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Monster in His Eyes Kindle Edition

by J.M. Darhower (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.4 6,043 ratings

Book 1 of 3: Monster in His Eyes

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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.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This book is intended for a mature audience only, due to some dark and erotic content.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00JZCLV4S
Publisher ‏ : ‎ J.M. Darhower (April 27, 2014)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ April 27, 2014
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 8022 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 351 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #31,310 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #102 in Erotic Suspense (Kindle Store)
- #148 in Erotic Suspense (Books)

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4.4 6,043 ratings

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J M Darhower

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USA Today Bestselling Author of predominately romantic suspense novels about the baddest bad boys and the ladies who love them. Fangirl at heart, J.M. is obsessed with books, music, Star Wars, and all things Marvel, especially the glorious Sebastian Stan. She spends her days in a tiny town in North Carolina, churning out words and chasing down Pokemon.

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SusanAhh

“How dreadful knowledge of the truth can be when there's no help in truth...”- Sophocles, Oedipus Rex

Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2018

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First, I just have to say…I am head over heels in love with Ignazio Vitale (Naz). And… I am stunned by the shivering sensuality, the exquisite hotness, the innate intelligence and the broad ranging references of an educated mind that I encountered reading my first ever J.M. Darhower book. Oh… and I cannot forget the author’s skill at penning a captivating story. These thoughts have all but consumed me since I began reading this series!!!

I am a generous reviewer by personal philosophy and choice. I will always endeavor to highlight the positives of most books I read. This, however, can cause me difficulty at the outer limits (both low and high) of my personal scale. In this case…I cannot wax rhapsodic enough about this author and her stellar work. This writer is extraordinary and quite something special!!! While I have been missing out these many years on her writing, I am now experiencing that exciting anticipatory feeling that so much more awaits me in her catalogue and life is going to be great as I read my way through her work.

Naz, Naz, Naz… the protagonist in this book is not your average Prince Charming. Yet, he magically appears in Karissa’s life outside of her Philosophy class, no less. He is rocking that gorgeous, confident, sexy older man vibe with blue eyes that question and seemed amused by the young woman before him. Karissa is on her own for the first time in her life. She is attending NYU and trying to navigate her new circumstances as a young coed. She is fresh faced, trusting and naïve.

The very same day, later in the evening she is drugged with her drink at a nightclub and as she is about to succumb to the drug in her system, Naz rescues her and keeps her safe at his home. The next morning, he invites her out to dinner and so begins the unlikely romance between this enigma of a man and Karissa the coed.

Their first intimate erotic encounter was spellbinding. There are only but a few writers that get it so right. The scene was perfectly detailed…kept the reader in the moment with delicious pacing… and there was no inane inner monologue…just Karissa narrating all that is happening to her; and as such, it happens to the reader. Brilliant!!! Subsequent erotic scenes are decidedly more intense…rough even…still poetic and beautiful though.

“He [fudges] me like he means it, like he needs it, like being inside of me is more important than anything inside of him, and every cell in my body calls out to him, craving more of it.”

The entire book is in first person POV of Karissa. As the relationship evolves into more, Naz tells Karissa that he is selfish and not a good man. If she chooses to be with him, he will never let her go. Karissa falls hard, deep and fast. It’s as if, she cannot quite believe Naz is what he says he is. As a reader…I was so enamored of Naz’s beauty, intelligence, wit, charm and the space he was making in his heart for Karissa, I could not quite believe Naz was “not a good man” either. I suspect most readers feel the same way.

As the plot accelerates, it becomes all too evident, that unquestionably there is a monster inside of Naz. Naz admits it fully…he told Karissa and the reader this fact from the beginning. Karissa manages to hold onto her love for Naz. However, wrapped around this love is a new emotion; which is hate.

“He tore me in two—half of me still clinging to who I thought he was, while the other half is shattered by the man he turned out to be. I love him. I hate him.”

This new dynamic to their relationship leads the reader into an emotional quagmire wondering if and how Karissa and Naz will ever find their way.

If you enjoy an erotic romantic “killer” thriller with the ultimate bad-guy, tarnished-crowned Prince Charming, then this book, this series, GAWD this author is for you!!!

”But I find myself wondering at times like this, when I feel the distance between us, if maybe in his eyes, the real monster is me.”

17 people found this helpful

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Anna

4.5 holy smokes stars!

Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2015

Verified Purchase

“Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are”.

