ARC Review: "Darker Than Desire" by Shiloh Walker

Darker Than Desire 

by Shiloh Walker

Secrets & Shadows, Book 3

LUST FOR LIFE

No matter how many times he’s left her in the past, Sybil Chalmers can’t ignore her feelings for the one man who stole her heart years ago. For countless nights, she has waited for him—for his kiss, his touch—and has longed for him to emerge from the shadows of his past. Only when she is in his arms does Sybil really feel alive…and finally, after all these years, that time is now.

A DEADLY DESIRE

He’s a man raised in a world of strict rules and unbreakable traditions and he’s always yearned to break free. But when a family tragedy lures him back home, he finds his one true passion has been there all along. With Sybil, he can explore his greatest potential—and allow her to discover a whole new level of ecstasy. But will a long-buried secret threaten to tear them apart? The only thing he knows for sure is that he will do anything to keep Sybil in his life…and keep her coming back for more…

I have a confession to make. Having read the other books in this series and knowing the subject matter, I had some reservations about this book especially because I knew it was going to be David’s story. This series revolves around the most horrific case of sexual and physical abuse perpetrated by family members and other loved ones. Even worse, it is generational abuse.  As dark as the subject matter is, Shiloh Walker does not spare you any of the pain and despair of her characters.  This story (this series) is so dark and gritty.  At one point, I was almost too overwhelmed to continue.

David is the center.  He is the son of the head of Cronus.  He is the one who escapes and heralds the beginning of the end for that sick, evil organization. He suffered and continues to suffer so hard. My heart bled and bled for his tortured mind.

The only person who grounds him, who brings light to his life is Sybil.  For ten years, she quietly stands by him, is his anchor.  Their relationship is what gives us readers hope for David. Slowly, but surely, the light overcomes the dark.  Thank goodness! 

This struggle is played out against the backdrop of the search for a serial killer.  Someone is killing the members of Cronus and suspicion falls on David. Like the baddies in her other books, Shiloh Walker does a great job building the suspense.  She brings us into the mind of our killer and we become a part of the stalking.  Chilling.

Joseph Campbell says in The Power of Myth that “the black moment is the moment when the real message of transformation is going to come. At the darkest moment comes the light.” It’s a long, arduous road, but there is a Happily Ever After in this story and it is well worth the effort.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

SUNNY - REVIEW TOUR: "The Saint" by Tiffany Reisz

SUMMARY:

Before she became Manhattan's most famous dominatrix, Nora Sutherlin was merely a girl called Eleanor…

Rebellious, green-eyed Eleanor never met a rule she didn't want to break. She's sick of her mother's zealotry and the confines of Catholic school, and declares she'll never go to church again. But her first glimpse of beautiful, magnetic Father Marcus Stearns—Søren to her and only her—and his lust-worthy Italian motorcycle is an epiphany. Eleanor is consumed—yet even she knows being in love with a priest can't be right.

But when one desperate mistake nearly costs Eleanor everything, it is Søren who steps in to save her. When she vows to repay him with complete obedience, a whole world opens before her as he reveals to her his deepest secrets that will change everything.

Danger can be managed—pain, welcomed. Everything is about to begin.

BUY THE BOOK AT: Amazon US | Amazon UK | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

REVIEW:

Because there is nothing I wouldn’t do to protect you, Eleanor.  Nothing I wouldn’t do to help you and nothing I wouldn’t do to save you. Nothing.  

And so it begins…

I have to admit, I had to think twice before requesting this ARC.  I had a little anxiety about reading this book mainly because my first book by Tiffany Reisz, The Siren, left an indelible impression on me and I thought about it for weeks.  I questioned everything.  I began to look at more closely things I took for “normal” and began to see how they are socially constructed. That book really expanded my perspective.  Honestly, I didn’t know if I was ready for that again. 

