Once upon a time, there was a girl who stopped believing in fairy tales after her innocence was stolen.Morgan Myers is tired. So damn tired. Most people either push her around or brush her off, and she’s not putting up with it anymore. Determined to reclaim the life that had been stolen from her, she puts her trust in the last person she ever expected to: the notorious Scar. Morgan sees a side of … sees a side of him that few people seem to know–the man, not the myth. Lorenzo. And what she sees, she likes, a lot more than she thought she would.
But fairy tales aren’t real, as life likes to remind her. Some dragons, you just can’t slay, no matter how hard you fight them. And when hers comes back around, breathing fire, she’s forced to face some unimaginable horrors. But lucky for Morgan, there’s a white knight in combat boots out there that isn’t afraid of monsters.
You see, it’s impossible to be afraid of something you face every day in the mirror.
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This second book was much darker than its predecessor in terms of its content and here we get to see just how strong and resilient Morgan actually is after she is betrayed by someone very close to her resulting in her recapture back into the Russians hands.
Kassian is bloody obsessed with her and he is determined to get even with Lorenzo for keeping what he believes is his from him.
Lorenzo is also just as determined to retrieve Morgan and her daughter and liberate them from Karrian’s sadistic intentions and cruelty and he will do whatever is necessary to ensure their future safety.
We also get a deeper connection between Lorenzo and Morgan and no he doesn’t suddenly have a personality transplant and turn all soppy and romantic this is, after all, Lorenzo we are talking about here and he shows his affection through his deeds rather than actual words you really need to read between the lines with him as he’s not exactly forthright with his emotions.
Even trying to lie to himself over what Morgan means to him and why he’s protecting her.
Here everything is brought into the open as we learn more about Morgan’s past.
I liked how this was resolved and though there were no frilly declarations of love and affection the finish here was just perfect for both the individuals involved and most definitely showcased their similar dynamic of not showing there individual hands, I didn’t doubt their mutual affections one bit
Lorenzo and Morgan actually match-up perfectly together like missing pieces of a whole puzzle.
I do so love it when characters stay true to there original personalities and are accepted for exactly who they are no changes needed, Morgan still got a version of a picket fence just not where she expected.
Finally, I especially adored meeting little Sasha properly she was just so stinking cute and I adored seeing her bond with Lorenzo over pancakes it was adorable and a flustered Lorenzo was equally so.
Overall this has been such a fantastic well-written series that I easily lost myself in and I do highly recommend it.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
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Grievous
I have mixed feelings about this book…First, it’s the last book in one of my new favorite series’ so I’m a little sad about that…but it’s also one of the best series I’ve ever read, and I can’t describe how much I enjoyed reading it……This book is, seriously, one of the best I’ve read…Don’t miss this series…But read MENACE first…
J. M. Darhower created Lorenzo Gambini…if she deserves credit for nothing else, let me just say, “Bravo…Good job!!” I realize he is not the only character in this book, but Lorenzo is so sexy, scary and unpredictable and one of the most bad@$$, flawed…and hysterical characters…EVER!!!
This series is about organized crime, and it has some very scary and serious stuff in it…but the dialogue in this whole series is so smart and some is just unbelievably funny….Whether Lorenzo is having an inner monologue or he is interacting with Morgan/Scarlet, Leo, Seven..or whoever….they automatically become his straight man….because the funniest stuff comes out of his mouth…NO ONE thinks like Lorenzo…and NO ONE can ever predict what he will say next…Lorenzo is definitely one of a kind…and he was created in the mind of J. M. Darhower….I’m so thankful for her mind…….
In my top 10 in 2017
HOLY SHIT!! This book….THIS BOOOOOOK.. it will rip your heart out, tear it into pieces.. Prepared yourselves for the madness!
The love between them is fucking Beautiful, even though Lorenzo will never admit that it is love.. Stubborn asshole!!
I love that Lorenzo stays the same and I love that Morgan can see through his crazy ass and still accept and love him despite his flaws.
There’s one place in the book that shock the hell out of me….MOTHERFUCKER FUCK….. WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!!!!!
Just one thing
I feel there should have been some warnings for this book, not only in the book.
