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Stolen
This thrilling and super sexy novel from bestselling romantic suspense author Shiloh Walker will appeal to fans of Allison Brennan and Linda Howard.
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.
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.
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
26 people are currently reading
2289 people want to read
About the author
Shiloh Walker
202 books2,436 followersHello... thanks for swinging by. I don't log into Goodreads much, so if you have questions, please visit my website to email me through my site.
Thank you!
My other me.... J.C. Daniels
And an experimental me that I put to sleep. J. Dallas
Bio...
Shiloh Walker has been writing since she was a kid. She fell in love with vampires with the book Bunnicula and has worked her way up to the more...ah...serious vampire stories. She loves reading and writing anything paranormal, anything fantasy, and nearly every kind of romance. Once upon a time she worked as a nurse, but now she writes full time and lives with her family in the Midwest.
To contact the author, please visit her website!
Thank you!
My other me.... J.C. Daniels
And an experimental me that I put to sleep. J. Dallas
Bio...
Shiloh Walker has been writing since she was a kid. She fell in love with vampires with the book Bunnicula and has worked her way up to the more...ah...serious vampire stories. She loves reading and writing anything paranormal, anything fantasy, and nearly every kind of romance. Once upon a time she worked as a nurse, but now she writes full time and lives with her family in the Midwest.
To contact the author, please visit her website!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
October 2, 2012
"There's just one problem. I didn't start a fucking Facebook page!"
Stolen started strong. The small-town Alaska setting was an instant draw, and the loosely disguised chemistry between Shay and a local bookstore owner had me intrigued enough to want to know more, especially when a dark incident happened out of nowhere that caused an alarming moment of friction between the two, propelling the story right off on a note of mystery and danger.
The multiple PoV's could have been a stumbling block but I felt them well-used in this case. Often, stories can take on almost a hollow feel when we're moving along in the mind of one person who is doing nothing but looking for answers to a mystery. By choosing to add in other characters, we got to see how others were feeling as the clues began to appear, making the story somewhat more thrilling.
To be honest, romantic suspense is one of the few genres I don't read too much of. I'm honestly not sure why I don't see the draw in having both a romance novel and an edgy thriller-slash-mystery in one book. I like both types of reads separately, but am just not as enthused when they come together. I'm sure for many romance readers, this combination is sort of the best of both worlds...you're allowed to have a bigger conflict in the story other than relationship drama, while you still get to enjoy a healthy amount of steam at the same time. If this is what we're judging as a RS standard, then I think Stolen fits the bill quite nicely.
The first half of this book was great. There's something creepy about seeing a person have their identity stolen and used by another person. I felt myself getting nervous for Shay - afraid of what could happen if the thief continued to slander Shay. How would the people she cared about the most react to the lies if the lies started to become believable?
The second half of the book sort of slowed down. I got where the story was going, but found myself wishing that there had been more of an included back-story for Shay and Elliot. We were told that these two were harboring feelings for each other, but we weren't ever really shown how and why these feelings had developed. I considered this to be a huge, hazy void in the story that should have been further expanded upon.
Even so, I was happy that there were a few mysteries which I hadn't immediately figured out. I thought the story was going to be a basic jealousy/revenge spiel, but there was more to what was going on than even I'd figured. The sinister intentions of one specific person were pretty vicious.
I can't say that this was a standout book for me, but it was entertaining enough for a romantic suspense. I'll give it a decent passing grade.
Bonus points go to a hero who WASN'T perfect! He was described as handsome, with beautiful hair and eyes (whisky-colored eyes and auburn hair...yum), but he wasn't overly tall or overly ripped. He was a normal and attractive man who worked a small-town job. Where he scored with me is the gentle way he dealt with Shay's skittish behavior. His affection for her was endearing to witness, especially with how he reacted to her past scars (inside and out).
This book was provided from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Shay's life has been stolen. Her very identity has been taken over by another person who is bent on destroying her. In this deadly game of cat-and-mouse, who can she trust?
Stolen started strong. The small-town Alaska setting was an instant draw, and the loosely disguised chemistry between Shay and a local bookstore owner had me intrigued enough to want to know more, especially when a dark incident happened out of nowhere that caused an alarming moment of friction between the two, propelling the story right off on a note of mystery and danger.
The multiple PoV's could have been a stumbling block but I felt them well-used in this case. Often, stories can take on almost a hollow feel when we're moving along in the mind of one person who is doing nothing but looking for answers to a mystery. By choosing to add in other characters, we got to see how others were feeling as the clues began to appear, making the story somewhat more thrilling.
To be honest, romantic suspense is one of the few genres I don't read too much of. I'm honestly not sure why I don't see the draw in having both a romance novel and an edgy thriller-slash-mystery in one book. I like both types of reads separately, but am just not as enthused when they come together. I'm sure for many romance readers, this combination is sort of the best of both worlds...you're allowed to have a bigger conflict in the story other than relationship drama, while you still get to enjoy a healthy amount of steam at the same time. If this is what we're judging as a RS standard, then I think Stolen fits the bill quite nicely.
The first half of this book was great. There's something creepy about seeing a person have their identity stolen and used by another person. I felt myself getting nervous for Shay - afraid of what could happen if the thief continued to slander Shay. How would the people she cared about the most react to the lies if the lies started to become believable?
The second half of the book sort of slowed down. I got where the story was going, but found myself wishing that there had been more of an included back-story for Shay and Elliot. We were told that these two were harboring feelings for each other, but we weren't ever really shown how and why these feelings had developed. I considered this to be a huge, hazy void in the story that should have been further expanded upon.
Even so, I was happy that there were a few mysteries which I hadn't immediately figured out. I thought the story was going to be a basic jealousy/revenge spiel, but there was more to what was going on than even I'd figured. The sinister intentions of one specific person were pretty vicious.
I can't say that this was a standout book for me, but it was entertaining enough for a romantic suspense. I'll give it a decent passing grade.
Bonus points go to a hero who WASN'T perfect! He was described as handsome, with beautiful hair and eyes (whisky-colored eyes and auburn hair...yum), but he wasn't overly tall or overly ripped. He was a normal and attractive man who worked a small-town job. Where he scored with me is the gentle way he dealt with Shay's skittish behavior. His affection for her was endearing to witness, especially with how he reacted to her past scars (inside and out).
"I want you to touch me. I'm so tired of the strongest memories I have being those memories. Give me better ones, Elliot." She turned her face to his and pressed her lips to his cheek. "Can you give me better ones?"
This book was provided from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 30, 2012
4 stars…My first Shiloh Walker romantic suspense novel won’t be my last!
Stolen is slightly disturbing, dark, and gruesome as the heroine’s meticulously structured life unravels. As with many heroines with dark pasts, Shay Morgan survived an event that would drive most people insane. She’s a survivor who did not remain whole.
Shay discovered a limiting way to cope with her fears and found success as a published writer. Her claustrophobic lifestyle effectively melds with Earth’s Ends, Alaska; the small town inhabited by the man who patiently wooed her and lost hope for a meaningful relationship. Shay’s computer is her main connection to the world. It’s mostly through this machine that she watches her life seized, the stress of which exacerbates her nightmares into new and darker territory.
When a heroine has a dark past it typically means she has suffered abuse of some form. This is true for Shay. It would have been grueling to read the horrors she suffered in its entirety, but Ms. Walker spares us that pain. Her abuse is revealed in quick flashbacks, nightmares, and journaling with the careful use of metaphors. The intense revelations reveal Shay as an emotionally strong yet damaged heroine, as the life-changing event would have put most people into a mental institution or long-time psychiatric care. I was very curious about her time between the event and her present time, but the information wasn’t necessary to make this story effective.
Stolen is focused on Shay’s present dilemma of someone stealing her identity, along with her long-buried memories floating to the surface. Someone is taking over her life and Shay will fight for it. This is where the heroine becomes proactive and not a shadow person incapable of functioning outside her office. It was a relief to realize Shay was someone I could root for and a heroine capable of having a convincing romance.
Elliot Winter is believable hero for this damaged heroine. Shay and Elliot have two years of history before this story begins. Shay has a patient, intuitive, compassionate, and loving hero. He also happens to be ex-military lending him an ‘alpha’ like veneer some readers love. [Note to fans: He co-owns a bookstore with his sister and loves to read. This is a good thing!]
The pacing is steady and tension-filled. The villain maintains a steady presence and will keep readers guessing. I was a little disappointed the Alaska setting wasn’t used to its full advantage. I thought something more was going to be done with it. A claustrophobic atmosphere similar to the Al Pacino movie “Insomnia” would have been edgy, but it wasn’t the direction the author chose. (Who am I to say? I’m only a reader/movie junkie that loves a good thriller!)
The story did fizzle near the end as the climax neared, but I really enjoyed reading my first Shiloh Walker romantic suspense and would recommend it to fans of this sub-genre. It was a thrill to read and played like a movie in my mind, which is always a good feeling in my book!
Final Verdict: Recommended Read
ARC courtesy of Random House Publishing Group via Netgalley
Stolen is slightly disturbing, dark, and gruesome as the heroine’s meticulously structured life unravels. As with many heroines with dark pasts, Shay Morgan survived an event that would drive most people insane. She’s a survivor who did not remain whole.
Shay discovered a limiting way to cope with her fears and found success as a published writer. Her claustrophobic lifestyle effectively melds with Earth’s Ends, Alaska; the small town inhabited by the man who patiently wooed her and lost hope for a meaningful relationship. Shay’s computer is her main connection to the world. It’s mostly through this machine that she watches her life seized, the stress of which exacerbates her nightmares into new and darker territory.
When a heroine has a dark past it typically means she has suffered abuse of some form. This is true for Shay. It would have been grueling to read the horrors she suffered in its entirety, but Ms. Walker spares us that pain. Her abuse is revealed in quick flashbacks, nightmares, and journaling with the careful use of metaphors. The intense revelations reveal Shay as an emotionally strong yet damaged heroine, as the life-changing event would have put most people into a mental institution or long-time psychiatric care. I was very curious about her time between the event and her present time, but the information wasn’t necessary to make this story effective.
Stolen is focused on Shay’s present dilemma of someone stealing her identity, along with her long-buried memories floating to the surface. Someone is taking over her life and Shay will fight for it. This is where the heroine becomes proactive and not a shadow person incapable of functioning outside her office. It was a relief to realize Shay was someone I could root for and a heroine capable of having a convincing romance.
Elliot Winter is believable hero for this damaged heroine. Shay and Elliot have two years of history before this story begins. Shay has a patient, intuitive, compassionate, and loving hero. He also happens to be ex-military lending him an ‘alpha’ like veneer some readers love. [Note to fans: He co-owns a bookstore with his sister and loves to read. This is a good thing!]
The pacing is steady and tension-filled. The villain maintains a steady presence and will keep readers guessing. I was a little disappointed the Alaska setting wasn’t used to its full advantage. I thought something more was going to be done with it. A claustrophobic atmosphere similar to the Al Pacino movie “Insomnia” would have been edgy, but it wasn’t the direction the author chose. (Who am I to say? I’m only a reader/movie junkie that loves a good thriller!)
The story did fizzle near the end as the climax neared, but I really enjoyed reading my first Shiloh Walker romantic suspense and would recommend it to fans of this sub-genre. It was a thrill to read and played like a movie in my mind, which is always a good feeling in my book!
Final Verdict: Recommended Read
ARC courtesy of Random House Publishing Group via Netgalley
September 27, 2012
Wow! This is a dark, twisted shocker of a romantic suspense. With an awesome plot, it would make an incredibly tense film. Hollywood – are you listening??
