Evidence of Desire by Lexi Blake - Review and Excerpt

     

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Author: Lexi Blake

Publication Date:  8 January, 2019

Publisher: Berkley 

Series:  Courting Justice, book 2

Genre:  Contemporary Romantic Suspense

Age Recommendation: 17 and Up

Rating: 5 Stars 

~ I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ~ 

Book Description:

A fast-paced contemporary romance that sizzles from the New York Times bestselling author of Order of Protection where passion for the aw isn't the only thing heating up the courtroom.  

Isla Shayne knows she's in over her head. As former all-star linebacker Trey Adams's personal lawyer, she's used to handling his business dealings and private financial matters, not murder charges. She needs to find an experienced criminal attorney who speaks her client's language. David Cormack of Garrison, Cormack and Lawless is exactly what she needs in the courtroom—and the only man she wants in the bedroom. For David, taking on the Adams case means diving back into a world he thought he'd left behind and colliding head on with tragic possibilities he's in no mood to face. There's a reason professional football is in his past and no matter how close Isla gets to the truth he intends to leave it there. But long days working on the case together lead to hot nights in each other's arms. As their feelings grow, the case takes a deadly twist that could change the game between the two lovers forever.  

        

My Review:

Evidence of Desire is the second book in the Courting Justice series and I have to say that I think this series is just getting better and better.  I throughly enjoyed book one but this one was just such an emotional roller coaster on so many levels and the suspense was spot on.  I had a niggiling suspicion I knew the villain in this story, but I wasn't positive till we got toward the end and that makes for a great murder mystery.  

I loved that this story revolves not just around the romance, (and it is a total two for one romance even if the ending of one of them isn't sunshine and roses) the mystery, or the very real health concern for athletes out there.  Each aspect flowed seamlessly together to make a story that not only leaves you content in having read a great book but also will leave you to think about how much athletes are affected by their chosen sport, in this instance football.  I will say if you are not sympathetic to the beating that athletes, particularly football players, bodies take this could be either an eye opening book or a frustrating one for you.  The basis of everything revolves around head injuries suffered by football players and the outcome to their future lives.  Like I said though, this book isn't just about that.  It is also about love and it is also about the mystery that turns the characters worlds upside down.

I loved meeting all the characters again, especially the new ones and though I want to strangle 'Lawless' on the regular for just being a bit of a man-whore I am so excited to see what happens with his book and you can't help but love his rambunctious character.  Isla and David were a perfect match, they play off each other so well.  David is this conglomeration of your favorite type of hero, the sports jock, the businessman, the teddy bear hidden behind an Alpha mask.  Isla is just straight up bad to the bone.  She is so incredibly caring but isn't going to take any crap from anyone and will fight for those she know are worthy of her time, her love, of justice!

There is really just so much to love about this book that I could gush on it for ages. If you are a fan of Lexi this is a must, if you like contemporary romance, a must, if you are a fan of murder mysteries...you got it, a must!  Get this one on your TBR

~ HAPPY READING ~  

Excerpt:

