Spectre Myth Monster Mine

Shiloh Walker — 2019

Myth. Monster. Mine. Spectre I wasn’t even a man when I took a life for the first time, although you couldn’t say I was a child. If I’d ever had a childhood, it hadn’t lasted long. My father, may he rot in hell, had seen to that. I took his life as well and that, too, happened before I was old enough to be considered a grown man. I never regretted it for a second. That path almost led to my own grave, and would have, if I hadn’t stumbled across somebody who was as different from my father as day was from night. Sarge had seen the monster lurking inside, so he took control, gave me guidelines, rules, so I wouldn’t be the monster my father had planned. It worked. I restrained the worst of my rage and honed the skills that had been drilled into me—theft, stealth... assassination. The broken child ceased to exist and I became Spectre, an assassin spoken of in whispers, hired to take out the worst of humanity. Then I was sent to kill her...and my world came to a screeching halt. Tia It’s taken a long time, but I finally had a nice, steady routine. I stopped trying to conform to the neurotypicals of the world and found my own normal. Normal went out the window when I walked into my kitchen and found a strange (hot), dangerous looking (so fricking hot) man drugging my new dog. It probably wasn’t the smartest thing to leap at him like a banshee and attack, but that’s what I did. When my attempt to wreck the vehicle was averted, my kidnapper didn’t hurt or threaten me. In fact, he told me he wanted to protect me. This (hot) guy had to be crazy. But if he was crazy, what did that make me? Because I believed him. More, I found myself seeing something beyond the rigid, blank mask he wore. He kept trying to push me away, but I couldn’t seem to keep my distance. He calls himself a monster...but when I look at him, that isn’t what I see. I just see him...and I know he’s meant to be mine. Warning: This isn’t a snuggly, comfy read. The male MC is a hired killer, while the heroine is neuro-atypical. Some dark material is involved—the hero kidnaps the heroine. There’s also violence when he goes on a rampage against those who put a contract on her. Also references of abuse (not against the heroine). Also very graphic, erotic scenes with minor bondage play.

Reviews

Jo H@psyche_eros

Aug 27, 2021

Ok, this is a book that shouldn't work for me because of the 'kidnapping the female for her own sake' trope which is usually a hard pass... and a bit of (albeit very mild) BDSM. But I know and quite like this author from Ellora's Cave days and I haven't read one of her books for a long time. Also the female MC is autistic and there is a pet (a dog) character in the story and I love both of these 'tropes' so thought I'd give it a try... and thank goodness I did. Be still my beating heart. Whilst I did have a few niggles, (I think it's impossible to not have any in a book) they were minor enough that I LOVED this dual POV story and the two MC's - both separately and together. The kidnapping trope was both carried out and subverted. I think it was done so well primarily I think because the heroine is an Aspie so her reaction to this happening to her was not the same as many women in her position and she is very self-aware. She ABSOLUTELY is not a damsel in distress, despite the fact that she has just been kidnapped and she fights back as much as she can! I'm not autistic myself, so I can't judge the quality of the rep but in my limited knowledge, it seemed authentic and not as stereotypical as some that I've come across. Tia is also not a savant, but she does display some traits that are widely known to be more common in autistic people than none. Tia is a 27-year-old biracial (white/black) woman, and this is the first time (I think) I've ever read a Shiloh Walker book with a POC MC which was a pleasant surprise. I did wonder at the start if she was just a token or a racial stereotype, but the author wove in various commentaries about her hair care routine, and a few other bits and pieces throughout the narrative which acknowledged but didn't dwell on her heritage and I really appreciated that. Tia has a great childhood BFF called Bianca who we meet early on and whom I loved. She is not a big part of the narrative but is integral to who Tia is and her thought process. She also has a very protective older brother, but for a change, he is not one of those 'you can't see my sister as she is too good/pure for you' bullshit storylines that I hate with a passion. Mac just loves his lil' sis so much because they didn't know about each other until later in their teens and he is making up for all the lost years between them, and for something else that actually is because of him but is not his fault... But Mac does what he needs to do not just to protect his sis, but also to ensure her long term happiness, which is paramount to him. I'm jealous... I wish he were MY older brother (not that I have one). As for Spectre, well for an assassin he sure was a sweet and caring guy with more morals than many folks! Despite the fact that he ended up kidnapping Tia (and her dog!) and it being traumatic for both woman and dog, he clearly has heart and takes good care of them both. In his POV chapters, he tells us enough times that he doesn't enjoy his 'work' despite being prolific and highly capable and is aware enough of his behavior to sometimes feel that he is going against the teachings of his now-deceased 'found' father. He also has some deep-seated issues but Tia seems to take them in her stride and work with him, and actually the two of them because of their various personality quirks make an awesome couple. Needless to say, this is one circumstance where I can get over the 'profession' of the hero and root for him to have his HEA anyway. Spectre is proof positive that a dominant alpha-male doesn't have to equate to alpha-hole! And the dog, Valkyrie, is such a cutie pie. #sorrynotsorry, but I LOVE when a pet plays a big part in the story and Valkyrie absolutely does, she is the secondary character over and above any others. I did miss Bianca, Tia's BFF at the last part of the book, and could well imagine a companion novel that pairs Mac and Bianca which would be quite juicy too. The book does have a tad more graphic sex than I prefer these days and some word choices that I cannot abide (and the dreaded super huge dick!), but for the most part, those scenes are HOT. I had forgotten how well this author can write scorching sex lol. All in all, a highly recommended book and I'm glad I set aside my misgivings about the main trope and read it.

Faizah Sultan Begum@faizah_begum

Dec 15, 2021