What do you think?
Rate this book
The FBI Psychics #1
The Missing
From the national bestselling author whose sexy stories ?you will not soon forget?( Romance Review ) comes a brand-new, sinfully sexy romantic suspense novel.
Her psychic gift drove away the man she loved? and years later has drawn him back to her?
As a teenager, Taige Branch hated her psychic gift. No one could understand?except for Cullen Morgan, the boy who stole her heart. He did his best to accept her, until his mother was brutally murdered?and he couldn?t forgive Taige for not preventing it.
Now a widowed father, Cullen Morgan has never forgotten Taige. But what brings her back into his life is another tragedy. His beloved little girl has been kidnapped, and Taige is his only hope of finding her. Working together against the clock, Cullen and Taige can?t help but wonder whether?if they find his daughter in time?it isn?t too late for the overpowering love that still burns between them?
Her psychic gift drove away the man she loved? and years later has drawn him back to her?
As a teenager, Taige Branch hated her psychic gift. No one could understand?except for Cullen Morgan, the boy who stole her heart. He did his best to accept her, until his mother was brutally murdered?and he couldn?t forgive Taige for not preventing it.
Now a widowed father, Cullen Morgan has never forgotten Taige. But what brings her back into his life is another tragedy. His beloved little girl has been kidnapped, and Taige is his only hope of finding her. Working together against the clock, Cullen and Taige can?t help but wonder whether?if they find his daughter in time?it isn?t too late for the overpowering love that still burns between them?
320 pages, Paperback
First published October 30, 2008
78 people are currently reading
4009 people want to read
About the author
Shiloh Walker
202 books2,435 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!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 261 reviews
April 29, 2017
5 stars
This one is a clear winner. I freaking LOVED it! It had ALL my favourite elements in ONE book. Normally i'd read different books to quench my thirst for different things. How awesome is it that i found not just this one book, but an entire series. This must be my book payday after searching weeks and weeks for just one gut twisting read. This book has:
Angst.
Second chance love.
Paranormal.
Suspense.
Mystery.
Romance.
Smut.
Sweet, amazing hero.
Sassy, kick-ass heroine.
Great writing.
Fantastic plot.
Perfect pacing.
HIGHLY recommended!!!
This one is a clear winner. I freaking LOVED it! It had ALL my favourite elements in ONE book. Normally i'd read different books to quench my thirst for different things. How awesome is it that i found not just this one book, but an entire series. This must be my book payday after searching weeks and weeks for just one gut twisting read. This book has:
Angst.
Second chance love.
Paranormal.
Suspense.
Mystery.
Romance.
Smut.
Sweet, amazing hero.
Sassy, kick-ass heroine.
Great writing.
Fantastic plot.
Perfect pacing.
HIGHLY recommended!!!
July 26, 2018
This romance novel actually attempts to walk the line between romance and mystery. The plot is much more developed than any bodice ripper plot but it was still pretty far fetched, and I don't mean the psycho thing, I mean the ending.
Taige, the main character and resident psychic, had a pretty crappy upbringing after the death of her parents. She has psychic abilities that segregates her and tortures her. Basically all she had that was good in her life was a woman named Rose and her son who was like a secondary family to Taige and Cullen, and then he hurts her and breaks her heart. She spends her life pushing herself to the extremes through work, drinking, and exhaustion. All the while Cullen, the love of her life marries another woman (who he claims he never even loved), had a child, lost his wife in childbirth, and became a best selling author.
The don't see each other for 12 years then the kidnapping of Cullen's daughter draws them together yet again when Cullen seeks Taige out for her help and her psychic abilities.
This book's first 75 pages is set in Taige and Cullen's past when they were teenagers and first fell in love. This was interesting at first but then it went on for 75 damn pages. All I could think was that the actual story - the one described on the back of the book was never going to get underway. Then it gets to the point where Cullen's mother dies and he blames Taige for not using her (uncontrollable) psychic ability to help her, to save her. In his anger he accuses her, mentally abuses her, and in my opinion practically rapes her. She never told him to stop, but told her to shut up, be still, and made it extremely painful for her due to his anger and haste. Then kicks her out of his house. Yes he was grieving the loss of a parent which explains his irrational anger at Taige, but not how had sex with her. Period. So yeah, right from the beginning the author did a fantastic job of making me seriously dislike Cullen. And frankly he never really redeemed himself.
Throughout the book he does lament his actions with Taige and tries to get back with her, but almost every time he has sex with her it is dominating. He tells her to be quiet, he restrains her hands, he doesn't allow her to participate as actively as most partners. That really bothered me. I don't think he was trying to hurt her or anything but he just came off as damned selfish.
Once those 75 pages were over and the main story is underway I was shocked at how short it was. The plot of the story is supposedly the kidnapping of Cullen's daughter, but she is gone and found again in 50 pages. 50! That's it! There is more pages devoted to tracking down the killer who escaped once the daughter was found, but otherwise it centered around their relationship as most romance novels would.
I don't know, the plot normally would have been good enough to me, but Cullen's actions and selfishness totally overshadowed my enjoyment of the book. What can I say, when you aren't enthralled by the main male character it is kinda hard to really like a romance novel.
Taige, the main character and resident psychic, had a pretty crappy upbringing after the death of her parents. She has psychic abilities that segregates her and tortures her. Basically all she had that was good in her life was a woman named Rose and her son who was like a secondary family to Taige and Cullen, and then he hurts her and breaks her heart. She spends her life pushing herself to the extremes through work, drinking, and exhaustion. All the while Cullen, the love of her life marries another woman (who he claims he never even loved), had a child, lost his wife in childbirth, and became a best selling author.
The don't see each other for 12 years then the kidnapping of Cullen's daughter draws them together yet again when Cullen seeks Taige out for her help and her psychic abilities.
This book's first 75 pages is set in Taige and Cullen's past when they were teenagers and first fell in love. This was interesting at first but then it went on for 75 damn pages. All I could think was that the actual story - the one described on the back of the book was never going to get underway. Then it gets to the point where Cullen's mother dies and he blames Taige for not using her (uncontrollable) psychic ability to help her, to save her. In his anger he accuses her, mentally abuses her, and in my opinion practically rapes her. She never told him to stop, but told her to shut up, be still, and made it extremely painful for her due to his anger and haste. Then kicks her out of his house. Yes he was grieving the loss of a parent which explains his irrational anger at Taige, but not how had sex with her. Period. So yeah, right from the beginning the author did a fantastic job of making me seriously dislike Cullen. And frankly he never really redeemed himself.
Throughout the book he does lament his actions with Taige and tries to get back with her, but almost every time he has sex with her it is dominating. He tells her to be quiet, he restrains her hands, he doesn't allow her to participate as actively as most partners. That really bothered me. I don't think he was trying to hurt her or anything but he just came off as damned selfish.
Once those 75 pages were over and the main story is underway I was shocked at how short it was. The plot of the story is supposedly the kidnapping of Cullen's daughter, but she is gone and found again in 50 pages. 50! That's it! There is more pages devoted to tracking down the killer who escaped once the daughter was found, but otherwise it centered around their relationship as most romance novels would.
I don't know, the plot normally would have been good enough to me, but Cullen's actions and selfishness totally overshadowed my enjoyment of the book. What can I say, when you aren't enthralled by the main male character it is kinda hard to really like a romance novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2024
Meh. The author hates women. The heroine goes through hell while the hero, who dumps her after raping her and leaving her pregnant and lonely, lives his best life, gets married and has a daughter.
While the heroine will never have a child because she has an ectopic pregnancy and another wound who make her lose both ovaries. Hurrah. But there’s more to enjoy. She takes the lousy skank of hero back after twelve years, saves his daughters life and gets to play stepmother. Not at all.
There’s no balance here. There’s no karma,no justice. She takes all the pain, he takes the best of everything. Oh, and the beloved double standard is on, so twelve years of celibacy for her, and a lot of women for him after his wife died. Yuppie! Happiness!
No matter if the heroine is a gifted, generous, loving woman and the hero is… nothing. Because women are evil and they deserve to suffer, while men rule the world because they’re men. There’s some religion I don’t remember what that has as a prayer, I thank god because I was born a male. So I suppose this is the mantra of this book. Not at all. Sadly for men and those who hate women, all is duality and there’s no balance if both are not satisfied.
Oh, and there’s mystery too, but it all was swallowed by the pathetic love story between the pathetic heroine and the worthless rapist ahem hero. It should have been better without the affair between the hero and the heroine. Or at least make it less tragic because it looks like the heroine was really really bad in her former life to have it so hard. Nobody likes to read something so unbalanced and unfair.
