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Dix ans plus tôt, il a détruit ma vie. À présent, je vais détruire son fils.
Shane. Ex-détenu. Enfoiré sans scrupules. Ordure.
Rosen. Naïf. Vierge. Proie facile.
Shane sort tout juste de prison et n’a qu’un seul but : détruire Ed Beck, l’homme qui l’a mis derrière les barreaux, en s’attaquant à ce qu’il a de plus cher : Rosen, son fils. Mais lorsque les yeux bleus rêveurs de Ros rencontrent les siens, Shane trouve la manière parfaite de se venger.
Afin que son père accepte de payer ses études, Ros doit respecter certaines règles : rejoindre une fraternité, se faire tout petit et taire son homosexualité. Rien de plus facile… jusqu’à ce qu’il rencontre Shane, un bad boy né du mauvais côté de la barrière. Le fréquenter entraîne Rosen dans un monde de violence, de chantage, et le plonge dans une passion trop brûlante pour être repoussée.
Shane est persuadé de contrôler la situation. Il voit Rosen uniquement comme un moyen de parvenir à ses fins. Mais lorsque l’amour s’en mêle, il n’a plus qu’un seul objectif : devenir autre chose que la racaille qu’il a toujours été.
Shane se trouve désormais à la croisée des chemins, et doit faire un choix : Rosen ou la vengeance.
⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠
Thèmes : chantage, vengeance, manipulation, ex-détenu, secrets, différence de classe sociale, écart d’âge.Genre : Romance M/M sombre et brûlanteLongueur : ~73 000 motsAVERTISSEMENT : Cette histoire contient des scènes de violence, des tentatives d’agression sexuelle, un langage offensant et des personnages moralement ambigus.
Shane. Ex-détenu. Enfoiré sans scrupules. Ordure.
Rosen. Naïf. Vierge. Proie facile.
Shane sort tout juste de prison et n’a qu’un seul but : détruire Ed Beck, l’homme qui l’a mis derrière les barreaux, en s’attaquant à ce qu’il a de plus cher : Rosen, son fils. Mais lorsque les yeux bleus rêveurs de Ros rencontrent les siens, Shane trouve la manière parfaite de se venger.
Afin que son père accepte de payer ses études, Ros doit respecter certaines règles : rejoindre une fraternité, se faire tout petit et taire son homosexualité. Rien de plus facile… jusqu’à ce qu’il rencontre Shane, un bad boy né du mauvais côté de la barrière. Le fréquenter entraîne Rosen dans un monde de violence, de chantage, et le plonge dans une passion trop brûlante pour être repoussée.
Shane est persuadé de contrôler la situation. Il voit Rosen uniquement comme un moyen de parvenir à ses fins. Mais lorsque l’amour s’en mêle, il n’a plus qu’un seul objectif : devenir autre chose que la racaille qu’il a toujours été.
Shane se trouve désormais à la croisée des chemins, et doit faire un choix : Rosen ou la vengeance.
⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠⚠
Thèmes : chantage, vengeance, manipulation, ex-détenu, secrets, différence de classe sociale, écart d’âge.Genre : Romance M/M sombre et brûlanteLongueur : ~73 000 motsAVERTISSEMENT : Cette histoire contient des scènes de violence, des tentatives d’agression sexuelle, un langage offensant et des personnages moralement ambigus.
278 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 19, 2021
459 people are currently reading
2210 people want to read
About the author
K.A. Merikan
130 books3,024 followers(Goodreads profile run by Kat)
K. A. Merikan is a duo of queer writers who don’t believe in following the well-trodden path. In their books you can dip your toe into dangerous romance with mafiosi, outlaw bikers and bad boys, all from the safety of your sofa. They love the weird and wonderful, stepping out of the box, and bending stereotypes both in life and in fiction. Their stories don’t shy away from exploring the darker side of M/M romance, and feature a variety of anti-heroes, rebels, misfits, and underdogs who go against the grain.
Be prepared for shocking twists, dark humor, raw emotions, and sizzling hot scenes.
K.A. Merikan also writes steamy M/M romcoms as Devon Doe.
e-mail: kamerikan@gmail.com
More information about ongoing projects, works in progress and publishing at:
K.A. Merikan’s author page: http://kamerikan.com
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/kamerikan
K. A. Merikan is a duo of queer writers who don’t believe in following the well-trodden path. In their books you can dip your toe into dangerous romance with mafiosi, outlaw bikers and bad boys, all from the safety of your sofa. They love the weird and wonderful, stepping out of the box, and bending stereotypes both in life and in fiction. Their stories don’t shy away from exploring the darker side of M/M romance, and feature a variety of anti-heroes, rebels, misfits, and underdogs who go against the grain.
Be prepared for shocking twists, dark humor, raw emotions, and sizzling hot scenes.
K.A. Merikan also writes steamy M/M romcoms as Devon Doe.
e-mail: kamerikan@gmail.com
More information about ongoing projects, works in progress and publishing at:
K.A. Merikan’s author page: http://kamerikan.com
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/kamerikan
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 364 reviews
August 12, 2025
Gritty. Disturbing. Stunning.
The blurb is quite different from the book itself. And that’s great, because it’s so much more—and so much better—than that.
Not gonna lie—I was hot for Shane from the jump. Their physical description, plus morally ambiguous and gorgeous, had me picturing Jon Bernthal (Shane from The Walking Dead) but with green eyes. Just go with it…it works.
The beginning is explosive. The vivid realism K&A employ is phenomenal. One. Hot. Scene. And it’s not the only one. The explorations of oral, bare, holding hands in public, boy/man talk, levels of comfort and discomfort…the authors have the intangible gift of writing gay relationships, and gay sex (!), as they are. Outstanding.
Shane’s inner dialogue is hilarious. He possesses an excellent sense of humor, and he’s actually a good guy. Shane’s reactions to Jag are priceless…literally had me laughing out loud. Definitely enjoy the flashbacks to him in prison, training the dogs. Shane has severe PTSD from his time while incarcerated and from a lifetime of abuse. His insecurities and vulnerability make him that much hotter. Excellent job in humanizing a difficult and polarizing character.
Rosen is very needy, so it demands writers as stellar as K&A to render his behavior cute and not cringe. Normally the virgin thing, plus pseudo-insta-love, would be unlikable to me, but the writers handle it with aplomb.
Found family is a profound concept when pulled off properly. I admire the unit they’ve created at Frank’s place. It’s open and welcoming for the misfit gays.
The ending is just: WOW. So damn good. So perfectly imperfect. This novel epitomizes “so wrong it’s right.” Epic love story.
“You’re my first, my only, and I love you so much.”
“Me too, baby. You’re the only one who ever counted.”
The blurb is quite different from the book itself. And that’s great, because it’s so much more—and so much better—than that.
Not gonna lie—I was hot for Shane from the jump. Their physical description, plus morally ambiguous and gorgeous, had me picturing Jon Bernthal (Shane from The Walking Dead) but with green eyes. Just go with it…it works.
The beginning is explosive. The vivid realism K&A employ is phenomenal. One. Hot. Scene. And it’s not the only one. The explorations of oral, bare, holding hands in public, boy/man talk, levels of comfort and discomfort…the authors have the intangible gift of writing gay relationships, and gay sex (!), as they are. Outstanding.
Shane’s inner dialogue is hilarious. He possesses an excellent sense of humor, and he’s actually a good guy. Shane’s reactions to Jag are priceless…literally had me laughing out loud. Definitely enjoy the flashbacks to him in prison, training the dogs. Shane has severe PTSD from his time while incarcerated and from a lifetime of abuse. His insecurities and vulnerability make him that much hotter. Excellent job in humanizing a difficult and polarizing character.
Rosen is very needy, so it demands writers as stellar as K&A to render his behavior cute and not cringe. Normally the virgin thing, plus pseudo-insta-love, would be unlikable to me, but the writers handle it with aplomb.
Found family is a profound concept when pulled off properly. I admire the unit they’ve created at Frank’s place. It’s open and welcoming for the misfit gays.
The ending is just: WOW. So damn good. So perfectly imperfect. This novel epitomizes “so wrong it’s right.” Epic love story.
“You’re my first, my only, and I love you so much.”
“Me too, baby. You’re the only one who ever counted.”
June 24, 2024
This was so boring.
I guess the 3.66 average rating makes sense now.
The relationship starts off sexual and, for the most part, continues to develop that way. These two have some moments in between where they spend some time together that can be classified as “domestic”, yet they didn’t feel like enough. I finished this wondering and questioning what exactly Shane and Rosen liked about each other besides their physical appearance. From the beginning, they’re sexually attracted to each other, both participating in a lust-based encounter. While realistic, it didn’t help that most of their relationship developed this way. While action and variety is important, I thought the two hardly had any moments where they simply hung out or got to know each other. I need some domesticity, sue me. The emotional connection was severely lacking, plain and simple. Adding on to that, their characterizations are underdeveloped. It felt like Ros was just a pretty boy and Shane was scum. There was no personality to either of them, and they were both missing character depth.
This wasn’t dark and disturbing at all, and again, that’s coming from ME. I thought this would be gritty and a portrayal of a dark romance relationship, yet the grittiness here is mostly attributed to Shane’s character—who he is, his past of prison, and his connection to Rosen. But really, there wasn’t anything disturbing about this novel. There was one scene that asked for some serious groveling, and while I don’t know if saying what happened is a spoiler, I still think the authors missed out on the necessary grovel Shane should’ve done. I couldn’t understand, accept and see how Ros easily trusted and forgave Shane for what he did without making him really fight for the consequences he caused. I wished the authors would have shown some of his feelings and emotions more, more repulsion and hesitancy, yet there was only acceptance. Shane was practically ready to beg on his knees, and in my opinion, we should have seen him beg on his knees and more. Yet there were just interactions, sorry’s and feel bads, a little bit of action to show Ros how sorry he was, and apparently that was enough to make up for what he did. I couldn’t even feel bad for Ros anymore. He was too naive for my liking, coming off as doormat even, giving in to Shane’s forgiveness way too easily. From the beginning, really, he gave in to Shane easily. There was hardly any tension, and we don’t really see the development of it either. It’s just something that happens because the two are physically attracted to each other.
There’s not much I can say about this. I skimmed a big portion of it, yet it felt like I missed nothing. I’ll probably regret it a little bit when I get to the next stories, because we meet the next characters—Jag, Dex, and Frank—but really, I couldn’t bring myself to care about them either. I’m really hoping their stories will provide more entertainment but also more relationship development that doesn’t feel only sexual and has some more depth to it. I’be always wanted to start this series for books two and four only, anyway.
I’m really regretting reactivating my KU subscription.
I guess the 3.66 average rating makes sense now.
The relationship starts off sexual and, for the most part, continues to develop that way. These two have some moments in between where they spend some time together that can be classified as “domestic”, yet they didn’t feel like enough. I finished this wondering and questioning what exactly Shane and Rosen liked about each other besides their physical appearance. From the beginning, they’re sexually attracted to each other, both participating in a lust-based encounter. While realistic, it didn’t help that most of their relationship developed this way. While action and variety is important, I thought the two hardly had any moments where they simply hung out or got to know each other. I need some domesticity, sue me. The emotional connection was severely lacking, plain and simple. Adding on to that, their characterizations are underdeveloped. It felt like Ros was just a pretty boy and Shane was scum. There was no personality to either of them, and they were both missing character depth.
