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Monster in His Eyes #1
Monster in His Eyes
Ignazio Vitale is not a good man.
I suspect it, the first time I see him, sense the air of danger that surrounds the man. He has a way of commanding attention, of taking control, of knowing what I'm thinking before I even do.
It's alarming and alluring. It's dark and deadly. It's everything I've ever wanted but the last thing I truly need. Obsession.
It doesn't take him long to draw me into his web, charming me into his bed and trapping me in his life, a life I know nothing about until it's too late. He has secrets, secrets I can't fathom, secrets that make it so I can't walk away, no matter how much I beg him to let me go. I see it sometimes in his eyes, a darkness that's both terrifying and thrilling. He's a monster, wrapped up in a pretty package, and what I find when I unmask him changes everything.
I want to hate him.
Sometimes, I do.
But it doesn't stop me from loving him, too.
I suspect it, the first time I see him, sense the air of danger that surrounds the man. He has a way of commanding attention, of taking control, of knowing what I'm thinking before I even do.
It's alarming and alluring. It's dark and deadly. It's everything I've ever wanted but the last thing I truly need. Obsession.
It doesn't take him long to draw me into his web, charming me into his bed and trapping me in his life, a life I know nothing about until it's too late. He has secrets, secrets I can't fathom, secrets that make it so I can't walk away, no matter how much I beg him to let me go. I see it sometimes in his eyes, a darkness that's both terrifying and thrilling. He's a monster, wrapped up in a pretty package, and what I find when I unmask him changes everything.
I want to hate him.
Sometimes, I do.
But it doesn't stop me from loving him, too.
351 pages, ebook
First published April 27, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,487 reviews
April 20, 2015
5 Stars!
When you start a new book but your mind is still on the story and the characters of your previous book, you know you are suffering from a book hangover. That is exactly what JM Darhower has done to me. Monster in His Eyes is a fast paced and hella hot read with some mystery and suspense. Once I started reading, I was a goner. Could not put that book down. The hero is not your typical good guy. In fact, he’s not much of a good guy at all- and I can’t tell you how much I LOVE that!
Karissa is an eighteen year old college student. She’s always worked hard for the things she has. She makes sure she keeps a 3.5 gpa so she can retain her scholarship for NYU, she doesn't have the designer clothing her roommate does and she doesn’t mind. She just wants to get through school, get settled in one place. After moving place to place with her mother throughout her child hood, she just wants to be settled. Karissa see’s Mr. tall, dark and deliciously dangerous when she’s going back to Philosophy. She never imagined someone like Ignazio Vitale would be interested in her, but she was so so wrong.
Naz is older than Karissa. In fact, he’s double her age, around 36. He’s successful, sexy, and powerful. A man who knows who he is and what he wants. And he wants Karissa. Naz is a man who is used to getting exactly what he wants when he wants it. Karissa is attracted to him, and it’s obvious she wants him too.
Naz and Karissa start seeing one another regularly. It becomes clear to Karissa she doesn’t really know much about Naz. What he does for a living, how he has so much money. She doesn’t ask many questions, but she knows he’s a powerful man. He makes that very clear.
Karissa and Naz get serious fairly quickly. Karissa can’t get enough of Naz. She realizes early on he may not be a ‘good guy’, but he is still the guy for her.
Naz is the very best part of this book. He was such an interesting and complex character. It was hard to determine who he really was. He has a lot of different sides, but I liked them all. Naz knows he’s not good, he’s a monster. Karissa knows it to. But she’s in too deep. She couldn’t get out, even if she wanted to.
The sexy scenes in this book were well written and off the charts hot.
As the story started to come together towards the end, there were many moments I was like ‘What?!’. I loved that I couldn’t predict every little things that was happening. The ending wasn’t something I would classify as a cliffhanger, more like what direction will she take with the conclusion of Naz and Karissa’s story. I for one can’t wait to find out!
Romantic suspense isn’t always my favorite genre, but with the way JM Darhower writes, and the passion and darkness of the story, this book quickly made its way on my favorites list. It was fast paced and there was never a dull moment. I love when books captivates me and leave me wanting more. That is exactly what this did. I was engrossed from start to finish. And another plus- I have found a new book boyfriend (with issues- my favorite kind) in Naz. I can’t wait for you all to read this one!
*ARC kindly provided by author in exchange for an honest review*
When you start a new book but your mind is still on the story and the characters of your previous book, you know you are suffering from a book hangover. That is exactly what JM Darhower has done to me. Monster in His Eyes is a fast paced and hella hot read with some mystery and suspense. Once I started reading, I was a goner. Could not put that book down. The hero is not your typical good guy. In fact, he’s not much of a good guy at all- and I can’t tell you how much I LOVE that!
Karissa is an eighteen year old college student. She’s always worked hard for the things she has. She makes sure she keeps a 3.5 gpa so she can retain her scholarship for NYU, she doesn't have the designer clothing her roommate does and she doesn’t mind. She just wants to get through school, get settled in one place. After moving place to place with her mother throughout her child hood, she just wants to be settled. Karissa see’s Mr. tall, dark and deliciously dangerous when she’s going back to Philosophy. She never imagined someone like Ignazio Vitale would be interested in her, but she was so so wrong.
Naz is older than Karissa. In fact, he’s double her age, around 36. He’s successful, sexy, and powerful. A man who knows who he is and what he wants. And he wants Karissa. Naz is a man who is used to getting exactly what he wants when he wants it. Karissa is attracted to him, and it’s obvious she wants him too.
He’s a drug, an addictive one, and I’m not sure it’s a habit I can kick. All it took was one hit. One strong, euphoric hit and I was hooked.
Naz and Karissa start seeing one another regularly. It becomes clear to Karissa she doesn’t really know much about Naz. What he does for a living, how he has so much money. She doesn’t ask many questions, but she knows he’s a powerful man. He makes that very clear.
Karissa and Naz get serious fairly quickly. Karissa can’t get enough of Naz. She realizes early on he may not be a ‘good guy’, but he is still the guy for her.
Naz is the very best part of this book. He was such an interesting and complex character. It was hard to determine who he really was. He has a lot of different sides, but I liked them all. Naz knows he’s not good, he’s a monster. Karissa knows it to. But she’s in too deep. She couldn’t get out, even if she wanted to.
“I thought I could play with you a bit, and let you go, but once I had you, Karissa, I had to keep you. I couldn’t walk away.”Passion and desire. Love and lust. Pleasure and pain. Want. Need. Utterly CONSUMED.
The sexy scenes in this book were well written and off the charts hot.
As the story started to come together towards the end, there were many moments I was like ‘What?!’. I loved that I couldn’t predict every little things that was happening. The ending wasn’t something I would classify as a cliffhanger, more like what direction will she take with the conclusion of Naz and Karissa’s story. I for one can’t wait to find out!
Romantic suspense isn’t always my favorite genre, but with the way JM Darhower writes, and the passion and darkness of the story, this book quickly made its way on my favorites list. It was fast paced and there was never a dull moment. I love when books captivates me and leave me wanting more. That is exactly what this did. I was engrossed from start to finish. And another plus- I have found a new book boyfriend (with issues- my favorite kind) in Naz. I can’t wait for you all to read this one!
He set out to destroy me, but he fell in love with me instead.
I fell in love with him, and that’s what destroyed me in the end.
He says he would never hurt me, but he doesn’t realize he already has.
He hurt me by loving me.
By being who he is.
Because I am who I am.
*ARC kindly provided by author in exchange for an honest review*
August 15, 2017
★★★★! Monster in His Eyes, book 1 of 2. College girl is seduced by the mysterious, mercurial and older Naz! She doesn’t stand a chance, but who is he?
“He fucks me like he means it, like he needs it, like being inside of me is more important than anything inside of him.”
Books in series should be read in order:
Book 1: Monster in His Eyes
Book 2: Torture to Her Soul
Monster in His Eyes (book 1) opens up to university student Karissa Reed, Kissimmee in College doing mid-terms, fretting over her Philosophy class and hanging out with her friends. Abandoned by her father before birth she spent her childhood moving from place to place with her mom seeking happiness and peace while coddling Karissa.
She has finally broken away and moved to the city to attend NYC. But her upbringing has left her naïve and insecure, very impressionable. When she encounters a handsome stranger, much older than her she is both smitten and taken back.
The mysterious and mercurial Ignazio Vitale, Naz claims to be a freelancer. From the moment their eyes catch Karissa doesn’t stand a chance against the force that is Naz. He pursues her while warning her off.
“I'm not a good man, Karissa, and I never will be . So don't think you can fix me, or that I'll ever change, because I won't. I can't.”
Sex with Naz is rough, angry and violent at times. The courtship that ensues is intense, bordering on addictive. The fact that he associates with known mobsters hints to a darker and dangerous side. Strap on your seatbelt for the unfolding of who is Ignazio Vitale, Naz?
Eight words to describe Ignazio Vitale, Naz: Mysterious, mercurial, closed-off, imperfect, broken, ruthless, possessive and nurturing.
Naz, with his rough edges and slightly sinister smile, is pure passion and genuine grit, the kind that makes the hair on my arms stand on end while my spine simultaneously tingles.”
Eight words to describe Karissa Reed, Kissimmee: Naïve, lonely insecure, impressionable, smart, inadequate, immature and sheltered.
Monster in His Eyes is the slow yet captivating seduction of Karissa and the unfolding of the enigma that is Naz. Needless to say it ends abruptly, not so much a cliffy more like violence and chaos. I look forward to reading book 2, Torture to Her Soul for the conclusion of their story.
Mysterious and suspenseful plot! Excellent story-telling! Memorable and captivating hero!
“And I ate you alive, sweetheart. You never had a chance.”
***
Hero rating: 5 stars
Heroine rating: 4 stars
Sexual tension rating: 4.5 stars
Sex scenes rating: 4 stars
Sex scenes frequency: 4 stars
Plot rating: 4 stars
Dialogue rating: 4.5 stars
Storytelling rating: 4.5 stars
Story ending rating: N/A
Book editing rating (5 = no edits spotted): 4.5 stars
************************************************
Overall rating: 4 stars
Would I recommend this series: Yes.