 Isla couldn’t believe she was doing this, but the minute she got a good look at David Cormack without his suit on she knew there was no going back. She’d been ready to make a pot of tea and wait for him to come out of the shower when Erin Taggart had appeared in the kitchen. “Not jumping his bones, then?” she’d asked as she dragged a bottle of water out of the fridge. “He wants to take it slow.” She was aware of how disappointed she’d sounded. “No man who looks at a woman the way that one looks at you wants to take things slow. He’s scared you’re too good for him or something stupid like that,” she said. “I should know. I held off my gorgeous hottie for way too long because he was a tiny bit younger than me. Don’t waste time. Take command. And then when he’s all in, give that control up. That always works for me. ’Night.” There was something in the way the redhead smiled, something intimate and soft. Something Isla wanted for herself again. She’d had it as a girl with Austin. She wanted to know how it felt to have that connection as a woman. So she’d made the decision. Maybe for the first time in her life, she’d genuinely made the decision to be brave, to go after what she wanted with a singular purpose, to put herself out there and see if she was bait enough to catch the one fish she wanted. Though first she needed some fishing gear. According to Noah, that was in the nightstand drawer. She’d stepped in and taken off her clothes. All in. Just like a poker game. If he refused to play, she would be devastated and potentially never be able to face the man again, but she’d felt almost compelled to undress and walk to the entry of that sexy natural stone shower. She’d stood there and looked, really looked at David Cormack. He’d been turned away from her, his back on full display. He was beautifully male, his muscles defined by years of athleticism. His back was strong, his butt practically perfect, and he was held up with strong legs. But his head hung low and she could swear she felt how lonely he was. She hadn’t realized how lonely she was until she’d met him. “David?” He started, every muscle tensing, and then he turned, though he mostly moved his torso as though trying to keep his private parts private. His eyes latched onto her, but he didn’t say a word. Oh, she wanted to run. He was far too gorgeous. She wasn’t in his league. She knew she was attractive, but she wasn’t even close to being in the same condition he was in. He’d been an elite athlete and he’d obviously never stopped working out. She could stand to lose a few pounds. And if those pounds and the roundness of her hips ran him off, then so be it. She was done sitting around and hoping she got what she wanted. At least she would know. “I don’t want to go slow.” For a second, she was almost sure he would tell her to go. Then he turned and he was standing there in his full glory, as though let- ting her see what he had to offer. When she simply stared, he crossed the space between them and, without a word, his hands cupped her face and his mouth was on hers. The minute they touched, something sparked to life inside her, something wild she’d never felt before. It seemed to start in her toes, making them curl as the sensation rushed through her system. Heat and anticipation and pure joy. It had been forever since a man kissed her like this. Maybe never. The only thing that compared was the sweet high school fumbling between her and Austin. He’d been eager, but he had no idea what he was doing. David Cormack knew how to kiss. He mastered her mouth with his, soft when he needed to be and then rough, sending a thrill through her system that burned a path straight to her pussy. He brushed his lips against hers and then zeroed in on her lower lip, biting gently and sucking briefly before another soft kiss allowed her to breathe again. And then when she was ready to beg, his tongue surged in, rubbing soft velvet against her own. “Tell me you’re sure,” he said against her mouth as his hands moved down. “I’m sure,” she replied with a breathy whisper. He could throw her up against the side of the shower and take her then and there and she would be perfectly satisfied. “Because there’s no going back. I’ve been a good boy up until this point. I’ve been civilized, Isla. I’ve played the gentleman around you, but if you let me in, I’ll invade and you’ll see the real man under- neath the suit. I’ll be demanding and overly protective and I’ll want you every fucking minute of the day.” And that was bad, how? She’d been on the outside looking in for so long, the idea of being someone’s center, being the person for him, made her heart ache with longing. “Please touch me, David. I want the real you, every dirty, possessive part of you.” His hands found her hips and he dragged her against him, their bodies coming together for the first time. He was warm, his skin soft over the steel of his muscular body. She took a moment, letting her arms wrap around him, her breasts against his chest, that hard erection of his cradled to her belly. This was sweet intimacy. Yes, it would lead to something wild, but for a moment she basked in the comfort of another body against hers. He stepped back, taking her with him and bringing them into the warmth of the shower. He seemed to understand she needed a moment, and he followed her lead perfectly. One hand held her to him while the other smoothed back her now-wet hair as he brushed light kisses over her forehead and down to her nose, lavishing her with affection she’d been starved without. He stood like that with her, learning her body with his hands and mouth. “See,” he said with the sexiest chuckle as he leaned over and ran his tongue along the shell of her ear. “We’re still taking it slow. I could do this for hours and I haven’t even gotten to your tasty parts yet. You’re sweet, Isla. I could eat you up. Are you going to let me eat you up?” She nodded. One hand tangled in her hair, gently drawing her back and forc- ing her to look up at him. His eyes were hot, his jaw tight with arousal. “Talk to me. I won’t let you disconnect from me when we’re intimate. Tell me. ‘‘Yes, David, I want you to eat me up.’” “Yes, David. I want you to eat me up.”    


ABOUT LEXI BLAKE:

NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and the laziest rescue dog in the world. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance and urban fantasy that she found the stories of her heart. She likes to find humor in the strangest places and believes in happy endings no matter how odd the couple, threesome, or foursome may seem.

