5 stars!!! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This book hit me deep. I’ve listened twice, and every time I feel all the emotions the author so powerfully shares. The writing is raw, honest, and unflinching, making it a truly unforgettable experience. Ariel’s note at the end broke me even more than the story itself. This is a 5-star read, but definitely one to approach with caution because of its heavy themes. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you all so much for the opportunity to review this audiobook.

While I have enjoyed the book and the audiobook there were somethings I noticed in the first few chapters that as a reader I didn’t enjoy.

The female narrator would take big gaps or there would be a delay in her response that I thought was unnecessary. This did fade as the audiobook went on and I loved it anyway but it was just something i noticed and was annoying!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to renew this audiobook I’m so very grateful!

The most devastating book I’ve ever read! It was written so beautifully!

It broke me I had to cry myself to sleep but I’ll always cherish the cute moments they had together

I fear this audiobook has ruined me for all future audiobooks. This was absolutely the best audio I have ever listened to! The emotions put into this book was out of this world! The story is absolutely gut wrenching yet beautiful at the same time. There are no words to describe how much I loved this book. Phenomenal job!

This story has no happy endings so if you are looking for one please pass on this one.

This was a rough one buddy and not for the faint of heart. That's all I got for ya, that's the review.

I am irrevocably unwell .. this was perfection go in blind!.. Also the audio on this 100% reccomend. I dont even know which i like better. I own the kindle, the audio and was gifted this arc !

WOW!
This was Brutal. This was Scary. This was Sad.
It was also… Sweet. Beautiful. Kind. Loving.
And… Psychopathic. Twisted. Brutally Real… and… so much more…

It started off with a bang!
Continued throughout with brutal poignancy.
And then ended with a huge bang too!

***** TRIGGERS: PLEASE STEER CLEAR OF THIS ONE IF ANY OF THESE MAY SET YOU OFF! *****

Rape, torture, brutal murders, imprisonment, drugs and alcohol and abuse, mental and physical abuse, multiple clearly depicted psychological breakdowns, as well as Lots of Sex (consensual and spicy).

Meridian City is a slum-like town in NJ where all the worst types of crime take place.

It’s also the home of Christian Reeves (think…50 shades of grey), with his huge mansion in the ‘good’ part of town and his huge office building in the not so good part of town…

And then we have Elena, who moved here from Texas to go to Law School, and who has a dream of working for the prestigious Reeve’s Enterprises as a lawyer…

She does NOT live in the good part of town.
She does NOT have a lot of money.
Her parents don’t want her to stay here… they are scared for her…

And so the story begins… with a horrible scene in a dark alley…
And just when you think all is lost, the story just might surprise you!

This one kept me GLUED to it… for all 18+ hours of the audiobook!
I was truly hoping this was the start of a series, but am sadly disappointed to realize it is not. 😕

Wait! As I’m writing my review, I see that there is a follow up novella to this… so, kind-of a series…

It made me smile. It made me laugh. It made me cry…ugly tears. It made me want to jump into the book and strangle a few of the characters myself! It made me sad. It also opened my eyes to what could happen to good people who are faced with bad circumstances…

It had me rooting for so many of the individual characters…and yet the ending? Well, that was NOT at all what I thought, or expected!

If you can muddle through the triggers listed above, please do not pass this one up. It is a gem!

Also, please listen to the epilogue where the author shares some insight on her own life and the sorrows she endured while writing this. ❤️
Kudos to you Ms. Anderson. You wrote a fantastic book under very difficult circumstances. (And, at the same time, I’m sorry for your loss. )

All the 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟💫💫💫💫💫⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!

This one made the light shine and burn bright in my eyes! 😊. And then snuffed it out in one shot too! 😫

#UnderYourScars by @ArielNAnderson. Narrated amazingly well (that it took my breath away multiple times by the pain and anguish I could actually HEAR while listening to it!!!) by @LeeDaniels and @JoeArden.

*** THIS ONE HAS ALREADY BEEN RELEASED!! SO, PLEASE LOOK 👀 FOR IT ON SHELVES NOW!!! ***

Thanks so much to #NetGalley and #DreamscapeSelect and #BlueNosePublishing for an ARC of the audiobook, in exchange for an honest review.

