This is the final book in the Scarred Souls series. Of course anything written by Tillie Cole is a must read and this was one of my favourites in the series.

It is the culmination of all the 4 men and their partners. It is an insight into the evil of how one person controls the minds and bodies of others for his personal gain and his eventual demise at the hands of these persons. When reading this book there are many emotions to be felt, the love for these characters is overwhelming and the goodness that is really in 901's heart when he finally gives in to 152 overflows.

There is a lot of violence in these books but it is all relative to the story of underground fighting to the death. There is also the terrible reality of child stealing which breaks my heart but is also a large part of the story. Absolutely loved reading this book, especially when there is the appearance of the characters of the previous books.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review another great read.

From the very first book in this series, I've been addicted - especially to the audio versions with their drop-dead sexy accents that place readers right in the middle of the action. These narrators were perfect for this Russian Bratva series.

There is everything a reader could want in a dark romance... the intrigue, the suspense, the drama, the romance, and at last - the victory! And in this book, readers get the grand finale of victories. It's cheer inducing! You must, must, must listen to this series in order. It's absolutely the only way to get the full effect.

I review for the Guilty Indulgence Book Club. FULL REVIEW via enclosed link...

Tillie Cole's dark romance spins a tale of mobsters, slavery, unspeakable acts and children who are stolen from their homes and take to hell. A hell where a psycho man rules his minions, turning children into soldiers, warriors, whores and servants. In a world of darkness, pain, torture and oblivion, people are turned into monsters and their existence is maintained for the entertainment of one man. The master. The devil himself. In this world, everyone is a captive, ripped of their free will and their identity. They are drugged, raped and killed. There is no happiness or joy. The drugs bring on lust for sex or for the kill and Arziani controls them all. But he too has a weakness, his high Mona. Slave 152 is beautiful. So beautiful, the master wants her for himself. But when his champion shows interest in her, Arziani finally sees the way to fully break him. Prisoner 901 is the Blood Pit's prize fighter. He is unrivalled and refuses to submit to the master. Until the most beautiful woman he has ever seen brings him to his knees. A dark and intense tale of fight for freedom, love and revenge. A romance so hot it will take your breath away.

I'd recommend reading the Scarred Souls series but it's not 100% necessary although it would make the final third part of this book make more sense.

152/Mona, the h, and 901, the H, are basically slaves fighting for their lives on a daily basis. 152 fighting against the Master and 901 fighting for the Master/his life. It's ugly and raw but there's some beauty and hope to the way these two MCs fight to survive individually. And how they slowly start to fight together to be together is sweet in a way that only a gulag relationship can be.

As I finished this series I was exhausted for these couples throughout this series. Their lives were daily ugly fights and it was nice to see them all get their HEAs.

★★★★★
5 Warrior Stars


Trust Tillie Cole and the Scarred Series to get me out of my reading hiatus and devour a book in less than 24 hours.


“I think it means we are… happy.”

“Happy. Together, we make happiness.”


Like any other stories, fiction or real life, it’s not always all happy all the way. Riot shows us the many bumps and heartaches we must endure to finally reach the happiness we want and never let it go. 901 and 152 were examples of how never giving up even though you want to and finding your other half’s meaning is worth all of it.


The added POV of Luka added color and depth to the story, so did Zaal and Valentin. Their roles in this book was important and I don’t think the author could have finally ended that hell of a place and that monster of a “master” better than how it went down.


The first 3 books of this series made me emotional, not the ugly cry kind but the one where I felt like my heart is aching and I couldn’t do anything to help the characters. Riot was no different. I shed painful tears and happy tears. I held my breath for both Inessa and her male to finally be free.


“You are more. My more.”


Riot is beautiful in its rawness and grit in showing how love, loyalty, and family can power through anything. I don’t think any review can delve into what kind of emotions you’ll get out of it until you personally experience it. Riot, and the entire Scarred Souls Series, is best to be experienced. It would be like watching a TV series and you will end up binging on each episode, in this case, on each book.