This wasn’t dark and disturbing at all, and again, that’s coming from ME. I thought this would be gritty and a portrayal of a dark romance relationship, yet the grittiness here is mostly attributed to Shane’s character—who he is, his past of prison, and his connection to Rosen. But really, there wasn’t anything disturbing about this novel. There was one scene that asked for some serious groveling, and while I don’t know if saying what happened is a spoiler, I still think the authors missed out on the necessary grovel Shane should’ve done. I couldn’t understand, accept and see how Ros easily trusted and forgave Shane for what he did without making him really fight for the consequences he caused. I wished the authors would have shown some of his feelings and emotions more, more repulsion and hesitancy, yet there was only acceptance. Shane was practically ready to beg on his knees, and in my opinion, we should have seen him beg on his knees and more. Yet there were just interactions, sorry’s and feel bads, a little bit of action to show Ros how sorry he was, and apparently that was enough to make up for what he did. I couldn’t even feel bad for Ros anymore. He was too naive for my liking, coming off as doormat even, giving in to Shane’s forgiveness way too easily. From the beginning, really, he gave in to Shane easily. There was hardly any tension, and we don’t really see the development of it either. It’s just something that happens because the two are physically attracted to each other.
There’s not much I can say about this. I skimmed a big portion of it, yet it felt like I missed nothing. I’ll probably regret it a little bit when I get to the next stories, because we meet the next characters—Jag, Dex, and Frank—but really, I couldn’t bring myself to care about them either. I’m really hoping their stories will provide more entertainment but also more relationship development that doesn’t feel only sexual and has some more depth to it. I’be always wanted to start this series for books two and four only, anyway.
I’m really regretting reactivating my KU subscription.
![Profile Image for Imme [trying to crawl out of hiatus] van Gorp.](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1700013408i%2F101358081._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
March 8, 2025
|| 3.0 stars ||
➛First read: March 2023 | ★3.0 stars
➛Second read: October 2024 | ★3.0 stars
Okay, so this wasn’t amazing or anything, but it definitely wasn’t bad either.
It was extremely toxic, and it was insta-love with a connection mostly build on lust: those are things I usually don’t really appreciate. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed reading this and it was just... fun!
The book is about Rosen and Shane, who couldn’t possibly be any more different. Rosen is gentle and angelic, while Shane is rough around the edges. Rosen goes to college as an art student, while Shane just came out of prison and is already back to his usual criminal activity. These two would have normally never met or connected, but Shane has different plans. After all, it was Rosen’s father who falsely accused Shane of a crime he did not commit, which led to his 10 years in jail. Shane is out for revenge. And he wants to get it through Rosen. What he didn’t account for, however, was to fall in love with the boy in the process.
What I loved about this book is the fact that Shane was so adoring when it came to Rosen. He really thought the sun shone right out of his arse, which is just adorable. Nonetheless, Shane still treated Rosen badly from time to time, which annoyed me. Rosen was definitely a push-over and I would have liked him to be a little less naive. Then again, I found his trusting nature also quite endearing, so it wasn’t all bad.
There is a big betrayal in this book, obviously, so we do get some good groveling from Shane. I personally would have never forgiven him for what he did (I won’t spoil what it was, but it was truly bad), and I find it a little hard to believe that Rosen would either, but it was what it was. I did like that Shane was truly apologetic and he would have done anything to earn Rosen's forgiveness; he would have literally walked through fire to get Rosen’s trust and affections back.
All in all, I thought this book was very entertaining and it had some tropes I really like. Was it executed in the most hard-hitting way possible? No. But it was decent at what it tried to do, and the writing was addictive enough to have me enjoy this book quite a lot.
'Wrong Side of the Tracks' series:
1. Scum - 3.0 stars
2. Primal - 2.0 stars
3. D!ckhead - dnf
4. Grind - 4.0 stars
5. Wanted - 3.0 stars
Other K.A. Merikan books:
‘Sex & Mayhem’ series - var. ratings
Mr. Jaguar - 3.0 stars
Not Like Other Boys - 4.5 stars
‘Guns n’ Boys’ series - var. ratings
The Cattery - 3.5 stars
Break My Shell - 3.5 stars
The Black Sheep and The Rotten Apple - 3.5 stars
‘Kings of Hell MC’ series - var. ratings
Wrong Way Home - 4.0 star
➛First read: March 2023 | ★3.0 stars
➛Second read: October 2024 | ★3.0 stars
Okay, so this wasn’t amazing or anything, but it definitely wasn’t bad either.
It was extremely toxic, and it was insta-love with a connection mostly build on lust: those are things I usually don’t really appreciate. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed reading this and it was just... fun!
The book is about Rosen and Shane, who couldn’t possibly be any more different. Rosen is gentle and angelic, while Shane is rough around the edges. Rosen goes to college as an art student, while Shane just came out of prison and is already back to his usual criminal activity. These two would have normally never met or connected, but Shane has different plans. After all, it was Rosen’s father who falsely accused Shane of a crime he did not commit, which led to his 10 years in jail. Shane is out for revenge. And he wants to get it through Rosen. What he didn’t account for, however, was to fall in love with the boy in the process.
Ros was so cute it was impossible not to notice. Like a Disney Princess, he was sweet, and wished everyone well, and if he started singing in the woods, birds and rodents would flock to him as if he were made of grain.
Shane shouldn’t have liked it. But he did.
He just couldn’t understand what a guy like that saw in him.
What I loved about this book is the fact that Shane was so adoring when it came to Rosen. He really thought the sun shone right out of his arse, which is just adorable. Nonetheless, Shane still treated Rosen badly from time to time, which annoyed me. Rosen was definitely a push-over and I would have liked him to be a little less naive. Then again, I found his trusting nature also quite endearing, so it wasn’t all bad.
“You’re my first, my only, and I love you so much.”
“Me too, baby. You’re the only one who ever counted.”
There is a big betrayal in this book, obviously, so we do get some good groveling from Shane. I personally would have never forgiven him for what he did (I won’t spoil what it was, but it was truly bad), and I find it a little hard to believe that Rosen would either, but it was what it was. I did like that Shane was truly apologetic and he would have done anything to earn Rosen's forgiveness; he would have literally walked through fire to get Rosen’s trust and affections back.
All in all, I thought this book was very entertaining and it had some tropes I really like. Was it executed in the most hard-hitting way possible? No. But it was decent at what it tried to do, and the writing was addictive enough to have me enjoy this book quite a lot.
'Wrong Side of the Tracks' series:
1. Scum - 3.0 stars
2. Primal - 2.0 stars
3. D!ckhead - dnf
4. Grind - 4.0 stars
5. Wanted - 3.0 stars
Other K.A. Merikan books:
‘Sex & Mayhem’ series - var. ratings
Mr. Jaguar - 3.0 stars
Not Like Other Boys - 4.5 stars
‘Guns n’ Boys’ series - var. ratings
The Cattery - 3.5 stars
Break My Shell - 3.5 stars
The Black Sheep and The Rotten Apple - 3.5 stars
‘Kings of Hell MC’ series - var. ratings
Wrong Way Home - 4.0 star
March 8, 2023
*4.5* I went into this book, thinking it was going to be too dark for me. Which in retrospect, was a very good way to read the story!
✔️Secrets and manipulation
✔️Age gap
✔️Virgin hero
✔️Found family
✔️Hot sex (but could have used a bit more)
✔️Revenge
✔️Ex-con
✔️Decent grovel
The beginning chapters hooked me, both of these characters are polar opposites but they’re so good together.
What started as a basic revenge plot turned into a very sweet budding romance. However, neither one of these leading men know what it’s like to be in love, let alone be in a relationship.
As to the “dark” part of this story, it wasn’t all that dark to me. (And I’m a softy) While I did find the premise a little shaky, I understood the characters motivations.
Absolutely loved this found family of crazy, sensitive, protective men.
While he’d spent most of his life in more favorable conditions, in a house with more space and better insulation, there was comfort to being around so many gay men—not in a club setting, not trying to date or hook up—just hanging out, chatting with people he didn’t need to hide parts of himself from.
Another amazing recommendation from Dan #destroyer of TBRs.
✔️Secrets and manipulation
✔️Age gap
✔️Virgin hero
✔️Found family
✔️Hot sex (but could have used a bit more)
✔️Revenge
✔️Ex-con
✔️Decent grovel
The beginning chapters hooked me, both of these characters are polar opposites but they’re so good together.
What started as a basic revenge plot turned into a very sweet budding romance. However, neither one of these leading men know what it’s like to be in love, let alone be in a relationship.
As to the “dark” part of this story, it wasn’t all that dark to me. (And I’m a softy) While I did find the premise a little shaky, I understood the characters motivations.
Absolutely loved this found family of crazy, sensitive, protective men.
While he’d spent most of his life in more favorable conditions, in a house with more space and better insulation, there was comfort to being around so many gay men—not in a club setting, not trying to date or hook up—just hanging out, chatting with people he didn’t need to hide parts of himself from.
Another amazing recommendation from Dan #destroyer of TBRs.
![Profile Image for Lilly [Hiatus due to School] .](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1663899589i%2F10381707._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
January 13, 2023
I loved Scum!
Shane is out after serving a 10-year sentence for a crime he did not commit. He plans to get revenge no matter how on the man who sent him away. However, he doesn't count on his son, who captures his heart.
I did expect a much darker story than I anticipated from the blurb and the themes, but while it was not as dark, I enjoyed it a lot! There were still a lot of elements I ate up, like super protective lovers (and are 100% ready to be violent), an ex-convict, virgin MCs, Opposites attract, and socioeconomic differences too.
I loved how Rosen's first time was written and also enjoyed how he fell, was needy and could not keep it casual. It was unexpectedly sweet and fluffy at times which I liked too. He wanted to be taken care of, and Shane wanted to provide. I also loved how violent Shane got regarding Rosen, especially towards those two roommates.
Ros couldn't find it in himself to hate Shane. The same violence Shane had wielded against him, was exciting when exerted in righteous revenge.
I adored the found family aspect also. I loved the interactions between everyone and how they each got one another's back, even if it seemed like they were at each other's throat half the time. I already love Jag and can't wait to read his story!
Please check TWs because this story, while not as dark as some other books I've read, had some disturbing elements.
This was my first K.A. Merikan read, and I'm excited. Initially, I picked this series up because of the third book of the series. For 2023 I have a list of authors I plan to read, and I'm so happy that my expectations of these authors were met and can't wait to read more.
Shane is out after serving a 10-year sentence for a crime he did not commit. He plans to get revenge no matter how on the man who sent him away. However, he doesn't count on his son, who captures his heart.
I did expect a much darker story than I anticipated from the blurb and the themes, but while it was not as dark, I enjoyed it a lot! There were still a lot of elements I ate up, like super protective lovers (and are 100% ready to be violent), an ex-convict, virgin MCs, Opposites attract, and socioeconomic differences too.
I loved how Rosen's first time was written and also enjoyed how he fell, was needy and could not keep it casual. It was unexpectedly sweet and fluffy at times which I liked too. He wanted to be taken care of, and Shane wanted to provide. I also loved how violent Shane got regarding Rosen, especially towards those two roommates.
Ros couldn't find it in himself to hate Shane. The same violence Shane had wielded against him, was exciting when exerted in righteous revenge.
I adored the found family aspect also. I loved the interactions between everyone and how they each got one another's back, even if it seemed like they were at each other's throat half the time. I already love Jag and can't wait to read his story!
Please check TWs because this story, while not as dark as some other books I've read, had some disturbing elements.
This was my first K.A. Merikan read, and I'm excited. Initially, I picked this series up because of the third book of the series. For 2023 I have a list of authors I plan to read, and I'm so happy that my expectations of these authors were met and can't wait to read more.
January 15, 2023
I wanted to DNF this around 22% but then I skipped towards the end to browse through it a bit , it trapped me and I read it backwards 🤣🤣 I expected something dark and disturbing but even though there are disturbing stuff in the book the execution is pretty light . Towards the end it’s almos OTT rom-com. I did enjoy it tho in the way you always enjoy a “growly alpha who protects his boy” type of book 🤣
November 23, 2021
5/5 read for me.
