Cover Image: Hard Chrome

Hard Chrome

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Member Reviews

This book was awesome. We have MC's who have big trust issues and a lot of presumptions about each other.

I was enjoying myself tremendously while getting to know both of them and discovering how they thick. The banter was funny, family ties strong and the slow birth of love was just perfect.

Excellent book and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next in the series.

***Review copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads Blog***

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Really great opposites attract romance. Duke and Tanner are so cute together and I love the partnership they build with each other.

Thank you Carina Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

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Hard Chrome just didn't work for me. I found the characters and storyline to be boring and I was totally uninterested in finishing it.

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Tanner and Duke... Duke and Tanner. So good together in the end, but maybe not so much at the beginning.

This was another book where I had really high expectations. I'm a fan of Vanessa North's books, so I was a little bit surprised that this one didn't quite do it for me. I liked it, mostly, but it was slow moving at first, didn't really get me started liking either character because I could not figure them out. But then it was quick and fast as lightening. I had a hard time seeing Tanner and Duke together because they're so different, and other than the sex, which was on fire, I could not see them as a couple. I eventually got there.

I don't know. I think I felt all over the place with this one. I did feel like it was a good start to the series though. I'm hopeful for the books to come. I'm in love with the rest of Tanner's family and I think we'll get some good stuff coming.

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*~~*ARC kindly provided from the publisher/author to me for an honest review *~~*

Full review to come

5 stars

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After some unexpected life events, the heroine returned home to manage the family shop with her siblings, keeping some personal secrets and struggling with grief. The hero works for her and is also dealing with some family issues of his own. As the couple succumbs to their attraction, they also dealt with issues that cleanup during the story.

I liked the familial figures surrounding the couple and the LBQT+ representation. The sex scenes gave enough description but not overdone. What I find lacking is the flow of the story not having a smooth transition. The overall vibe felt deficient for my reading pleasure. Thus, it was an okay read for me.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Junkie for my copy.*

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I've read a few of Vanessa North's romances before, my favorite being The Lonely Drop, an LGBTQ friends to lovers novella written for a photo prompt in a goodreads readers' group. It put the author on my radar, and this latest story solidifies that spot. Hard Chrome is the first in the author's small town American Heavy Metal series, about four siblings running a classic car shop and the problems inherent in keeping it afloat after the death of their father.

It's an emotional, bittersweet homecoming for Tanner Ellis. She's the daughter who'd left for greener pastures, returning to Royal after a failed business venture in Chicago (with a bankruptcy hearing looming) to take over the shop. Her siblings Tegan, Tiffani and Tyler need her and since she hasn't been around for the last few years, the least she can do is be there for them now. They don't know about her failed business, or her doubts that she's the right person to continue their dad's legacy. But she'll give it her best shot. She knows she has their support, but there's another person to convince – their other employee Duke Wilson.

Duke is wary of Tanner and her 'improvements', a healthy dose of grief from the loss of his mentor and father figure Tom Ellis coloring his opinions of the returning Ellis 'princess'. Especially annoying is that despite her being his new boss, he's attracted to her. Tanner Ellis isn't for the likes of him, a man from the wrong side of the tracks with a screwed up family and his own siblings to protect. But with the same goal of keeping Tom's shop going, and working beside each other day in and day out, it's not long before they give in to their mutual chemistry. Duke is up front about not having the time to get into any kind of committed relationship and Tanner is okay with that. But when their feelings for each other deepen, will they pull the plug or take a chance on a forever happy ending?

Vanessa North's writing is a lesson in how to seamlessly weave realistic LGBTQ relationships into the narrative. While Duke and Tanner are a heterosexual couple, Tanner's sister Tegan has a female partner Katie, and Tanner's best friend Mac is gay. Tanner's brother Tyler may be gay or bisexual – there is definitely some flirting that goes on between him and Mac (perhaps to be a future story?). Mac and Duke are also friends. At one time Mac had expressed interest in Duke but Duke had politely turned him down, the episode not denting their friendship. This is the kind of positive representation of LGBTQ characters that I hope to see in more mainstream romances in the future.