While the heroine will never have a child because she has an ectopic pregnancy and another wound who make her lose both ovaries. Hurrah. But there’s more to enjoy. She takes the lousy skank of hero back after twelve years, saves his daughters life and gets to play stepmother. Not at all.
There’s no balance here. There’s no karma,no justice. She takes all the pain, he takes the best of everything. Oh, and the beloved double standard is on, so twelve years of celibacy for her, and a lot of women for him after his wife died. Yuppie! Happiness!
No matter if the heroine is a gifted, generous, loving woman and the hero is… nothing. Because women are evil and they deserve to suffer, while men rule the world because they’re men. There’s some religion I don’t remember what that has as a prayer, I thank god because I was born a male. So I suppose this is the mantra of this book. Not at all. Sadly for men and those who hate women, all is duality and there’s no balance if both are not satisfied.
Oh, and there’s mystery too, but it all was swallowed by the pathetic love story between the pathetic heroine and the worthless rapist ahem hero. It should have been better without the affair between the hero and the heroine. Or at least make it less tragic because it looks like the heroine was really really bad in her former life to have it so hard. Nobody likes to read something so unbalanced and unfair.
February 7, 2017
The Missing
3 Stars
Taige Branch and Cullen Morgan meet as teens and form an intense connection. For Taige, Cullen is the only boy who accepts her strange and wonderful abilities while for Cullen she is the most exotic and enchanting girl he has ever encountered. But when Taige's gift fails to protect Cullen's mother, he finds it impossible to forgive and the two go their separate ways. Now Cullen is a widowed father desperate to find his kidnapped daughter and Taige is the only one he can turn to for help. Will they be able to find the child as well as their lost love for each other?
The second chances romance falls rather flat as Cullen is a complete jerk and Taige is far too forgiving of his appalling behavior when they were younger. Moreover, Taige's psychic gifts are a mish-mash of numerous abilities including telepathy, telekinesis, psychometry. This is far too many for one individual and it stretches the imagination to accept that she has not gone insane.
The paranormal elements also include one of my favorite tropes, i.e., shared dreams. Unfortunately, Walker does not utilize them to full effect and they end up being a sex fest that contributes nothing to the romance or characterization.
The suspense plot is rather predictable and it is easy to guess the villain.
As this is the RS genre, Walker really needs to put less focus on the sex scenes and more on the plotting. Furthermore, the secondary characters are not appealing enough to continue with the series.
3 Stars
Taige Branch and Cullen Morgan meet as teens and form an intense connection. For Taige, Cullen is the only boy who accepts her strange and wonderful abilities while for Cullen she is the most exotic and enchanting girl he has ever encountered. But when Taige's gift fails to protect Cullen's mother, he finds it impossible to forgive and the two go their separate ways. Now Cullen is a widowed father desperate to find his kidnapped daughter and Taige is the only one he can turn to for help. Will they be able to find the child as well as their lost love for each other?
The second chances romance falls rather flat as Cullen is a complete jerk and Taige is far too forgiving of his appalling behavior when they were younger. Moreover, Taige's psychic gifts are a mish-mash of numerous abilities including telepathy, telekinesis, psychometry. This is far too many for one individual and it stretches the imagination to accept that she has not gone insane.
The paranormal elements also include one of my favorite tropes, i.e., shared dreams. Unfortunately, Walker does not utilize them to full effect and they end up being a sex fest that contributes nothing to the romance or characterization.
The suspense plot is rather predictable and it is easy to guess the villain.
As this is the RS genre, Walker really needs to put less focus on the sex scenes and more on the plotting. Furthermore, the secondary characters are not appealing enough to continue with the series.
January 5, 2024
Loved this story!!
This was a great re-read.
This was a great re-read.
October 28, 2008
Fabulous! Riveting. Grabs you by the heart and throat and won't let go. "The Missing" is Shiloh Walker's latest release and it's a hell of a book! It's a bit darker and much deeper than any other of her works I've read (and that's quite a few) and in a totally good way.
Taige has always been different. Her psychic gift manifested when she was a very young child, but understanding her 'gift' took quite a lot longer. Her current career, finding lost and taken children, came about after a heartbreaking loss that cost her her one and only love. Now she accepts that she can't find every single one and it's not her choice who she can and cannot help. But when her lost love reappears seeking her assistance for his own child, will she be able to help him without losing her heart all over again.
I was wrapped up in this book from the first page. Walker has a skillful touch with making you feel for and with her characters. Taige is such a complex character who at times beats herself up more than anyone else can. Our hero, Cullen, is just as complicated. Their relationship is tangled and tantalizing with many ups and downs, but always hot. The only drawback I found was that I had the 'bad guy' figured out pretty quick, but that didn't keep me from enjoying the read while I watched the rest of her character's follow the clues. I hope she continues with a few more books in this world/setting as there are several very interesting secondary characters I would love to see with a story of their own.
Taige has always been different. Her psychic gift manifested when she was a very young child, but understanding her 'gift' took quite a lot longer. Her current career, finding lost and taken children, came about after a heartbreaking loss that cost her her one and only love. Now she accepts that she can't find every single one and it's not her choice who she can and cannot help. But when her lost love reappears seeking her assistance for his own child, will she be able to help him without losing her heart all over again.
I was wrapped up in this book from the first page. Walker has a skillful touch with making you feel for and with her characters. Taige is such a complex character who at times beats herself up more than anyone else can. Our hero, Cullen, is just as complicated. Their relationship is tangled and tantalizing with many ups and downs, but always hot. The only drawback I found was that I had the 'bad guy' figured out pretty quick, but that didn't keep me from enjoying the read while I watched the rest of her character's follow the clues. I hope she continues with a few more books in this world/setting as there are several very interesting secondary characters I would love to see with a story of their own.
May 9, 2009
One of the best books I've read so far this year. Which is pretty cool considering it was a book I randomly bought at B&N while wondering the store one day. I thought it sounded interesting and though I hadn't read the author before (I've since read one other book by Walker), I'd heard good things of her books. And this ended up being a great buy. I was thoroughly hooked on this book from page one until the end.
Taige Branch and Cullen Morgan met when Cullen's parents started vacationing at the beach area where Taige lived. After Cullen saves Taige from being raped, the two develop a close relationship that blooms into love. Taige is grateful and happy that Cullen accepts her special psychic gifts. He may not understand them, but he accepts them. But just as their relationship is blossoming, Cullen's mother is murdered and Taige's psychic abilities had given her no forewarning. In his grief and anger, Cullen pushes Taige away.
For twelve years they remain apart. Taige is now an FBI consultant, using her gift to help find children and Cullen is a widowed father of nine-year-old Jillian. Neither has ever gotten over the other, but neither do they try to reconcile. When Jillian is kidnapped, Cullen goes to Taige for help. In the process, he decides it's time to win Taige back. But first he'll have to break through the barriers she's put up. And they'll have to find a serial killer before it's too late.
Right from the start this book had me hooked. The story starts out in the past, showing various aspects of the teenage romance between Taige and Cullen and allowing readers to get to know the characters. I really enjoyed getting to read this part. Often in these "reunion" stories, you only get told about the past. But in this book, Walker lets you read it first-hand. It really gives the romance more dimension. And the emotion it sucks out of you when they break up...I felt so bad for Taige, but I could also sorta understand Cullen's actions (however unfair they were).
I thought Walker did an excellent job with the character of Taige. I just got a really strong sense of who she was as a person and how her life was impacted by her psychic gift.
The romance between Taige and Cullen is H.O.T. The book borders between spicy and erotic. It's not as graphic as your typical erotic romance, but it's a bit more sexy than most spicy romances and uses some explicit language that many generic romance readers don't like.
Aside from that, I enjoyed the romance aspect. There's some great chemistry between the characters and the part in the beginning helps build a friendship between them as well. The two just really fit together.
The suspense part of the book wasn't as complicated or twisty as a lot of romantic suspense books, but I thought it was a rather engaging storyline. It may have been a little predictable...I was pretty sure who the bad guy was...but that didn't bother me because I was enjoying the characters, the relationship, and various other dynamics so much. Plus, I thought the reason behind the antagonist's actions was rather interesting. It went perfectly with the story.
