Deadly Heat

Deadly #2

by Cynthia Eden, Justine Eyre (Narrator)

1 Mp3-CD / 10 hrs 30 min

She wants revenge . . .
Six months after her lover died in an arsonist's blaze, firefighter Lora Spade calls in the FBI's elite Serial Services Division to track the elusive killer. When Special Agent Kenton Lake is lured into a violent inferno, Lora pulls him to safety and is stunned - not by the fire, but by her own searing attraction to Kent. For the first time in months, she longs for something other than vengeance.

He wants her . . .
Kenton's interest in Lora should be purely professional. But one fleeting kiss and he can't get her out of his mind. Her combination of strength and vulnerability makes him want to protect her, and that means solving this case - and fast. For even the passion igniting between them can't hide a terrifying truth: Lora is the next target in a murderer's sadistic, fiery game.

A vicious killer wants only . . .
DEADLY HEAT

Genres: Romantic Suspense, Romance, Suspense, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Mystery, Fiction

11 pages, MP3 CD

First published February 1, 2011

About the author

Award-winning author Cynthia Eden writes sexy tales of contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and paranormal romance. She is a New York Times, USA Today, Digital Book World, and IndieReader best-seller. Since she began writing full-time in 2005, Cynthia has written over one hundred novels and novellas.


Cynthia lives along the Alabama Gulf Coast. She loves romance novels, horror movies, and chocolate. Her favorite hobbies including hiking in the mountains (searching for waterfalls) and spelunking.

Reviews

[Jessica's Totally Over The Top Book Obsession · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know what happened with this book. I loved the first one, but this one just didn't do it for me. I didn't hate it but I didn't really like it either. I was bored while reading this book. The bad guy didn't seem like a badass serial arsonist, but more childish and like he was throwing tantrums. I didn't really care for Lora she fell flat for me. Kenton was okay but not as good as Luke from book one. Their relationship felt forced and I didn't feel any connection. Overall just an okay read.

[KristenReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 to 4 Stars



Deadly Heat is the second book in Cynthia Eden's Deadly series and to say I enjoyed this series is an understatement.

This book was not as intense or as fast paced as the first one but it was just as intriguing and diabolical. The suspense aspect of the story kept me guessing and there was heavy focus on the romance and steam. Unfortunately, I struggled with the romance between Kenton and Lora and NOT for the reason you may think.

My issue with this book's romance stems from an assumption I made while reading the first book. I liked the interactions between Kenton, and the third book's heroine, Samantha, and had it in my mind that THEY should be paired together. And no matter how much I liked Lora, this book's heroine, and felt the connection between her and Kenton, I wasn't able to fully move past my original feelings. The funny thing is, I'm now finished with the third book and I didn't have a problem with who Samantha was paired with. In fact, I loved them together!!! I guess this is one of those weird conundrums.

Anyway, with all that craziness said, I really enjoy the way Cynthia Eden writes romantic suspense. Her plots are intense, her characterizations are superb, and the romance plentiful. I highly recommend this series.

[Blacky *Romance Addict* · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The fire burns. She kills. She judges the wicked.”






I am becoming seriously addicted to this series and author.
With such intense stories and awesome writing, how could I not?



The story

It's about a serial killer whose method is killing with fire, and the guy uses a different method every time.
Special agent Kenton Lake from the SSD is there to investigate, and in the meantime gets entangled with a female firefighter, Lora Spade.
When the killer gets his focus on Kenton, and with that on Lora as well, it will get their lives in danger, along with those of every firefighter, trying to beat the flames.
I won't say any more cause it would be spoilerish :PPPPP



The suspense

If you grab these books, you have to know you'll really, but really get the suspense part.
Sometimes it says the book is romantic/erotic suspense, but actually you just get a couple of action scenes and the rest is just sex or drama...
Here, the entire book is woven with suspense, there is no reprieve, always something happening, always something that gets you on the edge...
Simply amazing :)
The killer's POV isn't as creepy as the one in the first book, but it's still twisted enough to work :D

"He liked to watch the fire. When it danced, it was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. Sensual, like a lover."

