Burn For Me by Cynthia Eden (Phoenix Fire #1)
Paranormal Romance
January 28, 2014
Brava

Reviewed by Helyce

Goodreads Blurb:

Eve Bradley was undercover looking for a story, not a cause. But something about the man they called Subject Thirteen got her involved. The scientists said he was a devil, and they had a decent case: Terrifying power. A bad attitude. And looks that could lead anyone to sin.

Cain O’Connor knows the minute he catches her candy scent that Eve could drive him wild. But she’s a threat–in a way no one has been for him in years. She’s safer away from him, too. But with a powerful conspiracy determined to shut Eve up for good, there’s no time to argue. All they can do is trust their instincts–and their hearts.

Burn for Me is a fantastic start to this new series. I’ve always enjoyed Ms. Eden’s paranormal books, so when this one was offered, with it’s clever blurb that doesn’t really tell us anything about Cain other than he’s got quite a unique sense of smell, I was intrigued.

As the blurb states, Eve is a journalist. With her medical background Eve is able to infiltrate the Genesis Group under the guise of a research assistant of sorts. Everything seemed above board until she’s taken to meet Subject Thirteen, who is in a cell, chained, unable to move much at all. It is immediately clear to her that this supernatural being is not there voluntarily. Eve and Cain’s initial meeting is done so well, their chemistry leaps off the page. Though frightened out of her wits, Eve enters Cain’s cell so she can whisper…

“Eve put up the stethoscope and reached for a needle. She eased closer to Thirteen once more and rose onto her toes. The guy was big, at least six three, maybe six four, so she couldn’t quite reach his ear as she whispered, “Are you here willingly?”

Eve began to draw his blood. Thirteen didn’t even flinch as the needle slid into his arm.

But he did give a small, negative shake of his head.

Shit. She eased back down and tried to figure out just how she could help him.

“I’m Eve.” She licked her lips. His gaze followed the movement. The darkness in his stare seemed to heat. Everything about the guy was hot. “I-I can help you.”

He laughed then, and the sound chilled her. “No,” he said in that deep rumble of a voice, “you can’t.”

I loved Eve. Strong, smart and determined, freeing Cain becomes her single focus. Of course, it’s not easy, and both she and Cain will find that they need to rely on the kindness of others along the way. We meet Ryder, a vampire who was also being kept at the Genesis labs. His character is intriguing because it’s inferred that he might have a connection of a sort to Eve’s past. Then there’s Trace, a werewolf who happens to be a very good friend of Eve’s. Both Ryder and Ty play important roles in Cain’s escape as well as helping to keep him free and each will pay a price for doing so.

I found Eve’s character to be a conundrum of sorts. Without giving too much away, it is clear that Eve is not purely human, but it is never spelled out exactly what she is. Normally, I would find this so frustrating it would affect the enjoyment of the story for me, but in this instance, the author weaves a tale with just enough varying information that the reader can form some sort of conclusion. Whether right or wrong we won’t know until certain events that began in this book are seen to fruition in the next.

Cain and Eve together are combustible, pun intended. From the moment Eve comes into Cain’s view and he gets a supernatural whiff of her, thinking she smells like cotton candy, I knew this couple would be hot together. Cain is a phoenix shifter and though he doesn’t have an alternate form, exactly, what he does is simply amazing and I’ve not seen anything like it before. At the same time, though, each time he does it he tends to fall more and more into the dark side of his total self. Interestingly, Eve appears to be the one thing that may be able to save him from total destruction.

I found this story a really unique take on a shifter; one that was completely new to me and therefore I really enjoyed everything about it. Action packed, with exciting pacing, it’s a story that flows well and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Just as you think something is resolved, something else happens to change that or push you to assume another conclusion. As a first book in a series, I did not feel bogged down with multiple story lines or an information dump. I also enjoyed that fact that in this world, humans are aware that there are supernaturals among them. This is a theme that I really like, especially in the world that Ms. Eden has created. I definitely look forward to the next book, One Bitten, Twice Burned in April 28!

Rating: A

Goodreads l Author Website l Series Guide

Kindle l Nook