Overview: 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.
Purchase Links: Amazon, Barnes and Noble
Publishing Date: July 7, 2015
Stars: 4.5
My Review: Wow, 4.5 strong as steel stars to The Strongest Steel by Scarlett Cole. I've never read any of her work, I find that I've been reading a lot of authors I've never read before, and I love her writing. This story has the emotional pull while also having ridiculously hot sex scenes. This novel also sheds light on a very serious topic, domestic violence. Harper and Trent work so well together and it is a joy to watch them grow together through the pages of the book.
Trent, oh yes, Trent. Trent is a well thought out and grown hero. He's got this carefree and confident exterior where you can't touch him but he is full of sentiment and emotion. As you can guess, I adored Trent. He just really worked for me and that is so important because you're supposed to fall in love with him just as the heroine does. He had such a great personality and wasn't too proud to know he messed up and needed to right his wrong.
Harper was a bit mousy and shy but that is to be expected considering what she's been through. Harper's a survivor but she was just surviving and not actually living until the moment she asked Trent to tattoo her. Trent gave her the spark to truly live again and to see the world in vivid colors rather than dull shades of grey. Harper is sweet, intelligent, and caring. I liked her and found myself enjoying her as much as I enjoyed Trent.
I think what I liked best about this book is it is another one where the two bring out the best in the other and save each other. It isn't just him saving her or her saving him but they save each other. The mutual salvation is always really gripping to me because so many times people forget about their needs and instead completely sacrifice for the other without any gain in return. This is definitely a book I'll revisit when I have free time because it is that good. I would love to get lost back in their story once again and can't wait to read Cujo's story.
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