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He did ten years for me. Now he's free. This is supposed to be happy ever after, so why does it feel like disaster?

Crista

Scrap Allenbach is a living legend to the Steel Bones MC. A vigilante hero. Ten years ago, he gave up his freedom for me. I never asked him to. Now he's back, with some idea about how it's gonna be. He's wrong. Things are different now. I'm not the same girl he knew. After what happened, I'll never be that person again. Not with the baggage I carry and the secrets I keep.

Scrap

I've waited ten years to make Crista Holt mine. I came back expecting to claim the girl I fell in love with, but that girl is gone. I hardly recognize the woman in front of me now. She thinks I'll give up, walk away, but I'm not that kind of man. She's been mine since the moment I laid eyes on her, and I don't give up what's mine. All I need is time, and she'll see how it is.

But when the past rises up and old enemies ride again, we're out of time, and it might not be ghosts from the past that destroy our future. It might be the secrets between us.

Scrap is a 58,000-word motorcycle club romance. It's the third book in the Steel Bones Motorcycle Club series, but it takes place at the same time as Nickel's Story, and it can be read out of order. This novel is intended for adult readers (18+) due to violence, triggers, strong language, and explicit intimate scenes.

WARNING: This novel contains graphic details of a violent crime.

Standalone. Safe. HEA.

212 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 18, 2019

651 people are currently reading
953 people want to read

About the author

Cate C. Wells

28 books2,977 followers
Secret question: what is your favorite thing about this time of year?

CATE C. WELLS writes gut-wrenching paranormal and contemporary romance. Whatever the world, readers can expect character-driven stories that are raw, real, and emotionally satisfying. Cate's into messy love, flaws, long roads to redemption, grace, and happy ever after, in fiction and in life.

As well as books, Cate has collected a husband, two daughters, and a cat along the way. She lives in Baltimore when she’s not out exploring with the family.

Want a heads up on new releases and bonus content? Sign up for Cate's newsletter at catecwells.com

Facebook: @catecwells
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5 stars
1,157 (36%)
4 stars
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3 stars
707 (22%)
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28 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 321 reviews
Profile Image for Isabella. R.
1,007 reviews2,180 followers
September 7, 2022
3.5 Fortune Favors the Bold Stars ⭐

This series has stolen my heart. Small town bikers with tendencies to bury bodies, and the woman that adore them; it's no surprise when you get to know them. It's the original storylines you get with each book in the series that make them so pleasurable to read. Regardless of my rating I did thoroughly enjoy this.

That’s my heart, standing across the room, stuck in place, and somehow, at the same time, my heart is breaking too, inside my chest.

Scrap Allenbach was a young man when he was sent to prison for killing the person who stole his world. All for a young girl who has suffered ever since. It must be love if he has no regrets for losing 10 years of his life. Yet the girl he's been pining for is gone. And once he's released, he finds that out for himself.

We can't imagine what living in fear feels like. After a brutal attack as a teenager, Crista Holt spends her days hiding in plain sight and trying to keep it together. Now that Scrap is back, there is no way he could still want what Crista has become; empty.

“What was that earlier? You seriously swung me over your shoulder. You’re lucky you didn’t put your back out.”

“That was me decidin’ we ain’t waitin’ on your hang ups no more.”


Thank fuck that Scrap is no quitter. Eye on the prize. And even if the circumstances have changed, he's a patient man willing to adopt a new strategy. With time he helps Crista to bloom and try. To face her fears with love and encouragement. It was beautiful to read.

All in all, I was not disappointed except the plot was a little underdeveloped for that level of trauma. It needed more pages and time to cover the amount of progress and recovery required. I adored Scrap who was a pillar of strength and never wavered through Crista's ordeal, but it felt patched over in places which was a shame.
Profile Image for Malene.
1,341 reviews759 followers
March 22, 2022
Scrap is a great addition to the Steel Bones series. It’s not as good as the previous ones. I struggled with both Scrap and Crista. I didn’t feel a connection between them. It’s been ten years since they’ve last seen each other. Crista was sixteen and Scrap twenty one. Back then she’s a shy girl and the only interaction they had was a few words and her riding on his bike. I didn’t believe or feel that especially Scrap was in love her. I needed more foundation before he went away for prison for ten years. Also Crista experienced a horrific trauma and abuse at sixteen. Ten years later she’s still very much affected by it. Some of her behavior was a little far fetched and to soon. I would’ve like a slow development and progression in her working with herself and her mental health and of course the relationship with Scrap. It was all too fast.
Still I liked this story because of the side characters and I’ll continue on with series.
Profile Image for Giorgia Reads.
1,331 reviews2,240 followers
April 2, 2021
3.5 stars

Short but good. I wouldn't call it a great story or whatever but I ate it up and I think the trauma situation was handled well. (although TW because that was hard to read about - the heroine almost dying in a heinous way)

I liked the hero. A lot. I disliked the others in the MC for not understanding the heroine more. For not being there for her more.

