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Redcars #1
Enzo (Redcars Édition Française t. 1)
Robbie escaped once, but he won't get another chance unless someone is ready to kill for him.
Enzo is no hero. He survived on the edge of violence, served his time, and built a new life at Redcars, finding family in a garage full of ex-cons trying to do right. Redcars is his sanctuary, a place to keep his hands clean. But when Robbie Ellis stumbles into his world—battered, starving, and running from something worse than shadows—Enzo knows one thing: he’ll kill to keep him safe.
Robbie has spent years in chains, surviving under the control of a monster. He escaped once. He won’t get that chance again. But Enzo? He’s brutal, unyielding, and terrifyingly protective. Robbie should be afraid, but instead, he wants to fall—because, for the first time, someone is willing to fight for him.
When the shadows of their pasts collide, secrets unravel, and the enemy Robbie fears most steps into the light, it’s not just survival on the line—it’s the only place Robbie has ever felt safe. And Enzo will burn the world down before he lets anyone take that away.
Enzo is a gritty MM romantic suspense with high stakes, found family, and an ex-con willing to cross the line to protect the man he loves, drama, danger, ‘I will die for you’ devotion, past abuse, and an eidetic memory that just might hold the key to Enzo and Robbie’s survival.
Enzo is no hero. He survived on the edge of violence, served his time, and built a new life at Redcars, finding family in a garage full of ex-cons trying to do right. Redcars is his sanctuary, a place to keep his hands clean. But when Robbie Ellis stumbles into his world—battered, starving, and running from something worse than shadows—Enzo knows one thing: he’ll kill to keep him safe.
Robbie has spent years in chains, surviving under the control of a monster. He escaped once. He won’t get that chance again. But Enzo? He’s brutal, unyielding, and terrifyingly protective. Robbie should be afraid, but instead, he wants to fall—because, for the first time, someone is willing to fight for him.
When the shadows of their pasts collide, secrets unravel, and the enemy Robbie fears most steps into the light, it’s not just survival on the line—it’s the only place Robbie has ever felt safe. And Enzo will burn the world down before he lets anyone take that away.
Enzo is a gritty MM romantic suspense with high stakes, found family, and an ex-con willing to cross the line to protect the man he loves, drama, danger, ‘I will die for you’ devotion, past abuse, and an eidetic memory that just might hold the key to Enzo and Robbie’s survival.
406 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 8, 2026
About the author
R.J. Scott
335 books2,748 followersRJ Scott writes heartwarming, passionate MM/gay romance stories where every man finds his happily ever after. When not writing, she enjoys reading books, watching movies, spending time with her family, following Formula 1 (Forza Ferrari!), and cheering on the Pittsburgh Penguins. Email her here: rj@rjscott.co.uk
Find RJ here: Amazon | BookBub | Facebook - Also, Never miss a release
Find RJ here: Amazon | BookBub | Facebook - Also, Never miss a release
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
January 27, 2026
I liked the majority of this book a lot- it felt believable and the characters' emotions were very real and raw. I loved the little moments in the garage working on cars for the realism those scenes offered. I am unsure if I'd read more from this author as I think what I liked best were the tropes in this particular book rather than the writing itself. Roman/Robbie was a superb character, really well developed. My heart broke for him and everything he endured. Enzo was far less interesting, but he was there to make Robbie feel safe and heal. He didn't offer much else to me, but sometimes you just need a dependable solid rock wall of a man to stand between you and the world.
There were a lot of issues with punctuation errors, a paragraph where the POV switched from first to third person etc that kept me from giving it 4 stars. The story was 4 stars, the writing was 3 and I ended up going with a 3 overall. The characters in the second book were introduced in this book and I'm not interested enough to continue reading, but I'd give this author another try if another blurb catches my eye.
There were a lot of issues with punctuation errors, a paragraph where the POV switched from first to third person etc that kept me from giving it 4 stars. The story was 4 stars, the writing was 3 and I ended up going with a 3 overall. The characters in the second book were introduced in this book and I'm not interested enough to continue reading, but I'd give this author another try if another blurb catches my eye.
May 29, 2026
Heartbreaking
Raw
Beautiful
Each sentence is like a cut. Word by unraveling word, this is an intense story. A saving and a healing. A hurt/comfort, touch him and die romance that doesn't shy away from the pain.
All the stars in this category.
*Dark hurt/comfort at its best.
Raw
Beautiful
Each sentence is like a cut. Word by unraveling word, this is an intense story. A saving and a healing. A hurt/comfort, touch him and die romance that doesn't shy away from the pain.
All the stars in this category.
*Dark hurt/comfort at its best.
May 20, 2025
I loved this one so much. It's definitely not light-hearted by any means, it very much is the darkest book RJ has ever written. And yet there's something that still very sweet between how Enzo and Robbie are with each other, in spite of the violence and trauma that haunts them both, past and present. And that's what I like in my dark romances. I'm so excited for this seires and for the next book in it. It sounds like it will be a good one!
May 22, 2025
An intense dark read from Ms Scott. Roman/Robbie is a true fighter and I wanted to cry for what he'd been through. Enzo is a Moody, broody anti hero, with a heart of gold, where Robbie is concerned.
However, it is advisable to read the blurb beforehand as it covers extremely delicate subjects such as abduction, rape, torture and slavery. What I liked about this story though was the really tender moments between Robbie and Enzo. The circumstances Robbie experienced were more than dire, and Enzo will stop at nothing to keep him safe. Poor Robbie has to go through thick and thin before he begins to accept the person he really is There were moments so horrendous for Robbie, that l had to come up for breath! Enzo is amazing! He's the epitome of the anti hero, and exists in a morally grey world, but this is what he's developed into due to his abusive past. Some readers may be shocked at his actions in parts of the book, but the way in which the baddie treated Robbie was so heinous, I would've taken great pleasure in strangling him with my own hands, without pause.
The storyline is well organised, the characters being so vividly described that you’re either going to love them or loathe them. I just happened to love them. Also, a big plus in this dark novel was, without a doubt, the HEA! Enzo loves and respects Robbie so much, giving him time to heal, and demonstrating how beauty can form from absolute darkness.
I enjoyed it immensely and won't think twice about reading the next one in the series. Please do read the trigger warnings, I imagine that they may prove too much for some.
