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paulabrandon's review against another edition
4.0
Couldn't put this one down! The plot has FBI Agent Jill West returning to the town of Hope, feeling burnt out from her career, in an effort to solve a cold case kidnapping - her own! When she was 13, she was kidnapped, but rescued by town bad boy Hayden Black. Another girl ended up being killed in her place. When Jill returns, it's been 10 years. Since then, Hayden has been a SEAL and is now the sheriff. Of course, there's still plenty of unresolved issues between them! And of course, Jill's return brings a psychopath back out of the woods.
A couple of books ago, I gave a low rating to [b:Secret Stalker|31752122|Secret Stalker (Tennessee SWAT #3)|Lena Diaz|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1479972177s/31752122.jpg|52427232], which also dealt with a H and h being apart for 10 years. That book had the H being a cry-baby insensitive dick to the h (who was mourning her mother, no less), and whinging non-stop about how he never, ever got over her. Here, Hayden is also clear that he never got over Jill, but he's never a total dick about it. Instead, he wants to prove his love to her. He left her to join the Navy SEALs to show he could be the man he needed, and it broke her heart, but Hayden and Jill are actually able to have a conversation about their issues like rational adults! So refreshing! Rare for a romance, sometimes! So I found myself invested in the romance as well as the suspense.
As for the suspense, this was also a winner. The plot was suspenseful and creepy. We got occasional viewpoints from the killer, and they help keep the tension boiling without going overboard. There was never a dull moment in this one! The pacing and tension really ratcheted up as the book approached its climax.
Any irks? Of course! And as much as I liked Jill and Hayden and was invested in their romance, their characters tended to teeter on the brink of martyrdom at times. Some dialogue was clunky, particular when Samantha Dark was introduced, and I could have done without the introduction of Blake Gamble. Samantha and Blake are clearly going to get a book of their own down the track. Didn't need any of that set up here, to be frank.
But all in all, this is exactly what I look for in the Intrigue line! I actually dug the romance, and the plot had lots of suspense and creepy moments! If you like this category, this is definitely one to check out!
A couple of books ago, I gave a low rating to [b:Secret Stalker|31752122|Secret Stalker (Tennessee SWAT #3)|Lena Diaz|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1479972177s/31752122.jpg|52427232], which also dealt with a H and h being apart for 10 years. That book had the H being a cry-baby insensitive dick to the h (who was mourning her mother, no less), and whinging non-stop about how he never, ever got over her. Here, Hayden is also clear that he never got over Jill, but he's never a total dick about it. Instead, he wants to prove his love to her. He left her to join the Navy SEALs to show he could be the man he needed, and it broke her heart, but Hayden and Jill are actually able to have a conversation about their issues like rational adults! So refreshing! Rare for a romance, sometimes! So I found myself invested in the romance as well as the suspense.
As for the suspense, this was also a winner. The plot was suspenseful and creepy. We got occasional viewpoints from the killer, and they help keep the tension boiling without going overboard. There was never a dull moment in this one! The pacing and tension really ratcheted up as the book approached its climax.
Any irks? Of course!
Spoiler
It seemed unlikely that Jill wouldn't recognise that Theodore Anderson was her kidnapper all along, since she apparently got a good enough look at the kidnapper to know who didn't kidnap her, yet Theodore was around her, in her face, both then and now, and it never clicked? And Hayden never got a look either? I couldn't buy it.But all in all, this is exactly what I look for in the Intrigue line! I actually dug the romance, and the plot had lots of suspense and creepy moments! If you like this category, this is definitely one to check out!
leabookjoy's review against another edition
5.0
French & English reviews
Une romance de la seconde chance avec serial killer qui m'a ravie
Clairement, tous les ingrédients étaient là pour que j'adore ce livre :
- Jill une héroïne agent du FBI courageuse au passé douloureux
- Hayden un héros bad boy avec un passé militaire qui est devenu shérif pour reconquérir l'héroïne
- des amis d'enfance devenus amants qui s'étaient quittés pour se retrouver !
- un dangereux serial killer qui n'hésite pas à s'attaquer au héros
Bref, je l'ai dévoré !
Mention spéciale pour le petit aperçu de Samantha et Blake =D
Bref, une romance à suspens à dévorer sans modération
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A second-chance romance with a serial killer that delighted me
Clearly, all the ingredients were there for me to love this book :
- Jill a brave heroine FBI agent with a painful past
- Hayden a bad boy hero with a military background who became a sheriff to win back the heroine
- childhood friends then lovers who had been separated to find each other years later !
- a dangerous serial killer who does not hesitate to attack the hero
I devoured it !
Special mention for the little preview of Samantha and Blake =D
In short, a suspense romance to devour without moderation
Une romance de la seconde chance avec serial killer qui m'a ravie
Clairement, tous les ingrédients étaient là pour que j'adore ce livre :
- Jill une héroïne agent du FBI courageuse au passé douloureux
- Hayden un héros bad boy avec un passé militaire qui est devenu shérif pour reconquérir l'héroïne
- des amis d'enfance devenus amants qui s'étaient quittés pour se retrouver !
- un dangereux serial killer qui n'hésite pas à s'attaquer au héros
Bref, je l'ai dévoré !
Mention spéciale pour le petit aperçu de Samantha et Blake =D
Bref, une romance à suspens à dévorer sans modération
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A second-chance romance with a serial killer that delighted me
Clearly, all the ingredients were there for me to love this book :
- Jill a brave heroine FBI agent with a painful past
- Hayden a bad boy hero with a military background who became a sheriff to win back the heroine
- childhood friends then lovers who had been separated to find each other years later !
- a dangerous serial killer who does not hesitate to attack the hero
I devoured it !
Special mention for the little preview of Samantha and Blake =D
In short, a suspense romance to devour without moderation
scoutmomskf's review against another edition
4.0
Good combination of second chance romance and suspense. As a teenager, Jillian had been kidnapped. Hayden had witnessed the abduction and saved her, going from town troublemaker to town hero in one evening. Jill and Hayden became good friends, and later much more. But he walked away to become a SEAL and Jill went on to become an FBI agent.
Ten years later Jill and Hayden are reunited when she returns to Hope, burned out on her job dealing with child abductions and still haunted by what had happened to her. She is determined to reopen the case and find the man who had kidnapped her and murdered another girl. She doesn't expect to find Hayden also back in town, now serving as sheriff. They hadn't forgotten each other, or their feelings and the attraction flared hot once again.
I liked both Jill and Hayden. Jill is smart, capable and very good at her job. Her past as a kidnappee has made given her extra motivation in her work but has also made some cases harder to bear than others. I ached for her and the pain she felt at each loss. Hayden was terrific. He is honorable, protective, and has a surprisingly soft heart. I loved how he had turned his life around when he met Jill, determined to be someone worthy of her.
I really enjoyed the rekindling of Jill and Hayden's relationship. It is obvious from the start that their feelings for each other had never died, in spite of the way they parted. Jill was broken-hearted when Hayden left, not knowing that he believed he wasn't good enough for her. Leaving was the hardest thing that Hayden had ever done, but he thought he was doing the right thing. I loved the bits about how they had kept track of each other over the years. With Jill's arrival back in Hope, Hayden sees it as a chance to show her that they belong together and that he isn't going to let her go. Jill is a bit more cautious, knowing that risking her heart again could have devastating consequences for her. As they worked together on the case, they also got to know each other again. I loved that they were able to talk about their past and make the decision to move forward and see where things go. I loved Hayden's big moment at the end - his vulnerability and nervousness were sweet and his words so heartfelt.
The suspense of the story was really good too. From the prologue to the conclusion, the intensity built steadily. Jill's determination to solve the mystery became stronger when she was attacked. The glimpses into the mind of the killer show that he is equally determined to finish what he started. I loved seeing the pieces start to come together and was on the edge of my seat as they raced to save another victim. Though I had figured out the bad guy, the final confrontation was intense in the way it happened.
I liked the support that Jill got from her friend Samantha. That woman was scary good at what she does. Besides her work on helping to identify the killer, I loved Sam's "profiling" of Hayden and her comments to him.
Ten years later Jill and Hayden are reunited when she returns to Hope, burned out on her job dealing with child abductions and still haunted by what had happened to her. She is determined to reopen the case and find the man who had kidnapped her and murdered another girl. She doesn't expect to find Hayden also back in town, now serving as sheriff. They hadn't forgotten each other, or their feelings and the attraction flared hot once again.
I liked both Jill and Hayden. Jill is smart, capable and very good at her job. Her past as a kidnappee has made given her extra motivation in her work but has also made some cases harder to bear than others. I ached for her and the pain she felt at each loss. Hayden was terrific. He is honorable, protective, and has a surprisingly soft heart. I loved how he had turned his life around when he met Jill, determined to be someone worthy of her.
I really enjoyed the rekindling of Jill and Hayden's relationship. It is obvious from the start that their feelings for each other had never died, in spite of the way they parted. Jill was broken-hearted when Hayden left, not knowing that he believed he wasn't good enough for her. Leaving was the hardest thing that Hayden had ever done, but he thought he was doing the right thing. I loved the bits about how they had kept track of each other over the years. With Jill's arrival back in Hope, Hayden sees it as a chance to show her that they belong together and that he isn't going to let her go. Jill is a bit more cautious, knowing that risking her heart again could have devastating consequences for her. As they worked together on the case, they also got to know each other again. I loved that they were able to talk about their past and make the decision to move forward and see where things go. I loved Hayden's big moment at the end - his vulnerability and nervousness were sweet and his words so heartfelt.
The suspense of the story was really good too. From the prologue to the conclusion, the intensity built steadily. Jill's determination to solve the mystery became stronger when she was attacked. The glimpses into the mind of the killer show that he is equally determined to finish what he started. I loved seeing the pieces start to come together and was on the edge of my seat as they raced to save another victim. Though I had figured out the bad guy, the final confrontation was intense in the way it happened.