That mostly sums up my thoughts on this book.
Profile Image for Bex (Beckie Bookworm).
2,517 reviews1,593 followers
May 24, 2022



A mixed bag for me Scrap went to prison for ten years after beating to death the man who raped and mutilated Crista. Lucky to have survived she’s been left with some severe physical and mental scars. Ever since that day she’s lived in a state of constant fear triggered by the smallest thing and suffering frequent flashbacks. She’s a shadow of her former self and the girl she once was is gone replaced by a stranger wearing her skin.

Now Scraps out and the one thing that has kept him sane throughout these past years is the thought of Crista living her life on the outside. He’s been in love with her for years but because of her age was waiting. So he’s shocked to see what Crista has become in his absence and that nobody even bothered to inform him that she wasn’t recovering in fact they did the exact opposite. He also still feels the exact same way about her and is determined to be patience personified if it means she’s the end prize and she will finally get to be his.

Scrap here was one in a million and is absolutely devoted he wears his heart on his sleeve when it comes to Crista and just wants her to give them a chance. He’s not a man whore and is willing to keep it in his pants whilst waiting for her to finally be ready to progress onto the next level. I liked that about him and he doesn’t once rush her and is willing to work at Crista’s own pace it was very refreshing for this particular genre.

Crista naturally has many hang-ups and triggers but she does want to improve she also desperately wants to be normal for Scrap and he, in turn, is good for her treating her with more normality than anyone has in years. This naturally isn’t a graphic one what with all Crista’s baggage rather it instead focuses on healing and acceptance and love quite unusual for an MC romance.

My issue here though is that I found the MC itself rather cold and with a complete lack of empathy towards Crista it’s almost like they blamed her in some way for Scrap's incarceration even though he himself didn’t. I also got the impression that Scrap and his well being featured predominantly as their main priority and Crista wasn’t really considered. The way nobody had even mentioned to Scrap that she was falling apart in case it upset him whilst she was having full-blown PTSD attacks with hardly an eye-blink from them well their attitude was so cavalier I was plain shocked. The way she was spoken about and treated and just the whole blatant lack of respect and don’t even get me started on bloody Harper I bloody hate that woman with a passion. All I can say is thank god for Crista’s family, especially her sister at least they had her back.

Unfortunately, this treatment did leave a bad taste in my mouth and it did then sour the whole experience for me. As usual, though this was again well written this author can write that’s for sure but it certainly isn’t up there with my favourite reads from them. If I’m honest Scrap plain saved this and without his inclusion, I probably would have scored this lower. A shame really as I do rate this author very highly.

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Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/63435390
Profile Image for Louise H's Book Thoughts.
2,036 reviews317 followers
September 14, 2023
I was supposed to be excited to read about Scrap and the heroine whose name I have forgotten since finishing the book yesterday. They were repeatedly mentioned in previous books, I’m presuming to build the hype, but we were only ever told of them and I never felt that connection. Sadly that connection was also lacking in this book too.


I still couldn’t tell you who Scrap and Christa are, other than a biker who went to prison for 10 years and a woman who has been unable to move on from an horrific attack a decade ago. That seemed to be their entire personality and it became boring at times. We spent far too long in their heads and saw far too little of them (re)building a relationship. I would go as far as to say that it was completely instalove and there was no attempt to develop the connection between Christa and Scrap. We were meant to believe these were re-emerging feelings from a decade before when they were 16 and 21. If that was Scraps age because we were told his Dad died soon after he finished high school and not long before the attack on Christa.


Scrap claimed he had been in love with her since she was a Freshman at school. I’m not sure if I was meant to find that romantic but it was a bit eww given Scrap would have been 19 and made any feelings he had for Christa back then feel more like a crush.


