gillian66's review
5.0
I was given this as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Once again Marissa Farrar has written a wonderful book.I have read all of Marissa's books and can recommend them all.
This book is a dark romance about two people who have been hurt in the past. But has Monster done more damage to Lily by kidnapping her?
Monster was locked away and taught by his father until he died. Lily was a loner keeping everyone at a distance because of her past. Are they able to help each other you will have to read this fantastic book to find out.
This book is a dark romance about two people who have been hurt in the past. But has Monster done more damage to Lily by kidnapping her?
Monster was locked away and taught by his father until he died. Lily was a loner keeping everyone at a distance because of her past. Are they able to help each other you will have to read this fantastic book to find out.
ingypingy2000's review
4.0
I really liked this trilogy. I read them all in a day. I was disappointed that she seemd to fall for him so quickly and that his staff opened up to her so quickly... but I enjoyed the dark aspect of this. Overall a fun read, but wish it'd gone deeper and had been more. I feel like this would have been a great jumping off point for an absolutely amazing read.
muffreadsreview71's review
5.0
Monster
This was a very interesting, entertaining,well written story. I'm looking forward to reading Denied the next book in the series. Marissa Farrar is New author to me and I loved the book!!
This was a very interesting, entertaining,well written story. I'm looking forward to reading Denied the next book in the series. Marissa Farrar is New author to me and I loved the book!!
selket16's review
3.0
The writing, as always with this author, was top notch and the sex scenes quite steamy and I hated myself for being turned on by them (sorry if that’s TMI), so I’m thinking, much as I secretly suspected all along, that I just wasn’t the audience for this book. If you’re looking at that book description and thinking that sounds good, it’s a book for you. You won’t be disappointed.
In case you’ve made it through the title and the description and didn’t clue in: trigger warnings. There is kidnapping, threats of rape, actual rape (in “Monster’s” flashbacks and what he performs on Lily, because as a slave she has no right to say no, even if she wanted to—it’s ambiguous here, but still kind of iffy). This is the story of Lily, who has been kidnapped and sold into slavery. Kept on a starvation diet, she is left with little stimulation alone in a room except for when her captor, “Monster,” shows up.
It quickly becomes evident that he has chosen her for two reasons, her skills as a laser therapist and her isolated lifestyle. Few have her skills and among them only she doesn't have a family or friends who would really look for her.
And this is where the story loses me, at about 1/3 the way through the book, because at this point, it becomes painfully obvious that she has all the power here, but is afraid to use it. He has taken everything from her and she understands that her life has been forfeit, it’s just a waiting game, but “Monster” wants his disfigurement removed. He has already admitted that he took her for her skills and isolation. In order for her to do what he wants her to do, she has to be whole; he can’t risk breaking her mentally, physically or emotionally or she won’t be able to do her work. I would have loved the story where she turned the screws to him at this point. I would have.
I get the attraction to each other. She doesn’t look on his face with repulsion and she’s not afraid of his touch, but sexual attraction or not, she needed more fight in her. The best scenes were when she had the moral high ground (all the time, as she hasn’t enslaved anybody) and poked holes in his logic. He had no defenses for people who talk back to him and that aspect I like and responded with a mixture of anger and self-loathing. In these rare moments when he truly understood what he is his humanity and vulnerability shone.
I’ve read a lot from this author and really like her characters, usually broken men and women who, through love, find a way to heal themselves. But this book ends (**spoilers**) and nothing changes, “Monster” has given her his real name, but will not so much as show her the dignity of calling her by her real name or listening to her or taking her advice. By the end of the book, he hasn’t changed, he may be in love with her, but he still treats her like property. I realize that this is the first book in a trilogy and more character development will occur, but this just wasn’t enough for me.
In case you’ve made it through the title and the description and didn’t clue in: trigger warnings. There is kidnapping, threats of rape, actual rape (in “Monster’s” flashbacks and what he performs on Lily, because as a slave she has no right to say no, even if she wanted to—it’s ambiguous here, but still kind of iffy). This is the story of Lily, who has been kidnapped and sold into slavery. Kept on a starvation diet, she is left with little stimulation alone in a room except for when her captor, “Monster,” shows up.
It quickly becomes evident that he has chosen her for two reasons, her skills as a laser therapist and her isolated lifestyle. Few have her skills and among them only she doesn't have a family or friends who would really look for her.
And this is where the story loses me, at about 1/3 the way through the book, because at this point, it becomes painfully obvious that she has all the power here, but is afraid to use it. He has taken everything from her and she understands that her life has been forfeit, it’s just a waiting game, but “Monster” wants his disfigurement removed. He has already admitted that he took her for her skills and isolation. In order for her to do what he wants her to do, she has to be whole; he can’t risk breaking her mentally, physically or emotionally or she won’t be able to do her work. I would have loved the story where she turned the screws to him at this point. I would have.
I get the attraction to each other. She doesn’t look on his face with repulsion and she’s not afraid of his touch, but sexual attraction or not, she needed more fight in her. The best scenes were when she had the moral high ground (all the time, as she hasn’t enslaved anybody) and poked holes in his logic. He had no defenses for people who talk back to him and that aspect I like and responded with a mixture of anger and self-loathing. In these rare moments when he truly understood what he is his humanity and vulnerability shone.
I’ve read a lot from this author and really like her characters, usually broken men and women who, through love, find a way to heal themselves. But this book ends (**spoilers**) and nothing changes, “Monster” has given her his real name, but will not so much as show her the dignity of calling her by her real name or listening to her or taking her advice. By the end of the book, he hasn’t changed, he may be in love with her, but he still treats her like property. I realize that this is the first book in a trilogy and more character development will occur, but this just wasn’t enough for me.
singh_reads_kanwar2's review
3.0
This is another Stockholm syndrome story kind of thing , a lazer therapist and the man who called himself monster with abuse childhood and mistake they have done there story entwined and new things came to light.