The romance

Intense, like everything else in the book.
It was just like that in the first one, and I'm so glad the author is sticking to the same feel throughout it, not getting soppy or mushy where it shouldn't be, and the characters stay consistent with the way they are and should be.
Me likey.
Kenton... That man is amazing, I love the way he thinks, and the fact that he's so honest about everything, and damn, he is uber-hot!!!
Lora is a perfect mach for him. She is full of life, with a temper and she doesn't let anyone boss her around. She risks her life every day and isn't afraid to do it. She does have one fear though, one that the killer will use to his advantage...
Still, I kinda wish theirs wasn't an insta-love, but oh well :D




Overall

I really enjoyed this one, not as intense and creepy as the first, but still amazing :)
The romance was great and oh my, very, very hot!
But what I liked best here, and I suspect will be with all the books from this series, is the intense suspense part. Not many books have it, and this author does it so brilliantly :) I know I'll go back to her whenever I want to read something that's just MORE than the usual.


So all I can do here is give a HUGE recommendation to every suspense reader out there, and to those of you who like intense books.
Well honestly, I DON'T like intense books but these are working for me perfectly :D

Hope you give this series a shot and happy reading :)

[Alex ♈ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good suspense, strong and brave heroine - badass.

But but but

her bf died ONLY 6 months ago.
Grief needs time. Everything under 1 year is too rush. She loved her ex, but could recover so quickly?! IMO, it was almost betrayal. 6 months are not enough.
I felt sorry for her deceased bf 😢

[Allison ❤️Will Never Conquer Her TBR❤️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a small town gets plagued with several unexplained fires where death has been the common link, FBI Special Agent Kenton Lake gets the call. He's part of the SSD- Serial Services Division where they track serial rapists, killers, and arsonists. When he shows up to a scene where his informant is supposedly meeting him, he finds the house in flames but doesn't hesitate to run into the burning building to find him..... What he doesn't bank on is a firefighter clocking him (literally) then dragging his ass out of the burning building. Furthermore, said firefighter being a beautiful blonde bombshell....with a mean right hook. Woah, that could be a serious blow to his ego.



Lora Spade is sick of seeing innocent people die from fire. It's becoming obvious there's a link somehow and that link is a serial arsonist. What's the link to his victims? That's why she calls in the SSD for help. The local arson investigator isn't getting the job done....time to call in the big guys. What she didn't bank on is dragging said big guy from a burning building. Does he have a death wish? What's he doing in there? When she gets to clear air, she sets eyes on one of the hottest guys she's seen in a LONG time....all GQ looking in his now tattered suit. What a way to meet her FBI help!



The chemistry between Lora and Kenton is instantaneous. It doesn't take long for them to succumb to the draw between them. Tensions are high and they find a great way to, say, release pent up anxiety with the case.



The arsonist....who is the guy? He appears to have links to firefighters or law enforcement. He knows too much not to. But they need to find this guy before more lives are lost. What they don't bank on is Kenton putting himself out there to be his next target. Kenton bates him on local news channels.... the arsonist doesn't like to be baited. He will make that Fed pay.



Whew! Great suspense! Great sexual chemistry! Fair love story.... I'm not a huge fan of the instant "I can't live without you" stuff. Anyways.... If you're looking for an edge of your seat suspense novel mixed with some sultry hot sex scenes, you've met your match. No need to look further than this book. We're given hints to the arsonist but it wasn't until the very end he was revealed and the author does a great job of giving you the "ah ha" moment when you finally find out and wonder WHY you didn't figure it out sooner! It's not quite as creepy as the first book. Maybe because it's indirect murder but nonetheless, a great read. Looking forward to reading the next installment of the series with Samantha's story. Ah, as a side note, we get to revisit from the characters in Deadly Fear which is always a nice bonus!

[Shawna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread/listened to the audiobook version 9/26/20

Original rating/review:

5 stars – Romantic Suspense

WOW! This was a great read that "Heat"ed me up nicely on a cold winter's day. It's a chilling, fast-paced romantic suspense thriller with a hot alpha hero, strong heroine, taut, clever plotting, creeptastic, Karen Rose type sadistic killer, and verrry steamy sex! I loved it and can't wait for the next book, Deadly Lies, to come out! 5 stars!

[Lyndy Ann ♫ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another case for the FBI’s elite Serial Services Division SSD. This time Agent Kenton Lake is hunting a serial arsonist know as the Phoenix who not only kills his victims in the fire but is setting traps to trap the fire-fighters fighting the fires.

Special Agent Kenton Lake is the public face of SSD he handles everyone with his charm and GQ good looks but there is nothing he will not do to protect his team and soon Lora.