There were two small details that I'd wish had been addressed. They didn't really affect the story, but they were still things I wondered about. One was that I wanted to know if the person who'd killed Cullen's mom had ever been caught. And the second was that Cullen's relationship with his late wife was barely mentioned. I was curious about how he met her, why he married her when he still loved Taige and all that. Those two things are just small details, like I said, and didn't have much impact on the story, but I would like to have known the answers.
Aside from those two things, this was an all around solid book. It had everything I liked. Great characters, a hot romance, an interesting storyline, a lot of emotion, and smooth writing style that made the book very readable. I started reading this book last night and then since I had a free day today, spent most of it reading. I just didn't want to put the book down. It's definitely a book I'd recommend to most of my romance-reader GR friends.
WARNING, this book contains: moderately explicit sex and language, some violence, a scene with the attempted rape of a minor
Taige Branch and Cullen Morgan met when Cullen's parents started vacationing at the beach area where Taige lived. After Cullen saves Taige from being raped, the two develop a close relationship that blooms into love. Taige is grateful and happy that Cullen accepts her special psychic gifts. He may not understand them, but he accepts them. But just as their relationship is blossoming, Cullen's mother is murdered and Taige's psychic abilities had given her no forewarning. In his grief and anger, Cullen pushes Taige away.
For twelve years they remain apart. Taige is now an FBI consultant, using her gift to help find children and Cullen is a widowed father of nine-year-old Jillian. Neither has ever gotten over the other, but neither do they try to reconcile. When Jillian is kidnapped, Cullen goes to Taige for help. In the process, he decides it's time to win Taige back. But first he'll have to break through the barriers she's put up. And they'll have to find a serial killer before it's too late.
Right from the start this book had me hooked. The story starts out in the past, showing various aspects of the teenage romance between Taige and Cullen and allowing readers to get to know the characters. I really enjoyed getting to read this part. Often in these "reunion" stories, you only get told about the past. But in this book, Walker lets you read it first-hand. It really gives the romance more dimension. And the emotion it sucks out of you when they break up...I felt so bad for Taige, but I could also sorta understand Cullen's actions (however unfair they were).
I thought Walker did an excellent job with the character of Taige. I just got a really strong sense of who she was as a person and how her life was impacted by her psychic gift.
The romance between Taige and Cullen is H.O.T. The book borders between spicy and erotic. It's not as graphic as your typical erotic romance, but it's a bit more sexy than most spicy romances and uses some explicit language that many generic romance readers don't like.
Aside from that, I enjoyed the romance aspect. There's some great chemistry between the characters and the part in the beginning helps build a friendship between them as well. The two just really fit together.
The suspense part of the book wasn't as complicated or twisty as a lot of romantic suspense books, but I thought it was a rather engaging storyline. It may have been a little predictable...I was pretty sure who the bad guy was...but that didn't bother me because I was enjoying the characters, the relationship, and various other dynamics so much. Plus, I thought the reason behind the antagonist's actions was rather interesting. It went perfectly with the story.
There were two small details that I'd wish had been addressed. They didn't really affect the story, but they were still things I wondered about. One was that I wanted to know if the person who'd killed Cullen's mom had ever been caught. And the second was that Cullen's relationship with his late wife was barely mentioned. I was curious about how he met her, why he married her when he still loved Taige and all that. Those two things are just small details, like I said, and didn't have much impact on the story, but I would like to have known the answers.
Aside from those two things, this was an all around solid book. It had everything I liked. Great characters, a hot romance, an interesting storyline, a lot of emotion, and smooth writing style that made the book very readable. I started reading this book last night and then since I had a free day today, spent most of it reading. I just didn't want to put the book down. It's definitely a book I'd recommend to most of my romance-reader GR friends.
WARNING, this book contains: moderately explicit sex and language, some violence, a scene with the attempted rape of a minor
July 24, 2018
2 1/2
This is mostly a romance that suffered from not being a RS. It did try and that part was the most interesting. Her fight with her gift, her ass*** boss, you can actually feel her panic and determination to save lives.
Unfortunately this is still a romance, and equally unfortunately not a love story. It means that it takes a lot of shortcuts that undermine both the heroine and the meaning of love.
The heroine moves from a strong survivor to pathetic potato mush in a nausea - inducing merry- go-round.
He doesn't simply shutter her heart, he literally destroys her life, as he has angry unprotected sex with her, just before he throws violently her out of his life. She almost dies at 19 with the miscarriage that follows. I don't believe his lasting love, as he had no problem living his life, marrying, having a child and ignoring his actions. But you know what? He is human. He does make a MC who can have a second chance story.
Unfortunately the heroine doesn't. Living 12 years "desperately loving" a ghost is pathetic, it isn't romantic to me. Losing any pride and self, as she's unable to resist his magical, thought- erasing touch, is ugly in my eyes.
I would have really loved a second chance story between the two. But as it is it's almost demeaning put this way.
And the dream scenes do not make it a love story, they were ridiculous and at the end unbelievable (even in a story with psychics) as they were a shortcut. An avatar. The way the mate bond is often used in PNR instead of love, destroying rather than enhancing it.
And, honestly? The way the wife is treated is awful: she's the convenient uterus to drop a child off. She's totally absent. Barely named once.
As I said it's a pity, as the story is grabbing when it's not drowned in sex scenes that mask the fact there's no love here.
This is mostly a romance that suffered from not being a RS. It did try and that part was the most interesting. Her fight with her gift, her ass*** boss, you can actually feel her panic and determination to save lives.
Unfortunately this is still a romance, and equally unfortunately not a love story. It means that it takes a lot of shortcuts that undermine both the heroine and the meaning of love.
The heroine moves from a strong survivor to pathetic potato mush in a nausea - inducing merry- go-round.
He doesn't simply shutter her heart, he literally destroys her life, as he has angry unprotected sex with her, just before he throws violently her out of his life. She almost dies at 19 with the miscarriage that follows. I don't believe his lasting love, as he had no problem living his life, marrying, having a child and ignoring his actions. But you know what? He is human. He does make a MC who can have a second chance story.
Unfortunately the heroine doesn't. Living 12 years "desperately loving" a ghost is pathetic, it isn't romantic to me. Losing any pride and self, as she's unable to resist his magical, thought- erasing touch, is ugly in my eyes.
I would have really loved a second chance story between the two. But as it is it's almost demeaning put this way.
And the dream scenes do not make it a love story, they were ridiculous and at the end unbelievable (even in a story with psychics) as they were a shortcut. An avatar. The way the mate bond is often used in PNR instead of love, destroying rather than enhancing it.
And, honestly? The way the wife is treated is awful: she's the convenient uterus to drop a child off. She's totally absent. Barely named once.
As I said it's a pity, as the story is grabbing when it's not drowned in sex scenes that mask the fact there's no love here.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2010
The Missing is a contemporary romantic suspense/thriller. I add thriller because some moments were so intense that I felt like I’d popped a bunch of caffeine pills because my hands were shaking as leafed through the pages lightning fast. Taige, the biracial beauty of a heroine, has psychic abilities and uses them to save lives in the Alabama gulf vacation community that she considers home. Her parents are deceased, so we begin the story with Taige as a teen living with her crazy preacher Uncle that verbally, and at one point, physically abused Taige because he believed she was doing the devil's work by using her gift. When the rich and handsome teen boy Cullen begins spending his summers in her gulf community, Taige and Cullen fall in love. The story quickly progresses as each chapter indicates a new summer. Shiloh Walker doesn’t disappoint and she crafts her usual sweet but smokin’ hot love scenes.
When Taige fails to foresee the death someone Cullen holds dear, Cullen lashes out – things end very bad for the teen romance – and the repercussions of that goodbye are more devastating than either one of them could imagine.
The story fast forwards a decade and Taige is now working as a consultant for the FBI, using her talent to find missing children. The love of her life – Cullen - has never forgotten Taige. In fact, the 2 have been sharing very intense dreams about each other during all their years apart. Cullen’s a widowed single father now. And when his daughter gets kidnapped by a very dark, child serial killer, guess who Cullen immediately runs to? The hunt for the serial killer through the minds of his victims...the intense and sensual reconnection of a deep, lost love...I loved this story! It was dark, sexy, captivating and my favorite Shiloh Walker read thus far. I think The Missing would make an excellent movie and I can’t recommend it enough. Shiloh Walker recently announced that she's also writing the story of Taige's friend who we met in The Missing (one of the other female psychics working for the FBI), so I guess this book is no longer a stand-alone :)
When Taige fails to foresee the death someone Cullen holds dear, Cullen lashes out – things end very bad for the teen romance – and the repercussions of that goodbye are more devastating than either one of them could imagine.
