February 28, 2017

Jordan Reclaimed (A Preload Novel) by Scarlett Cole (Book Review) – Happy Release Day!

JORDAN RECLAIMED by Scarlett Cole

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E-Original published by Swerve
Publication Date: February 28, 2017
ISBN: 9781250132406
Price: $4.99

Book Description

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?

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My Review

4.5 of 5

Adult Romance

ARC provided for an honest review through NetGalley.

Jordan basks in the fame and fortune of being the bassist in a popular heavy metal/rock band, Preload. His life comes with many perks but it has not always been this way. Coming from a traumatic childhood, Jordan had to learn how to survive through the toughest of times but it’s still difficult. The most difficult of all? Change. As his friends and bandmates start to settle down and find their own lives, he is stuck… then he sees her. As he passes by a dance studio one night, he sees a ballerina dancing, leaving her heart and soul on the floor. He can’t take his eyes away from her. Who is she?

Aleksandra is the daughter of a famous Russian dancer and a principal dancer for the The National Ballet of Canada. She earns a living for her and her father through dance. Dancing is her life. To keep her controlling and overpowering father happy, she dedicates all her time and energy into being the best ballerina possible. She struggles to keep him happy because she must dance faster, lighter on her feet, she must lose 10 more pounds and skip meals but she just wants to be happy. To be free. When a stranger stops to watch her dance in the studio one night, everything changes. He could be her freedom.

WOW. This story is so emotional, tough and captivating! It deals with some deep and dark situations/issues but is executed well. I find it hard sometimes to read about abuse and disorders but when done well, it helps to bring clarification and understanding to these issues. Kudos to Scarlett for writing this story so well. What really made this story work were the characters, Jordan and Aleksandra. Both are well-developed and have detailed backstories that help make them real and relatable. They become more than characters in a story; they become real, someone who you could have passed on the street. By doing this, Scarlett has made a captivating story that I couldn’t put down!

Releases tomorrow! Preorder on Amazon.

Author Bio

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.