However, it is advisable to read the blurb beforehand as it covers extremely delicate subjects such as abduction, rape, torture and slavery. What I liked about this story though was the really tender moments between Robbie and Enzo. The circumstances Robbie experienced were more than dire, and Enzo will stop at nothing to keep him safe. Poor Robbie has to go through thick and thin before he begins to accept the person he really is There were moments so horrendous for Robbie, that l had to come up for breath! Enzo is amazing! He's the epitome of the anti hero, and exists in a morally grey world, but this is what he's developed into due to his abusive past. Some readers may be shocked at his actions in parts of the book, but the way in which the baddie treated Robbie was so heinous, I would've taken great pleasure in strangling him with my own hands, without pause.
The storyline is well organised, the characters being so vividly described that you’re either going to love them or loathe them. I just happened to love them. Also, a big plus in this dark novel was, without a doubt, the HEA! Enzo loves and respects Robbie so much, giving him time to heal, and demonstrating how beauty can form from absolute darkness.
I enjoyed it immensely and won't think twice about reading the next one in the series. Please do read the trigger warnings, I imagine that they may prove too much for some.
July 23, 2026
Enzo and Robbie
MAJOR trigger warnings - S/A, kidnapping, trafficking, gangs, murder, ex-cons, etc.
The story is OK, not enough to pull me in to read the rest of the books unfortunately, but that's just me.
Robbie was held captive for many years by very bad people (well, one person but multiple assaulted him)
Enzo was his saviour when he showed up on his door step almost dead from the life he was held captive to. Redcars took him in and nursed him back to health.
This book is a SLOW BURN, which I get because of Robbie's background, but there's like 1.5 open door scenes, so if you want a lot of smut, this isn't your book.
Spice - 1.5/5
Story - 4/5 - the slow burn was almost too slow but again, that's just my opinion
MAJOR trigger warnings - S/A, kidnapping, trafficking, gangs, murder, ex-cons, etc.
The story is OK, not enough to pull me in to read the rest of the books unfortunately, but that's just me.
Robbie was held captive for many years by very bad people (well, one person but multiple assaulted him)
Enzo was his saviour when he showed up on his door step almost dead from the life he was held captive to. Redcars took him in and nursed him back to health.
This book is a SLOW BURN, which I get because of Robbie's background, but there's like 1.5 open door scenes, so if you want a lot of smut, this isn't your book.
Spice - 1.5/5
Story - 4/5 - the slow burn was almost too slow but again, that's just my opinion
May 22, 2026
This was an emotional Mafia-adjacent book about a found family of ex-cons working in a mechanics garage, Redcars.
When abused genius Roman escapes captivity, he is picked up by the Redcar family and slowly nursed back to health. This is mostly a story of Roman (Robbie)’s healing with a bit of revenge tucked on the end for closure.
I did enjoy this; there’s a lot in here to love; touch starved, caretaking, touch him and die, learning to love etc. if you’re a fan of broken characters healing then this one is definitely for you!
I have to say I found it a little meh - I don’t think I really bonded with either Enzo or Robbie and the pacing was a little too slow for my liking. It’s also very insular; set almost entirely in a back room at Redcars. I also found it very repetitive in places, with things being repeated over and over. Additionally, there seems to be a side storyline with Logan and Gray happening at the same time that we are not privy to? I assume this gets explained in another book but it’s just a little odd pacing wise here. They go from hating each other to being a couple (??) within a few chapters with no explanation at all.
That being said, I think some people will absolutely adore this, and I did enjoy it, it just didn’t change my brain chemistry or anything!
When abused genius Roman escapes captivity, he is picked up by the Redcar family and slowly nursed back to health. This is mostly a story of Roman (Robbie)’s healing with a bit of revenge tucked on the end for closure.
I did enjoy this; there’s a lot in here to love; touch starved, caretaking, touch him and die, learning to love etc. if you’re a fan of broken characters healing then this one is definitely for you!
I have to say I found it a little meh - I don’t think I really bonded with either Enzo or Robbie and the pacing was a little too slow for my liking. It’s also very insular; set almost entirely in a back room at Redcars. I also found it very repetitive in places, with things being repeated over and over. Additionally, there seems to be a side storyline with Logan and Gray happening at the same time that we are not privy to? I assume this gets explained in another book but it’s just a little odd pacing wise here. They go from hating each other to being a couple (??) within a few chapters with no explanation at all.
That being said, I think some people will absolutely adore this, and I did enjoy it, it just didn’t change my brain chemistry or anything!
May 10, 2026
Von der Autorin habe ich schon viele Bücher gelesen, aber dieses gehört eher zu ihren dunkleren Werken. Ihr könnt ja gerne die Triggerwarnung lesen, ob die Story etwas für euch ist, denn sie ist nichts für zartbesaitete Gemüter.
Mir hat sie sehr gut gefallen, da ich Romantic Suspense Storys sehr gerne mag und da darf es auch düster sein.
Erzählt wird die Story abwechselnd aus der Sicht von Robbie und Enzo.
Robbie hat schlimmes durchgemacht, doch er konnte der Hölle, in der er gefangen war, entfliehen. Er kommt zufällig auf das Gelände von Redcars, einer Autowerkstatt, deren Mitarbeiter alle schon mal einen Gefängnisaufenthalt hinter sich haben und hier eine zweite Chance bekommen haben. Die vier Männer organisieren Hilfe für Robbie, der in einem üblen Zustand ist. Er beginnt sich ganz langsam zu erholen und sich sicher bei den vieren zu fühlen. Und am sichersten fühlt er sich bei Enzo, der immer für ihn da ist. Doch die Schatten seiner Vergangenheit folgen Robbie und er hat gute Gründe sich vor denen zu fürchten. Das hält das Team von Redcars nicht davon ab, Robbie zu beschützen und die Geister seiner Vergangenheit zu jagen.
Die Story ist länger als die letzten Bücher der Autorin und ich habe jede einzelne Seite genossen. Der Beginn ist heftig und ich habe Robbie sofort in mein Herz geschlossen und wollte ihn vor allen Bösen schützen. Gleichzeitig war ich wütend auf seine Peiniger.
Mit Enzo und seinen Freunden ist er auf die Menschen gestoßen, die er jetzt braucht. Sie geben ihm Schutz ohne viel zu fragen und sie sind sehr geduldig mit ihm.
Die Story besticht durch fesselnde und sympathische Protagonisten und je mehr ich gelesen habe, desto faszinierter war ich.
Außerdem ist Robbies Vergangenheit alles andere als gewöhnlich und je mehr ich erfahren habe, desto mehr Fragen nach den Tätern und dem warum hatte ich. Enzos Vergangenheit ist nicht weniger interessant und ich habe schon sehr mit den beiden mit gefiebert und gehofft, dass alles gut ausgeht.
