Blog Tour-Review & Giveaway for Mine to Crave (Mine # 4)

The Mine Series

The “Mine” books are dark and sexy romantic suspense novels that focus on the fine line between love and obsession. (from Goodreads)

Mine to Crave (Mine # 4) by Cynthia Eden

New York Times best-selling author Cynthia Eden continues her dark and sexy “Mine” romantic suspense series with…MINE TO CRAVE.

 

Publication Date: March 10, 2014 / 280 pgs.

Genres: Adult Fiction, Romantic Suspense

HE TAKES WHAT HE WANTS.

From the moment that billionaire casino owner Drake Archer sees Jasmine Bennett, he’s obsessed. Consumed by desire for the mysterious redhead, Drake will do anything necessary to claim her.  Yet as desire rages between them, danger is stalking ever closer.  Drake’s past isn’t dead, and the ex-Special Forces agent will soon have to face the ghosts he left behind.

SHE’S HIDING SECRETS.

Jasmine isn’t who she pretends to be. She’s a woman on a mission—and she’s supposed to be stealing secrets from the mysterious Drake. Falling for him isn’t on her agenda, but when lust and love tangle together, all the rules get broken. 

AN ENEMY IS CLOSING IN…

When Drake learns of Jasmine’s betrayal…all hell breaks loose.  He knows that he should turn his back on her, but it’s too late for him. He can’t let her go, but he can teach her a lesson. No one betrays him…not without paying a heavy price.  Drake will destroy all of the enemies on his trail, he’ll bury his past, and he’ll teach Jasmine to want only him…just as much as he craves her.

Cynthia Eden is a prolific romance writer and has written a number of series that have caught my interest. Although I have read and greatly enjoyed her For Me series, I had not had the chance to read any of the books in the Mine series until now with this fourth installment. When I began reading the book, I soon realized that characters and aspects from previous storylines in the series are more interconnected than I expected, and I worried that I might not be able to fully enjoy and appreciate this novel since I hadn’t started the series from the beginning. However, I am glad to report that this was not the case at all.  Eden provides enough exposition and description about the hero, Drake Archer and his close friends, Trace and Noah, who have been featured in previous installments for me to follow this novel’s storyline just fine, so I had no issues with reading it as a standalone novel.

Drake Archer’s cold attitude and cynicism, especially toward women is apparent from the first page of the book, and I admit I was taken aback at his austere demeanor and adamant belief that women are objects for sexual gratification and easily discarded. Although Eden provides enough details of Drake’s backstory to help me understand his jaded perspective, I still didn’t warm up to him until much later in the book. For a man who is so distrustful of women, I was surprised at how quickly Jasmine Bennett, despite her attempts to deceive him, becomes the object of Drake’s desire:

“He looked at her, and he ached.”

“He touched her, and he craved.”  

Even though Drake’s is sometimes harsh in his treatment of Jasmine, there is always an undertone of gentleness when he is with her that reveals the depth of this man’s character.  So what makes Jasmine so special, especially since she does set out to betray Drake? She defies his expectations of her at every pivotal moment which surprises and intrigues him. Only after he finally begins to accept his growing feelings toward Jasmine does he begin to soften up and become more multi-dimensional.

Despite the mistakes Jasmine has made, I like her. She is definitely not an innocent unwittingly caught up in the fight between Drake and an antagonist from his past. She made choices and committed criminal acts that brought her into the enemy’s camp. Some of her poor decisions have been based on self-preservation, but deep down she is a good person, and her willingness to accept the consequences for her actions and to protect others kept me rooting for her to find a way out of her situation.  Jasmine longs to find love and find a place where she belongs, and a central question throughout the book is whether a man as hardened as Drake Archer can be the man she needs.

The novel is a smooth blend of action, danger and romance with some pretty scorching love scenes that are a bit edgier than what I’ve encountered in her other books. Mine to Crave was a good read and has motivated me to want to go back and read the rest of the series.

Source: I received a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review.

Rating

USA Today Best-selling author Cynthia Eden has written over twenty-five novels and novellas. She was named as a 2013 RITA^® finalist for her paranormal romance, ANGEL IN CHAINS, and, in 2011, Cynthia Eden was a RITA finalist for her romantic suspense, DEADLY FEAR.

Cynthia is a southern girl who loves horror movies, chocolate, and happy endings.  She has always wanted to write (don’t most authors say that?), and particularly enjoys creating stories about monsters–vampires, werewolves, and even the real-life monsters that populate her romantic suspense stories.

Cynthia’s foreign sales for her books include translations to Japan, Germany, Thailand, Greece, and Brazil.

(Back in the day…) Cynthia graduated summa cum laude from the University of South Alabama where she studied Sociology (because people interest her) and Communication (because she likes to write about said people).  Cynthia has worked as a college admissions counselor, a teacher, and as an editor. But now, Cynthia is thrilled to be spending her days making up stories.

Author Links

Website/Blog:  http://www.cynthiaeden.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cynthiaeden

FB Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/cynthiaedenfanpage?fref=ts

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/153738.Cynthia_Eden

$50 Gift Card

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Buy Mine to Crave here

Amazon: Mine To Crave (Mine – Romantic Suspense)

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/search/?ean=2940149247424

Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=9780991027620

iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9780991027620

All Romance Ereader: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-minetocrave-1446713-149.html

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