Scarred

h, so I just finished Scarred by Emily McIntyre, and honestly, it’s for all of us who secretly had a thing for the villain growing up. Like, screw the hero—give me the guy with the moral ambiguity and the better wardrobe any day. This one’s a Lion King retelling, but in a way that feels fresh. The character names are clever little nods to the original, which made my nerdy heart happy, and Emily manages to weave in some real-world issues without it feeling preachy. The pining? Perfectly painful. The character growth? Solid. And the smut? Yeah, it’s good. Like, really good. That said, the beginning was a bit of a slog for me. It just felt slow, and the whole “virgin heroine” thing? I don’t know, it feels kind of overplayed at this point. Like, we get it, she’s pure—now can we move on? But honestly, even with those little annoyances, the story just works. The writing can get a bit all over the place sometimes, but it weirdly fits the vibe. It’s chaotic in a way that keeps you hooked. It’s not some deep, life-changing read, but it’s fun. It’s steamy. It’s exactly the kind of thing you pick up when you want a quick escape and a morally gray love interest who makes you question your life choices. Definitely worth it, even if I did roll my eyes a couple times along the way

If you're a fan of dark, twisted romances that reimagine classic tales, "Scarred" by Emily McIntire is a must-read. This book takes inspiration from "The Lion King" but ventures into a realm of royal intrigue, passion, and vengeance.​ Set in a 1940s-inspired monarchy, "Scarred" follows the tumultuous lives of two brothers vying for the throne. The elder, Michael, is the beloved king-to-be, while the younger, Tristan, bears the scars of both body and soul, living as the outcast prince. Enter Sara, a cunning and beautiful woman betrothed to Michael but harboring her own vengeful agenda. As Sara and Tristan's paths intertwine, they embark on a dangerous dance of deception, passion, and rebellion, challenging the very foundations of the kingdom.​ 🔥 Dark Romance​ 👑 Royal Intrigue​ 🗡️ Enemies to Lovers​ 🖤 Anti-Hero​ 🎭 Revenge Plot​ Emily McIntire crafts a narrative that's both compelling and provocative. The characters are richly developed, with Tristan standing out as a complex anti-hero whose journey from outcast to rebel leader is both heart-wrenching and exhilarating. Sara's character is equally captivating, as she navigates her thirst for vengeance while grappling with forbidden desires. The chemistry between Tristan and Sara is palpable, making their illicit romance all the more enticing.​ The audiobook brings an added layer of immersion, thanks to the stellar performances of Paul Woodson and Ella Lynch. Woodson's portrayal of Tristan captures the character's brooding intensity and vulnerability, while Lynch's rendition of Sara conveys her cunning and conflicted emotions with finesse. Their dynamic narration enhances the storytelling, making the listening experience both engaging and memorable. ​ "Scarred" is a dark royal romance that delves into themes of power, betrayal, and forbidden love. It's a gripping read that keeps you hooked from start to finish. Whether you're reading or listening, this twisted tale offers a thrilling escape into a world where villains find their own version of a happily ever after.

