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Secrets & Shadows #3
Darker Than Desire
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…
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…
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 3, 2015
13 people are currently reading
1004 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!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
March 6, 2015
Things have building to a strong boil in this series since the shocking reveals in book one. It went from the discovery of a brutal murder to a horrific secret spanning generations and an entire community. Evil festered there and is still pouring out of the wound. Nobody is safe and everyone is under The Watcher's eyes. Secrets continue to surface and the death count continues to rise. In the center of it all, the man known as Caine stands firmly in the spotlight after emerging from the shadows of the past. Some say he is one the evil ones, others that he is a victim, but to Sybil, he is her man and she knows that she must fight hard and be tough if she is to win him.
This trilogy tells one story with a large cast of characters so that it is essential that it be read in order. This is the final book. I plan to be as spoiler-free as I can. In fact, I'm going to keep the hero's real name absent and use the name he used through the other two books so I don't spoil it for others.
The end of the last book has produced some pretty big reveals not the least of which is that one more key missing character from the past is revealed and carries his own secrets. He knows exactly who has been the vigilante silently taking down the worst of the evil men in their perverted club, but then this person too is struck down. Death and pain have surrounded the man known as Caine for much of his life. For a time, he was able to try to lose himself back in the shadows, but with Lana's return and all the secrets coming out, he will stand with her in front of the town who hid the horrors and look on him with revulsion. He was broken a long time ago and there is no putting him back together again. He doesn't know how to love, but he does know how to feel revenge and protect the one beautiful thing left to him even if it means walking away from Sybil.
Sybil has loved the man known as Caine for over ten years. He is cold, rough, banking furious fire behind that blank stare he turns on the world. Some would say he only comes to her to use her, but Sybil has lived a tough life and she knows what it means to be used. Caine may even call what they are doing using each other, but Sybil knows it is much more only he is so mixed up and messed up that he may never be able to take what she is offering. Sybil stands by him when the whispering and gossip starts, she stands beside him when he buries two men that were anchors in his life, she stands by him when he thinks his dark ugly secrets will drive her away in disgust, and she plans to stand by him now when he wants to push her away supposedly for her own good. Killings and attacks are happening all around him, but it is only Caine himself who can truly destroy her because he has her heart.
As with the stories before, this one holds many layers. It is parts suspense, romance and triumph of character. The suspense was just as twisty as ever. Just when I think stuff is starting to make sense, a whole new unleashing of killings start and they seem disconnected from the others. The killer is dangerous and seems to have an eye on the whole town. I enjoyed the added tension brought by The Watcher (aka Killer) getting to narrate some scenes along with Caine and Sybil.
The romance is stormy, passionate and rough because that is who these people are. They have been secretly together (for the sex Caine would say, but he's in denial) for about a decade so its not a new thing. Caine comes to Sybil when he needs to lose himself and she lets him just like she goes to him when she knows he needs her. On the surface, this may seem unhealthy, but when you're reading you get all the cues and nuances that there is a lot more going on. When I say rough, there is a bit more heat mentioned, but its not detailed out. Caine was sexually abused, physically abused, psychologically abused so he has some darker needs, but he doesn't hurt Sybil and he definitely doesn't do anything without her consent. They are right there together in this.
Through the series, the man known as Caine has been a strong character and present for the pivotal moments. He played a strong part in the drama of the past and he does in the present as well. He was once a helpless, terrified abused boy who did what he had to do to put himself back together and that included remaking himself and going cold and heartless to no longer be a frightened victim because those who should have loved, helped and protected him were the monsters. The cracks started to form in his emotional walls in the last book, but in this one, the walls are crumbling faster than he can build them up again and he is utterly exposed and its a terrifying process.
Then Drew had curled up on the couch and both of them had fallen asleep. How could they do that? Didn't they know what he was? What had been done to him and what he had done?
It was like they trusted him, and the very idea had left him shaken.
Trust was for people who actually had something in them worthy of trust. (He) was too...broken, with sharp, jagged edges left raw and exposed. Sometimes he imagined people could get too close and they'd draw bak bloody all because of those jagged edges. Loc 1139 Caine, Darker Than Desire
I enjoyed watching the romance in this one develop beyond the passion. All along, Caine had a strong champion in his woman. Even though he saw himself as stronger than she, really it was the other way around. Sybil grew up poor and hard. Her sister abuses multiple substances, leans hard on Sybil and leaves Sybil to care for her son. Sybil gladly takes Drew and builds a life for them out of grit and determination while not letting her sister emotionally blackmail her. As a heroine, Sybil was a strong woman and perfect for a man who will never be easy. She's tough, but sensible and sensitive. She doesn't play around and says what she feels even if she knows Caine can't or won't say it back. She is Caine's match in every way calling him on his crap and making it clear that he needs to choose her first or don't bother. They stand together through a lot of stuff in this book. I loved the scenes where he was in despair and falling apart and then she would be there to keep him together and whole.
What was it going to take to exhaust the eruption he could feel building inside?
There was a movement next to him and he tensed as somebody sank onto the sole remaining seat. A hand slid over his.
And just like that, some of the chaos in him eased. The pain was still there. It would probably always be.
But Sybil was there. Loc 2226 Caine, Darker Than Desire
I wanted to stand up and cheer when she told off a malicious town gossip and put some real fear in that woman while rousing half the town on Caine's behalf. What a gal! Do not mess with Sybil.
And as a side note, it was great getting to see past recurring characters from previous books get some good page time especially since this was the finale.
All in all, this was a riveting, gut-wrenching, fantastic series that stayed strong through all three volumes. Romance Suspense lovers who don't mind spice in their romance and a thrill to their suspense must try.
My thanks to St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
This trilogy tells one story with a large cast of characters so that it is essential that it be read in order. This is the final book. I plan to be as spoiler-free as I can. In fact, I'm going to keep the hero's real name absent and use the name he used through the other two books so I don't spoil it for others.
The end of the last book has produced some pretty big reveals not the least of which is that one more key missing character from the past is revealed and carries his own secrets. He knows exactly who has been the vigilante silently taking down the worst of the evil men in their perverted club, but then this person too is struck down. Death and pain have surrounded the man known as Caine for much of his life. For a time, he was able to try to lose himself back in the shadows, but with Lana's return and all the secrets coming out, he will stand with her in front of the town who hid the horrors and look on him with revulsion. He was broken a long time ago and there is no putting him back together again. He doesn't know how to love, but he does know how to feel revenge and protect the one beautiful thing left to him even if it means walking away from Sybil.
Sybil has loved the man known as Caine for over ten years. He is cold, rough, banking furious fire behind that blank stare he turns on the world. Some would say he only comes to her to use her, but Sybil has lived a tough life and she knows what it means to be used. Caine may even call what they are doing using each other, but Sybil knows it is much more only he is so mixed up and messed up that he may never be able to take what she is offering. Sybil stands by him when the whispering and gossip starts, she stands beside him when he buries two men that were anchors in his life, she stands by him when he thinks his dark ugly secrets will drive her away in disgust, and she plans to stand by him now when he wants to push her away supposedly for her own good. Killings and attacks are happening all around him, but it is only Caine himself who can truly destroy her because he has her heart.
As with the stories before, this one holds many layers. It is parts suspense, romance and triumph of character. The suspense was just as twisty as ever. Just when I think stuff is starting to make sense, a whole new unleashing of killings start and they seem disconnected from the others. The killer is dangerous and seems to have an eye on the whole town. I enjoyed the added tension brought by The Watcher (aka Killer) getting to narrate some scenes along with Caine and Sybil.
The romance is stormy, passionate and rough because that is who these people are. They have been secretly together (for the sex Caine would say, but he's in denial) for about a decade so its not a new thing. Caine comes to Sybil when he needs to lose himself and she lets him just like she goes to him when she knows he needs her. On the surface, this may seem unhealthy, but when you're reading you get all the cues and nuances that there is a lot more going on. When I say rough, there is a bit more heat mentioned, but its not detailed out. Caine was sexually abused, physically abused, psychologically abused so he has some darker needs, but he doesn't hurt Sybil and he definitely doesn't do anything without her consent. They are right there together in this.
Through the series, the man known as Caine has been a strong character and present for the pivotal moments. He played a strong part in the drama of the past and he does in the present as well. He was once a helpless, terrified abused boy who did what he had to do to put himself back together and that included remaking himself and going cold and heartless to no longer be a frightened victim because those who should have loved, helped and protected him were the monsters. The cracks started to form in his emotional walls in the last book, but in this one, the walls are crumbling faster than he can build them up again and he is utterly exposed and its a terrifying process.
Then Drew had curled up on the couch and both of them had fallen asleep. How could they do that? Didn't they know what he was? What had been done to him and what he had done?
It was like they trusted him, and the very idea had left him shaken.
Trust was for people who actually had something in them worthy of trust. (He) was too...broken, with sharp, jagged edges left raw and exposed. Sometimes he imagined people could get too close and they'd draw bak bloody all because of those jagged edges. Loc 1139 Caine, Darker Than Desire
I enjoyed watching the romance in this one develop beyond the passion. All along, Caine had a strong champion in his woman. Even though he saw himself as stronger than she, really it was the other way around. Sybil grew up poor and hard. Her sister abuses multiple substances, leans hard on Sybil and leaves Sybil to care for her son. Sybil gladly takes Drew and builds a life for them out of grit and determination while not letting her sister emotionally blackmail her. As a heroine, Sybil was a strong woman and perfect for a man who will never be easy. She's tough, but sensible and sensitive. She doesn't play around and says what she feels even if she knows Caine can't or won't say it back. She is Caine's match in every way calling him on his crap and making it clear that he needs to choose her first or don't bother. They stand together through a lot of stuff in this book. I loved the scenes where he was in despair and falling apart and then she would be there to keep him together and whole.
What was it going to take to exhaust the eruption he could feel building inside?
There was a movement next to him and he tensed as somebody sank onto the sole remaining seat. A hand slid over his.
And just like that, some of the chaos in him eased. The pain was still there. It would probably always be.
But Sybil was there. Loc 2226 Caine, Darker Than Desire
I wanted to stand up and cheer when she told off a malicious town gossip and put some real fear in that woman while rousing half the town on Caine's behalf. What a gal! Do not mess with Sybil.
And as a side note, it was great getting to see past recurring characters from previous books get some good page time especially since this was the finale.
All in all, this was a riveting, gut-wrenching, fantastic series that stayed strong through all three volumes. Romance Suspense lovers who don't mind spice in their romance and a thrill to their suspense must try.
My thanks to St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 26, 2015
ARC Review:
Originally posted at Love Affair with an e-Reader.
