Dear Reader:
Are you looking for a romance that will tug at your emotions? One where the protagonists appear broken but in fact are both strong and determined? Where surprises abound and in the end nothing is at it seems? A book where the author pulls you in from the very first page? Then might I suggest Broken by Shiloh Walker?
When you’ve been running from the past, living in the present is tenuous at best, and the question becomes, how do you plan for a future? It’s a question that was in the back of my mind while I was reading Broken.
Broken is the novel I anxiously waited for after reading the book Fragile, and finally brings us the story of Quinn. Quinn, a bounty hunter and former U.S. Ranger, is a tough as nails wounded warrior. You might think that’s a contradiction in terms, however, Quinn has defied the odds by surviving a battered and broken childhood. He has gone on to become a man who is forthright yet aloof and a loner who finds it difficult to trust. His ability to find strength in the here and now is built upon shielding himself in a protective armor that lets few people in.
Sara is a woman on the run with a past that may catch up to her at any moment. When she moves into the same house as Quinn, her plans to keep light on her feet change. The chemistry between Quinn and Sara is instantaneous and powerful. The attraction between them can not be ignored and as their relationship grows she wonders if she can trust him with the truth and finally let her guard down long enough to explore the feelings they have for one another.
The big question for me in this book was: could Sara and Quinn really love each other without really knowing each other? Given Quinn’s inability to share himself and his past and Sara’s inability to tell him the truth, the question for me was, how could they really know each other, much less love each other? Yet this dichotomy is at the heart of their story, and I asked myself, can you really love someone who is hiding his or her essential self? Or can it be that no matter how hard we try to hide from someone we’re intimate with, our essential selves ‘leaks’ through? I think it does with these two. In small ways they get to know each other, through acts of kindness, quiet gestures, and shared smiles.
In addition to finding and exploring each other, this relationship has a rocky foundation. In the midst of their blossoming relationship is this huge secret that Sara is keeping from Quinn and when his job lands him unexpectedly in the middle of it, the fragile trust of this wounded warrior is shattered. The love he feels for her doesn’t instantly stop but it is broken and he wonders how he can pick up the pieces?
Ms. Walker’s ability to write the male voice is good. Damn good. And Quinn’s story is a strong one. His feelings, motivations, and rationales are clearly defined and you are pulled in to his life page by page. You want so much for him to succeed and get from life what he has spent his lifetime resisting.
The other strong element of this book is Sara’s mystery. Where does she come from? Who is she hiding from? And why is she is hiding? I’ll tell you, it surprised the heck out of me—a twist I didn’t see coming.
So dear reader, if you’re looking for a strong, sensual romance with a wounded hero who learns how to trust, a resourceful heroine, and a surprise ending, might I suggest Broken by Shiloh Walker?
Until next Monday, remember there’s always a book waiting to be read. -- Marisa
I’m curious; do you like books with wounded heroes?
Marisa O’Neill is an avid reader and a television producer.