Would I re-read this series: Maybe later.
Would I read future books by this author: Yes.
May 2, 2014
Monster in His Eyes, is the first part of a two part series. The book is told solely in the heroine's POV.
Karissa Reed is a struggling college student. She's completely dependent on a scholarship as a means for paying for her education. The biggest problem in her life is surviving her Philosophy class and maintaining her 3.5 GPA. That is until she meets Ignazio Naz Vitale. From the moment he steps into her life, he makes his presence known in a major way. He takes her average existence and turns it into Cinderella's story but with a dark twist. When the clock strikes twelve something much more sinister happens.
Karissa, is 18 years old while Ignazio is twice her age, 36 years old. Their age difference is quite blatant and the author doesn't try to make you see their relationship through rose tinted glasses. Karissa, is the lamb to Ignazio's lion and that is the basis of their relationship. Until they get into the bedroom, when I read those scenes their age difference was forgotten, and all I could think about was the intensity of their relationship. And how freaking hot is was!
Why do I mention their age so much? Because HE'S TWICE HER AGE, and in the beginning I couldn't wrap my mind around this because the heroine was a little childish in the beginning. I was quite interested in how all this would play out, and thankfully it all came together quite wonderfully. Meaning she grew the hell up, I breathed a sigh of relief, and the story became quite awesome.
Now without giving too much away. This book is about secrets, revenge, love, obsession and even a little bit of blackmail. It's fast paced, there are a few twists but for me the one I never saw coming was the one near the end. The mother of all twists that had my jaw getting carpet burn!
Read it. Weep. But remember, Naz is mine!
ARC kindly provided by author in return for an honest review
April 17, 2016
3.5 Monster Stars
Karissa is a young dumb college student. She meets Naz, a hot mysterious older man who starts to give her attention.
He shows up almost everywhere she is..
They eat...
Watch some movies...
They have lots of sex. Apparently KarissA likes to be choked.
Oh and at this point she decides she loves him. (its only been a few weeks...(YAY for insta-love...)
She is so blinded by his love that she doesn't realize what he does..
Oh and then finally at like 75% shit started going down and getting good. Unfortunately you are left somewhat hanging and we will have to wait and find out what happens to their relationship from here.
I didn't hate this one and I didn't love it either. I love love love J.M. Darhower so I wanted to love it more than I did. Karissa's character got on my nerves and she was a lot dumber than I would have preferred.
Karissa is a young dumb college student. She meets Naz, a hot mysterious older man who starts to give her attention.
He shows up almost everywhere she is..
They eat...
Watch some movies...
They have lots of sex. Apparently KarissA likes to be choked.
"He fucks me like he means it, like he needs it, like being inside of me is more important than anything inside of him, and every cell in my body calls out to him, craving more of it."
Oh and at this point she decides she loves him. (its only been a few weeks...(YAY for insta-love...)
She is so blinded by his love that she doesn't realize what he does..
"He hurt me by loving me. By being who he is."
Oh and then finally at like 75% shit started going down and getting good. Unfortunately you are left somewhat hanging and we will have to wait and find out what happens to their relationship from here.
"My Prince Charming turned out to be the villain of my fairy tale, and part of me thinks that's okay, because eventually, it'll all disappear anyway. Nothing lasts forever. Happily ever after, I think, doesn't exist."
I didn't hate this one and I didn't love it either. I love love love J.M. Darhower so I wanted to love it more than I did. Karissa's character got on my nerves and she was a lot dumber than I would have preferred.
November 14, 2018
i will never judge a book by its popularity....
September 16, 2019
"My Prince Charming turned out to be the villain of my fairy tale, and part of me thinks that's okay, because eventually, it'll all disappear anyway.
Nothing lasts forever.
Happily ever after, I think, doesn't exist."
I decided to re-read this because it's been two years since I first read this series, and with the amazing news of a third book releasing, I had to revisit the sexiest man there ever was, Naz.
And just like before, I fell in love with everything about this story. I can't and won't say a word about the plot. For those who haven't read, I can say it focuses on a girl loving someone she really, REALLY shouldn't. And when the story unfolds, I promise you, YOU WILL BE HOOKED.
"..I hate you but I still love you somehow. It's just..how can I feel both ways?"
"Easily," he says. "The opposite of love isn't hate, Karissa. It's indifference. You're a passionate person, and love and hate...it's not a far stretch from one to the other. They both take passion, someone getting under your skin and consuming you.
And I ate you alive, sweetheart.
You never had a chance."
I love him. I love his sick, twisted ways and I don't care how sick that makes me!
J.M Darhower just has a way with story telling that grabs you and entices you and doesn't let go until your squirming for more. What a fan-fucking-tastic read. Mysterious, sexy, witty, and so entertaining. I love anything this woman writes. But this right here is probably her BEST.
Monster In His Eyes (book 1) | http://amzn.to/2CjzTNo
*runs off to read the second book*
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March 1, 2024
4/5 ⭐️ This reread was just as good as the last one. Although it was veryyy light on the mafia elements (nonexistent), I still enjoyed it. I loved the romance so much. Naz is one of my favorite Heroes. He literally had me melting 🫠 and I really liked Karissa as well! And that twist?? I totally forgot about it 😳.
I also liked when he was connecting her freckles with his finger 🥺. I found that scene so cute.
And Naz literally harmed her professor because he was constantly picking on her and giving her unfairly bad grades 🤭
💗Age gap
💗Mafia
💗A bit dark
💗Possessive hero
1st read (9/2021)
4/5 ⭐️
I also liked when he was connecting her freckles with his finger 🥺. I found that scene so cute.
And Naz literally harmed her professor because he was constantly picking on her and giving her unfairly bad grades 🤭
💗Age gap
💗Mafia
💗A bit dark
💗Possessive hero
1st read (9/2021)
4/5 ⭐️
April 11, 2017
“You don't have to be afraid," he says. "I'm not going to hurt you." he whispers, "unless you want me to.”
Ignazio Michele Vitale. I hate you! Noooo, I love you. God damn it Vitale, you fucked my life!!!
Update: I can't help myself, I still love you...
“Love means seeing beauty in the ugly, the light in the dark, and accepting that even if the lights are off, and I can't see what's in front of me, there will be something there to guide my way.
Love means turning yourself inside out, handing yourself over to somebody else, and trusting them.. trusting them to touch you, to handle you, to bend you, but never, ever break what you give them.”
---------------
“The man has fucked me in every sense of the word.”
“I want to push you to your limits, Karissa. Push you so hard, so far, that you hate me for it.”
“He fucks me like he means it, like he needs it, like being inside of me is more important than anything inside of him, and every cell in my body calls out to him, craving more of it.”
“I have a word problem for you." "I'm listening" "If Naz forgoes sleep, and Karissa gets naked, how many orgasms can he give her before sun up?”
“I’m not a good man, Karissa, and I never will be. So dont think you can fix me, or that I’ll ever change, because I won’t. I can’t.”
“He set out to destroy me, but he fell in love with me instead. I fell in love with him, and that's what destroyed me in the end.”
“You don't have to be afraid," he says. "I'm not going to hurt you." he whispers, "unless you want me to.”
“I’m the king of the jungle. I’m the predator.”
“Does that make me your prey?”
“That makes you my queen.”
“Happiness is being fucked so rough you can hardly breathe, can hardly speak, can do nothing but squeal like a pig as he nails you over and over, pushing inside of you so hard, so deep, that you can feel the man not only with your body, but also with your soul. Happiness is waking up the next morning, barely able to recall your own name, because the only one that mattered in hours was his, screamed so loud your throat is painfully raw, like the name had bled from your lips”
“His full name is Ignazio Vitale, although once, not so long ago, he urged me to call him Naz. And it was Naz who charmed me, who won me over and made me melt. It wasn't until later that I got to know the true Ignazio, and by the time I met Vitale, it was far too late to just walk away.”
“Love means seeing beauty in the ugly, the light in the dark, and accepting that even if the lights are off, and I can't see what's in front of me, there will be something there to guide my way.
Love means turning yourself inside out, handing yourself over to somebody else, and trusting them.. trusting them to touch you, to handle you, to bend you, but never, ever break what you give them.”
“What are you doing?" I whisper, not at all surprised when he doesn't answer my question. He keeps up drawing patterns for a few minutes, nearly lulling me to sleep, before leaning over and pressing a soft kiss between my shoulder blades. He wraps his arms around me, pulling me onto my side toward him, my back flat against his warm chest."I was connecting the dots," he says quietly. "Your freckles are like stars. They tell a story, depending on how you connect them."I smile to myself as he takes my hand, linking our fingers together. "What did they tell you?""They told me you're beautiful," he says. "And I'm a lucky son of a bitch to have you all to myself.”
Ignazio Michele Vitale. I hate you! Noooo, I love you. God damn it Vitale, you fucked my life!!!
Update: I can't help myself, I still love you...
“Love means seeing beauty in the ugly, the light in the dark, and accepting that even if the lights are off, and I can't see what's in front of me, there will be something there to guide my way.
Love means turning yourself inside out, handing yourself over to somebody else, and trusting them.. trusting them to touch you, to handle you, to bend you, but never, ever break what you give them.”
---------------
“The man has fucked me in every sense of the word.”
“I want to push you to your limits, Karissa. Push you so hard, so far, that you hate me for it.”
“He fucks me like he means it, like he needs it, like being inside of me is more important than anything inside of him, and every cell in my body calls out to him, craving more of it.”
“I have a word problem for you." "I'm listening" "If Naz forgoes sleep, and Karissa gets naked, how many orgasms can he give her before sun up?”
“I’m not a good man, Karissa, and I never will be. So dont think you can fix me, or that I’ll ever change, because I won’t. I can’t.”
