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    The Strongest Steel
    The Strongest Steel
    The Strongest Steel
    Audiobook11 hours

    The Strongest Steel

    Written by Scarlett Cole

    Narrated by Laurel Wilson

    4/5

    ()

    • Relationships

    • Personal Growth

    • Friendship

    • Trust

    • Self-Discovery

    • Friends to Lovers

    • Slow Burn Romance

    • Protective Hero

    • Tattooed Love Interest

    • Love Triangle

    • Protective Male Lead

    • Protective Boyfriend

    • Secret Identity

    • Opposites Attract

    • Redemption

    • Fear

    • Romance

    • Tattoos

    • Love

    • Past Trauma

    About this audiobook

    Harper Connelly never expected to find herself outside of a tattoo parlor at one in the morning. The scars that decorate her back are just one more reminder of things she'd rather forget, the past she wants to leave far behind her.



    Running was the only thing that saved Harper last time, but each session at Second Circle Tattoos brings her closer and closer to Trent Andrews. His lingering touches seduce her, making her believe in a life without fear, where she can be happy, whole, in love. 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. She ran from her past once before, but this time will she have the strength to fight back?
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateOct 27, 2015
    ISBN9781494588663
    The Strongest Steel
    Author

    Scarlett Cole

    Born in England, Scarlett Cole traveled the world, living in Japan and the United States before settling in Canada where she met her own personal hero – all six and a half feet of him. She now lives with her husband and children in Manchester, England where she's at work on her next book. She is the author of The Strongest Steel.

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    Reviews for The Strongest Steel

    4/5

    43 ratings6 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      This series has been sitting on my shelf for a while, and I decided it was time to give it a chance. I was not expecting this story to be what it was or that I would love it as much as I did.

      I loved that even though Harper and Trent meet earlier on within the story, they were not jumping into the bed with each other right away. This would not have made sense if it did happen based on Harper and her past. I also loved how slow and patient Trent was with Harper. He never pressured her to move too fast in their relationship and he was very understanding.

      I loved the story around Harper, as it kept my interest and brought something different to the love story. It was mysterious as you were wondering when Nathan was going to show up. This does deal with severe domestic violence issues, so be aware of that before going into the story.

      Overall, this surprised me. I really enjoyed it. I am excited to jump into the other characters and their stories.
    • 5/5
      The Strongest Steel by Scarlett Cole
      Book #1: Second Circle Tattoos Series
      Source: Netgalley
      My Rating: 4½/5 stars
      My Review:

      Trent Andrews is successful. He is part owner of Second Circle Tattoos, his work is well-known, and he’s recently been tapped to work as a judge on a new tattoo challenge TV show. Personally, he works with his best friend of nearly 30 years, he has a close-knit family, and all the female attention a guy could hope to have. Yeah, on the surface, Trent Andrews has it all.

      When Harper Connelly showed up at Second Circle, Trent was in no mood for yet another client but the shrinking violet on his front doorstep in the middle of the night is in clear need. Though it takes some real time, effort, and patience, Trent finally gets Harper to reveal what she needs tattooed. Turns out, Harper isn’t so much a shrinking violet but a true survivor who is trying to make her way back to some semblance of a real life. She knows Trent’s reputation and his ability to work with scar tissue so if she can get past her fear of people touching her, this thing may just work.

      Trent’s patience with Harper goes a very long way toward making her comfortable but when she sees the tattoo he has designed for her, she feels a sort of connection she never thought she would feel again. But, Trent isn’t just a solo guy, he’s sort of a package deal and with more new people in her life, Harper begins to relax just a little bit. She’s surrounded by good people and beginning to develop real relationships but her past isn’t finished with her yet. Harper’s past isn’t just bad, it’s horrifying and was made worse by the fact she wasn’t just let down by the legal system but abused by it in the worst way possible. Yeah, her trust issues are pretty significant.

      As Harper’s relationship with Trent intensifies, she finds she is able to tell him more about her past and trust him not to reject her. In fact, Trent isn’t rejecting her at all but wants to bring her more deeply into his world. He wants to protect her even as the danger of her past becomes more serious. The danger is no joke but with Trent’s help and support, Harper may be able to get to a happily ever after and right a terrible injustice from her past.