We have Shay who has suffered a highly traumatic past so awful that she has only patchy memories – her story is slowly revealed to us throughout the novel. She has moved to Alaska to seek solitude and write under the male pseudonym Shane Neill. Very few people know about her alter-ego and she manages to keep her secret life locked down and communicates only with the few that need to know via the internet. As it turns out, her anonymity will almost be her downfall.
After suffering a car accident and spending some time unconscious in the ICU, Shay returns home to find that someone has started a blog, a Facebook page, a twitter account all in the name of Shane Neill and has even attended a book signing in her absence at the bookstore of her ex-boyfriend Elliot. Elliot knows nothing about her secret author life.
This was an incredibly spine-tingling tale as the faceless imposter attempted to take over Shay’s life with horrifying efficiency. It was really very creepy and quite shocking how easily it was all done with today’s modern technology. I did actually guess what was going on but not until over half way through the story. Shay’s back story is very slowly revealed to us as the novel progresses and it’s a shocker. She has truly suffered. I do enjoy this – a romance novel is not complete for me without the characters suffering and having suffered. I really do enjoy the angst and this book is laden with it.
There’s a kind of desperate sadness about Shay, an acceptance of what she’s become and a grim realisation that she can never truly put the past behind her and find happiness but Elliot is determined that they will be together and he was very much the alpha hero helping Shay fight her demons/dragons and he does finally manage to get through the barrier that she’s built around her emotions.
I have to say that I did find the sudden changes in POV a little confusing – this may have more to do with the formatting of the ebook I received rather than the writing. I knocked it down from 5 stars to 4 because of the incredibly spineless decision that Shay makes towards the end of the book which hurts Elliot badly despite the fact that he has almost made the ultimate sacrifice for her. She’d been so brave up until this point, facing her past and her demons, and the decision she makes seemed to me fairly out of character.
Elliot was a good hero, not overly the top alpha but incredibly patient and persistent with Shay – they’d spent a very chaste year together before he had broken it off as she wouldn’t open up to him but he’d never stopped loving her and his protective instincts swing into action when he realises what is happening to her now.
So, all in all, a very good plot with a much abused heroine and a hero who’s also had his share of nightmares. If you enjoy this then I can highly recommend that you try Shiloh Walker’s Ash and Fragile series.
4 stars romantic suspense
ARC courtesy of Random House Publishing Group via NetGalley
For more of my reviews, please visit my Sinfully Sexy Book Blog
We have Shay who has suffered a highly traumatic past so awful that she has only patchy memories – her story is slowly revealed to us throughout the novel. She has moved to Alaska to seek solitude and write under the male pseudonym Shane Neill. Very few people know about her alter-ego and she manages to keep her secret life locked down and communicates only with the few that need to know via the internet. As it turns out, her anonymity will almost be her downfall.
After suffering a car accident and spending some time unconscious in the ICU, Shay returns home to find that someone has started a blog, a Facebook page, a twitter account all in the name of Shane Neill and has even attended a book signing in her absence at the bookstore of her ex-boyfriend Elliot. Elliot knows nothing about her secret author life.
This was an incredibly spine-tingling tale as the faceless imposter attempted to take over Shay’s life with horrifying efficiency. It was really very creepy and quite shocking how easily it was all done with today’s modern technology. I did actually guess what was going on but not until over half way through the story. Shay’s back story is very slowly revealed to us as the novel progresses and it’s a shocker. She has truly suffered. I do enjoy this – a romance novel is not complete for me without the characters suffering and having suffered. I really do enjoy the angst and this book is laden with it.
There’s a kind of desperate sadness about Shay, an acceptance of what she’s become and a grim realisation that she can never truly put the past behind her and find happiness but Elliot is determined that they will be together and he was very much the alpha hero helping Shay fight her demons/dragons and he does finally manage to get through the barrier that she’s built around her emotions.
I have to say that I did find the sudden changes in POV a little confusing – this may have more to do with the formatting of the ebook I received rather than the writing. I knocked it down from 5 stars to 4 because of the incredibly spineless decision that Shay makes towards the end of the book which hurts Elliot badly despite the fact that he has almost made the ultimate sacrifice for her. She’d been so brave up until this point, facing her past and her demons, and the decision she makes seemed to me fairly out of character.
Elliot was a good hero, not overly the top alpha but incredibly patient and persistent with Shay – they’d spent a very chaste year together before he had broken it off as she wouldn’t open up to him but he’d never stopped loving her and his protective instincts swing into action when he realises what is happening to her now.
So, all in all, a very good plot with a much abused heroine and a hero who’s also had his share of nightmares. If you enjoy this then I can highly recommend that you try Shiloh Walker’s Ash and Fragile series.
4 stars romantic suspense
ARC courtesy of Random House Publishing Group via NetGalley
For more of my reviews, please visit my Sinfully Sexy Book Blog
September 29, 2012
"I miss you."
Closing her eyes, she whispered, "Don't."
His lips brushed across the side of her brow. "Don't what? Tell you that I miss you? Miss us?"
As a young child Shay was brutalized, physically and emotionally. Her life since has been one of hiding from her past. A past so traumatic that she cannot share it, not even with Elliot, the man she loves.
But when she discovers someone has been stalking her, systematically taking over her life and targeting those few people she cares about, she has no choice but to trust Elliot.
Stolen is an intense, gripping, nail-biting book that drags you in and then spits you out at the end. There is nothing particularly new about it. It doesn't pretend to be the greatest book ever written, but delivers a truckload of heart-pounding suspense and romance.
Many thanks to Ballantine Books and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC
September 20, 2012
Let this be a lesson. Staying hidden and anonymous is a double-edged sword. Shay Morgan hides in a snow entombed place - Alaska. In this tiny community, she's able to keep to herself. No one knows who she really is nor do they know what she does for a living. This anonymity helps keep her sane. Shay doesn't want to deal with her past and she's virtually all alone except for a handful of people. Even these people, not all of them know the real Shay Morgan.
Elliot Winter is in love with Shay yet gave her up because he couldn't get her to trust him. They couldn't build a life together if she can't share. Elliot's frustration is understandable and justified for the most part. Still he loves her from afar. When Elliot and Shay are brought back together, Shay's secrets are exposed. Elliot is now thrown into a nightmare situation. Shay's public life is stolen from her.
The conflict in this story is rather horrifying. For those of us who prefer to stay behind the scenes, this stealing of an identity is frightening and beyond terrifying. As person who writes and reviews with a pseudonym, this story hits me a bit harder than others. The way a person can be essentially erased or have their life ripped away from them without anyway to defend themselves is shocking. Ms. Walker did an excellent job demonstrating all the ways a person can be isolated and redirected. It's diabolical.
The villain in this story was a sociopath. The focus on Shay was alarming. The intent behind it all is understandable but the way it was twisted into something so ugly was astounding. In a way, it reminds me of Dexter Morgan's brother, Brian Moser. While the reader is able to guess the villain quickly, there were a few twists and turns which made the story more riveting and horrific. Sometimes, loving a person too much can result in ways not intended. In this case, being loved by a person too much results in just the way we expect - stalker psycho crazy.
The characters in this story were interesting. Elliot is the hero who is supportive and loving. Shay is the paranoid recluse. I have to admit, I didn't like Shay. I couldn't connect with her and many times I wanted to slap her upside the head. Since I've never lived through the trauma she's lived through, I can't sympathize. My empathy is lacking for her too because she's whiny at times and overly inner focused. It's not that she is self-centered. For someone who doesn't want people to know about her, everything seems to be about her. She's not a good friend or sister. She's a terrible girlfriend. She's kind of a sorry excuse for a person. Despite my dislike of Shay, the story worked well for me. The secondary characters made the story for me. Elliot's sister and Darcy deserve best supporting cast awards. This story is recommended for romantic suspense readers who enjoy a good thriller theme.
Elliot Winter is in love with Shay yet gave her up because he couldn't get her to trust him. They couldn't build a life together if she can't share. Elliot's frustration is understandable and justified for the most part. Still he loves her from afar. When Elliot and Shay are brought back together, Shay's secrets are exposed. Elliot is now thrown into a nightmare situation. Shay's public life is stolen from her.
The conflict in this story is rather horrifying. For those of us who prefer to stay behind the scenes, this stealing of an identity is frightening and beyond terrifying. As person who writes and reviews with a pseudonym, this story hits me a bit harder than others. The way a person can be essentially erased or have their life ripped away from them without anyway to defend themselves is shocking. Ms. Walker did an excellent job demonstrating all the ways a person can be isolated and redirected. It's diabolical.
The villain in this story was a sociopath. The focus on Shay was alarming. The intent behind it all is understandable but the way it was twisted into something so ugly was astounding. In a way, it reminds me of Dexter Morgan's brother, Brian Moser. While the reader is able to guess the villain quickly, there were a few twists and turns which made the story more riveting and horrific. Sometimes, loving a person too much can result in ways not intended. In this case, being loved by a person too much results in just the way we expect - stalker psycho crazy.
The characters in this story were interesting. Elliot is the hero who is supportive and loving. Shay is the paranoid recluse. I have to admit, I didn't like Shay. I couldn't connect with her and many times I wanted to slap her upside the head. Since I've never lived through the trauma she's lived through, I can't sympathize. My empathy is lacking for her too because she's whiny at times and overly inner focused. It's not that she is self-centered. For someone who doesn't want people to know about her, everything seems to be about her. She's not a good friend or sister. She's a terrible girlfriend. She's kind of a sorry excuse for a person. Despite my dislike of Shay, the story worked well for me. The secondary characters made the story for me. Elliot's sister and Darcy deserve best supporting cast awards. This story is recommended for romantic suspense readers who enjoy a good thriller theme.
September 23, 2012
3.5 STARS **I wrote my review and slept on it. Sorry, after I thought about it. I forgot about some elements that weren't so wonderful. Reviewing can just be so hard to at times.**
A Concoction of a Review:
This is the Mad Scientist's very first Shiloh Walker book. *Gasps* I know! The shame of it. I must say that this one was a good start, leaving me wanting to read some more by Shiloh Walker!
Now here is the hard part. Writing a review as to not give away all of the fun stuff of this Romantic Suspense novel. It gripped me so much that even though I was flipping the pages fast, the Mad Scientist was held in gripping rapture. The whole story was tense.
Our lovely lady of the novel, Shay, has been hiding from her inner dragons for most of her life. She even moved herself all the way to the frozen wasteland of Earth's End, Alaska. She has been abused, cut, raped and much more by her step father, oh the horror of her young life! Due to this, she has created a life where she can keep herself away from as much human contact as possible. Creating a pen name she writes thriller novels from the scenes of personal nightmares. (A job so many of us dream of!)
We must give our dear Shay a hand *claps*. My dear girl found herself a wonderful smexy man, Elliot. A smexy man who owns a bookstore! She didn't slay all of her inner dragons and had a very hard time opening up to him, creating sexual tension all over the pages. But just to overcome all of the nasties done to her enough to move on and find some is for a person with a strong inner self.
However, the story quickly messes with Shays life. A psychotic stalker starts to tear apart her life. That is really where all of the suspense was held. The focus on Shay is shown to make you understand why it is happening, yet, it is twisted beyond horrific proportions!
The beginning of the book started off strong for me. About 60% there was a lull for me. I was waiting for something drastic to happen or for the book to wrap up. Personally, I was thinking it could of been better by knocking off 50 pages. Here is my update while reading. "Ok... about page 298 (about 70% I'm guessing, reading off of NOOK and the page count is only showing 277) and I officially past up the twist that I was desperately hoping for. Not what I was expecting but it is a huge twist! Watch for it." Still the book was longer then really needed.
