Review: J.M Darhower's "Monster in his Eyes."

4 Hearts Review: J.M Darhower's "Monster in his Eyes."

Amazon UK:   http://amzn.to/1iKRoTF

Amazon.com:  http://amzn.to/1ml3smI

Synopsis:

Ignazio Vitale is not a good man.

I suspect it, the first time I see him, sense the air of danger that surrounds the man. He has a way of commanding attention, of taking control, of knowing what I'm thinking before I even do.

It's alarming and alluring. It's dark and deadly. It's everything I've ever wanted but the last thing I truly need. Obsession.

It doesn't take him long to draw me into his web, charming me into his bed and trapping me in his life, a life I know nothing about until it's too late. He has secrets, secrets I can't fathom, secrets that make it so I can't walk away, no matter how much I beg him to let me go. I see it sometimes in his eyes, a darkness that's both terrifying and thrilling. He's a monster, wrapped up in a pretty package, and what I find when I unmask him changes everything.

I want to hate him.

Sometimes, I do.

But it doesn't stop me from loving him, too.

Review:  Surj Harvey

J.M Darhower's "Monster in his Eyes" had my insides coiled up so tightly it was untrue. My heart was quite literally ready to beat out of my chest for the most part of this book and it wasn't because of what I was reading... it was more the fact that my mind had gone into overdrive... joining up all the dots, doing the sums and trying to figure out the direction this story was going to take. The drip fed clues didn't help matters, only adding to the nervous anticipation that something big was coming and unfortunately, the feeling that settled in the pit of my stomach told me I wasn't going to like it. I was right but in such a good way. This book pulled me out of my comfort zone, made me feel crazy all sorts and I loved it. 

The characters elicited mixed emotions from me. Karissa was young and so very naive and I had to keep reminding myself of her age. She was eighteen and had a man lavishing attention on her... one mature, very hot, rich, Italian man at that ... I mean who wouldn't go weak at the knees? 

He's a drug, an addictive one, and I'm not sure it's a habit I can kick. 

All it took was one hit. One strong, euphoric hit and I was hooked. 

Unfortunately, she was missing all the clues I was spotting a mile off and was completely blinded by the attention, the lust, the need and the want. Had she bitten off more than she could chew? Most definitely but the question was: would she sink or swim when the proverbial hit the fan? I honestly didn't know but for the most part, Karissa was in a beautiful, cloud nine bubble and no one was going to burst it. I liked her innocence. I liked that she didn't see what was right under her nose. It made her character realistic. Yes I wanted to shake her at times, tell her to wake up and smell the coffee, but at that age, you listen to no one. Your mistakes are yours to make and to learn from and so I read on with baited breath. 

Naz is my very own knight, fearless and chivalrous, although I suspect his shining armor 

maybe concealing a bit of darkness. Instead of putting me on guard, that thought intrigues me. 

Ignazio Vitale (Naz) left me confused. Who was this man? Was I supposed to like him? To be honest, I wasn't sure how I felt. Yup he was sexy as sin, powerful, confident and even a little cocky at times but when it came to the nitty gritty, he was an enigma. Naz took privacy to a whole new level and even when it came to emotion, he seemed completely void of any. I couldn't work out how he felt, how certain things affected him because he just didn't show it. He appeared almost clinical and very black and white (but not in the same breath... confused? Yes so was I !! ) What I did know was that this man was dangerous with a capital D and it was his past that had made him this way. 

“I’m warning you. I’m not a good man, Karissa, and I never will be. 

So don’t think you can fix me, or that I’ll ever change, because I won’t.”

I was desperate for Naz's story because I felt this would shed a whole new light on this man. As information started to seep through and the bigger picture started to come into focus, I found myself soften a bit towards his character... yes yes I said a bit but not enough for me to fall head over heals in love with him. Maybe in the second book in the series, I'll get Naz's POV, get into his dark, twisted mind and maybe... just maybe he might take a little piece of my heart. Who knows? 

"I don't live my life by someone else's rules. 

I'm my own boss, my own judge and jury, my own authority. 

The relationship between Naz and Karissa was very physical, sex definitely playing a huge part in what they shared (and trust me.... it was freakin' HAWT!!!!) but there were moments I wondered what else this couple had connecting them... after all, what did Karissa really know about her man? Despite this, I was willing for them to work... to get their HEA even though I knew it was wrong on so many levels!!! He was the bad guy and she was so young, too inexperienced, too innocent to realise the extent of what he was telling her!!! I sensed a whole heap of trouble ahead for these two! 

"The pieces were all there from the beginning, every single one of them. Just because

you refused to put them together, to look at the bigger picture, doesn't mean you 

didn't know what I was. I told you I wasn't a good man. I told you I never wanted to be."

"Monster in his Eyes" will definitely give your brain cells and your heart a good work out. The writing drawing you in from the outset, the words will make you feel and the twists holding you captive until the very last page page. If you're looking for conventional... then you won't find it here. What you will get is suspense, intrigue, mystery and of course romance that will leave your every nerve on edge!!! 

I fell in love with him, and that’s what destroyed me in the end.

He says he would never hurt me, but he doesn’t realize he already has.

He hurt me by loving me. By being who he is. Because I am who I am.

J.M Darhower, this is my first experience of your work and I'm hooked. I cannot wait for the second and final installment of Karissa and Naz's story. Roll on fall 2014!!! 

I rated "Monster in his Eyes" 4 Hearts