by Cynthia Eden
Series: LOST #3
Pub. Date: Oct. 27, 2015
Publisher: Avon
Pages: 384
Format: eARC
Source: Edelweiss
My Rating:
Sultry Scale:
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.
I made the mistake of starting this book around 9pm at night... which then necessitated that I chase the ending until after 2am. I forgot how good Cynthia Eden is at getting inside the minds of crazy people and serial killers! The suspense and criminal aspects of this book were excellent! I didn't figure out the villain until almost the very end, and I love it when a book keeps me guessing like that.
Our heroine is Dr. Sarah Jacobs, member of LOST, and daughter of serial killer, Murphy the Monster. Growing up with a serial killer obviously had an effect on Sarah, but she has taken the things her father taught her to help the victims. This helps Sarah deal with the overwhelming guilt she has for the atrocities her father committed. I loved Sarah - she was utterly fascinating to me.
We have a bad boy anti-hero in this installment of the series - the infamous Jax Fontaine, suspected criminal king of New Orleans. We first met Jax in the last book, when things were going down with Emma. While he obviously cares for Emma, he had that instant soul deep connection with Sarah. They each recognized the other's darkness, and neither shied away from it. I loved how protective Jax was with Sarah, and I especially liked when he let his vulnerability leak through. I think he is going to be my favorite male character of this series.
If you like romantic suspense, then I highly recommend the LOST series. I do recommend that you read the series in order, as I think there is too much character crossover to read them as standalones. The suspense in all of these books has been top notch, and the psych major in me loves how Cynthia Eden makes her killers super creepy and crazy. I would love to know what kind of research she has to do for these books!
I received an free copy of this book from Avon in exchange for an honest review.
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About the Author
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.
Giveaway
LOST Series
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