“He set out to destroy me, but he fell in love with me instead. I fell in love with him, and that's what destroyed me in the end.”
“You don't have to be afraid," he says. "I'm not going to hurt you." he whispers, "unless you want me to.”
“I’m the king of the jungle. I’m the predator.”
“Does that make me your prey?”
“That makes you my queen.”
“Happiness is being fucked so rough you can hardly breathe, can hardly speak, can do nothing but squeal like a pig as he nails you over and over, pushing inside of you so hard, so deep, that you can feel the man not only with your body, but also with your soul. Happiness is waking up the next morning, barely able to recall your own name, because the only one that mattered in hours was his, screamed so loud your throat is painfully raw, like the name had bled from your lips”
“His full name is Ignazio Vitale, although once, not so long ago, he urged me to call him Naz. And it was Naz who charmed me, who won me over and made me melt. It wasn't until later that I got to know the true Ignazio, and by the time I met Vitale, it was far too late to just walk away.”
“Love means seeing beauty in the ugly, the light in the dark, and accepting that even if the lights are off, and I can't see what's in front of me, there will be something there to guide my way.
Love means turning yourself inside out, handing yourself over to somebody else, and trusting them.. trusting them to touch you, to handle you, to bend you, but never, ever break what you give them.”
“What are you doing?" I whisper, not at all surprised when he doesn't answer my question. He keeps up drawing patterns for a few minutes, nearly lulling me to sleep, before leaning over and pressing a soft kiss between my shoulder blades. He wraps his arms around me, pulling me onto my side toward him, my back flat against his warm chest."I was connecting the dots," he says quietly. "Your freckles are like stars. They tell a story, depending on how you connect them."I smile to myself as he takes my hand, linking our fingers together. "What did they tell you?""They told me you're beautiful," he says. "And I'm a lucky son of a bitch to have you all to myself.”
February 22, 2016
4 Stars
As I sit here beating my head against the wall for my complete and utter stupidity, I have only one thought in mind: why in the ever loving hell did it take me so long to read it?
No, but seriously. I love anti-heroes. I love mafia romance. And I seriously love J.M. Drawer's writing. So why did this book spend almost 2 lonely years collecting dust in my kindle? Because I'm an idiot, ladies and ovaries. Complete and utter idiot that's currently kicking my own ass if it's any consolation.
I heard many things about Ignazio "Naz" Vitale. Some of them intriguing, some of them scary, and all of them utterly titillating and ovary tingling.
Monster In His Eyes is told entire in Karissa's POV. Karissa is an 18 year old college student that's struggling through a philosophy class. She's a good girl; she's not into the party scene, she talks to her mother daily, and she has a scholarship to her school which she needs to maintain with her grades. But then Karissa's life takes a real turn when she meets the mysterious Naz; a man twice her age, rich, enigmatic, with just the right edge of dangerous.
Naz is such a magnetic force. As a reader you know there's something almost sinister and dark about him. You certainly know this way before the pieces begin clicking in Karissa's head about the man she's involved with.
At first I was a little concerned with Karissa being only 18, that she'd be too naive, idealistic and immature. And maybe she was those things in a way, but she also pulled it off. Or better yet, the author pulled it off. I'm not sure how she did that, but I connected with her right away.
As you're reading, you know that there's something much deeper involved than a chance meeting. Why? Because the prologue gives that little bit away. It gives you a vague piece of the puzzle that will keep you glued to the pages in eager anticipation for more details. Is it truly a chance meeting or the work of something more? What is it that Naz truly wants. What's his end game and will Karissa survive it?
Naz is a true force of nature. I fell head over ovaries for him right away. There's this air of danger to him. But he's also a perfectly balanced two sided coin. One side nurturing and caring, and the other side dangerous and depraved.
You never know just what side you'll get and yet you're connected to each side equally. You crave that darkness even while you're enjoying his sweetness. Though to be fair, there's really nothing sweet about the man. But his treatment of Karissa is almost fervent.
While the romance is hot, what truly grips you is the intrigue behind Naz's past and present. Who is he really? What does he want? And when the truth finally gets unveiled?
The only thing that kept this from a solid 5 star read for me was the super quick connection between Karissa and Naz. It wasn't quite insta-love, but it wasn't quite not either. There was a large chunk of the book centered around the everyday of their relationship which got a tad stale after a while. But then the second half more than made up for the slowness of the first.
JM Darhower crafts yet another addicting tale that's utterly impossible to put down from beginning to finish. I read it cover to cover in one day. I was ready to cut someone for daring to interrupt me. This author has this way of sucking you right into the story and keeping you at the edge of your seat the entire time. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to dive straight into book two!
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He's a whirlpool of darkness, and I feel myself getting sucked deeper and deeper into the depths of his abyss. I'm drowning in him.
As I sit here beating my head against the wall for my complete and utter stupidity, I have only one thought in mind: why in the ever loving hell did it take me so long to read it?
No, but seriously. I love anti-heroes. I love mafia romance. And I seriously love J.M. Drawer's writing. So why did this book spend almost 2 lonely years collecting dust in my kindle? Because I'm an idiot, ladies and ovaries. Complete and utter idiot that's currently kicking my own ass if it's any consolation.
I heard many things about Ignazio "Naz" Vitale. Some of them intriguing, some of them scary, and all of them utterly titillating and ovary tingling.
Monster In His Eyes is told entire in Karissa's POV. Karissa is an 18 year old college student that's struggling through a philosophy class. She's a good girl; she's not into the party scene, she talks to her mother daily, and she has a scholarship to her school which she needs to maintain with her grades. But then Karissa's life takes a real turn when she meets the mysterious Naz; a man twice her age, rich, enigmatic, with just the right edge of dangerous.
Naz is such a magnetic force. As a reader you know there's something almost sinister and dark about him. You certainly know this way before the pieces begin clicking in Karissa's head about the man she's involved with.
At first I was a little concerned with Karissa being only 18, that she'd be too naive, idealistic and immature. And maybe she was those things in a way, but she also pulled it off. Or better yet, the author pulled it off. I'm not sure how she did that, but I connected with her right away.
As you're reading, you know that there's something much deeper involved than a chance meeting. Why? Because the prologue gives that little bit away. It gives you a vague piece of the puzzle that will keep you glued to the pages in eager anticipation for more details. Is it truly a chance meeting or the work of something more? What is it that Naz truly wants. What's his end game and will Karissa survive it?
But I find myself wondering at times like this, when I feel the distance between us, if maybe in his eyes, the real monster is me.
Naz is a true force of nature. I fell head over ovaries for him right away. There's this air of danger to him. But he's also a perfectly balanced two sided coin. One side nurturing and caring, and the other side dangerous and depraved.
“Does that make me your prey?”
“That makes you my queen.”
You never know just what side you'll get and yet you're connected to each side equally. You crave that darkness even while you're enjoying his sweetness. Though to be fair, there's really nothing sweet about the man. But his treatment of Karissa is almost fervent.
While the romance is hot, what truly grips you is the intrigue behind Naz's past and present. Who is he really? What does he want? And when the truth finally gets unveiled?
The only thing that kept this from a solid 5 star read for me was the super quick connection between Karissa and Naz. It wasn't quite insta-love, but it wasn't quite not either. There was a large chunk of the book centered around the everyday of their relationship which got a tad stale after a while. But then the second half more than made up for the slowness of the first.
JM Darhower crafts yet another addicting tale that's utterly impossible to put down from beginning to finish. I read it cover to cover in one day. I was ready to cut someone for daring to interrupt me. This author has this way of sucking you right into the story and keeping you at the edge of your seat the entire time. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to dive straight into book two!
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July 24, 2016I mentioned in my review of Raw that I'm going through some "dark" erotica books as part of a project with my college book club. I also said that I wouldn't be writing reviews for most of them because I already know they're not my thing and no one wants to read my constant negativity. But I have decided to comment on a couple that made a significant impression on me.
There's no rating from me for this book because my own tastes would skew it, but I will say: if "dark" erotica is your thing, then this is one of the better ones. It does carry the usual tropes, but in a subgenre that is essentially rape and abuse wrapped up in an "I-am-so-sexy-it's-okay" package, then this book stands out as being well-written, compelling and even romantic at times.
There is a rich man and a relatively inexperienced student. There is a quirky best friend. There is rough sex. As I said, no surprises there. But there is no abuse and any sexual "control" is completely consensual and respectful - to the point where the guy constantly checks to make sure Karissa is okay with everything. He loves and cares for her but, more than that, he respects her as an autonomous individual and frequently asks what she wants.
The "dark" side of this book actually didn't feel that dark to me, but maybe that just means I've seen way too many gangster movies. Usually with these kinds of books, the "dark" aspect is centred around the guy having kidnapped the woman and/or abusing her in some way. Until she inevitably falls in love with him - did you know that it's not really rape if the rapist has a pretty face? Neither did I. But the guy's (still refusing to call him Naz) dark secret in Monster in His Eyes is only indirectly linked to their relationship. It's more to do with his questionable "professional" antics on the side - which I was able to forgive. Unlike actions such as rape and abuse, which I view as unforgivable.
So, my mind hasn't changed about this subgenre, but if you were on the lookout for dark erotica books that don't actually make you want to cast yourself from the nearest tall building... here you go ;)
There's no rating from me for this book because my own tastes would skew it, but I will say: if "dark" erotica is your thing, then this is one of the better ones. It does carry the usual tropes, but in a subgenre that is essentially rape and abuse wrapped up in an "I-am-so-sexy-it's-okay" package, then this book stands out as being well-written, compelling and even romantic at times.
There is a rich man and a relatively inexperienced student. There is a quirky best friend. There is rough sex. As I said, no surprises there. But there is no abuse and any sexual "control" is completely consensual and respectful - to the point where the guy constantly checks to make sure Karissa is okay with everything. He loves and cares for her but, more than that, he respects her as an autonomous individual and frequently asks what she wants.
