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Hard as Steel (Surviving Series #4) by Virginia Wine – Review by Krystal Gaston

Hard as Steel: Book four (Hard as Steel: Book four by Virginia Wine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hard as Steel Book 4 in the Surviving Series written by Virginia Wine. I really this as a standalone. Steel Archer is a difficult yet loyal man. He and his team have accomplished a lot and been through a lot. The chemistry between the characters is hot and cold, as Steel and Nichole figure out what’s going on in their lives as a couple while still maintaining their careers. As FBI Nichole has a lot on her plate and she doesn’t want all of her hard work to go to the back burner. Then there’s Steel who has been through so much then with the surprise of Grace, then Flynn’s feelings it adds new issues. Overall I enjoyed the story and it’s unique storyline.

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Review by Krystalgaston

Hard as Steel (Surviving Series Book Four) by Virginia Wine – Review by Kristan Anderson

Hard as Steel: Book four (Hard as Steel: Book four by Virginia Wine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hard as Steel by Virginia Wine is book four in the Surviving Series. This is the first book I have read by this author and though it read alright as a stand alone, I would have like to have read the others as there were many characters that Steel seemed to have know for years. The characters are incredibly complex, like Nicole for example. She doesn’t talk much about anything when it comes to feelings. She’s very head strong and concerned with her work, it’s important to her. Romance isn’t exactly on the top of her lists. The plot twists are perfect and just enough to keep you needing more. I’m definitely going to have to go back for those other books. I cannot wait to read more from this author.

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Hard as Steel (Surviving Series #4) by Virginia Wine ~ Review by Liz Vrchota

Hard as Steel: Book four (Hard as Steel: Book four by Virginia Wine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I feel as if I must preface this review with a bit of a warning, I have not read Virginia Wine’s works before or the other previous books in the Surviving Series yet. I wish that I had before I had jumped into this one head first. Unfortunately, this was just how it happened to work out for me this time. However, it wasn’t a total disappointment. I did enjoy the novel. It was a well-developed plot line and I did enjoy the characters that were played throughout. I feel as if I would have been able to really enjoy the book to its fullest potential however if I had the chance to know them from the beginning and had the entire story. My plan is to go back and start with book one, ‘Surviving Eden’. I will eventually read this one again in the proper order, and update my review then.

That said this book is centered on Nicole Lancaster and Steel Archer. Nicole is a FBI agent. She is serious about her career and very good at is because of it. Now she is up for a promotion and is determined to not let anything get in the way of her getting said promotion. At the same time she is given an intense case that could also make or break her so she needs to keep things in check. The last thing she needs is to feel anything for the private investigator that is working on the same case. Between these two things what will happen for her?

Steel just wants to protect the woman he was hired to protect. He is fighting hard to overcome his past demons. He never expected to start feeling things for the FBI agent Nicole Lancaster that is working the case of the woman he is protecting. He has his own demons and it appears she does as well. He can’t break her walls down to save his soul. And what happens when both the women are now in danger? Can he keep them all safe? Will he ever break through Nicole’s rock solid protective shell? You will just have to read and find out what happens for yourself!

Review by @lizaileen

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Hard as Steel: Book 4 (Surviving Series) by Virginia Wine – Review by Heather Bahm

Hard as Steel: Book four (Hard as Steel: Book four by Virginia Wine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Virginia Wine’s Hard as Steel is book four in the Surviving Series. This contemporary romantic suspense is Steel Archer’s story. The opening scenes in the first chapter(s) immediately captured my attention. The characters each stood distinctly apart and made me inquisitive on each of them – to include who they are, what they are doing and their pasts. These are not simple, one-dimensional characters. This story is suspenseful along with the romantic elements that are tied in. There are emotional ties, raw and hard that are being fought, pushed upon and resisted. It makes a great story for Hard as Steel, not only for this individual story, but begging the reader to take a chance on the other books within the series.

Reviewed by @hbahm

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Hard as Steel (Surviving Series book #4) by Virginia Wine – Review by Angela Hayes

Hard as Steel: Book four (Hard as Steel: Book four by Virginia Wine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3 and a half Stars

