Showing posts with label Romantic Thriller Must-Read. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Romantic Thriller Must-Read. Show all posts

Review // Wrecked by Cynthia Eden

December 22, 2022

Wrecked by Cynthia Eden

"They said I was a monster. They're about to see just how much of a monster I can truly be." - Cash

────── ♔ ──────


Wrecked by Cynthia Eden

Wrecked by Cynthia Eden


Standalone - LOST #6
Release - May 30, 2017
Genre - Romantic Thriller
POV - Multiple 3rd person
Heat - 4 out of 5 / a few scenes
Format/Source - owned paperback
Length - 384 pages
Publisher - Avon

Other books in the series: Broken * Twisted * Shattered * Torn * Taken


SHE LEFT HIM ONCE.

LOST Agent Ana Young was only fourteen when she was abducted by a madman, but unlike many kidnapping victims, she did go home. Now, her mission is to find the missing. But her new case has her on the hunt for the escaped convict who’s obsessed with her. And Ana has an unlikely partner—the sexy, supposedly-by-the-book FBI agent she had one amazing night with and had to forget.

NOW HE HAS TO PROTECT HER 24/7…

FBI Special Agent Cash Knox knows that Ana, the petite, tough-ass former bounty hunter, can get the job done again. But this time, someone else leads them to “Bernie-the-Butcher,” someone who’s been watching Ana. Waiting for her.

FROM A CRAZED KILLER.

Now, catching a deranged murderer means Ana must trust her guarded heart to the gorgeous, complicated G-man she wasn’t supposed to fall for.

My Two Cents

4 "No on hurt Ana" stars

It's the last book of the series and it ended things off with an incredible bang. The reader is sure to figure out who the killer is really fast... or will they?

Every time I thought I had figured it out, another twist was thrown my way. And if the thrill of the chase (or the hunt) wasn't enough, what was brewing between Cash and Ana had me excited to keep on reading. I was able to piece together rather quickly that their pasts were linked in a tragic way, but the way it all unfolded had me feeling terrible for them. Such pain, but it was that same pain that bonded them. It's what drew them to each other in the first place. Like recognized like and they had something so special together.

The author did an amazing job with this conclusion and I'm only left with one question in the end that still hasn't been answered... What happened to Murphy?

The Author


Award-winning author Cynthia Eden writes sexy tales of contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and paranormal romance. She is a New York Times, USA Today, Digital Book World, and IndieReader best-seller. Since she began writing full-time in 2005, Cynthia has written over one hundred 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.

Visit http://www.cynthiaeden.com for more information!

Review // Taken by Cynthia Eden

December 21, 2022

Taken by Cynthia Eden

The two of them together—they had a chance for something special. She wasn't going to let that chance escape.
She'd fight for him. He'd better fight for her.

────── ♔ ──────


Taken by Cynthia Eden

Taken by Cynthia Eden


Standalone - LOST #5
Release - November 29, 2016
Genre - Romantic Thriller
POV - Multiple 3rd person
Heat - 4 out of 5 / a few scenes
Format/Source - owned paperback
Length - 400 pages
Publisher - Avon

Other books in the series: Broken * Twisted * Shattered * Torn


HE SWORE TO PROTECT HER . . .

Bailey Jones somehow survived her harrowing abduction by the infamous Death Angel. But while her physical scars have healed, she can’t stop wondering about a woman she helped to escape, who simply disappeared. When LOST agent Asher Young is assigned to her case, Bailey instantly feels an attraction to the intense ex-SEAL who seems to be carrying dark secrets of his own.

BUT KEEPING HIS PROMISE . . .

Asher can’t afford to let his growing feelings for Bailey distract him from his job. Only she can soothe his horrific nightmares, but the last thing he wants is for the demons from his past to ever hurt her. Bailey has gotten past his guard, and the emotions he feels for her—they’re as dark and dangerous as the past he doesn’t want to face.

COULD COST BOTH THEIR LIVES

When corpses begin surfacing—all marked with the same tattoo depicting the Death Angel’s calling card—Asher must race to stop a twisted killer who wants nothing more than to claim his next prize: Bailey . . .

My Two Cents

4 "Is it really over?" stars

Bailey had already survived a serial killer's attack. But when she keeps remembering another living victim, she heads to people of LOST for help. What happens when the killer seems to strike again and Bailey is back to being hunted?