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The Kiss Thief by L.J. Shen - Release Day Spotlight and Excerpt

  

  

THE KISS THIEF BY L.J. SHEN

Release Date: January 9th

Cover Designer: Letitia Hasser at RBA Designs.

   

 

AVAILABLE NOW!

FREE IN KU!

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Book Description:

They say your first kiss should be earned. Mine was stolen by a devil in a masquerade mask under the black Chicago sky. They say the vows you take on your wedding day are sacred. Mine were broken before we left church. They say your heart only beats for one man. Mine split and bled for two rivals who fought for it until the bitter end. I was promised to Angelo Bandini, the heir to one of the most powerful families in the Chicago Outfit. Then taken by Senator Wolfe Keaton, who held my father’s sins over his head to force me into marriage.  They say that all great love stories have a happy ending. I, Francesca Rossi, found myself erasing and rewriting mine until the very last chapter. One kiss. Two men. Three lives. Entwined together. And somewhere between these two men, I had to find my forever.

         

           

Excerpt:

 “Are you sure you’re on my card?” I turned to the man with a polite yet distant smile. I was still disoriented from the exchange with Angelo when the stranger pulled me against his hard body and pressed a possessive hand lower than socially acceptable on my back, a second from groping my butt. “Answer me,” I hissed. “My bid on your card was the highest,” he replied dryly. “The bids are undisclosed. You don’t know how much other people have paid,” I kept my lips pursed to keep myself from yelling. “I know it’s nowhere near the realm of what this dance is worth.” Un-freaking-believable. We began to waltz around the room as other couples were not only spinning and mingling but also stealing envious glances at us. Naked, raw ogles that told me that whomever the blonde he’d come to the masquerade with was, she wasn’t his wife. And that I might have been all the rage in The Outfit, but the rude man was in high demand, too. I was stiff and cold in his arms, but he didn’t seem to notice—or mind. He knew how to waltz better than most men, but he was technical, and lacked warmth and Angelo’s playfulness. “Nemesis.” He took me by surprise, his rapacious gaze stripping me bare. “Distributing glee and dealing misery. Seems at odds with the submissive girl who entertained Bishop and his horsey wife at the table.” I choked on my own saliva. Did he just call the governor’s wife horsey? And me submissive? I looked away, ignoring the addictive scent of his cologne, and the way his marble body felt against mine. “Nemesis is my spirit animal. She was the one to lure Narcissus to a pool where he saw his own reflection and died of vanity. Pride is a terrible illness.” I flashed him a taunting smirk. “Some of us could use catching it.” He bared his straight white teeth. “Arrogance is a disease. Compassion is the cure. Most gods didn’t like Nemesis, but that’s because she had a backbone.” “Do you?” He arched a dark eyebrow. “Do I…?” I blinked, the courteous grin on my face crumpling. He was even ruder when we were alone. “Have a backbone,” he provided. He stared at me so boldly and intimately, it felt like he breathed fire into my soul. I wanted to step out of his touch and jump into a pool full of ice. “Of course, I do,” I responded, my spine stiffening. “What’s with the manners? Were you raised by wild coyotes?” “Give me an example,” he said, ignoring my quip. I was beginning to draw away from him, but he jerked me back into his arms. The glitzy ballroom distorted into a backdrop, and even though I was starting to notice that the man behind the demi-mask was unusually beautiful, the ugliness of his behavior was the only thing that stood out. I am a warrior and a lady…and a sane person who can deal with this horrid man.“I really like Angelo Bandini.” I dropped my voice, slicing my gaze from his eyes and toward the table where Angelo’s family had been seated. My father was sitting a few seats away, staring at us coldly, surrounded by Made Men who chatted away. “And see, in my family, we have a tradition dating back ten generations. Prior to her wedding, a Rossi bride is to open a wooden chest—carved and made by a witch who lived in my ancestors’ Italian village—and read three notes written to her by the last Rossi girl to marry. It’s kind of a good luck charm mixed with a talisman and a bit of fortunetelling. I stole the chest tonight and opened one of the notes, all so I could rush fate. It said that tonight I was going to be kissed by the love of my life, and well…” I drew my lower lip into my mouth and sucked it, peering under my eyelashes at Angelo’s empty seat. The man stared at me stoically, as though I was a foreign film he couldn’t understand. “I’m going to kiss him tonight.”“That’s your backbone?” “When I have an ambition, I go for it.”

