📚Tortured Souls: Rebels of Sandland Book 2 by Nikki J Summers 📚
🛍️Available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited 🛍️
Continuing with the Rebels of Sandland, onto Tortured Souls, Brandon’s story and before anything, easy five stars. It had everything you’d expect from Brandon and so much more. It kept me gripped throughout the entire story, well written and I cannot fault this work for anything other than knowing exactly how to make someone want to pick reading a book over work.
The introduction to Harper was perfect, the way it continued from Renegade Hearts, Brandon's chapter with Brodie’s death, it was perfection. I loved how instantly we were put into the backstory of Brodie, Jenson, and Brandon, easily got you gripped as Brandon’s personality is explained straight away. I love a story I can relate to in some way and this one hit it on the nail. I absolutely adored how Nikki wrote Harper's heartbreak over her brother, I felt everything. I know it’s going to be an amazing story when I’m gripped from the beginning and when I feel the characters' emotions. As well as Harper’s heartbreak, I felt Brandon’s anger and the feeling of betrayal when he was in hiding due to accidentally killing Brodie in Renegade Hearts. You could also understand why Brandon felt like an outcast in Renegade Hearts and why that feeling doubled in Tortured Souls. Nikki has amazing description skills, it’s not too much, not too little, just the right about that made it feel so real.
I could not get over how Emily (from Renegade Hearts) was trying to help Harper, but Harper wasn’t having any of it. It kept Emily true to who she was in her story, which was amazing and really helped paint more of a picture of who Harper is. I was so happy when Harper listened to Emily and tried one of the online forums to help with her grief and I could not stop feeling the need to pull out my hair when Legion came into it. It was classic but for this character, it was the appropriate way to deal with her grief and to grow as a person.
I was internally screaming when Brandon returned, properly, to all four of his friends, but I also pictured myself being there and yelling at the top of my lungs for all the worrying I’d have gone through. Again, I believe the author can go to amazing places when I have that reaction to a story and I know I will always, always support and read this author’s work. The actions that Brandon did after his return, I felt coming and I loved it, 100% I was falling in love with this man, the way he went from torturing her mentally, to wanting to help her, to protecting her from her brothers’ friend when he punched her. It was flipping beautiful. I loved the typical way that he exposed that he was Legion, but in that situation, it was truly the only way. Perfection!
We’ve had Harper closed off about the report and the case being closed on Brodie’s death but reading that she had decided to read the reports, it was truly amazing. Also, it was character development on point, which is something I will always agree with when it feels realistic. I adored how Brandon sent her a message as Legion that really came from the heart and mine went out to him, he could have it in the palm of his hand and I’d be happy. Knowing that Brandon was going into a fight again once he returned to his friend's parties, I couldn’t get over how Harper reached out to him, worried about him, it showed her feelings on another level for him and her trying.
On to Brandon’s family, from what Brandon has said, we knew the kind of woman his mother, Pam, is but the words she said to him, even I would wish they weren’t my parent. Some things should never be said, and those, shouldn’t have. I adored how Harper stood up for Brandon and that led them to get together. Moving onto his nan, Elsie, she is a character, to say the least. I loved her and her character, the way you can see that Brandon’s personality comes from her as well, it was perfectly written and delivered. Elsie is a feisty woman and I love her.
Nearing the end of the book, I loved how Brandon picked himself and his woman over some man who dangled his dream in front of him with strings attached, even though none were mentioned, but his character always came with strings attached. I also loved, how the truth of Brandon’s family was revealed, learning who his father was, and who the rest of his family were. Learning that his nan threatened one of the ‘big’ men in Sandland and the explanation to why Jenson picked Brandon to bully. Everything just flowed and it was just, truth, after truth, after truth, straight after each other, utterly fantastic.
Brandon’s story end was just beautiful, some I saw coming, Harper’s pregnancy, but others I didn’t. I utterly swooned learning what Brandon was doing as a career as well as going back to college. It was perfect and he deserved it. I loved their story it was perfect; it was a typical enemy to lovers, but I could not get enough. Some parts were typical, but the storyline that went with it, kept you hooked and kept you reading no matter what.
What I love the most about the Rebels of Sandland Series, is the epilogues that are based purely on the next book in the series. I loved the ending and an insight into how Finn’s story will begin. I cannot wait to get further into the book and see what delights Nikki has in store for me.
