River Road
Tortured Souls, #3
by
R.C. Matthews @RCMatthews123
Release
Date: November 6th 2017
Genre:
Gothic Romance
The Book
Junkie Reads . . . RIVER ROAD (Tortured Souls, #3) . . . There was
much to draw me in to this read. The vibe of New Orleans, voodoo, curses, and a
pirate. Love had its own lure. My first read of this series and I did not feel
as if I had to stop all progress to read the previous books of the series.
There was much to be discovered while becoming immersed in this read.
Wealth,
power, privilege, piracy, voodoo, magic, curses, love, loss, culture, all mixed
with mystery, suspense, and romance. There was much for me to fall in love
with. The loss of one love only to find a new love that was never in the cards.
Hope’s life takes on many changes since becoming a widow. She has lost much
more than just her husband. She has lost her standing in society, Creole
society. Something called the ‘Black Code’ has New Orleans society in a turn.
She then had to practice her voodoo in the shadows.
The world of
voodoo and piracy had their own allure of mystery, suspense, and sensual
seduction. There’s an element of emotional charge surrounding a few aspects of
Charles and he curse place upon him and his family. The was an allure of this
book that kept me reading from beginning all the way to the end. The emotional
aspects was just an extra touch.
This may have
been my first read in this trilogy but will not be my last. I intend to go back
and read the other two and then re-read River
Road.
Tortured Souls series:
Devil’s Cover
– Tortured Souls, #1
Blackburn
Castle – Tortured Souls, #2
River Road – Tortured Souls, #3
When
a pirate and voodoo priestess must lift a deadly curse on those they love, do
they dare let a relationship blossom amid danger? River Road is the gothically
satisfying end to this fan-favorite series!
Charles
Moore relishes his dangerous life as the pirate Hatchet, since manning a
clipper ship keeps his mind off the role he played in the brutal Civil War. But
now an ancient curse has killed two of his loves, and he can’t ignore the
whispers that New Orleans’s Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveau herself, has hexed his family.
Creole
widow Hope Leblonc bristles under the city’s Black Codes that have stripped her
of so many freedoms and forced her practice of voodoo underground. When Hatchet
treats her like the respectable woman she is, she offers him a deal: she’ll
lift the curse if he’ll steal back a family relic she needs to become a mambo
in her religion.
But
they’re both holding secrets that endanger their lives. When ghosts from the
past exact revenge for the skeletons in the Moore family closet, they reveal a
connection between Hope and Hatchet that makes the curse more powerful than
ever. Will they discover that love is worth the risk in time to survive the
coming darkness?
NOTE:
This can be read as a standalone book.
Excerpt
“Twenty dollars,” he mused, picking up the rag doll from the chair where
he deposited it earlier. “What can you tell me about this?”
She snatched the doll from his grasp. “Where did you find this?”
“I’m paying you,” he said, folding his arms over his chest. “I’ll share
information on a need-to-know basis.”
Worry lines gathered at the crook of her nose. “You angered someone else
as well. Kalfu is the petro spirit of the crossroads. With the proper ritual
and offerings, he’ll unlock the doors to the underworld and allow the crossing
of bad fortune to an enemy.”
Dammit. His sister’s instincts were dead-on, but he would deal with that later.
Right now, he planned to earn his money’s worth from the Widow Leblonc. She
didn’t offer him sex but something even better.
He pointed to the table. “Can you tell me if I’m cursed, using one of
those bone readings?”
“Why do you think you’re cursed?”
Yanking at one sleeve, he fastened the buttons at his wrist.
“Need-to-know basis. If true, can you break the curse? With a ritual? Drums,
candles, and the like.”
Her hand shot out, and she grabbed his other wrist, twisting it to
expose the inside of his forearm, where the wings of two swallows were
interlaced in an intricate tattoo.
“You’re a pirate. Of course, you answer to Hatchet,” she said, dropping
her hold as though he were a leper. “I should’ve realized it earlier.”
He lifted one eyebrow. “Why do you care? I thought your issue was with
white men.”
She stalked closer and pressed her forefinger into his chest. “Yesterday
morning, an ancient voodoo relic belonging to my family was stolen by a band of
pirates. Today, a pirate shows up asking if I can rid him of a curse.”
“Pure coincidence.”
“Get out of my house and don’t come back unless you bring my asson!” she
shouted, stomping to the door. “Or I’ll put a hex on you myself.”
“I don’t have your bloody relic,” he said, grabbing his jacket. “Your
biggest mistake was trusting your precious cargo to the captain of The Angelica.”
She gasped, her face a mask of horror. “How do you know that?”
“Because I saw you speaking with Captain Corbin on the forecastle deck.
Rule number one: never trust a pirate.”
“Well, you’re a pirate,” she spat. “If I discover you lied to me, I’m
coming after you. There are ways to find out!”
He
snorted with laughter. “Good luck finding me.”
Author Info
R.C.
Matthews is the author of contemporary and historical romances featuring bold,
sassy heroines and magnetic alpha heroes. Warning! The chemistry between her
characters is off the charts hot, so read at your own risk. She resides in the
Midwest and is surrounded by men: her husband and three sons. During her free
time you'll find her watching The Walking Dead, reading a fabulous book or
hanging out with her family.
Presented by
No comments:
Post a Comment