Review: Broken by Shiloh Walker

TITLE: Broken
AUTHOR: Shiloh Walker
FORMAT: ARC, 327 pages
GENRE: Romantic Suspense
SOURCE: Received ARC from the author
AVAILABLE: March 2, 2010 

DESCRIPTION:

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…

My Thoughts: 
Quinn is a bounty hunter for a private detective agency. He comes from a broken past and a broken home. He was first raised by his mother who was constantly in a drunken stupor or in a drug-filled haze. When his mother died from an overdose, Quinn was placed with his father and found out he has a twin brother. Quinn's image of a family life was completely shattered until he moved in with his father and brother.

Sara has been on the run for 2 years. It's not for the reasons you'd expect but she's on the move. She doesn't stay in a place too long before moving on. Right after moving into a quaint little apartment, she runs into her neighbor Quinn. She's instantly attracted to him but decides that she needs to keep her distance to protect her secrets.

This was a great read! I hadn't read anything by Shiloh Walker before this so I wasn't sure what to expect. I read the book description and thought, okay, let's give this a whirl. The description doesn't give you you even a hint of the twists to come in this story. I was definitely pleasantly surprised. I was on the edge of my seat, waiting for everything to unfold. I enjoyed reading this book so much, I gulped the last half of the book in one sitting.

I had a small problem with Elena, a character from Quinn's past. I'm hoping once I read Fragile, my questions about her will be answered and I'll overcome this. Broken is not part of a series per se so you can read it as a standalone.

I also got a little lost and confused when reading the little tidbits of conversation from Sara's text messages or when she was thinking about her past. But it all made sense and came full circle towards the end.

This book is full of sizzling sex. It certainly released all that built up sexual tension from the YA books I've recently read (don't get me wrong, I love YA. But sometimes I need some action!). Broken is all about release. Tantilizing, titilating, stimulating sex.

Here is a small taste from a scene that takes place in a restaurant:

“So which is it, Sara?” he asked, his gaze lingering on her mouth. “Do you want to know what kind of trouble you’re asking for?”

Sara was so tired of doing what her brain said was the right thing. The safe thing. The smart thing.

She wanted to listen to her body. Listen to her heart. So for the first time in ages, she let her heart, her body dictate her mouth. Smiling up at him, she whispered, “Why don’t you tell me what kind of trouble it is…then I’ll make up my mind.”

And a bit later:

He crowded her against the padded back of the booth. The hand lying on her thigh slid higher, higher…Instinctively, she clenched her knees together, trapping his hand. He didn’t let that keep him from rubbing his fingers against her covered sex.

Walker left me lusting for more. I found her writing enticing and delectable, especially the love scenes. I did not want the book to end. I got into the story and it was a fast read. I will definitely read more of her work. If you enjoy reading romance and suspense, then I highly recommend this book! 

The Book Vixen Rating: