5 It Worked on So Many Levels Stars
* * * * * Spoiler Free
In 2016, I stumbled onto Second Circle Tattoos, a series by Scarlett Cole. From the beginning I was drawn into her vision. She wrote with a strong hand about issues which were not all soft, fuzzy and pretty. Her characters were multidimensional and that meant every single one that graced the page had purpose.

Which brings me to Jordan Reclaimed. This is the first entry to Preload, the series inspired by a heavy metal group introduced in Second Circle Tattoos. From the moment they made an appearance, readers just knew these guys deserved to have their stories told. You can start this without reading the previous series...However, being a huge fan of the prior series...If you are interested in having the first taste and backstory of the group...then I would seriously suggest reading The Purest Hook, as that is where we are introduced to the group and Jordan Steele.

To give you an idea of how all of these men are connected, we are told of their placements in the Canadian Foster and Group homes... leading up to their final group home which in many ways saved them. Each member of the group have their own heartbreaking story. There will be nods to them...but in this book, we are given the full understanding of who Jordan Steele is... and how he became this damaged man...

A man who fights his pain and demons to live another day.
A man who needs to know his band brothers are safe in order to rest his head at night...
A man who sees things are changing... and doesn't know if he will be able to hold on...

These boys who had nothing were brought together and influenced by two women who ran a group home... and angels shined on them because these women taught these boys they could see themselves as their own family. It was the first positive thing they had and the bonds became unbreakable. Music was introduced and these boys finally had something that was their own.

Music for Jordan was his release...and it made things better...Fast forward and now these men are one of the top Heavy Metal Bands in the world. Money is no longer an issue...their lead singer Dred found his love Pixie and now she is helping him raise his little angel Petal.

So things are moving forward...Dred has been waiting for Pixie to be able to come and live with him and Petal permanently...and now it will happen. This has caused Jordan to feel more anxiety. All of the guys have lived in the same house...and at least this way Jordan could satisfy his need to know all were safe every night...

Jordan knows this is not a "Normal" need...He knows he is not normal and all of the hate spewed words from his abusive parents replay on a loop in his head...He has to fight it and he is happy for Dred, Pixie and Petal...it is just so hard to see them leave...

Aleksandra Artemov is another soul out there in the world fighting her own battles...She is a Warrior Woman who is packed in the most delicate package...a top Principal with The National Ballet of Canada, she is living the life planned out for her...From her first moments, she was groomed to dance. Her father was from the Kirov, looking to achieve the same success Baryshnikov did...Only he didn't and proceed to focus all of his attention and lost dreams on Lexi.

Well, now she is an accomplished ballerina... only she is wanting more...and looking to see how she can grow...she is fighting the oppression of her father's unwarranted constant criticism...She is fighting her internal doubts about her body...letting comparisons to other dancers feed that doubt...

These two lost souls meet one night and exchange more than any conversation could without ever saying a word...

Lexi is rehearsing in a studio which has a window facing the street...There in the dark, stands Jordan with the only creature who seems to calm his heart, baby Petal... As he stands and gazes at this vision dancing freely... with abandon equal to how he plays when with his brothers on stage...He recognizes the soul of another...A woman who is so beautiful it almost hurts to look at her...

And as Lexi is want to do... she sees this man with the stroller... and starts to dance only for him...She pours out her heart in the movements, the turns and the grace of her arms...Although it is dark and Jordan is not close...These two have connected in a way that cannot be denied...Each wanting to grasp onto this feeling and not let go...

Both are struck by this experience...
Jordan is compelled to create new music expressing everything he felt while watching her...He figures out a way to get it to her...
Lexi takes this music and plans a way to show Jordan how much it means to her...
Somehow these two talk, connect and life for the both of them will never be the same...

I loved this story because it covered so much with the necessary care needed...Jordan's life before he landed in the positive environment of his last home was of nightmares..His story could be any of the worst case studies from child services. We see news reports all the time of children left unattended... left to fend for themselves...eating garbage and somehow being discovered by passing strangers...These news stories are only the tip of the iceberg of pain out there...Jordan's story is handled in such a way we are able to be emphatic to his pain and inability to move forward...Watching him change and try to adjust warms the heart.

Lexi is another who has had forces play with her self image and worth. She is talented and does know it... however, she has been manipulated by her father for a number of reasons...It is extremely difficult to turn your back on your only living relative....emotions and the desire to receive the love you so disparately want from a father... is powerful.