Enzo und Robbie fühlen sich zueinander hingezogen und Leute, stellt euch auf eine Slow-Burn-Romanze ein. Die hat hier sehr gut gepasst, denn alles andere wäre nach Robbies Vorgeschichte unglaubwürdig gewesen.
Ein großer Pluspunkt für die beiden ist, dass sie niemals aufgeben. Es dauert, bis sich Robbie selbst erlaubt, geliebt zu werden. Ich fand es klasse, wie sich die Liebesgeschichte zwischen den beiden entwickelt hat.
Die Story bietet alles, was das Leserherz braucht: Action, Spannung, Herzklopfen, eine besondere Wahlfamilie, fesselnde Charaktere - und damit meine ich auch die Nebenprotagonisten - und die wohl süßesten Umarmungen.
Beim Lesen war ich von den Nebenprotagonisten fasziniert und ich bin schon sehr gespannt auf deren Storys bzw. wie es mit der Serie weitergeht!
Fazit:
Ein großartiger Reihenauftakt, der für viel Spannung sorgt, der aber auch eine richtig gute Liebesgeschichte beinhaltet. Ich kann es kaum erwarten, mehr von dieser Reihe zu lesen!
Mir hat sie sehr gut gefallen, da ich Romantic Suspense Storys sehr gerne mag und da darf es auch düster sein.
Erzählt wird die Story abwechselnd aus der Sicht von Robbie und Enzo.
Robbie hat schlimmes durchgemacht, doch er konnte der Hölle, in der er gefangen war, entfliehen. Er kommt zufällig auf das Gelände von Redcars, einer Autowerkstatt, deren Mitarbeiter alle schon mal einen Gefängnisaufenthalt hinter sich haben und hier eine zweite Chance bekommen haben. Die vier Männer organisieren Hilfe für Robbie, der in einem üblen Zustand ist. Er beginnt sich ganz langsam zu erholen und sich sicher bei den vieren zu fühlen. Und am sichersten fühlt er sich bei Enzo, der immer für ihn da ist. Doch die Schatten seiner Vergangenheit folgen Robbie und er hat gute Gründe sich vor denen zu fürchten. Das hält das Team von Redcars nicht davon ab, Robbie zu beschützen und die Geister seiner Vergangenheit zu jagen.
Die Story ist länger als die letzten Bücher der Autorin und ich habe jede einzelne Seite genossen. Der Beginn ist heftig und ich habe Robbie sofort in mein Herz geschlossen und wollte ihn vor allen Bösen schützen. Gleichzeitig war ich wütend auf seine Peiniger.
Mit Enzo und seinen Freunden ist er auf die Menschen gestoßen, die er jetzt braucht. Sie geben ihm Schutz ohne viel zu fragen und sie sind sehr geduldig mit ihm.
Die Story besticht durch fesselnde und sympathische Protagonisten und je mehr ich gelesen habe, desto faszinierter war ich.
Außerdem ist Robbies Vergangenheit alles andere als gewöhnlich und je mehr ich erfahren habe, desto mehr Fragen nach den Tätern und dem warum hatte ich. Enzos Vergangenheit ist nicht weniger interessant und ich habe schon sehr mit den beiden mit gefiebert und gehofft, dass alles gut ausgeht.
Enzo und Robbie fühlen sich zueinander hingezogen und Leute, stellt euch auf eine Slow-Burn-Romanze ein. Die hat hier sehr gut gepasst, denn alles andere wäre nach Robbies Vorgeschichte unglaubwürdig gewesen.
Ein großer Pluspunkt für die beiden ist, dass sie niemals aufgeben. Es dauert, bis sich Robbie selbst erlaubt, geliebt zu werden. Ich fand es klasse, wie sich die Liebesgeschichte zwischen den beiden entwickelt hat.
Die Story bietet alles, was das Leserherz braucht: Action, Spannung, Herzklopfen, eine besondere Wahlfamilie, fesselnde Charaktere - und damit meine ich auch die Nebenprotagonisten - und die wohl süßesten Umarmungen.
Beim Lesen war ich von den Nebenprotagonisten fasziniert und ich bin schon sehr gespannt auf deren Storys bzw. wie es mit der Serie weitergeht!
Fazit:
Ein großartiger Reihenauftakt, der für viel Spannung sorgt, der aber auch eine richtig gute Liebesgeschichte beinhaltet. Ich kann es kaum erwarten, mehr von dieser Reihe zu lesen!
December 28, 2025
This was highly recommended to me by someone who also loved my top three reads of 2025, so maybe my expectations were just too high.
It wasn’t the writing itself (though there were a handful of sloppy edits and typos that pulled me out of the story). My real issue is that I am simply not into torture, and this MC spends his entire young adult life being raped and tortured. By the time the romance finally shows up,roughly two-thirds of the way in, it doesn’t feel romantic at all. He reads as someone who could never realistically recover, certainly not by absorbing a few self-help books and calling it healing. I know Enzo wasn’t intentionally taking advantage, but emotionally it still felt that way to me.
This is technically a hurt/comfort book, but it’s so overwhelmingly heavy on the hurt that I couldn’t connect to the romance at all.
On the “come on, that’s just silly” side of things: six weeks is absolutely not enough time to recover from that level of plastic surgery, and that whole plot point felt pretty ridiculous anyway.
That said, I may give the Jamie/Killian book a try…those two seem to have their shit together enough that it might actually work for me.
It wasn’t the writing itself (though there were a handful of sloppy edits and typos that pulled me out of the story). My real issue is that I am simply not into torture, and this MC spends his entire young adult life being raped and tortured. By the time the romance finally shows up,roughly two-thirds of the way in, it doesn’t feel romantic at all. He reads as someone who could never realistically recover, certainly not by absorbing a few self-help books and calling it healing. I know Enzo wasn’t intentionally taking advantage, but emotionally it still felt that way to me.
This is technically a hurt/comfort book, but it’s so overwhelmingly heavy on the hurt that I couldn’t connect to the romance at all.
On the “come on, that’s just silly” side of things: six weeks is absolutely not enough time to recover from that level of plastic surgery, and that whole plot point felt pretty ridiculous anyway.
That said, I may give the Jamie/Killian book a try…those two seem to have their shit together enough that it might actually work for me.
come-back-later
February 8, 2026Dnf for now 35%. I don’t know why but I’m just not interested in the characters anymore 😭
April 22, 2026
Darum geht’s:
Schwer verletzt und traumatisiert entkommt Robbie einem Menschenhändler und wird von Mechaniker Enzo vor der Redcars-Autowerkstatt aufgelesen. Sein Glück, denn die Männer von Redcars haben alle eine gewalttätige Vergangenheit und sind bereit, Robbie aufzunehmen und zu beschützen. Zuerst muss er aber mal die Nacht überleben.
