Scarlet Scars · 2017
MenaceSpice level, tropes & is it dark romance?
Spice 3/5 (Hot) · Darkness 4/5 (Pitch) · 1 trigger warning flagged
Menace is book 1 of Scarlet Scars by J.M. Darhower, published in 2017. Expect mafia and enemies to lovers. Spice is open door (3 of 5) and the darkness is pitch dark (4 of 5). We could not find the author's own warning list yet, so check it before you start. This note is ours. It is not a publisher blurb.
First published: 16 January 2017 (first publication, per Goodreads). Book 1 of Scarlet Scars.
Menace tropes
On this shelf, Menace is filed under Mafia dark romance and Enemies to lovers. Each tag opens more books with that trope.
Menace spice level
Is Menace dark romance?
Yes, firmly. Menace scores 4 of 5 on our darkness scale (Pitch).
Spice and darkness are separate scores. More pitch books. How we rate.
Menace trigger warnings
Warnings not yet verified. We could not find the author's own content warning list for this book, so the flags here are only what the publisher's description makes clear. Check the author's note before you start.
Graphic (0) — open before you read
Open this before you read. These are the flags most likely to be a hard stop.
None flagged in this band.
Minor (0)
Present, and usually not the reason someone puts the book down.
None flagged in this band.
Scarlet Scars reading order
Menace is book 1 of 1 in J.M. Darhower's Scarlet Scars series. Start here.
- Book 1 Menace (this book) · 2017
Order checked against the Goodreads Scarlet Scars series page on 13 October 2026.
Who it's for
Shelf note written for this site. We do not copy reviews or publisher blurbs. Outbound links are search pages, not quoted ratings. Kindle Unlimited and endings are only flagged when we were willing to mark them. How we rate.
Missing a book? Suggest it.
Books like Menace
Matched on shared tropes, then the closest spice and darkness scores. Other books in the same series are listed above, not here.
- Angel
Angel
Sarah Brianne
Spice ●●●○○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Enemies to lovers
- Children of Ambition
Children of Ambition
J.J. McAvoy
Spice ●●●○○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Enemies to lovers
- Condemned to Love
Condemned to Love
Siobhan Davis
Spice ●●●○○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Enemies to lovers
- Luciano
Luciano
Eva Winners
Spice ●●●○○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Enemies to lovers
- Smokeshow
Smokeshow
Abbi Glines
Spice ●●●○○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Enemies to lovers
- The Mafia and His Angel: Part 3
The Mafia and His Angel: Part 3
Lylah James
Spice ●●●○○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Enemies to lovers
- Bennett Mafia
Bennett Mafia
Tijan
Spice ●●●○○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Enemies to lovers
- Children of Vice
Children of Vice
J.J. McAvoy
Spice ●●●○○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Enemies to lovers
Books like Menace, with a reason for each
Questions readers actually ask
What is the spice level of Menace?
Menace spice level is 3 of 5 (Hot). Open door. The scene stays. Darkness is a separate score: 4 of 5 (Pitch).
What are the Menace trigger warnings?
Graphic: none flagged. Moderate: Murder. Minor: none flagged. Warnings not yet verified against the author's own list. Check it before you start.
Is Menace dark romance?
Yes, firmly. Menace scores 4 of 5 on our darkness scale (Pitch). Bleak on purpose. Comfort is not the job.
What tropes are in Menace?
On this shelf Menace is filed under Mafia dark romance and Enemies to lovers.
Who is Menace for?
For a reader who wants made men and a family business you do not walk away from. Spice is hot. Darkness is pitch. Warnings are not yet verified, so check the author's note first.
What are some books like Menace?
Matched on shared tropes and similar spice and darkness: Angel by Sarah Brianne; Children of Ambition by J.J. McAvoy; Condemned to Love by Siobhan Davis; Luciano by Eva Winners; Smokeshow by Abbi Glines; The Mafia and His Angel: Part 3 by Lylah James. More read-alikes, each with a reason, are on zademasked.com/like/menace.
Is Menace a standalone?
No. Menace is book 1 of 1 in the Scarlet Scars series by J.M. Darhower.
What order should I read the Scarlet Scars series in?
1. Menace.
How many books are in the Scarlet Scars series?
The Scarlet Scars series by J.M. Darhower has 1 main book.
What is the Menace age rating?
We'd say 18+. Spice sits at 3/5 (hot) and darkness at 4/5 (pitch). That's our recommendation, not an official rating, so read the trigger warnings as well.
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