Deeper Than Need

Secrets & Shadows #1

by Shiloh Walker

Time heals all wounds

Eager to put a dark, troubled past behind her, Trinity Ewing buys an old house that will make the perfect refuge for her and her young son once renovations are complete. The last thing on her mind is finding someone new…but the contractor she’s hired is an irresistible distraction—and Trinity can’t help but fantasize about all the business they could be doing behind closed doors.

So does one man’s touch

Noah Benningfield thought he’d put his demons behind him. But the moment he lays eyes on Trinity, the temptation he feels is too powerful to deny. Soon the attraction between them explodes into something neither of them could have imagined. But their desire will be put to the test when a shocking local murder has them dodging danger at every turn. Can the beautiful and damaged Trinity trust someone like Noah, whose own past is as haunted as her own? The only thing she knows for sure is that she can’t live without a man who makes her feel this good—over and over again…

Genres: Romantic Suspense, Romance, Contemporary, Suspense, Contemporary Romance, Mystery, Mystery Thriller

400 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 3, 2014

About the author

Hello... 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!

Reviews

[Rashika (is tired) · Rating 4 out of 5]

***This mini-review has also been posted on The Social Potato

This was one of my most anticipated novels of the year once I found out about it, and I am happy to say I wasn’t let down. I’ve read quite a few romantic suspense novels by Shiloh and she has yet to disappoint me. I just keep on coming back for more and more.

I think what makes this one so different from some of her other romantic suspense novels is the vagueness of the mystery. We know what’s going on. It isn’t hard to guess and the author doesn’t keep us in the dark, but it’s never really outright said. That CAN be frustrating for some readers, but it made so much sense in this case considering that neither of our main characters actually have the power to investigate. One is a contractor and the other is new to town. The only connection they have is Noah’s closeness to some of these kids and their stories will break your heart.

The main characters, even though they suffer from the "pretty-people-syndrome" were immensely likeable. You can see how much their pasts have affected their present but they still have the will to carry on and do it to the best of their ability. I think what makes them so endearing is just how likeable and loveable they are. Especially when it comes to Noah. That boy is SAWOON worthy. He is not a bad boy. He never was. He never will be. He had a rough past that led him to making some questionable choices, but he recovered and is probably the nicest person ever.  Trinity comes with her own set of baggage and the most adorable son ever, but she is such a great female lead. She’s not perfect, but she is strong and while relatable isn’t the term that would fit in this case, you will undoubtedly feel some sort of connection to her.

The chemistry between these two though. Oh boy. *fans self* It may read a little as insta-love but Walker has magic. Their relationship never bothered me once and I found myself rooting for them. It helps that they do have other things on mind. They may think about the other person often but there will be bigger issues at hand

I think the biggest qualm some readers might have is the lack of answers to certain things and while I would have loved having those answers I think I like how everything wasn’t wrapped up in a bow. Life is not perfect and things aren’t always going to be perfectly solved.

My final verdict is if you're a fan of the genre, DEFINITELY give this a shot.

[Tbabe001 · Rating 2 out of 5]

It just was not for me, great hero but the heroine was just blah. No real connection, more of lust connection, so if you are into that sort of story...well give this book a try. For others that likeH/h to have a little more than lust
, well don't waste your time

[Dina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I. Hate. Cliffhangers!!!

[UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish]

Want a sneak peek of Deeper Than Need? Check it out the awesome chapter preview on Affaire de Coeur: http://www.adcmagazine.com/Chapter%20...

Description...

Trinity Ewing—she's new in Madison, and her one goal is to put her old life behind her. She's made mistakes. A lot of them. She's done everything short of selling herself to stay alive and provide for her son. Now she's just looking for a place to put down roots and call home. The old ramshackle house on the banks of the Ohio River seem to be the perfect place. It needs work—a lot of it.

A former minister, Noah Benningfield now works as a carpenter. He hasn't entirely lost his faith, but he has lost himself. Which is exactly how he likes it. He doesn't want to find himself, because then he'd have to look at the many ways he failed. Working with his hands is easier. Or so he thinks. He hasn't ever had a job where he uncovers a skeleton, though. Not until now.

He can't help but wonder…are these the remains of Lana, the girl he'd loved in high school? Losing her had all but destroyed his life back then, a life he has only now pieced together. Even as he deals with the turmoil of that, there's a new turmoil, one caused by Trinity—she's everything he won't let himself have, and everything he realizes he wants.

Life becomes even more complicated when a ghost from the past blows back into town… Bethany Sutter—one of the last people to see Lana alive all those years ago.

[Lady Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

A wonderful start to what looks like to be another great romantic-suspense-thriller series by Shiloh Walker.

This is a story of secrets that have been kept far too long by prominent, influential, powerful people in a small town.
Now the truth is starting to come out as dead bodies are beginning to be found, and people are finally asking the right questions.

I really liked Trinity and Noah's characters.
I love when two broken people find one another, and everything just clicks... they just know this is the person they've been waiting their whole life for.


I really like this author's voice, and once again she has given her readers some unique, and colorful characters.


Now on to read Adam's story :-)

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trinity Ewing just wanted a new start for herself and her young son Micah in Madison. She purchases a “fixer-upper” and highers Noah Benningfield as the general contractor. The attraction is instant between Noah and Trinity but evil lies in wait in Madison...an evil that has been brewing for years.

This is a story filled with deceptions and secrets. Walker slowly unveils piece by agonizing piece of the puzzle that makes up this magnificently woven plot. I loved how the story unraveled but I did have a little trouble connecting with the characters...all except Micah. I completely loved Trinity's Micah, he was an amazing character with utter innocence on his side.

