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Tonic Kindle Edition
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.
*Formerly titled Tonic
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Hart took a needle and tattooed her words onto my heart with Tonic. Skillful writing, and clever dialogue makes this one you don't want to miss!" - Brittainy C. Cherry, #1 Amazon Bestselling Author
"The perfect balance of witty banter, delicious angst, and scorching heat. One of the best books I've read all year!" - Melanie Harlow, USA Today Bestselling author
"Her words. They are a poetic reality within fictional pages and that's just what Tonic is. Real characters, real laughs." - Author Meghan Quinn
"Staci's writing made me feel like I was right there, watching Annika and Joel's love form stroke by stroke until it became as permanent as any tattoo. Just stunning." - USA Today Bestselling Author Nora Flite
Product details
- ASIN : B01M6U73ID
- Publisher : Staci Hart Novels (October 13, 2016)
- Publication date : October 13, 2016
- Language : English
- File size : 1.1 MB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 317 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #578,065 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #3,495 in Enemies to Lovers Romance
- #6,884 in Enemies to Lovers Romance eBooks
- #14,081 in Romantic Comedy (Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

I was the kid who stayed inside to read.
As a four-eyed nerd with a bad perm, I was no one’s dodgeball pick, but I had a lot of friends. Frodo and Bilbo, for instance. Kristy, Stacey, Claudia and the gang (iykyk). Once, in the third grade, I wrote a teen murder mystery inspired by Christopher Pike. On solving my mystery in twelve pages, I decided I was a terrible writer and should never, ever do that again.
Fortunately, I didn’t take my own advice.
I write romance for that feeling you get at the end, like you’re standing on top of a mountain with a backpack full of hundred dollar bills. I write romcoms because is there anything better than banter and grand gestures? I write because I love to create and I love words. I love books, and I love stretching my imagination. I love love, and if you do too, bring your coffee and have a seat. I think we’re gonna be friends.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find this book excellently written with a beautifully crafted story and strong male lead who is fiercely protective. The romance is heartfelt, with customers thoroughly enjoying the love story, and the banter between characters is hilarious. Customers describe the book as off-the-charts steamy, with one customer noting how the chemistry between the characters gets hotter and hotter throughout the story.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book readable, describing it as a fun and beautifully crafted story, with one customer noting it's the most satisfying to read.
"...to invigorate and uplift and Staci Hart did just that with this literary masterpiece that was brimming with heart, friendship, family, sacrifices,..." Read more
"...were definitely only delaying the inevitable but it made for one, fantastic, entertaining, swoony read. “..." Read more
"...I enjoyed the story and it was good to "get away" from real life for a bit, but this tattoo shop owning bear and ice queen reality tv..." Read more
"...Tonic is a fun and entertaining story with loads of heart and soul. It’s perfectly paced and the writing is enchanting...." Read more
Customers appreciate the character development in the book, particularly the chemistry between them, with one customer noting how the author tattooed words into readers' hearts.
"...Her words, characters, and stunning prose are brilliantly crafted and painted onto the pages. The writing was superb...." Read more
"...The banter was hilarious, the characters were totally endearing, the setting was exciting and this was definitely an added bonus to their love story...." Read more
"...the reality crew characters and the tattoo shop crew, the supporting characters were fun and 100% were needed...." Read more
"...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!..." Read more
Customers appreciate the romance in the book, describing it as heartfelt and a romantic comedy that thoroughly engages readers.
"...And in this particular walking story, the many facets of love, forgiveness, sacrifices, loss, and new beginnings are waiting to be told, etched,..." Read more
"...underneath all that cold was a woman with an incredibly warm and tender heart, if only she would show it. “..." Read more
"...They were smoking hot together, but there were also so many great feelings between them. Joel was an amazing hero...." Read more
"...These two were perfect for one another and balanced each other out. When things went south I wanted to scream and shout right with them...." Read more
Customers enjoy the humor in the book, finding the banter hilarious and witty, with one customer specifically appreciating the romantic comedy elements.
