Casee‘s review of Chains by Shiloh Walker.
Renee was the homecoming queen with the perfect boyfriend and the perfect life. Lacey was the golden girl with the bright future. And Sherra always looked like the princess in a fairy tale. The three girls each seemed charmed—until one tragic night shattered their hopes for normalcy.
Now, fifteen years later, the women are returning to their hometown of Madison, Ohio, where three men await them—each dangerous in his own way. And when each of the women succumb to desire, they may also find the safety they’ve been searching for.
I have to admit that I hesitated to read this book. I’m not really into anthologies and this seemed like an anthology to me. It’s broken down into three parts: Renee, Lacey, and Sherra. I’m so glad I read it, b/c I loved it. The way everything was tied together just really worked.
Renee will never forget the night her boyfriend tried to rape Sherra. Even though it had been fifteen years, the memory of that night is vivid. Renee is back in Madison for her high school reunion. When she meets a stranger in a bar, she shocks herself by going to his room with him, only finding out later that he’s Deacon Chase…one of the people there that horrible night.
Deacon has a hard time reconciling the girl he thought Renee to be to the woman she really is. He sees that there are many facets to Renee and he simply decides not to let her go.
Lacey Talbot is the type of person that thinks before she acts. When she saw Sherra getting attacked, she didn’t hesitate to jump in. Like Renee and Sherra, the night still haunts her. Now she’s returned to Madison as a successful photographer and the one man that she wants. Seth Salinger has loved Lacey since they were kids. He always knew that she was too good for him, but their one night five (or was it eight) years before, he really can’t get her out of his mind.
Sherra Salinger is a successful horror author. She has no idea why she’s decided on Madison as the kick-off to her book tour. When her editor insists on sending a bodyguard with her, Sherra has little to say. Dalton Green is the first man that Sherra has been even remotely attracted to since the night she was almost raped. The night that she killed a boy that would have killed her. The walls around Sherra are high, but Dalton knows that he’s just what Sherra needs.
You have to love these men. They are so damn arrogant, it’s almost cute.
In between all the romance and hanky-panky, there is someone trying to kill Renee and Lacey as well as a stalker that Sherra has had for years. I proudly admit that I figured out the villain in the first scene he appeared in. I must be getting better.
I thought that Shiloh did a great job of bringing it all together in the end. I have to say that Renee and Deacon were probably the hottest.
4.25 out of 5.
This book is available from Berkley Trade. You can buy it here or here in e-format.
Anthologies are not my favorite reading being that the stories are too short to satisfy me. However, since the stories here connect together made the anthology a little more enjoyable.
Deacon and Renee is my favorite couple although it gives me pause that Renee and Lacey are good friends now and Deacon is Lacey’s ex. But the two women are okay with it so who am I to quibble over this.
Oh, and I think it was 5yrs ago that Lacey and Seth got together.
I have this book in my TBR pile, I’m looking forward to reading it:-).
I am putting this book on my ToBuy list! It sounds great.
I love Shiloh’s voice in her books. I tend to get very emotional with her books and this looks like too it will be one. I didn’t realize it was an anthology. I kind of don’t mind those because some can do very good with writing novellas and others it doesn’t seem to work as a shorter story. Sounds like she is one who can. Again great review to read and get the info on the book. Thanks.
Caffey, I wouldn’t label Chains as an anthology. I would define an anthology as a book that has different novellas by different authors. In this case, it is all connected and ties together.