Watching this story unfold was like peeling an onion, one layer at a time. I found Deeper Than Need to be a dark, sensual, mystery, thriller. Enjoyable and entertaining, this is truly a town filled with secrets that will continue to shock and bewilder the mystery thriller lovers.

I received this ARC copy of Deeper Than Need from St. Martin's Press in exchange for a honest review. This book is set for publication June 3, 2014.

Written by: Shiloh Walker
Series: Secrets & Shadows
Sequence in Series: Book 1
Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Publication Date: June 3, 2014
Rating: 3.5 stars
ISBN-10: 1250032407
ISBN-13: 978-1250032409
Genre: Suspence | Mystery
Find this book on: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

If one doesn’t look too closely, Madison appears to be a typical US small town; everyone knows each other and there is no such thing as a secret. However, all is not as it seems. There is something sinister going on just below the surface and it all centers around the Frampton House. The house Trinity Ewing just bought thinking it would be a haven for her and her son after leaving their troubles behind in New York. Noah knew the minute he laid eyes on Trinity that she was what he had been waiting his entire life for. Luckily, she feels the same way but the history of the Frampton House threatens to destroy them just as they have finally found each other.

This is something I’m doing because you’re the one woman I’ve waited for my whole life.

There are some very interesting characters in this book. Some we get to know on a first name basis and others that remain a mystery on the last page. The multiple points of view give readers insight into the very vague storyline but not enough to actually know what is going on. The lack of resolution or definitive answers might encourage some to continue the series but the stop and go pace of the plot will be a deterrent for others.

[Jacqueline J · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this one but I was certain that I had picked up a book in the middle of a series. Imagine my surprise when I discovered this was the first in the series. I see that there were 3 mini prequels but I think that a first book shouldn't be dependent on ebook prequels in order to understand what is going on. Maybe there was nothing in the prequels that was pertinent to this story in which case the author really should have made sure the reader didn't feel lost. This one ends on a big cliff hanger and I will be happy to read more books to round out the story. That is to say the mystery ends on a cliff hanger. The romance is pretty well wrapped up. There were a lot of characters here and sometimes I had trouble remembering who was who. The romance was okay but I did feel like the hero was a bit of a ninny for not getting on with his life before 20 years had passed. But I liked the two of them together and I liked the little boy.

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so unprepared for the intensity of this story. I read it more slowly than I'm want to do with books because of how hard hitting it was and that was without getting the full feel of things since its a suspense plot that continues through the whole series. I just kept thinking as I read, 'This- this is what romantic suspense ought to be'.

This story follows a three-part series of novellas that are an introduction to the small town of Madison, IN and some of the characters that live there, but the romance and suspense plot begin right with this one so a person would be okay to start here. Personally, I recommend at least the first of the novellas to get to know some of the people that are referenced here.

The story opens shortly after Trinity Ewing along with her little boy move to town and purchase the old Frampton place. It is in bad shape so she hires Noah Beddingfield as the contractor to supervise the repairs and remodeling. Noah is both a welcome and unwelcome distraction from her worries about starting fresh and the house, but she really doesn't dare get involved with another man particularly one that screams relationship material to her. At night, she alternately dreams about Noah and feeling restless in her new house. The house has an atmosphere to it that makes Trinity nervous, but she has vested a lot into this new start where nobody knows her past and she won't quit just because the house gives her a case of the nervous, but then the body is found.

Noah has lived with his personal demons and fought them a long time, but he does it through detachment instead of the bottle and gratuitous sex these days. The second he set eyes on Trinity; he knew that his life was changed. She was bringing him to life again and making him feel. He needs to let the past go. But that body might be her- Lana, the girl he loved and that disappeared twenty years ago at the same time as several others leaving only the horror of blood in the house Trinity now lives in. Repairing the old place forces him to face down his bad memories and nightmares and being near Trinity soothes him and gives him the impetus to do it.

Others watch as the new family settles in and the repairs are made and tensions really rise as the body is discovered. Some its curiosity, but for others its with knowledge and a desire for the past to stay safely buried because something evil happened there and its still hiding in Madison.

This story was a fantastic blend of romance and suspense. It developed and built at just the right pace for me. Noah was emotionally vested in the suspense portion of the plot, but in a sense he and Trinity's story was separate so it was like getting two stories in one.

The main characters were Noah and Trinity, but they are also part of a larger cast that played significant roles. I loved how many ambiguous roles there were. I kept asking myself is this a friend, a foe, or somewhere in between. Some were terribly flawed, weak or fearful people, but not necessarily evil. However, I'm pretty sure there were some truly evil types in the mix too. This book ended without giving away too much of that sort of thing.

That leads me to speak to the suspense plotting. I loved how the author was able to set just the right tone. It is so atmospheric at times. Even Trinity mused that she hoped she hadn't moved to Amityville. This part of the story began long before the events of this book in the past. The mystery began with the disappearance of four people. They are thought to be dead, possibly by foul play since there was a lot of blood at the old abandoned Frampton house, but the truth is not known. Its a small town so people can only speculate. Noah feels guilt about one of the disappearances because she was his highschool sweetheart. The girl acted strangely that last day and told him to just trust her when he wanted to know what was going on. Now with the dead body, the past and its secrets are stirring again. This book took the mystery only so far. There are a few tantalizing unknown narrator parts that I could only puzzle out up to a point. I absolutely cannot wait for what is to come.

As to the romance, Noah and Trinity were a beautiful couple. Two broken people that really needed each other. Trinity needed someone who was good through and through and who had faith in her no matter what. Noah needed someone who knew what it was to feel shame and need for understanding. Unconditional love and acceptance was something they gave to each other and it was so lovely to see it when they both had a chance to give it and experience it. They were so hesitant to put themselves out there because of not feeling worthy or ready for a relationship, but it didn't feel overly angty. Now that being said, these two took a while to get their sexy on in person which was built up to rather nicely I might add, but in the mean time, they scorched the clothes off each other in their thoughts and dreams. I found their distractedness rather humorous at times and it was a nice foil to the heavier feeling given by the suspense side.

