The Missing

Wow. I read this book without stopping, straight through the night. I loved everything about it. The book was haunting. The paranormal elements were a bonus but the real draw was the love story. I'm not into sappy reads either. I like action, danger and a bit of horror. I like the relationships to be physical and hot. This book had all of this but toned down and beautifully woven together. This is a keeper book for me.

This was an intense paranormal thriller. Mixed-race Taige Branch was orphaned at ten and sent to live with her only relative - Leon Carson. Leon is a religious fanatic who tried to beat Taige's psychic ability out of her.

When she meets Cullen Morgan when she is sixteen and he is seventeen, she's used to not trusting anyone and keeping away from people. Sometimes her gift overwhelms her and she makes daring rescues of children in trouble.

Cullen and his family visit the coast for vacations. When he meets Taige, he is smitten. They form a close friendship during his vacations and fall in love. He's able to accept her psychic gifts and she is able to touch him without being overwhelmed by his thoughts and feelings. However, their show more relationship falls apart when his mother is kidnapped, raped and murdered and he blams Taige for not being able to save her.

Twelve years pass during which Taige works as a consultant for the FBI on harrowing child kidnapping cases and Cullen becomes a fantasy writer, married, and is widowed when his wife dies in childbirth leaving him to raise their daughter Jillian on his own.

Though they don't see each other, they have a psychic connection that manifests itself during dreams where they are lovers. Each thinks the dreams are theirs alone and indications that they still love each other.

When Cullen's Jillian is kidnapped, he goes to Taige for help in finding her. It turns out that Taige has been seeing visions of Jillian since before she was born. Jillian has psychic talents of her own which Cullen recognizes and so does her kidnapper.

Jillian is rescued but her kidnapper escapes. The only thing to do is for Taige and Cullen to team up to find the kidnapper (and murderer) and bring him to justice if they ever want Jillian to feel safe.

The story was very emotional. Cullen and Taige still love each other, but his guilt and her fear of risking her heart again, make formidable obstacles to any new relationship. Through it all runs the shadow of the villain who is one creepy dude.

This is the first of a five book series. show less

THE MISSING, by Shiloh Walker, is a supernatural thriller and passionate romance all rolled into one. Walker captivated me from the beginning when I first met Taige. Her gift to see death was both a curse and a blessing, and I was fascinated to see where this story would take her.

Taige and Cullen are now one of my top book couples. This book gives both POVs of Taige and Cullen so I was able to get into both of their heads to really understand what they were thinking and how they felt about each other. I thought it was cute how Cullen had to really work for Taige to be with him both times they met. Taige was incredibly strong and incessantly stubborn, but she had a gigantic heart for those in her visions and would stop at nothing to save show more them. I like how Cullen eventually learned the error of his ways and (unlike many other men) tried to redeem himself. One aspect of their relationship that was breathtaking was their passion. Oh my goodness these two were like two matches ready to strike into a flame! Like I said, definitely top couple.

I loved Walker's creation of Taige's psychic ability. I wanted Taige to always succeed but I appreciated the moments of failure that she encountered because it pushed her to become more skilled. Even as an adult she faced hardships at her job because her gift and emotions were stretched to the limit to appease her "boss".

The big reveal for this book was a-total-shock! I knew I should have know, but I could not fathom that it would lead to what it did. The things that this criminal did to others was twisted and sick, and it broke my heart each time Taige missed out on a chance of uncovering the truth.

Overall, this was a pretty awesome book. I loved the romance and supernatural aspect of this book. I also loved the idea that even if you have made a mistake in the past, it is never too late to fix it. show less

Fabulous! Riveting. Grabs you by the heart and throat and won't let go. "The Missing" is Shiloh Walker's latest release and it's a hell of a book! It's a bit darker and much deeper than any other of her works I've read (and that's quite a few) and in a totally good way.

Taige has always been different. Her psychic gift manifested when she was a very young child, but understanding her 'gift' took quite a lot longer. Her current career, finding lost and taken children, came about after a heartbreaking loss that cost her her one and only love. Now she accepts that she can't find every single one and it's not her choice who she can and cannot help. But when her lost love reappears seeking her assistance for his own child, will she be able to show more help him without losing her heart all over again.

I was wrapped up in this book from the first page. Walker has a skillful touch with making you feel for and with her characters. Taige is such a complex character who at times beats herself up more than anyone else can. Our hero, Cullen, is just as complicated. Their relationship is tangled and tantalizing with many ups and downs, but always hot. The only drawback I found was that I had the 'bad guy' figured out pretty quick, but that didn't keep me from enjoying the read while I watched the rest of her character's follow the clues. I hope she continues with a few more books in this world/setting as there are several very interesting secondary characters I would love to see with a story of their own. show less

The Missing
3 Stars

Taige Branch and Cullen Morgan meet as teens and form an intense connection. For Taige, Cullen is the only boy who accepts her strange and wonderful abilities while for Cullen she is the most exotic and enchanting girl he has ever encountered. But when Taige's gift fails to protect Cullen's mother, he finds it impossible to forgive and the two go their separate ways. Now Cullen is a widowed father desperate to find his kidnapped daughter and Taige is the only one he can turn to for help. Will they be able to find the child as well as their lost love for each other?

The second chances romance falls rather flat as Cullen is a complete jerk and Taige is far too forgiving of his appalling behavior when they were younger. show more Moreover, Taige's psychic gifts are a mish-mash of numerous abilities including telepathy, telekinesis, psychometry. This is far too many for one individual and it stretches the imagination to accept that she has not gone insane.

The paranormal elements also include one of my favorite tropes, i.e., shared dreams. Unfortunately, Walker does not utilize them to full effect and they end up being a sex fest that contributes nothing to the romance or characterization.

The suspense plot is rather predictable and it is easy to guess the villain.

As this is the RS genre, Walker really needs to put less focus on the sex scenes and more on the plotting. Furthermore, the secondary characters are not appealing enough to continue with the series. show less

A lot better than I was expecting, the romance is hardly as syrupy as the description seems - and the story itself is a lot darker, with child abduction and abuse and attempted rape, though the HEA is there . There were a couple of plot points that didn't quite work for me - most notably when Cullen cuts Taige from his life - it didnt fit his established character which overall was a little flat anyway (and I am afraid that the name Cullen is now irrevocably asociated with Twilight for me LOL). However the story was well paced, and Taige was a complex, likeable and well developed character. I liked it enough to look for more by the author.

Wow, this book was an emotional read. Protagonist Taige has been through hell. After losing her parents at a young age she is sent to live with her extremely religious uncle. Her psychic ability leaves her feeling isolated, and her uncle convinced she has a demon inside. Taige is afraid to get close to anyone physically because of her abilities. That changes when she meets Cullen. His emotions don’t seep through and overwhelm her like others. They have an intense connection even though they only spend summers together. Things are going perfect until Cullen’s mom is murdered, and he blames Taige for not preventing it. The death brings out a side of Cullen Taige hasn’t seen before. The way he treats her is heartbreaking, and her show more reaction is a testament to her strength.

Taige is an amazing character. I envied her spirit and determination. While Cullen had his less than virtuous moments I still liked him. Dramatic, suspenseful, and tear jerking at times. I love a book that makes me feel, and The Missing did just that. The connection between Taige and Cullen is something I can’t explain without spoiling the story. Two damaged characters with good hearts must overcome obstacles in order to be together. What more can you ask for in a romance novel? You really don’t want to miss this one. show less