The Sting of the Scorpio by Monique DomovitchSeries: The Scorpio Series #2
Published by: Lansen Publishing on August 16, 2011
Genre: Action, Historical Fiction
Pages: 328
Source: Author
Buy on Amazon • Book Details
Rating: ★★★★★
In Scorpio Rising, Monique Domovitch presented a compelling tale filled with colorful characters and the manipulation of power, ambition, and greed. Now she gives us its spellbinding sequel, The Sting of the Scorpio, where Alexander Ivanov returns to New York with his new bride, Brigitte.
The real estate industry is ripe with opportunity. Blessed with irresistible charm, ambition, and the single-minded obsession to succeed, Alex plots and manipulates his way to almost mystical success. Everything he touches turns to gold, but it's never enough. When a hostile takeover bid leaves him struggling to save his beloved company, he suspects those closest to him of plotting his downfall.
Brigitte, the beautiful redhead who abandoned her country and her career to become his wife, feels alone. In return, Alex has betrayed her time and again, each indiscretion cutting deeper into her soul.
Brigitte's son, David yearns to be an artist, but Alex's plans leave no room for such frivolous goals. He grooms a reluctant David to become the heir apparent until a devastating tragedy attracts the attention of another young man.
The Sting of the Scorpio is a rich tale of a man at the mercy of his own greed and a woman bound by her need for love.
The Sting of the Scorpio by Monique Domovitch
My Review
If Scorpio Rising was good, The Sting of the Scorpio was AMAZING!
The first book tells the story of two kids growing up and trying to make their ways in the world. This second book tells an equally intriguing story, but also deals with an intense whirlwind of emotions. Everything in this book is so true and so real, that it made me smile, laugh, giggle insanely, and cry.
The Sting of the Scorpio begins where I left off in my review of Scorpio Rising. I was concerned that Brigitte and Alex’s relationship progressed too quickly, and didn’t believe that Alex really wanted a relationship. This statement rings true right off the bat in The Sting of the Scorpio.
As Brigitte moves to New York to live with Alex, Alex soon comes to realize that he’s not the domestic type. He doesn’t want to hang around the house all day, or even be a dedicated husband/father. He throws himself into his work, often ignoring Brigitte, despite her pleas to spend more time together. As time goes on, he becomes extremely controlling. He doesn’t want Brigitte working, despite the fact that it’s her passion, because he believes only he should be the one making money in the household. He begins to slip into his old habits of having one night stands, but this time it’s worse because they’re affairs.
The Sting of the Scorpio is mainly about Alex building his business and Brigitte dealing with her marriage. Alex tries to build his architecture career from the ground up, encountering financial difficulties and many “rough patches.” But it’s pretty awesome to watch him try and try again, and never give up.
The thing that had me absolutely loving this book is the fact that it’s so real. It brings to life a number of unfortunate truths. Brigitte and Alex’s relationship becomes sad — the kind that I pity and hope I never have. But unfortunately, I think a lot of relationships in real life are like that. Marriages are unhappy, people aren’t compatible, husbands cheat, wives put up with it, and so on. It was fascinating to watch Alex build his business, and heartbreaking to watch Brigitte’s marriage fall apart.
This book has so much raw emotion. Since it covers a span of about 20 years, you literally feel like you grow up with the characters. You live their lives with them. Their tragedies feel so much more real.
Another thing I loved was the ending. It was so satisfying and I honestly didn’t see it coming. In hindsight it totally makes sense, but in the moment, the author leads you to draw different assumptions so you’re totally surprised by the time you get to the end!
I definitely and 100% recommend this book to anyone! You will fall in love with it, and maybe even stay up until 6am reading it like I did.
The Verdict