I have a two small dislikes... The word 'fuck' just way too many times. Elliot you are a naughty boy! Plus, she ran out on him after he took a bullet for him. *Poppycock* That boy loves you!
**Thanks to NetGalley & Ballantine Books of Random House Publishing Group for the ability to read & review this book which has which so ever did not influence or bend my thoughts in any manner. All Mad thoughts are presented in right mind by the twisted brain of the Mad Scientist!**
A Concoction of a Review:
This is the Mad Scientist's very first Shiloh Walker book. *Gasps* I know! The shame of it. I must say that this one was a good start, leaving me wanting to read some more by Shiloh Walker!
Now here is the hard part. Writing a review as to not give away all of the fun stuff of this Romantic Suspense novel. It gripped me so much that even though I was flipping the pages fast, the Mad Scientist was held in gripping rapture. The whole story was tense.
Our lovely lady of the novel, Shay, has been hiding from her inner dragons for most of her life. She even moved herself all the way to the frozen wasteland of Earth's End, Alaska. She has been abused, cut, raped and much more by her step father, oh the horror of her young life! Due to this, she has created a life where she can keep herself away from as much human contact as possible. Creating a pen name she writes thriller novels from the scenes of personal nightmares. (A job so many of us dream of!)
We must give our dear Shay a hand *claps*. My dear girl found herself a wonderful smexy man, Elliot. A smexy man who owns a bookstore! She didn't slay all of her inner dragons and had a very hard time opening up to him, creating sexual tension all over the pages. But just to overcome all of the nasties done to her enough to move on and find some is for a person with a strong inner self.
However, the story quickly messes with Shays life. A psychotic stalker starts to tear apart her life. That is really where all of the suspense was held. The focus on Shay is shown to make you understand why it is happening, yet, it is twisted beyond horrific proportions!
The beginning of the book started off strong for me. About 60% there was a lull for me. I was waiting for something drastic to happen or for the book to wrap up. Personally, I was thinking it could of been better by knocking off 50 pages. Here is my update while reading. "Ok... about page 298 (about 70% I'm guessing, reading off of NOOK and the page count is only showing 277) and I officially past up the twist that I was desperately hoping for. Not what I was expecting but it is a huge twist! Watch for it." Still the book was longer then really needed.
I have a two small dislikes... The word 'fuck' just way too many times. Elliot you are a naughty boy! Plus, she ran out on him after he took a bullet for him. *Poppycock* That boy loves you!
**Thanks to NetGalley & Ballantine Books of Random House Publishing Group for the ability to read & review this book which has which so ever did not influence or bend my thoughts in any manner. All Mad thoughts are presented in right mind by the twisted brain of the Mad Scientist!**
October 24, 2012
Stolen is the first book I’ve read by Shiloh Walker *hangs head in shame*. It definitely won’t be my last.
Stolen is the story of a young author Shay Morgan and the man who loves her Elliot Winter. What’s nice about this story is that both the hero and heroine are damaged goods; each brings their own inner demons (or dragons, in Shay’s case) to the story. As Shay is introduced, she is so very skittish, fearful of everything around her and very much a recluse. She even writes her books under a pseudonym. Shay values her privacy so much that she has moved to the isolated Alaskan community of Earth’s End, probably the farthest one can be to get away from it all.
Shay’s damage comes from some sort of traumatic childhood experience that she barely remembers. In addition, she is recuperating from a pretty serious car accident where she was in a coma for several days. She is on a trip into town when she crosses paths with her ex-boyfriend Elliot.
I must admit that I was a little annoyed with both Shay and Elliot at first. So much angst! So little communication between them. I felt that there would be no way that these two could even be in the same room, let alone have a relationship. Both characters just seemed doomed to their boring lives and Shay’s damage seemed irreparable Luckily for Shay, her best friend Lorna was also Elliot’s sister.
Shay realizes that someone is using her name and masquerading as her writing alter-ego. She even finds some signed books in Elliot’s bookstore – books that she did not sign. All sorts of social media accounts are set up in her name, accounts that she did not authorize. Stolen is the story of a woman who gets her identity stolen in a most insidious manner, through the internet. The story raises some extremely scary questions: How can a person protect themselves from such a theft? What can you do once someone does this?
I did guess who the antagonist was very quickly but I was awed by the lengths this character went to terrorize Shay and even Elliot. This character was totally psycho.
I enjoyed how the relationship between Shay and Elliot developed. Shay had a lot of trust issues and Elliot was strong and patient with her, and very much worth the wait.
I’ll be on the lookout for more books by this author in the future.
Review posted on Badass Book Reviews.
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for a review copy of this book.
Stolen is the story of a young author Shay Morgan and the man who loves her Elliot Winter. What’s nice about this story is that both the hero and heroine are damaged goods; each brings their own inner demons (or dragons, in Shay’s case) to the story. As Shay is introduced, she is so very skittish, fearful of everything around her and very much a recluse. She even writes her books under a pseudonym. Shay values her privacy so much that she has moved to the isolated Alaskan community of Earth’s End, probably the farthest one can be to get away from it all.
Shay’s damage comes from some sort of traumatic childhood experience that she barely remembers. In addition, she is recuperating from a pretty serious car accident where she was in a coma for several days. She is on a trip into town when she crosses paths with her ex-boyfriend Elliot.
I must admit that I was a little annoyed with both Shay and Elliot at first. So much angst! So little communication between them. I felt that there would be no way that these two could even be in the same room, let alone have a relationship. Both characters just seemed doomed to their boring lives and Shay’s damage seemed irreparable Luckily for Shay, her best friend Lorna was also Elliot’s sister.
Shay realizes that someone is using her name and masquerading as her writing alter-ego. She even finds some signed books in Elliot’s bookstore – books that she did not sign. All sorts of social media accounts are set up in her name, accounts that she did not authorize. Stolen is the story of a woman who gets her identity stolen in a most insidious manner, through the internet. The story raises some extremely scary questions: How can a person protect themselves from such a theft? What can you do once someone does this?
I did guess who the antagonist was very quickly but I was awed by the lengths this character went to terrorize Shay and even Elliot. This character was totally psycho.
I enjoyed how the relationship between Shay and Elliot developed. Shay had a lot of trust issues and Elliot was strong and patient with her, and very much worth the wait.
I’ll be on the lookout for more books by this author in the future.
Review posted on Badass Book Reviews.
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for a review copy of this book.
October 9, 2012
Review posted at: Swept Away By Romance
Story Rating-3 Stars
Character Rating-3 Stars
Romance Rating-3.5 Stars
Heat Level-3 Stars
Overall Rating-3 Stars
I have read and liked a lot of Shiloh Walker's books; however this book was just okay. It had some good parts, but overall it did not really grab me. I found it way too easy to set the book down.
I never really did care too much for the heroine, Shay. She really had some very wicked and evil things happen to her in her childhood, and then once again in her teens. I can understand how that put fear into her, but I just felt that she was a bit to wimpy and I wished that she would have been bolder.
I liked the hero Elliot. I could understand why he would want to help her out with the situation she was in. They had dated in the past and he had broken things off. The reasoning behind this was understandable. What I don't understand, is WHY a man would want a woman who was as messed up as Shay was!! NO really, they had dated for well over a year before this story took place and their relationship never became intimate. She was paranoid about being around people and she was hiding away from life, what is so appealing about that?
The love scenes were done well and HOT. This is where Elliot shined, because he was very gentle and caring with Shay. I was glad that she did not freak out during these scenes or I might not have bothered finishing the book.
The back story about what happened to Shay, was very disturbing. This and the ongoing suspense that occurred during the book, was very well thought out. I think the most interesting part of this book, was the evil character and the things she did. That made the story worth reading.
As a Shiloh Walker fan I was hoping for a bit more, but none the less, I plan on reading the next book.
*ARC courtesy of Random House Publishing Group via NetGalley*
Stolen is being released on October 30th.
November 1, 2012
Rating 3.25 stars
Being a private individual is not bad but that is the thing that comes to bite reclusive writer Shay. After an accident she has been slowly recovering when she learns disturbing things, someone is claiming to be her author alter-ego Shane Neil, all over social media sites and has even visited bookstores especially Elliot's, her ex, her agent too refuses to take her calls.
Shay is a deeply troubled woman and she has reason to be, her life has been one nightmare after the other and she took refuge in Alaska, adopting a pen-name for her books and using her friend Darcy's help but now Darcy is behaving weird and all evidence points to her friend, something Shay does not want to believe.
Elliot still loves Shay but he cannot take the distance she places between them, so he broke up with her six months ago yet he is still hung up on her. He wooed her gently yet she never opened up, then this fake Shane stirs things up, accusing Elliot of rape, something that takes him back to his days in the army and the fake accusations that made him quit and Shay finally opens up and it is devastating to Elliot to learn about the horrors she has been through, her childhood which is a nightmare, her adoption, murder of her adopted mother, her stepfather's crime, everything.
This book was truly terrifying. What do you do when someone is trying to take over your life? Someone who is from the nightmare you cannot remember? The villain was truly terrifying and the twists unexpected.
This book was scary and suspenseful as hell, and played on the fears of the what the internet and a twisted individual can do. I have never read about a heroine who had such a horrific past and this book was not a comforting read but a truly engaging one.
ARC provided by publisher through Netgalley.
Being a private individual is not bad but that is the thing that comes to bite reclusive writer Shay. After an accident she has been slowly recovering when she learns disturbing things, someone is claiming to be her author alter-ego Shane Neil, all over social media sites and has even visited bookstores especially Elliot's, her ex, her agent too refuses to take her calls.
Shay is a deeply troubled woman and she has reason to be, her life has been one nightmare after the other and she took refuge in Alaska, adopting a pen-name for her books and using her friend Darcy's help but now Darcy is behaving weird and all evidence points to her friend, something Shay does not want to believe.
Elliot still loves Shay but he cannot take the distance she places between them, so he broke up with her six months ago yet he is still hung up on her. He wooed her gently yet she never opened up, then this fake Shane stirs things up, accusing Elliot of rape, something that takes him back to his days in the army and the fake accusations that made him quit and Shay finally opens up and it is devastating to Elliot to learn about the horrors she has been through, her childhood which is a nightmare, her adoption, murder of her adopted mother, her stepfather's crime, everything.
This book was truly terrifying. What do you do when someone is trying to take over your life? Someone who is from the nightmare you cannot remember? The villain was truly terrifying and the twists unexpected.
This book was scary and suspenseful as hell, and played on the fears of the what the internet and a twisted individual can do. I have never read about a heroine who had such a horrific past and this book was not a comforting read but a truly engaging one.
ARC provided by publisher through Netgalley.
April 23, 2018
Wow, talking about twisted. The mystery in this book is phenomenal. Everyone has ulterior motives and the reveal is totally intense. I love that! Add in Shay, who’s damaged but trying and Elliot who’s pushing Shy to open up. They make a great couple. http://thetbrpile.weebly.com/reviews/...
December 26, 2013
Shay Morgan suffered a terrible trauma twice in her life and it forced her to live a life of seclusion. She doesn’t have many friends and most of her contact with them is online or by phone. Shay was in a relationship with bookstore owner Elliot Winter until he could no longer tolerate her being so closed off, keeping him at arm’s length. Now that her identity is slowly being taken away, the two of them find themselves together again to determine what’s going on and who’s behind this treachery.
