Nettie Reviews: Mine to Take by Cynthia Eden

Title:  Mine to Take
Series:  Mine (Book 1)
Author:  Cynthia Eden
Genre:  Romantic Suspense

Every now and then I feel the need to randomly pick a book based solely on it's book cover and give it a shot.  Mine to Take was that book for me this month and while I can't say that I LOVED it, I can say it was solid book that held my interest and kept me guessing all the way to the big reveal at the end.

Trace Weston (you know like Michael Weston on Burn Notice) became enthralled with Skye Sullivan when she was just 15 years old and he was forced to rescue her from a nasty foster brother that was attempting to rape her.  The two bonded body, soul, and mind until Trace made the ultimate sacrifice by letting Skye go so that she could pursue a career as a ballet dancer in New York.  Forcing her to hate him by telling her he no longer wanted her in his life, Trace joined the military and attempted to move on with his life.  Now, ten years later, Trace is still keeping tabs on Skye from afar and fighting with himself to leave her to her life when she walks into his security company racked with fear and anguish because she has an unknown stalker.

Skye Sullivan has spent the last 10 years pursuing her dreams of becoming a dancer in some of the most upscale New York theater performances, but in her heart she still longs for the man that rescued her one dark night and left her broken inside when he told her he no longer wanted her in his life.  Now, Skye is trying to move on with her life after a brutal car accident that left her with scars and muscle damage resulting in her no longer being able to dance on stage.  While relocating to Chicago seems like the new start Skye thinks she needs, she finds herself plagued with fear because someone has been getting inside her home and leaving items on her bed.  Afraid for her life and having no one else to turn to, Skye seeks out the one man that has the power to determine her future.

Mine to Take is actually a novella written by Cynthia Eden as a preview for Mine to Keep, which is book 2 in the series and features Trace and Skye as well. What really worked for me in this book was the suspense and the build up to the final reveal of who's stalking Skye.  Eden keeps readers on the edge of their seats as Trace desperately tries to figure out who is out for blood while also running into blocks at every turn. I have to admit that I for one did not see the villain coming and was very surprised when he/she was finally revealed.

While I will certainly continue with the series because I actually liked the suspense, Mine to Take wasn't without some problems.  Skye for one was a bit toooo fragile and at times got on my nerves. You can't cry and act helpless one minute and demand to be involved with the danger the next.  Trace's character was all alpha male but I just couldn't reconcile with his obsession with Skye.  His actions could easily be construed as "stalkerish" type behavior especially considering he has been keeping tabs on her for the past 10 years and having her guarded without her knowledge.  That was just a bit creepy!  Anywho, I still enjoyed the book so I'm giving it a solid 3 notes and 4 flames!