Torn: LOST Series #4 (Lost, #4)

by Cynthia Eden

In New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Eden's latest novel featuring the Last Option Search Team (LOST), one agent's investigation entices a killer into making her his prey. PARTNERS ...FRIENDS ...Forensic anthropologist Victoria Palmer has always been better with the dead than the living. Shutting down her emotions, she lets few people in. But then Victoria's latest investigation takes her and agent Wade Monroe to Savannah, Georgia. Handsome, dangerous, and more than ready to play dirty on any case, Wade weakens Victoria's aloofness with just one glance...LOVERS Wade knows their recent cases have pushed Victoria beyond her limits. But her skills are crucial to finding a college student who went missing five years ago. Victoria is able to determine she was murdered, and that the killer is still on the loose. And when the vicious murderer targets Victoria, Wade must do everything in his power to protect her ...because he refuses to let a woman he loves be torn from him ...again.

• ISBN10: 0062437402
• ISBN13: 9780062437402
• Publish Date: 2 June 2016 (first published 31 May 2016)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 15 October 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Avon Books
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

[thebookdisciple]

Torn is book 4 in the LOST series by Cynthia Eden and brings us back to the Last Option Search Team and the cases that keep them busy. Victoria experienced a trauma in the form of an attack in a previous book. She is still struggling with the PTSD from that event coupled with her natural affinity to avoid the living, preferring instead to stick with the dead. As a forensic anthropologist, Victoria is called upon to examine bodies found in relation to cases. However, Gabe, her boss, is sending her and Wade to look into a case where there is NO body. Viki isn't sure what she can do to help, and is desperate to keep her secret (that she isn't doing so well since the attack and her darker childhood secret). Wade sees right through her act and is determined to get to the heart of Viki and help her heal. Then, he can make her his.

I enjoyed the dynamic between Victoria and Wade. He is determined and she is skittish. They both have secrets though. Viki thinks her secret will force Wade to turn her in. She really underestimates him! All this develops while they are looking for a missing girl, and then another girl goes missing. Then the killer targets Viki and it becomes a game of cat and mouse. While some parts of the plot I figured out rather quickly, there was still a twist that I didn't see coming. That rarely happens to me so when it does I am thrilled!

Torn is not my favorite of the LOST series but it is still everything I love about Cynthia Eden's books. The sexual chemistry, the danger, the intrigue...its all well crafted and compelling! If you are a fan of romantic suspense, Cynthia Eden needs to be on your go-to author list.

 

• POV: 3rd


• Tears: no


• Trope: coworkers/partners


• Triggers: none


• Series/Standalone: stand alone in an interconnected series (in this case, something happened to Viki in the previous book, so it really is helpful to have read at least that one!


• Cliffhanger: (show spoiler)[no] (hide spoiler)


• HEA: (show spoiler)[yes] (hide spoiler)

Books by Katie Reus, LP Dover, Katee Robert, Janie Crouch...then you will probably like Torn!

 

Torn

 See full review on The Book Disciple

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

Cynthia Eden never disappoints. I have been following her LOST series from the start. I have read all the books thus far and I have enjoyed them all. As such I expected the same would apply for ‘Torn’. From the moment I began reading, I knew it was going to be an intriguing story. The prologue was intense. It peaked my interest and I was curious to discover how everything would unfold.

I was first introduced to Wade and Veronica when I read Broken. Throughout the series, the author hinted at issues that they both were dealing with. I had an idea of what was plaguing Wade, but Victoria was an enigma. It was evident that there was something from her past that plagued her, but no one was aware. She kept her feelings to herself and did not allow herself to get emotionally entangled with anyone. Lately, she has been having regrets about being a part of the LOST team. As a member of the team, she was exposed to horrific events which helped to stir up memories she wishes she could forget.

Wade and Victoria were attracted to each other, but they both hid how they felt about each other. However, when Wade saw that he almost lost her, he realized that he had to let her know how he felt. In the midst of them trying to come to terms with their feelings they were assigned a new case which involved locating a college student who went missing five years ago. What started out as cold case soon evolved into something of epic proportions as another girl has gone missing. They soon came to realise they were dealing with a twisted and deranged perpetrator and to make matters worse the villain has set his sights on Victoria. They have now found themselves in a race against time to stop the villain, and in the process, they are forced to confront their past.

The story was intense, fast-paced and suspenseful. It had me guessing at every page turn. Just when I thought I figured out who the villain was, the author throws in a twist that had me thinking ‘What the Hell!’ There were so many things in this story that I never saw coming. There were so many possible suspects and it was not until I was near the end that I figured it out.
I loved that the romance was not sacrificed at the expense of the suspense. I personally believe that it was perfectly balanced.

One of the things I like about this series is the characters. Wade and Victoria were no exceptions. They had depth and were easy to relate to. The events of Victoria’s past were shocking, but I can honestly say that if I were in her position at the time I would probably have done the same thing. I completely understood why she acted the way she acted. She honestly believed that she did not deserve to be loved and that she was not capable of love. Wade was determined to prove to her that she was mistaken. I thought they were perfect for each other.

Verdict:
This was a compelling and suspenseful read. If you enjoy suspense, romance, and mystery, then you will love this book. Although it can be read as a stand-alone I would recommend that you read the other books in the series before proceeding with “Torn”.

[Cocktails and Books]

This review was originally posted on Cocktails and Books

This is a well written, fast paced, story filled with suspense and romance. Victoria Palmer and Wade Monroe work for LOST which stands for The Last Option Search Team. LOST searches for missing people when everyone else has given up trying to find them. The story begins when Victoria and Wade are assigned to work on a case of a missing woman. As they work on the case they discover they are dealing with a serial killer who is twisted and sadistic and gets his kicks hurting women. Wade and Victoria race against time trying to stop a serial killer who keeps taunting them. I loved this intense story, it had me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire book.

I liked Victoria but I also felt sorry for her. She is very smart, yet she has little confidence in herself. She has a lot of dark secrets she keeps hidden and because of that she is afraid to get close to anyone. Wade continually tries to break down Victoria’s walls, but she keeps pulling away because she is afraid if Wade sees who she really is, he won't like her.

Wade is a hardened ex-cop and an ex-homicide detective and even though he has a tough guy exterior, he is always warm and caring with Victoria. He takes his time to get to know Victoria and let's her know that she is important and he tries to help her through her darkness. Wade is a good guy but he also has some issues he is dealing with from his past. Wade and Victoria have sizzling chemistry and I wanted them to work through everything and be together. Cynthia Eden writes an exhilarating and emotional story and I was never sure who the killer was until the very the end.