Ames‘ review of Hard to Hold
New York lobbyist Michael Davoli feels like he’s been sucker punched when he meets Anne Miller at a Jeff Tweedy concert. And it doesn’t take long for him to realize that he’s fallen hard when they wind up living in the same Albany apartment building. After all, Anne’s hot, his dog likes her, and she can pick a lock faster than Sydney Bristow can disarm a nuke.
Always fiercely independent, Anne’s crackerjack reporting skills and keen intellect are no match for the chemical reaction she has to this man with electric blue eyes. But while he effortlessly holds her with his gaze, he withholds the embrace she longs for. Why is he so distant? Has Anne misread his signals? Yet there is no doubt that she’s under his skin and he’s in too deep when Mike confesses he has a neurological disorder that has shadowed him since childhood, and although he’s mastered the physical tics so others don’t notice, he may never be able to hold her in his arms at night for fear of the bruises he could inflict.
Anne isn’t about to let anything like Tourette’s syndrome keep her from the man of her dreams. But Mike has a second secret. Will this secret be the one that even a grand passion cannot survive?
I will be the first to admit it, I was uninterested in reading a romance novel based on a real romance. I was kind of adamant about it, in my mind anyway. And then…and then I saw the cover for this book (hot hot hot!) and it made me interested enough to read the blurb. And I caved just like that.
This book is one of three in the True Vows Series. Reality-based romance – kind of funny that I wasn’t interested and yet I love hearing from my friends how they met their significant other. I’m so contradictory.
But enough about me. I enjoyed Hard to Hold. The story of Michael and Anne was interesting. Michael is an education lobbyist and Anne is a crime reporter. Anne has high standards when it comes to guys (something I agree with) and Michael hasn’t seriously dated anyone since his last relationship. I thought how Anne and Michael met – over and over – was cute. Anne’s friend Shane introduces them at a concert and although Michael is interested in Anne, he can feel his medication wearing off and he leaves, making Anne wonder if she imagined the spark of chemistry between the two of them. Then a few weeks later, they run into each other when Michael is moving into Anne’s apartment building. Again, Michael doesn’t make a move and Anne realizes she needs to take matters into her own hands. Which she does – and Michael finally gets the hint. They start dating and both of them are struck by how good things are going. Michael is at first afraid but Anne doesn’t let him get away with brooding over his feelings and these two mature adults communicate. And that’s what made their story very refreshing – these are two adults who TALK to each other. So although they did have some obstacles, especially Anne’s job and boss, these two realize they have a solid foundation and work together to make things work.
Hard to Hold wasn’t perfect though. I enjoyed the story, but some aspects of the writing was a bit repetitive. I don’t really notice things like that in books, so you know it had to be a bit much for me to notice it. Also, some editing mistakes. And a common one – heal vs. heel. You tell a dog to heel, not heal. Dogs aren’t doctors.
Other than those editing issues, I enjoyed Hard to Hold. I’m definitely interested in reading the other two titles, Icing on the Cake
A solid 4 out of 5.
This book is available from HCI. You can buy it here