Never has a book ever been more perfect for me like Scarred, the second stand-alone in Emily McIntire’s Never After dark romance series. It’s rare when I find a book that I feel like the author wrote it specifically for me. Scarred was exactly everything I needed to read to make me feel like the hardships I endured in my life are finally able to be put to rest. How does a book just instantly heal your soul? Emily McIntire’s books are always amazing but in my opinion, I think Scarred is her best novel yet!!! It was raw, passionate, and deeply moving. McIntire put her heart and soul on display and what an absolutely beautiful and dark place it is! Have you ever read a Lion King retelling before? No? Me neither. This retelling was brilliant, deliciously seductive, and heart warming. I had a little smile when I read the last page and felt lighter, like the pressures of my days, weeks, months, and years suddenly lifted and the sun started shining. Told from dual perspectives, Scarred tell the tale of two powerful people bloodthirsty for revenge. Sara has a goal to be the Queen and that means marrying the man she hates just so she can put an end to his evil and tyrannical bloodline after they murdered her father. Tristan wants revenge on the brother who tortured and broke him when they were children and to claim what is rightfully his…including Sara, his brother’s betrothed. Spice level is at an all-time high of six trillion scoville units (LOL) and it’s also up there as one of the greatest love stories I’ve ever read because of that concept of the ultimate unconditional love—when you truly accept someone else for the good and horrible parts of them. This book touches on a theme of bullying that is handled delicately with extremely powerful outcomes and and a message that will stay bundled up in your heart for the rest of your days on this earth. Betrayal and plot twists, surprises and lots and lots of subconscious lip biting and eye brow raising at all the hot and heavy chapters. Emily McIntire was so generous to us, dear readers! Be sure to read this dark romance!!! You will not regret it…

Fue un regalo y me gusta

I enjoy it! The story by itself is great. Loved Tristan, Sarah , Simon and Michael. Very well written, the plots are amazingly very well built, I didn’t expect the ending☺️

Wow oh wow Emily has done it again! This is the second standalone book in the never after series, and is as entertaining, twisted, spicy and thrilling as the first. Whilst this series is not retellings of popular Disney stories, it is almost like a very adult dark reimagining of them – and I’m living for it. The first book was a reimagining of Hook in a modern mafia scenario, where as this one takes a completely different turn imagining Scar from the lion king in an early 1900 kingdom and a secret battle for a kingdom. We follow not only Tristan our spare heir, tortured soul, enigmatic alpha bad guy, but also Sara a young girl burdened by family loyalty and responsibility. It was a guarantee that I was going to love Tristan because he has all the makings of a classic dark romance, Anti-Hero, morally grey hottie. He’s a character of many facets looking for his place in the world following the death of his father and in the shadow of his idiot brother. The only love interest that was going to work for him was always going to be somebody that could be equal to his intense energy, and we get that and more with Sara. She’s cunning, smart, passionate and empathetic, she sees people of every class which isn’t necessarily a given in this era and is no damsel, knowing exactly how to take care of herself – she’s definitely her own hero. So as not to spoil I won’t go into the details of the plot but rest assured that it is a thrilling ride from the first page into the last. There is a cast of supporting characters that help to drive the story and are interesting to get to know on the fringes of the main relationship that does stem entirely from Tristan and Sarah. It was an instant five star read for me because this series is shaping up to be incredible, the way Emily does re-imaginings is the best I’ve personally read so far and I love seeing little snippets of the original stories bringing familiarity.

🤎👑 Scarred Review 👑🤎 📝 Author: Emily McIntire 🌶️ Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ ⭐️ Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ @Emily does it again with another gorgeous villainous love story! This time we dive into the world of royals, politics, history (1910 era) and insanely good spice 🌶️🥵 This time Tristan who resembles Scar from the lion king gets a story! And boy oh boy is he hot! 🥵🔥 Tristan and Sara are a match made in heaven 😍 I cannot express how much I loved watching their relationship, trust, friendship, loyalty and of course naughtiness grow 🥰 I loved Tristan’s protectiveness and the way he makes the small gestures matter! And I love how Sara quickly accepted situations and got through them relatively fast 💨 This book was so good I finished it in 6 hours! In one sitting🤩 and I mean the spice deserves more than five chillies in the rating 😍🌶️🤩. Am I going to get hot and bothered by all the books Miss Emily writes? Yup probably! Do I recommend this book? 100000000% yes! Did this book save me from my reading slump? Also yes!! 🤎

Such a great book! One of the better books I've read and also one of the first dark romances! The story was amazing and I liked the subtle references to the lion king. The characters were perfect and the story came together perfectly in the end. I totally recommend this book! The spice was amazing and I enjoyed the MC's development through the book. Remember to check TW before reading since this book is pretty brutal and dark.