Title: The Scars Between Us
Author: MK Schiller
Publisher: Entangled: Embrace
Publisher: Entangled: Embrace
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: July 17, 2017
Blurb
Emma Cooper is determined to fulfill her
mother’s dying wish to scatter her ashes with Aiden Sheffield in Linx, Texas.
Just one problem. Why Texas and who the hell is Aiden Sheffield? The only clue
is a faded piece of her mother’s stationary. Emma imagines Aiden is a former
love of her mother’s, but when she meets the beautiful, damaged stranger, she
realizes her assumptions couldn’t be more wrong. He’s hot and young. And Emma
is as confused as ever.
Aiden Sheffield would rather go to hell than
Linx. Who does Emma think she is disrupting his carefully built life? The last
thing the Marine needs is to slice open the sealed wounds of his painful past.
Yet, as he gets to know the lovely Emma, a woman who manages to smile even
though she’s lost everything, he changes his mind. He will not let her go to
hell alone.
But neither is prepared for the devastating
evil waiting for them at the end of the road. It might just destroy them.
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Excerpt
“May I help
you?” he asks, his smile tight like it’s forced. Struggling to find my voice, I
finally respond. “Aiden Sheffield?” “Guilty. Are you here to adopt?” “No.” The
pit bull whines at that. Without taking his eyes off me, Aiden pulls out a
plastic bag from his pocket and throws him a treat. Unable to keep staring at
him, my gaze shifts down. I get a good look at Aiden’s pal. The dog’s tail
wags, but only one of his ears perks. The other ear is completely missing, and
the poor boy’s jaw is misshapen. Aiden draws my attention back to him. “You’re
making my pack nervous.”
That’s
exactly what they look like…a pack. A family where he is the alpha. All the
dogs have now come toward the fence, sitting in a straight line. They seem calm
but curious as they flip their heads between us. “They don’t look nervous.”
“They are.
They can smell your fear. They won’t hurt you.”
“I know.”
“Then what
are you afraid of?”
You.
He smirks,
moving forward so we are only inches from each other, separated by the
chain-link fence. His gaze lingers on me, far too long for comfort. He smells
masculine, of soap and sweat and something distinctively him. “Who are you,
mystery girl? Too old to be selling cookies, too young to be from the Gazette,
and too innocent to be spouting religion.”
“I’m Emma
Cooper. Angela’s daughter.” It’s a flicker in his features, but I catch the
scowl before it disappears. The dogs start surrounding Aiden and stare at me
with suspicion. It’s as if they are protecting him…from me.
“What do
you want?” His tone is curt, almost demanding. I shift from foot to foot.
“Can we
talk?” The dogs stand at attention now.
“Go to the
house and wait for me.” He snaps the words like a command.
“Um…”
“Now.”
Book Musings :
I almost passed over this book because of the book cover. I don't know why but it just didn't catch my attention. It felt a bit plain and even after reading the book,I can't get it to sync with the story for me. But the blurb hinted in so many ways at a mystery in the tale that I was tempted to get my hands on it. And wow, the author has delivered an emotionally impacting book.
A bit of warning, guys, this book deals with abuse and there are so many triggers throughout the book. So be careful while reading it. If you are fine with sensitive material, you have to read this book. I recommend it strongly. I haven't read MK Schiller's other books so I went in blind but I can see myself reading this author in the future though with a bit of caution.
As for reviewing the book, I don't even know where to start. The story itself is a very impacting one. The way the author has dealt with the subject is pretty good. And the story alone doesn't make the book.The characters and their reactions to their pasts and the journey they undertake to the future make the story an unforgettable one. The history of abuse highlighted is detailed enough to get me immersed in the pain. I felt as if I was there beside them during the scenes.
The story is told in both of the protagonists',Emma and Aiden, POV. This is my favourite type so I was pretty happy to deal with their thoughts and feelings. And this also made me fall for them because I totally could understand their actions. It was a roller coaster ride of emotions for me. It made me sad, angry and happy as I read the book. At the end, I was sure I was smiling, happy with the way the author has dealt with the horrific antagonist. Wow, I never knew such a villain. It sure makes me wonder at the human mind and the way humans can be animalistic.
As emotionally trapping as the book was, there were the love scenes which kind of didn't go with the flow of the story. I felt as if they weren't relevant to the tale and I could have done without them in such detail. Another part which I felt detracted a tiny bit from the book was the side journey they took on the way to Linx. I was wondering what was the point when reading it.
The story's pace was aligned well with the content. My mind didn't wander at any point and the twists and turns and detours the story took were hard hitting and kept me occupied till the end. As far as I am concerned the author delivered way beyond what she promised with the blurb.
I voluntarily received an ARC for reviewing purposes and this doesn't affect my review in any way. These are my thoughts on the book.
My one line review : A poignantly hopeful love story with a hint of mystery.
My rating : 4.5/5
My reread factor : 4/5
Author Bio
Not knowing a word of English, MK Schiller came to America
at the age of four from India. Since then, all she’s done is collect words.
After receiving the best gift ever from her parents—her very own library
card—she began reading everything she could get her greedy hands on. At
sixteen, a friend asked her to make up a story featuring the popular bad boy at
school. This wasn’t fan fiction…it was friend fiction. From that day on, she’s
known she wanted to be a writer. With the goal of making her readers both laugh
and cry, MK Schiller has penned more than a dozen books, each one filled with
misfit characters overcoming obstacles and finding true love.
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