Wednesday, June 26, 2024

Review: Scarred (Never After #2) by Emily McIntire

 


She doesn't belong to him...she belongs to the crown.

Prince Tristan Faasa was never destined for the throne. That was always his brother, Michael. The same brother responsible for both Tristan's tormented childhood and the scar that mars his face. When their father dies, Michael is set to assume the throne, and Tristan is set to steal it. The leader of a secret rebellion, Tristan will stop at nothing to end his brother's reign. But when Michael's new betrothed, Lady Sara Beatreaux arrives, Tristan finds himself in the middle of a new kind of war. The kind that begs the question of what's more important, the crown or the woman about to wear it.

Sara has one plan. Marry the King and eradicate the Faasa line, even at the risk of her own peril. But she never expects the Scarred Prince. He's dangerous. Forbidden. And one of the men she's been sent to kill. But the line between hatred and passion has never seemed so thin, and as secrets come to light, Sara grows unsure of whom she can trust—torn between vengeance and the villain she was never supposed to love.

Scarred is a DARK Royal Romance and a complete standalone within The Never After Series (A series of fractured fairy tales inspired by our favorite villains). It is not a retelling or fantasy. It contains subject matter which may be triggering for some. Reader discretion is advised.

Title: Scarred (Never After #2)
Author: Emily McIntire
Publisher: Bloom Books
Publication Date: January 4, 2022

Review:
This was my second dive into dark romance and it definitely wasn't as dark as I thought it would be. At least not compared to the first one.
I definitely felt the Hamletness to this one. But I also got a bit of a Robin Hood vibe, as well. This was definitely due to the fantasy setting/world McIntire builds. I had just assumed all her books were going to be more modern day reimaginings but this one was definitely more fairytale base for me.
The king is dead and the prince is set to take his place. Not the scarred prince, mind you, but the one who definitely was scheming all along. But the prince needs a bride. Enter Sara, who is happy to become Queen by any means necessary, even by killing off the prince! But the Scarred prince has his own agenda, one that will interfere with his brother taking the throne and with Sara's plot to overtake from the inside!
Tristen might be one of my favorite book characters right now. I love his broodiness. But he also has this totally tender side that is unexpected. He hides it well from most. He's a bit feral but his heart is in the right place when it comes to his kingdom and keeping those he cares about safe. This includes Sara, even though he should not have anything to do with his brother's betrothed. He's fiercely loyal to those he wants to protect, and that includes Sara.
Sara just wants everyone in the kingdom to be cared for. And she wants the royals to pay for how her community suffers. She plays the dutiful betrothed in order to get herself ingratiated in the kingdom's royal sector so she can help her people. She's written as a very strong female character. One who will take no crap from others.
The pacing of this story was great. I really didn't want to put it down. And the plot was good. Definitely a steal from the rich, give to the poor vibe going on where the "villain" is actually the good guy. There are definitely some more gory scenes in this book, so if you're not ok with blood and guts, I suggest skimming those chapters. And the spice was nice, though not as spicy as Hooked. It didn't overshadow the storyline and wasn't placed in the story as filler.
My two issues, the world building needed to be better. If you're going to introduce that type of system, you need to go full out with it. It was surface there, but not totally there so it overshadowed the story a bit in that sense. And, while I've seen a lot of people loving the epilogue, for me it was meh and didn't really lend anything to the wrap up of the story.
Overall, it was enjoyable. I don't sit down to read these books like they will be amazing literary masterpieces. I expect them to be a bit messy but really I'm just looking for fun and some sexy times. This one easily checked both those boxes for me.

Author:
Emily McIntire is a USA Today, Publishers Weekly and Amazon Bestselling author whose stories serve steam, slow burns, and seriously questionable morals. Her books have been translated in over a dozen languages, and span across several sub-genres within romance.

A stage IV breast cancer thriver, you can find Emily enjoying free time with her family, getting lost in a good book, or redecorating her house depending on her mood.



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