Scarred Souls (TEAM Zulu 4) by Julie Weaver-review tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 22, 2024

Vaughn

The macabre tattoos concealing my scars deliver a clear warning. They scream that I’m vicious, unhinged, and to stay the hell away. My venomous tongue only reinforces that message.

Which means I’m the worst guy on my black ops team to babysit a cartel princess.
Once she spills the location of her father’s hideout, my team will take him down, and she’ll be free. Adiós. Good riddance.

Except her amber eyes, sassy mouth, and sinful curves draw me in like a siren’s song. And when guarding her becomes an unhealthy obsession, it’s clear the defiant little minx is working her way under my ruined skin.

But I can’t risk letting her get close. If she touches me, I could break her.

Hope

I have a new identity, a new home, and a new peaceful life in a seaside village. All of it will come crashing down if the cartel discovers I’m still alive.

Then he sweeps into my world like a bad omen. Huge. Menacing. The Grim Reaper in the flesh. I tell myself the shiver his piercing dark eyes sends through my body is from fear, but my erratic heartbeat calls me a liar.

The worst part? He knows who I am, he knows what I’m hiding, and he’s not leaving my side until I submit to every one of his demands. In an ironic twist of fate, Grim might be the only thing standing between me and the dangerous men I’ve escaped.

He says he’s broken, that one touch of his scarred flesh will unleash a crazed beast. But I don’t believe my lethal protector would ever hurt me.

And I’ll do whatever it takes to tear down his walls and prove it.

••••••

REVIEW:SCARRED SOULS is the fourth instalment in Julie Weaver’s contemporary, adult TEAM ZULU erotic, romantic suspense series, and the first book in Vaughn and Hope’s duet. This is former US Navy/Special Ops members Vaughn Decker, and Hope Lopez’ story line. SCARRED SOULS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Hope and Vaughn) SCARRED SOULS follows Vaughn Decker on his latest assignment in Mexico, hunting down the head of a Mexican Cartel, a man involved in human trafficking, drugs and weapons but Vaughn never expected to come face to face with a woman who has seen her own fair share of abuse and torture, a woman whose own secrets run dangerous and deep. Enter Hope Lopez, bartender and dog rehabber, and the woman with whom Vaughn will fall in love. As Vaughn struggles with his attraction to the woman whose own life is spiraling out of control, Hope’s only chance is to trust our hero, or run for her life.

The world building focuses on several pathways including the brutal history that destroyed Vaughn’s faith in humanity, and Hope’s belief in family and love. As the search for the heads of the Mexican Cartel continues, the need to stop the distribution of weapons and drugs, and the abduction of women and children is foremost on their mind. More or less on his own, Vaughn quickly discovers not all is as it appears to be, and he too must learn to trust a woman whose keeping secret a threat to them all.

The relationship between Vaughn and Hope begins acrimoniously. Hope is not whom she claims to be, and in this, Vaughn struggles with the reality of what is . In hiding from her past, Hope believes she is a target, and Vaughn may be the man to destroy her heart. The $ex scenes are provocative and intense.

The secondary and supporting characters are limited although there are numerous tertiary side characters throughout. We are introduced to Hope’s best friend and physician Daphne, as well as the return of Brandon and Sage (The Payback #2).

SCARRED SOULS is a story of secrets and lies, power and control, friendships and acceptance, tragedy and survival. The premise is haunting and captivating; the romance is spicy; the characters are desperate and determined.

 

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
The Hit
The Payback
The Heist

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Julie Weaver is a RWAus Emerald Award winner and author of spicy, action-packed romantic suspense novels.
Her Team Zulu series features morally gray, ex-elite military heroes and the feisty, kick-ass heroines who challenge them.
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