Torn Tour + Giveaway: Interview with Cynthia Eden

Today I have the immense pleasure of welcoming Cynthia Eden back to the blog as part of the promotional tour for the fourth book in her LOST series, Torn. I absolutely adore this series and highly recommend it to all who love a little thriller action mixed in with their romance. Cynthia was nice enough to answer a few questions for me about lead couple Wade and Victoria, so I hope you guys enjoy the interview!

To introduce those who haven’t yet met Wade and Victoria in the previous books, how would each member of the LOST team describe them in one or two words?

Now that is a fun question! ;)  So, for Wade, the quick & dirty description would be: Hard ass. (Yes, I’m afraid that is how the other agents of LOST—would describe him. Wade is a tough, ex-detective, a real rule follower, and he isn’t the most charming sort.

For Victoria, she’d be described as: Intense. Quiet.
Victoria is a forensic anthropologist, and she’s far more comfortable working with the dead, and not the living. 



If Victoria was to teach a class on forensic anthropology, what’s the first thing she would say or lesson she would teach her students?

The first thing she would say is, “The dead have secrets. Your job is to uncover those secrets, no matter how long it takes.” 



Though their work often leaves them little time for relaxing or leading any kind of social life, what would Victoria or Wade say their dream date would entail?

LOL, I think Wade would enjoy a night at a local bar, maybe a football or a baseball game, then some alone time with his lady. 

Victoria would be the total opposite. Her dream date would be a day at the beach, far away from crowds, a cozy picnic, and private time with Wade.

Opposites attract, right? 



You clearly do a great deal of research in order to write this romantic suspense series. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve typed into Google for research purposes?

Sometimes, my Google searches scare even me! Okay, the weirdest one may have been…How do you survive being buried alive in a coffin? I wanted to know exactly how long one would survive and if there were any possible ways of escape.  



What is one interesting tidbit or piece of trivia you learned about forensic anthropology that you didn’t know before you wrote Victoria’s character?

I actually learned a great deal, thanks to Victoria.  (She was a helpful lady. Now I have all kinds of conversation starters.)  One weird tidbit I picked up was this…if you are trying to determine the age of a person’s remains (say you are working with a skeleton and you want to know how old the victim was at death)…try looking at the ribs.  It turns out that as people age, the ends of our ribs will be less flat and more ragged right in the area where the cartilage connects with the sternum.  So if you’ve got a skeleton with ragged ribs, you’re looking at an older victim. 

Another little fact (sorry, now I can’t stop!) I picked up…if you are trying to determine ethnicity, the skull is the key.  You can measure the distance between the eyes or you can study the shape of the victim’s teeth in your quest to figure out ethnicity. 

Thanks for taking the time to interview me—and for letting me talk forensic facts! ;) It has been fun!

The more facts the better! Thanks so much Cynthia!

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

TORN

In New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Eden’s latest novel featuring the Last Option Search Team (LOST), one agent’s investigation entices a killer into making her his prey.

PARTNERS . . . FRIENDS . . .

Forensic anthropologist Victoria Palmer has always been better with the dead than the living. Shutting down her emotions, she lets few people in. But then Victoria’s latest investigation takes her and agent Wade Monroe to Savannah, Georgia. Handsome, dangerous, and more than ready to play dirty on any case, Wade weakens Victoria’s aloofness with just one glance.

. . . LOVERS

Wade knows their recent cases have pushed Victoria beyond her limits. But her skills are crucial to finding a college student who went missing five years ago. Victoria is able to determine she was murdered, and that the killer is still on the loose.

And when the vicious murderer targets Victoria, Wade must do everything in his power to protect her . . . because he refuses to let a woman he loves be torn from him . . . again.
 

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• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

CYNTHIA EDEN

Award-winning author Cynthia Eden writes dark tales of paranormal romance and romantic suspense. She is a New York Times, USA Today, Digital Book World, and IndieReader best-seller. Cynthia is also a two-time finalist for the prestigious RITA® award (she was a finalist both in the romantic suspense category and in the paranormal romance category). Since she began writing full-time in 2005, Cynthia has written over thirty novels and novellas. Cynthia lives along the Alabama Gulf Coast.

