ARC Review: Scandalous by LJ Shen

Standalone - Sinners of Saint #3
Release - September 21, 2017
Genre - Contemporary Romance
Dual POV - 1st person
Heat - 4 out of 5
Length - 331 pages

They call him The Mute for a reason.
Hard, cold and calculated, he rarely speaks.
When he does, it’s with disdain.
When he does, his words aren’t meant for me.
When he does, my stomach flips and my world tilts on its axis.
He is thirty-three.
I am eighteen.
He’s a single dad and my father’s business partner.
I’m just a kid to him and his enemy’s daughter.
He’s emotionally unavailable.
And I am…feeling. Feeling things I shouldn’t feel for him.
Trent Rexroth is going to break my heart. The writing isn’t just on the wall, it’s inked on my soul.
And yet, I can’t stay away.
A scandal is the last thing my family needs. But a scandal is what we’re going to give them.
And oh, what beautiful chaos it will be.

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MY REVIEW

3.5 "If you want to be strong, be" stars!!

I can’t get enough of these Hotholes. And while Vicious will always be my #1, I’m enjoying getting to know the rest of the crew. In Scandalous, we get the story of Trent. I’m a huge fan of the strong and silent type and he seemed to fit the mold. Trent’s got a problem. He’s at the top of his game, he’s trying to get through to his daughter who is more of a mute than he is, and he can’t seem to get his mind, his lustful thoughts, or his eyes off of little miss Edie Van Der Zee. Funny thing is, as much as she tries to resist him, even she knows that they’re inevitable. The real problems are her age, which they can get past because she’s legal, and her father, who is out to get Trent by any means necessary. Even if it means blackmailing his daughter to get the job done. Their journey to love was arduous amidst the secrecy, betrayal, drama, hot sex, parenthood, the cute moments of Trent’s daughter, the intense banter and chemistry, and the endless fight between Edie and Trent. But it was so worth it.

My favorite moments of this story involved Trent and his precious daughter. The author captured his confusion, frustration, wonderment, and absolute love so beautifully.

I loved my daughter hopelessly, desperately, urgently.

And he really did. He celebrated every triumph of her growth and considered every way to ensure her happiness. His love for her was something to aspire to. Each and every father out there should feel this way about their princess.

I wanted to show her that the world was a beautiful, frightening place worth experiencing. That peasants could be crowned kings if they worked hard enough, and how her daddy was living proof of that.

This was a forbidden romance because of the age difference between Edie and Trent. These two were electric together and their affair was full of passion and all the makings of love. Trent was definitely a cold one but I couldn’t help but love how hard he fell. And Edie was full of spice. I loved how she continued to give Trent a reason to fight. They both had to overcome so much pain and were dealing with so many obstacles and somehow they each were able to fulfill the needs of the other and provide whatever was missing.

And when it’s all over, when all that’s left of us is sweaty flesh and shattered minds and torn hearts, you will remember me as the man who made you cry, and I’ll remember you as the girl I had to break to stay afloat.

I would have liked to spend more time with this couple. I wanted to see more closure of the issues that burdened them. However, with the allure of a book about Bane, I’m more than satisfied and expect to see these two again.