Broken (Rafferty, #2)

Jul 14, 2012 Buggy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: tortured-hero, shelf-12, rom-susp

Opening Line: "Mad. Quinn could hear it in her voice: the old lady was mad."

This was really good and because I picked it up on a whim (without reading book 1 Fragile first) I also went into it without any expectations regarding the hero. -Some of the other reviewers hinted at being disappointed after anticipating his story. And I think this might actually have read better as a stand alone.

Speaking of the hero, Quinn Rafferty what’s not to like there? Brooding, super sexy, wounded warrior-ish, b...more Opening Line: "Mad. Quinn could hear it in her voice: the old lady was mad."

This was really good and because I picked it up on a whim (without reading book 1 Fragile first) I also went into it without any expectations regarding the hero. -Some of the other reviewers hinted at being disappointed after anticipating his story. And I think this might actually have read better as a stand alone.

Speaking of the hero, Quinn Rafferty what’s not to like there? Brooding, super sexy, wounded warrior-ish, bounty hunter who falls hard and then lets his internal dialogue betray his true self to the reader. Yeah I fell a little bit in love with him. Why is it that these emotionally scared, menacing, I am an island so back the hell off men get me so hot and bothered? Anyways there’s lots of stuff to like here besides Quinn… Mysterious heroine on the run, (who is pretty interesting and likable in her own right), suspense, plot twists and off the charts sexual chemistry leading to some seriously good sex scenes. Yup this was almost perfect.

I did have a couple issues though, like the mystery aspect going on too long and then getting wrapped up way too easily and the H/h never talked to each other. I mean at a certain point after you start sleeping together you usually ask questions, pillow talk comes into play. Oh well it added to the mystique.

Quinn Rafferty’s story starts with a flash back to his horrendous childhood. The latchkey kid of an abusive alcoholic/junkie mother and absent father, His 11 years old POV is fantastic and it went a long way into explaining why he became the sort of emotionally shut off adult he did, with an inability to trust or form close relationships. Quinn lives a solitary life, working as a bondsman (when he feels like it) he doesn’t want or need anyone (except the odd phone call to his twin brother) Everything changes however when Sara moves into the apartment upstairs, she makes his mouth go dry and want things he hasn‘t wanted in a long time.

The attraction between our couple is immediate but getting involved is the last thing Sara Davis should do. She’s been on the run for 2 years now, working under the table and moving every couple of months, trying to stay invisible. The problem is Quinn sees her. There's a feeling of suspense throughout this story because we never really get a true grasp of Sara. Even her intermittent flashbacks just serve as a teaser and I found her both intriguing and frustrating because she’s kept so purposely misleading and vague.

The romance is where Broken really shines through with beautifully written, heart wrenching scenes mostly where the internal conflict is concerned; I love you, I hate you, I can’t be with you, I’m going to do you up against this wall. So hott!

Sam stood there numb and frozen. Her mouth opened.
“You can’t love me” she said her voice rusty.
“Not your call, Sam.”
She tried to force herself to talk but she couldn't get a damn thing out. Frozen, she stood there and watched as he cut through the tangle of bodies and made his way to the elevator. Frozen she stood there as he climbed on. Just before the doors closed, he turned and looked at her. That look in his eyes--naked and bruised. Hurt. Broken.

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Mar 11, 2010 Shawna rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of emotional, steamy romantic suspense & tortured heroes

Shelves: romantic-suspense, shiloh-walker-jc-daniels, hero-abused-scarred-tortured-angst, cop-bodyguard-govop-merc-military, im-a-cover-hottie-ho, i-read-no-longer-own-sold-swapped, bikers-sexy-as-sin, hero-alpha‎, erotic-romance-erotica-romantica, 2010-reads, brothers-sisters-cousins-family, hero-im-gaga-over, hero-stud-mantel-hall-of-fame, heroine-kickass-spirited-strong, hero-bad-boy-playboy, hero-celibate-virgin-virginesque, backdoor-action-lovin-playin, 4-to-5-stars

4 ½ stars – Romantic Suspense/Erotic Romance

I’ve been anxiously awaiting Quinn Rafferty’s story ever since his powerful, unforgettable part in Fragile and Broken is an aptly named title for this, considering what a bruised, shattered soul he is.

Quinn is trying to put his life back together after his stint as an Army Ranger left him hollow and grief stricken, and working as a bounty hunter and bail bondsman seems a fitting way to earn a living, especially when he gets to collar and bring in loath...more 4 ½ stars – Romantic Suspense/Erotic Romance

I’ve been anxiously awaiting Quinn Rafferty’s story ever since his powerful, unforgettable part in Fragile and Broken is an aptly named title for this, considering what a bruised, shattered soul he is.

Quinn is trying to put his life back together after his stint as an Army Ranger left him hollow and grief stricken, and working as a bounty hunter and bail bondsman seems a fitting way to earn a living, especially when he gets to collar and bring in loathsome abusive husbands. He’s still trying to heal from agonizing wounds in his past related to his own abusive childhood and a tragic loss from his Army Ranger days, and the last thing he wants is to get mixed up with a woman, especially one who’s harboring painful secrets of her own.

Quinn is drawn to his new neighbor Sara and is surprised by the strong attraction he feels for her after being numb for so long, but he thinks the best thing to do is avoid her. After all, he’s got enough trouble mending his own damaged soul than to worry about her or to get caught up in whatever she’s hiding. If only it wasn’t so hard to ignore her!

Sara’s been on the run for two years and has an agenda for the future, and it sure doesn’t include getting involved with her quiet, gruff, mysterious, hardened, sexy, biker neighbor Quinn who threatens her carefully laid plans, no matter how damn hot and bothered he makes her!