Lightening strikes again – but in a different way.  Again, I’m being stretched but this time, it is for the character of Søren.  To me, Søren is the dark one, the scary one, the one always in control.  I’ve judged him on his behavior without much thought to how he evolved into the person that he is. The Saint is is a prequel.  Starting with the aftermath of a tragic situation (which Ms. Reisz does a wonderful job in keeping this event a mystery), we learn how Nora and Søren meet.  Nora is a misunderstood rebel.  Snarky and smart, she acts out because she feels disappointed by all the people that are suppose to love her.  In walks a new priest, Father Marcus Stearns, aka Søren, who shows her that she matters.   There is an understanding and connection that is both wildly tender and restrained that develops over years.  This evolution ameliorates for me the discomfort I have always felt about a relationship between the much older Søren and the teenage Nora.  The relationship is profound.  There is a sense of destiny and I keenly felt it:

Because God know long before I did that I would need to be a priest to find you and help you and keep you on the right path.  And I will keep you safe even if it kills me.

The best part of this book is getting to peel the layers off of Søren. He’s not a hero; he’s not an anti-hero.  He is not quite the Byronic hero, instead he is a set of contradictions – light and dark, tender and cruel, tragic and heartwarming.   He is shaped and formed by his past.  But whether he is born this way or shaped this way, at the end he is a sadist.  Though this is not a word in my everyday vocabulary, I am challenged to see that concept in a different way. 

The second best thing about this book is being back with Nora.  I just can’t get enough of this smart, courageous, self-realizing character.  I love watching her discover herself and what is important to her.  She is authentic and stands for what she believes in. 

IN A NUTSHELL:

What a completely satisfying read.  I would not recommend starting with this book, although it is the history and background of our beloved characters.  In order to truly appreciate where they came from, you need to experience first where they are.  However, this is a CAN’T-BE-MISSED book.  It gives the whole series a whole new depth that encourages us to continue on to the next book.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Tiffany Reisz is the author of the highly acclaimed series The Original Sinners. Her first novel, THE SIREN, won the RT Editor's Choice Award for Best Erotic Romance of 2012. Slightly shameless, Tiffany dropped out of a conservative Southern seminary in order to pursue a career as a writer. This move, while possibly putting her eternal salvation in peril, has worked out better than she anticipated. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her boyfriend, author Andrew Shaffer.

Author's Links: 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

TAG TEAM: BOOK REVIEW "Undeniable" by Madeline Sheehan

SUMMARY:
The story of Deuce and Eva...

An undeniable connection that stands the test of time.
Unforgettable moments.
Love and pain and everything in between.

I was five years old when I met Deuce, he was twenty-three, and it was visiting day at Riker's Island. My father, Damon Fox or "Preacher", the President of the infamous "Silver Demon's" motorcycle club -mother chapter- in East Village, New York City, was doing a five-year stint for aggravated assault and battery with a deadly weapon. It was not the first time my father had been in prison and it wouldn't be the last. The Silver Demon's MC was a notorious group of criminals who lived by the code of the road and gave modern society and all it entailed a great big f**k you.

"Never forget the day Eva came bouncin' into my f**ked up life, shakin' pigtails, singin' Janis, wearin’ chucks and sharin' peanuts and straight up stole any decency I had left which wasn't a whole lot but she f**kin' took it and I've been hers ever since."

REVIEW:

Q: Did you like this book?  If so, what did you like best?

Sunny:  If I had to give it a star rating, I'd give it a 3 out of 5. Not because it was a mediocre book, but rather because I felt so ambivalent about it. There were parts that I loved and parts that absolutely hated. Parts I like best included: Every scene when Eva and Deuce are together. These are not always happy encounters, but their relationship is passionate.

Susan:  I loved it! I’ve said this before, but I’m certain it’s because I’m a huge Sons of Anarchy fan and this fit right in.  I loved Deuce & Eva. I hurt for them…I wanted them to have an HEA so badly.  It was hard-earned and brutal, but I’m feeling it was worth it for them.

Q: How would you characterize Eva?

Sunny:  Not perfect, but redeemed. The 5 year old Eva is so innocent and pure, a ray of sunshine to everyone she meets. She maintains that even through most of her adult life. She is the beacon of love and support not only for Deuce, but also her father, Preacher, Frankie and all the other members of the MC. Then she goes off the deep end....this self-hating behavior with Chase. It is difficult to read because it is so far from who she was ... all of her pent of up anger and disappointment.

Susan:  She is the epitome of your environment determining who you become. She was born to be an MC brat and eventually a Queen. It was a given. As pure as she was growing up, this was inevitable. I felt so hurt for her. I think some people think she made bad choice…I don’t know that she even had a choice.  I think her only choice was Deuce.

