A CRY IN THE WOODS
The scream Lena Riddle hears in the woods behind her house is enough to curdle her blood—she has no doubt that a woman is in real danger. Unfortunately, with no physical evidence, the local law officers in small-town Ash, Kentucky, dismiss her claim. But Lena knows what she heard—and it leaves her filled with fear and frustration.

Ezra King is on leave from the state police, but he can’t escape the guilty memories that haunt his dreams. When he sees Lena, he is immediately drawn to her. He aches to touch her—to be touched by her—but is he too burdened by his tragic past to get close? When Ezra hears her story of an unknown woman’s screams, his instincts tell him that Lena’s life is also at risk—and his desire to protect her is as fierce as his need to possess her.

Title: IF YOU HEAR HER
Author: Shiloh Walker
Series: Ash Trilogy, book 1
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Year of release: 2011, October 25
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Received a digital ARC from author for review

First line:
Her name was Carly Watson. The final hours of her life were brutal.

Memorable Scenes:
- Lena and Ezra's first love scene > awesome, awesome scene!
- Ezra's declaration of love > awesome! Not some sappy all-of-a-sudden-in-the-middle-of-nookie epiphany but a heartfelt, almost involuntary, spontaneous outburst
- the stuff that happened after Hope and Lena went shopping > OMG OMG OMG!

Lena Riddle, chef at Running Brook Inn. She lost her eye-sight but despite her blindness she is perfectly able to take care of herself. She’s confident, outspoken and quick-tempered.

Ezra King is a police detective on leave due to an injury on the job. His past involves being betrayed by a woman he loved and trusted both personally and on the job. This leaves him guilt-ridden and untrusting of women. He’s sharp and direct.

I loved the chemistry between Lena and Ezra. It was hot but still had this laid-back ease about it. That is, until the first love scene...everything they (especially Ezra) were holding back came out full-force and made it a memorable scene. The romance was perfect! The love scenes were sizzling hot and scorching. Ezra was a (dirty) talker and he and Lena were perfectly balanced and matched. What more could I want?

As is usual in romantic suspense there are a lot of secondary character introductions and quite some walk-ons and mentions. I wondered how many of them will survive to appear or star in future books. While reading and getting introduced to these intriguing characters I kept wondering how it all fit together because I just knew Ms. Walker wasn't introducing these secondary characters and giving them POVs just for the fun of it.

I really liked how Shiloh Walker inserted the multiple men into Lena and Hope’s lives. Lena had Ezra, Law and Remy. Hope had Remy and Law, though Law was more protective in a friendship kind of way than really smitten with her. I definitely liked how Ezra and Law were circling around each other, scoping each other out while vying for the same woman but again Ms. Walker did an awesome job of keeping it all focused on the main romance.

The first page immediately grabbed me and I wasn't let go until the very last page. The suspense is gritty as heck. Mind-blowing good! The last few romantic suspense novels I read didn't have the villain POV and reading IF YOU HEAR HER, which does, made me realize once more how much I like that. For me it adds another layer to the suspense, which I like a lot.

While reading and enjoying this book I was analyzing the different POVs and that of the villain to see if I could deduce who the villain could be...adding suspects to my list, crossing suspects off when the villain's POV would give me little pieces of information that didn't fit certain suspects. Now THAT'S a perfect romantic suspense!

Shiloh Walker's writing never fails to amaze and captivate me. Her suspense is awesome. Her characters, both primary and secondary, are fleshed out with back-stories and great characterization, giving them depth and likeability (and making them horrifying in the case of the villain). The romance is in perfect balance with the suspense.

I was at about 65% into this book when a friend asked me what I thought about it as both she and I were anxious for this book to come out and both ecstatic when I got an ARC. When in answer all I could do was make unintelligible sounds and weird sighing and grunting noises I knew this was a book headed to another 5-star/perfect 10 read. Individually the suspense and the romance were awesome! Put together and combined with the characterization, back-stories, intertwined character connections and Shiloh Walker's brilliant emotionally gripping writing style they turned IF YOU HEAR HER into the nearly perfect read for me.

That is until I got to the end, because when I got there I wanted to kill and hug Shiloh Walker at the same time. The ending could have made this a perfect 10 read but because it did not give me what I wanted, I have no choice but to give this book an almost perfect read stamp. I am not telling what it is that I wanted because that would spoil this book. All I can say is that Shiloh Walker is a brilliant and evil genius when it comes to romantic suspense and the start of this trilogy!

