After getting shot in an armed robbery that left her face badly scarred, Ariel lives her life in a shell; surrounding herself with video games, horror movies, and delivery take-out, she'll do anything to keep herself from having to interact with the public. But Ariel couldn't let that numb, hollow feeling inside her grow any deeper, so she sought out the teenager who nearly killed her, searching for answers. What she found in the young Max, now behind bars, was more than she was looking for—healing and an unlikely friendship. A year later, Max and Ariel keep their unconventional friendship to themselves, knowing their families wouldn't understand. When Max's concern for his older brother sets Ariel in Milo's path, Ariel's carefully constructed, quiet life changes rapidly. While their friendship had a rocky start, Ariel and Milo soon fall in love, and it's passionate, fast, and messy. Ariel teaches Milo how to forgive, something he's been unable to do since his little brother nearly killed her over $120 in a cash register. She shows him how to let go of the past and realize his life isn't as bleak as he thinks. Milo helps Ariel learn how to embrace life, experience new things, and be brave, despite her fears of being out in public. Together, they carve out a life built on forgiveness and love, finding healing and happiness along the way. But when tragedy strikes, neither Ariel nor Milo is prepared to deal with the aftermath. Scars Too Beautiful is a stand-alone, dual POV, age-gap, enemies-to-lovers romance with plenty of steamy scenes, no cliffhanger, HEA. At 79K words, it includes [content warning]: descriptions of very graphic/sexually explicit scenes and mentions of prison and gun violence.