A conceited frown crinkled his mask, as if to say I was a complete and utter moron. I looked him straight in the eye. My father taught me that the best way to deal with men like him was to confront, not run. Because, this man? He’d chase.

   

   

   

   

About the Author

L.J. Shen is an International #1 best-selling author of Contemporary Romance and New Adult novels. She lives in Northern California with her husband, young son and chubby cat.

Before she’d settled down, L.J. (who thinks referring to herself in the third person is really silly, by the way) traveled the world, and collected friends from all across the globe. Friends who’d be happy to report that she is a rubbish companion, always forgets peoples’ birthdays and never sends Christmas cards.

She enjoys the simple things in life, like spending time with her family and friends, reading, HBO, Netflix and internet-stalking Stephen James. She reads between three to five books a week and firmly believes Crocs shoes and mullets should be outlawed.

   

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In between the Earth and Sky by Heidi Hutchinson - Review and Giveaway

Today I am helping with the blog tour for In Between the Earth and Sky by Heidi Hutchinson!

 Check it out and be sure to grab your copy today!

 

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Author: Heidi Hutchinson

Publication Date:  12 November 2017

Publisher: Double Blind Publishing

Series:  Standalone

Genre:  Contemporary Romance

Age Recommendation: 17 and up

Rating: 5 Stars

~ I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ~ 

Book Description:

What happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object?

Remington Rohan was not a rule follower.

Former model (though not one of the “super” kind), successful influencer and life coach. Currently paid to tell people how to achieve the best from their lives and careers.  In other words, a complete contradiction to how he preferred to live—namely, on his own terms and without input from others.

Everything about his life was going according to plan.

Until he started spending way too much time with a woman who defied his prejudices and challenged his beliefs.

Lydia Larkin was not a genius.

Gifted, clever, and stubborn. Raised on star maps and Hendrix, she was born an explorer. Temporarily tied down to a private sector science job, she knew she was biding her time before she was off to discover and build something new.

Not one to let society tell her who she was, she wasn’t about to let a professional influencer tell her she had to change to be happy.

Buckle up and brace for impact.

 

My Review:

So I think that this may turn out to be one of the weirdest reviews I have ever written because I just don't know completely what to say.  I think that this book is something magical, something beautiful. I think that this book is more than I can grasp.  I think this book is like a wild thing and as the book itself says

"You can’t claim a wild thing,” she said to Brenda. “The moment you do, a part of it dies. To keep it wild, to keep it alive, you must always keep it free. All you can do is claim yourself. And sometimes, if you’re very lucky, the wild thing will invite you to stay."

It's almost as though there is so much depth to this book that I can't quite reach it, I can't grasp it.  Do I love it, yes, but at the same time I feel confused by it and I feel like I still crave answers.  It's so deep  that I can't get deep enough to be fulfilled by it.  Honestly how do you rate a book like that.  How do you say it's 5 stars or 4 or even 3 stars when you know it is something you will never be able to label, nothing you could ever cage for long enough to determine what your true feelings are.

I can say that I wanted to climb into this book.  I wanted to be on the outside watching as the Hero and Heroine find their way, to watch what will happen not just what has happened.  I can say that I am not ready to leave them, I need to be the fly on the wall, the spirit whispering to them that they can believe in that (not a religious faith, just so there is no confusion) 'faith'.  Yet, I can also say that I had to walk away several times from the book to process, that it took me a longer than expected time to read it because it is written in a slow pace and so my reading of it was slow.  I can say that I on some level can't comprehend everything I read, that I need someone to sit down and talk this book through with me chapter by chapter.  That I didn't always understand the reasons, the complexities, and yet...yes another YET, that through all of it I loved this book.