The story fast forwards a decade and Taige is now working as a consultant for the FBI, using her talent to find missing children. The love of her life – Cullen - has never forgotten Taige. In fact, the 2 have been sharing very intense dreams about each other during all their years apart. Cullen’s a widowed single father now. And when his daughter gets kidnapped by a very dark, child serial killer, guess who Cullen immediately runs to? The hunt for the serial killer through the minds of his victims...the intense and sensual reconnection of a deep, lost love...I loved this story! It was dark, sexy, captivating and my favorite Shiloh Walker read thus far. I think The Missing would make an excellent movie and I can’t recommend it enough. Shiloh Walker recently announced that she's also writing the story of Taige's friend who we met in The Missing (one of the other female psychics working for the FBI), so I guess this book is no longer a stand-alone :)
January 10, 2013
Shiloh Walker is one of my favourite authors, and this book will keep her that way.
I liked how the book started from when the two main characters were teenagers and reading how they met and that the love between them grew over the years. The first time Cullen and Taige made love was beautiful and it made me wish that I had been that lucky in my life.
When the drama starts, I could understand why Cullen acted as he did, even though I wasn't very happy with him.
The main part of the story did let me down a little, but with the writing style I kept happily reading along. The mystery was very easy to solve, but I still enjoyed the journey of watching the characters get there.
The thing that stopped this from being a five star read was the physic aspect of the story. I didn't feel that how all the physic people had become such a part of life and FBI work was explained to me. Maybe it wasn't meant to be, but it still annoyed me a tiny bit.
I enjoyed both main characters, and the secondary characters were interesting. I loved Cullen's father. I was a bit surprised to learn that Jones is the main character in the next book, as he was a bit of a cold fish in this one, but I will be reading the book anyway.
I would recommend that readers of romantic suspense read this one.
I liked how the book started from when the two main characters were teenagers and reading how they met and that the love between them grew over the years. The first time Cullen and Taige made love was beautiful and it made me wish that I had been that lucky in my life.
When the drama starts, I could understand why Cullen acted as he did, even though I wasn't very happy with him.
The main part of the story did let me down a little, but with the writing style I kept happily reading along. The mystery was very easy to solve, but I still enjoyed the journey of watching the characters get there.
The thing that stopped this from being a five star read was the physic aspect of the story. I didn't feel that how all the physic people had become such a part of life and FBI work was explained to me. Maybe it wasn't meant to be, but it still annoyed me a tiny bit.
I enjoyed both main characters, and the secondary characters were interesting. I loved Cullen's father. I was a bit surprised to learn that Jones is the main character in the next book, as he was a bit of a cold fish in this one, but I will be reading the book anyway.
I would recommend that readers of romantic suspense read this one.
July 17, 2019
Rated 4.5 Stars
What an intense read! Romantic Suspense, Paranormal (Psychic), 2nd Chance Romance and Great Writing are BOOK HEAVEN for me!!
The first half had a bit too much angst for me. I flooded our bedroom reading it. Had to move to the Den for the second half while my room dried. Angst & me just don't get along well at all!
The second half got much better though as the couple began speaking after their lengthy 12 year separation. Their break up was brutal and scarred them both for many years. Regaining trust, being able to forgive & trying to get rid of the crushing guilt were a huge deal for them. They never stopped loving each other though. I thought of their reunion as the 3 S's: Sad, Sweet & Sexy.
The Suspense in the story is gripping! The heroine is psychic, had been all her life. She works with the FBI assisting them to solve cases. She hates it though. However, the hero has been tracking her over the years through Newspaper articles, pictures, etc. that have been done on her. This is how they get together again. He's tied in with this horrible case the FBI are working on. This case is about a real sick f__k serial killer (not that there are ever decent serial killers, duh). He tortures & kills people for things that they supposedly did that he didn't like (mostly children I'm afraid). Yeah, children being the victims is something I didn't like at all.
Overall, The Missing was a very good book and I'm going to move on to book 02, The Departed.
May All Your Reading Be Sublime!!
What an intense read! Romantic Suspense, Paranormal (Psychic), 2nd Chance Romance and Great Writing are BOOK HEAVEN for me!!
The first half had a bit too much angst for me. I flooded our bedroom reading it. Had to move to the Den for the second half while my room dried. Angst & me just don't get along well at all!
The second half got much better though as the couple began speaking after their lengthy 12 year separation. Their break up was brutal and scarred them both for many years. Regaining trust, being able to forgive & trying to get rid of the crushing guilt were a huge deal for them. They never stopped loving each other though. I thought of their reunion as the 3 S's: Sad, Sweet & Sexy.
The Suspense in the story is gripping! The heroine is psychic, had been all her life. She works with the FBI assisting them to solve cases. She hates it though. However, the hero has been tracking her over the years through Newspaper articles, pictures, etc. that have been done on her. This is how they get together again. He's tied in with this horrible case the FBI are working on. This case is about a real sick f__k serial killer (not that there are ever decent serial killers, duh). He tortures & kills people for things that they supposedly did that he didn't like (mostly children I'm afraid). Yeah, children being the victims is something I didn't like at all.
Overall, The Missing was a very good book and I'm going to move on to book 02, The Departed.
May All Your Reading Be Sublime!!
April 12, 2017
The Missing by Shiloh Walker
A romantic suspense thriller where the heroine has some physic power that helps her find missing children for the FBI.
I flew through this book quickly. It was enthralling and gripping. It is a bit sad that there is such evil in the world. I’m not sure I liked the hero all that much even though he helps her with the consequences of “seeing” events. I won’t spoil it, but this is based on one event. She understands and forgives and still loves. In the end they work together to save his daughter and hunt down the monster.
I would recommend this book to anyone that likes a good romantic thriller. Fair warning that it does contain explicit sex.
This book is the first in a FBI physic series. I will absolutely read more this series.
A romantic suspense thriller where the heroine has some physic power that helps her find missing children for the FBI.
I flew through this book quickly. It was enthralling and gripping. It is a bit sad that there is such evil in the world. I’m not sure I liked the hero all that much even though he helps her with the consequences of “seeing” events. I won’t spoil it, but this is based on one event. She understands and forgives and still loves. In the end they work together to save his daughter and hunt down the monster.
I would recommend this book to anyone that likes a good romantic thriller. Fair warning that it does contain explicit sex.
This book is the first in a FBI physic series. I will absolutely read more this series.
May 7, 2018
Just finished
Good read. Review on my blog:
https://romanticcynicblog.wordpress.c...
Good read. Review on my blog:
https://romanticcynicblog.wordpress.c...
October 1, 2017
Love me some FBI Psychic romance!
May 10, 2012
Okay. I picked this up at a bargain book store during the Hay-on-Wye festival last year. It was £2 so I figured, “Why not?” Oh, and it was shelved under the YA banner.
It was miss shelved!
I had barely bent the spine of this one before the narrative took a turn for the hot 'n' steamy! This is definitely for more mature readers. It's not filth or anything, just an enjoyably risqué crime/romance/paranormal read.
The relationship between Taige and Cullen is touching. And I don't mean that in a dodgy way! These two characters are clearly perfect together, but grief keeps them apart for twelve years. Despite the time apart, their connection is still sizzling. You long for them to reconcile, but before anything can happen, there's a problem.
Cullen's daughter has been kidnapped and he needs Taige to use her psychic abilities to find her. But this is only the most recent in a brutal series of kidnappings which have more to do with Taige than she first realises.
This book was unusual in its pacing, but not unsuccessful. I was worried that the first chapters, which outline the relationship between the protagonists when they were young, would be expositionary. Instead the writing was engaging. When you're half way through the book, it feels like your hurtling towards the climax (again... given some of the book's content, that sounded like a double entendre...), but there's more to this story than a simple search and rescue.
This is a quickfire read with a good story, strong characters and some sizzling tension. While I was surprised by the book, considering the shelf it was on, it was enjoyable. Four stars for this fun (and somewhat raunchy) read!
It was miss shelved!
I had barely bent the spine of this one before the narrative took a turn for the hot 'n' steamy! This is definitely for more mature readers. It's not filth or anything, just an enjoyably risqué crime/romance/paranormal read.
The relationship between Taige and Cullen is touching. And I don't mean that in a dodgy way! These two characters are clearly perfect together, but grief keeps them apart for twelve years. Despite the time apart, their connection is still sizzling. You long for them to reconcile, but before anything can happen, there's a problem.