The story was good enough that I finished the book but I just didn’t feel the emotions or connect with the characters.
Profile Image for Shelby | Spicy.booknook.
448 reviews71 followers
December 25, 2023
~ MF
~ CR
~ Traumatized FMC
~ Super Angsty
~ Second Chance
~ Some spice
I say it every review I do of Cate C Wells books, but I love how she writes these characters. They feel so real. I usually say flawed but it doesn’t feel right, because these aren’t just bad personality traits, this book covers deep trauma that the FMC carries and struggles with for ten years. That’s not a flaw. Crista was brutally attacked at 16, Scrap was sent away for 10 years for finding the attacker and bringing his kind of justice. The story begins with Scraps release and his desire for a reunion with Crista, not realizing just how much she is still struggling. The anxiety and frustration Crista feels is so clear on the page. I felt her emotions so much, I felt like I was gonna have my own panic attack. The writing is just so good. My only complaint would be that this sort is so short. I feel like the details of Crista and Scrap could have been explored a lot more. That said, the story is still solid and I’m still loving this whole series.
Profile Image for vee.
885 reviews398 followers
March 31, 2022
2.5✨

first of all, TWITCHS DEAD?? wow no wow nooooo wow no whyyyy hes one of the sweetest tff

2nd, this series is kinda weird. has mc boys (and even some the girls) as mcs but there were barely any club scene (ie. side characters depth, like there were barely any family/bromances moments, not that many scenes set on the club/main plot). this one got more than the previouses but still didnt have enough that it could get me attached

last, i dont think its a series burnout coz the author writes diff story for each book but i found this one tedious. prolly coz a) dontlike crista b) notimpressedbyscrap (tf kind of name is that) c) the couples so boring
Profile Image for Coco.V.
50k reviews133 followers
Want to read
November 17, 2023
🎁 FREE on Amazon today (12/28/2019)! 🎁
Profile Image for Mads.
253 reviews45 followers
November 22, 2023
Wow. Okay, wow.

That blew past my expectations.

Is this book perfect? Absolutely not. But goddamn did it show a real glimpse of humanity, pain, love, selflessness, trauma, and bravery despite it all.

Crista was brutally attacked as a 16 year old and has spent the past ten years trying to heal and cope with the aftermath. Scrap has spent the past ten years in prison serving time for killing her assailant in broad daylight. He’s finally released from prison, and when he comes home he’s hoping for him and Crista to be together. But when he comes home, he finds Crista to be very different than who she was before the attack. She’s guarded, hiding herself, and her scars are more than skin-deep. She has PTSD, and he’s unprepared for how to navigate helping her through her flashbacks and episodes. Everybody thinks she’s fragile, but she’s not made of glass. Scrap believes in her, and he’s so incredibly patient with her. It’s like he’s slowly taming a wild horse that spooks easy. And he’s not perfect. He makes mistakes, but he always has her well-being at the forefront of his intentions.

This was definitely a slow burn. But I loved every second of it. The patience of this man… So freaking good. Watching her slowly get stronger, do more, strive for better—I was so proud of her. I loved both MCs equally.

This book made my heart race. It made me cry. It made me smile. I deeply resonated with Crista. I haven’t experienced the type of trauma she went through, but I have my own experiences with PTSD and let me tell you this book really hit home for me. It was very realistic, and I resonated a lot with her. My heart went out to her. Some scenes were so relatable they had me crying. Cate C Wells must know a thing or two about what it feels like to be broken. It hit too close to home, and I say that as a compliment.

I wouldn’t say this book is for everybody. I saw some people complaining about Crista and how heavy her trauma is. I found it realistic. I felt… represented by reading this. I haven’t experienced exactly what she went through, but I have my own scars—both physical and mental—and this book was almost comforting for me. Seeing her work through it despite her fear, her depression, her low self esteem. Seeing her fall in love despite herself. Seeing a man love her, all of her, and help her to start to love herself again… Yeah. That’s my kind of story.
Profile Image for Ivy Deluca.
2,380 reviews330 followers
March 28, 2022
Quick(ish) Review

Third book in the series and I’m conflicted about this one. Lemme ‘splain.

This is the darkest book yet with some major trauma suffered by the heroine. It’s serious and a pretty weighty situation and yet it feels as if I needed more time to get to know these two. So much of their connection is based in a relationship that started ten years ago with nary a flashback.

The reader is told about what happened but that left me disconnected from it. I think the author did the best she could and handles this trauma sensitively. I just wish there was a way to build that earlier connection on page.