Favorite Quotes:
His mouth came down on hers, easy and light, keeping it slow at first. She opened for him and shuddered as he traced his tongue along her lower lip. He tasted like coffee and chocolate cheesecake and man. Delicious.

Looking at her mouth had him all but drooling for another taste, just like looking at her body had him wanting to touch. No. Forget want. Need. He needed to touch.

Don’t you “Hello, Lena” me, she almost snapped. She managed to bite it back simply because she didn’t want him to know she’d been looking forward to him calling her . . . like he’d said he would. Bastard.
“You okay, Lena?”
“Oh, I’m just peachy,” she drawled, resisting the urge to cross her arms over her chest. Just the sound of that low, sexy drawl had her body doing bad, bad things—her nipples beaded up, her belly went hot and loose, and her heart was racing.
Sexy, so damned sexy, the sort of voice a woman wants to hear murmuring in her ear during just the right moment— hell, with that kind of voice, any moment would be right.

“He talk to himself a lot?” Ezra asked, trying to distract himself. It was either that . . . or lean in and press his face against the curve of her neck. She smelled good, something light, almost citrusy, but not quite. Female, and sexy. Completely delicious.
Friends, he reminded himself. They were just going to be friends. F#ck . . . that smell was killing him. He desperately wanted to find the source of it and just start licking it right off her skin.

[...]and his hands . . .whoa. He could do things with his hands that just might
be illegal in some countries. Then there was his mouth— his mouth could almost put his hands to shame and if she wasn’t careful, she just
might start whimpering in need if she thought about it too much.

“I started to fall for you that night, Lena. I guess it’s why I backed away . . . maybe I didn’t think I could handle it.”
“And what makes you think you can handle it now?”
“Oh, I’m pretty sure I can’t. But then again if I wait until I can handle things, then I never would do anything,” he murmured, rubbing his lips against hers.
“Things happen when they happen, not when you’re ready for them.”
She sighed against his mouth, a smile curling her lips. “That sounds kind of . . . well, romantic, Ezra. Never would have thought it of you.”
“Hmmm.” Lifting his head, he smiled at her. “Oh, I can get plenty romantic.”

Back Cover:
LOVE LOST
As a teenager, Taige Branch was able to do things with her psychic gift that others couldn’t understand—except for Cullen Morgan, the boy her stole her heart. He did his best to accept her abilities, until his mother was brutally murdered—and he couldn’t forgive Taige for not preventing her death.

PASSION FOUND
Now a widowed father, Cullen Morgan has never forgotten Taige. But what brings her back into his life is another tragic event. His beloved little girl has been kidnapped, and Taige is his only hope of finding her.

A LOVE THAT NEVER DIED
Working together against the clock, Cullen and Taige can’t help but wonder whether—if they find his daughter in time—it isn’t too late for the overpowering love that still burns between them…

THE MISSING is the story of Taige Branch and Cullen Morgan. It's told in 2 parts and spans a time-period of 16 years. Part 1 shows us how Taige and Cullen meet and a lovely young love sparkles between the girl of mixed heritage with an extraordinary psychic gift she doesn't want and the handsome all-American boy who comes to her town every summer on vacation. Teenage Paige is very mature for her age, probably because she's always had only herself to depend on and teenage Cullen is sweet, protective and chivalrous.

A breaking point in their relationship is when Cullen's mother is brutally killed and Cullen blames Taige for not being able to prevent it with her gift and they go their separate ways after a heartbreaking scene. I felt so very sorry for Taige when Cullen treated her like he did after his mother's death. I felt he was being unreasonable. Even though I felt and, on some level, understood his pain and loss, it was Taige's hurt that truly broke my heart.

After the first part, which to me was a very cleverly set-up and extensive prologue, the true story starts with part 2. It takes us 12 years down the road and shows us a Taige, who over the years has accepted her gift instead of fighting it and she has trained to control it so she can use it for her work as a civilian consultant with the FBI. Her gift, her heritage and her loss and hurt have turned her into a lonely, tough-as-nails woman who doesn't take crap from anyone. Cullen is a widower and a novelist. He has a daughter and when she is taken it brings them back together as Cullen wants Taige to help him find his missing daughter. He's never forgotten Taige and keeps tabs on her career without her knowing about it. Taige has also never forgotten about Cullen, the only man she's ever truly loved and connected with. He has a prominent role in her dreams, making it impossible for her to forget him. When he asks for her help, she doesn't even think about refusing to help him find his little girl.