This is a moving, smokin’ hot romance about two people alone, distrusting, and broken in different ways whose tentative acquaintance turns into a sizzling sexual relationship and then eventually grows into something deeper. Quinn is a gruff, moody alpha hero, but underneath his tough exterior is a heartbroken little boy yearning for love and acceptance. I just wanted to wrap my arms around him, squeeze tight, and never let go! And there were subtle things he did once he started to fall for Sara that were so innocently tender and touching...it’s just flat-out impossible not to fall hard for him!

My only real complaint (and the reason I didn’t give it 5 stars) is that I wanted more communication, connection, and ‘getting to know you’ between Quinn and Sara (other than just the physical). I understand the reasons they were hesitant with each other and held themselves back, but I’d hoped at least in the end there would be a big unveiling and revealing between them. Unfortunately, the ending is disappointingly abrupt and leaves a lot left unresolved between them, and the lack of an epilogue was like salt on that wound.

Overall, it’s a satisfying erotic romantic suspense read with a tortured, to die for, sexy hero to love and a likable, unique heroine that’s full of drama, emotion, twists, and surprises. I just wish there had been further closure and a more pronounced HEA for the H/H. 4 ½ stars!

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Mar 28, 2011 TheBookVixen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010, signed, c-b

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...more

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Mar 20, 2010 Auntee rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of romantic suspense that leans toward the erotic

Shelves: romantic-suspense, 2010_reads, tortured-hero, erotic-romance

This was an absolutely fabulous book--until there was about 50 pages left. And then I was sort of let down. Without giving away any spoilers, I wasn't that thrilled with how the suspense aspect of the book played out. I thought to myself--"Is that it? Is that the reason for...?" I just thought there might have been a better way to handle what the heroine was being threatened with. Let's just say I wasn't totally convinced that all the heroine went through was necessary. Don't get me wrong, SW di...more

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Mar 31, 2011 Mojca rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: gr-author, shiloh-walker, e-book, cover-hunkiness, suspense-mystery-adventure-thriller, contemporary-romance, own, part-of-a-series, series-rafferty-twins, bodyguard-military-merc-gov-cop-leo, hb

Hmmm. To say I’m disappointed would be an understatement. Because after “meeting” Quinn in Fragile, I was really looking forward to his story. I bet it would be great, gripping, intense, very Quinn-like. Because, well, it’s Quinn.

Unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way. Sure, I got a good dose of Quinn and Quinn-ness, but there wasn’t that much dwelling on his past, the army, the Elena incident, his bond with his twin. Instead I got a helping of an annoying heroine (a SW first for me). She wa...more

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May 08, 2011 Jacqueline rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: from-the-library, contemporary-romance

I liked this one better than Fragile. But it did have it's problems. Mostly they where in the character of the heroine. She was a bit too mysterious maybe? Also the hero accuses her and is pissed at her for evidently leaving a bad marriage after he had said "the woman" probably had reason to leave the guy. He was mad because he thinks she's married when he knew all along she was running from something. If women are running and it isn't from the law then it's usually from a man, so why the shock...more

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Jan 21, 2011 Kim-wilts-for-kilts rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: abused-hero, contemporary, erotica, hero-child-abuse, hero-millitary, mistaken-identity, tough-heroine

Why are there never any good cover models? I keep having to go find me a nice visual. Searching is fun though. Heehee Uh-oh, husband coming...gotta hurry......this is QUINN!

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Nov 10, 2012 Mademoiselle Charlotte rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: characters-with-trust-love-issues, romance_deep_intense, female_characters_the_best, male_charcters_tough_alpha

Whaat??Only five stars here...?? *sigh*

I've just finished the book,so I might,just might,still be a little over-enthusiastic.I'll try to be as normal as I can(under these circumstances).

Let's start by saying I absolutely loved this book.It's got to be one the best books I've read in a very,very,very long time...And I've read quite a few good books lately.

Romantic,funny,light and tense at the same time,totally addicting,moving,boiling hot,heartbreaking(but HEA)book.

Things I've expected from Broke...more

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Mar 16, 2010 Rhapsody rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, romance-contemporary, fiction

Sarah is on the run, in hiding from something in her past. Money is tight and she reluctantly accepts a local woman's generous offer to stay in the apartment over her house. It turns out that Quinn is renting the basement of the house. Abused as a child and blaming himself for the recent death of a woman he loved, Quinn has huge issues with trust and intimacy, but he's immediately attracted to Sarah and before long they enter into a serious relationship. But neither is willing to share anything...more

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Jan 18, 2011 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: set-series, reviewed

As I was reading Fragile, book one in the Series, I noticed one thing that seemed to outshine, in a way, the HEA of that book. It was Quinn. He was an amazing character and I found myself drawn to him and his story. Yet I was very disappointed in that fact that he seemed to turn into a whole other person. I was expecting him to be cold and distant and hard, he was the complete opposite, and yes I know the author portrayed as it was he who brought that out in him. But it didn't make sense to me t...more

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Aug 22, 2010 Keri rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, romance-suspense, romance-contemporary, 2010-read, shiloh-walker

You knew reading the first chapter of Quinn's book that it is going to take a special woman to be able to handle Quinn. Quinn had it very hard the first 11 years of his life and those years have left him, as an adult, hard to connect with people and be "normal".

But Sara sees the real man beneath the taciturn facade. While Sara has her own grave secrets and knows that Quinn is a complication she can ill afford, she dips her toe in anyway.

Quinn and Sara are hot together and their love scenes lef...more

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Oct 04, 2012 Michelle [Helen Geek] rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Michelle by: Several GR friends rated it 4Stars

Shelves: too-damned-spensive-lucy, 3-5-stars, library-loan, military-twist, tbr-kindle, ntm_authors_2012

10/04/2012 Full Review Posted on: http://www.2GeekGirlsReviewBooks.com
Overall Rating = 3.5 Stars
Book Cover / Book Blurb = 4 / 3 = total of 3.5 Stars
Writer’s Voice = 4 Stars
Character Development = 4 Stars
Story Appreciation = 4.5 Stars
Worth the Chili = 2 Stars [a book loan, but is $12.99 Amazon and Barnes & Noble] whacked!