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.
IN A NUTSHELL:
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 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.
Originally posted at Love Affair with an e-Reader.
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.
IN A NUTSHELL:
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 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.
March 9, 2015
Fatal obsession is serious business in Darker than Desire. This is a story of pure heartbreak. Caine, the name David has been hiding behind for twenty years needs to be retired. David is a man tortured by his past and needed time to recover from the evils perpetrated upon him. When he takes on his real name again and shows his face around town, it kick starts a series of killings.
Ms. Walker creates a world of sorrow and suffering. The reader is thrown into a world of secrets and abuse. David's horrific history is slowly exposed in exacting precision, like a mortician performing an autopsy. The cause of this cancerous poison is just as bad as the reader expects. Ms. Walker creates a riveting story with characters torn apart by their inner demons. David is a man who has lost so much. Yet even in the darkest of times, he still carries a glimmer of hope. The way he response to Sybil is a positive sign. Sybil is really who wins the heart of the readers as she is constantly there to support David and sees him for who he really is, not the mask he wears.
What I really like about this book is how clear David is with his intentions of violence. This unashamed declaration of what he will do is refreshing. Other than his fear of love, his other emotions and feelings are clearly expressed and there are no misunderstandings. The controlled rage he demonstrates is impressive and for someone like me, seductive and arousing.
The plot device in this story kept my attention. The red herring thrown in with the kills of the sadistic bastards threw me. Because killing of one person make me question if there was a secondary subplot. This story seemed to be disconnected threads which Ms. Walker pulls together and suddenly the picture is clear as day. The ending is fitting and so good. David comes through a rebirth, as a phoenix rises out of ashes. I loved it. Recommended to romance lovers who find beauty and hope in the midst of chaos and heartbreak.
Ms. Walker creates a world of sorrow and suffering. The reader is thrown into a world of secrets and abuse. David's horrific history is slowly exposed in exacting precision, like a mortician performing an autopsy. The cause of this cancerous poison is just as bad as the reader expects. Ms. Walker creates a riveting story with characters torn apart by their inner demons. David is a man who has lost so much. Yet even in the darkest of times, he still carries a glimmer of hope. The way he response to Sybil is a positive sign. Sybil is really who wins the heart of the readers as she is constantly there to support David and sees him for who he really is, not the mask he wears.
What I really like about this book is how clear David is with his intentions of violence. This unashamed declaration of what he will do is refreshing. Other than his fear of love, his other emotions and feelings are clearly expressed and there are no misunderstandings. The controlled rage he demonstrates is impressive and for someone like me, seductive and arousing.
The plot device in this story kept my attention. The red herring thrown in with the kills of the sadistic bastards threw me. Because killing of one person make me question if there was a secondary subplot. This story seemed to be disconnected threads which Ms. Walker pulls together and suddenly the picture is clear as day. The ending is fitting and so good. David comes through a rebirth, as a phoenix rises out of ashes. I loved it. Recommended to romance lovers who find beauty and hope in the midst of chaos and heartbreak.
March 3, 2015
DARKER THAN DESIRE is an emotionally disturbing and enthralling read. Both David and Sybil have difficult and complicated lives. Although they have found comfort in each other their relationship is far from comfortable. David has survived a horrific childhood where he was abused at the hands of adults as well as by the man who was supposed to love and protect him. His father was truly a monstrous man and to even think of someone like him having access to any child is chilling. Any form of child abuse is difficult to read about, but what David endured is so awful that you have to wonder how he was able to survive it as intact as he did.
Sybil has family issues as well. Dealing with a drug addict sister while trying to raise her nephew without any real legal right to him keeps Sybil on edge as well. While caring for David is something she can't seem to keep herself from doing, Sybil does recognize David's limitations when it comes to loving her back.
DARKER THAN DESIRE is a wonderfully dense and complicated romantic suspense story. This book is not at all that comfortable to read. There's no real romance in the traditional boy meets girl sense. There's abuse, death, and people getting away with things for way too long. However, I really enjoyed it. There was never a really good stopping point for me as I read it. It was always a case of "I'll just read a little more and then stop." I loved the story, I loved the writing, and I will definitely dive into more books by Shiloh Walker in the near future!
You can find more from me at Monlatable Book Reviews
http://www.monlatablereviews.com/
Sybil has family issues as well. Dealing with a drug addict sister while trying to raise her nephew without any real legal right to him keeps Sybil on edge as well. While caring for David is something she can't seem to keep herself from doing, Sybil does recognize David's limitations when it comes to loving her back.
DARKER THAN DESIRE is a wonderfully dense and complicated romantic suspense story. This book is not at all that comfortable to read. There's no real romance in the traditional boy meets girl sense. There's abuse, death, and people getting away with things for way too long. However, I really enjoyed it. There was never a really good stopping point for me as I read it. It was always a case of "I'll just read a little more and then stop." I loved the story, I loved the writing, and I will definitely dive into more books by Shiloh Walker in the near future!
You can find more from me at Monlatable Book Reviews
http://www.monlatablereviews.com/
September 16, 2015
As usual I am not surprised to find myself on the edge of my seat dying to know who is behind something, trying to put together all the clues in my mind as I read one of Shiloh Walker’s books. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. No one does romantic suspense and intrigue better than Shiloh Walker. DARKER THAN DESIRE was insightful, sinful, and stimulating. This is not the type of mindless book you just skim through to pass the time. It’s the type of book you want to solve right along with the characters. And I love every second it.
The hero, Caine (or as he’s known up to now in the series), is a broken man. Abused as a child and raised by an Amish community, he’s never really known love. He’s never known caring. He’s never had help. He’s shown the only member of his family love in a very unique way. He’s not one to say I love you, but actions do speak louder than words at times. He’s only cared for Sybil in the only way he knows how. It was heart-warming to see him grow comfortable with his feelings throughout the book. Try and get over some of his issues and let someone in that cares for him. Let himself be loved, as much as caring for someone else. This process might’ve been my second favorite thing about this book because it was done perfectly. You can’t help but love Caine and your heart goes out to him.
Sybil is also a kick ass chick. She’s tough, she’s had to be to live in a small town and face the judgement of everyone about her sister’s choices. Helping her sister raise her own kid. She’s always had to be that rock in her family. And she’s wanted to do the same for Caine. A man that doesn’t open up easily. When to say it’s enough? When to cut ties with a man who doesn’t let you in? She’s a fighter, and that’s what I love about her. And she was strong enough to do what needed to be done for her own good at times.
The drama and murder in the small town of Madison continues and it’s amped up in this last installment. We saw many loved characters come back for a sneak appearance. There were also a few funerals. As always, we get the perspective from the chilling POV of the killer. That always adds an extra layer of intrigue for me since I’m sitting there trying to figure out who that person is! I can honestly say I was off base on this one. Yet again! And I absolutely love how Shiloh Walker can keep me guessing and as much as I pride myself in solving mysteries like this usually rather quickly, the possibility of this one didn’t cross my mind.
DARKER THAN DESIRE is intense, rough and raw, the story just as much as the relationship and chemistry between Sybil and Caine. Believe me, you won’t want to miss this one!
Favorite quote:
“You’re in my blood, in my soul. I can’t remember a time anymore when I didn’t need you.”
*ARC provided by publisher
April 29, 2015
When I finished this book I took a deeeeppppp breath!
This whole series is such a dark, dark, ugly, depressing, wonderful, interesting, hot, heartbreaking romance and I loved everything about it!
Yes, I know, it's a contradiction, but it's so very true!
They way everything came along it's truly great!
The love story here was long in the air. It could be considered like an almost abusive, but it is not - it is heartbreaking!
After all David went true: the betrayal and mistreatment and torture of his parents, I couldn't expect anything different! Since he appeared, I wanted to cry for him. I wanted to enfold him in my arms and sooth his every hurt.
How parents, and here we have many such parents, could do that to their kids, it's hard to believe! I think they got it easy. If it were me they would have suffered the same hurts they inflicted to their children! Yes, I'm that bloodthirsty! And I'm not ashamed to be it!
As I said in my reviews of the previous books, here we have a really cursed town! Cursed with twisted parents, and some grown up children that got twisted by them! Thanks God not every tormented children became twisted too.
But the worst was that those not twisted were made to look like the bad guys by all the other town folk!!!!
I was sick to my stomach to read some of the evil gossip about them! The righteous people who judged without knowing anything!!!!
The killer here was not connected with the cursed Cronus Club, but it was the sick love that made it a real psychopath! I will not tell you who the killer is: it would spoil the book for you, but you'll get it (or at least I got it! LOL) very soon!
The love between David and Sybil was, as understandable, very difficult.
After everything David’s gone through… poor guy, it was a miracle he could and was willing to give love a chance!
The heroine, Sybil, could have been perceived like a doormat, but it is not true. She’s just madly in love with a very difficult and wounded man and she understands that her way is the only one that has a sliver of possibility to heal him and to convince him that love exists. She’s strong and stubborn, but vulnerable at the same time.
She’s been loving the broken David for more than a decade, but when he rejects her for the umpteenth time and when she’s the one being vulnerable is straw that breaks the camel, so she throw him out from her life. And only then David feel what she have felt for decade and starts thinking rationally and thus healing and acknowledging that what he feels for Sybil is much more than what he thought.
A wonderful love story in the midst of a nightmare-worthy town!
This whole series is such a dark, dark, ugly, depressing, wonderful, interesting, hot, heartbreaking romance and I loved everything about it!
Yes, I know, it's a contradiction, but it's so very true!
They way everything came along it's truly great!
The love story here was long in the air. It could be considered like an almost abusive, but it is not - it is heartbreaking!
After all David went true: the betrayal and mistreatment and torture of his parents, I couldn't expect anything different! Since he appeared, I wanted to cry for him. I wanted to enfold him in my arms and sooth his every hurt.
How parents, and here we have many such parents, could do that to their kids, it's hard to believe! I think they got it easy. If it were me they would have suffered the same hurts they inflicted to their children! Yes, I'm that bloodthirsty! And I'm not ashamed to be it!
As I said in my reviews of the previous books, here we have a really cursed town! Cursed with twisted parents, and some grown up children that got twisted by them! Thanks God not every tormented children became twisted too.
But the worst was that those not twisted were made to look like the bad guys by all the other town folk!!!!
I was sick to my stomach to read some of the evil gossip about them! The righteous people who judged without knowing anything!!!!
The killer here was not connected with the cursed Cronus Club, but it was the sick love that made it a real psychopath! I will not tell you who the killer is: it would spoil the book for you, but you'll get it (or at least I got it! LOL) very soon!
The love between David and Sybil was, as understandable, very difficult.
