When I picked up Hard Compromise, it'd been on my TBR for ages. It'd been a long time since I read a Brazen book OR a Samanthe Beck book. I forgot just how much I enjoyed both. They're just perfect when I'm in the mood for a quick and sexy read. 

Ethan and Laurie's story was smoking hot. They had AMAZING chemistry, in and out of the bedroom. (Or, you know, anywhere else.) I thought the sexy times were balanced well with some very real feelings, too. You just can't go wrong with that combination. Ethan and Laurie proved opposites definitely attract — and set my ereader on fire. 

Favorite Quotes:
"Booker, don't confuse me with one of your well-bred, easily-shocked, country-club girls. I'm not well-bred and nothing shocks me. My only rules are fast, hard, and so filthy dirty it leaves a stain on your soul."

"You think you're ruined? Jailbait, the fact you kept me waiting for six fucking days tells me I haven't even begun to ruin you. But I will now."

3 stars

Ok, here is the things. I liked how this book started. Both wanting each other for years, but not acting on it. But there was a little too much drama for me. The mom was more that I could deal with.

Sheriff Ethan Booker may have been born with a silver spoon in his mouth but he is a down to earth guy who has worked hard to betaken seriously as a law enforcement officer. When he first met Laurie she was the definition of wild child! He has kept an eye on her from afar but he has developed a very strong attraction to this feisty baker and he's not sure how to let her know!

Laurie has survived the childhood from hell. Alcoholic, party girl mother and no discipline led her off the path but after a run in with the law in the shape of Ethan, she has done well for herself. But the attraction she feels for Ethan is off the charts but he wouldn't want a girl from the wrong side of the tracks...would he?

Talk about intense! These two were equally stubborn and trying to do what they thought was best for the other, but all they really did was tie themselves in knots and give themselves a headache!
I loved that Laurie's monster of a mother finally got a kind of comeuppance and I really enjoyed the Booker family as whole as they seem to be quite down to earth rather than the snobs you would expect them to be. Aaron is definitely comic relief...it was nice to see a Brit in the book!

I didn't love this one I hated that Ethan waited years to go after her. He only went after her, when it was convenient for him.

'Hard Compromise' by Samantha Beck is book Two in the"Compromise Me" series. This is the story of Ethan and Laurie. I have not yet read the previous book, so for me this was a standalone book.
Laurie was about 16 years old when she sneaked into a College Party hoping to loose her virginity. But was caught by Ethan who is a police officer. Ethan let her off with a warning but told her he was going to keep and eye on her.
Now 10 years later, she is no longer that young girl who had the mother that didn't care or the reckless girl. Laurie is a business owner and had calmed down.
Ethan for the first few years of watching Laurie thought of her as a young kid but after she turned 18 he knew he wanted her. But he waited 10 years for her to grow up and settle her self before he fulfilled the promise that he would come for her in 10 years.
This was a really hot and enjoyable read!
"My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read."

Whew, it's hot in here! Samanthe Beck has written an oh so hot and sexy read in HARD COMPROMISE. You might want something to fan yourself with while reading this one!
Even though Ethan and Laurie shouldn't fit, they do. Ethan is a cop, but he is from a wealthy family. Laurie had a crap childhood with a horrible excuse for a mother. As a teen, she was a wild child and Ethan,as a rookie cop, had to arrest for underage drinking. For years, he spent a lot of time thinking about her (yes, she propositioned him, but she was way too young) and keeping her out of trouble.
Now, it has been ten years since they met. Laurie has grown up and running her new shop, Babycakes. She has had a long road getting her life together. Finally, she and Ethan stop dancing around each other and hit the sheets. Fanning alert!
Bad thing, her bakeshop burns down and she has sunk her life into it. Enter Ethan, who offers his help by convincing her to be his fake girlfriend so that his family will stop trying to pair him up with their choice of pedigreed wealthy women he should date. It's his plan to slowly convince Laurie that they could truly be together.
This could have been a fluffy sexfest, but Ms Beck wrote layers of depth and you couldn't help but care about Laurie and Ethan. The story is less than 200 pages, but you get to know these fun characters,especially Laurie who is again having to deal with her failure of a mother. Ethan and Laurie with their sizzling chemistry, might not have been a couple for ten years, but their hearts connected all those years ago and they have a chance for that elusive (and for them, hot! hot! hot!) happily ever after.
I loved the first book, COMPROMISING HER POSITION, but HARD COMPROMISE surpassed it. There is a lot of spicy fire and great romance in this sexy romance series!

