Damnable Grace

Knew I was going to like Phebe and AK’s book and have been waiting for it but I really loved this. They’re individual stories and there traumas were written very well. I just loved them together. And how he tried so hard to save her and help her. Definitely one of the top ones in the series and hopefully see them again in parts of the rest of the series.

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖📖
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨.5


First Impressions
Damnable Grace is the fifth installment in the "Hades Hangmen" series and in this one we have a story of redemption and healing and going through PTSD trauma and trying to work through that. I honestly just jumped into this one, I knew from teasers from the previous book that it would be about the KKK and how the cults of the sisters would be connected to it, but boy, Tillie Cole really stepped up her game with this one. It was wildly intense and really pushes the boundaries. I really thought I had my boundaries solid for this one but I just wasn't expecting what we deal with here. I highly recommend paying attention to the trigger warnings that I am sure the author has on her site because its wild in this book and intense and might be a bit too much for some.

First Line
"I'm going to be a Marine!"

Summary
In Damnable Grace, we have a story of a ex sniper Marine veteran and a young woman used as a sex slave. Sister Phebe has only known the cult life and she has been used a their whore for years since she was ten years old. But despite what she has gone through, she still has a fighting spirit and one of grace and love. She is being trained as the leader for a man who believes himself to be the leader of the KKK as well as the Aryan Brotherhood, Meister. But then she is saved by a man who has kind eyes and gives her hope for a new life, a life she has never imagined but wants to life desperately. But even when hope and love enter her grasp, both Phebe and AK will have to deal with their trauma and realize that healing takes time and doesn't get recovered from overnight. But with each other, they are able to aid each other through the process of redemption and acceptance...

What I Loved
There was so much to love about Damnable Grace. These books really can be tough for any reader but especially if you are new to the MC world, this author really writes them super gritty. So I wouldn't necessarily recommend them if you don't like women being termed as "Bitches" it can sometimes bother me how this author writes it, but honestly I have learned to just replace the word with women or females most of the time. I do love how she incorporates the cult life with the MC world and crafts it in such a way that leaves you wanting more and by the end of the book, you are a hot mess of feelings and heart. There is something about how Tillie Cole is so effortlessly able to deliver deep emotion. And most especially in the later half of this book, this author had me all over the place with my feels. Seeing AK and Phebe find each other, and slowly work through their past and what they have suffered was so intense at times. I did appreciate that the author doesn't just magically heal the wounds. That from the style in which she writes these books, its healing that obviously take time to overcome. But be ready for a wild ride on this one.

What I Struggled With
There was one section of the story I really struggled with where the heroine does something really stupid. I was like thinking why on earth are you doing this? And of course worse things happen after she makes this decision. So I get that she was so secluded and wasn't educated or anything but still why couldn't she just trust AK to help locate her daughter?

Overall View
Damnable Grace is a intense, leap off the pages emotion, delivering all the fields and intensity that only this author is capable of in one book. Its wild, dramatic and an intense tale of healing and grace....

Favorite Quote(s)
“Think of your face like the sky. The freckles, the stars, only make the sight more worth looking at.”

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Dark Romance, Suspense, Contemporary
Character Types: Bikers
Themes: Tear Jerker, MC, Danger, PTSD

Book Perspective
duo POV

Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
A Mix of both

Recommendation For Reading Order
Yes I highly recommend reading these in order if possible

Steam/Spice Explanations

Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.