Tropes/Elements:
- Opposites attract
- Hurt/comfort
- Age gap (10 years)
- Dark romance
- Angst
How do I say this... I feel like everyone should read this book because I liked it so much, but I also know it's not for everyone.
Merikan's writing is great in this one (though I noticed a few errors - mainly missing periods), and I am especially impressed by the difference between the POVs. Sometimes in a dual POV situation you aren't able to really tell the inner dialogue of a character apart, but in Scum you definitely do. Rosen has this dreamy, artsy, waxing poetic way of seeing the world while Shane is more direct, crude, and to the point. Even during sex scenes, you can tell the difference between them. I also felt the characterizations of Shane and Rosen felt very realistic, that they were fleshed out and nuanced in their depiction.
My favorite character is Rosen, with his naivete and bright way of seeing the world. While he did change over the book as his situation changed, I still think he held onto that Disney-Princess (as Shane puts it) quality that makes me love him dearly. Later in the book where he just felt inexplicably drawn to Shane despite the hurt felt, it felt so him and just so good. One of my favorite moments. The way he was able to care for Shane, to be vulnerable but also help him through his vulnerability, was so tender. Rosen is tender, and the excellent Persephone to Shane's Hades.
Shane was relatable and someone I absolutely felt for. He did things I don't agree with, and he did "taint" Rosen and drag him into some situations that Rosen won't be able to turn his back on, but he protected him. He cared for him, and when he fucked up, he paid for it and waited for things to mend on Rosen's terms instead of his own. That was important. This book was a lot about Shane's growth as a person and his rehabilitation being a civilian after he was in prison for so long.
The side characters were funny and Jag grew on me, enough I definitely want to read the next book in this series even if I have to wait for awhile. Dex is amusing and I'm wondering who tames the playboy in that one. I loved the epilogue and how this all came together, sincerely. It filled me with happy tears, and felt so appropriate for this couple. Life isn't perfect, but it works.
The only parts I might pick at, and maybe this is surely because of Shane's own ignorance, in that reality speaks to the fact that had he done any of his revenge plans, I think Ed Beck would not have been affected really, it would've been easy for him to cut off Rosen.
I highlighted a lot of this book because I was obsessed. Such tender quotes and words, seriously. I cried at the hurt, the tenderness, all of it. This is a book that will sit with me.
"You're my first, my only, and I love you so much."
"Me too, baby. You're the only one who ever counted."
Tropes/Elements:
- Opposites attract
- Hurt/comfort
- Age gap (10 years)
- Dark romance
- Angst
How do I say this... I feel like everyone should read this book because I liked it so much, but I also know it's not for everyone.
Merikan's writing is great in this one (though I noticed a few errors - mainly missing periods), and I am especially impressed by the difference between the POVs. Sometimes in a dual POV situation you aren't able to really tell the inner dialogue of a character apart, but in Scum you definitely do. Rosen has this dreamy, artsy, waxing poetic way of seeing the world while Shane is more direct, crude, and to the point. Even during sex scenes, you can tell the difference between them. I also felt the characterizations of Shane and Rosen felt very realistic, that they were fleshed out and nuanced in their depiction.
My favorite character is Rosen, with his naivete and bright way of seeing the world. While he did change over the book as his situation changed, I still think he held onto that Disney-Princess (as Shane puts it) quality that makes me love him dearly. Later in the book where he just felt inexplicably drawn to Shane despite the hurt felt, it felt so him and just so good. One of my favorite moments. The way he was able to care for Shane, to be vulnerable but also help him through his vulnerability, was so tender. Rosen is tender, and the excellent Persephone to Shane's Hades.
Shane was relatable and someone I absolutely felt for. He did things I don't agree with, and he did "taint" Rosen and drag him into some situations that Rosen won't be able to turn his back on, but he protected him. He cared for him, and when he fucked up, he paid for it and waited for things to mend on Rosen's terms instead of his own. That was important. This book was a lot about Shane's growth as a person and his rehabilitation being a civilian after he was in prison for so long.
The side characters were funny and Jag grew on me, enough I definitely want to read the next book in this series even if I have to wait for awhile. Dex is amusing and I'm wondering who tames the playboy in that one. I loved the epilogue and how this all came together, sincerely. It filled me with happy tears, and felt so appropriate for this couple. Life isn't perfect, but it works.
The only parts I might pick at, and maybe this is surely because of Shane's own ignorance, in that reality speaks to the fact that had he done any of his revenge plans, I think Ed Beck would not have been affected really, it would've been easy for him to cut off Rosen.
I highlighted a lot of this book because I was obsessed. Such tender quotes and words, seriously. I cried at the hurt, the tenderness, all of it. This is a book that will sit with me.
"You're my first, my only, and I love you so much."
"Me too, baby. You're the only one who ever counted."
May 21, 2023
4/5 ⭐ Interesting!
I already read Laurent and the Beast, so I knew about the writing style of these writers. K.A. Merikan use a standard language, not as rude or cultivated enough to stop reading, but It feels like the blend of humor and rawness is perfect in their narrative. I like it.
◾ Scum is the first chapter in the "Wrong Side of the Tracks" series. The premise is a love story ♥️ between Shane, an ex-convict, and Rosen, an art student whose father is a corrupt politicianwho betrayed Shane and put him in prison. Thus, we are talking about a forbidden love which involves two oposite characters (bad guy & good boy vibes) who belongs to diferent worlds.
◾ Positives:
✔️ Slow burn emotional relationship ♥️ : despite sex scenes (so hot! 😎) are included from the beginning, the ❤️ love ❤️ between them paces slowly along the book. That's sense because is a revenge plot that's far away from insta-love, so this fits.
✔️ Rosen Beck 🌺 : our main character is so well written. He's a precious boy with his dreams and professional aspirations. He's gay but in closet due to his evil father 👿. Ros can't be his real "he", but when he mets Shane in a Halloween party all changes for them. Ros is brave and deals with all the "shit" that comes with being Shane'sfake boyfriend, even if this involves *spoiler alert* dealing with corpses. *spoiler alert*
✔️ Found family members: Frank, Jag and Dex are so diferent and good characters in themselves. Frank is Shane's besfriend 🐻 , Jag a savage and postmodern Tarzan 🤪 and Dex is Frank's nephew anda little bit horny. Scenes between all of them were funny and soothe d the darker moments which involved our MCs.
◾ Negatives:
❌ Shane's revenge : Ok, I'll explain it. The revenge in itself is not a negative point, but some key facets darken the final result. When Shane betrays Ros in a filthy way ☹️ (I'm suffering to avoid spoilers). Yes, I know he is "scum", hence the main tittle. But, this is so much for a man who is developing feelings for other person although he were planing a revenge (that was so crazyand sad).
❌ Hurried ending: I felt like the book ends in the best part of the story, when all the characters lives together like a family on the junkyard. The outcome against the main villian 👿 was so quick and it felt anticlimatic 🤡 .
In conclusion, it was a good read but I'm still prefer Laurent and the Beast. I've got a soft spot for Laurent ♥️ I think that my next inclusion in K.A. Merikan narrative would be something from "Sex & Mayhem" series.
I already read Laurent and the Beast, so I knew about the writing style of these writers. K.A. Merikan use a standard language, not as rude or cultivated enough to stop reading, but It feels like the blend of humor and rawness is perfect in their narrative. I like it.
◾ Scum is the first chapter in the "Wrong Side of the Tracks" series. The premise is a love story ♥️ between Shane, an ex-convict, and Rosen, an art student whose father is a corrupt politician
◾ Positives:
✔️ Slow burn emotional relationship ♥️ : despite sex scenes (so hot! 😎) are included from the beginning, the ❤️ love ❤️ between them paces slowly along the book. That's sense because is a revenge plot that's far away from insta-love, so this fits.
✔️ Rosen Beck 🌺 : our main character is so well written. He's a precious boy with his dreams and professional aspirations. He's gay but in closet due to his evil father 👿. Ros can't be his real "he", but when he mets Shane in a Halloween party all changes for them. Ros is brave and deals with all the "shit" that comes with being Shane's
✔️ Found family members: Frank, Jag and Dex are so diferent and good characters in themselves. Frank is Shane's besfriend 🐻 , Jag a savage and postmodern Tarzan 🤪 and Dex is Frank's nephew and
◾ Negatives:
❌ Shane's revenge : Ok, I'll explain it. The revenge in itself is not a negative point, but some key facets darken the final result. When Shane betrays Ros in a filthy way ☹️ (I'm suffering to avoid spoilers). Yes, I know he is "scum", hence the main tittle. But, this is so much for a man who is developing feelings for other person although he were planing a revenge (that was so crazy
❌ Hurried ending: I felt like the book ends in the best part of the story, when all the characters lives together like a family on the junkyard. The outcome against the main villian 👿 was so quick and it felt anticlimatic 🤡 .
In conclusion, it was a good read but I'm still prefer Laurent and the Beast. I've got a soft spot for Laurent ♥️ I think that my next inclusion in K.A. Merikan narrative would be something from "Sex & Mayhem" series.
November 22, 2021
2.5 stars
Guys, I have no idea what happened, here! The cover is delicious and I loved the premise, but unfortunately, the execution fell flat for me. I knew I was in trouble when I started skimming. That's pretty much a first for these authors. I just couldn't connect at all. *sad-face*
Guys, I have no idea what happened, here! The cover is delicious and I loved the premise, but unfortunately, the execution fell flat for me. I knew I was in trouble when I started skimming. That's pretty much a first for these authors. I just couldn't connect at all. *sad-face*
May 15, 2023
Audio - 3.5 Stars
Story 4 Stars
Story 4 Stars
November 11, 2021
Whenever I start to read a K.A. Merikan story I know that it won't be your typical love story. I know it will have an morally ambiguous characters who you will end up loving even though you want smack the shit out of them sometimes. Scum is no different and I loved every second of it. I'm also aware that this series will have 4 books and I, for one, can't wait to see what fucked up stuff K.A. Merikan will do with this series that I'm sure I will end up loving.
November 15, 2021
3.5/5
*** I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review***
Scum is the first entry in K.A. Merikan's Wrong Side of the Tracks series. Scum follows Shane and his quest for revenge against the man who wrongfully imprisoned him ten years prior for a crime he did not commit. Shane's way of seeking retribution is through disgracing his enemy's 21-year-old son.
Rosen is a college student studying art and is forced to remain in the closet to protect his father's political endeavors. Rosen is following along with all of his father's rules until Shane literally barges into his life.
Shane and Rosen have instant chemistry, which was fun to see how dazzled Shane was by Rosen, which causes his plans to shift slightly in regards to his revenge plan.
Overall Scum was a nice read featuring a fun opposites attract pairing that challenge eachother.
*** I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review***
Scum is the first entry in K.A. Merikan's Wrong Side of the Tracks series. Scum follows Shane and his quest for revenge against the man who wrongfully imprisoned him ten years prior for a crime he did not commit. Shane's way of seeking retribution is through disgracing his enemy's 21-year-old son.
Rosen is a college student studying art and is forced to remain in the closet to protect his father's political endeavors. Rosen is following along with all of his father's rules until Shane literally barges into his life.
Shane and Rosen have instant chemistry, which was fun to see how dazzled Shane was by Rosen, which causes his plans to shift slightly in regards to his revenge plan.
Overall Scum was a nice read featuring a fun opposites attract pairing that challenge eachother.
November 26, 2021
2.5 stars
Sadly, I couldn’t really get into the book. With a blurb like this one, I was always waiting for things to happen and for some darker events to happen … but none of them ever really happened. Sure some darker stuff happened but to be honest, I was just expecting more. Maybe I just had my expectations set the wrong way, but having read KA Merikan books before, I was expecting this book to go very dark and have a lot of mind control involved and it never really did.
