Jean's Reviews > Pretty Scars

CD Reiss’ latest, Pretty Scars is not only an absolutely breathtaking standalone, it is the story of Carrie Drazen the second, and prettiest, of the Drazen daughters. But her beauty is a vulnerability – a commodity in Declan Drazen’s sundrenched, sinister LA, and a burden. She calls the unearned privileges it creates “Pretty Girl Syndrome”. But this isn’t CD Reiss’ version of “Mean Girls do LA”. It’s a story of a first, forbidden, forever love told through the eyes of a delicately wrought heroine standing on the brink of a life she’ll never have. It’s senior year of college and Carrie has done her family’s bidding, thinking that will earn her the right to pursue her dreams of graduate school. Until the day she crosses paths with Gabriel Marlowe, a violinist from the music school, busking on campus. He’s wild and sweet and beautiful and sees her true, soul deep beauty. He has the perfect bit of fairy tale prince while remaining this beautiful, dominant, thoroughly sexy, modern hero. His music enchants her and their connection is electric and permanent. Love that survives death permanent.

Her story slips between before and after – the tension of the time shifts magnifying Carrie’s struggles to find her way out of a loveless marriage of her father’s making as she becomes more and more obsessed with a mysterious cellist, Adam Brate. Will finding him pull her back to sanity or send her over the brink? Ms. Reiss' prose is at its most beguiling in Pretty Scars. Gabriel's music infuses her words, making them reverberate in your soul. This is a story that will haunt me in my dreams. Star crossed lovers. Tragedy. Venice. How could it not?

This story is the most captivating and cinematic Ms. Reiss has ever gifted us with. It read like a movie in my head - one with a big budget and a great director. Every bit of Drazen grit has a luster of stardust. It was sooo romantic and satisfying. Classic Drazen with a side of Phantom of the Opera and a Merchant-Ivory glaze. It was DELICIOUS and perfect .

I give it a shower of stars across a winter sky.

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