Made of Steel

Made of Steel #1

by Ivy Smoak

Summer fell in love with the boy next door when she was six-years-old. The only thing she knew for sure was that she was going to marry him. Just as soon as she could convince him that she didn't have cooties. But tragedy tore her away from him before they ever got a chance at their happily ever after. And the worst part? He forgot all about her.

Ten years after Summer lost everything, she's given a fresh start in the witness protection program. The only rule: don't speak to anyone from her past. A rule that's hard to follow when she finds out that the boy next door is living right down the hall. Unlike him, she never forgot. But she knows that the future she once dreamed of is no longer an option. And if she reveals her identity, she could get them both killed.

Miles fell in love with the girl next door when he was eight-years-old. When she disappeared in the foster care system, it felt like a piece of him was missing. So when she shows up in his life again with a different color hair and a new name? It doesn’t fool him. And this time he'll do whatever it takes to keep her.

Genres: Romance, Dark, Contemporary Romance, Dark Romance, New Adult, Fiction, Contemporary

313 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 13, 2017

About the author

Ivy Smoak is the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Amazon #1 bestselling author of The Hunted Series. Her books have sold over 4 million copies worldwide.

When she's not writing, you can find Ivy binge watching too many TV shows, taking long walks, playing outside, and generally refusing to act like an adult. She lives with her husband in Delaware.

Learn more about Ivy on:
Amazon ➜ http://bit.ly/IvySmoakAMZ
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Empire High


The Hunted & Light to My Darkness



Made of Steel

Reviews

[Bibi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Firstly, this book is free on Amazon US, had I paid the initial price of $4.99 however, this review would have tear stains.

Secondly, I have never been more irritated by a female protagonist as I was with Summer/Sadie and while I have a full-on rage review inside of me, today happens to be my "zen" day; therefore, I'm simply going to act like I never read it. #sorrynotsorry

[ren ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, first of all, why is the book cover so misleading? Would you have guessed this book was actually a college romantic suspense, and not some dark mafia romance? Not me.

Anyways, this book started out great. I was loving the whole childhood-lovers-separated-and-then-reunited situation and then it progressively went downhill after the time jump. I can appreciate what the author was trying to do with Made of Steel and I saw so much potential in it, but the story was incredibly far-fetched.

The heroine was all over the place and while I understand that her circumstances warranted hysterical behaviour, it really detracted from the story. At first, I was wondering if the author was going for the whole ‘unreliable narrator’ approach, but nope, she was literally just all over the place...

The secondary characters fell really flat too – her annoying roommate, the weird hacker, useless authorities… They were all very stereotypical and they just didn’t seem like real people.

But my main problem with Made of Steel was the drama surrounding the romance. How does the heroine, who is in the witness protection program, end up in a LOVE SQUARE (or whatever shape you call it when a girl likes 3 guys…)?! It was just hard to believe that she had fallen in love with 3 guys in the span of a few weeks, especially with her paranoia and life on the line. None of the relationships had any real development so it was hard for me to see what the heroine saw in those guys... Like where are your priorities, girl!? You need self-defense classes, not romance!

Similarly, the mystery/suspense just wasn’t there. I was looking forward to delving into the mystery but half of what happened was really illogical and I couldn’t maintain my suspension of disbelief. We’re alluded to the fact that we’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg but because the author doesn’t give us much to work with until the end, it was hard for me to be fully invested after being kept in the dark for so long. Everything leading up to the cliffhanger came out of left field and it left me feeling pretty ambivalent.

All in all, it felt like the author was trying to drag out the story to create a series through unnecessary repetition and drama. Even though so much happened in this book, it felt like nothing substantial happened at all. If the author had just narrowed in on the plot, amped up the tension, edited the convoluted love-square situation and condensed the series into one book, I think it would’ve made for a pretty riveting read.

Rating: 2.5/5

[Debra - can't post any comments on site today grrr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summer Brooks had a happy life living with her parents and spending time with her next-door neighbor and best friend, Miles. She loved spending time with Miles in his tree house gazing up at the stars. They had a special bond and loved each other. Then one night everything changed in Summer's life. She had to move and leave Miles (and her old self) behind.

