Under Her Skin by Adriana Anders
Publication Date: February 7th, 2017
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Pages: 352
Received: ARC E-copy from NetGalley for my honest opinion.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Her Body is His Canvas
A darkly possessive relationship has left Uma alone and on the run. Beneath her drab clothing, she hides a terrible secret-proof of her abuse, tattooed onto her skin in a lurid reminder of everything she's survived.
Caught between a brutal past and an uncertain future, Uma's reluctant to bare herself to anyone, much less a rough ex-con whose rage drives him in ways she will never understand. But beneath his frightening exterior, Ivan is gentle. Warm. Compassionate. And just as determined to heal Uma's broken heart as he is to destroy the monster who left his mark scrawled across the delicate tapestry of her skin.
I loved Under Her Skin by Adriana Anders! It’s a gritty story about overcoming abuse - not only physical and mental abuse but dealing with the scars left behind. In this case, tattoos. Covering her upper body and arms. Not beautiful tattoos, but ugly reminders that make Uma’s sick to look at - just thinking about it makes her skin crawl.
I was first drawn in by the cover; then the storyline captured my attention. Once I received my copy, I started reading it right away, even though I was in the middle of another book. Thankfully, I was not disappointed. I devoured it!
Uma comes to a little town in Virginia because there is a clinic there offering help to people who need tattoos remove, but can’t afford it. But first she needs a job, so she answers an ad in the local paper;
“Old hag in need of live-in helper to abuse. Nothing kinky.”
The "old hag" is Ms. Lloyd. She’s a bizarre old lady, who’s hard to get along with. She usually runs off anyone willing to work for her with her demanding and crazy commands. Uma and Ms. Lloyd have a bit of a rough start, but in the end, it might be the best situation for both of them.
Ivan, who lives next door to Ms. Lloyd, is an ex-con with anger issues. He works out his aggressions hammering hot metal on an anvil as a blacksmith and pummeling a punching bag with his fists, most of which he does at night, and those rhythmic pounding sounds are both comforting and alluring to Uma.
Under Her Skin is Adriana Anders debut novel and the first of three in the series. I look forward to reading more of these gritty, emotional romances!
Mature rating for sexual scenes and strong language.
FTC Disclaimer: I received an ARC of the story from the publisher for my honest review.
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