As a hitman for hire, Percivale is no stranger to violence.From the moment he saw Blossom Jaymes through the window of her bakery, he knew he was in too deep. Not only was she as sweet as her perfectly crafted treats, but she was a soft-spoken, golden-haired angel that shone like a bright beacon in his dark world. And Percivale didn’t deal in angels. He dealt in death and crime. The even bigger … even bigger issue? Percivale’s next hit is on said sweet little baker who doesn’t seem to realize how much danger lurks around her with each passing day.
If he doesn’t get the job done, who will?
When Percivale has to decide what’s more important to him—the life of a woman who may very well be innocent or getting his revenge on the men who murdered his family—the lines become blurred. Morals are twisted and a deathly chase ensues that can only result in one thing—Blossom buried six feet under.
Or can it?
Can Percivale let his lust for revenge go in order to save Blossom from the bounty on her head, or will the power she unknowingly holds over him be what gets her killed?
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This was a definite change of pace after Ache and the blurb had me excited. I so badly wanted to 5 star this book but just a few things stopped me. At Times, I found the storyline hard to believe. That being said, I really loved Blossom and the chemistry between her and Percival was off the charts.
The writing was fantastic as usual with SM Soto’s books, and if you’re a fan of her Chaos series, I think you will love this book.
This book blew me away. It’s dark, intense, had me on the edge the entire book! This is my true dark romance book. Percivale is not a good man and Blossom is a sweet, good girl. Percivale has a job to do. Will things change or will the revenge Percivale has thought about daily make him even more willing to end his target? Hands down one of my favorite books this year. The chemistry is so hot damn gives me shivers and goosebumps just thinking about it. I guess I’m a crazy one cause I fell hard for Percivale and his darkness. Blossom I love her attitude and basically the whole time I felt I was her. If I could write a dark romance book this would be it. I don’t even know what else to say besides read it and I hope you love it as much as I do. 10 stars if I could cause this is definitely in my top dark books of 2019 5/5 stars
Once again SM Soto has created characters and written a story that is so dark I never thought I’d fall for this anti-hero. I was taken back from the start – he’s crass, cold, shows no emotion and has no empathy – but these types just draw me in more. He follows the beat of his own drum and takes orders from one man, and one man only. As SM Soto wrote detail after detail of this broken and yes, tortured man, something happened. My heart started softening for him. He wasn’t so cruel anymore, and his actions and lack of feelings somehow seemed justified. Percivale is the heart and soul of this book, but it is Blossom who steals the spotlight.
The depth of these characters is multi-layered. They are both broken yet live two completely different lives. When Percivale first sees Blossom, his interest in her sparked a fire deep within him that could not be put out. As their story unfolds, they both face inner-battles with past demons and the feelings they have for one another. Their lust and passion is hot, their emotions and arguments are real and raw, and you will feel like you are right there living and breathing with these two in the moment.
“He’s everything I’m not. He has the guts to do and say everything I don’t. He makes me want to be bad like him. He makes me want to do bad things.”
This book will pull you in from the beginning and take you on the emotional roller-coaster ride of darkness and passion that SM Soto does best! It is not for the faint of heart – but every grueling scene and sacrifice by these two characters are so worth the held breaths, and possible tears. Percivale and Blossom have become one of my favorite dark romance couples by far!! Well done once again SM Soto!!!
A Cruel Love
By SM Soto
5
Holy Smokes! A Cruel Love is such an intense read. I was on a whirlwind of emotions.
Percivale and Blossom had such a tumultuous relationship. It was a dangerous and angsty read with lost of suspense and steam.
I was blown away with the darkness of Percivale but the light in Blossom offset the dark. It was dark, dangerous and delicious. The chills I got between Percivale and Blossom’s chemistry was off the charts hot!
Kudos to S.M Soto for delivering another epic read!
Cruel Love by S.M. Soto
When your past defines who you become couldn’t be truer for Percivale – a Knight of the Cavalieri Della Morte, a trained and brutal assassin.