Lauralie Peterson and Ethan Booker are from two different worlds when it comes to their background. The night that Ethan came to Lauralie's rescue proved to her that he was out of her league, but the heart wants what the heart wants. Ethan thought no such thing when it came to Lauralie, he just had to make her see that her self worth was not dictated by who her family is or her past.
Ethan and Lauralie may have been opposites, but that's what made them so perfect for each other. These two brought out the best in each other even when life's disruptions tried to tear them apart. Add in the explosive chemistry between these two and you have a love connection that refuses to be denied. This author did a great job in telling their story with a enjoyable storyline and memorable characters. I gave it 4 stars.

RATING 4.5 STARS

Hard Compromise is book two in the Compromise Me series by Samanthe Beck. I loved the first book of this series so was so excited to get Chelsea’s best friend, Laurie’s story, and the man who wanted her heart, Ethan Booker.

Laurie Peterson was raised by a woman whose best friend was alcohol. Having a daughter was merely an inconvenience. Laurie grew up in Montenido, California with Chelsea being her only real friend. At age sixteen, Laurie would have done just about anything to gain some attention, which is how she first met then rookie cop, Ethan Booker. He saved her from herself on that beach ten years ago. Over the following ten years, Ethan looked out for Laurie, mostly without her knowledge. But Ethan has waited long enough. He is the sheriff now and Laurie owns her own bakery. It’s time to claim what he’s waited what feels like a life time for.

Laurie keeps people at a distance, except for her best friend. She can’t afford to let anyone in to her inner crazy life. A life where her mother could turn up at any time and reek havoc, which she often does. So on that New Year’s Eve when Ethan showed up at her New Year’s Eve party and showed her just exactly how he wanted to celebrate, she was all in. But it would only be the one time. Then she’d kick him out just like she always did. What Laurie didn’t realize is that Ethan had other plans altogether.

“Laurie Peterson didn’t lean on anyone. She gave out advice. She supplied a shoulder to cry on, not vice versa. Chelsea was the only possible exception.”

“You belong to yourself. You look after yourself.”

Laurie’s New Year’s Day, though, didn’t have a very good start. First, one of those surprise visits from her mother. And then, her beloved bakery that she had scrimped and saved to get it off it’s feet, burned to the ground. But Booker stood by her and pledged his support. He said he would have her back. But Laurie knew that wouldn’t happen. Not if he knew what her life was really like.

I have to admit that at first, I didn’t warm to Ethan right away. He was so…is abrupt the right word? He was very methodical about the way he pursued Laurie. But the more I got to know him, the more I got to know Laurie, I realized that he had to do things that way. She was scared to death, ready to run at any time. So I have to give Ethan credit for knowing her more than she knew herself. He found ways to keep her tied to him, to keep her in his bed, until her heart would finally realize that he could be part of her life, that she could trust and depend on him. That she didn’t have to keep running.

“She could stuff her own feelings into a box and lock them away where they couldn’t do any damage - hardly any. She’d practiced the skill her entire life. But this? Nothing had prepared her for this.”

I do have to admit that this one kind of broke my heart. I mean, Laurie’s life, her mom, really was awful. And I am in love with Ethan’s family. His mom is a hoot! I am in love with the ending of this. I actually swooned. I can’t wait to read the third book in this series, Arden and the sexy Dr. Nick get their story in Compromised in Paradise. I am so glad I have had the opportunity to read this series and get to know Samanthe’s work. I’m just loving it.

In case I haven’t said it before, Samanthe Beck is one of my favorite authors. It’s like she writes her heroes just for me. Now, I admit that it has taken me awhile to read Hard Compromise. My bad. I don’t know what I was thinking.

The story starts ten years ago on New Year’s Eve at Nido Beach in Montenido, California. A then sixteen-year-old Lauralie Peterson was caught drinking and partying with a group of frat boys. Twenty-two-year-old Deputy Ethan Booker was her saving grace. Lauralie offered to repay Ethan the only way she knew how. He turned down her advancements with the promised declaration of “Jailbait, we can revisit the topic in ten years.”