The "dark" side of this book actually didn't feel that dark to me, but maybe that just means I've seen way too many gangster movies. Usually with these kinds of books, the "dark" aspect is centred around the guy having kidnapped the woman and/or abusing her in some way. Until she inevitably falls in love with him - did you know that it's not really rape if the rapist has a pretty face? Neither did I. But the guy's (still refusing to call him Naz) dark secret in Monster in His Eyes is only indirectly linked to their relationship. It's more to do with his questionable "professional" antics on the side - which I was able to forgive. Unlike actions such as rape and abuse, which I view as unforgivable.
So, my mind hasn't changed about this subgenre, but if you were on the lookout for dark erotica books that don't actually make you want to cast yourself from the nearest tall building... here you go ;)
February 22, 2016
Let me just say, I had a massive book hangover for a few days after reading this one. I loved this book. Period.
The title and blurb says a lot already. This is not some sweet, fluffy romance, no, it's actually quite dark. Although the beginning is rather normal for erotic romance, when young and innocent girl meets older and mysterious man, the rest of it is not so light. The further we get in to the story, the darker it gets. The plot was full of surprises and rather unexpected. The mystery of Ignazio Vitale is what kept me glued to the story and made me flip pages with my mouth open almost all the time. There were little hints along the way and when I finally came up with my theory I couldn't read fast enough to get my answers.
18 year old, freshman college student, Karissa meets Naz. Naz is 36 (and no, I wasn't bothered by the age difference here), he is mysterious and cryptic, dark and dangerous. And though Karissa doesn't know much about him, she goes deep into relationship with him until it's too late. She might seem a bit naive, but that didn't make her annoying at all. I think she didn't ask him the right questions, not because she didn't want to, but because she rather didn't want to know the answers to them. And Naz, oh well, "tall dark and fuckable" alert. This guy was something else, intense, intelligent and passionate. When you add his moments of swooning and kindness to this mix, you have the perfect bad "boy" hero.
And finally, holy mother of god, bedroom scenes were hawt!, although I am fully aware they were not for everyone to like. I loved how the intensity of them increased with every encounter, starting from rather ordinary sex and ending on rough, even on the verge of violence ones. So if you like kinky, controlling assholes, this you will like, otherwise.....your call.
"I'm telling you, I'm warning you. I'm not a good man, Karissa, and I never will be. So don't think you can fix me, or that I'll ever change, because I won't. I can't. You have to know, if this goes any further, if you ask me to stay, I'm not going to be able to let you walk away."
"I love him. I hate him. He's everything that's good. He's the worst of everything. He gives my life meaning. He'll take my life away someday.
My Prince Charming turned out to be the villain of my fairy tale, and part of me thinks that's okay, because eventually, it'll all disappear, anyway.
Nothing lasts forever.
Happily ever after, I think, doesn't exist."
October 27, 2015
Dangerous guy. Naive girl. A captivating love story between two people from seemingly different worlds. Angst, mystery, suspense. This story has it all, along with a seriously sexy alpha-male. I don't want to give anything away, but there are twists in the plot. All I can say is that this is a book you don't want to miss. It is a riveting story right to the end and will be one that I know I'll re-read many times. Definitely a new favorite!
May 16, 2015
“2.5 not so Monster’y stars”
The Characters
Meet Karissa-almost 19 years old college freshman
And then there’s Ignazio “Naz” Vitale who always wears a black suit
The story
Girl meets aguy man who is filthy rich, girl is attracted to him but the man is full of mystery. Even then the girl agrees to go out for dinner, they have SEX. Girl craves for man’s touch so they hook up again. When the girl and man are not having sex, Girl is attending philosophy class and the man always “works” which the girl never felt the need to know. The Girl eventually falls for the man whom she hardly knows that’s because the man hardly speaks anything apart from “huh” and “I don’t know” again girl is not at all suspicious about his whereabouts and people he calls his “family”. When the girl finds out man’s secret she is all like “I hate him but I still Love him”.
My thoughts
I din’t feel any chemistry between the two nor did I connect with the characters. Throughout the book I was waiting for at least one significant event to blow my mind but nothing happened. Even towards the end when there was a revelation of how all the characters were connected which I totally predicted btw! It was not so big of secret after all, I mean there were clues scattered all over the places and the author did not do a great job at building up any sort of suspense. Karissa was stupid/ignorant for not connecting the puzzles but not me, I found out about the SECRET much sooner, ok! Technically Kirsten did! But my point is the story was dragged to the point of boredom! There was no element of darkness in this story, Just FYI Brutal consensual sex doesn’t classify as DARK.
Only saving grace was the sex and the writing. I loved the philosophical references which was interesting and thought provoking.
Well second book Torture to her soul is said in Naz’s POV and rather interesting, hoping to read it soon!
Buddy Read with my book twin Kirsten (click to read her awesome review). I’m so glad you didn’t like it either *evil grin*.
The Characters
Meet Karissa-almost 19 years old college freshman
And then there’s Ignazio “Naz” Vitale who always wears a black suit
The story
Girl meets a
My thoughts
I din’t feel any chemistry between the two nor did I connect with the characters. Throughout the book I was waiting for at least one significant event to blow my mind but nothing happened. Even towards the end when there was a revelation of how all the characters were connected which I totally predicted btw! It was not so big of secret after all, I mean there were clues scattered all over the places and the author did not do a great job at building up any sort of suspense. Karissa was stupid/ignorant for not connecting the puzzles but not me, I found out about the SECRET much sooner, ok! Technically Kirsten did! But my point is the story was dragged to the point of boredom! There was no element of darkness in this story, Just FYI Brutal consensual sex doesn’t classify as DARK.
Only saving grace was the sex and the writing. I loved the philosophical references which was interesting and thought provoking.
Well second book Torture to her soul is said in Naz’s POV and rather interesting, hoping to read it soon!
Buddy Read with my book twin Kirsten (click to read her awesome review). I’m so glad you didn’t like it either *evil grin*.
February 25, 2016
He's a monster wrapped up in a pretty package. But I find myself wondering at a times like this, when I feel the distance between us, if maybe in his eyes, the real monster is me.
This book is so not what I've expected! Everything was totally mind-blowing and an absolute perfection! This is my first time ever to read a book written by J.M. Darhover and to say I am appalled is an understatement. The author's writing style defines what a true dark-romantic storyteller should possess. I have to say, J.M. Darhover is an author to watch!
Monster in His Eyes radiates a completely dark, gripping, and mysterious love story about an eighteen year old college girl named Karissa Reed and an older, thirty-six year-old man named Ignazio "Naz" Vitale. The moment they met, Karissa was hooked by Naz. It was the virile, dark side of him added by his air of mystery, wealth, and authority that intrigued her and drew her to him. As their relationship progressed into a more intimate one, Karissa thought that she was already falling for him hard even if she didn't have any idea of his true identity.
He's a drug, an addictive one, and I'm not sure it's a habit I can kick. All it took was one hit. One strong, euphoric hit and I was hooked.
This book is suspenseful and dark, raw and enigmatic. I enjoyed how it started out strong that it instantly caught my full attention and how chapter by chapter I found myself more drawn to the book and the mystery that it held. The main characters are wonderful and very unique, and with lovable flaws. Karissa is a sweet and passionate heroine while Naz is an enigmatic, sexy, strong man.
How can someone surrounded by an air of danger make me feel so downright safe?
The plot progression was a bit slow from the start up to the middle but that's what made it all the more riveting because the anticipation of what's about to come and be discovered thrilled me.
"When you love somebody, you want what's best for them... but when you're in love with them, you want them for yourself."
The romance was absolutely good! There were lots of passionate and emotional scenes that can drive you crazy. It was also the main characters' relationship development that made the book really remarkable.
"We keep the darkest part of us to ourselves until we think others are ready to see them."
My Prince Charming turned out to be the villain of my fairy tale...
As a whole, THIS BOOK DID ITS JOB. I look forward to reading its sequel soon! :)
"I'm not a good man, Karissa, and I will never be. So don't think you can fix me, or that I'll ever change, because I won't. I can't."
Rating:
May 1, 2014
4.5 NAZ Stars
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Freshman college student, Karissa Reed meets a man double her age who does a little of this and a little of that if you get my drift. Ignazio Vitale wears business suits and drives a Mercedes and sweeps naïve Karissa off her feet (Pretty Woman style).
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This book had a bit of instant love but I didn’t feel it took away from the story but intensified both characters connection when truths are revealed later in the story. Naz progressively became hotter and hotter in each intimate scene that these two shared…
Karissa is indeed naïve but was a great character (not annoying at all) and I appreciated her knowing the questions to ask but not really wanting the answers but enjoying the bliss of what Naz brought to her Ramen Noodle eating world.
The author wrote a fast paced page turner and had me on edge the whole read dying to know whether my theories were correct.
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I highly recommend this story, the writing was excellent, the story consuming and the sex was really edgy. As for the ending… it’s a cliffhanger (but not brutal) as so many things are left open and I just wanted more. Excellent job J.M. Darhower!!!
[image error]
Freshman college student, Karissa Reed meets a man double her age who does a little of this and a little of that if you get my drift. Ignazio Vitale wears business suits and drives a Mercedes and sweeps naïve Karissa off her feet (Pretty Woman style).
[image error]
This book had a bit of instant love but I didn’t feel it took away from the story but intensified both characters connection when truths are revealed later in the story. Naz progressively became hotter and hotter in each intimate scene that these two shared…
Karissa is indeed naïve but was a great character (not annoying at all) and I appreciated her knowing the questions to ask but not really wanting the answers but enjoying the bliss of what Naz brought to her Ramen Noodle eating world.
The author wrote a fast paced page turner and had me on edge the whole read dying to know whether my theories were correct.
[image error]
I highly recommend this story, the writing was excellent, the story consuming and the sex was really edgy. As for the ending… it’s a cliffhanger (but not brutal) as so many things are left open and I just wanted more. Excellent job J.M. Darhower!!!
February 2, 2021
Great story. Loved it!