This is a revenge story where Shane was sent to prison by Rosen’s dad, so when Shane gets out of prison, he decides to make Rosen suffer for what Shane had to go through. Shane’s goal is to ruin Rosen, which is why I was expecting the book to be very dark and very griping, I absolutely adored the idea of the blurb and I wanted to read this book so badly because of it.
This was a very good book and I loved the content in it. It just wasn’t what I was expecting from the book so I couldn’t really get into it. My expectations really failed me on this one because there was nothing wrong with this book, it just wasn’t the book I thought it would be. Which i’m a 100% to blame for. This one is all on me. I did love a lot of the themes the book presented and how they were presented, I just couldn’t really get into the book because I was expecting it to be something it wasn’t. This book was full of very sweet couple moments though, and I did really enjoy those.
Also I never got really engaged with the book, it took me a very long time to actually get invested in the characters and their love story, which is all on me and once again probably because I had different expectations than what the book ended up being.
Also, Shane was not built up enough as a character for me to really get behind him, his motivations always seemed on the surface level and I just needed more to his character to appreciate him. I felt like he was a little too undeveloped and I couldn’t really connect with him because of it. Also he never seemed to truly hate Rosen’s dad, which made it so I couldn’t really understand his grudge against him, I just needed a little more from his character to really be into him.
But all in all it was a fine book, it just didn’t pull me in as much as I expected it to.
I received an ARC of this book, and this is my honest review.
Sadly, I couldn’t really get into the book. With a blurb like this one, I was always waiting for things to happen and for some darker events to happen … but none of them ever really happened. Sure some darker stuff happened but to be honest, I was just expecting more. Maybe I just had my expectations set the wrong way, but having read KA Merikan books before, I was expecting this book to go very dark and have a lot of mind control involved and it never really did.
This is a revenge story where Shane was sent to prison by Rosen’s dad, so when Shane gets out of prison, he decides to make Rosen suffer for what Shane had to go through. Shane’s goal is to ruin Rosen, which is why I was expecting the book to be very dark and very griping, I absolutely adored the idea of the blurb and I wanted to read this book so badly because of it.
This was a very good book and I loved the content in it. It just wasn’t what I was expecting from the book so I couldn’t really get into it. My expectations really failed me on this one because there was nothing wrong with this book, it just wasn’t the book I thought it would be. Which i’m a 100% to blame for. This one is all on me. I did love a lot of the themes the book presented and how they were presented, I just couldn’t really get into the book because I was expecting it to be something it wasn’t. This book was full of very sweet couple moments though, and I did really enjoy those.
Also I never got really engaged with the book, it took me a very long time to actually get invested in the characters and their love story, which is all on me and once again probably because I had different expectations than what the book ended up being.
Also, Shane was not built up enough as a character for me to really get behind him, his motivations always seemed on the surface level and I just needed more to his character to appreciate him. I felt like he was a little too undeveloped and I couldn’t really connect with him because of it. Also he never seemed to truly hate Rosen’s dad, which made it so I couldn’t really understand his grudge against him, I just needed a little more from his character to really be into him.
But all in all it was a fine book, it just didn’t pull me in as much as I expected it to.
I received an ARC of this book, and this is my honest review.
November 18, 2021
Genre: MM Romance
Type: Standalone Book 1 of Wrong Side of the Tracks series
POV: Third Person
Rating:
3.75 Stars
Tasting freedom after years of incarceration, Shane was ready to play out his revenge. Rosen Beck was his key to getting back what he lost, but he never expected it could lead to the deviation of his original plans.
I love revenge stories, but this one was lighter than what I expected, and the first half was a little slow for my liking. Good thing it picked up after that point. I liked both of the characters, and the supporting characters added colors to the story.
Scum is a story of payback and unexpected love. It would appeal to readers who enjoy MM Romance with characters from different walks of life.
🔹✖️🔹 . . . (F)BR with Twinsie CC . . . 🔹✖️🔹
For more reviews/interviews/promo visit:
Type: Standalone Book 1 of Wrong Side of the Tracks series
POV: Third Person
Rating:
3.75 StarsTasting freedom after years of incarceration, Shane was ready to play out his revenge. Rosen Beck was his key to getting back what he lost, but he never expected it could lead to the deviation of his original plans.
I love revenge stories, but this one was lighter than what I expected, and the first half was a little slow for my liking. Good thing it picked up after that point. I liked both of the characters, and the supporting characters added colors to the story.
Scum is a story of payback and unexpected love. It would appeal to readers who enjoy MM Romance with characters from different walks of life.
🔹✖️🔹 . . . (F)BR with Twinsie CC . . . 🔹✖️🔹
For more reviews/interviews/promo visit:
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November 30, 2021
I’m going to spoil the fuck out of this so be warned.
MM Romance
Opposites Attract/Revenge Dark Romance
TRIGGER WARNING ⚠️ Attempted Sexual Assault between main characters
1.5 Stars for the first 25%
Soooo, I like dark romance and I’ve read a ton of fucked up shit this year that I’ve loved but this is not one of them. I liked it at first but it went to shit.
Shane gets out of prison after serving 10 years for a crime he didn’t commit. He’s going to make politician Ed Beck, the man who framed him pay no matter what and Shane’s going to use his son, Rosen, to do it.
Rosen is a college student majoring in art forced to stay in the closet and join a frat in exchange for his dickhead father paying his tuition. He’s a virgin, innocent and has stars in his eyes when he meets Shane.
Shane brings Rosen drugs one night to sell at the frat. His plan is to call the cops and get him arrested but once he sees how pretty he is, he decides to use him instead. They have sex and it’s out of this world for both men. Shane is dazzled by Rosen and actually likes spending time with him.
A bunch of drama happens involving a dead frat member, moving a body, hitting a dog with a car etc etc and ends with a fight between the main characters. Shane decides Rosen isn’t the sweet boy he thought he was and puts his revenge plan in motion. He lures Rosen to his home and into a shipping container he’s set up with a mattress and video camera. Once in there, Shane attempts to rape Rosen on camera to blackmail the dad. But Rosen fights back and once Shane sees his tears he can’t go through with hurting him and lets Rosen go.
—This was unforgivable and ruined the whole book for me. I dont know why Rosen would want to forgive him. He sexually assaulted him FFS 🤦🏻♀️ Shane plays back this video and is so disgusted by himself. It takes him a month to get the courage to go see Rosen but finds him no longer living at the frat. Instead he has shitty roommates after being cut off by his dad. Shane shows up and tortures the roommates to protect Rosen. Somehow this act of torture convinces Rosen to live at Shane’s for a bit while Shane tries to prove he’s a good guy.
Let’s recap…Rosen loses virginity, falls for Shane, sells drugs at the frat, helps hide a dead body, gets lured into a shipping container, is almost raped by his man, watches his now ex attempt to kill his roommates and decides to go live with him at the same place he was almost raped at. I CANNOT!
And yet there’s even more to this story but I can’t be fucked to write it down because I might die if I have to spend another minute thinking about this book.☠️
MM Romance
Opposites Attract/Revenge Dark Romance
TRIGGER WARNING ⚠️ Attempted Sexual Assault between main characters
1.5 Stars for the first 25%
Soooo, I like dark romance and I’ve read a ton of fucked up shit this year that I’ve loved but this is not one of them. I liked it at first but it went to shit.
Shane gets out of prison after serving 10 years for a crime he didn’t commit. He’s going to make politician Ed Beck, the man who framed him pay no matter what and Shane’s going to use his son, Rosen, to do it.
Rosen is a college student majoring in art forced to stay in the closet and join a frat in exchange for his dickhead father paying his tuition. He’s a virgin, innocent and has stars in his eyes when he meets Shane.
Shane brings Rosen drugs one night to sell at the frat. His plan is to call the cops and get him arrested but once he sees how pretty he is, he decides to use him instead. They have sex and it’s out of this world for both men. Shane is dazzled by Rosen and actually likes spending time with him.
A bunch of drama happens involving a dead frat member, moving a body, hitting a dog with a car etc etc and ends with a fight between the main characters. Shane decides Rosen isn’t the sweet boy he thought he was and puts his revenge plan in motion. He lures Rosen to his home and into a shipping container he’s set up with a mattress and video camera. Once in there, Shane attempts to rape Rosen on camera to blackmail the dad. But Rosen fights back and once Shane sees his tears he can’t go through with hurting him and lets Rosen go.
—This was unforgivable and ruined the whole book for me. I dont know why Rosen would want to forgive him. He sexually assaulted him FFS 🤦🏻♀️ Shane plays back this video and is so disgusted by himself. It takes him a month to get the courage to go see Rosen but finds him no longer living at the frat. Instead he has shitty roommates after being cut off by his dad. Shane shows up and tortures the roommates to protect Rosen. Somehow this act of torture convinces Rosen to live at Shane’s for a bit while Shane tries to prove he’s a good guy.
Let’s recap…Rosen loses virginity, falls for Shane, sells drugs at the frat, helps hide a dead body, gets lured into a shipping container, is almost raped by his man, watches his now ex attempt to kill his roommates and decides to go live with him at the same place he was almost raped at. I CANNOT!
And yet there’s even more to this story but I can’t be fucked to write it down because I might die if I have to spend another minute thinking about this book.☠️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2023
This was actually a fun book. Our main characters are full of issues but you can understand why and how they click
November 18, 2021
3 Stars!
I must say that compared to the other books that I have read by these authors, this book was pretty tamed and didn't have the usual dark undertones the majority of their books have.
Rosen and Shane meet under false pretenses. Well on Shane's side of it at least. Rosen's father is the reason Shane spent a decade in prison for a crime Rosen's father committed but blamed Shane for. Now Shane, who has been recently been released from prison, is out and looking for revenge. He has come up with a plan which he hopes to succeed in by using the mans son, Rosen. Only problems arise, like Shane and Rosen's instant attraction to each other. It was one hot virginity popping night of lust that soon grew into a relationship and then stronger feelings. Shane's plans start to derail quicker than he realizes which leads him to making some horrible choices in order to get them back on track. But in doing so he hurts the one person he realizes he wants more than his revenge. Mistakes are made, feelings were hurt, and trust was destroyed. Can these boys get it back?
I liked the book, I just didn't like how long it took me to like the characters or to care what happened. It's usually not the case with the book's of theirs I have read. Still, a solid read and one I think their readers will enjoy.
Happy reading dolls!
~I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.~
I must say that compared to the other books that I have read by these authors, this book was pretty tamed and didn't have the usual dark undertones the majority of their books have.
Rosen and Shane meet under false pretenses. Well on Shane's side of it at least. Rosen's father is the reason Shane spent a decade in prison for a crime Rosen's father committed but blamed Shane for. Now Shane, who has been recently been released from prison, is out and looking for revenge. He has come up with a plan which he hopes to succeed in by using the mans son, Rosen. Only problems arise, like Shane and Rosen's instant attraction to each other. It was one hot virginity popping night of lust that soon grew into a relationship and then stronger feelings. Shane's plans start to derail quicker than he realizes which leads him to making some horrible choices in order to get them back on track. But in doing so he hurts the one person he realizes he wants more than his revenge. Mistakes are made, feelings were hurt, and trust was destroyed. Can these boys get it back?
I liked the book, I just didn't like how long it took me to like the characters or to care what happened. It's usually not the case with the book's of theirs I have read. Still, a solid read and one I think their readers will enjoy.
Happy reading dolls!
~I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.~
December 8, 2021
Very much enjoyed this one, and SO excited for Jag's story (modern day junkyard post-apoc Tarzan? YES PLEASE)
I love basically everything KA Merikan put out so I am not surprised that I read this in one sitting, and I will unapologetically do the same with the next. And everything else they publish.
Also Ros's costume at the beginning sounded stunning and I am fully supportive of Shane falling in instant lust with him. Who wouldn't?