After everything David’s gone through… poor guy, it was a miracle he could and was willing to give love a chance!
The heroine, Sybil, could have been perceived like a doormat, but it is not true. She’s just madly in love with a very difficult and wounded man and she understands that her way is the only one that has a sliver of possibility to heal him and to convince him that love exists. She’s strong and stubborn, but vulnerable at the same time.
She’s been loving the broken David for more than a decade, but when he rejects her for the umpteenth time and when she’s the one being vulnerable is straw that breaks the camel, so she throw him out from her life. And only then David feel what she have felt for decade and starts thinking rationally and thus healing and acknowledging that what he feels for Sybil is much more than what he thought.
A wonderful love story in the midst of a nightmare-worthy town!
March 9, 2015
Dark, twisted and depressing... What's not to love? :)
March 16, 2015
As usual I am not surprised to find myself on the edge of my seat dying to know who is behind something, trying to put together all the clues in my mind as I read one of Shiloh Walker's books. I've said it before and I'll say it again. No one does romantic suspense and intrigue better than Shiloh Walker. DARKER THAN DESIRE was insightful, sinful, and stimulating. This is not the type of mindless book you just skim through to pass the time. It's the type of book you want to solve right along with the characters. And I love every second it.
The hero, Caine (or as he's known up to now in the series), is a broken man. Abused as a child and raised by an Amish community, he's never really known love. He's never known caring. He's never had help. He's shown the only member of his family love in a very unique way. He's not one to say I love you, but actions do speak louder than words at times. He's only cared for Sybil in the only way he knows how. It was heart-warming to see him grow comfortable with his feelings throughout the book. Try and get over some of his issues and let someone in that cares for him. Let himself be loved, as much as caring for someone else. This process might've been my second favorite thing about this book because it was done perfectly. You can't help but love Caine and your heart goes out to him.
Sybil is also a kick ass chick. She's tough, she's had to be to live in a small town and face the judgement of everyone about her sister's choices. Helping her sister raise her own kid. She's always had to be that rock in her family. And she's wanted to do the same for Caine. A man that doesn't open up easily. When to say it's enough? When to cut ties with a man who doesn't let you in? She's a fighter, and that's what I love about her. And she was strong enough to do what needed to be done for her own good at times.
The drama and murder in the small town of Madison continues and it's amped up in this last installment. We saw many loved characters come back for a sneak appearance. There were also a few funerals. As always, we get the perspective from the chilling POV of the killer. That always adds an extra layer of intrigue for me since I'm sitting there trying to figure out who that person is! I can honestly say I was off base on this one. Yet again! And I absolutely love how Shiloh Walker can keep me guessing and as much as I pride myself in solving mysteries like this usually rather quickly, the possibility of this one didn't cross my mind.
DARKER THAN DESIRE is intense, rough and raw, the story just as much as the relationship and chemistry between Sybil and Caine. Believe me, you won't want to miss this one!
Favorite quote:
"You're in my blood, in my soul. I can't remember a time anymore when I didn't need you."
*ARC provided by publisher
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March 12, 2015
Full disclosure: I haven’t read any of the other books in this series; but each is touted as a standalone, so I didn’t think I would be at too much of a disadvantage. I felt that I picked up on the relationships of the characters pretty well, so it can be done.
Have you ever read an Amish erotica, mystery novel? No? WELL I NOW HAVE. We’re immediately thrust into David’s world where he has been staying and hiding in plain sight with the Amish for the past twenty years. He and a girl, Lana, disappeared one night twenty years ago from the nearby town. The same night David’s parent’s were killed. No one knew what happened to them and after a vigil was held their disappearance fell off the radar.
However, twenty years later, strange things are happening both in town & in the Amish community. David realizes that it’s time to come out of hiding and face whatever demons his past is dishing up to serve him. However, even though he believes he’s a broken shell of a man, he refuses to bring Sybil into the line of fire. She’s the only person left alive who he actually feels anything for. David is somewhat cold and calculating, a leftover result of the horrors he was treated to as a child.
Sybil, his sort-of-girlfriend for the past ten years, is much smarter than David gives her credit for. She knows what’s going on – knows all of David’s secrets, even without him telling her – and she has stuck it out with the scraps he’s thrown her for the past ten years. I really liked Sybil on the whole. I thought she was sexy, smart and could hold her own. I went back and forth on David. I just really wanted him to get his shit together.
The book was really slow moving for me for the first 60% or so. I don’t know if it’s because the POV changed so often and I got confused (because that definitely happened) or if the dialogue was slow or what. I think it was a combination of those things that really had me struggling for the first part of the book. There are some seriously hot sex scenes, but there were a lot more David talking to the police/David in a field/David brooding alone/David talking to his elders scenes. I don’t need a book to be all sex (in fact, I happen to enjoy a plot) but there was just SO MUCH going on that I was spending so much time connecting the dots and the characters and locations that I think I was missing the story. However, as the mystery and the drama heats up in the book I began to become more invested and the second half of the book flew by.
The ending will definitely satisfy you and overall, this is a good mystery/romance read that was so original I could hardly believe what I was reading.
[I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review]
See this review on my blog here: http://obsessedwithmyshelf.com/2015/0...
Have you ever read an Amish erotica, mystery novel? No? WELL I NOW HAVE. We’re immediately thrust into David’s world where he has been staying and hiding in plain sight with the Amish for the past twenty years. He and a girl, Lana, disappeared one night twenty years ago from the nearby town. The same night David’s parent’s were killed. No one knew what happened to them and after a vigil was held their disappearance fell off the radar.
However, twenty years later, strange things are happening both in town & in the Amish community. David realizes that it’s time to come out of hiding and face whatever demons his past is dishing up to serve him. However, even though he believes he’s a broken shell of a man, he refuses to bring Sybil into the line of fire. She’s the only person left alive who he actually feels anything for. David is somewhat cold and calculating, a leftover result of the horrors he was treated to as a child.
Sybil, his sort-of-girlfriend for the past ten years, is much smarter than David gives her credit for. She knows what’s going on – knows all of David’s secrets, even without him telling her – and she has stuck it out with the scraps he’s thrown her for the past ten years. I really liked Sybil on the whole. I thought she was sexy, smart and could hold her own. I went back and forth on David. I just really wanted him to get his shit together.
The book was really slow moving for me for the first 60% or so. I don’t know if it’s because the POV changed so often and I got confused (because that definitely happened) or if the dialogue was slow or what. I think it was a combination of those things that really had me struggling for the first part of the book. There are some seriously hot sex scenes, but there were a lot more David talking to the police/David in a field/David brooding alone/David talking to his elders scenes. I don’t need a book to be all sex (in fact, I happen to enjoy a plot) but there was just SO MUCH going on that I was spending so much time connecting the dots and the characters and locations that I think I was missing the story. However, as the mystery and the drama heats up in the book I began to become more invested and the second half of the book flew by.
The ending will definitely satisfy you and overall, this is a good mystery/romance read that was so original I could hardly believe what I was reading.
[I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review]
See this review on my blog here: http://obsessedwithmyshelf.com/2015/0...
March 31, 2015
Solid 4-star conclusion to great suspense/mystery series.
This review is also posted on my blog - Ellie Reads Fiction
This the final book in the Secrets and Shadows series and it concludes a very gritty and raw romantic suspense/mystery story. I liked this series but I have to warn it's not for the faint of heart. There is no real graphic description of the violence the characters suffered but we see its devastating consequences everywhere and there were parts that were painful to read through.
It's a character driven story of dark secrets and even darker past and in this book we finally see the mystery fully unraveled. Ms Walker has managed to keep the suspense throughout the three books building the tension to its culmination here.
I'd say this was the hardest story of the three since it focused on the main victim, Cain/David. We see a grown-up man who had suffered horrible abuse as a child which has shaped him today. His struggles with himself broke my heart for him more than once. I understood his need to act cold and unfeeling, running away hiding but the time has come for him to face the past, and try to look forward to the future.
Sybil was a great character - complex, strong. She has been in love with David for years and has tried to give him eveyrthing he needed - understanding, acceptance, love. Still, she wants all or nothing with him and doesn't let him push her around, even if he thinks it's for her own good.
The mystery plot had quite a few unexpected twists and turns which I really didn't see coming, some action, but most importantly some passionate, rough well-deserved love.
It's a dark, but felt real, very emotionally intense, the consequences of child abuse are horrific. It's not by any means a comfortable read, yet an engaging, I-put-it-down book.
It can be read as a standalone, though we see a lot of characters from the previous books, we even often get their POVs and it could be confusing. I recommend reading the whole series in order to get a better understanding of the thriller aspect of the story.
My only minor complaint is that I felt some things were left unresolved in the end. I'll put them in spoiler tags in my GR review if you are curious about them. They didn't affect the romance at all and the mystery was also resolved to my satisfaction even these tiny loose ends.
Recommended romantic suspense/mystery series!
This review is also posted on my blog - Ellie Reads Fiction
This the final book in the Secrets and Shadows series and it concludes a very gritty and raw romantic suspense/mystery story. I liked this series but I have to warn it's not for the faint of heart. There is no real graphic description of the violence the characters suffered but we see its devastating consequences everywhere and there were parts that were painful to read through.
It's a character driven story of dark secrets and even darker past and in this book we finally see the mystery fully unraveled. Ms Walker has managed to keep the suspense throughout the three books building the tension to its culmination here.
I'd say this was the hardest story of the three since it focused on the main victim, Cain/David. We see a grown-up man who had suffered horrible abuse as a child which has shaped him today. His struggles with himself broke my heart for him more than once. I understood his need to act cold and unfeeling, running away hiding but the time has come for him to face the past, and try to look forward to the future.
Sybil was a great character - complex, strong. She has been in love with David for years and has tried to give him eveyrthing he needed - understanding, acceptance, love. Still, she wants all or nothing with him and doesn't let him push her around, even if he thinks it's for her own good.
The mystery plot had quite a few unexpected twists and turns which I really didn't see coming, some action, but most importantly some passionate, rough well-deserved love.
It's a dark, but felt real, very emotionally intense, the consequences of child abuse are horrific. It's not by any means a comfortable read, yet an engaging, I-put-it-down book.
It can be read as a standalone, though we see a lot of characters from the previous books, we even often get their POVs and it could be confusing. I recommend reading the whole series in order to get a better understanding of the thriller aspect of the story.
My only minor complaint is that I felt some things were left unresolved in the end. I'll put them in spoiler tags in my GR review if you are curious about them. They didn't affect the romance at all and the mystery was also resolved to my satisfaction even these tiny loose ends.
Recommended romantic suspense/mystery series!