Because there are some pretty violent scenes that may be a trigger for some.. Kassian Aristov is one EVIL son of a bitch!
This is by far my favorite book from J.M. Darhower
I’m pretty sure I would read ANYTHING this author writes. Possibly even owner’s manuals. She’s THAT good.
I loved the humor in this duet. While the other aspects I was looking for were certainly there as well (dark romance and suspense) it is a rare and welcome surprise to also find humor. I actually laughed from these books, and let me tell you: I am a tough cookie to crack. To get an actual laugh or cry out of me with a book is a feat.
I still have one more series left unread from this author, and I am SO looking forward to it. When she writes the dual POVs you really “hear” each personality, loud and clear. She is so, so good at getting a reader inside the characters’ heads. It makes for an outstanding read. She also takes the time to build the characters and relationships. Having this story be a duet allowed for it to become SO much more than what it would have been if she tried to squish it into 180 pages of standalone book.
In short: read book 1 first, but then come back to this one! Also, I love J.M. Darhower!
Loved it. A perfect companion to the first book. Dark, twisted. Unfailingly ruthless. Darhower’s writing held me captive from beginning to end. Great book duet.
“They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. Is it really any wonder why mine are fucked up?” – Lorenzo
“I see it when I look him in the eyes. I see the agony he feels. He’s tortured, twisted, all tied up in knots. He’s busy beating himself up inside. But most people don’t see that, because they don’t look at him. They turn away from the surface, terrified, because what he shows the world can be downright fucking scary. But if they just took a second to really see him, they’d know what I know. They’d believe what I believe. And what I believe is this man is far from being a monster. I’ve lived with monsters. I know them.” – Scarlet
There has been an unforeseen and unavoidable delay for me between the time I finished this amazing second book in the “Scarlet Scars” series. Interestingly enough, for me the characters of the book were with me in my mind and daydreams fairly regularly especially the unique hero, Lorenzo (Scar).
I am astounded at the skill of Ms. Darhower in writing a book, actually a series, wherein the hero isn’t the least interested in romancing his love…if he even would acknowledge that he can or does feel such an emotion. Yet…the reader feels his heart…feels his love…feels his passion for his only love, Scarlet. Extraordinary really!!!
In this second book the foreboding “Scar” the alleged psychopathic killer is more Lorenzo the man with vulnerabilities beginning to show through his armor. When he uttered the phrase, “Vedere il mio cazzo tra quelle belle labbra è una fantasia che mi ha perseguitato dal momento in cui ci siamo incontrati.” and I translated it into English, I felt that gentle flip in my heart one gets when you see or read something that moves you to feel desire…your secret crush…a beautiful explicit love scene on film…a passage written by this author.
Lorenzo now knows more of the mysteries of Scarlet. Her little girl, Sasha, was taken from her from the Russian mobster, Kassian (Sasha’s father). Kassian is a cruel man obsessed with Scarlet. He abused her before she reached the age of consent and ever since he found her as a homeless adolescent wandering the streets of New York. She had managed to escape him with their daughter. Later, the mobster stole the little girl from Scarlet hoping she would return to him for Sasha’s sake. Lorenzo…for whatever reason he tells himself…wants to rescue and return the little girl to Scarlet and take down yet another mob boss. He wishes to make the world safer for both of them. His efforts, however, result in the capture of Scarlet by the Russian. Lorenzo is now focused on rescuing both his Scarlet and her daughter, Sasha.
Scarlet must once again endure a dark night of the soul in her captivity. She is a marvelously strong woman who holds on the promise of one day seeing her little sunshine again through misery, pain and terror. Scarlet is the perfect heroine for Lorenzo. She is intuitively wise which to my way of thinking beats straight intelligence hands down always. She has kept her love alive in her heart through all that she suffered and she has suffered and lost quite a lot in her young life. She is not overly needy though she does want and need Lorenzo in her life. She does not profess to understand him completely, but she has a good grasp on the basics of his unique way of being. She sees Lorenzo’s heart of gold as sure as he tries to hide it. For his part, Lorenzo is treading lightly as all of this “weirdness” is new territory.