There's a bit of glossing over of the ethics of an employee/employer relationship with Duke and Tanner but as both are consenting older adults in a very small company and have equal power (as Duke leaving would really put Tanner in a bind) it's easy to accept (still noticed, but not hard to move on). The sex between them is passionate and fun, starts early in the story with an office tryst, and continues throughout. Keeping it a secret from everyone is a bit of a challenge. But where Tanner starts to open up to Duke about her past, like what happened in Chicago with her business, Duke is very closemouthed about his problems until they arrive on his doorstep. Then he has no choice but to tell Tanner about his sisters, his violent jailed (soon to be paroled) stepfather, and his strained relationship with his mother.

Because of Duke's family problems, the story takes some hard hitting turns. Where Duke is used to having to do everything by himself, Tanner makes it clear that she's willing to help him with his burdens if he'll trust her with them. The road to their happy ending has a few pitfalls but making it to the end is a satisfying journey. I like all of the car shop and mechanical details that are sprinkled throughout, ones that car aficionados and novices like myself can appreciate without feeling out of their depth. Dealing with grief, new starts, family relationships (good and bad) and enduring friendships, this is a romance worth reading. Oh, and I really liked the cover too - it evokes the characters and setting well. I'm thoroughly invested in this family and can't wait to read more.

This review will be posted at All About Romance and feedback updated with the link. It will then be posted at Goodreads. and sale sites.

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This is my first read by this author and I must say I enjoyed it. The pace was a bit up and down, but generally speaking it was all right once it kept going. The characters are likable. Both main characters have some baggage that they need to deal with. They have things in common but are also different

Tanner Ellis is home now that her father has passed to run their family business American Heavy Metal. She left to do her own thing and opened a spa. She had a failure in a relationship as well. With it failing and her father passing she returns home. Her family thinks she is leaving once everything is under control. She is sharing the responsibility with her brother Tyler and sisters, Tiffani and Teagan.

Duke is a mechanic at the shop and an honorary member of the family. He loves them like family and they treat him like family better than his .e has two sisters that he adores.

Duke and Tanner are different but the same as well. He doesn’t like her right away. Thinks she is way too bossy and stuck up. She comes into the shop and changing everything and he likes to push her buttons and get under her skin. They have passion and lust with lots of hot chemistry. Tanner doesn’t want anyone to know right now and at the same time, Duke doesn’t feel like he is good enough for the city girl. He lives in a trailer on his land.

I loved this family they are truly there for each other. Then add in Tanner’s best friend Mac. He is a good friend. Duke’s sisters are great as well. All in all, it was a well-rounded read and I liked it. I look forward to more in this series.

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I enjoyed this new series from Vanessa North. I'm always a sucker for series where each sibling gets a book and I'm assuming that's how this one is gonna go. And what i loved even more was that it'll be mixed pairings cuz some of them are queer!

I don't know a darn thing about cars but the setting of the car shop was a great backdrop for this story. I wasn't lost about anything they were discussing when it came to the shop.

Tanner and Duke don't get along at first so we got the classic who does she think she is coming in here, after being away for so long, to fancy up the place. And by fancy up i mean the new uniforms lol. I always enjoy that push and pull between MCs.

The secondary characters are also intriguing without overshadowing the mains, so of course I'm looking forward to knowing how their romances will play out. I think we already got a few hints as to who Tanner's brother Tyler will hook up with but I guess we shall see!!

So this was an enjoyable read for me.

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Hard Chrome is a contemporary romance where a woman returns home after the death of her dad to take over his auto body shop. The shop also specializes in classic car restoration and repairs. Unfortunately, I realized early on this was going to be a perfect storm of “No thanks” due to rude and judgmental behavior from the protagonists that was offensive and reminded me too much of people I try to stay away from. That, plus the plot was similar to a romance that I had just finished in which heroine and her sisters are left to run their father’s business in a male-dominated industry. So yeah, I DNF-ed it pretty quickly and I don’t feel the least bad about it because my reading time is precious.

