Within the Skin by Zara West
Series: The Skin Quartet Series (# 3)
Release Date: September 17, 2018
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Pages: 245
Source: Book provided by the author for review
Known as El Toro, street artist Alba Vargas is on the cusp of fame and fortune. Winner of a prestigious award, she is the toast of the New York City art scene. Or at least she will be, once she figures out how to act like a woman after living disguised as a boy for six years. If she is lucky, she might even attract the attention of the tattoo artist she has long loved from afar.
Tattoo artist Fernando Pharaoh has betrayed everyone who ever cared about him, including El Toro, the street-wise graffiti artist who saved his life when all looked bleak. Depressed, he turns from his friends and becomes ensnared in a criminal enterprise run by a former enemy.
Then the crime boss kidnaps Toro’s younger brother, Hanger. Blaming himself, Pharaoh sets out to rescue him, resolving to do one good thing in his life. But Toro has her own desperate plan to save her brother—one that will not only break Pharaoh’s heart—but will also destroy every hope and dream she has ever had.
Review: Here’s a hint regarding Zara West’s The Skin Quartet Series: Read it in order. While the books can stand on their own, reading in sequence will give you a sudden dose of shock when you realize that there’s a lot more to El Toro.
I loved how the author introduced El Toro and T-Crew in the first installment. A lot of work went into creating this motley gang off the street, skilled at leaving graffiti in their wake. It was obvious in the beginning that they were destined for more with Ari’s financial investment into their future.
This particular story belongs to T-Crew, most notably to Alba Vargas. However, it’s not just about the struggle to gain recognition as a street artist. Instead, the series once again cranks out some murky criminals who force El Toro to fight not only for her brother, but for the man she loves.
Pharaoh is rough, tough and has a long way to go to make retribution for turning his back on his friends. I felt sorry for him at times, but I loved the way the storyline ultimately was resolved.