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05/28/2011 Still have not read a Shiloh Walker book. Putting this on my TBR, but it is $13 on Amazon for an eBook - WHAT! And, also not available via...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Styles rated it 1 of 5 stars

I presume you know what the book is about. I'm letting you know what I liked or disliked about it.

Shiloh Walker is (to me) an unpredictable author. Plenty talented, which is always the lure and the draw for me and why I buy her books. But, after this read? I'm just not going to take the risk any more. There really was a whole lot of potential in this storyline and plot. The beginning of the book was the best part. It was smooth, well written, enticing....

And then....

It just wasn't

Good grief!!!!...more

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Jul 21, 2011 Sandy M rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, erotic

After reading about Quinn in his brother’s book, Fragile, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Broken. From the moment we meet this man, our hearts are broken just as much as his has been up to the point his life actually starts when his mother dies and his father brings him home, when he meets his twin. You want him to reach out and grab the love of his new family, but he’s got so much hurt and distrust, it’s a total unknown if he’ll ever be able to put all the pieces back together again.

We get t...more After reading about Quinn in his brother’s book, Fragile, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Broken. From the moment we meet this man, our hearts are broken just as much as his has been up to the point his life actually starts when his mother dies and his father brings him home, when he meets his twin. You want him to reach out and grab the love of his new family, but he’s got so much hurt and distrust, it’s a total unknown if he’ll ever be able to put all the pieces back together again.

We get to see the same scenes from Fragile now from Quinn’s point of view as a child, and you can’t help but weep for the boy whose mother never loved him, who beat him at the drop of a hat. Though later he witnesses the loving relationship between Luke and their father, he still can’t trust enough to drop the I-don’t-give-a-damn attitude, to stop pushing his father to provoke that first punch he just knows will come. But in time Quinn does learn life doesn’t have to be bruises and stealing to keep himself fed.

Twenty years later he has a good relationship with his father and sibling, he’s left the army and is now a bounty hunter, bringing those who abuse to justice. What he still needs in his life is that person who can heal him inside and out, who can soothe his soul, who can love him no matter what. When he least expects it is when such a person literally falls into this arms.

Sarah has her own problems, ones that have kept her on the run for the past two years. She moves from city to city, gets lost in the crowds whenever possible, never lets herself get too attached to those who are nice to her so someplace feels like home. She’s thinking of moving into an apartment offered by a woman who seems to look straight into her heart and know what Sarah’s all about, though she knows that’s not possible. Accidentally falling into the arms of the woman’s other tenant is one more reason she should turn around and keep running. But the lure of safety and friendship, against her better judgment, is difficult to resist.

The attraction is instant between Quinn and Sarah, but they both know they can’t get involved. They have too much distrust, too much of a past to let themselves even think of starting a new relationship. But what’s between them is stronger than they are. Thoughts and dreams of each other plague them and fate seems intent on throwing together whenever possible. They eventually do give in to their needs and the resulting lust and sex is explosive.

Little by little they learn more about one another. Not the huge things in life since they both hide from such disclosure, but it’s the small things that bring them closer. And, of course, the sex. Sizzle, burn, hot, the above explosive, any of those adjectives barely cover the surface when these two characters are together. But I digress. For Quinn, the little things he’s learned is enough to acknowledge his feelings for Sarah. It takes a little longer for her. And neither of them can bring themselves to say it out loud. And that made me want to scream every time. Just say it before she leaves! Say it before he walks away!

The ending is a huge surprise. Never in a lifetime would I have figured out what Ms. Walker so cleverly comes up with. And amid it all is when both Quinn and Sarah realize they have to begin to trust each other to make their love work, though one last time they’re still stubborn in admitting those feelings, which made me scream again. And it wasn’t screams of frustration due to a ruse to keep the characters apart as you see in a lot of romances. It’s more of NO! Don’t give up! Now’s your chance for all you’ve been missing in your life! Sigh. These two exhausted me. But it’s a good exhaustion.

This book is everything I thought it could and would be and then some. I think Quinn Rafferty has become my favorite Shiloh Walker hero. And that’s saying something considering all of her heroes.

See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com (less)

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Feb 09, 2011 Kyami rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: alpha-male, romantic-suspense-thriller

BROKEN, Shiloh Walker's hot and steamy follow up to FRAGILE, reintroduces readers to Quinn Rafferty. This sexy bounty hunter keeps his distance from most women he meets - Sara Davis is the exception and he has no idea why.

Broken is suspenseful and intriguing. It's a love story filled with hot sex, intense emotion, and even anguish. It's a perfect erotic romance. Sara is a passionate, strong woman facing an incredibly difficult situation. She's doing what she feels necessary for own safety, but...more

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Nov 08, 2010 Rva Booklover rated it 5 of 5 stars

I just now finished reading "Broken", the follow up to "Fragile". I couldn't put it down. "Broken" is one of those books that I race through, desperate to see what happens even as I curse myself for reading it too fast. I plan on reading it again so I can slow down and savor the story.

Quinn is just...WOW. Um...yeah...Wow. Ms. Walker draws him out of his shell one line at a time, so slowly. His transformation from loner to lover is believable and so heartbreakingly touching. He is in over his he...more

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Oct 22, 2010 Jamie - Nitty Gritty Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: erotica

Quinn is a bounty hunter for a private agency. He's very good at his job because he doesn't get to close to anyone much less trust anyone either. See Quinn comes from a troubled past....broken home, abusive parent (with certain addictions), the whole nine yards. So when his mother dies of a drug overdose Quinn is put into the care of the father he never knew he had. Oh, and he has a twin brother named Luke that he never knew about either!