So, to wrap it all up, this was abso-fab and I am glad to have the second book at hand. Romantic Suspense lovers who enjoy their suspense dark and gritty and their romance on the spicy side with the added plus of some really well developed characters should snatch this one up and clear your evening.

[Christine (KizzieReads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really good. I love small town romances. All the juicy gossip, who all the characters are and how they're all part of the story and the mystery is so interesting and heartbreaking at the same time. Trinity moves into town to get away from her ex and ends up buying the one house in town that has so much history attached to it. Noah is hired to fix it up for her and her son Micah. Feelings start to happen, but Noah struggles as a recovering alcoholic and former youth minister. Can't wait to see how the suspense part of this story plays out.

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted at http://smexybooks.com/2014/06/review-...


Favorite Quote: She felt like she’d been waiting her whole life for him, only she hadn’t realized it until the very second their gazes locked.

Trinity Ewing, a former ad exec from New York, needed a fresh start for her and her young son so she purchases a house, sight unseen, in the small town of Madison, Indiana. Once she arrives, she realizes the house needs some major repairs which leads her straight to the town handyman, Noah Benningfield.

Noah Benningfield, a former preacher turned carpenter, carries some heavy burdens that all revolve around the house that Trinity bought. Years ago, Noah’s girlfriend went into this house and never came out. The only clues to her demise were a set of bloody fingerprints left smeared across a window. Noah has blamed himself for her possible death and only in the past few years has begun to get his life back on track.

Trinity is a breath of fresh for Noah and the feeling is mutual. To Noah, Trinity is everything he has ever wanted in his life but knows that he may not be what she needs. When a skeleton is discovered in Trinity’s house, the rumors fly fast and hard and Noah finds himself caught between the past and present.

As the secrets of this small town begins to spill out of the shadows and into the light, Noah and Trinity find themselves standing on the cusp of a scandal so shocking…no one will escape the aftermath.

Shiloh Walker’s Deeper Than Need is the first book in her newest romance suspense series-Secrets & Shadows. Set in the small town of Madison, IN, Walker weaves her magic in a dark and suspenseful tale of lies and atrocities set amongst a seductive romance. Slow and steady, Walker builds her world: layering it in pain, sorrow, heartbreak, and fear as she delicately sets the stage. Dynamic flawed characters only add to the overall somber emotional tone of the multi plotted storyline. Each new revolution serves to add tension and suspense as we are given clues to the secret that traps this small town in it’s clutches.

Trinity Ewing and Noah Benningfield are strong characters; together and separately. Loyal, intelligent, and prone to taking on the problems of others. Each has secrets that they fear will cause the other to run away. The chemistry literally lights the pages on fire from the moment these two first meet.

Noah Benningfield made her tongue stick to the roof of her mouth and her hands got all sweaty just thinking about him.They’d met just a few short weeks ago, saw each other in passing while he set up everything for the renovations on her house. A few meetings here and there, a few phone calls.

Not much, right?

So why did she keep waking up, hot and sweaty from all of those dreams? The hottest, dirtiest dreams, where he ran those rough, calloused hands over her, where he pressed his lips to her neck, skimmed them down, down, down…

I like how realistic they and their problems were. I also enjoyed how Walker doesn’t impede their romance with huge hurdles or misunderstandings. The slow steamy sexual heat and tension these two generate will leave you panting as you watch them hurdle personal and external obstacles and dance their way in to each others arms. The romance isn’t prevalent but rather a soft silent stream of consciousness that flows beneath the main storyline. A touch of humor winds through the story with Trinity’s four year old son, Micah. His curiosity had me giggling at times.

Forcing herself to breathe, she managed to say, “Micah, that’s enough.”
“Would you cuss if you’d got burnt there?” he asked.
Obviously, he didn’t see the warning on her face. Of course not. He was too busy thinking penises.
Boys and their toys…and she’d already learned that a male’s fascination with the penis started pretty young.



The mystery is chilling as we began to piece together what is happening and it’s connections to Noah’s past. Walker doesn’t inundate you with any gruesome details but instead uses the players in this tragic play to tell us their stories. Each one giving us small clues that begin to paint for us a bleak picture. An extensive secondary cast has you looking over your shoulder and wondering who’s walks with the angels and who is fully submerged in the darkness that is the soul of this town. Ms. Walker does not make it easy for you. She uses Deeper Than Need to set up for the other books in the series so you’re being introduced to new characters and subplots throughout.

I will warn that even though the romantic conflict is resolved and set on the right path but the mystery is not. Though not a fan of cliffhangers, this particular one does nothing more than whet my appetite for the second in the series, Sweeter Than Sin, which releases in September 2014. With this latest release, my belief only continues to solidify that Shiloh Walker is a master when writing dark and brooding romantic suspense. If you want more of this town and the residents who live there, Walker released a steamy sexy novella trilogy earlier this year that centers around the Bell siblings and the disappearance of their mother. You don’t have to read the trilogy in order to read Deeper Than Need.

Overall Rating: B

[Under the Covers Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, Shiloh Walker has done it again.  After a series of novellas that introduce us to the town of Madison, Ohio and the creepyness that crawls around it's streets, houses and lakes...Here comes the bigger picture, and the bigger suspense.  If you enjoyed the novellas, you won't want to miss DEEPER THAN NEED.

