Blog Tour & Review ~ Raze by Tillie Cole

BLURB

To take back life, one must first face death...

One man stripped of his freedom, his morals...his life.

Conditioned in captivity to maim, to kill and to slaughter, prisoner 818 becomes an unremorseful, unrivaled and unstoppable fighter in the ring. Violence is all he knows. Death and brutality are the masters of his fate.

After years of incarceration in an underground hell, only one thought occupies his mind: revenge...bloody, slow and violent revenge.

Revenge on the man who lied.

Revenge on the man who wronged him.

Revenge on the man who condemned him and turned him into this: a rage-fueled killing machine. A monster void of humanity; a monster filled with hate.

And no one will stand in the way of getting what he wants.

One woman stripped of her freedom, her morals...her life.

Kisa Volkova is the only daughter of Kirill ‘The Silencer’ Volkov, head of the infamous ‘Triad’ bosses of New York's Russian Bratva. Her life is protected. In reality, it’s a virtual prison. Her father’s savage treatment of his rivals and his lucrative and coveted underground gambling ring—The Dungeon—ensures too many enemies lurk at their door.

She dreams to be set free.

Kisa has known only cruelty and loss in her short life. As manager of her father’s death match enterprise, only grief and pain fill her days. Her mafia boss father, in her world, rules absolute. And her fiancé, Alik Durov, is no better; the Dungeon’s five-time champion, a stone-cold killer, the treasured son of her father’s best friend, and her very own—and much resented—personal guard. Unrivaled in both strength and social standing, Alik controls every facet of Kisa’s life, dominates her every move; keeps her subdued and dead inside...then one night changes everything.

While working for her church—the only reprieve in her constant surveillance—Kisa stumbles across a tattooed, scarred, but stunningly beautiful homeless man on the streets. Something about him stirs feelings deep within her; familiar yet impossibly forbidden desires. He doesn’t talk. Doesn’t communicate with anyone. He’s a man beyond saving, and a man she must quickly forget...for both their sakes.

But when weeks later, out of the blue and to her complete surprise, he’s announced as the replacement fighter in The Dungeon, Kisa knows she’s in a whole lot of trouble. He’s built, ripped and lethally unforgiving to his opponents, leaving fear in his wake and the look of death in his eyes.

Kisa becomes obsessed with him. Yearns for him. Craves his touch. Needs to possess this mysterious man...this man they call Raze.
Purchase Links
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon AU

FIVE MASSIVE STARS!!!

Before I begin my review, I just have to say: I LOVE RAZE!! He's mine, so back off... *smirks*

“You’re Raze, you’re death. Let’s fucking Raze hell!”

If you know me, you know I’m a massive fan of dark romance, so when I heard that one of my all-time favorite authors was in the works of writing one, I was overcome with so much excitement. Let me tell you right now, this story did not disappoint. This book...wow! Tillie has written some fantastic stories, but this is on a level all on its own.

I killed because I had to. I had no other choice. I was already dead, no more than a number; stripped of morals, stripped of freedom and stripped of life. I was an animal conditioned to inflict pain without remorse. And you cannot kill someone who has no soul.

Raze is known as fighter 818. He was forced to fight since he was fourteen years old. Being thrown into the Gulag, he fought and killed to survive. He can’t recall how he got there; only able to recall snippets of his past. But one thing he’s certain of is that he was wronged. He was never meant to be imprisoned in the Gulag and he has a name -- a name of the man to blame. And there will be a time when he will get his revenge.

“Open your eyes, baby,” I whispered, but Raze shook his head.

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion, a twinge insecurity rippling through me, until Raze gasped and said, “I’m closing my eyes, so I can feel being inside you.” He placed his hand over his heart and rasped out, “I’ve seen too many bad things with these eyes. This, I will feel in my heart.”

Being the daughter of the most powerful man in the Russian mafia, Kisa is meant to live a certain way, which includes being engaged to Alik, the son of another powerful Russian mafia leader. If I could describe Alik in one word it would be BRUTAL. From the way he fights, to the way he treats others, and especially the way he treats Kisa. Alik is obsessed with Kisa and extremely possessive of her. I will be honest and warn you right now, Alik’s scenes with Kisa are not easy to read. Like I said, he’s brutal.

