He’s tough. But she’s tougher.Tanner Ellis left American Heavy Metal in her rearview mirror. She didn’t see the beauty behind the grease stains and the polished chrome until it was too late. Now she’s back, determined to save her father’s legacy–and bring the South’s premier classic-car shop into the new century. Nothing is going to stop her–especially not the sexy tech who refuses to follow … her lead.
American Heavy Metal is the only home Duke Wilson’s ever known, and no high-heeled, sharp-tongued princess is going to take it away. He tolerates Tanner’s advice, and it’s fun to push her buttons, but she doesn’t belong in the shop–never has, never will. The sooner she realizes that, the sooner he can find his new normal.
When Tanner falters, revealing the pain beneath her bravado, Duke comforts her the only way he knows how. And when violence from his past threatens their future, she’ll be there for him, offering him the one thing he’s always wanted–a shot at a real family. He just has to convince himself to take it.
This book is approximately 49,000 words
One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise!
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After some unexpected life events, the heroine returned home to manage the family shop with her siblings, keeping some personal secrets and struggling with grief. The hero works for her and is also dealing with some family issues of his own. As the couple succumbs to their attraction, they also dealt with issues that cleanup during The story.
I liked the familial figures surrounding the couple and the LBQT+ representation. The sex scenes gave enough description but not overdone. What I find lacking is the flow of the story not having a smooth transition. The overall vibe felt deficient for my reading pleasure. Thus, it was an okay read for me.
*Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Junkie for my copy.*
Thank you Novel Take for an advanced copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Hard Chrome
By: Vanessa North
*REVIEW* .5
Hard Chrome was, unfortunately, hard to love as much as I thought I would. Tanner, the heroine, returns to the place she left a long time ago because her father has died, and she has inherited the auto body shop, etc. Here’s my problem with this situation: Tanner has siblings who are beyond qualified to take over this place. It’s actually stupid to bring in a clueless diva, so why her? Tanner meets Duke, employee, and they instantly hate each other, or not?? Here’s another problem: I hate you. Wait ten minutes. I love you. Sex scenes, blah blah blah…! I despise insta love stories. Seriously? I need to at least find it somewhat plausible. I didn’t care for this story much and lacked connection with these shallow characters. I do see the appeal of reading this purely for escape, and it’s perfect for that because it’s cute, fun and easy to read. I’m just looking for more, and this boils down to personal preference.
I really enjoyed this story, despite having doubts at the beginning. Tanner and Duke seemed to be an unlikely pair, but it turned out they had so much in common. Both had been hurt in the past, in different ways; both doubted themselves and worried they weren’t good enough; and both had wonderful siblings they would do just about anything for. I loved these two once I got to know them, and I also loved their siblings and Tanner’s best friend Mac. I enjoyed the interaction between all the characters, and the affection between them all was obvious. There were moments when I wanted to shake either Tanner or Duke, but there were other moments when I just wanted to hug them. This was a great start to a series I’m now anxious to have on my Kindle. Great characters, strong writing, and all kinds of things happening in the town of Royal, especially in and around the family car shop, American Heavy Metal. I can’t wait for more!
Duke and Tanner are definitely not friends at the beginning of this romance that grows from dislike into love. Misunderstandings and family angst resolve over time and they grow together and support each other beautifully. This M/F story is the first in the series, and it was really good. The side characters have personality and the extended family here is close and loving. I’m looking forward to seeing some of them find their HEA. Good all around!
I received an ARC and chose to review this book.
Ms. North has written one HOT-diggety-dang steamy enemies-to-lovers story
Tanner Ellis has come back to Royal, Georgia with her tail between her legs b/c she failed. Her spa business in Chicago is in bankruptcy court and she’s awaiting their “verdict.” Beyond that her father’s recent death plays heavily on her emotions b/c she stopped visiting while he was living. She wanted to get as far away from oil and grease as she could when she went off to Cornell University and her fancy boyfriend. She feels like an interloper trying to get her father’s business in shape after she failed so miserably on her own.
“Duke” or Douglas Wilson has been a part of the Ellis family for a long time and felt about Tom, the former patriarch of the Ellis family, like the father he never had. He works at the Ellis garage, American Heavy Metal as a tech. He is redneck and proud of it! Duke has some pretty severe preconceived ideas about Ms. Tanner Ellis and he’s not afraid to show it. They just rub each other the wrong way until one day they are rubbing each other on her office desk. Oh. My. Word. That is only one of the many delectably steamy scenes in this book.
Great story, loved the characters, well-written and well-edited too, which is very appealing. These two have secrets but when they begin to share, they realize they’re not that different, really. LOVED this book. I volunteered to review an ARC through A Novel Take PR and it comes highly recommended if you like beautifully written characters in a fantastic story. 5+ Stars!
