Thursday, November 5, 2015

review || SHATTERED { blog tour } by Cynthia Eden


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Avon | October 27, 2015 | Romantic Suspense
LOST, book 3
★★★★★

SOURCE: TASTY BOOK TOURS

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.

{ about karen ferry } .

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 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. She loves romance novels, horror movies, and chocolate. Her favorite hobbies include hiking in the mountains (searching for waterfalls) and spelunking.

{ excerpt } .

“No judgment,” he murmured. “There’s no anger in your eyes, no rage or disgust at me for being a cold bastard. No pity for the kid I was who got beaten in a dirty alley and left to die.”

“Don’t be too sure you understand what I feel.”

“Why not? I actually think I understand you very, very well.”

Sarah backed up a step.

A faint smile curved his lips. “It was there from the first time I saw you. That instant connection. Doesn’t happen often. Actually, it’s never happened to me before. I looked up, saw you, and thought—”

Sarah pretty much ran for the door.

But he caught her. His hands wrapped around her and Jax pulled her back against his body. His hold wasn’t hard or rough. Oddly, it was infinitely tender.

“Do you know what I saw when I looked in your eyes?” he whispered into her ear.

Sarah shook her head.

“You were hurting. Trying to hide your pain, but I could still see it. I looked at you and thought—I never want her to hurt again.”

Tears stung her eyes. “You don’t know me. Or what I’ve done.” Jax thought his past was bad? It was nothing compared to hers. She still had nightmares that had her waking in the night, choking for breath, and begging for help.

Help that hadn’t come. Not in time.

“Tell me why you came to see me tonight, Sarah.”

She sucked in a quick breath and decided to go with the truth. “Because I didn’t want to lie in bed and be afraid. Because I didn’t want to think about the past or the future.” Because she’d felt that insane connection between them, too.

The first time she’d seen him, she’d looked into his eyes and thought—

He can handle all my darkness. He won’t ever be afraid of what I tell him.

Because his gaze had told her that he’d already looked into hell … and hadn’t given a damn about the demons there.

He turned her in his arms. She made herself look up and into his eyes. He was so warm and strong against her. And he made her … want. Yearn for things that she’d denied herself for so very long.

Because she hadn’t wanted anyone to get close. She hadn’t trusted anyone with all her secrets.

She didn’t trust him, either. She’d be a fool to do that. But—she did want him. And every instinct Sarah possessed screamed at her that Jax Fontaine could give her the sensual oblivion she craved.

A few hours to forget. A few hours to just pretend that I’m not the freak in the room. The monster that everyone else fears.

“What do you want from me?” Jax asked her.

Just a night. She’d be leaving New Orleans soon, flying out on a plane and heading back to her little house in the suburbs of Atlanta. They wouldn’t see each other again. So no one else would know about what happened tonight. Just her.

Just him.

{ review } .

Jax Fontaine was that character in the previous book, TWISTED; the one you just loved to hate -- mainly because everyone else (...aside from Emma) didn't care for the man. But in true Cynthia Eden fashion, she takes a character that wasn't necessarily in the groups' good graces, and makes him into an outstanding male lead.

Also in true Cynthia Eden fashion, she draws suspenseful scenes so incredibly well, and with Sarah's history... Well, there were plenty of opportunities for the scene to be set and she certainly did just that.

When we've met Sarah in the past (if you read the previous books), we learned that she has an uncanny ability to read a serial killer's mind. And unfortunately, that comes from her upbringing. She takes something negative in her life, though, and she uses it for good -- a characteristic in her that makes her a great lead.

I loved Jax's protectiveness in this book. We definitely got tastes of it in the past where his friend, Emma, was concerned, but now that he's set his eyes on Sarah and what the two of them could have, it definitely comes out in full force. Just like our LOST guys, he's a strong lead and you can't help but like this man who was so easy to try and hate earlier on.

I am super excited for the next book. Victoria and Wade have been skirting one another and I'm pumped to see the walls fall down.

for other reviews & tour goodies,

{ previous reviews in series } .

BROKEN 4.5 review }
TWISTED 5{ review }

{ giveaway } .

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