Q: This book is getting great reviews overall, but also some criticism for being “raw”.  Did you find any problems with the story?

Sunny:  SPOILER   

I became completely enraged by Eva's response to Frankie's sexual assault. 

"God, it was all my fault.... I loved him like a best friend or brother, and not at all like a lover. But he'd forced his way into the lover category and there was nothing I could do; he needed me, he wasn't going to let me go, so I gave him what he needed and tried to make the best of it?"

I could hear every rape survivor, counselor, and concerned female and male gasping at this comment. This is raw and so problematic. Based on who she was at the time, having spent time in college outside of the MC, experiencing her own life, I can't say she didn't have any other alternatives than to stay with Frankie.

Susan:  Yes, this is gritty. I hear people compare this to Kristen Ashley books, but I think this is much edgier, harder, angrier…more real.  There is non-con, obsession, murder, brutality, infidelity, promiscuity…and it’s difficult to read at times.

Q: Why do you think books like this and shows like Sons of Anarchy are so popular?

Sunny:  I think it is escapist fare. We can suspend our moral judgments for a few hours to see what it might be like to live another life. However, disturbingly, a question kept popping up in the back of my mind. Why do we love motorcycle gangs? In this story, the Silver Demons and the Horsemen are gangs engaged in criminal endeavors - drug dealing, gun running, money laundering, etc. They whore around, are extremely violent, and mark their territory. Why do we romanticize these motorcycle gangs and not other gangs? What would happen to the story if we changed out the motorcycle gangs for the Crips? The 18th Street gang? Would we still be romanticizing the story? The question left me troubled.

Perhaps it is the sign of a good book when it raises questions, evokes strong emotions, and has us all talking about it.

Susan:  I agree with you, Sunny. It is unfamiliar ground for many of us.  MC’s live by their own rules/laws.  But what makes this even more fascinating is that it really happens.  These MC’s actually exist.  And I think getting a glimpse into a different “culture” is what makes it too good to look away.  Would I want to immerse myself, date a biker, be a club-whore.  Of course not.  But, it does pique my curiosity…

SUSAN: BOOK REVIEW "Finding Zach" Rowan Speedwell

SUMMARY:
For five years, Zach Tyler, son of one of the worlds richest software moguls, was held hostage, tortured, and abused. When he is rescued at last from the Venezuelan jungle, he is physically and psychologically shattered, but he slowly begins to rebuild the life he should have had before an innocent kiss sent him into hell. His childhood best friend David has lived those years with overwhelming guilt and grief. Every relationship David has tried has fallen apart because of his feelings for a boy he thought dead. When Zach is rescued, David is overjoyedand then crushed when Zach shuts him out. Two years later, David returns home, and he and Zach must come to terms with the rift between them, what they feel for each other, and what their future could hold. But Zach has secrets, and one of them might well destroy their fragile love.

REVIEW:
*sigh* Oh, to be loved as David loved Zach. 

“Finding Zach” is a book equal parts horrific, tragic, heartbreaking, sensual, victorious, and loving. It touches on themes of kidnapping, abuse, family, young love, healing, and PTSD. You’d think you’d go dizzy with ALL of that. But, I found myself just feeling FULL at the end…in the best way…

The loveliest part of this book, and the center of everything, is the relationship between Zach (a boy kidnapped and tortured at the age of 15 for 5 years) and David (his longtime friend and the love of his young life). What woo’d me the most was how DEEPLY and COMPLETELY David devoted himself and loved Zach. It’s enough to make both the romantic and the cynic swoon. I felt parts of this book in my heart, in my tears, in my girlie parts, in my toes, and even in my teeth! (I know that sounds weird…but there are nerve ending there! :) )

I had a bit of a struggle with the WHY of how deeply David felt towards Zach…it took but one kiss for him to realize it and then hold on to it for years. Damn…must have been ONE FINE KISS! But, I let it go because the love itself was GLORIOUS (heavens parting, angels singing, gold shining glorious!)

IN A NUTSHELL:
This book is not all roses and sunshine…there are some difficult parts to read…but if you’re up to it, you’ll be rewarded. Highly recommended.