Well, lucky for her, she had Asher. He had also survived some shit and was a former Navy SEAL. If there's someone you need to have his back, they don't get better than him. This man was amazing and helped to make this book my favorite of the series. From the moment he met Bailey, he was all in. He hated seeing a woman hurt or in trouble and his protective instincts when it came to her... I loved it. I enjoyed their immediate emotional connection and how understanding and patient he was with her. With both of them having experienced trauma, they just got each other.

The plot was a bit more complicated than I expected and I really liked that I didn't see a lot of it coming. Loved it!

The Author


Award-winning author Cynthia Eden writes sexy tales of contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and paranormal romance. She is a New York Times, USA Today, Digital Book World, and IndieReader best-seller. Since she began writing full-time in 2005, Cynthia has written over one hundred 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.

Visit http://www.cynthiaeden.com for more information!

Review // Twisted by Cynthia Eden

December 17, 2022

Twisted by Cynthia Eden

Beneath that careful control, he was like her.

────── ♔ ──────


Twisted by Cynthia Eden

Twisted by Cynthia Eden


Standalone - LOST #2
Release - April 28, 2015
Genre - Romantic Thriller
POV - Multiple 3rd person
Heat - 3.5 out of 5 / a couple of scenes
Format/Source - owned paperback
Length - 389 pages
Publisher - Avon

Other books in the series: Broken


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 Two Cents

4 "You're Next" stars

A sixteen year old girl is missing and it's up to the LOST team to find her. The cops aren't concerned until everyone realizes that this isn't a simple case of a runaway—a serial killer is on the loose. For Dean, it's an uncomfortable truth that stems from his past. He was once a victim at the hands of a killer and he's determined to end this killer's spree. For Emma, years ago her help was too late and she wants to help any way she can.

Emma was a bit annoying with her unrealistic expectation of partnership. She couldn't understand why she wasn't given the same courtesy as the members of the LOST team. Could it be that her experience as a 'psychic' reader in the town square didn't quite equal that of an ex-cop, ex-FBI agent, ex-Navy SEAL, a profiler, and a forensic pathologist?

Maybe.

Aside from that, this was a wildly entertaining thriller. Although I guessed quickly at the identity of the killer, it didn't detract from my enjoyment of how everything unfolded. There were twists and turns and some oblivious professionals and I liked it.

There's a spark between Jax and Sarah. Both have dark pasts so I'm sure that will play into their connection and since their story is next, I'm off to go read it.

The Author


Award-winning author Cynthia Eden writes sexy tales of contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and paranormal romance. She is a New York Times, USA Today, Digital Book World, and IndieReader best-seller. Since she began writing full-time in 2005, Cynthia has written over one hundred 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.

Visit http://www.cynthiaeden.com/ for more information!

Review // Cold Light of Day by Toni Anderson

June 24, 2022

Cold Light of Day by Toni Anderson

He wasn't just good looking, he was perfect. The scent of clean sweat mingled with his cologne—warm, male, virile. Dammit. She fidgeted uneasily. Why couldn't he have a paunch and some flab? Maybe a broken nose or a unibrow, with a severe case of BO?

────── ♔ ──────


Cold Light of Day by Toni Anderson

Cold Light of Day by Toni Anderson


Standalone - Cold Justice #3
Release - November 16, 2014
Genre - Romantic Thriller
Multiple POV - 3rd person
Heat Level - 3 out of 5 / descriptive scene
Format/Source - ebook gift from Amazon
Length - 350 pages
Publisher - Indie


What happens when an FBI agent falls for the daughter of the most notorious spy in US history?

Physicist Scarlett Stone is the daughter of the most notorious Russian spy in FBI history. With her father dying in prison, time is running out. Using a false identity, she gains access to the Russian ambassador's Christmas party, searching for evidence to prove her father's innocence.

Former Navy SEAL, now FBI Special Agent, Matt Lazlo, is instantly attracted to Scarlett but when he discovers she lied to him about her identity, he hunts her down with the ruthless efficiency he usually reserves for serial killers.

Not only does Scarlett's scheme fail, it puts her in the sights of people who reward unwanted curiosity with brutality. The FBI—and Matt—aren't thrilled with her, either. As the agents involved in her father's investigation start dying, and the attempts to stop Scarlett intensify, Matt and his colleagues begin to wonder. Could they have a traitor in their midst?

