Customer Reviews

Hard As Nails

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This Old House

Cole Carruthers is the architect for T.C. Limited and somehow he is dispatched to find out what was behind the person objecting to their newest project. The last thing Cole figured on finding is a young and sexy woman with a sledgehammer prepared to do some damage to the historical building. Aubrey Matheson's great aunt owned the house until she sold it to T.C. Limited. Aubrey is in a sticky situation and she needs total access to the house until she gets what she needs to keep a family member's secret safe. Cole decides that there is something about his new "squatter" and goes on a counter attack. Aubrey and Cole discover love and that just because it has always been does not mean it must always stay that way.

"This Old House" is the beginning of the trio of stories, which officially hands the project off to T.C. Limited to bring the great old house back to its prime. Cole isn't happy about having to face the person wanting to cause trouble until he meets Aubrey. Aubrey has reasons to delay the construction on the house anyway she can. However when Cole calls her bluff, Aubrey has trouble keeping on track. I laughed often while following Cole and Aubrey and their fun roundabout way to love. "This Old House" is a great start to the trio of stories.

All About Adam

Adam Thomas is the corporate attorney for the firm. But that has only been his job for a short time. Adam had to walk away from the criminal law that he loved to protect loved ones. For months now Adam has been trying to track down a woman who went for coffee and never came back. Becky Carter just wants to help her sister with the house purchase she made with T.C. Limited. When Adam walks in, Becky wonders if she can stick to business. Adam is also determined to stick to business, but his concern isn't a legal contract, but the reasons why Becky disappeared. When both Becky and Adam confront the truths behind their actions, it isn't surprising that the outcome is love in the first degree.

"All About Adam" brings Adam and Becky back together after a week of togetherness that ended with Becky disappearing. Adam was not going to take no for an answer on his questions. Becky was unsure just how to answer his questions and still keep what pride and dignity she still had left. I just fell for Adam's determination to get what he knew was his and had to feel for Becky as she struggled with what her heart said and what her head was saying. The ending was the perfect solution for two legal minded people in love.

Man at the Door

Ray Hammond would be worried about the guys in his company falling under love's spell except he can't seem to get the new owner of his jobsite out of his mind. Ray just wants a chance to show Erin that they could make a wonderful couple. Erin knows what Ray's reputation has been and she is not sure that she wants to be just another mark on his belt. Besides he is years younger than her and it would be just wrong - wouldn't it? Ray finally gets his chance to convince Erin and they are interrupted. Then misunderstandings make it worse when all Ray wants to do is show Erin not only how good they are, and could be together, but that people with unusual pasts can have a loving and normal future.

"Man at the Door" is not only the final story for the men in T.C. Limited but wraps up all the storylines in a satisfying way. Ray knew that Erin was for him from the minute he met her and just wants to show her what could be. Erin is falling for Ray but has serious doubts about several things - not the least being he is a much younger man. When Ray and Erin finally come together I could tell they were going to explode and they did. However I should have known that nothing could go without a few bumps when you are traveling along the highway of love. However Erin shows her ultimate expression of love for Ray in a way, it leaves no doubt with anyone.

Hard as Nails tells the story of the remaining three men in the forefront of T.C. Limited. Cole, Adam and Ray had no hint that the purchase, sale and remodeling of an old house would lead to their perfect endings. I laughed and sighed my way through each story in Hard as Nails watching as each man was confronted with his perfect other half. The humor with which each couple faced and struggled while finding love, made this anthology by Ms. Dimon a great summer read.

If you are at all curious about the fourth and beginning member of the company, you can find Whit's story in the When Good Things Happen to Bad Boys anthology.

Jo
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Hard As Nails by HelenKay Dimon delivers three smoking hot stories in one novella.

This Old House has Cole Carruthers matching wits with Aubrey Matheson. Aubrey has parked herself in a house Cole needs to restore. Aubrey is looking for missing jewels her brother hide there after he stole them. Her attraction to Cole is messing with her concentration. Cole at first wanted Aubrey gone but now he doesn't want to ever let her go.

All About Adam has Adam Thomas confronting his former week long fling Rebecca Carter. Adam hasn't forgotten that week filled with passion. Neither has Becky but she has a client to protect right now and can't afford to be distracted. Adam is pulling out every trick he knows to keep Becky around full time.

Man At The Door is the story of Erin McHugh. Erin is happy to have a home that she can use as a studio and living space. She isn't so happy about the contractor Ray Hammond. Oh he is very qualified to do the job but his hot stares and being much younger then her bother her something fierce. Ray sees something real and special in Erin and will do anything to get her into his bed.

Hard As Nails is another keeper by HelenKay Dimon. Each story has interesting and compelling characters. Their chemistry snaps and sparkles and is smoking hot. Each story blends seamlessly into the next. Kudos.