I love basically everything KA Merikan put out so I am not surprised that I read this in one sitting, and I will unapologetically do the same with the next. And everything else they publish.
Also Ros's costume at the beginning sounded stunning and I am fully supportive of Shane falling in instant lust with him. Who wouldn't?
November 22, 2021
What in the holy hell did I just read??
I picked this up because I was in the mood for something a bit darker and “dude who went to prison for a crime he didn’t commit plans to destroy the rich politician for whom he took the fall by ruining his son, but then feelings” seemed very much suitable. Except it turns out this book is only for people who don’t mind drug-dealing, body disposal, blackmail and actual fucking sexual assault in their romance MCs. (I just double-checked the warnings and apparently "offensive language" is worth a warning, but not a rape attempt by your MC. Cool cool cool.)
I don’t have the time or fortitude to do a thoughtful analysis of the many ways in which everything in this book was problematic, so let’s hit it list-style:
- The premise/backstory: Shane went to jail for 10 years because a rich politician asshole let him take the fall for the death of a woman the politician had run over. Poor Shane, right? He didn’t kill the woman! He was only there to help the rich guy dispose of her body!! Er. That’s still a massive fucking crime?? Not on the same level as drunk vehicular manslaughter, I’ll grant, but I’m pretty sure if you help someone get rid of a corpse, you’re still gonna do a substantial amount of very well-deserved time. But the whole plot hinges on how Shane went to prison even though he was ~innocent~. It was bizarre.
- That’s not the only time “body disposal” features as Shane and his buddies’ casual sideline business. There is a distressing amount of body disposal plot in this book. More details, sadly, below.
- Shane’s plan is to destroy Rich Politician Dude’s career by having his innocent college son Ros busted for drug-dealing. This is made possible not because Shane frames Ros somehow but because Ros (who is genuinely written as a naïve, sweet, artsy dude) deals drugs to other students. As does Shane. They both deal drugs. It’s presented as no big deal, because Shane’s a bad boy and Ros needs money, because daddy keeps him on a short leash financially. So… drug-dealing. Naturally. Because there are no other jobs that don’t ruin people’s lives. I’m sure there are readers to whom this is not a biggie but it put me off both of these characters from the start.
- Shane’s plan evolves: Once he actually meets Ros, realises he’s gay and they have sparks, he decides to ruin him (and by extension, his dad) another way. I was here for this premise – it’s a pretty good conflict set-up with plenty of angst, let the inconvenient feelings commence, etc. Only, it kind of… started off gross, stayed that way. Shane’s plan involves making a sex tape and using it to screw over Ros’s dad. The whole concept, and the idea that an MC you’re meant to sympathise with would have no qualms about ruining a more or less innocent (at least in the events that sent Shane to jail) person’s life with something as sordid as a sex tape just to get revenge on their parent, was just icky. And it got worse.
- Call Shane & Co. for casual body disposal: Shane’s whole living arrangements were bizarre. He lives in a junkyard along with a mentorly bear type and various other misfits (one of whom seems to think he’s an actual werewolf but I’m not even gonna go there). They’re all queer and it’s clearly meant to be this nurturing, gruffly caring halfway house for queer dudes who need some help getting on their feet. Except the help involves drug dealing. And discreet body disposal. I still have no idea why this author thinks body disposal is a nbd thing that your intended-as-sympathetic characters can or should be doing. Thankfully, they were somewhat vague on the details but vats of acid *were* mentioned a couple of times, so. What. No. Why.
- Shane catches feelings: I mean, I’m sure he’s meant to. He’s clearly into Ros, there’s chemistry, he agrees to be boyfriends because of The Plan, etc., Ros is super-sweet with him and Shane is gruffly fond (and overly possessive, ugh) in return. But for a premise like this one to work and not get really gross really fast, I really need the MC with the revenge plan to start feeling guilty and reconsidering his plan somewhat soonish. And Shane doesn’t. He may like Ros but he continues to think about how he’s gonna ruin his dad with the sex tape until well after the 50% mark. Instead of turning conflicted, the whole thing just became even grimier the longer it went on without Shane having any real change of mind.
- Things get much, much worse, or Nothing Says Love Like Making A Body Disappear For Your Drug-dealing Boyfriend: At one point, a student in Ros’s frat house ODs and dies. Yes, from the drugs that Ros and Shane have been supplying him with. It’s totes not their fault because they didn’t get the guy hooked, he already had an addiction problem! They just got him the stuff that he would’ve otherwise got from someone else! Not their fault, see? Except now he’s dead, in the frat house, and Ros is freaking out because he can’t go to prison! Not to worry, Ros – Shane to the rescue. So Shane… makes the body disappear. Yup. And Ros (the character who’s meant to be a more or less sweet, innocent college kid) helps. Again, no details are supplied (thankfully), but Shane promises the body will never be found, which brings those vats of acid to mind. So… the heroes in this m/m romance just disappeared a body. It’s written very much as “he was a dumb frat boy with a drug habit, it was his own fault” and hey sure, but – that’s still someone’s kid? Someone’s parents will never find out what happened to their son because of what these two assholes did. Yet we’re, somehow, meant to care about their maybe developing feelings for each other. In between the, you know, melting human flesh in acid. MY HEART.
This is getting ridiculously long and I’m not even getting into ALL of the things, but I do need to get into:
- Shane’s Plan Goes Full-on Rape Attempt: So by now supposedly Shane does have feelings. Except then there’s an encounter with Ros’s dad, and Ros (who is financially dependent on his emotionally abusive father and can’t be in a relationship while still in college, a fact Shane is fully aware of) pretends in front of his dad that Shane is no one of consequence. At this, Shane goes into a full sulky rage-filled funk, decides feelings are stupid and he just needs to get back to The Plan (which, this is like two thirds through the book and he’s never actually distanced himself from The Plan yet). So in order to achieve this, he lures Ros to a locked-up shipping container in the creepy junkyard in the middle of the night, shows him a camera set-up, discloses who he really is and proceeds to try and “make” Ros do the sex tape to blackmail his dad with. Ros, understandably, is horrified and not into it. Shane decides not to take no for an answer. A physical assault ensues. There is really, categorically, absolutely not the tiniest shadow of a doubt that this is a rape attempt ~on fucking camera~ but when Ros throws this into Shane’s face, he seems utterly flummoxed. Rape? He would never! Uhm. Well the good news is he then lets Ros go. The bad news is this entire book, really. Because:
- Ros is kinda into it: Not the rape, thankfully; he cuts both Shane and his horrible dad off and attempts to live on his own two feet (without drug-dealing this time, but not because morals, only because he’s afraid of being caught). But Shane, having come to his senses, courts (read: stalks) him for an extended period of time and protects (read: physically attacks anyone near) him from various dangers, and Ros… likes it. And forgives him eventually. Because of course he does.
- The bad guy gets his come-uppance: Meanwhile, Ros’s vapid stepmum has OD’d, because… reasons? Which means Ros’s dad shows up WITH HER CORPSE at the house of the guy he once sent to prison, begging him to help him dispose of one more body. Idk if the author’s being sponsored by Best Body-Dissolving Acid Inc. or something, but this is the third on-page body disposal plot in this book, plus casual mention of others. Only this time it doesn’t work, because Shane and Ros call the cops on Ros’s dad. Because morals? ahahahahaha no, because revenge. Ros also lies to the cops about his dad being more involved in his wife’s drug death than he actually was. Cool, neat. Then he and Shane go off to live happily ever after, melted body slush trailing in their wake.
Suppose next time I click on something because it said “dark romance,” I need to really check the ratio of dark to romance. This is a fucked-up crime novel about two selfish, fucked-up, immoral assholes who get away with multiple actual crimes and happen to end up together.
I picked this up because I was in the mood for something a bit darker and “dude who went to prison for a crime he didn’t commit plans to destroy the rich politician for whom he took the fall by ruining his son, but then feelings” seemed very much suitable. Except it turns out this book is only for people who don’t mind drug-dealing, body disposal, blackmail and actual fucking sexual assault in their romance MCs. (I just double-checked the warnings and apparently "offensive language" is worth a warning, but not a rape attempt by your MC. Cool cool cool.)
I don’t have the time or fortitude to do a thoughtful analysis of the many ways in which everything in this book was problematic, so let’s hit it list-style:
- The premise/backstory: Shane went to jail for 10 years because a rich politician asshole let him take the fall for the death of a woman the politician had run over. Poor Shane, right? He didn’t kill the woman! He was only there to help the rich guy dispose of her body!! Er. That’s still a massive fucking crime?? Not on the same level as drunk vehicular manslaughter, I’ll grant, but I’m pretty sure if you help someone get rid of a corpse, you’re still gonna do a substantial amount of very well-deserved time. But the whole plot hinges on how Shane went to prison even though he was ~innocent~. It was bizarre.
- That’s not the only time “body disposal” features as Shane and his buddies’ casual sideline business. There is a distressing amount of body disposal plot in this book. More details, sadly, below.
- Shane’s plan is to destroy Rich Politician Dude’s career by having his innocent college son Ros busted for drug-dealing. This is made possible not because Shane frames Ros somehow but because Ros (who is genuinely written as a naïve, sweet, artsy dude) deals drugs to other students. As does Shane. They both deal drugs. It’s presented as no big deal, because Shane’s a bad boy and Ros needs money, because daddy keeps him on a short leash financially. So… drug-dealing. Naturally. Because there are no other jobs that don’t ruin people’s lives. I’m sure there are readers to whom this is not a biggie but it put me off both of these characters from the start.
- Shane’s plan evolves: Once he actually meets Ros, realises he’s gay and they have sparks, he decides to ruin him (and by extension, his dad) another way. I was here for this premise – it’s a pretty good conflict set-up with plenty of angst, let the inconvenient feelings commence, etc. Only, it kind of… started off gross, stayed that way. Shane’s plan involves making a sex tape and using it to screw over Ros’s dad. The whole concept, and the idea that an MC you’re meant to sympathise with would have no qualms about ruining a more or less innocent (at least in the events that sent Shane to jail) person’s life with something as sordid as a sex tape just to get revenge on their parent, was just icky. And it got worse.
- Call Shane & Co. for casual body disposal: Shane’s whole living arrangements were bizarre. He lives in a junkyard along with a mentorly bear type and various other misfits (one of whom seems to think he’s an actual werewolf but I’m not even gonna go there). They’re all queer and it’s clearly meant to be this nurturing, gruffly caring halfway house for queer dudes who need some help getting on their feet. Except the help involves drug dealing. And discreet body disposal. I still have no idea why this author thinks body disposal is a nbd thing that your intended-as-sympathetic characters can or should be doing. Thankfully, they were somewhat vague on the details but vats of acid *were* mentioned a couple of times, so. What. No. Why.
- Shane catches feelings: I mean, I’m sure he’s meant to. He’s clearly into Ros, there’s chemistry, he agrees to be boyfriends because of The Plan, etc., Ros is super-sweet with him and Shane is gruffly fond (and overly possessive, ugh) in return. But for a premise like this one to work and not get really gross really fast, I really need the MC with the revenge plan to start feeling guilty and reconsidering his plan somewhat soonish. And Shane doesn’t. He may like Ros but he continues to think about how he’s gonna ruin his dad with the sex tape until well after the 50% mark. Instead of turning conflicted, the whole thing just became even grimier the longer it went on without Shane having any real change of mind.