Sara has been on the run for a long time. She's got her r...more Quinn is a bounty hunter for a private agency. He's very good at his job because he doesn't get to close to anyone much less trust anyone either. See Quinn comes from a troubled past....broken home, abusive parent (with certain addictions), the whole nine yards. So when his mother dies of a drug overdose Quinn is put into the care of the father he never knew he had. Oh, and he has a twin brother named Luke that he never knew about either!

Sara has been on the run for a long time. She's got her reasons, but they aren't the ones that you'd typically expect. Because of those reasons she doesn't stay in one place all that long. Once she moves into this quaint little apartment and meets her new neighbor, the Mighty Quinn, she's instantly attracted to him but decides that she should stay away to protect herself from the unknown.

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN MY WHOLE LIFE SHILOH WALKER?! This is the first book by Walker that I have read and I will DEFINATELY be reading more! I read the book description on Goodreads not long after The Book Vixen "gave away" the opportunity to become involved in the ARC tour for this book and decided that it was defiantely a book that I was interested in learning more about.

I was a little confused about Elena, who is a character from Quinn's past. But I'm hoping that reading books prior to Broken will answer the questions that I have about her and Quinn's "relationship."

In the beginning I was slightly confused about the little tidbits from Sara's text messages and the little glimpses into her past but the further I got into the book the more this information made sense to me.

Oh and lets talk about the SIZZLING sex scenes! The last couple books haven't had ANY love scenes in them at all...Completely Asexual! I got to my first "scene" I was beyond pleasantly surprised....Defiantely a change in pace from the last couple of books that's for sure! ;)

Overall, I found yet another author to add to my favorite author list! I really enjoyed the way that the story was written, the characters the whole works. This was a very fast paced read....I'm SUPER short on sleep because I had to know what happened next. (less)

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Oct 02, 2010 Paige Prince rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sarah has a past she's running from, but we don't find out exactly why she's running until nearly the very end of the book. Normally this annoys me when something is dragged out for so long, but Shiloh wrote it in such a way that it kept me intrigued and unable to put the book down.

Quinn is broken. He had the crappiest of crappy childhoods until his father got custody of him. By then, he was already programmed by his crazy mother to believe that he is the only one who will take care of himself....more

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Aug 08, 2010 Jane Stewart rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic-suspense

Some conflicts were not logical or consistent with feelings. Too much pondering and inner monologuing. Not enough action.

REVIEWER’S OPINION:
My biggest problem was the plot. Sara is on the run from an abusive man for two reasons. One of the reasons was logical, the other made no sense. The author should have stuck with the first reason. Quinn works for a private detective agency and hates abusers. Quinn and Sara meet and fall in love. Later Quinn is given a missing persons case which shows Sara a...more Some conflicts were not logical or consistent with feelings. Too much pondering and inner monologuing. Not enough action.

REVIEWER’S OPINION:
My biggest problem was the plot. Sara is on the run from an abusive man for two reasons. One of the reasons was logical, the other made no sense. The author should have stuck with the first reason. Quinn works for a private detective agency and hates abusers. Quinn and Sara meet and fall in love. Later Quinn is given a missing persons case which shows Sara as the missing person. He shows this to Sara and asks why. He tells her he wants to help. She won’t let him. She won’t tell him anything for most of the rest of the book. That bothered me. Later she is angry and saying to herself “why couldn’t he have just trusted me enough to ask? Instead of assuming the very worst, right off the bat, why couldn’t he have asked what was going on?” (page 243). He did, but she wouldn’t answer him. I wanted to shake her and say what’s wrong with you. Tell him. He knows much of it already. Anyway, I felt like she was making up a reason to be mad at him. My second problem: many of their conflicts are based on not following feelings and inaccurate assumptions about each other (two of my pet peeves). For example, when Quinn tells Sara he loves her, her response is “you can’t love me.” Then she avoids him for a much too long period of time which doesn’t fit her feelings (which are being in love with him). That did not interest me.

My third problem was too much pondering and inner monologuing by both Quinn and Sara throughout the book. It felt like filler. I wanted more action. I was tired of hearing Sara saying over and over again to herself how she didn’t want to get attached.

I wanted more details about Don, Alison, and another female during and at the end of the story. I wanted more information about the person sending text messages to Sara. How was the texter getting information and why so vague with the text message “trouble?” Sara should have called and clarified what that meant, so that she could make a better decision of what to do and where to go.

An annoying minor problem (the publisher’s fault): the cover guy has what appears to be a crew-cut. Quinn has shoulder length blondish hair.

On the positive side, I liked the two characters a lot. Quinn was the wounded warrior type. As a child, he was abused by his mother. Now he works as a bounty hunter and gets satisfaction by putting abusers and scum into jail. I liked Sara’s strength in her plans and responses to an abuser. The plot twist at the end was interesting. The sex scenes had some good emotion and heat.

STORY BRIEF:
Sara is on the run, living in cheap apartments, and working as a waitress for cash wages. She moves often. She has frequent dreams about a man saying he’s going to kill her. Quinn is a bounty hunter working for a private detective agency. He rents the basement apartment from Theresa, a kindly elderly lady. Theresa overhears Sara asking about apartments for rent and offers Sara a room in her home. Sara takes it. Living in the same house, Sara and Quinn meet and fall in love. She doesn’t ask him what he does because she doesn’t want him to reciprocate by asking questions of her. He senses this and doesn’t ask.

DATA:
Story length: 327 pages. Swearing language: strong. Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: 7. Estimated number of sex scene pages: 23. Setting: current day mostly St. Louis and Chicago. Copyright: 2010. Genre: romantic suspense.(less)

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Mar 19, 2010 Booklover1335 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010

I have nothing but praise for Broken by Shiloh Walker. I loved everything about Quinn and Sarah’s love story. I thought it was a “true” romantic suspense; while the danger Sarah finds herself embroiled in brought her to a place where she meets Quinn, it's not the catalyst to their developing relationship.