These characters will make you think. You will either be left feeling as though everything you just read is hogwash and off or you will be left wondering why we don't all live our lives with the same freedom.  Why we let ourselves be controlled by others and the world around us instead of just living the way our heart leads.  The other thing you might question is the belief that this is a love story.  Is it?  I honestly do not know.  I think that there is definitely a story of love there, the story of loving yourself, the story of allowing someone else to love you, but this is not a traditional love story.  I am uncertain what to call it.  A motivational guide hidden inside a fictional romance? A self-help book wrapped up in a love story? A psychological thriller...okay maybe that's a stretch, but maybe not.  It is most assuredly more than what you will expect.

I can say that you will love these characters even if you can't quite fully understand them.  Lydia is the wind, she is a wild heart that is good and pure, a sprite that follows that wild heart of hers even when it means she struggles to connect to the world around her.  Remington, he is a lost boy (man), he's tried for too long to control that wild heart of his (unlike Lydia who has allowed hers to rule her) and in the process lost his center.  He is someone you would look at from the outside and want to be because it seems that he has everything and yet the truth is he has very little because he's closed his true self off from the world, he's only been giving them the piece that he thinks they deserve.  While those two are the main focus, there is also Merrick and Brenda and I kind of want their stories too, especially Merrick's.  I need to know that he finds his happiness, I need to know that they ALL find their happiness because when this book ends, while you get your HEA, I can't promise you that you will know that happiness will be where everyone lands.

This is a book you are going to want to take your time with so be prepared to shut out the world and bring a carafe of tea/coffee not just your normal cup.  You may question the book as you go along but I urge you to just keep going it's a slow read but a worthy one.  You will definitely question life when you finish but, you will know that there is something incredibly special about this book and you will be happy you didn't give up.  If you wonder how with all this I can still say without question that this is a 5 star review from me, (something I do not give out often or lightly) it is because my heart still hasn't found it's rightful place in my chest yet. Because I still haven't been able to stop thinking about the characters, that I haven't been able to stop thinking about the possibility of everything that this book is.  It is because this is a book that moved me and my own wild heart!

~ HAPPY READING ~ 

Enter Heidi’s Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About Heidi Hutchinson:

Heidi Hutchinson was born in South Dakota and raised the exact right distance away from the Black Hills. She had an overactive imagination very early on, and wasted no time in getting most of her friends in trouble due to her unrealistic and completely ridiculous ideas. Seeing as she was so lazy and also afraid people would think she was bonkers, she didn't write down any of the story lines that played out in her daydreams.

During her high school years, she took pen to paper and filled more notebooks than she is proud of with angsty, depressing, self-deprecating poetry. This led to her writing down more things: notes, ideas, character bios, plot twists that had no plot yet to twist. After years of cleaning up her own scraps of imagination with nothing solid to hold on to, she sat down and wrote the story that had been in her head the longest. Fueled by coffee and her unwavering and perfectly normal devotion to Dave Grohl, she discovered a writer living inside of her.

She still lives in the Midwest, though not as close to the Black Hills as she would prefer, with her alarmingly handsome husband and their fearless child. They eat more pizza than God intended and she listens to her music the same way she lives: loudly.

Connect with Heidi:

Website ~ Facebook ~ Instagram ~ Twitter ~ YouTube

Damnable Grace by Tillie Cole - Review Tour

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Author: Tillie Cole

Publication Date:  16 April, 2017

Publisher: Self-Published

Series:  Hades Hangmen, book 5

Genre:  Dark Contemporary Romance, MC based

Age Recommendation: 18 and up**

Rating: 5 Stars

~ I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ~ 

Book Description:

EVEN THE BROKEN, THROUGH LOVE, CAN FIND GRACE...

Secrets never stay hidden.

The burden of guilt never lifts from the heart.

Born and raised in The Order of David, Sister Phebe knows nothing but cult life. Head of the Sacred Sisters of New Zion, Phebe was groomed from childhood for one purpose: to seduce. Prized as a harlot, as a New Zion whore, Phebe is taken from the doomed cult by Meister, the notorious leader of the Aryan Brotherhood. Taken as his possession. Taken to be the woman who will obey his every sexual demand. Under his heavy hand, Phebe finds herself in a place much worse than she could ever have imagined... with absolutely no one to help. And no glimpse of hope. 