Percivale has been given the ‘hit’ on Blossom Jaymes, a straight up, sweet baker, who has him questioning his morals.
I was gripped with CRUEL LOVE by S.M. Soto right from the start. This book drew me in and I was hooked. The characters are brilliant. It’s a dark, twisted read but oh soooo fantastic!!!
This is the first book I’ve read from this Author and it certainly won’t be my last.
I absolutely loved it – a complete triumph for me.
HUGE 5 stars – more if I could!
“Semantics”
“Our love was deeper than the earth. Beyond this flesh type of shit. It was a cruel love, one I craved with every fiber of my being.”
– Blossom
Blossom wasn’t a kick arse heroine. She had zip for survival skills and a really bad habit of leaving her bodily fluids behind at crime scenes.
In other words, she was your average girl next door.
Percivale is a complete and total arse! I swear I can not count the number of times I wanted to deck him!
A Cruel Love had me cringing, then laughing then fuming mad. Percivale is truly without any sense of remorse. His way of handling things is permanent. I understand his past has caused some of his “issues”, but it does not excuse his lack of compassion or empathy. I get the need for anyone in his position to be able to turn off their emotions to get the job done but Percivales’ on switch seemed to be broken. Though I do have to admit his responses to certain, shall I say ‘stimuli ?’ , were quite entertaining.
Blossom responds as I am sure most of us would in this situation. Her past has some pretty dark skeletons of her own that she still fights daily to keep buried. As she truly blooms under Pericvales tyranny and handling I have to say she develops into one very worthy adversary.
These two are absolute opposites in every sense of the word.
Still really really dislike Arthur – Quite possible I even dislike him more than I did previously – The depths at which I loathe this man seems to be endless – Seems to be a theme here.
As with the others in this series, this contains scenes of violence, copious amounts of blood and other bodily fluids and a whole lot of ” Oh hell no you didn’t” moments that could be perceived as kidnapping or hostage-taking or …
You get the idea.
Being a fan of S.M, I wasn’t sure how she was going to go into this series with how dark it is. She is a wonderfully dark author, so I wasn’t worried about it, I just wasn’t sure what her story was going to entail. We have had so many different stories with the Cavalieri Della Morte that I was ready for anything. I have to say S.M did not disappoint.
With A Cruel Love, we get a lovely and sometimes saucy baker named Blossom. Blossom has no idea that her healthy, simple life is about to be turned upside down when Percivale shows up.
Percivale is an assassin for the Cavalieri Della Morte, and his next job is Blossom. However, he can’t figure her out. She is to good for anyone to put a hit on. However, Arthur admits, she must die. However, things go sideways when someone tries to hurt her themselves. Percival takes it upon himself to save her and then kidnap her. Know things are not going as planned and Perc has to play it by ear.
These characters are wonderful. Blossom has a history with men that is not pretty, and Perc takes it to heart when she finally tells him. Life has not been easy for him also. There is a reason why he does what he does, and there is no room for love. However, these two make their own kind of love. I enjoyed that about this story. Blossom and Perc do not go by normal romantic logic. They are a tragic love affair that has to make their way.
A Cruel Love is the first book that I have read from the author. It is part of the Cavalieri Della Morte series but can be read as a standalone. What draws me in to read this book is the fact that it is a Mafia based romance. If you can see from my previous readings, I have a healthy love for any mafia themed books. Not only that, that cover is just swoon-worthy! Plus, the blurb and that I’ve heard so much about the author are enough reasons for me to read this story.
Percivale is a hit man, an assassin if you will and he is tasked to eliminate the sweet, innocent baker named Blossom. Goodness, just her name is sweetness and innocence personified. What made Percivale the best was that he always finishes his work with little hitch or mess. But when he saw Blossom, he felt that he couldn’t go through with the task and that is a problem he didn’t see coming.