The suspense in this novel is that you don’t understand the motives or the truths of the story until the end. The author cleverly uses flashbacks of the same or similar scenes throughout the boo...more
I have nothing but praise for Broken by Shiloh Walker. I loved everything about Quinn and Sarah’s love story. I thought it was a “true” romantic suspense; while the danger Sarah finds herself embroiled in brought her to a place where she meets Quinn, it's not the catalyst to their developing relationship.

The suspense in this novel is that you don’t understand the motives or the truths of the story until the end. The author cleverly uses flashbacks of the same or similar scenes throughout the book…slowly revealing shrouded secrets to the reader each time with additional details and insights to unravel the mystery surrounding Sarah.

Sarah and Quinn are attracted to each other instantly, but both try to convince themselves that to act on it would be unwise because neither feels that they are free to form an attachment, let alone fall in love. And Quinn…sigh, I love Quinn as a hero. He is such a wounded soul. He is a man who has overcome amazing odds to become who he is. He doesn’t trust or love easily, yet with Sarah he finds that he is willing to reach for a chance at love. When he believes that she has betrayed him and his love, he tries to turn his back on her and leave her to her fate. He tries. Sarah is the mysterious soul in this love story, but Quinn is its heart.

Broken isn’t a romantic suspense where the hero and the heroine are thrown together, then expected to fall in love while dodging bullets and saving the world. It’s a love story about two people who are broken, but heal themselves and each other with their love. Broken is passionate, and emotional, and intriguing, and so very far from being broken….in fact I thought it was just about perfection. I read all but 70 pages in one day because it was so hard to put down....one of the best books I’ve read this year.

p.s. Broken is loosely connected to Fragile, also by Shiloh Walker. I didn’t think it was necessary to read Fragile in order to enjoy Broken. That being said if you haven’t read Fragile yet, you most certainly will after finishing Broken so do yourself a favor and pick up both and read them back to back :)

Ratings: 4.75 stars (a very very seductively steamy read!)(less)

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Mar 16, 2010 Smokinhotbooks K.C. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: erotic

I dedicate this post to all the book reviewer pimps who make me spend entirely way too much money and yes, I blame you for feeding my book addiction.

There comes a time in everyone’s life when you are peer pressured. For some this involves illegal substances, but for me, it’s books. Where’s my Officer Friendly with his D.A.R.E. sticker?! Alas, I was pressured by tweets, book blogger reviews and constant status updates on Goodreads. Damn you all! So there I was, on a cold rainy day, marching my we...more I dedicate this post to all the book reviewer pimps who make me spend entirely way too much money and yes, I blame you for feeding my book addiction.

There comes a time in everyone’s life when you are peer pressured. For some this involves illegal substances, but for me, it’s books. Where’s my Officer Friendly with his D.A.R.E. sticker?! Alas, I was pressured by tweets, book blogger reviews and constant status updates on Goodreads. Damn you all! So there I was, on a cold rainy day, marching my wet self ( durty birds… mind out of the gutter) towards B&N’s romance section. There is was. Broken by Shiloh Walker. The last copy and it was mine! All mine!!! {whispers…my precious]

It’s been awhile since a book has grabbed me within the first sentence and kept me hooked in until the end. Did I stay up until the early hours of the morn to finish it? Maybe. Okay, yes I did. Broken is a different kind of erotic read – we get a mixture of well written suspense combined with a dose of realism from characters Quinn and Sara. Walker starts off with Quinn hiding from his alcoholic abuses of his addict mother. After a fatal overdose Quinn’s mother dies leaving him with nothing but the bruises on his arm. He then finds out that he has a father who has been searching for him since his mother kidnapped him after he was born. Oh, and he’s also a twin. We encounter his inability to trust those that would want to help him, and later how this affects him coming into adulthood. With a job as a bounty hunter and a life led with no close relationships, he has no choice but to fall hard and fast for next door neighbor

On the run from wealthy businessman James Morgan, Sara has in hiding for two years. Her character has an appealing inner strength and vulnerable at the same time. I can’t tell you how much I cannot stand reading about helpless female characters (okay aside from Jaid Black’s Warlord series), and was pleasantly surprised at the character depth of how Sara was written. Perhaps my favorite scene is where she gives herself a pep talk (every morning) for her run. I won’t go into detail on why she has to do this, but I found it endearing.

Wounded warrior. She remembered thinking that the very first time she’d seen him, thinking it, and dismissing it because it didn’t go with the man. Except she’d been wrong.

For those of you seeking a meatier, real-life story, Broken is a suspenseful erotic read with well developed characters and a few twists that had my right eyebrow raising like this ::raises eyebrow::. Although the premise might sound dark it doesn’t read that way. I think this is a testament to Walker’s writing and her capacity to draw you in, and at times making you fall a little in love with Quinn and Sara.

I did not read the first book Fragile before reading Broken, techincally part of the same series you can read these as stand alones. The characters do make some guest appearances though.

PS. Do not get any bright ideas that I’ll succuomb to future peer book pressure. I have a will made of iron, I swears! Okay fine, I lie. Go easy on me please.(less)

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May 05, 2013 Sabrina (Soter) Sally rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"Le favole non sono la realtà, ma questo non significa che non meriti una vita felice"

Quinn, il gemello tormentato, mi aveva intrigato già dal primo libro e, come avevo immaginato, la sua storia mi è piaciuta più di quella di Luke anche se l'autrice avrebbe potuto sforzarsi un pò di più XD Grande punto a favore è l'alleggerirsi dell'atmosfera cupa e quasi soffocante che cratterizzava la storia di Devon e Luke. Pur non abbandonano il tema a lei tanto caro della violenza sulle donne, è chiaro da...more "Le favole non sono la realtà, ma questo non significa che non meriti una vita felice"

