Heart Recaptured by Tillie Cole

Heart Recaptured by Tillie Cole

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.

Heart Recaptured is a continuation of the story that began in It Ain’t Me, Babe. Although this book is primarily Delilah and Ky’s story, it moves the series storyline forward as the Hades Hangmen and The Order once again find themselves at odds with one another. I am still amazed at Ms. Cole’s ability to make two people from seemingly opposite ends of the morality scale mesh so perfectly. The faithful and the faithless. The saint and the sinner. The devout and the debauched. Delilah and Kyler. Since the moment I finished reading It Ain’t Me, Babe I have been anticipating this book and Ms. Cole did not disappoint.

Unlike Mae, Lilah is not happy to be free of The Order and fears that Mae has condemned their souls to Hell by taking them to the Hades Hangmen’s compound. It is clear that Lilah’s faith has been instilled deeply within and she needs to return to her people to seek salvation for her condemned soul. In short, she drank the Kool-Aid and is a devout believer of the Prophet’s teachings. She clings to her rituals and prayers and refuses to “adjust” to life on the outside. But after an ill-timed trip to the clubhouse, Lilah finds herself under Ky’s tutelage as Styx charges him with helping her adjust to life outside the commune. Ky is not happy about this task as he is quite attracted to her but she is off limits. As they spend time together, Lilah begins to trust him and feels safe with him, while the unthinkable happens to Ky – he begins to fall for her. Like Styx, Kyler had a similar visceral reaction to what Lilah endured at the hands of The Order – horror, disgust, hatred, rage, and protectiveness. It was horrifying to read the scene as she relayed the circumstances that led to her being labeled as a Cursed. Unfortunately for Lilah, despite the safety that Ky’s status provides, she finds herself in situations that seem to support the Prophet’s designation of her as a Cursed. When The Order finally reveals itself by reclaiming Delilah, Ky admits to himself and his brothers how deep his feelings are for her and they set off to rescue her.

Ms. Cole has created such a unique storyline in this series that despite it being eight months (and a couple hundred books) since reading book one, I was able to pick up Heart Recaptured and begin reading as if I had just finish It Ain’t Me, Babe. There is so much going on within the book and the series that I found myself immersed in the Hangmen’s world within just a few pages. I devoured this book as I had to see how Lilah and Ky’s story played out. The depth of Delilah’s “faith” is disturbing, yet consistent with real-life victims of cults. The lengths to which she goes to rid herself of her curse was startling from a human perspective, yet unsurprising from a psychological one – even if I didn’t see it coming. I loved that the author did not end the book after Lilah’s rescue and simply leave that as their happily ever after. Instead she gave Lilah and Ky a realistic resolution consistent with their lifestyles and brought me to tears at the same time. I cannot adequately express just how much I love this series. I am so looking forward to the next book in the Hades Hangmen series as I am cannot wait to read Maddie and Flame’s story.


Check out the Heart Recaptured by Tille Cole Blog Tour blog post on Wicked Reads.


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