Perc is a hardened man and it will take all of Blossom’s softness to thaw the heart of a killer, more so to save his dark soul. What made this a story a joy was that the intensity between these two opposites is so hot, raw and explosive. You will love every moment of it as you go along in the story. There was action, suspense, steamy scenes enough to make you feel hot and bothered. LOL. Highly recommend this book for those who love mafia romances!
Blossom is your average girl who sometimes acts before thinking, which causes her no end of troubles. Percivale, on the other hand, is a man in control who feels a need to fix Blossom and her wayward tendencies. Meanwhile, Arthur is still at work with his manipulation and machinations. This story had me laughing, cringing and smacking my forehead in disbelief, all crazy good things. In keeping with the series, it’s darkly delicious!
What a TRILL RIDE! A Cruel Love Is a dark Romance Jam packed with all the yummy good stuck we all love SM Soto Is a genius this book was awesome and can’t wait for what else she has in store for us
SM Soto is the queen of love, blood and gore! One minute she’ll have you all hot and bothered and the next cringing! Percival and Blossom’s love story is unconventional. She’s the light to his dark, but together they just work. I loved the effect they had on each other. I loved Blossom’s confidence and I really loved watching Percival fall in love! A Cruel Love is perfect for you dark romance lovers and I can’t wait to read the rest of this series!!
Heart stopping sexiness! The asshole and the princess. Blossom is such a sweetheart and the perfect foil for the stoic Percivale. I’ve been waiting for his story since the glimpses of this intriguing character in the first story in the series. He’s a terrific antihero! The kind you love to hate and hate to love even when he’s being cruel. And boy does he have his moments in this story especially when he leads Blossom into his darkness. At first I didn’t think I was ever going to like him but Perc grew on me as the story progressed and his obsession with Blossom exploded. This author can write a character like no other. Perc didn’t stray to far from his assholery even when the lovely Blossom softened him up a bit. There’s a lot of figuring each other out without much talking but they do share a few vital facts with each other that offers some explanation into their character makeup. His response to her revelation is jaw dropping but so Perc. Awesome! Her reaction makes for a steamy connection. These two are so hot when they get on the same page or when Perc forces the issue in his own cruel way. Blossom can’t help her attraction to this closed off hunk of cold killer. He goes beyond bad boy into a different beast entirely. Hotness personified! Perc goes about his business of killing while keeping Blossom for himself, annihilating his enemies, and juggling his wants against following Arthur’s orders. What will Arthur do when he finds out Perc hasn’t finished the job? What Arthur does best…brutality. This is an exciting, bloody thrill ride that kept me turning the pages wanting to know if Perc and Blossom make it out of the mayhem in one piece and survive as a couple. Great ending and fitting for this couple. Excellent captor story with sexy characters and a great addition to a thrilling series. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC.
I’m completely blown away. S.M. Soto never ceases to surprise me with her talent. This time she gave us a dangerous and angsty story that keeps in constant suspense from the first to the last page. And A Cruel Love is the perfect title for this book. Because although its heroes found love on its cards, we certainly can’t find it sweet and simple. This story is full of danger and brutality, and its main heroes are such opposites, that we probably can’t find bigger ones. But that’s what makes A Cruel Love so unique and unforgettable.
Percivale is a ruthless assassin and a member of the feared Cavalieri Della Morte, whose life is driven by desire to take revenge on those who took away his family. He has just received another order to ‘silence’ a woman who sniffs too much and poses problems for the organization. But he never expected that this woman would turn out to be an angel who for the first time in his life had caused Percivale to hesitate with completing the hit. Something in Blossom Jaymes calls to him and Percivale is not ready to get rid of the woman. However, how will he get out of this situation when his withhodling undermines his loyalty to Cavalieri Della Morte and the man who’s leading this organization? Insubordination means putting a hit on his own head. Is Blossom worth such a sacrifice? And is this sweet woman able to live with such a merciless monster as Percivale? Especially when she finds out what really led him to her door…
Although the attraction between the characters of this story was immediate, the feelings developed with time. I can’t say that I liked Percivale right away, although it draws me to dangerous types like the moth to the flame. At first I couldn’t stand him. He was so rude and vicious. However, with every turned page I saw more in him- protectiveness for Blossom and the sacrifice he was ready to make to ensure her safety. But he still remains a complete alpha, who will crush you like a worm if you stand in his way. Blossom is a sweetness in its pure form, but over the course of the story she gained strength, boldness and persistence. A part of her craved Percivale’s darkness and that’s what made them fit in so perfectly. Their chemistry was off the charts and their intimate moments were electryfying. I couldn’t get enough of them!
