STAY WITH ME is a Christmas-themed novella in Cynthia
Eden's Lazarus
Rising series. Although there is a
couple all snug together in a cozy cabin in the woods,
violence erupts every so often in STAY WITH ME to dampen the
warm holiday glow. STAY WITH ME melds two of my
favorite movies -- THE BOURNE IDENTITY and the classic
Hitchcock film SPELLBOUND. When John Smith comes face to face
with Shelly Hampton, he doesn't even know his own
name, but he recognizes that she is vital to him in some
elemental way.
Shelly is a sympathetic heroine, and it's easy to
understand why she initially finds John so unnerving. It
wouldn't be believable if she unreservedly embraced John's
intensity and wild claims immediately. Shock gives
way to empathy for Shelly, when she begins to appreciate
John's predicament of having no memories except for a
visceral reaction to her. She can relate to this stranger
who finds himself all alone in the world because, after the
recent murder of her brother, she is too. As John and
Shelly alternately dodge assassination attempts and scope
out Christmas trees, they grow closer and their passion
for each other increases. True to form, Cynthia Eden
keeps the characters off balance and readers on their
toes by using misdirection and keeping the identity of
the villain a secret until the end. The motive, like the
identity of the unknown assassin, remains a mystery until
the last possible moment, thereby building the suspense
for maximum effect.
STAY WITH ME is a spicy holiday tale served with a shot
of adrenaline. The setting of a small town in the Blue
Ridge Mountains makes for an idyllic spot for a romantic
getaway, and a chillingly isolated hunting ground for a
killer. It's great seeing cameos by characters from other
books in this series. I eagerly await the next
installment in Cynthia Eden's Lazarus
Rising series.
Shelly Hampton intends to spend the holidays alone in her
family’s mountain cabin, but when a snow-covered stranger
appears on her door-step, her plans are shot straight to
hell. The man before her seems oddly familiar, and he stirs
a dark need within her.
It’s soon apparent that John Smith is far more than a normal
man—he’s too strong, too fast, and she could swear that he
seems to read her thoughts…and know her most secret desires.
But is John a man that she could love…or is he someone she
should fear? Because even as the snow fall deepens, a deadly
threat is closing in on her little cabin. And soon, Shelly
will be trapped on the mountain with a dangerous man…a man
who swears that he has come back from the dead, just to be
with her.
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