Xavier ‘AK’ Deyes is content with his life as Sergeant-At-Arms of the Hades Hangmen. Leader of the infamous ‘Psycho Trio’ and ex-special ops sniper, AK knows how to fight. Experienced in warfare and schooled in military operations, AK is vital to the Hangmen. When his Vice President needs help retrieving his missing sister-in-law, Phebe, from a Klan-funded trafficking ring, AK volunteers to go in. AK remembers the redhead from New Zion. Remembers everything about her from the single time they met—her red hair, blue eyes and freckled face. But when he finds her, heavily drugged and under Meister’s control, her sorry condition causes him to remember more than the beautiful woman he once tied to a tree. Saving Phebe forces hidden demons from his past to return. A past he can never move on from, no matter how hard he tries.

As AK fights to help Phebe, and in turn she strives to help him, they realize their secret sins will never leave them alone. Kindred broken souls, they realize the only way they can be rid of their ghosts is to face them together and try to find peace.

Despair soon turns to hope, and damaged hearts soon start to heal. But when their deep, painful scars resurface, becoming too much to bear, the time comes when they must make a heavy choice: stay forever damned; or together, find grace.

**Dark Contemporary Romance. Contains explicit sexual situations, violence, disturbingly sensitive and taboo subjects, offensive language and very mature topics. Recommended for age 18 and over.**

My Review:

So getting to review this for Tillie Cole came as a little bit of a surprise.  I had signed up for the review tour and didn't make the cut, such as the life of a book blogger goes, but then unexpectedly more review copies were released and here I am.  That moment of 'Oh, my Gaaaaaaa....I have an early copy Damnable Grace in my hands!' lead to a lot of yelling and then total immersion into the story which then lead me into this horrible book funk I find myself in now.  What is there to say about this book except it will take over your world for however long it takes you to read it (for me that was a day because I couldn't put it down (unless forced to feed my children or whatever, damn them. *wink*) and it is going to tear you up and spit you out all raw and vulnerable, completely satisfied and more than ready for the next book.

Now honestly writing this review is terribly hard because for one I myself hate spoilers and for two, Tillie Cole has been very specific in asking that reviewers not spoil the book for readers and while I wouldn't do that anyway I am left a little bereft in what to say because this book is one gigantic spoiler.  There is SO much that goes on in this story, so many pieces that are revealed, so many new stories begun and old ones wrapped up.

So here is what I can say.  This is one hell of an emotional read.  Yes, all the Hangmen books can be be as difficult emotionally to read as they are swoon worthy, and beautiful.  Damnable Grace has taken that to an entire new level though.  I have seen many people say that this is the best of all the Hangmen books and while I don't totally agree, I think that Flame and Maddie from Souls Unfractured will always hold a special place in my heart for that title, I can absolutely see why this is being shouted from the roof tops by most Hades Hangmen fans.  There is simply just something so devastatingly heartbreaking and beautifully hopeful about AK and Phebe.  There story is one that will burrow deep into your soul and settle there like the coziest blanket you can imagine.  Of course every now and again some jerk, mainly one named Meister, is going to come rip it off the top of you and leave your body exposed to the harshest elements nature has to offer, cutting off your ability to breathe,  but then almost miraculously you will snuggle back down in your warm den of comfort, sweet oxygen will refill your lungs and your heart will beat again.  Damnable Grace is a story about finding the grace in despair, finding hope when you feel it has abandoned you, finding love when your mind and heart tell you you are unlovable.  It is a book about letting go of pain so you can find joy and seeing the beauty that surrounds you through the darkness that has been cloaking you.

You will love getting to know the 'Psycho Trio' better and you will fall more deeply in love with these three best friends who have become each others shield.  They are not what society would consider good men but they were all brought to this moment in life in deeply challenging ways and they are more than you may have ever expected.  We get glimpses of the rest of the Hangmen and it is nice to see how the couples that we have grown to love are doing as well as get hints as to what is coming next for this wild bunch of guys. This book is going to do more than just tug at your heart strings, it is going to try and rip them straight out of your chest so go in prepared and with lots of tissue.  If you didn't notice the disclaimer at the top please note that this is a DARK book.  If you have triggers for almost anything, please PLEASE consider that before you dive in.  These books are difficult to read, there are more moments in Damnable Grace then in any other Hangmen book that left me in tears and/or cringing.  This won't be easy to read but it will be worth every tear you shed and gasp you vocalize.