These two come together and both have a way of bettering the other...As damaged as Jordan is... his strength and pure insight to how amazing Lexi is... gives Lexi the ability to see herself through his eyes...Jordan has been love struck by Lexi and it forces him to confront all of his self loathing...He finally is able to see and feel a future life...

There is wonder in this story...little things which are truly big... a retelling of how a boy has been named...or how an everyday occurrence so easily taken for granted can have massive meaning to a person ....

This is a romance which is sexual and emotional; when these two come together it is a way they communicate...yet it doesn't stay that way. Jordan sees Lexi as someone more from the start...Lexi loves all the ways Jordan talks to her... so free and direct...and their coupling is that... But they also go through the challenges couples like them would...

This first entry was strong with us learning of the other fellas... how all of them inter-act... who was the one who was the smart ass- who was the one who could be the sounding board...and who the women were who gave these men their only positive influences when they were kids. In other words we got a slice of life for these guys...causing me to want so much more.

~~~~~ Before Reading ~~~~~

Oh how I loved the Second Circle Tattoos Series...
It was a sneaky surprise which became an obsession with every entry...

Now Scarlett Cole has tempted me again...
She has taken Jordan Steele of the Band Preload...
Made him the first focus of the new spin off series...
And given him....

Aleksandra Artemov, Ballerina Extraordinaire...
Controlled, Focused...yet yearning to be free...

These two...Front and Center...
I can hardly wait for...

Jordan Reclaimed-February 28th 2017

A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.

I haven't read a book like this one in a while, This book constantly wanted to make me cry. The abuse of both characters just devastated me. I had to keep reading to find out how they would work things out. Jordan and Lexi both fought for each other and didn't give up.Scarlett Cole is one of my new favorite authors.

This book started out slow and seemed to drag on until about chapter 8, then something changed on these characters and the momentum of the story really picked up. Honestly, I struggled to keep reading this book, I love the entire series of Second Circle tattoos, I recommend that series to everyone who asks me what's the best thing I read. This book was a bit of a let down, after that series. There were a lot of words and emotions talked about but I did some slimming because it just was ok. Breaks my heart a little to say that too. I will continue to call Scarlett Cole a great author and excellent writer who brings these amazing characters to life on the pages of her books, but this one was a bit of a let down.

What a beautiful book! The author has a real talent for being able to write in depth characters with troubled pasts and making them extremely loveable. Both main characters had an undeniable connection that I felt flowing off the pages. This book will leave readers breathless and wanting more.

Grab the tissues. You'll need them for sad and sweet moments.

This book was almost too heartbreaking to read but then the story became one of triumph and love. Loyalty and brotherhood. And family.

Jordan was abused most of his life and has very real emotional scarring. He doesn't realize it but his takes the role of protector even though he sees it as him being afraid. He is a rock star in his adult world but his issues have come with him. Until he sees her!

Lexi is a dancer, a classical ballerina, and when she dances she is constantly picturing just one person. Her father was also a dancer and he has been shaping her career for her. But not how she wants it.

After the night he watched her dance through a window he went home and wrote music she could dance to and loaded to a website only for her. She wants to see him again. And when she finds out that he has written music just for her (she doesn't have a clue who he actually is) she can't wait to hear it and then to show him what she came up with.

What starts out as an infatuation quickly grows into something else and he finds out just how much in common they may have. The only question is can they navigate this together?

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was in two minds about this one. Whilst I adored Scarlett Cole's Second Circle Tattoo series I was not so keen on the idea of a new series based on the guys in Dred's metal band Preload. But hey, they offered me a book to review, and it's Scarlett Cole so I pushed past my initial reluctance and requested the book. And then it sat there on my Kindle, judging me, watching me pick other books, waiting.

If you've read [book:The Purest Hook|27757900], Jordan Steele is the member of the band that has had a traumatic childhood and, as a consequence, can't seem to break away from his past. Kept locked in the attic by his 'parents', he now lives in the attic with barely any possessions. A millionaire many times over, he doesn't have a phone, he can't drive and borrows Dred's guitars because he doesn't have any of his own. Basically, he is afraid to accept good things. He and the band members live together because he has night-terrors and is afraid of being alone. Every he obsesses about making sure everyone is home and safe. Then one night, whilst walking Dred and Pixie's baby daughter through the streets he sees Aleksandra Artemov (Lexi) practicing her ballet routine through the windows of the National Ballet of Canada. Astounded by her dancing Jordan goes home and composes some music just for her.

