Raphael
(Deadly Virtues #1)
By: Tillie Cole
Genre: Dark Romance
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: June 17th, 2019
My Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Kindle
Arc received for review
Blurb:
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).
Advanced Copy Received For Review Purposes
Raphael is Raw, Gritty, and Downright Dirty!
Be warned, it is highly recommended you read The Fallen: Genesis before diving into Raphael. Raphael is the first full length novel in the Deadly Virtues series by Tillie Cole. If romances with dark sexual tastes isn’t your thing, I highly recommend you skip this book. Certain sexy times shocked the hell out me even me!
‘The true beauty of the kill
lay in the remaining perfection in the aftermath.’
Raphael is danger wrapped in a dirty sexy as sin package. His fantasy is to find someone who will forever be his, in life and in death. His little rose.
I was intrigued by Raphael from the start. Having grown up the way he did this man thinks of sex and death in the same way. His passion is his pain and the pain of others is his ultimate fantasy. He lures his victims in with his angelic looks and his sexy as sin body. But what his victims don’t realize until it’s far too late, this man is the exact opposite of an angel, he’s a lust killer.
‘Mercy was never awarded by the Fallen.
No one was ever spared.
There was no goodness in their souls.
Tears and cries rolled off their consciences like raindrops;
protests and pleas made them smile.’
Maria came as a surprise to me, I honestly didn’t think I would like her character very much. When it comes to writing a timid character it has to be done right or I’m not into it. With Maria though, Tillie Cole hit the hammer on the nail. I was blown away by her character. I loved the bits of fear and anguish and I also loved her strength. It takes a lot to put yourself willinging in the hands of a killer. But most of all I was enamoured by how Maria was with Raphael. She’s the calm to his dark raging storm. She’s a breath of fresh air to his entrapment. She’s the exact body and soul that keep his demons happy.
‘Maria kept her gaze fixed on the beautiful man before her.
The man who would send her soul to reside in heaven among the angels and saints.
This man they called Raphael.
Her beautiful killer.
Overall, I’m not going to lie, this series is freaking crazy! But sometimes we all need a little crazy in our lives, and Tillie Cole has delivered it on a silver tray. Some of the sexual material in Raphael came across as very disturbing. If you are a reader who loves this aspect to dark romances, I feel like this book should definitely be on your tbr. For me though, I could have done without a few scenes and that is why I gave this one a 4 star instead of a full 5 star rating.
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2XvJrSA
Amazon Worldwide: http://viewbook.at/RaphaelTC
Peace Love and Happy Reading,
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