I would suggest reading this series in order. I read this book as a standalone, and while I did not have an issue with it you could tell that it did reference the previous books occasionally. I would say by chapter 5 I was hooked all the way. I think it would be impossible not to be hooked with this book. It is so thrilling! Even as I am writing this review, I can practically feel my blood pumping like my adrenaline was running. That is how entrance you will become. I do feel like it was a little predictable at parts, and that the ending was lacking some. But other than that, I really like what Tillie Cole did.

This was my first read by this author and I am looking forward to reading more. The story had me hooked from beginning to end. The characters are amazing and story is filled with drama and emotion. This is a dark read so be prepared. I loved it!

I was so looking forward to reading this new story in the Scarred Souls series. Tillie did not disappoint in giving us a twisted suspenseful read. I was taken aback by the sci-fi/ paranormal elements but the story was well written and the plot was tight enough that it drew me in and I was not disappointed.
Then the ending completely blew me away so...yeah! Well worth the read!

I love every book in this series, and this one was no exception! I am going to miss these characters so much! This was another amazing story from the always amazing Tillie Cole!

Good Lord! I got this novel from NetGalley, having heard of the series but never read it, so I didn’t realise that it was, in fact, the finale to the series. It can be read as a standalone but probably best read in order, so I’ll definitely be backtracking to read the previous novels very soon.

This was an ABSOLUTELY THRILLING read!! It’s Spartacus and Gladiator (incidentally, one of my favourite films of all time) for the modern age.

It’s brutal, harsh, and horrifically violent, but a true love story of forbidden passion! The wonders of first love and the tenderness juxtaposed next to the violence made it all stand out in stark relief. God, I just LOVED it!

“I owned this sand.
I owned every soul freed in this ring.
“In the Blood Pit, I was god.”

901 is the Master’s champion - the famed Russian Pit Bull of the Arziani Blood Pit. Fierce, cold and unbeatable. He keeps himself closed off, aloof and uncaring. A warrior of warriors.

“I was a mona. A slave used for her body, to give males pleasure whenever they wished.”

152 is the Master’s new personal whore – the High Mona. Beautiful, submissive and coveted. A modern-day Helen of Troy.

“I do want you…but I just can’t let you have me…it’ll make me weak.”

The evil, despicable Master Arziani is determined to break 901’s defiance. When he sees 901 eyeing his new High Mona, he forces her presence on him. Locked together in a cell, and 152 injected with a drug that sends her libido soaring, and the only thing to alleviate the pain is the physical release of a male inside her. In spite of his jealousy and possessiveness over 152, Master is hell-bent on breaking his champion, finding his weakness so that he will bend to his will. What Master hadn’t counted on was the possibility that 152 might form an attachment for the champion.

Elsewhere in the world, plans are afoot to bring down Arziani’s blood-soaked empire and deliver freedom to those he has enslaved.

“You have made me feel, in here. You have made me want things I never dare let myself want. You have made me want to fight for survival, not pride. I no longer want to die on the pit’s sand, like a warrior. I no longer want to die at all…You make me want to live.”

This was such an EXCITING read! It showcased all the feels – agony, fear, hate, fury, passion, love. The author really brought it all to life like an epic movie. I could feel the tension, the roar of the crowd, the gritty sand beneath my feet. It’s heart-pumping stuff! Then you have the romance. Two people who have been conditioned as slaves since children, constantly drugged, not knowing what that funny feeling they get in their chests is.They had been exposed to so much brutality and cruelty that any kindness or happiness is completely alien to them. I adored their tender words to each other and the absolute wonder of finding beauty in the ugly prison of their lives. A Top Read 2017.

AHHHHHH!!! THIS BOOK! I stumbled upon this series when book three was released and I started there. I WAS ENRAPTURED BY THAT BOOK. So it's understandable that I would be counting down the days until book 4 was in my hands. I was very excited but nervous to read Riot. All that we went through in Ravage made me prepare for what was in store in Riot. I was NOT PREPARED!!!