- Things get much, much worse, or Nothing Says Love Like Making A Body Disappear For Your Drug-dealing Boyfriend: At one point, a student in Ros’s frat house ODs and dies. Yes, from the drugs that Ros and Shane have been supplying him with. It’s totes not their fault because they didn’t get the guy hooked, he already had an addiction problem! They just got him the stuff that he would’ve otherwise got from someone else! Not their fault, see? Except now he’s dead, in the frat house, and Ros is freaking out because he can’t go to prison! Not to worry, Ros – Shane to the rescue. So Shane… makes the body disappear. Yup. And Ros (the character who’s meant to be a more or less sweet, innocent college kid) helps. Again, no details are supplied (thankfully), but Shane promises the body will never be found, which brings those vats of acid to mind. So… the heroes in this m/m romance just disappeared a body. It’s written very much as “he was a dumb frat boy with a drug habit, it was his own fault” and hey sure, but – that’s still someone’s kid? Someone’s parents will never find out what happened to their son because of what these two assholes did. Yet we’re, somehow, meant to care about their maybe developing feelings for each other. In between the, you know, melting human flesh in acid. MY HEART.
This is getting ridiculously long and I’m not even getting into ALL of the things, but I do need to get into:
- Shane’s Plan Goes Full-on Rape Attempt: So by now supposedly Shane does have feelings. Except then there’s an encounter with Ros’s dad, and Ros (who is financially dependent on his emotionally abusive father and can’t be in a relationship while still in college, a fact Shane is fully aware of) pretends in front of his dad that Shane is no one of consequence. At this, Shane goes into a full sulky rage-filled funk, decides feelings are stupid and he just needs to get back to The Plan (which, this is like two thirds through the book and he’s never actually distanced himself from The Plan yet). So in order to achieve this, he lures Ros to a locked-up shipping container in the creepy junkyard in the middle of the night, shows him a camera set-up, discloses who he really is and proceeds to try and “make” Ros do the sex tape to blackmail his dad with. Ros, understandably, is horrified and not into it. Shane decides not to take no for an answer. A physical assault ensues. There is really, categorically, absolutely not the tiniest shadow of a doubt that this is a rape attempt ~on fucking camera~ but when Ros throws this into Shane’s face, he seems utterly flummoxed. Rape? He would never! Uhm. Well the good news is he then lets Ros go. The bad news is this entire book, really. Because:
- Ros is kinda into it: Not the rape, thankfully; he cuts both Shane and his horrible dad off and attempts to live on his own two feet (without drug-dealing this time, but not because morals, only because he’s afraid of being caught). But Shane, having come to his senses, courts (read: stalks) him for an extended period of time and protects (read: physically attacks anyone near) him from various dangers, and Ros… likes it. And forgives him eventually. Because of course he does.
- The bad guy gets his come-uppance: Meanwhile, Ros’s vapid stepmum has OD’d, because… reasons? Which means Ros’s dad shows up WITH HER CORPSE at the house of the guy he once sent to prison, begging him to help him dispose of one more body. Idk if the author’s being sponsored by Best Body-Dissolving Acid Inc. or something, but this is the third on-page body disposal plot in this book, plus casual mention of others. Only this time it doesn’t work, because Shane and Ros call the cops on Ros’s dad. Because morals? ahahahahaha no, because revenge. Ros also lies to the cops about his dad being more involved in his wife’s drug death than he actually was. Cool, neat. Then he and Shane go off to live happily ever after, melted body slush trailing in their wake.
Suppose next time I click on something because it said “dark romance,” I need to really check the ratio of dark to romance. This is a fucked-up crime novel about two selfish, fucked-up, immoral assholes who get away with multiple actual crimes and happen to end up together.
January 18, 2023
Scum is a dark romance between an ex-con and the son of a wealthy politician. Make sure to check content warnings, as Shane's revenge plot takes a twisted turn.
Shane and Rosen's romance was explosive, they couldn't get enough of each other. While it turns toxic and at points even made me question if they could end up together, the author did a great job of keeping me invested and rooting for them.
I loved Shane's found family. Frank who took him in after he got out of prison. Jag who protects the junkyard and their family. And even Dex who's like the annoying little brother. I can't wait to read their books.
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Shane spent 10 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Now he's out of prison and ready to get revenge on the man put him there, Ed Beck the actual man who killed the woman and framed Shane. A republican politician who used his power to keep his own hands clean.
Rosen is the son of said politician. His father has forced him to stay in the closet, with the threat of not paying for his art college, as he doesn't want his gay son to negatively affect his popularity with his voters.
Shane wants to ruin Beck without risking prison time, and Rosen presents the perfect opportunity. Shane is going to use Rosen to ruin his father's political career and finally get his revenge.
However, Shane doesn't take falling in love with Rosen into account.
Shane and Rosen's romance was explosive, they couldn't get enough of each other. While it turns toxic and at points even made me question if they could end up together, the author did a great job of keeping me invested and rooting for them.
I loved Shane's found family. Frank who took him in after he got out of prison. Jag who protects the junkyard and their family. And even Dex who's like the annoying little brother. I can't wait to read their books.
__
Shane spent 10 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Now he's out of prison and ready to get revenge on the man put him there, Ed Beck the actual man who killed the woman and framed Shane. A republican politician who used his power to keep his own hands clean.
Rosen is the son of said politician. His father has forced him to stay in the closet, with the threat of not paying for his art college, as he doesn't want his gay son to negatively affect his popularity with his voters.
Shane wants to ruin Beck without risking prison time, and Rosen presents the perfect opportunity. Shane is going to use Rosen to ruin his father's political career and finally get his revenge.
However, Shane doesn't take falling in love with Rosen into account.
Read
November 25, 2021DNF at 11%
I'm sorry. I tried, I really did. I started reading, put it down, picked it up again, but I have to admit this book sadly is not working for me. It's hard to get invested in a story when you don't connect with one of the mc's. I really did not like Shane, nor what happened when he met with Rosen for the first time. I didn't like the vibes of insta-love I got from Rosen.
So, I sadly have to come to the conclusion that this book just wasn't for me.
No rating because I dnf'ed too early to give a fair rating.
I kindly received an ARC from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my own, honest opinion.
I'm sorry. I tried, I really did. I started reading, put it down, picked it up again, but I have to admit this book sadly is not working for me. It's hard to get invested in a story when you don't connect with one of the mc's. I really did not like Shane, nor what happened when he met with Rosen for the first time. I didn't like the vibes of insta-love I got from Rosen.
So, I sadly have to come to the conclusion that this book just wasn't for me.
No rating because I dnf'ed too early to give a fair rating.
I kindly received an ARC from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my own, honest opinion.
February 4, 2023
3.5⭐ for the story and rounding it up to 4⭐, because it's a very promising start of the series.
This was a somewhat dark romance, the darker parts were readable for those of us who are more sensitive. The romance was good and the spice was there, the story just needed a bit more polishing, but as a start of the series, I think it's solid.
To get the feel of it, here's the story .
Shane is a 32 year old ex-con with no family, who was incarcerated at 22 for helping Ed Beck, a known and wealthy politician, to cover up a homicide. He was framed and 10 years later he's out of prison with a need for revenge. He lives with Frank, his friend and former lover, at a scrapyard with Frank's nephew Dex and Jag, the Tarzan-like young man.
This was Shane in my book. He looks prettier than the guy on the cover, but he is 32 and he's missed out on a lot, so he has that "young, wanting to do silly things" vibe about him, not to forget the vibrant green eyes.
As Shane's handing out drugs to a frat house, he meets Rosen, 20-year old Beck's son, and his plan changes a little bit. He's determined to seduce Rosen and record having sex with him, so he'll be able to blackmail his father.
This was my Rosen, a skinny, artistic pretty boy .
And here is the body that took Rosen's virginity , the inked arms and the abs that Rosen was completely smitten with. Yes, I have to put it in here, because when Rosen lost his virginity at the very beginning of the book, it was so good .
Back to the story. 😄
Things don't go according to plan when Shane is starting to get to know Rosen and starts liking him . He's experiencing things he's missed out on when he was in prison , and he's with a man he feels is completely out of his league, with Rosen giving him all the special treatment and making him feel things he never thought he'd feel in this lifetime.
What starts out as a plot for revenge , quickly turns around and finds Shane completely unprepared for the choices he'll have to make.
What absolutely killed the story for me was not really knowing what the hell Shane wants!
Is he manipulating the guy? Is he really feeling something? What is he doing?
That part when they meet Rosen's dad and Shane feels offended because he wasn't introduced as a boyfriend - he lost me there. We didn't even get if he's serious about Rosen, because he kept talking about revenge and ending things, so why was he suddenly being offended? Made no sense.
If this part was more thought-out and developed, the story would be much more fluid and well, captivating. Shane needed more angst added to his character.
When he betrayed Rosen and got a bit violent , the story started picking up. I really felt the tension and emotions there. I feel like Shane did redeem himself and proved he really cared for Rosen . They waited until the end to profess their love, so that was certainly very believable.
What I missed was the part where events finally unfolded and Rosen's dad payed for his crimes, but did he really? Because there was no follow up . The ending was cut and in the epilogue all we hear is them living together at Frank's place, but nothing else. I immediately thought of the money, with Rosen being the only heir, wouldn't he inherit the company and the money? Where's his dad?
I really liked this couple and I very much liked Jag, I'm very excited to read his story.
This was a somewhat dark romance, the darker parts were readable for those of us who are more sensitive. The romance was good and the spice was there, the story just needed a bit more polishing, but as a start of the series, I think it's solid.
To get the feel of it, here's the story .
Shane is a 32 year old ex-con with no family, who was incarcerated at 22 for helping Ed Beck, a known and wealthy politician, to cover up a homicide. He was framed and 10 years later he's out of prison with a need for revenge. He lives with Frank, his friend and former lover, at a scrapyard with Frank's nephew Dex and Jag, the Tarzan-like young man.
This was Shane in my book. He looks prettier than the guy on the cover, but he is 32 and he's missed out on a lot, so he has that "young, wanting to do silly things" vibe about him, not to forget the vibrant green eyes.
As Shane's handing out drugs to a frat house, he meets Rosen, 20-year old Beck's son, and his plan changes a little bit. He's determined to seduce Rosen and record having sex with him, so he'll be able to blackmail his father.
This was my Rosen, a skinny, artistic pretty boy .
And here is the body that took Rosen's virginity , the inked arms and the abs that Rosen was completely smitten with. Yes, I have to put it in here, because when Rosen lost his virginity at the very beginning of the book, it was so good .
Back to the story. 😄
Things don't go according to plan when Shane is starting to get to know Rosen and starts liking him . He's experiencing things he's missed out on when he was in prison , and he's with a man he feels is completely out of his league, with Rosen giving him all the special treatment and making him feel things he never thought he'd feel in this lifetime.
What starts out as a plot for revenge , quickly turns around and finds Shane completely unprepared for the choices he'll have to make.
What absolutely killed the story for me was not really knowing what the hell Shane wants!
Is he manipulating the guy? Is he really feeling something? What is he doing?
That part when they meet Rosen's dad and Shane feels offended because he wasn't introduced as a boyfriend - he lost me there. We didn't even get if he's serious about Rosen, because he kept talking about revenge and ending things, so why was he suddenly being offended? Made no sense.
If this part was more thought-out and developed, the story would be much more fluid and well, captivating. Shane needed more angst added to his character.
When he betrayed Rosen and got a bit violent , the story started picking up. I really felt the tension and emotions there. I feel like Shane did redeem himself and proved he really cared for Rosen . They waited until the end to profess their love, so that was certainly very believable.
What I missed was the part where events finally unfolded and Rosen's dad payed for his crimes, but did he really? Because there was no follow up . The ending was cut and in the epilogue all we hear is them living together at Frank's place, but nothing else. I immediately thought of the money, with Rosen being the only heir, wouldn't he inherit the company and the money? Where's his dad?
I really liked this couple and I very much liked Jag, I'm very excited to read his story.
February 11, 2023
Loved, loved, loved it! The wild and wacky and oh so romantic world of K&A. I fell in love with Shane and chose to overlook the dead bodies and the barrels. 🤣 Ros gives the middle finger to daddy-oh and it felt so, so good.