My Two Cents

4.5 "Spies are among us" stars

This was my favorite book of the series so far! This author has such a fun way of pulling intrigue, suspense, messed-up-ness, and romance together and it really works for me. I was glued to these pages, hurriedly flipping to find out what the heck was gonna happen next. Each event had me baffled, wondering who was really in control of things. Read it and you'll see. It's messed up.

Scarlett's life was turned upside down when her father, an esteemed FBI agent, was accused and convicted of being a Russian spy. Believing in his innocence, she was determined to find evidence and clear his name. She didn't really think her plan through, trying to do more than she was capable of, putting her right in the crosshairs of the very people who perpetuated the conspiracy in the first place.

Thankfully, despite being deceived by her in the beginning, Matt became the hero that she needed. He had the skills and the resources to get things done, helping her dodge bullets and bombs in the process.

I loved this story and if I were to complain about anything, it would be the lack of a happy ending. This author hasn't given me one yet, but I'm satisfied (for now) with the way the story ends. Happy-for-nows aren't the best, but they're definitely better than the alternative.

This series will be seeing me again and I'll be back with my thoughts on book four!

About the Author

Toni Anderson writes gritty, sexy, FBI Romantic Thrillers, and is a New York Times and a USA Today bestselling author. Her books have won the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery and Suspense, Readers' Choice, Aspen Gold, Book Buyers' Best, Golden Quill, National Excellence in Story Telling (NEST) Contest, and National Excellence in Romance Fiction awards. She's been a finalist in both the Vivian Contest and the RITA Award from the Romance Writers of America. More than two million copies of her books have been downloaded.

Best known for her "COLD" books perhaps it's not surprising to discover Toni lives in one of the most extreme climates on earth--Manitoba, Canada. Formerly a Marine Biologist, she still misses the ocean, but is lucky enough to travel for research purposes. In January 2016, she visited FBI Headquarters in Washington DC, including a tour of the Strategic Information and Operations Center. She hopes not to get arrested for her Google searches.

For more information, visit https://www.toniandersonauthor.com

Review // A Cold Dark Place by Toni Anderson

June 10, 2022

A Cold Dark Place by Toni Anderson

She'd never had a lover so beautiful before.
Never touched a body like this.
But that wasn't what made Alex beautiful.
He called to something inside her.
She didn't know what it was but they fit.
Perfectly.

────── ♔ ──────


A Cold Dark Place by Toni Anderson

A Cold Dark Place by Toni Anderson


Standalone - Cold Justice #1
Release - April 1, 2014
Genre - Romantic Thriller
Multiple POV - 3rd person
Heat Level - 3 out of 5 / several descriptive scenes
Format/Source - ebook purchase from Amazon
Length - 350 pages
Publisher - Indie


Former CIA assassin Alex Parker works for a clandestine government organization hell-bent on taking out serial killers and pedophiles before they enter the justice system. Alex doesn't enjoy killing, but he's damn good at it.

FBI Special Agent Mallory Rooney has spent years hunting the lowlife who abducted her identical twin sister eighteen years ago. Now, during an on-going serial killer investigation, Mallory begins to suspect there's a vigilante operating outside the law.

When Mallory starts asking questions, Alex is ordered to watch her. As soon as they meet, the two begin to fall in love. But the lies and betrayals that define Alex's life threaten to destroy them both—especially when the man who stole her sister all those years ago makes Mallory his next target.

My Two Cents

4 "Seriously messed up" stars

I really enjoyed this story. I liked how the author described certain scenes and events, making me feel like I was watching an episode of Criminal Minds. It was creepy and a bit scary and the murderer's perspective only made it more of a thriller.

It was exciting to know (or at least feel) like no one was safe. Mallory was a rookie agent who had a bit of arrogance that made her feel that she was untouchable. She was a smart and tough cookie, who was no stranger to tragedy ever since her identical twin was taken and has remained missing. All she wants is to find out what happened to her and get some justice. Alex was a man who was burdened by the tragedy as well. A trained killer, he was extemely patriotic, but he knew how to color outside the lines.

This story worked so well that I'll definitely be reading more of this series.



