Book Review: Stolen by Shiloh Walker

Title: Stolen
Author: Shiloh Walker
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Sensuality Rating: Steamy
Source: review copy from publisher via NetGalley
Published: October 30, 2012 by Ballatine Books

Shay Morgan has stayed hidden for a long time. Living a reclusive life in Earth’s End, Alaska, she’s as far away as she can get from the trauma of her childhood and the man who hurt her long ago. But terror takes over Shay’s life yet again when an unknown stalker steals away the fragile peace she’s built for herself—targeting not only her but the one man who’s ever managed to get past the walls she’s built around herself.

Elliot Winter has lived through being falsely accused before—it ruined his military career. Now it’s happening all over again. And this time, his accuser is a twisted impostor who’s targeting his ex-girlfriend, Shay. Despite a fierce mutual attraction, Shay and Elliot broke up because Shay couldn’t let her guard down, couldn’t let Elliot in. But now they both need to trust each other to confront a psycho who seems to know all their secrets.

Why I Read this Book: I look forward to reading romantic suspense novels by this author. She has a knack for keeping me on my toes while writing hot love scenes. 

What I Liked: Stolen starts off very interesting. The elements and circumstances surrounding Shane Neil’s character were very interesting. The blurb gives nothing away, and neither will I, but I will say that there’s a fascinating take on social media and how stuff posted online can spiral out of control.

The author kept me on my toes almost the entire time. Just when I thought I had something figured out, it would turn out that though I was right, sort of, there was more going on below the surface. Like I only got the tip of the iceberg and the rest was yet to be seen. I was right there with Shay, trying to figure out (a) what the heck is going on and (b) who the hell is responsible for it. And right when you think you’ve figured out who the villain is, more questions are raised.

Neutral Territory: Stolen is a very dark novel. Shay was incredibly tormented as a child and has been battling demons ever since. She is still very traumatized from the brutality she endured.

What I Didn’t Like: I thought Shay was very forward, sexually speaking, considering her tormented past.

While I like the cover, the design is a bit misleading and can lead to confusion. It’s the same layout that was used for the covers in The Ash Trilogy (also by Shiloh Walker) but Stolen is not part of that series. Stolen is not part of any series; it’s a stand alone novel.

Overall Impression: Shiloh Walker writes good, well-blended romantic suspense. While Stolen has an intricate storyline, it’s not too complex but enough to keep you on your toes.

Brianna’s Rating: