BROKEN (LOST #1) by Cynthia Eden-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 31, 2015

The first novel in New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Eden’s sizzling LOST series introduces the Last Option Search Team, an elite unit that must protect the only surviving victim of a serial killer.

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.

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REVIEW: BROKEN is the first installment in Cynthia Eden’s adult, contemporary LOST romantic suspense series focusing on the men and women of LOST (Last Option Search Team). This is former Navy SEAL and LOST founder Gabe Spencer, and artist/painter Eve Gray’s storyline.

Told from several third person perspectives the storyline follows Eve Gray as she endeavors to uncover her past, her memories, and truth about what happened years before. A tortured and concussed Eve awoke in an Atlanta hospital with no memory and no idea what had happened; her only clue is a newspaper photo where a missing heiress who looks identical to Eve is said to be a victim of a serial murderer dubbed the Lady Killer. When the authorities refuse to believe her story, Eve seeks out the one person she hopes will help-Gabe Spencer-a virtual stranger but a man she knows will ‘find’ the truth. As Gabe begins to piece together what little information Eve can supply, our couple find themselves on Dauphin Island, Alabama where everyone knows Eve as Jessica Montgomery. What ensues is the unraveling of a suspense filled mystery, where a serial killer has targeted women who look exactly like the woman in question. As Eve’s memory returns, the killer strikes again leaving a path of clues in his wake. I guessed the identity of the killer almost immediately upon introduction although some readers may interpret differently the information and clues.

The relationship between Eve and Gabe is one of immediate attraction but Gabe refuses to become involved with his client-even a beautiful and broken client such as Eve Gray. When Gabe suspects that the killer is close, his only recourse is to keep Eve closer; so close that our couple with eventually act upon their mutual attraction and sexual desires. The $ex scenes are intimate, realistic and moving. There are no erotic, graphic depictions but there is some definite fire and heat.

The spirited secondary and supporting characters include the members and agents of LOST: ex FBI agent Dean Bannon, forensic specialist Victoria Palmer, psychiatrist and profiler Sarah Jacobs, and former detective Wade Monroe. We are introduced to the inhabitants of Dauphin Island including Jessica’s ex boyfriend police chief Trey Wallace, and her brother Pierce Montgomery. Many of the locals have a colorful history; Trey and Pierce are all too willing to reveal Jessica’s sordid past. Cynthia takes us into the mind of a killer: his thoughts, his desires, his need for revenge all the while he plans and searches for his next intended victim.

BROKEN is a story of suspense; a murder mystery where a series of missing and murdered women resemble the one who got away. Cynthia Eden writes with passion and imagination. Her characters are real; their emotions tangible; and their histories heartbreaking. BROKEN is a fantastic start to a new series.

Copy supplied by Edelweiss.

Reviewed by Sandy