Blog Tour, Excerpt & ARC Review: Raphael (Deadly Virtues, #1) by Tillie Cole

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Synopsis

They are the Fallen. A brotherhood of murderers whose nature compels them to kill. But guided by their leader, Gabriel, the Fallen have learned to use their urges to rid the world of those it is better off without.

For Raphael, sex and death are intertwined. Where there is one, there must be the other. He is a lust killer, luring his victims with the face of an angel and a body built for sin.

And Raphael lives to sin.

His newest mission takes him into the sadistic underworld of Boston’s secret sex clubs, and puts him face to face with his greatest fantasy made flesh.

Maria is everything he’s ever dreamed of, the kill he’s always longed for. She’s not his target. And he knows he must resist. But the temptation is too strong…

Yet Raphael is not the only one with a mission. Maria is not quite what she seems. And as her secrets and Raphael’s unravel, Maria begins to question everything she thought she knew—about evil, about the place she calls home, and about the beautiful sinner she was sent to destroy.

Dark Contemporary Romance. Contains sexual situations, violence, sensitive and taboo subjects, offensive language and topics some may find triggering. Recommended for age 18 years and up.

The Fallen: Genesis a prequel novella in The Deadly Virtues Series and MUST be read before RAPHAEL (DV: book one).

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Review

WTF did I just read?

In a first for me, I truly have no idea how to rate this book. It definitely does not deserve a low rating, but I also can’t say that I loved it. It’s a very well written book and an intriguing, well put-together story, but the subject matter proved to be a bit extreme for me, so I’m writing my feels and staying away from judging it based on a star rating.

Let me preface this review by saying that I’m a huge fan of Tillie Cole. I’m also a huge fan of dark romance. But in a blazing case of ‘it’s not you – it’s me’, this book has completely flummoxed me The writing is stellar as always, Tillie gets you into the hearts and minds of her characters, and herein lies the problem – I’m not sure that’s somewhere I really wanted to be.

Cole warned that this series was going to be darker than dark, and she gave us a taste of that with the must-read prequel novella The Fallen: Genesis. She’s taken it even further with this book. Holy wow. This book pushes a lot of boundaries, and I almost DNF’d it, but I persevered and I’m glad that I read it through, but damn, it was hard reading at times.

Pulling no punches, Tillie takes us on a wildly depraved ride that is full of violence, death, torture, self harm, sexual assault and rape (all of that against both adults and children and all occurring on the page) as well as all kinds of psychological fuckery. If you have triggers for any of these, I seriously suggest you think strongly about whether to read this book. Some scenes turned my stomach and actually made me feel physically ill. Seriously people… it’s DARK!

This is Raphael’s story. I won’t go into his background, because you need to have read the prequel novella The Fallen: Genesis before starting this series, as it gives you the context that you need to understand the story and its characters. Evil and debauched, Raphael is a man deeply traumatised by his past and who is driven by his need to kill. He has killed before, he kills in this book, and his need for violence and pain motivates everything about him. His latest mission brings him face to face with his greatest fantasy in the shape of a beautiful, innocent young woman, and he knows that he has to have her.

Maria is a complex character herself. She has a tragic past which has understandably left her forever altered, impacting who she is and her whole belief system. She has a mission of her own which brings her into Raphael’s path, and being with him is going to open her eyes to a whole new world of passion, love and devastating secrets, and leave her facing the unthinkable.

“I will make you feel, little rose. Feel things you have never even entertained … You just have to say yes. I want your consent. Your consent, little rose . . .” He smiled. “And then your soul.”

Yes, there is a love story, but like the rest of the book, it’s very unconventional. In an ordinary book I would have found it completely unbelievable, but in this book, it’s pretty much anything goes, so I just went with it. Raphael and Maria together are mesmerising. There’s darkness there, of course, but there are moments of tenderness, vulnerability and beauty, and Tillie writes them and their time together with such emotion.

Maria felt as though they were on a stage, two scarred souls finding one another in the unlikeliest of settings, something strong and unyielding pushing them together, each easing the other of their terrors and pains.

But it’s all underpinned by a whole lot of ‘WTF’, and as much as I wanted to feel it, I didn’t connect with the characters or their romance as much as wanted.

Raphael’s brothers are all a part of the book, and I really enjoyed their camaraderie. They each have dark demons that they are wrestling with – some of them definitely more disturbing than others – and all of them are driven by the same need to kill, but there are moments of… not lightness, but scenes that are lighter than others, and those are the ones I loved. But honestly, the thought of reading full-length books about some of these guys really creeps me out.

There are also strong themes of religion, in particular the ritual and ceremony of the Catholic Church, most of it very extreme, adding to the sombre, gloomy mood of the story.

There is a happy ending… well, it ends in a good place for these characters, let’s just say that. But evil is still lurking, and with six more of the brothers to have their stories told, there’s a whole lot more action for The Fallen to come.

Definitely not a book for everyone (myself included), but those who prefer their romance on dark and disturbing side with strong fortitudes (and stomachs) will love it.