Those years were not kind to Summer. Those years were torture and finally she is given the chance for a new life with a new name and appearance. She now goes by the name of Sadie and is going to college in a new city full of people who do not know her or her sad past. That is until one day she has a blast from her past and learns that someone from her past is nearby. But he won’t recognize her as she has changed. She won’t let him get close. That chapter of her life has been closed, hasn't it?

If starting over isn't stressful enough, there seems to be a vigilante in the city who is fighting crime and has an interest in Sadie. Why? Who is he? Who can she trust? Is everyone in this book who they claim to be? When you believe there is no one you can trust, how do you learn to trust again? As Sadie begins to become even more worried about who she can trust, so did I! Characters seem genuine and likable but then bit by bit they begin to change and leave Sadie, and the reader, confused and concerned about their motivations and intentions. Whew!

This was a riveting fast read! It's a curl-up-on-the-couch with a blanket type of book. It's exciting, it has some romance, it's sad, it's shocking, it evokes emotion, it has mystery, and keeps Sadie, and the reader, guessing. Initially the vigilante reminded me of spider man (with the whole partially removing the mask to kiss scene) and then I read the Author's note where she mentioned "the Flash" and wanting a superhero-ish vibe to this book. It all makes sense!

I really enjoyed this book! It was well-written and nicely paced. There are no dull moments or down time in this book. Ivy Smoak excels at the plot twist and having shocking moments you did not see coming! There was one part of the book where a character shocked me completely and she pulled it off brilliantly. As I mentioned, this book has a little bit of everything, so I think most people will enjoy it.

Sure, you will have to suspend some disbelief in this book i.e. the vigilante always seems to know where Sadie is at any given time to save her. But, I really don't mind suspending disbelief as the book is captivating and sucked me right in. I was caught up in the story and then *BAM* there is the cliffhanger which is brilliantly played as it left me wanting more. There is more to this story, and I can't wait to read the next book!

I received a copy of this book from the Author in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Read more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com

[CeCe · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked this one up three times, but in the end decided to DNF. It was confusing and it did not flow. I think I figured out what the author was trying to do, but it did not work.

The heroine, Summer/Sadie, was friends with the hero, Miles, when she was a little girl (8 years old). Then her parents and her grandmother died and she was taken to foster care. She contimues to write Miles as a child/teen, but he never replies. Fast forward a few years and Summer is 18 years old. Summer is provided a secret identity and she become "Sadie" when the story begins. You are to assume that Summer/Sadie suffered abuse since she wears bagging hoodies and hides her neck. You don't know at first what exactly happened. The reader is given bits and pieces and I wanted to find out so I kept reading. Then Summer/Sadie finds that Miles, her childhood friend, is her new RE in her dorm. He approaches her, but she pretends she does not know him since she has taken this new identity for reasons still unknown to the reader. During this time, Summer/Sadie starts dating a guy because she wants to experience a normal life and so on. Bottom line, it had a great premise, but the execution was VERY WEAK. The writing style did not work.

This story was supposed to create suspense and tension (which I love), but all it did was annoy me. The story and the heroine were all over the place. I gave up. Good luck with this one. I ended up not feeling anything for the heroine. She just annoyed me. You may love it. Good luck.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I binged this entire series in three days, so I have no idea what happened in which book. But this book is about a girl who loses her parents and had an abusive foster home, so now she's in the witness protection program and attending college in New York. She's trying to have a normal life, but she can't help the feeling that her past is haunting her. While the heroine did make some annoying decisions at times and seems very clueless at others, I couldn't stop reading? This series was so addicting!

[Kira · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was trying to be too many things at once. It was a second chance romance with an emotionally traumatized lead character, a vigilante, a hacker, a love triangle, and mafia drama thrown in. There was a lot of annoying drama. Summer/Sadie constantly frustrated me. She had been abused for years, so she had many issues. It was her relationship issues that irritated me. Her emotions were all over the place in regards to men. She came across as pathetic and desperate.

It was absolutely ridiculous that Summer fell in love with Miles when she was 8. Nothing about it was realistic. In the first chapter or two when she was a child, her thoughts seemed more like those of a teen or adult.

I hated the love triangle. Eli was either boring as hell or an asshole. Miles was the only character I genuinely liked. I hated Sadie's roommate/friend whose name I don't even remember. I'm not interested in reading the rest of the trilogy. The story isn't interesting enough to be dragged out for so long. I'm 99% sure I know who the vigilante is, and it is possible the love triangle could linger on further.

