Tillie Cole

The sensational second installment of the SCARRED SOULS series #Raze #RazeHell #ScarredSouls Raised as a prototype for the Georgian bratva's obedience drug, 221 fails to think, act or live for himself; he is his master's perfectly crafted killing puppet. Standing at 6'6, weighing two-hundred and fifty pounds, and unrivalled in to-the-death combat, 221 successfully secures business for the Georgian Mafiya Boss of NYC, in the dark world of the criminal underground. Until his enemies capture him. Talia Tolstaia dreams to break from the heavy clutches of bratva life. She dreams of another life - away from the stifling leash of her Russian bratva boss father and from the brutality of her work at The Dungeon - her criminal family's underground death match enterprise. But when she stumbles upon her family's captive who is more monster than man, she starts to see the man underneath. A powerful, beautiful, damaged man whose heart calls to hers. But sacrifices must be made: blood for blood . . . life for life . . . Souls for scarred souls . . .

Reap

Raised as a prototype for the Georgian Bratva's obedience drug, 221 fails to think, act, or live for himself; he's his master's perfectly-crafted killing puppet. Standing at six-foot-six, weighing two-hundred-and-fifty pounds, and unrivaled in to-the-death combat, 221 successfully secures business for the Georgian Mafiya Boss of NYC, who rules the dark world of the criminal underground. Until his enemies capture him. Talia Tolstaia dreams to break from the heavy clutches of Bratva life. She dreams of another life--away from the stifling leash of her Russian Bratva Boss father and from the brutality of her work at The Dungeon, her criminal family's underground death-match enterprise. But when she stumbles upon her family's captive who is more monster than man, she starts to see the man underneath. A powerful, beautiful, damaged man whose heart calls to hers. But sacrifices must be made--blood for blood...life for life...souls for scarred souls...

A Scarred Souls Novel

Lover of Romance 

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance

In Reap  we have a edgy and deeply rivetinig romance that held me at the edge of my seat and I honestly couldn't get enough of this book. I remember seeing a review of this book "somewhere" and for the life of me I can't remember where, but I knew I needed this book and when I saw it available at my local library I snatched it up because I really wanted to give this author a chance and I am so relieved that I did. Reap is not for the faint of heart, its not full of roses and daisy's, its heartwrenching and intense and suspensful but all the feels that this book conveys is simply wonderful.

The story sets off with our heroine and her brother and his wife (the first couple of the series). Luca is having nightmares of a time when he was a slave and forced to fight for his life. Where he lost his best friend to save his wife, and the promise that he made. He must do everything he can to find the twin brother 221 or was once known as 
  
    Zaal Kostova
  
. So he goes in to rescue him and Luca barely frees him and takes him to the one place he would be safe, a beach house where his sister is at currently. Talia Tolstaia is the sister of Luca and the daughter of a Russian Bravta Boss. She has always bent the rules and been a bit of a rebel. She is appalled that her brother would bring a Kostova into their home, one that is drugged and raving mad and dangerous. Zaal's father's killed her grandfather and their families have been bitter enemies. After a couple of weeks, Talia goes to Zaal, because she can't resist reaching out and trying to reach him and bring him out to the real world. As Zaal starts to find himself again, and Talia discovers a stronger bond than she has ever experienced, she will have to make a hard choice one that may make her choose over being with her family or the one man who has her heart and soul....
 
  I fell for our greatest enemy. I fell in deep, and I gifted him all of my heart, all of this enemy Tolstaia heart
 
This is a powerfully intense story that definitely gets your heart racing and boy the emotion that this book conveys. Definitely don't experience this in every book I pick up. Now I do wish I had read book one before reading this book, because it would have made figuring out certain details a lot easier. The only downside to this book was a bit of confusion in the beginning, but it soon gives way. And boy did I want to read Luca's story so badly now. The focus of the story is dealing with some major PTSD issues from being a fighter slave for most of Zaal's life and the love story that builds between Zaal and Talia. I just loved and ADORED this couple so much. In fact, they may be one of my favorites that I have read all year.
 