Cullen's daughter has been kidnapped and he needs Taige to use her psychic abilities to find her. But this is only the most recent in a brutal series of kidnappings which have more to do with Taige than she first realises.
This book was unusual in its pacing, but not unsuccessful. I was worried that the first chapters, which outline the relationship between the protagonists when they were young, would be expositionary. Instead the writing was engaging. When you're half way through the book, it feels like your hurtling towards the climax (again... given some of the book's content, that sounded like a double entendre...), but there's more to this story than a simple search and rescue.
This is a quickfire read with a good story, strong characters and some sizzling tension. While I was surprised by the book, considering the shelf it was on, it was enjoyable. Four stars for this fun (and somewhat raunchy) read!
January 12, 2010
Wow. I read this book without stopping, straight through the night. I loved everything about it. The book was haunting. The paranormal elements were a bonus but the real draw was the love story. I'm not into sappy reads either. I like action, danger and a bit of horror. I like the relationships to be physical and hot. This book had all of this but toned down and beautifully woven together. This is a keeper book for me.
July 2, 2014
3.5 Stars~~~Well done, well written romantic suspense with a psychic twist. This had all of the elements that should rock me. I just didn't 'like' the characters as much as I could have. I think I never forgave Cullen for the events of the past. Nevertheless, it is an exciting read with a twisted serial killer. I really, really dislike Taige's boss and am interested to see where the series goes after this.
October 16, 2010
4 ½ stars – Romantic Suspense/Paranormal Romance
October 29, 2017
3 stars.
This reminds me of Kay Hooper's Bishop series and Heather Graham's Krewe of Hunters. However, what differentiates this book from those is that the romance element is much more dominant.
We have a couple who knew each other as teenagers and then again a decade later when the hero Cullen requests the heroine Taige to locate his missing daughter Jillian. To me, the breakup in between is purely Cullen's doing and I thought Taige was way too forgiving. The psychic and mystery elements are strong enough to make the book interesting. I'm curious enough to see how Ms Walker turns Taige's unfeeling boss Taylor Jones into a sympathetic hero for the next book.
This reminds me of Kay Hooper's Bishop series and Heather Graham's Krewe of Hunters. However, what differentiates this book from those is that the romance element is much more dominant.
We have a couple who knew each other as teenagers and then again a decade later when the hero Cullen requests the heroine Taige to locate his missing daughter Jillian. To me, the breakup in between is purely Cullen's doing and I thought Taige was way too forgiving. The psychic and mystery elements are strong enough to make the book interesting. I'm curious enough to see how Ms Walker turns Taige's unfeeling boss Taylor Jones into a sympathetic hero for the next book.
August 26, 2011
Sometimes the mood strikes me for an intense contemporary romance, nail biting suspense and leap-of-the-pages characters, which is all poured in to my mind with imaginative storytelling. On such an occasion The Missing popped in to my view from my shelves. I cracked the spine, started reading the first chapter and from there, Shiloh Walker delivered all I wanted from a PNR suspense.
The story begins in the summer of 1992 with a blossoming vacation romance between young adults Cullen Morgan and Taige Branch. I was immediately absorbed by the gradual budding and deepening attraction. To see Taige and Cullen's personalities alter through various circumstances in to adulthood gave me smiles, deep sighs and heartache. The setup of the story is formidable, the backstory of both characters rich and it made the impact of the break up between them even more devastating.
The only paranormal element in The Missing is the fact Taige has a psychic ability. Even though it was the only element in the story it still was an integral part. Taige as a teenager is dealing with her ability as best as she can. Cullen's reaction to it is very open and it actually strengthens their bond, but then Shiloh Walker developed a conflict that ripped my heart out. Over the course of the chapters I became very attached to both main characters. Each in their own way is so very likable which made me root for Taige and Cullen as a couple! Their individual feelings and actions are understandable in the anxious moments but to see them apart was heart breaking.
Then the story fast forwards years to the spring of 2008 and Taige and Cullen are adults now. Cullen is a widower with a daughter who is kidnapped. It throws them back together again with issues to resolve other than the kidnapping of Jillian. I thought the kidnapping was actually quite easily resolved but it pointed Taige and Cullen in the direction of the unsub. This brought a whole new kind of tension to the story. The more I got to know about what the unsub had done, the more I wanted retribution for the innocent. Amidst the suspense there was also a tension of a different kind going on. The fire between Taige and Cullen was long from extinguished. The magnetic attraction was undeniable, and the passion lit up like a bonfire. I would say the verbal sparring was almost like foreplay only to make way for the deep well of emotions pulling these two characters together.
Shiloh Walker can do sexy where the desire almost bleeds from the pages! It is then absorbed by my imaginaton and manages to set my blood on fire. The love was like a beating pulse within the story and the push-pull between Taige and Cullen only added to the knowledge they were made for each other. The connection between Taige and Jillian, which might've been a convenient plot twist, was endearing. The minimal cast of characters had a maximum effect and Taylor Jones was a character who got a rise out of me. As in; let me punch you, I was just as protective of Jillian as Taige. He irked me but intrigued me at the same time. Annoying attitude and mystery turned him in to another character who added his pizzazz to the unfolding plot.
The balance between romance and suspense is like a 1-2 punch. It enhances each other to a point where it irrevocably draws me in, keeps me on the edge of my seat, and I just can't stop until it is all revealed. The villain was an easy guess for me but because of gruesome actions I wanted this person punished. From the very beginning Shiloh Walker is step by step building up to a conclusion that satisfied me on various levels.
Shiloh Walker's seamless blend of all-consuming romance and whodunnit plot is one of the addictive kind! Read one and you'll want more.
The story begins in the summer of 1992 with a blossoming vacation romance between young adults Cullen Morgan and Taige Branch. I was immediately absorbed by the gradual budding and deepening attraction. To see Taige and Cullen's personalities alter through various circumstances in to adulthood gave me smiles, deep sighs and heartache. The setup of the story is formidable, the backstory of both characters rich and it made the impact of the break up between them even more devastating.
The only paranormal element in The Missing is the fact Taige has a psychic ability. Even though it was the only element in the story it still was an integral part. Taige as a teenager is dealing with her ability as best as she can. Cullen's reaction to it is very open and it actually strengthens their bond, but then Shiloh Walker developed a conflict that ripped my heart out. Over the course of the chapters I became very attached to both main characters. Each in their own way is so very likable which made me root for Taige and Cullen as a couple! Their individual feelings and actions are understandable in the anxious moments but to see them apart was heart breaking.
Then the story fast forwards years to the spring of 2008 and Taige and Cullen are adults now. Cullen is a widower with a daughter who is kidnapped. It throws them back together again with issues to resolve other than the kidnapping of Jillian. I thought the kidnapping was actually quite easily resolved but it pointed Taige and Cullen in the direction of the unsub. This brought a whole new kind of tension to the story. The more I got to know about what the unsub had done, the more I wanted retribution for the innocent. Amidst the suspense there was also a tension of a different kind going on. The fire between Taige and Cullen was long from extinguished. The magnetic attraction was undeniable, and the passion lit up like a bonfire. I would say the verbal sparring was almost like foreplay only to make way for the deep well of emotions pulling these two characters together.
Shiloh Walker can do sexy where the desire almost bleeds from the pages! It is then absorbed by my imaginaton and manages to set my blood on fire. The love was like a beating pulse within the story and the push-pull between Taige and Cullen only added to the knowledge they were made for each other. The connection between Taige and Jillian, which might've been a convenient plot twist, was endearing. The minimal cast of characters had a maximum effect and Taylor Jones was a character who got a rise out of me. As in; let me punch you, I was just as protective of Jillian as Taige. He irked me but intrigued me at the same time. Annoying attitude and mystery turned him in to another character who added his pizzazz to the unfolding plot.
The balance between romance and suspense is like a 1-2 punch. It enhances each other to a point where it irrevocably draws me in, keeps me on the edge of my seat, and I just can't stop until it is all revealed. The villain was an easy guess for me but because of gruesome actions I wanted this person punished. From the very beginning Shiloh Walker is step by step building up to a conclusion that satisfied me on various levels.
Shiloh Walker's seamless blend of all-consuming romance and whodunnit plot is one of the addictive kind! Read one and you'll want more.
September 30, 2010
This is my third book by Shiloh Walker, and once again, she does not disappoint.
We first meet Taige Branch and Cullen Morgen as teenagers, when Cullen and his parents holiday at the beach side town where Taige lives. Taige, as with many of Walker's characters, has had a tough life. Her parents died when she was young and she was sent to live with her uncle, who mistreated her. To complicate things, Taige lives with the burden of a psychic gift.
