The Romanceaholic

Expected Release Date: Available Now!
Publisher: Hachette Book Group
Imprint: Grand Central Publishing
Author’s Website: http://www.cynthiaeden.com
My Source for This Book: Amazon.com
Part of a Series: Yes, Book 3, Deadly Series
Series Best Read In Order: Works well as a standalone, but would suggest reading in order
Steam Level: Hot

Official Blurb:

She wants to hide the past
FBI Special Agent Samantha Kennedy is haunted by memories of the serial killer who abducted her. To keep the darkness at bay, she pretends to be a different, more confident woman. This Samantha doesn’t fear every unknown face. So she throws caution to the wind and shares a night of unbridled passion with a handsome stranger.

He needs to uncover the truth
One night isn’t enough for successful entrepreneur Max Ridgeway. He wants more of the sexy, smart, mysterious woman who slipped away before dawn. When they meet again, their attraction is undeniable-until his stepbrother goes missing, and Max realizes that Samantha isn’t who she seems. But they must trust each other to trap a ring of bloodthirsty kidnappers before the nightmares that terrorize Sam become irrevocably real.

As a merciless criminal spins a web of . . .
DEADLY LIES

Let me tell you, Cynthia Eden knows how to write a hot romantic suspense! Whew!

While Deadly Lies works well as a standalone novel, I do think it would beneficial to read the entire series in order to fully appreciate what Sam has been through, and the reasoning behind certain actions.

One thing I adore about Cynthia Eden, other than her scorching love scenes, is the fact that she doesn’t shy away from the horrific. Her villains are truly twisted, dark, and evil people, and she doesn’t try to skim past the terrible reality of what a serial killer truly does.

What worked for me:

• Holy moly this book was deliciously hot!  Max and Sam’s relationship started off as a one-night stand, and neither of them got their fill.  The entire time they are together, you can just feel the sexual tension between them as they struggle with anger, suspicion, fear, and desire.
• I’m not usually a fan of no-strings-attached sexual liaisons in my romance novels, but this was different. Max knew from the first taste of Sam that he wanted more, and the fact that they didn’t really know anything about each other in the beginning really added quite a bit of flavor and suspicion to their relationship.  The betrayal and suspicion they each felt as they uncovered the others’ secrets added so many more layers to their relationship than if they’d taken time and eased into a more traditional relationship.
• As I mentioned, I love that Cynthia Eden doesn’t play it safe. There are twists upon twists and just when you think you have everything figured out, Ms. Eden throws your theories under the bus again. I LOVE IT!
• I really like that Sam isn’t perfect. She has a very traumatic event in her past, and she’s not coping with it in a healthy way.  She’s beautiful, genius-level smart, and incredibly competent at her job, and yet she’s damaged.  Having to perform her job like a pro while at the same time simply trying to hold herself together gave her a vulnerability that contrasted beautifully with her strength and intelligence.

What didn’t work for me:

• Honestly, I can’t really think of anything.  The plot twists were beautiful and plentiful, and the relationship between Max and Sam was delicious.

Overall, I adored this book. Sam was a wonderful combination of strength and fragility, and Max was an absolutely delicious, over-protective, perfectly possessive, and honorable hero.  A very solid 5 Stars.

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