Hard as Steel is the fourth book in the Surviving series by Virginia Vine. This is my first read by Ms. Vine, but when I read the blurb I was immediately hooked and needed to find out what happens. I realise now that this being book four in a series, I would have been better reading the other three books before starting this one, as I feel that there was backstory and character information that I was missing, and that detracted somewhat from my enjoyment of this book.
I love the premise of the book, enjoyed the story, and liked the characters. But there were a few issues that prevented this book from reaching its full potential, and delivering promise held in the synopsis. I will get to these issues in a moment.
Nicole Lancaster is a seasoned FBI Agent who is focused of her career and moving up the ladder as high as she can go. A woman in a man’s world, she has to work twice as hard as her male colleagues, just to prove herself and gain any recognition. She’s up for another promotion, so she doesn’t need any distractions that may derail her plans. But what happens when a case pulls her in a lot farther than she expects? The more time she spends with the broken young woman, the more she pulls her in. What about the sparks and intense connection she feels towards a certain private investigator who’s also looking into the case? With danger an ever-present factor there is no room for error.
Steel Archer is ex-military, now working with PI Securities. He’s had some traumatic experiences that still haunt him. When a battered and broken young woman stumbles into his world, it thrusts him into an investigation that will test him and require him to draw on all his training to make it through. Nicole brings a calming and soothing effect on him- but she has a hard shell that he’ll need to crack in order to pursue anything with her. What happens when he’s targeted by an evil mastermind in a sinister plot? Is there a connection to the current case he’s working on? Will he break through Nicole’ defences and convince her that he’s worth the risk? When danger comes calling, can he keep everyone safe?
This story is told from several points of view, which gives the reader a really great perspective of what’s going on. There were parts of the story that really tugged at my heartstrings and had me feeling for what the characters had been/were going through.
The story was complex and multi-layered, with a lot of flashbacks that helped to build some backstory and move the plot on. There was a lyrical/poetic style to the writer’s style, especially in the flashback sequences. The story was detailed and descriptive- but there were times the story felt a bit abrupt or clipped.
Like I said previously, I think I would have enjoyed the story more if I had read the previous books first, because there seemed to be too much information and character details that I ‘should have known already’. This did take away from my enjoyment of the story. Also, it wasn’t always apparent ‘who’ was speaking, and I had to re-read some of the dialog to work it out.
Then there were quite a few editing issues that kept pulling me out of the story. Simple thing that could have been caught, and without which this would have been an amazing read. Things such as misused words, ie: mild stone, instead of milestone; acquittance, instead of acquaintance; manors, instead of manners- just as a few examples. Then there were words that should have been plurals and weren’t, and quite a few punctuation issues. Although these things were minor issues, they did interrupt the flow, and my overall enjoyment of the story.
I am intrigued to see what happens in the first three books, and whether, as I suspect, there is a bridging/underlying storyline. So, I will be going back to read the first three books to find out. I also really liked Grace and am intrigued by her and want to know more- so I will definitely be reading the next book, “Surviving Grace”.

Thank you, Ms. Wine!

 

Reviewed by @angelahayes

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Hard as Steel: Book Four (“Surviving Series”) by Virginia Wine – Review by Heather Lovelace

Hard as Steel: Book four (Hard as Steel: Book four by Virginia Wine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This romantic thriller is full of rich detail and riveting plot developments. It kept me guessing from beginning to end while taking me on quite an emotional journey. A great book from start to finish.

Reviewed by @heatherlovelace

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Hard as Steel (“Surviving Series”) By Virginia Wine – Review by Laura Furuta

Hard as Steel: Book four (Hard as Steel: Book four by Virginia Wine
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Hard as Steel: Book four (“Surviving Series”)
By: Virginia Wine
5 out of 5 stars

The story Hard as Steel: Book four (“Surviving Series”) by Virginia Wine is a romantic suspense book. This is a story that hooks you in from the first chapter and doesn’t let go until you have read the final page. It is a story with enough suspense that you wonder what is going to happen next. It is a page-turner. I loved reading about the character of Steel Archer. He is a man that is strong, independent in his actions, and protects those that he cares for. This story has a dark and twisted tale to tell that will chill you and keep you guessing until the end. The story also does have some steamy scenes that make the temperature in the room rise. I loved how the author put such emotion behind what Steel does. I felt what he felt. The details are also such that you feel you are right there with the characters going through what they did. Who will be Steel’s match? Read this book to find out. There are other characters that are introduced in the story and I enjoyed reading about them and when they interact with Steel. There is a feeling of brotherhood that is special. This is a book that is wonderfully written and one that I would highly recommend reading.

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Hard as Steel: Book 4 (Surviving Series) by Virginia Wine – Review by Bobbi Wagner

Hard as Steel: Book four (Hard as Steel: Book four by Virginia Wine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book has a little bit of everything in it which makes it enjoyable from romance to suspense to mystery. I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. The author pulled me into the plot right from the beginning and kept me turning pages until the end. The characters are lovable and I will say Steel is hot, sexy and a strong, my favorite. I loved the chemistry between him and Nicole. This story is a sitting on the edge of my seat type and I highly recommend it.

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