No sé cómo plasmar mis pensamientos sobre este libro. Hay tantos y son tan dispersos. Comenzaré diciendo que Phebe y AK siempre me llamaron la atención, desde el libro de Lilah y Ky, cuando se conocen por primera vez. He de decir que de las cosas que más me gustan de Tillie son las pistas y vistazos que te da de las siguientes parejas. Phebe y AK no fueron la excepción. Recuerdo que la primera vez que leí su libro, estaba tan emocionada, porque a pesar que Phebe hizo y dijo ciertas cosas en el libro de Lilah con las que no me encontraba de acuerdo; en el libro de Rider ya la había perdonado. Ella igual que Rider comienza su redención, comienza a darse cuenta de todo lo que hizo y en todo lo que creyó está mal. Y solo por eso quería leer su libro. Fue tan doloroso ver todo lo que hizo de forma desinteresada por Grace, por Rider, Bella y los amigos de Bella, para que obtuviera ese final. En su libro me estaba rompiendo poco a poco, tuvo que pasar por tantas cosas. Pasó de una jaula y un infierno a otro. La forma en que AK la rescato sin siquiera conocerla me hizo muy feliz. Él sabía que algo en ella llamaba a su alma, y no dudo dos veces antes de acudir a su rescate. El paso de Phebe por el Klan fue doloroso de leer, creo que en este libro Tillie incluye escenas demasiado gráficas de lo que verdaderamente hace el Klan, llegó un punto en el que fue demasiado y tuve que dejarlo. Y eso que he leído este libro varias veces. Al principio no me gustaba la actitud de AK cuando Phebe trataba de acercarse a él, pero se lo perdono porque las cosas que le decía a Phebe eran hermosas. La escena de las pecas y as estrellas fue preciosa. Lo que disfruté demasiado de leer fue el inicio de la amistad de Viking y Flame, siempre me encanta leer sobre ellos tres. Amé conocer desde los ojos de AK el vínculo que tiene con Flame, y lo mucho que lo ama. Las escenas con Lil' Ash y Saffy hicieron a mi corazón brincar de emoción. Los amo demasiado, no me importa que lleve años esperando su libro, yo sé que valdrá la pena. Me encantó leer la profundidad de la relación madre-hija de Phebe y Saffy. Y la relación tío-sobrino de AK y Zane. En general me gustó la relación de Phebe y AK, se complementaron y sanaron el uno al otro. Y como dijo Phebe; tal vez el destino los unió por eso. Pero a pesar de todo, hubo algo que me faltó. Una conexión de AK con la relación, no sé cómo explicarlo, solo sé que faltó ese plus en la dinámica de la relación por parte de AK. Sé que la ama, sé que la salvo, pero me falta ese *algo*.

Rating: 4 Stars - Loved It I loved AK and Phebe together. I thought they were a perfect match. Both hide behind a fake mask to their friends. AK jokes around with a smile while Phebe tells everyone she is ok. In reality they are hurting on the inside and she can relate to him. Got some good ‘Psycho Trio’ with AK, Flame and Vike. I love their friendship and really felt the love and special bond they have together. Curious to see how Tillie Cole does book 6. There was a nice set up for who the heroine will be.

Who friggin else excited about Tillie Cole releasing AK and Phebe book? 'Cause I know I am and everyone should too. Tillie Cole is an amazing author in writing dark romance stories. She knows how to pull it off perfectly. And she did with Damnable Grace. Damnable Grace does pick up where the last one left. So it is definitely recommended for any reader to read the books in order to know the in and out of the Hangman series. Phebe is missing and being captured from the white racist. But she will not stay there long since the hangman will rescue her especially AK. AK definitely had an attraction for Phebe but it does get intense when she is missing. He is determined to bring her back no matter what. But there is going to be some baggage that she will need to deal with. Phebe is definitely a strong woman but she is suffering in her world. She has been through so much that it is going to take the time to deal with her emotions. And she will get the help from AK. AK is more than willing to help her face her problems but he definitely has the past to deal with too. There is so much depth between Phebe and AK that it is explosive. I definitely cannot spoiler anything for you but definitely expect some surprises along the way. Damnable Grace is the another perfect dark romance story for AK and Phebe since they both will need each other. Five Stars.

Review/Reseña en Español/English Español Junto con el libro de Flame este es mi favorito y no pensé que me gustaría tanto la historia de Phebe y AK, para comenzar AK es parte del trio psicópata y definitivamente es el más normal de los tres pero aun así tiene un pasado pesado y triste el cual no puede olvidar, mientras que Phebe es la hermana de Lila siendo una de las líderes de las hermanas sagradas, que es básicamente lo opuesto a Mae, Lilah y Maddie pero aun así sufre lo mismo que ellas, ellos se conocieron al final del segundo libro y desde entonces no pueden olvidarse. Para leer estos libros debe ser en orden cronológico porque TODO está conectado y la trama me encanta, hay de todo desde cultos hasta hermandades, la verdad me parece muy bien planeada, así que este libro comienza donde termino el cuarto, en el cual Phebe es entregada a una hermandad aria (Nazi) y pues ahí continúa su sufrimiento. Me encanto la relación de ellos, como AK la ayudo a superar sus problemas y como Phebe aprendió a respetarse y especialmente a tener ganas de vivir, su relación fue muy diferente a las demás, porque ella creció de una manera diferente y creo fue de las protagonistas que más rápido se adaptó al mundo externo. Me encanta este libro, la historia se vuelve más turbia y hay más acción, lo recomiendo demasiado y cada vez que lo vuelvo a leer mis ganas de saber que pasara con Lil Ash y Sapphira, especialmente después del último libro de la series, ah y tiene temas muy fuertes para que lo tengan en cuenta. English Along with Flame's book this is my favorite and I didn't think I would like the story of Phebe and AK so much, AK is part of the psycho trio and is definitely the most normal of the three but still has a heavy and sad past which he cannot forget, while Phebe is Lila's sister being the Head of the Sacred sisters, which is basically the opposite of Mae, Lilah and Maddie but she still suffers like them, they met at the end of the second book and since then they cannot forget each other. To read these books it must be in chronological order because EVERYTHING is connected and I love the plot, there is everything from cults to brotherhoods, it honestly seems very well planned to me, so this book begins where the fourth ended, in which Phebe is given to an Aryan brotherhood (Nazi) and then there continues her suffering. I loved their relationship, how AK helped her overcome her problems and how Phebe learned to respect herself and especially to have the will to live, their relationship was very different from the others, because she grew up in a different way and I think she was one of the protagonists who adapted to the external world faster. I love this book, the story gets more darker and there is more action, I highly recommend it and every time I read it again I want to know what will happen with Lil Ash and Sapphira, especially after the last book in the series, oh and it has very strong themes soo take that in consideration if you want to get in the Hangmen world.