Lexi may be a Principal Dancer at the National Ballet but her father, himself a former dancer, is never satisfied. He pushes her and tries to manage her career, forcing her to follow the career path he wanted rather than what she wants. Soon Lexi and Jordan are an item, but can Jordan overcome the trauma of his past and can Lexi stand up to her father?

Scarlett Cole walked the delicate tightrope between tugging at the reader's heartstrings and sinking into a pit of angst and despair like a boss. Like. A. Boss. I'll admit, I had my doubts, at one point I thought the novel was going to be too sad, too dark, Jordan and Lexi were just going to be too broken. But no, Scarlett pirouetted along that tightrope with the lightest of touches and before I knew it we were at the epilogue. And what a beautiful epilogue it was. Funny, loving and touching and not the usual "one year later ..." same-old, same-old that you see with other authors.

I am now totally invested in Preload, my only question is which one of the band do I want to read about next? Oooo, just seen the sneak peek at the back of the book, hurrah!

In summary, loved it, now a total metal convert.

I'm a huge Scarlett Cole fan and this may be my second favorite SC book. Dred's story was ok but this one - pure magic. What made this book so good for me was the H, Jordan. He's musically gifted, sexy, a survivor in every sense, yet so emotionally damaged that it breaks your heart. His story is heart-wrenching and his "parents" deserve every piece of bad karma ever. SC has me all riled up over fictional parents. All I wanted throughout the story was for Jordan to find his HEA however that happened.

So many things about Jordan that grabbed my attention and heart:

1. Hearing how Maisey named him Jordan. That woman is a saint.
2. Why he loves Lucky Charms. I'm not a fan myself but I might have to reconsider just because Jordan loves them.
3. Why he's initially impervious to cold. Again, his parents suck.
4. Why he's so much stronger than he thinks he is. His abandonment issues and fear seem so real and somehow he manages to cope and get through it. He's so fragile at times (and knows it) and so strong too. The contrast is right there and watching him figure it out is like watching a butterfly break through. He's more self-aware then he knows and I loved every flawed and broken piece of him.
5. The bond he and his "brothers" have. I can't wait for the rest of their stories.

Thank goodness SC gave us a heroine, Lexi, whose worthy of Jordan and who deserves her own HEA. Initial impression she's a rock. Her fight for Jordan was what I loved about her. Slowly the layers get peeled away and you discover she's a little damaged too. The scene between Jordan and Lexi when he confronts her.... both of them fighting their own demons. Group hug for everyone.

Now I want to go home, play some heavy metal (and that's not my thing), pretend like I know how to dance, and re-read this story again. Like the kids say "all the feels" for this one.

Jordan Reclaimed is another great one from Scarlet and this time in the center is Jordan member of Preload. Another boy from the band who has major issues and is struggling from day to day to survive. Until he meets Lexi the first stranger that sees real him and is not running to hills. Lexi is ballerina but her life is not so glorious, she fights with her own issues. Story is emotional, one big roller-coaster it has deep and carries a hope.
Great written the pages just flew by and it is beautiful story about two young souls who just one to be loved.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for Netgelly

I coudn't WAIT to read Jordan's book after meeting him in Dred and Pixie's story. I wasn't disappointed.
Lexi is the perfect match for Jordan. They both love the arts and expressing themselves through them. Her struggle is a perfect foil for Jordan's issues.
It was surprising Jordan pursued Lexi by writing music and leaving it for her without having even met her and was so taken with her when he hadn't ever had a long term relationship. Lexi's issues with her father also felt somewhat unresolved.

Let me start of by saying how excited I was that Preload was going to get their own series!!!! I fell in love with these guys during Second Circle and had to have their stories!!!

And we got Jordon first!!!!! What a sad back story he had. But I loved how he found his HEA.

This first of the series was a major hit for me. Loved getting to know a little more about the other characters although not much, there are a few hints dropped here and there and can't wait to read more. And Petal, her relationship and reactions to Jordon were so sweet!!!

Book was a very fast read, one I didn't want to put down. We jump right into their story and despite having drama it never lasted too long. And the characters themselves were drama free!!! No jealous women. It was so nice to read and not get ticked off at the characters.

So looking forward to the next in the series and dying to know who is behind the locked second refrigerator??? Who has the alcohol problem????