Meine Meinung dazu gibt’s hier
Schwer verletzt und traumatisiert entkommt Robbie einem Menschenhändler und wird von Mechaniker Enzo vor der Redcars-Autowerkstatt aufgelesen. Sein Glück, denn die Männer von Redcars haben alle eine gewalttätige Vergangenheit und sind bereit, Robbie aufzunehmen und zu beschützen. Zuerst muss er aber mal die Nacht überleben.
Meine Meinung dazu gibt’s hier
May 28, 2025
This is possibly the darkest, grittiest, angstiest book RJ Scott has ever written, and I devoured every single word!
Robbie/Roman's backstory made me cry, the violence and abuse he had to endure for years with no end in sight until he finally makes his escape, broken beyond measure, and I wanted to hug him and help him and soothe him, but then Enzo arrived and took care of that for me.
Enzo is a bit of an anti-hero, living in a morally gray world, with a dark and violent past himself, which has hardened him, so it was a treat to see this man become soft and sweet and oh so tender with Robbie/Roman. Sure, he makes mistakes, and there are setbacks, obviously, which only make him more determined to keep Robbie safe at all cost. And I mean - ALL COST!
The author took care to write about Robbie's abuse without flinching, but also handled his healing with great delicacy to make it believable and feel realistic within the given timeframe.
The supporting cast are a great bunch, vividly described as I've come to expect from this author, and all bring something to the table, as Enzo's friends/family. Even the supposed former friend-turned-enemy wasn't just a simple villain, but moved the plot along.
There is only one primary villain in this story and that's Robbie's abuser. I won't go into too much detail here, so not to spoil the story. Suffice it to say that he met the end he deserved, that MFer.
This is the first book in a new series from this author, and I for one cannot wait to read the next book, hopefully soon. It'll be nice to catch up with Roman and Enzo while reading Jamie's story.
Heed the trigger warnings for this book. It's dark, it's gritty, it's gonna make you cry, and it's not an easy read. But it's worth it.
** I received a free copy of this book from its author in exchange for an honest review. **
Robbie/Roman's backstory made me cry, the violence and abuse he had to endure for years with no end in sight until he finally makes his escape, broken beyond measure, and I wanted to hug him and help him and soothe him, but then Enzo arrived and took care of that for me.
Enzo is a bit of an anti-hero, living in a morally gray world, with a dark and violent past himself, which has hardened him, so it was a treat to see this man become soft and sweet and oh so tender with Robbie/Roman. Sure, he makes mistakes, and there are setbacks, obviously, which only make him more determined to keep Robbie safe at all cost. And I mean - ALL COST!
The author took care to write about Robbie's abuse without flinching, but also handled his healing with great delicacy to make it believable and feel realistic within the given timeframe.
The supporting cast are a great bunch, vividly described as I've come to expect from this author, and all bring something to the table, as Enzo's friends/family. Even the supposed former friend-turned-enemy wasn't just a simple villain, but moved the plot along.
There is only one primary villain in this story and that's Robbie's abuser. I won't go into too much detail here, so not to spoil the story. Suffice it to say that he met the end he deserved, that MFer.
This is the first book in a new series from this author, and I for one cannot wait to read the next book, hopefully soon. It'll be nice to catch up with Roman and Enzo while reading Jamie's story.
Heed the trigger warnings for this book. It's dark, it's gritty, it's gonna make you cry, and it's not an easy read. But it's worth it.
** I received a free copy of this book from its author in exchange for an honest review. **
May 14, 2025
I've been excitedly waiting for the release of Enzo, the blurb etc appealed to me and now I've read Enzo I can honestly say I wasn't disappointed. I loved this book.
Enzo is a slightly darker book than what RJ usually writes, there's trigger warnings at the start, but while there is abuse and harder themes in this book it still has funny moments, a 'I will kill for you' male and high stakes romantic suspense. All the good things!!!
Enzo is an ex con who works at Red Cars garage who offers a place to stay for people who need it.
Robbie has been trapped with his abuser for years but finally escapes and collapses right outside Red Cars garage.
Enzo immediately feels a pull towards Robbie and will kill anyone to keep him safe.
I was pulled straight into Enzo and Robbies story. The abuse and Robbies healing is written compassionately and handle with care.
I love the relationship between the 2 main characters and watching them deal with their attraction to each other is heartwarming. I adored all the side characters. They all added to the storyline and really helped build a picture of the setting RJ is creating in this book.
I read this book in 1 sitting and I can't wait for the other books in this series. Highly recommend giving this book a try.
Enzo is a slightly darker book than what RJ usually writes, there's trigger warnings at the start, but while there is abuse and harder themes in this book it still has funny moments, a 'I will kill for you' male and high stakes romantic suspense. All the good things!!!
Enzo is an ex con who works at Red Cars garage who offers a place to stay for people who need it.
Robbie has been trapped with his abuser for years but finally escapes and collapses right outside Red Cars garage.
Enzo immediately feels a pull towards Robbie and will kill anyone to keep him safe.
I was pulled straight into Enzo and Robbies story. The abuse and Robbies healing is written compassionately and handle with care.
I love the relationship between the 2 main characters and watching them deal with their attraction to each other is heartwarming. I adored all the side characters. They all added to the storyline and really helped build a picture of the setting RJ is creating in this book.
I read this book in 1 sitting and I can't wait for the other books in this series. Highly recommend giving this book a try.
July 30, 2026
2.5 ⭐️
I did like this story. I liked Enzo and Robbie/Roman. I’m a sucker for hurt/comfort. I appreciate that it’s a slow burn, with very low spice, considering some of the horrible things Robbie went through. I appreciate that Enzo didn’t just fix all of Robbie’s trauma with magical dick. I love a good found family trope.
What I couldn’t ignore was the massive amount of grammatical, punctuation and POV errors. I was so confused on who was speaking or IF anyone was speaking half the time. It was both repetitive and had plot holes I couldn’t figure out. The whole book felt like I was missing information, like I was reading book 2 or 3 in a series and not book 1. The random side storyline with Logan was obviously trying to set up for a subsequent book, but just made it feel like you skipped 5 chapters and missed everything that happened. These issues got worse towards the latter half of the book, frustrating me enough that I skimmed the last couple chapters just to get it done.
Ex-Con X Captive
Human trafficking (of an MC, not by an MC)
Found family
No 3rd act breakup
Low spice
HEA for main couple; unresolved overarching storyline
I did like this story. I liked Enzo and Robbie/Roman. I’m a sucker for hurt/comfort. I appreciate that it’s a slow burn, with very low spice, considering some of the horrible things Robbie went through. I appreciate that Enzo didn’t just fix all of Robbie’s trauma with magical dick. I love a good found family trope.
