4 Wine Glass #Review of The Right Kind of Trouble by Shiloh Walker

Title:  The Right Kind of Trouble
Series:  McKays   #3
Author:  Shiloh Walker
Format:  Paperback & eBook, 384pgs
Published:  Aug. 2, 2016 by St. Martin’s
ASIN:  B01AGHENDQ
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N
Source: NetGalley
Reviewer:  Kimberly
Rating:  4 out of 5 Wine Glasses

Desire won’t take no for an answer in The Right Kind of Trouble by Shiloh Walker

In the small Southern town of McKay’s Treasure, everybody knows that the handsome local police chief, Gideon Marshall, has been carrying a torch for Moira McKay. It’s also no secret that Moira has been rejecting Gideon since…forever. But after an attack from a mysterious stranger bent on taking down the McKay family, Moira becomes filled with distrust toward most men. Now she wonders whether she’s been wrong about Gideon all along—and if it’s not too late to admit him back into her life…and into her bed...

Gideon has finally convinced his wasted heart to give up on Moira, who he’s loved since he was sixteen years old. Moira’s attack changes everything, however—and he vows to protect her. But how much is he willing to risk for a woman who’s always kept him at bay…until now? And is it too late for Moira to tell him that her love for him has always been locked deep in her heart—and he holds the key?

Kimberly’s Thoughts:
For almost 20yrs Gideon has been holding on to his love for Moira but when the last year only brings more heartache, he decides that it is finally time to leave the town of McKay's Treasure.
Moira has played the martyr and punished herself by refusing to accept Gideon's love but when it looks like he might finally be done, it snaps something inside her.
The misfortune that has been hitting the McKays lately only seems to be increasing, in frequency and violence. Someone wants to punish the McKays and Gideon won't and can't leave until he knows Moira and her siblings are safe. Not only is Moira's life in danger but her heart is too and she needs to show Gideon that she's done punishing them both.

The Right Kind of Trouble is book three in the McKays series and you'll definitely want to have read the first two before starting this one. Each book in the series focuses on a McKay sibling and their love interest, #1 Headed for Trouble - Neve Mckay and Ian; #2 The Trouble With Temptation - Brannon McKay and Hannah; and this one staring the oldest McKay Moira and her childhood sweetheart Gideon but they all also contain a murder mystery thread; the whole series is more of a family saga. Secondary characters get povs and all the books work together to give a great encompassing view and story of the town and its people. After glimpsing Moira and Gideon in book one, I was dying for their story.

After reading books one and two, I thought I would be ready for all the angst and after waiting for the cord to snap between these two, it finally did. The author gives us a heart wrenching beginning in chapter one and the emotion doesn't let up from there. The word soulmates is often bandied about in terms of hearts and puppies, but Walker gives it to us in all its soul crushing glory; soulmates where life, pain, love, and human frailty get the best of it. There are minimal flashbacks to Moira and Gideon as teenagers falling in love. We're made to understand it through all the emotions that surge between the two; which the author writes wonderfully. Moira's wall against Gideon toes and slips over a few times the line of angst for angst sake but it makes for amazing tension. I felt Gideon's frustration with his inability to just leave and his, from every pore of his body, love for Moira. I felt Moira's outer iciness shielding her inner deep longing for Gideon. I felt their tension, desire, and pain; I just felt and was absorbed into it all.

Walker's writing always feels so real to me and I think it's because she doesn't hide or shy away from the messiness of life. Moira was married for a time, Gideon tries to date someone else, but they're still emotionally tied to one another. I know I said this about this series before but it really does read as a tv series, with all the threads and characters tying in and out in regards to the main couples and murder mystery. I don't want to spill any spoilers but the mystery suspense plot was well done in its breadth and depth over three books. It was a little elaborated with situations and people being placed a little too perfectly and a little overdone with the reasoning behind it all but it was also engaging. Out of all three books, I also thought this one had the best suspense; I was on the edge of my seat. The author gives you enough clues that it's possible to have a good guess to who the villain is by book two and I had guessed correctly. Knowing who the villain was though, only enhanced the suspense for me as I was nervously excited to see if they would get caught and when the characters would finally figure it out.

An executive or producer needs to get a hold of this series and turn it into a tv miniseries, stat. Taken all together, this trilogy was amazing for its emotion and tension. I wanted to yell out loud at the characters to not ignore or put off hints that could have helped them and happy sigh when the couples finally got together. Moira will anger you every time she pushes Gideon away, even when you know she's dying inside for him and Gideon will have your heart that breaks for him lusting (the guy waited 18yrs for her!). Walker is one of the best at writing angst and dark emotion, Moira and Gideon's love story was beautifully emotionally gory.

She held out her hand. For the longest time, he didn't move. Then he did---toward her.



Suggested Reading Order:
Headed for Trouble (McKays, #1) 

The Trouble with Temptation (The McKays, #2) 

The Right Kind of Trouble (The McKays, #3)