Cullen is instantly attracted to Taige's exotic beauty and air of mystery. Taige finds herself attracted to Cullen not just for his good looks, but because he is one of the few people she can find peace with - he does not trigger any of her psychic abilities.
They begin a holiday romance which continues each summer for three years. Cullen is accepting of Taige's gift, which she is sometimes able to harness in time to save lives. Cullen has, after all, seen this in action when she saved a drowning child on the day they met.
But when Taige fails to prevent the death of Cullen's mother, he pushes her out of his life, although neither Cullen or Taige can ever forget the other.
Twelve years later, Cullen needs Taige's help. His daughter has been kidnapped and Taige is his only hope of finding her.
I had my reservations about reading this one, as the thought of having your child missing is horrifying to me. Thankfully, this aspect is resolved very quickly and the majority of the suspense plot is focused on Taige and Cullen's search for the man responsible.
It does, however, remain a dark story, with confronting themes of child abuse and torture, although not unnecessarily graphic in their depiction.
Like the other romantic suspense stories I have read by this author, she doesn't skimp on the relationship in favor of the suspense - both are dealt a fairly equal hand.
Walker's style flows well and the pages turn very quickly.
I only have a few fairly minor complaints, the first being the use of Taige as the character's name. With apologies to anyone who shares this moniker, for some reason I found it jarring and it began to irritate me.
It also took too long at the start of the novel to find out the actual ages of the characters. We knew they were teenagers, but there is obviously a significant difference between a thirteen and eighteen year old.
The identity of the villain is also not too difficult to determine ahead of time, but I didn't find this detracted significantly from the suspense given the way events unfolded.
All in all, another satisfying page-turner by Shiloh Walker, an author I look forward to reading more from.
We first meet Taige Branch and Cullen Morgen as teenagers, when Cullen and his parents holiday at the beach side town where Taige lives. Taige, as with many of Walker's characters, has had a tough life. Her parents died when she was young and she was sent to live with her uncle, who mistreated her. To complicate things, Taige lives with the burden of a psychic gift.
Cullen is instantly attracted to Taige's exotic beauty and air of mystery. Taige finds herself attracted to Cullen not just for his good looks, but because he is one of the few people she can find peace with - he does not trigger any of her psychic abilities.
They begin a holiday romance which continues each summer for three years. Cullen is accepting of Taige's gift, which she is sometimes able to harness in time to save lives. Cullen has, after all, seen this in action when she saved a drowning child on the day they met.
But when Taige fails to prevent the death of Cullen's mother, he pushes her out of his life, although neither Cullen or Taige can ever forget the other.
Twelve years later, Cullen needs Taige's help. His daughter has been kidnapped and Taige is his only hope of finding her.
I had my reservations about reading this one, as the thought of having your child missing is horrifying to me. Thankfully, this aspect is resolved very quickly and the majority of the suspense plot is focused on Taige and Cullen's search for the man responsible.
It does, however, remain a dark story, with confronting themes of child abuse and torture, although not unnecessarily graphic in their depiction.
Like the other romantic suspense stories I have read by this author, she doesn't skimp on the relationship in favor of the suspense - both are dealt a fairly equal hand.
Walker's style flows well and the pages turn very quickly.
I only have a few fairly minor complaints, the first being the use of Taige as the character's name. With apologies to anyone who shares this moniker, for some reason I found it jarring and it began to irritate me.
It also took too long at the start of the novel to find out the actual ages of the characters. We knew they were teenagers, but there is obviously a significant difference between a thirteen and eighteen year old.
The identity of the villain is also not too difficult to determine ahead of time, but I didn't find this detracted significantly from the suspense given the way events unfolded.
All in all, another satisfying page-turner by Shiloh Walker, an author I look forward to reading more from.
May 1, 2012
This one was humid sexy. Like I'm on the gulf shore of Alabama and I'm a broken, sad girl falling in love with a rich boy whose gonna save my life and touch my skin and its gonna be electric and heartbreaking before its over. This was my first book by Shiloh Walker and I'm ridiculously impressed, and shocked I haven't read anything by her yet.
It's no surprise that I've got a thing for the south. It's what makes me fangirl over a lot of Sandra Brown's books. I love the heat. The sticky seduction of it. That feeling was captured here as we watch Taige, the local psychic girl who hates the attention she gets when she gets a vision in time to save someone in the throes of danger. The visions are unpredictable, sometimes coming way after the fact, and sometimes years before the actual event takes place. Because of this, and that her parents are dead and she's stuck with an uncle that wants to save her from the devil by beating it out of her, she's a loner in a town of tourists. One of those tourists is the charming, and gorgeous but decent Cullen Morgan. He watches as she runs after saving a boy, and to him she's the vision of some mermaid and he's hooked. He saves her one night and it's impossible to walk away. So for a few years he's there every summer, and every summer they fall deeper in desperate love. Until something tragic happens. Something Taige didn't see in time. And Cullen, in his rage and sadness, can't see past that and makes the mistake of turning his back on Taige.
Twelve years pass and now Cullen is a widow with a daughter who is abducted. He makes his way back to the shores of Alabama, and there he finds that the girl has grown up into a fierce woman. The tension between these two is ridiculous. These two facing off, with the years and dirty dreams that may not have been one-sided between them, is like standing out on the porch on a muggy day and the fan is going too slow, the sweet tea next to you is sweating as hard as you, and your heart is beating too fast in your chest. Maybe something bluesy and dirty is playing in the background. There are ways to write sexual tension that are cheesy and predictable. This book was how to write it to knock the wind out of someone.
I loved Cullen and I loved Taige and most importantly I believed everything about them. Taige was tough and tired, but she loved so fiercely that she couldn't contain it. Cullen ached for her and became a broken beast when his daughter was abducted. The action kept a great pace, the mystery surprised the crap out of me, the romance was pitch perfect, and all of it has me searching out everything this author has written.
It's no surprise that I've got a thing for the south. It's what makes me fangirl over a lot of Sandra Brown's books. I love the heat. The sticky seduction of it. That feeling was captured here as we watch Taige, the local psychic girl who hates the attention she gets when she gets a vision in time to save someone in the throes of danger. The visions are unpredictable, sometimes coming way after the fact, and sometimes years before the actual event takes place. Because of this, and that her parents are dead and she's stuck with an uncle that wants to save her from the devil by beating it out of her, she's a loner in a town of tourists. One of those tourists is the charming, and gorgeous but decent Cullen Morgan. He watches as she runs after saving a boy, and to him she's the vision of some mermaid and he's hooked. He saves her one night and it's impossible to walk away. So for a few years he's there every summer, and every summer they fall deeper in desperate love. Until something tragic happens. Something Taige didn't see in time. And Cullen, in his rage and sadness, can't see past that and makes the mistake of turning his back on Taige.
Twelve years pass and now Cullen is a widow with a daughter who is abducted. He makes his way back to the shores of Alabama, and there he finds that the girl has grown up into a fierce woman. The tension between these two is ridiculous. These two facing off, with the years and dirty dreams that may not have been one-sided between them, is like standing out on the porch on a muggy day and the fan is going too slow, the sweet tea next to you is sweating as hard as you, and your heart is beating too fast in your chest. Maybe something bluesy and dirty is playing in the background. There are ways to write sexual tension that are cheesy and predictable. This book was how to write it to knock the wind out of someone.
I loved Cullen and I loved Taige and most importantly I believed everything about them. Taige was tough and tired, but she loved so fiercely that she couldn't contain it. Cullen ached for her and became a broken beast when his daughter was abducted. The action kept a great pace, the mystery surprised the crap out of me, the romance was pitch perfect, and all of it has me searching out everything this author has written.
April 28, 2016
I love romantic suspense with psychics. Really, it's one of my catnips. Here...well, it was just ok. Actually, it was overall really good until we get to the climax, then it went from good to 'oh come on'.
The story is told in an interesting way. Part One is the past, the characters falling in love as teenagers, then breaking up because of tragedy. I thought that part went on too long or maybe I just felt it was too mushy. Instead of seeing how the hero learns of the heroine's gift, we are told about in a passive way and I thought that decreased the impact.