[Syndi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Made of Steel is full of drama. I think this book is meant to be suspense. But with Miss Smoak dragging the whole plot back and forth, I lose my patience.

2 stars

[Joan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I dnf's at the end of Chapter 1.

An 8 yr old girl who says/thinks/does things like:

I had a very strict schedule to stick to...... Just thinking about him made my heart race....... I sighed and folded my arms across my chest....."I'm almost two whole hands (talking about how old she is) ... I loved my parents to death but they were being ridiculous......I was an expert fake snorer.....Time for phase 2.....My bunny slippers that my dad had bought me were much more awesome......I was purposely trying to push her buttons....."You're only 17. How would you know?"

Could someone PLEASE for the love of GOD tell me how old this fecking monster of a child is? Yes, we are told she is 8 (dear god that appalling 'almost two hands' had me nearly puking) but she reads like some street weary woman with numerous failed affairs behind her.

I have never, ever , ever read such a repulsive child. If she was meant to be portrayed as some sort of child genius then do it properly ffs!!!

This is just AWFUL.

[Jill McGill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this book!!!

Made of Steel by Ivy Smoak is fast-moving, suspenseful, well-written, and will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time. Buckle up, because you're in for a wild ride with this book! I am so looking forward to the next book in this series - the suspense is killing me!!!

I received this book from the author through a book giveaway in exchange for an honest review.

[Marta Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I spotted this with its unusual cover and when I read the synopsis I was beyond intrigued . Our protagonist Summer/Sadie thought her life was ordinary with a happy home life, a crush on Miles the boy next door and her biggest challenge involved sneaking out at night to gaze at the stars with him. Fast forward though and her life has been turned upside down as the girl we meet has lost everything that mattered and now is starting a completely new life but the past has an insidious way of catching up. Sadie makes new friends but are they exactly who they seem? Is it possible that whilst some would seek to save her there are others who will cruelly betray her? Then there's the vigilante , prowling the streets and he seems to be more than interested in Sadie but is he really a hero or is he a villain in disguise?
Wow I had absolutely no idea how this story would proceed and it's not often I can say that. I note that this new to me author is someone who tends to write new adult romance and certainly the characters here are college age but as for romance I think I need a little more information still as this is not a stand alone story. Actually as I think about it although I hope for resolution in the next book I would not be surprised if it turns into a trilogy. Yes it has a cliffhanger ending but it's the myriad of characters surrounding Sadie that help to confuse the reader. One thing I'm sure of is that Sadie isn't hiding anymore!
As I write this review this is currently free on Amazon

[Laurens.Little.Library · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of these days I’m going to give up my goal of unearthing another gemstone from within the bowels of my library’s audiobook collection.

This was … how to say this …

A lump of shit. A shiny one, sure. But a emerald it is not 🙃

[Brooke · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is the first book in a trilogy. This review is for the entire series since they are NOT standalones. There are spoilers in this review, but they are identified and at the end. It’s impossible to show how ridiculous the story is without spoilers.

About the book:

A little girl named Summer has a happy life with her loving parents and the boy-next-door as her best friend. Then, her parents die and she has to move away to live with her grandma. About a year later, her grandma dies and she goes into foster care. She ends up with an abusive man. Somehow WITSEC gets involved and she’s given a new identity and moved to NYC for college. The abusive guy find her and comes after her.

There are SO MANY issues with this story.

First of all, when are authors gonna stop putting poor little orphaned rich girls in foster care? I get that not everyone has a long-lost aunt or uncle, but parents, especially parents with the forethought to set up million dollar life insurance policies, make arrangements for their kids in the event of their death. And then they have contingency plans in the event something happens to the person they made arrangements for. And then she floats from foster home to foster home and the social workers tells her she needs to be more social and that these families don’t want to ‘keep’ her because ‘she reads too much’. COME ON!

That isn’t even at the tip of the ridiculousness pyramid with this story, though... I feel like the author used every single storyline she could think of with this story, regardless of how ridiculous it was. Kidnapping, orphaned girl, mob boss, long lost/childhood love, mental/physical/sexual abuse, vengeance, vigilante/superhero, undercover cops, witness protection program, computer hacking, sibling rivalry, military trained sniper, etc...

