SCAR TISSUE

Two women make a dangerous connection in Hess’ dark erotic romance.

Dylan Rivers’ birthday celebrations always start the same way: She has a one-night stand with a random woman who means nothing more “than any other ingredient in her recipe for the ritual.” The celebrations also always end the same way: with a self-cutting session that leads to a powerful orgasm. The scars that cover her body are the sole outward evidence of her lonely life as a coder at a brokerage firm who does nothing but work, but she has plenty of emotional scars, as well. For her 40th birthday, her fleeting companion is Abby Stratton, a stripper who seems more interested in spending time with Dylan than anyone ever has before. It turns out that Abby has a shady plan—one that she has been working on for a while and which requires someone she can count on who will ride it out with her to the end. Dylan has the potential to give Abby what she needs most, but is a shared death wish enough to bring them together? As their twisted, whirlwind romance unfolds, the two troubled women find a lifeline in each other and form an unexpected bond that may nonetheless end in tragedy. Hess’ novel is a well-balanced tale of escalating gore and desire in which two deeply damaged characters bond over shared wounds. It’s a short, sharp, and weird story that offers moments that blend blood and lust, violence and tenderness: “Abby simultaneously lowers both her mouth and the razor, and the mix of sensations sends current like lightning bolts into Dylan’s clenched toes. It is otherworldly; she can’t believe the intensity.” There’s a push and pull of subtle coincidences that underscore the plot as each woman’s past traumas are slowly unveiled. It may be too disturbing for some, but readers with an appreciation for this variety of horror are sure to find it rewarding.

A heady blend of fast-paced romance and psychological suspense.