March 3, 2015
Shiloh Walker creates some brilliantly dark and obsessive romantic thrillers that set her readers on the edge with suspense and danger. Secrets & Shadows Series is a saga of people embroiled in an evil that spans generations in the tiny town of Madison; a town that is steeped in secrets and evil hiding in plain sight.
The sixth book in the series of Secrets and Shadows may very well put to rest the evil and the legacy of abuse that has been a part of Madison for generations. “Darker Than Desire” is a magnetic story of David Sutter (aka Caine Yoder), a man so tormented by an abusive past, that he can’t let the light of love into his heart. Dangerous and hard, David Sutter fears that the legacy of his past is flowing in his veins to accept or embrace the support and love that Sybil Chalmers has been offering for the past ten years.
Raising her nephew and keeping him away from her drug addict sister, Sybil Chalmers is sassy, courageous and one kick-ass lady who can brave any hardship that gets thrown in her face. Loving David for the past ten years, and giving her heart away to him, sure puts her in the way of heartbreak, and David’s past leads her right into the crosshairs of an obsessive killer hell bent on claiming David.
As the evil closes in on him and the residents of Madison, it is left to David to make a decision whether to give up his relationship with Sybil for his past or be strong enough to stay with Sybil and once and for all, put an end to the legacy and evil that’s been haunting Madison and harming the people he’s come to care about.
“Darker Than Desire” is by far the most intense and emotional book of the series, in my opinion. Shiloh Walker did a magnificent job of creating David Sutter, with so much depth and torment that hurts you to the core. His pain is your pain, and his anguish is your anguish. And Sybil is one strong and tenacious lady who fights for her love in the face of danger. Being the voice of reason, her character is created to perfection and the perfect balance to David’s dynamics.
Dark, Intense, Dangerous, Spellbinding and Passionate!!!
Received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley for an honest review.
The sixth book in the series of Secrets and Shadows may very well put to rest the evil and the legacy of abuse that has been a part of Madison for generations. “Darker Than Desire” is a magnetic story of David Sutter (aka Caine Yoder), a man so tormented by an abusive past, that he can’t let the light of love into his heart. Dangerous and hard, David Sutter fears that the legacy of his past is flowing in his veins to accept or embrace the support and love that Sybil Chalmers has been offering for the past ten years.
Raising her nephew and keeping him away from her drug addict sister, Sybil Chalmers is sassy, courageous and one kick-ass lady who can brave any hardship that gets thrown in her face. Loving David for the past ten years, and giving her heart away to him, sure puts her in the way of heartbreak, and David’s past leads her right into the crosshairs of an obsessive killer hell bent on claiming David.
As the evil closes in on him and the residents of Madison, it is left to David to make a decision whether to give up his relationship with Sybil for his past or be strong enough to stay with Sybil and once and for all, put an end to the legacy and evil that’s been haunting Madison and harming the people he’s come to care about.
“Darker Than Desire” is by far the most intense and emotional book of the series, in my opinion. Shiloh Walker did a magnificent job of creating David Sutter, with so much depth and torment that hurts you to the core. His pain is your pain, and his anguish is your anguish. And Sybil is one strong and tenacious lady who fights for her love in the face of danger. Being the voice of reason, her character is created to perfection and the perfect balance to David’s dynamics.
Dark, Intense, Dangerous, Spellbinding and Passionate!!!
Received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley for an honest review.
December 10, 2015
I started this series with this book, book 3 and I would strongly discourage another from doing so, ALOT was left unanswered and I found myself reading my GR friends reviews of previous books in the series so that I did not ruin this book for myself.
This book revolves around Cain(David) who's father was the leader of a group of severe abusers that trickled down from generation to generation. He would take Cain to this group and allow them to physically and sexually abuse the boy.Darker than Desire opens with Cain's new father's death, he has been hiding away with the Amish. But now he is heading back to the town it all happened in. Madison is a creepy little town with lots of secrets and is currently the site of unsolved Murders. David holds secrets that could help solve the mysterious murders from years ago.
Sybil a photographer raising her nephew, has been in a quasi-relationship with David for a decade, however it is not a healthy relationship and he only comes around when it is convenient for him. He is NOT the relationship type.
The murderer seems to be on Sybil's tail and they have to figure it out before its too late !!!
I was not expecting the darkness in this book. There were alot of developments that left me with my mouth handing open. Everyone in this book was messed up in some way.
I would recommend this SERIES in order to anyone that enjoys grit and mystery. ;)
This book revolves around Cain(David) who's father was the leader of a group of severe abusers that trickled down from generation to generation. He would take Cain to this group and allow them to physically and sexually abuse the boy.Darker than Desire opens with Cain's new father's death, he has been hiding away with the Amish. But now he is heading back to the town it all happened in. Madison is a creepy little town with lots of secrets and is currently the site of unsolved Murders. David holds secrets that could help solve the mysterious murders from years ago.
Sybil a photographer raising her nephew, has been in a quasi-relationship with David for a decade, however it is not a healthy relationship and he only comes around when it is convenient for him. He is NOT the relationship type.
The murderer seems to be on Sybil's tail and they have to figure it out before its too late !!!
I was not expecting the darkness in this book. There were alot of developments that left me with my mouth handing open. Everyone in this book was messed up in some way.
I would recommend this SERIES in order to anyone that enjoys grit and mystery. ;)
April 11, 2015
I’ve reviewed 380 books for AAR over the last five years. 28 of those reviews are C-, only 19 books have a lower grade than that. Which means that I tend to like what I read – or at the very least find it acceptably average. This book was a meandering mess that was painful to read and I will now have 20 reviews that have a grade lower than C-.
David Sutter, who hid out for a while under the name Cain Yoder, is a mess internally. His parents have done a real number on his psyche. The crazy town he lived in had left him mentally damaged. He’s effed up. Emotionally damaged. Permanently scarred. He’s deranged, demented, screwed up. In fact, we spend the first hundred pages of this novel mostly hearing about just how screwed up David is – at least, according to him.
Life handed Sybil Chalmers an endless array of lemons but she has managed to turn most of it into lemonade. She plans to do the same with her relationship with David. For the last decade he has been making bootie calls after her nephew falls asleep. As a result, the only relationship Sybil and David have would seem to be purely physical. Sybil sees it differently; she is convinced the sex has led to trust and the trust to connection. But she wants more. See the rest of my reviewhere
David Sutter, who hid out for a while under the name Cain Yoder, is a mess internally. His parents have done a real number on his psyche. The crazy town he lived in had left him mentally damaged. He’s effed up. Emotionally damaged. Permanently scarred. He’s deranged, demented, screwed up. In fact, we spend the first hundred pages of this novel mostly hearing about just how screwed up David is – at least, according to him.
Life handed Sybil Chalmers an endless array of lemons but she has managed to turn most of it into lemonade. She plans to do the same with her relationship with David. For the last decade he has been making bootie calls after her nephew falls asleep. As a result, the only relationship Sybil and David have would seem to be purely physical. Sybil sees it differently; she is convinced the sex has led to trust and the trust to connection. But she wants more. See the rest of my reviewhere
March 5, 2015
The past is still haunting David, even now when he´s given up his hiding and alter ego of amish Caine. Back in Madison everyone gossips and he can´t trust anyone, except Sybil. She´s the only one able to touch him and make him feel.
Sybil´s known since Caine resurfaced in Madison ten years ago, that he was the prodigal son back in disguise, but she never knew the true extent of the disaster he fled, or how much damage it truly did.
Now that the police finally are investigating and charging the guilty ones, maybe truth can come out in the open and people can start healing.
Can they stop the evil cycle this time?
Then someone start targeting people again, and new murders shake the little town. Is it still all connected with the ugly, old history?
Contemporary Romance, suspense and smutty fluff in an awesome combo. Love this series and great seeing Caine finally get his own HEA =)
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Sybil´s known since Caine resurfaced in Madison ten years ago, that he was the prodigal son back in disguise, but she never knew the true extent of the disaster he fled, or how much damage it truly did.
Now that the police finally are investigating and charging the guilty ones, maybe truth can come out in the open and people can start healing.
Can they stop the evil cycle this time?
Then someone start targeting people again, and new murders shake the little town. Is it still all connected with the ugly, old history?
Contemporary Romance, suspense and smutty fluff in an awesome combo. Love this series and great seeing Caine finally get his own HEA =)
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
March 18, 2015
Darker than Desire is the final installment in Walker’s Shadows & Secrets series. The main catalyst in a horrific case of serial abuse that blew a small town apart has come out of hiding to face his fears, his enemies, and to see justice served once and for all. David (Caine) fights against inner demons as he struggles to try and hold onto the one person who makes him whole-Sybil Chalmers. Dark and volatile, Walker blends a compelling romance with a suspenseful ending to the long standing arc. A few unique twist only adds to the explosive ending.
July 19, 2016
The intensity in this third book starts from the beginning and does not stop all the way till the last page. For me it was the best book of the trilogy and tied up each loose end very neatly, especially loved the way in which previous characters relationships were further touched upon as new ones were built for Adam and his lady of choice.
The secrets were taken out of the shadows and brought out into the bright light of day, forever changing lives for those in Madison in the best way possible.
The secrets were taken out of the shadows and brought out into the bright light of day, forever changing lives for those in Madison in the best way possible.
June 5, 2018
Very dark, David is very broody, he was horrifically abused as a child, and all the abusers haven't been brought to the light. Sybil has stood bedside him for ten years but when David finally comes out to the public he pushes her away in an attempt to protect her. Their lovemaking can be very rough. There is finally resolution to the mystery and murders in this series. Not my favorite, I'm not a fan of the breaking up to protect you type of story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2025
excellent series great mysteries and characters
Dark and sometimes sad, but satisfying characters. A few usage errors, but worth reading. I am going to look for more novels by Shiloh Walker.
Dark and sometimes sad, but satisfying characters. A few usage errors, but worth reading. I am going to look for more novels by Shiloh Walker.
Read
May 26, 2021deep roots in the amish community and the secrets that take place in the families that affect everyone
this was a good read
this was a good read
library
July 30, 20210
February 28, 2015
Finding closure...
This is the third full length novel in the Secrets & Shadows series. This is a series best read in order for prior developments are mentioned and it’s a continuing storyline though it can be read as a standalone for enough information of prior events is disseminated.
Sybil Chalmers has been in love with an Amish man for ten years, a man not of their faith but hiding within it. She’s cherished their stolen moments and wished for more, she’s waited for him. She’s also known there was more to him than most people saw, she figured out who he was and it didn’t matter for she saw through to the man within. I liked Sybil, she’s a good woman who stands up for herself and others and knows what she wants. She cares for her nephew since her sister won’t or can’t. She trusts David even when he doesn’t trust himself and doesn’t care what others think of him, she can handle what is thrown at her, she’s had her share of problems and always has.
