Kat Lane is haunted by the memory of her father's brutal murder sixteen years ago by street thugs. She'd been with her father that night. If a boy -- not much older than herself and whose face she never saw -- hadn't pulled her away from the scene and hid her, she would have been murdered too. Now, in her twenties, Kat is facing her fears head on by tutoring those who terrify her the most -- violent criminals at the Arthur Kill Prison.

Wesley Carter is arrogant and a danger to anyone who ignites his anger. Carter has been in and out of jail since he was a kid, accumulating a rap sheet several pages long and a reputation as the prison bad boy. Now, he's serving time at Arthur Kill Prison for a crime he did not commit, and he's being forced to enroll in classes in order to receive an early release from prison. However, one session in the classroom with other inmates proves disasterous.

It is in Kat's nature to help others, as well as the promise she made to her father years ago. Knowing Carter needs this class for an early parole, she comes up with a plan to teach him, one on one. As the pair spend more time together, Carter reveals his true nature. Behind the bad boy exterior lives a kind-hearted, well-read, and highly-educated man.

As a condition of his release, Carter needs to continue his lessons with Kat. Now a free man, Carter's feelings for Kat becomes unguarded and Kat can no longer keep her feeling for Carter a secret. However, the non-fraternization policy Kat signed keeps them from being public about their relationship.

Since taking the job at Arthur Kill, Kat and her mother's relationship has been strained. So when the family gathers for Thanksgiving, it turns disastrous when most of the family learn of her relationship with Carter. Kat runs to the only person she feels more like herself with: Carter.

A POUND OF FLESH is the first book of the series from author Sophie Jackson. I absolutely loved it! Kat and Carter were met with so much opposition, prejudice, and negativity regarding their relationship. Instead of caving to everyone's demands, needs, and what they thought was best for both Kat & Carter, these two held true to themselves and their love for one another. It's a story of love and second chances.