With out giving anything away I do want to leave you with a few links and and a few words. If you or anyone you love is dealing with the affects of PTSD please talk to them, please encourage them to talk to someone in their Chain of Command, in the Unit, at their medical facility, a private professional.  PTSD comes in all sorts of 'levels', it isn't a one fits all and there is no one size fits all solution. If you even feel like something isn't right in your mind or in the mind of your loved one, call some one.  You don't have to be alone, you aren't alone. Don't be afraid that this will hurt your Service Member or loved ones career, what matters most is their health and well being. The Military has come a long way and we have a long way yet to go, (I am a 20 year military spouse) but YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

**I am not endorsing any program listed below, (and there are many more than what I have listed here) they are just places you can start, they are places that can give you help and hope.  Please take a moment to look into them on your own and contact the program that you feel most confident in.**

National Center for PTSD

Veteran's Chat (confidential)

Pets for Vets

PTSD Alliance

Mission 22

Camp Hope

With that, if you are a tried and true Hangmen reader you will be in love with this story.  If you are new to the Hades Hangmen world you MUST start this series at the beginning with It Ain't Me Babe otherwise you will be terribly lost and spoil a great deal if you go back to read from the start.  This series is so worth every moment of pain it will cause in your chest so I hope that you will pick it up and give it a go. If you are a Dark Romance fan this series should be at the top of your MUST READ list!

~HAPPY (ha) READING ~ 

“Well?” Ky asked.

Tanner ran his hand over his head. The brother hadn’t attended one of our cookouts or slutfests in weeks. Not that he ever entertained himself with sluts—still too hard for his piece of pussy down in Mexico. He’d been busy trying to track down Meister. Unlike most of the white-power shit Tanner and Tank grew up with, this Meister was untraceable and off the grid. As much of a computer whizz kid as Tanner was, Meister was proving to be one slippery fucking snake to pin down.

“Gotta be honest, I didn’t think I was anywhere close to finding anything on this prick.” Tanner nodded toward Tank. “We knew of him, of course. I knew he had dealings with my father and uncle, just never met him myself. He’s Aryan Brotherhood, but works closely with the Klan. And there’s nothing on him. No email traces, no invoices, no texts. Nothing.”

I gritted my teeth and glanced at Styx, who was listening closely. Ky wasn’t originally gonna tell the prez about the plan to get Phebe, because of his fucking wedding, but that didn’t last long. Styx knew something was up with his VP. He read him like I read Flame and Vike. So Ky fessed up, and Styx was all for the plan. He’d had to push his wedding back by a month anyhow to get the pastor Mae wanted to conduct the ceremony, so he had time to kill.

“But you found something?” Ky translated as Styx signed.

Tanner sighed, the black circles around his eyes showing how hard the brother had been working. “I got something.” He shook his head, and my blood ran cold. I knew whatever he had found wasn’t good.

Tanner opened the file in front of him and threw a photograph toward the prez. Styx looked at it, then gave it to Ky. “Some middle-of-nowhere ghost town?”

Ky passed the picture around. Vike handed it to me, and I studied it. It was an aerial shot, and the picture was grainy, but from what I could make out, it was just a huge piece of land scattered with decrepit old buildings.

I passed the picture along. “Fucker owns this?”

Tanner faced me. “Yeah, or at least his father did. He’s dead now, but the deeds are still in his father’s name. Been in the family for decades. Took me a while to trace it.” He shook his head. “Meister is notorious among the Klan. Right, Tank?”

“Yeah,” Tank agreed. “Never met him either, but we’d all heard of him. Prick has been mobilizing for years for the race war they think is coming. Real serious, Oklahoma-City-bomb shit. From what we’ve heard, the guy has a one-track mind when it comes to advancing the white race. You think Hitler was fucked up? Well, imagine if he had a kid who was one built motherfucker, with a fucking carbon copy of his psycho mind; and you’ve got Meister. Fucker ain’t even German. Just wishes he was, spouting German phrases around like he’s born and bred Berlin. Delusional asshole.”