You can find my reviews on: Goodreads,
Insta @BookReviews_with_emsr and/or
My Facebook Book Club: Book Reviews With Elaine

Thanks so much for reading! And if you ‘liked’ my review, please share with your friends, & click ‘LIKE’ below… And, let me know YOUR thoughts if you read it!! 📚⭐️

This book completely broke my heart and I can’t say it was mended by the end of the story. It was devastatingly beautiful - heavy, deep, and truly emotional. Definitely check the trigger warnings because there were parts of this book that were hard to read. This dark romance was engaging and so well done. I was granted the audio from @netgalley and the narrators did an amazing job with bringing the emotions of the characters to life. I felt all the emotions!! I highly recommend the audio alongside the book if you plan to read this. This story will be embedded in my mind for a long, long time.

Thank you @netgalley and Dreamscape Select for the opportunity to listen to this audio in exchange for my honest review.

HOLY SHIT. This book was beyond amazing. It was dark, emotional, and alluring.
The portraying of the mental health concerns was written beautifully with thought and care. (And the authors note at the end of the book broke my soul).

The narration of this book brought it to life. They were fantastic together and truly for what I would have imagined for the the characters!

This was DARK. so please be conscious to check trigger warnings beforehand. I personally really enjoyed this story, but the ending threw me for a loop and I was staring at the wall for a good while.

Do you remember how your face looked the first time you watched The Red Wedding? Well...that's how my face just looked finishing this book. Holy cow...what a wild ride. To be clear, this is pegged as a dark "romance", but it does NOT have a happy ending. Do not take the trigger warnings lightly...this was a very difficult read. I don't know if I loved it or hated it, but the way this book was able to fully consume my thoughts earns it a full five stars (even if I had a few gripes with it) and I applaud it for ruining my life. I need everyone to read it immediately so I can talk about it.

The duet narration for this book was absolute perfection. They captured the unhinged emotions like no other audiobook I've ever read. I definitely think the story was enhanced by the performance of these narrators, so I highly recommend reading it that way.

Many thanks to Ariel N. Anderson, the publisher, and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The July 10 audiobook release of Under Your Scars by Ariel N. Anderson delivers a powerful listening experience, brought to life by the exceptional performances of Lee Daniels and Joe Arden.

Lee Daniels brings a raw vulnerability to the female lead, skillfully navigating moments of trauma, reflection, and growth. Her voice carries a quiet strength that makes the character’s journey feel intimate and authentic. Joe Arden, as always, is smooth, expressive, and emotionally in tune—his narration adds warmth and depth, especially in the story’s more tender or introspective moments.

The dual narration works beautifully here, enhancing the emotional tension and connection between characters. Anderson’s writing explores the complexities of healing after deep emotional wounds, and this audiobook version does a great job of honoring that journey without glossing over its darker moments.

My only reason for giving four instead of five stars is that a few parts of the story felt slightly repetitive or over-explained—but overall, the narration elevates the experience and makes it easy to stay emotionally engaged from beginning to end.

If you enjoy character-driven romance with real emotional stakes and excellent narration, this is one to add to your listening list.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blue Nose Publishing for this ARC!

WOW! Wow? Wow. What?! What did I just read? That's how I felt after finishing this book.

Sadly I will say I guessed the plot twist but anyone who knows me knows that tends to be my baseline. That being said, I did not guess how this book was going to end. Shocking to say the least. This book is not for the faint of heart because I understand how this could not be for everyone. There is murder, rape, sexual harassment, stalking, assault, you name it there probably are moments of it in this book. That being said this book was riveting.

The narration of this audiobook really made it too. The way they really had emotion shining through and the frantic way they were speaking really drove the headspace of character home.

I recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of dark romance and those who never want to know where a story is going. Thank you so much NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Select: Blue Nose Publishing for providing me with an advanced listener copy of this book.

This book comes with a heavy list of trigger warnings—and for very good reason. I strongly urge you to read them before diving in. This is not a happily-ever-after romance; it is a full-on romantic tragedy that will absolutely shatter you. Nothing could have prepared me for the way this story unfolded. The ending, I did not see it coming and is what shattered me into pieces.