S.M. Soto knows how to write dark, dangerous and angsty stories that keep you in suspense and make you completely breathless. And Cruel Love is the perfect proof for that. That’s why Soto is one-click author for me and I will never have enough of her books.
I’m no stranger to S.M. Soto’s dark romances, so I was ready for the messed up situations and dark circumstances that the hero and heroine would have to face at the hands of potential enemies, sadistic bastards, and even one another.
The world that Percivale introduces Blossom to is not one she would ever choose to be a part of, but it’s one she now must try to venture through and to endure because she is forced to face situations that test her boundaries, test her strength, and test her trust in a man who was supposed to kill her and now can’t seem to let her go.
Blossom is innocent to the darker/harsher sides of life but that does not mean she’s weak. She definitely has a backbone; she challenges him and doesn’t back down and this is shown throughout the story. And, despite her breakdowns, which who wouldn’t have them based on the world she was thrust into, this is the kind of woman Percivale needs – one who can go toe-to-toe with him even if they are on opposite sides.
The man and killer that Percivale becomes seems fitting. What he endured as a child is something that cannot be forgotten, and it makes sense that it’s a driving force in shaping who he is. Revenge is what drives him at the beginning…it’s what pushes him…what feeds his darkened soul…what helps to stymie the fractures that have been a part of him since he watched the life leave those he loved
It’s necessary that they question their attraction to each other because their values, their views on life and how it’s supposed to be lived are on opposite sides. But ultimately, fighting their bodies’ need for one another gets to a point where it can no longer be denied, which means they’ll have no choice but to give into their need for each other. And regardless of their hot and cold interactions, the push and pull of their connection, and the fact that it is an extremely bad idea to give into their desire, they can’t give each other up even if Perc’s initial mission was to kill Blossom.
S.M. Soto clearly illustrates that Percivale and Blossom’s love is a cruel one. There’s nothing easy about the love they share, not only because of Percivale’s dark tastes and his chosen profession but also due to how different their lives were before she found herself under Percivale’s command and, at times, protection. There are many things that Blossom will have to face in order to remain by Perc’s side, and while there were a few parts along the way, especially at the end, where I needed a bit more explanation and insight about Perc and Blossom’s words and actions, when the story ended, I felt good about where these two ended up and accepted the fact that their time apart was necessary for both of them to determine just what they wanted for themselves and from each other.
4.5 Poison Apples
4.5 stars As shocking as it may seem, a year ago, I had no idea who S.M. Soto was and now, I one-click her books so fast my kindle nearly catches fire. That and said kindle may combust from the sheer chemistry between her characters and the chemistry between Blossom and Percivale is hot! A Cruel Love is a fast-paced, dark contemporary , standalone romance that will keep you entertained until the very last page. After all, you have a hitman who falls in love with his prey and a heroine who falls for her would-be murderer – what could possibly go wrong? Apparently, a lot.
Blossom is a good girl and Percivale is a bad bad boy. Blossom is a sweet, innocent baker who finds herself on a hitlist and is completely unaware of the danger that she is in when Percivale walks into her bakery. Percivale had a tragic childhood leaving him hellbent on seeking revenge. He was taken in by the head of the Cavalieri Della Morte and is now their hired assassin. He cannot figure out why is he so tempted by Blossom. I like how Blossom evolved as a character. She starts off shy and fearful, but then she really becomes a stronger, more confident heroine. Percivale – I do love a damaged bad boy. He blows a lot of hot and cold at first when it comes to Blossom – he needs to kill her but he also protects her which messes with his head and also puts him in danger. A Cruel Love is a story full of intense love, steam, action, and suspense.