  
    
      Talia Tolstaia. My Talia Tolstaia.
I tried to find hate. I tried to despise.
I found only warmth. She was mine.
She had cleansed me. Cared for me. Cried for me. She
was...for me.
    
  
 
There was something so vibrant that is just THERE and you just want to immerse yourself into those sweet and unique moments that brings a tear or two in your eye. Seeing the way that Talia brings Zaal into the world, showing him the simply beauty of walking in the sand and surf of the beach was heartbreaking. He has been treated like an animal ever since his family was killed when he was eight and he was kidnapped and tortured and drugged for the majority of his life. To see how protective and sacrificing he is for Talia is heart wrenching. I love the way though that we see such growth in Zaal. He changes so much in this book, and quite simply the end result is beautiful. Just reading this book made me want to go out in nature and live in the "moment". The reader definitely comes away feeling more and more that life is so precious and this author gives us such a beautiful gift in this heart wrenching story.

Reap is a romance that lift your heart, opens your mind to new possibilities and experiences and offers a poignant tale that is guaranteed to sweep you off your feet!!!
 
  
    
      We'd bared our pasts, we'd fought our fates. And at the end, left over was only the purest form of love. Of need. Of US.
    
  
 

 
  
    Books N Tunes Reading Challenge
  
 




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Ana Matti

I usually like the whole insa-love thing but this doesn't work much for me.

Lacey

Originally posted at Booklovers For Life

I loved, loved, loooved this!!! Reap is an incredible, heart-pounding, romantic read I was utterly enthralled with. I’m such a fan of the way Tillie Cole writes – it’s dark, powerful, addicting. Her stories are riveting, and her characters are intense yet lovable. I had high expectations for Reap after loving Raze – and I’m so glad to say Reap is another winner from one of my favorite authors!

The Scarred Souls series is not for the faint of heart. It’s dark, gruesome at times, and yet I can’t stop reading it. Reap is the story of 221, also known as Zaal Kostava, and Talia Tolstaia. It could be read as a standalone, but I think it’s much easier to understand Reap if you’ve read Raze, because we also get some chapters in Luka’s POV, who was the main character in Raze. Reap is a bit of a continuation of Raze, though it is still firmly Zaal and Talia’s story.

For over 20 years, Zaal has been known as 221, an enslaved fighter who, under the influence of forced drugs, is a soulless killing machine for his ‘master’. He and his twin were abducted at a young age and forced into horrible, tragic circumstances. But it turns out that Zaal’s twin is none other than the one person Luka owes his life to, and Luka is determined to pay his debts by saving Zaal.

Talia, Luka’s sister, may be the daughter of one of the leading Russian mobsters, but she struggles with the responsibilities that come with the role. When she grows tired of the Bratva life, she runs away to a private beach house – but everything changes when Luka shows up with a feral, beast of a man and chains him up in the basement. Talia grows intrigued by Zaal, who’s the son of her family’s enemy, until her obsession with him grows and one day she can’t help but go to him.

Our desperate gazes met.
He took a deep breath.
Then he whispered, “You are … for me?”
And I knew I was done.
Trampled, heart-flattened, done.

This book kept tearing my heart open and filling it with love for the characters over and over again. My heart broke for Zaal, for the tragedy that happened to him and his family. I nearly wanted to cry, the story got so emotional sometimes. But then with Talia, Zaal finds family, love, again, and my heart would ache with happiness for the two of them. Tillie Cole has a talent at conveying such powerful love between her couples, and Zaal and Talia’s romance by far is my favorite.

“Zaal Kostava, you’ve stolen my forbidden heart.”

The Scarred Souls series is dark romance at its finest. The love story is stunning, written perfectly to balance out the dark parts of the book. I don’t know how Tillie Cole does it, but every time, I am just so blown away by the sheer brilliance of the writing and the gorgeous love between her characters. I have to admit, I loved Reap even more than Raze, and I cannot wait to get my hands on the third book (whose main character is one I’m SO excited for)!

“My heart, it is full, Talia. It is full, for you.”

Thanks to the publisher for generously providing me an ARC to review.

Quotes are taken from the ARC and are subject to change in the final version.

Amazon Ebook: http://amzn.to/1GhCksK

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Reap

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