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GIVEAWAY

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May 30

·         Got Fiction? – Review
·         Live to Read – Guest Post

May 31st

·         My Secret Romance – Review
·         Jeep Diva – Review

June 1

·         The Reading Café – Review
·         Waves of Fiction – Review

June 2

·         Book Reader Chronicles – Review
·         The Book Binge – Guest Post

June 3

·         SOS Aloha – Guest Post
·         Romance Junkies – Guest Post

June 6

·         Good Choice Reading – Review
·         Book Reading Gals – Guest Post
·         Paulette's Papers – Guest Post
·         HEAs Are Us – Spotlight

June 7

·         Romancing the Readers – Review
·         Books Books More Books – Review

June 8

·         Book Beacon – Review
·         Literacy Etc. – Q&A
·         Book Lovin' Mamas – Guest Post

June 9

·         Supernatural Snark – Q&A
·         I Heart YA Books – Review
·         Truly Simply Pink – Review
·         Sophia Loves Reading – Review

June 10

·         Cocktails and Books – Guest Post
·         Toots Book Reviews – Q&A
·         Ramblings From This Chick – Guest Post
·         Reese's Reviews – Guest Post

Review: Shadow Fall

SHADOW FALL
Tracers #9
Laura Griffin
Romantic Suspense/Thriller
Pocket Books
357 pages
Available Now
Source: Bought

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Special Agent Tara Rushing arrives at a grisly murder scene and quickly discovers she’s got a serial killer on her hands. The killer is meticulous, making sure to wipe up even the smallest traces of evidence…but the Delphi Center experts are on the case.

The local sheriff has a suspect all picked out—ex-Marine and current security expert Liam Wolfe. Despite all her digging, Tara knows very little about Liam when she shows up at his sprawling Texas compound, which serves as headquarters for Wolfe Securities, and she’s surprised by her intense physical reaction to him.

As she and Liam grow closer, Tara finds herself depending on his skills and expertise to help her track a killer. But when another body turns up, Tara must decide if she can trust the man who’s quickly stealing her heart.

MY THOUGHTS
Shadow Fall easily stands on its own despite being the ninth book in the Tracers series, giving us a new murder to solve and a new set of lead characters to guide us through it. Ms. Griffin truly excels at crafting a believable investigation full of individuals who know their job and do it well, neither weighing us down with too many complicated forensic details nor denying us information required to feel as though we're a part of things. We crack the spine of this thriller and find ourselves surrounded by the story, all our senses on full alert as we try and identify a brutally misogynistic killer.
 
Tara is an incredibly strong woman, forced to fight a battle on two fronts as she's assigned a new case, both that of a woman in a male-dominated field as well as that of a Federal Agent sent to assist a small town police force. As a result she has more than a few hard edges, but she never tries to one-up those around her in order to prove her competence, instead the only person she consistently strives to impress is herself. She's good at her job and makes smart decisions, never asking us to suspend disbelief as she goes running headlong into danger without so much as putting in a call for backup, and we can't help but root for her throughout.
 
While the murder mystery element is brilliantly executed, forcing us to bite our nails further into nubs with every chapter as our killer gains confidence, the romantic element between Tara and ex-military/current security specialist Liam isn't quite as strong. Because Tara's fighting the aforementioned battles, she does feel a need to assert her independence and show everyone (but most of all herself) that she's more than capable of handling whatever is thrown at her on her own, and therefore she never really lets Liam in. He in turn gets frustrated with her when his protective streak takes over, and they do a dance around one another for most of the book. It's not a huge source of frustration mind you, and any tension between them gets resolved quickly and with little drama, but it does make the declaration of love at the end feel a touch forced.

There's also a backstory with regard to the last case Tara was on just before she was assigned this new job, but we're only given tiny hints about it here and there when she has a nightmare or two, and it's hard not to wish for a little more information regarding the outcome (it's possible it was in a previous book though, this is the first of the series I've read and I'm not entirely sure how/if the books are loosely connected). Overall however, Shadow Fall is a lighting-fast read with an extremely well done murder investigation and an enjoyable romance even if it's not quite as emotionally engaging as we might have liked.

Rating: 4/5

Find Laura:

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Hidden Impact Blog Tour: Guest Post + Giveaway

I'm so pleased today to welcome author Piper J. Drake to the blog as part of the tour for her newest romantic suspense release, Hidden Impact. As you guys already know by now, I love romance. Love it. I need everything I read to have a little romance in it, but of course the success of that romance depends entirely on the hero and heroine. I decided to ask Piper to share a few of the characteristics she thought made for a successful heroine, so I hope you guys enjoy!

