Blood and Chaos by S.M. Soto

Sophia is the definition of purity and innocence, caught up in a world of violence. She was my white rose. Pure at heart, and vibrant in her depths.

We thought the games were over, but they've only just begun...

She was the puppet.
He pulled the strings.
Now the death toll is rising, what could this mean?
It was all a game.
Of feelings.
Of pain.
Death is just an illusion, or so they say.
She was just a pawn on a piece of his demented board. But there's only one question left to settle the score…Can dead people really stay dead?

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Review of Deception and Chaos (book 1)

If you like your dark romance to be raw, gritty and brutal, you're going to love this one! Picking up right where the author left us on the proverbial cliff, Sophia is in danger and Creed is the only one who can save her... again.

One of the things I loved most about this book was the fact that readers get Creed's point of view. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you! I wasn't only hearing how amazing he was, how dangerous he could be, how cold he could feel, or imagining how his still waters ran deep... I got to feel like I experienced it. His voice was much appreciated and I loved everything the author did with this lethal character.

The kill. The bloodshed. The torture. I lived for it. I thrived on it. Making someone bleed and beg for life is what I fucking lived for.

Finlay was determined to keep Creed and Sophia apart. More of his craziness was revealed and I was horrified for what Sophia was forced to endure. The author did an amazing job of capturing the cruel beatings she suffered, the insidious nature of Finlay, and Sophia's desperate attempts to escape her situation. On the other side of things, Creed was dealing with what he agreed to do in order to get his father's help in finding and rescuing Sophia -- taking back his place in la familia as The Ghost. He had to take out those who messed with the family, keep Sophia's importance and her pregnancy away from rivals, and ferret out a rat.

Amidst all the gunshots, blood and pain, the love between Creed and Sophia didn't suffer at all.

I kiss her like my life depends on it. I kiss her like a man starved. I kiss her like a man in love.

And...

Even with all the chaos surrounding us, the same chaos that seems to follow us, she’s all I see. All I ever feel. All I fucking want.

Blood and Chaos gave me an adrenaline-filled, terror-inducing continuation of this story and I was on edge from beginning to end. Right when you think you have everything figured out or that the couple will see some calm, the author would shake things up again. I love how Soto doesn't shy away from delivering the ugly and terrifying and exhilarating journey she intends for her characters. After another tortuous adventure and a kindle-throwing cliffy, I'm excited to find out how things conclude in the next book.

• ────── ✾ ────── •

Okay, so if you've read my last review, you know that I have no love for Sophia. I don't hate her, but this girl was created to be an idiot. This book could have been a five-star read, but there were too many instances in which Sophia messed it up. She keeps bringing me down.

“Listen to me, Creed. It’s not your job to save me. I’m not some damsel in distress."

Really? When was he not supposed to see you as a damsel, as a woman who needed protection? Was it when, after you got kidnapped by human traffickers, beaten to hell and back, your measly and pathetic attempts of defiance getting you nowhere, your absolute lack of defensive skills, and he found you next to death on the floor of a mansion in which you were being sold? Or was it when Finlay took you and you cried and pleaded for mercy because that has worked so well for you before? Or was it when you cowered and closed your eyes in every single dangerous situation as if closing your eyes would stop it from happening? Maybe he figured you were absolutely no help to yourself or your unborn baby because it's the truth!

Creed is gone? With Clarence? What the hell was Creed doing in Ohio and why in God’s name did he need Clarence?

Why does this matter? What do you understand about his life that would give you the insight to draw conclusions or make reasonable suggestions? Clarence is one of his men. So wouldn't it be a given that he would have his men with him? Why does this chick who knows nothing and offers nothing always think she needs to know everything and why does she act like because she has Creed's heart she has the right to ask anything? It reminds me of when she asked him not to go on a mission in the last book. Know your place!

My upper lips curls and my hand reaches out to strike Creed across his face, anything to slap some sense into him, but he catches my wrist midair.

I feel like she took way too many hits to her head. I'm never a fan of lovers putting their hands on each other in violent ways. To actually go and slap him in the face? Part of me wished she would so she could get her ass handed to her. Sounds messed up, right? I didn't want him to hit her back, obviously, but I did want him to firmly put her in her place. Maybe then she'd stop acting like a damn child.

“I’ve had eyes on the estate. I’ve just been waiting for confirmation that the eagle left the nest. And she did, just like I knew she would.” My heart cracks and I whimper. I should’ve listened to Garrett. I should’ve followed Creed’s instructions. God, what have I done?

I don't even think I need to really say anything here. She realized she was a silly fool, right? Maybe she will finally stop pissing everyone off and start thinking of someone other than herself. Like maybe the vulnerable fetus in her uterus!!

So yeah, this character REALLY pisses me off, but not enough to stop me from continuing with the trilogy. I've already started Love and Chaos.

This review is of an ebook purchase from Amazon

S.M. Soto was born and raised in Northern California where she currently resides with her son. Her love for reading began when she was a young girl, and has only continued to grow into adulthood. S.M. lives for reading books in the romance genre and writing novels with relatable characters. She refers to herself as a bit of a romance junkie. S.M. loves to connect with readers and eat copious of donuts that will surely lead to her demise (carbs are life).

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