Tonic by Staci Hart
Release Date: October 13th
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Synopsis:
Joel Anderson doesn’t take anything seriously.
Not his relationships, which have been few and far between since his brutal divorce. Not the drama of working in a tattoo parlor, which seems to be around every corner. When things get him down, he smiles and cracks a joke. But he’s not the kind of man you cross, or you’ll find yourself at the wrong end of his fists.
Annika Belousov takes everything seriously.
Like her job as a reality television producer, given that she typically has something to prove. Or her love life, which is defined by a series of requirements — affluent, ambitious, accomplished, to name a few. Definitely her family, who worked their whole lives to afford her every opportunity, a sacrifice she doesn’t take lightly. When she’s tapped to produce a reality show at Joel’s shop, she doesn’t think twice, just goes in for the kill, as if there were any other way.
The second Annika walks into Joel’s shop, he makes it his mission to crack her open, but she’s not having it. He’s all wrong — too crass, too hairy, too un-serious. But it doesn’t take her long to find out there’s more to him than smirks and tattoos. And what she finds could put her career and his heart on the line.
Not that Joel cares. Because for the first time in a long time, he’s found his tonic.
Christy's 5-Star Review:
5 stars!!!
“Heads and hearts are connected by threads impossible to cut completely.”
Tonic is my first Staci Hart book, and now that I’ve read it, I want to stop what I’m doing and go back and read her others. I absolutely loved this story! It gave me just enough feels, plenty of laughter, snark and heart.
Tonic is a tattoo shop owned by Joel Anderson and his brother, Shep. After much convincing, Shep talks his brother into staring in a reality show featuring the shop. It’s not something Joel wants to do, but he has his reasons. The first day he meets the producers, in walks this ice queen blonde beauty. Annika Belousov comes across cold and frosty, and Joel wants nothing more than to warm her up.
“It can’t end well.” Futile resolution washed over me, cold and steely. “It can’t happen… I could ruin my career or his heart or my heart or all of the above. It’s not worth it.”
Annika knows any kind of relationship with Joel would be a terrible idea. Normally, this is never a problem for her. She can very easily separate work and her personal life. But there is something about Joel… he’s not the normal type she goes for. He’s tattooed and hairy. He’s also very handsome, warm and good natured. The more she gets to know Joel, the more he shows her who he really is, the harder it becomes to resist. These two aren’t supposed to want each other. It’s not good for either of them at this point. But what we want and what we feel aren’t always the same thing…
I loved Joel and Annika’s connection. Their banter was something that kept a smile on my face throughout this novel. They were smoking hot together, but there were also so many great feelings between them. Joel was an amazing hero. I loved how charming, protective and kind he was. Annika was equally fantastic. She was fierce, independent and even though she a cold exterior, when she loved, she loved hard. Not only were these two fantastic, there were some amazing side characters. And I have to mention Kaz who I had a big soft spot for!
Tonic is a fun and entertaining story with loads of heart and soul. It’s perfectly paced and the writing is enchanting. I love books that are funny, but not too over the top funny, have just enough angst to keep things interesting, sexy- but not down right erotic, and give me just enough feels to make my emotions flare up a time or two. This book truly was the perfect mix of things that make my 5 star meter ding and make me one happy reader! I highly recommend this book.
Excerpt:
“Let me see it.”
“What?” I blustered, caught off guard.
“Stand up and turn around. I want to see it.” I was too surprised and caught up in the moment to refuse, so I stood and turned, laying my palms on the armrests as I faced the back of the chair.
One hand rested on my hip.
My heart stopped as I wondered what the hell I’d gotten myself into.
I glanced over my shoulder, my gaze bouncing between his face —turned down too much to read —and his reflection in the speckled, antique mirror, which I couldn’t see much of either. His free hand moved to the waistband of my tailored pants, and his fingers hooked and tugged, pulling the band down low.
His thumb ran over where I knew the tattoo was, and I felt his breath. Every place where we connected spoke to me of ownership.
“You got this done here? In New York?” His voice was rough.
Mine wasn’t much better. “Yeah. In Brooklyn.”
“Let me cover it up for you. Give you something you’re proud of. Your skin …” He paused, and I wished I could see his face, read his mind. “This shouldn’t be here, not on you. Let me … I want to …” He had moved closer, his hand on my hip pulling me back into him slightly enough for me to not have noticed that the backs of my thighs were touching his, my back arched just enough, his breath hot.
And then, he disappeared. I stood, finding my hands were trembling, wondering where I was and how I’d gotten there. The shop was mostly empty —no one had seen, not that it would have looked like much from the outside. But from where I stood, I felt every single deliberate move like a telegraph, telling me exactly what he wanted to do without him having to finish the sentence.
His back was to me when I turned around, his face down —I couldn’t see it in the mirror over his cabinet of ink and needles as he dug around in the drawers, seemingly for nothing in particular.
“Let me know if you want me to draw something up.”
“Okay, I will.” I paused, not knowing what else to say, feeling like I should say something. But there was nothing that I could say. “Well, have a good night, Joel. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He nodded, glancing at me in the mirror. “See you, Annika.”
I tried not to bolt out of the shop, but once outside, I admit it —I took off. I hauled up the stairs and into the office to grab my bag, grateful that Laney was already gone, and I texted my driver, asking him to pick me up a few blocks away so I could walk, put some distance between me and Joel, get the energy out of my body, through my legs and feet, into the pavement.
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About the Author:
Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life -- a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can't forget that. She's also been a mom, with three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She's been a wife, though she's certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She's also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she's been drinking whiskey.
From roots in Houston to a seven year stint in Southern California, Staci and her family ended up settling somewhere in between and equally north, in Denver. They are new enough that snow is still magical. When she's not writing, she's reading, sleeping, gaming, or designing graphics.
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