“This ain’t gonna be easy,” Tanner finished, looking at me, Vike, Flame, Hush and Cowboy. It was the five of us who had agreed to go looking for Phebe. Hush and Cowboy nodded at me to let me know they were still in.

“So he’s in this ghost town?” Ky asked, translating Styx’s sign language again. “If so, we’ll all just go in and get him, make the fucker talk and tell us where he’s got Phebe.”

Tanner sat forward. “He ain’t just living in the ghost town or hiding out. That’s where he has his enterprise.”

“Enterprise?” Ky echoed. It was his own question this time.

Tanner nodded. “From what I can tell, it’s a fucking brothel. Members of the Aryan Brotherhood, Klan, or Klan sympathizers, can go there for a night or a few days at a time.” Tank shifted uncomfortably next to him. “Ain’t sure, but I’m thinking it ain’t just getting your dick sucked and fucked. It’ll be real fucked-up shit. If Meister’s reputation is anything to go by, we would be walking into an organized, armed hellhole.” Tanner’s eyes darkened. “I get the Klan has a reputation for being full of backward rednecks. I ain’t gonna lie—growing up, most of my father’s cronies were that way. Thick as fuck and couldn’t do shit without screwing it up. Skinheads, lower-ranked soldiers, you know?”

“But there were some members that weren’t,” Tank continued. He cast an embarrassed glance at Tanner. “We weren’t, for starters.”

Tanner nodded. “It’s not the norm, but some of us were good. Smart, strong fighters, or just outright fucking psychos. The skinheads and rednecks are the foot soldiers. The likes of us, the likes of Meister, are the fucking SS. The planners, leaders, the generals—the ones who believe in the cause so much that they’re fucking lethal with what they’ll do, what they’re capable of. Meister is true Aryan Brotherhood; he’s preparing for war. He’s the real fucking deal.”

“And now he’s in our neck of the woods to stir up shit?” I asked.

Tanner nodded. “Comes from northern Texas. Never moved our way before. But the Klan are building day by day, joining forces with other white supremacist gangs—like the Brotherhood—and with the shit that’s on the news twenty-four-seven, blacks and whites at each others throats, he’s moved to the headquarters.” The brother’s jaw clenched. “To my father and uncle, who’ll be protecting him from being found out by the feds.” He sighed and ran his hand down his face. “From what I can figure out, this ghost-town brothel of his has only existed in the last year or so. He’s looking to fund something.”

“They ain’t dealing guns?” Cowboy drawled. “I thought that’s what Rider said the contract with the cult was for?”

“Rider was sure it was guns. At least it was when he was dealing with the Klan—it was all about arms. The Klan was selling them on and taking a cut.”

“His fucking twin,” Hush spat. “He changed the arrangement, didn’t he? When Rider was locked up in cult prison?”

“Think so,” Tanner said after a few seconds of silence.

“Then what the fuck are they dealing? What was Judah giving them if not Israeli guns?”

“Women.”

Tillie Cole hails from a small town in the North-East of England. She grew up on a farm with her English mother, Scottish father and older sister and a multitude of rescue animals. As soon as she could, Tillie left her rural roots for the bright lights of the big city.

After graduating from Newcastle University with a BA Hons in Religious Studies, Tillie followed her Professional Rugby player husband around the world for a decade, becoming a teacher in between and thoroughly enjoyed teaching High School students Social Studies before putting pen to paper, and finishing her first novel.

Tillie has now settled in Austin, Texas, where she is finally able to sit down and write, throwing herself into fantasy worlds and the fabulous minds of her characters.

Tillie is both an independent and traditionally published author, and writes many genres including: Contemporary Romance, Dark Romance, Young Adult and New Adult novels.

When she is not writing, Tillie enjoys nothing more than curling up on her couch watching movies, drinking far too much coffee, while convincing herself that she really doesn’t need that extra square of chocolate.

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