My Review of “Mine Until Dawn” by E.B. Walters with Giveaway!

Chick Lit Romance with an element of suspense

MINE UNTIL DAWN Blurb:

She's armed with a new attitude and a kick-ass wardrobe....

By age twenty-eight, art historian Jade Fitzgerald has had a marriage from hell and an equally nasty divorce, worked hard to control her weight and her arrhythmia. The last thing she needs is another man messing with her head or shooting her heartbeat off course. That is exactly what she gets when an aloof and mysterious stranger storms into her life.

He's cynical and don’t take crap from anyone....

Former investigative reporter Vince Knight is on a quest to recover a priceless, ancient Mayan artifact, which he believes Jade’s mother stole.  He’s skilled at gathering information while remaining emotionally detached, until he meets Jade. The voluptuous woman stirs in him a hunger he hasn’t felt in a long time and a protectiveness he can’t explain.    

Neither of them expects passion to flare so fast or danger to dodge their footsteps. To defeat a ruthless art collector with a twisted agenda, Jade and Vince must learn to trust each other and embrace their growing feelings.

Until, an insane man plots to add Jade to his collection of beautiful and rare things.
http://www.firetrailpublishing.com

My Review:

After reading the first book in the Fitzgerald Family Series, “Slow Burn,” and absolutely loving it, and I meant it was fantastic, I was excited to get the chance to review this second book, and was not disappointed in the least! It started out the same, in that some hunky guy blasted into the life of the heroine, upending the world as she had made it. Ms. Walters has a way of creating some fantastic entanglements with touches of a history between the couple and loads of sexual tension present in their current situation. Her strong but flawed characters make it none to easy on the poor guys either :) But, on the other hand, the great wit of her females make you not only identify with them, but happy to live vicariously through them especially once you see the guy through their eyes! I also love the tight-knit family behind the heroine, and appreciated the update on the couple from Book 1 :)

I love in suspense novels, the anonymous voice that pops up from time to time, at unexpected moments, and ups the whole mystery, keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. But, I really love a plot line that makes me doubt the possibility of a happy ending from time to time.

I just have to say that E.B. Walters is a master of romantic suspense, she blends the two genres flawlessly, grabs the reader and holds them from the first word to the last.

Click here to read my review of "Slow Burn"

EXCERPT:

Jade eased her car into an empty parking space outside the Palace and switched off the engine. A groan escaped her when she caught a glimpse of the time. Three minutes late and counting. That was what she got for taking a little extra time to deck her body and paint herself like a geisha. Granted she had a party to go to after their meeting. Still, to make Vince Knight choke on his words would be an added bonus.

I haven’t changed, my butt.

She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and studied her face in the rear view mirror. The make-up and pinned-up hair with a few tendrils framing her face couldn’t be labeled overkill. She tilted the mirror to check the enticing valley created by the black bustier she’d worn under her matching spaghetti-strapped dress. Now that sight could be classified as a look-and-drool display.

Jade picked up her black purse and sheer shawl then stepped out of her car and locked it. She smoothed the silk dress down over her hips. A chuckle escaped her. Her behind had its own agenda and continued to resist any attempts to slim it down, but she was learning to live with it.

Jade took several steps, glanced down and grimaced. Six-inches of pure hell. She was a sucker for beautiful shoes, but the look on Vince’s face when he saw her in them would be worth it.

Two men exited the hotel as she approached the entrance and froze at seeing her, eyes wide with appreciation. A drawn out ‘damn’ brought a quick smile to her lips. That was all the encouragement she needed to work the black drop-waist dress with asymmetrical hem.

Her senses thrummed with anticipation as she glided through the hotel doors. Jade gave the busy foyer a sweeping glance. When her gaze locked on Vince, her heart started a rickety shuffle and her stomach tilted.

This was bad. She wasn’t within sniffing distance of the man and her body was already betraying her. Even in plain jeans and a T-shirt, he stood out. She studied his tall, built body as he leaned against the front desk. His tanned skin contrasted with his white T-shirt in an attractive way, his teeth flashing as he spoke with one of the managers.

It wasn’t fair. He wasn’t even her type. She avoided the silent, brooding, emotionally unavailable types like the plague. They were too difficult to understand and complicated. On the other hand, where had an outgoing man gotten her? A bad marriage and doubts about her sensuality.

As though he felt her gaze, Vince turned.

She stopped breathing, a stupid thing to do. He gave her a slow appraisal, his gaze lingering on her chest before colliding with hers.

Expression on his face? Cool. Unimpressed.

Air left her lungs in an unsteady rush. She twisted her lips into what she hoped resembled a smile as she started across the room. All that time spent putting her war paint on wasted. How could he maintain that stone-cold soberness all the time? Vince had to be made of ice, and served her right for trying to get a rise out of him.

Maybe that was the problem. His rigid control and aloofness made her want to do or say something to rattle his cage. His lack of interest in her was a definite challenge. Maybe there was some truth to the lure of the unattainable. Vince Knight, without trying, fascinated her.

Vince approached with the loose-hipped predatory stride of a jungle cat, sending a whoosh of anticipation through her. Feeling a little light-headed, Jade hoped she didn’t totter on her high stilettos.

