#BookReview: Hard to Hold on To by Laura Kaye - 4 Wine Glasses

Title: Hard to Hold on To 
Series: Hard Ink #2.5
Author: Laura Kaye 
Published: August 19th 2014 by Avon Impulse
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Kindle | B&N | ARe
Source: Publisher
Reviewer: Crystal
Rating:  4/5

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.

Thoughts:
Fans of Laura Kaye's must-read Hard Ink series will love this sojourn into the group's sizable yet reserved teammate, Edward “Easy” Cantrell, in Hard To Hold On To. 


The novella immediately follows the second book in the series, Hard As You Can. Jenna, Sara's sister, has been rescued from Church's gang by the Hard Ink crew but is battered and traumatized. Desperate for comfort and security, Jenna seeks Easy's presence. They have an inexplicable connection that eases her fears. But Easy is battling his own demons, ones that have only accumulated into a downward spiral since the death of his friends and teammates a year ago. Easy is floundering in the dark and Jenna is his light while Easy is Jenna's rock to keep her grounded in the hear-and-now, instead of in that black room she was held captive in. They have an easy chemistry that blossoms into a budding romance that is as sweet as it is sexy. Fear, acceptance, heart-ache and discovery; Hard To Hold On To was a touching story that contains a powerful message. And while it lacked the action that the previous books in the series had, the author more then made up for it in heart. Secondary characters play an integral part in the story as well, which is something that I love in this series. Their presence and support was strong and just what I would expect from them. 

Due to the ongoing story-line and the circumstances that put Easy and Jenna together, I would recommend reading Hard To Hold On To in series order. Though each couple is their own unit and each book containing a HEA it technically could be read as a stand-alone but I think you'd get more enjoyment out of the story by reading it with the series. 

Bottomline; Hard To Hold On To is an emotion-packed wallop of a story that was a wonderful addition to an already amazing series. I only wish Easy could have had a full-length story of his on with more time to explore all of those new feelings between him and Jenna. I hope to see more of them and what the future holds for this couple in future installments. 




Series Reading Order:
Hard As It Gets, Book 1: Review | Purchase
Hard As You Can, Book 2: Review | Purchase
Hard To Hold On To, Book 2.5
Hard To Come By, Book 3: Pre-Order!
Hard To Be Good, Book 4: Pre-Order!