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

Riot is the 4th and final installment in the Scarred Souls series from Tillie Cole and I can say with all honesty that it is INSANE yall. FREAKING INSANE! Having read the first three books - Raze, Reap and Ravage (the only one I truly enjoyed was Ravage - im so sorry Ms. Cole) - I was super skeptical going into Riot. But im a HUGE fan of this author and I really wanted to finish out this series, especially after liking Ravage, which was the third book. My mind kept thinking... maybe each one is better than the last. Im beyond thrilled that I did because Riot was just so, so good. It was truly a one-of-a-kind read.
Keeping this review short and spoiler free, I will tell you that if you havent read any of the prior books in this series, you might want to because I would not think that Riot could be read as a stand alone. For me, at least it would just be confusing. Within Riot is a beautiful love story about the hero - 901 is a captive fighter and the heroine - 152, a slave. Tons of action, drama and emotion fill the pages and it was nothing short of a full five star read for me this go around! Tillie Cole definitely ended her Scarred Souls series on a very high note, in my opinion. I loved Riot!

I'd like to first give out a warning that this book is not appropriate at all for anyone under the age of 18. It is certainly an adult novel that deals with many dark romance themes. With that said, this book is absolutely incredible!

I'll be honest and say I actually haven't read the first three books in the series but it did not in any way affect my reading experience which was fantastic! I probably would've been better immersed in the world had I read the previous books (to be honest I didn't know at first that this wasn't necessarily a standalone...oops lol) but Tillie Cole does such a fantastic job of building such an incredible world and taking the time to map out things for her readers that I was able to easily become involved with all the characters old and new!

901 is my latest dark romance book boyfriend! I mean, delicious gladiator?? Sign this girl up! I think what I enjoyed most about 901 as a character is his dedication and passion. I mean he's in a shitty situation being the Master's prize fighter who faces death everyday. Speaking of the Master he's such an evil bad guy! Lately in books I feel like the 'bad guy' or antagonists are just not all that...bad. Tillie obviously knows how to create a stab-worthy villain though. The Master Arziani gets it into his mind that he needs to break 901, and what better way to do that than through 152, a beautiful trained mona whose skill set is drawing in and seducing men. Throw in a brother who wants to save his sister and a few characters from the past and you've got a helluva revolution brewing!

While reading this book I felt incredibly connected to 152 and her life, not because I can relate in anyway, because the author knows how to pull you in and grow your attachments to the characters. There are so many scenes where I was so emotional over the situations and to me that is one of the best things about reading. Riot is not a book I will be forgetting anytime soon and I encourage anyone who wants to read about a not-so-perfect and flowery romance to pick up this book! You will not regret it! In the meantime I myself will be picking up the previous books in the series because Tillie Cole is a writing goddess!

Y’all I almost made a terrible, terrible mistake. I was about to abort mission on this book because I thought it was way too dark for my liking. SMH. I would have missed on a freakishly amazing book.

Riot is the story of 152 and 901. They’re slaves to the Master. 901 is the undefeated champion of the Blood Pit but the Master wants him to do as he’s told and for that the Master needs to break 901. When 152 and 901 first meet, the Master knows that he’s found a way of controlling 901. 152 is the Master’s “High Mona”. The Master is obsessed with her. Unfortunately for him, for the plan to work he needs to give 152 to 901. But as 152 and 901 spend more time together, they start to fall for each other and little did the Master know, he would actually break 901 but he would lose his precious “High Mona” at the same time.

I fell in love with both of the main characters because even though they live in what is pretty much hell, they are the kindest human beings ever.
Tillie made an amazing job at writing this book. She blew my mind because 152 and 901 love is so pure that it makes this book be dark and sweet at the same time. I know, you probably think I’m out of my mind but you have to read it to get what I’m talking about.

When I was about halfway through the book I was so darn worried that it wasn’t going to have a good ending. My hope was -1. But Tillie found the perfect ending for 152 and 901. So don’t lose all hope like I did.

Also, this book is a total page turner. It keeps you on your toes. It will give you all of the feels. It has the butterflies, the angst, the anger, the happiness, the love and the hotness. Oh my. I feel myself blushing just thinking about it.

This book is very, very dark and beautiful at the same time. So if you don’t like to read books that contain lots of death and sexual assault and dark themes like that then stay away from this book. When I started reading it I thought I wasn’t going to be able to finish it but I decided to keep reading and thank goodness that I did because I loved it. I absolutely recommend it.

What an ending to an amazing series! Riot was a wild ride and I could not have asked for more. I love these dark tortured souls. Top series for sure, I can't believe its over.

Another great book in the series. We got to spend most of the time in the pits and see how incredibly brutal it is down there. The romance and the action were both top-notch quality.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Tillie Cole knows how to write a book that throws your emotions all over the place. My stomach was in knots reading this and my heart stopped a few times. It's dark, disturbing and Gritty, it can push your boundaries.

I love a good forbidden love story and this was one that was full of angst. 901 & 152 are both prisoners and have been their entire lives. 901 has lived his life protecting himself by never giving his master anything to hold over him. That is until he sees 152, she sparks a change in him.

"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 pits sand, like a warrior. I no longer want to die at all."

⭐️I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of his book in exchange for an honest review from the author⭐

https://facebook.com/Bookloversreview/

Riot is the fourth and last book in ‘the Scarred Souls Series’ by Tillie Cole.