Piper’s Top 3 Characteristics for the Successful Heroine

Think Quick

Events can happen in a blur of action, requiring fast reaction. In my stories, a succesful heroine may only have a fraction of a second but she’s got to make that count. She’s got to be able to think quick so she doesn’t end up dead or badly injured.

Think Clearly

It doesn’t take military training to assess a situation with a clear perspective. I try to give my heroine the ability to take a look at the situation and see it for what it is, without getting too muddled even when emotions are running high and the adrenaline is flowing.

Think Ahead

To succeed, or survive, a heroine needs to think ahead to what might happen next. Having an idea of the possible utcomes and being prepared for them help her navigate some pretty crazy circumstances. Thinking ahead helps my heroine make choices, not just react.

Mostly, I like a heroine who can think on her feet. It’s not always possible, but whenever it is, she should.

Thanks so much Piper! Be sure and check the bottom of the post for all the details on a giveaway as well as a list of participating blogs:)

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

HIDDEN IMPACT

He's not the hero she's looking for

As part of the elite Centurion Corporation team, military-veteran-turned-mercenary Gabriel Diaz is a natural defender. He'll do anything to ensure a mission is successful. Anything but get emotionally invested—he learned the hard way that can be deadly. Easy bodyguard jobs in between the more challenging missions are all he's interested in now.

Maylin Cheng is desperate and running out of time. Her younger sister has gone missing but no one seems to take her concern seriously. Her last hope lies in asking an aloof bodyguard for help. He dismisses her outright, but all that changes when she is almost killed in a not-so-accidental hit-and-run right before his eyes.

As Maylin leans on Gabriel, she begins to rely on him for more than just her safety. But as their attraction grows, so does the danger surrounding them. When the elaborate web they're trapped in unravels, Gabriel will do anything to protect them. Even if that means putting his heart in the crosshairs.

Book one of the Safeguard series

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• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

PIPER J. DRAKE

Piper J. Drake (or “PJ”) began her writing career as “PJ Schnyder” writing sci-fi & paranormal romance and steampunk. She has recently received the FF&P PRISM award for her work as well as the NJRW Golden Leaf award and Parsec award.

Now, PJ is exploring the complexity of romantic suspense, incorporating her interests in mixed martial arts and the military into her writing.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | You Tube

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

GIVEAWAY

Thanks to the team at Harlequin and Carina Press, one lucky winner will receive the following:

• 10,000 Harlequin Rewards Points (US/Can only)
• eCopy of HIDDEN IMPACT

Please enter via the Rafflecopter form.

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• Monday, November 2nd - Bewitched Bookworms
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• Friday, November 6th - I am Shelfless

• Monday, November 9th - Moonlight Rendezvous
• Wednesday, November 11th - Supernatural Snark
• Friday, November 13th - Ramblings From Beneath The Sheets

• Monday, November 16th - Fic Gal
• Wednesday, November18th - The Cheshire Cat's Looking Glass
• Friday, November 20th - The Book Swarm

Shattered Blog Tour: Interview + Giveaway

Today I'm thrilled to have author Cynthia Eden stopping by the blog as part of the promotional tour for the third installment of her fantastic LOST series, Shattered. I loved the first two books in this series (each book features a new couple and a new mystery) and now can't wait to dive in to Sarah and Jax's story. I hope those of you who have yet to meet the members of LOST will do so after reading the interview, enjoy!

If the men and women of LOST could choose a character from any other piece of fiction to join their team, whose set of skills would they most want to utilize?

LOST would definitely recruit Penelope Garcia from Criminal Minds. Her tech skills would be an amazing addition to the team. When it comes to computers, Penelope is a master, and she’d add both wit and tech value to the team.

This is a bit of a stretch, but if Jax were to play tour guide for someone who’s never been to New Orleans, what are three places he’d recommend they see?

I bet Jax would love to play tour guide! He’d start with Bourbon Street (a must for him), then he’d recommend a nice, long stroll through Jackson Square (with a pause for beignets). Jax would end the night with a haunted tour of the French Quarter. After all, he totally loves a good scare.

Sarah has very personal reasons for becoming a criminal psychologist. If she were to put together a file on her serial killer father, how would the first line of her notes read?