One of the devices used in this story was to slowly peel back the story of Shay, starting from the end and working backwards, not necessarily in a linear manner. It’s most effective when the story progresses in a way that the reveal makes sense, is anticipated and can be patched together in an interesting way. It just didn’t work in this story, primarily because so much was devoted to Shay’s angst, current mental fragility and physical suffering from a recent car accident. Her point of view was mostly muddled and tangled up with the wreckage of her tragedies and without the benefit of the details, it was just frustrating. I never got the sense of the strengths of this woman and how she ever kept Elliot’s attention in the first place, let alone having him continue to long for her six months after their breakup.
Shay’s backstory was interesting and heartbreaking but there were too many holes in the plot for it all to make sense. And, complicating matters was Shay’s propensity for taking “courageous” actions that seemed more like a “Too Stupid to Live” decision. Elliot was a good guy but was too often left in the dark intentionally by Shay.
I love the romantic suspense genre and have read many books in this category. What works well is when the story is tightly woven, you have a good sense about the characters and they behave in ways that are true to how they are crafted. If at least one of these elements was in place, maybe this story would have worked better for me.
It’s an interesting premise and plot but, in my opinion, it wasn’t executed very well. Others who haven’t read much in this genre might have a better experience. I hung in there to see how it ended but was glad when it was over.
(I received an ARC from NetGalley)
One of the devices used in this story was to slowly peel back the story of Shay, starting from the end and working backwards, not necessarily in a linear manner. It’s most effective when the story progresses in a way that the reveal makes sense, is anticipated and can be patched together in an interesting way. It just didn’t work in this story, primarily because so much was devoted to Shay’s angst, current mental fragility and physical suffering from a recent car accident. Her point of view was mostly muddled and tangled up with the wreckage of her tragedies and without the benefit of the details, it was just frustrating. I never got the sense of the strengths of this woman and how she ever kept Elliot’s attention in the first place, let alone having him continue to long for her six months after their breakup.
Shay’s backstory was interesting and heartbreaking but there were too many holes in the plot for it all to make sense. And, complicating matters was Shay’s propensity for taking “courageous” actions that seemed more like a “Too Stupid to Live” decision. Elliot was a good guy but was too often left in the dark intentionally by Shay.
I love the romantic suspense genre and have read many books in this category. What works well is when the story is tightly woven, you have a good sense about the characters and they behave in ways that are true to how they are crafted. If at least one of these elements was in place, maybe this story would have worked better for me.
It’s an interesting premise and plot but, in my opinion, it wasn’t executed very well. Others who haven’t read much in this genre might have a better experience. I hung in there to see how it ended but was glad when it was over.
(I received an ARC from NetGalley)
November 26, 2012
This was a fast paced thriller with enough romance in it to keep me interested. I have read a few books from this author and will be looking for some more.
Shea (h) is a recluse living her life behind her computer in Earths End Alaska. She has very little contact with the outside the outside world ,other than from her computer. When she does venture out it's only within her small community, she's worked very hard to disappear and worries constantly that her Dragons will find her. One of the few people that she inter acts with is Elliot, part owner of the local bookstore. They had a thing going, well as close to "a thing" as Shea has ever let herself have but he ended it. Really she couldn't blame him,she really had no business getting involved with anyone as messed up as she is.
Elliott (H) has returned home to Earths End Alaska to help his sister run the bookstore that they bought, it was really the only choice he could see after the horrible debacle of being falsely accused of rape. Now that he seems to have every thing turned around and going in the right direction for him, well except with Shea, he really wished that would have worked out but she kept him at arms length. He knew, or at least he had a pretty good idea that something bad had happened to her but he had no way to help her or get close to her when she wouldn't let him in so he had ended it. Now out of no where it seems like someone is trying to ruin him again.
As fate throws these two back together they each learn that there's more going on than either of them realize . There is an evil out there that neither of them had expected and it's working very hard to get Shea right were it wants her.
I think this book might be hard for some to read, what Shea goes through, while described in flashbacks,dreams and some vague memories , is horrific. She remains a strong character through out book though.
Shea (h) is a recluse living her life behind her computer in Earths End Alaska. She has very little contact with the outside the outside world ,other than from her computer. When she does venture out it's only within her small community, she's worked very hard to disappear and worries constantly that her Dragons will find her. One of the few people that she inter acts with is Elliot, part owner of the local bookstore. They had a thing going, well as close to "a thing" as Shea has ever let herself have but he ended it. Really she couldn't blame him,she really had no business getting involved with anyone as messed up as she is.
Elliott (H) has returned home to Earths End Alaska to help his sister run the bookstore that they bought, it was really the only choice he could see after the horrible debacle of being falsely accused of rape. Now that he seems to have every thing turned around and going in the right direction for him, well except with Shea, he really wished that would have worked out but she kept him at arms length. He knew, or at least he had a pretty good idea that something bad had happened to her but he had no way to help her or get close to her when she wouldn't let him in so he had ended it. Now out of no where it seems like someone is trying to ruin him again.
As fate throws these two back together they each learn that there's more going on than either of them realize . There is an evil out there that neither of them had expected and it's working very hard to get Shea right were it wants her.
I think this book might be hard for some to read, what Shea goes through, while described in flashbacks,dreams and some vague memories , is horrific. She remains a strong character through out book though.
September 23, 2012
3.5 stars
One of the things I like about Shiloh Walker is her ability to set a mood. She writes with the uncanny ability to stretch your emotions, especially fear, until you are ready to snap. She does this masterfully in her Ash series and now again in Stolen.
Shay Morgan is a survivor. She survives a horrific childhood but not unscathed. As an adult she survives by limiting her contact with the world, interacting mostly through the books she writes and through the internet. But that makes her susceptible to identity theft...and that's exactly what happens, someone is trying to take over her life.
As a reader, I am pressed with the horror of a stolen identity, how victims can feel helpless as someone takes over their lives. And as if that isn't scary enough, Shay's life devolves into this murder mystery.
This book is relentlessly dark. And for me, it is almost too much. In Ms. Walkers' other books, there is always tension, but it is punctuated by bright, tender moments. In this story, there is hardly any reprieve.
Overall, I can't say I "enjoyed" this book. It left me exhausted. However, I will say it was a good read and would recommend it to those who want a highly suspenseful page turner (but be prepared to knead those knots in your shoulders away from the tension).
Thank you to Netgalley for making this read possible.
One of the things I like about Shiloh Walker is her ability to set a mood. She writes with the uncanny ability to stretch your emotions, especially fear, until you are ready to snap. She does this masterfully in her Ash series and now again in Stolen.
Shay Morgan is a survivor. She survives a horrific childhood but not unscathed. As an adult she survives by limiting her contact with the world, interacting mostly through the books she writes and through the internet. But that makes her susceptible to identity theft...and that's exactly what happens, someone is trying to take over her life.
As a reader, I am pressed with the horror of a stolen identity, how victims can feel helpless as someone takes over their lives. And as if that isn't scary enough, Shay's life devolves into this murder mystery.
This book is relentlessly dark. And for me, it is almost too much. In Ms. Walkers' other books, there is always tension, but it is punctuated by bright, tender moments. In this story, there is hardly any reprieve.
Overall, I can't say I "enjoyed" this book. It left me exhausted. However, I will say it was a good read and would recommend it to those who want a highly suspenseful page turner (but be prepared to knead those knots in your shoulders away from the tension).
Thank you to Netgalley for making this read possible.
November 2, 2012
I love Shiloh Walker! This was a tough read in parts, very dark and creepy but I couldn't put it down.
This was definitely a dark suspense romance and S.W. did a great job of unraveling the mystery.
This was definitely a dark suspense romance and S.W. did a great job of unraveling the mystery.
November 6, 2012
Originally posted at http://smexybooks.com/2012/11/review-...
Favorite Quote: “It’s not a game of winning or losing. I know that much. She’s dead. I’m alive. In the end, that’s the thing that matters. Isn’t it?”
Shay Morgan, a mystery author who writes under a pen name, was horrifically abused as a child and an adult. Major trust issues have forced her to live her life only connected to the word through the internet and phone. When she goes to a bookstore and sees her books, with a sign claiming signed personally by her, Shay knows something is wrong. Further research shows a person impersonating her at in store book signings and online. When a Facebook page appears on the internet, written as though she is accusing ex-boyfriend Elliott of crimes against her, Shay decides to take action. This only infuriates her stalker and soon, it becomes very personal as the stalker reveals knowledge about Shay that no one would know. Shay decides to contact Elliott for help in reclaiming her identity and her life.
Elliott Winter loved Shay with every breath he took, but her inability to trust him drove them apart. When Shay’s stalker plants false accusations that threatens to destroy everything he’s rebuilt, Elliott finds himself once again back in her life. This time, Elliott will have to convince Shay to trust him with more than her secrets and her heart; this time she will have to trust him with her life in order defeat a stalker who knows all their secrets.
Stolen is a dark, gritty, psychological romantic suspense that takes the perceived notion of online anonymity and blows it out of the water. I have always maintained that you can never be 100% anonymous online. Walker takes that premise; examines it, dissects it and then proceeds to show us just how easy it is to use social media to find and stalk a person. Ms. Walker continues to deliver her trademark scorching hot love scenes and dynamic, personable characters, but she raises the bar, building even more suspense and intrigue that will keep you hooked till the last page. Steady pacing and a suspenseful storyline will have you second guessing yourself along with Shay, as new clues are revealed. Ms. Walker gives us hints fairly early on to the villain’s identity; allowing for the rest of the book to lead us down a twisted path of lies, deception, and death. Nothing and no one is what they seem in this tale. The beginning starts out fast and furious as our heroine begins to see the trickles of another’s influence on her life. Every aspect of her life is slowly being taken over from emails to phone numbers. Is she insane? Or does someone from Shay’s past come back to mete out their final punishment? The book does slow down as Shay deals with the actual physical aspects of reclaiming her identity and outing the villain, but picks back up as Shay and Ethan race to confront her stalker.
Shay and Ethan are two well defined protagonists. Their chemistry burns hot and sultry, quickly becomes a raging inferno as these two dance around what has never been an issue for them-their attraction to one another. Ms. Walker does a wonderful job in handling Shay’s fears and problems. The fear, anger, and sense of helplessness are all physically felt as you watch Shay struggle to let go of herself imposed prison. Ethan too has issues from the past that are brought into play that reveals his own feelings of inadequacy and fear. Ethan does a wonderful job with handling Shay’s internal and external issues. He isn’t so alpha that he thinks he can fix them all with a wave of his hand. He’s so gentle with her. *happy sigh*
"I miss you."
Closing her eyes, she whispered, "Don’t."
His lips brushed across the side of her brow. "Don’t what? Tell you that I miss you? Miss us?"
Both Shay and Ethan are intelligent, independent, and loyal individuals. I've always loved that Ms. Walker never draws out any misunderstandings or problems between the protagonists in her stories. They may have them but she doesn’t make it so much of a main storyline as more of a bridge for our characters to connect with. However, throughout the story, Shay’s issues run so deep; they are a constant thorn, pricking at us. She makes some decisions that frustrated me. I understood her motives, but I still found myself wanting to shake some sense into her at times. She has a bit of a martyr complex. Regardless, the slow steamy sexual heat and tension these two generate will leave you wanting more as you watch them rediscover their love.
Secondary characters keep the story on track and add depth and realism to the story. We are given interesting insight into all the people an author interacts with when publishing a book. The villain is an intelligent, paranoid,narcissistic, sociopath. The nature of their insanity becomes more apparent as we watch the lengths they go to get to Shay. Though we are clued in to villain’s identity early on, it’s when all the connections are revealed, that the true scope of the villain’s depravity is discovered. The villain’s reasoning makes sense, except, their insanity twists and transforms it into something unnatural and ugly.