First of all there's Noah.  Yeah, he used to be a preacher and an alcoholic.  But don't let that steer you away.  Noah fell into everything that has happened in his life due to the tragic disappearance of his high school girlfriend.  A dark and bloody mystery that has cloaked the town in suspicion and theories of what may have happened.  Noah dealt with it the only way he knew how at the time.  Drowning his sorrows in a bottle.  Since then, he's recovered and found that inner strength to make him continue living.  If you can call his lonely existence that.  Until Trinity and her son come into town and need his services.

The slow burn of their relationship, filled with sexual tension to the max, kept me glued to the pages because of the romance.  But the suspenseful plot is what keeps me eating up these books by Ms. Walker.  She has a talent for weaving in all these little clues, and intertwined elements that your mind tries to process and connect as you bounce from one suspect to the other.  I love how she keeps you guessing.

The different POVs in this story is also something I find perfect for the telling of this type of story.  Yes, we are mostly in the minds of Noah and Trinity.  But on occasion we get to see more other people in the town.  I can't wait to dive into the culprits minds a bit more so I can get truly creeped out!

Crackling chemistry and bone chilling suspense.  DEEPER THAN NEED will leave you bouncing off the walls waiting for the next one.  The official beginning of this series starts off with a bang and I can't wait for the next installment.  Is it September yet?

Favorite Quotes:

"He wanted to muss her up. Taste her."

"This went so deep.  It was deeper than need, deeper than desire, deeper than anything."

*ARC provided by publisher

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[Francesca the Fierce (Under the Covers Book Blog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars



Well, Shiloh Walker has done it again. After a series of novellas that introduce us to the town of Madison, Ohio and the creepyness that crawls around it’s streets, houses and lakes…Here comes the bigger picture, and the bigger suspense. If you enjoyed the novellas, you won’t want to miss DEEPER THAN NEED.

First of all there’s Noah. Yeah, he used to be a preacher and an alcoholic. But don’t let that steer you away. Noah fell into everything that has happened in his life due to the tragic disappearance of his high school girlfriend. A dark and bloody mystery that has cloaked the town in suspicion and theories of what may have happened. Noah dealt with it the only way he knew how at the time. Drowning his sorrows in a bottle. Since then, he’s recovered and found that inner strength to make him continue living. If you can call his lonely existence that. Until Trinity and her son come into town and need his services.

The slow burn of their relationship, filled with sexual tension to the max, kept me glued to the pages because of the romance. But the suspenseful plot is what keeps me eating up these books by Ms. Walker. She has a talent for weaving in all these little clues, and intertwined elements that your mind tries to process and connect as you bounce from one suspect to the other. I love how she keeps you guessing.

The different POVs in this story is also something I find perfect for the telling of this type of story. Yes, we are mostly in the minds of Noah and Trinity. But on occasion we get to see more other people in the town. I can’t wait to dive into the culprits minds a bit more so I can get truly creeped out!

Crackling chemistry and bone chilling suspense. DEEPER THAN NEED will leave you bouncing off the walls waiting for the next one. The official beginning of this series starts off with a bang and I can’t wait for the next installment. Is it September yet?

Favorite Quotes:

“He wanted to muss her up. Taste her.”

“This went so deep. It was deeper than need, deeper than desire, deeper than anything.”

*ARC provided by publisher

[Laylaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Secret Stars! This town is cursed, so much happens in this book and I am still trying to piece things together. Take note, I read this book as a stand alone novel, but there are 3 novellas prior to this book that follow other people. Did this make a big impact not reading the novella's? I do not think so, but that being said there are some unanswered questions and the mystery throughout that I would go back and read for sheer entertainment.

Trinity Ewing has started her life over in the small town after having a horrible life with her ex and father of her son. She wants a clean slate for herself and her son, and found the perfect home. Except like all older homes, it needs work. So when the sinfully attractive Noah Benningfield is hired as her contractor, she has trouble keeping her eyes on repairs and not on him. Noah feels that same way, but with his baggage and with his life being on hold for so long, he doesn't know to move forward with his life.

Things in town are not as they appear and when stuff begins to happen and a dead body is found, more people are coming out of the wood work to hide the past even when tragedies are still taking place now. Trinity is pushed willing into Noah's arms and all else seems to click to place, but nothing in life in perfect and Noah and Trinity have a journey to travel with love, loss, and mystery.

I really liked this book, but so much is un-answered and the next book is needed in the series for more answers. Which I know I will be looking to pick up! Trinity and Noah's relationship was a slow build up and it didn't feel rushed, but their attraction to each other was very intense. Their love was more of side story for me and I was completely enthralled with the mystery and I want those answers so bad. Tons of credit to the author Shiloh Walker for getting me hooked on this series!



*This honest review was done in exchange for an ARC through Netgalley from St. Martin's Press -Thanks!*

[Mei · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know if I rated this book correctly...

I love how Ms Walker makes you feel the angiush of her characters, but here the angiush was slightly overdone.

Here ALL the characters have an anguish of their own!

I don't know if I could live in a town like this one! It seems something Stephen Kind could create to house his monsters.
I had shudders thinking of a child of mine own living and growing there!

The hero was not aboused, but his anguish was no less for it. I found it rather incredible that he tried to distroy his own life for something that clearly was not his fault. And the worst is that he knows it!!!

The heroine is that way too. She knows that she did the right thing, but she feels guilty for having it done!

As I said, ALL the character in this book have their own demons to exorcise. I find it too much for my stomach...

I know that my review is confusing, but if I said something more, I'll be spoiling it badly, so you have to read it to understand! :)

But it was really very well written that I couldn't give it less than 4 stars.

[Bobbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have been reading this series and I am not sure what to think about it. Is it romance or is it a romantic suspense book which is what I think it is. There seems to be murders that happen in this small town and they develop over the series so that it takes more than one book to figure out the "who dunit" in these murders. This is the first full length book in the Secrets and Shadow books. I did read the novellas and I think they help the setting of the town. That said, this town creeps me out.

I do like the characters of Noah and Trinity and think they make a good couple and you get to know each POV, but the entire story line for me is in question. I am seriously wondering how many of these books there will be and whether they will keep my interest. There is no resolution to the murders so there is that to keep me reading, but I am just not sure these stories are my cup of tea.

[Gela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know if I would consider this a romance, but the book was good. I felt it left me hanging a bit towards the end but all in all I liked it.

[Les Chroniques Aléatoires · Rating 4 out of 5]

Après les trois nouvelles autour de la famille Bell, et de la disparition de leur mère 15 ans plus tôt. L’auteure décide de s’attaquer à la disparition d’une famille et d’une jeune fille, 20 ans plus tôt, dans la même ville. (il ne fait pas bon de vivre dans cette ville).
Trinity vient d’emménager dans cette petite ville avec son fils, Micah âgé de 4 ans, quand un cadavre est découvert dans le coffre d’une voiture. Sa maison ayant besoin d’un grand coup de neuf, elle fait appel à Noah pour la rénover.
Dès qu’elle a posé ses yeux sur lui, ça a été le coup de foudre. Mais Trinity a appris la leçon il n’y a pas si longtemps : il faut se méfier des coups de foudre.
Noah a aussi eu un coup de foudre en voyant Trinity pour la première fois, mais c’est un homme torturé par son passé et hanté par son premier amour. Il accepte de travailler pour rénover la maison de Trinity, mais fait tout son possible pour ne pas trop l’approcher.
Mais quand un accident se produit, et qu’un cadavre est découvert. Le passé ressurgit et tout commencera à se dévoiler, engageant Noah à faire son deuil et à aller de l’avant.

Comme toujours avec Shiloh Walker, nous entrons tout doucement dans l’histoire pour ensuite, nous prendre une immense claque.
Ce qui est assez dommage est que la romance commence à peu près au même moment où le fil conducteur de toute la série se met véritablement en place, résultat, j’ai fini par ne plus apprécier l’histoire de ce couple qui se forme, car j’étais absorbé par l’autre histoire et je voulais en savoir plus.
Par contre, il me faut vous prévenir qu’ici le sujet est vraiment très sensible. Ce n’est pas comme dans sa série McKay, où il était question d’une petite rivalité passée. Ici, dans Secrets & Shadows le sujet est beaucoup plus grave, d’abord des jeunes hommes se suicident, d’autres encore trop
jeunes sont alcooliques et essayent de s’en sortir, puis nous découvrons l’origine de leurs mal-être. Cette révélation rendra cette série un peu glauque, mais ce genre de sujet — lourd et difficile à encaisser — est assez récurrent avec cette auteure.

En ce qui concerne les personnages, ce sont généralement les mêmes torturés qui cherchent le bonheur. Je n’ai pas vraiment réussi à accrocher avec le personnage de Trinity, c’est une femme des plus gentilles, intelligente qui fait du mieux qu’elle peut pour rendre son fils heureux, je n’ai pas trouvé le personnage suffisamment abouti, ni même suffisamment combatif.
Par contre Noah, qui est un homme particulièrement torturé et qui fera toujours passer le bonheur de son prochain avant le sien, est celui qui m’a fait tenir jusqu’au bout. Par contre, ce n’est pas un homme particulièrement futé, mais ça, ce n’est que mon avis personnel après avoir vu un gros spoile sur le troisième tome. Mais je ne vous dirai pas pourquoi et je ne vous donnerai même pas un indice.

Bien évidemment, avec les séries de Shiloh Walker, il y a un grand nombre de personnages dans ses romans, et tous ont une importance particulière.
J’ai eu des moments d’ennuis durant la lecture, surtout au début, je dois bien l’avouer, l’auteure aime prendre un peu trop son temps pour commencer son récit. Mais Shiloh Walker mène le suspense comme personne et l’histoire d’amour est assez sympathique.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Shiloh Walker’s Wrecked a year or so ago and absolutely loved it. So when Deeper than Need dropped onto my doormat I stopped reading everything else to crack this baby open. I was really looking forward to reading another book by Walker, and as I’m a fan of romantic suspense I was really looking forward to getting into it. Although I did enjoy Deeper than Need, it didn't quite manage to live up to my high expectations.

The story starts with Trinity Ewing and her son having moved from New York into an old house. The house has a dark history, although nobody really talks about it. Trinity has hired Noah Benningfield as her contractor as there's a lot of work to do on the house. When they meet, their attraction for each other is pretty instantaneous and makes being around each other difficult, both reluctant to give in as neither really want to get into a relationship.

There is a lot of mystery surrounding the house and we're not given much at all for a lot of the novel. We get snippets of peoples' pasts through their memories, but nothing is really shown nor told and therefore what we get is rather ambiguous, which isn't my favourite to read as I get impatient and frustrated. But, as the story progresses, we do begin to learn of the darkness the house holds and the evil that happened there.

However, this part of the story does have lots of atmosphere and suspense and it does drive the novel forward, which is a good thing, as the romantic aspect doesn't really come into it until much later in the novel. Without the suspense plot there wouldn't really have been much story.

After Trinity meets Noah, all she thinks about is him. Constantly. Unfortunately, all we get from Trinity is how much she wants him, how she's so hot for him, lusts after him, and how he brings her to the most amazing climaxes in her dreams. Every time she sets her eyes on him these fill her every thought. I get it. She's hot for the guy, but after a while it became a bit repetitive. It was much the same for Noah. She was filling his thoughts, his dreams, he's constantly waking up with a hard on and has to relieve himself in the shower in the morning as he's just so rock hard at the thought at her...