Taige will be going onto my fave heroines-list. I admired her strength, tenacity and the way she dealt with life, Cullen and her gift. She's a flawed yet marvelous character. Taige is a fighter. She's not fearless, which luckily keeps her far away from TSTL territory, but she doesn't let her fears hold back her fighting, warrior spirit.

The romance was hot and sizzling and it was a perfect counterpart for the emotionally heavy suspense plot. The development of their love was beautifully written and Shiloh Walker most definitely knows how to write love scenes that burn the pages to a crisp. Cullen and Taige's first time was extremely hot yet realistic and anything but embellished. As I read it we were going through a heat wave that equaled the heat of this particular scene. For Cullen and Taige's rekindled romance to work for me I needed Cullen to atone for the way he treated Taige when they broke up 12 years earlier and apologize for it. Though this was addressed soon after their reunion, I also felt it was a bit brushed over; Taige’s forgiveness was a bit too easily achieved but it was enough for me to make it work.

I loved the paranormal elements in this book. They were subtle enough for the book to remain labeled a romantic suspense and they were embedded perfectly throughout the story. I especially loved the way Taige and Cullen connected through their dreams, even when they were apart for years. But Taige’s and some other character’s gifts (don’t want to name them as not to spoil) were equally impressive to me.

The suspense grabbed me by the throat it was so good. The spin given to the suspense plot was one I didn't completely see coming, though I did guess the identity of the kidnapper/serial killer a while before it was disclosed in the book, because of that spin. The twist was still surprising, intriguing and pleasantly unexpected, bringing the plot up to an even higher level than it already was for me. Once I knew the identity of the killer I was curious to see when and how Taige and Cullen would put the pieces of the puzzle together and Shiloh Walker did not disappoint me there, and gave me enough surprises to keep the suspense plot fresh and thrilling.

I really love Shiloh Walker's writing. It's emotionally intense, the suspense is thrilling and the sex is spine tingling. A three-way combo that hits the right button with me every single time I venture into the books this author writes. THE MISSING is no fluffy romantic book. It's raw, unembellished and covers some harsh stuff involving kids. Still it never felt uncomfortable or pushing the limits. This is something I admire in Shiloh's writing; the ability to broach difficult and hard subjects in a dark and gritty way yet still keeping it within my comfort zone with the story and emotions she weaves around them.

THE MISSING is a bittersweet, raw and emotionally gripping combination of romance and suspense, interspersed with a just enough paranormal to keep it in the realm of the believable and making me want to read the connected book (THE DEPARTED, which I found out will be the story of Taylor and Dez, secondary characters in THE MISSING) as soon as possible, and by that I mean yesterday. Unfortunately Shiloh told me it will be a while before THE DEPARTED will grace our bookshelves, but no worries...I can be patient. (really I can...)

Quotes:
Slowly, he slanted his mouth over hers, using his grip on her hair to angle her head up and back. He didn't close his eyes; after this long he wanted to see her, wanted to see if he affected her the same way she still affected him. Her lashes fluttered over her eyes, and she moaned into his mouth, a hungry, kittenish sound. Slowly, he pushed his tongue into her mouth and gorged on the taste of her.

Cullen: "I plan on seducing you before the night is up, just so you know. I'm going to f*ck you blind, until you can't see or hear or feel anything but me. Then I'm going to make love to you, soft and slow. Then I'm going to start all over again."

9 out of 10

Back Cover:
SHATTERED


Quinn Rafferty is working as a bounty hunter and bail bondsman in St. Louis when a new neighbor catches his eye. He’s tempted by her beauty—but he knows from experience that anyone desperate enough to live in his building is damaged goods. Besides, he has his own soul to mend before he can worry about anyone else. 



DESPERATE 


Sarah McElya is on the run, but not for the usual reasons a woman goes on the lam. She’s not an abused wife, and she’s not a criminal. But she does have a plan for her future. And as much as she finds herself attracted to her gruff, tough neighbor, she can’t risk telling him the secrets she’s hiding. There’s just too much at stake. 



