Title:
Sweet Soul
Series:
Sweet Home #4
Author:
Tillie Cole
Age
group: New adult
Genre: Contemporary romance
Genre: Contemporary romance
Release
date: 15th December 2015
GOODREADS LINK
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25912332-sweet-soul
BLURB
One shy lost soul.
One silent
lonely heart.
One love to save them both.
Life has never been easy for twenty-year-old Levi Carillo. The
youngest of the Carillo boys, Levi is nothing like his older brothers. He isn’t
dark in looks or intimidating to everyone he meets. In fact, he’s quite the
opposite. Haunted by a crippling shyness and the tragic events of his past,
Levi spends his days with his head buried in his books, or training hard for his
college football team. Too timid to talk to girls, Levi stays as far away as
possible and completely on his own… until he saves the life of a troubled
pretty blonde, a troubled pretty blonde that might just be the exception to his
rule.
Elsie Hall is homeless. Or at least that’s all anyone ever sees.
Everyday is a fight for survival on the cold streets of Seattle, everyday a
struggle to find food and keep warm. Alone in life—a life that’s dangerous and
cruel—her will to keep going is an ever-losing battle. In her world of silence,
Elsie has given up hope that her life will contain anything but constant
struggle and pain… until the beautiful boy she has severely wronged comes to
her rescue at precisely the right time.
New Adult novel—contains sexual situations and mature topics.
Suited for ages 18 and up.
4 stars
Review by Lisa Kane
Of the three Carillo brothers, Levi is the most sensitive and sweet. He was also the most affected by his mama's death. That's not to say that Austin and Alex didn't love their mother deeply, but Levi was a young teenager when she passed and he drew much of his strength from her. He is shy and soft spoken. In the years since her death, he may no longer be living in poverty, but all of Austin and Axel's money can't replace the hole in his heart left from his loss.
"You are not your brothers, Levi. You are kind and shy, not hard and boisterous, ready to fight the world. You are my quiet baby boy. My sweet, sweet soul."
He's now in college and is a star football player like his brother. The difference is his mannerisms. He fills his time with football and studying He is not comfortable partying and girls-well he is too shy to even initiate a conversation. And there are plenty of them wanting to get to know him in just about every way they can. But he has no interest-he is not about these things.
"You are the timid one, the gentle brother-inside and out. You are the one to carry his heart on his sleeve. You are the one who watches silently from afar and loves with all his soul."
So when he returns to the locker room after practice and catches a scrawny female rifling through his gym bag, he can't believe his eyes. She takes off and he quickly realizes his wallet is stolen. The only thing he can focus on is that she took his wallet where he keeps his prize possession-his mama's rosary beads. He takes off after her, but she is long gone.
Fate puts this girl in his path a few times after that and in spite of her being a thief, he is drawn to her. It's obvious from her appearance that she is sick and starving. He should feel anger towards her for what she took from him but he finds himself worrying about her and wanting to help.
Elsie has lived a tough life. She and her drug addicted mother have been homeless most of their lives. If that isn't enough, Elsie was born almost totally deaf and the world is not kind to those who are different. She manages by living off scraps and stealing. But her world is about to change.
"I didn't speak to. I didn't speak to any of them. The only time I would was when one of the staff asked me to answer them back. Most were fine with my notes, so I could mostly keep my voice hidden. They didn't judge me, the girls ignored me, and I kept to myself. It was a lonely life, one I didn't like, but I didn't hate it either. I missed my mom something fierce, drowning in a world of little hearing and no purpose, but I was carrying on. I was getting through."
Sweet Soul is a beautiful slightly angsty story about two people brought together by circumstance but have much more in common than they think. Will these sweet souls be able to overcome their broken pasts in order to create a future with each other? I loved the epilogue and I won't be able to look at fireflies the same way again.
"You're that someone to me too, mia anima gemella."
My heart swelled at hearing that beautiful language on his lips. "What does that mean?" I asked, hanging on his every word.
Levi squeezed my hand. "My soulmate, is what we would say in English, but I like the literal Italian translation better."
"Which is?"
"My twin soul."
AUTHOR BIO
Amazon & USA Today Best Selling Author, Tillie Cole, is a
Northern girl through and through. She originates from a place called Teesside
on that little but awesomely sunny (okay I exaggerate) Isle called Great
Britain. She was brought up surrounded by her English rose mother -- a farmer's
daughter, her crazy Scottish father, a savagely sarcastic sister and a
multitude of rescue animals and horses.
Being a scary blend of Scottish and English, Tillie embraces
both cultures; her English heritage through her love of HP sauce and freshly
made Yorkshire Puddings, and her Scottish which is mostly demonstrated by her
frighteningly foul-mouthed episodes of pure rage and her much loved dirty
jokes.
Having been born and raised as a Teesside Smoggie, Tillie, at
age nineteen, moved forty miles north to the 'Toon', Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, where
she attended Newcastle University and graduated
with a Bachelor of Arts honours degree in Religious Studies. She returned two
years later to complete a Post-Graduate Certificate in Teaching High School
Social Studies. Tillie, regards Newcastle
to be a home from home and enjoyed the Newcastle Geordie way of life for seven
'proper mint' and 'lush' years.
One summers day, after finishing reading her thousandth book on
her much loved and treasured Kindle, Tillie turned to her husband and declared,
"D'you know, I have a great idea for a story. I could write a book."
Several months later, after repeating the same tired line at the close of
another completed story, she was scolded by her husband to shut up talking
about writing a novel and "just bloody do it!" For the first time in
eleven years, Tillie actually took his advice (he is still trying to get over
the shock) and immediately set off on a crazy journey, delving deep into her
fertile imagination.
Tillie, ever since, has written from the heart. She combines her
passion for anything camp and glittery
with her love of humour and dark brooding men (most often muscled and tattooed –
they’re her weakness!). She
also has a serious side (believe it or not!) and loves to immerse herself in
the complex study of World Religions, History and Cultural Studies and creates
fantasy stories that enable her to thread serious issues and topics into her
writing -- yep, there's more to this girl than profanity and sparkles!
After six years of teaching high school Social Studies and
following her Professional Rugby Player husband around Europe, they have
finally given up their nomadic way of life and settled in Calgary, Alberta
where Tillie spends most of her days (and many a late night) lost in a writing
euphoria or pursuing a dazzling career as a barrel-racing, tasselled-chap
wearing, Stetson-sporting cowgirl... Ye-haw!
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS
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