Tanner Ellis is back in town to head up her father’s car shop, American Heavy Metal. She left her humble beginnings behind years ago, but is willing to help her father’s legacy get out of the red and back to its former glory. She has a sister who stuck around and who is totally on board with Tanner’s newfound dedicated to AHM. Of course, Tanner’s motivations aren’t entirely altruistic, as her life in Chicago has gone tits up both personally and professionally. This new responsibility is merely a project to keep her distracted until figures out a way to rebuild.

Duke Wilson is an employee of the shop and was like a surrogate son to Tanner’s late father. He’s not exactly thrilled by Tanner’s return. She didn’t bother with the shop before and Duke doesn’t bother to disguise his feelings that she’s just a “spoiled princess.” These two throw around snap judgement like it’s going out of style.

Personally, I’m of the opinion that my relationship with my mother and father is no one’s damn business. Toxic parents exist and their toxicity is often bolstered by the fact that they can be really good at hiding their shittiness from other people. Not that this applies in this case, but I get sick of seeing characters vilified by their potential romantic partners for not having relationships with their parents when I’m of the personal opinion that setting boundaries to protect your own emotional health is good thing.

/end rant.

The first time Tanner sees Duke climb out of his giant truck blasting country music, he’s wearing a white tank top and “low-slung jeans:”

…straight out of the pages of a beefcake calendar. In my years post-college, running a day spa, I’ve never had to deal with an unfortunate attraction to an employee. Holy shit, I need to implement a dress code.

*Amanda puts on a tweed blazer and pushes up her glasses.*

Let’s unpack this down, shall we?

Now, there’s nothing wrong with admiring an attractive person, but here, Tanner is already assuming this appreciation of Duke’s good looks will turn into a problem. So much so, that her first order of business is to make all employees wear uniforms. This man is wearing a tank top and jeans, which seems pretty standard for a rural country mechanic. I would know, as my dad is one.

Would we be as accepting about Tanner’s decision if she were the hero? If Hero Tanner took one look at a heroine wearing occupationally-appropriate clothes and was so overwhelmed by attraction that the only way to solve this was implementing a dress code? It reminded me a lot of high school dress codes, which really only served to police a girl’s body because god forbid a bra strap show in front of a boy.

Tanner also goes on to make fun of Duke’s name, telling him that only dogs are named Duke. Seriously, that’s pretty damn rude when you’re meeting someone for the first time.

Duke was not the hero for me, either. He grabs the heroine’s arm without her consent and also sexually harasses her, saying that if she wants him in a uniform, she’ll have to personally take his measurements. I don’t have time for heroes like Duke.

In fact, Duke’s behavior, description, and character as a whole hit too close to home for me to enjoy this book. I grew up with men like Duke. Good ol’ boys who want their trucks to sound like freight trains as they kick up dust on dirt roads, who had no problems pressuring me or other young women into situations they weren’t entirely comfortable with, who proudly boasted of their dad’s KKK affiliations, who nearly ran a gay teacher out of the county. Seeing as how Duke is a romance hero, I doubt he’d be anything like the shitty racist, sexist teens I grew up with, but the visceral reaction I had to Duke’s introduction in the first chapter had me gnashing my teeth. I didn’t want to spend any reading time with him, or with Tanner.

I really wanted to like this book. When I was younger, my dad let me help with a classic car restoration project. We had a 1967 Mercury Monterey up on cinder blocks in the backyard. He watched as I took off each tire, getting my hands so greasy that my mom insisted I wash them off under the hose rather than take one step into the house.

I had hoped the nerdery of old cars would make me feel closer to my dad (who lives 2000+ miles away). Admittedly, I’ve been in a weirdly emotional state about my family; shoutout to my great therapist Katie. However, I never made it far enough in the book to reach those details simply because the main characters were instantly offensive and reminded me too much of awful people that I didn’t want to spend any time with.

If I had stuck with this book, it’s possible things would have turned around for me. Reviewing is subjective, though, and we all have idiosyncrasies in what we prefer for characters, settings, etc. My reading time is limited and important, and I didn’t have the motivation to continue with these characters, to see if they grow and change as people. My impression of the protagonists at the start of the book was too negative to make me invested enough to see them achieve an HEA. So, yeah, I’m judging them both for being judgmental and awful, but I have a TBR stack I’m ready to demolish. On to the next book.