Lora Spade is a fire-fighter who lost a co-worker/boyfriend six months ago in a fire and she called in the SSD to catch the killer who is back after disappearing for six months. Lora Spade is one tough lady after everything she has been through and the job she does she is a female Terminator.

Lora rescues Kenton from a fire and the sparks fly instantly between them, they star working the case together going back through the old cases looking for any connections. The heat between them gets too hot to handle and they end up in Lora’s bed but who is Lora with Kent or her old lover Carter?

As the fires get more frequent with more victims the rest of the SSD team come to assist Kenton, the list of suspects is long causing friction as they investigate all fire-fighters and cops, it could be anyone as the SSD discovered on their last case.

What will happen between Kenton and Lora after the case is over, if they survive.

This was full of suspense and had me gripped I had no idea what was coming next and who would be the next victims? Who would survive? This had the perfect balance of romance and suspense and the last few chapters made me very nervous as Cynthia enjoys putting her H and h through hell.

I guessed who the killer was early on in the story as there was a giveaway if you have seen a certain movie so when Phoenix was revealed that was not a surprise for me but this took nothing away from the story itself.

[Duchess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another winner from Cynthia Eden...this is everything I love about Romantic Suspense. An intense story, a strong woman, an even stronger man, and a whodunnit that kept me guessing until the end.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"He liked to watch the fire. When it danced, it was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. Sensual, like a lover."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MY SYNOPSIS:
Firefighter Lora Spade is no stranger to fire...or to loss. She's got scars from the flames that left marks on her body and on her heart after losing her lover and fellow firefighter six months ago in a blaze set by a serial arsonist that is still at large.

Special Agent Kenton Lake is the FBI agent sent to investigate the arsonist, and he meets Lora when she forces him out of a burning house. Kenton is pissed that his witness is still inside the house, and Lora is pissed that he's too cocky to realize when he's in danger. Sparks fly from the very beginning, and it only gets hotter between these two.

The ordeal is obviously very personal for Lora...she's dealt with death often in her profession, but holding her lover in her arms while he dies left a huge scar on her heart...and she's not ready to let Kenton in. However, she IS ready to let Kenton into her bed. These two give in to baser urges very quickly. All the while, they are chasing a man who's sick, twisted form of justice seems to culminate in the grisly death of his victims...death by burning. He picks people that he deems guilty and lets the fire judge them. But he enjoys his judgement just a little too much.

MY THOUGHTS:
While this story was not quite as intense as the first book, it was a little sexier, in my opinion, Kenton and Lora have mad chemistry and few inhibitions, so there isn't a lot of angsty will we or won't we going on. The answer to that was a resounding YES WE WILL!! And though they fight fires set by someone else, when these two set the fire, they really heat up the place (ahahahahaha!!! Cheese factor, yes, I know...I had to)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I’ve been dying to know,” he said again, “how you taste.”
Oh, hell. Her right hand grabbed the back of his head, and she yanked him down toward her.
Their mouths met. Open. Ready. Lips kissed. Tongues licked. And—damn!
Yes, she wanted.
The control she’d held so tightly began to crack. She jerked in her seat, struggling to press against him. He took her mouth. Tasted her. Tormented her. And she met him. No, she fought him, fought him for more. “

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This killer gets more and more sadistic the longer the story goes on, and although Eden refrains from detailing the brutal deaths, the situation definitely alludes to some pretty grisly scenes, so this is not for the faint of heart. But that is a unique element to this series, and one that makes it stand out. I'd compare it somewhat to Christy Reece's writing...she also has some pretty horrific images left in my head after reading her books.

But the romance here was a little too quick for my taste...I'm not sure exactly the time frame we're talking about here, but I'd think less than a couple of weeks, and these two are head over heels...that's just unbelievable. I thin what made the first book work was the “second chance” love story going on there, and that wasn't the case with Kenton and Lora. Still, the epilogue gives me reason to think that some time passes, plus it gives some much needed insight into Hyde, the leader of the SSI team's past. I'm so hoping that Eden will continue this series...it truly has a lot of room to grow, a lot of characters that still have a story to tell! It seems like she's set up something for Ramirez, so I'm hopeful.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Like a moth to a flame” his attraction to fire is as intensely passionate as a lover’s kiss. So beautiful…so deadly. Enter the mind of a serial arsonist and a scorching hot love affair in Deadly Heat, the second installment of Cynthia Eden’s Deadly series.