What I couldn’t ignore was the massive amount of grammatical, punctuation and POV errors. I was so confused on who was speaking or IF anyone was speaking half the time. It was both repetitive and had plot holes I couldn’t figure out. The whole book felt like I was missing information, like I was reading book 2 or 3 in a series and not book 1. The random side storyline with Logan was obviously trying to set up for a subsequent book, but just made it feel like you skipped 5 chapters and missed everything that happened. These issues got worse towards the latter half of the book, frustrating me enough that I skimmed the last couple chapters just to get it done.
Ex-Con X Captive
Human trafficking (of an MC, not by an MC)
Found family
No 3rd act breakup
Low spice
HEA for main couple; unresolved overarching storyline
August 11, 2025
what a ride
Holy cow what a ride. This had everything I needed in a romantic suspenses. With just the right amount of suspense that didn’t send my poor heart into panic. Robbie sweet Robbie who wouldn’t want to take care of him. I love how ALL the guys rallied and took care of him. (This IS NOT MM+) This is what I want in a found family. Not only was Enzo willing to risk it all, but this brotherhood was too. These men while morally grey are who’d I’d want behind me. The writing was amazing and what I’ve come to realize about this author the spice was eh. Not fade to black but also not descriptive or fire. Just enough to let you know it happened, and a few feelings behind it. I’m headed to the next book because I love Jamie and can’t wait to read. Logan’s book is part of the single dad series.
For future:
Dual pov
No cheating/sharing
No om/ow
Relation before smexy
Not fully sure if the diversity so I’m gonna say needs more.
Strict on page
Holy cow what a ride. This had everything I needed in a romantic suspenses. With just the right amount of suspense that didn’t send my poor heart into panic. Robbie sweet Robbie who wouldn’t want to take care of him. I love how ALL the guys rallied and took care of him. (This IS NOT MM+) This is what I want in a found family. Not only was Enzo willing to risk it all, but this brotherhood was too. These men while morally grey are who’d I’d want behind me. The writing was amazing and what I’ve come to realize about this author the spice was eh. Not fade to black but also not descriptive or fire. Just enough to let you know it happened, and a few feelings behind it. I’m headed to the next book because I love Jamie and can’t wait to read. Logan’s book is part of the single dad series.
For future:
Dual pov
No cheating/sharing
No om/ow
Relation before smexy
Not fully sure if the diversity so I’m gonna say needs more.
Strict on page
May 23, 2025
This story is different to the author’s other books in that it’s grittier and darker and has more angst than most of her previous stories. That said, it was a fabulous read and very well written. It’s the story of Robbie who has survived horror and trauma to find sanctuary at the Redcars garage, and Enzo, an ex-con who works there, and who becomes Robbie’s saviour. We are taken on a sometimes difficule yet inspiring journey as Robbie heals with Enzo’s help and we also get to know the other men who work at the garage and more about those that hurt Robbie.
The characters are wonderful, and the storyline well developed and full of tense situations, intrigue and suspense. As usual in her books, RJ has handled difficult subjects with sensitivity and care but heed the warnings. I loved this story and can’t wait for the next book in the series. Highly recommended.
The characters are wonderful, and the storyline well developed and full of tense situations, intrigue and suspense. As usual in her books, RJ has handled difficult subjects with sensitivity and care but heed the warnings. I loved this story and can’t wait for the next book in the series. Highly recommended.
May 27, 2025
Holy Cow!! That book was heartbreaking. Poor Roman/Robbie, my heart broke for him so bad, I cried with him and for him. I’m so glad he kept fighting and made it out and still fought to live, GAH… Enzo, he may seem gruff but underneath he’s a big protective teddy bear, especially to Robbie and of course his family at Redcars. Enzo found Robbie outside and doesn’t leave his side and is protecting him along with all the guys at Redcars. What was done to Roman/Robbie was unbelievable, sick and twisted, so freaking sad, but the guys help him, they all become friends but Enzo becomes more. The book is dark and twisted and heartbreaking with love in the mix and firsts for Robbie. It’s a page turner but be prepared for a lot of crying. I’m looking forward to the next book!
May 26, 2025
Enzo & Robbie
This is the first book in a new series.
Robbie escapes from people who’d kept him locked up/caged. He stumbles upon Redcars that’s run by Enzo, Rio, Jamie and Logan. Enzo is an ex-con, he finds Roman starved and dying. As Robbie’s health gets better, he learns he can depend on Enzo to protect him from the people that abused him with the help of the other guys. He grows much closer to Enzo, and they slowly fall in love, but trouble comes looking for Robbie. Enzo and the guys band together to stop the person responsible.
This is the first book in a new series.
Robbie escapes from people who’d kept him locked up/caged. He stumbles upon Redcars that’s run by Enzo, Rio, Jamie and Logan. Enzo is an ex-con, he finds Roman starved and dying. As Robbie’s health gets better, he learns he can depend on Enzo to protect him from the people that abused him with the help of the other guys. He grows much closer to Enzo, and they slowly fall in love, but trouble comes looking for Robbie. Enzo and the guys band together to stop the person responsible.
May 24, 2025
Wow, what an amazing new series from RJ Scott. Darker than her previous books. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and please please please write book two soon. Enzo an ex-con and Robbie who has been through so much are wonderful together. The characters in this book are excellent. HEA. Highly recommend
May 16, 2025
This story of Robbie and Enzo ripped out my heart, stomped on it and then put it back together, piece by piece.
This is a much darker story than Rj Scott has ever done.
She warned her readers about that fact, but we, meaning me, went headfirst into this, excited to see where she took us.
Boy, what a ride it was!
Being terrified for Robbie, disgusted at what John did and allowed others to do to him darn near broke my heart.
I don't like to give all the mysteries of the stories away in my reviews.
I did want to say that, although this is very dark with possible triggers for some people, the love shines through strong and deep. Both in friendships and romantic love.
Evil is very strong in the book, but I got to say that what happens to said evil gives me GREAT joy!
This was a fantastic story.
Extremely well written.
It kept me on my toes and rooting for justice on Robbie's behalf.
100/100
This is a much darker story than Rj Scott has ever done.
She warned her readers about that fact, but we, meaning me, went headfirst into this, excited to see where she took us.
Boy, what a ride it was!
Being terrified for Robbie, disgusted at what John did and allowed others to do to him darn near broke my heart.