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North is a new to me author. I like blue collar characters. I like the premise of a character having to go back home as an adult because life has happened and now they have to find their place in the world. Again. But this book didn’t work for me. At all. The heroine and hero were mean to each other. For me to enjoy enemies to lovers, I need to understand why they dislike each other. There dislike was based on first glance superficialities.

There wasn’t much build up to them wanting to sex each other up. I didn’t understand why they didn’t like each other and I didn’t understand when they started to like each other.

Side note: there are several characters with T names. They are all siblings of the heroine, Tanner. But none of them are really introduced, they are just there. I didn’t know who was who so I added an extra level of annoyance and helped with my decision to DNF this book.

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This isn’t my first read by Vanessa North, but it is my first M/F read by this author. I kinda like it when authors go outside their norm and Hard Chrome was a perfect start to the American Heavy Metal series.

Even though I really liked Hard Chrome, I have to admit that Tanner didn’t win me over right away. Since she didn’t win Duke over right away either, I’d don’t feel so bad admitting that. The thing is, she was trying too hard to be the boss that she thinks everyone at American Heavy Metal needs…and she’s keeping secrets. Secrets that she’s afraid if revealed, her family won’t trust her to run the family business.

It doesn’t take these two long to realize that they work much better together than butting heads. They keep that to themselves too, because their time together isn’t serious… until it is.

One of the reasons why Hard Chrome was a great beginning to the American Heavy Metal series was because it introduced a lot of characters that made readers want to get to know them better. Flying Chrome is next and even though there’s no synopsis yet, I’m pretty sure who’s going to be featured next.

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This is sort of an insta-lust story that leads to love pretty quickly. In many ways, it feels very much like the first book in a series, with North working hard to establish each of the Ellis siblings while also tell the story of both protagonists in dual POV. While there is definitely some initial tension between the two of them because Tanner's come home to take charge of the family business at which Duke has worked for forever, that's pretty quickly pushed to the back burner so their other issues can take the fore. Lots of complicated family dynamics and I'm sure it won't be for everyone (see CWs) but it was a short steamy read that sets up a series I'm really interested to read more of.


Content Warnings - domestic violence in the past and on page, grief, teen pregnancy, sex

Suzanne received a copy of this book from the publisher for review but ended up reading it on audiobook from her library via Hoopla.

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This was an interesting read. I truly enjoyed the main characters and the supporting ones and I loved how the author weaved in the diverse characters as a part of everyday life. It felt organic and realistic. I really like Duke and Tanner individually and as a couple and I enjoyed seeing how two people really work past their first impressions into a true understanding of one another. Some parts of the book felt a little rushed to me and it was hard to keep up with the side characters as much as I wanted to, but this was an overall a good, solid read.

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Overall, I really liked this book even if I felt that the author had her foot on the gas pedal with the story. Things moved a little too fast for me, with certain aspects of the character development feeling lacking, and the tension promised from the blurb never fully achieving the level expected....BUT I found myself charmed by Tanner and Duke and every single secondary character. So even though I didn't fully get what I was expecting, I still had a hard time putting the book down.

Tanner left her family to follow her boyfriend to Chicago. A failed relationship and business weighing heavy on her, she's now back home in Georgia after her father's passing to help with the family shop.

Duke is all about being a good ol' boy. He comes from an unstable home where his stepfather took out his anger on Duke and his mother can't let go of her loyalty to her husband.

The two are complete opposites, yet the annoyance they want to feel towards each other doesn't stick around for long. They find that what's behind first impressions, isn't what they were expecting at all.

They quickly let the attraction consume them, and that's when things just start charging full steam ahead. I wanted more tension between Tanner and Duke. Instead what I got was great chemistry, and no real communication about what matters. The conflict regarding Duke's insecurities about his background, and the question of whether Tanner intends to stick around....it felt very surface level. There was no depth of emotion to either issue.

BUT....can we talk about the Ellis family for a second?! I want them all to get a book....every single one. I was smitten with this family from the first scene they were all together in the garage. Unconditional love, support, and understanding is what's at the core of this group of siblings, and I loved every scene with them together.

