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marureviere's review
4.0
I would sacrifice my first-born child just to read more about Lorenzo doting on and spoiling Sasha.
nurlogy's review
5.0
This series was so goddamn refreshing from the bs i recently read. I seriously LOVED everything about it.
bibliophile90's review
5.0
**ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review**
"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!
"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!
axa_ya's review
2.0
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happy ever after
ok.
this book is just not for me i don't know why its too dark too disturbing :(
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happy ever after
ok.
this book is just not for me i don't know why its too dark too disturbing :(
helenmckinzi's review
5.0
Lorenzo Fucking Gambini is the man of my dreams. This duology was such an enjoyable joyride. I love and admire Morgan so much, but Lorenzo Gambini gives me so many emotions. Gah.
moonbites's review against another edition
4.0
TW: child abuse, kidnapping, rape & sexual assault
I loved this one a thousand times more than the first one. Which, from those trigger warnings I am sure it's hard for anyone to understand why...
In this finale I started to really like the characters so much more. Lorenzo, who was kind of meh for me in the first book, really shined in this. It may be because he was less of a villain in this one, because we see who the real villain is. He also just generally made me laugh and root for him. I loved the relationship building between our main characters, it was sexy and they were also hilarious.
The references made in the book were numerous, references to Harry Potter, the Lion King Broadway play, Star Wars and Disney in general. That was kind of fun and I don't recall there being so many in the first book. However, the third wall breaks that happened quite often were sometimes disorienting. At times, they worked when Lorenzo would talk to the reader and other times when Morgan or he did it, then it felt off. That is part of my lower rating. I was also shocked by some of the choices made for the story, which I won't go into for spoilers sake. It had me like...
I loved all the action in this (no pun intended), there were a lot of fights and "OH MY GOD" moments that had me eager to keep listening. All in all this was a great conclusion with some really endearing moments. It was sexy, dark, and hilarious. I am glad I got around to finishing this duology.
I loved this one a thousand times more than the first one. Which, from those trigger warnings I am sure it's hard for anyone to understand why...
In this finale I started to really like the characters so much more. Lorenzo, who was kind of meh for me in the first book, really shined in this. It may be because he was less of a villain in this one, because we see who the real villain is. He also just generally made me laugh and root for him. I loved the relationship building between our main characters, it was sexy and they were also hilarious.
The references made in the book were numerous, references to Harry Potter, the Lion King Broadway play, Star Wars and Disney in general. That was kind of fun and I don't recall there being so many in the first book. However, the third wall breaks that happened quite often were sometimes disorienting. At times, they worked when Lorenzo would talk to the reader and other times when Morgan or he did it, then it felt off. That is part of my lower rating. I was also shocked by some of the choices made for the story, which I won't go into for spoilers sake. It had me like...
I loved all the action in this (no pun intended), there were a lot of fights and "OH MY GOD" moments that had me eager to keep listening. All in all this was a great conclusion with some really endearing moments. It was sexy, dark, and hilarious. I am glad I got around to finishing this duology.
annica_reads_books's review against another edition
5.0
Mafia Romance and Star Wars fans, don’t sleep on this duet!
I knew that I loved JM Darhower’s writing coming into this duet, but what I didn’t expect when I picked this story up was to experience the best damn mafia story I’ve ever read. I’ve been avoiding writing this review for weeks because I simply don’t know how to do it justice.
I go back and forth between wanting to tell everything I loved about this story to all of my friends, and keeping it a well-guarded secret so anyone reading this can go in completely blind and experience this duet the same way that I did. So, I’ll say this – the Scarlet Scars duet is so much more than a manufactured, cookie-cutter mafia story. Besides being a mafia romance, it has captive/captor dynamics, symbolism, an unpredictable plot, realistic and relevant dark themes and scenes, amazing humor, and some of the best damn protagonists I’ve ever met.
The heroine, Morgan (a.k.a. “Scarlet”), has now earned a spot in my favorite heroine hall of fame. I thought I loved her in the first book Menace. But then? I kept reading about her in the second book Grevious, and she got even better. If you want a formidable, intelligent heroine who is empathetic and has self-respect - Scarlet is your woman. She’s also absolutely the perfect compliment to our anti-hero, Lorenzo.