Before I started writing this review, I took the time to read a few others and I was absolutely shocked. Quite a few remarked that they were disappointed because of the graphic sexual language.

This was a good storyline but I don’t care about graphic love scenes that last about 25 pages when I bought a thriller!! I also couldn’t stand the filthy language in the book.

Ummm... what?! It was slightly descriptive, but nowhere near explicit. Seriously, if people want clean stories, they shouldn't read anything out of the Christian section. And if they don't want sex, don't read romance. Because a romance book without sex isn't really a book I wanna read.

Regardless, the romance fed the story because without it, we'd be lost as to Alex's motivations where Mallory was concerned.

About the Author

Toni Anderson writes gritty, sexy, FBI Romantic Thrillers, and is a New York Times and a USA Today bestselling author. Her books have won the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery and Suspense, Readers' Choice, Aspen Gold, Book Buyers' Best, Golden Quill, National Excellence in Story Telling (NEST) Contest, and National Excellence in Romance Fiction awards. She's been a finalist in both the Vivian Contest and the RITA Award from the Romance Writers of America. More than two million copies of her books have been downloaded.

Best known for her "COLD" books perhaps it's not surprising to discover Toni lives in one of the most extreme climates on earth--Manitoba, Canada. Formerly a Marine Biologist, she still misses the ocean, but is lucky enough to travel for research purposes. In January 2016, she visited FBI Headquarters in Washington DC, including a tour of the Strategic Information and Operations Center. She hopes not to get arrested for her Google searches.

For more information, visit https://www.toniandersonauthor.com

Review // Deadly Fear by Cynthia Eden

February 17, 2022

Deadly Fear by Cynthia Eden

"You got scared," he charged, the words he'd wanted to throw at her for too long firing out. "I got too close, didn't I? And you had to fcking run."
Monica didn't flinch. Her eyes didn't waver. She just stared back at him. Cold. Like ice.
But he knew how she burned.

────── ♔ ──────


Deadly Fear by Cynthia Eden

Deadly Fear by Cynthia Eden


Standalone - Deadly #1
Release - July 17, 2010
Genre - Romantic Thriller
Primarily Dual POV - 3rd person
Heat Level - 4 out of 5 / a few scenes
Format/Source - ebook purchase from Amazon
Length - 403 pages
Publisher - Forever


TWO BRILLIANT AGENTS
FBI Special Agent Monica Davenport has made a career out of profiling serial killers. But getting inside the twisted minds of the cruel and the sadistic has taken its toll: She's walled herself off from the world. Yet Monica can't ignore fellow agent Luke Dante, the only man who ever broke through her defenses.

ONE DREAM TEAM
Luke has the unique ability to put victims at ease...professionally, he and Monica made a perfect team. Now they're reunited to catch a murderer who uses his victims' deepest, darkest fears for sport - but their investigative skills aren't enough. Luke and Monica will have to face the secrets from their past, the ones that terrify them the most, if they are to have a future together.

BUT CAN THEY CATCH A KILLER WHOSE WEAPON IS...

DEADLY FEAR

My Two Cents

4.25 "Let the games begin" stars

I'm going to try to keep this short and sweet because this book is best enjoyed when going in blind.

Monica is hard to love, but you have to love her. She gets in the killer's head, she gets the job done, and she handles herself like a pro. Except when it came to Luke. With him, she seemed to lose all control. And I happened to love the dynamic between these two. Luke was the go-to protector kind of guy. Alpha without being over the top. And Monica was the kind of woman who could take care of herself. Seriously.

So when a serial killer they're hunting seems to always be one step ahead, who better to have on the case then the best of the best? And trust me, Luke and Monica were incredible together, in and out of bed!

I really enjoyed how the author let us into the killer's head. It added a touch more terror than I would have gotten from the protagonists alone. There is so much involved in this story and I loved getting the chance to figure out all of the little bits.

I'm looking forward to continuing the series!

About the Author

Award-winning author Cynthia Eden writes sexy tales of contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and paranormal romance. She is a New York Times, USA Today, Digital Book World, and IndieReader best-seller. Since she began writing full-time in 2005, Cynthia has written over one hundred 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.

Visit http://www.cynthiaeden.com/ for more information!

