Freak. Witch. Ugly. Abomination.Having grown up with a port-wine birthmark on her face and neck, Quinn Dixon’s heard them all. Her own mother couldn’t bear to touch her, let alone strangers. Years of stares and insults from everyone from classmates to foster families have made her understandably reluctant to trust. So when John comes along, of course he couldn’t be interested in more than a brief … than a brief affair. He’ll get sick of all the gawking and whispers soon enough and leave her…just like everyone else.
John “Driftwood” Trettle was captivated by Quinn the moment they met. After months of skirting around their attraction, one pivotal evening finds John seizing the reins and refusing to be denied a chance to prove he’s worthy of Quinn’s time, her trust, and her love. To show her he’ll have her back, always, and defend her against anyone cruel or stupid enough to hurt his woman.
But he can’t protect against an unknown threat. Even if it wears a familiar face…
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I have been a fan of Mrs. Stokers for awhile now. I have loved each and every book she has written.
First, I have to say that I loved he characters of Quinn and Driftwood. They both were strong individuals who put up with a lot in their lives and were better people for it. They both had great friends and just tried to be kind people.
My feeling about Quinn were all over the place in this book. I felt SO bad for her but yet I was continually amazed by her outlook on life. She tried to see the positive. She knew people stared and she tried to brush it off. At first she tried to be nice to Taco’s girlfriend even after she was so rude to her.
I also liked the character of John. He was into Quinn from the very start. He saw her beauty much earlier than most people. He was in this relationship before it was even one. I loved how protective he was of her but also how sometimes he went a little far. I loved those conversations that he had with Quinn about this. It made it feel very real.
The only issue I had with this book was I felt like the beginning was rushed. As I stated above I have been a long time fan of Mrs. Stokers so I had read about Driftwood and Quinn’s meeting already. However if you were a new reader and you decided to start with this book, I think you would have felt like you came in a couple chapters too late. You would have missed the first meeting and the first time John stood up for her. I just think that a new reader would have felt a little lost.
Shelter for Quinn was absolutely a pleasure to read
Take one firefighter John “Driftwood” Trettle who has for the the previous two books has been in love with Quinn Dixon, a lab tech who works with Sophie at the hospital. They finally get their own Badge of Honor book and it doesn’t disappoint.
Quinn was given up for adoption as a baby because of her port wine birthmark on her face and has always let the teasing and comments ignored so with Driftwood sticks up for her at the local bar she is surprised. But there is a group who is determined to remove the devil’s mark off her or or kill her. Was it Quinn’s silent neighbor who will kidnap her or will it be someone they all know? Can John and his friends save her in time when she is kidnapped?
John doesn’t care that Quinn has a birthmark all he wants to prove to her he’ll always stand up to all the bullies and their hateful words. But it will take everyone from the Texas Rangers, San Antonio police, Tex and Beth and Station 7 firefighters to rescue Quinn in time before the cult leader kills her.
Wonderful story of accepting yourself no matter what, and accepting love when it’s offered. John, Driftwood, and Quinn each gave the other what they needed.
Crying here for Taco.
Loved it!
I love the way Susan Stoker writes realistic characters you want to know. A compelling love story.
Shelter for Quinn was a great book. Susan Stoker has not written any book that I would not recommend. The story has action and suspense, not to mention a few of our beloved characters from previous books. This is one author that you will love…John and Quinn’s story is beautiful.
Once again Susan Stoker takes on a topic that some may find difficult. This book is about lifelong bullying, how it has affected Quinn, and also about the people that perpetrate this sort of thing.
I’ve loved Quinn since we met her in Sophie’s book, the fact that she hides her port wine birthmark has tugged at my heartstrings from that moment.
John aka Driftwood has been trying to get Quinn to go out with him since he first met her. He sees her for who she is, a beautiful person inside and out. Her green eyes remind him of emeralds so he calls her Emmy. As this book opens, John has declared them dating and has taken Quinn to his place to recuperate from the girl’s night out.
While Quinn has agreed to this, she is surprised to find herself in John’s home in bed alone with him on the floor next to the bed. I love John.