“Most days we just sit around, waiting for something to happen. It’s monotonous. The world, it’s all in black and white, but you? You’re so many shades of red, woman, and color me curious, but I find myself not so bored with your bullshit around.”
I don’t even know where to start with Lorenzo. This review has been the hardest to write because I want to convey how unique he is without spoiling anything for you. Lorenzo is the craziest motherfucker I’ve ever read about, and I’ve read some doozies. He numbers his employees so he doesn’t have to remember their names. He will shoot anyone for looking at him the wrong way. He’s no one’s hero, and he doesn’t want or claim to be. He’s unique and endearing, and spouts off some of the funniest things I have ever read in dark romance literature (I probably have 10-15 highlights per book with a note saying “LMFAO!”)! If you’re looking for a knight in shining armor, Lorenzo is NOT your guy. Lorenzo lives life the way he wants to, and it’s up to you to be able to live life at his pace.
“I see his conscience. I see his compassion. I’ve listened to the heart strongly beating in his chest that he desperately tries to silence to keep everyone from hearing.”
Simply put, this is the best mafia romance story I have ever read, and I don’t know if I’ll find anything else that compares for a long, long time. The story was intriguing on page one and kept getting better and better with each chapter – it’s paced to perfection. The Scarlet Scars duet has officially made my top reads of 2023 list, and my Goodreads Hall of Fame shelf. If you take one recommendation from me this year, please consider this duet among my highest-ranked books of 2023. I highly recommend this book to fans of dark romance (and Star Wars!).
I knew that I loved JM Darhower’s writing coming into this duet, but what I didn’t expect when I picked this story up was to experience the best damn mafia story I’ve ever read. I’ve been avoiding writing this review for weeks because I simply don’t know how to do it justice.
I go back and forth between wanting to tell everything I loved about this story to all of my friends, and keeping it a well-guarded secret so anyone reading this can go in completely blind and experience this duet the same way that I did. So, I’ll say this – the Scarlet Scars duet is so much more than a manufactured, cookie-cutter mafia story. Besides being a mafia romance, it has captive/captor dynamics, symbolism, an unpredictable plot, realistic and relevant dark themes and scenes, amazing humor, and some of the best damn protagonists I’ve ever met.
The heroine, Morgan (a.k.a. “Scarlet”), has now earned a spot in my favorite heroine hall of fame. I thought I loved her in the first book Menace. But then? I kept reading about her in the second book Grevious, and she got even better. If you want a formidable, intelligent heroine who is empathetic and has self-respect - Scarlet is your woman. She’s also absolutely the perfect compliment to our anti-hero, Lorenzo.
“Most days we just sit around, waiting for something to happen. It’s monotonous. The world, it’s all in black and white, but you? You’re so many shades of red, woman, and color me curious, but I find myself not so bored with your bullshit around.”
I don’t even know where to start with Lorenzo. This review has been the hardest to write because I want to convey how unique he is without spoiling anything for you. Lorenzo is the craziest motherfucker I’ve ever read about, and I’ve read some doozies. He numbers his employees so he doesn’t have to remember their names. He will shoot anyone for looking at him the wrong way. He’s no one’s hero, and he doesn’t want or claim to be. He’s unique and endearing, and spouts off some of the funniest things I have ever read in dark romance literature (I probably have 10-15 highlights per book with a note saying “LMFAO!”)! If you’re looking for a knight in shining armor, Lorenzo is NOT your guy. Lorenzo lives life the way he wants to, and it’s up to you to be able to live life at his pace.
“I see his conscience. I see his compassion. I’ve listened to the heart strongly beating in his chest that he desperately tries to silence to keep everyone from hearing.”
Simply put, this is the best mafia romance story I have ever read, and I don’t know if I’ll find anything else that compares for a long, long time. The story was intriguing on page one and kept getting better and better with each chapter – it’s paced to perfection. The Scarlet Scars duet has officially made my top reads of 2023 list, and my Goodreads Hall of Fame shelf. If you take one recommendation from me this year, please consider this duet among my highest-ranked books of 2023. I highly recommend this book to fans of dark romance (and Star Wars!).
mshai's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
ajlacassie's review against another edition
5.0
Great story even better than 1st book! i love Sasha and her convos with Lorenzo!!!
Also three!!! three was even better in this book! i wish i could just have a book about him!
Also three!!! three was even better in this book! i wish i could just have a book about him!