If dark and gritty suspense romances are your genre of choice, then I wholeheartedly recommend Shiloh Walker’s Stolen. A genuine psychological thriller with plenty of suspense, mystery, and romance to hook you to the very end.
Rating: B
Favorite Quote: “It’s not a game of winning or losing. I know that much. She’s dead. I’m alive. In the end, that’s the thing that matters. Isn’t it?”
Shay Morgan, a mystery author who writes under a pen name, was horrifically abused as a child and an adult. Major trust issues have forced her to live her life only connected to the word through the internet and phone. When she goes to a bookstore and sees her books, with a sign claiming signed personally by her, Shay knows something is wrong. Further research shows a person impersonating her at in store book signings and online. When a Facebook page appears on the internet, written as though she is accusing ex-boyfriend Elliott of crimes against her, Shay decides to take action. This only infuriates her stalker and soon, it becomes very personal as the stalker reveals knowledge about Shay that no one would know. Shay decides to contact Elliott for help in reclaiming her identity and her life.
Elliott Winter loved Shay with every breath he took, but her inability to trust him drove them apart. When Shay’s stalker plants false accusations that threatens to destroy everything he’s rebuilt, Elliott finds himself once again back in her life. This time, Elliott will have to convince Shay to trust him with more than her secrets and her heart; this time she will have to trust him with her life in order defeat a stalker who knows all their secrets.
Stolen is a dark, gritty, psychological romantic suspense that takes the perceived notion of online anonymity and blows it out of the water. I have always maintained that you can never be 100% anonymous online. Walker takes that premise; examines it, dissects it and then proceeds to show us just how easy it is to use social media to find and stalk a person. Ms. Walker continues to deliver her trademark scorching hot love scenes and dynamic, personable characters, but she raises the bar, building even more suspense and intrigue that will keep you hooked till the last page. Steady pacing and a suspenseful storyline will have you second guessing yourself along with Shay, as new clues are revealed. Ms. Walker gives us hints fairly early on to the villain’s identity; allowing for the rest of the book to lead us down a twisted path of lies, deception, and death. Nothing and no one is what they seem in this tale. The beginning starts out fast and furious as our heroine begins to see the trickles of another’s influence on her life. Every aspect of her life is slowly being taken over from emails to phone numbers. Is she insane? Or does someone from Shay’s past come back to mete out their final punishment? The book does slow down as Shay deals with the actual physical aspects of reclaiming her identity and outing the villain, but picks back up as Shay and Ethan race to confront her stalker.
Shay and Ethan are two well defined protagonists. Their chemistry burns hot and sultry, quickly becomes a raging inferno as these two dance around what has never been an issue for them-their attraction to one another. Ms. Walker does a wonderful job in handling Shay’s fears and problems. The fear, anger, and sense of helplessness are all physically felt as you watch Shay struggle to let go of herself imposed prison. Ethan too has issues from the past that are brought into play that reveals his own feelings of inadequacy and fear. Ethan does a wonderful job with handling Shay’s internal and external issues. He isn’t so alpha that he thinks he can fix them all with a wave of his hand. He’s so gentle with her. *happy sigh*
"I miss you."
Closing her eyes, she whispered, "Don’t."
His lips brushed across the side of her brow. "Don’t what? Tell you that I miss you? Miss us?"
Both Shay and Ethan are intelligent, independent, and loyal individuals. I've always loved that Ms. Walker never draws out any misunderstandings or problems between the protagonists in her stories. They may have them but she doesn’t make it so much of a main storyline as more of a bridge for our characters to connect with. However, throughout the story, Shay’s issues run so deep; they are a constant thorn, pricking at us. She makes some decisions that frustrated me. I understood her motives, but I still found myself wanting to shake some sense into her at times. She has a bit of a martyr complex. Regardless, the slow steamy sexual heat and tension these two generate will leave you wanting more as you watch them rediscover their love.
Secondary characters keep the story on track and add depth and realism to the story. We are given interesting insight into all the people an author interacts with when publishing a book. The villain is an intelligent, paranoid,narcissistic, sociopath. The nature of their insanity becomes more apparent as we watch the lengths they go to get to Shay. Though we are clued in to villain’s identity early on, it’s when all the connections are revealed, that the true scope of the villain’s depravity is discovered. The villain’s reasoning makes sense, except, their insanity twists and transforms it into something unnatural and ugly.
If dark and gritty suspense romances are your genre of choice, then I wholeheartedly recommend Shiloh Walker’s Stolen. A genuine psychological thriller with plenty of suspense, mystery, and romance to hook you to the very end.
Rating: B
December 27, 2015
Review copy provided via NetGalley
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.
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.
November 17, 2012
For the first time in I don't know how long, I read a book the day I received it in the post. This is because the premise of the book was so intriguing.
Unfortunately, I was disappointed in the book. The whole time I was reading it I kept wanting it to be good. It had all the potential to be great, it just didn't meet the mark for me. The premise was the most exciting thing about the book. I love books which have lots of things happening to the heroine without being 'saved' by the hero. Although the writer told us that the heroine was strong, I never once felt it. I never really got the romance in it either. I did love Ethan, but his love for Shay just seemed to be out of left field. Again, the potential for these two characters was huge, but not delivered on.
It was a real shame, because the potential of this book far outweighed the reality. This is my favourite genre and the pickings lately are few and far between as the market seems to now be flooded with erotic books which I don't read and there is very little choice for my favourite type of books. I buy nearly every 'romantic suspense' that comes along, so was especially disappointed in this one.
I have this authors' Ash trilogy and now am reluctant to pick it up.
Unfortunately, I was disappointed in the book. The whole time I was reading it I kept wanting it to be good. It had all the potential to be great, it just didn't meet the mark for me. The premise was the most exciting thing about the book. I love books which have lots of things happening to the heroine without being 'saved' by the hero. Although the writer told us that the heroine was strong, I never once felt it. I never really got the romance in it either. I did love Ethan, but his love for Shay just seemed to be out of left field. Again, the potential for these two characters was huge, but not delivered on.
It was a real shame, because the potential of this book far outweighed the reality. This is my favourite genre and the pickings lately are few and far between as the market seems to now be flooded with erotic books which I don't read and there is very little choice for my favourite type of books. I buy nearly every 'romantic suspense' that comes along, so was especially disappointed in this one.
I have this authors' Ash trilogy and now am reluctant to pick it up.
April 9, 2013
*ARC received from Edelwiess on August 20th 2012* Publication date October 30th 2012.
O.M.G. this is one of the most twisted and sordid tales I've read in a while. And at the same time it actually has some really sweet romance. How is that even possible?
Full review can be found on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews.
I tweeted Shiloh Walker about being freaked out and she answered, and ever since, I've been wondering if that was really her... or someone else *cue creepy music*
O.M.G. this is one of the most twisted and sordid tales I've read in a while. And at the same time it actually has some really sweet romance. How is that even possible?
Full review can be found on my blog (un)Conventional Bookviews.
I tweeted Shiloh Walker about being freaked out and she answered, and ever since, I've been wondering if that was really her... or someone else *cue creepy music*
April 23, 2018
This is probably one of my favorite books by Shiloh Walker and I’ve read a ton of them. I can’t wait to read more! If you’re looking for romantic suspense with twists, turns and lots of romance, read Stolen by Shiloh Walker! http://thetbrpile.weebly.com/reviews/...
January 3, 2013
BOOK SYNOPSIS
This thrilling and super sexy novel from bestselling romantic suspense author Shiloh Walker will appeal to fans of Allison Brennan and Linda Howard.
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.
My Thoughts
Identity Theft, murder, mystery, nightmares, suspense, romance and you have a recipe that is full of spine tingling hair raising and at times all out unnerving reading!
What would you do if someone took over your identity online as well as in some cases in person?
Shay Morgan is in her early thirties and even after 29 years still has nightmares from what happened to her as a 4 year old child, the only problem is that the memories are fragments and those fragments keep shattering her attempts to sleep night after night and year after year. Some of the nightmares are triggered by certain phrases or images, others just seem to come out of nowhere and for all these years Shay has slowly withdrawn into herself more and more. Her best friend from college Darcy Montgomery and a new friend who also lives in Earth's End are the only two people that she has regular contact with. Elliot Winter, the brother of her friend Lorna, is the man that Shay finally finds herself able to trust enough to include in her circle but because she keeps him at arms length after over a year Elliot finally decides enough is enough and breaks up with her.
In the beginning of this story Shay has had a car wreck, spent time in the hospital in a coma and after 2 weeks flat on her back afterwards she is finally able to come home. Lorna picks her up to take her home and they decide to stop in town for lunch together, at the last moment Lorna decides Shay needs some books to read and stops at she and her brothers book store. Needless to say Shay is not pleased as she has no intention of seeing Elliot since six months ago he made it clear that her blowing hot and cold was not something he wanted to deal with anymore.
While in the bookstore Shay finds the latest offering of thriller author Shane Neil on a display rack that she accidentally knocks over while trying to hurry out of the store to escape a conversation with Elliot. Time stops for Shay the minute she sees the sticker on the book covers stating autographed copy, Shay is actually the author but uses a pen name to remain anonymous in her real life. Knowing that she is not the one who signed the books makes her ill, angry and determined that not one copy remains in the store to be sold so she takes every one and buys them herself and leaves.
This beginning sets in place the stage for the unraveling of a mystery, the author fairly soon reveals the character who is masquerading as Shane but the reason why is another matter altogether. Faced with the internet onslaught of a Facebook fan page, a Wordpress account blog site, a Twitter account and other places where authors public presence is avidly followed Shay is desperate to shut down the online presence that the imposter has created as the sites are full of lies as well as half truths that could possibly lead to Shay herself. Her real identity is something that must remain hidden at all costs, her past trauma cannot come to light or there is a very real possibility the demon from her past will find her.
This is another wonderfully beguiling read penned by the author, it raises questions in the readers minds on what would happen if someone took their identity and it also shows just how horrifying the consequences of that theft could be as well as the efforts it would take to even begin to straighten out the mess.
There is nothing quite like finding a character like Shay, she is a young woman who just wants to blend into the woodwork and live her life quietly but when push comes to shove her will and strength are formidable to behold.
Lorna is the friend we all wish we had, supportive, kind and caring to a fault.
Elliot is a man that most women would love to find, handsome, intelligent and most of all passionate with those he cares about and willing to do anything to keep them from harm.
This was another masterfully executed story that took the reader and put them squarely inside the characters world and did not release them until the last scene was enacted, the mystery solved, the villain was brought to justice and the last page was turned.
Romantic suspense but so much more!
[EArc from Netgalley in exchange for honest review]
April 23, 2017
First of all, A big thank you to the author for providing a personalized ARC.
This has been a thrilling read. An exquisite mix of romance, suspense and thrill.
Loved the every bit of the story. Shay has been adorable throughout the storyline and Elliot has been perfect for her.
A must read for everyone who loves to read a suspense thriller.
This has been a thrilling read. An exquisite mix of romance, suspense and thrill.
Loved the every bit of the story. Shay has been adorable throughout the storyline and Elliot has been perfect for her.
A must read for everyone who loves to read a suspense thriller.
November 25, 2012
Originally posted at Swept Away Again
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.
I really enjoy Shiloh Walker's Romantic Suspense stories and I loved the first three quarters of Stolen. The set-up with Shay and her relationship with Elliot began before the start of the book so you go into the story with a started storyline but their situation is quite nicely explained at the beginning of the book, so you don't feel left behind. Yet is quickly gets complicated between Shay and Elliot when Shay's unknown and quite creepy stalker starts causing problems for Elliot.