WOW! This book was one helluva roller coaster for me. It wasn’t an easy ride and there were plenty of bumps for me but in the end, this book won me over and Darhower continues to be one of my top 5 favorite authors of all time. At one point I didn't think putting a gif like the one above was going to be possible but this is the kind of book you have to go in with an open mind and eyes. Leave judgement at the door and just enjoy the ride.

For me, this book started off great. The prologue sucked me in and I was hooked from the beginning. But sometime between the prologue and the next 5 chapters, things started going a bit south for me.

Karissa is like a naive lamb frolicking in the pasture, having no idea that she’s about to become someone’s dinner. If you can think of any little quirks that would scream out “young!” I can almost guarantee Karissa has it. She likes pink, quotes Walt Disney, her favorite movie is Peter Pan; really the girl is as innocent and sheltered as a 10 year old. She comes from a small home with her mother who is extremely over protective and has sheltered her, her whole life. Her going to college in the city is the first time she’s ever been on her own and able to make actual decisions for herself. Being around Naz makes her feel unsure of herself, insecure and very much like her age. It was disconcerting because I was 18 not to long ago and I knew how she felt in certain aspects but at the same time I know that I would have never started a relationship with such an older man like that. 18 year olds, hell, most college students don't know what the heck they want in life and definitely aren't ready to be in a serious relationship with a man like Naz. She was way in over her head, the poor girl. She didn't know what she signed up for when she agreed to be with him.

“He’s beautiful, in a dark sort of way, the kind of beauty that’s natural. He doesn’t try, and I think that’s what I love most about him-he just is.”

Naz’s character made me very uncomfortable, especially in the beginning. You can really tell the age difference between these two and I both love and hate that the author didn’t sugarcoat anything. He’s so much older than her and it shows in his every word, action and the air around him. The fact that a man like him is interested an 18 year old girl made me uncomfortable and at first I thought he was just trying to find an easy lay. I mean, why else would a 36 year old successful man be with a 18 year old college girl who is his complete opposite? But there’s so much more to him that meets the eye. We don’t know who Naz is at all. He has this air of calm around him at all times, seemingly not bothered by anyone or anything that tries to get in his way. He’s confident, self-assured and dangerous.

I had a hard time seeing their relationship as anything but sex for a big portion of the book. I feel like Naz showered her with gifts and money, constantly getting her drunk and manipulated her into the “relationship”. It’s clear that Karissa has no idea what’s going on half the time and she is like a small town girl on Hollywood Blvd. All starry eyes and oblivious to the dark and slimy creatures that prey on souls like her own. She really thinks she’s getting her Cinderella story. It wasn’t until around the 75% that I started to feel some chemistry outside the bedroom and see that love that they talked about actually come to life.

“If Naz forgoes sleep, and Karissa gets naked, how many orgasms can he give her before sun up?”

But to go back to the sex for a moment, one thing this book wasn’t lacking was the incredibly intense sex scenes. I might have had my moments of doubt about them in other aspects but in the bedroom? There’s no doubt they are compatible. There were times where I felt Naz took things too far but if anything it just shows who he really is and the dark that is simmering around him, looking for a way in. I have my theories about the "monster" inside of Naz but I'm not even going to touch on that f*cked up mess at the moment. I'll be holding onto my theories until I finish the second book and can see if I'm right or not.

I think one of my main problems when I started reading this was I kept looking at things from an outsider prospective. The age difference-which was something originally I didn’t think would bother me going into this book- was put in such a light that it did bother me. To the point where I questioned his motives and made me think of him as some creepy older man preying on barely legal girls. I think it stopped me from connection with the characters for a really long time because I kept looking at their relationship as being wrong and let it make me uncomfortable. I kept looking at Karissa as his prey and while I still think I’m right to look at it like that, I needed to stop being so judgmental. And so after taking a few hours to think and cool off I went back into the book with a clear head and not so surprisingly, this book got so much better for me. That’s not to say the little things that bothered me before just magically disappeared because they didn’t. But I started to understand them more. Understand their actions and their choices.

4.5 stars!!

In for the Kill by Billie Marten

“Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are”.

WOW! This book was one helluva roller coaster for me. It wasn’t an easy ride and there were plenty of bumps for me but in the end, this book won me over and Darhower continues to be one of my top 5 favorite authors of all time. At one point I didn't think putting a gif like the one above was going to be possible but this is the kind of book you have to go in with an open mind and eyes. Leave judgement at the door and just enjoy the ride.

For me, this book started off great. The prologue sucked me in and I was hooked from the beginning. But sometime between the prologue and the next 5 chapters, things started going a bit south for me.

