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Review

4.5 stars

I loved it!

Scarlett Cole made me an instant fan of this series with her amazing debut novel, The Strongest Steel. This is the third book in the series, and she has me well and truly captivated now! Pixie and Dred’s story has been building since book 1, and I loved finally getting their story! I was immediately sucked in by their flirty banter, but this book was so much deeper than I was expecting. It’s a great story with a beautiful romance and lots of feels, and I absolutely loved it!

Pixie is the receptionist/sort-of-manager of Second Circle Tattoos. She has worked with Trent and Cujo ever since they found her homeless and sleeping on the front doorstep of their store. She had just run away from a hideous home life, and was hooked on drugs and at rock bottom when they picked her up, helped her get clean and gave her a job. Since then she has created a great life for herself. She loves the boys who she thinks of as her big brothers, and enjoys her work with them. She shares a great condo with Lia (another of the tattoo artists she works with), has a side business sewing and selling clothes, and she tries her best not to think about her dark days, and the hell that she left behind.

Dred is the lead singer of platinum-album seeling metal band, Preload. He has a project on the go with Trent so has spent a bit of time at Second Circle Tattoos, and from the moment that he first laid eyes on Pixie, he’s been captivated. She is undeniably attracted to him, but the issues from her past mean she’s terrified of exploring something with him and she has adamantly refused his advances, but Dred persists with his flirting, figuring she can’t refuse him forever.

“You’ll cave eventually Pix. I give good date, among other things.”

I love Dred! He’s a tortured musician who has endured his own awful childhood, but he has a huge heart, and he’s such a nice guy! Smart, funny, sweet and sexy as all hell, he’s the classic manwhoring rockstar, but there’s so much more to him. His attraction to Pixie is something he hasn’t experienced before and I love how determined he is to win her over, and as that starts to happen they become friends, both of them are aware of the simmering attraction between them, and it creates a wonderful dynamic.

Things are complicated by the fact that Pixie lives in Miami and Dred is based in Toronto, but the distance gives them the opportunity to take things slowly and get to know each other just by talking. All that Pixie has been through has left her shy and wary of all things sex, so the separation and the slow build gives her a safe way to progress forward, and it’s really beautifully done. It’s natural and it’s easy, and as they start to become more comfortable with each other, they open up and start to understand where the other is at, moving forward at a pace that is comfortable for them both.

“There may be times when it seems like I don’t, because something we do together is a trigger for me, but never doubt for an instant that I want this with you.”

Dred is so amazing! He’s incredibly understanding and beautifully patient with Pixie, yet confident enough to give her a push when she needs it. He has his own concerns about exposing her to his lifestyle, and his own issues that he needs to deal with. They definitely have a lot to work through, but I loved the way their relationship progressed!! It doesn’t take too long for them to really fall for each other, and even with the distance they make it work. And it makes the times that they actually see each other more intense and steamy hot, but all very meaningful.

“I want to make you melt for me so bad it hurts … But I want to leave you as perfect as you are. I can’t help but think I’ll be bad for you, Pix.”
His words were heartfelt, and she knew it was up to her to decide to take the next step. “I pick melting.”

“Play with me , Pix. Please.”

But it’s not easy for them – of course they have to deal with the distance and the pressure of Dred’s fame and celebrity, but Dred and his bandmates are also dealing with the threat of a brutal expose, and his whole life is about to get turned upside down in a way he never expected. And when someone from Pixie’s past reappears with vicious intentions, it threatens everything that she has worked so hard to achieve, and the peace that she and Dred found together.

“Just don’t give up on me Pixie.”

Like the other books in this series, the beautiful love story is mixed in with a bit of suspense and excitement, and I thought it was really well done! This one in particular has quite a bit of drama (most of it predictable), but it adds a nice intensity to the story, and thankfully it’s mostly external to the relationship so we get lots of time with Pixie and Dred together and standing strong together to find their way forward. And I LOVE THAT!!!

“I don’t have words or a song,” she said quietly, taking his hand and placing it on her chest. “But my heart understands yours in ways I don’t think I’ll ever quite comprehend.”

I also loved that we got to catch up with the couples from the previous books and I loved how Pixie’s relationship with Trent and Cujo was explored. They truly are like two protective big brothers, and seeing them be there for her was gorgeous!

And then there’s the boys from Preload. Wow, they’re awesome! Dred and his four bandmates spent part of their childhoods in a group home together, and each of them have major issues from their past that have followed them into adulthood and continue to haunt them. They all share the same house and are closer than brothers, supporting and protecting each other through hard times, and they all there for each other unquestionably. They may have their demons, but they are a great group of guys, and with a number of set ups already in place, I’m hoping that Scarlett continues on with a series for them.

I loved this book. It quickly sucked me in, and I was completely engaged the whole way through. I love both Pixie and Dred, and I think they’re amazing together, I love how they dealt with their issues, and I really loved the direction their story took.

Such a beautiful story – 4.5 stars

Advanced Reader Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.