Hard to Hold On To

A Hard Ink Novella

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...

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.

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!!!

Hard to Hold On To A Hard Ink Novella.

Hard to Hold on To is the first novella in Laura Kaye's Hard Ink series, but it's still an incredibly satisfying story. I'd probably classify this more as contemporary romance than romantic suspense because the focus is definitely on the relationship between the two main characters and there is much less action than before but I think that it was a much more heartfelt read because of that and I absolutely loved this couple. Easy's story absolutely broke my heart, he is going through such a difficult time and I felt that Laura Kaye did a fantastic job of showing the effects of PTSD. There is no magical fix for Easy but he slowly opens up and asks for help from his team and from Jenna. There are some really emotional scenes with him and the other guys that really tore at my heartstrings but there is also a lot of love, laughter and unconditional support. I was pleased that Easy's problems didn't immediately vanish when he met Jenna but things are definitely going in the right direction for him and I couldn't be happier about that. As much as I've enjoyed the previous books, I have to say I think this was my favorite, I loved Easy and Jenna and I'm so glad we got to read their full story. I'm also excited to continue the series and see the rest of the team find their own happy endings.

Fave but wish it was longer

This book was my favorite of the series. I wish it had been like an hour longer with an epilogue of some sort but I get the next book in the series picks up at the stopping point so that’d give something away. I hope there will be a book of epilogues per say in the POV of each couple once the series ends :-)

Loved this book

This story made me cry. Thank you for writing a story about our Vets and what a lot go through.

Beautifully written topics of LOVE, PTSD,Survivors guilt, suicide ideation, and veterans

It’s not every day I come across a book which is so beautifully written involving a veteran suffering from PTSD, survivors guilt, and suicidal ideation. As a person and a veteran who has dealt with all of the above and more, I was empowered by the author and will forever be a fan!

Great Series

I just started this series a couple of days ago and I am enjoying it very much.. This is the 2.5 book in the series (actually a novella) and it picks up right where the second book lets off. There is no lag time in the story at all and if I have it right everything in the first two books and one novella happens in a weeks time.. This is a very fast paced series and has an interesting plot line..I have enjoyed the whole concept of the series and am having a great time trying to figure out what the clues are leading to and who the bad guys are..Totally recommend this series to anyone who has any interest in the military, mysterys, and angst ridden strong guys.

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

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