Karissa is like a naive lamb frolicking in the pasture, having no idea that she’s about to become someone’s dinner. If you can think of any little quirks that would scream out “young!” I can almost guarantee Karissa has it. She likes pink, quotes Walt Disney, her favorite movie is Peter Pan; really the girl is as innocent and sheltered as a 10 year old. She comes from a small home with her mother who is extremely over protective and has sheltered her, her whole life. Her going to college in the city is the first time she’s ever been on her own and able to make actual decisions for herself. Being around Naz makes her feel unsure of herself, insecure and very much like her age. It was disconcerting because I was 18 not to long ago and I knew how she felt in certain aspects but at the same time I know that I would have never started a relationship with such an older man like that. 18 year olds, hell, most college students don't know what the heck they want in life and definitely aren't ready to be in a serious relationship with a man like Naz. She was way in over her head, the poor girl. She didn't know what she signed up for when she agreed to be with him.

“He’s beautiful, in a dark sort of way, the kind of beauty that’s natural. He doesn’t try, and I think that’s what I love most about him-he just is.”

Naz’s character made me very uncomfortable, especially in the beginning. You can really tell the age difference between these two and I both love and hate that the author didn’t sugarcoat anything. He’s so much older than her and it shows in his every word, action and the air around him. The fact that a man like him is interested an 18 year old girl made me uncomfortable and at first I thought he was just trying to find an easy lay. I mean, why else would a 36 year old successful man be with a 18 year old college girl who is his complete opposite? But there’s so much more to him that meets the eye. We don’t know who Naz is at all. He has this air of calm around him at all times, seemingly not bothered by anyone or anything that tries to get in his way. He’s confident, self-assured and dangerous.

I had a hard time seeing their relationship as anything but sex for a big portion of the book. I feel like Naz showered her with gifts and money, constantly getting her drunk and manipulated her into the “relationship”. It’s clear that Karissa has no idea what’s going on half the time and she is like a small town girl on Hollywood Blvd. All starry eyes and oblivious to the dark and slimy creatures that prey on souls like her own. She really thinks she’s getting her Cinderella story. It wasn’t until around the 75% that I started to feel some chemistry outside the bedroom and see that love that they talked about actually come to life.

“If Naz forgoes sleep, and Karissa gets naked, how many orgasms can he give her before sun up?”

But to go back to the sex for a moment, one thing this book wasn’t lacking was the incredibly intense sex scenes. I might have had my moments of doubt about them in other aspects but in the bedroom? There’s no doubt they are compatible. There were times where I felt Naz took things too far (view spoiler) but if anything it just shows who he really is and the dark that is simmering around him, looking for a way in. I have my theories about the "monster" inside of Naz but I'm not even going to touch on that f*cked up mess at the moment. I'll be holding onto my theories until I finish the second book and can see if I'm right or not.

I think one of my main problems when I started reading this was I kept looking at things from an outsider prospective. The age difference-which was something originally I didn’t think would bother me going into this book- was put in such a light that it did bother me. To the point where I questioned his motives and made me think of him as some creepy older man preying on barely legal girls. I think it stopped me from connection with the characters for a really long time because I kept looking at their relationship as being wrong and let it make me uncomfortable. I kept looking at Karissa as his prey and while I still think I’m right to look at it like that, I needed to stop being so judgmental. And so after taking a few hours to think and cool off I went back into the book with a clear head and not so surprisingly, this book got so much better for me. That’s not to say the little things that bothered me before just magically disappeared because they didn’t. But I started to understand them more. Understand their actions and their choices.

My Favorite Faded Fantasy by Damien Rice

“Why me?”

Ladies and gentlemen this is the question of the hour. Why, Karissa? I kept asking myself that over and over. I knew it couldn't be pure coincident or just a random choosing, like one day he just decided he would start going out with fresh jailbait.

I feel like Naz saw something in her that he doesn’t have. Something he lost and he so he took it. He saw her full of light and happiness; naivety and it attracted him to her. He saw those thing in her that he once had and he didn’t want to cherish them, he wanted to destroy them. He wanted to make her like him. Make her open her eyes and see the world for what it really was. And in doing that, he stole a piece of Karissa, a piece she will never get back. Maybe it was intentional, or maybe it was subconsciously but it was no coincidence that he chose her, that's for sure.

“We waste too much time looking for the next thing and not appreciating what we have right now…and right now, what we have, is endless opportunities. The sky isn’t the limit in my world, Karissa. There is no limit. You want it? You got it. Whatever it is.”

