From the queen of heart-pounding, sexy, emotional romance Scarlett Cole comes Nikan Rebuilt, the next novel in the Preload series. Does the past ever really stay in the past? Nikan can never be complete. He’s got a rock group made up of the family he built for himself, more money than he knows what to do with, and a stream of groupies falling over themselves to date him. But none of them are … themselves to date him. But none of them are her. The one regret that still plagues him, still taunts him with what he could have had.
Jenny is a survivor. Now running a group home after overcoming life in a cult led by her manipulative father and watching her mother drink the poison he fed his followers, she fights to keep the light in the eyes of every boy who walks through her doors. Far from simple young love, Nik taught her to trust, showed her how good life could be. Before he formed the band. Before he became a famous rockstar. Before he destroyed it all.
A chance meeting after years of no contact shows the connection still blazes between them. But will they have their second chance at love? Or will the weight of their past crush their future together?
more
When Nikan sees Jenny again, he knows it’s now or never. Now is the time to seize the second chance he’s wanted since the day she left him after he cheated on her. Yes, unfortunately, he cheated on her years ago. But in the time since that cheating, he (and she) has grown, a lot, has changed, for the better.
Nikan was a young man just off the streets when he met Jenny, a young woman whose father was a notorious cult leader put away for one of those horrible Jonestown-like masacres. Luckily Jenny escaped the deaths, but the whole incident damaged her young psyche. When she met Nikan, he became her rock, her kindred soul. So it was doubly hard when he cheated on her and she was forced to leave him. Since she left him, she’s gone into social work, and works at a home very similar to the one in which she and Nikan met. It’s where she’ll meet Nikan again, all these years later. Will she be able to give Nikan the second chance he’s so desperate for? Does he deserve a second chance? Will she open herself back up to more possible pain, knowing he’s about to head out on tour, which is the same position they had been in when he cheated on her?
Although I haven’t read any of the other books in this series, I was easily able to pick up on what was going on in Nikan Rebuilt. It’s a heartfelt story of love, second chance, and finding one’s own identity. I love that Nikan’s fighting to find his identity, his place, among not only his band, but in Jenny’s life, and the world in general. The fact that he’s Native and is researching his family lineage and roots is an interesting subplot in this already great story. He and Jenny have one of those strong connections not always seen in romance – the kind we all crave. I’ve long been a fan of Scarlett Cole, since the days of her Second Circle Tattoos series, and after reading this installment of Preload, I’ve just become an even bigger fan of hers. I cannot wait for more Prebuilt and Scarlett Cole!
Another great story
Another great story in thr Preload series! Cannot wait for the final book, Lennon’s story. The way Scarlett captures not only the love story between the couples but also the love that a family has for each other is why i keep coming back for more rereading these books over and over
I’d left a huge time gap between reading Elliott’s story and Nik’s as I wanted to go back to the very beginning and read the Second Circle Tattoo series (which is also fantastic) before continuing with this one, but then I allowed life to get in the way and I’m now gutted I didn’t read Nikan Rebuilt earlier. I absolutely love these Preload men. Their stories break my heart repeatedly and it was lovely to be back spending time with them all.
This is Nikan’s story. Nik is the eldest of the members of the group Preload and the patriarch figure of the family that they have become. They all have a childhood that no-one should ever experience and Nikan often finds himself the person who keeps everyone together, both mentally and also in a physical sense so that the five guys always have each other. Now that the love of his life has come back into his life, Nik feels it’s time to put himself first and concentrate on what he wants. I was 100% behind him on this as he truly deserves to happy in every area of his life.
I loved getting to know Jenny. She too has a history that shocked me when all was revealed. I could see that she is such a strong person and the story confirmed my beliefs repeatedly. I loved what she has achieved in her life, reinforcing that receiving the right care and support can make a huge difference to a person.