Anyway Kisa loves Alik in a way, but he’s definitely not the love of her life. She lost that man a long time ago. She hasn’t felt that spark with anyone since. It doesn’t help that Alik is keeps her on a tight leash. The only time he lets her out of his sights is to volunteer for their church. While passing out care packages to the homeless, Kisa is attacked, but then a mysterious man rescues her. He immediately elicits feelings in Kisa she shouldn’t be having. And when Kisa and the stranger’s path cross again, the pull they have on each other is obvious. Things get even more complicated when Alik starts to get suspicious.

“Whatever our souls are made of—“

“His and mine are the same...”

I fucking LOVED this story. It was intense and violent with some dark elements that readers of dark romance will find engrossing. I couldn’t put this story down. It was addicting and extremely fast paced with a couple twists and turns. As for the characters....Raze has become one of my all-time favorite Heroes. Yes. You read that correctly. There’s just something about Raze that make me want to love and protect him deeply. Ugh! I don’t know how Tillie does it?! This story is fucking phenomenal. Tillie, if you’re reading this, you need to write more stories like this. You have a knack for writing dark romance, chick. This was fucking phenomenal!

*A huge THANK YOU to Tillie Cole for allowing me to Beta read this. As always, it’s an honor ❤*

AUTHOR BIO

Amazon & USA Today Best Selling Author, Tillie Cole is a Northern girl through and through. She originates from a place called Teesside on that little but awesomely sunny (okay I exaggerate) Isle called Great Britain. She was brought up surrounded by her English rose mother — a farmer’s daughter, her crazy Scottish father, a savagely sarcastic sister and a multitude of rescue animals and horses.

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Deliver by Pam Godwin

His name was Joshua Carter. Now it's whatever she wants it to be.

She is a Deliverer.

She lures young men and delivers them to be sold. She delivers the strikes that enforce their obedience. She delivers the sexual training that determines their purchase price.

As long as she delivers, the arrangement that protects her family will hold.

Delivering is all she knows.

The one thing she can't deliver is a captive from slavery.

Until him.

And her stubborn slave thinks he can deliver her...from herself.

Romantic Thriller

Stand Alone (no cliff-hanger). The sequel is coming Summer 2014.

Content warning: Graphic sex, violence, and psychological abuse. Age 18+ only.

4.75-5 Stars

Shock has a way of rousing attention.

It’s official. Pam Godwin has become one of my go-to authors. I LOVED her previous book, Beneath the Burn, and was anxious to read her next novel. This did not disappoint. The premise of the story is unique and very intriguing; there was no way I could pass it up.

She trained them. She delivered them. And after?

They were dead to her. They had to be.

Liv, at first glance, seemed like complicated character. She’s gritty, badass, and has a don’t-fuck-with-me attitude. But beneath that armor lays a woman with a simple mission: Keep her mother and daughter safe. In order to do so, she must play her role as a deliverer. She hunts, takes, trains and then delivers. That’s the only way to ensure their safety. So far, she’s been able to live this way, until her next captive, Joshua Carter, completely changes the game.

He was the strength and heart of the most dangerous jump. He was the soul of bravery wrapped in chains. He would never fall, no matter how much metal weighted him down. He was a man who loved selflessly and honestly, and she was taking him to a monster who would slice him open and fuck the incision.

Joshua Carter’s life was paved with rules, religion, and beliefs. He’s the epitome of the good-ole-wholesome boy next door. To Liv, he met all the requirements the next buyer wanted. She knew taking Josh was a risk, especially since he was a very well known football star, but she had no choice.

Josh was tricked and the next thing he knew, the life he knew was stripped away. He was now in the hands of Liv. His future unknown. What he didn’t expect is to connect with his beautiful captor. He knows there’s more to Liv’s story than what she presents. He won’t make it easy on her and is determined to find the inevitable crack her armor.