What a great question! And I bet Sarah does have a file on her father… probably quite a few.  The first line would be:

A monster who wears the skin of a man…Murphy should never be trusted and he should absolutely not be underestimated.

Despite the fact that each case widely varies, what would Sarah say are some recurring characteristics typically present in her profiles of serial killers?

Sarah would say that serial killers are highly intelligent and very methodical. After all, they’d have to be smart in order to get away with their crimes. Otherwise, they’d be captured after their first kill. The serial killers would also have very low empathy (or they’d feel no empathy at all). They don’t feel the pain of their victims—it’s all about the pleasure of the kill for the men and women Sarah profiles.

If Jax were to consider joining the LOST team, what’s the first question he’d ask founder Gabe before signing up?

Ah…Jax…well, he’d want to know, “Will Sarah be my partner? Because I’ll only work with her.”

Thanks so much for interviewing me!

Thank YOU Cynthia!

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

SHATTERED

In New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Eden's latest novel featuring the Last Option Search Team (LOST), one agent is forced to face her past as she uncovers secrets about the man who may be the key to her future.

Criminal psychologist Dr. Sarah Jacobs is all too familiar with the kind of bad boys who belong behind bars. But the dark, dangerous man she meets in the New Orleans underworld is a new kind of ruthless, and all too irresistible.

Jax Fontaine doesn't claim to be a good guy, but he's loyal to his own code and brutally honest about what he wants. He and Sarah may be worlds apart, but when they're skin to skin, nothing matters but the heat between them.

And when a deranged killer targets Sarah, Jax will do whatever it takes to keep her safe.

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• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

CYNTHIA EDEN

Award-winning author Cynthia Eden writes dark tales of paranormal romance and romantic suspense. She is a New York Times, USA Today, Digital Book World, and IndieReader best-seller. Cynthia is also a three-time finalist for the prestigious RITA® award. Since she began writing full-time in 2005, Cynthia has written over fifty novels and novellas.

Cynthia lives along the Alabama Gulf Coast. She loves romance novels, horror movies, and chocolate. Her favorite hobbies including hiking in the mountains (searching for waterfalls) and spelunking.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

GIVEAWAY

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Spotlight + Excerpt: Darkest Before Dawn

Today I have the pleasure of sharing an excerpt from Darkest Before Dawn, the latest installment in Maya Banks' KGI series. Most of you already know that I am a special kind of sucker for a military/Special Forces/elite badass hero, so the men of The Kelly Group International are right up my alley. *fans self* Despite the fact that this is book ten, it can be read entirely on its own, so those of you who haven't read the previous nine books can kick this series off with all things Hancock ;-) Enjoy the excerpt!

Anticipation licked through Hancock’s veins and his pulse sped up, the taste of victory in his mouth. If all it took was capturing a single woman who was running and hiding from a terrorist group to enable him to achieve his objective, then he’d do it without hesitation. He’d have to ensure that Maksimov took the bait because it did him no good for Bristow to turn to the terrorist cell to get what he wanted. It had to be Maksimov.
 
He glanced up at his men and saw answering resolve in their eyes. They wanted to take down Maksimov every bit as much as he did. And like him, they grew weary of their existence or rather nonexistence. To the world, they were dead. To their government they were traitors and had been given a death sentence. To their prey, they were angels of death, without mercy or compassion. They were feared by all and they mattered to no one. To even the strongest, unfeeling soul, such a life eventually wore on them. They were all ready to step down from their cause and allow others to do the work they’d done without thanks or regard for over a decade. And make whatever kind of life was left to them, knowing that even after they stood down, they’d always be hunted.

“Give me what intel you have,” Hancock said to Bristow, determination and resolve Bristow couldn’t possibly miss in his tone. And Bristow had seen him in action long enough to know he didn’t offer his assurances lightly. “I’ll find the woman and bring her to you.”

DARKEST BEFORE DAWN

The Kelly Group International (KGI): A super-elite, top secret, family-run business.
 
Qualifications: High intelligence, rock-hard body, military background.
 
Mission: Hostage/kidnap victim recovery. Intelligence gathering. Handling jobs the U.S. government can’t...

The enigmatic Hancock has been both opponent and ally to the KGI teams for as long as they've known him. Always working a deep game, Hancock's true allegiance has never been apparent, but one thing is for certain—he never lets anything get in the way of duty.

