Ressa Bliss is a librarian who has sole custody of her niece. Ressa tries so hard to do the right thing, and I love her determination and steadiness. She's made some bad choices in the past, and I find myself frustrated with Ressa allowing her past to be a false obstacle to her future with Trey. The big reveal seems a little drawn out, but does surprise me (I always enjoy when the author can skillfully draw out the suspense on a character's Deep Secret).

Trey Barnes is a widower, raising his five year old son on his own. He's just starting to come out of his shell and start living again. He's an author who writes depressing books under his own name, but also writes billionaire romances under a pen name, a fun little nod to our romance community. Walker does a great job of showing me Trey's struggles without overwhelming me, and letting me experience his utter relieved astonishment in finding pleasure in another woman again.

There is a total book theme going on in this story. The heroine is a librarian who says that books saved her growing up. He's a writer in two genres, and his writing isn't tangential to the plot, but is used to flesh the story out. All of Trey's tattoos are book-related. They meet in a library, meet the next time at a book conference where she moderates a panel he is on, go out on a date to a book-themed restaurant. This is an author who knows what we readers appreciate!

There's such a slow and natural but very sexy build-up to Ressa and Trey starting their relationship. These are two people with a lot of issues who are trying to handle their problems as best they can. The hallmark of Walker's books is people with serious problems who are dealing with them in a healthy manner with the help of wonderful friends and family, and Walker does not disappoint in this respect in BUSTED. Ressa is reluctant to start a relationship when she is struggling with guilt over issues with her cousin and trying to deal with raising her cousin's child. Trey is afraid to try a relationship since he's shut down sexually after his wife's death. To see them grow toward each other and start to live life again is a beautiful and uplifting thing.

Shiloh Walker's BUSTED is another solid addition to a sensual and healthy series about characters I would love to have as my own friends. I adore a good angsty book, and Walker hits all my buttons with this latest release.

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