When two people in pain collide, there is something intoxicating about drowning in the chaos of hard love.Brando Hawkins is a detective with the Denver Police Department. The world should be his to take. He’s a dedicated officer with a promising career. But Brando’s got secrets. Dark, ruthless secrets. At twenty-six, he’s burned-out, and the sight of another body, one more unhappy ending, might … ending, might just do him in.
Catherine Abbott is a woman who wars with her demons and guards her heart. Immersed in a world where people ink their lives on their skin, Catherine trusts only that which she can see. And, as a rape survivor, she finds comfort in control.
But Brando’s demons start to tangle with hers. They’re dangerous, like hers. But they’re beautiful too.
A spray of bullets brings them together, and the pain of their pasts collide with the lure of their futures. Cat wants to mend his heart and his wounds, but Brando’s secrets lay tucked away in a vault so tightly sealed, she can’t get through.
Everything around them is covered in the confusion of love and the burn of revenge, but no one ever said love was easy.
Hard Love is the next standalone installment in the Guns & Ink series by Shana Vanterpool, a world of tattoos, love, and redemption from Swoon Romance.
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Hard Love by Shana Vanterpool was an emotional rollercoaster. Without reading Mad Love first I was a little out of the loop at first but that really didn’t matter once I started to understand these two characters. Brando Hawkins and Catherine Abbott both have messed up pasts and are looking for a little magic for the future. Brando and Cat are just what each other needs when life throws them a curve. When they finally share their secrets with one another you can’t help but feel their pain. Shana your writing has a way of making a reader understand and feel everything these characters are going through. I can’t wait to read more about this group of co-workers/family in upcoming books.
Hard Love is the second book in the Guns & Ink series. I wouldn’t recommend reading as a standalone. You wouldn’t necessarily get lost reading but i do think, to enjoy this book to it’s fullest you really need to read in order.
Shana Vanterpool’s writing always draws me in and holds me captive. Her writing is flawless and always paced just right. And boy can she write about a tortured soul. So as the saying goes with no darkness there would be no light! So as much as these characters suffer, Shana always writes in such a beautiful way to bring her characters there own version of light.
Hard Love is exactly what Cat and Brando are they are two broken and flawed souls. Who find solace in each other but it’s not without struggles or fight. They want and need each other in their lives but fear and secrets keep them from truly seeing what they could and deserve to have. It’s Hard to Love with fear holding you captive!!
My heart was breaking from their past’s no body should have to suffer such an horrific time in their lives. But with the heartbreak also came laughs not in a rom-com type of way. But in a very real sassy, banter, you bring light into my darkness kind of way. And i loved those moments when they just were, and not haunted by their pasts.
Brando and Cat are perfectly flawed together and i loved that their love won out in the end. Great addition to this series and now i’m intrigued to know Isaiah’s story.
This author amazes me every time I read her stories. She just brings out so many emotions with her writing that it always leaves me wanting more, not to say she doesn’t give a great ending because she does. This story was a whirlwind. The deep angst and sorrow had me flipping through the pages just to see what happens next. I haven’t give a book or should I say a second book in a series more than 4 stars in a long time but this book earned a booming 5 stars!
Brando… the dark, mysterious and sexy detective has come to cross-roads in his life… he finds himself questioning his career and life choices.. but when he comes face to face with Catherine (aka Cat) he finds that maybe he was never where he was meant to be, but can he let go of revenge that has been bleeding through his veins for years?
Cat.. the damaged girl.. the girl who uses men… she doesn’t do the whole relationship thing, she lives off the darkness inside her, but when Brando comes back into her life will she be able to resist the darkness the lurks within him? Or will she try to bring out the light finally?
Get to one clicking to see what happens with these 2, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed! Coming up next is Isaiah’s story Bad Love… and man oh man I can’t wait to see what he brings to the table. I honestly am not sure he can beat this story out but I am willing to see what happens!
Once again Shana gave me the angsty goodness I have been craving in the pages of Hard Love. She brings back Cat and Brando from Mad Love, once again showing up their dark past that they have been struggling with.
These two crave one another, but their past and fear of what’s to come keeps them apart. Our hearts can’t help but break for these two as we hear but the have had to overcome to become who they are today. Hard Love was an intense read because of the gut wrenching story line, but these characters completely make up for it. You can’t help but see their courage and determination to survive on every page.
I can’t wait to see what Shana has in store for us in the next book in the series.
Hard Love is hard on emotion. So prepare yourself if you decide to read this book. The emotions are dark, sad and violent but when the reader get to know Cat and Brando they’ll understand why. Their pasts have affected them both irrevocably but Cat in particular won’t let that define her. Brando on the other hand keeps running back towards his past whereas Cat wants to move forward.
These two broken and flawed souls find solace in each other but it’s not without struggles. They want one another badly in their lives but fear and secrets rear its ugly head. Cat and Brando broke my heart several times cause what they have experienced are beyond horrific and traumatizing. Despite that they both possess a strength when it comes to one another. There’s nothing they won’t do. Their chemistry is fabulous and I loved and enjoyed Cat’s sassy and tough side. Brando won me over with his softness towards Cat. She weakened him completely. In a good and swoon worthy way.
Madison and Klayton from book 1 Mad Love makes an appearance too and their both important people to Cat. The only two ones she loves until Brando shows up.
Hard Love was an intense read because of its gritty storyline but the characters made it all worth it. I need more from these characters and I’m glad to know that there’ll be a third book about the solitary Isaiah.
4 BadAssDirtyMagicStars
Shana Vanterpool writes as if she’s pouring her entire heart, soul, life, blood, sweat and tears into every single page, and Hard Love is no different.
The effortless poetry of her writing, the depth, and analytical interpretations I took great happiness exploring with her words made this a masterpiece. It transcends genre and expectations, a timeless and beautiful tapestry of life and love, hope and healing, dreams and loss. It’s a mermaid amongst dolphins.
One thing that really captured my heart was the mermaid metaphors and symbolism from Mad Love, has been continued in Hard Love, and it’s such a transformative approach to female strength and feminism that it left me breathless.
This is not an easy read, it’s not light heated smut, it’s lyrical and beautiful, an analysis of perceptions and life, and such an uplifting survivor story that my heart ached but felt inspired and powerful at the same time. Did you know that was possible? Because all I can think about is her words, and her characters, and her story, the world she created that I wanted to curl up into. To summarise in one word? Unicorn. Mermaid. Because it’s not enough to say that Hard Love was beautiful, it was beautiful in a way that’s so unique and mythical, so untouchable that you never think you’ll see it but when you do it changes everything you thought you knew.