In Carrie Drazen’s diamond-studded world, beauty is everything: a blessing, a commodity, and a curse. Her beauty got her past the velvet ropes and into high society, but it ripped her away from the man she loved and chained her to an unbearable life.Then, in a single night, a song played by a mysterious and secretive musician carries her back to a past ripe with possibilities, when love could … could open any door.
Who is this anonymous performer?
How can a man she’s never met tell such a precise story of a boy she loved?She needs to know. But sometimes masks exist for a reason, and this unveiling could scar them both.
—-
This book is a standalone.
more
I don’t even know what to write in this review. Pretty Scats had me captivated from the first chapter I couldn’t put it down.
A beautifully written story where love gets a second chance. It was an emotional rollercoaster but so worth the tears.
Beauty is a blessing but can also be a curse. This is how life is for Carrie Drazen. She is so beautiful that it is painful. But in her family, loyalty is everything. When she meets Gabriel, she falls first for his music, the way he seems to levitate when he plays. They have an instant connection through music and it is beautiful, but in the Drazen world she isn’t in control of her own destiny. This book had me feeling so many emotions. The back and forth time hops were done so well. I’m glad that we got Gabriel’s POV as well because I needed to know what happened in his perspective. It’s a great reminder that we need to not hide from the ones we love and we need to let them make their own decisions. So often we make decisions based on what we think is right for someone else, but those aren’t ours to make.
Carrie is the second oldest in the high society Drazen family. She was also blessed with stunning good looks and her controlling father is determined to direct her future. While walking to class one day she meets Gabriel a talented violinist. Their friendship takes off and their chemistry is undeniable. She is terrified to tell her father about Gabriel as they come from 2 different worlds and she knows he would not approve of their relationship but their love is undeniable.
They decide to do whatever it takes to be together. A tragic event rips them apart and Carrie thinks she has lost him forever until a few years later when she is attending an event and a mysterious violinist with a mask plays a song that is very familiar and brings back a bunch of emotions.
Could it be that she has found her one true love again??
Although I enjoyed the book, I did from time to time struggle a little bit with the back and forth between the past and present. It made reading a little more work to keep everything straight.
*** Advanced copy provided in exchange for an honest review.***
CD Reiss dances around the past and present. I really like seeing how Carrie and Gabriel develop this friendship/romance over time. The Drazens are always deep routed with twists and turns that left my head spinning. Daddy Drazen is crazy controlling and is just ruthless. He doesn’t make life easy for any of his 8 children. I really loved the mystery and intrigue throughout the story. I wish it had some more suspenseful areas… that’s generally my favorite parts of Drazen books.
CD Reiss writes in such a way that absolutely publisher readers. She developes these characters so finely that they feel strong and layered. I felt Gabriel’s music… Reiss jusg really seems to make them real all while building up this seemingly crazy situation.
I received an ARC of this book with the hope that I would leave an Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… my opinions.
5 TORTURE STARS!! Wow, this story was torture in a good way I good not put it down. Carrie and Gabriel’s story will hit every emotion button you have and keep pushing until you can’t stand it anymore. This book was phenomenal from beginning to end. This is one book you need to 1-Click.
I CANNOT get enough of CD Reiss’ Drazen family’s stories. The authentic voice that Reiss uses for each one of her Drazen characters allows readers to, not only understand the world that they live in but also the reasons for their lifestyle choices and the precarious positions they find themselves in, sacrificing their happiness, even the loves of their lives, due to extenuating circumstances as well as outside forces they can’t control or even identify.
In Pretty Scars, readers get Carrie Drazen’s story and the title alone indicates the fact that Carrie’s life doesn’t go as planned, finding herself in a life she wouldn’t have chosen for herself, and even though fate stepped in to allow her to meet a man who seemed to be the love of her life, the freewill of others forced her to lose everything that mattered, leaving her with nothing but her beauty, which is both a blessing and a curse, and only gives her so much in return and nothing of any substance.
Even though Gabriel brought light to Carrie’s darkened world, the love between them couldn’t survive everything that these two seemed to be up against, which sends them down much different paths, destroying most of the hope Carrie once had and forcing her to endure a life that she would have never chosen for herself. It’s difficult to witness all the ways that Carrie is used as a pawn and she frustrated me a number of times throughout the course of Pretty Scars because I wanted her to truly see what was happening and fight harder for the life that she wanted for herself. But I also understand the lack of control she has and because Reiss takes readers back to two years ago when everything begins for Carrie and Gabriel and then forward to the present and everything that Carrie must deal with, it makes sense why Carrie’s too far encased in the darkness and unwilling to hope for a future of her own choosing.