I really enjoyed reading this book. I loved getting to know Nik better and learning about his background. He’s such a fabulous person and I adore his personality. After everything he’s been through he just gives, and gives, and gives. Anyone who finds themselves being loved by Nik are very lucky indeed. The story brought out lots of emotion in me but I missed those sobbing my heart out moments that reading the previous books reduced me to, although I couldn’t help but shed a few tears during certain scenes. I suspect the author may be giving me a little break before going on to Lennon’s story, which I anticipate will be heartbreaking from what we know of him already.
I urge you to read this series, it truly is one that shouldn’t be missed. Nikan Rebuilt gets 4-4.5 stars from me, and I’m now grabbing my box of tissues and heading straight on to Lennon Reborn.
Does the past ever really stay in the past?
Nikan can never be complete. He’s got a rock group made up of the family he built for himself, more money than he knows what to do with, and a stream of groupies falling over themselves to date him. But none of them are her. The one regret that still plagues him, still taunts him with what he could have had.
Jenny is a survivor. Now running a group home after overcoming life in a cult lead by her manipulative father and watching her mother drink the poison he fed his followers, she fights to keep the light in the eyes of every boy who walks through her doors. Far from simple young love, Nik taught her to trust, showed her how good life could be. Before he formed the band. Before he became a famous rockstar. Before he destroyed it all.
A chance meeting after years of no contact shows the connection still blazes between them. But will they have their second chance at love? Or will the weight of their past crush their future together?
Nikan Rebuilt is not just another rock ‘n roll romance. It’s so much better. It’s written better, the background is developed better, the story is better, and it’s just plain more interesting. The most surprising aspect of the novel was how Cole dealt with the racist elements. The issues were handled tactfully and with obvious respect. It piqued my interest in the First Nation issues in Canada.
I loved Nikan. Although he was going through a rough time, he wasn’t a complete a$$hole. He could be pushy to Jenny, but he was also sweet and gentle. I liked Jenny as well. She was completely relatable. And she was tough. I love a tough heroine.
If you’re looking for an escape from dreary January weather, dive into Nikan Rebuilt today.
I think that there are going to be some who are turned off by this book without giving it a chance just because it deals with cheating. But they’re SOOO going to miss out on what can happen when an awesome writer like Cole puts together a second chance love story! Nikan and Jenny have been a connection waiting to happen again – he’s never gotten over his feelings for her (and what he did to ruin it) and she ran away because she knew she couldn’t stay strong if she saw him. And she was right. She makes him work for it but eventually the connection between them proves to be too great to ignore … come on, it’s a romance so you know that they’ve got to have a HEA somewhere in there! It takes some doing but they do get there. And it is surprisingly low on drama. Instead we have realistic reactions, characters with depth and emotion, and a situation that you can understand and get behind.
I’d braced myself for being put through the wringer again so I was a little grateful that Cole took it a bit easier on us here. The unique family that the guys built together is still strongly at the forefront but they are all starting to work their way into individual happiness. I think that is finally giving Nikan a chance to notice that he’s not as content as he could be now that he’s not expending so much energy keeping everyone else together. It’s hard for him to look after himself instead of the group (and for me because that love between them is so nice to see but it is also good that they are starting to heal as well). Bumping into Jenny again, and finally having a chance to work through his biggest regret, couldn’t come at more opportune time.
I will admit that it was a little unexpected to have this story be so lacking in the commotion department. The rest of the Preload series has dealt with some pretty hard issues and the guys haven’t been all that great at handling their pasts up to this point. I guess from what Cole has shown us of Nikan, though, he does seem the one with his act together the most. Being the oldest and the one that has taken on keeping everyone else together he had to or they would have all gone off the rails! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. I kinda enjoyed that we mostly only had to deal with the do-over on Nikan and Jenny’s relationship without piling on a whole lot more. (I have a feeling that Cole is saving that up for Lennon … that one might just be the most heartbreaking yet, and she sure hasn’t been easy on us in the past!)
Nikan Rebuilt is gritty and real and packed full of emotions. It’s oh-so-satisfying to see these two figure things out!