Part Two is set in the present. The story starts off really good actually, then it falls apart. There were too many missed opportunities. The good is that they find his daughter relatively early, so we don't spend a ridiculous amount of time waiting for the inevitable. The bad comes with the intrusion of a lackluster romance (I'll get to that later). The horrible, like WTF, is the 'climax', when not only do we discover who the killer is (wow, it was so obvious that I thought, no, that's really lame, he can't be the killer, then yeah, it went there - face to the palm) but also how the killer becomes the Jason/Freddy Krueger type of killer because the protagonists are just too stupid to pay attention. It was eye rolling bad.
The characters are ok for the most part. I liked the heroine, a lot. I thought she was strong and stoic and capable. That is in all instances but when it comes to the hero who basically emotionally eviscerated her when they broke up. I felt she was s doormat of love when it came to the hero. Then, to make matters worse, during the climax, she was incompetent in order to increase suspense. Lame.
The hero, well, he's just special. I actually liked him, even when he was so mean and evil during the breakup. I thought he was a good character, friend and father. But as a lover...holy enema nozzle! There was no excuse for this bulldozing, alphahole behavior. Also, he had no business getting involved in an investigation which he was ill-equipped to participate in.
The 'romance' when they hook up again, was unbelievably lackluster because I felt the hero was just bulldozing the milquetoasty heroine. I started to skim the sex scenes because I felt they were unrealistic and intrusive to the story.
Overall, it's sad really. So much potential wasted. I think with an editor or critique partner who was more interested in writing a good romantic suspense story with psychics rather than your average, run-of-the-mill Lifetime quality entertainment, this could have been quite awesome, because this writer is definitely capable of awesomesauce.
The story is told in an interesting way. Part One is the past, the characters falling in love as teenagers, then breaking up because of tragedy. I thought that part went on too long or maybe I just felt it was too mushy. Instead of seeing how the hero learns of the heroine's gift, we are told about in a passive way and I thought that decreased the impact.
Part Two is set in the present. The story starts off really good actually, then it falls apart. There were too many missed opportunities. The good is that they find his daughter relatively early, so we don't spend a ridiculous amount of time waiting for the inevitable. The bad comes with the intrusion of a lackluster romance (I'll get to that later). The horrible, like WTF, is the 'climax', when not only do we discover who the killer is (wow, it was so obvious that I thought, no, that's really lame, he can't be the killer, then yeah, it went there - face to the palm) but also how the killer becomes the Jason/Freddy Krueger type of killer because the protagonists are just too stupid to pay attention. It was eye rolling bad.
The characters are ok for the most part. I liked the heroine, a lot. I thought she was strong and stoic and capable. That is in all instances but when it comes to the hero who basically emotionally eviscerated her when they broke up. I felt she was s doormat of love when it came to the hero. Then, to make matters worse, during the climax, she was incompetent in order to increase suspense. Lame.
The hero, well, he's just special. I actually liked him, even when he was so mean and evil during the breakup. I thought he was a good character, friend and father. But as a lover...holy enema nozzle! There was no excuse for this bulldozing, alphahole behavior. Also, he had no business getting involved in an investigation which he was ill-equipped to participate in.
The 'romance' when they hook up again, was unbelievably lackluster because I felt the hero was just bulldozing the milquetoasty heroine. I started to skim the sex scenes because I felt they were unrealistic and intrusive to the story.
Overall, it's sad really. So much potential wasted. I think with an editor or critique partner who was more interested in writing a good romantic suspense story with psychics rather than your average, run-of-the-mill Lifetime quality entertainment, this could have been quite awesome, because this writer is definitely capable of awesomesauce.
December 30, 2015
Review copy provided by author
The Missing is the second book by Shiloh Walker that I have read. I thoroughly enjoyed Broken so when Ms. Walker asked if I would put together a book tour for the re-release of The Missing, I couldn’t say no.
I have to admit that I was a little apprehensive at first with the psychic element of the book but I was okay with the way things panned out. I wasn’t turned away by it; instead it drew me in.
I felt for Taige, really felt for her for all the trials and tribulations she had endured. She lost her parents at a young age thus has to live with her God-fearing uncle, who thinks she’s a demon child. She’s stuck with this so-called “gift” where she has psychic dreams and visions. Not only does a power like that make you feel obligated to do something with it, it also leaves you feeling guilty when you can’t.
Taige meets Cullen when she’s 15 years old in the summer of 1992. Cullen is on vacation with his family in Alabama where Taige lives. For him, it was instant attraction. He was determined to get to know Taige but she was a little reluctant at first, not wanting to be just a summer fling. But over the course of four years, the relationship between the two has definitely blossomed.
Then fate takes a turn for the worse when Cullen’s mother gets brutally murdered. Cullen blames Taige for not saving her in time. After a tension-filled romp, he tells Taige that he doesn’t want to see or talk to her again. Twelve years pass. Cullen has never stopped thinking about Taige. But now he needs her; his daughter has been kidnapped and he knows Taige is the only one that can help him find her.
I like the connection that is made between the characters. The storyline (and timeline) was thought out and planned very well. Without going into too much and giving anything away, there is a twist in the story that gave me chills.
The Missing took me on an emotional rollercoaster. I laughed at times, I cried at times. Then there was the time that I wanted to strangle Cullen with my bare hands. The chemistry between Taige and Cullen is undeniable, even through the rough patches. (And when I say rough, we’re talking like 40 grit sandpaper rough.) The intimate, sizzling love scenes had me salivating for more. Ms. Walker writes some good, dirty, borderline erotic love scenes (or maybe they are “erotic”…?). You, too, will be asking for more!
The Missing is the second book by Shiloh Walker that I have read. I thoroughly enjoyed Broken so when Ms. Walker asked if I would put together a book tour for the re-release of The Missing, I couldn’t say no.
I have to admit that I was a little apprehensive at first with the psychic element of the book but I was okay with the way things panned out. I wasn’t turned away by it; instead it drew me in.
I felt for Taige, really felt for her for all the trials and tribulations she had endured. She lost her parents at a young age thus has to live with her God-fearing uncle, who thinks she’s a demon child. She’s stuck with this so-called “gift” where she has psychic dreams and visions. Not only does a power like that make you feel obligated to do something with it, it also leaves you feeling guilty when you can’t.
Taige meets Cullen when she’s 15 years old in the summer of 1992. Cullen is on vacation with his family in Alabama where Taige lives. For him, it was instant attraction. He was determined to get to know Taige but she was a little reluctant at first, not wanting to be just a summer fling. But over the course of four years, the relationship between the two has definitely blossomed.
Then fate takes a turn for the worse when Cullen’s mother gets brutally murdered. Cullen blames Taige for not saving her in time. After a tension-filled romp, he tells Taige that he doesn’t want to see or talk to her again. Twelve years pass. Cullen has never stopped thinking about Taige. But now he needs her; his daughter has been kidnapped and he knows Taige is the only one that can help him find her.
I like the connection that is made between the characters. The storyline (and timeline) was thought out and planned very well. Without going into too much and giving anything away, there is a twist in the story that gave me chills.
The Missing took me on an emotional rollercoaster. I laughed at times, I cried at times. Then there was the time that I wanted to strangle Cullen with my bare hands. The chemistry between Taige and Cullen is undeniable, even through the rough patches. (And when I say rough, we’re talking like 40 grit sandpaper rough.) The intimate, sizzling love scenes had me salivating for more. Ms. Walker writes some good, dirty, borderline erotic love scenes (or maybe they are “erotic”…?). You, too, will be asking for more!
March 20, 2009
This book was better than I was expecting it to be. My last experience with Shiloh Walker's books left me unsatisfied. But I picked this one up because I have a liking for psychics. The back interested me enough to give her another chance. While it wasn't the best, it was far better than Through the Veil. I'd give it 3.5 really.
Taige (I never could guess how this name was supposed to be pronounced) has a psychic ability that everyone, including herself, is afraid of. It isn't until she meets Cullen that she finds someone who accepts her for who she is. She falls in love and everything is great until his mother is murdered. He just can't get over the fact that she didn't get some psychic vision in time and he blames her for not saving his mother. So they don't speak for 12 years. Then his daughter is kidnapped and he needs Taige to save her.
I liked the first section of the book far better than the rest. While I was reading to find out how Cullen dumped Taige, I couldn't put it down. Then it got less interesting as it went to the present.
I didn't like that Taige forgave Cullen so easily for what he had done to her. I mean, he was brutal about the whole thing. Maybe it had been 12 years earlier but I know that I would not have been so quick to forgive that kind of behavior.