Although Shay enjoys the quiet life I really enjoyed how she did what she could to help save Elliot's reputation and to make a stand for her own life, even though at times she didn't always feel like she was living. I enjoyed seeing Shay come out of her shell and start to not just open up but to start to live a little more in the present. Elliot was really great for Shay and they are both such tough characters that really appealed to me.
However much I enjoyed Stolen I have to say the ending made me rather... sad. The ending split me in two and either side I looked at didn't leave me with a positive outlook for Shay and Elliot's happier ever after.
Shay and Elliot overcame so much and really bonded or so Elliot and I thought but then Shay goes and ruins it. Part of me wanted Elliot to wait and for Shay to realise her mistake and come crawling back. Which sadly didn't happen, so yet again Elliot has to go looking for Shay and talk some sense into her. Which I'm sure is meant to make some reader's think that now Shay is secure in her feelings for Elliot and everything has been set to rights they will have their HEA. But I didn't get that feeling with the ending. I felt that yet again Elliot had to convince Shay that everything would be ok and because this hadn't changed throughout the book that it most likely wouldn't change in their HEA. Which I think is mostly closer to the truth because of everything Shay suffered she's never, or for a really long time going to be just ok, she's always going to need reassurance, she's always going to have these flight feelings and I get that but Shay grew so much throughout the book I felt that she should have been strong enough to stay with Elliot of her own accord and not have Elliot hunt her down and ease her fears.
Or maybe I'm looking at it too deeply.
The villain in Stolen was in a weird and twisted way brilliant! Ms Walker did a wonderful job writing the villain and getting the villain to twist things for Shay. The villain at times was creepy and twisted yet later you could, I was going to say sympathise with the villain but that's not true for me, but I could see what had happened and how it had in a sense made the villain a villain.
Overall, Stolen was another interesting romantic suspense from Ms Walker and I will continue to read them just for the interesting characters and brilliantly written villains.
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.
I really enjoy Shiloh Walker's Romantic Suspense stories and I loved the first three quarters of Stolen. The set-up with Shay and her relationship with Elliot began before the start of the book so you go into the story with a started storyline but their situation is quite nicely explained at the beginning of the book, so you don't feel left behind. Yet is quickly gets complicated between Shay and Elliot when Shay's unknown and quite creepy stalker starts causing problems for Elliot.
Although Shay enjoys the quiet life I really enjoyed how she did what she could to help save Elliot's reputation and to make a stand for her own life, even though at times she didn't always feel like she was living. I enjoyed seeing Shay come out of her shell and start to not just open up but to start to live a little more in the present. Elliot was really great for Shay and they are both such tough characters that really appealed to me.
However much I enjoyed Stolen I have to say the ending made me rather... sad. The ending split me in two and either side I looked at didn't leave me with a positive outlook for Shay and Elliot's happier ever after.
Shay and Elliot overcame so much and really bonded or so Elliot and I thought but then Shay goes and ruins it. Part of me wanted Elliot to wait and for Shay to realise her mistake and come crawling back. Which sadly didn't happen, so yet again Elliot has to go looking for Shay and talk some sense into her. Which I'm sure is meant to make some reader's think that now Shay is secure in her feelings for Elliot and everything has been set to rights they will have their HEA. But I didn't get that feeling with the ending. I felt that yet again Elliot had to convince Shay that everything would be ok and because this hadn't changed throughout the book that it most likely wouldn't change in their HEA. Which I think is mostly closer to the truth because of everything Shay suffered she's never, or for a really long time going to be just ok, she's always going to need reassurance, she's always going to have these flight feelings and I get that but Shay grew so much throughout the book I felt that she should have been strong enough to stay with Elliot of her own accord and not have Elliot hunt her down and ease her fears.
Or maybe I'm looking at it too deeply.
The villain in Stolen was in a weird and twisted way brilliant! Ms Walker did a wonderful job writing the villain and getting the villain to twist things for Shay. The villain at times was creepy and twisted yet later you could, I was going to say sympathise with the villain but that's not true for me, but I could see what had happened and how it had in a sense made the villain a villain.
Overall, Stolen was another interesting romantic suspense from Ms Walker and I will continue to read them just for the interesting characters and brilliantly written villains.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 22, 2012
I fell in love with Shiloh’s writing when I read her Ash Trilogy (which I highly recommend if you have not read them) so when I saw Stolen come up on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to read it. I do not read a lot of romantic suspense, but I love Shiloh’s style and will make an exception when it comes to her books.
In Stolen, we follow Shay who lives in Alaska to try and hide from her past. And what a twisted past it was. We get snippets of it a little at a time as the book unfolds, but I never saw the true horrors that she had lived through coming. It was a deeply emotional book because Shay’s life was shattered at an age when she should have been just acting like a kid and having fun. In Stolen, she is starting to gain some of her courage back and live her life the way she wants to. My heart was breaking for her at many points during the book, but Shay was stronger than she realized and I enjoyed being with her on her journey as she discovered this.
The guy in her life, Elliot, wants to be with her more than anything, but struggles to because she will never open up to him. He breaks things off because he wants an open and honest relationship and fears he will never get that from Shay. I really enjoyed getting Elliot’s point of view in Stolen because he was trying to decode Shay’s past right alongside me. We are both left in the dark and only get tiny fragments of what she is thinking so it was nice to hear his thoughts about what was going on and riddle it out alongside him.
Shiloh also gives us a look inside the person behind all of Shay’s troubles and wow! That person is one sicko! I thought the villain in the Ash Trilogy was bad, but this girl took the cake. I do like getting into the head of the bad guy, just so we have insight into how their thought process works, but what was going through her head was hard to read at some points. It was truly necessary to add depth to the story, but I don’t know how Shiloh can spend time in a mind that sick and twisted.
As for the story, there was plenty of suspense and quite a few surprises as well. Shiloh is a master at telling a chilling tale while still weaving tender and sweet romance into it. Stolen had a perfect balance of both elements. The romance was especially tender because Shay had so many issues to overcome, she was afraid of letting Elliot in. Her head is filled with hateful, vicious memories and she just wants to be happy.
“I want you to touch me. I’m so tired of the strongest memories I have being those memories. Give me better ones, Elliot.” She turned her face to his and pressed her lips to his cheek. “Can you give me better ones?”
I loved how Elliot respected Shay’s wishes and tried to take things as slow as necessary with her. He was not perfect by any means, but he tried very hard to work things out with her and he put his heart and soul into everything he did and I loved that about him.
“I miss you.”
Closing her eyes, she whispered, “Don’t.”
His lips brushed across the side of her brow. “Don’t what? Tell you that I miss you? Miss us?”
I was also happy to see that once they put their faith in one another, it did not waiver. No one went off on their own and did anything stupid, they trusted one another and decided to get through the situation together.
Overall, this was another great book by Shiloh. It is dark, twisted and while the characters were a little bit bruised, they learned to rely on one another and get through the awful events that unfolded around them together. If you have read Shiloh’s Ash trilogy, I was recommend checking out Stolen as well. Or if you are just in the mood for a great romantic suspense, this is a book you cannot miss.
In Stolen, we follow Shay who lives in Alaska to try and hide from her past. And what a twisted past it was. We get snippets of it a little at a time as the book unfolds, but I never saw the true horrors that she had lived through coming. It was a deeply emotional book because Shay’s life was shattered at an age when she should have been just acting like a kid and having fun. In Stolen, she is starting to gain some of her courage back and live her life the way she wants to. My heart was breaking for her at many points during the book, but Shay was stronger than she realized and I enjoyed being with her on her journey as she discovered this.
The guy in her life, Elliot, wants to be with her more than anything, but struggles to because she will never open up to him. He breaks things off because he wants an open and honest relationship and fears he will never get that from Shay. I really enjoyed getting Elliot’s point of view in Stolen because he was trying to decode Shay’s past right alongside me. We are both left in the dark and only get tiny fragments of what she is thinking so it was nice to hear his thoughts about what was going on and riddle it out alongside him.
Shiloh also gives us a look inside the person behind all of Shay’s troubles and wow! That person is one sicko! I thought the villain in the Ash Trilogy was bad, but this girl took the cake. I do like getting into the head of the bad guy, just so we have insight into how their thought process works, but what was going through her head was hard to read at some points. It was truly necessary to add depth to the story, but I don’t know how Shiloh can spend time in a mind that sick and twisted.
As for the story, there was plenty of suspense and quite a few surprises as well. Shiloh is a master at telling a chilling tale while still weaving tender and sweet romance into it. Stolen had a perfect balance of both elements. The romance was especially tender because Shay had so many issues to overcome, she was afraid of letting Elliot in. Her head is filled with hateful, vicious memories and she just wants to be happy.
“I want you to touch me. I’m so tired of the strongest memories I have being those memories. Give me better ones, Elliot.” She turned her face to his and pressed her lips to his cheek. “Can you give me better ones?”
I loved how Elliot respected Shay’s wishes and tried to take things as slow as necessary with her. He was not perfect by any means, but he tried very hard to work things out with her and he put his heart and soul into everything he did and I loved that about him.
“I miss you.”
Closing her eyes, she whispered, “Don’t.”
His lips brushed across the side of her brow. “Don’t what? Tell you that I miss you? Miss us?”
I was also happy to see that once they put their faith in one another, it did not waiver. No one went off on their own and did anything stupid, they trusted one another and decided to get through the situation together.
Overall, this was another great book by Shiloh. It is dark, twisted and while the characters were a little bit bruised, they learned to rely on one another and get through the awful events that unfolded around them together. If you have read Shiloh’s Ash trilogy, I was recommend checking out Stolen as well. Or if you are just in the mood for a great romantic suspense, this is a book you cannot miss.
December 1, 2012
Stolen is the first book I have read by Shiloh Walker, and I enjoyed the book and her writing style. I do not read too many romantic suspense books and after reading this book, I wonder why I had not picked up one of her book sooner.
Shay is running from her tragic past, fighting back the dragon that has taken over her life and dreams. She has nightmares, scars both inside and out, and bits and pieces of memories that she keeps trying to fit together like puzzle pieces. After coming home from a bad accident, she finds that someone is trying to take over her life as a published author writing under a pen name. Nobody knows who the real Shay is, not even her. She has next to no friends and the one man she loved and allowed in her life broke up with her because she refused to open up and let him in. Unable to trust anyone she has no choice but to let Elliott in and hope that she hasn’t made a huge mistake when the same person who is trying to take her over also uses him as collateral damage.
“Whatever you’re about to learn, it’s going to hurt, baby, and I can’t stop it.”
Shay has a crazy stalker trying to take over her professional life. This person is screwing around with all of her business that deals with her being an author. He/she is going to bookstores signing books under her name, setting up social websites, and even making false allegations against her ex all in the name of Shane Neil. The more Shay delves in and tries to figure it all out the crazier and scarier it seems to get.
“People can do crazy shit.”
Shay is strong, she is determined to find out who is doing this too her, and she overcomes her demons in the process while realizing those demons were so much bigger than she actually thought they were. It is tense watching her fight against memories and her own inner struggle to keep going and not run when it gets too much to handle.
Elliott has been in love with Shay for 2 years, he has done everything he can to get her to open up to him and share herself with him. When she won’t he realizes that he can’t continue in a relationship like that and breaks up with her. The one thing he wished for, he got. Now he is wondering if he will be able to deal with all she has told him and everything that is falling apart around them as Shay figures out who she truly is and who is out to hurt her.
“I don’t want to scare you…I don’t want to hurt you…but I want you more than I want to breathe and you’re killing me.”
