Book – The Scars of Us
Author – Nikki Narvaez
Publication Date – February 9, 2014
Type – Stand Alone
Genre –Romance, New Adult
Rating – 4 out of 5 Stars
Book provided by Author (for Release Blitz) in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis
Kaiya Marlow has always been cautious, precise in every decision she makes. When her dark past threatens to resurface, she decides to take precautions to protect herself by enrolling in self-defense classes at her gym.
Her instructor, Ryker Campbell, is the tattooed womanizer everyone warns about. Kaiya attempts to resist Ryker's advances, but the more time they spend training together, the harder it is for Kaiya to resist him.
Ryker's view on relationships is simple: strictly sex, nothing more. Haunted by demons from his past, he never allows himself to become attached to any woman. No attachment means no weakness, no vulnerability, no pain. He doesn't realize that his whole world is about to be turned upside down when Kaiya enters his self-defense class. Determined to have her, at least for one night, Ryker sets a plan into motion that will change both of their lives forever.
Will love be able to heal their scars, or are they too deep to overcome?
Review
I see-sawed back and forth between a 3 ½ and a 4 rating – where I loved the story and how womanizer, Ryker turned into a romantic hero, it was a bit annoying in the beginning with Kaiya running away and then changing her mind.
Ryker’s character was swoon worthy and just the perfect mix to bring Kaiya out of her depression and PTSD. The author was able to dive into the psyche of two individuals struggling with past traumatic events that left scar upon scar on them. In the case of Kaiya it wasn’t just the emotional scars she was dealing with but physical ones as well.
The author has the ability to draw the reader into the character’s feelings and experience the devastation of remembering along with the joyfulness of finding peace and happiness.
Re-Cap
Kaiya is plagued with nightmares, the inability to be touched along with not being able to form solid relationships living with her brother while trying to cope with her past. She was abused throughout her childhood not only physically and mentally but also sexually by a family member. It all surfaced with a knife held at her throat and death being the next move if her brother hadn’t come to her rescue.
8 years later Kaiya decides to change gyms and take a self-defense class in which she finds comfort with the instructor, Ryker. Ryker has his own demons to deal with and is unable to form any type of relationship other than one-night stands. Well, that is until he meets Kaiya but she continually dodges his advances and flat out tells him that she is damaged goods.
This stirs the challenge in Ryker to get what he wants, but he is in for a surprise because he never expected to feel the stirrings of love.
Experience the happiness, relief and healing Ryker and Kaiya go through in their own journey of love.
Wrap-Up
A heart-felt read that captivates the reader into an emotional turmoil that has you cheering and gasping.
Will Kaiya win against her past demons?
Will Ryker?