Title: Jordan Reclaimed
(Preload #1)
Author: Scarlett Cole
Publication date: February 28th, 2017
Category/Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Swerve
Jordan
Steele’s life began when he was ten. When he was taken from his parents and a
house that was never a home. When he met his brothers, the other lost and
abandoned boys in his group home. When he learned what friendship and family
and love looked like.
Now he’s
made good, touring the world with the band he and his brothers formed in that
crowded group home. No one but his found family really knows the man under the
fame and fortune, the scars he hides behind the rockstar lifestyle. Until he
sees her through the windows of the National Ballet, dancing, and suddenly the
world doesn’t seem so dark.
Aleksandra
Artemov ticks all the ballet boxes. Father a legendary Kirov dancer. Check.
Prepping since birth for classical ballet. Check. Compulsive control over the
food she eats. Check. Principal dancer at The National Ballet of Canada. Check.
But what she craves is freedom.
She craves
Jordan.
Everything
about him should terrify her. His size, his tattoos, his edge. But he doesn’t.
He stirs her very soul. Jordan has nothing but himself to offer her, and he's
never been good enough for anyone. Can he figure out how to face his own demons
before he loses his light for good?
4 “Ballerina & Rock’n’Roll” Stars
ARC via NetGalley.
Thank you, Swerve!
So, yeah, I have a confession to make.
(Couldn’t resist – and it totally fits here
because this is a rock’n’roll story)
The confession is the following: I wasn’t
expecting to like this half as much as I did. This book was a pleasant
surprise.
I’m not new to Scarlett Cole’s writing—I read
some of her books from the Second Circle Tattoos series, and while I enjoyed
those books, they were romantic suspense, which I guess isn’t my favorite
genre. But here, Scarlett wrote something that fits exactly what I love:
contemporary romance. It didn’t hurt that the story (and her new series) focuses
on rock stars with dark pasts.
I’ve recently come to the conclusion that
I am a huge fan of rock star romances. I partially blame Kristen Callihan’s VIP
series for my newly-found obsession, but *shrugs* I don’t really care. I’m glad
I found another good author writing about guys with serious issues and a love
for rock’n’roll.
The Preload series is a Second Circle
Tattoos’ spin-off series—at least that’s how I see it—since we were introduced
to the band and its members in one of the SCT books. Preload is the name of the
metal band that has Jordan, this book’s main character, as the bassist. Jordan,
like the rest of the band members, is damaged goods. They were all foster
children who met and bonded while in the system and later founded the band.
When I met these guys, Jordan came across
as one with the biggest problems. He had tried to commit suicide once because
he couldn’t handle being separated from his friends, forcing them to make the
decision to all live together. But things are changing now, since the lead
singer met the love of his life (in one of the SCT books) and is moving to a
new home where they’ll start a new family.
So Jordan is trying to deal with that
change when he meets Lexi, a ballerina dealing with problems with her
oppressing father and a soon-to-become eating disorder.
Lexi, despite her issues, is the light
Jordan needs in his dark life, which makes them perfect for each other.
I loved Lexi. She’s the kind of girl who
isn’t afraid to put herself out there and make a move. When she meets Jordan,
she realizes there’s something heavy about him, something dark, but she isn’t
scared. She connects with him through their mutual love for music—he composes and
she dances—and she can see him for who he truly is. She soon realizes being with
Jordan won’t be a walk in the park, but she fights for him. She’s someone I can
get behind.
Jordan is also likable. He’s troubled and
broken in that way that makes you root for Lexi to reach out to him and take
care of him. He makes it easy to like him too because he isn’t a douchebag.
Sure he has his douchy moments, but he isn’t mean or abusive, despite having
been abused in ways that made me sick. Jordan’s backstory is hard to swallow
because it makes you think about all the horrible things human beings are
capable of, but it also makes you root for him to find happiness.
Like I said, Jordan and Lexi are perfect
for each other, and watching them find their way to each other is a pleasure.
They’re hot, broken and swoon-worthy.
I also enjoyed seeing glimpses of the
other characters and hints of who they are and what their stories might be. I’m
more than curious to see what Scarlett Cole has planned for the rest of the
guys.
SCARLETT
COLE is a writer of contemporary romance and a two-time RITA finalist. Her
debut, The Strongest Steel, was a Best Debut Goodreads Author Finalist 2015.
Born in England, Scarlett 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.
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2 comments:
I haven't read anything by this author. I normally steer clear of ballet books (not sure why), but this one sounds really good with the rock star addition. I might have to read this one!
R:**I haven't read anything by this author. I normally steer clear of ballet books (not sure why), but this one sounds really good with the rock star addition. I might have to read this one**
You know what? I have that same feeling about ballet books. Don't know why I normally don't want to read them, but I'm happy I read this one. Hope you get to meet Jordan and his bandmates.
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