Torn Soul

Dragon Soul #1

by Laura Greenwood, Arizona Tape

The only way to leave the ring, is to forfeit the right to win.

Holly's never had a true home, or a family, unless she counts the boxing ring at Dragon Soul. But she's been in one place for too long, and it's time to move on.

Until her...

When Holly finds herself faced with a brand new opponent, there's more than just rivalry brewing in the ring.

—

Torn Soul is an f/f romance set in the Twin Souls Universe.

Genres: Dragons, Fantasy, Fiction, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Romance, Lesbian

125 pages, ebook

First published July 8, 2018

About the author

Laura is a USA Today Bestselling Author of fantasy romance and urban fantasy. She lives in the UK, where most of her books are set, with her partner. When she's not writing, Laura can be found exploring worldwide cusine with her partner, drinking tea, and reading fantasy books. Laura specialises in quick reads, featuring healthy relationships and consent-positive moments, regardless of whether she's writing light-hearted romance, mythology-inspired modern fantasy, cozy fantasy or anything in between.

Discover one of Laura Greenwood's most popular series:
- The Apprentice of Anubis (mythology inspired modern/urban fantasy)
- Forgotten Gods (mythology inspired fantasy romance)
- Jinx Paranormal Dating Agency (mythology inspired paranormal rom-com)
- House of Blood and Roses (vampire romantasy)
- Amethyst's Wand Shop Mysteries (urban fantasy murder mystery)
- Scales of Justice (mythology inspired modern/urban fantasy)
- Purple Oak Oasis (cozy fantasy romance)
- Falhaven Castle (cozy fantasy romance)

You can find a full book list and more information on her website, or in her Facebook Reader Group.

Happy Reading!

Reviews

[Danielle's · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator fits perfectly and the story was really good.

Holly has never really fit in and fighting is the way she likes to take her anger out on the world. She was close with her mum but after she passed holly has never mended the wound.

This is a shifter dragon F/F story.

The romance was really good and I’m usually all about romance but I’d have liked more of a shifter side story.

[Lola · Rating 3 out of 5]

These were both new to me authors and one of the first FF romances I read. So I had no idea what to expect, but was curious to find out. Torn Soul follows the story of Holly who has a lot of anger and guilt inside of her and she can't let it go. She deals by fighting in the boxing ring. Ever since her mother died she has been this way and she has no other family. Torn Soul was a fun short read about two earth dragons who fall in love, but also about Holly finding her place.

The book starts when Holly is staying at the bar Dragon Soul, I liked the idea of the bar. It also had a boxing ring in which Holly participated. It's there on night that she meets Tamsin and instantly sparks fly. Torn Soul is written in a very to-the-point style, is how I can best describe it The pace is pretty fast and there are not too many extra scenes than absolutely necessary for the plot. I did like that it didn't feel rushed, even tough it's not a long book, but at the same time I wouldn't have minded a few extra scenes here and there to elaborate things or build the romance a bit more.

I did feel bad for Holly immediately, but it took me some time to fully warm up to her and she can be a bit rude/ distant at first. That did make sense tough and I also liked how Tamsin pointed out her behavior and Holly took her word seriously. She did change a bit quickly, but I did like seeing her find her way. How she learned about being an earth dragon and found love. I do wonder why Holly's mother warned her away from the communes.

I did like the romance. Tamsin and Holly felt like a good couple and I liked how Tamsin pulled Holly out of her guilt and anger. I did feel that their romance developed a bit fast as they fall in love after having known each for only a few days. I would've liked a few more scenes to get to know the characters a bit better and see their romance develop a bit more. But having said that, there are some great scenes with the two of them, like when Tamsin teaches Holly to fight and spends that morning with her and teaches her how to shift.

For the most part I liked Tamsin, she seemed very cheerful and sure of herself. But it bothered me a bit how strongly she held fast to her beliefs. On the one hand it made sense as that's what she had been thought her whole life, but it also bothered me she held so fast to the Oracle having to name her mate instead of opening her eyes to who was in front of me. I also would've liked things to be resolved a bit differently when it came to that. And I totally understood the decision Holly made later in the book and I also got why she did eventually follow Tamsin's wishes as she loved Tamsin. I just wish Tamsin had shown that much devotion Holly's way as well.