We don't really get a lot of actual action with the two of them together. It was mostly dreams and thoughts and self-pleasuring. Eventually the time does come for a kiss though - woo hoo! But you really have to wait for it. For around 250 pages! Unfortunately, it's interrupted by so much dialogue that it just didn't work for me. I'd been waiting so patiently all those pages for these two characters to get it on, and all they do is talk.

I liked Noah. He has his own demons to conquer, with his alcoholism and his past womanising, but he is thoughtful and kind and very sexy. Trinity, on the other hand, I had difficulty in liking. There really wasn't much to her. She was rather dull, and I found her reactions to some of the incidents that happen slightly off, putting her in a weak light. We do get told that she left New York and her ex-husband behind, and we're given the impression that something wasn't quite right, but nothing else. Sadly, I just couldn't connect with her in any way. Her son wasn't that much better. I don't usually mind kids in novels, but I found him to be really quite annoying. His dialogue was irritating rather than endearing and I just wish he wasn't in the book at all.

The story is written from multiple view points, and there are a lot of other characters. I would have preferred if it was just from the hero and heroine's point of view as I think we would have got a better understanding of both characters. Most of the characters are male, and aren't really portrayed very well. As well as the hero being an alcoholic, every man we meet seems to have a dark, haunted past with secrets, and finds relief at the bottom of a bottle or between a woman's thighs, or both. There didn't seem to be one normal, healthy man among them.

I will say that the multiple viewpoints did make the book suspenseful and I did enjoy finding out fragments of the past, but it felt a bit of a mishmash. I didn't find it confusing as such, just a little bit jumbled up and not well structured, and therefore the book didn't flow very well. The multiple points of view from all of the characters would have worked better if Deeper than Need was just a suspense novel, but being a romantic suspense means that the romance should have formed a large proportion of the book, and therefore it would have been better alternating between just the hero and heroine. Also, there should have been more between them and a lot sooner!

As you can tell I had quite a few issues with this book, but I still enjoyed it to a point. I think I preferred the mystery aspect more than the romance. I'm disappointed it didn't rock my world though, especially after reading Wrecked and loving it so much (it was one of my favourite reads of 2013). However, I'm intrigued as to where the suspense and mystery aspect of the story is going, so I'm sure I will pick up the second book when it's released.

Rating: 3 Stars

Deeper than Need by Shiloh Walker
(Secrets & Shadows #1)
Romantic Suspense
St Martin's Paperbacks (3 June 2014)
Paperback: 400 pages

Website || Goodreads || Amazon UK: Paperback / Kindle || Amazon US: Paperback / Kindle
This review was originally posted on Book Chick City

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the first in the Secrets and Shadows trilogy by SW. It's a good start and a good story. Several main characters in the series are introduced. I really liked Noah and Trinity and her son Micah. Noah and Trinity both have troubled pasts but they find strength and love in each other. I've read several of SW's books. She does a good job of portraying damaged people and giving them a hopeful future. Her romantic suspense books always feature a good mystery and a steamy romance. Recommended.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not a hundred percent sure about this book. The whole thing left me with more questions than I even care for. On top of that I could not stand our hero. The cute little boy saves the day somewhat but seriously this book could have been shrunk down and we could have been happy. There was not a cliffhanger which i think saves us a bit but the HEA really didn't make much sense either. I have seriously enjoyed Shiloh Walker's series but this one just doesn't measure up to the others.

[Mal · Rating 2 out of 5]

I give this book barely 2 stars. It was so slow and repetitive for about 250 pages and then the second half kind of picked up with the mystery aspect but then things just became so unrealistic like how y’all go from a first date to marriage in the last 50 pages when you had the wholeeee book to create a connection but didn’t. And it was slow in the beginning but the very end just became super crazy, wouldn’t recommend 🖤🖤

[Erth · Rating 4 out of 5]

now i am hooked. This was such a great, easy and creative book. i was hooked after the first page.

The characters were easy to fall in love with and follow, along with the story. the author made the mental visions so easy and vivid of the surroundings and the characters actions felt so real.

i would highly recommend this author and this book.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

takes a long time to get into & I only kept reading because I had to know what happened to Lana, I skipped through a lot past halfway

[Victoria · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn’t get into it. DNF.

[Angela]

0

[Mnix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trinity Ewing is just looking to begin a new life for her and her young son after ending a relationship that all but destroyed her family business. Taking a leap of faith, Trinity bought a large old house off the internet, sight unseen. Now she and her son are in the small town of Madison and she has found that the lovely old house is really a big old white elephant, but Trinity is determined to make it a home where she can raise her son and begin that new life.

Noah Benningfield has lived in Madison for his entire life and has done a few things, including being a youth pastor, always trying to get rid of the lasting doubts that have plagued him since the night something happened in an old house in town and blood was found. Now Noah is a contractor and his latest job is to restore the same house that tore apart his high school years. Being a contractor is a series of ups and downs and trying to stay on schedule and Noah enjoys the game – that is until he and Trinity discover a truly gruesome thing.

Noah and Trinity have been fighting their mutual attraction from the moment they laid eyes on each other and the daily contact while working on the house has made it very difficult not to give in. However, when they are suddenly in a cold case murder investigation, the heat between them is suddenly the least of their problems. Noah always knew that his small town held many secrets and it seems that one of the secrets that has haunted Noah for years has reopened again. Trinity can’t believe that her house is now the crime scene for an old murder but Noah’s arms and her son’s love is getting her through the rough spots. Things turn from bad to worse when Trinity’s past comes out just when another horrible secret is about to break in Madison. Noah and Trinity are fighting to find the true answers about that mysterious night so long ago at the same time as their passion erupts into the open. When the answers finally come into the open, the outcome will rock the very foundations of Madison and many of those in important places. Noah is rocked as hard as his town is but he isn’t about to let anything destroy the happiness he has found with Trinity and her son. The question is can Noah convince Trinity that Madison really is a good place to raise her son and that their love is the forever type.

