House of Payne: Scout by Stacy Gail [Review]

House of Payne: Scout (House of Payne #2) by Stacy Gail
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: May 30, 2015

House of Payne
1. Payne
2. Scout - Kindle
3. Twist
4. Rude
5. Steele
6. Max
7. Tag
8. Ice
9. Styx
9.5. His Princess
10. Loki
11. Sage
11.5. Good Girl
12. Talon
12.5. Party Girl

Related Series
(Find all the books in the series on the 1st book review)
Scorpio
1. Year of the Scorpio: Pt 1

Men of PSI
1. Luke: The Profiler

Stacy Gail
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Synopsis (Goodreads):

There’s no doubt that Scout Upton earned her nickname. From the time she was an orphan bouncing from foster home to foster home like an unwanted stray, she’s had an uncanny ability to scout out trouble. Now an integral part of House Of Payne’s dominance in the world of ink, her “trouble” alarm triggers every time world-renowned fashion photographer, Ivar Fournier, comes around.

Former model-turned-photographer, Ivar is notorious for making or breaking supermodels, both on camera and off. But when it comes to Scout, he can’t get a foot in the door. She doesn’t buy his charm or his story of wanting to spotlight body art for his next exhibit. Maybe because that’s exactly what it is—a story. Despite being born in a world of privilege, there’s a terrible darkness behind his practiced smile, and it all stems from a past he needs to understand. Scout holds the key to that mysterious past, and if he has to break her apart to get it, that’s exactly what he’ll do.

Thoughts on House of Payne: Scout: You know when you're reading a book and you can see the ignition point coming and you know it's going to be bad because lies never make things easier when they're found out? Yeaaaaah. Stacy Gail gets me right in the heart when she lines up these events and you can see them teetering like a house of cards, ready to fall over at the slightest upset.

*stares at everyone*

I like Scout. I felt for her what with her past and the issues she has with trust. But... BUT it was Ivar who killed me dead this time. Ivar with his terrible childhood and desire for the truth about who he is. Ivar who is used to being used and doesn't even realize how desperately he wants a place to belong.

That said, I did love how Scout and her "stray" foster sisters banded together. I liked when Scout is given a hard truth about her inability to trust and she sees how her past makes her unforgiving about some things that need to be forgiven upon occasion. I liked her. I genuinely liked her and the relationships she cultivates with those she interacts with. Not going to lie, I liked when she went batshit crazy on Twist and Angel, too. Sometimes a girl just needs to lose her cool to make things happen.

I have Twist's story in hand and I'm ready to dive in. (Also, Sass and Rude? YES? Although we barely got to know the two of them, I'm ALL OVER THAT!)