I liked the whole set up for the world building, but the world building felt pretty minimal to me and the world didn't fully come alive for me. I liked the idea of different types of elemental dragons and the dragon bar. For a while I was just confused how the whole world worked, if the humans were aware of the dragons or not and how the dragons stayed hidden. Or how the whole earth dragon thing worked with the commune's and mates. And we only get the barest minimum of answers to most of those questions.

There is what I think a cameo appearance of a character from these authors other series. So I wonder if maybe there is more about the world explained there. I did like the scene with Marcus and plan to read his story eventually as well. I just would've liked a bit more world building, so the whole world and the community and society made more sense to me and would've come alive.

To summarize: this was a fun short read. I liked getting to know Holly and felt bad for her, she had so much pain, guilt and anger around her. And it was great to see her find her way and find some love along the way. I did like the romance, although I struggled a bit with how Tamsin hold so steadfastly to her belief of true mates. It did feel realistic tough as that's all she had known. The romance also did develop a bit quickly. the whole book is pretty fast paced, but it doesn't feel rushed. I also though the world building was a bit minimal, the world didn't fully come alive for me and at first I was a ti confused as I couldn't get a good handle on the world. But overall i did enjoy my first read by these authors and plan to read more.

[SJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautify written romance between Holly, who is an angry and extremely sad young lady who finds an outlet in boxing and Tamsin, who is taking a hiatus from her life, they find each other unexpectedly but the course of true love never runs smooth

A clean but beautifully written romance which is full of feeling and depth, this is a fantastic read and i thoroughly enjoyed it

[Ola Adamska · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my First ff read in all The meaning of That Word. But I think it's a Great start into it!
Holly she has so much anger and The in herself. She doesnt have Her own place in aby community. She lives Like a nomad.
Tamsin has a community, has Life with Her family, but The decided to step back from it.
Both meet on The boxing ring.
What will come from That meeting and will They work it out?

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is only one way to leave the ring now is to stop fighting. She wants to leave but that is until another arrives. There is also an attraction between these two female. Will she leave the ring? How will her life change? See what will happen

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Laura Greenwood]

Dragon Soul Series (Complete)
1. Torn Soul (Holly & Tamsin): books2read.com/tornsoul
2. Bound Soul (Porter & JJ): books2read.com/boundsoul


You can also join my Goodreads Reader Group for new release alerts, spoiler threads, and more!
==> https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

[Susie · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.*

This is my first dragon shifter novel and, I have to say, I quite enjoyed it. Beautiful storytelling, believable characters, it just all fits nicely together. Who would have thought that finding your perfect match would lead also to finding yourself? Both Holly and Tamsin find something that they were missing in this that they never realised that they needed.

A nice quick read which left me with a warm, snuggly feeling!

Final rating: ★★★★☆ – Really liked

[Jennifer G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holly is filled with hurt and anger. All of that goes away when she's in the ring fighting. She's been alone since her mother died. She doesn't have a true home, just brief stops before she feels the need to move on again. This stop is a dorm attached to a bar. It's as good a place as any. She can get in the ring and fight and then have a drink to cool off. She can help with deliveries to stay in shape. No one takes much notice of her and that is just fine. But then she meets a new opponent, Tamsin. This one can knock her down. This one is different. She makes Holly dream of a real life.

Holly is a tough character. She's hardened, closed off. She doesn't know her own history or that of the earth dragons. She's so full of anger that she can't see more than surviving each individual day. Tamsin is good for her. However, Tamsin is so caught up in the IDEA of her one true mate that she can't see what's right in front of her face. I had a major issue with this. The idea that she would turn her back on her emotions for a mark and that the mark would then make everything perfect bothered me. I would have walked away if I were Holly. If you don't love me enough without seeing a mark, then you don't really love me. This really hurt my view of their entire relationship.

There was great chemistry between Holly and Tamsin despite the mark issue but overall, it felt a little rushed. Especially towards the end. This one just didn't work as well for me as the Twin Soul series did. I do love dragons though!

[Douglas Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our two heroines have had very different upbringings, resulting in very different worldviews. Can they find the common ground to explore the pull between them?

This is a paranormal F/F romance story. While this is book one of this latest series, it shares a setting with some of the author's prior works. It is not necessary to have read the previous stories, but doing so will provide a little more background for the setting.

Fortunately, the story is very well written and new readers will pick up on all the essential points pretty quickly. The setting is quite intriguing, but you will only get a glimpse and I found that I wanted to see more. The characters, however, get the full treatment. They are well developed, unique and quite fun to read. I really liked their individual personalities, as well as the chemistry between them. I hope to see more of them in future books.

