On this literary canvas aptly titled, Tonic, Staci Hart has officially inked and tattooed her characters and words into our hearts. Tonic is often associated with a drink that is used to invigorate and uplift and Staci Hart did just that with this literary masterpiece that was brimming with heart, friendship, family, sacrifices, and love.
Like a fine needle that is used in a tattoo gun, Staci Hart delivers a story that was precise and finesse. Each stroke, word, characters and raw emotions were perfectly orchestrated and filled onto the pages. Her words were inked and tattooed to give depth, beauty, and color in this heartwarming tale of second chances and sacrifices. So are you ready to get drunk on this Tonic?
“Truth be told, I saw a bit of myself in him, which wasn’t necessarily a good thing. But he was somehow a kindred spirit, and I recognized that. And that recognition was mystifying and terrifying and almost unfathomable, mostly because it had occurred so naturally. ”
Tattooed. Sexy. Mysterious. Bearded. Single. Do I need to say more? Yes, Joel Anderson is the quintessential bad boy tattoo bachelor. Panties are not getting twisted but instead are soaked. Not only is Joel, one of the hottest tattoo artist in NYC but he is also the newest reality TV star. In order to help garner success and fame, Joel reluctantly agrees to be on a reality TV show that will feature his tattoo parlor, Tonic. So think Ink Masters, Inked, and any reality TV program on Bravo and TLC.
“I felt helpless and powerful, like I couldn’t stop whatever I’d started by kissing him, but like I could own him just as easily as I wanted him to own me.”
As much as Joel hates the camera following him and staging scenes, he knows this is one thing that his brother and co-workers want. The only upside to having a reality TV show is Annika Belousov.
Annika Belousov is gorgeous, smart, witty, and fiercely independent. She is well aware of her family sacrifices in order to provide her the education that she needed in order to succeed. As a reality TV producer, she is all business. Work is her main priority. And so when she meets a hairy, crass, and tattooed Joel Anderson, Annika’s life begins to take on a whole new color. Her blank boring canvas soon finds itself getting inked with color by her hairy prince aka Joel Anderson.
“Everything about him felt good. The way he looked at me. The way he touched me. The words that passed his lips and hit me in all the right places.”
Joel doesn’t waste anytime trying to get into Annika’s panties. He makes it known to her that he wants her and he is very well aware that she wants him too. As they danced and fought their sexual attraction, it was inevitable in the long run. Soon Annika found herself getting tangled in the sheets.
“I broke away and ran a hand across her throat and down, fingers dipping in the hollow, skating down between her breasts. Ink and milk. Black and white. Her and me.”
As Annika tries to keep her relationship with Joel a secret, she finds herself at a crossroad when her feelings and working relationship begins to get blurred. This hairy tattooed man soon found himself thawing the ice princess with his beautiful heart. So what happens when Annika’s executive producer discovers she has been sleeping with Joel, a decision has to be made. Break Joel’s heart or do what is needed for her career?
Tonic is the perfect example of a walking story. A scribble on a page. Or in this case, a canvas that is inked with experiences. And for Joel Anderson, he is a canvas of experiences. He knows heartbreak. Loss. Failure. And most importantly he knows what means to love. A permanent kind of love. The kind that is inked to your soul, heart, mind, and body. And his ink of love is Annika Belousov. The Russian beauty who loves her family. The girl who loves to read. The girl who will dance and sing Let It Go with her niece. The girl who is seen as an Ice Princess to others but who is the Queen to his heart. And in this particular walking story, the many facets of love, forgiveness, sacrifices, loss, and new beginnings are waiting to be told, etched, inked, and tattooed to our hearts.
“I wanted the weight of him against me. I wanted him in my arms. I wanted him inside of me, and I told him so. So he climbed up my body, dragging the hem of my dress up to meet the neck, then ran his fingertips down my ribs, over my hip, down my thigh as he settled in between my legs. First the length of him laying against me, sending my hips rolling. Then his lips against mine, promising me his heart. And he guided himself until he pressed against my core and flexed, slipping into me, giving me what I wanted with a sigh and a whisper. I was caged in his arms, his fingers in my hair, his body against mine, and I was safe. I was whole. I was his.”
Staci Hart is one of those underrated authors who deserves to be in the spotlight. Her words, characters, and stunning prose are brilliantly crafted and painted onto the pages. The writing was superb. The characters were spectacular. And this book was phenomenal. So if you are ready to get drunk on this Tonic and be spellbound with Hart’s visceral and meticulous prose, then I must warn you that you will get inked. This story will be etched as a permanent reminder that love is indeed an invisible ink and all we need is someone to fill it in. And in this case a hairy tattoo artist might be the only person for the job.
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You can't go wrong with Staci Hart
I've been trying to write this review for a few days now. It's not normal that I can't immediately put into words how I feel about a book, which leads me to believe that this one hit me pretty hard.That wouldn't be far from the truth.I loved Joel's character immediately, but I will admit that it took me a little while to warm up to Annika. There is no denying, though, that the constant up and down of their relationship made for some good reading. And I love the way she ties in the characters from her other books.All in all, Tonic was another great read from one of my favorite authors, Staci Hart.