The second half of the book was a complete turnaround for me. And more specifically the last 25% of the book was pure 5 star work. It was everything I was looking for from the beginning and everything I knew Darhower was capable of writing. I still can’t stop thinking about it. Suddenly I found myself actually liking Naz and *gasp* swooning at some of the things he would say. Suddenly, that connection I felt was missing between the two was very much alive and I was back to being sucked into the story.

For everyone who might be having a hard time connecting with this book in the beginning, my suggestion is to take a break from it but COME BACK. It is worth it! While I was reading this book I kept thinking I'd be rating this in the 3-4 star range but by the end I was very tempted to rate this with 5 stars because of how much I loved it.

I hope that my review isn't too much of a mess of words but my main point I want to get across is: sometimes books surprise you. Sometimes you think you know where it's going or that you've already figured out the characters but really, you have no idea just what they're capable of. This was that kind of book for me. And it just may be that kind of book for you too, if you're willing to get on the roller coaster.

One person found this helpful

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Bella Toric

SO HOT

Reviewed in Canada on July 10, 2021

Verified Purchase

I didn't know what to expect after getting this book, however what I got was SPICE like never before! This book brought spice to a whole new level and I am completely in love with it! After reading this book on my Kindle, I had to get the physical copy because it's too good not to have one I can hold between my hands. For drama, spice, heartbreak and dark themes, this book is IT!

2 people found this helpful

muskaan khalifa

Recommended this book

Reviewed in India on October 25, 2018

Verified Purchase

It's been a while since I have been obsessing about this book and now I have my own copy....Great book...highly recommended

5 people found this helpful

Jovanna

A great book with an unusual couple

Reviewed in Germany on November 7, 2017

Verified Purchase

I heard a lot of good things about this book but was hesitant to buy it since I thought it would be dark, filled with abuse and mixed up with a sick romance.
After forcing myself to start reading it, I practically devoured it and ordered the next two books of the series as well.

Yes, yes and yes!
Ignazio Vitale is the kind of man we shouldn't fall in love with but who will capture our hearts anyways.
And Karissa Reed is the kind of girl who knows better, but can't escape his charm either.
Okay, let's face it, Monster in His Eyes is not your typical romance. We have (as alaways) our main protagonis who has had a pretty rough past, is pretty much poor and then meets her very own Prince Charming.
But does Naz deserve that title? Yes and no.
He obviously loves her, adores her, worshipps her with all his heart and wants to make her happy but at the same time (as the book reveals later) he has ulterior motives- at least at the beginning.
Naz might be a little dark, okay very dark, but he also has a cuddly, soft side and can be very cute.
He is a Prince Charming, just maybe one who could also be the villain of the fairy tale but will still treat his lovely commoner girl like the princess she is, perhaps he will sometimes choke her and originally wanted to kill her but everybody has a few character flaws.
I love this book, I fell in love with Naz just as quickly as Karissa did and at the end I loved and hated him just as much as she did.
And honestly, the fact that he is twice her age fits perfectly with this book and is goddamn hot!
I want my own Naz now!

3 people found this helpful

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Roma ahuja

wow

Reviewed in Australia on January 10, 2024

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Naz naz naz naz … breath stopping .. I love him . He’s a full package . Very gripping book , page turner . I have read this book many times

licia

6 stars. Perfect, real, unrelenting.

Reviewed in Italy on November 29, 2014

Verified Purchase

There’s a lot about men that I find attractive, but a man who actually listens is in an entirely different league.

This book has been calling me for a while and I knew I had to read it. So I did.
Being Italian, I hardly fantasize about mafia or any other kind of mob whatsoever, and we have plenty here. But this story got under my skin almost immediately.
It has been different from the other dark romances I read so far. There’s sex but not so minutely described. Violence has been more like something you perceive, never explicit. Both things hanging over all time, coming to you through the lovely innocence of an eighteen-yo girl. And I really loved that.
Oh my! Their falling in love has been so sweet…, so real. Her falling in love actually. I can remember going through almost the same phases when I was more or less her age.
At first Karissa seemed a little too weak and naïve, but she fits so well into the story.
As for Naz, well,… he’s one of the most addictive, compelling men I’ve read about.
But what I loved most is how real the story felt; nothing has been too extreme or exaggerated, and yet the blow at the end has been of major impact; you know it's coming and yet you are caught by surprise.
the story develops slowly but is never boring.

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