I really like guys that admit to being no good but they fall for the girl anyway. I loved J. M. Darhower’s Scarlet Scar’s series, those were some of my favorites, so I knew this would be a good one. This was a bit darker and not quite as humorous as that series, but was just as good and has a good storyline with a lot of mystery. Not to say there wasn’t any humor.
Some authors give away a lot of the secrets in the books by letting a bit too much information slip out before the secrets are actually revealed and I hate that. I like to find out the secrets along with the protagonist. This book is good like that!
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I really like guys that admit to being no good but they fall for the girl anyway. I loved J. M. Darhower’s Scarlet Scar’s series, those were some of my favorites, so I knew this would be a good one. This was a bit darker and not quite as humorous as that series, but was just as good and has a good storyline with a lot of mystery. Not to say there wasn’t any humor.
Last I saw her she was talking to a pseudo-Maverick, straight out of Top Gun, the two of them hot and heavy, halfway to the danger zone.
Some authors give away a lot of the secrets in the books by letting a bit too much information slip out before the secrets are actually revealed and I hate that. I like to find out the secrets along with the protagonist. This book is good like that!
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June 22, 2017
*Book #1 in Romantic Suspense Duology*My Karissa and Ignazio "Naz" Vitale:
Monster In His Eyes is sensual, thrilling and all-consuming story that will make your heart race and your breath speed up rapidly. This book is no child���s play. It is extremely intense story about finally finding your one true hapiness, only to realize that fairytales and Prince Charming have no place in real world. So are you ready for Karissa’s & Naz’s story?
"His full name is Ignazio Vitale, although once, not so long ago, he urged me to call him Naz. And it was Naz who charmed me, who won me over and made me melt. It wasn’t until later that I got to know the true Ignazio, and by the time I met Vitale, it was far too late to just walk away.
If I ever even could’ve..."
I seriously love J.M. Darhower’s writing. She proves again that no matter what she writes about; whether it is paranormal, romance or suspense, I am putty in her hands. Her writing invites you in, her unique plot keeps you captivated and her characters will fascinate you. This book is no exception and this is a story you don’t want to miss!
In Monster In His Eyes, J.M. Darhower ventures into genre of erotic romance with slight touch of dark themes. But don’t fret, this is not your ordinary plotless erotica novel. Storyline and its twists were always the primary focus of this book and I was thankful for that. However, I feel like I need to mention that characters were walking very thin line between passionate and rough animalistic sex quite frequently in this book. I liked it, it was more than suitable for this kind of story, for the kind of people Naz and Karissa are. But in case it’s something that makes you uncomfortable, you have been warned.
Naz. He is the reason why I enjoyed this book so much. Man of many faces, an enigma. Is he a charming knight in shinning armor? A gifted seducer and experienced playboy? An intimidating powerful man? Or a monster in disguise? Who is real Ignazio Vitale? I know only one thing for sure, and that is that Naz is one of the most intriguing characters I had a pleasure to read about. He simultaneously fascinated me and scared me. I couldn’t figure him out and that guaranteed thought-provoking read for me.
I had my doubts towards heroine at the beginning. I’m not a big fun of damsels in distress who need to be saved all the time. Fortunatelly, Karissa wasn’t stupid, just young and inexperienced, inviting danger in willingly. It was clear that she has been overprotected and sheltered her whole life, unable to recognize real danger. So it was no surprise at all to see her lose herself in a man like Ignazio Vitale throughout the story, even if he was twice her age. Author did amazing job depicting Karissa’s character, analyzing and potraying all layers of her personality in details. It helped me to relate to Karissa really quickly and to understand everything perfectly from her point of view even when I didn’t agree with her. And I have to applaud author for that.
A bonus? No cliffhanger. However, Karissa’s & Naz’s story is not over yet. I am already super excited for sequel and can’t wait to see where will author take these characters next!
"Love means seeing the beauty in the ugly, the light in the dark, and accepting that even if the lights are off, and I can't see what's in front of me, there will be something there to guide my way. Love means turning yourself inside out, handing yourself over to somebody else, and trusting them… trusting them to touch you, to handle you, to bend you, but never, ever break what you give them."
*ARC provided by author as an exchange for honest review*
MORE REVIEWS ON MY BLOG Reading Is My Breathing
May 3, 2014
I absolutely loved this book!!I couldn't put it down!!!It was dark,hot,captivating,mysterious and intense!It was a story about passion and control..This book made me feel like I'm a part of the story!
The story is about a young student college, Karissa who finally has the opportunity to live an independent life away from her mother ..But soon Karissa's life will change when she meets a mysterious man named Naz who is twise her age..Their connection is beyond her control..and soon they will be together..but Naz warned her tha he isn't a good man...
But what can you do when you fell in love with a Monster??
Is he really a Monster or he is something more??
Lately I have read some really good books with difference in ages and this is one of them!I loved the story of this one.And I didn't have problem with the ages.
Naz was a very interesting character!He intrigued me from the beginning!He was handsome,compelling,mysterious and dark.He was a man who wanted attention and believe me you can't resist him!!!
The sex scenes were so hot and passionate!!!
"He fucks me like he means it,
like he needs it,like being inside
of me is more important than
anything inside of him, and
every cell in my body calls out
to him,craving more of it."
And the ending...I didn't see that coming!!If you love books with mystery,suspense and passionate this is what you need!!
*ARC provided by author as an exchange for honest review*
The story is about a young student college, Karissa who finally has the opportunity to live an independent life away from her mother ..But soon Karissa's life will change when she meets a mysterious man named Naz who is twise her age..Their connection is beyond her control..and soon they will be together..but Naz warned her tha he isn't a good man...
But what can you do when you fell in love with a Monster??
Is he really a Monster or he is something more??
Lately I have read some really good books with difference in ages and this is one of them!I loved the story of this one.And I didn't have problem with the ages.
Naz was a very interesting character!He intrigued me from the beginning!He was handsome,compelling,mysterious and dark.He was a man who wanted attention and believe me you can't resist him!!!
The sex scenes were so hot and passionate!!!
"He fucks me like he means it,
like he needs it,like being inside
of me is more important than
anything inside of him, and
every cell in my body calls out
to him,craving more of it."
And the ending...I didn't see that coming!!If you love books with mystery,suspense and passionate this is what you need!!
*ARC provided by author as an exchange for honest review*
September 29, 2019
Love means seeing the beauty in the ugly, the light in the dark, and accepting that even if the lights are off, and I can't see what's in front of me, there will be something there to guide my way. Love means turning yourself inside out, handing yourself over to somebody else, and trusting them… trusting them to touch you, to handle you, to bend you, but never, ever break what you give them.
And I love him.
Fuck, I love him.
18 years old university student Karissa Reed meets by chance mysterious 36 years old Ignazio Vitale or just Naz for his friends.
If you are an experienced reader of dark romance, you will realise that nothing happens unexpectedly and without reason in this kind of stories. Naz will find and give her mobile phone and later on he will save her when she gets drugged at a club.
Karissa, although is half his age and does not really know anything about him,
will trust him and
will call him in the next day and
will go out to dinner with him and
will get drunk alone with him and
will have unprotected sex with him.
Basically the first half the book describes Karissa and Naz having sex or having dinner and Karissa does not once wondering about the guy, i.e. what is his job, does he have a family, how he knows her professor in philosophy, why his associates are known gangsters. She questions him about nothing at all.
Karissa almost straight away she transforms from a girl focused in her studies to a woman who is lost in her thoughts, a sex toy, an unfocused soul.
Who am I?
Someone who doesn't like philosophy anymore.
I consider the question for another moment before finally writing my answer.
I don't know.
Naz obviously hides things. Two people are killed in the book and we can all imagine who killed them.
The good thing is that we will find out many of Naz's secrets in the end of the book. But there will still be questions.
“I ate you alive, sweetheart. You never had a chance."
And I love him.
Fuck, I love him.
18 years old university student Karissa Reed meets by chance mysterious 36 years old Ignazio Vitale or just Naz for his friends.
If you are an experienced reader of dark romance, you will realise that nothing happens unexpectedly and without reason in this kind of stories. Naz will find and give her mobile phone and later on he will save her when she gets drugged at a club.
Karissa, although is half his age and does not really know anything about him,
will trust him and
will call him in the next day and
will go out to dinner with him and
will get drunk alone with him and
will have unprotected sex with him.
Basically the first half the book describes Karissa and Naz having sex or having dinner and Karissa does not once wondering about the guy, i.e. what is his job, does he have a family, how he knows her professor in philosophy, why his associates are known gangsters. She questions him about nothing at all.
Karissa almost straight away she transforms from a girl focused in her studies to a woman who is lost in her thoughts, a sex toy, an unfocused soul.
Who am I?
Someone who doesn't like philosophy anymore.
I consider the question for another moment before finally writing my answer.
I don't know.
Naz obviously hides things. Two people are killed in the book and we can all imagine who killed them.
The good thing is that we will find out many of Naz's secrets in the end of the book. But there will still be questions.
“I ate you alive, sweetheart. You never had a chance."
May 13, 2014
Started slow....
Seriously she gave it up that fast.....wow....
She's young and he's older maybe that's why....
Is this a 50 shades of grey fanfic....what what....
Needs more depth......
Characters kinda one dimensional......
But interesting at the same time......
Hmmmmmmm.......
Well I guess I will continue on.......
5 stars from TONS of people....WHY....I don't get it......
Ohhhhhhh now it's getting GOOOD.......
Oh shit I'm really liking now......
WHAT!!!!!!!!!!! NOOOOOOO.......
I can't stop reading now I feel like the characters have EXPLODED.....
She just did that....girl you better be ready for the WRATH because its coming.......
DID THIS BOOK JUST END????? I will CUT somebody!!!!
Nooooooooooooo I need book 2 NOW!!!!
Seriously she gave it up that fast.....wow....
She's young and he's older maybe that's why....
Is this a 50 shades of grey fanfic....what what....
Needs more depth......
Characters kinda one dimensional......
But interesting at the same time......
Hmmmmmmm.......
Well I guess I will continue on.......
5 stars from TONS of people....WHY....I don't get it......
Ohhhhhhh now it's getting GOOOD.......
Oh shit I'm really liking now......
WHAT!!!!!!!!!!! NOOOOOOO.......
I can't stop reading now I feel like the characters have EXPLODED.....
She just did that....girl you better be ready for the WRATH because its coming.......
DID THIS BOOK JUST END????? I will CUT somebody!!!!
Nooooooooooooo I need book 2 NOW!!!!
September 29, 2014
3.5 stars!
This book was one of my impulse reads and even though I knew there was a good chance I’d end up not liking it based off my picky tastes, I read it anyway. I guess my thoughts for the book could be summed up with three questions. Did the book wow me? Not at all. Did I enjoy it? To a certain degree, at least I have more positive thoughts about it than negative. Will I be reading the next one? As soon as I’m finished with this review.
**********************
Told entirely from the heroine’s POV, this book is the story of how a twisted and unlikely love develops between two characters who couldn’t be more different. Karissa Reed is an 18-year old seemingly average college student. She has all the characteristics of a teen: idiotic & vapid are two that top the list. When chance encounters (turns out they weren’t so random) place her in the path of the (anti) hero Ignazio ‘Naz’ Vitale, her world is turned upside down.
What really saved the book for me and compelled me to continue reading was Naz’s character. The man is an enigma, and since the story was told from Karissa’s POV where I only got bits and pieces of him, Naz was shrouded in mystery most of the time, creating an edgy aspect to his character. I think it was a bold move on the author’s part in regards to the couple pairing: Naz is twice Karissa’s age. So understandably, it’s obvious that Karissa is much more immature than Naz and comes off as childish in both thoughts and actions so I really didn’t warm up to her character. But when the two of them were together, holy cow, they burned up the sheets! Totally H-O-T!
The author’s writing is beautiful and at times poetic and Naz’s character was great. However, the story wasn’t compelling enough for me not to find the time and room to nitpick on some things. For starters, does Karissa have any other classes aside from philosophy? It seems like her mundane routine consists of: eat, sleep, have sex with Naz (or go to some fancy restaurant) and go to philosophy class. Repeat. While this book is mainly character-driven, the background setting has to be somewhat logical for me. Outside from their smoking hot sex scenes, Karissa and Naz had absolutely zero chemistry. The story is told in a chilling, almost mechanical manner so it left little room for any romantic atmosphere possible, and with the heavy insta-love present (because they fell in love in a few weeks through eating and watching movies) I was left shaking my head and rolling my eyes many times.
It’s really a wonder that I even liked the book, I know. But the lovely writing combined with Naz’s brilliant character, a little twist, and the ending was enough for me to enjoy most of the book and motivate me to want to read the second one. I especially love it when the author stays true to her characters, like Naz being unapologetic about his actions.
Monster in His Eyes is book 1 in a 2 part series and can technically be read as a standalone. The end of the book wraps up in a way where reading the next one is optional unless you want to satisfy your own curiosity. Which I want to so off to the next book!
This book was one of my impulse reads and even though I knew there was a good chance I’d end up not liking it based off my picky tastes, I read it anyway. I guess my thoughts for the book could be summed up with three questions. Did the book wow me? Not at all. Did I enjoy it? To a certain degree, at least I have more positive thoughts about it than negative. Will I be reading the next one? As soon as I’m finished with this review.
**********************
Told entirely from the heroine’s POV, this book is the story of how a twisted and unlikely love develops between two characters who couldn’t be more different. Karissa Reed is an 18-year old seemingly average college student. She has all the characteristics of a teen: idiotic & vapid are two that top the list. When chance encounters (turns out they weren’t so random) place her in the path of the (anti) hero Ignazio ‘Naz’ Vitale, her world is turned upside down.
What really saved the book for me and compelled me to continue reading was Naz’s character. The man is an enigma, and since the story was told from Karissa’s POV where I only got bits and pieces of him, Naz was shrouded in mystery most of the time, creating an edgy aspect to his character. I think it was a bold move on the author’s part in regards to the couple pairing: Naz is twice Karissa’s age. So understandably, it’s obvious that Karissa is much more immature than Naz and comes off as childish in both thoughts and actions so I really didn’t warm up to her character. But when the two of them were together, holy cow, they burned up the sheets! Totally H-O-T!
The author’s writing is beautiful and at times poetic and Naz’s character was great. However, the story wasn’t compelling enough for me not to find the time and room to nitpick on some things. For starters, does Karissa have any other classes aside from philosophy? It seems like her mundane routine consists of: eat, sleep, have sex with Naz (or go to some fancy restaurant) and go to philosophy class. Repeat. While this book is mainly character-driven, the background setting has to be somewhat logical for me. Outside from their smoking hot sex scenes, Karissa and Naz had absolutely zero chemistry. The story is told in a chilling, almost mechanical manner so it left little room for any romantic atmosphere possible, and with the heavy insta-love present (because they fell in love in a few weeks through eating and watching movies) I was left shaking my head and rolling my eyes many times.
It’s really a wonder that I even liked the book, I know. But the lovely writing combined with Naz’s brilliant character, a little twist, and the ending was enough for me to enjoy most of the book and motivate me to want to read the second one. I especially love it when the author stays true to her characters, like Naz being unapologetic about his actions.
Monster in His Eyes is book 1 in a 2 part series and can technically be read as a standalone. The end of the book wraps up in a way where reading the next one is optional unless you want to satisfy your own curiosity. Which I want to so off to the next book!
April 30, 2014
I did not like this book. At all. I found it incredibly boring.
The first 75% of the book is them eating, fucking and watching movies.
They fell in love instantly, even though they knew absolutely nothing about each other.
I also found it hard to see what a 36 year old man saw in the immature Karissa and if my 18 year old self would have experienced sex like what they had, I would have been traumatised!
Anyhoo, another series off my list.
The first 75% of the book is them eating, fucking and watching movies.
They fell in love instantly, even though they knew absolutely nothing about each other.
I also found it hard to see what a 36 year old man saw in the immature Karissa and if my 18 year old self would have experienced sex like what they had, I would have been traumatised!
Anyhoo, another series off my list.
May 1, 2014
✮✮4.5 Stars✮✮
Monster in His Eyes is a fast-paced, sexy read, that had my heart racing. I could not put it down. I love that Naz is not your typical hero and I found Karissa very likeable.
My Prince Charming turned out to be the villain of my fairy tale.
When 18 year old Karissa meets Naz, she is immediately intrigued by him - he is successful, charming, confident and twice her age. And he seems to want her. As they begin to see each other regularly Karissa begins to realize, she doesn't know very much about the man who's bed she has been sharing. But she is falling in love with him, regardless.
Things get serious quickly, but what happens when Karissa learns the truth about Naz?
I really enjoyed this one. I had theories early on - but I still found the progression of the story entertaining. <3 Naz, he is such a complex character - sexy and powerful. He knows what he wants and goes for it. I am really looking forward to the conclusion of Naz and Karissa's story (scheduled to release this fall).
“I’m the king of the jungle. I’m the predator.”
“Does that make me your prey?”
“That makes you my queen.”
Monster in His Eyes is a fast-paced, sexy read, that had my heart racing. I could not put it down. I love that Naz is not your typical hero and I found Karissa very likeable.
My Prince Charming turned out to be the villain of my fairy tale.
When 18 year old Karissa meets Naz, she is immediately intrigued by him - he is successful, charming, confident and twice her age. And he seems to want her. As they begin to see each other regularly Karissa begins to realize, she doesn't know very much about the man who's bed she has been sharing. But she is falling in love with him, regardless.
Things get serious quickly, but what happens when Karissa learns the truth about Naz?
I really enjoyed this one. I had theories early on - but I still found the progression of the story entertaining. <3 Naz, he is such a complex character - sexy and powerful. He knows what he wants and goes for it. I am really looking forward to the conclusion of Naz and Karissa's story (scheduled to release this fall).
“I’m the king of the jungle. I’m the predator.”
“Does that make me your prey?”
“That makes you my queen.”
October 1, 2014
Every once in a while I will come across a book that really stays with me. I want to talk to my husband about it over dinner. I want to go back and re-read my favorite parts. I want to ponder over the highlighted text. Monster in His Eyes is just that type of a read for me. I know that people have categorized it as a dark romance but truly I see it as so much more than that. I found this read to be thrilling, psychological, romantic, sexy, tender, gritty, and definitely unforgettable. I will do my best in this review to do it justice. But truly, if you are at all intrigued by this book don't wait....read it NOW!
Karissa is a young college student at NYU. She has lived a very sheltered life. Her mother is unstable and has moved them around quite a bit. She doesn't know her father. Karissa has made a life for herself in New York and she loves her roommate. After one drunk night out in the club, she meets an older man. That moment changes her life forever.
"Vitale. His full name is Ignazio Vitale, although once, not so long ago, he urged me to call him Naz. And it was Naz who charmed me, who won me over and made me melt . It wasn't until later that I got to know the true Ignazio, and by the time I met Vitale, it was far too late to just walk away. If I ever even could've…"
Naz is a "business man". He is attractive, wealthy, intelligent, and happily sweeps Karissa under his wings. Naz has a dark past. On one hand we see him trying to stay away from Karissa on the other hand he just cannot seem to stay away from her.
Karissa is smart enough to know that things are not quite above board regarding Naz's job. These suspicions are confirmed when she meets Naz's boss (who she recognizes as a mob boss). Despite the questionable lifestyle Naz lives, Karissa cannot seem to get enough of him. She is so willing to give herself to him.
"He's a child with a brand new toy, and I just hope he doesn't break me as soon as I'm out of the package."
They spend time together. Talking, eating dinners, making love, and all of the amazing things that new couples do. When these two come together....it is HOT!
"I barely even register that the light is on anymore. The man is a wrecking ball, pounding me, and I come to pieces almost instantly."