An anthology that takes readers into the lives (and loves) of the characters who were secondary in her earlier novella (Hardhats and Silk Stockings) in the WHEN GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO BAD BOYS anthology, HelenKay Dimon has written another winner with HARD AS NAILS.

THIS OLD HOUSE
Aubrey Matheson is desperately determined to remain in her aunt's historic home for just a bit longer. Yes, the beautiful old house has been sold and her elderly aunt comfortably settled into a retirement home, but Aubrey has her own secret reason for staying. When Cole Carruthers shows up, he's confident that he'll have Ms. Matheson out on her cute little butt in no time at all. He wasn't counting on her coming at him with a sledgehammer that weighs almost as much as she does. When Aubrey argues that Cole's company took advantage of her poor old aunt and refuses to leave until they make it right, Cole wonders what she's up to. His determination and stubbornness equal hers and he vows to remain in the house with her until she tells him the truth or leaves. What he didn't count on was an undeniable attraction to Aubrey that packs a punch that's more powerful than her sledgehammer.
ALL ABOUT ADAM
After a seven day fling that ended with the disappearance of Rebecca Carter, Adam Thomas has unsuccessfully done everything possible to get in touch with her for the past eight months. When he finds Becky waiting in his firm's conference room to discuss negotiations for her friend's purchase of the historic home he's part owner of, he's excited at the opportunity to reconnect with her. Becky's experience with men hasn't always been pleasant though and despite Adam's dogged resolve to get her back in his life, it won't be easy to get her to drop her guard. When Becky finally does open up to let Adam in, she tells herself it's just to prove that he's a minor distraction, certain that once they've been intimate she'll be able to move on. If only it was that simple. Both of these hard bargaining attorneys are in for the experience of a lifetime - when they finally stop opposing each other!
MAN AT THE DOOR
Erin McHugh, having faced the consequence of her controversial parents for her entire life, simply wishes to live quietly and without incident. When Ray Hammond, the job foreman overseeing the restoration of the historical building she recently purchased, shows interest in her she blows him off, mostly because he's younger than her. Ray refuses to be dissuaded by a measly seven years and he sets out to win Erin over. But Erin soon discovers that Ray has a secret of his own and fear of negative public attention have her backing away. When she realizes that she's in danger of losing the most special, solid thing in her life, she knows that nothing short of a grand gesture will do in trying to get him back - but will she be too late?
This anthology will satisfy the romantic notions and needs of even the most seasoned romance reader. The stories are not rushed or incomplete and mesh together nicely, almost giving the feeling of being one full-length story. Ms. Dimon always provides readers with characters who seem like warm-blooded acquaintances rather than simply characters written in ink on paper. HARD AS NAILS has my highest recommendation for all contemporary romance fans.
COURTESY LAURIE/ROMANCE JUNKIES

What better way to follow up her hot little debut novella titled HARDHATS AND SILK STOCKINGS from the anthology When Good Things Happen To Bad Boys than to write a collection of stories starring the hunks in the supporting cast from that book? HelenKay Dimon brings us three sexy romances for Cole Carruthers, Adam Thomas, and Ray Hammond, who we first met in HARDHATS AND SILK STOCKINGS. I, for one, was ecstatic to see more of this sexy trio as they fall for women who are more than their match in HARD AS NAILS!

~THIS OLD HOUSE~

Cole Carruthers thought his task would be easy - simply stop by the historical house his company is in the process of rehabbing to convince little old Mrs. Armstrong to leave the house she just sold them. A few minutes in to sweet cajole her, and then it is off to his racquetball game by afternoon.

Instead of Mrs. Armstrong, he encounters a cagey little spitfire who flings accusations concerning him and his partners while armed with a sledgehammer. The sledgehammer might as well have been a monkey wrench, because Cole isn't going anywhere until he gets to the bottom of what this feisty little beauty is really up to. But with the way the attraction between them sizzles, shacking up in the empty house with Aubrey Matheson is no hardship, and seduction is a game Cole is more than talented at...

Although HelenKay Dimon infuses a dose of natural humor in all of her stories, I think THIS OLD HOUSE was the funniest of the three in HARD AS NAILS. Truly, this story personifies everything I love about this author's work - witty, romantic, sexy and just plain fun!

Cole is undeniably hot, and if I had to get stuck in a house alone with a man, I hope to the bottom of my heart it is with a man like him. He is sharp as a tack, charming as the devil, and has a depth of character that belies his playboy exterior. Of course, he is not without his faults, and a painful past has made it difficult for him to trust that a woman could want him for himself and not his blue-blood pedigree or bank account.

Aubrey's secrets don't make it any easier for Cole to trust her, but she has noble reasons for them, even if she isn't exactly approaching her problems in the best way possible. Her feisty attitude keeps him on his toes, and is just as attractive to him as the way she looks.

As any romance reader would expect, this couple works through their issues together in time for a more than satisfying ending that left this reviewer with a big smile on her face!