Lora Spade is not your average woman. A seasoned firefighter who has lost too many loved ones to the deadly flames, she is now facing a serial arsonist in her hometown of Charlottesville, VA. The arsonist, labeled “Phoenix,” is a professional who plans his victims, his accelerant of choice, and times his strike like a ticking bomb so the firefighters cannot rescue the victim before they are engulfed in the flames. When Phoenix hits too close to home by killing Lora’s boyfriend and former firefighter, she knows that her small town needs a higher level of assistance in tracking this killer. Fueled by vengeance, Lora ignores procedure and asks for help from the FBI’s Serial Service Division (SSD) to profile and capture Phoenix. What Lora does not expect on the next fire call is to be rescuing Special Agent Kenton Lake, the investigator sent from SSD. Kenton (or “GQ” as Lora initially refers to him) is shocked when Lora decks him in order to pull him out of the flames. From that moment, their relationship begins to sizzle as they team up to end this killer’s fiery game of cat and mouse.

Cynthia Eden is a pro at delivering strong and intensely passionate characters as well as a calculating and sadistic killer who keeps you guessing his identity until the very end. This action-packed thriller had me questioning to what lengths this madman would go to fuel his destruction. The chemistry between Lora and Kenton is an equal driving force in the storyline. It is a raw, instant attraction of two strong personalities that is nothing short of magnetic. Lora radiates energy and strength and Kenton is blown away by her. As the reader, I love it when a hero becomes so flustered by a woman he does not know what to do with himself to the point of questioning his sanity. This sets up some extremely steamy moments once both give in to their attraction to each other. It also fuels Kenton’s alpha male instincts once Phoenix turns on Lora and makes her a personal target. Needless to say, with two bold characters there are bound to be tense moments, on the job and in the bedroom. This is a couple that can go from zero to sixty in one kiss and loose all self control which provided some scorching hot love scenes and had me needing a cold shower! I also love that Ms. Eden incorporates the characters from the prior book into the current storyline. Readers who enjoyed Luke and Monica from Deadly Fear will be happy to have more interaction with both as they assist in tracking the arsonist. We also get a glimpse of how their personal relationship has progressed which was a total win for me given Luke is all kinds of hot as well!

Anyone who enjoys romantic suspense that will take your blood past the boiling point must check out Deadly Heat. It is one intense flame that will keeping you sizzling until the next installment.

4.5/5 stars

Favorite Quote:

“I want you naked. His words, but they could have been hers. I want you alone, he whispered as his lips hovered just above her mouth. I want you spread out on the bed. And I want to make a fucking feast of you.”

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Six months ago firefighter Lora Spade lost her best friend and lover in the fire they were fighting. And she’s determined to put a stop to the arsonist killings. She believes the recent fires are all connected, so she asks the FBI’s elite Serial Services Division for help in catching the killer. But when she pulls Special Agent Kenton Lane from a violent fire, she’s shocked by the sudden attraction she feels for him, especially since revenge has been her only desire for months.

Kenton is determined to stop the serial arsonist and in order to do that he needs to keep his focus on the killer. But he can’t get the fiery Lora out of his mind. And after one scorching kiss, he’s determined to taste all of her. But the closer they become, the more leads they follow, the more obvious the only link becomes: the killer seems to be paying a lot of attention to Lora.

“The more I’m with you…” This was what she’d needed to tell him. “The more I want you, Kent.” Stark truth. “I’m not using you to forget anyone or anything, because when I’m with you, I can’t remember anything else.”

I loved Lora and how tough and spunky she was. I loved how good she was at her job, how she stood up to Kenton and how loyal she was to her teammates.

“I can’t think when it comes to you. I’m not like this. I—” He took a breath. “From the beginning, I was lost when it came to you.”

Kenton is a charmer, very smooth and good at manipulating the press. I loved that he had no control around Lora, no pretence. And his need for her was very sexy.

“I want to be with you, Lora. In your bed. Fuck, I want you naked now. I want you. I’m not walking away. Not from this case, and not from you.”

The chemistry between these two was scorching and I loved how they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. I always love instant attractions, and it was no different in the book. Both thought what they had was only temporary, but seeing how fast they fell for each other, how neither could walk away from each other was excellent.

The arsonist plot was very gripping, with how smart the killer was, the victims and methods of accelerant he chose. And once again I was glued to the pages trying to figure out who the villain was.