Her fingers grabbed the hair on the back of his head and yanked, exposing his neck. Her lips caressed his ear, and his penis throbbed. “Stop. Grinding. Your dick.” She released him a shove. “Kinky fucker.”

Crack.

I was going into this wondering, “how in the hell is this situation going to work?” It seemed the story was cut and dry and that both the H/h were stuck between a rock and hard place.

Boy, was I Wrong.

This story had a lot of twists and surprises. It amazed me that the plot was so mercifully crafted to make this a very engaging read. I wanted to know how the author was going to make this situation work. I was constantly on the edge of my seat. I will warn you, there were a lot of cringe-worthy-creep-the-hell-out-of-me moments (i.e. I will never look at a potato sack nor a wooden coffin and not be freaked out ever again), but the story wouldn’t have had the same effect without it. I had complete faith that Ms. Godwin would deliver a fantastically dark story, and Deliver she did.

The Dark Light of Day by T.M. Frazier

Warning: This is not your typical romance. The story of Abby & Jake contains disturbing situations, graphic violence, sex, strong language, drug use, and all types of abuse.

Abby has been through hell and has survived one of the most brutal childhoods imaginable...barely.

To the outside world she is just a loner with an attitude.

When her grandmother dies in a tragic explosion, Abby is left with questions-and nothing else.

Homeless, sleeping in a junkyard, and on the run from a system that has failed her over and over again, she meets Jake, a tattooed blue-eyed biker with secrets that rival her own.

Two broken souls that can't be healed. They can't be saved.

Abby & Jake have to decide if they can accept the darkness not only within one another, but within themselves.

If they can accept each other for who they really are, they might be able to learn that love isn't always found in the light.

4.75-5 Stars

A revenge kill is the best kind of kill.But a revenge kill for your family, with your woman's permission? That's borderline erotic. 

Is it wrong to be completely turned upside down and turned on by that? Yea. This book has made an utter mess of me and I'm one happy girl because of it.

Sick, twisted Abby was in love with the sick, twisted, beautiful Jake. 

Signs that I just read a kick-ass book:
- As soon as I finished, I wanted to re-read all over again.
- I have a TON of highlights, reminding me of why I couldn’t put this book down.
- It’s been hours since I finished, but I’m still re-playing my favorite scenes in my head.
- This was unique, and completely fucked up, but it somehow burrowed into my skin and left a lasting impression.
- Sigh… I feel a book funk coming…

I fell asleep that night in the arms of a killer. I’d never slept better. 

This story was not an easy read. My emotions were all over the place. Just when I was beginning to breathe and feel happy, the next minute it felt like someone punched me really fucking hard. What. The. Fuck?! I seriously couldn’t breathe for most of this book.

It was the best pain I’d ever felt. We were just us. Broken and bruised. Fucked up and messy. And together we were everything we never thought we could be. We didn’t need sweet and gentle. I didn’t need to be coddled. I needed Jake, and he gave himself to me just as I gave myself to him.” 

Abby and Jake are two very broken characters. As a matter of fact, they were probably two of the most fucked up characters I’ve ever encountered. I can’t even begin to dive into their individual issues, but just know that they have been through aLOT of fuckedupness and one thing is for certain, these two are survivors. They were brought together when they were at their most vulnerable.

“Why do I want to touch you? Are you fucking kidding me right now? I want to help you. I want to hold you. I want to make it all okay for you. I want to fucking touch you because you are the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen, and I can’t imagine never being able to hold your hand or kiss you.” I thought that was everything, but then he added, “And yes – I want tofuck you, too, like I’ve never wanted anything in my whole life.” 

I can’t really pinpoint what it was about this story that made the biggest impact. Maybe it was the culmination of various things that made this story memorable. I loved Jake’s character – the killer and the protective nature in him made him who he was; he owned his identity and I loved him more for it. As for Abby, I admired her strength and willingness to move forward. Redemption was a key theme in this book. It was prevalent in both the H/h, but the one that shocked me and made me cry was for Jake’s father, Frank. I so did not see that coming. But anyway, I digress. Just know that this was dark, twisted and completely out of the box…LOVED it.