"...The writing was superb. The characters were spectacular. And this book was phenomenal...." Read more
"...The banter was hilarious, the characters were totally endearing, the setting was exciting and this was definitely an added bonus to their love story...." Read more
"...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..." Read more
"...the two of them push eachothers buttons and see what makes them tick is quite hilarious, and seeing how much they truly have in common is awesome...." Read more
Customers appreciate the heartfelt story of the book, describing it as emotional and soulful, with one customer noting how it provides both happy and sad moments.
"...Hart did just that with this literary masterpiece that was brimming with heart, friendship, family, sacrifices, and love...." Read more
"...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...." Read more
"...this was listed as a romantic comedy, there was some deeper undertones in this book as well...." Read more
"...There is passion and raw emotion. Two such strong-headed people can create something beautiful or wreak havoc in their path...." Read more
Customers enjoy the steamy content of the book, describing the chemistry between the characters as off the charts.
"...But, and this is a huge but, Staci Hart delivered a hot, scorching hot, romance that had me glued to my kindle from first to last word, tattoo..." Read more
"...They were smoking hot together, but there were also so many great feelings between them. Joel was an amazing hero...." Read more
"...I loved seeing them connect, and watching the chemistry between them get hotter and hotter...." Read more
"...This couple was a force to be reckoned with. Hot and steamy love scenes, paired with hilarious and sexy banter...." Read more
Customers praise the writing quality of the book.
"...drunk on this Tonic and be spellbound with Hart’s visceral and meticulous prose, then I must warn you that you will get inked...." Read more
"...Tonic is a beautifully written story and I am so glad it was the first book I read to start a new year...." Read more
"Tonic is just what I wanted and needed. Staci Hart is a brilliant writer, so I expect quite a bit from her books...." Read more
"This is a good book, but not a terrific book. The language was a little bit too raunchy for me...." Read more
Customers appreciate the strength of the male lead character, who is fiercely protective.
"...Joel was charming, a little cocky, fiercely protective and a little damaged and it is this that totally endears him to the reader...." Read more
"...Annika was equally fantastic. She was fierce, independent and even though she a cold exterior, when she loved, she loved hard...." Read more
"...I find her the perfect women. Smart, Funny, loving, fierce, and a smart business woman. Her description of Joel Anderson had me rolling...." Read more
"...He was passionate in every thing he did and fiercely protective and caring with those he loves...." Read more
Reviews with images

You can't go wrong with Staci Hart
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2016On 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.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2016Tonic by Staci Hart
4.5 stars!!!
“Heads and hearts are connected by threads impossible to cut completely.”
Staci Hart never fails me, ever since I “found her” nearly two years ago through some kick ass covers, she has delivered time and time again and is now definitely one of my go to authors. Her characters are always relatable, her character connection always on point and she has this canny knack of pulling at every single emotion and making me cry and Tonic was no different. Yes, I cried, but what is a new relationship without a few ups and downs? But, and this is a huge but, Staci Hart delivered a hot, scorching hot, romance that had me glued to my kindle from first to last word, tattoo chairs will never EVER be looked at in the same light again and this book read like watching one of my favourite tattoo programmes and all I was waiting for was Kat Von D to make an appearance.
Tonic is a tattoo parlour owned by two brothers, Joel and Shep Anderson. Joel is the main tattooist and Shep is more the brains behind the operation and it is his latest hair brained one that has the shop in a total tizzy. Tonic has been approached to star in a new Tattoo reality TV show and while Joel does not what the intrusion or the “celebrity,” the thought of it going to his rival is the final deciding factor and begrudgingly, Joel agrees. Joel knows that this is going to turn his life upside down, but I don’t think he realised just how much…all it took was a tall, blonde producer to suddenly make this project look all the more appealing.
“God, how I wanted her. All day, every day, insatiably, selfishly — I wanted her. And more than anything, that scared me.”
Joel was adorable with a capital A. Joel had to step up to the plate early on in life and become Shep’s guardian after the death of their mother and it is because of this that these two are as tight as brothers get. Having got himself out of an abusive marriage, one that landed him in the hospital, Joel has vowed off women for years…well at least relationships anyways, but the female producer that is now bossing around his staff and his shop has made him feel something for the first time in a long time.
“I’m in deep s***.”
“How deep?”
“Bottomless.”