*** I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. ***
his series just gets better and better and Scarlett Cole has poured her heart and soul into Nikan’s story and it shows effortlessly through her words. This is a second chance romance but it is so much more. Nikan and Jenny’s story is an emotional one that will at times have your heart feeling so heavy for what these two have endured that you will struggle to breathe. Nikan has always been the Dad of the group, the peacemaker, the organizer, the one that they all rely on but without realizing it his brothers have inadvertently not allowed him to experience life for himself and to follow his own dreams. When he and Jenny stumble across each other again after 8 very long years it takes just one look from the one woman who has always owned his heart for Nikan to start to realize that sometimes you have to put yourself first. Their journey is not an easy one and Jenny makes Nikan work to rebuild what they once had. Nikan Rebuilt will educate, enlighten and is thoughtful, heart wrenching, captivating and will show us that sometimes you need to share the burden of life with the ones that love you the most. This series and especially this book is a must read and is nothing less than a ten star rating.
If you have been following my reviews you know that I am a HUGE fan of Scarlett Cole’s and this book right here is the reason why.
Ms. Cole isn’t afraid of hitting hard, gut-wrenching, emotional topics as we see right here first hand. I do not live in Canada, I am a US citizen but I do know that the treatment of the Native Indian tribes when the Europeans first started coming over wasn’t kind and Ms. Cole did a wonderful job in bringing that to light with Nikan’s story. I need to point out that Nikan’s story for me felt a bit different than the others in the series, I’m not sure if its because he and Jenny have a past together or if it is because of his life before he entered the home where he met his friends and band-mates, but what I do know is that this was an amazing story that added another layer to the men of Preload.
The chemistry and attraction was evident with every encounter Nikan had with Jenny, whom he hadn’t seen in eight years. To say their reuniting was easy would be a fopaux because it was anything but, and I loved that Jenny didn’t just run into Nikan’s arms like he didn’t destroy her when he left for the band’s first tour, she made him work for it and he did just that because they both knew what they had was a once in a lifetime kind of love.
Lennon’s story is next and WOW are we in for a doozie because we are gifted with a sneak peek of Lennon Reborn and let me tell you that my jaw was on the floor with what happened in just two pages of his story. Unfortunately we have to wait until MAY 20018 for it but hopefully the time will fly by because I really need to see what happens to the most mysterious band member.
**I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Readers Copy of this book**
Who you are
“You didn’t hurt me . . . I mean, not physically. But emotionally, I could feel everything you were feeling, and”—a single tear escaped and ran down her cheek—“I could feel how lost you were.”
The third book in the Preload series – Nikan Rebuilt – is so much more than simple romance. Scarlett Cole weaves a story about family, about the sufferings that First Nation Canadians went through (something that as an Australian I had no idea about), about the damage of cult based thinking, about group homes and the horrible people that can exist in this world and the people who help to create a better place for those kids affected, about a sense of belonging … but ultimately Nikan Rebuilt is all about finding out who you are deep down, not the labels you may have acquired or been given along the way.
The emotions I felt while reading this story really hit me unexpectedly – which is a credit to Scarlett Cole as she was able to tell a story that elicited so much sympathy and empathy from me for the characters, their upbringings and their situations that I couldn’t help but laugh with them, cry for them and have my heart filled with joy and love. A second chance romance, it was beautiful to read the journey that Nik and Jenny had to go on to see if they could possibly have another shot at love and a relationship with one another. The rebuilding of trust after the foundations of what they once had were shattered by a foolish mistake was great to read about – I enjoyed the fact that Nik had to work for Jenny and also that he wasn’t afraid to do whatever it took to earn her trust again.
I loved the romance of this story – it is my preferred genre to read after all – but it’s what Scarlett also managed to teach me along the way that I truly appreciated in this book. It made me care deeply about the tragedies that befall so many people – like those First Nation Canadians who were treated so horribly many years ago (& even now I’m sure) and the young boys and girls who are in group homes because for whatever reason there are no families out there for them. My heart ached for the fictional characters affected by these circumstances in Nikan Rebuilt, and it also helped me to remember that while my life is definitely not perfect, it’s a lot better than what so many others have and for that I am grateful.
