GRIEVOUS (Scarlet Scars #2) by J.M. DARHOWER :: REVIEW

‘She wants the fairy tale with the happy ending. All I have are bullet holes in a house with no soul.’

And…..breathe! Well, that was one suspense laden ride! What a thrilling end to a fabulous duet. The Scarlet Scars Duet started with the more mellow Menace and culminated in the heart stopping, gritty edge of your seat conclusion, Grievous.  What a bloody fantastic read this was!

J M Darhower really knows how to thrill and entertain a reader. Whether we’re grinning like fools over the banter between a Stars Wars addicted, puzzle loving, orange obsessed insomniac antihero, and a tenacious, formidable heroine who both completely stole our hearts, or reading with one hand over our eyes as she takes us to the brink of anxiousness and back. This lady sure does know how to tell an addictive and unputdownable story. We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again; in our eyes, this author is unquestionably up there as the Queen of Mafia Romance.  J.M. Darhower can do no wrong!

“Sometimes you’ve gotta play the part, Scarlet. You know that. When most people think of guys like me, they imagine someone like Michael Corleone, so that’s why they get it. It’s kind of funny, really. They’re more terrified of me in a suit with shiny dress shoes than they are when I’m wearing combat boots and carrying a loaded gun.” (Lorenzo)
“Maybe they’re not more terrified….If they’re trembling, heart racing, sweating, I’m saying there’s a chance they might be turned on.” (Scarlet)
“Do you piss your pants when you get turned on, too?” (Lorenzo)
“Depends on how turned on I am.” (Scarlet)

Grievous picks up from the end of Menace, so if you’ve read that, you know that it set up this book perfectly. And if you haven’t read it, then you absolutely must! Don’t worry, we’re not going to ruin any part of this duet with our review of Grievous because we know you love surprises as much as we do.

What we will say is; strap yourselves in for one suspenseful, gripping, unsettling and gritty read. It isn’t pretty, at times it’s downright chilling, but at its heart is a man dealing with the chaos surrounding him, as well as the alien chaotic feelings in his heart, together with a woman who faces her past and who’ll go to any lengths for those she loves. These two are intense, passionate and captivating in their own unique way.

“My wicked little belladonna, beautiful, deadly, so tempting to keep tasting but so goddamn toxic every touch is just too much.”

Lorenzo Gambini is one colourful character. An antihero in every sense of the word. Menacing, lovable, intolerant, unapologetic – a formidable yet highly amusing man. Lorenzo was such a richly nuanced character and we couldn’t get enough of him. His interaction and connection with us as readers was so spot on, we found ourselves answering him back when he narrated to us. He really was so believable.

“There’s something about you, Lorenzo…Sometimes I think you might just be human. ”
“You’re making shit weird again, Scarlet.”

J.M. Darhower is a master storyteller. She brought these two damaged souls to life and led us willingly into her world. She transfixed us, she teased us and she even tortured us, but she somehow managed to do this with us grinning from ear to ear with her unique brand of humour, vivid descriptiveness, chilling villains, lovable good guys, and heart in your mouth suspense and a story we never wanted to end.  No wonder she’s an instant 1Click for us. All the time, every time!