David Sutter (Caine Yoder) has been hiding in plain sight for years, no one notices the Amish. They gave him a place of refuge when he needed it and the time to grow and mature to the man that he now is, a broken man that nobody sees. He is not of the faith and longs to be free but it isn’t until a friend from the past who tried to help him is in trouble that he took back his name. When family is targeted he returns to town and is faced with the past that he can no longer hide from. He seeks to finally shut down the Cronus Club by putting all the remaining pieces together from his memories and information that he finds but it’s the peace that he feels with Sybil that keeps him grounded, nothing has ever done that for him but her. Those who should have loved him hurt him so love isn’t something that he knows well of. But can he trust himself to be with someone with his torments and family legacy? Can he subject Sybil and her nephew to the speculation that they’ll have to endure from being with him? Can he keep her safe from those that still threaten?
Once again we return to the town of Madison, Indiana, the place where atrocities were committed and passed down to the next generations. The depth of the depravity seems to have no end as we learn more and more but in this book there are twists that I did not see coming, some good revelations some bad. This is the first story in the series featuring one of the direct victims of the Cronus Club. His emotions were well portrayed and heartbreaking, his vulnerabilities so believable. Sybil is the perfect complement for David. Their attraction is intense; their feelings ran deep though David tries to hide from them. We are given multiple points of view which is a great insight into the minds of our protagonists, especially David.
I found the look into the difference between a person that is broken and one that’s insane interesting. Just because you’re broken does not necessarily make you evil. Seeing an example of an evil obsession gave David the push to want more than to be alone. Being a man with the pains that he lives with, he is not an evil person. He had the strength when young to fight to leave the horrors of his life more than once. He was the catalyst to ending it all for everyone though it took twenty years to come to fruition. David is a stronger man than he thought he was, something that he had to come to realize as well as that he was deserving and capable of love. There is finally closure to this darkness and perhaps the folks in this town can now begin to heal but there will be those who’ll remember so that it won’t happen again. The ending left me smiling; there was humor and happy tears after all of the darkness.
Shiloh Walker captured my attention with another dark romantic suspense. I cannot help but get invested in her tortured characters that really come to life with her words. The many interwoven threads of the storyline kept me trying to figure out the answers to the mysteries which just added to my enjoyment of the read. I look forward to more of her stories.
There is one sex scene that this reader wished had been excluded and I will admit that I do not like running across this in the books that I read. But considering what was done to David when he was young that he would want to let alone actually subject the woman that he cares about to the same thing did not sit well. But then perhaps in some strange way that this reader could not fathom he was exorcising his demons.
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
4.5 stars
This is the third full length novel in the Secrets & Shadows series. This is a series best read in order for prior developments are mentioned and it’s a continuing storyline though it can be read as a standalone for enough information of prior events is disseminated.
Sybil Chalmers has been in love with an Amish man for ten years, a man not of their faith but hiding within it. She’s cherished their stolen moments and wished for more, she’s waited for him. She’s also known there was more to him than most people saw, she figured out who he was and it didn’t matter for she saw through to the man within. I liked Sybil, she’s a good woman who stands up for herself and others and knows what she wants. She cares for her nephew since her sister won’t or can’t. She trusts David even when he doesn’t trust himself and doesn’t care what others think of him, she can handle what is thrown at her, she’s had her share of problems and always has.
David Sutter (Caine Yoder) has been hiding in plain sight for years, no one notices the Amish. They gave him a place of refuge when he needed it and the time to grow and mature to the man that he now is, a broken man that nobody sees. He is not of the faith and longs to be free but it isn’t until a friend from the past who tried to help him is in trouble that he took back his name. When family is targeted he returns to town and is faced with the past that he can no longer hide from. He seeks to finally shut down the Cronus Club by putting all the remaining pieces together from his memories and information that he finds but it’s the peace that he feels with Sybil that keeps him grounded, nothing has ever done that for him but her. Those who should have loved him hurt him so love isn’t something that he knows well of. But can he trust himself to be with someone with his torments and family legacy? Can he subject Sybil and her nephew to the speculation that they’ll have to endure from being with him? Can he keep her safe from those that still threaten?
Once again we return to the town of Madison, Indiana, the place where atrocities were committed and passed down to the next generations. The depth of the depravity seems to have no end as we learn more and more but in this book there are twists that I did not see coming, some good revelations some bad. This is the first story in the series featuring one of the direct victims of the Cronus Club. His emotions were well portrayed and heartbreaking, his vulnerabilities so believable. Sybil is the perfect complement for David. Their attraction is intense; their feelings ran deep though David tries to hide from them. We are given multiple points of view which is a great insight into the minds of our protagonists, especially David.
I found the look into the difference between a person that is broken and one that’s insane interesting. Just because you’re broken does not necessarily make you evil. Seeing an example of an evil obsession gave David the push to want more than to be alone. Being a man with the pains that he lives with, he is not an evil person. He had the strength when young to fight to leave the horrors of his life more than once. He was the catalyst to ending it all for everyone though it took twenty years to come to fruition. David is a stronger man than he thought he was, something that he had to come to realize as well as that he was deserving and capable of love. There is finally closure to this darkness and perhaps the folks in this town can now begin to heal but there will be those who’ll remember so that it won’t happen again. The ending left me smiling; there was humor and happy tears after all of the darkness.
Shiloh Walker captured my attention with another dark romantic suspense. I cannot help but get invested in her tortured characters that really come to life with her words. The many interwoven threads of the storyline kept me trying to figure out the answers to the mysteries which just added to my enjoyment of the read. I look forward to more of her stories.
There is one sex scene that this reader wished had been excluded and I will admit that I do not like running across this in the books that I read. But considering what was done to David when he was young that he would want to let alone actually subject the woman that he cares about to the same thing did not sit well. But then perhaps in some strange way that this reader could not fathom he was exorcising his demons.
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley.
4.5 stars
May 18, 2017
This was a really dark romantic suspense. I really liked the main characters, Sybil and David, and felt for all that he'd been through. The storyline really held my attention, and I was constantly trying to guess how it would all play out. This installment fit in well with the rest of the series.
May 16, 2015
Sybil Chalmers is the lover of Caine Yoder and has been for quite a few years. She has always hoped that he would one day accept all that she offered him, but she has known it would be a huge gamble to have the man that was Caine forever. Sybil knows one of Caine’s biggest secrets—that of whom he really is. Sybil feel in love with the man, and she is more than willing to fight for that man. The question is, when the truth is more well-known in the town, will he be willing to stay and accept all that Sybil will give?
David Sutter, for all purposes, died one night many years before when he was a teenager, and Caine Yoder was born. Caine was a hard working Amish man who could be cranky at times, but was respected by the town of Madison. David had to disappear after the night he tried to break free from a personal nightmare. Things went drastically wrong. Many lives were changed that night and, finally, after so many years, the truth is coming out. But it seems like someone doesn’t just want the truth to come out, but for the members of a twisted group to pay for their crimes in the ultimate way.
David knew when he admitted to the police who he really was, that he would be the center of attention for the citizens of Madison. But what he didn’t expect was to find that people close to him for one reason or another to also be turning up dead once he left his identity as Caine. Sybil knew that helping David adjust to life in town wouldn’t be easy and that there would be a lot of talk, but she also didn’t expect him to become the person at the center of another round of deaths that seems to be connected to him somehow. Not only is the truth coming out about the sick group who sexually abused boys—both in the past and the present—but by the time the answers are all revealed, the truth about the newest murders will also be resolved. Madison had many deep and dark secrets, but now the majority of the truth is known, and it is finally Sybil and David’s time to love in the sunlight instead of just in the darkness.
A man thought long dead suddenly comes clean and, with the help of a woman who has loved him as both men, gets the justice so long in coming. Darker Than Desire brings David and Sybil closer together and tears them apart only to have love win-out when all is said and done. David has been hiding in plain sight for years now, and one of his only highlights in life has been his time with Sybil. I couldn’t believe how hard it must have been for Sybil to first keep quiet when she knew about the dual identities that David had. I also felt for David as he tried to keep Sybil safe by turning away from her. I have to say that I’m not so sure I would have forgiven him as fast as Sybil did, but I could see why he did it and just how hard he worked to make it right at the end. I was amazed as many of the threads were pulled and knotted in this book about the many secrets that Madison had. I was also amazed by the many internal relationships that were exposed as David and Sybil’s story unrolled. I am so very happy that so many of the destroyed lives in Madison have finally found love and happiness. Darker Than Desire is one heck of a ride from the beginning to the end—
bringing David and Sybil together and tying up almost all of the loose ends in this series. I have loved this series, with all its many twists and turns, from the first novellas until now when David finally has his shot at happiness.
I just had to Joyfully Recommend Darker Than Desire as a must-read. In fact, I highly recommend the entire series as a must-read. I do believe that this series must be read in order to understand all of the tiny clues along the way. Remember to start with the novellas so that you understand this strange town of Madison and its mysteries.
Reviewed by Jo for Joyfully Reviewed
Link: http://bit.ly/1GWkNta
David Sutter, for all purposes, died one night many years before when he was a teenager, and Caine Yoder was born. Caine was a hard working Amish man who could be cranky at times, but was respected by the town of Madison. David had to disappear after the night he tried to break free from a personal nightmare. Things went drastically wrong. Many lives were changed that night and, finally, after so many years, the truth is coming out. But it seems like someone doesn’t just want the truth to come out, but for the members of a twisted group to pay for their crimes in the ultimate way.
David knew when he admitted to the police who he really was, that he would be the center of attention for the citizens of Madison. But what he didn’t expect was to find that people close to him for one reason or another to also be turning up dead once he left his identity as Caine. Sybil knew that helping David adjust to life in town wouldn’t be easy and that there would be a lot of talk, but she also didn’t expect him to become the person at the center of another round of deaths that seems to be connected to him somehow. Not only is the truth coming out about the sick group who sexually abused boys—both in the past and the present—but by the time the answers are all revealed, the truth about the newest murders will also be resolved. Madison had many deep and dark secrets, but now the majority of the truth is known, and it is finally Sybil and David’s time to love in the sunlight instead of just in the darkness.