I seriously cannot wait to read the story of the loony bird Tarzan that runs around with a spear and loin cloth; the oversexed, tatted boy that just wants to be loved; and the patriarch Fred Sanford with the too-tight shirts and beefy arms.
Wrong side of the tracks. Damn straight. In a world currently stuck with a stick up it's ass, I find the writings of K&A refreshing, gritty and real. Freeing.
Bring it on. Hard living and hard loving. I'm ready.
I seriously cannot wait to read the story of the loony bird Tarzan that runs around with a spear and loin cloth; the oversexed, tatted boy that just wants to be loved; and the patriarch Fred Sanford with the too-tight shirts and beefy arms.
Wrong side of the tracks. Damn straight. In a world currently stuck with a stick up it's ass, I find the writings of K&A refreshing, gritty and real. Freeing.
Bring it on. Hard living and hard loving. I'm ready.
November 26, 2021
AH BE! YİNE Mİ GOL DEĞİL! :(
Yine İko'nun hadi bunu okuyalım demesi üzerine beraberce okuduğumuz, biraz hayal kırıklığı, biraz hüzün, bol bol muhabbet eşliğinde bir kitap deneyimi oldu. Arka kapak yazısında blackmail, revenge, manipulation, ex-con, secrets, rich/poor, class differences, age gap uyarıları var ve bunlarla bezenmiş bir kurguya 2 vermem çok kolay olamazdı ama inanın çok geçerli sebeplerim var.
Gelin anlatayım.
İlk karakterimiz: Shane. Bu adam yasa dışı işler yapıyor. 10 sene evvelde Ed Beck adında bir politikacıdan telefon geliyor, bir cesetten kurtulmak gibi bir iş alıyor Shane ve arkadaşları. İş üzerindeyken de polisler geliyor ve Ed Beck suçu Shane'e atıyor ve Shane hapise düşüyor. 10 sene sonra tahliye olunca da Ed Beck'ten intikam alma planı ile harekete geçiyor. Ed Beck'in oğlunu drug dealer olarak iş üstünde yakalatıp adamın politik kariyerini bitirecek. Hatta oğula da uyuşturucu bizzat verecek.
HOP, new character unlocked: Rosen (a.k.a. Ros) Beck. Muhafazakar kesime oynayan babası ile arası hiç iyi olmamış. Cinsel yönelimini come out etti edecek gibi olmuş ama babası hemen olmaz öyle şey falan demiş. Ros da tamam o zaman ben sanat okucam demiş. Baba da parayı öderim ama en azından benim katıldığım öğrenci cemiyetine katıl da dışarıya güzel imajımız olsun diye bir takım pazarlıklar yapılmış. Ros da işte okul bitene kadar kendi cinsel yönelimini gizli tutma düşüncesinde. Bulunduğu cemiyet için de uyuşturucu maddeyi dışarıdan temin eden kişi olarak hayatını idame ettiriyor. Bir gün de yine maddeyi alacakken Shane ile tanışıyor.
Shane, Ros'u görünce bakıyor ki çocuk yakışıklı, çocuk gay, çocuk flörtöz. Shane'in kanı kaynıyor ve planını ayaküstü revize ediyor.
Yeni plan şu: Ros'u baştan çıkar, koynuna gir, gay evladını ifşa ederek Ed Beck'in politik kariyerini bitir.
Ros da etkileniyor Shane'den. İlk seksimi bu adama vermeliyim diyor kendi kendine. Tanıştıkları gibi bi flörtler yaşanıyor (ki buralar gerçekten çok iyiydi). Beklemeden yoğun ve ateşli bir seks icra ediliyor. Okurken alevler alınıyor adeta.
Kitap burada zirveyi yapıyor ve sonrası sarpa sarmaya başlıyor. Seks sonrası çarlar numaralarını alıp veriyor, sohbet muhabbet ve dateler olurken bir gece Shane Ros'u yurda götürüyor. Bir bakıyorlar yurtta biri aşırı dozdan ölmüş. Brad diye birisi de onu bulmuş. Hemen Ros'a bok atılıyor, sen getiriyordun malı senin adını veririm diye. Shane de dayanamayıp cesetten kurtulalım diye teklif veriyor. Ros da seni yalnız bırakamam ben de gelicem diyor. Cesedi götürürken Shane'in hapisten yeni çıktığı vs gibi bilgiler ifşalanıyor. Ros bir kere bile demiyor ki 'ya sen ne sebeple hüküm giydin, noldu'. Hemen yeni tanıştığı adamın 'ben suçsuz yere hapis yattım' demesine inanıp ona üzülüyor. Ay kıyamiş, romantizme bak sen.
Sonra bir gün tatil için Ros eve gidicem diyor. Shane 'ben de geleyim mi ya seninle' diye ağzını arıyor çocuğun. Ros da yok ya, babamın ilgisini çekmeye gerek yok, şimdi şüphelenir, paramı keser, okuldan ayrılmak zorunda kalırım diyerek mantıklıca reddediyor bu fikri. Bu diyalog üzerine sürpriz yaparak Ed Beck yurda oğlunu almaya geliyor. Bi kaos bi telaş Ros babası ile bahçede konuşurken Shane kasıtlı bir şekilde baba oğulun yanına gidiyor. Ros da Shane'i yurda gelen bi elektrikçi olarak tanıtıyor. Shane bozuluyor bu duruma ve 'Ros benden utandı' gibi saçma bir seviyeye indirgiyor durumu ve intikam planını yeniden oluşturuyor. Ed Beck ile birlikte Ros'u da yerle bir edicem diye and içiyor (Shane sen çok toksik ve bencil bi şeref yoksunusun).
Bir hafta kadar konuşmuyorlar, Ros'un telefonlarına çıkılmıyor, mesajlarına dönülmüyor falan. Bir hafta sonunda 'gel görüşelim' diyen Shane, Ros'u ücra bir konumda buluşmaya çağırıyor. Saf Ros gidiyor koştur koştur. Bi bakıyor ki izbe mekanda kamera ve yatak ile tam teşekkül bir porno ortamı mevcut. Noluyor demeye kalmadan Shane'in berbat planını öğreniyoruz. Elektrikçi diye tanıtıldığına içerleyen Shane Ros ile bir seks kasedi oluşturup ifşa etmeyi planlamış.
BRE MAL! Böyle plan yaptın madem gizli kamera koysana. Kapı girişine tripodlu kamera kurulur mu? Ros da her şeyi öğrenince direniyor ediyor ve iyi madem tecavüz edip onu yayınlarsın şerefsiz diyor. Shane bi anda 'hay aq napıyorum ben' diyor tecavüz lafını duyunca ve çocuğu salıyor (Cidden her şeyi anlatınca Ros'un bile isteye kendisi ile yatacağını düşündüyse daha düşük efor bir kurgu olamazdı).
Birkaç ay geçiyor, Shane pişman ve aşık olduğunu anlamış halde. Yurda gidiyor ve Ros'un ayrıldığını, gay olduğunu açıklayınca babası tarafından para akışının kesildiğini ve çok varoş bir mekanda kaldığını öğreniyor. Gidip buluyor çocuğu, biraz arabesk diyaloglar eşliğinde yüzleşiliyor ve Ros Shane'in mekana taşınıyor.
Finalde de bölüm sonu canavarımız Ed Beck'in yeni işlediği bir cinayet sonrası cesetten kurtulmak için Shane ve arkadaşlarına gelmesini, Ros'un olayları duymasını ve baba Beck'in polise ihbar edilip yakalatılmasını okuyoruz.
THE END.
Kitap buydu. Shane'in arkadaşlarında Jag ve Frank dikkatimi çekti. Yazarın kalemini öğrenmiş olduğumdan onlarda beklentimi ayarlayacağım. Onlar haricinde de kolay kolay okumam diye düşünüyorum bu yazardan. Karakter motivasyonları ve plot oldukça düşük efor.
Hades ve Persephone göndermeleri var kör göze parmak. Ama o açıdan da beğenmedim.
İki verme sebebim de o ilk baştaki güzel flört ve yatak odası sahneleri. Ötüp ötüp de neden iki verdin demeyin.
Yine İko'nun hadi bunu okuyalım demesi üzerine beraberce okuduğumuz, biraz hayal kırıklığı, biraz hüzün, bol bol muhabbet eşliğinde bir kitap deneyimi oldu. Arka kapak yazısında blackmail, revenge, manipulation, ex-con, secrets, rich/poor, class differences, age gap uyarıları var ve bunlarla bezenmiş bir kurguya 2 vermem çok kolay olamazdı ama inanın çok geçerli sebeplerim var.
Gelin anlatayım.
İlk karakterimiz: Shane. Bu adam yasa dışı işler yapıyor. 10 sene evvelde Ed Beck adında bir politikacıdan telefon geliyor, bir cesetten kurtulmak gibi bir iş alıyor Shane ve arkadaşları. İş üzerindeyken de polisler geliyor ve Ed Beck suçu Shane'e atıyor ve Shane hapise düşüyor. 10 sene sonra tahliye olunca da Ed Beck'ten intikam alma planı ile harekete geçiyor. Ed Beck'in oğlunu drug dealer olarak iş üstünde yakalatıp adamın politik kariyerini bitirecek. Hatta oğula da uyuşturucu bizzat verecek.
HOP, new character unlocked: Rosen (a.k.a. Ros) Beck. Muhafazakar kesime oynayan babası ile arası hiç iyi olmamış. Cinsel yönelimini come out etti edecek gibi olmuş ama babası hemen olmaz öyle şey falan demiş. Ros da tamam o zaman ben sanat okucam demiş. Baba da parayı öderim ama en azından benim katıldığım öğrenci cemiyetine katıl da dışarıya güzel imajımız olsun diye bir takım pazarlıklar yapılmış. Ros da işte okul bitene kadar kendi cinsel yönelimini gizli tutma düşüncesinde. Bulunduğu cemiyet için de uyuşturucu maddeyi dışarıdan temin eden kişi olarak hayatını idame ettiriyor. Bir gün de yine maddeyi alacakken Shane ile tanışıyor.
Shane, Ros'u görünce bakıyor ki çocuk yakışıklı, çocuk gay, çocuk flörtöz. Shane'in kanı kaynıyor ve planını ayaküstü revize ediyor.
Yeni plan şu: Ros'u baştan çıkar, koynuna gir, gay evladını ifşa ederek Ed Beck'in politik kariyerini bitir.
Ros da etkileniyor Shane'den. İlk seksimi bu adama vermeliyim diyor kendi kendine. Tanıştıkları gibi bi flörtler yaşanıyor (ki buralar gerçekten çok iyiydi). Beklemeden yoğun ve ateşli bir seks icra ediliyor. Okurken alevler alınıyor adeta.
Kitap burada zirveyi yapıyor ve sonrası sarpa sarmaya başlıyor. Seks sonrası çarlar numaralarını alıp veriyor, sohbet muhabbet ve dateler olurken bir gece Shane Ros'u yurda götürüyor. Bir bakıyorlar yurtta biri aşırı dozdan ölmüş. Brad diye birisi de onu bulmuş. Hemen Ros'a bok atılıyor, sen getiriyordun malı senin adını veririm diye. Shane de dayanamayıp cesetten kurtulalım diye teklif veriyor. Ros da seni yalnız bırakamam ben de gelicem diyor. Cesedi götürürken Shane'in hapisten yeni çıktığı vs gibi bilgiler ifşalanıyor. Ros bir kere bile demiyor ki 'ya sen ne sebeple hüküm giydin, noldu'. Hemen yeni tanıştığı adamın 'ben suçsuz yere hapis yattım' demesine inanıp ona üzülüyor. Ay kıyamiş, romantizme bak sen.