Quinn, il gemello tormentato, mi aveva intrigato già dal primo libro e, come avevo immaginato, la sua storia mi è piaciuta più di quella di Luke anche se l'autrice avrebbe potuto sforzarsi un pò di più XD Grande punto a favore è l'alleggerirsi dell'atmosfera cupa e quasi soffocante che cratterizzava la storia di Devon e Luke. Pur non abbandonano il tema a lei tanto caro della violenza sulle donne, è chiaro da subito (considerando la velocità e l'intensità con cui di evolve il rapporto tra Sara e Quinn anche sul lato fisico) che stavolta la protagonista non l'ha vissuto sulla sua pelle. La parte suspance si riferisce al mistero dell'identità di Sara e ai motivi per cui è in fuga dal marito, con un bel colpo di scena finale! La parte rosa, più in risalto (con mia grande gioia =D) è portata avanti in maniera inaspettata: mi aspettavo, considerato il suo passato (e non capisco perchè ne riveli a Sara solo una minima parte, quella sull'amante morta, tralasciando quella ben più importante sulla sua infanzia e sulla sua famiglia), che Quinn avrebbe lottato di più contro l'attrazione e l'amore che prova per Sara, invece dei due è lui il più pronto a rischiare, ad amare (il ti amo di Sara si farà attendere parecchio XD), quello che vuole tutto il pacchetto, nonostante debba suo malgrado procedere con cautela cercando di abbattere una ad una le difese di Sara e i suoi segreti. Sara è una protagonista forte e coraggiosa e anche se tenta di allontanarsi da Quinn o perlomeno di non innamorarsi di lui, fallisce miseramente. Quando inevitabilmente il suo passato tornerà a galla e Quinn farà una dolorosa scelta tra amore e dovere, pur non riuscendo a fidarsi comletamente di lui, troverà grazie al suo amore e alla speranza di una vita insieme la forza di tornare nel luogo in cui tutto ha avuto inizio ed affrontare finalmente il suo passato. Finale molto passionale e romantico (esilarante la scena in cui scambia Luke, che sta baciando Devon, per Quinn e gli rifila un pugno! XD Ottima presentazione come futura cognata ahahah XD) ma un pò affrettato per i miei gusti, avrei voluto vedere l'incontro tra i fratelli con le loro compagne al fianco =(
(less)

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Mar 05, 2011 Sirenprincess rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle-books

I was really disappointed with this book. I had high hopes from the description. Quinn's background was really intriguing to me, and especially his relationship with his twin brother, Luke. There's definitely something intriguing there.

But the story just didn't work. Maybe it's that I'm not into stories that are about battered women. Maybe it's that the sex didn't feel a part of the story and just seemed thrown in there. Maybe it's that I just couldn't find the premise of their hooking up believ...more

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Jul 18, 2010 Marsha rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Adults only

Quinn Rafferty is the fraternal twin brother of Luke (whose story was told in Fragile). Broken is Quinn's story wonderfully told by Shiloh Walker. After exiting from the Special Services Devision of the military (The Rangers), Quinn moves aimlessly from town to town just existing. He ends up in St. Louis where a kindly but persistant older woman, Theresa offers to rent out her basement to him; he accepts. Quinn works sporadically as bounty hunter/ investigator. Then enters Sara. She has been on...more

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Feb 03, 2010 Tiffany Danner rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-reads, for-review

I really gave this book 4.5 stars on the blog, rounding up here!

I have heard about the greatness of Shiloh Walker all over twitterverse for a while now…. but my time has been limited and being that urban fantasy is really my favorite genre, I had put her books low on my list. When the opportunity to join the ARC tour sponsored by the Book Vixen, I jumped at the chance! Thus my Shiloh Walker virginity is gone and I was oh so wrong to wait so long!
Sara is on the run, tho we don’t find out why til...more I really gave this book 4.5 stars on the blog, rounding up here!

I have heard about the greatness of Shiloh Walker all over twitterverse for a while now…. but my time has been limited and being that urban fantasy is really my favorite genre, I had put her books low on my list. When the opportunity to join the ARC tour sponsored by the Book Vixen, I jumped at the chance! Thus my Shiloh Walker virginity is gone and I was oh so wrong to wait so long!
Sara is on the run, tho we don’t find out why til the very end. I found myself assuming she was on the run because her husband was abusive, the snippet flashbacks point to that. Yet, everything we see of her personality led me to think there was something else going on. She is a fighter, she didn’t seem like the running type. These contradictions had me invested in her character from the start. I love a good strong female lead who can be strong yet maintain her compassion and femininity and Shiloh Walker gives us that in Sara.

Quinn. I could say so much about this man, but the easiest thing to say? Wow. Somehow Walker crawled inside my head and created a man I couldn’t help but drool over. He is broken, tormented, wounded. He is protective and strong, but still respectful of Sara as a person. He is so emotional within his own head, but expressing it was next to impossible. Somehow Walker makes this fault both endearing and lovable.

I loved the plot of Broken, great twists that I didn’t see coming! I did wish for a bit more action throughout the story, but I am not sure it would have fit in and that doesn’t keep me from loving this book. The development of the relationship between Quinn and Sara was certainly strong enough to carry the story. It was passionate and desperate in all the ways we book sluts love. One of my favorite dialogue scenes from the start of their relationship:

Sara cocked a brow at him. “Didn’t you tell me a few days ago I’d be better off keeping my distance from you?”
“Yeah, I told you that.”
“Hard to do if you come looking for me.”
Quinn shrugged. “I don’t see you walking away.”
“I was here first,” she said pointedly.

But what really gets me about this book is the smokin hot sex appeal of Quinn and his mouth. He talks at all the right times, and I love it. For a man who claims to not know how to flirt, he sure picks it up quickly.

Raking his teeth over the soft skin of her wrist, he said gruffly, “You really shouldn’t look at me like that in a public place, Sara.”
“Look at you how?” she asked, her voice almost as hoarse as his own. She blinked at him, looking a little dazed.