The main character was one of the most annoying main characters I’ve ever read. The lack of character and story development throughout this entire story was embarrassing. It reads like the author is toddling along with the story and then a ‘brilliant’ plot twist pops into her head, so she puts it in there with zero forethought.

The most annoying aspect of the writing was this weird thing that happened in about every other chapter. Something is about to happen and it slows down and counts seconds. Like this (this is NOT a direct quote):

“I walked over to the counter. For one second.

I pulled open the knife drawer. For two seconds.

I took a breath. For three seconds.

I lifted the largest knife in the drawer. For four seconds.

And I stabbed my eyes out. For five seconds.”

I don’t know what this weird writing thing is, but it was INCREDIBLY annoying. I could’ve let it pass once, probably... maybe... But every. Other. Chapter?!?!?! No.

SPOILER ALERT:

I have to take a step back and piece together the whole story as it was revealed piece by slow, painful piece in order to show how over-the-top nonsensical it was...

So Summer’s mom had an older sister. When mom was 14 and sister was 16, sister was kidnapped by the friend of mom’s boyfriend who was obsessed with mom. (Sister sacrificed herself to the kidnapper so mom could escape, even though sister hated mom. ) So dude kept sister prisoner for more than 10 years. (Sister escaped him shortly after mom and dad died and then she joined the military to hide from him where she trained as a sniper.) Keep in mind that after the sister is kidnapped, the grandmother moves the mom away, they change their names, and they basically forget the fact there was another daughter. There are no pictures, there is no talk about the missing girl. Just, ya know, ‘well, she’s gone so let’s just start over somewhere else and act like she never existed.’

Fast forward to Summer being in foster care. It turns out that the dude who was obsessed with her mom wasn’t actually in the foster care system. He kidnapped Summer without her knowing she was being kidnapped and then he legally adopts her without her knowing and he legally changes her name without her knowing. She was enrolled in and attended public school, but wasn’t aware that the school thought her name was something other than Summer. Ummm... So, dude is abusing her mentally, emotionally, physically, and sexually. When she finds herself pregnant, she has so much freedom of movement that she can go to an abortion clinic to try to get an abortion. The doctor at the clinic treats her like she’s a whore even though she tells the doc she’s being abused. So she decides to keep the baby. Dude finds out she’s pregnant and you’d think he’d be thrilled since he’s an obsessed psychopath, but nope. He stabs her in the stomach to kill the baby and ruin her future chances to get pregnant. She repeatedly goes to authority figures for help but they are ALL in his pocket and just tell her she’s crazy and whatnot. She never really attempts to run away, though... But he’s a mob boss and the police have surveillance set up outside his house for YEARS. (But ALL the cops are in his pocket... The ridiculousness never ends, folks...)

So FINALLY someone from WITSEC believes her story and gets her away from dude. What better disguise than dying her hair and giving her a new identity, right? What identity to choose, though? Oh! Let’s set her up with a ‘fake identity’ that is actually the identity the dude legally changed her name to when she was adopted, right? Makes sense... So she’s moved to the big city for better blending.

She’s coincidentally put into the same dorm, on the same floor, as her childhood love. She’s supposed to keep her identity a secret, though, so she doesn’t try to be like, ‘Hey! I’ve missed you! I’m in serious trouble.’ Nope. Not our girl. Oh, but wait! There’s more... Right after she moves to NYC, a vigilante shows up in town also. He’s like a Robin Hood of sorts. He stops robbers after they’ve robbed someone and then uses the stolen goods to pay for people’s rent and stuff. He’s a swell feller. In her first week of being back at school, she meets a boy. (He’s an undercover cop who had been part of the surveillance team watching the dude’s house for two years.) He’s posing as a normal college kid in order to look out for her or something. So, while this chick is SO traumatized by all the abuse she’s endured that she can’t even handle her roommate bumping shoulders with her, she quickly develops feelings for this guy. Oh, she’s also struggling with her feelings for her childhood beau. In the first couple weeks of being at school, this incredibly traumatized girl sleeps with the undercover cop, her childhood love, AND the vigilante. And she’s ‘in love’ with all of them...