A long time ago 152 had a name – Inessa – and her brother Valentin who was her world. But all is forgotten now. After the Jakhua Clan takes her and her brother, the siblings are separated and trained for different purposes in the Blood Pit. With a powerful experimental drug 152 has been made into the perfect sex slave. She has been abused by men, but now Master of the Blood Pit wants her for himself, to become his High Mona. Master likes to play sick games with his fighters and she becomes a way to control 901.

“Beautiful, he had said. Krasivaya. 901 thought me beautiful. And he had told me so in Russian.

Childhood known as 901 was trained to be a deathly, undefeated fighter. Like all the other fighters he has been given an experimental drug.

“Being with her was like nothing I could have imagined"

901 has seen what getting attached to a female can do to a fighter; he doesn’t want to get weak, because being weak is what a man gets killed in the Pit. But slowly the two – being stripped of their humanity since childhood – find peace in each other’s arms. In a dark cell, deep beneath the ground they learn their names – Inessa and Ilya – and discover there is love and happiness, even if it’s for a few stolen moments.

“You are in my heart. You are in my scarred soul. You are my male. My Ilya… I am not free if I don’t have you.”

Riot is the fourth and last book in ‘the Scarred Souls Series’ by Tillie Cole and takes the reader back to the horrible world of human slavery at its worst; underground fighting and sex slaves. Throughout the previous books we’ve learned about the cruel Master and his Blood Pit, Riot takes us there through the eyes of 152 (her brother’s story is told in Ravage) and 901, one of the fighters. While it’s a dark and gritty story, It is truly an amazing end with heartache along the way.

This is the final book from the Scarred Souls series and in my opinion would be best read after reading the earlier books.

901 and 152 are two individuals who are kidnapped and forced into slavery as children each enduring their own emotional and physical abuse during their captivity. I loved how once again, this was a different and original romance and how are MC's able to fall in love a very naive and unfettered way.

Riot is certainly not a cookie cutter romance and it's dark and gritty. It was very much action packed and I was gripped throughout. This has been a great series and Tillie Cole ended the series on a high,

I was provided a copy of this book from the Publisher via NetGalley; there was no inducement or obligation.

I hadn’t read a good dark romance in a while, so I was in the perfect mood for it when I started Riot! Tillie Cole writes some great dark romances, with intense alphas and obsessive love, which is what I was expecting to get in this final Scarred Souls novel, and I wasn’t disappointed. This finale is a heart-pounding, dramatic ending to this dark, gritty series that I highly enjoy. Every moment in the series has been leading up to this book. If you’re a fan of Scarred Souls, you’ll definitely want to get your hands on Riot!

901 is the most powerful fighter, the Master’s champion, of the blood pit. He was taken as an orphan and groomed to be the violent, killing machine that he is now. He is undefeatable and unfallable… until he sees 152, the High Mona who the Master uses for his sick pleasure. 901 has always known that to accept a woman into his heart would mean weakness, but there’s nothing that can stop him from falling for 152 as they embrace each other in this dark, hopeless world.

901 and 152’s story broke my heart. The way they were forced into this life and broken down… it’s awful. But despite it all, they both manage to find light in each other. Their romance grew slowly and beautifully (if a bit cheesy at times), and it was the light that balanced out the darkness of this blood pit underworld. But is there a way for these two to escape this broken world? Or will they forever be owned by the Master?

Riot might not be my favorite of the Scarred Souls series (that belongs to Raze), but it’s definitely a fantastic conclusion that fans of the series shouldn’t miss. The build-up to the climax of the story was so well done – I loved it! All of the Scarred Souls characters have been through hell and back, and I’m so happy with the ending that they all get in this novel. The whole story is action-packed, suspenseful, and crazy intense – basically everything you expect in a Tillie Cole dark romance. The heroes are over-the-top alphas, the heroines are the perfect balance to them, the world is unabashedly violent and intense. If you haven’t read one of her dark romances yet, you haven’t experienced the genre!

Riot is a book about a man, known only by a number, 901, and a young woman, 125, who realize they havea lot more in common than they first realized. 901 was taken from an orphanage as a young child, drugged and forced to fight to the death. He is the best fighter in the Blood Pit and vows to show Master that he has no weaknesses; because if Master finds one weakness, Master exploits it and gains 100% control.
125 is a young woman who was out of the Blood Pit until Master wanted her as his. 125 was also snatched from an orphanage and was treated like a nobody. She was also drugged and treated like a wh**e or a nobody. Master parades her around and takes her whenever and however he wants.
Master realizes that 901 is attracted to 125, so he uses 125 to control 901. Master 'gifts' 125 to 901 every time that 901 wins a fight. The catch is that Master drugs 125 and the only way to help her is for 901 to sleep with her.
The journey that 901 and 125 taketo discovering how they feel about one another and finding out who they are is both heatbreaking and emotional. This book gave me all of the feels. I wanted to know how 901 would get out of the Blood Pit (if he would). I wanted to know if 901 and 125 would figure out who they were.
I had never read a book in this series, but I was so glad that I read this book. I received an ARC, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

This series is phenomenal, it will capture your heart and soul and have you rooting for the characters, while also thinking of ways to hurt the horrible evil people in this series. A raw, gritty story that has moments of darkness but the story is also passionate and intense. Not going to spoil the story by saying anymore but i will say Tillie Cole has a seriously great imagination , each story from each of her series shows her many styles and intricate ways of weaving engrossing stories

review up on goodreads under the username kimothy