Also the heaviness of her trauma was such that I needed to take a small break before diving into the next book. More on that later but I’m pot committed to this series so onto the next.
Profile Image for Serial Romance Librarian.
1,191 reviews296 followers
October 28, 2021
Yeesh, this book was hard to get through. The h lived through such a horrible ordeal and she was so messed up. The H served half his life in prison for avenging her. He finally gets out to find out the h is a complete wreck. She puts him through hell and gets a lot of unfair judgement from the surround MC. I really loved the H. He was a paragon of a man! I wasn’t feeling the chemistry between the MC’s unfortunately, because the descriptions in this were so clinical and the h was so shameful of her body. It was a great story though. Onward!
Profile Image for Helen Power.
Author 10 books631 followers
April 30, 2022
Yet another hit by Cate C Wells! I’m starting to think that she can’t do wrong. This is the third instalment in the Steel Bones MC series, and we get to meet Scrap and Crista and follow their second chance at love. This book moves forward some of the MC plotlines, and I’m getting a better sense of who all the characters are and how they relate to one another. I love the tone of these books–while this one is dark and deals with difficult subject matter, it still has that feeling of hope interwoven into the narrative. It’s a lighter dark romance.
5 stars!
Profile Image for Michelle Brace .
1,736 reviews15 followers
November 21, 2019
This was my first introduction to this author and after finishing this book I was left asking myself why??? Why have I never heard of this author?? How could I have missed out?? Believe me this is one that you don't want to miss. With that being said I haven't read the others obviously and I still truly enjoyed this book.

My heart absolutely broke for all that Scrap and Crista have experienced. The mistakes that were made, the horrors that were experienced, the love that has to be fought for and the danger that still lurks. You will be hooked from the beginning and wanting more and more.

I highly recommend this book and I can't wait to get more!!! I will definitely be catching up on my Steel Bones MC series for sure.
26 reviews
December 30, 2020
Not your typical nd book

This book brought back some heavy memories for me. My 20 year old niece was 7 months pregnant when her ex-boyfriend shot her six times while she and I were in her Camaro. He then went to my house and when he saw all the cops surrounding the house, he took the cowards way out and shot himself in the head. My niece lived, as did the baby. And my niece is married to a gentle giant of a man...who isn't too gentle if you look sideways at his wife. So, yeah, I definitely identified with this book and the characters. Thank you, for writing it.
Profile Image for Naomi.
598 reviews23 followers
February 16, 2022
3.5 stars

I didn’t love this one as much as the others. I mean, I did like it but the story felt very rushed. It was shorter than the others, around 200 pages, so that’s understandable, but I felt robbed. Especially with the trauma the heroine went through, even though I thought it was very well written and handled, I would’ve liked more time for her to explore her relationship with the hero. I wish this book had been longer!
Profile Image for M.
1,347 reviews12 followers
December 28, 2020
2 stars

Not sure which heroine I hated more, Story or Crista... Crista went through something traumatic, I totally get that but after 10 years this girl did nothing to help her move from it and heal. She just wanted to play the perpetual victim and everyone around her was sick of it, rightfully so, but didn’t want to push her to get better. Also the author never really told us what happened to her until the end, we just get little fragments of what happened and I did not like that at all. Then you have Scrap who thought he was gonna come home to the love of his life but all he got was a shell of a woman who honestly was more work than she was worth. I will say scrap was the only saving grace in this book he was a great Hero. The author never showed us how Crista was healing but then bam at the end of the book she’s just fine? Really it was just that easy? Also these characters had zero chemistry, not sure what it is with this author but her MCs are always kind of awkward with each other. The only person I like is Harper because she keeps it real, she said what everyone was thinking so for that I’m a fan. I think this is the end of the line for me with this author. Her writing style just isn’t my cup of tea.

3/10 seriously wouldn’t recommend
Profile Image for Kateryna.
668 reviews
May 1, 2023
When a books makes me ugly cry at 9am on a Monday, it’s gonna be 5 stars. Read the CWs prior to starting. I skipped this one for a while until I thought I was ready. This is so tender between these 2 MCs. The love and steadiness of the MMC - I’m ooey gooey melted.
Profile Image for Angela.
614 reviews70 followers
May 23, 2024
Tell me why I loved this one so much? Cause I really don’t know.

I read 1.5 books from this series and the others just did NOT appeal to me AT ALL. So tell me why I decided to read this one? I have no idea, yet here we are. Scrap was literally such a sweety. Like I can’t even. Everything about this book felt real. Real characters. Real problems and trauma. Real everything.

Crista was worried about whether she missed a spot shaving and that line just really resonated with me…

Clearly. 🤣
Profile Image for Lyrik.
900 reviews71 followers
November 20, 2023
Scrap is a top-tier book boyfriend. He knows what he wants and doesn't let anything deter him. He adjusts his woo-ing techniques to be what Crista needs. He accepts all her darkness and helps bring back her lightness. A wonderfully, emotional read that got me in the heart feels.
Profile Image for Umeed.
241 reviews9 followers
December 12, 2022
Shit! Now am in love with two bikers
Profile Image for Mina.
772 reviews31 followers
February 23, 2025
This one gave me all the feels... happiness, sadness, anxiety, pity, desire, EVERYTHING! I hadn't read this one because I was afraid it was going to be too much and I might have issues reading it. Ms. Wells does the writing so well and flawlessly that the only thing you can do is continue the journey with Christa and Scrap. The author played it really well, she gave us a glimpse into the past and made sure we knew that Christa was a survivor, once we were hooked, Cate gave us the story. Amazing!
Now Scrap. This guy is made of gold and is book boyfriend material, the patience and understanding he had for her were so beautiful. I was expecting him to lose his shit but no, the guy was a saint. I can't gush anymore because you might throw up, but if you haven't read it... don't waste more time.

