Scarred by Emily McIntire
Scarred by Emily McIntire: The Dark, Twisted Retelling That Broke Me (and I Loved Every Second)
“If you want to burn down hell, you must learn to play the devil’s game.”
If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if The Lion King grew up, got a little unhinged, and dipped itself in dark romance with heavy spice—meet Scarred by Emily McIntire.
This book is not for the faint of heart, and that’s exactly why I devoured it in one sitting.
Scarred is part of Emily McIntire’s Never After series, where classic tales are reimagined with morally grey characters, obsessive love, and just the right dose of villainy.
Genre: Dark Romance, Fairytale Retelling, Enemies-to-Lovers, Forbidden Love
The enemies-to-lovers trope has been done a thousand times — and let’s be honest, most of those stories feel recycled.
Same setup, same angst, same “we hate each other until we suddenly don’t” formula.
Scarred is different.
It doesn’t just tell you they’re enemies, it makes you feel it — the mistrust, the danger, the electric tension that simmers beneath every exchange.
A Peek into the Story
Scarred is Emily McIntire’s dark and seductive spin on The Lion King — except this isn’t the story of a noble prince reclaiming the throne.
This is Scar’s story… rewritten, reimagined, and made sinfully human.
Tristan Faasa is the second-born prince — the one who was never meant to rule. His brother, Michael, wears the crown, adored by the kingdom while Tristan lurks in the shadows, the scarred outcast whispered about behind closed doors.
But unlike the animated villain we all grew up with, McIntire gives Tristan depth — he’s not evil for the sake of it.
He’s a man born into a world that never saw him as anything but broken.
✨SHOP OUR EMBROIDERED PATCHES ✨
His ambition for the throne isn’t just power-hungry ego; it’s survival. It’s vengeance. It’s years of pain turned into rage.
Enter Sara Beatreaux, a woman caught in the middle of royal politics, promised as part of an alliance that hides far darker intentions.
When she crosses paths with Tristan, she sees beyond the scar, beyond the cruelty, and what forms between them is as intoxicating as it is destructive.
The story takes the familiar bones of The Lion King — brotherly betrayal, power, legacy — and twists them into a gritty, human drama soaked in political tension, lust, and manipulation.
There are no talking animals here, no comforting moral lines between good and bad. Just a court full of secrets, a dangerous game of succession, and one scarred prince who refuses to be forgotten.
Let’s Talk Tristan and Sara.
Tristan Faasa is the definition of a morally gray antihero done right.
He’s a man constantly torn between revenge and desire — and when Sara enters his world, she becomes the perfect storm he never saw coming. She challenges him, tempts him, and disarms him all at once.
“You could burn down the entire kingdom until it’s nothing but charred rubble, and I would crawl over the embers with glee, so long as I could worship at your feet.”
What starts as curiosity turns into obsession.
Tristan doesn’t fall for Sara in the typical romantic sense — he descends. Slowly, dangerously, completely.
His need for her is consuming.
She becomes the one thing he can’t control, and watching him unravel under that weight is one of the most addictive parts of the book.
✨ Like what you're reading? JOIN The Rouge Club for more book reviews ✨
And then there’s Sara Beatreaux.
She doesn’t enter the story as a helpless damsel — she’s on a mission of revenge.
Sent to the castle as Michael’s bride, her goal is simple: destroy the royal family for what they did to her father.
That’s it. No distractions. No feelings. Just vengeance.
Until Tristan.
He wants her in every way possible, and his hunger for her feels both protective and possessive.
Tristan Faasa is one of the best morally grey male leads I’ve read in dark romance.
He’s ruthless without being cartoonish, seductive without being cliché, and broken in a way that makes you want to understand him, even when you know you shouldn’t.
He’s the villain in his brother’s story, the scandal of the kingdom—but with Sara, you see the fragments of a boy who was never shown mercy.
“If something happens, know that I will find you in every lifetime, Sara Beatreaux. You are mine, and not even death can keep you from me.”
Their chemistry is the heartbeat of this book.
The tension isn’t just physical; it’s psychological. They see the worst parts of each other and still lean in closer.
Enemies to lovers might be overdone, but Scarred reminds you why the trope exists in the first place — because when it’s done right, like this, it’s unforgettable.
The Smut. The Spice. The Burn.
This book does not tease. It builds.
The sexual tension is present from the moment they meet—charged, electric, and deliciously inappropriate.
There’s that enemies-to-lovers push-and-pull, where every word could be a threat or a promise.
When it finally snaps? Fireworks. And not the gentle kind.
✨SHOP OUR STICKER COLLECTION✨
Emily McIntire writes spice like a weapon—sharp, intentional, and plot-driven.
Every intimate moment between Tristan and Sara carries emotional weight. It’s not just smut—it’s storytelling through desire.
And yes, it gets dark.
It’s not meant to be comfortable.
It’s meant to ruin you a little… and it absolutely does.
Why I Loved Scarred
Because Scarred does what so many dark romances try to do but fall short of: it gives you both the poison and the cure.
It lets its characters be unlikable, selfish, damaged—and still makes you root for them with every ounce of your heart.
I loved it because it felt dangerous. You’re constantly asking yourself, "Should I even want this to work?" But then McIntire makes it work—beautifully.
✨ Like what you're reading? JOIN The Rouge Club for more book reviews ✨
The writing? Sharp.
The spice? Worth rereading.
And the character depth? Way more layered than you’d expect from a villain origin story.
It's not a fairytale with a soft glow.
It’s a power play, a revenge story, a twisted love affair—and I was hooked from page one.
My Verdict: Hell. Yes.
If you’re into villains and you’re ready for a book that grips you by the throat and doesn’t let go, Scarred is your next obsession.
Until my next read,
Marianna ♥
I would love to know your thoughts in the comments below. Don't forget to sign up to The Rouge Club for more updates! 😊