This book is not in a series, per say, but it is related to the previous book Fragile which features Quinn’s brother Luke. I will be picking Fragile up without question. Broken is an excellent read for any romance reader and Shiloh Walker is definitely going on my “must buy” list of authors!(less)

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Sep 16, 2012 P rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 24, 2010 Lea rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-favorites, read-in-2010

I read about Shiloh Walker’s work before I started blogging as every so often I would get a recommendation from Amazon for one of her books. However, for some reason, I am very late to the party and “Broken” is the first book written by Ms. Walker that I have read, it definitely will not be my last.

Broken

As the story opens Ms. Walker gives readers a look at what “Quinn Rafferty's”, life was like as a frightened child who lived with a physically and verbally abusive alcoholic and drug addicted mo...more I read about Shiloh Walker’s work before I started blogging as every so often I would get a recommendation from Amazon for one of her books. However, for some reason, I am very late to the party and “Broken” is the first book written by Ms. Walker that I have read, it definitely will not be my last.

Broken

As the story opens Ms. Walker gives readers a look at what “Quinn Rafferty's”, life was like as a frightened child who lived with a physically and verbally abusive alcoholic and drug addicted mother. Trapped in the depth of poverty and despair he seeks refuge from time to time at the local youth shelter for an occasional meal and a place to sleep. When his mother dies of an overdose, Quinn’s father is finally contacted and he goes to live with him and his twin brother Luke on a ranch. Patrick Rafferty is a good man and does his best with his very angry, at times belligerent, and emotionally damaged son.

Fast forward 20 years and Quinn is an Army Ranger on a mission in Columbia dealing with the tragic loss under horrific circumstances of a woman he loved. Quinn blames himself for the circumstances surrounding her death. When he finishes his tour with the military he settles in St. Louis for a time and takes work as a bail bondsman with a private detective agency. Quinn has tremendous emotional baggage, he doesn’t trust people easily, has difficulty communicating and after losing the woman he loved in Columbia has not become involved in a relationship. He has however been befriended by Theresa Kingston, a lovely older woman who owns a house in a decent part of town with a basement apartment that Quinn rents.

"Sara Davis’s" life is in chaos, on the run for 2 years from “James Morgan” a wealthy, despicable, violent man who takes pleasure in controlling, beating and threatening the women in his life. Sara has nothing but the clothes on her back and the cash she earns from a job waiting tables. She is constantly on the move, living from day to day waiting for the call from a ‘mystery caller’ who gives a 'report' and signals it’s time to move on again. Theresa befriends Sara too and after some impassioned discussion persuades her to rent the upper flat in her house. This is where Sara meets Quinn and there is an instantaneous sexual attraction that flares and combusts between them.

Neither of these people give their trust easily nor are they looking for a relationship. Quinn is a member of humanity’s ‘walking wounded’, and Sara is constantly wary, ready to take flight from her tormentor at a moment’s notice. Quinn finds communication about himself or his feelings a painful exercise, but something about Sara makes talking easier for him.

Quinn and Sara cannot resist their mutual attraction and after some awkward first 'chats' and encounters they become intimate. I found both of these characters to be very lonely and in need of the company and warmth of another human being as much as a physical relationship. The sensuality that Ms. Walker pens into the love scenes between Quinn and Sara is intense and lovely. Neither of these people share their secrets but they connect through touch, a look, quiet conversation and making love. Their relationship intensifies and just as Quinn feels ready to admit his strong feelings for Sara her phone rings signaling that she must flee once more, forcing her to leave him behind.

Sara doesn’t know what Quinn does for a living and right at the time of her call, he learns something unexpected and devastating about Sara, a woman he has come to love. This leads to a heartbreaking scene where both suffer loss of trust in the other. I was left wondering how Ms. Walker was going to resolve what seemed like insurmountable issues and bring the hero and heroine of this story together.

Ms. Walker pens a surprising plot twist and climax to Quinn and Sara’s story that was thrilling as well as suspenseful. At the end of the day, I wasn’t disappointed.

I found “Broken” to be an emotional, sensual, suspenseful contemporary romance about two lost and quite tortured souls who find each other and happiness. If you enjoy Shiloh Walker’s work or a novel with this type of theme you may like to give “Broken” a try. I know I will read this book again and can’t wait to read “Fragile”.

Heat Level: Explosive. Sensual and sexually explicit.

My Rating: A Keeper - 5+ stars, I loved this novel.(less)

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Jan 25, 2010 Peace Love and Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

I cannot think of a better title for this book. The protagonist Quinn Rafferty has one of those childhood gone bad past. His mother is a drug addict and an alcoholic who beats him for trying to go to school, for reading and just for being alive. He was also emotionally battered, reading that part of him was close to unbearable, I hate reading kids being beat up by their parents, thankfully it wasn't that long. His mother died from drug overdose (no surprise there) while in the police station he...more I cannot think of a better title for this book. The protagonist Quinn Rafferty has one of those childhood gone bad past. His mother is a drug addict and an alcoholic who beats him for trying to go to school, for reading and just for being alive. He was also emotionally battered, reading that part of him was close to unbearable, I hate reading kids being beat up by their parents, thankfully it wasn't that long. His mother died from drug overdose (no surprise there) while in the police station he found himself staring at another boy that looks like him, only this boy wears clean clothes and expensive shoes. He's got a twin and his name is Luke, and his father found him. Twenty years later he has become a bounty hunter. He especially caters to those bastards who gets a knack out of beating their wife / girlfriend or their kid.

Sara the other half in this story, pretty impressive character. She is a strong woman with great personality and is logically sound even after everything that has happened to her. Sara is currently a waitress, she's been on the run for two years, moving from town to town, not staying for more than 3 months in a specific place. She can't afford it, she can't stop being paranoid and she can't trust anybody, until she met this elderly woman at the diner where she's working and offer her an apartment better than the one she's living in at that moment. Little did she know that there is one awesome incentive waiting for her.

