Obsessive... this is how I am not with MK. Her books are so amazing! This is the second of her's that I've read and I can never get enough. I would be so happy if her books were 1000 pages! Emma and Aiden are such unique people and they make the best characters. From the characters to the scenery every thing about this book was perfect!

Emma - Oh Emma... she was so great! She gave us so many surprises throughout this entire novel. She is so strong willed and protective, it was so great to see in a leading female. She never once cowered or hide her emotions. And Aiden, he was so surprising. He seemed to be this super hard-ass guy but he ended up being so wonderful! Both of them had so many demons to work through and they did it all together. There's only so much I can say without making this review give too much away, but the things these two went through together was so trying! They are so good together, it's enduring!

I cannot wait to read more of MK's books! I devour these books, with their emotions and twists and turns, it's all so amazing!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this title. Unfortunately in this instance,I didn't connect to the story. As I didn't finish reading, I will not be reviewing this title. Many thanks and I do look forward to picking up another read from this author.

Emma and Aiden both have a lot of scars, his older and hers more fresh with the recent deaths of both of her parents. They end up on a road trip together to fulfill her mother's last wish, neither sure of what the reason is. I enjoyed seeing them learn more about each other and become more attached to one another. After they reach their destination, I had a big problem with some of the events that take place. It felt too extreme to me, like the ultimate ending of the book could have been reached without some of those scenes. After finishing the book, I feel like I know Aiden a lot better as a character, and less about Emma. The book had romantic moments, but I didn't get a sweet feeling like I usually do from a lot of love stories.

This review is of an ARC provided by Entangled Publishing.

Cant honestly say how i feel about this story. It seemed all over the place and quickly put together.

This book was really good. I almost wept for Aiden, and the atrocities he suffered as a child, and Emma was just a darling. Very well written, truly.

Emma Cooper is dealing with the loss of her mother and the life that she has known, and now she is driving to Oregon to find someone who she does not know to ask them to go with her to Texas. She is still trying to figure out how her mother knows this person and who this person is when she arrives at what she thinks is the place. She does not know for sure because she does not actually met Aiden Sheffield until later. Wondering if this person could possibly be a lover of her mother’s she dismisses that thought. She finds out that he owns a dog rescue facility and that he works out every day because he is a MMA fighter. When she finally gets around to telling him who she is and why she is there he does not want to go to Linx, Texas. What he is working on is talking her out of going herself. After she goes on a rescue with him and sees everything he does, he changes his mind and decides to go with her with the idea that part way there he can change her mind. The story has many different twist and turns that are unexpected. Just the trip to Texas you find out things, but once they get there it takes a whole different turn. A very emotional story that will draw you into the two main characters and you as the reader will want her to leave Linx as well. Overall a good story and I certainly did not see some of the things that happen before they did, so it was a good book.

At first when I started reading this book, I really thought the Female MC was talking to her mother and thought where was this story going but then it took a really interesting turn.  Another thing I loved was the Romantic Suspense of the story.  I don't know if it was classified as that, but that's what it was.  I loved Aiden and his abruptness at meeting Emma.  The fact that this girl shows up on his doorstep with a request from the grave would shake anyone up, but the fact that she's the daughter of someone he was once close too...Can it prove to be too much?  Aiden has so many demons chasing him, ones that just won't let up.  How can they when he wears a reminder of them everyday?  I've read a handful of really awesome books this years and MK did a fascinating job with this one.  I DID NOT see the end coming at all!!  In fact, it was one of those times where I was just as shocked as the character.  Things aren't what they seem and things are seldom what we think.  If you want a great love story, suspense and edge of your seat "what happens next" - then this is the book for you!!

I was given an ARC copy of this book by the publisher/author/NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion. All opinions expressed are my own and do not reflect anyone else's.

Beautiful, heart wrenching story about to people brought together by a past that one of them know nothing of but through the journey of uncharted certainty, when the past comes crashing down the connection they have brings them closer together and together they overcome the barriers that threaten their future.

What a lovely surprise The Scars Between Us was. I was expecting a predictable story with some instant love thrown in. Instead I got a complex story, with intricate characters, and some adorable dogs.

*I received a copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

A little slow at times, but a solid NA romance. Just the right amount of angst.

I wish I would have started writing my review halfway through this book, because now that I finished, all I can think is, “Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap!” (Really, it’s holy sh**, but Amazon frowns on that). Anyway, yeah, the last few chapters were INTENSE!

The book starts out on a sad, yet humorous note. Maybe only humorous to me, because it really wasn’t that funny, but the execution was. There were a few slow parts, but they were also sweet, funny, sometimes brutal, and essential to the buildup of the story. I would not have changed those slow parts, but I’m warning readers to keep going, because the end is INTENSE! (Yes, I had to capitalize that again). The story did not go in the direction I thought it would at all. I thought it was a bittersweet contemporary romance, but nope, nada. There is a LOT of suspense at the end that will leave you breathless and give your heart a work out.

So, we have two major characters. Emma and Aiden.

Emma is a sweet character with a sprinkle of sass. She goes through so much in this book, and that doesn’t even count losing both parents within six months, which happens six months before this book even starts. She’s strong-willed, determined, yet so very alone. I’m shaking my head right now thinking about all she went through in the book. All the betrayal.

Aiden was the complicated and most complex character in this book. He goes from being quiet and distant to funny, and then back to brooding, and then hopeful. This guy was holding on to so many secrets it’s no wonder they all burst from him, and whoa, what an explosion that was. Never saw it coming. Mind. Blown.

The dialogue between these two had me laughing out loud plenty of times. I loved the wit. Here is an example:

(arguing over wearing life jackets)
“It’s not me being chauvinistic. It’s me wanting to keep you safe.”
“Same goes here. […] It’s not emasculation. It’s me looking out for you. It works both ways.”

Aiden had a hard time trusting anyone’s intentions. Emma had a hard time understanding anything bad. They both grew up in two entirely different worlds, and they both opened each other’s eyes to the negative and positive sides of human nature, balancing each other out.

Oh, and I can’t forget the dogs! Dogs play a big role in this book. As a dog lover, I loved and hated their parts in this book. Like how Aiden and Emma are different, so is the treatment of dogs in this book. Aiden works at a dog shelter, so he sees many horrors of how bad dogs are treated, even saving some from fighting pits. However, he treats them better and has more understanding of them than he does actual people. I have to laugh here because he actually treats Emma like a dog sometimes. “Sit.” “Stay.”

“Good girl.”
She tilts her head and laughs. “You’re the only man I’d let get away with treating me like a dog.”
Yeah, Emma, you’re the only girl I would treat as well as a dog.

Very telling. That last line.

This is definitely a book I recommend and will love to read again, especially knowing what I do now.

Aidan was very strong, shy, and mysterious person with a horrible past he wanted to forget. His mind and body was filled with scars from that past he had survived. Aidan had been in the marines and a MMA fighter and he was skilled in combat. But he had a kind heart, and a protective nature and he spent his days rescuing dogs from very bad situations. Because of what Aidan had been through he was able to help the dogs heal and learn to trust again. Emma coming into Aidan’s life complete;y threw him for a loop. He didn’t expect to ever see her and even though he had no idea why her mom sent emma to him. But everything about Emma brought back painful memories he was trying to get by. Aidan was grumpy and even rude to Emma but Emma sensed he was a good man as she seen how he was with the dogs. Aidan did agree to go on a road trip with Emma to honor her mother’s last wish and as they spent time together he started to open up but there were some secrets Aidan wasn’t willing to share.
I really loved this book. I felt so bad for Aidan with his past being so heartbreaking. I chuckled at times while reading this and other times I choked up. Sometimes this did drag for me but not enough to stop e from reading this. It kept my interest most of the time. It kept my interest most of the time at times I fought to keep reading but not very often or enough. This book had: humor, passion, secrets, deep pain, very bad past, rescued dogs, scars both emotional and physical, death, last wishes, and a lot more. I wanted to hit Aidan’s dad and I am not a violent person but some people……
Even if they are fictional makes my blood start to boil. I chuckled at times while reading this but I also choked up at times. I really liked Aidan and Emma together. I didn’t like how Aidan treated Emma at first but as I learned about Aidan as time went on I knew I had misjudged him. I loved the dogs and how Aidan worked with them. This was very emotional for me. I liked the characters and ins and outs a lot and I recommend.

After Emma's father death, she takes her mom to Lynx, Texas. But first, her mom wants her to visit Aiden Sheffield, a man Emma doesn't know anything about. Still, she goes to find him because it was her mother's dying wish.
When she meets Aiden, she finds out that her mom kept some secrets . Very important secrets.
Emma and Aiden start a trip in order to accomplish her mom's last wish which involves both of them.
I read this book because all the reviews I read about it were fantastic. Well, I can confirm it. This book is amazing! The characters are very well developed. The plot is good, full of twists. I really didn't see them coming.
Reading this book was like being in a rollercoster. Extraordinary story!