What I love most about Reiss’ storytelling is the way in which she threads multiple story lines together in a way that both boggles the mind due to its complexity and leaves readers in awe with how cohesively she unravels every strain to shed light on the main conflict as well as explain how events and words said in the past both complicate and lend hope to the characters’ present and their future as well.
Pretty Scars is not an easy read; most of Reiss’ books push readers to their limits, but that’s what makes her stories so addicting and so thought provoking, which is exactly why I can’t wait for more from this author!
4.5 Poison Apples
When I started reading I couldn’t put it down.C.D. Reiss is magnifysent and amazing writer.I cannot wait to read more of there books.Keep up the great work.You should definitely read this book.Can’t wait for the next book.
Pretty Scars is Carrie Drazen’s story. We follow her as she meets, then falls in love with handsome musician Gabriel. Too bad for them that their families have an awful twisted past. They vow to overcome it, but in the end, Carrie’s father does the unthinkable. We’ve all known that Declan was the devil, but this book made me despise him even more.
Christine takes us on an emotional roller coaster, with all of the feels in this book. I was mad, crying then ecstatic throughout the whole thing. I shouldn’t have expected anything less.
“Then she leapt forward and hugged me instead, and I forgot I was ugly and scarred. I was made of what I saw, and with her, all I knew was beauty.”
Carrie has all her future planned by her parents. Owner of a classic beauty and belonging to a family where the children are pawns controlled by the false morality of the patriarch, she will marry a suitable suitor, generate heirs and be the good trophy wife. A beautiful accessory in her father’s business game.
Gabriel is a young musician, who faced a tragedy that ruined his family, the result of a scheme to harm his father. Music is the link that unites him to his father, and seeking to honor the moments that they have passed together, a career in that area is what he longs for.
Upon meeting a beautiful redhead who left a tip too generous, he had no idea that this encounter would unleash a strong passion, at the same time that old sorrows will surface and a future tragedy will cross the path of both.
Carrie and Gabriel will live a beautiful love story, but by running away to live that passion, Carrie will find many tears in a place that had everything to bring good memories. While Gabriel will never be the same again.
A few years later, Carrie’s life boils down to a violent husband, an empty, purposeless life and dreams left behind. Until a sensation of music that goes by the name of Adam Brate will start a chain reaction, all because of a successful composition. A composition that Carrie knows very well, a gift from Gabriel to her muse.
On a journey to discover the mystery before them, past and present will merge, and perhaps what they thought to be true was no more than a grand frame.
Carrie and Gabriel suffered. A lot. She sank into guilt and was silent about her husband’s maltreatment. He carries the physical marks of that fateful night, hiding in the shadows and giving up his love. The trajectory of the two is not beautiful, but it is lovely to accompany.
Declan is a heartless monster. His wickedness knows no limit, he interferes in the lives of all his children, harming them in the name of his egocentrism.
The ending is amazing. Again Margie is the voice of reason and the savior of her brothers. Another great book starring one of the Drazen brothers.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest Review *
I couldn’t wait to return to the Drazen world! I’ve loved all these characters since the beginning! Carrie’s story did not disappoint. This is a hard fought second chance romance that gave me all the feels! I highly recommend this title and actually every title by this author!
Pretty Scars is another brilliantly written tale of the Drazen family. Christine Reiss does not disappoint with Carrie Drazen’s story. Full of twists, turns and pull on your heart moments.
Carrie wants for nothing, she is a Drazen after all. A beautiful woman who wants to live life on her terms. She meets a musician, Gabriel who instantly fills her with music and love. Together they are beauty and grace. Past events effect their relationship, yet they are willing to go through these obstacles no matter what it takes.
Declan, however the patriarch with a dark side has other plans. He will stop at nothing to protect what is his. He never fails to show his true colors.
Darkness, secrets, betrayals, everything the Drazen family is known for and Christine Reiss delivers.
Blew my mind! As always when I read a CD Reiss book, I have to take a break to deal with the commotion in my mind resulting from the read. This author breaks schemes, plays with the gray areas of ethics and makes us accept the darkness. It was an enthralling read!
Carrie Drazen belongs to the infamous Drazen clan, who have more money than morals, and who manipulate, coerce, bribe or even commit crime to have their way. Carrie is the beautiful daughter, obedient and dutiful as she studied undergraduate studies in USC, planning to go into law as postgraduate. She plans to go East to study law, away from her family, closer to her sister Margie. She has always lived the curse of the beautiful one, where people see her worth on the appearance and never on her inside. She never knew about her father’s nefarious ways, only saw him and her mother as snobs, who only wanted to hobnob with people of their economical class. Her parents are very strict and Catholic and she thought her sheltered life was due to this fact.