From a creepy neighbor to adjusting to a man who defends her at every turn is quite a challenge for Quinn. All the women are so very happy for the two of them, even as they aren’t as sure about Taco’s new girlfriend. I wanted to smack her more than once.
There are a lot of twists and turns in this story and I was sniffling more than once. This is a page turning read you won’t want to miss.
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I love Susan Stoker since the first line of the Seal of Protection Series, after so many books I read she can still surprise me and make me crying, for the emotional riots she can create through the stories of these amazing characters she gives life.
Quinn problem is a complex one not simply bullism or simply a handicap, it’s a mood, an imprinting this society gives to the young generations and had given to the ones before. Fashion and Television have instilled in people and kids the knowledge that perfection is the only characteristic important. My young sister is an amazing kid but the mentality and bigotry of the place she lives in, have transformed a smart brain and not size zero in a plague that had made her thinking she wasn’t worth to be loved.
U can’t have a brain big enough and a heart big enough if u wear a size zero. This should be the real message, starving for beauty or suffering for having a brain shouldn’t be the message. Shelter for Quinn sends this message whatever is on ur face in not on ur heart and brain, if u are smart and kind nothing can hide that, not a different size or a birth mark….
Finally Quinn’s story!!!!!!! This story has been long-awaited, and, as usual, there is NO disappointment. Driftwood is perfect for her; secure enough in himself not to need arm candy, he sees the awesome woman that she is and falls in love with her. This is a Susan Stoker book; there’s danger, suspense, twists, and seriously horrifying concepts – and you can’t put the book down. Yet again, don’t start this late at night; the next day will be a long one because you’ll have missed out on sleep. If this book makes even one person think twice about the way they treat others, it’s done a public service of note.
I loved this book. Quinn had to overcome a lot of problems with her birthmark. People can be so cruel! Driftwood helps her by loving and being there for her.
Shelter for Quinn is the latest installment of the Badge of Honors series and I enjoyed it very much! This is the story where we finally see the happily ever after for Quinn and John (Driftwood to everyone else). These two have been dancing around each other for awhile so to finally see them together is something I’ve been waiting for. Right from the first chapter we see how protective and awesome John is towards Quinn. Because of Quinn’s port-wine birthmark on her face and neck, she had been subjected to years of insults and hateful words and actions, even from her own mother. For her to cope, she hides and built this wall around herself and trusting people is very difficult for her. John sees beyond the birthmark, he sees the amazing and beautiful woman she really is.
I realized that I had not read Justice for Hope, the previous book, so was not quite sure how the beginning of this book came to be, but John got an in with Quinn so he took it and ran with it. Quinn was giving them a chance to finally be together. I am quite curious what had transpired between these two in that book, but this did not take away from their story.
Unfortunately, even though Quinn is giving them a shot, it is not all smooth sailing. Quinn’s insecurities come into play but John is so patient with her and the level of care he showers her with was so sweet. He will also not let her be insulted either, protective John is a very sexy John. I had an inkling of what danger Quinn was going to be placed in, but when all was revealed, the level of danger was pretty surprising. I was on pins and needles waiting for John to save the day and he came in with a force!
Another well written story, filled with emotions, suspense, laughs and of course with so much love.
Susan has written an awesome book! So glad Driftwood got his HEA. Driftwood treated Quinn so wonderful and we learned about accepting people no matter what,which is something that needs to happen more these days.Susan always has a life lesson and she also has some great action towards the end.
New release from Susan Stoker!
As usual Susan Stoker has written a story that’s all to real and tugs at your heartstrings.
You feel Quinn’s pain and Driftwood’s frustration as you read their story and watch as Quinn opens her heart.
Good flow, wonderful characters, a few twists and a supporting cast we all love.
This story was yet another must read for me.
I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it and was NOT disappointed one bit. Susan Stoker not only wrote an interesting story (like usual), but this story was also informative. I learned some information about port-wine birthmarks that I didn’t know before.
This story kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire story! I couldn’t put it down.
I also listened to it on audio, and Stella Bloom did an awesome job narrating this story.
The drama in the book surprised me. I did NOT see this coming at all.
Definitely a must read book!!
Great job on this story!! Can’t wait for the next in this series!