Besides the updates on all the previous Preload members and their ladies and families, this book gave the most insight into Lennon – whose story is coming in May! – and these little snippets of this man brought me to tears a number of times. Nik and Jenny’s story was certainly emotional but I feel that Lennon’s story will likely gut me to the core – especially if that little sneak peek at the end of the book is anything to go by.
I’ve binge read the Preload books over the last week so to have to wait five months is going to be a hard slog. But with Lennon’s story at the end of it – I know it’ll be worth it!!
I could not be any more in love with the guys from Preload! Each one I have loved more than the one before, and Nikan definitely holds the lead!
Years ago, Nikan and Jenny were everything to each other. Unfortunately, a quick thrust into stardom as well as life’s struggles, began to batter at Nikan and he made a decision and action that devastated Jenny and tore their relationship to shreds.
Jenny’s history is steeped in darkness coated with memories she will never be able to forget. As a young girl, Nikan was her savior as he helped to shoulder some of the burden she carried just trying to get through her day to day life. When he ripped her heart out of her chest she ran. Now the opportunity to show she can do the job she’s dreamed of has arrived and with it the potential to see Nikan again.
This couple broke my heart and at one point I felt sure the angst was going to shred me to pieces and leave me torn asunder. But Nikan never gave up. He knew what he wanted. He knew what he had lost. And he was determined he would never lose it again.
Ms. Cole has written a beautiful story of heartbreak and finding redemption. The analogy of the title was so perfect because if anyone needed to recognize that they were made of multiple layers and were all the stronger for it, it is Nikan. This author did an outstanding job of making one of those layers his heritage.
This is an amazing story and I absolutely loved how these characters grew stronger as well as all the Preload brothers. Each book has revealed a bit more about them even as their bond is solidified as they each face their own challenges. I’ve loved each of them, but I must confess, Lennon is the one I’ve been waiting for. And so, high on Nikan and Jenny, I settle back to wait.
This is an honest review of an advanced copy provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press.
AMAZING! This series is one of my favorites, as a whole, and Nik & Jenny’s story is a wonderful second-chance story. They both have issues to work through because of their pasts, and as they find their way back to each other – through forgiveness, and learning to love each other and themselves – the journey is swoony, sweet, steamy & wonderful! One of the things that makes this series a favorite is the sense of family highlighted in each story. The journey of the band itself, as each member finds their romantic HEA, leading to an HEA for them as a group… I hope… I’m SO looking forward to Lennon’s story next!! : )
4.5 Stars
Finally, the story of Nikan. I was crazy about his book since the first book in this series, so when he showed up on my kindle I won my day.
Those who follow the series Preload this author already knows a little bit of theses guys.But to summarize Nikan and Jenny met as teenagers, both had a similar life (both lived in temporary homes) and fell in love,until Nikan reached the success with your band and ended up making a mistake that led to the end of their relationship and Jenny leaving without a trace.Now Jenny’s back, as the interim Director of the temporary home to Nikan grew and he is not willing to let her out of your life once again.
The story of Nikan and Jenny is a beautiful journey about two people, giving a second chance that feeling that you’re still alive.I always say that second chances are my favorite subject and I love seeing how the author Scarlett Cole led the story of these two, I found beautiful and realistic, made me hope and for the love that was there to win, doubts and regrets.
It was great to be able to monitor Nikan and Jenny both now different people browsing and trying to see if they still had a chance. It was nice to see that you didn’t try to get Nikan apologize for your mistake, and Jenny willing to forgive.It was good to see the remains of the boys and their relationships, as well as doubts about your career and the Nikan relationship of all with children who once were they living in foster care and trying to create a safe home and a family for them.
Scarlett Cole did a great job with Nikan Rebuilt, and the journey of Nikan and Jenny trying to rebuild a relationship.It’s a sweet, romantic book, easy and quick to read and now there’s only one more to say goodbye this class that kept me company over the last few months. The book of Lennon, the most mysterious of all .