While A Cruel Love is listed as book 6 in the Cavalieri Della Morte series, it is a complete standalone. Each book in the Cavalieri Della Morte series is written by a different author.
Loved this latest book by S.M Soto if you no anything about this author you know that she has a way of pushing the envelope with every story and still manages create a beautiful love story! Blossom and Percivale could not be any more different but somehow they work and their chemistry is off the charts! Love is cruel but once you find the one that brings out the best of you, you have to do everything and anything to keep them! Great job!!
S.M. Soto did it again. She wrote a story so dark and captivating which set my body of fire and provided a sleepless night. She hooked me so deep into Percivale and Blossom story, I couldn’t put it down. A Cruel Love is how the title says: cruel, dangerous, consuming, brutal and so hot I am still mumbling Perc name in my sleep.
A Cruel Love in an unconventional love story. Perc since being a little boy knew what slaughter means. For years he lived with only one purpose, brutal revenge. Trained as an emotionless hitman by the head of the Cavalieri Della Morte he is sent to a small town with next easy task: kill a woman. Killing Blossom, a sweet bakery owner, was supposed to be an easy talk. But something pulls him toward innocent woman, something fierce and strong.
Blossom is a shy, good girl who finds herself on a hitman list. She didn’t know the scorching hot, manly customer had to kill her. At first, she seems too naive and fragile girl and I had a hard time to connect with her. Like a lamb in front of a wolf. But with time I started to admire her.
Their journey is brutal, emotional and filled with unwanted feelings they couldn’t stop. Forced to spend time together they slowly opened before each other’s and an author revealed a secret from Blossom past my heart ached for her. I loved how Blossom from weak girl become a confident and strong woman. How Percivale, dangerous and deadly man until the end found a place in his heart for a Blossom. And in the end there become the perfect match from the hell, ready to sacrifice themselves for the second one.
I thought it was impossible to fall in love with a kidnapper you were supposed to hate and fear. But S.M. Soto provided that everything is possible. A Cruel Love is a well-written story that pulls your triggers and catches attention from the very first page. If you are in a need for dark story, with the hot anti-hero and brave, ready to fight for her man woman A Cruel Love is for you!
Addictively Dark…Jam Packed full of unpredictable twists & turns, chemistry (seriously…just…WOWZA). I could not put this book down! Percivale and Blossom’s story was a gruesome adventure that I could not get enough of
Read this book…add it to your tbr… It’s so so worth it!
This book blew me away. It’s dark, intense and had me on the edge of my seat throughout entire book. S.M Soto writes the most deliciously dark love stories. Percivale and Blossom’s story is dangerous, ugly yet beautiful and as the title suggests, a cruel love. Saying that, I loved every dark moment of it. I was enthralled and addicted from the very first page until the last word and I never wanted it to end.
A Cruel Love is not a typical girl meets boy, falls in love at first sight and live a happily ever after. Absolutely not, this book is so much more. It’s dark, suspenseful, and very, very intriguing.
I am always pushed out of my comfort zone every time I read S.M Soto’s stories, yet I love that I love this even more (if that makes sense!) It’s hard to explain this book without giving spoilers but I will say that you will be challenged in every way when reading this story. This book is not about hearts and flowers. It’s tough and it’s cruel, but it’s also a brilliant story. This story and these two characters will definitely stick with me for a while.
4 likes
S. M Soto’s world always offers a unique experience, from the cover up to the story that bites into bone. The same in Cruel Love. The story can be read in the present time and in changed perspective. The Cavalieri Della Morte is in focus, Blossom & Percivale is a sideline. But what happens if anything comes to the into focus that we can’t even think of?
Full review: https://www.gcksbookreviewblog.com/2019/05/arcreview-exclusive-excerpt-cruel-love.html