~ALL ABOUT ADAM~

Eight months ago, Becky Carter had a brief but unforgettable fling with Adam Thomas that abruptly ended when she cut and run without so much as a goodbye. Now Adam has her right where he wants her and he means to find out why...

Adam Thomas is absolutely diabolical in the very best ways... You have to love a hero who knows what he wants - his heroine - and is relentless in his pursuit of her, without crossing the line to stalking, of course! LOL This man never wavers as he woos the woman he can't forget, and I have to say his determination sent the most delicious shivers down my spine!

Becky is his perfect match - especially after she finally moves past the issues that make her hesitant to give in to her feelings for the handsome lawyer. While the reader roots for Adam to win her the whole story long, the reasons that keep her from capitulating too soon are some that most people can empathize with.

~MAN AT THE DOOR~

All Erin McHugh wants is to live a nice, quiet, normal life far away from the spotlight. She doesn't have time in her life for a torrid little affair - especially not with younger man Ray Hammond, no matter how irresistible he might be. But Ray is determined to break through the protective shell Erin has built around her and show her everything he feels for her...

In MAN AT THE DOOR, we meet Erin, who has a whole passel of problems, all related to - what else - her parents. Seems they can't stay out of the news, usually for something questionable, and Erin has had enough of the spotlight, along with the prying eyes and wagging tongues that accompany it. Consequently, she lives her life as quietly as she can, never making waves or doing anything that might make her gossip-worthy.

Much to readers' delight, Ray Hammond is bound and determined to show her how much of life and love she is missing out on by holing herself away from the world. You have to adore a man who pulls out all the stops to woo the woman he loves, and such is the case with this sexy foreman!

What really makes this story interesting though, besides the steamy love scenes and the banter, is one very important secret Ray has that could just derail all the progress he makes with the woman of his dreams.

**Courtesy of Wild on Books**

Connected Books:
When Good Things Happen To Bad Boys

Description from back of book: What's better than a man who's good with his hands? Try a trio of hard-bodied hunks who'll be happy to flip your house, your heart...and anything else you have in mind... This Old House--Architect Cole Carruthers's mission is simple--visit his company's latest rehab project and cajole the sweet old lady who once owned it into vacating the premises. But the sultry, sledge-hammer-wielding woman he finds is far from old, nor particularly sweet. For reasons she won't reveal, Aubrey Matheson refuses to leave the house she claims is her birthright. As far as Cole's concerned, there's only one thing to do with this squatter: hunker down with her and discover every single one of her sexy secrets...

All About Adam--The last meeting tough-as-nails Becky Carter took with sharp-witted, wicked sexy real estate rehabber Adam Thomas culminated in a scorching-hot game of kiss-and-run. Becky was the one running, and she's regretted it ever since. Now Adam's back to do some actual business...or so he says. If Becky has her way, this weekend of negotiation will speed from boardroom to bedroom--and stay there...

Man at the Door--After finding herself famous for all the wrong reasons, artist Erin McHugh just wants to fix up her house, open her art studio, and settle down out of the spotlight. Then job foreman Ray Hammond walks through her door and Erin recognizes broad-shouldered trouble. Hot, young, and always in the news, Ray is everything Erin wanted to avoid. The challenge is how to resist a guy who can build anything, fix anything--and make Erin feel everything...

My View: Hard as Nails tells the story of three men who work together at T.C. Limited. The stories follow Cole, Adam and Ray during the purchase, sale and remodeling of an old house and the surprises they found there. This is one of those books where you will both laugh and cry, as you make your way through the three stories. Each couple HelenKay creates has great chemistry and blends well together. I especially like Aubrey and her sledgehammer. I also like the way each of the small stories blend together to bring you one full story.

"This Old House". In affluent Dupont Circle DC his partners Adam and Whit Thomas ask Cole Carruthers to persuade the elderly woman who sold them the Victorian fixer upper house to please leave so they can get on with the reconstruction project. However, he is greeted by sexy Aubrey Matheson who rejects his efforts to remove her; insisting the house is hers. She does not reject his attempts to examine the bedroom first hand together.

"All About Adam". When they kissed, a stunned Becky Carter fled from the arms of realty rehabber Adam Thomas. However she regrets her panic and he wants to raise the heat.

"Man at the Door". After receiving unwanted notoriety artist Erin McHugh wants to be left alone except from renovating her home. However site foreman Ray Hammond persuades Erin to let him live in the house to reduce the calendar time it takes to finish the job; he has not told her this job includes a lifetime guarantee with her.

The link between these three contemporary romances is the Dupont Circle project in which the lead couples (and readers) will discover every nook and cranny can be used for a tryst. HARD AS NAILS is a fun anthology although the hunks at times become wet noodles instead of nails. Fans will enjoy this fun fixer upper collection.

Harriet Klausner