Series Name: Ice Breaker Cold Case, # 8
He head lowered, and he pressed a soft kiss along her bruised jaw. “You won’t be hurt again.”
“Because…” Her voice had gone husky. “I’m your charge.”
“Because you’re mine.” The world just rumbled from him. They shouldn’t have. He’d never claimed anyone as his, and this wasn’t the time. It wasn’t the place.
But she is mine. He felt it all the way to his bones.
Cynthia continues to amaze and wow me with her ability to create fresh and interesting stories.
The son of a serial killer. A devil in the flesh. Midas Monroe knows that his big size intimidates plenty of people, and when they learn about his twisted past? Most folks go running. But he’s not like his dear old monster of a dad, despite the stories that still circulate in the press. He’s a bodyguard. Protecting and defending is his bit. No emotional attachments, ever. And no mistakes. His latest case isn’t the same old routine. It comes with a few twists…Twist one? The woman he’s protecting doesn’t know that he’s her bodyguard. Like that doesn’t make the job an extra pain in his—Ice. Alina Bellamy is the reigning queen of the ice. She’s an Olympic contender waiting for her moment to shine. And she’s also a woman falling hard and fast for the big, muscled, and gorgeous stranger who has just swept into her life. When they touch, she finally feels something other than the cold that has surrounded her forever.
Taken. Terrified. Lost…Alina’s perfect world shatters when she’s abducted. Kidnapped in the middle of the night, she fears that she’ll never survive, until he rushes to the rescue. Her Midas. Big, bold, and dangerous. He spirits her away even as her abductors give chase. Alina isn’t the first victim to be taken, and her abductors aren’t just going to let her slip away. The abduction is just the start of the nightmare that waits for Alina. And as for Midas? Sometimes, it takes the son of a devil to fight the darkest monsters who like to hide in plain sight.
Midas has never backed away from a fight. Mostly because he has a killer swing…
The Ice Breakers are back! And Midas is about to find out that sometimes, a case can become very, very personal. Cold cases will collide with the firestorm surrounding Alina as Midas hunts for a killer and as he finds out that the old saying can be true…The bigger they are, the harder they fall. Because Midas may just be falling hard for a woman he will never, ever be able to truly have.
This book had me at the edge of my seat the entire time. I just could not put it down. If you love serial killer shows as much as I do, then you will enjoy this book a lot. There is just such a great serial-killer vibe to this story. Midas’s dad is a serial killer who has been caught, but we quickly realize that there is a copycat on the loose, and this mysterious kidnapper/killer has their sights set on Alina. What made this book so darn interesting was the thriller aspects of this book. There are several moving pieces in the thriller portion of the story. First, you have Midas’s father, who is in jail but still plays an active role in this book. He has his own agenda; as a reader, you are left trying to figure out his end game. Then you have this copycat kidnapper/killer who has been praying on young women from rich families. And then, finally, you have Alina’s father, who appears to be hiding something we just don’t know what that is. You know everything is connected; you just don’t know how, and I loved trying to guess where things were going. There were some pretty spectacular twists and unexpected reveals that had me saying, “No f-ing way!” Cynthia really knows how to write a solid thriller that is far from predictable.
The romance works beautifully with the thriller portion of this book. If you love an alpha male who has that “touch her and you’ll die” attitude and is a little broken inside, then you will love Midas. He truly believes that he is not good enough for Alina. Midas thinks that the world only sees him as a monster because of who his father is. I loved this man; he was just so gruff and broken and just needed Alina to heal those scars that he has. His backstory is just so darn interesting, too. He had such a dark and twisted upbringing that you can’t help but want him to find someone who will love him. Alina was a good character. She has lived a pretty sheltered life. The main reason for this is because ice skating is her world, and she is very driven. There is another reason why she chooses to live a more sheltered life, which has a connection to what is going on in the story. Sorry, I don’t mean to be vague, but I don’t want to give any spoilers away. Alina was a great counterbalance to Midas’s character.
There are some high adrenaline lusty emotions between Alina and Midas. The spice in this book is oh-so-nice and very steamy. Because, let’s be honest, there is no better way to let off some steam or to take your mind off all the bad things that are happening than to bang any chance you get. Yes, there was lots of lusty spice between Alina and Midas, but there were also a lot of more tender, deeper moments between these two. They have actual conversations and get to know each other. They talk about their past, their fears, and what is going on in their heads. Those quieter moments add a lot of depth to the story.
Ice Cold Kiss is another high-adrenaline, fast-paced romantic thriller that I could not put down.