This was another thrilling addition to this addictive series. RS at its best and a must read for all fans.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading the review's on this book I just had to read it so I put the book I was currently reading down and picked Deadly Heat up.
I must say that at the beginning of the story I thought that this was not going to be as good of a read as I thought it was going to be. The idea of a serial arsonist was just not grabbing me. By page 50 I had changed that thought completely and was totally drawn in by this story and the Characters.

I loved the heroine Lora Spade. She was a tough, no hold bars firefighter who would put her life in danger to save others and never stopped trying even when all looked to be lost.

The hero Kenton was a super sexy GQ type of Special agent that worked for the SSD.

Once these two got together the romance heated up like the flames the arsonist was starting.

I did have a feeling who the killer really was before it was known in the book but that did not make me like this story any less.

Now I too like some of my other friends here at goodreads am impatiently awaiting the release of Deadly Lies. I'm glad we only have a very small wait.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fast paced, kept my interest read! Kenton is a FBI agent assigned to find a serial arsonist. And Lora Spade is a firefighter determined to find the arsonist as well. Lora wants revenge having lost her lover six months earlier to the fire the arsonist set.

Once again, I have found a heroine I really like, she is tough, independent and struggling with her own issues. Kenton is strong, handsome, intelligent and treats Lora with respect. The chemistry between them is hot and intense. The story moved well and I enjoyed seeing the rest of the FBI SSD team, I like this group!

Onto the next one! YAY!

[Laurie Garrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paranormal suspense author Cynthia Eden is a new voice to be reckoned with in romantic suspense world with her new Deadly suspense trilogy. Deadly Heat is an edge of your seat page-turner along with the added heat that will keep you fanning yourself. If you love mystery, romance, extreme action, and a hot agent that will do anything to protect his woman, then here is your series. It wouldn’t surprise me to find out Cynthia Eden makes the top of New York Times bestsellers list with this series.

I loved both the hero and heroine. Lora is a fierce fire fighter that will stop at nothing to save a victim(s) from a fire. She not only has this fierceness in her work she also adds it with her family and her love life. Agent Kenton gets pulled out of the fire and is put into another fire just by being around Lora. These two finds the fire gets hotter as they are together.

I have to give Cynthia a round of applause for the way she wrote the villain. He is very sick in the head and Cynthia tells his story very well almost too well.

This is a must series to be on any romance readers list!!

[ᴥ Irena ᴥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Even though the killer from the previous book was worse and more imaginative, this book is also good. The story follows the same pattern as Deadly Fear only now with a heroine who is a fire-fighter. They are racing against an arsonist who traps people before he burns them. It isn’t then surprising he eventually turned all his attention to Lora and Kenton. There are a few red herrings, but they aren’t really believable. They did slow the pace of this story a bit, but not in a bad way.

Kenton and Lora are violent together, there isn’t any other way to describe them. One might think it would be off putting, but when they are both acting exactly the same then you let it go. They are violent and perfect like that. Anyone who likes reading about a truly tough, but not over the top, heroine, they should read this one. Her weakest moment in the book was when she was saying goodbye to her past. It was short and touching.

[Lover of Romance · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF---I was looking forward to this one, but the narrator really put me off of it.

[Miki’s⚠️ Safety Reviews & Rants⚠️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

🔪I love these suspense romance reads and have been reading more and more. So I’m gonna break them down differently from my other reviews.
I don’t want to give any spoilers away so you can go into it it blind and enjoy all the twists and turns❤️.

Ratings 0-5 Star Scale

😮Mystery/Suspense-
4 stars
I knew at about 60% who it was and I was right but I was second guessing a few times.

❤️‍🔥Romance/Chemistry-
4 stars
They had lots of chemistry and passion
H fell first
We get a few tasteful and passionate sex scenes

🚹Hero-
4 Stars
He was great! I liked him a lot he was really head over heels for our h. He was driven and little cheeky.

🚺Heroine-
3.5 stars
She has a rough start with good reason but she comes off a bit bitchy. But she grew on me and I liked her a lot. Shes been through a lot.

⚠️Safety-
h had a ex boyfriend that was killed in the line of duty and she is out for justice. She is not still in love with
him. They were really good friends for a long time.

