How do you protect the woman you love, when you fear you are the very person who could destroy her?
Claudia McCoy has been told what she can’t do enough for one lifetime. After a near-fatal childhood battle with juvenile diabetes and having to accept that her dreams of serving in the military would never come true, she’s thrilled to begin a life on her own terms. Yet, when she finally starts her career in the FBI, Claudia is furious that her condition and overbearing big brother, Wyatt, have both once again interfered with her ability to have the life she truly wants. Now derailed from her high-profile aspirations of a position in the FBI’s D.C. headquarters, she is instead planted far away from the real action, and practically right in her brother’s Pittsburgh backyard.
Trey Adler is known for fixing things, but he’s broken just as many — leaving him with regrets that never go away. He’d be the first to agree he should stay away from a nice girl like Claudia, but he can’t deny his friend Jenna Sutherland’s request when she asks him to use his position as a temporary FBI consultant to keep Claudia safe — especially as it’s clear this little firecracker needs protecting. Far away from all the action she so craves, Claudia is more determined than ever to prove herself in her first major investigation at whatever cost — and those costs are proving to be dangerously high.
Their battle of wills turns quickly into a powerful need for one other, making them both rethink everything they ever wanted.
Will Trey be able to keep her alive long enough to give them an opportunity at something real together — a future that can survive the danger in their present, as well as the darkness of his past?
Chloe Barlow is back to her original strands of mystery and intrigue tied with a smart romance in A STEEL TOWN.
We finally get sexy Trey’s story. We got to know Trey really well in CITY OF CHAMPIONS as he befriended Jenna. I was dying to get to know our mysterious, tattooed computer genius. And I was not disappointed. But I’ll get back to Trey.
If you’ve read THREE RIVERS and CITY OF CHAMPIONS- and you need to if you haven’t - you know that Chloe writes strong, smart women. Well for me - Claudia was a favorite. Claudia is Wyatt’s little sister. She not only lives with his shadow looming large but she also lives with diabetes and is insulin dependent. Unfortunately, her illness played a role in her career, by keeping her from the fast paced world of the FBI she was expecting and thrusting her into a desk job at a field office in Pittsburgh.
This is where she meets Trey. Of course she meets Trey largely because Jenna asked him to keep an eye on her. When Trey realizes how smart Claudia is- he adds her to his team to find out more on Jack Taylor’s murder case. What he doesn’t expect is to start to fall for her.
But Trey has been hurt in love. And he’s lost that love - a love that reminds him a lot of Claudia. And Claudia is this strong woman who wants to prove herself. So the question is - will these two get out of their own ways and let themselves love fully?
I did find myself getting frustrated with Trey but that speaks to Chloe’s style of making her books realistic. And anyone that has ever liked a man knows that they are frustrating as hell. In that regard- Trey does not disappoint! But Claudia remains a great match for him.
This is a really good book. I’ll admit it took me a little bit to get into it. I felt the beginning moved a little slow for me after a strong start in the prologue. But once I got into the meat of the story- it was fast paced and interesting.
Chloe Barlow definitely writes strong characters and weaves an interesting story in all her books. A STEEL TOWN is no different and was a really good read. Definitely check out the whole series or you’ll be a bit lost here!
AUTHOR INFO
Chloe is a contemporary romance novelist and practicing attorney living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her husband and their sweet puppy. She is a native Washingtonian that graduated Duke University with a degree in English and Chinese language. She met her husband at Duke and he brought her to Pittsburgh over a decade ago, which she has loved ever since and made her adopted hometown. She also attended the University of Pittsburgh Law School where she continued to be a book-loving nerd.
Chloe has always loved writing and although she does do it professionally as a lawyer, she cherishes the opportunity to craft her fictional novels and share them with the world.
When Chloe isn’t writing, she spends her time exploring Pittsburgh with her husband and friends. She also enjoys yoga, jogging, and all Pittsburgh sports, as well as her Duke Blue Devils. She is an avid reader and wrote her debut novel Three Rivers in her spare time. She continues her tireless legal style of research in her fiction work as well. For example, in an effort to bring authenticity to Three River’s treatment of grief and loss, she consulted with a psychologist and grief counselor during its preparation.
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