Overall, this was a fun, short read, easily accomplished over a weekend. And I consider it time well spent.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout for review purposes.

[Brianna Belbin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really great start to a new series! Holly has been a loner since the age of ten when her mother abandoned her and she has her walls built extremely high. She fights at Dragon Soul to deal with her anger and guilt and one day in the ring, she meets a new opponent. Tamsin is just about the complete opposite of Holly- she has a family, knows about her shifter abilities and heritage, and is cheerfull and self assured. Sparks fly as soon as they meet and soon all of Holly’s walls seem to crumble. Tamsin helps Holly learn who she is as an earth dragon shifter and helps her train more as a boxer. I wish Tamsin would have realized sooner what was right in front of her instead of holding onto her belief of destined mate. I loved the journey that Holly went through in this book for self development and the relationship growth between her and Tamsin. I can’t wait to see what happens next!
Susan did another great job with this narration! I love listening to all of her performances because she uses so much emotion and brings the characters and story to life.
*I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
@AudiobookObsession

[Leslie Sanchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to give 5 stars to each author. Arizona Tape and Laura Greenwood have provided an excellent escape to the Twin Souls Universe again. I read the book in one day because I couldn’t bear to put it down. Holly is a loner and a fighter at Dragon Soul. She’s been on her since she was 10 years old. She has no idea what it really means to be a dragon and has no ties to any other dragons. Tamsin is travelling to see the world before her 25th birthday when she’ll return to her Commune. Tamsin starts working with Holly on her fighting skills and ends up teaching her a whole lot more. I did wonder what the backstory was with Holly’s mother, but it didn’t take away from the story for me. I did like seeing Marcus giving Holly some insight when she needed it. I love this world and all it’s stories.

[Cassandra Cobb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Torn Soul is a great story of a young girl who learns more about a world she's always been a part of. Having lived for fourteen years without letting anyone get close, Holly begins to have strong feelings for the new girl, Tamsin, at Dragon Soul. But just what does it mean when Holly begins to want more than Tamsin is willing to give? A great tale of finding yourself and letting others in to help you when you didn't even know you needed help. Laura Greenwood is able to tell this tale of fear and acceptance in a way without making the story sappy or unrealistic (even if it is about Dragons). Love the Dragon Soul series and can't wait to read more!

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author for review consideration**

[Renée · Rating 5 out of 5]

Torn Soul is fabulous start to the Dragon Soul series. This book follows Holly a fighter/boxer who’s staying at Dragon Soul. The location works perfectly for her needs with a boxing ring where she can fight out her aggression. Things are shaken up when a new guest - Tasmin, is accidentally asleep in her bed.
Holly’s story will lead her on a journey to a little heartbreak and discovering herself, as well as learning more about the Earth Dragons culture and finding her mate.

This book can be read without reading the other books in Twin Soul and Dragon Soul series. However, I’d definitely recommend reading them, not only because they all slightly interrelate, but because they are fantastic and well worth the read.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holly was a lost, angry Earth dragon, a professional fighter in Dragon Soul, a place where all dragons could mix and really be who they were.
One day she meets another fighter - Tamsin, and they become close friends. There could be more, but Tamsin is nearly 25 and waiting for the disclosure who her mate is.
Missing Tamsin, Holly goes to the commune she believes Tamsin to be and discovers many things about herself.
A lovely love story, written with empathy about a young person full of anger and the difficulty of letting go of that anger.
An interesting story, but maybe not for everyone to enjoy
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sue Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Torn soul by Laura Greenwood.
The only way to leave the ring, is to forfeit the right to win.
Holly's never had a true home, or a family, unless she counts the boxing ring at Dragon Soul. But she's been in one place for too long, and it's time to move on.
Until her...
When Holly finds herself faced with a brand new opponent, there's more than just rivalry brewing in the ring.
This was a fantastic read with great characters. It was a little slow at the start but once Holly met Tamsin i couldn't put it down. Loved Holly and Tamsin. How they were with each other. Loved the ending too. Looking forward to reading more from this author. 5*.

[TipseyBookReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holly has been on her own since her mom dies when she was little. She has built walls to protect herself from getting close to others. She lets her emotions out in the boxing ring. Enter Tamsin, who is basically taking a break from her life. I like that they talk openly about their feelings and help each other. Can their feelings/relationship last with the complexities of dragon culture and mates?