I don't like to give all the mysteries of the stories away in my reviews.
I did want to say that, although this is very dark with possible triggers for some people, the love shines through strong and deep. Both in friendships and romantic love.
Evil is very strong in the book, but I got to say that what happens to said evil gives me GREAT joy!
This was a fantastic story.
Extremely well written.
It kept me on my toes and rooting for justice on Robbie's behalf.
100/100
May 27, 2025
Just yummy! Protector type MCs are always a great selling point for me and this book delivered in style! I loved how different this book was from author's typical style and how she approached it with the same talent.
May 22, 2025
an exciting book to read
July 20, 2025
A superb read
This has it all, the fact that I enjoyed the revenge is a little worrying. An excellent read from beginning to end.
This has it all, the fact that I enjoyed the revenge is a little worrying. An excellent read from beginning to end.
June 20, 2025
This was the darkest book by RJ Scott and I was so invested in Robbie's escape and rescue by Enzo and the other guys at Redcars. He suffered so much and I appreciated how sensitively his gradual recovery was shown and I wanted all of the men who had tortured him were brought down. Fascinating group of men and looking forward to reading about them. I am beginning to be a bit bloodthirsty because I was so glad what happened to John Mitchell because he deserved everything that was done to him. and hope similar treatment awaits the other two men especially Lassiter.
June 19, 2025
A completely new author for me. I came across this by chance and I’m so glad I did. I loved Robbie/Roman and Enzo so much. Two fantastic characters. It was a very emotional read for me and although the spicy bits came towards the end of the book they were worth waiting for…very beautifully written! I will definitely be reading the next book in this series and definitely looking at R J Scott’s back catalogue.
May 15, 2025
If you are a fan of Sloane Kennedy’s books then this one is for you. Dark and gritty with flawed characters in a well written plot that had me wanting to skip to the end. I didn’t but it was a dark read which is not my normal go to trope.
This is a departure from the authors usual stories but she succeeded in writing a compelling read.
June 8, 2025
Wow, what can I say?
This is by far the darkest RJ Scott book I have read and I have read just about every one. The detail and the pacing make Robbie’s ordeal so believable and it is so good to see Enzo and Robbie get there HEA, although maybe just HFN as it sounds like there is lots more ahead.
Highly recommended.
This is by far the darkest RJ Scott book I have read and I have read just about every one. The detail and the pacing make Robbie’s ordeal so believable and it is so good to see Enzo and Robbie get there HEA, although maybe just HFN as it sounds like there is lots more ahead.
Highly recommended.
June 11, 2025
We were first introduced to some of the Redcars gang back in the author's Single Dad sixth entry, Pride. It may have taken longer than I expected to meet the Redcars gang but characters can be stinkers when it comes to telling their stories. The lads weren't quite ready yet but now they are and frankly, I can understand why Robbie wasn't eager to tell his tale.
Robbie. What can I say about Robbie? He is one resilient fella. I don't want to give anything away so I'll just say this: I don't think I've ever read a character I wanted to protect more. I've read many, many tortured souls but there is something about his past that will break you in pieces but the fact that he's still standing also fills you with so much hope. I'd give him Mama Bear Hugs out the whazoo but I know he probably wouldn't like them too much so I'll just send him an endless supply of good vibe-filled virtual hugs.
Enzo. Where do I begin? Enzo is a man with his own inner demons from his past, many of which he seems to have gotten a pretty solid handle on but there are things we never completely let go of and he has those too. Seeing him with Robbie tells me more about his core character and true soul than any words or platitudes could. If this was a daytime soap opera, the lads of Redcars would be labeled "anit-hero", as a fan of soaps growing up I am very familiar with the title but can't say I ever agreed with it really. Oh, I get what it means, typical bad boy with a heart of gold especially when it comes to a certain good character and that's great, I love a good old fashion opposites attract trope but I never cared for the "anti-hero" moniker. Anywho, that's what many might label Enzo as but I see him as a man who had very little choice in the past, did his time, and is working hard to overcome it and yet he's not afraid to return to the evils of old to protect those he loves.
Honestly, it doesn't matter what label you put on the lads, they are each deserving of happy times. Getting them to that point is what RJ Scott's Enzo is all about and it may be a bumpy ride but it's a trip worthy of a backseat stomach shaker. It can be a hard read for sure, heartbreaking, heart-hurting, but it's also heartwarming and heart-healing that will make you smile and maybe even help bring some comfort to any hurting you might have in need of healing.
I've read stories with dark elements before, not often but definitely a dozen or so a year, so over time I've digested some pretty disturbing tales. Enzo is not the darkest, we learn what the poor lad went through for years and it's hell on Earth but it's told in a way that is feelings at times more than events. Don't get me wrong, we see some pretty horrible memories but as a whole I say it's the fear, anger, and hurt that tells the pain more than showing the deeds. Which in my opinion, can actually increase the darkness and does does just that in Enzo, but for me it's not the darkest I've read but I would easily put it in the top 5.
So be aware, this is not for the feint of heart. Having given that warning, don't think it's all doom and gloom. Yes, it does not have as much of the happy happy feels and some would label it more angst than drama(personally I see them as the same thing but that's just me😉), there is actually a lot that will fill your heart with, well perhaps not "joy" but definitely a feeling of uplifting contentment. Once you meet Robbie and Enzo, it doesn't take long to become invested in their journey, good or bad, you quickly need to see it through.
One last note about the Redcars trilogy. Each story is a standalone in the fact each tells a different character's journey but there are certain elements in Enzo that weren't completely fulfilled. I wouldn't label it a cliffhanger but certainly a carryover. I would say this is definitely a series meant to be read in order, though I have not seen the next two books of course but that's the take I got from it.
Robbie. What can I say about Robbie? He is one resilient fella. I don't want to give anything away so I'll just say this: I don't think I've ever read a character I wanted to protect more. I've read many, many tortured souls but there is something about his past that will break you in pieces but the fact that he's still standing also fills you with so much hope. I'd give him Mama Bear Hugs out the whazoo but I know he probably wouldn't like them too much so I'll just send him an endless supply of good vibe-filled virtual hugs.
Enzo. Where do I begin? Enzo is a man with his own inner demons from his past, many of which he seems to have gotten a pretty solid handle on but there are things we never completely let go of and he has those too. Seeing him with Robbie tells me more about his core character and true soul than any words or platitudes could. If this was a daytime soap opera, the lads of Redcars would be labeled "anit-hero", as a fan of soaps growing up I am very familiar with the title but can't say I ever agreed with it really. Oh, I get what it means, typical bad boy with a heart of gold especially when it comes to a certain good character and that's great, I love a good old fashion opposites attract trope but I never cared for the "anti-hero" moniker. Anywho, that's what many might label Enzo as but I see him as a man who had very little choice in the past, did his time, and is working hard to overcome it and yet he's not afraid to return to the evils of old to protect those he loves.