I liked the support that Jill got from her friend Samantha. That woman was scary good at what she does. Besides her work on helping to identify the killer, I loved Sam's "profiling" of Hayden and her comments to him.
lindaunconventionalbookworms's review against another edition
3.0
Abduction is a tight suspense thriller with romance and a mysterious stalker, where Jill and Hayden just want to start over again, but so does the abductor.
laurenjodi's review against another edition
4.0
Abduction
4 Stars
Series note: This book is connected to Eden's Killer Instincts series. In terms of chronology, it should be read before the prequel Gathering Dusk. That said, I read it following After the Dark and it did not affect my enjoyment of the story.
After a case ends badly, FBI agent Jillian West returns to her hometown for some much needed rest. Once there, she learns that the new sheriff is none other than her childhood sweetheart, Hayden Black. Once the town bad boy, Hayden became a hero when he saved Jillian from a vicious predator. Now, he and Jill join forces to hunt down the killer who escaped justice before he strikes again.
The investigation revolving around discovering the identity of the man who took Jill and later killed another girl is suspenseful. Nevertheless, it is pretty easy to guess the culprit simply due to the lack of suspects. The inclusion of characters from the Killer Instinct series is a bonus and it was interesting to see Samantha and Blake when they first became partners.
Jill and Hayden's second chances romance is the real focus of the book. They are likable as individuals and engaging as a couple with strong chemistry.
One minor issue that I've noticed in Eden writing is her overuse of the word "guy". It appears far to often and has become so noticeable as to be annoying.
Overall, a quick and enjoyable read. I look forward to reading the rest of the Killer Instinct series.
4 Stars
Series note: This book is connected to Eden's Killer Instincts series. In terms of chronology, it should be read before the prequel Gathering Dusk. That said, I read it following After the Dark and it did not affect my enjoyment of the story.
After a case ends badly, FBI agent Jillian West returns to her hometown for some much needed rest. Once there, she learns that the new sheriff is none other than her childhood sweetheart, Hayden Black. Once the town bad boy, Hayden became a hero when he saved Jillian from a vicious predator. Now, he and Jill join forces to hunt down the killer who escaped justice before he strikes again.
The investigation revolving around discovering the identity of the man who took Jill and later killed another girl is suspenseful. Nevertheless, it is pretty easy to guess the culprit simply due to the lack of suspects. The inclusion of characters from the Killer Instinct series is a bonus and it was interesting to see Samantha and Blake when they first became partners.
Jill and Hayden's second chances romance is the real focus of the book. They are likable as individuals and engaging as a couple with strong chemistry.
One minor issue that I've noticed in Eden writing is her overuse of the word "guy". It appears far to often and has become so noticeable as to be annoying.
Overall, a quick and enjoyable read. I look forward to reading the rest of the Killer Instinct series.
married2agamer's review against another edition
4.0
Jillian West moved to Hope, FL when she was 13 years old after her parents died.
Hayden Black was already the town bad boy; the son of a killer.
That all changed the day that Hayden met Jill, not only was she willing to be his friend, but Hayden saved Jill from a kidnapper.
Years later, they have gone their separate ways; Jill to the FBI and Hayden to the SEALs. Now they are both back in Hope and Hayden wants Jill back, but so does the man who kidnapped her all those years ago.
Hayden Black was already the town bad boy; the son of a killer.
That all changed the day that Hayden met Jill, not only was she willing to be his friend, but Hayden saved Jill from a kidnapper.
Years later, they have gone their separate ways; Jill to the FBI and Hayden to the SEALs. Now they are both back in Hope and Hayden wants Jill back, but so does the man who kidnapped her all those years ago.
belle505's review against another edition
4.0
These are my types of books. Ex-military and FBI. Bring it!!!
supernatural116's review against another edition
2.0
I really wanted to like this book. I did really like the story, but the writing just ruined it for me. I’m a huge fan of Cynthia Eden’s earlier work, so it’s obvious she’s had to clean up her language quite a bit for these Harlequin Intrigue titles, which completely throws me off because it’s not what I expect from her. Calling a man who abducts a girl with the end goal of killing her, a jerk? Not even close to harsh enough language. That’s just one instance of many, and each one is grating because I know that previously she would have chosen different words.
I probably would have enjoyed this book more if I hadn’t had her earlier Deadly series to compare it to, but none of her newer romantic suspense novels live up to that amazing trilogy of books. Like I said, I liked the premise for the story. Girl gets abducted but the town bad boy saves her and they form a strong bond, only to be torn apart, then reunite when they’re older and experienced enough to know what they want. It sounded perfect to me, but how the story was written was a disappointment.
I probably would have enjoyed this book more if I hadn’t had her earlier Deadly series to compare it to, but none of her newer romantic suspense novels live up to that amazing trilogy of books. Like I said, I liked the premise for the story. Girl gets abducted but the town bad boy saves her and they form a strong bond, only to be torn apart, then reunite when they’re older and experienced enough to know what they want. It sounded perfect to me, but how the story was written was a disappointment.
lindaunconventionalbookworms's review
3.0
Abduction is a tight suspense thriller with romance and a mysterious stalker, where Jill and Hayden just want to start over again, but so does the abductor.