Beneath the Scars

By: Melanie Moreland

Narrated by: John Lane, Tatiana Sokolov

Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's Summary

The sound of the ocean, the crash of the waves as they kick up against the sand and rocks - these are the only sounds Megan Greene wants to hear. She wants to leave the rest of the world behind and find some peace.

The offer of a private house on the beach, set in a small town in Maine, is perfect. Time to think - to be by herself. It's all she wants. It's the escape she needs. Until she stumbles across the painting that seems to echo her own chaotic mindset. Until she meets the unfriendly artist behind the stormy painting and discovers his secrets.

All Zachary Adams wants is to be left alone. His canvases, and the unending scope of the ocean and sand, are his life. They direct him - fill his hours. Bring him focus. Until she enters his life.

She dredges up memories of the past - the haunting images he has hidden for years, the fears he has never shared. A story he keeps buried below the surface.

Can she make him see what he is missing? Can he trust her enough to believe?

©2014 Melanie Moreland (P)2016 Tantor

Such a good story

I really appreciated that this wasn't your typical love story where two extremely hot people couldn't keep their hands off each other. The love in this novel had depth, reaffirming that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and love and lust are not synonymous.

Oh the melodrama!

All a broken man needs is a selfless, good woman with a heart of gold to teach him how to trust and love. Ugh! What a cliche! If I didn’t know better(and if there weren’t premarital sex scenes) I would think this had been written decades ago.
The narrator was ok on the female voice, but her male voice and British accents were weak.

Wonderful story!

Another gem from Melanie Moreland!! Heartbreaking and beautiful. The narrators were captivating and did an excellent job portraying the heart of the story!

predictable and boring

it's your typical beauty and the beast. except he was only a beast briefly and then he totally let her in. he pondered where all these unknown feelings came from. I'm only 2 hrs in. I'm not going to waste 7 more hours on this book.

Not so much

Of course MM writes beautifully but keeping these lovers apart for so long was torture. Had to fast forward through it. I loved Megan. She was so fine. The relationship between Zachary and her best friend could have been more extensive. I loved their banter.

GREAT STORY! LOVED THIS BOOK!

Would you listen to Beneath the Scars again? Why?

YES, IT WAS A GREAT STORY AND I WAS SO HAPPY HOW THE ENDING TURNED OUT! NOT WHAT I WAS EXPECTING SO SUPER PLUS!

A beautiful story with amazing narration

Beneath The Scars is an emotional story of two people who are both hiding out in the sleepy coastal town of Cliff’s Edge.
Zachary has deep scars both on the inside and the outside. His experiences have made him feel like he is incapable of loving anyone or being loved.

“We all have scars. The only difference is some of them are easier to see. Yours are visible..”

I adored how much Megan believed in Zachary. Even when he was at his very lowest, she continued to fight for him.

“I don’t see you as a hero, Zachary. I see you as a human being. A man in pain and alone.” She stepped closer, her chest leaning into mine. “I don’t want you to be alone. Let me in.”

I’ve had this book on my TBR for ages and I’m so glad I decided to dive in. It is a beautiful story. I listened to most of it on audiobook and narration is amazing. Definitely worth the credit!
-5 Stars-

One of my Go-To’s

I really enjoy this book and it’s one of my favorites to listen to. I love the ending, and think MM did a wonderful job of writing it. The main characters are both flawed people with baggage, but work through it together. I also love where the story takes place! You can almost hear the waves and see the sea from the descriptions!

Extraordinary love story

I love this story. Both are hiding from their past mistakes. They found each thru painting. All I can say thank you for this great love story

Not as good as some of Melanie Moreland's others

I really like some of Melanie Moreland’s books. I LOVE The Contract (listened to it 3 times now) and very much enjoyed Into the Storm. Read the first in the Vested Interest series and didn’t feel the need to continue that one.

Sadly, Beneath the Scars didn’t live up to the above in my opinion. In both The Contract and Into the Storm, the scenarios were very thoughtful, the circumstances that brought the two together (and kept them together) were believable. The relationships developed organically so I believed them and where they ended up. In Beneath the Scars, the whole relationship and how fast it moves feels very unnatural and unbelievable. Like when you have that friend that always jumps into relationships way too fast, the L word gets used way too early, and you’re just anticipating the cycle to complete yet again. That’s what this felt like to me, so I didn’t feel invested in the relationship at all. Because of that, I didn’t really care how it ended.

NARRATION: I usually like John Lane, and he and Tatiana Sokolov do a lot of work together on Moreland’s books. His English accent in this book, however, felt phony and didn’t fit. Tatiana I’m NOT a fan of. She sounds so winy and pathetic. She sounded on the verge of crying the whole book. And that coupled with the personality of the character… It was difficult to listen to.

Brooding, emotional tornado

A sensitive and knowledgeable approach to a damaged man, who gets a chance at redemption if he can allow himself to step into the light.

I really enjoyed this story because there was a depth of character, emotional storms and the message of self value was loud and clear. Well done to the author, for writing this with sensitivity.