Under My Skin by Jo-Anne Joseph

 

Book: Under My Skin

Author: Jo-Anne Joseph

Type: Standalone

Genre:  Dark Romance

POV: First Person - Multiple

Date Read: Oct 31, 2020

Page Count: 152 (Kindle Edition)

Publication Date: Aug 12, 2020

*(Subject to change)*

4.55

Miranda - 25, 

Fynn - 40,

Maureen - 41.

Torture, murder, kidnapping, incest and rape.

Many know me,
yet none have seen my face.
I’m the topic of conversation,
but nobody knows my name.
I am a life thief.
A soul destroyer.
An invisible plague.
And still, you want to know me.
Because my darkness reminds you,
of the desires that lurk within you.

This book is extremely dark. There's explicit descriptions of *torture, murder, incest and rape.* Since the blurb is kinda vague, my review contains spoilers and mentions the events of the plot. Proceed at your own risk. You have been warned.

For them. For all the girls who didn't have a voice against the sickness of their monsters.

What the fuck did I just read! 'Under My Skin' is my first book from Jo-Anne Joseph and after reading this mindf*ck of a book, I'm definitely checking out her other books. Sometimes I need something a little different to break up the sweet, fluffy romances that I typically read. Jo-Anne Joseph delivered that. I had no idea what this book was going to be or how it was going to turn out. It was very well written, especially for such dark topics. The writing flows real easy and it was hard to put down once things started to get interesting. The plot's dark and twisted and shocking, and I devoured it. It starts out slowly and it takes a few chapters to really get into the rhythm of the book. It's definitely not for the faint of heart since it contains triggers upon triggers. I can stomach a lot of violence and gory scenes - hence why this book didn't bother me. Albeit of course the child abuse, that is always hard to stomach. And all the secrets, the twists, the madness. Holy crap.

What happens under the cover of darkness scarcely makes its way into the light.

All the characters were fascinating and manipulative. The story's essentially about two sisters, Miranda and Maureen. They both had a difficult childhood, experiencing things no child should ever experience. Fynn is Maureen's husband and a pastor. The plot focuses on these three and all the sordid details of their fucked up lives (mentioned at the end of my review). The story is told from multiple POVs, so we get a fuller sense of the book as the plot moves along. I was constantly trying to figure out which one was the bad guy but I shouldn't have bothered 'cause all three of them were far from innocent. You know something isn’t quite right and you have to keep reading to try to understand what’s really going on. Don't expect a beautiful fluffy romance, because if you're looking for that, this isn't it. These characters are messed up in so many ways it will leave you questioning your own sanity.

If a person knows the truth yet hides it away, are they not merely the lesser of a greater evil?

The starting was really intriguing for me. We get all these details but the characters are such a mystery even till the end. We get to know the sisters, Miranda (Randy) and Maureen (Mo) and also Maureen's husband Fynn. Maureen's a writer while Randy works at the community center and also helps in the church where Fynn is a pastor. Fynn's hot for Randy, who's taken an oath of silence. The book starts with someone murdering men and getting off on their pain and helplessness. The only problem for me was Fynn. His character wasn't appealing for me. I didn't like how he switched between Mo and Randy. One minute he loves his wife and the next, he professes his love for Miranda. His nature and actions almost gave me whiplash. Fynn was the only letdown for me.

XX .. Spoiler.. XX

My heart ached for Maureen. She suffered so much when she was just a scared little girl. She was raped by her own father since she was eight years old while her mother did nothing about it. At 12, she was gang-raped by several boys in her school. She got pregnant at 16 by her father who she killed by severing his dick and stabbing him multiple times. (He deserved that and more). At present, she kills rapists, pedophiles and all monsters who prey on the weak and innocent. Her actions were justified to me. She kills other monsters so no child has to go through the hell she experienced. I actually didn't mind her actions until she killed Trevor, Fynn's younger brother and her accomplice.

Once again, this book's not for everyone. Yes, I was disturbed, and even sickened by certain things that happened but the plot's worth it. If you love a dark romance then you need to experience this for yourself.

Jo-Anne Joseph is a USA Today Bestselling Author of contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and psychological fiction. Along with a passion for writing, she is an avid reader, wine lover and foodie. Her lifelong love affair with words started at a young age. She’s a business professional, and lives in Johannesburg, South Africa with her husband, their son and fur babies.

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