A woman needing a new start and a man trying to get overcome his past discover love while surrounded by a small town about to be torn apart with deadly and hurtful secrets. Trinity and Noah get more than they bargained for when they revamp an old house in Deeper Than Need. I couldn’t believe the deep internal sadness that Noah had been carrying inside of him for so long as his story rolled out. I couldn’t help cheering Trinity on with her determination to give her son a better life and how she put her own safety on the line to give it to him. I loved how hot Noah and Trinity came and how fast it happened and then sat back to watch them try and slow the pace down. The suspense and serious under currents in their town kept everything on edge and me on the edge of my seat as I turned each page. There was so much going on and more than one important story line point and yet I was outraged and wanted to give several people hugs by the time I discovered all the answers along with Noah and Trinity. So many lives were changed forever with this book, in both good and bad ways, and yet I didn’t want it to end. Noah and Trinity not only found the beginning of the answer that Noah searched for for so long, but they also tripped onto a huge secret that will need to be torn out by the very roots of Madison.

I want to say so much more about what those answers are but instead I will just say that if this is the start of a new series, I can only imagine what the next few books will bring. Deeper Than Need is a kick ass book that will grab you from the first page and won’t want to let you go even when the last page is turned. The intense suspense and blooming passion are only two of the wonderful things to be found between the cover. I have to Joyfully Recommend Deeper Than Need as a must read and I know it will earn a place on your keeper shelf too.

This book was reviewed by Jo for Joyfully Reviewed (JR), and was provided by the publisher/author at no cost to JR for the purpose of being reviewed.

[Margreet Asselbergs · Rating 5 out of 5]

My rating: 4.5 of 5 ⭐️

For about two decades, Noah Benningfield has existed the best he knew how. Almost half of the years he can barely recall and the rest of the time he was stuck in a shadowy limbo, while doing his best to keep himself and others from sliding into the deep dark. But when a single mother with a young son came to town and hired him to fix up the old house she bought, he felt his lungs filling with air for the first time in twenty years.

Slightly disturbed, Trinity Ewing wondered how it was possible the town and the house had felt exactly right when she bought it, yet made her uncomfortable now she lived in it. Perhaps when all the necessary renovations were done, things would be different. But that would mean she wouldn't have Noah around every anymore, and nothing felt right like Noah did. The town, the house, the man, from the moment she laid eyes on them she knew she was home.

Both still showing the scars from painful histories, Noah and Trinity are hesitant to act on their unusual response to each other. But once they discover those intense feelings are mutual it is difficult to control their instinctive need. When the discovery of a dead body sets a sequence of events in motion that shakes up the entire town, it also stirs up a slew of unresolved questions dating back decades. And brings to light some issues long thought to have been dead.

As a many years' old status quo starts to crumble, Noah and Trinity grab for the one thing that is pure and true amid the resulting chaos......

*****

I'm in love with Shiloh Walker's writing........ It's broody and moody, mysterious and sensitive, it feels and tastes, smells, sees, hears and senses.....

Reading anything by Shiloh is a full six-sense experience. Her descriptive abilities are such, that every word becomes tangible, like a flavour on your tastebuds. And it's not just in the descriptions, it is the way she has her characters experience things with the full engagement of their senses, being completely in the moment. Every scene becomes a multi-dimensional experience for the reader, with not just the mind, but the emotions as well as most of the senses stimulated. And all of those different layers simply enchance the 'scene' into something we don't just read, but if we let it, "experience".

I get lost, when reading Shiloh's books, as in, I disappear into myself, get pissed off at interruptions, not wanting to be pulled out of my 'zone'. I like it there. I like the sensation of floating in someone else's imagination so completely.

This story is the first full novel in the Secrets & Shadows Series. I reviewed the three novellas that came before and loved them. I loved DEEPER THAN NEED as well.

The characters are so sympathetic and I was so drawn to them. Even Trinity's little boy has such a distinct personality, making for some entertaining and lighthearted moments. Trinity herself may be bruised from her experiences, but I don't think she is damaged, not really. I think she is scared, for sure, and who wouldn't be. She is hurt, but she is also very strong and determined, with an amazing faith in her heart.
Noah is a tougher nut. I would venture to say he is a little more beat up. Granted, he did a lot of that himself, but his demons are darker and deeper with much more conflict at the root. And as becomes clear, the scope is beyond his control alone. But he does recognize his future when it appears to him and he doesn't hesitate then, to grab onto it with both hands.

The backstory is a dark one and although this novel is by definition a standalone HEA for Trinity and Noah, the story is not over. Some of the mystery surrounding the backstory is a little confusing at time and is slowly coming together. I am sure over the next few novels, the full scope will become clearer. But because of the 'piecing' of some of the context and the resulting loose ends, I am keeping it to 4.5 instead of the 5 stars I would not have hesitated granting!!

If you have not yet read Shiloh Walker, you are truly missing out!!!

✨Unique love connection, dark mystery, glorious writing.....✨

**Copy provided in return for an honest review**

[Joyfully Reviewed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trinity Ewing is just looking to begin a new life for her and her young son after ending a relationship that all but destroyed her family business. Taking a leap of faith, Trinity bought a large old house off the internet, sight unseen. Now she and her son are in the small town of Madison and she has found that the lovely old house is really a big old white elephant, but Trinity is determined to make it a home where she can raise her son and begin that new life.