DRIVEN TO DESIRE… 


But Quinn must get closer to Sarah when she turns out to be the target of his new missing persons case, and he discovers that there is something more complex and dangerous to her than he thought. Now, both Quinn and Sara will have to expose their true feelings—as well as their fragile hearts—if they hope their love will survive…

When I won the ARC of BROKEN in an ARC-contest on Shiloh Walker’s blog and found out it was the sequel to FRAGILE I knew I had to read the story about Luke first, which turned out to be a perfect read for me (click here for my Quick ‘n Dirty review of it). I assumed I was prepared for Quinn after reading FRAGILE but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Nothing could have prepared me for the impact Quinn and Sara and their story had on me. They took romance, struggle, pain, and suffering to another level.

BROKEN is the sequel to FRAGILE and tells the story of Quinn Rafferty. The quiet, brooding twin who lives and breathes Army life, who comes across as cold, uncaring and void of compassion but he definitely isn’t. He was just messed up as a kid by his addicted and abusive mother. Quinn is a loner, distrustful and gruff. He’s blunt and direct and not a man of many words. Talk is overrated in Quinn’s opinion. He is also a fighter. With his past, it’s not strange that Quinn distrusts people and keeps away from them. Until he meets a woman he can’t stay away from, despites his efforts to do just so.

Sara Davis is quick-witted and a tough cookie. She’s very cautious and on her guard 24/7. She can’t afford not to be. If there is one characters I’ve read lately who is not who she seems to be, it’s definitely Sara. Fairly soon in the story it’s clear that she is on the run from something or someone, never staying in one place, never letting people get to know her. Never letting others come close. Until she meets a man who makes her want to stay and be more than passing ships.

Even though I enjoyed BROKEN immensely and it was just as amazing and mind-blowing a read as FRAGILE was, I do think that FRAGILE was better for me in two aspects: the suspense and the hero. Both have to do with personal preferences and likings. I liked the suspense plot in FRAGILE just a tad better than the one in BROKEN and this had to do with how the build up was wrapped up. As for the heroes I am all for dark and brooding heroes like Quinn but I prefer heroes like Luke who are a bit more open and talkative.

The suspense plot of BROKEN is that of Sara on the run and from who and why is disclosed slowly throughout the book. This suspense plot is built with small clues and flashbacks, which all contributed to speculations about what was going on. Shiloh Walker did this in a way that was absolutely superb. She is amazing at giving the reader the plot in small doses, building up the suspense, keeping the reader riveted on finding out what the deal is. When the answers were given and everything fell into place, I was surprised that I was only partially right with my speculations.

Shiloh Walker is an artist with words. She weaves them together perfectly to convey emotions so powerful that they vividly paint the picture she wants you to see. Without getting overly bombastic or flowery she writes about love, hurt, trust and passion beautifully and without over-embellishments. And then she effortlessly combines that with nail-biting suspense. The excellent build-up of the suspense is equally excellently done in the romance and the eroticism. She does that going from little clues to the full story, from subtle flirting and teasing to intense emotions and almost desperate passion.

BROKEN is about learning to trust when people who should be supportive pillars in your life have mowed down your ability to trust. Sara and Quinn are two lost souls trying to find their way in the world and finding their souls and destiny in each other. I loved reading this book and if the suspense had been as good as I found it to be in FRAGILE this would have been another perfect read. But almost perfect isn’t too shabby either, right?

BROKEN is a must-read for readers who love emotional intensity in their reading combined with a good dose of suspense. I know FRAGILE and BROKEN were an amazing start for me to get to know Shiloh Walker’s work and they were just that, a start, because I am definitely going to read more of Ms. Walker’s work.

Quotes:
Small talk. He was making small talk with his gorgeous neighbor. He was actually engaging in a fucking conversation.
Shit, he was either hornier than he thought or he was still asleep. Quinn didn’t do small talk. Quinn hated small talk.

When he lowered his head to kiss her, she tried to brace herself…it just wasn’t possible. It wasn’t the sort of kiss a woman could brace herself for. The sort of kiss that a man should give a woman in a public place. The sort of kiss that should happen anywhere outside of a bedroom. Because it left her wanting to strip out of her clothes, tear his away, and then climb on and ride him, ride him until that long, powerful body shuddered and quivered under hers.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

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