Who doesn’t like the bad boy with the heart of gold?! That cover ain’t bad either 😉
Tanner returns to her small home town to take over running the family business. She’s got lots of baggage and her main man at the shop isn’t exactly cooperative. Tanner’s Ivy League attitude gets under Duke’s skin and it causes all sorts of situations. They just don’t like each other at first but it isn’t long before the friction turns the enemies into lovers in the time it takes to do an oil change.
The sex is steamy, and there are some more difficult moments as they work out their respective family situations while figuring out their own stuff. I did like the incorporation of diversity into the small town – it felt authentic and I’m interested in seeing where this series goes. Overall, Hard Chrome was a bit predictable, but it did deliver on the Carina Press Romance Promise!
I’m always game to read books of authors unknown to me so when the opportunity arises to received this book as an ARC, I went for it. The book is great, the way the author developed her characters from blatantly dislike each other to fall in love is amazing, and the presentation of the supporting characters let you wishing know more about them. Even if the story is a little slow in the beginning, at the end all the situations kept you interested. I specially loved Tanner, because her strength, stubbornness, and determination but also her sensibility and empathy. Great characters and amazing plot. At the end the author hinted us in future stories (pretty please??) so I’m looking forward for next books in the series.
This is my honest opinion.
Stars 4 ½
Hard Chrome is the first I’ve read by this author. Honestly, I did not like the beginning of this book. Both main characters came off as very annoying and unlikeable.
I’m glad I stuck with it. I soon found two beautiful yet damaged people struggling with grief while dealing with other hard times in their lives. Real problems, believable situations, and no magic fix for it all. Just an everyday battle for another step forward.
I enjoyed it.
I could easily envision the different locations through the brief but descriptive text and could picture these characters there.
The secondary characters are interesting and vocal and left me interested in their stories, also.
Watching Tanner and Duke become closer and fall in love was lovely to see, and I am satisfied with their passion and their HEA.
I look forward to more by this author.
At first I thought this was a new to me author but when I went to her page and saw The Lonely Drop I knew I had read her work before and loved it. While I was still unaware of this I got the opportunity to read and review from LesCourt and jumped at it. The story sounded so interesting. Surprise to me it was even more so. First off it’s based in my State which is a major thrill to me. Secondly, the characters. So complex and diverse I can’t wait for their stories. Totally shipping Mac and Tyler btw. I can see from the author’s page that she’s a multi genre writer and that’s a major high point to me. The world is filled with all types of relationships. Shouldn’t the towns we read about be as well? Man I’m eager to see where Vanessa North takes this.
This is the first MF I have read in forever. It was a good ok read. Characters with background and secrets. Would like to read more by the author if they ever wrote any MM and I am hopeful for at least one as there was lgbt characters in the story.
A good start to a new series.
Hard Chrome is the first book in a new series, American Heavy Metal, and the first book I’ve read by Vanessa North. I don’t read a lot of M/F stories these days but I wanted to give her writing a try and I know she also writes M/M books.
Tanner Ellis (a female) left her home and family 10 years ago but has returned to help run the family business, American Heavy Metal, after her father’s death. She has secrets and things left things behind in Chicago that she doesn’t want to tell her family about.
Duke Wilson had a difficult life growing up. When he went to work for American Heavy Metal the Ellis family welcomed him into their fold and became the family he wished he’d had when he was young. When Tanner returns to run the family business he feels threatened and doesn’t want to lose what he has; he doesn’t see how a dressed-up, sharp-tongued princess has any business running American Heavy Metal.
Hard Chrome has kind of an enemies-to-lovers vibe. Tanner and Duke strike sparks off of each other as soon as they meet and not in a good way. Tanner’s making changes that Duke doesn’t like. Eventually the verbal sparring between the two sets off a different kind of fire and they become involved with each other.
There are a lot of really hot sexy scenes in this story but there are also a lot of very poignant family moments. Duke has younger twin half-sisters that he doesn’t see enough of because of his broken relationship with his mother. Tanner feels a lot of guilt for leaving her family to follow a relationship that ended up being a disaster.
This book was a pretty easy read; a nice medium length that I was able to finish in one evening. I know there is at least one more book coming in this series and the scene seemed to be set for it to be a M/M story (I hope). There were a few queer characters in Hard Chrome so I’m hoping for a series with lots of variety.
An advanced copy of this book was provided to me but my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author.
***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com*** (posting October 21, 2019)
For my first read by this author I can say this book was awesome. We have MC’s who have big trust issues and a lot of presumptions about each other.