Fast forward ten years. Ethan Booker is now the sheriff. Lauralie “Laurie” Peterson is now on the straight and narrow. She hasn’t been in trouble with the police since she was sixteen. In fact, she is the owner of Babycake’s Bakery. On this New Year’s Eve, Ethan is going to make good on his promise and finally have a shot at the one woman he’s been keeping tabs on for ten years.

I love that Ethan is so sure of himself and how good things can be between him and Laurie. He has this ability to see into her soul and see everything she hides from other people. I like Laurie’s strength and determination to overcome her upbringing. Since she was young, she’s had to take care of herself. Her mother was more concerned about herself and having a good time. She could care less about having a child. Unfortunately, not a lot has changed on that front. Except now, Denise uses Laurie as her personal ATM machine and threatens to destroy everything Laurie has built for herself.

I love Hard Compromise because ultimately that’s what Ethan and Laurie do to be together. They compromise. Laurie opens herself up to allow herself to depend not only on herself but Ethan and others. Ethan learns that he has to give up some control. While he has the ability to help Laurie and save her from her mother and the world, he has to let her fight her own battles. “I’ll always have your back.”

I’m looking forward to the next installment in this series.

I loved this book. Loved the characters and storyline. The heat between Booker and Lauralie was incendiary.. I giggled and sighed, and even grumped in some places! Her mother is a piece of work all her own.. Thoroughly enjoyed every page though.

I finished this book in one sitting. I haven't done that in a while. Mostly because I've been too busy editing and writing, but also because I've been in a huge book slump. But Hard Compromise truly grabbed me from page one and held on until the very end. Laurie and Booker are flawed and perfect together. And so incredibly HOT. This book reminded me of why I love Samanthe Beck so much.

I love Samathe's writing! Her writing is very descriptive. It was easy to picture all the scenes as if I was present in the story too! Booker is my new book boyfriend! He is tough as he's the sheriff but he's also gentle although bossy when it comes to taking care of Laurie, a woman several years his junior. Booker had been looking out for Laurie since she was 16 and now 10 years later, he was ready to make his move. Laurie has always had to take care of herself and though she's running a successful baking business, she always feels closer than trash due to her upbringing. I can't wait to read whatever book Samanthe has next!

This story was great!

The back story between Ethan and Laurie and where they both come from made me instantly fall in love with it. It's sort of predictable of course but it was so so good regardless. Ethan was finally ready to go get what he wanted which made for the perfect push and pull between him and Laurie.

Now Ethan comes from the wealthiest family in their community and things could have gone so differently with his family but what I really enjoyed was that the author took a totally different approach to his rich family and the expectance of the girl from the other side of the tracks.

If you've read book one you'll get to see a bit of the characters from the book as well. This is the second book from this author that I have read and I am equally pleased with this book as I was with the last. I highly recommend it to anyone, I think you'll truly enjoy each moment of the story and you wont be disappointed. This is a perfect steamy romance weekend read that will for sure heat you up this winter season.

Autry's review:

Hard Compromise sounded so promising, sexy as sin sheriff not willing to back away from a challenge. Bakery owner is helpless as her bakery goes up in flames while she’s having a one-night stand with before mentioned sheriff. So promising…I feel so disappointed! The characters feel so flat; I never felt any type of emotional charge between them. Laurie was unlikable, very wishy-washy, and hard to imagine the amount of drama she created for herself in this story. Booker was an ok male lead, I found him more relatable than Laurie, and it appears his profession has given him heaps of experience in dealing with dramatic women.

The secondary cast of character was distracting to the plot, at times it left me thinking more so with a what just happened thought. Booker’s family took up a big majority of characters that were over the top, in-your-face personalities. It’s really awkward when your meeting your “boyfriends” parents for the first time and his mother pulls you aside to give you a bag filled with sex toys?!?!

Overall I could not recommend this book to anyone, it left me feeling very unsatisfied with the plot development and characters. I found myself reread pages to try and find where the author had moved onto, it did not flow well. Twelve percent of the book was the first sexual encounter…. it very well could have been condensed. The use of the word “jailbait” was a bit excessive. As a reader, I never want to not recommend a book or at least be able to find some positive part within the novel. Hard Compromise sounded so intense and passionate, filled with a suspenseful investigation, I only wish it had fulfilled it’s promise.

Great premises, great characters, steamy scenes, but the book just felt rushed. It didn't quite come together.