All this goes haywire when she meets Gabriel and falls for him. A musician with no assets except his beautiful soul and the music he makes, yet he sees her, the woman, and not the beauty. They strike this deep connection that they only feel complete when they are together. But, unfortunately, her father has other plans and there’s another man waiting on the side for the opportunity to own her.
In this high stakes game of power and greed, only one person pays the price, the poor one who tries to take on the giant. Poor Carrie thought she had free will, free to love and live her life and be happy. In this story we suffer with her the tribulations of love lost and love found again, and all the obstacles she had to overcome. There’s tension from the first, the story is written in present and past times, and I swear I got more tense and anxious as the chapters flew by. Reading this book was nerve-racking, and also heart-breaking. I felt for Carrie and Gabriel and a love that seemed doomed to never happen. They were like powerless against the machinery of Declan Drazen’s power. Margie Drazen appears prominently in this book, and she’s the guardian angel that Carrie needed. She offered the support and knowledge that Carrie needed to understand her situation and be able to take action.
CD Reiss’ books are always complicated, with multi-layered characters and deviations from the expected straightforward romance. Love it!
Pretty Scars is Carrie Drazen’s story. I’ve read the Submission and Forbidden series, so I knew quite a bit about the Drazen family. Carrie was mentioned in Jonathan’s and Fiona’s stories (I haven’t read Theresa’s and Margie’s books, yet), but I didn’t know that much about her because she never made an actual appearance in the books. Carrie’s story showed a whole other level of their father’s manipulations and how awful he could be. Without giving too much away, Carrie and Gabriel’s love story is a tragic one and they have to endure a lot of pain and heartbreak before getting their happy ending. The book is split into 2 parts (Carrie and Gabriel) with the chapters bouncing back and forth between 1993 and 1995 (for most of the book). Each part is written in the first POV of Carrie and Gabriel. This book was a very intense read, but it had a different kind of intensity from the other Drazen books. While there are elements of dominance and submission in this book, CD handles those themes in a different way and BDSM isn’t prominently featured like in the Submission and Forbidden series (I haven’t read Theresa’s and Margie’s books yet). I really enjoyed this book and loved the different approach that CD took in telling Carrie’s and Gabriel’s story. I also loved the poetic way that CD described the feelings and love that Carrie and Gabriel felt for each other. I highly recommend this book to anyone that is already a fan of CD’s or someone that has not read any of her other books.
First, this cover is amazing. What’s inside is even better. One-click today.
Pretty Scars is classic CD REISS storytelling, I love her author voice, especially when she is spinning the tale of one of her Drazen characters. So when Carrie’s story was being penned, I must admit, I was highly anticipating it and I wasn’t disappointed.
In a world where beauty is everything Carrie faces her darkest hours in a dramatic, layered story of love and hope, one that is laced with a small perfectly formed element of mystery. The evocative narative toggles between two timelines, 1993 and 1995. The former showcasing bit by bit exactly how Carrie eneds up in her 1995 predicament. As the story gently unfolds expect the unexpected, be wowed with the dramatics and allow your heart to ache for Carrie as the chilling facts become crystal clear and the possibilities of her future emerge.
Pretty Scars for me as a standalone story, along with the depth of knowledge I have of this author’s other Drazen character stories, made this an absolutely brilliant read for me. Fans of CD Reiss will inhale Carrie’s story and new readers will easily be able to enjoy this novel as a standalone whilst having their interest piqued about other books in the Drazen world.
Every single time I read a CD Reiss book, I’m reminded of the way she weaves characters lives together in such an intricate way. From the way lovers, music and family all convene into one messy crescendo, I wonder how she does it so flawlessly yet painfully and beautifully.
“There are notes that go together. Play them alone and they’re fine, but play them together and it makes music. No matter the instrument or what part of the world you’re in, they’re linked by a chord. That’s us. We were waiting for the moment the world put us together. I can’t unhear us now.”
Carrie Drazen’s story is one that will have your heart rejoicing yet breaking into pieces all at the same time. And you are left wondering if some people can redeem themselves and if others can truly live the lives they were meant to live. Do you need to have read a book by Ms Reiss previous to this one? No. This is a complete standalone. But if you want to understand more of the Drazen family and the way they work, I highly recommend you read more about them (Complete Submission, Corruption, Sins Duet, etc).
This story is told in two parts. One from Carrie’s POV (the majority of the story) and one in Gabriel’s. Carrie’s story is a little of her past and present. Jumping from what happened in 1993 to bring her to her current life in 1995. From college to marriage, life didn’t turn out how she expected. She is the Drazen that is beautiful beyond the simple word. But is beauty her only possession? Is it a gift or curse and how does she use it? Daddy (Declan) Drazen rules her world and much of the world around it and he seems to think that she is a pawn to be played with because of her beauty. But when she finds Gabriel and they immerse themselves in each other’s lives, will they be the ruin of each other or will they survive the Drazen family?