Naz takes Karissa with him to Las Vegas. We begin to see the darker side of Naz. He is struggling with the monster within. Naz has warned Karissa that he isn't a good man. He offers her an out. She doesn't take it.
"I'm telling you," he says, his voice strained. "I'm warning you . I'm not a good man, Karissa, and I never will be. So don't think you can fix me, or that I'll ever change, because I won't. I can't. You have to know, if this goes any further, if you ask me to stay, I'm not going to be able to let you walk away."
Karissa doesn't want him to walk away....
As story begins to build, the tension is unreal. Karissa's mom has run away, Naz is mysteriously working (always wearing gloves), and Karissa and Naz are getting very serious.
Suddenly everything is revealed and it is UNBELIEVABLE. (Maybe other readers have been able to figure things out but I was completely BLOWN AWAY!) Karissa comes to the realization of who Naz really is. How can she still love him? How can she hate him? What does she do?
Overall, I found Monster in His Eyes to be a fantastic read. I enjoyed the tension, the descriptive writing, the big reveal (aka cliffhanger), the beauty in Naz and Karissa's relationship, and the pacing was spot on! I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book. Just be prepared to jump right into book 2 because you won't be able to wait to find out what happens!
Karissa is a young college student at NYU. She has lived a very sheltered life. Her mother is unstable and has moved them around quite a bit. She doesn't know her father. Karissa has made a life for herself in New York and she loves her roommate. After one drunk night out in the club, she meets an older man. That moment changes her life forever.
"Vitale. His full name is Ignazio Vitale, although once, not so long ago, he urged me to call him Naz. And it was Naz who charmed me, who won me over and made me melt . It wasn't until later that I got to know the true Ignazio, and by the time I met Vitale, it was far too late to just walk away. If I ever even could've…"
Naz is a "business man". He is attractive, wealthy, intelligent, and happily sweeps Karissa under his wings. Naz has a dark past. On one hand we see him trying to stay away from Karissa on the other hand he just cannot seem to stay away from her.
Karissa is smart enough to know that things are not quite above board regarding Naz's job. These suspicions are confirmed when she meets Naz's boss (who she recognizes as a mob boss). Despite the questionable lifestyle Naz lives, Karissa cannot seem to get enough of him. She is so willing to give herself to him.
"He's a child with a brand new toy, and I just hope he doesn't break me as soon as I'm out of the package."
They spend time together. Talking, eating dinners, making love, and all of the amazing things that new couples do. When these two come together....it is HOT!
"I barely even register that the light is on anymore. The man is a wrecking ball, pounding me, and I come to pieces almost instantly."
Naz takes Karissa with him to Las Vegas. We begin to see the darker side of Naz. He is struggling with the monster within. Naz has warned Karissa that he isn't a good man. He offers her an out. She doesn't take it.
"I'm telling you," he says, his voice strained. "I'm warning you . I'm not a good man, Karissa, and I never will be. So don't think you can fix me, or that I'll ever change, because I won't. I can't. You have to know, if this goes any further, if you ask me to stay, I'm not going to be able to let you walk away."
Karissa doesn't want him to walk away....
As story begins to build, the tension is unreal. Karissa's mom has run away, Naz is mysteriously working (always wearing gloves), and Karissa and Naz are getting very serious.
Suddenly everything is revealed and it is UNBELIEVABLE. (Maybe other readers have been able to figure things out but I was completely BLOWN AWAY!) Karissa comes to the realization of who Naz really is. How can she still love him? How can she hate him? What does she do?
Overall, I found Monster in His Eyes to be a fantastic read. I enjoyed the tension, the descriptive writing, the big reveal (aka cliffhanger), the beauty in Naz and Karissa's relationship, and the pacing was spot on! I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book. Just be prepared to jump right into book 2 because you won't be able to wait to find out what happens!
January 1, 2015
4 (Hesitant) Stars.
Karissa is a 18 years old college student that falls in love with an older guy. Naz is sexy, smart, irresistible…. And dangerous.
She knows he’s not a good man, but she still can’t get away. There’s something pulling them together.
But as their romance starts to grow, she realizes that maybe their lives are more entwined that she thought. And now she has already too far in, to get back.
There’s one thing Karissa will soon realize, when you fall in love with a monster how ready will you be when he is unleashed?
And when secrets start to get revealed, who is the real monster?
Rating: 4 Stars. 3 for the book, 1 plus for the author, because she wrote “Sempre” that is one of my favorite books of all time. I don’t care that we shouldn’t rate based on how we feel about the author, but meh, is my review so deal with it! :P
Storyline: This is not your traditional romance. It’s dark, raw and sexy. Although I liked I didn’t particularly liked the development of their relationship. I know that Naz is supped to be a dominant-sexy-badass, but still, in a lot of moments it seemed like he was almost forcing her to be with him.
Writing Style: First person, female POV. Amazingly written, emotional and engaging. I started this book before going to bed and let’s just say: I went to work very cranky due to the lack of sleep.
Character Development: I don’t love the “dark hero” that much, but with some annoyances I ended up liking Naz. The surprise was Karissa. Yes, she is completely naïve, but she is not annoying and I liked her a lot.
Steam: Hot.
HEA:
Karissa is a 18 years old college student that falls in love with an older guy. Naz is sexy, smart, irresistible…. And dangerous.
She knows he’s not a good man, but she still can’t get away. There’s something pulling them together.
But as their romance starts to grow, she realizes that maybe their lives are more entwined that she thought. And now she has already too far in, to get back.
There’s one thing Karissa will soon realize, when you fall in love with a monster how ready will you be when he is unleashed?
And when secrets start to get revealed, who is the real monster?
Rating: 4 Stars. 3 for the book, 1 plus for the author, because she wrote “Sempre” that is one of my favorite books of all time. I don’t care that we shouldn’t rate based on how we feel about the author, but meh, is my review so deal with it! :P
Storyline: This is not your traditional romance. It’s dark, raw and sexy. Although I liked I didn’t particularly liked the development of their relationship. I know that Naz is supped to be a dominant-sexy-badass, but still, in a lot of moments it seemed like he was almost forcing her to be with him.
Writing Style: First person, female POV. Amazingly written, emotional and engaging. I started this book before going to bed and let’s just say: I went to work very cranky due to the lack of sleep.
Character Development: I don’t love the “dark hero” that much, but with some annoyances I ended up liking Naz. The surprise was Karissa. Yes, she is completely naïve, but she is not annoying and I liked her a lot.
Steam: Hot.
HEA:
January 24, 2022
A cautionary tale about forbidden love that is darkly twisted.
✦EVERYONE HAS SECRETS ✦ WHO ARE YOU? ✦
Attending college away from home 18 year old Karissa has a chance meeting with business man, Naz. Their relationship quickly moves to being an intense arrangement. Naz steamrolls into Karissa’s life and can't let her walk away even though it may be in her best interest.
His words - “A word of advice? Be careful who you trust. There may not always be someone there to save you.” - haunt her as she tries to figure out who is trustworthy and who is a liar.
That ending left me contemplating:
•Is Naz just a monster wrapped up in a pretty package?
•Is it possible that Naz really is not Prince Charming?
I’m looking forward to the conclusion of their story in Torture to Her Soul. I need resolution to their dark and twisty love story.
SERIES:
2 part series
✦EVERYONE HAS SECRETS ✦ WHO ARE YOU? ✦
Attending college away from home 18 year old Karissa has a chance meeting with business man, Naz. Their relationship quickly moves to being an intense arrangement. Naz steamrolls into Karissa’s life and can't let her walk away even though it may be in her best interest.
His words - “A word of advice? Be careful who you trust. There may not always be someone there to save you.” - haunt her as she tries to figure out who is trustworthy and who is a liar.
That ending left me contemplating:
•Is Naz just a monster wrapped up in a pretty package?
•Is it possible that Naz really is not Prince Charming?
I’m looking forward to the conclusion of their story in Torture to Her Soul. I need resolution to their dark and twisty love story.
SERIES:
2 part series
March 23, 2024
4TH READ: March 16th 2024 - 5 stars
reading vlog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLvlZ...
3RD READ: Mar 22nd 2022 - 5 stars
2ND READ: Nov 14th 2018 - 5 stars
I just got my physical copy so of course I had to re-read it. I just really love Ignazio.
FIRST READ: Oct 28th 2018 - 5 stars
why did it take me so long to finally read this? wOW JUST WOW
reading vlog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLvlZ...
3RD READ: Mar 22nd 2022 - 5 stars
2ND READ: Nov 14th 2018 - 5 stars
I just got my physical copy so of course I had to re-read it. I just really love Ignazio.
FIRST READ: Oct 28th 2018 - 5 stars
why did it take me so long to finally read this? wOW JUST WOW
Read
June 12, 2023Them: You can't be in love with Naz; he's a fictional character!
Me:
Me:
October 23, 2014
6 (THIS IS THE BEST BOOK!!!!!) STARS
Beware, when I love a book hard, I go all fan girl mode.
I LOVE MONSTER IN HIS EYES!!!!!
I LOVE NAZ!!!!
IT WAS SOOOOOOO GOOOODDDD
There’s a reason why Monster In His Eyes has high ratings, it’s because it’s WONDERFUL!!!!!
Summary
Karissa is your typical college freshman. She’s on scholarship and has to maintain an overall GPA of 3.5 to keep it. She’s taking a philosophy class and is struggling in it. When she loses her phone, she goes back to class and meets Naz.
Naz is a big mystery. He’s older, sexy and doesn’t say much. He hands Karissa her phone and they part ways. Then LATER she meets him again at a club! From there they date. Karissa knows there’s something dark about Naz, but she kind of puts it in the back burner because she is trying to feel instead of think.
Naz is the Hero I crave to love and hate all the same time. He’s damaged, torn, dark and oh so sexy. LICK
Review
The two main things that made this book just worked for me were the characters. I love them. Karissa is an awesome girl. She isn’t a ditz, but she does have that damsel in distress quality I love. Who doesn’t love a Heroine that is struggling in college and needs to keep her scholarship because she is poor? Karissa has a crazy over protective mother and it’s so wacky, it’s just another layer to add to Karissa’s crazy child hood.