Shelter for Quinn
By Susan Stoker
Being a romance reader, I’ve come to expect romance, great characters and a good story. Susan Stoker never disappoints on these points which is why she is one my one-click list of authors. But what I also get when reading one of Ms. Stokers books is knowledge. I know that may sound weird but I feel Ms. Stoker also tries to educate the reader on issues. Be it cancer, agoraphobia, seizures, Ms. Stoker makes the reader aware with her books about life situations that are very real. And for me, Shelter for Quinn was no different.
Quinn has lived her whole life seeing people stare at her port-wine birthmark and make nasty comments. Watching her friends find love she boldly states if she ever finds a guy that will treat her how her friends’ partners treat them she will snatch him up. But after years and years of taunting Quinn has learned to build walls and trust is hard for her. So when John “Driftwood” Trettle expresses interest, Quinn is sure he will be just like all the other people in her life and not stick around.
Driftwood has been intrigued by the beauty with the big green eyes for months. When he finally sees a chance to grab at a relationship with her he takes it. Obviously wary, Driftwood has his work cut out for him to show Quinn that he sees more than just the birthmark on her face and neck. That he sees the whole woman and he wants what he sees. Can he win her trust and love and show her that beauty is NOT just skin deep? Will Quinn be able to open her heart and trust that Driftwood wants to be with her?
I loved getting to know Quinn and to see what she lives through with her birthmark. The relationship between Quinn and Driftwood is not without angst and seeing what they both go through to not only be together but to deal with how others see their relationship was refreshing. The inclusion of various other characters we have come to know and love from Ms. Stokers other books is just icing on the cake. You can never go wrong with a Susan Stoker read especially if you are wanting a good story and fantastic characters.
This is Quinn’s and Driftwood’s story. They have been dancing around each other for several books and at the end of “Justice for Hope,” Driftwood decided it was time to move forward in a relationship or move on. Quinn’s an introvert – her birthmark and people’s reaction to it have convinced her that it’s safer to fade into the background than risk getting hurt, again. Driftwood slowly pulls her out of her shell, making her realize that people like her for who she is not how she looks. There’s drama, of course, and the villain surprised me. Another good addition to the series.
This series just keeps getting better and better!
This book is about Quinn Dixon and John “Driftwood” Trettle. Quinn is such an amazing person, however due to her port wine birthmark, people don’t get to know the real her, they just stare and make rude comments about her. To say that her life has been hard growing up is an understatement. Then there is John. He has been attracted to Quinn since they first met, but of course Quinn can’t believe that someone like him would want to be with someone like her, but John sets out to prove her wrong. John is always quick to defend her when others make fun of her and he is such a caring and compassionate person. He lets Quinn know right away that she can always be herself with him and that she can always trust him. To watch these two grow in their relationship was heartwarming.
This books has everything you could want, love friendship, humor, romance and of course an unknown threat to them. This book made me laugh at times and cry at others. The story is very well written and you won’t be able to put it down. Another great book in this series.
Every book I read by Susan Stoker is a 5 star read. She writes touching, romantic, Alpha, protective hotness in her Hero’s. She writes strong, independent, caring beautiful women on the inside and out. We all have some kind of self image issues and Susan writes the characters with real life issues as well as current events in the world.
The spots she puts her women in are heart pounding and nail bitting. Poor Quinn, but Driftwood is amazing. Yes he had to grovel at one point but oh what a man. The evil that is in the world has touched these two and it was scary.
Bravo to Ms. Stoker for another fantastic read.
This is the story of Quinn and Driftwood. Quinn has a port-wine birth mark on her face and it has made life hard. Her mother couldn’t touch her because of it and strangers are always stairing or saying rude things.
So it is hard for Quinn to accept that John wants to date her. This book was amazing. It shows a real woman who has to struggle through life to meet a real man who will treat her right. It shows the struggles she faces everyday. John needs to show Quinn his feelings are real and she can trust, love and count on him to have her back. Of course they aren’t a perfect couple and have struggles. You can feel the chemistry between them and to me they feel like real people. I would and do recommend you check out it this book and series. I started reading it and couldn’t it it down I had to read until I finished it. I can’t wait for the next one
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.