Don't Let Go (Dark Erotica #4) by Skye Warren

FBI’s Most Wanted. Psychopath. Secret admirer.

He’s all these things…and I’m going to bring him down. I’m just a junior agent with the FBI, but my past runs deeper and darker than anyone knows. I turned in my own father for heinous, violent crimes. This is what I live for. Except he seems to anticipate my every move. He’s always one step ahead, circling, taunting, and when we finally meet, I’m the one who gets caught.

4.75-5 Stars

“Samantha, love. What makes you think I’d let you leave?”

My eyes fell shut, and the hot tracks down my cheeks didn’t come from the shower. I turned in his arms, blindly, gladly. God. All I’d ever wanted was someone to keep me. To want me, even knowing all my faults. 

“Normal?” he scoffed. “You wouldn’t like me half as much if I were normal. I saw you, I wanted you, I took you. You want me to fucking apologize for that? No. This is how it works. I’m an animal, remember? A monster. You put a slab of fresh meat in front of me, this is what happens.” 

Bravo, Skye. Bravo. 

This is Carlos’ book. Do you know how crazy that sounded when I heard this was happening? If you haven’t read her Dark Erotica Series, then this story might not have the same impact as it did on me. You have to understand: The things Carlos has done in previous books are seriously disturbing and severely cringe-worthy. I honestly did not believe he could be redeemable. Like, at all. However, I was still anxious to see how this series would end. Could I learn to love a man like Carlos? After this book, the answer is a resounding yes. 

I didn’t want those men to hurt me because I liked pain. I wanted them to hurt me because I knew I deserved it all along. 

Samantha is a junior FBI agent who was just handed the assignment of a lifetime. Her mission: To catch the uncatchable Carlos Laguardia. Samantha has come a long way from the little girl who turned her father in for murder. He was a notorious serial killer who killed young boys and girls. She’s always felt remorse for turning him in, but knew she did the right thing. However, that didn’t stop her from feeling the guilt of her betrayal. She’s damaged and very broken. It isn’t surprising that’s she’s always had daddy issues, wanting and hooking up with older men. So when she got partnered up with the sexy, slightly older FBI agent Ian Hennessey, it wasn’t shocking to find her heart and head in a flutter. 

It took more strength to stand beside someone you loved, even when they were wrong. 

Ian Hennessey is an enigma. That’s all I can really say about him. Well that, and he’s unbelievably smart and very good looking. He has a strong reputation in the FBI as the guy you go to when you want to catch the uncatchable. It’s no wonder they assigned him to the case. But why did they partner him up with Sam? She’s a rookie with no experience. Plus with her around, she can easily be a distraction, for her and for whom they are trying to catch. 

“I don’t need your consent,” he murmured.

My swallow felt thick. “You have it.”

“I know.” 

When a mission goes bad, Sam finds herself bound and kidnapped by the madman himself. Her stay with him, though brief, peeled away every layer of her cover, leaving her naked, raw and exposed. She was never the same again. She seeks pain, refuge and love. But where can she find that? Is it with Hennessey? Or is it with Carlos, the man who abducted and freed her? 

My dream wasn’t to be a princess in a castle. I wanted to be Persephone, claimed by the god of the underworld. 

Holy-mother-fucking-shit! This story is beyond fucking amazing. It wasn’t as dark as her previous stories, but it was still dark and the twist in the book was completely crazy!; I’m still left in utter shock. After reading this, I kept thinking about Carlos, pre and post this story. Have you ever seen the Broadway musical Wicked? No? Well, I’m still gonna say this anyway: After seeing that play, I never thought about the Wicked Witch of the West ever the same way ever again. I look back at how she was portrayed in the Wizard of Oz and can’t think of her as The Wicked Witch anymore; I see her as Elphaba, a person and not the monster she was portrayed to be. This is exactly how I see Carlos. I remember at all the horrible and disturbing things he’s done in the previous books and I begin to see his acts differently. My mind is completely blown! Who knew I could feel this way about Carlos? I love this author even more for what she was able to accomplish.