A man thought long dead suddenly comes clean and, with the help of a woman who has loved him as both men, gets the justice so long in coming. Darker Than Desire brings David and Sybil closer together and tears them apart only to have love win-out when all is said and done. David has been hiding in plain sight for years now, and one of his only highlights in life has been his time with Sybil. I couldn’t believe how hard it must have been for Sybil to first keep quiet when she knew about the dual identities that David had. I also felt for David as he tried to keep Sybil safe by turning away from her. I have to say that I’m not so sure I would have forgiven him as fast as Sybil did, but I could see why he did it and just how hard he worked to make it right at the end. I was amazed as many of the threads were pulled and knotted in this book about the many secrets that Madison had. I was also amazed by the many internal relationships that were exposed as David and Sybil’s story unrolled. I am so very happy that so many of the destroyed lives in Madison have finally found love and happiness. Darker Than Desire is one heck of a ride from the beginning to the end—
bringing David and Sybil together and tying up almost all of the loose ends in this series. I have loved this series, with all its many twists and turns, from the first novellas until now when David finally has his shot at happiness.
I just had to Joyfully Recommend Darker Than Desire as a must-read. In fact, I highly recommend the entire series as a must-read. I do believe that this series must be read in order to understand all of the tiny clues along the way. Remember to start with the novellas so that you understand this strange town of Madison and its mysteries.
Reviewed by Jo for Joyfully Reviewed
Link: http://bit.ly/1GWkNta
June 10, 2015
Sybil Chalmers is the lover of Caine Yoder and has been for quite a few years. She has always hoped that he would one day accept all that she offered him, but she has known it would be a huge gamble to have the man that was Caine forever. Sybil knows one of Caine’s biggest secrets—that of whom he really is. Sybil feel in love with the man, and she is more than willing to fight for that man. The question is, when the truth is more well-known in the town, will he be willing to stay and accept all that Sybil will give?
David Sutter, for all purposes, died one night many years before when he was a teenager, and Caine Yoder was born. Caine was a hard working Amish man who could be cranky at times, but was respected by the town of Madison. David had to disappear after the night he tried to break free from a personal nightmare. Things went drastically wrong. Many lives were changed that night and, finally, after so many years, the truth is coming out. But it seems like someone doesn’t just want the truth to come out, but for the members of a twisted group to pay for their crimes in the ultimate way.
David knew when he admitted to the police who he really was, that he would be the center of attention for the citizens of Madison. But what he didn’t expect was to find that people close to him for one reason or another to also be turning up dead once he left his identity as Caine. Sybil knew that helping David adjust to life in town wouldn’t be easy and that there would be a lot of talk, but she also didn’t expect him to become the person at the center of another round of deaths that seems to be connected to him somehow. Not only is the truth coming out about the sick group who sexually abused boys—both in the past and the present—but by the time the answers are all revealed, the truth about the newest murders will also be resolved. Madison had many deep and dark secrets, but now the majority of the truth is known, and it is finally Sybil and David’s time to love in the sunlight instead of just in the darkness.
A man thought long dead suddenly comes clean and, with the help of a woman who has loved him as both men, gets the justice so long in coming. Darker Than Desire brings David and Sybil closer together and tears them apart only to have love win-out when all is said and done. David has been hiding in plain sight for years now, and one of his only highlights in life has been his time with Sybil. I couldn’t believe how hard it must have been for Sybil to first keep quiet when she knew about the dual identities that David had. I also felt for David as he tried to keep Sybil safe by turning away from her. I have to say that I’m not so sure I would have forgiven him as fast as Sybil did, but I could see why he did it and just how hard he worked to make it right at the end. I was amazed as many of the threads were pulled and knotted in this book about the many secrets that Madison had. I was also amazed by the many internal relationships that were exposed as David and Sybil’s story unrolled. I am so very happy that so many of the destroyed lives in Madison have finally found love and happiness. Darker Than Desire is one heck of a ride from the beginning to the end—
bringing David and Sybil together and tying up almost all of the loose ends in this series. I have loved this series, with all its many twists and turns, from the first novellas until now when David finally has his shot at happiness.
I just had to Joyfully Recommend Darker Than Desire as a must-read. In fact, I highly recommend the entire series as a must-read. I do believe that this series must be read in order to understand all of the tiny clues along the way. Remember to start with the novellas so that you understand this strange town of Madison and its mysteries.
David Sutter, for all purposes, died one night many years before when he was a teenager, and Caine Yoder was born. Caine was a hard working Amish man who could be cranky at times, but was respected by the town of Madison. David had to disappear after the night he tried to break free from a personal nightmare. Things went drastically wrong. Many lives were changed that night and, finally, after so many years, the truth is coming out. But it seems like someone doesn’t just want the truth to come out, but for the members of a twisted group to pay for their crimes in the ultimate way.
David knew when he admitted to the police who he really was, that he would be the center of attention for the citizens of Madison. But what he didn’t expect was to find that people close to him for one reason or another to also be turning up dead once he left his identity as Caine. Sybil knew that helping David adjust to life in town wouldn’t be easy and that there would be a lot of talk, but she also didn’t expect him to become the person at the center of another round of deaths that seems to be connected to him somehow. Not only is the truth coming out about the sick group who sexually abused boys—both in the past and the present—but by the time the answers are all revealed, the truth about the newest murders will also be resolved. Madison had many deep and dark secrets, but now the majority of the truth is known, and it is finally Sybil and David’s time to love in the sunlight instead of just in the darkness.
A man thought long dead suddenly comes clean and, with the help of a woman who has loved him as both men, gets the justice so long in coming. Darker Than Desire brings David and Sybil closer together and tears them apart only to have love win-out when all is said and done. David has been hiding in plain sight for years now, and one of his only highlights in life has been his time with Sybil. I couldn’t believe how hard it must have been for Sybil to first keep quiet when she knew about the dual identities that David had. I also felt for David as he tried to keep Sybil safe by turning away from her. I have to say that I’m not so sure I would have forgiven him as fast as Sybil did, but I could see why he did it and just how hard he worked to make it right at the end. I was amazed as many of the threads were pulled and knotted in this book about the many secrets that Madison had. I was also amazed by the many internal relationships that were exposed as David and Sybil’s story unrolled. I am so very happy that so many of the destroyed lives in Madison have finally found love and happiness. Darker Than Desire is one heck of a ride from the beginning to the end—
bringing David and Sybil together and tying up almost all of the loose ends in this series. I have loved this series, with all its many twists and turns, from the first novellas until now when David finally has his shot at happiness.
I just had to Joyfully Recommend Darker Than Desire as a must-read. In fact, I highly recommend the entire series as a must-read. I do believe that this series must be read in order to understand all of the tiny clues along the way. Remember to start with the novellas so that you understand this strange town of Madison and its mysteries.
May 20, 2015
I really do not know how Ms. Walker manages to make each book better than the previous one in this series because every time I finish one I am blown away by just how good it is. Darker Than Desire is no exception. In order to understand what is going on in this installment of the Secrets & Shadows series, you must read Deeper Than Need and Sweeter Than Sin first because while Darker Than Desire focuses on Sybil and Caine’s relationship, it is even more deeply immersed in the continued series storyline involving Cronus.
>>>>POSSIBLE SERIES SPOILERS<<<<<
If you haven’t read the earlier books in the series, do NOT read past this point as this review will contain spoilers for the previous novels but not this one (at least I think I’ve managed to avoid any Darker Than Desire spoilers). Having learned in Sweeter Than Sin that Caine is David Sutter, it was no surprise to me that there would be even more of a focus on Cronus in this book. After all, it was David’s abuse and subsequent disappearance that got the ball rolling that led to the disbanding of Cronus years ago. Fans of the series will be pleased to know that we do find out what happened to David’s father and I was shocked to learn who was responsible. But what was even more shocking was finding out WHY the person made sure David’s father disappeared. Yes, we get answers to many of the questions that have gone unanswered and I found myself shocked more than once as secrets were revealed and truths told.
But even as the dominoes continue to fall on Cronus, another murderer has set their sights on the town of Madison and David soon finds himself even more of a person of interest for the police. I will admit that I was not sad to see two of the people who were targeted by the murderer exit the story, but that did not hold true for all of the victims and one death left me (and the town of Madison) stunned. This all plays out alongside the developing relationship between David and Sybil. We learn that Sybil has been involved with Caine for years, but no one was aware of it until he left the Amish community and returned to Madison as David. Not only do we learn more about the horrific treatment David suffered at the hands of the men of Cronus, we come to understand why he is so aloof and how his past has affected his life so completely.
The chemistry between David and Sybil was an odd mix of explosive and calming. Their sexual encounters were highly charged, very erotic, and scorchingly hot. But when they were together otherwise, their presence was a reassuring force for the other and this was most obvious when Sybil was able to calm David down when no one or nothing else could get through. This is what made David’s continued attempts to walk away from Sybil so heartbreaking – I could see where he was coming from intellectually, but emotionally I wanted to smack him for the hurt he was inflicting on Sybil and himself. Ms. Walker does such a good job of answering the major questions for the book and the series that I’m unsure if there will be more books in the Secrets & Shadows series. The ending of Darker Than Desire could easily serve as a series finale, while leaving the door open for further installments. Because I have enjoyed this series so much, it’s no surprise that I’m hoping that Ms. Walker is busy penning the next book in the series.
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!
>>>>POSSIBLE SERIES SPOILERS<<<<<
If you haven’t read the earlier books in the series, do NOT read past this point as this review will contain spoilers for the previous novels but not this one (at least I think I’ve managed to avoid any Darker Than Desire spoilers). Having learned in Sweeter Than Sin that Caine is David Sutter, it was no surprise to me that there would be even more of a focus on Cronus in this book. After all, it was David’s abuse and subsequent disappearance that got the ball rolling that led to the disbanding of Cronus years ago. Fans of the series will be pleased to know that we do find out what happened to David’s father and I was shocked to learn who was responsible. But what was even more shocking was finding out WHY the person made sure David’s father disappeared. Yes, we get answers to many of the questions that have gone unanswered and I found myself shocked more than once as secrets were revealed and truths told.
But even as the dominoes continue to fall on Cronus, another murderer has set their sights on the town of Madison and David soon finds himself even more of a person of interest for the police. I will admit that I was not sad to see two of the people who were targeted by the murderer exit the story, but that did not hold true for all of the victims and one death left me (and the town of Madison) stunned. This all plays out alongside the developing relationship between David and Sybil. We learn that Sybil has been involved with Caine for years, but no one was aware of it until he left the Amish community and returned to Madison as David. Not only do we learn more about the horrific treatment David suffered at the hands of the men of Cronus, we come to understand why he is so aloof and how his past has affected his life so completely.