No OP after meeting
No OW
Mild OM -h ahad a ONS 3 month after the death of her bf (before the H) and the H was a bit jelly when he found out.
No talks of H past

🎧Audiobook Narration-
3 stars
Same narrator for the series. She’s ok not my fav

🥰Overall Enjoyment-
I really enjoyed the fire aspect of this one. It was different. CE does a great job of romance suspense balance for this genre. Love it

[Cheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just as good as the 1st book in this series!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the second novel in Cynthia Eden's Deadly series. This book had all of the makings for a fantastic romantic suspense novel, and it didn't disappoint. Too often when reading suspense novels, I have figured out who the villan is before I even get to the middle of the book; not the case in this AT ALL!! I was completely stumped and had no clue who the culprit was and when it was revealed, no one was more surprised than me!

When a serial arsonist wreaks havoc on Charlottesville, VA (GO CAVALIERS), the fire department calls in the FBI's SSD unit and their super sexy agent Kenton Lake. Kenton comes in fully ready to take charge of the situation, only to be "man handled" by spunky firefighter Lora Spade. Together, the two of them work together to help catch the "Phoenix" who is going after people in their own circle.

Ms Eden has a way of writing female characters that I love! Lora should be at the top of my kick ass heroine bookshelf, because she is such a fierce lady. In a predominantly male profession, Lora stands out for her passion, dedication, and no nonsense attitude. Loved her!

Special Agent Kenton Lake is HHHHHAAAAWWWWTTTT!! Sure he's a little cocky when it comes to his job, but what woman can resist confidence and sexiness in one package? I know I can't, and neither could Lora Spade.Oh yeah, and he's a "dirty talker" too, which for me, is seriously sexy. The two of them had many hot steamy scenes that were burning up the pages. Couldn't get enough of the two of them together as a couple.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and am ready for the next book in this fantastic series!!

And now, a montage of some of Special Agent Lake's "dirty talk":

"I'll make you scream," he promised. "I'll make damn sure you're satisfied, every time."


"You're the sexiest thing I've ever seen." His voice rumbled "I swear, your mouth was made for sin."


"I want you naked." His words, but they could have been hers. "I want you alone," he whispered as his lips hovered just above her mouth. " I want you spread out on the bed.And I want to make a f*#king feast of you." (Yes, please!!!)

FIVE STARS!!


And my pick for Special Agent Kenton Lake!!!

[Inna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. Would have been a solid four star read… if the author hadn’t made the heroine into a total moron in the final conflict. She’s supposed to be smart… so why would she run into danger without backup?!!?!?!! 🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡

Someone email Cynthia Eden for me and ask her why she would write an entire dang book (with a supposedly strong heroine) only to ruin it at the very end with the LAZIEST WRITING EVER??

SWE
-No virgins
-Hero’s past not mentioned and no OW drama
-Heroine’s boyfriend (or lover if we are going with the author’s title) died 6 months prior to the start of the book, she has mixed feelings about him and is still grieving his death, but moves on pretty quickly as soon as the hero looks her way 🫣
-Heroine had a ONS about 3 months after the death of her boyfriend, OM causes a little jealousy for the hero
-No scenes with OM/OW
-No cheating

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Sizzlin' Stars!!! Soooo good! I am loving this Deadly series.

I didn’t think Deadly Fear could be outdone, but Deadly Heat was smokin! These books have all the ingredients for a terrific romantic suspense series.

Sizzling chemistry between the two main characters, Kenton and Lora.

The plot has has lots action, a really insane villain, and keeps you on edge. I thought I knew who the bad guy was, but then again…maybe I didn't. The last few pages of this book had me wringing my hands.

It included characters from previous books and they are vital to the story, not just skimmed over. Makes them seem more real somehow… to me anyway. I know Samantha is up next, but I’m hoping Ramirez gets a book too!

[Yesenia Gonzalez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cynthia Eden knows her stuff! Another great book.
Lora is a firefighter who is seeing a pattern of a serial killing people with fires, No one sees it but she knows so she calls in the FBI group to help stop the killer. She is a strong female lead that lost a lover but she wants justice for those who died by the killer. When Kenton comes into town to help solve the case, Lora and him first bump heads but sparks fly and slowly their relationship to build and it isn't the only thing that burns.

[jenjn79 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm glad I decided to read this series. Solid romantic suspense. I enjoyed this book...maybe not as much as the first book in the series, but I still liked it quite a bit.

Series Note:
Second book in Eden's "Deadly" series about a special FBI unit that investigates serial crimes. I wouldn't say it's absolutely necessary to read the previous book first, but I would be beneficial to do so.