I loved Elliott and Shay together. He was her rock, and she learned to open up and lean on him when the going got tough. Elliott was so gentle and patient with Shay. You could feel the love he has for her jumping off the page. As it started to heat up and the situation got crazier and crazier, they stood shoulder to shoulder with each other, both doing what they could to protect the other in their own ways. I really enjoyed their chemistry and the mystery that surrounded them.
“Baby…everything I have in me is for you. You’re my everything. You are it for me. “
My only complaint is that I had the mystery figured out early on. I just wished it had been a bit harder to figure out what was going on.
I will most definitely be picking up more books from Shiloh.
Shay is running from her tragic past, fighting back the dragon that has taken over her life and dreams. She has nightmares, scars both inside and out, and bits and pieces of memories that she keeps trying to fit together like puzzle pieces. After coming home from a bad accident, she finds that someone is trying to take over her life as a published author writing under a pen name. Nobody knows who the real Shay is, not even her. She has next to no friends and the one man she loved and allowed in her life broke up with her because she refused to open up and let him in. Unable to trust anyone she has no choice but to let Elliott in and hope that she hasn’t made a huge mistake when the same person who is trying to take her over also uses him as collateral damage.
“Whatever you’re about to learn, it’s going to hurt, baby, and I can’t stop it.”
Shay has a crazy stalker trying to take over her professional life. This person is screwing around with all of her business that deals with her being an author. He/she is going to bookstores signing books under her name, setting up social websites, and even making false allegations against her ex all in the name of Shane Neil. The more Shay delves in and tries to figure it all out the crazier and scarier it seems to get.
“People can do crazy shit.”
Shay is strong, she is determined to find out who is doing this too her, and she overcomes her demons in the process while realizing those demons were so much bigger than she actually thought they were. It is tense watching her fight against memories and her own inner struggle to keep going and not run when it gets too much to handle.
Elliott has been in love with Shay for 2 years, he has done everything he can to get her to open up to him and share herself with him. When she won’t he realizes that he can’t continue in a relationship like that and breaks up with her. The one thing he wished for, he got. Now he is wondering if he will be able to deal with all she has told him and everything that is falling apart around them as Shay figures out who she truly is and who is out to hurt her.
“I don’t want to scare you…I don’t want to hurt you…but I want you more than I want to breathe and you’re killing me.”
I loved Elliott and Shay together. He was her rock, and she learned to open up and lean on him when the going got tough. Elliott was so gentle and patient with Shay. You could feel the love he has for her jumping off the page. As it started to heat up and the situation got crazier and crazier, they stood shoulder to shoulder with each other, both doing what they could to protect the other in their own ways. I really enjoyed their chemistry and the mystery that surrounded them.
“Baby…everything I have in me is for you. You’re my everything. You are it for me. “
My only complaint is that I had the mystery figured out early on. I just wished it had been a bit harder to figure out what was going on.
I will most definitely be picking up more books from Shiloh.
December 3, 2013
** It's been 2 weeks since I've read this book
Shiloh Walker's books remain full of awesome. I have yet to read one that I didn't enjoy. I've been having a little trouble lately finding a romantic suspense that actually satisfies my expectations but Shiloh kind of knows exactly what I want from a good book. It helps that there is a second chance romance in this one. I am a sucker for those.
The book starts of nicely, not making us wait for the good stuff. We meet our main characters, feel the sexual tension between them and learn that someone has stolen Shay's secret identity as an author.
Shay has a traumatic past that keeps her up at night and prevents her from trust people. She can barely survive with her sanity intact. The scars of what happened to her run deep (mentally and physically) and she doesn't want to burden anyone else with that knowledge. And to a certain extent she is right to do that, judging by Elliot's reaction, I can definitely see why she kept that knowledge to herself.
However, this woman who has been emotionally, mentally and physically traumatized is NOT weak. She is not the kind of person to wait for someone to come around and rescue her. She takes matters in her hands. She takes action. She is strong and has a lot of will power and is overall a very likable female lead.
Elliot. Elliot is perfect. Yes perfect is not a term I use a lot (okay maybe I lie) but he is the perfect guy for Shay. He had the guts to break up with a woman he loved because he knew she would never trust him, to stay around and hope for something that wouldn't happen wouldn't be fair to him and he realized that. Not a lot of people would. They would hold on to the scraps of a failing relationship (because let’s face it, a relationship that is not built on trust, is going to fail, even if the people happen to love each other). But I like how he never pushed her to tell him, not when they were dating and not in the present. He waited for her to trust him enough to tell him. What I also liked was his patience with her. Even when Shay tells him what happened, he realizes he needs to go slow with her, be gentle. I realize this makes Shay sound like a fragile porcelain doll but she isn't one. She has a backbone and a strong will power. She doesn't want to remain powerless when it comes to the past, she wants to be able to overcome her nightmares and asks Elliot for his help.
The mystery/suspense was everything I ever wanted from a romantic suspense. I don't like the twists you find in this genre, they are predictable and it always seems as though the author is trying hard to make it interesting. It didn't happen with Stolen though, the person behind everything that had been happening was not predictable but it hadn't come out of nowhere, the author gave us enough clues to figure it out for ourselves if we had tried (and I even came sort of close).
The romance as you can obviously tell was great. It wasn't angst filled or even dramatic; in fact they resolve their issues very early on in the book. They don't try to hide their feelings. They talk. They communicate. Which is why they make a great couple.
The book is well paced, full of suspense and keeps you on the edge. It's was a fun read and incredibly refreshing.
Shiloh Walker's books remain full of awesome. I have yet to read one that I didn't enjoy. I've been having a little trouble lately finding a romantic suspense that actually satisfies my expectations but Shiloh kind of knows exactly what I want from a good book. It helps that there is a second chance romance in this one. I am a sucker for those.
The book starts of nicely, not making us wait for the good stuff. We meet our main characters, feel the sexual tension between them and learn that someone has stolen Shay's secret identity as an author.
Shay has a traumatic past that keeps her up at night and prevents her from trust people. She can barely survive with her sanity intact. The scars of what happened to her run deep (mentally and physically) and she doesn't want to burden anyone else with that knowledge. And to a certain extent she is right to do that, judging by Elliot's reaction, I can definitely see why she kept that knowledge to herself.
However, this woman who has been emotionally, mentally and physically traumatized is NOT weak. She is not the kind of person to wait for someone to come around and rescue her. She takes matters in her hands. She takes action. She is strong and has a lot of will power and is overall a very likable female lead.
Elliot. Elliot is perfect. Yes perfect is not a term I use a lot (okay maybe I lie) but he is the perfect guy for Shay. He had the guts to break up with a woman he loved because he knew she would never trust him, to stay around and hope for something that wouldn't happen wouldn't be fair to him and he realized that. Not a lot of people would. They would hold on to the scraps of a failing relationship (because let’s face it, a relationship that is not built on trust, is going to fail, even if the people happen to love each other). But I like how he never pushed her to tell him, not when they were dating and not in the present. He waited for her to trust him enough to tell him. What I also liked was his patience with her. Even when Shay tells him what happened, he realizes he needs to go slow with her, be gentle. I realize this makes Shay sound like a fragile porcelain doll but she isn't one. She has a backbone and a strong will power. She doesn't want to remain powerless when it comes to the past, she wants to be able to overcome her nightmares and asks Elliot for his help.
The mystery/suspense was everything I ever wanted from a romantic suspense. I don't like the twists you find in this genre, they are predictable and it always seems as though the author is trying hard to make it interesting. It didn't happen with Stolen though, the person behind everything that had been happening was not predictable but it hadn't come out of nowhere, the author gave us enough clues to figure it out for ourselves if we had tried (and I even came sort of close).
The romance as you can obviously tell was great. It wasn't angst filled or even dramatic; in fact they resolve their issues very early on in the book. They don't try to hide their feelings. They talk. They communicate. Which is why they make a great couple.
The book is well paced, full of suspense and keeps you on the edge. It's was a fun read and incredibly refreshing.
September 19, 2012
4.5*
Shiloh Walker is a master of dark, visceral romantic suspense and of creating emotionally-scarred, tortured heroes (and heroines). The Rafferty books feature some of the most emotionally-captivating characters I have read, and the Ash trilogy ranks right up there with other dark romantic suspense greats like Allison Brennan or Linda Jackson. Ms. Walker's latest release, STOLEN, is of the same excellent mould: a gripping, wrenching page-turner that delves into some of the darkest recesses of human depravity. An uplifting, fluffy read it is not: even the HEA (it is romance, after all) has a slightly bitter aftertaste from the darkness that precedes it-- as top-notch dark romantic suspense should. And in typical Shiloh Walker fashion, the sexual chemistry between the hero and heroine is scorching.
Heroine Shay Morgan survived unspeakable horrors as a child and escaped to remote Earth's End, Alaska, where she leads the commercially-successful but hermitic life of a thriller writer, plagued by nightmares of her violent past and unable to form lasting interpersonal connections. We are thrown headlong into experiencing and piecing together the suppressed memories of that past with Shay as a psychotic stalker tries to take over her life. Whilst the identity of the 'stalker' wasn't particularly surprising [suspense is less about 'whodunnit' than catching the bad guys anyway], the extent of the villain's psychosis is bone-chilling. The most terrifying part of it-- the villain's motives and behaviour are not at all far-fetched.
Hero Elliot Winter is--perhaps somewhat surprisingly, given Ms. Walker's penchant for tortured heroes-- a solid, stand-up bloke. Apart from his departure from the military after a false sexual assault accusation, he leads a fairly uneventful life owning a bookstore with his sister in Earth's End. And save for one instance of extreme wankerdom when Shay's troubles start, he's the perfect, steadfast counterpoint to Shay's horror. There's nothing sexier than a man that supports his woman as she faces her worst nightmares and slays her dragons rather than insisting on doing it himself-- and Elliot has that in spades. Seeing the two of them reconnect and figure out how to make their relationship work is the perfect complement to the suspense.
Personal pet peeve: overuse of 'fuck' and 'shit', particularly as interjections. Nothing against the words themselves, but I notice their very extensive use every time I read a Shiloh Walker novel in a way I don't with other authors.
[Thanks to Random House for providing an eARC of this book (via NetGalley) prior to publication]
Shiloh Walker is a master of dark, visceral romantic suspense and of creating emotionally-scarred, tortured heroes (and heroines). The Rafferty books feature some of the most emotionally-captivating characters I have read, and the Ash trilogy ranks right up there with other dark romantic suspense greats like Allison Brennan or Linda Jackson. Ms. Walker's latest release, STOLEN, is of the same excellent mould: a gripping, wrenching page-turner that delves into some of the darkest recesses of human depravity. An uplifting, fluffy read it is not: even the HEA (it is romance, after all) has a slightly bitter aftertaste from the darkness that precedes it-- as top-notch dark romantic suspense should. And in typical Shiloh Walker fashion, the sexual chemistry between the hero and heroine is scorching.
Heroine Shay Morgan survived unspeakable horrors as a child and escaped to remote Earth's End, Alaska, where she leads the commercially-successful but hermitic life of a thriller writer, plagued by nightmares of her violent past and unable to form lasting interpersonal connections. We are thrown headlong into experiencing and piecing together the suppressed memories of that past with Shay as a psychotic stalker tries to take over her life. Whilst the identity of the 'stalker' wasn't particularly surprising [suspense is less about 'whodunnit' than catching the bad guys anyway], the extent of the villain's psychosis is bone-chilling. The most terrifying part of it-- the villain's motives and behaviour are not at all far-fetched.