The chemistry between David and Sybil was an odd mix of explosive and calming. Their sexual encounters were highly charged, very erotic, and scorchingly hot. But when they were together otherwise, their presence was a reassuring force for the other and this was most obvious when Sybil was able to calm David down when no one or nothing else could get through. This is what made David’s continued attempts to walk away from Sybil so heartbreaking – I could see where he was coming from intellectually, but emotionally I wanted to smack him for the hurt he was inflicting on Sybil and himself. Ms. Walker does such a good job of answering the major questions for the book and the series that I’m unsure if there will be more books in the Secrets & Shadows series. The ending of Darker Than Desire could easily serve as a series finale, while leaving the door open for further installments. Because I have enjoyed this series so much, it’s no surprise that I’m hoping that Ms. Walker is busy penning the next book in the series.
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!
March 3, 2015
This series has left me breathless so many times. It's broke my heart, made me sad, and had me cheer when the bad guys got theirs. It has captivated my attention from the beginning to the end of each book and left me impatiently waiting for the next book. I have grown to admire each and everyone of the main characters.
Darker Than Desire reveals many many secrets and is very dramatic. Shiloh Walker has done a fabulous job of writing a wonderful series that deals with a very dark subject. She has made the characters so real with so many emotions that I found myself cheering for these folks to overcome the horrible things that have happened to them and to find happiness.
Sybil Chalmers is a strong lady with many admirable traits. Sybil has taken on raising her young nephew because her sister is just not capable. She loves him very much and wants what is best for him. I admired this lady for all that she has been through with her wild and troubled sister and for loving her adorable nephew so much.
I am not sure I should reveal the male character in this book because it's not listed in the blurb. We learned a big secret at the end of the Sweeter Than Sin that leads into the storyline of Darker Than Desire. The male hero has been through so much! He has been abused, broken, and tried to go on with life in a different community. After all that he has been through he is afraid he is unable to love and does not want his past to taint Sybil's life.
For Sybil it's too late she has loved him for a long time. Now she just has to wait for him to see that he is lovable and loves her right back.
There is so much drama in this book. I could not help but quickly turn the pages to see what Ms. Walker had planned these characters next. There are several sad moments and a few really tense moments that left me holding my breath to see how the characters were going to get out of some really intense situations. There are also a few nice and steamy moments. The attraction between these two is just plain combustible.
I have really enjoyed all three of the books in this series. I have been anxious to read Darker than Desire to find out some of the ongoing secrets in the series. I was completely shocked by a few things that were revealed. I never suspected one of the major culprits. I did not see the evil that was lurking behind a false sense of goodness.
I could go on and on about this very dramatic series and Darker Than Desire, itself. However it's such a great series that I don't want to spoil the plot, any of secrets, or the mysteries that are unveiled. If you enjoy Shiloh Walker's work then you really need to grab up this series. If you have not read the first two in the series you might want to consider reading them first. I don't think you would have a problem reading this as a stand alone but there are so many things that lead up to the answer revealed I think you are going to want to know the whole complete story. It's quite a story at that. Like I said this does deal with a dark subject matter. Please keep that in mind. It is a great story though and deals with so many emotional issues. It's well written with characters that are charismatic, charming in their own way, heartfelt, and very likable.
I was given the opportunity to read this great book so that I may share my thoughts with you. As always it has been my pleasure to share my thoughts with you on Darker than Desire.
Darker Than Desire reveals many many secrets and is very dramatic. Shiloh Walker has done a fabulous job of writing a wonderful series that deals with a very dark subject. She has made the characters so real with so many emotions that I found myself cheering for these folks to overcome the horrible things that have happened to them and to find happiness.
Sybil Chalmers is a strong lady with many admirable traits. Sybil has taken on raising her young nephew because her sister is just not capable. She loves him very much and wants what is best for him. I admired this lady for all that she has been through with her wild and troubled sister and for loving her adorable nephew so much.
I am not sure I should reveal the male character in this book because it's not listed in the blurb. We learned a big secret at the end of the Sweeter Than Sin that leads into the storyline of Darker Than Desire. The male hero has been through so much! He has been abused, broken, and tried to go on with life in a different community. After all that he has been through he is afraid he is unable to love and does not want his past to taint Sybil's life.
For Sybil it's too late she has loved him for a long time. Now she just has to wait for him to see that he is lovable and loves her right back.
There is so much drama in this book. I could not help but quickly turn the pages to see what Ms. Walker had planned these characters next. There are several sad moments and a few really tense moments that left me holding my breath to see how the characters were going to get out of some really intense situations. There are also a few nice and steamy moments. The attraction between these two is just plain combustible.
I have really enjoyed all three of the books in this series. I have been anxious to read Darker than Desire to find out some of the ongoing secrets in the series. I was completely shocked by a few things that were revealed. I never suspected one of the major culprits. I did not see the evil that was lurking behind a false sense of goodness.
I could go on and on about this very dramatic series and Darker Than Desire, itself. However it's such a great series that I don't want to spoil the plot, any of secrets, or the mysteries that are unveiled. If you enjoy Shiloh Walker's work then you really need to grab up this series. If you have not read the first two in the series you might want to consider reading them first. I don't think you would have a problem reading this as a stand alone but there are so many things that lead up to the answer revealed I think you are going to want to know the whole complete story. It's quite a story at that. Like I said this does deal with a dark subject matter. Please keep that in mind. It is a great story though and deals with so many emotional issues. It's well written with characters that are charismatic, charming in their own way, heartfelt, and very likable.
I was given the opportunity to read this great book so that I may share my thoughts with you. As always it has been my pleasure to share my thoughts with you on Darker than Desire.
March 11, 2015
***NOTE: Please know that this is a series you NEED to read in order or you will be hopelessly lost with the events that finally culminate in this book. There are so many players, clues, incidences, and circumstances that shape and create the main characters and that intertwine with the plot. If you haven't read the previous books, be warned that this review has major spoilers for the series, but not for THIS book...there is still a lot left for you to discover.
As a child, David Sutter's soul was shattered, but his spirit wasn't broken. The Cronus Club did it's best to reign him in, but to no avail. While he was able to escape the physical monsters that plagued him, he had a long way to go toward recovery. After 20 years, when he thought it was all done, evil begins to resurface, and he knows that it is time to come out of hiding. He faces the devils of his past, but it could drag him down further, as people he cares about are being murdered, along with members of the diabolical cult. One woman has the power to keep him from falling into the depths of his darkness...
Sybil Chalmers has loved David for many years, but he keeps pushing her away. She will fight for him, but if he can't accept her love she knows that she will have to let him go. With David's past coming back to haunt him and the entire town of Madison, IN in upheaval, can she make him see that he already holds the tools to destroy his darkness and rebuild his life...
***
This is a dark series that showcases characters rising above their demons and addictions, making it easier to find peace and happiness in their future. I was so excited when I discovered that Sybil and David/Cain got their HEA in Darker Than Desire. I adored Sybil, who refuses to take crap from anyone, making her a perfect heroine for David. Cain is a character that intrigued me from the start and I wasn't surprised to learn that he was actually David Sutter, hiding in plain sight. I knew there was more to the cold, standoffish, Amish fellow than met the eye and was curious to discover how intimate his connection was with Sybil.
David and Sybil have dynamic chemistry. Their passion sizzled, as their erotic interludes burned up the pages. Neither of them would back down when they had a point to get across to the other. Sometimes it worked for them, and other times they would just butt heads. David's stubbornness got in the way of their relationship more than once, but Sybil was just as determined to make him see that together they could conquer the demons.
I loved that Noah, Adam, Lana, Jensen, etc...were all still a big part of the story, as these are characters that I really got hooked on. I liked that it was shown how David was drawn to be part of a family with Sybil and her nephew, Drew, but he refused to acknowledge that it was what he really wanted.
I was shocked when I finally pieced together who the murder was. I knew early on who was killing the members of the Cronus Club, but the other murderer threw me. I thought that the differences of insanity vs. evil was well described and played out through this series, and it was a great twist to this dark, emotional story.
As a child, David Sutter's soul was shattered, but his spirit wasn't broken. The Cronus Club did it's best to reign him in, but to no avail. While he was able to escape the physical monsters that plagued him, he had a long way to go toward recovery. After 20 years, when he thought it was all done, evil begins to resurface, and he knows that it is time to come out of hiding. He faces the devils of his past, but it could drag him down further, as people he cares about are being murdered, along with members of the diabolical cult. One woman has the power to keep him from falling into the depths of his darkness...
Sybil Chalmers has loved David for many years, but he keeps pushing her away. She will fight for him, but if he can't accept her love she knows that she will have to let him go. With David's past coming back to haunt him and the entire town of Madison, IN in upheaval, can she make him see that he already holds the tools to destroy his darkness and rebuild his life...
***
This is a dark series that showcases characters rising above their demons and addictions, making it easier to find peace and happiness in their future. I was so excited when I discovered that Sybil and David/Cain got their HEA in Darker Than Desire. I adored Sybil, who refuses to take crap from anyone, making her a perfect heroine for David. Cain is a character that intrigued me from the start and I wasn't surprised to learn that he was actually David Sutter, hiding in plain sight. I knew there was more to the cold, standoffish, Amish fellow than met the eye and was curious to discover how intimate his connection was with Sybil.
David and Sybil have dynamic chemistry. Their passion sizzled, as their erotic interludes burned up the pages. Neither of them would back down when they had a point to get across to the other. Sometimes it worked for them, and other times they would just butt heads. David's stubbornness got in the way of their relationship more than once, but Sybil was just as determined to make him see that together they could conquer the demons.
I loved that Noah, Adam, Lana, Jensen, etc...were all still a big part of the story, as these are characters that I really got hooked on. I liked that it was shown how David was drawn to be part of a family with Sybil and her nephew, Drew, but he refused to acknowledge that it was what he really wanted.
I was shocked when I finally pieced together who the murder was. I knew early on who was killing the members of the Cronus Club, but the other murderer threw me. I thought that the differences of insanity vs. evil was well described and played out through this series, and it was a great twist to this dark, emotional story.
March 4, 2015
***A gifted copy was provided by NetGalley for an honest review***
This is book 3 in the Secrets and Shadows series. Also, there are 3 novellas in this series as well.
You have a mystery that involves multigenerational group of abusers and the subsequent generations, the victims who then often went on to become the next generations of abusers. This book was dark, for sure. The plot slowly unwinds over the series, though each book focuses on a distinct couple that works out their own relationship issue and/or issues during the course of that particular book.
In this book we have Caine Yoder who goes by the name David Sutter- who is known as an Amish man. He has been hiding in plain sight for so long. The Amish have given him a place to hide, of refuge when he needed it and the time to grow to the man that he now is, a man broken by things that happened , that were done to him.
Sybil Chalmers has been in love with an Amish man for ten years, a man not of their faith but hiding within it. She’s cherished their stolen moments and wished for more, she’s waited for him, for him to come to her because she loves him but he never does. She also knows there was more to him than most people saw, she figured out who he was and it didn’t matter for she saw through to the man within. Sybil, she’s good people who stand up for herself and for others and she knows what she wants. Sybil cares for her nephew since her sister won’t or can’t.
In this story, Caine/David gets word family is targeted, he returns to town and is faced with the past that he can no longer hide from. He seeks to finally shut down the evil Cronus Club by putting all the remaining pieces together from his memories and information that he finds but it’s the peace that he feels with Sybil that keeps him in the here and now, nothing has ever done that for him but her. Caine fears he wont be able to keep her safe and he also worries about being around her family.
This book had a lot of emotional pull and a lot of dark subject matter. Here in this book, we meet a direct victim of the Cronus Club and actually have to see the impact of what they did to him. Reading what they did and going thru his emotions, his emotions were heartbreaking but at the same time, seeing how Sybil showed Caine/David how she loved him and was there for him all the way-it was good. Yes, Caine thought he was damaged, broken but really, he wasn’t.
I do not want to give anything away. I want you to read this story. As a reader, it made me think. It made me feel his emotions. My heart broke, my heart bled. I was angry. But seeing how attracted he was to Sybil gave me hope. There was sparks-there was attraction, chemistry. Out of despair came hope, love. There were tears shed. I threw things. Emotions were all over the place. When reading a story that evokes such feelings, it is a good thing.
Ms Walker writes such intense, passionate, at times dark stories but I love it. I keep coming back for my “fix”. I liked the mystery also interplayed into the story which also I had to figure out who was good and who was also so evil to be in the “Club”. Great Story!!
My rating: 4.7 stars ****
This is book 3 in the Secrets and Shadows series. Also, there are 3 novellas in this series as well.
You have a mystery that involves multigenerational group of abusers and the subsequent generations, the victims who then often went on to become the next generations of abusers. This book was dark, for sure. The plot slowly unwinds over the series, though each book focuses on a distinct couple that works out their own relationship issue and/or issues during the course of that particular book.
In this book we have Caine Yoder who goes by the name David Sutter- who is known as an Amish man. He has been hiding in plain sight for so long. The Amish have given him a place to hide, of refuge when he needed it and the time to grow to the man that he now is, a man broken by things that happened , that were done to him.
Sybil Chalmers has been in love with an Amish man for ten years, a man not of their faith but hiding within it. She’s cherished their stolen moments and wished for more, she’s waited for him, for him to come to her because she loves him but he never does. She also knows there was more to him than most people saw, she figured out who he was and it didn’t matter for she saw through to the man within. Sybil, she’s good people who stand up for herself and for others and she knows what she wants. Sybil cares for her nephew since her sister won’t or can’t.
In this story, Caine/David gets word family is targeted, he returns to town and is faced with the past that he can no longer hide from. He seeks to finally shut down the evil Cronus Club by putting all the remaining pieces together from his memories and information that he finds but it’s the peace that he feels with Sybil that keeps him in the here and now, nothing has ever done that for him but her. Caine fears he wont be able to keep her safe and he also worries about being around her family.
This book had a lot of emotional pull and a lot of dark subject matter. Here in this book, we meet a direct victim of the Cronus Club and actually have to see the impact of what they did to him. Reading what they did and going thru his emotions, his emotions were heartbreaking but at the same time, seeing how Sybil showed Caine/David how she loved him and was there for him all the way-it was good. Yes, Caine thought he was damaged, broken but really, he wasn’t.
I do not want to give anything away. I want you to read this story. As a reader, it made me think. It made me feel his emotions. My heart broke, my heart bled. I was angry. But seeing how attracted he was to Sybil gave me hope. There was sparks-there was attraction, chemistry. Out of despair came hope, love. There were tears shed. I threw things. Emotions were all over the place. When reading a story that evokes such feelings, it is a good thing.
Ms Walker writes such intense, passionate, at times dark stories but I love it. I keep coming back for my “fix”. I liked the mystery also interplayed into the story which also I had to figure out who was good and who was also so evil to be in the “Club”. Great Story!!
My rating: 4.7 stars ****
March 3, 2015
The sick and sordid history of Madison, Indiana continues to seep into the present, in this latest installment of Shiloh Walker’s Secrets & Shadows series. A legacy ripe with layers of depravity and manipulation, passed on through generations.
One man who tried to escape the sins of and the abuse by his own blood, finds himself almost unwittingly back at the centre of controversy. David has for years kept a low profile and a safe distance presenting himself as ‘Caleb’, an Amish carpenter. The death of the two men that have enabled him to hide in plain sight in short succession, spur him to shed his disguise and step out of hiding, surprising many - but not all.
Sybil has offered solace to the dark and brooding Caleb for years, knowing all the time it was David she was cradling in her arms. Sensing the deeply troubled man would push her away the instant she touched him to deep, she refrained all those years from talking about her knowledge - or her feelings for him. She forced herself to be content with the small parts he was willing to give her. Until as expected he starts pushing - that’s when Sybil digs in her heels and fights for what she knows is right.
David has lived with his ghosts for so long, he has given them too much power over his life. He has lost the ability to see himself separately from what was done to him and can not move on from the pain inflicted and the feelings it invoked in him.
Sybil knows hard knocks, but has never stayed down. Her sense of self-preservation may waver occasionally but always seems to come through when most needed. Even after ten years of waiting for David to show his true face and let her in - the moment she feels she will get sucked under, she still has the ability to rescue herself.
Shiloh has the ability to write tortured souls like few others, and this series has an array of dark and messed up individuals with a variety of heavy crosses to bear. I almost feel their is not enough light at the end of this novel. No real resolutions even though there technically are. I am left with a nagging feeling of pending doom and an almost oily residue.
Not your typical ‘light’ reading. Be warned, because this series is not for the faint of heart.
Even though these books depict a different ‘romantic couple’ in each, I would hesitate to even suggest them standalones. The backstory is so essential to understanding the individual characters and their actions, that you truly need to read each and every one of the books in sequence to have the right grasp and context to properly appreciate each novel.
One man who tried to escape the sins of and the abuse by his own blood, finds himself almost unwittingly back at the centre of controversy. David has for years kept a low profile and a safe distance presenting himself as ‘Caleb’, an Amish carpenter. The death of the two men that have enabled him to hide in plain sight in short succession, spur him to shed his disguise and step out of hiding, surprising many - but not all.
Sybil has offered solace to the dark and brooding Caleb for years, knowing all the time it was David she was cradling in her arms. Sensing the deeply troubled man would push her away the instant she touched him to deep, she refrained all those years from talking about her knowledge - or her feelings for him. She forced herself to be content with the small parts he was willing to give her. Until as expected he starts pushing - that’s when Sybil digs in her heels and fights for what she knows is right.
David has lived with his ghosts for so long, he has given them too much power over his life. He has lost the ability to see himself separately from what was done to him and can not move on from the pain inflicted and the feelings it invoked in him.
Sybil knows hard knocks, but has never stayed down. Her sense of self-preservation may waver occasionally but always seems to come through when most needed. Even after ten years of waiting for David to show his true face and let her in - the moment she feels she will get sucked under, she still has the ability to rescue herself.
Shiloh has the ability to write tortured souls like few others, and this series has an array of dark and messed up individuals with a variety of heavy crosses to bear. I almost feel their is not enough light at the end of this novel. No real resolutions even though there technically are. I am left with a nagging feeling of pending doom and an almost oily residue.
Not your typical ‘light’ reading. Be warned, because this series is not for the faint of heart.
Even though these books depict a different ‘romantic couple’ in each, I would hesitate to even suggest them standalones. The backstory is so essential to understanding the individual characters and their actions, that you truly need to read each and every one of the books in sequence to have the right grasp and context to properly appreciate each novel.
March 3, 2015
My Review:
On the surface, this is not a book that should appeal to me, but this entire series has been fantastic and I honestly think David's book is the best.
This book truly is David's book. He's the character who's been the most affected by the evil Cronus group of men that have methodically sexually assaulted the young boys in this community for generations. David escaped twenty years ago and then hid in plain sight as part of the Amish sect that lives in the town. His love interest, Sybil, has always known who he was although she never let him know that she knew his real identity. David's pain reverberates off the page. He's angry and scarred and vengeful, but he cares deeply, even when he thinks he doesn't.
There is a lot of emotion in this book, but my favorite character has to be Sybil. Wow, this woman is strong. She doesn't care about public opinion and is constantly standing up for herself and others around her in this oftentimes vicious little town. She also sees so much more in David than others do. She looks below the surface to truly see who he is at his heart.
And David is a good man, which is incredible considering his upbringing. I loved his relationship with Max and the way all the details about them came out. He covers it well, but this is a man full of really strong passions. It made for some incredibly sexy scenes with Sybil. His need for pain made sense, but I loved how that little detail about him evolved and changed through the story as he healed.
This has been a fabulous series. You could read this book as a stand alone, but I highly recommend you read all the books. The suspense line carries over the entire series and makes more sense when read as a series. It's fitting that this final book is the best in the series. I loved getting to see all the characters from the other books interact and for justice to finally be served.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.
On the surface, this is not a book that should appeal to me, but this entire series has been fantastic and I honestly think David's book is the best.
This book truly is David's book. He's the character who's been the most affected by the evil Cronus group of men that have methodically sexually assaulted the young boys in this community for generations. David escaped twenty years ago and then hid in plain sight as part of the Amish sect that lives in the town. His love interest, Sybil, has always known who he was although she never let him know that she knew his real identity. David's pain reverberates off the page. He's angry and scarred and vengeful, but he cares deeply, even when he thinks he doesn't.
There is a lot of emotion in this book, but my favorite character has to be Sybil. Wow, this woman is strong. She doesn't care about public opinion and is constantly standing up for herself and others around her in this oftentimes vicious little town. She also sees so much more in David than others do. She looks below the surface to truly see who he is at his heart.
And David is a good man, which is incredible considering his upbringing. I loved his relationship with Max and the way all the details about them came out. He covers it well, but this is a man full of really strong passions. It made for some incredibly sexy scenes with Sybil. His need for pain made sense, but I loved how that little detail about him evolved and changed through the story as he healed.
This has been a fabulous series. You could read this book as a stand alone, but I highly recommend you read all the books. The suspense line carries over the entire series and makes more sense when read as a series. It's fitting that this final book is the best in the series. I loved getting to see all the characters from the other books interact and for justice to finally be served.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.
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