A review by haletostilinski1
Scum by K.A. Merikan
4.0
⭐︎3.5 stars rounded up⭐︎
First off, I do have to warn for a potential trigger:
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
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 and I wouldn't have minded as much. But .
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
And I know these ladies love their dark romances, that's for sure and I love them, but...for a romance, even 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.
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, evenSpoiler
rape is such a violation, even attempted rape, that I'm just like...gah...no thank youBut 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 itBut 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.