Honestly, it doesn't matter what label you put on the lads, they are each deserving of happy times. Getting them to that point is what RJ Scott's Enzo is all about and it may be a bumpy ride but it's a trip worthy of a backseat stomach shaker. It can be a hard read for sure, heartbreaking, heart-hurting, but it's also heartwarming and heart-healing that will make you smile and maybe even help bring some comfort to any hurting you might have in need of healing.
I've read stories with dark elements before, not often but definitely a dozen or so a year, so over time I've digested some pretty disturbing tales. Enzo is not the darkest, we learn what the poor lad went through for years and it's hell on Earth but it's told in a way that is feelings at times more than events. Don't get me wrong, we see some pretty horrible memories but as a whole I say it's the fear, anger, and hurt that tells the pain more than showing the deeds. Which in my opinion, can actually increase the darkness and does does just that in Enzo, but for me it's not the darkest I've read but I would easily put it in the top 5.
So be aware, this is not for the feint of heart. Having given that warning, don't think it's all doom and gloom. Yes, it does not have as much of the happy happy feels and some would label it more angst than drama(personally I see them as the same thing but that's just me😉), there is actually a lot that will fill your heart with, well perhaps not "joy" but definitely a feeling of uplifting contentment. Once you meet Robbie and Enzo, it doesn't take long to become invested in their journey, good or bad, you quickly need to see it through.
One last note about the Redcars trilogy. Each story is a standalone in the fact each tells a different character's journey but there are certain elements in Enzo that weren't completely fulfilled. I wouldn't label it a cliffhanger but certainly a carryover. I would say this is definitely a series meant to be read in order, though I have not seen the next two books of course but that's the take I got from it.
January 5, 2026
I mostly quite enjoyed this romantic suspense hurt/comfort romantic drama.
Roman Lowe's been a captive and sex slave for years, since he was 14 and lured from a care home. Starved, kept in a cock cage with no relief, raped and tortured, all for his eidetic memory and use as a financial magician for money laundering.
Enzo's one of four men who run Redcars, a garage whose found-family of ex-con mechanics moonlight as vigilantes on their own terms. Finding the starving, near dead man in the streets is shocking and incites something new in Enzo, bringing out his protective side as never before. As he saves and gets to know the frightened, traumatized man calling himself "Robbie," something in Enzo begins to think...Mine. To cherish and protect.
I appreciated that Roman/Robbie's trauma was something to work through over the course of the book (TW for extreme sexual and physical abuse in the back story and recovery from it on page in the book). It wasn't fixed or shoved aside, but was a constant element dealt with I thought sensitively and realistically. There's no quick fix, and Enzo's patience and true caring for Robbie shines. He makes mistakes, and Robbie can barely articulate his needs, spending a lot of time locked in his safe space, reading and memorizing books on psychology and also fixing cars, but as they learn together what works for touch-starved Robbie to finally make contact and receive affection, and much later, more, the journey is heartwarming and satisfying. And they do work through some of his sexual trauma, I thought believably. It was heartwarming to see Robbie claiming his sexuality and learning how to work with the condition of his mind and his scarred body and celebrate connecting with Enzo.
Mostly. I REALLY could have done without Robbie thinking a few times that oh, I don't want to not be good enough for Enzo, I should practice having sex with someone else and work through my struggles with some stranger instead. Like, WHAT? He's in danger, anyone could tell his former captors where he is, he has no way of knowing who's safe, and he can barely stand to work with Enzo touching him...and he thinks some stranger should help him through this? I didn't buy it, and the mentions of it were off-putting and ruined a few moments for me. Took it down in the rating and became aggravating. He doesn't go through with it, but, at that point, Doc was the only character making any sense, and everyone got mad at him for calling Robbie on his BS. Not me. Go Doc.
ANYWAY, apart from that, this is a fun, if unlikely, story featuring a found family of vigilantes who rally around the hurting man who stumbled into their midst and got new purpose. One antagonist is brought to satisfyingly violent justice, but two more are lurking out there, hopefully to be brought down in subsequent books. ]
HEA, sex-slave/captive survivor, hurt comfort, romantic suspense. No OM action or drama, though I laid out the thoughts that irritated the F out of me. Safe enough for me. Recommended, book 1 in an ongoing series featuring different MCs book over book.
Roman Lowe's been a captive and sex slave for years, since he was 14 and lured from a care home. Starved, kept in a cock cage with no relief, raped and tortured, all for his eidetic memory and use as a financial magician for money laundering.
Enzo's one of four men who run Redcars, a garage whose found-family of ex-con mechanics moonlight as vigilantes on their own terms. Finding the starving, near dead man in the streets is shocking and incites something new in Enzo, bringing out his protective side as never before. As he saves and gets to know the frightened, traumatized man calling himself "Robbie," something in Enzo begins to think...Mine. To cherish and protect.
I appreciated that Roman/Robbie's trauma was something to work through over the course of the book (TW for extreme sexual and physical abuse in the back story and recovery from it on page in the book). It wasn't fixed or shoved aside, but was a constant element dealt with I thought sensitively and realistically. There's no quick fix, and Enzo's patience and true caring for Robbie shines. He makes mistakes, and Robbie can barely articulate his needs, spending a lot of time locked in his safe space, reading and memorizing books on psychology and also fixing cars, but as they learn together what works for touch-starved Robbie to finally make contact and receive affection, and much later, more, the journey is heartwarming and satisfying. And they do work through some of his sexual trauma, I thought believably. It was heartwarming to see Robbie claiming his sexuality and learning how to work with the condition of his mind and his scarred body and celebrate connecting with Enzo.
Mostly. I REALLY could have done without Robbie thinking a few times that oh, I don't want to not be good enough for Enzo, I should practice having sex with someone else and work through my struggles with some stranger instead. Like, WHAT? He's in danger, anyone could tell his former captors where he is, he has no way of knowing who's safe, and he can barely stand to work with Enzo touching him...and he thinks some stranger should help him through this? I didn't buy it, and the mentions of it were off-putting and ruined a few moments for me. Took it down in the rating and became aggravating. He doesn't go through with it, but, at that point, Doc was the only character making any sense, and everyone got mad at him for calling Robbie on his BS. Not me. Go Doc.
