Hard Drive is a short little e-book quickie, so there isn't a lot to the story. It's mostly about a computer geek and a beautiful real estate agent who discover a deep attraction for one another when she brings her computer into his store for repair. As with another short story I read by this author, I thought Ms. Kirk did a great job of building some decent character development in such a short space. I adore geeky heroes and Carlos definitely is one. He lives, eats, sleeps and breathes computers, which is just like a certain hubby I know.;-) Not only is Carlos intelligent, he also owns his own successful business even though it isn't what his parents would have wished for him. I completely understood why he would question Dana's intentions when he found out about her side job. Geeks like him rarely get the beautiful girls, so it would be natural for him to be suspicious. Carlos was a sweet, gentle guy with a sexy, sensuous side that I loved, and I have to give Ms. Kirk kudos for writing a true geek. Dana was a nice heroine too. I loved that she was attracted to Carlos from the start and had always wanted him for herself, not her side business. She seemed to understand his doubts though and did her best to put them to rest.

This short story takes place in only a few days time, so there are no unrealistic declarations of love and commitment, merely an acknowledgement that they are a good match and would continue seeing one another. I personally felt that the author created enough of an emotional connection between Carlos and Dana to make me believe that they were meant for each other and would make it for the long haul. They just seemed to have a strong mutual respect and good chemistry. The one love scene was hot and sensuous, not quite what I would call erotic, but it did contain a couple of explicit words I rarely see in more mainstream contemporaries. I also appreciated that the author seems to have a good grasp on the technical aspects of writing. In all honesty, I'm not sure why Hard Drive has such low ratings. I personally enjoyed it thoroughly, and after two winners in a row, I'm really looking forward to trying more of Ambrielle Kirk's work. ( )