Tuesday, July 7, 2015

{eARC Review} The Strongest Steel (Second Circle Tattoos #1) by Scarlett Cole

Harper Connelly never expected to find herself outside of a tattoo parlor at one in the morning, summoning the nerve to take back her past. She's determined to forget her old life and is looking for an artist who can tattoo over the scars on her back.

Trent Andrews, local legend and owner of the Second Circle tattoo studio, has his own reasons for specializing in inking over scars. And in spite of her mysterious past and the difficult road ahead, he quickly realizes that Harper is funny, smart, and--under her ridiculously oversized clothing and SPF 100 sunscreen--totally hot. He's happy to take on the challenge of designing a meaningful and deadly full-back tattoo for her.

But when cryptic messages start appearing on Harper's phone, strange deliveries arrive at her door, and Second Circle is vandalized, Harper is convinced that her ex-boyfriend has tracked her down, and worse, that he knows about Trent. Running was the only thing that saved her last time, but now that she's started to put down roots in Miami, she'll have to decide if she can finally fight back instead.
(Blurb via Goodreads)
{Details} eARC, Macmillan. Expected publication: July 7th 2015 by St. Martin's Paperbacks. Source: ebook provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

{Rating} 5/5 - I loved it!

{Review}
I'm a big fan of stories with boys who see a girl, see beyond her armor, see her demons and want to slay them, but also see how brave she was to survive, who want to help make her stronger, and fall hard. And all that happens in The Strongest Steel.

Trent was a fabulous hero. He's supportive and sensitive, but also a badass. And he's tattooed, sweet, devoted, smart, a great friend, and an even better boyfriend. But he's got his own demons, an ex-girlfriend who left a bad voice in his head, a voice that leads to problems.

Harper has survived a horrified ordeal. She's physically healed but not emotionally. But finally she takes a chance and goes to see about changing her scars into a different kind of reminder, a reminder of her strength. I loved that she was a smart girl, a girl who loves words, with a fabulous vocabulary, with a big heart who wants to help everyone in need. I enjoyed watching her development from a timid, terrified girl who is unable to touch or be touched, to taking back, albeit slowly, what was taken.

With engaging characters, an intelligent, clever and interesting storyline, I couldn't put The Strongest Steel down. I can't wait to read the next installment in the Second Circle Tattoos series.

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