Title: Souls Unfractured
Series: Hades Hangmen #3
Author: Tillie Cole
Age group: New Adult
Genre: Dark Contemporary Romance
Release date: 11th of August 2015
"For fractured souls are like magnets. Drawn to collide into an impossible bliss…"
Labeled a ‘Cursed’ woman of Eve from birth, Maddie has endured nothing but pain and repression at the hands of The Order’s most abusive elder, Moses. Now living with her sister in The Hangmen’s secluded compound, finally, Maddie, is free. Free from the suffocating faith she no longer believes in. Free from endless years of physical and mental torment.
Just… free…
At age twenty-one, the timid and shy Maddie is content to live within the confines of her new home—safe from the outside world, safe from harm and, strangely, protected by the Hangmen’s most volatile member; the heavily pierced and tattooed, Flame.
Flame.
The man who ceaselessly watches over her with his midnight dark and searing eyes. The man who protects her with a breath-taking intensity. And the man who stirs something deep within her numbed heart.
But when circumstances conspire for Flame to need HER help, Maddie bravely risks it all for the broken man who has captivated her fragile soul.
The Hangmen’s most infamous member, Flame, is ruled by one thing—anger. Plagued by haunting demons from his past, an all-consuming rage, and isolated by an abhorrent hatred of being touched, Flame's days are filled with suffocating darkness, pierced only by a single ray of light—Maddie. The shy, beautiful woman he cannot purge from his thoughts. The woman he has an overwhelming need to possess… ... the only person who has ever been able to touch him.
Flame’s mission in life is to protect Maddie, to keep her safe. Until a trigger from his troubled past sends him spiraling into madness, trapping him in the deepest recesses of his disturbed mind.
His Hangmen brothers fear that Flame is beyond saving.
His only hope of salvation: Maddie and her healing light.
Dark Contemporary Romance. Contains explicit sexual situations, violence, disturbingly sensitive and taboo subjects, offensive language, and very mature topics. Recommended for age 18 years and over.
Amazon US | Amazon UK
My Review
Souls Unfractured by Tillie Cole
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
4.95 **beautiful heartbreak** STARS
“We are Flame and Maddie. And we have survived” “We have found each other, and we are never letting each other go.”
Flame and Maddie stole my heart. But when you consider how invested I already was in both characters before I even started reading the book, falling in love with them all over again was no surprise at all. What I couldn’t have anticipated was the care and sensitivity with which Ms. Cole developed this love story. Souls Unfractured was the most beautiful and yet gut wrenching read I had all year. The level of emotion was so high it made me cry. It made me cry a lot.
This is the third instalment in the Hades Hangmen Series by Tillie Cole and probably shouldn’t be read as a standalone. The main story surrounds Maddie and Flame, in and of itself a new couple, but the surrounding plots are a continuation of the first two books.
From the first moment Maddie and Flame met in It Ain’t Me, Baby and he killed her abuser, I was enthralled with their dynamic and wanted to get to know both characters and see if there is a relationship at all possible.
They don’t disappoint. Over the course of two books we witnessed Flame being batshit crazy watching over the little one and Maddie hiding behind the window looking out into the world, watching her saviour and the only man she is not afraid of - never talking or touching.
“What are words? Sometimes the flick of a pair of eyes or the flush of skin reveals everything you need to know. Words can wound. Silence can heal.”
But that dynamic changes at the end of Heart Recaptured when Flame takes a bullet for Maddie. Once he comes back both have to face each other and maybe even come to terms with their connection.
I can’t even begin to tell you how amazing and carefully constructed the romance is in this book. Both characters are broken to a degree that they are barely able to function and in Flame’s case he is about to hit the point of no return.
As it turns out the only thing that keeps them moving is each other.
Flame is a tortured hero and when I say that I actually mean it. The things he went through in his life that made him the unhinged out of control self mutilating nutjob that he is today and it seriously broke my heart. Hearing about his past is not easy to take and might just be too much for some people. Ms. Cole really dives in with this one. It is graphic, mind numbing and leaves your heart in tatters.
“You, Flame. My tortured boy. You gave me life and light.”
The only thing that can get Flame out of this hell hole is Maddie. Now, she was a complete surprise for me. Up until this point we only got to see her as the silent girl sitting around and ignoring the world. Not an unusual thing when you consider the things she endured all her life living in the abusive cult. But to my great pleasure she actually was the anchor here. The tables are turned, whereas in the first two instalments the girls needed saving this time around Maddie is the one extending the hand. Yes, Flame and Maddie save each other, but I think it is safe to say without her resilience and devotion Souls Unfractured would have been half as good and they would still be watching each other through a window.
One thing that really stood out for me in this book was the friendship between Flame, Viking and AK - the so called ‘psycho trio’. I loved their untouchable loyalty and bond. There is nothing they wouldn’t do for each other. Really a remarkable thing.
What else is there to say? Cain is a tool, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. I hear one of the next books will be about him. Keeping my fingers crossed for him.
After reading me gushing about this book, you might wonder why there are only 4.95 stars. There was one little twist that was just unnecessary and redundant in my humble opinion. In the end it was only an eye roll moment but I really needed to put it in the rating since it bothered me nonetheless. If you scream at your kindle 'not again' something must be wrong. ;D But in the grand scheme of things it really doesn't matter.
All in all, I have to say this was my absolutely favourite couple in the series so far. The love story was so incredibly beautiful, moving and I will treasure it for a long time. The writing is on point. When you can't keep reading because of all the tears you are shedding you just know something must be right.
Thank you for the memories, Ms. Cole!
**ARC very kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Excerpt
“Maddie? What’s wrong?” Mae said from beside me. Stepping out of Mae’s protective arm, I turned. As soon as I did, a tired looking Flame stood near me. Styx was still talking with his hands, but Flame watched me as I took a hesitant step forward. His dark eyes widened as I continued to slowly, and apprehensively approach. His hands at his sides clenched, and his jaw became rigid with tension.
I heard the quiet sound of Mae rushing to Styx and whispering something I could not hear, but I had one intention, and one intention only.
The smell of oil and leather hit me first, then something I could not make out, something distinctly Flame. Now only a hairsbreadth away from Flame, my eyes now to the ground, a silence had descended on the group.
Clasping my hands together to maintain my composure, I lifted my head. This close, I realized I had missed him with a devastating intensity. I realized, that not once, had I felt safe since he had been gone.
Flame swallowed hard and watched me. My heart fluttered when I admitted to myself that I liked the way he watched me. I liked that, when I was near, the pained expression he always wore fell away.
Steeling my fraying nerves, I whispered, “Thank you.” I inhaled a quick breath to steady my shaking voice, dropped my eyes from his penetrating stare, and added, “Thank you. Thank you for saving my life.”
About the 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.
Books by this author I have read:
(click cover for amazon link - reviews below)
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