A love that was destined to be for a lifetime... On a cold and rainy Valentine's Day in 2006, Atlanta socialite and celebrity wife, Shelby Porter returns to her hometown of Valley, Alabama, following months of seclusion and a courageous, life-changing move on her part. After all she has endured and survived, she only wants one thing now: the love of her life and childhood sweetheart, Jack Emerson. Returning home, though, she is mired in memories of the past and what was and could have been. Through her reminiscence, she thinks of a time when life was simple. When swinging on the porch with her beloved parents and a glass of sweet tea was one of the best things in life. When all she dreamed of was leaving her small town to pursue her education and her desire to be a teacher. When all she wanted was the love and attention of that one boy... the football star, the town hero, her Jack. Even though their lives had been etched from two paths crossing, weaving, and entwining until finally joining into one in the future, it wouldn't be the happily-ever-after they'd both assumed. Not when Denise Davenport comes to town and makes her intentions clear that Jack Emerson is on her radar. While at the same time, Richard Porter, a rich boy headed off for a career in law, sets his sights on Shelby and how she would be the perfect trophy wife for a man who intended to have the lifestyle destined for him. Misunderstandings, lies, and manipulation abound. Teenage drama and young adults at the precipice of their new destiny. Hearts broken and dreams smashed... all for what? Shelby leaves her small town-and Jack-behind for a new life in college. A place where she'll find herself, as well as the best friends a girl could ever have, and a man whose handsome charm and promises make her forget the love of a lifetime. This is just the beginning. A Heart of Steel is an epic journey of one woman's life, loves, and destiny... and the power of passion, heartache, tragedy, fame, and fortune held together by a family secret so powerful and clandestine it only serves to strengthen the perfect first love that will last forever. Because... sometimes young love is never to be forgotten.