involved but Laura did a great job with the awareness to the subjects. I just wish this story was longer I feel cheated because this one was so much shorter than the 1st 2 books in the series. I don’t regret this purchase at all. I was moved by this story as it hits home a lot for me.

suicide rate scary

statistics at the end of the book are staggering and shocking more needs to be done

Ok

If it didn’t have a link to the rest I would have given up on it. I’m not big on the performance.

Good story for Easy and a very important message!

Thank you for a wonderful story to explain veteran related depression and suicidal ideation. Too many people don't know the horrible situation veterans face coming home from those horrible places that still stay with them the rest of their lives.

Easy's Story..

This one was a deep story that made me cry and laugh. Easy Cantrell's story was developed and shared as a real life adventure. One that many of our American Vets can relate to. Easy's military experiences, laid heavy on him, causing him to consider a permanent way of stopping the pain. Then he and his friends rescue Jenna, a soul mate that is able to save him, and start him on the road of recovery.
This story like the others was well worth a credit listen. BUT, this one is a deeper soulful listen that hits deep in those of us that feel. The book has the usual steaming side to it, with the growth of feelings between Jenna and Easy. The content of the story is difficult to listen to, but the story is created for entertainment and a great listen. Seraphine Valentine' performance did not distract from the story, her reading was spot on to engulf the reader into the story.
Well worth the credit..

Book Hog

Loved this series. This book moved me. I say must read. Everyone should know what active & veterans service men & woman mean when they NOW SAY "I KNOW SOME ONE OF THE ARMY'S 22. LORD KNOWS I WISH I DIDN'T. However as a responsible County we should know how to treat these honorable people. Because if they don't become one of the 22 they become criminals which is a higher number but just as destructive. Once they feel they lost their soul. What else is worth fighting for?

favorite in the series

I love the hard ink books and Easy and Jenna are far and away my favorite couple!

fab book

Love the series xxx can't wait to get to the next book. xxx
Laura kaye is a great author and she doesn't just write the easy stuff either xxx

Loved

I stupidly read this after book 3. It didn't take away from the enjoyment or ruin the book in any way though. This novella tells the story of Easy and Jenna, both have their demons and both feel the same irresistible pull to each other. Both suffer from guilt due to reasons out of their control, both are living with that guilt, Easy is not handling his guilt at all well and is suffering from ptsd, including suicidal thoughts. They find solace in each other, and both come to terms with their past, and their future. Wonderful read, thoroughly enjoyed.

What a story of heartache, loss and salvation!

The ugly truth behind PTSD and a harsh reminder of how close to the end victims come on a daily basis.
This novella made me cry, not only for Easy and Jenna who both struggle in their own ways but also for the love, care, friendship and acceptance offered instead of rejection and criticism.
Kudos to Laura Kaye for writing about a sensitive matter in a tender and kind way where so many authors have tried and failed to do justice to this problem.

As always, narrator and story are well suited.

loved it

What did you like most about Hard to Hold On To?

i'm addicted to the hard ink novels & look forward to the next but the touching on PTSD was amazing

What did you like best about this story?

easy struggling with the PTSD & Jenna wanting to do whatever it takes to help him through it

Which character – as performed by Seraphine Valentine – was your favourite?

easy

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

yes

Any additional comments?

loved it can't wait for the rest