When I picked up Helena Hunting's Clipped Wings series, I
didn't expect to find my perfect hero in Hayden Stryker. But
I am thrilled to say that Hunting has made Hayden more
delicious and more sexy in the second instalment to the
series.
In INKED ARMOR, readers will encounter a far darker side to
Hayden's character. As nightmares plague him and he is
dealing with the loss of Tenley, Hayden's OCD begins to
control him and his mood swings are getting harder and
harder to corral. On top of it all, his parent's murder is
suddenly coming back to life, making him relive the tragic
events that he wished were better left in the past. Hunting
adds more dimension to Hayden's character as she digs deep
into his past, revealing shocking details that may push
Tenley away.
Tenley is far from perfect herself, but she is a work in
progress. While she continues to make mistakes, what I love
about her character is that she owns up to them. There were
things she needed to do alone and while Hayden would have
loved to be that supportive beam to help her stand up
against her greatest fears, I admired the fact that Hunting
made Tenley do it on her own. It definitely made me respect
her more.
However, the shining star in INKED ARMOR is the romance.
Hayden and Tenley could not be more perfect for one another.
While they argue and have a lot of obstacles to overcome in
order to be together, I love that neither one ever feels
worthy of the other. There is always more room to grow and
despite the perfect ending, I feel like Hunting has a
fabulous series on her hand and can run with the secondary
characters she has introduced as well.
Humor, heart and heat are just a few of the things you'll
find in INKED ARMOR. Helena Hunting is definitely an author
everyone should be watching out for! Trust me when I say you
do not want to miss out on meeting Hayden Stryker!
In this follow-up to Clipped Wings, the emotional love story
continues between Hayden and Tenley; two young people who
desperately want to love and be loved but are afraid to
completely let go of their pasts.
In the wake of losing Tenley Page, tattooist Hayden
Stryker's tumultuous past is haunting him. Plagued by
nightmares about the murder of his parents, Hayden reaches
out again to Tenley. Having run from the man she doesn't
believe she deserves, Tenley finally lays her guilt to rest.
Despite their intense physical attraction, Hayden and Tenley
struggle to repair their fragile emotional connection. As
Hayden gets closer to the truth, he must find a way to
reconcile his guilt over his parents' death in order to keep
the woman who finally cracked his armor, and found her way
into his heart.
Excerpt
Helena Hunting INKED ARMOR
A few days, a week, just a little longer. Everyone told me
she needed time. Her silence told me she needed time.
F*ck time.
Time went on and on. An endless cycle of sleep, wake, bear
the agony, and repeat. I f*cking hated time.
Tenley had been gone for three weeks. Every day without her
was sensory deprivation, drawn out and torturous from
beginning to end. The first week, I called her every day.
Her phone always went to voice mail. She never called back.
I stopped calling because it sucked to know I’d been
discarded so easily.
Memories of her were everywhere: home, work, Serendipity. I
couldn’t escape. So at least I understood why she came to
Chicago in the first place: to get away from the ceaseless
reminders. I couldn’t figure out what had compelled her to
go back, though. She could run from me all she wanted, but
returning to the place she’d fled from didn’t make much
sense. Unless she was looking to shackle herself to the
guilt again. It was easy to deny the possibility of a future
when she let the past drag her down. I knew. I’d done that
for years until Tenley came along.