Cover Image: Spectre

Spectre

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Spectre was a fantastic book, it was dark and emotionally gut-wrenching at times, but surprisingly I found myself smiling and chuckling too. Both Spectre and Tia were fascinating characters. Spectre is the assassin with a horrendous childhood, but he is not the complete monster that he portrays himself to be. Tia has Asperger’s, she knows she is different but is living as much of a normal life as she can. She has a fulfilling job providing art therapy for children on the autism spectrum. It was awesome how these two were able to find love.

They definitely did not have the conventional start to a relationship for sure, there are mentions of Stockholm Syndrome a few times, but as you read their story you can’t help but root for them.
There are people who want Tia dead, she has a very overprotective brother who happens to be a cop and Spectre is a hired killer. Trying to imagine how these two can be together was definitely what kept me reading on.

I loved this book so much, the storyline was awesome, the chemistry was off the charts hot and all the characters were fantastic. A 5-star read!

Thank you Netgalley and INscribe Digital for the complimentary copy of Spectre. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

Spectre and Tia are great characters with lots of depth and steamy chemistry. Their story is dark and emotional with plenty of drama and suspense. The are plenty of twists and turns in this read and the story draws you in from beginning to end. I loved it!

Was this review helpful?

Well this was a total surprise. From the synopsis and the cover art this could have been a paranormal story but instead it's about an assassin who is fuelled by darkness finding light in the arms of a woman who many would turn away from.
Tia has Aspergers but refuses to let it shape her life and to that end she is an art teacher working with children who like herself sometimes struggle with the world around them and their place within it. Tia also happens to have a brother whose work has placed her in danger and that's really when this story begins.
Meric has many identities but the one most know is that of Spectre the hired killer and his latest job involves a woman whose attitude both confuses and excites him. Meric cannot stand by and see her light dimmed forever and instead actually kidnaps both Tia and her dog ! Tia is feisty and antagonistic but Meric is determined to protect her and as they go on the run what could have been just another ordinary enemies to lovers story develops into a very passionate relationship indeed.
I loved the characters and that neither fit into a pigeon hole. This is explicitly sexy but I thought that worked well as neither of this couple are ordinary so why not let them push boundaries . The pace and plot kept me transfixed but I will say this is anything but a tame romance so you have been warned.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

Was this review helpful?

Shiloh Walker has long been a favourite author of mine and I was excited to see a brand-new title under her name. Spectre is a dark, explicit, rip your heart out, emotionally charged story that holds the reader within its grip from start to finish. Exceptional world building, an intriguing storyline, and well-developed characters, make for a very satisfying read.

Spectre and Tia have a complex, but passionate connection; each struggling with their varied emotions and the reality of their intense chemistry. They genuinely portray the adage that together they are stronger, and this is never more evident than in Spectre’s longing for everything he didn’t realise he was missing, but that Tia ultimately represents. Their relationship is nicely paced and the powerplay beautiful written.

Spectre is an intense, imaginative and HOT read that I’m sure readers will thoroughly enjoy.

Was this review helpful?

Tia and Spectre were quite the unlikely couple. She's an artist with Asperger's and Spectre is an assassin. She is blunt and he is not only blunt but often deadly. Their "no holds barred" honesty was what made things work between them. Spectre knew what Tia was thinking because she didn't have it in her makeup to lie to anyone. She knew where he was because his story was so crazy and far-fetched that it couldn't be a lie. He cautioned her that he was a monster and as time went on she knew he was anything but that. He had shown her such caring and sensitivity. He cared about not only her welfare, but that of those around her, because he knew it would bother her if anything happened to them.

Ms. Walker definitely has a creative mind. To come up with a romance between these two characters was quite inventive. This was a different story and that made it even more enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Let's cut straight to the chance....I crave dark books. Throw some romance in there and I'm definitely intrigued. But this book? It literally blew me away, and I'm really sad that this isn't a series of some sort.

Tia is a little different. Not shy with her words, she's a straight forward, tell you how it is kind of girl, who teaches kids how to except themselves through art. Something she had to learn for herself at a younger age as well. Some may consider her abnormal, but in all honesty, she's a breathe of fresh air.

Having a brother as a cop/detective can come in handy. Except for the little fact that he put a mobsters brother away and now the mobster is after her as payback. Someone's been hired to kill her and now everyone she cares about could be in danger. So why is her hit man being so....nice?

Spectre is a ghost. He's an assassin sent to do one job and only one job. But when he's asked to off Tia, something doesn't sit right. After surveying the situation, it becomes clear that the one hiring him to do the job is a douche. Yeah, I said it. And now keeping Tia safe has become an even being job.

