Sometimes the last thing you want is exactly what you need...

BATTLE SCARRED
Six years after trading in his combat gear for hospital scrubs, Luke Rafferty is faced with things just as heartbreaking as those on the battlefield. The abused children being brought in by the pretty redheaded social worker tug at his soul like nothing he's ever known.

HEARTBROKEN
For Devon Manning, being a social worker is a rewarding job, but also a constant reminder of her own troubled youth. Devon takes everything one day at a time-unable to form a relationship with anyone except the children she rescues.

A DESIRE TO HEAL
When Luke meets Devon, he thinks he might have found what he's been looking for, but in order to get the life he wants, Luke has to break through Devon's emotional barriers and make her realize that his healing touch might be just the complication her life needs . . .

Title: FRAGILE
Author: Shiloh Walker
Series: Prequel to BROKEN
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year of release: February 2009
Format: Tradesize Paperback
Source: Bought
First line: Mad. That was the first thing that Luke Rafferty thought as he gazed at the face across from him.
Favorite quote:

"I need you," he whispered. "I need you so much it hurts."
His voice was hoarse, rough with emotion. It sent shivers down her spine and closed a fist around her heart. Lifting her arms, she waited wordlessly. Words were useless at that point; they couldn't describe her own painful need for him or the way he managed to soothe her and excite her at the same time. Words couldn't describe the way he eased the ache in her soul even as he created a whole different kind of ache.

QnD-review:
Summary/Plot:Twins Luke and Quinn were separated at birth and reunited when they are 11. They both join the Army. Luke is a field medic in the Rangers but leaves Army after a leg injury and becomes a doctor. At the hospital where he works he comes in contact with Devon, a social worker who is a recovered drug-addict after being exually abused as a kid. She has overcome her past and now works hard to help children escape what she went through as a kid. The attraction between Devon and Luke is immediate but Devon fights it hard, Luke isn't scared away easily and just as he's made progress and their relationship is heading into calmer waters, a threat to Devon's life turns them both inside out.
Hero:Luke Rafferty (37). Hardworking, adrenaline junkie, protective, passionate anout protecting the people he loves/cares about.
Heroine:Devon Manning (26). Cautious and guarded. Stubborn and a fighter.
Writing:Shiloh Walker has a writing style that pulls you under from the first page. FRAGILE took hold of me and wouldn't let go. I was mesmerized by the strength in the emotions and the suspense.
Likes:FRAGILE bursts with intensity and a realistic vibe. The story of two people dealing with their everyday struggles and traumas from the past. The way the suspense was masterfully imbedded into the story with little subtle hints at the beginning, building up to the suspense in the middle and a very surprising twist in the end.
And let's not forget the hotness of this book. Does Ms Walker know how to write hot and emotional sex scenes or what? Devon and Luke's first time was so very hot. Kitchen table s'all I'm saying.
Dislikes:ABSOLUTELY NONE
Verdict:FRAGILE is an amazing mind-blowing, emotional book that stays with you for a long time. If you like sexy and you like romantic suspense in a contemporary setting, FRAGILE should not be missing on your bookshelf!
Rating: 10 out of 10