Sonra bir gün tatil için Ros eve gidicem diyor. Shane 'ben de geleyim mi ya seninle' diye ağzını arıyor çocuğun. Ros da yok ya, babamın ilgisini çekmeye gerek yok, şimdi şüphelenir, paramı keser, okuldan ayrılmak zorunda kalırım diyerek mantıklıca reddediyor bu fikri. Bu diyalog üzerine sürpriz yaparak Ed Beck yurda oğlunu almaya geliyor. Bi kaos bi telaş Ros babası ile bahçede konuşurken Shane kasıtlı bir şekilde baba oğulun yanına gidiyor. Ros da Shane'i yurda gelen bi elektrikçi olarak tanıtıyor. Shane bozuluyor bu duruma ve 'Ros benden utandı' gibi saçma bir seviyeye indirgiyor durumu ve intikam planını yeniden oluşturuyor. Ed Beck ile birlikte Ros'u da yerle bir edicem diye and içiyor (Shane sen çok toksik ve bencil bi şeref yoksunusun).
Bir hafta kadar konuşmuyorlar, Ros'un telefonlarına çıkılmıyor, mesajlarına dönülmüyor falan. Bir hafta sonunda 'gel görüşelim' diyen Shane, Ros'u ücra bir konumda buluşmaya çağırıyor. Saf Ros gidiyor koştur koştur. Bi bakıyor ki izbe mekanda kamera ve yatak ile tam teşekkül bir porno ortamı mevcut. Noluyor demeye kalmadan Shane'in berbat planını öğreniyoruz. Elektrikçi diye tanıtıldığına içerleyen Shane Ros ile bir seks kasedi oluşturup ifşa etmeyi planlamış.
BRE MAL! Böyle plan yaptın madem gizli kamera koysana. Kapı girişine tripodlu kamera kurulur mu? Ros da her şeyi öğrenince direniyor ediyor ve iyi madem tecavüz edip onu yayınlarsın şerefsiz diyor. Shane bi anda 'hay aq napıyorum ben' diyor tecavüz lafını duyunca ve çocuğu salıyor (Cidden her şeyi anlatınca Ros'un bile isteye kendisi ile yatacağını düşündüyse daha düşük efor bir kurgu olamazdı).
Birkaç ay geçiyor, Shane pişman ve aşık olduğunu anlamış halde. Yurda gidiyor ve Ros'un ayrıldığını, gay olduğunu açıklayınca babası tarafından para akışının kesildiğini ve çok varoş bir mekanda kaldığını öğreniyor. Gidip buluyor çocuğu, biraz arabesk diyaloglar eşliğinde yüzleşiliyor ve Ros Shane'in mekana taşınıyor.
Finalde de bölüm sonu canavarımız Ed Beck'in yeni işlediği bir cinayet sonrası cesetten kurtulmak için Shane ve arkadaşlarına gelmesini, Ros'un olayları duymasını ve baba Beck'in polise ihbar edilip yakalatılmasını okuyoruz.
THE END.
Kitap buydu. Shane'in arkadaşlarında Jag ve Frank dikkatimi çekti. Yazarın kalemini öğrenmiş olduğumdan onlarda beklentimi ayarlayacağım. Onlar haricinde de kolay kolay okumam diye düşünüyorum bu yazardan. Karakter motivasyonları ve plot oldukça düşük efor.
Hades ve Persephone göndermeleri var kör göze parmak. Ama o açıdan da beğenmedim.
İki verme sebebim de o ilk baştaki güzel flört ve yatak odası sahneleri. Ötüp ötüp de neden iki verdin demeyin.
September 22, 2023
Love a revenge plan thwarted! Not as dark as I expected, but definitely criminals and morally grey characters aplenty. Shane and Ros are surprisingly sweet, but it's definitely not all hearts and flowers. I love Shane's found family and I am dying to read Jag's story.
If you need to be aware of non-con, there is a scene in here between the MCs that you should be warned about .
If you need to be aware of non-con, there is a scene in here between the MCs that you should be warned about .
January 4, 2023
Ros just stared at him, unable to breathe, like a rabbit trapped in a cage with a wolf. Only this rabbit had a death wish and wanted to end up in the predator’s jaws.
I think the above quote sums up the book pretty well.
“You’re so damn hot,” Shane whispered, staring at him as if he couldn’t believe his eyes. The raw hunger in his gaze was like nothing Ros had seen before, and despite his fears, he couldn’t deny this guy the meal he was craving.
Shane and Ros were really sweet and hot together. Talk about going all out losing your virginity. Wow. K&A know how to write some steamy sex.
Ros shouldn’t condone this. Shane had proven himself deceptive and ruthless, yet Ros’s face heated more than ever when he watched Shane avenging him. This was the confidence Ros had fallen for. The Shane who’d followed him into his room and taken his virginity after barely exchanging names.
Shane basically really f*cked up with Ros, like in the worst way imaginable. Ultimately, Rosen really is a sweet angel and gave Shane another chance and Shane finally got his shit together and realized what he needed to do to earn Ros's trust back.
“I did a shitty thing. And I tried to use you instead of seeing you for who you are. And now… I don’t know what to do, because I miss you more than I missed freedom in prison.”
No matter how much Shane wanted to harden and only act as if the teasing worked on him, it most definitely did. Ros was so cute it was impossible not to notice. Like a Disney Princess, he was sweet, and wished everyone well, and if he started singing in the woods, birds and rodents would flock to him as if he were made of grain. Shane shouldn’t have liked it. But he did. He just couldn’t understand what a guy like that saw in him.
I really enjoyed the found family vibe at Frank's place. Everyone has an interesting and unique personality. And Cerberus was adorbs. Shane and Ros really do complement one another.
“My life is a mess. I have no aim. No future. I’m no one.” “You’re someone to me,” Ros whispered, curling his fingers around Shane’s thick paw.
I think the above quote sums up the book pretty well.
“You’re so damn hot,” Shane whispered, staring at him as if he couldn’t believe his eyes. The raw hunger in his gaze was like nothing Ros had seen before, and despite his fears, he couldn’t deny this guy the meal he was craving.
Shane and Ros were really sweet and hot together. Talk about going all out losing your virginity. Wow. K&A know how to write some steamy sex.
Ros shouldn’t condone this. Shane had proven himself deceptive and ruthless, yet Ros’s face heated more than ever when he watched Shane avenging him. This was the confidence Ros had fallen for. The Shane who’d followed him into his room and taken his virginity after barely exchanging names.
Shane basically really f*cked up with Ros, like in the worst way imaginable. Ultimately, Rosen really is a sweet angel and gave Shane another chance and Shane finally got his shit together and realized what he needed to do to earn Ros's trust back.
“I did a shitty thing. And I tried to use you instead of seeing you for who you are. And now… I don’t know what to do, because I miss you more than I missed freedom in prison.”
No matter how much Shane wanted to harden and only act as if the teasing worked on him, it most definitely did. Ros was so cute it was impossible not to notice. Like a Disney Princess, he was sweet, and wished everyone well, and if he started singing in the woods, birds and rodents would flock to him as if he were made of grain. Shane shouldn’t have liked it. But he did. He just couldn’t understand what a guy like that saw in him.
I really enjoyed the found family vibe at Frank's place. Everyone has an interesting and unique personality. And Cerberus was adorbs. Shane and Ros really do complement one another.
“My life is a mess. I have no aim. No future. I’m no one.” “You’re someone to me,” Ros whispered, curling his fingers around Shane’s thick paw.
March 29, 2022
This book has one of the most wonderfully written first time sex scenes I've ever read.
Characters:
Shane: ex convict. Trust issues. Rough around the edges.
Rosen: artist. Not only physically beautiful but also a beautiful soul. Naive.
The plot:
Shane wasted 10 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. Now he's out for revenge and that comes in the form of Rosen Beck. However, from the start it becomes painfully obvious that each have fallen head over heels for each other.
In the end what will Shane choose? Rosen or revenge?
My opinion:
This book was well written and from the beginning I was pulled in. Fluffy and even cringey at times but that kept me powering on. The spice level in the book is rather tame but the love defrosted my cold dead heart. It was real and painful. Sometimes in life we hurt the ones we love and while it may be easier to walk away from that, sometimes that person means so much to you that you'd be willing to do whatever it takes to win them again and again because a life without them is just no life at all.
"Each day I choose you"
Characters:
Shane: ex convict. Trust issues. Rough around the edges.
Rosen: artist. Not only physically beautiful but also a beautiful soul. Naive.
The plot:
Shane wasted 10 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. Now he's out for revenge and that comes in the form of Rosen Beck. However, from the start it becomes painfully obvious that each have fallen head over heels for each other.
In the end what will Shane choose? Rosen or revenge?
My opinion:
This book was well written and from the beginning I was pulled in. Fluffy and even cringey at times but that kept me powering on. The spice level in the book is rather tame but the love defrosted my cold dead heart. It was real and painful. Sometimes in life we hurt the ones we love and while it may be easier to walk away from that, sometimes that person means so much to you that you'd be willing to do whatever it takes to win them again and again because a life without them is just no life at all.
"Each day I choose you"
January 24, 2023
My rating: 4.5 stars.
May I say that Scum was 'a typical Merikan'?? 💕 And I mean that as a compliment!! 😄 These ladies have their own, very recognizable style.... and 'they did it again'. I've probably said it before, but nobody writes M/M like Merikan! 🔥 I am a FAN!! 💖
I loved the characters... and Cerberus 🥰 and I loved the junk yard setting. To be completely honest, Ros(en) and Shane's story did not blew me away like e.g. Take My Body did though, hence my rating.
I'm so excited that Jag's story is next! Loved him!
Oh... and I freakin' LOVED the cover!! 😍🔥
And the cover for 'Primal' is just as fabulous!
Thank you Kat & Agnes for the ARC! 😘
May I say that Scum was 'a typical Merikan'?? 💕 And I mean that as a compliment!! 😄 These ladies have their own, very recognizable style.... and 'they did it again'. I've probably said it before, but nobody writes M/M like Merikan! 🔥 I am a FAN!! 💖
I loved the characters... and Cerberus 🥰 and I loved the junk yard setting. To be completely honest, Ros(en) and Shane's story did not blew me away like e.g. Take My Body did though, hence my rating.
I'm so excited that Jag's story is next! Loved him!
Oh... and I freakin' LOVED the cover!! 😍🔥
And the cover for 'Primal' is just as fabulous!
Thank you Kat & Agnes for the ARC! 😘
February 15, 2022
Just when I was starting to think bad guys who were actually not so bad were starting to cease to exist I come across this gem of a book.
I loved Rosen. For once, the MC wasn't an ungrateful bastard content to blame it all on the other or even better, start preaching. I loved that he just couldn't care less that he'd have to get his hands dirty if he wanted to help someone he cared about. He just did it. Fear be damned.
And the almost rape scene😬. I honestly don't know how I feel about it. On the one hand I thought it was too much because we're talking about someone you'd potentially live your whole life with and I don't know if I'd ever be that comfortable after something like that but on the other hand if I wanted a 'good' protagonist I'd have picked one that I actually thought has a good chance of having one.
One more time I read the word 'buttocks' in a smut scene though imma smack someone for real.
I loved Rosen. For once, the MC wasn't an ungrateful bastard content to blame it all on the other or even better, start preaching. I loved that he just couldn't care less that he'd have to get his hands dirty if he wanted to help someone he cared about. He just did it. Fear be damned.
And the almost rape scene😬. I honestly don't know how I feel about it. On the one hand I thought it was too much because we're talking about someone you'd potentially live your whole life with and I don't know if I'd ever be that comfortable after something like that but on the other hand if I wanted a 'good' protagonist I'd have picked one that I actually thought has a good chance of having one.
One more time I read the word 'buttocks' in a smut scene though imma smack someone for real.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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