Phebe and AK were raw and full of emotional turmoil in this one. “I believe that we must go through this pain we are feeling in order to move on. And I believe whatever God or greater power exists above us brought us together so we may heal together. Heal the other in a way that no other person ever could.” Phebe is lost. She doesn’t understand that she has a purpose in life, and that she is more than what she was ever used for. She’s harboring deep and gritty secrets; secrets that she’s needed to put out in the open and get help for. It is ultimately what is her destruction. AK is hiding. He’s going through the motions by being emotionless. He doesn’t get tangled up on relationships because he doesn’t believe he’s worthy of them; that he’s the monster that he thinks he is. He’s in denial of who he is, and the circumstances of his life. “Damnable Grace,” by Tillie Cole is book five in the Hades Hangmen Series. It is a dark MC romance, and this one is focused on Phebe and AK. Phebe is dealing with the aftermath of her decisions in book four, along with the alarming situation that she has found herself in with a leader of the KKK. AK can’t get her out of his head, and he does the one thing he didn’t plan on doing- going to her. He sees her as a chance of redemption for something in his past life, and what ultimately ends up happening is they heal each other. They are both so incredibly broken people in a plethora of ways. This book was raw, and upsetting at times to see the emotional and mental battles that the other was facing.

Originally posted at Booklovers For Life 3.5 STARS I was excited when Tillie Cole announced that she would be writing more Hades Hangmen novels, featuring AK, Tanner, and Viking. Damnable Grace is AK’s book, one that I was highly anticipating, not just for AK… but also Phebe. We’ve known Phebe for a long time in the series, and I’m so happy that we finally get her story. Hers is one that is dark, painful, and devastating, but not without hope. If you’ve loved the previous Hades Hangmen books, you definitely don’t want to miss this newest installment. As a ‘sacred sister’ Phebe has been groomed all her life to be a seductress and to tempt men to joining The Order. But when things started going south for the cult and Phebe saw it for what it truly was – a disgusting, hateful place – she was taken away by possibly an even more evil man known as Meister. She became Meister’s sex slave, forcibly addicted to drugs and used and abused by him. Honestly, I got a little queasy reading about the horrible things Phebe went through at the hands of Meister. Since the day the Hades Hangmen destroyed The Order and he met the red-haired beauty, AK hasn’t been able to stop thinking about Phebe. He vows to save her from the hands of Meister, but when he does, he’s got a long road ahead of him to truly healing her. Her pain-filled past and addictions are a struggle to overcome, and even AK has demons from his past that he hasn’t let go of. These are two broken characters who find solace and healing in each other. It’s an emotional roller coaster of a ride, experiencing what Phebe and AK have gone through, but their ending is more than enough to make up for it. The reason why I didn’t love this book as much as I’ve enjoyed the previous Hades Hangmen novels was because it was a little too slow-paced, and the graphic scenes started feeling gratuitous by the middle of the book. I had to skim a few repetitive scenes, but overall it was still an intense read that left me raw by the end. Again, I highly recommend you read Damnable Grace if you love the series, especially Deep Redemption. I’m excited to see where Tillie Cole will take us next with the series – and I can’t wait for Ash’s story! I love who his future heroine seems to be ;) Thanks to the author for generously providing me an ARC to review. Amazon Ebook: http://amzn.to/2nWyLuV Liked this review? Subscribe to Booklovers For Life for more!