Die For Me by Cynthia Eden

October 11, 2020

Die For Me by Cynthia Eden
"We aren't who our pasts say we are. Damage doesn't define us. We define ourselves."
Die For Me by Cynthia Eden

Die For Me by Cynthia Eden

Standalone
Genre - Romantic Thriller
Multiple POV - 3rd person
Heat - 3.5
Format/Source - ebook purchase from Amazon

She thought her fiancĂ© was the perfect man—until he turned out to be the perfect killer…

Katherine Cole is running for her life, desperate to escape the Valentine Killer—so-called because he stabs his victims through the heart and leaves them holding a telltale single red rose. Still he tracks her to New Orleans and begins carving a bloody path to her door. But this time, Katherine refuses to run any farther. This time, she’ll do anything to stop the madman she once loved, even trust the sexy cop promising to keep her safe…

Detective Dane Black never lets his emotions interfere with his job, even as the Valentine Killer surfaces in New Orleans to stalk his prey. But when Dane agrees to protect the killer’s ex-fiancĂ©e, Katherine Cole, he can’t ignore the passion kindling between them. After a single unforgettable night binds them body and soul, Dane knows he won’t rest until Katherine is safe in his arms—and the Valentine Killer is dead.

Kiss Me by LP Lovell

August 16, 2020

The longer I watch her, the more hopeless this situation seems. How do you cage something like her? Wild, deadly, savage. How do you keep a butterfly in a jar without suffocating it?

Kiss Me by LP Lovell

Kiss Me by LP Lovell


Una

I’m running.
I have more enemies than even I can fight, and a five-million-dollar price tag on my head, all because I helped Nero. The hunter has become the hunted, and now I have a life to protect—an innocent baby. And that suddenly feels like the most important mission I’ve ever had. I’ve never been so invested in surviving, so let them come. I’ll kill them all.

Nero

I had a plan and it was perfect.
She was my queen, my ultimate weapon. She played her part and helped bring me the power I sought above all else, but at what cost? Now she’s all I want, all I need. Una is mine. I will kill anyone who stands between us and burn the world to ash just to keep her.

A pending war. A test of survival. A partnership that would see their enemies tremble in their wake.

A ruthless king. A savage queen.

Kill me or kiss me?

The Mindf*ck Series by S.T. Abby

April 07, 2020

The Mindf*ck Series by ST Abby

They took too much.
Left too little.
I had nothing to lose...until him.

COVETED by N. Isabelle Blanco & Dee Garcia

July 25, 2019


Goodreads | Amazon

Read it for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

RAPHAEL by Tillie Cole

June 18, 2019

Raphael by Tillie ColeThey are the Fallen. A brotherhood of murderers whose nature compels them to kill. But guided by their leader, Gabriel, the Fallen have learned to use their urges to rid the world of those it is better off without.

For Raphael, sex and death are intertwined. Where there is one, there must be the other. He is a lust killer, luring his victims with the face of an angel and a body built for sin.

And Raphael lives to sin.

His newest mission takes him into the sadistic underworld of Boston’s secret sex clubs, and puts him face to face with his greatest fantasy made flesh.

Maria is everything he’s ever dreamed of, the kill he’s always longed for. She’s not his target. And he knows he must resist. But the temptation is too strong…

Yet Raphael is not the only one with a mission. Maria is not quite what she seems. And as her secrets and Raphael’s unravel, Maria begins to question everything she thought she knew—about evil, about the place she calls home, and about the beautiful sinner she was sent to destroy.

DEPRAVED by N. Isabelle Blanco & Dee Garcia

June 10, 2019

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. - John 16:13

Yet my God is more silent than ever before.
Even worse, I’m trapped in this spiral, more focused on a singular addiction.
It isn’t the alcohol this time.
The killer’s turning more brazen. With each roadblock we throw up in front of her, she finds a new way around it.
Murdering at a quicker speed.
Taunting me at every turn.
But it’s Kiera that dominates.
Kiera that rules.
The mystery of her becomes even more important than all the lives being lost in Boston.
There’s an illness in her family. One as pervasive as what’s infected our streets. I don’t know what it is yet, but my soul is determined to find out.
Maybe my God isn’t silent.
Maybe he is speaking.
The voice telling me I need to save her is the strongest of all.
The most consuming.
There’s a circle of lies—my own and that of others—closing in from every side.
Little do I realize, everything is about to crash down around me, putting every one I love at risk.

Goodreads | Amazon