I saw a little description of this book online and it immediately had my attention. I'm a HUGE dog lover myself and this pulled at my heart strings with the dog rescues. Love Emma and her sass so much. Took me awhile to warm up to Aiden but in the end I really liked him. He was dark and mysterious and kept me interested. You really feel for him. I can see this as a movie 👍🏻

Copy received through Netgalley for honest review
Aiden and Emma are both struggling to deal with things in their lives. Emma's struggles are recent. She loses both parents within a year. Her dad dies a hero's death rescuing kids from a fiery death. Her mom died from bones cancer. Emma makes a deathbed promise to her to find a man named Aiden and journey to a town to spread her ashes. At first glance this seems easy enough until we actually meet Aiden. He is no the older gentleman that Emma pictures. Aiden is not welcoming and as the story continues, we learn why. They embark on a road trip that gets more complicated as each mile passes. As each secret is revealed, you feel the pain of the characters. At some points, you may want to grab a tissue.
although the banter between Aiden and Emma does relieve some of the darkness. There are a lot of twist and turns. Just when you think you got it figured out, the author drops a big whammy on you. Very good story and very well written.

**3.5 Stars**

In the past few months, Emma has lost both parents, her Dad while fighting fires, and her mom to cancer. During one of her mom's few coherent days near the end, she asked Emma for two things...to visit a man named Aiden and have him accompany Emma to Texas to scatter her ashes. Emma has never heard of Aiden before, but assumes he was a previous boyfriend. Emma was completely wrong. Aiden is only slightly older than her, and was, up until the age of six, her mom's stepson.

Aiden, once a Marine always a Marine, is also an MMA fighter and rescues abused dogs. He's also surly, closed off about his past, and refusing to go to Texas with her, but, when Emma's truck refuses to start, he also offers her a place to stay for the night and to repair her truck the next day. But Emma sees through Aiden's protective barrier to the pain he tries to hide. She also knows the attraction she feels for him is mutual, even as she reminds herself she has a boyfriend, Kenneth, though she's been questioning that relationship for a while.

"You've been carrying it for a long time, Emma. Let someone else carry it for a while." - Aiden

In the short time Aiden and Emma spend together, Emma even assisting in a rough and heartbreaking rescue, something changes between them, and before he knows it, Aiden's informing he's going with her, after his fight in three days. What he hasn't told her though is one reason he decided to, Aiden's dad is out of jail, and Emma asking questions could be dangerous.


"It's okay, Aiden. Put down your shield. You've been carrying it for a long time." - Emma

During Aiden and Emma's journey, they continually grow closer, sharing things with each other no one else knows. Aiden struggles with the secrets he's hiding, personal ones as well as those that'll impact Emma and all she's ever known, yet, he can't keep the emotional distance with her he normally uses as a shield. When they detour to see Emma's boyfriend on her birthday, both know things can't stay as they are. Emma breaks up with Kenneth, something she knows was a long time in coming, as evidenced by the news he inadvertently shares with her. However, Aiden, in protective mode for both himself and Emma, pushes her away, but this time he might've succeeded in doing so. Especially when she's misled into believing Aiden has found another, or two, to hold his interest for the night.


One of my favorite lines - "Is this what the Grinch felt like when his heart started growing?" - Aiden

What happens when Aiden's past confronts his hope for the future? How far will Harlan, Aiden's dad, go to see Aiden suffer? Will Emma have faith in Aiden? Will Aiden have faith in he and Emma? Or will he push her away, believing the darkness within him makes him less than? How will Emma react when secrets about her whole life are exposed? Will she let Aiden help her work through them? Or will knowing Aiden kept everything hidden from her be too much to accept, to forgive? Can Aiden and Emma work through it all and find their HEA?

One-click now and follow along as two people, unexpectedly connected, meet and begin building a relationship that will see them through some emotional and dangerous times. As a whole, I liked the premise and characters, as well as the numerous twists and turns, however, as you'll see below, I did have a few issues.

On a purely personal note, having almost every woman Aiden and Emma came in contact with hit on him then, and/or in the past, got very old. Also, though we the reader know Aiden wasn't at all interested in or turned on by the two women at the club that hit on him and led Emma to believe he made plans with them, he doesn't once tell Emma he never even thought about, or wanted to, be with them. Yes, he tells her nothing happened, which she knows because she saw him leave the table to hunt her down, but she believes he contemplated it, which can hurt just as much sometimes. It would've been nice if he broke her of that notion. Lastly, though I understand the demons Aiden was fighting due to his childhood, his back and forth of pushing Emma away then wanting to be with her gave me whiplash, especially as it happened a couple times after they were officially together.

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.**

Unfortunately, the download came when I was out of town,and when I went to download it today it was too late to download for review today. I will be purchasing this novel soon to review. Thanks for the opportunity; sorry I was too late to read it on NetGalley.

This was my first book by this author so I didn't know what to expect. Did I expect my emotions to be all over the place? No, but the storyline was perfect! My heart broke for Aiden but his past helped us understand him more. I just loved him! He is just the best! It is easy to see the love Aiden and Emma have for each other!! This book is going to stick with my for a very long time!

ARC received in exchange for an honest review!