Monster Hidden away from society by his criminal father, there lives a man who has never entered the outside world. Now, having taken over his father's business, he has all the money and power he could dream of, yet still he refuses to let himself be viewed by the rest of society.
Lily was Traumatised by an event in her past, Lily Drayton has a phobia of being touched. Though she helps people externally with her skills as a laser therapist, she refuses to let anyone in, emotionally or physically. When Lily is kidnapped on the way home from work one evening, she discovers she's not the only person who keeps themselves cut off from the rest of the world.
Defaced
A man owns her now, a man both dangerous and enigmatic. Drawn by his dual beauty and hidden pain, he awakens something inside her, something she believed was long dead. Brought to a room without windows, she's given an impossible task: to make her owner acceptable to the outside world.
But story end and his insecurities end with it he found a love and she fall for him and both shared there truth about what happened in there past. And finally they live together.
Monster Hidden away from society by his criminal father, there lives a man who has never entered the outside world. Now, having taken over his father's business, he has all the money and power he could dream of, yet still he refuses to let himself be viewed by the rest of society.
Lily was Traumatised by an event in her past, Lily Drayton has a phobia of being touched. Though she helps people externally with her skills as a laser therapist, she refuses to let anyone in, emotionally or physically. When Lily is kidnapped on the way home from work one evening, she discovers she's not the only person who keeps themselves cut off from the rest of the world.
Defaced
A man owns her now, a man both dangerous and enigmatic. Drawn by his dual beauty and hidden pain, he awakens something inside her, something she believed was long dead. Brought to a room without windows, she's given an impossible task: to make her owner acceptable to the outside world.
But story end and his insecurities end with it he found a love and she fall for him and both shared there truth about what happened in there past. And finally they live together.
pioneer's review
4.0
So many 4.5 stars this month (only 2 but for me that's many). Third one here. There's just one thing in each of them I can't overlook.
I've been meaning to read this for a long time now and my expectations were very low because of the average rating, though I always try to not let it stop me from forming my own opinions. I don't think this low rating is fitting. I'd give this average at least a 4.00, but I usually end up in the minority so I don't know what that says about me.
Monster though...
fuck. He reminds me of a certain someone. Certain fucked up man who was also isolated from the world. Someone who also has a face—deformity, let's call it. But it's not is it? Deformities are ugly. And sure, both these men have ugly pasts—hell, even presents—but I think they're both quite beautiful. Because my taste in fictional dudes is fucked up, to say the least. I'm talking about Sam Hunter-Ridgefield from [b:Take Me with You|31497687|Take Me with You|Nina G. Jones|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1473956284l/31497687._SY75_.jpg|52187979], by the way. I see a huge resemblance.
One of those scenes though—you know which one, I don't need to tell you—had me fucking GONE. My mind was gone. I was just bathing in Monster. I was free-falling.
[10/18/21]
Jesus fuck. I just… yooo. Also, yesss. King shit.
I've been meaning to read this for a long time now and my expectations were very low because of the average rating, though I always try to not let it stop me from forming my own opinions. I don't think this low rating is fitting. I'd give this average at least a 4.00, but I usually end up in the minority so I don't know what that says about me.
Monster though...
fuck. He reminds me of a certain someone. Certain fucked up man who was also isolated from the world. Someone who also has a face—deformity, let's call it. But it's not is it? Deformities are ugly. And sure, both these men have ugly pasts—hell, even presents—but I think they're both quite beautiful. Because my taste in fictional dudes is fucked up, to say the least. I'm talking about Sam Hunter-Ridgefield from [b:Take Me with You|31497687|Take Me with You|Nina G. Jones|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1473956284l/31497687._SY75_.jpg|52187979], by the way. I see a huge resemblance. One of those scenes though—you know which one, I don't need to tell you—had me fucking GONE. My mind was gone. I was just bathing in Monster. I was free-falling.
[10/18/21]
Jesus fuck. I just… yooo. Also, yesss. King shit.
lisa01's review
5.0
Wow did I love this book! It is defiantly a darker romance. The story though is amazing. This gives you the feeling of wanting to feel bad for the character but yet knowing you shouldn’t because of his past. Even though there are not a ton of characters i did not feel the loss. These were written beautifully. The author made me *feel* for him over and over. Lily as well with her ordeal but his...well it brings out my bleeding heart.
I listened to this wonderful story on audio. It’s my first time listening to Artie Rose. She did great. Her different voices really added to my enjoyment to this story.
I listened to this wonderful story on audio. It’s my first time listening to Artie Rose. She did great. Her different voices really added to my enjoyment to this story.
arireavis's review
3.0
A dark romance??? Uhh, I think not. At least, not by my standards. The darkest part was her kidnapping, but her owner was pretty nice, if you ask me. Especially for someone named Monster. I just couldn't connect with the story. Monster bares his soul to Lily during their 2nd convo and Lily (who hasn't let anyone touch her in 10 years) just lovessssss Monster's touch way too quickly. The ending was better because some action started. The sex scenes varied from ok to good. Probably won't read part 2.
aidrielle's review
1.0
"it's not stockholm syndrome if your kidnapper is hot" - the main character, basically
(i had to read this for Something, and i wasn't given any plot or synopsis or whatever. needless to say i was Not exepecting Any of this.)
(i had to read this for Something, and i wasn't given any plot or synopsis or whatever. needless to say i was Not exepecting Any of this.)
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