But wait! It gets better! The dude follows her to the big city. He doesn’t try to get her back, though. Oh no. He brings his small town mob organization to NYC. Within WEEKS of her being in NYC, dude’s mob has taken over the city and all the other mobs in town are reporting to him. Not just that, but all the police are in his pockets, too. And just to solidify his good guy persona, he runs for mayor and wins! A man who is the leader of a scary mafia, who just moved to NYC, runs for mayor and wins less than a month after arriving in the city... The. Ridiculousness. Has. No. Boundaries!!!

So she has met a computer hacker who is obsessed with the vigilante. This girl has tapped into the transit system cameras all over the city. So the girl and her rag tag team of followers bring down this untouchable man and she lives happily ever after.

One of the most ridiculous aspects/events, though... At one point, they go to stick a needle in one of the characters’ arms to draw blood. The needle hits something hard under the skin (of the forearm, because of course that’s where an untrained person would stick a needle for a blood sample...) and the needle breaks off. Naturally, they get a knife to cut open the person’s forearm to see what’s in there. Ya know, as one does in those types of situations. So it’s a little metal ‘device’. They assume it’s a GPS tracker, but it’s ‘vibrating’. Naturally, they throw it and then rush into the secure bunker. Not on the first floor of an old apartment building. They hear a loud bang. They open the door to discover the whole building has exploded but they’re safe and secure in their little bunker. Again, not on the first floor...

Oh and she wasn’t actually in WITSEC. The guy who was her supposed handler was actually a close friend of her parents. He was trying to help her escape the sadistic dude. Also, her dad didn’t actually die. He’s been held prisoner in a storage unit for ten years...

I’m rolling my eyes so hard here, it hurts.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would categorize this book as a romantic suspense thriller. The beginning threw me off from the unexpected plot; that was so captivating and riveting that I bypassed sleep. Who needs sleep when the story is better than a dream? It was so easy to connect with the characters. I yelled at the end, "Are you kidding me!" Honestly, it was the perfect spot to end the book to entice the purchase of the next one. Which, I purchased immediately as a Christmas present to myself. I purchased the whole series, a total of three books. The series is available on Kindle Unlimited. Having loved the book so much, I felt the need to own the series to add to my library.

[S.Powers · Rating 2 out of 5]

A wasted evening

How many ways can I say I was bored with the storyline. It barely held my interest. It started slowly and never picked up. It is not romantic suspense, it reminded me of a cheesy WB show that I. Smoak tried to make interesting but fell flat. Sadie had potential but it was like she was in the wrong story.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh soooo good! I'm hooked and diving into book 2!😍

[Elisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was weird. Don't know how I feel about it.

[Marcia · Rating 2 out of 5]

First off, I apologize to my friends by recommending this before I completed reading it. I was initially really interested and intrigued with the mystery of everything, but slowly, my annoyance grew. I got annoyed with how wishy-washy Sadie was with her feelings. One moment she was saying one thing and the next she was thinking the complete opposite. This happened non-stop. It got old and tiring.

I also went in without having any idea whether this was supposed to be an MF or RH and at this point, I still don't know. The sheer amount of Sadie questioning everything was tiring too. It's not a bad thing if we were given a little more substance of characters or events, but all we got was Sadie's inner ruminations that went absolutely nowhere. I don't know if the author was trying to give us the impression that Sadie's not of right mind, because unfortunately, the result is still 2 ⭐.

Book one in this series is enough for me.

[Anne OK · Rating 3 out of 5]

A plot with so much potential -- characters who definitely intrigue -- and the suspense is riveting. But there's a lot of unnecessary repeats and page filler that just clogs the storyline. This is probably a one book story -- ok I'd be willing to handle a duet, but otherwise these books are overpriced (The $6.99 price tag for the 2nd and 3rd is far too expensive -- defeating the purpose of offering the opener as a freebie to grab readers attention). I would think the author would find more willing readers if she knocked several dollars off the price of each one. Although I did find the first book entertaining, I'm not sure I'll continue on with the other two. I'm pretty certain I know who the Vigilante is -- and, of course, there are some reviewers who have pretty much confirmed my thoughts.

[Coco.V]

FREE on Amazon today (10/24/2017)!

[Danna · Rating 5 out of 5]

וואו.
איזה ספר, וואו.

יש לי תקייה בקינדל שקוראים לה "לנסות", יש שם ספרים של סופרות שקראתי בעבר ספר שלהם ואהבתי.
הספר שקראתי בעבר של הסופרת הזו היה אחד הקלילים, פשוט כזה שבקושי זוכרים אותו. אך נסיבה כלשהי אני עדיין זוכרת אותו.
��כשיו אני מבינה למה.
הסופרת הזו מדהימה.
הספר מתחיל פשוט, סיפור אהבה בין שני ילדים שלאט לאט החיים מרחיקים אותם זה מזה. הספר רומנטי, אך פתאום הוא הרבה יותר, פתאום זה ספר מתח, מסתורין עם הרבה תפניות.
לא היה לי מושג שזוהי טרילוגיה עד לדפים האחרונים של הספר.
מומלץ בחום.

[Heather 'Confessions Of A Bibliophile' Creighton · Rating 3 out of 5]

💜 ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕗𝕖𝕤𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕒 𝔹𝕚𝕓𝕝𝕚𝕠𝕡𝕙𝕚𝕝𝕖 𝔸𝕦𝕕𝕚𝕠 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 💜

Made of Steel by Ivy Smoak is book one of the Made of Steel trilogy.

As far as the story goes, I'm REALLY trying to get into it... but it's been difficult.

The female protagonist Summer/Sadie is just so... honestly, I don't have a word to describe her but the girl just can not make up her mind and all the back and forth is driving me absolutely crazy.

There are enough unanswered questions that I'm going to go ahead and begin the next book and see how things go. Like we still have no idea who the masked vigilante is and although I have my suspicions I'd really like to find out for sure but I'm really hoping the story becomes a bit more clearer.

It's almost like the author has tried to throw in a few too many genres in one book, a severely abused female protagonist, a love triangle, a second chance romance, and then a little mafia action on the side. It's just a little too much going on and that makes it hard to keep up with the story.

Now, as far as the audio, now that I've listened to quite a few reads, I know a bit more about what exactly I'M looking for. Hart did a great job at differentiating the female and male voices BUT there were a couple of male characters with dialogue and those voices were very similar. If I drifted off from the book for a few minutes I would need to rewind or really listen to figure out which male character the dialogue was coming from. I did like the way she changed her tone during emotional dialogue when the character was upset, it was almost like her voice shook. I could really FEEL the emotion she was putting into the scene. I'm interested to see how things go in book two, Forged in Flames .

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[Aoibheann · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book trying to be everything but what the blurb suggests.

Dramatic scenes littered throughout without warning or sufficient build (and often without explicit explanation) so reader must read between the lines. (sometimes good, not good when you're reading about an attack and it takes a while to notice it's a stabbing and not just someone collapsing out of breath)

Vigilante? C'mon now.

Character of heroine didn't ring true either;
If you're closed off and don't usually open up, you don't let your guard down after 1 day of meeting a random guy.
(source: experience).

And the ending? Weak. Cliffhangers are one thing, but to have a whole book without some answers is just not fair to your audience. It read like the build up of a novel, but with the climax being in book 2.

[karin whitehead · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summer/Sadie has way too many losses in her young life, is relegated to live a new life in the witness protection organization. It was a good read until about 45% into the story when it became fickle. It was like a new writer took the second half of the book to wrap it up. Was this a young adult book? It reads like a teenage girls diary! I struggle to finish, and think I was generous with three stars!

[Karina]

DNF 35 %

It started off so well and then went downhill when we get to the present time . I let go of the part where an 8 year old is thinking like a grown adult but then she gets older and I don’t know , just didn’t like the style … also Just one love interest is enough for me , don’t like love triangles or squares apparently

[Shyralf · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stars! NA romance, college romance. Intriguing new start to this trilogy. I’m definitely invested to see what happens next.

[The Romance Book Disciple (Samantha) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made of Steel was a total surprise for me. I snagged the book because the kindle version was free. Then, I snagged the audiobook! Having said that, I kind of went into the book without much knowledge. I have never read this author before, and I didn't remember anything from the synopsis.

The story is about a young woman in witness protection. She is 18 and has been shipped off to NYC-a city she did NOT want to live in, and to a college she didn't want to attend! But, she is glad to be free from the abusive home she was in and is trying to make the best of her new shot at life. You learn snippets of what happened to Summer/Sadie that led her to where she finds herself, but its revealed slowly. She meets some new friends and thinks she can move on and be 'normal' but quickly realizes that she isn't as hidden as she thought!

Sadie's past is the big mystery that slowly gets peeled away for the reader, but she also runs into a boy from her past in Miles, her new RA. Miles doesn't know Sadie is Summer; they haven't spoken in years and they have a complicated friendship. Then, Sadie's new roommate quickly befriends some guys and Sadie ends up dating Eli. All these friendships build as the story delves deeper into why Sadie had to run and you begin to question everything. Literally, everything! What is real, what is deception, what doesn't Sadie know....

The center of the story for me is the NYC vigilante. This mystery man has been saving people in the city and Sadie is determined to figure out who and why. Of course, with the danger now facing Sadie, she becomes entwined with the vigilante quickly. We don't know WHO he is yet though!

Made of Steel made me weep for Summer, cheer for Sadie's strength, and question the motives everyone in her new life! I was never quite sure where the story was going to go-and even Sadie struggles with what she really thinks on many things. Elizabeth Hart is a great narrator and brings the story to life. Fans of romantic suspense will devour the story and fans of new adult romance will delight at the plot twists!

 

  POV: 1st
  Tears: a few early on
  Trope: secret identity, on the run, second chance
  Triggers: Summer/Sadie was physically and sexually abused; the sexual abuse is not detailed, but the physical abuse is in some parts
  Series/Standalone: series
  Cliffhanger: YES-you don't know anything at the end of this book!
  HEA: ?????? At the end of the story, Sadie has slept with the vigilante, but she doesn't know who he is yet.

Carter Reed by Tijan, Avalanche by Cambria Hebert, Vengeance Road by Christine Feehan...then you will probably like Made of Steel!

 

Made of Steel

 
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[Barbara Walch · Rating 5 out of 5]

You want emotions you say?

This was truly an amazing book. I felt like I was completely sucked into a black hole where time didn’t exist outside of this story. I was pulled in and did not surface again until ten minutes after I read the last page. I’m terrified to download the next book tonight, as I would not sleep until I have experienced all of summer Brooks. Brava Ivy.

[Kayleigh Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic read

[Victoria Grimes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew exactly what I was expecting when I picked up Made of Steel, but what I got blew my expectations out of the water.

Have you ever felt like you were in a reading slump? Like everything you read just wasn’t living up to expectations? I was in such a slump right before I picked up this book. Made of Steel, by Ivy Smoak, began in a relatively straightforward manner. Boy meets the new girl-next-door and immediately falls in love, though as an eight-year-old he doesn’t know what that truly means. Girl immediately falls in love with the boy right back. But then Summer’s life takes a turn for the worse. Her parents die in a car crash, and less than a year later she is placed into the foster care system after her Grandmother, her last living relative, passes away from a heart attack. The only connection to her old life is the letters she continues to write back and forth with Miles, the boy she will never stop loving. Until he stops responding.

Fully expecting this book to unfold like a typical romance, I was surprised when Summer began her new life in the witness protection program by falling for a fellow college classmate, Eli. He seemed perfect, more like the hero of the story than the stereotypical “other guy”. But the story takes a surprising turn when Summer’s past starts coming back to intertwine with her present, and she no longer knows who she can trust.

One of the reasons I loved reading this book is because of Summer’s character. She has truly been through hell. Her life for nine years prior to entering the witness protection program would surely break anyone, yet she remains optimistic. Though she berates herself for maintaining faith that her world will get better, it is exactly this sentiment that draws me in as a reader. She is an extremely well-balanced character. She’s honest and kind-hearted, but only as much as her past allows her to be. She sincerely cares about others and doesn’t want to involve them in the danger that surrounds her life, but also maintains a healthy dose of self-preservation. She’s a great heroine for this romantic thriller.

I started reading this book at around 9 pm and didn’t put it down until I finished. Absolutely 5-star worthy. This book undeniably ends on a cliffhanger, but thankfully the next book in the series, Forged in Flames, is already out and available.

[Lyndsey Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant, I finished all 3 books in just a few days, I couldn’t put them down