Seriously. Mind. Blown. 

Bravo, Skye. Bravo.

*Author provided copy for honest review.*

Seize Me (Breakneck #1) by Crystal Spears

***WARNING***

This novel contains explicit language, sex, drugs, abuse and sexual situations that some might find offensive. 

Winter Belov was the sweet innocent one in her crime family, the dutiful daughter that never disappointed her father. One day, her father does the unspeakable. When he turns his back, Winter flees across the country, taking her life savings with her, determined never to enter that sort of lifestyle again.

No longer innocent, she now lives in Nevada. Lana is her best friend and the only family Winter has. Together, they are two of the best exotic dancers in the county. While working a shift, Pyro, Lana’s long time crush, propositions Winter. He begs her to do a private gig at Breakneck. She accepts, with the condition that Lana dances with her.

When Winter’s eyes lock with Braxxon Breaker's, the President of Breakneck, she realizes she is no longer free; she has been seized. He is everything she is running from but at the same time, everything she wants. Braxxon will not take no for an answer, and purposely disrupts Winter’s life.

Rivals of Braxxon’s club are vicious and they do something that will have him out for blood. Winter's and Braxxon’s relationship is anything but a normal one. If they want to be together, crimes must be committed, friendships will be broken and people are going to die.

What happens when all that chaos mixes with Winter’s father locating her? It will be a bloodshed when Winter and Braxxon seek revenge and take no prisoners.

For readers 18 & up only!

4.5 Stars

“You’re mine. I’ve fucked you raw. That makes you mine” 

Oh. My. God. I love badass Biker books. Love, love, love them. But before I go on, I have read a lot of mixed reviews regarding this book, and as I was reading this, I can kind of see how some might be put off by this story. However, I was not one of those readers. Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop. I became immersed in this world of violence, drugs, sex and abuse. This is definitely not for everyone, but it was made for me.

She’s my Winter for my hottest summer days. She’s the Angel for my hell. I will never leave her. She’ll have to do the leaving and even if she did leave, she’d still own every single inch of me. 

Winter Belov is a Russian Mafia princess, but no one except her best friend, Lana, knows about that. She ran away from that life after her father shot her boyfriend/lover in the head. She’s in hiding. Though she ran away with plenty of money, she chooses stripping to get by. One night Lana convinces Winter to accompany her the Breakneck MC’s party for their President’s thirtieth birthday, with Lana and Winter as the main entertainment. Winter wants nothing to do with that life, nor anything resembling her old one, but she’ll do anything for her friend, so she reluctantly agrees. It’s only for one night right? How much trouble can they possibly get into?

I know that I’ll never be the same ever again. Braxxon has seized me, and something tells me he isn’t letting me go. 

Braxxon is the President of the Breakneck MC. Once he sees Winter in her Angel costume sticking her foot in one of his men’s crotch to teach him a lesson, he was a goner. No one has ever stormed into his life like her. She’s strong, independent, and refuses to take crap from anyone, including him. Yes, he’s all about fucking her and possessing her, but she doesn’t make it easy especially when she refuses to be thrust back into the life of violence. However, fate has a different plan for them.

The only thing that’s clear is that I have this connection with this man holding me, and I’m down for the count. His gray eyes grab a hold of my soul and pull me with a force so strong that there is no going backwards, only forward. He now owns me. I tried to stay away, and he’s made that impossible. I couldn’t get away even if I tried. 

The pull Braxxon has on Winter is too strong to deny. Their relationship is constantly tested especially living in this world of violence. Nothing comes easy for them. NOTHING. 

A lot of events in this story were difficult to read. They were far from pretty, but it made the story more raw and effective. I was seriously immersed in this world. So many things I loved about this story: The strong, badass Hero and heroine (oh, yea…I loved Winter’s character), the dirty talk, the hot sex and just the intensity of it all just kept me thoroughly entertained; it actually reminded me a lot of Madeline Sheehan’s Undeniable Series, which is never a bad thing :) I couldn’t wait to dive into book two.