Rocker with horrible childhood meets ballerina with abusive father - this should have been an explosive mix of drama and romance but instead it was surprisingly lackluster. Normally I eat this kind of NA drama up, but the combination of far too much repetitive internal musings and immature characters left me nonplussed.

Had this not been an ARC, I think I would have DNF'd very early on. So much of the book, and especially the beginning, is spent inside Jordan and Lexi's internal thoughts. There is a lot of "don't show, just keep explaining" world-building that was paced so slowly yet repetitively that I found myself very frustrated at the lack of action. It takes pages of Jordan reliving his memories and emotions before he and Lexi even speak for the first time.

For a millionaire rocker and prima ballerina, Jordan and Lexi spend a lot of time feeling sorry for themselves. And while it was with good reason given their truly horrible upbringings, I waited and waited futilely for them to grow up and take control of their lives.

I'm sure this will be a huge hit among those who love emo rock star romances. I too have a weakness for them, but this one was a miss for me.

2.5 stars

I loved this except for one thing. When he Jordan called her Angel for the first time oh boy that gave me feels in all the right places. But then he started calling her sexy Lexi and yuck I really didn't care much for that.

I love a good series you can sink your teeth into and really engage with - the guys from Preload are definitely at the top of my list. Jordan is so damaged, so insecure and ill at ease with himself that you can't help but pull for him... watching him come out of his shell and make an effort for her was beautiful. He didn't know what she needed, or what he was capable of giving, but made such a brave leap for her... sigh. That kind of love is why we read romance novels. Its what we all secretly wish for ourselves.

I thought that nothing could compete with the love I had for “The Strongest Steel” written by this author but I was so wrong! “Jordan Reclaimed” is just as amazing and magical!
This series is about a heavy metal group, Preload, introduced in Second Circle Tattoos and the first book is about Jordan, the bassist player.
Jordan is a boy hidden in a man’s body. His life has been so hard filled with abuse, neglect and loneliness. Every day is a struggle for him full of fear and anxiety. Only his band can relax him and when things start to change, he is ready to panic. When he roams the streets of Toronto feeling the cold in his body and his heart, a girl gives him the show of his life.
Aleksandra or “Lexi” is a ballerina. She lives and breathes the ballet under the strict instructions of her father. She is slowly drowning in her self-doubts and her father’s criticism and abuse. When a huge man watches her rehearsing, she finds herself pouring all her emotions and hurt and they instantly connect.
Jordan is afraid to start a relationship buried under his past and Lexi is fighting her mind’s struggles, but the attraction is so strong! Slowly but steadily, they trust each other unloading their demons and finding a safe haven between them.
I really liked Lexi. She is playful, kind and caring. She is not afraid to express her feelings to Jordan and I truly connected with her problems about her body issues. There is not a woman who has not struggled with her self-worth and it is so easy to feel connected with her.
Jordan is the best element of this story. He stole my heart with his fears about not failing her. He might appear scared, gruff and closed off but in reality he has a gold heart ready to love. He runs away from his troubles many times but I always forgave him as did Lexi, because his struggle is real.
Their relationship is sweet but hot. There is innocence in them as it is the first real relationship they both have and they are so good to each other. There is not much angst and there is honesty and respect. They are both a little broken but together they work. He is the darkness and she is the light but there is this balance between them. She is the salvation his broken soul needs and he is the rock she can depend on.
I loved how much the whole band is there to help them. They are not just band-mates and friends. They are a true family with a great dynamic and full of support.
Scarlett Cole wrote a fantastic book with an adorable but strong heroine and a sensitive male hero! It is a heartwarming and heartbreaking story that will leave you wanting more.

“You’re my everything … Everything I didn’t know I wanted or needed. Everything I didn’t think I could have.”

4.5 stars!

Wow, this book is gorgeous! An emotional, sexy, angst-free love story featuring two broken people overcoming the demons of their past, learning to trust and find strength in each other, and following their hearts. Jordan and Lexi absolutely stole my heart and I loved it.

I love Scarlett Cole’s Second Circle Tattoos series, and from the moment I met the boys of heavy metal band, Preload, while reading The Purest Hook, I knew that I needed more of them, so I was so excited when I discovered that they were getting their own spin-off series – though this can definitely be read as a new series without having to have read the previous books.

The Preload boys are more than a band. They are family. Each of them had a terrible childhood, ending up in a group home where they formed unbreakable bonds and became each other’s whole world. They have overcome adversity to become hugely successful, forming a now-world-famous metal band. But their personal struggles are far from over.

The first book in this series gives us the story of bassist, Jordan Steele. Like the rest of his brothers, Jordan’s childhood was tragic, and he endured horrific abuse and still carries the inner scars to this day. He is the quiet one of the group, the one who has difficulty connecting with anybody outside of his ‘family’, and the one whose circumstances have kept the boys living as close as they do, knowing that he needs their presence and support.