The emotional impact is staggering. This book is suspenseful, raw, and deeply heart-wrenching—one of those stories that digs its way into your chest and refuses to leave. It's equal parts breathtaking and emotionally devastating, and it’s a story I know I’ll never forget.

Joe Arden and Lee Daniels brought these characters to life with haunting beauty. The duet narration was absolutely perfect and so necessary for a story this emotionally layered. Joe Arden, in particular, brought an unmatched depth of emotion that elevated the experience and made every moment hit harder.

I 100% recommend this book—especially the audio version—if you're emotionally prepared for a devastatingly beautiful romantic tragedy.

♾️⭐️
3🌶️

One of my tops reads for the entire year!

Equal parts absolutely stunning and incredibly fucked up. One I will never be able to forget. That was a wild ride.

Joe and Lee did such an incredible job with these characters. The audio was haunting and beautiful.

Such an amazing read! 🖤 Ariel, thank you for sharing your dark days with us.

I received the audio version of the book from NetGalley. First, the duet narration was amazing. The narrators did a fanatastic job with capturing and portraying scenes that were emotional and tragic at points. The story was a 4 star for me, but there were moments when the FMC and her decisions were unrealistic and frustrating. If you get past that, the story is fast and an enjoyable read.

Under Your Scars had been sitting on my TBR for a while, so when the chance came to dive into the audiobook, I was all in, and wow, what an experience. At just over 20 hours, this was the longest audiobook I've listened to, but not once did it feel like a slog. The voice work by Lee Daniels and Joe Arden is nothing short of phenomenal. They breathed such life and depth into the characters, capturing every emotion with nuance and heart.

I knew going in that this would be a romantic tragedy, but nothing could have prepared me for the way it unfolded. That ending? I did not see it coming! I had to literally pick my jaw up off the floor. The story hit hard and left me needing time to process all the intense, suspenseful, and heart wrenching moments. It’s one of those reads that burrows deep into your chest and lingers.

That said, this book comes with a heavy list of trigger warnings, and for good reason. For the sake of your own emotional wellbeing, I strongly encourage checking them out before you commit. The story explores very dark, sometimes deeply uncomfortable territory. But if you’re in the right headspace, it is also a beautifully written, hauntingly powerful piece of fiction. It carved its place into my heart and soul.

I'm now both nervous and excited to step into Delilah and see how this world wraps up. Hopefully with a touch more healing and a little less devastation than its predecessor.

Thank you Netgalley for my ALC copy!

Book: Under Your Scars
Author: Ariel N Anderson
Rating: 4 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Holy! Wild ride of a book.

I had to sit back for a couple of days and really think about what I was going to write for this one.

This book is raw. There is absolutely no fluff, whatsoever. It covers super deep topics, morally grey characters, and will make you feel so many emotions.

I went in knowing the ending didn’t have an HEA, but I was not expecting what happened .. at all. 🤯

You get:
• Dark Contemporary Romance
• Spicy
• Serial K1ller
• No HEA
• Tear Jerker
• Past Trauma
• Murder & Gore

I would recommend this one, but check your trigger warnings! Available on KU, ebook, paperback, and audiobook.

What. The. AcTuAl. FUCK?!!!???
I loved and hated this book so much 😭 I knew this wasn’t a HEA but a LITTLE something would have been nice.

I love an unhinged billionaire so much. The suspense of finding out who the serial killer was.. Then finding out who the second one was.. And the other vile villains along the way. WOW. And the ending?! Are you FUCKING kidding me?!?!?!?!

The smut was perfection and the suspense was so intense! The audiobook was phenomenal!

Very much check your trigger warnings before reading this. Heavy heavy heavy violence, SA, SI and more.

Thank you NetGalley and Blue Nose Publishing for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Shattered. Absolutely shattered. Staring at the wall. The audiobook was performed in such a stunning way. The crying, maniacal laughter, and emotion were played out beautifully. Please check trigger warnings on this one. This is dark and a deep look at depression and trauma. No HEA