{eARC Review} The Darkest Link (Second Circle Tattoos #4) by Scarlett Cole

The Darkest Link (Second Circle Tattoos #4) by Scarlett Cole

When her car breaks down off the side of a lonely highway far from her sunny Miami home, tattoo artist Lia never expected her very own white knight to ride up on the back of a barely street-legal motorcycle...and she never expected to fall for her dark savior. After a string of failed relationships and a bruised heart, Lia is not looking for forever, and the hot mechanic, with his sexy scruff and shaggy hair, is simply impossible to resist and the perfect candidate for mind-blowingly-perfect, no-strings-attached one night stand.

Reid left his life in Chicago far behind him and hasn't been back, but he's never been able to escape the guilt he feels about his own painful role in inviting a monster into his baby sister's life. A monster who almost destroyed her. Being with Lia is an unexpected gift, one he doesn't feel he deserves, and their one night together has him wanting more than he should. Especially since she doesn't know the truth about his past. However, when he finds Lia’s bracelet in his bed, he has the perfect excuse to drive down and surprise her at her tattoo studio, Second Circle Tattoos, in Miami. He's in for an even bigger shock - and a fist to the face - when his past and present collide in the humid Miami weather when he runs into the last person he’d ever expect to see in a tattoo studio: Harper, the sister he betrayed, and the last link to his former life. (Blurb via Goodreads)

 

{Details} eARC. Published August 30th 2016 . Source: eARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

 

{Rating} 4/5 - I really liked it

 

{Review}

 

I loved Harper from the first book in the Second Circle Tattoos novels. When learning about what she survived and the role her brother, Reid, played in the ordeal I saw him as a villain. When I read the description for The Darkest Link I thought 'how in the world am I going to see this guy as a hero much less like him".

I was pleasantly surprised. Reid isn't perfect but he's also not a monster. There are a lot of things that he hid from Harper and a lot of guilt he's been lugging around after him. It's an emotional ride as Reid reunites with Harper and faces his own demons but ultimately satisfying.

In comparison to Reid's rather tortured existence Lia seems a little boring though she's got her own family issues. I felt for her as she tried to manage a rocky relationship with her family while being true to herself and the life she wants to lead.

A spicy romance, family drama and a dash of danger, it's Second Circle Tattoos.

{eARC Minute Review} The Fractured Heart (Second Circle Tattoos #2) by Scarlett Cole

The Fractured Heart (Second Circle Tattoos #2) by Scarlett Cole

All things, when placed under pressure, eventually break or leave a mark.

Tattoo artist Brody "Cujo" Matthews knows how to keep things simple. In life and in love. Abandoned as a child by a mother who refused to stick around to raise three boys she didn't want, he's intent on staying clear of complicated women. The only things complicated in Cujo’s life are the killer tattoos he designs and inks. That all changes when he’s asked to help organize his best friend Trent's engagement party, which means working with Trent's fiancée's best friend, Drea, the definition of high maintenance and sizzling curves. And the one woman he doesn’t want to walk away from.

Andrea "Drea" Caron is broke and tired. After years of caring for her ailing mom, she's at the end of her rope trying to manage the piling medical bills, two jobs, and a life placed on hold. She certainly doesn’t need the added frustration of a sexy playboy tattoo artist messing up her best friend’s engagement party or her carefully balanced life. But when Drea witnesses the abduction of a woman from the café she works at, she can’t help but turn to Cujo who’s determined to prove to Drea that he’s someone she can count on forever…but as they attempt to bring the truth to light, someone is working to bring that forever to a sudden, deadly halt. (Blurb via Goodreads)

{Details} eARC. Published January 5th 2016 by St. Martin's Press. Source: eARC provided via Netgaley in exchange for an honest review

 

{Rating} 3/5 - I liked it

 

{Review}

We got to know both Cujo and Drea in the first novel, Strongest Steel. They were both great friends, supportive and generous, and here, in their own story, they're even more awesome. Both are the drop everything for you, give you the shirt off their back, type.

Both Cujo and Drea have been through a lot and still bear the scars. Their scars color their views of the world and directly impact their relationship. The romance develops slowly, starting with barbs and sniping, but turns into a relationship that can last.

Along with the romance there is an element of mystery and danger that added some excitement. If you like your romance with a little suspense and drama check out the books of Second Circle.

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

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.