Release Day Review: Monster in His Eyes by J.M. Darhower

Monster in His Eyes by J.M. Darhower

Monster in His Eyes by J.M. Darhower
Series: Monster in His Eyes #1 (full reading order below)
Publication Date: April 28th 2014
Links: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
Source: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review

Ignazio Vitale is not a good man.

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

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

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

I want to hate him.

Sometimes, I do.

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

This book blew. MY. MIND!!!!! I still can’t wrap my head around Monster in His Eyes–it was nothing like I ever expected, and I LOVED it! It’s intense, raw, suspenseful, gorgeously written, and so freaking goooood!!!

We have our heroine, Karissa, an 18-year-old freshman at NYU who’s just a normal girl trying to distance herself from her overbearing mom. She’s getting through her first year of college–she’s normal, relatable, and I easily connected with her as the heroine. J.M. Darhower portrays her perfectly as a college girl, but the story really only picks up when Karissa meets Ignazio “Naz” Vitale. Ignazio Vitale, who is 36, intense, and holds so much raw confidence and power in himself that Karissa never stood a chance against him.

Karissa is wary of Naz, and rightly so. Here’s a guy who’s gorgeous, rich, and twice her age, and he’s pursuing her? But there’s something so tempting, so invigorating, so thrilling about Naz that Karissa can’t stay away. Naz even warns Karissa to stay away from him but…

“I thought I could play with you a bit, and let you go, but once I had you, Karissa, I had to keep you. I couldn’t walk away.”

As Karissa starts falling for this man, a man she really knows nothing about, it’s all very romantic, but I could never get that feeling–the chills-up-your-spine kind of feeling–out of my mind. There was always something more to Naz, something dark and dangerous, and I never forgot it, and neither does Karissa. I honestly didn’t know what to think about Naz. Did I think he was too old for Karissa? Yes, but I could deal with that. Did I fall for him? Maybe a liiitle bit–he’s insanely sensual and passionate, but I just couldn’t ignore the warning bells ringing in my head. Because there’s no doubt that Naz is very dark and very, very dangerous.

And when his eyes cut my way, and I see the darkness on the surface, I’m reminded that this man hangs out with monsters.
And one might even exist inside of him.

Ignazio Vitale is one very intriguing man, and J.M. Darhower has written him so very, very perfectly. I swooned and I gasped, and I felt an incredibly wide range of emotions because of him. He’s such a thrilling character to read about, especially from Karissa’s POV. The author’s writing is brilliant, and I don’t think I’ve ever been more fascinated in and intrigued with a character than I am about Naz.

He lives in his own little world, where he’s the king, and I’m more than happy to be his minion… although, when he looks at me, flashing that dimple, I feel like nothing less than his queen.

Naz is addictive and powerful, sweeping Karissa off her feet and carrying her into his world, but it’s not exactly a HEA for them. There are dark twists and turns in this book, things that were jaw-dropping and had me reeling. Fans of suspense will not be disappointed.

I honestly couldn’t get enough of Karissa and Naz’s story. I never wanted it to end, and now I’m pretty much dying for book 2, Torture in Her Soul!! Monster in His Eyes is a fascinating, fantastic book that had me hooked from the start. So go READ IT!!

4.5 hearts
lacey

Quotes are taken from the arc and are subject to change in the final version.


Reading Order: Monster in His Eyes series

Monster in His Eyes by J.M. Darhower Torture to Her Soul by J.M. Darhower Target on Our Backs by J.M. Darhower

#1 ~ Monster in His Eyes: Ebook • Paperback • Audible • Goodreads
#2 ~ Torture to Her Soul: My Review • Ebook • PaperbackGoodreads
#3 ~ Target on Our Backs: My Review • Ebook • Paperback • Goodreads


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