In Riot, the book starts introducing "901", the blood Pit's best, most lethal, undefeated fighter. The Blood Pit needs something or someone he can use against 901 so far he hasn't found anything, until he introduces him to "152", his new pleasure slave. 901 is IMMEDIATELY drawn to 152's beauty. 152 finds that even though she is forced to live in hell, love can be found.

This book had me hooked from the first page forward. I could NOT put this book down even for one second. Basically nothing got done in my house and I had to take a vacation day to finish it. It was that good. Every single emotion is felt while reading this book, just like with book three. Tillie Cole has become a favorite author now. Anyone that can write like she writes, and describe a setting so thoroughly it's like you're there and you're experiencing what her characters are experiencing. She is a GENIUS!!

I am rating this book 5 stars because this book had everything. Seriously anyone that can read dark themes will LOVE this series. Even if dark themes make you nervous (they make me nervous, I tend to stay away from dark books) I recommend giving this series a try! I have read book three and now four and plan to go back and read book one and two because of how much I loved these books.

Arc given by netgalley.
This is the first in this series for me.... even though Book 4..
I really liked it.. this book is dark but really really good... it's got the romance vibe to it... lots of action & distraction too... it grabs you and you don't want to stop.. I'm going to have to ck out the others in this series now.. start at the beginning 😊

Thank you for the awesome read!! Gail with night and Day Book Blog

I received an arc in exchange for an honest review

OMG, reading this ARC for the second time brought tears to my eyes.
What a perfect way to end a book....
To end a series...

The journey Riot took me on, I honestly wasn't expecting it. I knew Tillie Cole would dig deep into whatever magic box she gets her fabulous ideas from and give us something good but what I got I couldn't have imagine in a million years.

Brilliance.
A fight for the books.
Love.
Passion.
Heart.

Listen, this book wasn't just simply good it was beyond amazing. I think I said that already but for good measure I will say it again lol.
This book is everything!!! The characters, the blood pit fights, a little glimmer of hope sometimes. Riot follows the story of 152 and 901 but don't worry some of our favorites makes an appearance also.

Does anyone try to mimic these characters voices when reading lol. I have found myself doing this a lot and I always ask myself why?lol.

Overall, a great way to end this series. A great pace, lots of blood, mystery and most of all a love story.
I won't get into too much about the story because you have to go into it blind, experience it all. Queue the fighting music and start reading.

I have been so excited to read Riot ever since we met Valentin and learned about Inessa in Ravage and Ms. Cole did not disappoint! It was even better than I was expecting and while they were high, they were easily reached. Riot was just outstanding and it's without a doubt one of the best books I've read so far this year!

Inessa wasn't at all who I thought she would be. I thought she was going to be dark and indifferent, but nothing could be further from the truth. Granted, she can't remember every bad thing that happened to her, she senses and knows things, but that hasn't made her into a hard person. Inessa is soft and so sweet, she's really a bright spot in a world full of darkness. She is just so kind, but she's also strong, full of spirit, and has an iron will. There wasn't anything that I didn't loved about Inessa - she's absolutely amazing!

I fell so hard for Ilya. He does everything he can to make sure he has no weaknesses and he's cold, stoic, and hard at first, but once he meets Inessa and spends time with her, his walls start crumbling down. And when they do - oh, it was so beautiful and heart melting to watch. I think I said it in another Scarred Souls book review, but there's something about these warriors that get you and Ilya was no different. What he feels for Inessa is so pure and true and undeniable that it just touches your heart and you can't help but lose your heart to him and the others. Ilya completely and utterly stole my heart - I loved him wholly.