Annika Belousov is Russian in origin but was born and raised in the US. Annika is all about work, she works hard and is reaping the rewards and the last thing that she needs is any distractions, especially one in the form of a hot, tattooed, bearded Joel Anderson. Annika was extremely professional, an ice queen who would give you frostbite if you got too close, she kept herself to herself and her enemies closer, but underneath all that cold was a woman with an incredibly warm and tender heart, if only she would show it.
“No matter what happens, this was real.”
This was chemistry overload, seriously, Staci Hart knows how to keep that sexual tension bubbling throughout all the while guised as a good hate/love. Annika knows no good could come of exploring anything with Joel, she definitely never mixes business with pleasure, but there was something about “Hairy” that she couldn’t resist and the more tempting he became the more her resilience waned. These two could light up a room with a look alone and these two were definitely only delaying the inevitable but it made for one, fantastic, entertaining, swoony read.
“His eyes told me a thousand things I couldn’t decipher, and my heart said a thousand things he couldn’t hear. But it said them all the same.”
The banter was hilarious, the characters were totally endearing, the setting was exciting and this was definitely an added bonus to their love story. This book read like the shows I have spent hours watching but this time I was behind the scenes, getting the gossip and seeing just how these shows operate. Joel was charming, a little cocky, fiercely protective and a little damaged and it is this that totally endears him to the reader. Joel has a heart of gold and it shines, from his family, to his staff and friends, no-one is untouched by Joel Anderson and Miss Frosty has definitely met her match.
“I wondered fleetingly if we would ruin each other. If my fire would melt her ice until it evaporated. If her ice would snuff my fire out of existence.”
I loved everything about this book, it ticked all my boxes, it tugged at every single heart string and as I’ve said, it even made me bring out the Kleenex. Once again Staci Hart you have written a winner and I cannot wait to see what comes next.
- Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 20162 unlikely characters that have an automatic love-hate relationship that turns into insta-lust/love didn't really hit home for me. I enjoyed the story and it was good to "get away" from real life for a bit, but this tattoo shop owning bear and ice queen reality tv producer had me really questioning how much chemistry they truly had. I just didn't get it.
"I hated her. I wanted her. She hurt me. She healed me."
Told in dual POV from Annika and Joel's POV, this really worked. From the reality crew characters and the tattoo shop crew, the supporting characters were fun and 100% were needed. I'm just left reeling how the two main characters were really attracted to one another in the first place. And how even when the first got together, they just clicked. But it could've been Joel's caring ways or it could've been that he was the man to melt the ice queen's walls. Or perhaps it was seeing through their facades. While Joel was a tattoo, beard wearing brute of a man, the blue eyed cold as ice woman was only that when she needed to be. And Joel had a sensitive side. He loves and loves hard and takes care of his people (and he reads, which is apparently super sexy in Annika's eyes).
Regardless, this book was ok and I did enjoy it, just didn't really connect with them as a couple. Didn't really get it.
"Like I was fire and she was crisp, clean air, and if I couldn't breathe her in, I'd disappear."
3.5 stars
Top reviews from other countries
- FlaminSamboReviewed in Australia on July 11, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars I Want More
I was a little late to the party for Tonic but boy was it worth it!! I couldn't put this book down, it had me laughing and crying with plenty of 'oh hell no' moments in between. Loved it!!
- MJ SymmondsReviewed in Canada on April 22, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars 5 Fire & Ice Stars!!
5 Fire and Ice Stars!!!!
Holy Guacamole where to start!!!
Joel owns Tonic, a tattoo shop with his brother Shep. Against his better judgement he has let his brother convince him to open the shop up to being a reality show.
Annika Belousov is the producer for the upcoming show and is known for her straightforward, no nonsense attitude. It's what got her when she is today and nothing and no one will deter her from hr dream.
Even though Joel is not on the look for more than a one night hook up after being severly burned, all it takes is one look at the ice queen, blonde bombshell and Joel can't help but want to thaw the ice around her heart and find the heat beneath.
"Like I was fire and she was crisp, clean air, and if I couldn’t breathe her in, I’d disappear."
Annika has no interest in the Hairy Bear or so that's what she keeps telling herself. They're too different and not someone she would consider being with. But sometimes looks can be deceiving and opposites can most definitely attract.