The book was pretty short and I didn't think the characters were as developed as they could have been. The girl was barely kidnapped before they found her with no problems at all. Of course, the book was really about the two people getting back together, but the mystery was a little weak. I never could tell if the clues in the book were that good or if it was just so predictable, but I figured out the whole thing by the middle of the book. I knew in the beginning that the dream she had of the girl would be the daughter (no big surprise because the back tells as much) and I knew when they found the girl that Taige's uncle would be the killer. It was confirmed for me when he randomly popped back up in the book when she was an adult.
Taige (I never could guess how this name was supposed to be pronounced) has a psychic ability that everyone, including herself, is afraid of. It isn't until she meets Cullen that she finds someone who accepts her for who she is. She falls in love and everything is great until his mother is murdered. He just can't get over the fact that she didn't get some psychic vision in time and he blames her for not saving his mother. So they don't speak for 12 years. Then his daughter is kidnapped and he needs Taige to save her.
I liked the first section of the book far better than the rest. While I was reading to find out how Cullen dumped Taige, I couldn't put it down. Then it got less interesting as it went to the present.
I didn't like that Taige forgave Cullen so easily for what he had done to her. I mean, he was brutal about the whole thing. Maybe it had been 12 years earlier but I know that I would not have been so quick to forgive that kind of behavior.
The book was pretty short and I didn't think the characters were as developed as they could have been. The girl was barely kidnapped before they found her with no problems at all. Of course, the book was really about the two people getting back together, but the mystery was a little weak. I never could tell if the clues in the book were that good or if it was just so predictable, but I figured out the whole thing by the middle of the book. I knew in the beginning that the dream she had of the girl would be the daughter (no big surprise because the back tells as much) and I knew when they found the girl that Taige's uncle would be the killer. It was confirmed for me when he randomly popped back up in the book when she was an adult.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2010
This is my first book by Shiloh Walker that I've read and I have to say this it definitely won't be my last one. I've heard many good things about Walker and I decided to give her novels a try which is how I found out about her contest that would give me a try to sample her work. I won this ARC of her upcoming release
The Missing
, which comes out in two days on Tuesday November 4th. I loved it so much that I finished it in 8 hours max after I started reading it and I'm sure that is one of the top records for me finishing a book that I've started. In order to win this contest I had to have an established blog, which means I have to have posted fairly regular before posting about this book and I also had to write up an honest review on what I thought of this novel such as if I liked reading it or not.
My honest opinion of this novel is that I absoultely loved it! I think you might have figured it out when I mentioned that I finished it very quickly after I started reading it because I just couldn't put it down for more than 5 to 10 minutes. From the first two or three pages I knew I was hooked because I felt the characters popping out at me with such emotion that is always a good sign that I will be enjoying this novel very much...
Read More
My honest opinion of this novel is that I absoultely loved it! I think you might have figured it out when I mentioned that I finished it very quickly after I started reading it because I just couldn't put it down for more than 5 to 10 minutes. From the first two or three pages I knew I was hooked because I felt the characters popping out at me with such emotion that is always a good sign that I will be enjoying this novel very much...
Read More
October 14, 2010
oooh salah perkiraan
semula milih baca ini karena mengira genrenya fantasy/paranormal YA
pembukaannya pun cukup meyakinkan, seorang remaja yang punya kemampuan mencari
orang hilang - kadang bisa nyelamatin, kadang hanya mayatnya
tapi lanjutin baca bab berikutnya dan berikutnya
loh kok umurnya nambah terus... dan muatannya udah ga cocok buat genre young
adult *you knowlah hahaha*
ternyata ini paranormal romance - tapi karena kadung dibaca, ya sudahlah, bablas
sajaaa *terpaksa apa doyan :D*
sebenarnya ceritanya bagus loh - ditambah romance-nya yang lumayan hot haha
Taige yang punya 'kemampuan' menemukan orang hilang, pacaran dengan cowo kaya
raya, baik dll - tapi namanya Cullen *ishhhhh namanya :D*
hubungan mereka berjalan lancar meskipun mereka hanya ketemu saat libur musim
panas
sampai suatu hari ibu Cullen *ishhh* meninggal dibunuh dan Cullen *issh* menyalahkan Taige yang nggak bisa memberi peringatan sebelum musibah itu terjadi.
Putuslah mereka.
12 tahun berlalu - Taige udah jadi konsultan di fbi untuk kasus2 pencarian orang hilang, dan Cullen *ishhhh* jadi pengarang ngetop, duda satu anak
Suatu hari anak Cullen *isssh*, Jillian diculik - dan Taige pun dilibatkan untuk
mencarinya
bisa ditebak Taige - Cullen *isssh* masih saling suka pas ketemu lagi
dan penculik Jillian ternyata mengincar anak-anak 'berbakat'
tuh seru kan :D
semula milih baca ini karena mengira genrenya fantasy/paranormal YA
pembukaannya pun cukup meyakinkan, seorang remaja yang punya kemampuan mencari
orang hilang - kadang bisa nyelamatin, kadang hanya mayatnya
tapi lanjutin baca bab berikutnya dan berikutnya
loh kok umurnya nambah terus... dan muatannya udah ga cocok buat genre young
adult *you knowlah hahaha*
ternyata ini paranormal romance - tapi karena kadung dibaca, ya sudahlah, bablas
sajaaa *terpaksa apa doyan :D*
sebenarnya ceritanya bagus loh - ditambah romance-nya yang lumayan hot haha
Taige yang punya 'kemampuan' menemukan orang hilang, pacaran dengan cowo kaya
raya, baik dll - tapi namanya Cullen *ishhhhh namanya :D*
hubungan mereka berjalan lancar meskipun mereka hanya ketemu saat libur musim
panas
sampai suatu hari ibu Cullen *ishhh* meninggal dibunuh dan Cullen *issh* menyalahkan Taige yang nggak bisa memberi peringatan sebelum musibah itu terjadi.
Putuslah mereka.
12 tahun berlalu - Taige udah jadi konsultan di fbi untuk kasus2 pencarian orang hilang, dan Cullen *ishhhh* jadi pengarang ngetop, duda satu anak
Suatu hari anak Cullen *isssh*, Jillian diculik - dan Taige pun dilibatkan untuk
mencarinya
bisa ditebak Taige - Cullen *isssh* masih saling suka pas ketemu lagi
dan penculik Jillian ternyata mengincar anak-anak 'berbakat'
tuh seru kan :D
April 10, 2017
So I started this a long time ago and could not get through the prologue I was like ok ok get to the point can we move on please. So I set it aside. I finally picked it up again yesterday and basically started it completely over even though I vaguely remembered a few things. The length of the prologue is long because it helps us understand Taige and Cullen and how their relationship developed. I did like the book, but I felt like the circumstances of his child being kidnapped and the end result to be subpar. I expected a lot of bad things to happen to his daughter especially with what we find out, but she gets rescued fairly quickly. I didn't like that aspect of it especially since you'd think it would have a bigger impact. I eventually started to suspect someone when that person popped up again, but I wasn't 100% sure. When Taige gets a step closer to identifying the killer I suspected it might not be the initial person I thought and someone else entirely but also a lot closer to Taige but I was right with my original assessment. Over all the book is more so about the relationship than the investigation. The investigation just was there to move along the story and to close this killer out. Overall I did like the story.
June 2, 2012
Ironically I have TWO books on my bookshelf from Shiloh Walker that I have yet to read, but I checked out The Missing and The Departed from the library a while ago, so I have to get them read....and I think I am really going to enjoy reading ALL of Shiloh Walker's books!
This was a great read. Full of suspense and romance and sex and two characters that I just adored, even though I wanted to KICK CULLEN'S ASS at one point! I actually shed some tears while reading this one....mostly because of all the time that was wasted because Cullen was an a*hole. But what I loved the most was the undying love they carried for each other, even through the hurts.
I am looking forward to reading the next one. You get a little bit of Dev and a lot of Taylor in this book, and honestly, I can't imagine really LIKING Taylor......and to me, an AMAZING author can make you like a character that you thought was a total jerk at one point....so I am anxious to get on it!
This was a great read. Full of suspense and romance and sex and two characters that I just adored, even though I wanted to KICK CULLEN'S ASS at one point! I actually shed some tears while reading this one....mostly because of all the time that was wasted because Cullen was an a*hole. But what I loved the most was the undying love they carried for each other, even through the hurts.
I am looking forward to reading the next one. You get a little bit of Dev and a lot of Taylor in this book, and honestly, I can't imagine really LIKING Taylor......and to me, an AMAZING author can make you like a character that you thought was a total jerk at one point....so I am anxious to get on it!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 261 reviews