From Tiffani, the badass street racing mechanic, to Tegan the car parts gal who's a disaster in the kitchen, and Tyler who's a geek for cars and computers....this clan is awesome!

Overall, I enjoyed this first book in Vanessa North's American Heavy Metal series. It may not have fully delivered on my expectations, but it did achieve one major thing....leaving me wanting more books for these characters! So I call that a win.

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For my first read by this author I can say this book was awesome. We have MC's who have big trust issues and a lot of presumptions about each other.

I was enjoying myself tremendously while getting to know both of them and discovering how they thick. The banter was funny, family ties strong and the slow birth of love was just perfect.

Excellent book and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next in the series.

***Review copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads Blog***

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Tanner returns to her small home town to take over running the family business. She’s got lots of baggage and her main man at the shop isn’t exactly cooperative. Tanner’s Ivy League attitude gets under Duke’s skin and it causes all sorts of situations. They just don’t like each other at first but it isn’t long before the friction turns the enemies into lovers in the time it takes to do an oil change.

The sex is steamy, and there are some more difficult moments as they work out their respective family situations while figuring out their own stuff. I did like the incorporation of diversity into the small town – it felt authentic and I’m interested in seeing where this series goes. Overall, Hard Chrome was a bit predictable, but it did deliver on the Carina Press Romance Promise!

An ARC was provided for review.

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Tanner Ellis has come home from Chicago to help run Heavy Metal, the car shop that is now the family since their father died. She was not there for his death so she is wanting to make right by being their now afterward. First-person that she meets is Duke Wilson is not looking forward to the new boss and especially when she does not look like she belongs in a garage. She, of course, is frustrated with him because of his attitude and then on top of that, he has truck nuts. Well as you figured they become adversaries and begin to like each other which scares them, brings up past feelings. Both are dealing with family especially Duke and as much as they want to be together will they have enough to fight to stay that way. A good story with good characters and many other storylines going on as well. Very much worth the read.

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Sexy cars and mechanics - with a woman positive viewpoint? SIGN ME UP!! I loved the attitude of this book more than anything else about it. The acceptance of people and different lives was just awesome. Although this isn't an LGBTQ book - the main characters are straight - it has a profound acceptance of LGBTQ which I loved! It also shows people from different walks of life hanging out together and accepting each other as individuals - and loving their differences (see lawyers, business owners, and mechanics being friends and chosen family to each other). Add in to that two hot-headed people falling for each other after coming together first physically. LOVE.

This book has a lot of tough issues - loss of parents, teen pregnancy, physical abuse, and even animal cruelty. If those are triggers for you, be advised, but all of those issues are handled in ways that show growth of the characters involved or those abusing getting arrested.

This is a good story about real people, living real lives, with real issues. Loved it.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.

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Duke is a sexy, southern man and a car tech at American Heavy Metal. He does not like change. So, when owner and father-figure, Ellis dies and his stuck-up, smart ass daughter returns to take their reigns, he is less than impressed.

Tanner is returning to help her family after the passing of her father. She is weighed down by a debilitating amount of shame and grief for not being there before her father died because of the time and effort she spent on a business that went bankrupt.

From the first day they meet, sparks fly. Tanner and Duke butt heads immediately but they also have undeniable chemistry. Chemistry that leads them to have angry, passionate sex. They put it off as a one-time thing as they both know they are not good for each other. Or, are they?

I loved this story from beginning to end. Duke and Tanner throw off sparks like it’s the 4th of July. From their spats, to their chemistry and the all-out sexy love scenes, I was rooting for them.

Duke is kind and has guilt because he feels as though he cannot keep his family safe. He also had a very rough upbringing with his abusive step-father and a mother who did not protect her son from harm.

Tanner is strong but is so defeated. She feels as though she no longer belongs with her family. It is an uphill battle for her. She must learn to trust in her family and in Duke, and to know that regardless of her past, she is not defined by it.

Duke and Tanner had some hard confrontations in the beginning and they bring out the worse in each other. They hurt each other and this truly had me feeling emotional. But, what I loved about this is that it culminated is something so much better.

From its highs to its lows, Hard Chrome by Vanessa North is definitely worth the read.

I received an ARC via NetGalley of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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