“Sorry, I’m late,” she said, hating the breathlessness in her voice.

“No problem. You’re here now.” He gave her another cool once-over without making a comment and lifted a duffel bag she didn’t notice he was carrying. “I need to show you something.”

Her gaze moved from the bag to his face. “What is it?

“Let’s find a place to sit first.” His dark gaze swept the foyer as though cataloguing faces. She wasn’t sure whether it was caution or paranoia.

She trailed his gaze. “Is everything okay?”

“No.”

About Ednah Walters:

I grew up reading Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mysteries, before I graduated to Mills & Boons (starting with Janet Daily's Shutter the Sky) and the rest is history.

I enjoy good love stories, tingly mysteries and wondrous adventures. When I finished college and decided to be a stay-at-home mother, I devoured books like they were going out of production, until reading just wasn't enough. So I started to write.

I've written picture books, contemporary and romantic suspense, biracial/multicultural books, and finally YA fantasy. AWAKENED is the first YA book in The Guardian Legacy series. It was released in September 2010. BETRAYED, book 2 in the series, will be out August 1^st 2011. In my adult romance series, SLOW BURN, book 1 of the Fitzgeralds, was out May 1^st 2011, MINE UNIL DAWN is due mid July. Book 3, KISS ME CRAZY, a contemporary romance, is with my editor. I'm presently working on book 4, Faith Fitzgerald’s story and book 3 of my YA Guardian Legacy series.

When I'm not writing, I do things with my family, five children or my darling husband of 19 years. I live in a picturesque valley in Utah, the setting for my YA series.

http://www.ednahwalters.com/   

http://enwalters.blogspot.com/ 

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=profile&id=100000535104042 

http://twitter.com/#!/ednahwalters 

http://www.youtube.com/user/ednahwalters?feature=mhsn 

http://bookblogs.ning.com/profile/EdnahWalters

GIVEAWAY

E.B. Walters is offering an ebook copy of Mine Until Dawn for each tour stop. Please comment on this post by midnight 9/21/11 to enter :) Leave your email address so I can send it to Bewitching Book Tours to email you your ebook.

The author is also having a big tour finale giveaway at her blog !

http://enwalters.blogspot.com/2011/08/mine-until-dawn-tour-finale-giveaway.html 

Details:

Contest begins September 1st and ends on the 21st.The finale is happening at Ednah's blog, where you will win goodies. 3 winners will be chosen at random at the end of the tour. Winners will be announced on 22nd.

Winners will get:

1. A signed copy of Mine Until Dawn (print)

2. Slow Burn tote bag

3. Slow Burn mousepad

4. Slow Burn Bookmarks.

Contest is International

TO ENTER:

1. You must comment  on the participating blogs first

2. Tweet about the post on participating blogs

3. Follow Ednah's blog when you get there.

4. Leave Ednah a comment on her blog at 

http://enwalters.blogspot.com/2011/08/mine-until-dawn-tour-finale-giveaway.html

My Review of "Slow Burn" by E.B. Walters

Blurb: 

She doesn’t want to deal with the past...

Ten years ago, Ashley Fitzgerald witnessed the death of her parents in a tragic fire and blocked the memory. She pretends to have moved on, is a successful artist and photographer, until the morning she opens her door to a stranger she assumes is a model and asks him to strip to his briefs .

He wants to expose the truth....

Wealthy businessman Ron Noble has the body, the jet, the fast cars and the women, but he hides a deadly secret. His father started the fire that killed Ashley’s parents. Now someone is leaving him clues that could exonerate his father and they lead to Ashley’s door. Blindsided by the blazing attraction between them and a merciless killer silencing anyone who was there the night of the fire, Ron dare not tell Ashley the truth. Yet the answer he seeks may very well tear them apart.

While a demented arsonist...SLOW BURN(s)...and plots his ultimate revenge

My Review:

I was hooked from page one! Both characters had me engrossed in their lives right from the beginning.  I couldn’t help at times, with my connection to them, thinking that too much was left out,  that there was too much mystery. But, I guess that is what kept me reading furiously. On the flip side of that, I pretty much knew early on who did it. Yet, absolutely none of this mattered. I was so caught up in the story, the characters rich back stories – not to mention who they were in the present, and what I didn’t know about the mystery that the story Mrs. Walters wove together was absolutely wonderful.

The title Slow Burn was really appropriate to the plot premisie. Yet, at the same time, the sexual tension in this story was far from slow, but it did burn! The situations, the actions, the emotions new and old, tightened into a coil that twisted until it exploded. Even though the unique situation that brought these two together was nothing short of amazing, it was the erotic situations, the chemistry between Ashley and Ron that had me getting up in a dark room in the middle of the night to read more. Thank goodness for ereaders with night read so you don’t disturb your husband’s sleep! LOL

This story was definitely worth the read. Mrs. Walters has a new fan!

Author Website: http://www.ednahwalters.com/E_B_Walters_Books.htm

Published May 1st 2011 by Firetrail Publishing

SBN13: 9780983429708

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE AT AMAZON

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of The Virtual Book Tour Cafe' and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by The Virtual Book Tour Cafe', no payment was received by me in exchange for this review nor was there an obligation to write a positive one. All opinions expressed here are entirely of my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist or the readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*