"Transparent, translucent, like the ice that I was. Freezing him out would never work, not when he could see the fire in my heart.
OMG these two could melt the polar ice cap!!!! I fell so fast and hard for these two. It was like a shot to the heart.
Now I'm not a book crier. I just don't. There was one part of this book that involves a non human that brought the tears to my eyes. So kudos Ms. Hart on this huge feat.
- Sophie BroughtonReviewed in the United Kingdom on October 13, 2016
5.0 out of 5 stars Tonic left me breathless!
You know? I always find it hard to review good books. The books that pull at you, elicit the biggest emotions, the books that leave you in the happiest place - bookworm heaven. THOSE kind of books are the absolute hardest to review. It’s no secret that I am a huge Hart fan. It’s no secret that with each book Hart releases my love for her gets stronger. Know why? Because Hart has a distinctive way of telling stories. Hart tells stories that are full of emotion and realism, character and connection. Hart pours herself into her words resulting in those words then pouring into me and it's the best feeling, honestly every time I pick up a Hart book, I know I’m going to get a full reading experience. Do I ever worry that her next book won't compare to the last? No, I don’t. Because each and every Hart book is different, each and every character is different, each and every storyline is fresh and cannot be compared, shouldn't be compared. I trust Staci and her writing, I trust that she’ll make it an experience I won't forget and that’s why she's one of my favourite authors and will continue to be while she puts pen to paper, or fingers to keys.
Harts latest masterpiece is Tonic. Joel and Annika’s story, and oh my wow, what a story it is. From beginning to end I have lived and breathed these characters wanting them in my head, my heart and fixed permanently under my skin. And they are, and they'll stay, deeply inscribed forever like the most perfectly beautiful tattoo.
At just 16% I got the tingles. You know the ones. Those feelings that set up your soul, those feelings that sizzle right beneath your skin, setting off goosebumps and butterflies. Those feelings of utter bliss and love over what you’re reading. Those tingles! I got them and I felt them strongly. What developed after that can only be described as pure bookworm pleasure.
Joel and Annika’s relationship is fire and ice. Hot and cold. A delicious push and pull. It’s strength and love, weakness and hate all rolled into a perfectly pristine package of angst and brilliance. At 36% everything exploded. That delicious angst detonated into searing heat and left me breathless. Joel is one wicked, dirty, hairy b**tard. He’s utter sin, wrapped in perfection. Everything about him set me alight, from the raw visceral animal side of him to the deep swoony side that stole EVERYTHING from me. Annika, the ice to Joel's fire. So hard and cold and strong but so utterly real and believable. I loved her, her persistence, her sassiness, her boldness that set her apart from any other. The polar opposite to Joel but more perfect than anything I could have imagined.
If you've read a Hart novel before you know that Staci has a way of wrapping you up in the softest blanket while her words break you down and embed themselves deep in your heart and her characters become your friends, people you love, but all the while you know that something will come and blow it all apart taking you down with it. In Tonic, the boom of the bomb she drops is really painful. It’s loud and rips the blanket and your heart to smithereens. And it left me a mess. A total blubbering mess filled with my own anger and desperation. But through the cold, the heat always wins and Staci, piece by piece, put my heart back together, slowly but surely, she made me smile through tears. She made my heart sing through raw devastation and she set my soul ablaze though love.
At 92% I never wanted Tonic to end. I never wanted to leave the world of Joel and Annika. I don't really think I ever will. I’m sure they will remain deep in me alongside all of Hart’s previous characters.
Tonic left me breathless, it made my heart ache and burn yet sing with the raw, realness of its words. It was everything I wanted and more. It was fire and ice, hot and cold..practically perfect in every way.
- CarmenReviewed in Spain on July 26, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, special story
Tonic is a work of art. Beautifully written, its evocative words make you feel with your five senses. But, in spite of the sensuous prose, the message is direct and honest. What can I say...? A man who reads Ursula K. Le Guin and listens to The Beatles is practically reaching perfection if you ask me.
-
Gata LeitoraReviewed in Brazil on September 11, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars Amo demais
Meu preferido da autora. Divertido, leve e com muitos momentos hot e fofos