ANYWAY, apart from that, this is a fun, if unlikely, story featuring a found family of vigilantes who rally around the hurting man who stumbled into their midst and got new purpose. One antagonist is brought to satisfyingly violent justice, but two more are lurking out there, hopefully to be brought down in subsequent books. ]
HEA, sex-slave/captive survivor, hurt comfort, romantic suspense. No OM action or drama, though I laid out the thoughts that irritated the F out of me. Safe enough for me. Recommended, book 1 in an ongoing series featuring different MCs book over book.
May 30, 2025
4.5 stars - I absolutely love finding a new series with a new group of guys who have a shared background but have become a family of their own, and Redcars fits that bill perfectly. And when it’s from an author on my 99% auto read list, it’s even better. Redcars is a garage run by 4 guys who all had been given second chances by the then-owner, Tudor. They all have various pasts that are less than stellar, although we don’t really know too much about what brought them to Redcars. In this installment, we learn about Enzo and his past when he is the one who ends up being the safety net for Robbie, the young man who shows up on their doorstep after escaping years of torment at the hands of some evil people.
Robbie is special. He has the special ability of having an eidetic memory, or, he can remember every detail he sees. In this case, the bad guy (John), realized this when Robbie was a young man in a foster home, took him and used him to gather intel and blackmail material on a lot of corrupt people resulting in the transfer of millions of dollars. To say that Robbie was treated horribly would be an understatement. The torture and abuse he endured for years is unfathomable. Thankfully, he doesn’t ever give up until one day, he finally has the opportunity to escape. His luck changes when he ends up at Redcars, albeit on death’s door at the time.
Enzo and the guys take Robbie in, nurture and nurse him back to health (as best as can be expected) and give him a safe space to exist. He ends up helping them with their paperwork, all while becoming close to Enzo, the one he trusts the most and begins to fall for. I thought Ms. Scott did a great job of dealing with Robbie’s issues, triggers and mental turmoil. He doesn’t just heal overnight and fall into bed with Enzo. It takes a lot of time and patience for their relationship to move to the next level.
Once the details of Robbie’s past come to light and as the past creeps ever closer, the guys all close ranks to protect Robbie. In doing so, they are brought back from the sidelines they’ve been living in with some ties to their own pasts, and things get more exciting as the story turns to them eradicating the problem instead of just helping Robbie heal.
The other guys each have their own unique characteristics, but they are all loyal to each other and Redcars, their family, of which Robbie is now a part. Logan seems to already have his relationship, but Rio and Jamie are dangling there for us to dive into. There are inklings of who they might each pair up with, but regardless, I’m excited to see more of them all and to learn their backstories as this series unfolds. Needless to say, Ms. Scott remains at the tope of my auto read list.
Review written for Love Bytes Reviews.
July 1, 2025
This started off really strong; the premise was interesting and the characters were all pretty lovable. However, I think the pacing is really where the book struggled and what ultimately what dragged down my rating.
The story opens with one of our main MCs - Robbie, finally escaping captivity and his abusers. He collapses outside of a car shop named "Redcars" and is taken in by our other MC - Enzo. As well as the other side characters (and future MCs) who make up this found family of ex-cons.
The story largely focuses around the slow development of Enzo and Robbie's relationship from strangers to reluctant friends, to lovers. In addition to Robbie's overall healing journey and the hunt for his captors/abusers (who are still after him). But despite the fact that Robbie is in hiding for most of the book from said captors - the story still feels very low stakes.
To add, this is a slow burn - like a really slow burn..which to be fair as it should be. After all the things Robbie went through, it made sense for him to take awhile to feel safe and comfortable enough for intimacy. However, because of this slow burn and the "hunt" consistently falling onto the back burner. You are just left with these large sections of the story where it felt like nothing was happening (no plot progression). And I think Scott tried to bridge this by implementing small time jumps as a way to speed things up, but the result is that you just end up with a bunch of pages that describe what happened during said jump. For example - we get introduced to a character in one chapter that is pretty hated by everyone of the bat; at first I assumed this was another future MC but then like a few chapters later, Robbie notes in his monologue that character is now in a relationship with one of the guys at the shop, and how "surprising" that was. I was like.....huh?
The ending was also a bit anticlimactic - you have a character who comes in and kind of just solves everything and the story just wraps up from there. Along with some set up for Jamie's book which is next. Though with where things left off, I'm curious of how Scott will tie the two story together. Specifically, how the villain's of the next book are personal to Jamie and/or his lover. As the antagonists in the next book were just set up as extensions of the ones in this book (Robbie's Abusers). While my expectations are on the lower end for book two, I will admit I am excited for book three as I liked Rio, and I'm also really hoping his book is with Doc. Because I was super intrigued by Doc's character.
While I wouldn't recommend this outright, if you're on the fence I do think the book is worth checking out.
The story opens with one of our main MCs - Robbie, finally escaping captivity and his abusers. He collapses outside of a car shop named "Redcars" and is taken in by our other MC - Enzo. As well as the other side characters (and future MCs) who make up this found family of ex-cons.
The story largely focuses around the slow development of Enzo and Robbie's relationship from strangers to reluctant friends, to lovers. In addition to Robbie's overall healing journey and the hunt for his captors/abusers (who are still after him). But despite the fact that Robbie is in hiding for most of the book from said captors - the story still feels very low stakes.
To add, this is a slow burn - like a really slow burn..which to be fair as it should be. After all the things Robbie went through, it made sense for him to take awhile to feel safe and comfortable enough for intimacy. However, because of this slow burn and the "hunt" consistently falling onto the back burner. You are just left with these large sections of the story where it felt like nothing was happening (no plot progression). And I think Scott tried to bridge this by implementing small time jumps as a way to speed things up, but the result is that you just end up with a bunch of pages that describe what happened during said jump. For example - we get introduced to a character in one chapter that is pretty hated by everyone of the bat; at first I assumed this was another future MC but then like a few chapters later, Robbie notes in his monologue that character is now in a relationship with one of the guys at the shop, and how "surprising" that was. I was like.....huh?
The ending was also a bit anticlimactic - you have a character who comes in and kind of just solves everything and the story just wraps up from there. Along with some set up for Jamie's book which is next. Though with where things left off, I'm curious of how Scott will tie the two story together. Specifically, how the villain's of the next book are personal to Jamie and/or his lover. As the antagonists in the next book were just set up as extensions of the ones in this book (Robbie's Abusers). While my expectations are on the lower end for book two, I will admit I am excited for book three as I liked Rio, and I'm also really hoping his book is with Doc. Because I was super intrigued by Doc's character.
While I wouldn't recommend this outright, if you're on the fence I do think the book is worth checking out.
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