The main star is Naz. Let’s take a moment to swoon. He’s 36 and there’s an 18 year age difference between Kariss and him. Is it creepy? No. It’s freaking sexy as heck. I guess I’m tired of reading books where the Hero is 25, to have the history Naz has, he needed to be older. My favorite part is just reading all the layers that come with Naz. He, as I said, is a big ball of mystery. You are going to eat him up!
The steam and chemistry is off the charts. There are intense steamy scenes and it’s so different and unique. I LOVE IT! Naz is the alpha male you want in books. He takes charge and doesn’t beat round the bush. If he wants something, he goes for it and doesn’t accept No. Again…. I love him.
You need to know there’s a cliffy, but it’s okay, it won’t kill you. You must read this book. It’s my top book for the year and Naz is my top book boyfriend.
AMAZON
Beware, when I love a book hard, I go all fan girl mode.
I LOVE MONSTER IN HIS EYES!!!!!
I LOVE NAZ!!!!
IT WAS SOOOOOOO GOOOODDDD
There’s a reason why Monster In His Eyes has high ratings, it’s because it’s WONDERFUL!!!!!
Summary
Karissa is your typical college freshman. She’s on scholarship and has to maintain an overall GPA of 3.5 to keep it. She’s taking a philosophy class and is struggling in it. When she loses her phone, she goes back to class and meets Naz.
Naz is a big mystery. He’s older, sexy and doesn’t say much. He hands Karissa her phone and they part ways. Then LATER she meets him again at a club! From there they date. Karissa knows there’s something dark about Naz, but she kind of puts it in the back burner because she is trying to feel instead of think.
Naz is the Hero I crave to love and hate all the same time. He’s damaged, torn, dark and oh so sexy. LICK
Review
The two main things that made this book just worked for me were the characters. I love them. Karissa is an awesome girl. She isn’t a ditz, but she does have that damsel in distress quality I love. Who doesn’t love a Heroine that is struggling in college and needs to keep her scholarship because she is poor? Karissa has a crazy over protective mother and it’s so wacky, it’s just another layer to add to Karissa’s crazy child hood.
The main star is Naz. Let’s take a moment to swoon. He’s 36 and there’s an 18 year age difference between Kariss and him. Is it creepy? No. It’s freaking sexy as heck. I guess I’m tired of reading books where the Hero is 25, to have the history Naz has, he needed to be older. My favorite part is just reading all the layers that come with Naz. He, as I said, is a big ball of mystery. You are going to eat him up!
They both take passion, someone getting under your skin and consuming you. And I ate you alive sweetheart. You never had a chance.
The steam and chemistry is off the charts. There are intense steamy scenes and it’s so different and unique. I LOVE IT! Naz is the alpha male you want in books. He takes charge and doesn’t beat round the bush. If he wants something, he goes for it and doesn’t accept No. Again…. I love him.
You need to know there’s a cliffy, but it’s okay, it won’t kill you. You must read this book. It’s my top book for the year and Naz is my top book boyfriend.
AMAZON
April 9, 2016
5 OH MY Vitale Stars!
I loved this book!! Going straight into the next one. I know this book had some lovers (like ME) and some critics. This is actually part of the reason that I held back on diving into this series for so long, but I am SOOO glad that I did. It was mentioned in a private room where taboo love stories were being recommended and, I took it as a sign! :)
OMG Naz!!!! Naz IS this story!! Officially one of my top book boyfriends now. I won't tell you what Naz does for a living but let's just say, he's not a good guy. He's not honorable and is unapologetic about it. He's ruthless, lethal, and pretty much, just don't fuck with him! He sold his soul to the devil a long, long time ago. But of course, he wasn't always like that. And Karissa reminds him of a time, of a part of life, that can be different..better. But he is conflicted as hell over it.
"I'm telling you," he says, voice strained. "I'm warning you. I'm not a good man, Karissa, and I will never be. So don't think you can fix me, or that I'll ever change, because I won't. I can't. You have to know, if this goes any further, if you ask me to stay, I'm not going to be able to let you walk away."
"If you could read my mind..." He pauses, laughing darkly. "You'd be trembling." - Ignazio
I know that Karissa had her fair share of critics out there. I actually didn't think she was immature at all. I mean, she is every bit of eighteen and nineteen years old. She says air-headed things sometimes. She has also led an extremely sheltered life and is on her own for the first time, going to school at NYU. But she was not whiny AT ALL and didn't bring a bunch of BS OTT drama to the story. I don't know, maybe another time, another book, she might've bothered me. But in this book? There was so much else that I was blown away by, that she just didn't. In fact, she was actually pretty determined in her feelings, which I loved. That's all I need. She handled all of this far better than I would've at 18-19 years old!
And did I mention that Naz is twice her age? He runs circles around her. So yes, there is a bit of a taboo element here. His maturity brought out her lack of, but, this seemed kind of real to me. We should notice an 18-year age difference.
I wish I would've read this book before Consequences and the like, because, in my opinion, THIS is a good revenge book with a believable and way better motive than some of the others I have read!!! But don't get me wrong, this is NOT a Stockholm syndrome book, in any way. If anything, I would compare the underlying themes to Lili Saint Germain's Gypsy Brothers series... the themes, not the story. Trying to be vague here and not give a crap ton away. ;)
<---- YEAH! Did I mention that Naz takes the term "hate fucking" to a whole new level?!?!? OMG! Panty melting, is ALL I gotta say!!!
I could see where some might have found the beginning a bit on the slow side, but I still enjoyed every bit of it. The stage was being set for all that was to go down later.
Twist after twist leading up to a big HOLY SHIT ending!! By about half way into the book, I kind of predicted a part of it, but, again, didn't find that as a weakness of the story. I don't think it made it predictable. I think the author wanted us to figure part of it out. However, there were still a few twists that slapped me in the face with shock that I did NOT see coming!!!
"My Prince Charming turned out to be the villain of my fairy tale, and part of me thinks that's okay, because eventually, it'll all disappear, anyway."
Gah, there are SOO many more quotes that I want to include but they are major spoilers, so you will just have to read the book to enjoy them!
Dark complex characters, suspenseful, taboo, sexy...and a book that is thought provoking. Excellent! This is the kind of book that I LOVE to read!!!!
This was my first read by J.M Darhower. Why? I don't know. Sempre has been on my TBR for what seems like forever. Well, I just moved it WAY up!! Really can't wait to read much more from this author very soon!!
I loved this book!! Going straight into the next one. I know this book had some lovers (like ME) and some critics. This is actually part of the reason that I held back on diving into this series for so long, but I am SOOO glad that I did. It was mentioned in a private room where taboo love stories were being recommended and, I took it as a sign! :)
OMG Naz!!!! Naz IS this story!! Officially one of my top book boyfriends now. I won't tell you what Naz does for a living but let's just say, he's not a good guy. He's not honorable and is unapologetic about it. He's ruthless, lethal, and pretty much, just don't fuck with him! He sold his soul to the devil a long, long time ago. But of course, he wasn't always like that. And Karissa reminds him of a time, of a part of life, that can be different..better. But he is conflicted as hell over it.
"I'm telling you," he says, voice strained. "I'm warning you. I'm not a good man, Karissa, and I will never be. So don't think you can fix me, or that I'll ever change, because I won't. I can't. You have to know, if this goes any further, if you ask me to stay, I'm not going to be able to let you walk away."
"If you could read my mind..." He pauses, laughing darkly. "You'd be trembling." - Ignazio
I know that Karissa had her fair share of critics out there. I actually didn't think she was immature at all. I mean, she is every bit of eighteen and nineteen years old. She says air-headed things sometimes. She has also led an extremely sheltered life and is on her own for the first time, going to school at NYU. But she was not whiny AT ALL and didn't bring a bunch of BS OTT drama to the story. I don't know, maybe another time, another book, she might've bothered me. But in this book? There was so much else that I was blown away by, that she just didn't. In fact, she was actually pretty determined in her feelings, which I loved. That's all I need. She handled all of this far better than I would've at 18-19 years old!
And did I mention that Naz is twice her age? He runs circles around her. So yes, there is a bit of a taboo element here. His maturity brought out her lack of, but, this seemed kind of real to me. We should notice an 18-year age difference.
I wish I would've read this book before Consequences and the like, because, in my opinion, THIS is a good revenge book with a believable and way better motive than some of the others I have read!!! But don't get me wrong, this is NOT a Stockholm syndrome book, in any way. If anything, I would compare the underlying themes to Lili Saint Germain's Gypsy Brothers series... the themes, not the story. Trying to be vague here and not give a crap ton away. ;)
<---- YEAH! Did I mention that Naz takes the term "hate fucking" to a whole new level?!?!? OMG! Panty melting, is ALL I gotta say!!!I could see where some might have found the beginning a bit on the slow side, but I still enjoyed every bit of it. The stage was being set for all that was to go down later.
Twist after twist leading up to a big HOLY SHIT ending!! By about half way into the book, I kind of predicted a part of it, but, again, didn't find that as a weakness of the story. I don't think it made it predictable. I think the author wanted us to figure part of it out. However, there were still a few twists that slapped me in the face with shock that I did NOT see coming!!!
"My Prince Charming turned out to be the villain of my fairy tale, and part of me thinks that's okay, because eventually, it'll all disappear, anyway."
Gah, there are SOO many more quotes that I want to include but they are major spoilers, so you will just have to read the book to enjoy them!
Dark complex characters, suspenseful, taboo, sexy...and a book that is thought provoking. Excellent! This is the kind of book that I LOVE to read!!!!
This was my first read by J.M Darhower. Why? I don't know. Sempre has been on my TBR for what seems like forever. Well, I just moved it WAY up!! Really can't wait to read much more from this author very soon!!
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