Noah Benningfield has lived in Madison for his entire life and has done a few things, including being a youth pastor, always trying to get rid of the lasting doubts that have plagued him since the night something happened in an old house in town and blood was found. Now Noah is a contractor and his latest job is to restore the same house that tore apart his high school years. Being a contractor is a series of ups and downs and trying to stay on schedule and Noah enjoys the game – that is until he and Trinity discover a truly gruesome thing.

Noah and Trinity have been fighting their mutual attraction from the moment they laid eyes on each other and the daily contact while working on the house has made it very difficult not to give in. However, when they are suddenly in a cold case murder investigation, the heat between them is suddenly the least of their problems. Noah always knew that his small town held many secrets and it seems that one of the secrets that has haunted Noah for years has reopened again. Trinity can’t believe that her house is now the crime scene for an old murder but Noah’s arms and her son’s love is getting her through the rough spots. Things turn from bad to worse when Trinity’s past comes out just when another horrible secret is about to break in Madison. Noah and Trinity are fighting to find the true answers about that mysterious night so long ago at the same time as their passion erupts into the open. When the answers finally come into the open, the outcome will rock the very foundations of Madison and many of those in important places. Noah is rocked as hard as his town is but he isn’t about to let anything destroy the happiness he has found with Trinity and her son. The question is can Noah convince Trinity that Madison really is a good place to raise her son and that their love is the forever type.

A woman needing a new start and a man trying to get overcome his past discover love while surrounded by a small town about to be torn apart with deadly and hurtful secrets. Trinity and Noah get more than they bargained for when they revamp an old house in Deeper Than Need. I couldn’t believe the deep internal sadness that Noah had been carrying inside of him for so long as his story rolled out. I couldn’t help cheering Trinity on with her determination to give her son a better life and how she put her own safety on the line to give it to him. I loved how hot Noah and Trinity came and how fast it happened and then sat back to watch them try and slow the pace down. The suspense and serious under currents in their town kept everything on edge and me on the edge of my seat as I turned each page. There was so much going on and more than one important story line point and yet I was outraged and wanted to give several people hugs by the time I discovered all the answers along with Noah and Trinity. So many lives were changed forever with this book, in both good and bad ways, and yet I didn’t want it to end. Noah and Trinity not only found the beginning of the answer that Noah searched for for so long, but they also tripped onto a huge secret that will need to be torn out by the very roots of Madison.

I want to say so much more about what those answers are but instead I will just say that if this is the start of a new series, I can only imagine what the next few books will bring. Deeper Than Need is a kick ass book that will grab you from the first page and won’t want to let you go even when the last page is turned. The intense suspense and blooming passion are only two of the wonderful things to be found between the cover. I have to Joyfully Recommend Deeper Than Need as a must read and I know it will earn a place on your keeper shelf too.

Reviewed by Jo for Joyfully Reviewed

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another new series from the talented Shiloh Walker. I love Shiloh Walker and I know I can always enjoy her books Deeper Than Need was no exception it was wonderfully tearful and suspenseful. Deeper Than Need is the start of the Secrets and Shadows series, in the quiet little town of Madison, Indiana some pretty strange things are happening.

Noah and Trinity are both hiding from their past both trying to come to terms with it. Trinity is trying to begin a new life with her son and the little town of Madison, Indiana and the fixer-upper Victorian house seemed like the perfect place to start. Noah is in a hell of his own making, believing the disappearance, and he thinks death, of his first love could have been prevented by him, his guilt has laid heavily on his shoulders for twenty years first finding his oblivion at the bottom of a bottle and between the thighs of any willing woman. The death of his mother and the need to make his father happy and repent his old ways he becomes a Preacher, but soon after his father's passing her realizes it's not for him and takes over his father carpentry business. He still fulfills his need to help by starting a group online for teens who drink or fill the need to drink. He never wanted to fill the feeling of desire again but one look at Trinity Ewing and everything in his life clicks into place.

Trinity Ewing is trying to escape the hell her life became, trying to leave behind the knowing stares and not so veiled whispers of her former friends. Her son's well being is all that is important to her and she didn't want him around that environment. The old Victorian she bought needed more work than she initially thought and new she would have to higher someone to help restore the place. The first thing that need fixed was the floor which was rotting in certain areas. Hiring a contractor was her first priority and Noah Benningfield was the cheapest. Now she wishes she had went with the Santa looking old man instead because now she can't stop thinking about Noah and is having the most erotic dreams about him she has often woke herself up in the midst of an orgasm. Everything changes when the person who was supposed to do the floors bailed on them and Trinity fell through the floor and found a dead body under her house.

Everything just keeps getting worse and worse. Noah knows it is his missing girlfriend they found but the cop in charge is just dicking around not really doing anything. Her death and the missing people who disappeared at the same time is still as big a mystery as it was when it happened twenty years ago and some how it centers around Trinity's new house. The teenagers in Noah's group are starting to act off but Noah's is to distracted with Trinity to see it. His friend and fellow recovering alcoholic Adam is trying to figure everything out.

The truth about the what really happened in town twenty years ago and still is happening is as shocking as it is disturbing. Noah and Trinity rush into their relationship without blinders admitting everything to each other up front and when they finally come to terms with their feelings everything in their lives seems to click into place a feeling that everything is all right with their world even if the world exploded around them .

This is not your angst filled whinny book about people not coping and doing hateful things to each other because they are scared. Well it does happen but it's not Noah and Trinity doing it to each other it's mainly all other peoples drama affecting them. I really enjoyed this perfect blend of misery, mystery and romance.