Check trigger warnings!

Reread on January 2024.
Profile Image for T Rojo.
791 reviews20 followers
June 22, 2023
**re read 6/23**
The chokehold this book had me in, Cate is a goddamn sorceress! I loved Scrap and Crista so much! I felt so bad for Crista and could really feel Scraps rage when he’d been lied to by the MC his whole time in prison. Goddamn I hate Harper! Excited to start Plum!
Profile Image for Anna.
357 reviews75 followers
May 8, 2024
“Scrap” by Cate C. Wells

3.5⭐️/5⭐️
2.5🌶/5🌶

“If I don’t love Crista Holt, I don’t know what I am. It’s that simple.”

-This story juuuust missed the mark. I think if it had been about 100 pages longer, and more scenes fleshed out, it would have been amazing. That being said, I did enjoy Crista and Scrap’s story, and I’m glad I read it.

-Scrap has spent the last ten years in prison for killing the man who hurt Crista. Now…this is where the content gets really heavy, and it’s not clear to the readers until the end of the book just how much Crista suffered. When she was sixteen she was walking home from school, and a rival motorcycle club kidnapped her. They brought her to an abandoned gas station, stabbed her, raped her, and left her for dead.

-Scrap has secretly been in love with Crista for years (there’s a slight age gap, but he never lays a hand on her while she’s underage), and when he’s released he has some expectations of starting up where he left off. But Crista is still dealing with some major trauma, and is fundamentally a different person than she was ten years ago. So the two have a lot of making up for lost time, but also taking into account everything Crista has been through.

-I think more time needed to be dedicated to Crista getting to the point where she’s comfortable being with Scrap, and maybe that means stretching out the story’s timeline. There were moments where she all of sudden makes up her mind to see Scrap, to put herself out there, but they felt very random. I wanted to read more about Crista healing, and what that process looks like. The ending also felt very abrupt.
Profile Image for Darcy.
14.4k reviews543 followers
June 13, 2022
Oh man...this one will have you rooting for the couple very quickly. A very star crossed thing where something very, very bad happens as kids and they are left to deal with the repercussions as adults.

Oddly enough Scrap did better than Crista, despite being in prison for 10 years. Crista ended up in a prison of her own, where she couldn't/wouldn't let a lot of people in to help her. What she went through was horrific, it made sense, it also made more sense when one last nugget of info came out. I was glad that everyone finally knew and that Crista could see it was finally over once and for all.

I really loved Scrap for how gentle he was with Crista. He knew he loved her, he had already waiting 10 years for her, what was a little more time. There was a lot of steps forward with steps backwards, but in the end they got where they needed to be, something they both deserved.
Profile Image for J.
219 reviews16 followers
July 23, 2022
All the trigger warnings.

A lot of books deal with "dark" content these days. There might be abuse or noncon or a past sexual assault -- horrific things -- but these topics often end up being handled in a very superficial way. If you're someone who isn't triggered just by reading those words, these so-called dark books end up being pretty "light" reads (it's all relative).

This book is actually quite dark, delving into the ugly aftermath of a brutal attack and sexual assault. At the same time, certain aspects of it were superficial mostly in that things moved a little bit more quickly than I found realistic. All in all, I can't say that I personally enjoyed it all that much, but I appreciate what the author did here. 2.5 stars.
Profile Image for Izzie d.
4,303 reviews362 followers
July 17, 2020
The Hero in this is amazing.
He isn't a man-whore type.
He has always loved the heroine but due to the age difference he didn't act on it originally.
He has spent 10 years in prison for dealing out punishment to a man who carried out a vicious attack on the heroine.
The heroine has some flashback memories but they are vague and bits and pieces.
Small other woman drama but not encouraged by the Hero.
No intimate scenes other than the Hero and heroine.

One huge issue I had is the heroine has been severely attacked in the past and the club as a whole seems very unsympathetic to her PTSD.
Even critical of her.

HEA.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Jane.
Author 1 book20 followers
April 27, 2022
GUYS. this one was sooo good. I love when the man has to woo the girl. Also I’m soooo mad at the MC for treating Crista so bad when she didn’t immediately fall head over heels in love w scrap. it was so mean.
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