[Book Addict · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first FF story and i am glad that i started with Laura Greenwood and Arizona Tape as they has written a fun short story about some really interesting characters. Holly is quite a different character, she is very angry and has a lot of guilt that follows her around. It is good to read her finding love and learn who she is in the process. This is an enjoyable quick read that keeps the reader interested and is recommended to all the fans of Laura and Arizona'a books, both old and new.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This first book in the Dragon Soul series was an interesting read and I really enjoyed it. Whilst the F/F relationship at the centre of it wont be to everyone's taste, there's no sexual content, so it's ok for me. And with the drama, emotion and action involved, it was a great read that I'd definitely recommend for all fans of shifter stories.
NB I received a complimentary copy of this book, but I always give an HONEST review based wholly on my own opinions

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written story about Holly, who is an angry with woman who boxes to relieve herself from the anger if only for a little bit and Tamsin who is taking a break from regular life for a little while.

You've got a wonderful FF story that is so easy to follow and once you start you can't stop reading until you're finished. I loved every moment of this book. It pulls you in and doesn't stop.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Torn Soul is my first FF love story but since it was written by two great authors I figured I'd give it a try. I'm so glad I did because the story was great and the characters were interesting. Holly really intrigued me because she's a loner and has a tough exterior that makes it hard to let new people in but when she meets Tamsin everything changes. This is a beautiful love story and I look forward to reading more by this author duo in the future. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.

[bluepits73 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook version of this book.

Love Holly's growth as a character as she learns to unleash her dragon and builds a connection with Tamsin. The authors really pull a fast one on us at the end, they make us believe they arent going to give us the desired ending but then at the last minute they make it happen.

Great narration! The narrator was an excellent fit for these two characters and did a great job throughout.

[Ronel Janse van Vuuren · Rating 1 out of 5]

The blurb sounded interesting and a little outside my usual reading, which is always a good place to find new books and tropes to enjoy. But… 19% in there is still not enough to bond with the main character (not even sure what her name is) and all she wants to do is box and feel pain (without context to why, it’s just creepy). I really liked the idea of dragon shifters – too bad it was merely mentioned that they all were instead of shown. And the typos… Grr. DNF

[Estella · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only way to leave the ring, is to forfeit the right to win.

Holly's never had a true home, or a family, unless she counts the boxing ring at Dragon Soul. But she's been in one place for too long, and it's time to move on.

Until her....

When Holly finds herself faced with a brand new opponent, there's more than just rivalry brewing in the ring.

This storyline was different than most dragon shifter books but it was very adventurous and a nice twist.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this cute romance. Holly has a tough exterior due to her traumatic past, and Tamsin is just the person to help her bring out her softer side and experience what life has to offer. Add in the intricacies of dragon culture, and things are bound to be interesting.
This book was short and sweet. I definitely look forward to finding out what is next in this series.

[Tera Comer · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I gotta say is Love is Love and this book is beautifully written to show the romance between Holly and Tamsin. There is so much feeling and depth to the start of the relationship it made my heart hurt, you will have to read the book to understand that part. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

[Anne Dwyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holly has been on her own since her mother disappeared when she was 14. She has been fighting, to burn up her anger ad her loneliness. Then a new opponent turns her world upside down. What is it about Tamsin? A great story!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Scarolet Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Torn Soul by Laura Greenwood is a wonderful story to read. This is book number one in this series and a wonderful start to a brand new series that I fell in love with. I loved reading this story and can not wait to read book number two and I highly recommend this story to everyone.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kathleen Bradbury (Bulfon) · Rating 5 out of 5]

An abundance of endless intrigue that will have you frantically turning the pages! An exciting storyline that makes you feel as if you are there watching the story as it unfolds! Fun, enjoyable, intense and emotionally moving! Amazing hot chemistry you just want to sink your teeth into! One heck of an amazing must read!

[Shakera · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't usually like F/F, but I enjoyed this immensely. Add in dragons, and I'm there! This was well done. I'm excited to see where this series goes. The characters were awesome and the narration was great. I would love to listen to the next book!

🎧AudiobookObsession🎧

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great story about 2 dragons that find their mates.
Not what you would expect, but interesting and likeable.
Each of them have their own issues and insecurities to deal with.
Loved the series.