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Synopsis

A single mom and tortured musician find common ground in Scarlett Cole’s Elliott Redeemed, the second standalone romance about the band Preload.

Elliott “Pyro” Dawson burns up the lead guitar like a legend. But the nickname Pyro isn’t just a clever play on words. It’s much darker. A past he’s fought like hell to overcome.

Grocery store cashier Kendalee Walker is at her wits end and homeless. She’s watched her fourteen-year- old son, Daniel, go so far off the rails, he can no longer see the tracks.

When the two are brought together, attraction flares, but can Elliott find the family he never had with the sexy woman and her son, or will he fall back on dangerous habits?

 

 

 

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Review

4.5 stars!

This is the second book in Scarlett Cole’s Preload series about a band of metal rockers who had a hellish childhood, met in a group home and formed a band and became a tight-knit brotherhood – a ‘family’ that have been there for each other through thick and thin. Each of them have their demons to deal with, and lead guitarist Elliott ‘Pyro’ Dawson’s story brings us a beautiful, unexpected romance that absolutely stole my heart.

A fourteen-year-old boy made me realize I wasn’t whole. His mom made me realize I wanted to be.

First of all, I need to declare mad love for Elliott. His past left him scarred inside and out, and he still deals with dangerous impulses (mostly to do with fire – hence the nickname), but he has overcome so much, and as he watches his bandmates fall in love and start to build families of their own, he starts to long for something for himself, but fears he will never find it. It’s on a charity visit to a hospital to visit sick kids that he meets Daniel, a 14 year old boy who is in hospital with bad burns. Something about the boy reminds Elliott of himself, and he feels an instant connection to the troubled boy. And when he meets Daniel’s mother, she pretty much instantly knocks him off his feet.

Kendalee is Daniel’s mother. Daniel is all she has after her husband left them both for another woman, and when Daniel burned their family house to the ground as an act of vengeance against a painful past, the two of them were left homeless. She has been sleeping at a friend’s house with no money or possessions, working at a convenience store to get by and now her beloved son is injured and suffering. She’s at rock bottom. But when Elliott comes into Daniel’s life, she sees a spark in her troubled son that has been missing for so long. And more than that, the long-haired, tatted-up rocker shows her compassion and understanding, and gives her a shoulder to cry on when she needs it the most.

Oh Elliott, you stole my heart just as you did Kendalee’s. He is so much more than the rough, dirty rocker that he appears to be. He is a beautifully sensitive soul who is kind hearted, generous and sweet, and what he wants most is to be there for Kendalee and Daniel, helping them out and doing all he can to make their situation better. The fact that he wants her in a way that he’s never wanted anybody before is just the icing on the cake.

He had a job to do. To allow himself to fall in love with Kendalee, and to help Daniel. He couldn’t let his own shit get in the way … But would Kendalee stick around long enough for him to transform into the man he wanted to become?

And OMG I love these two together! From the first moment they are together there is a spark of something between them, but neither of them are in a place where they are ready to act on it. A slow friendship develops, which slowly and naturally turns into more – an open, honest and functional relationship that is sweet, passionate, real, emotional and beautifully, beautifully swoony.

“I want this,” he said with every ounce of honesty in his body. “You and me, Kendalee. I know there’s a pile of shit taller than the CN Tower that we have to deal with. But tell me this isn’t some experiment. That you aren’t going to just leave me, that you aren’t going to decide I’m not worth it,” he said, exposing his largest fear to her.
She cupped his cheek and he leaned into it. “I don’t know what the hell is going on in my life right now. But I’ll tell you this, Elliott. You are the only bright spark in it. This isn’t ‘some experiment’.”
… “Good. Because this,” he said, gesturing between the two of them, “is too damn…precious to be fleeting.”

I could feel the connection between Elliott and Kendalee, and loved watching their relationship develop. Elliott is there for her every step of the way and I just adored how understanding and gentle he was with her as he enters into the first relationship of his life. But don’t go thinking he’s a complete sappy pushover. The man is hotter than all hell with strong alpha tendencies. He knows what he wants, and he goes after it, and after all of that build-up, the sexy time is absolutely steaming! Emotional and passionate, down and dirty, Elliott and Kendalee’s connection in the bedroom is sizzling, and a reflection of their growing feelings for each other.

 

 

I loved Kendalee. Her situation is extreme and heartbreaking, and you can’t help but admire the way she just deals with it and carries on. I thought her reaction to Elliott and her doubts and fears about something developing between them were really well done. Not only is he ten years older than her, but they come from completely different lives, and there are some hurdles to cross. But I love how openly she accepts him into her life, bravely embracing all that he has to offer and giving herself over to him completely.

But they both have a lot going on in their lives, and with all of Kendalee’s drama, Elliott fears that his demons will be too much for her and Daniel. It’s going to take a lot of courage and understanding for them to get through everything that is potentially standing in their way.

“When things bet hard we pull toward each other, never away. Promise me, Lee. It’s the only rule I want.”

I loved this book. It’s a beautifully written, emotional story that grabbed from the very beginning and didn’t let me go. My heart broke for these characters and the individual battles they are facing, and there are some triggers to be aware of (child physical and sexual abuse), but it sets the scene for a beautiful love story that had me melting into a puddle of goo on the floor.

And as special as their romance is, Daniel is also an important part of their story, and I love how we got to see his relationship with his mom, as well as watching the special bond between him and Elliott. I love how Daniel opens up to his idol, and the way he openly accepts him as a part of his life – opening up to him and leaning on him as a pillar of support – is gorgeous and absolutely heartwarming.

As expected, the rest of the Preload boys are a big part of the story, and I not only loved catching up with the boys and their growing families, I loved seeing them all rally around to support Elliott, Kendalee and Daniel. This is a true family, and I love seeing it grow in each book. And speaking of which, there’s a great setup for Nikan’s book up next, and I cannot wait for it!

I loved this one! 4.5 stars.

 

 

 

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Preload series

 

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Giveaway

Enter to win a Preload Bundle!  Signed paperback copies of JORDAN RECLAIMED and ELLIOTT REDEEMED + $10 Amazon Gift Card!

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

The Escapist Book Blog is not responsible for this giveaway

 

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About Scarlett Cole

The tattoo across my right hip says it all really. A Life Less Ordinary. Inked by the amazingly talented Luke Wessman at the Wooster Street Social Club (a.k.a. New York Ink). Why is it important? Well, it sums up my view on life. That we should all aspire to live a life that is less boring, less predictable. Be bold, and do something amazing. I’ve made some crazy choices. I’ve been a car maker, a consultant, and even a senior executive at a large retailer running strategy. Born in England, spent time in the U.S. and Japan, before ending up in Canada were I met my own, personal hero – all six and a half feet of him. Both of us are scorpios! Yeah, I know! Should have checked the astrological signs earlier, but somehow it works for us. We have two amazing kids, who I either could never part with or could easily be convinced to sell on e-bay.

I’ve wanted to be a writer for a really long time. Check through my office cupboards or my computer and you’ll find half written stories and character descriptions everywhere. Now I’m getting the chance to follow that dream.

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