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heabooknerd's review against another edition
4.0
Jessica and Ike work really well together as a couple because they have a lot in common. They’re both a part of the tattoo culture, from their jobs at Hard Ink to their large amount of tattoos they each have. Both have lived on the edge of life in their own ways and they both experienced hard personal tragedy that has shaped the way they live their current lives. They’ve also kept this tragedy from others and sharing with each other helps strengthen their bonds of friendship and eventually their love.
Jessica and Ike also have phenomenal chemistry throughout the book and it really keeps the tension between them high and the steam level through the roof. We’ve seen some of the Raven Riders club members including the club’s president, Dare Kenyon, throughout the Hard Ink series as they have helped the team. And this book acts as a spin-off into the Raven Riders series. The Raven Riders are considered an outlaw gang but they have more of a protective mission. I really enjoyed this introduction to them.
Content Warning: guilt over past death of a parent and past death of a partner; references to kidnapping, gangs, human trafficking
Jessica and Ike also have phenomenal chemistry throughout the book and it really keeps the tension between them high and the steam level through the roof. We’ve seen some of the Raven Riders club members including the club’s president, Dare Kenyon, throughout the Hard Ink series as they have helped the team. And this book acts as a spin-off into the Raven Riders series. The Raven Riders are considered an outlaw gang but they have more of a protective mission. I really enjoyed this introduction to them.
Content Warning: guilt over past death of a parent and past death of a partner; references to kidnapping, gangs, human trafficking
trudyd's review against another edition
4.0
Hard as Steel is the bridge between Hard Ink Series, which has sadly ended, and Raven Riders series. I am happily crossing the bridge and not so patiently waiting for book one of Raven Riders. Jess and Ike are common characters in both series. They work at Hard Ink that has become a war zone. When Jess needs protection, Ike and the Ravens Riders step in. The Hard Ink story line is just background noise. Ike and Jess' relationship makes all of the noise in Hard as Steel. Ike is closed off to love. He avoids relationships at all costs. Mostly he avoids anything but friendship with the one person he cares most about, Jess. Jess has been Ike's friend for years, pining in secret. When circumstances force them together it causes meltdowns, breakdowns, hot sex and cold hearts making a person wonder if they will ever get together.
caseroo7's review against another edition
4.0
Find this review and more at Ramblings From This Chick
Hard as Steel is a standalone Hard Ink/Raven Riders crossover novella from Laura Kaye. This one features Jessica Jakes and Ike Young. When Jessica's apartment is broken into by someone after Jessica's friends at Hard Ink, she turns to Ike Young for help. Ike has been her friend for a long time and he is the one person that she trusts to keep her safe. He is also the man she has always wanted. But Ike has a past that keeps him from allowing himself to get close to anyone, including Jess. Though he wants her more than anything and will do whatever it takes to protect her, he knows that he needs to stay as far away from her as possible. With Ike and Jessica shacked up for protection though, will he be able to continue to avoid the attraction between them?
I really liked Ike and Jessica. It has been clear for awhile for fans of the series that there is something going on between these two. I really loved the heat and chemistry between them, and I liked how they were together. Jessica is fun and feisty, and she gave as well as she got. The banter between these two was so entertaining, and I really enjoyed seeing the tension between them. Ike wanted Jess, but he had a lot of guilt and pain that he let keep him from her. I was glad to see these two open up to one another though, and I thought they they were each really supportive and great for one another. These two might have been the hottest couple from the entire series, and I could not get enough of them! Their sexy times were seriously scorching, and I easily could have read a full length novel featuring these two.
Overall, this was a great addition to the series and I really loved seeing the heat between Jess and Ike finally explode! Not only were these two steamy, but they also connected so naturally and I loved the friendship that was their base. My only complaint here was that I wanted more. It was a short story and while I loved seeing them fall for one another and acknowledge their feelings, I did feel as though the ending and conflict resolution was a bit rushed here. I think that was only due to the length of this one though, and that is why I would have preferred this one to have been full length. Laura Kaye is a great writer, and the Hard Ink series is one of my favorites. I loved seeing more of the Raven Riders MC here, and I cannot wait to read more from Laura Kaye in the future.
**ARC Provided by Publisher**
Hard as Steel is a standalone Hard Ink/Raven Riders crossover novella from Laura Kaye. This one features Jessica Jakes and Ike Young. When Jessica's apartment is broken into by someone after Jessica's friends at Hard Ink, she turns to Ike Young for help. Ike has been her friend for a long time and he is the one person that she trusts to keep her safe. He is also the man she has always wanted. But Ike has a past that keeps him from allowing himself to get close to anyone, including Jess. Though he wants her more than anything and will do whatever it takes to protect her, he knows that he needs to stay as far away from her as possible. With Ike and Jessica shacked up for protection though, will he be able to continue to avoid the attraction between them?
I really liked Ike and Jessica. It has been clear for awhile for fans of the series that there is something going on between these two. I really loved the heat and chemistry between them, and I liked how they were together. Jessica is fun and feisty, and she gave as well as she got. The banter between these two was so entertaining, and I really enjoyed seeing the tension between them. Ike wanted Jess, but he had a lot of guilt and pain that he let keep him from her. I was glad to see these two open up to one another though, and I thought they they were each really supportive and great for one another. These two might have been the hottest couple from the entire series, and I could not get enough of them! Their sexy times were seriously scorching, and I easily could have read a full length novel featuring these two.