Sara and Quinn's first glimpse of each other was full of tension right away. It will kill you. LOL. Walker built up an exciting anticipation on what will happen to this two characters once they get acquainted emotionally and physically. The tension was like a seduction for me. I kept on reading, not only looking forward to the sex scenes (which was hot as expected) but towards the revelation of Sara's past. I wasn't sure at first if two tormented people can really help each other. Sara and especially Quinn have a long history of emotional turmoil that I don't even think any one can help. Usually, the horrors and tortures from their past leaves them lonely and borderline psycho but when these two got close to each other the wounds seems to close and open up to a new and brighter morning. It was especially nice when Quinn woke up that one morning and he felt contentment.

Shiloh Walker virgin here, and I love this book and I love her writing style so I went out to buy more of her books. I wonder is Luke's story is as good as Quinn's? I have a heart for bad and dangerous boys, Luke doesn't seem to be the type. I have to find out.

Broken is a book full of intense situations. A tale that tells how bad things happen to good people. Their amazing struggle to keep their sanity, survival, hope and love. Exciting, lust worthy, and gripping. Definitely have to be on your tbr list.(less)

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Mar 04, 2010 Katie(babs) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Whenever I read a Shiloh Walker story, I’m blown away how angsty and scarred yet overwhelmingly sexy her heroes are. She writes these men, who have alpha like tendencies, but underneath their bravado, have fears and self esteem issues, where they feel they’ll never be good enough to be loved. Shiloh always makes sure her men get their happily ever after with their heroines, who also need love in their lives. In Broken, Quinn Rafferty is a lost soul. He grew up with a drug addicted mother who tre...more Whenever I read a Shiloh Walker story, I’m blown away how angsty and scarred yet overwhelmingly sexy her heroes are. She writes these men, who have alpha like tendencies, but underneath their bravado, have fears and self esteem issues, where they feel they’ll never be good enough to be loved. Shiloh always makes sure her men get their happily ever after with their heroines, who also need love in their lives. In Broken, Quinn Rafferty is a lost soul. He grew up with a drug addicted mother who treated him like garbage. Because he was thought of as trash, that’s what he feels like. When his mother dies of a drug overdose, his father and a twin brother he never knew of welcome him into their family. But still, Quinn doesn’t feel he belongs.

Twenty years later he still feels unworthy, alone, and doesn’t have much to live for. He’s depressed, closed off and refuses to trust anyone. Quinn’s job as a bounty hunter for a detective agency gives him freedom and some fulfillment, where he takes down those who hurt and abuse those they should love and cherish. But at the same time he feels it’s a lost cause.

Sara Davis is on the run and in hiding. She moves around to keep a stalker off her trail and tried to stay under the radar. Her new home for the next few months is in St. Louis where she has met a very kind soul in that of Theresa Kingston, who reminds her of Mrs. Claus. Theresa helps those in need, especially women that have been abused. She assumes Sara is one of these unfortunate souls and gives her a safe haven. Theresa also has another tenant who keeps to himself. And when Quinn meets Sara, more than sparks fly between the two. It’s like the second half of his soul that has always been missing has now been located.

Sara is wary of Quinn because he gives off this cold, don’t mess with me vibe. But something about him speaks to her. Now you’d think Sara would keep her distance from a man like Quinn because of the current situation she’s in. But because he’s a “wounded warrior” who wears a mask, much like the one she wears, she finds a connection with her brooding neighbor and against her better judgment welcomes him into her life. And the moment Sara opens her arms to Quinn, there’s no going back for these two. The horrors and shadows that haunt them disappear and Sara is able to break though Quinn’s tough shell. Quinn shares his past with Sara and expects her to do the same. He knows she’s hiding something and wants to help her. But her time is running out and she can’t get too comfortable. She must leave Quinn, even though she knows it may destroy him.

Soon Sara is on the run again, but this time Quinn is on her heels because his next bounty is finding a missing woman, who happens to be Sara. He must bring her back to the one man who has driven her into hiding and may end up killing her.

Broken is the perfect title for this latest release by Shiloh Walker. Quinn and Sara are broken in their own ways. I can’t help but compare these two like a puzzle. When they come together and click, like two pieces of a puzzle, they make an amazing couple. I loved how Quinn went from this lonely, standoffish man to a very giving and caring individual who finds peace and with a woman like Sara who can see how special he is. These two really connect on a deep emotional level that brings forth a lot of sparks and passion. And Shiloh can sure write some steamy sex scenes! These two crackle together. And when Quinn thinks of how starved he is for Sara, you really feel it. These two are very intense and oh so very good in terms of physical attraction.

I really appreciated the nice twist in regards to Sara and who she’s running from and why. Unfortunately, I gave Broken a lower grade because I found the villain too tame and not scary or psycho enough. I wanted more drama and tension, especially when Sara confront this monster. Because there wasn’t that final dramatic push, the ending fell a bit short for me. I also wanted more fireworks, mainly in regards to Quinn and Sara’s reunion.

Even with the lacking ending, I found Broken to be a pretty sold read. How can you not enjoy reading a damaged hero who finds inner peace with a strong, tough cookie heroine who won’t cower from those who feel they have the right to abuse the weak? Fans of Shiloh’s will want to give Broken a read.(less)

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May 03, 2012 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Quinn Rafferty grew up in a broken home with an abusive mother. Even after he finds his father, the damage done makes it hard for him to trust but he’s still eager to help those in need. Sarah McElyea is trying to live a quiet life, making enough money to pay the rent and save a little so that she can move on to the next city. These two have secrets they’re not eager to share but no secret can hide the chemistry and steam rising from them. But when Sarah has to run again, will Quinn let her go o...more

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Broken (Rafferty #2)

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