This is NOT a man meets girl and fall in love book. In fact, it has Stockholm written all over it, but it's done in a way that makes you actually "feel" for both of these characters. The build up and anticipation of lust between these two is worth every page turned and the moment the connection is made, it's hotter than hot. Putting the romance on the side burner, the story line is wonderful. I mean, what would you do to keep someone safe?

Was this review helpful?

You have to wonder what makes Shiloh Walker tick with books written such as Spectre. Her imaginations or perhaps experiences run deep and often dark. Spectra is a dark romance with some heavy undertones as an assassin finds love in a strange place. The heroine is unique in her own right with an outcast background too.

Tia Jenkins makes this story more, she makes Spectra more than a bad guy to be redeemed by love. Dark erotic tale where the characters are not the average hero and heroine. Sometimes the bad guy is the right guy.

Was this review helpful?

4.5 Stars

It has been awhile since I read a Shiloh Walker book. Don't ask me why! It always brings out all the feels and this one is no exception. Both Spectre and Tia have had some hurdles to get over in their young lives. What starts out as a job, turns into two fractured souls finding peace with each other.

Kuddos to the author for tackling Ausitm Spectrum Disorders in a book. As someone who works in the disability field, it was nice to read about "normalcy" and being ok with what is normal for you. It may not be normal for others but you need to be ok with yourself. Hooray for Tia's brother Mac and her best friend. She really had great coping skills and a great outlook on life.

This is a pretty dark read--mafia, murder for hire, gangs. But the beautiful light that shines when these two click is so worth the read. Great job!

Was this review helpful?

: SPECTRE by Shiloh Walker is a contemporary, adult, stand alone, dark erotic romance novel focusing on assassin for hire Meric aka Spectre aka Casper Bach, and artist Tia Bailey.

NOTE: There are some scenes of bondage, discipline and anal play that may not be suitable for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Tia and Spectre) SPECTRE follows Meric aka Spectre Bach as he is hired to kill the half-sister of the police detective who was responsible for the taking down a man responsible for a child prostitution ring but all things considered Spectre had no desire to assassinate the woman that would one day, call to his heart. Stalking Tia Bailey had been easy but meeting our heroine forced Spectre to re-evaluate his chosen profession as his heart battled with what he was paid to do. What ensues is a cross-country journey in an effort to keep our heroine safe; the building but tempestuous relationship between Tia and Spectre, and the potential fall-out as Spectre must fulfil a promise to himself, and take down the people who destroyed so many lives.

Tia Bailey has Asperger’s; a high functioning form of Autism wherein she has the tendency to speak her mind both in and out of social situations but our heroine finds herself falling for the man hired to kill, a killer she is quickly learning to call her own. Meric Bach aka Spectre’s earlier life destroyed any semblance of happiness or normality. Having never felt loved or cared for, Spectre spent his early years learning to kill in an effort to protect himself from grievous harm. Falling for Tia Bailey meant opening his heart and revealing his past, a past he believes will condemn him in the eyes of the woman he loves.

The relationship between Tia and Spectre begins acrimoniously when Spectre is hired to kill our heroine. Unable to murder an innocent woman, Spectre then abducts Tia Bailey, in an effort to protect her from those willing to destroy her brother in the process. A quick ‘Stockholm-esque’ Syndrome relationship quickly develops as Tia begins to consider a life on the run with the man with whom she will fall in love. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense but I struggle with the use of a certain four-letter word used liberally throughout the story.

We are introduced to Tia’s half-brother Detective Mac Bailey; Meric’s guardian Sarge, as well as friends Leo Wallace and hacker Theodosia

SPECTRE is a dark, gritty and emotional story line between two people whose lives could not have been any more different. The premise is engaging and enthralling: the characters are energetic, dynamic and colorful; the romance is raw, spicy and spirited.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

THE READING CAFÉ: http://www.thereadingcafe.com/spectre-by-shiloh-walker-a-review/


GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2924492884

AMAZON.COM: https://www.amazon.com/review/R2M9GQCZYEUFVO/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8


BOOKBUB: https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/2313624202


B&N (Sandy_thereadingcafe) posted

CHAPTERS/INDIGO (Sandy_At_the_Reading_Cafe) posted

Google play: (Sandy S)posted

Ibooks (Sandy Sch) posted

Was this review helpful?

This book is amazing!! I wasn’t so sure about it in the first chapter but goodness it really took off in the second. Loved it!!

Was this review helpful?