Pretty Scars was a book of beauty, flaws, hope, family and the way we fight these things. Never have I experienced a family quite like the Drazens, but I thoroughly love reading about them and having a love/hate relationship with so many of them. I have to say that the people that they surround themselves with have to know what they are getting into and are some of the strongest characters out there. They might be quiet Kings and Queens, but they support their Drazens through and through. For that, I give Gabriel all the love and strength. He isn’t a perfect character, but that’s what makes Pretty Scars real and enjoyable. Not giving up that hope isn’t lost and that you can find happiness where maybe it shouldn’t be.
“Hope is the key signature the song of despair is built around. Without it, everything falls apart.”
Carrie and Gabriel’s story was dirty and beautiful and everything I would want out of a story. It isn’t perfect, but it is well written with a plot that moves from past to present. It takes you on a journey of love and hope and second chances. And behind that is a family that loves fiercely, but doesn’t always know how to show it. Even when their actions say otherwise, it’s always about family and protecting theirs.
Love them or hate them, you will always be taken on a journey that will include the ugly along with the pretty with these Drazens. You will not want to miss Carrie’s growth to finding herself and standing up for herself in what she wants in love and in life.
CD Reiss returns with the forgotten Drazen sister, Carrie. Like every family, each child is different. But what happens if you’re the pawn in a dynasty and you got sold? What if you end up on the wrong end of the belt? It’s gut-clenching and heart-wrenching. The story was 70 percent suspense. Pretty scars made me want to shake sense into the protagonists. I wonder what else this darkly-creative author has up her sleeve.
The Drazen Family is not for the faint of heart. Their 8 children are at the mercy of their very controlling and diabolical father. So when a book comes out about one of the siblings, I know that my heart is going to get a workout.
Carrie Drazen is the second oldest. She’s graduating from USC, going to graduate school on the east coast and has no time to date anyone. But sometimes fate has a way of changing things when she meets Gabriel Marlowe, a violinist from the school of music. Their connection is like a ballad. It begins slow and methodical with accents and crescendos that all lead to a cadence of mesmerizing emotion.
What should be a story of new love with so much opportunity, it is also a story infused with sadness and hopelessness. Told in past and present tense, the reader sees how love develops, love is manipulated and how love is lost. Carrie’s controlling father is the root to all trials and tribulations and crushes her dreams and love and also maneuvers her into an unhappy marriage. But what her despair knows may not be true. And when a fateful night brings a cellist her direction, her heart knows what her mind is scared to hope. Do second chances exist? Can Carrie free herself and begin to live again?
The is a story of love, despair, hopelessness and hope. It’s abundantly emotional and heartbreaking and filled with pain, betrayal and regret. But it also soars with love, passion, conviction and hope. The author graces the story with words that are lyrical, poetic and emotionally heartfelt. This author always connects with my heart and makes me feel beyond my wildest thoughts. She is truly a gifted writer and storyteller. The Drazen Books are not to be missed and must reads.
Carrie Drazen’s entire world is shaken when she hears a song from the past! Elizabeth @ Carolina Chic’s Read
Enter the world of the Drazen Family and dive into a whole new love story with Carrie Drazen. When Carrie hears a song from her past she is shaken from the fog of the life she leads. Carrie will uncover truths that are obscured and bent to get to the truth. This is a fantastic story! Get Ready!
5 Stars Review!!!!
Carrie Drazen has always fascinated me. In CD Reiss’s previous Drazen books, Carrie is spoken of but only seen once. Vague, opaque references are made to her–why she isn’t with the rest of her family, why she won’t return home. Now, at last, CD Reiss tells you Carrie’s story, and it is worth the wait.
When we meet her, Carrie is a student at USC (that’s the one in southern California, not the one in South Carolina), majoring in psychology. She meets a violinist, and each immediately is intrigued with the other. CD Reiss does not make their romance an easy one, but she does make it passionate and tempestuous (as one does when you’re a Drazen or in love with one).
Reiss moves back and forth between Carrie’s present and her past. So you are aware of the outcome of her relationship with the violinist, which makes your reading experience all the more intense. Parts of this book take your breath away, parts seize your heart, and other parts make you squeeze your thighs together.
If you are not familiar with the Drazens, you will be fine. I jumped into this family not having read Songs of Submission, but then I read those books as soon as I could. So you can read this one with no prior Drazen knowledge. But then you will find yourself hooked, and you will race to read the other books in CD Reiss’s extraordinary series.
As for Pretty Scars, it will entangle itself in you, making you rip through its pages. There will be times when you want to hurtle your book at CD Reiss, but rest assured, dear readers, that when you turn the last page you will want to take her out for drinks and bask in her glory.