Reviews

Scum by K.A. Merikan

k_gauna's review

dark emotional tense fast-paced

5.0

This was such a good book. Shane has alpha confidence and is morally gray (though he's never unalived anyone) while Rosen is so naive with the darker side of the world, even though he's a drug-dealer for his frat house. His innocence makes Shane's true purpose for starting up a relationship even more depraved, but there is redemption. Rosen's father is just a dick and I'm glad he got what he deserved. Jag is just crazy! No, seriously, I think he has a few screws loose and I have to read the next book in this series to get his story, because it's only mentioned that he was rescued from a cult. 

intheend's review against another edition

DNF @ 14%

The book opens up with the older MC dealing drugs to the younger MC's frat party. They do the exchange, then the older MC finds the younger MC in the house and follows him to a bedroom. It's the first time the younger MC has ever hooked up and they went straight into anal because he found the older MC "charming." Then, the older MC keeps referring to the younger MC as "boy" which was just unsettling for me.

amie7's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

littlesyd85's review against another edition

Couldn’t get into it. May come back to it later

douggietheoat's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

4.0

karentje's review against another edition

5.0

What a thrilling dark romance!! Just the book I needed, a wonderful escape, great character development and just the best mix of vengeance and romance with a twisted cherry on top. I loved Shane! He is the kind of character that stays with you. He’s very much a down-on-his-luck guy who looks to revenge as a way to deal with his pain and the betrayal he suffered. He is such an intriguing, conflicted character, both a dangerous predator and a man craving love, needing to belong with someone. The way he struggles with his own vulnerability and with his rapidly changing feelings for Rosen was incredible. Brilliant writing. He skirts the edges of the “acceptable,” only barely stopping himself from doing the unforgivable. He is so conflicted. In comparison, Rosen is almost deceptively innocent. I love how hard he falls for Shane. He rolls with the punches and adapts quickly. The worldbuilding is gritty, different, and so very promising. I really liked Shane’s “found” family, dysfunctional and shady as they are. Very much looking forward to the next story in this new series.

intheblackout's review against another edition

4.0

Scum is a dark romance between an ex-con and the son of a wealthy politician. Make sure to check content warnings, as Shane's revenge plot takes a twisted turn.

Shane and Rosen's romance was explosive, they couldn't get enough of each other. While it turns toxic and at points even made me question if they could end up together, the author did a great job of keeping me invested and rooting for them.

I loved Shane's found family. Frank who took him in after he got out of prison. Jag who protects the junkyard and their family. And even Dex who's like the annoying little brother. I can't wait to read their books.

__
Shane spent 10 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Now he's out of prison and ready to get revenge on the man put him there, Ed Beck the actual man who killed the woman and framed Shane. A republican politician who used his power to keep his own hands clean.

Rosen is the son of said politician. His father has forced him to stay in the closet, with the threat of not paying for his art college, as he doesn't want his gay son to negatively affect his popularity with his voters.

Shane wants to ruin Beck without risking prison time, and Rosen presents the perfect opportunity. Shane is going to use Rosen to ruin his father's political career and finally get his revenge.

However, Shane doesn't take falling in love with Rosen into account.

hugo19999's review against another edition

3.0

I wanted to like this book so bad since it has such a strong start, it picks up from the beginning, I was so engraved from the story that until the attempt rape scene happened that was so traumatizing I'm pretty it was only written for shock values because the process of ros forgiving shane for what he did was so rushed, it was so half-assed since it was done with a time jump we don't actually see the process of him apologizing.
So many potential wasted with poor executions.

haletostilinski1's review against another edition

4.0

⭐︎3.5 stars rounded up⭐︎

First off, I do have to warn for a potential trigger:

Spoiler

At around 60%, Shane intends to force Ros (Rosen) to do a sex tape, which he had been planning to do, but with Ros' consent and under the guise of boyfriends just wanting to film hot sex they have. But in this scene he takes Ros to a shipping container at the junkyard, locks him in, sets up the camera and mattress, and tells him to strip.