But now, his absolute belief in the primacy of his ultimate goal is challenged by a captive he's been ordered to guard, no matter how much she suffers in her prison. She's the only woman who's ever managed to penetrate the rigid walls surrounding his icy heart, but will he allow his perplexing feelings for the beautiful victim to destroy a mission he's spent years working to complete or will he be forced to sacrifice her for “the greater good.”

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Review: Hard as it Gets

HARD AS IT GETS
Hard Ink #1
Laura Kaye
Romantic Suspense
368 pages
Avon
Available Now
Source: Finished copy from publisher

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Tall, dark, and lethal...

Trouble just walked into Nicholas Rixey's tattoo parlor. Becca Merritt is warm, sexy, wholesome--pure temptation to a very jaded Nick. He's left his military life behind to become co-owner of Hard Ink Tattoo, but Becca is his ex-commander's daughter. Loyalty won't let him turn her away. Lust has plenty to do with it too.

With her brother presumed kidnapped, Becca needs Nick. She just wasn't expecting to want him so much. As their investigation turns into all-out war with an organized crime ring, only Nick can protect her. And only Becca can heal the scars no one else sees.

Desire is the easy part. Love is as hard as it gets. Good thing Nick is always up for a challenge...

MY THOUGHTS
Hard as it Gets is a fast-paced, low-angst romance, giving us a lead pair who handle everything thrown at them with maturity and make communication one of their top priorities. The result is a relationship that brings a smile to our faces, the perfect amount of heat and tension combining to give us more than a little swoon while sparing us frustration with either party as they start unraveling what's clearly going to be a series-long military-based mystery.

Becca is everything we could want in a heroine, a young woman who's out of her depth when it comes to her missing brother and knows it, leading her to ask for the help she do desperately needs instead of going off half-cocked and trying to fix things on her own. Given Nick is ex-Special Forces, Becca could have easily fallen into one of two categories of heroine: One, she could have played a damsel in distress to the fullest, completely relying on him to save both her and her brother; or two, she could have been bound and determined to be the exact opposite, wanting to prove her mettle by tossing herself into the middle of everything dangerous. Thankfully, Becca creates her very own category, fully recognizing that Nick has skills she doesn't, but at the same time refusing to allow him to run roughshod over her and dictate her every move. She's honest at all times, both with feelings and with any information she has that might help the investigation, and even when she learns what a binding non-disclosure agreement keeps Nick from telling her, she handles it in a way that has us wanting to reach out and hug her for being awesome.

Nick, for his part, is as enjoyable as Becca, possessing an excess of alpha qualities but never once coming across as bossy or overbearing. He has every reason to bear a grudge against Becca's family, but after their initial meeting, he never once holds the sins of the father against either Becca or her brother Charlie, throwing himself wholeheartedly into helping them both. He respects what Becca brings to the table regarding her brother's disappearance, never once disregarding her opinion or relegating her to the sidelines because she doesn't have his training. They're partners every step of the way, and the two of them together delight from first to last page.

Overall, Hard as it Gets is an outstanding first installment to the Hard Ink series, introducing us to a military cover up that will span multiple books, but ensuring we turn the last page fully satisfied with a complete story in this first installment. We also find ourselves acquainted with the remaining living members of Nick's Special Forces team, a group of men who bring a sense of humor and camaraderie to the story, deepening our emotional investment as we look forward to seeing each of them find their own slice of happiness in future books.

Rating: 4.5/5
 

Find Laura:

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This book was sent to me by the author  free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion. 

Review: Twisted

TWISTED
LOST #2
Cynthia Eden
Romantic Suspense
384 pages
Avon
Available Now
Source: Finished copy from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
n the second seductive LOST novel from New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Eden, an obsessed Last Option Search Team agent goes looking for trouble--and finds her in the Big Easy.

Dean Bannon comes to New Orleans for one reason only: to track down a missing sixteen-year-old girl. That's before he meets the drop-dead gorgeous con artist who makes him want to lose his legendary control.

With her past, Emma Castille doesn't claim to be psychic. She just notices things other people don't. Like the fear in a runaway's eyes--or the pain in an ex-FBI agent's heart. Her chemistry with Dean is blistering, but Emma follows her passion... not someone else's orders.

Then a madman breaks into Emma's home and leaves a twisted message: You're next. Now Dean refuses to let her out of his sight until he pries every last secret from her full, sexy lips. And suddenly Emma's aching to give him everything he wants.

