Review: Grievous (Scarlet Scars #2) by J.M. Darhower

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 they call Scar. Morgan 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 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 see every day in the mirror.

Guys, where do I even start?! So, I read Menace, the first book in the duology, a couple weeks ago and loved it. A Lot. And thank goodness the author didn’t have us wait long for the conclusion (only 3 weeks in between release dates) because I was dying to see how this would end. What I loved about the first book only doubled with the finale!

Grievous picks up where we left off. We continue to have the three POVs – Morgan, Lorenzo, and the anonymous little girl but now we are aware of her identity and role in the story. Without giving away any spoilers, this sequel amped up the action and suspense! It gets A LOT darker than the previous book as we see firsthand the brutal side of Morgan’s previous life with the Russian mob. It is definitely something to note in case violence is a trigger for any readers. But it is also important to note there are some great light-hearted moments thrown in as well to add a good balance. I lived for the Star Wars references. The action is nonstop and I was engrossed from start to finish! The author even managed to throw in a surprise or two I did not expect. But what I loved the most was how the relationship between Morgan and Lorenzo progressed.

Lorenzo is not big on feelings, in fact he is allergic to them as Lorenzo’s brother, Leo, would say. He doesn’t do that sappy shit and he was honest with Morgan from the start about who he was. But Morgan sees through all of that. She sees him. He’s isn’t the unfeeling scary monster he may appear to be to others. He has compassion for Morgan and does everything he can to help free her of her heartbreaking situation. And Morgan is as tough as it comes and refuses to submit to those who try to break her down. They were perfect together. They don’t have a conventional love but that’s what drew me into it so completely. It was different, it was messy, it made me laugh, it made me cry. It was exactly what I wanted it to be.

I cannot recommend this duology enough! It’s the perfect blend of dark, angst, romance, and humor. The characters are well-rounded with so many layers that they jump right off the pages. Do yourselves a favor and pick these books up, ASAP!

Love.

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 though of living the rest of my life without him around makes me feel cold inside, like he gives me my warmth.