I loved this heartwarming story. The two main characters are realistically flawed, and I felt desperate for them to find strength from and contentment with each other. Their path there wasn't easy, nor was it what I expected, which made the story even more refreshing to me. I read so much that it's often difficult for me to even recall what some books are about within just a week or two. I won't have that problem with this one. The story and the characters touched me deeply, and Jordan and Lexi will always have a special place in my heart. I'm looking forward to Elliott's story.

Loved Jordan! You want to wrap him up! He wants to keep his eyes on all his band mates, but Dred is moving out with Pixie and Petal. Out on one of his walks, he sees Lexi, a ballerina. He begins to understand how Dred feels for Pixie. But Lexi has her own demons with an alcoholic father, who wants her to dance his way. Another success for Scarlett Cole! 5 stars

Perfect for new adult fans who enjoy a high level of emotional angst with their romance.

loved it

I have read all of the books in this series and truly love them all. I would definitely recommend this entire series.

Jordan’s early life was hell. He experienced horrible abuse and abandonment but survived and grew up to become a rock star – literally. He and his “brothers,” the boys from the group home he lived in, created Preload, a heavy metal band that hit it big. From the outside Jordan looks like he has everything that anyone could want but inside he’s constantly in turmoil. He doesn’t believe that he is someone that can be loved and he certainly doesn’t know how to do romantic love. When out walking one night Jordan sees Aleksandra rehearsing and he becomes completely enthralled.

Aleksandra aka Lexi is also someone that looks like she’s got it made – from the outside. She has done very well for herself in the National Ballet of Canada but it’s never enough for her father who was once a dancer himself. He’s constantly telling her that she’s fat or not good enough and pushes her to her limits. She would love to dance in some of the contemporary pieces the company does but her father will only let her do the classics. She feels she owes him because of the sacrifices he’s made but his verbal abuse hurts.

When Jordan and Lexi meet it’s scary for both of them but each pushes through their issues in order to be together. The question is, will their issues push their way to the front and eventually pull them apart?

I was so excited when I saw that Scarlett Cole had started a series that told us the stories of the men of Preload. While reading the Second Circle series I was completely intrigued by these men and their strength. Jordan’s book was a great start to hopefully what will be a wonderful series.

Jordan is an amazing man. He survived his horrible childhood and has worked through a lot of his issues over the years. The one that he can’t deal with is his brothers leaving him. He knows that they all live together because of him but he can’t find it in him to care until he meets Lexi. He finally starts to realize that he can’t continue living as he has in the past because he needs to be strong for not only himself and his brothers but for Lexi as well. I loved how he worked things out in his own brain, with his brothers and with Lexi. He was smart enough to know that he couldn’t do the same things and expect a different outcome. Yes, sometimes he was overwhelmed but for the most part he had the strength to push through so that they could be together.

Lexi had a decent childhood but what she saw as her father’s discipline amounted to physical and verbal abuse. She was 26 years-old, had a wonderful job, owned her own home and paid her own bills but she was still under the thumb of her father. It took a lot to break free from him and Jordan helped her with that. I hated that it had to be such a caustic break with her father, and I wish that we could have gotten more closure with that issue, but it was still well done. Her father was a complete bastard so I was just happy she was away from him.

Of course we got to catch up with Dred and Pixie in this book, and Dred’s daughter, Petal. (The Purest Hook) I loved seeing where they were in their lives (approx..) 9 months after their story took place. We didn’t get too too much info about the other guys in the band except for Elliot who is a bit of a pyro from what I understand. His book should definitely be interesting.

Overall I enjoyed the book tremendously. Despite all the issues that the H/h had, and some of the darker things they spoke about, there really wasn’t too much angst between them. Yes, they had to work through stuff but hey, that’s what I call a normal relationship. I loved that they communicated in order to make things right. The book was a great and one I definitely recommend.

Rating: 4 out of 5

This will post as a guest review on The Book Binge.
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ARC received for review

Great book, but I was expecting a lot more angst and drama and for Jordan to fight falling in love. He walked off the deep end after only one glimpse. Lexi was perfect for him. Her personal issue was the perfect problem to cause Jordan issues. I felt like the problems with her dad were unfinished. Loved seeing the rest of the band. Elliott's story is up next, and we have no idea what his personal hang-up is.