Author: Staci Hart
Series: Standalone
Release date: October 13, 2016
(Sub)genres: Contemporary Romance
Get it at: Staci’s Site
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Read: 12 July 2020
Shelved: 14 July 2020
“Heads and hearts are connected by threads impossible to cut completely.”
~ Joel, Tonic
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.
The Characters.
Joel: the owner of Tonic tattoo parlor and is tall, dark and a bearded bear. He has a temper when he loses “control” and after being caught so vulnerable in his last relationship, he chose to lock them uptight and just be alone. He has a brother, Shep, who works at the shop with him since their parents died when they were a young age. He lives just above the tattoo shop, which makes his job, his life. He is the ex-husband of Liz who married Hal, a competitor tattoo parlor around the neighborhood. Annika named him ‘Hairy’ and didn’t like him upon the first impression since he got under her skin and wouldn’t stop pursuing her until she told him off. He is a big softie for kids and cats, as in the example of Kira and Kaz.
“He watched me in a way that made my heart speed up. “That’s not what I see.”
― Joel & Annika, Tonic
I met his eyes. “What do you see?”
“Snow. Cold and soft, the sum of an infinite number of beautiful pieces. And when the light hits just right, you shine.”
I had no words, my mind blank as my eyes hung on to his like a lifeline.”
Annika: executive producer of the upcoming reality tv show that Joel and his tattoo team is part of. She is the only daughter of Russian immigrant parents (Max and Dina), who escaped during the Cold War with the help of her Uncle Andre, part of the Russian mafia. She is a fur-mommy to Kaz, a 13-year-old rescued cat that found its way to Annika’s parent’s laundry shop’s dumpster when he was still a baby, and an aunt to Kira, who she shares a place with her cousin, Roxy.
She is as determined to pursue and succeed in the world of television and just finished working at a previous cut-throat reality tv series with Lacey, mentor and friend. She is starting to film a new series filmed in a tattoo shop, Tonic, where she meets Joel, the main owner of the shop. She is a dichotomy of personalities – a laid-back aunt at home AND a serious, no-nonsense executive producer at work. She compartmentalizes her job and functions well until Joel came into her life and turned it upside down.
“He watched me in a way that made my heart speed up.
― Joel and Annika, Tonic
“That’s not what I see.”
I met his eyes. “What do you see?”
“Snow. Cold and soft, the sum of an infinite number of beautiful pieces. And when the light hits just right, you shine.”
I had no words, my mind blank as my eyes hung on to his like a lifeline.’
The Start (Stop) of Something.
The chemistry and humor between Joel and Annika is kind of funny from the start. There’s so much “push and pull” going on that it gets a bit confusing since Annika would say something totally opposite to what she feels. I get it that since Annika is young so maybe all this “wishy-washy” mind is all because she’s attracted to an older man that’s totally opposite to what she’s exposed to in the past.
The relationship turned into something else by the time Annika really got into ‘terms’ with her relationship. I like how she opened up to her cousin, Roxy, and told her everything that made her concern with starting anything with Joel. It was very evident that they were so attracted to each other that they can ‘sense’ each other as they entered any room. Everyone in and out of the shop/show saw it but themselves or at the least, Annika who has been denying the connection from Day 1.
The Big Fallout.
I have to say that Joel acted very immaturely for a 38-year-old man, who runs a successful business. He seems to be very ignorant on how to act in the relationship department, which could probably account for the failure of his first marriage by sweeping/ignoring the problem through intercourse. He blows up in front of everyone (when he specifically told Annika, he wouldn’t do at the start) and blames Annika for lying to him. He was an uncontrollable freak and was not reasonable enough to listen to her side when he out-rightly told her to do what she needed to do to ‘get the job done’. I understand that it was wrong of Annika to leave it out but she was also instructed by her boss, Lacey, not to mention anything. I get also that she took it the wrong way with being intimate with Joel before the big reveal the next day and she was acting like it was ‘the end-of-the-world’ that made Joel lose his mind but Joel from the start, kept pushing himself towards her, if you read back. It was all a ‘me-me-me’ but nothing about them and her or the rest of the people around them.
Take for example: When Kaz died, it was nice of him to go to the funeral for Kira but when he told off Annika that he didn’t come for her, even if it’s true though so not(!), was inappropriate and wrong. Everyone was grieving and if only he asked her how Kaz died and realizing that it was Annika discovered Kaz dying beside her he would have been and should have been more respectful in front of everyone. I cried ugly on this part also since it was just wrong.
The Resolution.
Even after Annika came to apologize to Joel and ask his permission for a new proposal for the storyline of the shop, the whole outburst and ‘ultimatum’ are so alpha dominant (but in a more immature sense) got me all frustrated again. In all of this, I think Annika did the right thing to get everyone to continue with the show. She gave up her dreams for Joel…it’s a very mature action for a young lady.
Joel’s epiphany couldn’t have come at a better time. All the words and emotions that came all out – it was ‘passion puke’ – and it couldn’t be stopped by the time he was at Annika’s doorstep with a cute present. I also cried ugly in this part. Staci just gets it for me when things ‘right’ themselves in the end.
The Writing.
Overall, the story and plot were good. I can see Staci trying a different approach with the characters balancing totally hating to loving each other. I enjoyed the references of the 70s and present-day mesh-ups, especially with Joel’s tone-deaf singing vs Annika’s Elsa angelic voice. The comparison of the bear to the ice fox is good and I can better match their personalities with these spiritual animals for both of them.
Staci got me feeling things for the characters though not as deeply as her past characters. I was more frustrated with the ‘pushing-pulling’ that puts everything in a weird light immediately to feel and give into the relationship for the two main characters.
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 to three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She’s been a wife, even though she’s certainly not the cleanest, nor is she the best cook. She’s also super, duper fun at a party–especially if she’s been drinking whiskey–and her favorite word starts with f and ends with k.
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, where snow is magic and the mountains have become home. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, gaming, or designing graphics.
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