Summary:
Firefighter Lora Spade believes there is a serial arsonist/murderer at work in her town, but no one else seems to be listening. So she calls in a favor in gets the attention of the FBI's Serial Services Division, who agrees with Lora's believe. They send agent Kenton Lake to investigate.

After an inauspicious first meeting that involved Lora rescuing Kenton and slugging him on the chin, Lora and Kenton are drawn to each other...and to finding answers about the fire/murders going on. Kenton makes himself a target of the killer, but unexpectedly puts Lora at risk too. Until they realize that maybe Lora was a target all along. The two race to find answers and along the way fall in love with each other.

Review:
Books like this one are my favorite kind of romance/romantic suspense to read. There's a solid, fully developed suspense plot, and a solid, fully developed romance. A perfect combination. Eden appears to do well writing these kinds of stories.

I enjoyed both Lora and Kenton in this story. They're both good characters with a nice chemistry between them. The character development was pretty well done and the progression of the romance works really well. I enjoyed reading about these two.

And the suspense plot is pretty good. It wasn't quite as tense and dark as the storyline in the first book, but it was still nicely written, logical and engaging. I did think the identity of the bad guy was somewhat obvious. Maybe not the exact who, but you knew in general what direction to look and it seemed like the H/H should have looked in that direction earlier. But oh well. I didn't mind it.

Another think I like about this book, and Eden's writing in general, is that she tells it like it is, language wise. I can't count the number of books I read these days where authors dance around swearing, suggestive situations, use euphemisms and all that. It's silly. People swear daily and regularly. People don't refer to body parts with flowery euphemisms all that often so call it what it is. Eden does that. She keeps her writing more real by not skirting around the nitty gritty stuff. For me, it really helps the flow of a story.

I also liked the inclusion of the last book's H/H and also the character of Sam, who is recovering from being tortured by the bad guy in book 1. She will get her own story in the next book.

For you romantic suspense fans, I'd definitely recommend this book and this series. I look forward to reading the next story.

[MBR · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have come to identify with the fact that Cynthia Eden writes romances of the no holds barred kind which I just absolutely love. My first taste of Cynthia Eden came with book 1 in the Deadly series which just rocked my world in all the ways that counts. Deadly Heat turned out to be just as intense, maybe more so with the heat literally and figuratively on from both the romance and suspense side of the story.

Kenton Lake, Special Agent from the FBI’s Serial Services Division (SSD) makes his way to Charlottesville where a serial arsonist is at work. From the first page itself, Cynthia lets the reader in on the mind of a vicious killer who starts out young, who has the ability to creep you out enough that you are practically sniffing around you just in case he turns up with a can of gasoline right next to you.

When Kenton collides with the fiery firefighter Lora Spade who just vibrates with an aura of energy that crackles whenever she is around, Kenton is as helplessly drawn towards her as she is to him. Lora who lost the one man she loved, the man who had been her best friend to the arsonist would love nothing more than to bring the villain to justice, which is the only reason why she agrees to help the sexier than sin agent from FBI; or so she tells herself.

From the first kiss itself that just heats up the pages, Kenton and Lora’s relationship and courting is an intense one, one that burns hotter and faster with each encounter. Lora might tell herself that sex is the only thing between herself and Kenton but deep in her heart she knows that the desire that burns between them is not just simply that but so very much more.

With the arsonist always one step ahead, taunting them with his ability to take lives and bring those whom he sees fit to “justice”, Cynthia Eden definitely delivers a punch with Deadly Heat, a book that is edgy, dark and scorching hot in all the ways that matter!

Recommended for fans of the series, fans of romantic suspense with a darker edge and of course fans of Cynthia Eden.

Rating=4.5/5

Original review posted on MBR's Realm of Romance

[Diana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Deadly Heat by Cynthia Eden
Narrated by Justine Eyre

As someone who came to romance through the door marked Romantic Suspense, I'm predisposed to love a firefighter and an FBI agent on the trail of a murdering arsonist. My niggles with the book started very (very!) early, rapidly growing into festering pustules of disbelief and dread that it was going to get worse. It did.