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An Advanced Reader Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Deadly Virtues

Will eventually be a 7-book series (plus the prequel novella). Must be read in order.

The Fallen: Genesis (#0.5)
Review
Buy: Amazon

Raphael (#1)
Review
Buy: Amazon

Jegudiel (#2)
Buy: Amazon

Excerpt

Trigger warning – graphic sex and violence. May be disturbing to some readers.

Spoiler

Father Murray’s eyes locked on the woman again as she was released from the metal cage and brought into her lover’s embrace. The man slammed his mouth against hers and thrust his fingers into her overused pussy. They were dressed in scandalous leather outfits that did little to conceal their bodies. Father Murray’s lip curled in disgust. The man pulled back and made for the bar. His slut’s cheeks were flushed, and her lips were swollen from the claiming kiss. She had red marks littering her body like the witch she was. Bruises and gashes from whips and chains and whatever else the male sinner had used on her flesh.

Flesh that belonged to the Lord, not her. Flesh that she was defiling, making a mockery of.

As Father Murray sipped on his water, he noticed the whore was walking to the bathrooms. His eyes tracked her across the room, then scanned the club for any sign that someone else would follow. But the heathens were too busy fornicating to notice or care. His heart kicked into a sprint; she was alone in the bathroom. He squeezed the bottle of water until it was crushed beneath his grasp.

Father Murray’s skin burned as he watched the door of the bathroom. His muscles tensed so tightly they felt as though they would snap. His eyes misted with red . . . and then he was moving. He let the Lord fill his senses and gave over control.

Do with me what you will. Use me as your vessel to destroy the evil walking this earth.

As quick as a shadow, Father Murray turned the knob of the bathroom door and walked inside. The whore stood in front of the mirror, wiping a cloth along her rancid pussy. She turned her eyes his way. What first seemed like shock at the interruption turned into heated interest.

“Can I help you?” Her voice was all seduction. The voice of the devil, Father Murray thought. A living temptation trying to sway me from the path.

It would only make her cleansing all the more powerful.

Father Murray licked his lips and pushed his jaw-length dark hair from his eyes. He saw the whore’s eyes flare. That was the reason he was picked for these missions. Father Quinn had told him God gave him his looks and body for this very reason. To ensnare impure sluts and send them to the depths of hell where they belonged and would dwell for eternity.

Silently, Father Murray turned, giving the slightest nudge of his head in instruction for her to follow. He didn’t look back, and the thumping music from the speakers in the club meant he couldn’t hear her high-heeled feet on the floor. But he knew she would follow. It was God’s will.

These missions were the Brethren’s very reason for existing.

Father Murray exited out of the back door and down the winding fire escape stairs. A metal door plunged him into the darkness of the alley outside. He stopped against the wall and waited. He smirked when the fire door opened and the slut walked through. He watched as her eyes squinted in the dark, searching for him. She smiled when she caught sight of his intense gaze fixed on her. “You like privacy, huh?” she asked, coming to stand before him. “Not into public displays?” She smiled. “You should try it. There’s nothing like all eyes on you as you come.”

The whore ran her long fingernail down Father Murray’s chest. Her touch did nothing to him. There was no stirring in his cock, no satisfaction from her attention. The bitch had no idea what turned him on.

She would soon.

She dropped her hands to the fly of his pants and undid his zipper. Her tongue snaked out and licked along her too-white teeth. The whore was a demon wrapped in attractive female flesh.

But she wouldn’t make this man of God sin.

Father Murray grabbed the top of the whore’s arms, spun her, and smacked her back against the wall. An innocent soul would feel fear, dislike of the rough contact. But not this slut. She smiled, enjoying the pain Father Murray’s aggressive grip brought.

Heathen. A heathen who deserves to die.

“Are you gonna fuck me or what?” she whispered in his ear. The whore lifted her hand and flipped her hair back over her shoulder, aiming for seductiveness. Father Murray knew the movement was a message from the Lord. An invitation to strike, to do his work of ridding the world of sinners.

Father Murray smiled; the whore smiled back. He didn’t bother to tuck his cock back into his pants. Instead, he ran his hands over her hell-created curves, listening to her moan. His fingers roved over her small waist and up over her large breasts. Finally, his hands rested on either side of her neck. Father Murray stared right into the whore’s eyes. Leaning in close, he whispered, “You are a blight on the world. You have no place on this earth . . . and I shall be the holy warrior to send you back to the second level of hell.” Her eyes only had a second to flare with fear before Father Murray began to squeeze. The whore’s mouth dropped open as she quickly became starved of breath.

Father Murray hadn’t been aroused by the whore’s touch. But now, with his hands ridding her of life, his dick was hard and throbbing with the need to release. He panted as the whore’s body began to fight back. But she was too weak; he was too strong. He pressed his wide chest against her tits and pushed her hard into the wall. The friction of her skin against his erection only heightened his excitement. Father Murray rocked against the front of her bare pussy, his hands tightening and tightening until the whore’s eyes began to bulge. She clawed at his chest. But the battle, the pain she was trying to inflict on his pure soul, only made his hold around her neck tighten.

About the Author

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.