Scarlett Cole has managed to top herself once again. Each book in this series continues to get better. Her writing is vivid, engaging, thoughtful, and visceral. The characters are genuine and flawed in the most beautiful and tragic ways. She sweeps her readers into the story from the first sentence. Constantly building imagery and connection until the last word is read. I couldn’t put this book down. I HAD to know Nikan and Jenny’s story.
Nikan is the foundation of the Preload brothers/band. He is the oldest and has always taken care of his brothers. He is the peace keeper, the confidant, and the unofficial “patriarch.” He takes on the burden and responsibility of making sure everyone else is ok, often at his own expense. Jenny was the love of his life, but he screwed it up. However, he has never gotten over his love for her.
Jenny is independent, hard working, and guarded. She had a horrific childhood, but found her footing again when she met Nikan. Their love was transformative, collaborative, and hopeful. Then Jenny was blindsided. She left heartbroken and tried to move on with her life. Eight years have passed and suddenly Nikan and Jenny cross paths. Nikan knows that Jenny is his true love and is willing to do whatever it takes to win her back. Jenny realizes almost instantly that her heart still belongs to Nikan, but her head won’t let her forget that her heart isn’t safe with him.
Both Jenny and Nikan have grown, changed, and matured. The path to love is emotional and revealing. I love that the story didn’t feel rushed. The heat builds as their relationship develops. It unfolds itself in a myriad of raw, honest, and healing emotions. I could go on and on about how beautiful written this love story is, but instead I will simply tell you to read it! I already know that thed next book, Lennon Reborn, is going to break me and I can’t wait to read it!
Nikan Rebuilt by Scarlet Cole
Preload #3
Nikan is a rock star
Jenny was his first love
And he was hers
One decision he made
Sent her running
For eight years
Now she’s back
Second chances do happen…
Sometimes…
Nik and Jenny had horrible, no good, very bad childhoods that left them broken in more ways than one. Both of them ended up in group homes in Canada. They met one another in their early teens and became friends, fell in love and thought they had a forever love together. They communicated and cared and loved and had mutual friends in the rest of the Preload band members – young men that were like a family to Nikan (and Jenny) BUT when Nikan cheated during his first band tour…well… that finished things in Jenny’s mind and she ran away, hid and licked her wounds. Nikan looked for her but never found her. He eventually gave his life over to the rock star hedonism that so often occurs when one is rich and famous.
When Nikan helps out Albi then drops him off at the group home he lives in he runs into Jenny for the first time in almost a decade. She has stepped in to substitute for someone taking sick leave. When the two lay eyes on one another the sparks fly and embers once banked begin to burn again. Sure, Jenny is leery and standoffish and less than welcoming. Nik is sure he wants Jenny in his life. He has always felt she was the other half of his soul. He is prepared to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes to win her back. And the wooing and courtship and seduction begin.
This book deals with the issues of First Nation People, colonial abuse of natives in the past, childhood traumas, living in group homes, cheating, forgiveness, communication, counseling, family, following one’s dreams and finding one’s happily ever after ending. I enjoyed reading about how the men of Preload became a family and then of how they continued to give back to boys in the group home they met and connected in. Hearing about how the men who are already in relationships were doing was a delight. I am now oh so eager to read how Lennon will finally find his HEA and am curious to find out what the future holds in store for the members of Preload.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press-Swerve an Barclay Publicity for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
Sexy. Classy. Flashy. Trashy. Nikan Rebuilt is everything you would expect of a Scarlet Cole novel. It’s dramatic, romantic and shocking. Nik and Jenny are the product of a storm, made up of lust and mistrust. She was the girl who needed to be rescued. He was the boy determined to be her savior. In the end, each had to learn to fight their own battles. There is truth in each line and scenario that makes up the inspirational tale that is Nikan and Jenny. Emotion paints a vivid watercolor of some of life’s hardest moments and hope supplies the courage to overcome the tragedies.