I don't know if Riot is the last book in this series - I sincerely hope that it's not - but if it is, then Ms. Cole definitely saved the best for last! There was so much heart and meat and bones to this book. It's a heart pounding, thrilling, action-packed story that is heartbreaking, gut wrenching, and breathtaking. Riot is beautiful, sweet, and epic - I just wholeheartedly loved it!

Riot is the fourth book in the Scarred Souls series and while you could read it as a standalone, I would recommend reading them in order. It's mostly told from Ilya and Inessa's POV, but we do hear from Luca as well and Ilya and Inessa get their well-deserved, hard-fought happily-ever-after ending!

~ A Hopeless Romantic's Booklandia, 5 Stars

"Thieves can become saints. Saints came become thieves. Most of us deserve a second chance."

Like everyone else who read the first book in this series, I was chomping at the bit wondering what the heck was going to happen after that beauty of a cliffhanger was inflicted on us.

This story picks right up right where we left it, Elle is in a car being driven away from all that she loves by a deranged nutter. Pepper Winters does a fantastic job portraying just how crazy this guy is. I. Hated. Him. However, as much as I disliked him, he was the ultimate book villain.

Everyone is looking for Elle and even though she feels completely helpless, at least she knows that she has people in her life who will stop at nothing to save her. And there was only one person that I wanted that honor bestowed on :)

"There stood Nameless, not Penn. The man in the hoodie who drove off two men to protect me. He’d drive himself off, too, if it meant protecting me from him."

Let's flash back a bit though. Before she was taken, Elle had been at charity ball when she discovered some things about that night three years ago. She knew that Penn had secrets and despite promising to eventually reveal them to her, some of them began to unravel in front of her. Feeling angry, confused and deceived by Penn, she fled the ball needing time to digest what she thought she had figured out.

Why had Penn Everett shown up so unexpectedly, forcing his way into her life, her mind, her heart and her bedroom. What does he know about what happened to her in that back alley and was he there? Was he one of the attackers? And what about Nameless? Who is he and where did he go?

Once Elle is safely back home there is no room for kicking back and relaxing. She now has a new fight on her hands. She has found the man she has been wondering about for three years and she finally has the chance to pay him back for what he selflessly did for her that awful night in that back alley. It is the least she can do. She is determined to prove to him that he matters and she will stand by him as he faces what seem like insurmountable odds stacked against him.

"I'd fallen so fucking hard in only a heartbeat. She'd been the only good thing in my world. The only light after so much darkness. How could I control my free fall when she treated me with such kindness."

Elle has gone from being a sweet daddy's girl to a kick arse chick willing to do anything for the man she loves. She is tired of having people, especially men, make decisions for her and she takes the power back. Even her father grows a pair in this story! I loved everything about this exciting conclusion to what has been a fantastic, page turning tale of love, sacrifice & redemption .

SO GOOD, SO GOOD, SO, SO GOOD!!!!

5 stars!

I love this series - a collection of dark and gritty romances tied together through family, loyalty, and a hideous shared nightmare. Tillie Cole has brought it all together for this final book, and she absolutely nailed it with a heart-achingly beautiful love story set in tragic circumstances, and a kickass ending that had my heart pounding and feels all over the freaking place. It’s everything that I wanted from this book, and I absolutely loved it!

ARC PROVIDED BY THE NETGALLERY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW....

I never write a long review. But I felt like this book needed it. so I had it all down and IDK what happend......it's F*CKING GONE! WTF! JUST GONE!!!

Ugh. I'm so mad I'm NOT writing another long review. Basically my review was this book is too well written for me. What do I mean? Mrs. Cole is too good of a author is what I mean. I just FELT so much for these characters, Almost to the point that I could get though this book. Some subject matter I can't handle and 152 life was just too hard for me. I know I'm a baby but when i see something I can't handle I look away, turn away change the channel or stop reading with this book I wanted to, but I couldn't. It took my back to Heart Recaptured and Lilah. She was a hard book to read too.
I will say IMO Master Arziani should have been put though more at the end, for all he has done and overseen.