Jordan is struggling with the imminent departure of Dred, who is planning on leaving their home to move in with his girlfriend, Pixie, and their little girl who means so much to Jordan. He is wondering how he will cope without his family all under the same roof, and is anxious about the changes that it will bring to his life. Finding solace in long, night-time walks, he finds himself in the city one evening and becomes mesmerised when he walks past the National Ballet and sees a ballerina dancing alone in a studio. He’s never seen anything as beautiful as the graceful dancer, and he feels an immediate sense of calm and peace as he watches her.

Aleksandra Artemov is a Principal dancer with the Canadian Ballet. Beautiful and successful, she seems to have it all, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Lexi is struggling with her own issues – the strain and physical demands of her career, a difficult home life, and the pressure put on her by her controlling father, who is living out his own shattered dreams through his daughter. She loves dance, but she longs to live her own life on her own terms. Dancing desperately on her own one evening, she is pouring her emotions out through dancing when she sees a man watching her from the darkness outside of the studio window and without words the two of them share an intimate connection that rocks them both.

Him…he was transfixed as his eyes followed her. Such intensity should have scared her, but it didn’t. It aroused her.
…
He held her stare, and she licked her lips to soothe their dryness. The connection between them couldn’t have been anymore real had they been touching. It was solid, and heated, and unlike anything Lexi had ever experienced.

Unable to forget about each other after that night, it is Jordan that reaches out to Lexi by writing music for her, and Lexi returns his gesture by dancing to his music for him. Through artistic expression their connection to each other deepens, they find that understand each other in a way that surprises them both, and as they open up to each other and begin to talk and spend time together, a very natural relationship begins to develop.

I love Jordan and Lexi together. He is all sullen and moody and closed off, terrified that he’s not good enough for Lexi and scared of everything that he is beginning to feel for her, and Lexi is like a breath of fresh air in his life – open and honest about her feelings for him, not allowing him to push her away, and instead wearing her heart on her sleeve for him and coaxing him back to life.

“I’m not the guy for you, no matter how badly both of us want me to be.”

“I’m out of my depth. I don’t date. I don’t share. I don’t do small talk and bistros and ballerinas. I don’t do complicated. But you make me want to try, and it’s fucked up.”
… “Try me, please,” she whispered.

There is a beautifully sweet innocence to their relationship, which is absolutely perfect given Jordan’s inexperience with love and all of the new emotions that he is feeling (as opposed to his previous emotionless manwhoring). But their passion for each other is just as strong as all of the other emotions they are feeling, and the sexy time is hot, steamy and intense.

“Let me touch you. But please. Close your eyes.”
“No … Please, let me be with you, Jordan. No rules,” she said, leaning forward to kiss the scar behind his ear. Jordan shivered at her touch. “Don’t make me look away,” she whispered against his skin as she kissed his neck. “I want to see you. To know it’s you I’m with. To know you know it’s me.”

I honestly loved every moment of this relationship. The angst is minimal, and the drama is understandable and adds to the story rather than just being there for the sake of drama. It works to develop the characters and the story, and brings the feels as we watch Jordan and Lexi lean on each other and be there for each other. They have a true partnership that is functional and honest, and I love that they let their hearts and their vulnerabilities show.

“Don’t leave me, Aleksandra, I don’t think I could deal with that.” He stroked her hair off her forehead and stared deeply into the blue eyes that encouraged him to bare his soul.
“I won’t. I promise.”

Jordan and Lexi are wonderful characters, and I love them equally! Usually it’s the hero that steals my heart, and while Jordan definitely did that, Lexi’s story was just as compelling and I adored her as a character. The book is written in dual POV, and I loved that we got to be in both of their heads, seeing every moment of their individual struggles and growth. Their honesty was refreshing and heart-warming, and despite all that they are dealing with, they are both incredibly strong characters and I love seeing that strength come to the front as they fight for each other and for the life that they so badly want.

“It’s taken me all this time to realize I’m not alone. And neither are you. You’ll never have to do any of this on your own because I’m right here. And I am too fucking stubborn to move because I love you.”

I also love that we got to spend so much time with the Preload boys. They are such a great group, and their dynamic is fantastic! They laugh, tease and banter, but they care for each other deeply, and I can’t wait to read more about them.

I really enjoyed this read. It is heartwarming, emotional, dramatic and gorgeously romantic, and I was hooked from start to finish.

I loved it – 4.5 stars.

As always loved "Jordan reclaimed" because it was written by Scarlet Cole one of my favorite authors. Great story full of emotions, heat and love. Both characters were well developed and at the end I really felt like I knew them both. Well done Scarlet!

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.