Overall, this was a great addition to the series and I really loved seeing the heat between Jess and Ike finally explode! Not only were these two steamy, but they also connected so naturally and I loved the friendship that was their base. My only complaint here was that I wanted more. It was a short story and while I loved seeing them fall for one another and acknowledge their feelings, I did feel as though the ending and conflict resolution was a bit rushed here. I think that was only due to the length of this one though, and that is why I would have preferred this one to have been full length. Laura Kaye is a great writer, and the Hard Ink series is one of my favorites. I loved seeing more of the Raven Riders MC here, and I cannot wait to read more from Laura Kaye in the future.
**ARC Provided by Publisher**
ameserole's review against another edition
4.0
Jess and Ike were hot.
Hard as Steel flew by. I mean.. it had bikers so it wasn't that hard to get into it. These two were not looking for a relationship but they definitely found one - with each other. They were cute and adorable but things got steamy when they were just by themselves. I was so proud of them getting out of the friend-zone because I would've been so mad if they didn't. This one was a lot of fun to read and can't wait for the next biker romance.
Hard as Steel flew by. I mean.. it had bikers so it wasn't that hard to get into it. These two were not looking for a relationship but they definitely found one - with each other. They were cute and adorable but things got steamy when they were just by themselves. I was so proud of them getting out of the friend-zone because I would've been so mad if they didn't. This one was a lot of fun to read and can't wait for the next biker romance.
mccorbin's review against another edition
5.0
Yay, another list slice of heaven in the Hard Ink series! While this book didn’t revolve around our normal crew that we have grown to love throughout the series, it did bring in one of my favorite side characters Jessica Jakes. If you have read the other books in the series, you know that Jessica took home a bad guy and days after her hook-up, this guy came back with a crew to extract information from her in the middle of the night. Feeling unsafe, Jess called Ike and now he has stepped into the fold to keep her safe. Tucked away in Ike’s hidden house, Jess and Ike find themselves fighting the attraction they have for each other.
This was a perfect novella as a side story that gave little flashes of the main events in the last book. As a reader, it was good to wrap myself in a story that wasn’t all about unveiling plot lines. This book was more about the development of a relationship between Jess and Ike. And (I hope) an introduction to a new group of possible stories involving the motorcycle gang.
Hard Ink has been one of my favorite series, and while I am sad for it to end, I am also grateful that I have this wonderful opportunity to live through these characters and see love bloom throughout all of them.
This was a perfect novella as a side story that gave little flashes of the main events in the last book. As a reader, it was good to wrap myself in a story that wasn’t all about unveiling plot lines. This book was more about the development of a relationship between Jess and Ike. And (I hope) an introduction to a new group of possible stories involving the motorcycle gang.
Hard Ink has been one of my favorite series, and while I am sad for it to end, I am also grateful that I have this wonderful opportunity to live through these characters and see love bloom throughout all of them.
teresajluvs2read's review against another edition
5.0
Finally Ike and Jessica's story
Both Ike and Jessica's have been in all the Hard Ink series and now it has been worth all the wait
Jessica works at Hard Ink as a piercing artist and Ike who is part of the Raven Riders MC as a tattooist. For four years they have danced around the attraction they've felt for each other. Ike offers to protect Jessica after some of the mercenaries break into her apartment who are attacking the Hard Ink men and their families. He takes her to his lake cottage, warning her to stay inside while he goes to pick up groceries. But when Jessica hears cries for help from two boys whose rowboat has overturned, she races to the rescue. When Ike finds out, the sparks really start to fly. Since this a a crossover novella of Hard Ink and the Raven Riders, I'm sure this new series will be just a good or better than Hard Ink is. I'm sure Ms. Kaye has another hit on her hands.
Both Ike and Jessica's have been in all the Hard Ink series and now it has been worth all the wait
Jessica works at Hard Ink as a piercing artist and Ike who is part of the Raven Riders MC as a tattooist. For four years they have danced around the attraction they've felt for each other. Ike offers to protect Jessica after some of the mercenaries break into her apartment who are attacking the Hard Ink men and their families. He takes her to his lake cottage, warning her to stay inside while he goes to pick up groceries. But when Jessica hears cries for help from two boys whose rowboat has overturned, she races to the rescue. When Ike finds out, the sparks really start to fly. Since this a a crossover novella of Hard Ink and the Raven Riders, I'm sure this new series will be just a good or better than Hard Ink is. I'm sure Ms. Kaye has another hit on her hands.
thriller_chick's review against another edition
5.0
LOVED IT! This is my favorite of the shorter stories in the series by far! ~~SO HOT!!~~ I really like how Laura Kaye did the cross over from Hard Ink to the Raven Riders, honestly when I first heard that was the intent of the series I was a little worried that I would not like it quite as much but my faith has been restored.
I love how feisty Jessica is! Her and Ike have become my next favorite couple right after Shane and Crystal, they may have even tied.
As always, I am looking forward to reading more of this series.
Sadly now I have to wait for them to be printed. :(
Keep up the awesome work Laura Kaye!!
I love how feisty Jessica is! Her and Ike have become my next favorite couple right after Shane and Crystal, they may have even tied.
As always, I am looking forward to reading more of this series.
Sadly now I have to wait for them to be printed. :(
Keep up the awesome work Laura Kaye!!
mooncricketjp's review against another edition
3.0
This was ok. I think it was a bit over the top for not being a book meant to be over the top…