Scars of the Soul by Holly Oliver

"I love this series, I love this world, and I especially love the characters!" - Angel reviewed Scars of the Soul, a standalone set in the same world as Shadows of the Soul.

From the blurb:

Scars of the Soul is a standalone story set in the same world as Shadows of the Soul. While you might meet old friends, reading the earlier book is unnecessary to enjoy this story.

Neo grapples with his psychic abilities and has been drifting in a sea of chaos for as long as he can remember. Studying toward his Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology, he’s tried to move on with his life. However, he still finds part of himself stuck on an unsolved case from a decade ago, lost in memories and hounded by the ghosts of his past. When a young woman appears in his vision, he can’t shake the feeling that she’s important.

But can he find someone who believes him?

Jackson, a lynx shifter and detective on the Paranormal squad, is begrudgingly still on leave from work after his accident a few months ago. To pass the time, he throws himself into a case that has plagued him for a decade, the one that got away. When an unwelcome blast from the past might hold the key to moving the case forward, Jackson is forced to take the gamble of his life to see if this ‘psychic’ is the real deal.

Jackson’s firm bet is on NOT!

When they meet for the first time, Jackson and Neo are more surprised than anyone to find out the Fates have deemed them a match. This must be a joke, surely.

Can these two scarred souls find peace?

Come along for the ride as they hunt for the elusive Desert Rose Killer and see if they can get their HEA despite how much they think they hate each other.

Trigger warnings: This story contains an on-page depiction of a suicide and descriptions of murder scenes.

Aside from that, this is a love story intended for adults. Coarse language, some violence, and intimate situations between two consenting adults will be found between these pages.

Enjoy!

Angel's Review:

As the intro suggests I'm very fond of this book, along with the characters. As soon as I was finished reading Shadows Of The Soul I knew I had to read Jackson's story. His character and personality really captured my attention in the first book so I'm really glad he got his own book. I never expected him to be such a grumpy kitty though, meow! 

Neo's character really surprised me, I haven't read too many books that has a psychic as a main character, and this one was done so well! The visions he got were really descriptive, yet vague at the same time to keep making Neo guess at what the killer would do next. I thought the visions he had really brought a great perspective into his character, and what he goes through from day to day. I'm really glad he was able to not only catch the killer that's been plauging his thoughts, but he also found his people. His family. 

The plot in this book was fantastic, just like it was in the last one. The mystery kept you guessing, made you think, and ponder on who it could be. You were trying to solve the mystery alongside the characters, that was so well done. The characters in this one were really well written, although, now I really hope that Kane gets his own book at some point. Cause now his character interests me. 

And Holly! How could you? The last chapter before the epilogue made me tear up, why did you do this?? 

Overall a really fantastic read, I hope there is more to come that takes place in this world with these characters. And while you can read this as a standalone I highly recommend reading Shadows Of The Soul first for maximum enjoyment. 

Rating: 5 Stars

Reedkaye's Review:

Did you ever wonder how Jackson met Max and they ended up working together? Well, it all started with the Desert Rose Killer, but when Randall, Jackson, and Neo couldn’t catch him the higher ups shut down their investigation. All three eventually moved on and Neo and Jackson ended up in Solace, Montana, without ever having met each other in person. Jackson met and started working with Max and Neo started trying to build a life. It all worked until one day Neo’s visions returned. When he calls Randall for help, he finds out his friend is in Japan and only Jackson is available to help. Will these two be able to work through their differences?  How will Jackson handle his mate? 

Oh baby! Wow! I am so thankful for book recommendations. I might never have found Holly Oliver on my own. Her mystery inside the romance or rather the romance wrapped inside the mystery is so fabulous. The mystery story keeps me on my toes and the romance keeps my heart pounding and hopeful. I don’t know if there will be another book from here. I would love it if there was one. I will say I’m intrigued enough by Ms. Oliver’s writing to go look up her other books.

Rating: 5 Stars

Scars of the Soul is available to buy as an ebook, paperback, or to read with Kindle Unlimited subscription.