Hero Elliot Winter is--perhaps somewhat surprisingly, given Ms. Walker's penchant for tortured heroes-- a solid, stand-up bloke. Apart from his departure from the military after a false sexual assault accusation, he leads a fairly uneventful life owning a bookstore with his sister in Earth's End. And save for one instance of extreme wankerdom when Shay's troubles start, he's the perfect, steadfast counterpoint to Shay's horror. There's nothing sexier than a man that supports his woman as she faces her worst nightmares and slays her dragons rather than insisting on doing it himself-- and Elliot has that in spades. Seeing the two of them reconnect and figure out how to make their relationship work is the perfect complement to the suspense.
Personal pet peeve: overuse of 'fuck' and 'shit', particularly as interjections. Nothing against the words themselves, but I notice their very extensive use every time I read a Shiloh Walker novel in a way I don't with other authors.
[Thanks to Random House for providing an eARC of this book (via NetGalley) prior to publication]
October 31, 2012
Shey's review posted on Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
5 Stars
Shiloh Walker’s STOLEN took me on a rollercoaster ride of epic portions! Hands in the air, mouth open, stomach dropping and tears flowing at times. Page after page it didn’t stop and as I finished in one day I was left breathless.
Shay is strong yet so very vulnerable at the same time. You want to support and cheer for her but also cry as she goes through such an emotional journey.
After suffering through traumatic events as a teen that leave her not only mentally but physically scared, Shay Morgan turns her life into one of seclusion, with minimal contact living in a small town in Alaska. All but to a select few and those are mostly through the computer and phone know who she really is. Shay takes the nightmares of her past and turns them into very popular novels, as an author, she is able to release her nightmares.
Shay, unable to trust, she loses the one man that she loved, Elliot Winter. Elliot is ex-Army and owner of the bookstore there in Earth’s End. After leaving the army under incriminating circumstances, he runs the bookstore with his sister.
However, when someone tries not only to steal Shay’s identity, but hurt Elliot in the process Shay knows she finally needs to open up and trust Elliot.
It was such an amazing moment when Shay did open up and trust, although it was hard for Elliot to hear the story of her past to see the scars that were left behind, he was so tender with her. I loved both of them. Her strength for surviving and his love for this woman.
As for the romance Shiloh Walker did not disappoint. Elliot took great care with Shay, he was patient and caring, considerate of her background and still the sex was still amazing and hot!! That made me love Elliot even more!
The journey to find out who is doing these things to Shay, leads Shay back down a horrific path that she had blocked out, back to her nightmares. It was one that I was glad she had Elliot there with her. Because in the end there was a lot that wasa lot that had been “stolen”.
This book will have to be my favorite Romantic Suspense Novel this year, and I have read many including Shiloh Walker’s Ash Trilogy’s but STOLEN, absolutely took me stole my heart.
Reviewer’s note:
I must warn you there is mention of rape and strong violence so please be warned if that might be a trigger for you.
Review copy provided for an honest review.
5 Stars
Shiloh Walker’s STOLEN took me on a rollercoaster ride of epic portions! Hands in the air, mouth open, stomach dropping and tears flowing at times. Page after page it didn’t stop and as I finished in one day I was left breathless.
Shay is strong yet so very vulnerable at the same time. You want to support and cheer for her but also cry as she goes through such an emotional journey.
After suffering through traumatic events as a teen that leave her not only mentally but physically scared, Shay Morgan turns her life into one of seclusion, with minimal contact living in a small town in Alaska. All but to a select few and those are mostly through the computer and phone know who she really is. Shay takes the nightmares of her past and turns them into very popular novels, as an author, she is able to release her nightmares.
Shay, unable to trust, she loses the one man that she loved, Elliot Winter. Elliot is ex-Army and owner of the bookstore there in Earth’s End. After leaving the army under incriminating circumstances, he runs the bookstore with his sister.
However, when someone tries not only to steal Shay’s identity, but hurt Elliot in the process Shay knows she finally needs to open up and trust Elliot.
It was such an amazing moment when Shay did open up and trust, although it was hard for Elliot to hear the story of her past to see the scars that were left behind, he was so tender with her. I loved both of them. Her strength for surviving and his love for this woman.
As for the romance Shiloh Walker did not disappoint. Elliot took great care with Shay, he was patient and caring, considerate of her background and still the sex was still amazing and hot!! That made me love Elliot even more!
The journey to find out who is doing these things to Shay, leads Shay back down a horrific path that she had blocked out, back to her nightmares. It was one that I was glad she had Elliot there with her. Because in the end there was a lot that wasa lot that had been “stolen”.
This book will have to be my favorite Romantic Suspense Novel this year, and I have read many including Shiloh Walker’s Ash Trilogy’s but STOLEN, absolutely took me stole my heart.
Reviewer’s note:
I must warn you there is mention of rape and strong violence so please be warned if that might be a trigger for you.
Review copy provided for an honest review.
October 30, 2012
ABOUT THE BOOK: This thrilling and super sexy novel from bestselling romantic suspense author Shiloh Walker will appeal to fans of Allison Brennan and Linda Howard.
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.
REVIEW: Oh….wow. I think those two words will about sum it up. Now, let me first just say that I am guilty of reading other reviews, if available, before I start in on a piece. I do that cause I review quite a few but even though I do these reviews as a dedicated reader, I still want to enjoy what I read.
So that being said, I saw a few disappointing reviews on this but more so, a lot of really good reviews. I was nervous about which side I would fall in and I have to say this now…I have no idea what some were complaining about. This was a fantastic read and held action all the way till the end. Just when you think Ms. Walker is done with the novel, BAM, she tosses one more thing your way.
Stolen is a lovely piece that touches not only on suspense, but also every author’s and most people’s fears – identity theft.
It was a wonderful read that I had a hard time putting down – sans Hurricane Sandy hitting my state. I would recommend this piece to anyone looking for a different kind of book and one that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
Five out of five stars for a great job!
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.
REVIEW: Oh….wow. I think those two words will about sum it up. Now, let me first just say that I am guilty of reading other reviews, if available, before I start in on a piece. I do that cause I review quite a few but even though I do these reviews as a dedicated reader, I still want to enjoy what I read.
So that being said, I saw a few disappointing reviews on this but more so, a lot of really good reviews. I was nervous about which side I would fall in and I have to say this now…I have no idea what some were complaining about. This was a fantastic read and held action all the way till the end. Just when you think Ms. Walker is done with the novel, BAM, she tosses one more thing your way.
Stolen is a lovely piece that touches not only on suspense, but also every author’s and most people’s fears – identity theft.
It was a wonderful read that I had a hard time putting down – sans Hurricane Sandy hitting my state. I would recommend this piece to anyone looking for a different kind of book and one that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
Five out of five stars for a great job!
November 2, 2012
This is a Quickie Review. For the full review, please visit The Romanceaholic.
Expected Release Date: October 30, 2012
Publisher: Random House Publishing
Imprint: Ballantine
Author’s Website: www.shilohwalker.com/
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: No
Series Best Read In Order: N/A
Steam Level: Steamy
Favorite Tropes: Secret Identity, Identity Theft
Pet Peeves: Magic Peen
It’s been a while since I’ve read a romantic suspense, and I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed them.
With identity theft rampant these days, and much of our identities relying on the Internet, it’s not a huge stretch of the imagination to think that someone very private could, quite literally, have their lives stolen via digital manipulation. This premise is what first attracted me to this story, but what made me stay was the execution.
I was surprised at first that the identity of the villain was revealed so early on in the novel, but I soon realized that in doing so, Ms. Walker didn’t spoil any surprise, but instead added a great deal of tension to the story. After all, can you imagine someone tearing your life apart, and your knowing who was behind it, and yet still being powerless to stop it? That’s exactly what Shay was going through. Add to that her horrible past, and her estrangement from the one man who made her feel safe, and the tension in this book was off the charts.
While I was a little disappointed that Shay’s past didn’t affect her relationship with Elliot as much as I’d anticipated, the chemistry between them, as well as the trust that they developed for one another, made the romance quite satisfying.
Recommended for fans of abused heroines, secret identities, and of having your very identity taken away.
A very solid 4/5 Stars
Expected Release Date: October 30, 2012
Publisher: Random House Publishing
Imprint: Ballantine
Author’s Website: www.shilohwalker.com/
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: No
Series Best Read In Order: N/A
Steam Level: Steamy
Favorite Tropes: Secret Identity, Identity Theft
Pet Peeves: Magic Peen
It’s been a while since I’ve read a romantic suspense, and I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed them.
With identity theft rampant these days, and much of our identities relying on the Internet, it’s not a huge stretch of the imagination to think that someone very private could, quite literally, have their lives stolen via digital manipulation. This premise is what first attracted me to this story, but what made me stay was the execution.
I was surprised at first that the identity of the villain was revealed so early on in the novel, but I soon realized that in doing so, Ms. Walker didn’t spoil any surprise, but instead added a great deal of tension to the story. After all, can you imagine someone tearing your life apart, and your knowing who was behind it, and yet still being powerless to stop it? That’s exactly what Shay was going through. Add to that her horrible past, and her estrangement from the one man who made her feel safe, and the tension in this book was off the charts.
While I was a little disappointed that Shay’s past didn’t affect her relationship with Elliot as much as I’d anticipated, the chemistry between them, as well as the trust that they developed for one another, made the romance quite satisfying.
Recommended for fans of abused heroines, secret identities, and of having your very identity taken away.
A very solid 4/5 Stars
November 10, 2012
Stolen by Shiloh Walker
This could have been classified as a ‘horror’ novel - the heck with trying to classify it as romantic/ suspense. As a matter of fact this book takes what are the normal rules for a romance and pretty much throws them all out the window. This book is written in a manner that very much reminded me of a Nora Roberts novel and I couldn’t seem to get by this similarity, “Angels Falls”.
While this was a good novel and its idea should have been great; I found that I wasn’t as enthralled with it as much as I should have been. Stolen is a novel that bases most of its plot on someone taking over the female protagonist’s identity and alienating Shay (the protagonist) from anyone else in her life. It also serves to dredge up for Shay all the most horrible aspects of her youth; and believe me me they are freakishly horrible aspects. It may have been better for us if the author didn’t just sort of slide over Shay’s past and pulled this novel into the full ‘horror’ genre instead of this half-way book. This novel also shows just what a big influence that things like FaceBook and Twitter has over much of our lives.
There was too little interaction between real characters and too much inner –dialoguing, angst, recriminations and beating ones-self up over events that they could not and never will be able to, have changed.
I can easily see how this novel is going to appeal to all kinds of readers.
This could have been classified as a ‘horror’ novel - the heck with trying to classify it as romantic/ suspense. As a matter of fact this book takes what are the normal rules for a romance and pretty much throws them all out the window. This book is written in a manner that very much reminded me of a Nora Roberts novel and I couldn’t seem to get by this similarity, “Angels Falls”.
While this was a good novel and its idea should have been great; I found that I wasn’t as enthralled with it as much as I should have been. Stolen is a novel that bases most of its plot on someone taking over the female protagonist’s identity and alienating Shay (the protagonist) from anyone else in her life. It also serves to dredge up for Shay all the most horrible aspects of her youth; and believe me me they are freakishly horrible aspects. It may have been better for us if the author didn’t just sort of slide over Shay’s past and pulled this novel into the full ‘horror’ genre instead of this half-way book. This novel also shows just what a big influence that things like FaceBook and Twitter has over much of our lives.
There was too little interaction between real characters and too much inner –dialoguing, angst, recriminations and beating ones-self up over events that they could not and never will be able to, have changed.
I can easily see how this novel is going to appeal to all kinds of readers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews