Break for Me (Secrets & Shadows, #0.6) by Shiloh Walker
Romance Suspense
Ebook, novella
April 22, 2014
St Martin’s Paperbacks

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote: “He’d only been waiting half a lifetime, it seemed. Maybe his entire life.”

Jensen Bell’s mother disappeared when she was twelve. Sent to foster care with her siblings, they were later reunited with their father when he was cleared of any wrong doing. Jensen’s childhood pushed her to becoming a police officer; dedicated to helping those in need. When a shocking discovery in made in her mother’s case, she finds her saving grace in a man whose strength and passion demands her total surrender.

District Attorney Dean West has wanted Jensen Bell for a very long time. Not a native to the town, he is unfamiliar with the tragedy and mystery that surrounds Jensen Bell and her siblings. A break in the Bell case sends Jensen running into Dean’s arms and she discovers she has finally found her way home. But the circumstances surrounding the case could destroy Jensen and unless Dean holds tight, it could tear them both apart for good.

Break For Me is the second in Shiloh Walker’s romance suspense series-Secrets and Shadows. Three novellas begin the series; each novella focuses on one sibling and the ramifications of a decades old cold case involving the disappearance of their mother. The full length novel-Deeper Than Need-releases June 2014.

Break For Me has a much lighter conflict romance wise then the first novella. Still emotional and suspenseful in regards to the ongoing arc, we don’t get the intense push and pull between the protagonists. Dean and Jensen have an established work relationship and it’s apparent from page one that both want more from each other. The chemistry is striking and the sparks fly with every scene they are in together. I enjoyed watching the bloom of awareness and subsequent reaction as these two begin to act on an attraction that exists between them.

Walker brings Jensen and Dean together with relative ease, allowing the main conflict to heighten the emotions that resonate through this novella. Hot steamy love scenes assure us that Jensen and Dean are well matched both physically and mentally. I loved how gentle Dean was in his dominance. A born and bred southern boy, he treats Jensen with a reverence that speaks of his deep feelings for her. A strong protective streak emerges when Jensen needs it most and Dean shows us and Jensen that he is more than willing to be her anchor in the storm that is coming. Jensen, similar to Ali from Burn For Me, is a strong heroine who isn’t one for games and has no qualms about grabbing on to what she wants and enjoying the ride.

Previously met secondary characters continue to add layers to the overall mystery. Each one a viable player in the final outcome.  As with any good suspense, there are multiple sub plots running through the main storyline and each one is a possible key to the final outcome. Walker pushes us gently along in here, giving us more clues towards what happened that fateful night so many years ago, preparing us for the finale novella with the promise to reveal everything.

Break For Me pushes us towards the finale and is a must read for those readers who love their romances dark and emotional. I am looking forward to the release of her next novella in the series, Long For Me, set to release May 2014, from St Martin’s.

Overall Rating: B+

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