Overall let me say Tillie Cole can write some DARK stuff that has you second guessing yourself. I have read all her books to date and she never disappoints. Well Done!

Riot is one of those stories that sticks with you long after you're done reading it. It's dark, gritty and raw, but with a core of beauty. Ilya, 901, and Inessa, 152, are slaves to the Georgian criminal mastermind of the Arziani family. She's a submissive sex slave and he's the most prized warrior within the Blood Pit. "Because I was the Russian Pit Bull. The collector of souls. This was my domain. The Blood Pit was my arena." The Master has always tried to make 901 submit to him. But, 901 refuses to submit beyond the fighting he has to do for his life. 152 is the Master's newest Mona, his newest pet slave. He seems to be more excited about her than he is about his usual slaves.But, as excited as he is about his newest pet, he's more thrilled with the idea of getting 901 to submit to him. So he comes up with a plan to use 152. He plans on making her become 901's one and only weakness, then he'll use her against 901 to gain his submission.

I have to say that I haven't hated a character as much as the Master in a long, long time. But, I truly hate the him. He's sick, twisted, psychotic and truly evil. Not a villain I love to hate, I simply hate him with no love in the equation. But, there is love in the equation for Ilya and Inessa. And their love is beautiful, even as they're surrounded by blood and evil. In each other they find their soul mate. She sees the beauty buried beneath his hulking, scarred exterior. She thought that "this deadly warrior was beautiful. He was simply ... more." In her, he sees the light to guide him from the dark he lives within. She "pumped life back into my dead heart." In each other they find the only happiness they've known for a long time, if ever. "Happy. Together, we make happiness." And ultimately, they find freedom with each other, and within each other. "

Although Riot is rife with violence and bloodshed, the ending more than makes up for all the sadness and evil that came before, it's a really fitting, beautiful ending. Thank you, Tillie, for this beautiful, brutal story!

Riot is not just a book, it was an experience. It took you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions from sadness and despair, to happiness and contentment. You fly from one extreme to the next and was kept guessing and rooting for the good guys to prevail. By the time I got to the end I was so happy the couples were able to get their happy endings and yet sad because the book had to end. Tillie has always been a sure bet for me and this book is exactly why. Enjoy!

I'm hoping that those who read this book take the time to read the first three of the series. Is it necessary? Not really, but if you want to know who everyone is, understand each characters depth and growth, watch what they've been through and had to overcome, see how they effect one another and how they relate to each story, then I strongly suggest it.

The heroine, 152, is a sex slave, a Mona, of the Arziani Georgian crime family and, as most of us know, she's also Valentin's little sister. The drugs she's been given, like all prized slaves of this mob, help to keep her subdued, in a stupor, mess with her memories, and amp up her sex drive. So when she's gifted to the Pit's champion fighter, 901, he tries to send her back. He wants a woman of his very own. And as much as he wants 152, he knows who, or what, she really is. He wants to choose his woman and have her choose him. It doesn't take long for these two to realize just how perfect they are for each other and how well they fit as they hope, dream and plan for their freedom.

Fans of the series, such as myself, will be happy to know that Luka's POV pops up once again. Yup, that pretty much made this story for me. *wink* I have always loved that fierce bad boy with the knuckle dusters, the original conqueror, Raze. *swoon*

Honestly, this book was just as addictive, action-packed and downright compelling as its predecessors and Tillie Cole did a remarkable job of wrapping up all of these stories with a tidy little bow. There were virtually no loose ends and all of the characters, past and present, were given a happy, if not hard-fought, ending. I'm intolerably sad to say goodbye to everyone, especially my baby Luka, but I'm satisfied with how the series ended.

Release Date: March 7, 2017
Genre: Dark Mafia Romance
POV: Primarily dual - 1st person
Steam: 3.5 out of 5
Book Type: Book 4 of the Scarred Souls series
Publisher: St. Martin's Press