I was enjoying myself tremendously while getting to know both of them and discovering how they thick. The banter was funny, family ties strong and the slow birth of love was just perfect.
Excellent book and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next in the series.
***Review copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads Blog***
Duke is a sexy, southern man and a car tech at American Heavy Metal. He does not like change. So, when owner and father-figure, Ellis dies and his stuck-up, smart ass daughter returns to take their reigns, he is less than impressed.
Tanner is returning to help her family after the passing of her father. She is weighed down by a debilitating amount of shame and grief for not being there before her father died because of the time and effort she spent on a business that went bankrupt.
From the first day they meet, sparks fly. Tanner and Duke butt heads immediately but they also have undeniable chemistry. Chemistry that leads them to have angry, passionate sex. They put it off as a one-time thing as they both know they are not good for each other. Or, are they?
I loved this story from beginning to end. Duke and Tanner throw off sparks like it’s the 4th of July. From their spats, to their chemistry and the all-out sexy love scenes, I was rooting for them.
Duke is kind and has guilt because he feels as though he cannot keep his family safe. He also had a very rough upbringing with his abusive step-father and a mother who did not protect her son from harm.
Tanner is strong but is so defeated. She feels as though she no longer belongs with her family. It is an uphill battle for her. She must learn to trust in her family and in Duke, and to know that regardless of her past, she is not defined by it.
Duke and Tanner had some hard confrontations in the beginning and they bring out the worse in each other. They hurt each other and this truly had me feeling emotional. But, what I loved about this is that it culminated is something so much better.
From its highs to its lows, Hard Chrome by Vanessa North is definitely worth the read.
I received an ARC via NetGalley of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I absolutely loved this book and its my first read by Vanessa North. Duke and Tanner, I loved they had a bit of enemies to lovers trope and their banter started out great. Duke is such a softy at heart! I found this book to be unpredictable which was great for me, because there were things that happened that were unexpected. The writing was excellent and the heat was just enough for this book! I really love this cover too. I look forward to more in this series!
I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Tanner Ellis is home to help run the family classic-car shop. She left home ten years ago to run her own business in Chicago. When her father dies she decides to return home to pitch in. Plus her spa is now closed and in bankruptcy. Tanner and mechanic Duke Wilson clash on their first meeting. But it seems that there’s passion in the mix and hot sex. Lots of hot sex.
Hard Chrome by Vanessa North is the first book in her new American Heavy Metal series. This story is well-written but I just couldn’t get totally invested in Tanner and Duke and their story. I liked how the story ends though. Made me like Tanner and Duke more. I also liked the sense of family in the story. The Ellis family sticks together through thick and thin and brings the Wilson siblings into their midst.
Hard Chrome by Vanessa North is the first book in the American Heavy Metal series. This is a contemporary MF romance that deals with a lot of emotions and the theme of family and love. This series is starting out amazingly and I cant wait for more.
Tanner and Duke seem like they would be opposites but their attraction is off the charts and they find common ground. Together they are not only hot and steamy but sweet and protective. They offer each other so much. And the characters that surround them are amazing, interesting and entertaining… I need their stories.
The story has a hood amount of drama – a secondary character’s teenage pregnancy, history of domestic violence and other criminal activities. And the pain of loss. The story also delivers on sweet moments, sexy intimacy and the highs and lows of family dynamics. Well written and attention holding story for sure
Tensions rise after the death of a beloved man, pitting his estranged daughter against the man he treated like a son. These sparks lead to plenty of fire between our couple, and they have to work through their feelings before they can find their way to being lovers. I loved the enemies to lovers feel of this easy to read romance, and it certainly made the pages fly by.
Tanner loved her father, but she’s spent years in the city building her own life, and she didn’t realize what she had until it was gone. On the other hand, Duke’s dysfunctional family made him appreciate how great Tanner’s father was, so when she returns home to help run the family business, he can’t help but feel resentful of all she overlooked. These two feud from the moment they meet, and the rising tension only fuels the flames of their desire.
It was great to watch these two burn, and then have them build that fire into something stronger. Both characters are likeable in their own way, but they are total opposites – Tanner has an Ivy League degree and Duke is redneck through and through. What connects them is family and the repair shop they are helping to run, two ties that run deep. The writing is great, making the story move quickly and keeping the reader engaged the whole time. It’s one of the most inclusive M/F books I’ve read, featuring several supporting characters who are in same sex relationships. I never thought I’d love a hero who has truck nuts on his vehicle, but Duke was a great character and he quickly won me over. There’s plenty of potential in this family for future stories, and we’re introduced to their personalities without having the supporting characters overtake the primary romance. It’s a quick and light read featuring characters who are unlike most you see in romance novels. Thank you, NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. I am voluntarily leaving a review.