The story is flawlessly told in three first person point of views. The little girl Sasha’s voicing of her experiences ratcheted up the emotional impact and the suspense to multi-fold level. Each character’s voice or POV presented after the other was authentic…drove the plot progression without creating inconsistencies or plot holes. There are some suspenseful and accelerated action scenes that can be extremely difficult to write. They are written flawlessly. These had me on the edge of my seat. When a book reads so fluidly, we sometimes forget as readers the talent and skill behind the writing that gives us such pleasure.
Beyond the hotness…whoa the hotness!!! And beyond the character development and superb action writing, there are some wonderful allusions and allegory that all great writers include in their work to touch our soul and keep our minds engaged. I noticed this quality in this author’s writing from the very first book of hers that I read. Wonderful gems scattered throughout the narrative. Her word choice is also spot on for description, mood setting and general readability.
I would encourage any lover of the darker romance and romantic suspense with the added flavor of the shadowy world of organized crime…you know…those dark, frightening, number one with a gun, super intense, the world is mine, alpha male heroes who live by their own moral compass that doesn’t quite point true north….TO READ THIS SERIES!!!
“I love this dangerous, menacing asshole. I can very easily stand on my own two feet, but the thought of losing him makes my knees go weak. The thought of not having him around makes my chest ache. I can breathe without him. I don’t need him. He’ll never complete me, because I’m already complete. But yet so much of me is now tangled up with so much of him that the thought of living the rest of my life without him around makes me feel cold inside, like he gives me my warmth.” – Scarlet
“Maybe we’re all crazy. Maybe the trick in life is just to find someone whose crazy plays well with your own.”
I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Grievous the moment I finished Menace. I needed to know how Lorenzo and Morgan’s story would continue. There were a couple of plot twists in Menace which I really loved. In this book we see Lorenzo continuing trying to help Morgan with one of her problems. There were a couple of very heartbreaking scenes and my heart went out to Morgan. Lorenzo is a difficult person to live with. However the people around him love him so much, and I don’t think Lorenzo realizes this. He seems himself as a monster but Morgan sees a whole nother side to him. She understands him and they are on the same frequency. They balance each other out, and she is one of the only ones that can get through to him. Lorenzo is one of my favorite anti-heroes. He isn’t perfect, but he is perfect for Morgan.
We see betrayal in this book, there is suspense, but we also see a beautiful love unfolding. Lorenzo isn’t a guy who can talk about his emotions. A lot of times he doesn’t know what he is feeling but his actions speak so much louder than his words. With his actions he shows Morgan that he cares and loves her. He does things for her he wouldn’t do for anyone else besides his brother. Their love isn’t easy, but Morgan is a smart woman and sees clearly what is in front of her. Both Morgan and Lorenzo are such amazing and unique characters. I loved this book so much and it makes me want to reread every book I read by JM Darhower. She is awesome and I love that she mentioned my all time favorite rapper Tupac in this book. I am already highly anticipating her next book, whatever it may be!
How does she do that? How does she make we question who I thought I loved the most from her. I mean Naz is life but man Lorenzo sure did give him a run for his money. Yes, I love Corrando but he is in a class of his own.
“He’s right, I guess. Maybe we’re all crazy. Maybe the trick in life is just to find someone whose crazy plays well with your own.”
If you read the last Naz book and you think you got a good idea on what kinda man Lorenzo is. You might be rethinking that after reading these books. I think Morgan was right when she said that people only see the scar and the act he puts on in front of everyone. No one actually LOOKS at him like she does and sees all the layers he has. (paraphrasing there) He is so much more and omg I loved every minute I spent reading about him. He is my favorite kinda book boyfriend, he is the anti hero. Even though he doesn’t want to be the hero, he is that and so much more. Lorenzo has that way about him where he will never tell you exactly how he feels but you will know where you stand by how he treats you and what he does for you. Some men show it with actions and not words. His actions towards her were EVERYTHING.
The ending to this was so so good!!! The ride to get there was perfection. I just loved how this book was narrated. It was different and refreshing and I can’t recommend these enough. They are not to be missed. Best books of the year and it’s only February LOL!