MY THOUGHTS
Twisted walks us through the bustling streets of New Orleans with another member of the LOST team, and introduces us to a new killer who sees blood and pain as moves in a sadistic game of chess. Ms. Eden changes the suspense element a bit from book one, giving us the killer’s identity fairly early on so that our attention shifts from the who to the how and when he’ll be caught before shifting things on us once again. What results is a night spent reading instead of sleeping, making our guesses as to how things are going to unfold and then flipping the pages as fast as possible to see if we’re right.

Given this series is romantic suspense, the relationship between LOST agent Dean and next-on-the-killer’s-list Emma is as prominent as the hunt for the man himself. Things start out just a touch rocky with Dean, his habit of continually reminding Emma of his Incredible Hulk-like tendency to be dangerous when he loses control something that has us wondering if we’ll ever be able to take him as seriously as he takes himself. His fear of letting his control slip might have given us appropriate pause should we have been privy to a few quick flashbacks to times when he’s been as dangerous physically or emotionally as he claims, but aside from one instance that was clearly self-defense, there’s nothing about Dean that warrants his early game of hot and cold with Emma.

Before too long however, Dean gives up on warning Emma off and finally starts taking what Emma is more than willing to give, allowing us to settle into their romance in a way we feared we might not be able to in the first third of the book. As always, Dean’s LOST team all play minor roles as well, giving us peeks into their personalities that are just long enough to build our anticipation for their inevitable stories, but never so long as to have us wishing we could return to our lead couple. Overall, Twisted starts out a little weak on the romantic front, but the killer’s sick games keep us fully invested until the romance catches up strength-wise, and we’re left nothing short of satisfied as we look forward to Sarah and Jax’s book.

Rating: 3.5/5

Find Cynthia:

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This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

Review: Broken

BROKEN
LOST #1
Cynthia Eden
Romantic Suspense
384 pages
Avon
Available Now
Source: Finished copy from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Ex-SEAL and LOST founder Gabe Spencer is accustomed to the unusual in his job. But when knockout Eve Gray steps into his office, he's rattled. For the mysterious woman is a dead ringer for the heiress thought to be the latest prey of the serial killer who goes by the name Lady Killer.

When Eve awoke in an Atlanta hospital, her past was a blank slate. Then she recognized her own face in the newspaper and vowed to learn the truth. Determined to confront the nightmares hidden in her mind, she never expects to find a partner in Gabe.

As Gabe and Eve work together, their explosive attraction becomes irresistible. Gabe knows that his desire for Eve is growing too strong, bordering on a dangerous obsession, but nothing pulls him away from her. And when another Eve lookalike disappears, Gabe vows to protect Eve at all costs. While Eve may have forgotten the killer in her past, it's clear he hasn't forgotten her.

MY THOUGHTS
Broken reaches out and grabs hold from the very first page, ensuring we stumble into work the next morning bleary-eyed and mildly incoherent from lack of sleep. We can’t help but be as curious about Eve’s past as she is, a chilling prologue giving us just the barest hint of what happened to her before we meet her as a blank slate with nothing but a newspaper article to tell her who she is. Thanks to a few chapters that have us breaking away from Eve, her faulty memory, and her romance with Gabe to follow the killer as he begins his hunt once again, we find ourselves not wanting to look outside our darkened windows for fear that a face might be staring back at us.

While the relationship between Eve and Gabe develops quickly, it’s easy to grant her a bit of a pass on the intensity of her feelings given Gabe is the one person that’s made her feel safe since she got out of the hospital months ago, and a declaration of love is slow in coming (page-wise, not necessarily actual time-wise). The two of them together are all kinds of sexy, and as their relationship progresses and her case unfolds we’re also introduced to the other members of Gabe’s team, a group of men and women we can’t wait to learn more about in future books.

The mystery and horror of Eve’s past is incredibly well done, the killer’s identity easily narrowed down to a handful of people, but Ms. Eden makes it very difficult to guess who the culprit is from within that group. We point an accusing finger at one person after another before disregarding our guesses when new information (or suspicious behavior) comes to light. All in all, Broken is a heart-pounding read from beginning to end, the romance and suspense perfectly balanced so that one doesn’t outshine the other, and we reach the last page eager to find out who on Gabe’s team will be the next to be put through the emotional and physical wringer.

Rating: 4/5
 

Find Cynthia:

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Amazon

This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.