Ros refuses but Shane is unmoving, and at one point Ros is starting to take his shirt off, but when Shane gets close he throws an elbow in Shane's face and tries to fight him off. It isn't until Ros shouts at Shane and says that he intends to rape him that Shane stops and realizes what he's doing.

It's hard to read, and it's hard to forgive Shane for it. How he didn't realize how wrong what he was doing before was, I don't know. And at least he stops then and lets Ros go, but even having the intention of doing that and not realizing it would have been rape is...a lot. Who knows what would have happened if Ros hadn't called what Shane was about to do rape.

So yeah, trigger warning for that. It's a tough thing to read, and definitely makes Shane live up to the word 'scum' and idk how Ros eventually forgives him. At least, maybe it should have taken more for him to forgive Shane.

So before that happens, I was loving this. Yeah, Shane had his revenge plan to use Ros and all that, but he was clearly falling for Ros, who is sweet and innocent and kind, and just so happy with Shane and gives his trust freely, even when he learns parts of Shane's past. So sure it wasn't right of Shane, but he didn't cross the line like he did at 60%, I think. THAT was way too far, and hard for me to get past.

I love these ladies and their dark stories, with couples who aren't always so healthy or don't start out healthy (hell, Dom and Seth's start wasn't so healthy either, that's for sure) but when

Spoiler

attempted rape of one MC to another MC happens, even that's hard for me to stomach. And sure, it didn't get far at all, and Ros fought back and only his shirt came off and Shane came to his senses and let him go, all that's true...but his intention was there. The intention to force Ros into sex on camera. Which is rape. So even though he didn't and even came to his senses...that he even started to do it was....a LOT.

So to say I was conflicted after this was an understatement. And sure, Shane gave Ros much needed space, then apologized and worked to redeem himself and do better, but...the offense was so bad that it was hard to get completely past it, even when Shane was trying to do better and be better for Ros.

So I lowered my rating, which probably would have been 5 stars for me if that event hadn't happened. But it did and it just didn't feel like the right kind of dark, idk. It's like...these ladies could have had Shane do anything but that, even

Spoiler

freaking had him plot to kill Ros, even

and I wouldn't have minded as much. But

Spoiler

rape is such a violation, even attempted rape, that I'm just like...gah...no thank you

.

But anyway, I'll get off that subject now. Other than that part, I did love the rest of this. The first 60% was great, and these two had great chemistry, and seeing Shane falling for Ros even when he was just trying to use him was great, and Ros was just so sweet and kind and lovely, I loved his sweet, innocent nature. We need more Ros' in the world.

And once these two started to get past that event, and worked to rebuild their relationship, I did like it, and even though I felt Ros started to forgive Shane too easily and take him back a little too early, what we did get was good, with Shane really trying to prove himself and change himself for Ros, to prove that he could be more than scum.

And Ros' father finally getting his comeuppance at the end was definitely good.

I just think maybe these ladies didn't have to go the extreme they did to make Shane true "scum" and could have made him

Spoiler

still betray Ros in the original way, where he consensually filmed them having consensual sex and still showing Ros' father. It is a scummy thing to do still, but maybe just not crossing the line that far.

And I know these ladies love their dark romances, that's for sure and I love them, but...for a romance, even

Spoiler

attempted rape of one MC to another, where they both have free will and are of sound mind to NOT do it

is maybe too much for me. Or maybe it was just in this story, how it was done, I don't know. It just really affected me in this.

But still, rounding up for everything outside of that scene, because the rest of the story is worth the stars. And I'll definitely be reading more in this series (although how we're supposed to love Jag as a romantic MC, idk. He's so completely strange, so idk who is gonna be his LI), as overall this was a very good book for me. There just could have been a different way to go about things.

And I would take in the TW I have under the spoiler tag - if you want to be spoiled for that TW - and then come to the conclusion yourself on whether you'd like to give this book a try, knowing what happens.

So otherwise, a good installment, and definitely will be tuning in for more. Just maybe not the best outing from these wonderful authors.

gabriela18live's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0