Charlottesville, VA firefighter Lora Spade, cavalierly disregarding protocol, takes it upon herself to call in the FBI because she alone is convinced that there is a serial arsonist at work in her town. The FBI, inexplicably, responds with blinding speed (as if the president had called), sending the top brass and crack agent Kenton Lake and team in to save the day. Lora and Kent fall into instant lust, indulging in sexual fantasies at the most amazingly inopportune moments; for example while trapped in a burning building and again over a crispy corpse on the autopsy table. Nothing stops these two lovebirds from their mental lusting, which was not organic -- it was jarring. Within hours of their first meeting they lay it all out in a conversation that goes something like this: "You're hot and I want to f**k you." That pretty much set the tone for the romance part of program.

A smarmy, defensive character is introduced early on. Since there were no other viable candidates for villain, I deduced that he was it. That pretty much set the tone for the mystery part of the program.

I wish I could say that narrator Justine Eyre made an unpalatable story better, but I can't. She rasps and whispers in a melodramatic style that just sounds actress-y and overwrought to my ear. The story was silly enough and her overacting made it even sillier.

I require a lot more realism in my mysteries and romantic suspense than I found here. These characters behaved in ways that define bumbling unprofessionalism and I couldn't buy into it even one little bit. When an author uses a plot that's been done hundreds of times something needs to be different or original. No such luck here.

See my audiobook reviews at Blue Moon
http://saschakeet.wordpress.com/

[Christie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The SSD is at it again! Kenton Lake has been sent to Charlottesville, VA to investigate a possible serial arsonist. When he arrives to meet with an informant he finds the meeting spot on fire. He runs in with the hope of saving the life of a man who might have answers he needs, but instead finds himself getting a fist to the face. Much to his surprise the person behind the fist is sexy female firefighter, Lora Spade. Lora and Kenton will have to work together to bring the crazy person behind the fires to justice. Working so closely when an undeniable attraction is present is bound to heat things up.

Cynthia Eden’s Deadly series has renewed my love of Romantic Suspense. She created a plot with constant twist and turns. With so many possible villains it was impossible to predict the outcome. All that suspense combined with a sizzling romance made Deadly Heat an addictive page-turner.

Lora might be one of the bravest heroines I’ve ever met. Even after losing the man she loved, she still kept throwing herself into burning buildings and putting other’s safety before her own. Kenton is a character I remember from the first book in this series. I enjoyed getting to know him better. He is a nice guy, with just enough of an edge to give him major sex appeal.

This is a series I highly recommend. I actually have yet to read anything by this author that I wouldn’t recommend. Her passion for writing really comes through in her dialogue. So many intense moments and quote worthy scenes. She also writes phenomenal Paranormal Romance.

[Tiffany · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't understand the hype for this series at all. I was completely unimpressed by the first one and because I'm an obsessive glutton for punishment, I pushed on to try to complete the series. There is more romance in this book versus the first, but nothing special. The sex scenes were completely dry, and unfortunately the author didn't accomplish her purpose as a romance writer at all: I felt totally uninspired by the love story between the hero and heroine, didn't feel them at all. The suspense was interesting enough but carries on a bit long.

I really think the author should cut her losses and stick to straight suspense if that's what she wants to write. Unfortunately I have the third in audio and will probably listen, but that'll likely be it. A shame because I really did like a Christmas story of hers a few years ago.

[Kerry sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fell in love with this series with book one deadly fear, and this one is a stunning addition to the set. It is hot and steamy with a really good thriller suspense core. the plot kept me interested and pulled along with the characters. Lora and Kent were believable and I loved that they sparked off each other.

I also liked that there were loads of fire references when talking about Lora and Kent it kept it fun where it needed to be and tense when the plot required. I think I might have to re-read Deadly fear but not until I have read deadly Lies, book 3.

[♡Karlyn P♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another really good romance suspense read! I'm so glad to have discovered Eden, can't wait for the next in this series. She builds a lot of suspense and provide a whole lot of heat. Just the way I like them. :-)

[Manasa Rani · Rating 3 out of 5]

While it's fine on it's own, it's a let down from book 1 which I absolutely loved. SSD deals with Arson in this one and the suspense part was good but somehow it failed to give me the excitement that the first one did. 3.5 Stars 🌟

[Stephanie Celis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was great, but not as good as the first one in the series.

I loved everything except for the romance because I think it was kinda fake. I even skip those parts. But the case, the story, the background, the killer... Everything else was really good.
Another thing I didn't like was Lora... I find her annoying. Though, I know that's just me. But Kenton was a really good character. I liked him. But overall this is a great book.

So, I give this one 4 stars just because I didn't like the romance.