      The Bottom Line: There is so much about this first in series read that I really enjoyed and appreciated. Trent is such a strong character and I LOVED that he isn’t a twenty-something but a bit older and more settled that I expected to find. Even with his own issues, Trent is a stabilizing force is Harper’s life and even when he gets things a bit wrong, its done with the very best of intentions and with Harper’s safety and security in mind. As I mentioned, Trent is a package deal and it is among the package (so to speak ) that some of the best characters of the book can be found. His best friend, Cujo is a dirty delight with designs on Harper’s best friend, Pixie is an adorable yet determined purple-haired office manager, and Lia is feisty tattoo artist who takes pin-up girl to a whole new level. Trent’s world is a perfect place for Harper and with all the love and support she finds there, she’s able to flourish and face her demons head on. I also very much enjoyed the fact that Second Circle is top-notch facility with the express purpose of putting out excellent work. Each of the tattoo artists are dedicated, talented, and committed to their path in life. Plus, the name of the shop isn’t just a dreamt up cool name but has significant meaning to Trent. At the end of the day, this is an easy read in terms of writing style, pace, etc. but wonderfully dark in theme, plot, and some of the characters. There are some really good naughty bits that appropriately break up the darker, more dramatic moments. Overall, I pretty much devoured this book and dove right in to the second book in the series, The Fractured Heart.
    • 5/5
      So! Freakin! Good! Wow, I've read a lot of tattoo artists books and this one ranks up there with one of the best. I love this author's storytelling voice and the characters in the book are perfect! Trent is alpha, confident, but gentle and sensitive. Harper has faced horrific circumstances in the past but she's working to get past them without whining or bitchiness. The secondary characters give the story just enough humor to keep it light and fun to read. If this is the kind of book this author has as her debut, I can only expect great things in the future! She definitely has me as a fan. I highly recommend this book!
    • 5/5
      Harper had to relocate because of a crazy ex-boyfriend. Prison would only keep him away for so long and then Harper knew he'd come after her, as he'd always threatened. The scars on her back led her to Second Circle, a tattoo parlor owned by well-known tattoo artist, Trent Andrews. He specialized in inking over scars and she needed to see if he could help her with her own scars so she could move on with her life. Not only will he help Harper, but he's immediately attracted to her and can't turn her away. Harper is also attracted to him, but she's been badly burned before and balks at anything that has to do with men. Trent won't let her hide away from life so he's determined to help her.

      I was completely glued to every single page of this heartwarming and extremely romantic book. "I couldn't get enough" is such an understatement! Right away I knew this one's a keeper and I'll be spouting off about The Strongest Steel for a very long time to come. Ms. Cole's plot is unique and thought provoking and the hero and heroine are a perfect fit. I love a lot of romance book heroes, but Trent has to be one of my top favorites. Every interaction between Harper and Trent made my heart shudder and tickled my tummy. I absolutely, without a shred of doubt, loved The Strongest Steel and Ms. Cole is my new favorite author! Her writing style is superb and she brings the love across as plain as day. This is not only an emotional story, but one with sex, romance, and the ultimate love. I won't have any rest in me until I get to read more from Ms. Scarlett Cole. Woo hoo, this is not only a Must Read, but a Keeper too, without a shadow of a doubt! 5 Stars
    • 5/5
      This was a very emotional story about a young woman named Harper Connolly who had been horribly scared both physically and mentally by a past boyfriend. Trent Andrews is tattoo artist and one of MiamiI's best at that and Harper approaches him asks if he would be able to disguise her scars with a tattoo, he is only too willing to help her. Their business acquaintanceship becomes more as Trent helps Harper with her mental issues also and a relationship begins, something that Harper thought she'd never experience again.
      I loved this story. I liked the characters, they were very believable and the growth of trust between Harper and Trent was nicely done.
      I'm looking forward to the next book in this series as I enjoyed this one so much.
    • 5/5
      Strength to move forward, strength to leave the past behind, strength to become all that she can be – that is what Harper Connelly determines to do when she goes in to request a tattoo to cover scars on her back.

      Ability to see beauty in ugliness, ability to see strength behind fear, ability to see the woman Harper can become – that is what Trent brings to the story. He also brings hotness, creative skills, tenderness and oh so much more!

      In addition to the story of Harper and Trent there are a number of great characters that show up just waiting for their stories to be told in future books in the Second Circle Tattoos series. I recommend this book to those looking for an amazing, entertaining, enjoyable book to read this summer…or any time at all!

      Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for gifting me this copy through NetGalley for an honest review.