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Edge of Light

by Cynthia Justlin (Goodreads Author)

3.55 of 5 stars 3.55 · rating details · 33 ratings · 19 reviews

Taken prisoner by a ruthless group of anarchists deep in the Cambodian jungle, anthropologist Jocelyn Hewitt is isolated in a dark prison cell. Without chance of rescue. Or hope. Until the man in the next cell reaches out to let her know she's not as alone as she thinks.

CIA agent Oliver Shaw has been held prisoner for over two years. Forced to witness the brutal torture an...more

ebook, 348 pages

Published May 14th 2012 by Carina Press

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Careful What You Wish For... by Paula Millhouse

Best Romantic Suspense 2011

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May 03, 2012 _yay_ rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic-suspense, three-letter-agency, tortured-hero, 1-5-stars

This ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Publish date: May 14th, 2012 Fiction – Adult: Romance: Suspense
Carina Press

Nothing will come in anthropologist Jocelyn Hewitt’s way of finding her father’s last resting place – come hell or high water. Her kidnappers have other plans, though. Snatching her wasn’t a problem; now she’s being dumped in a dark cell and is afraid for her life. What do they want from her? Her only ray of hope is a fellow captive. CIA operative Oliver...more

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May 17, 2012 E_bookpushers rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, e-book, romance, suspense, reviewed

Review originally posted at The Bookpushers.

Publisher: Carina Press
Publish Date: Out Now
How I got this book: ARC from the publisher via Netgalley

Taken prisoner by a ruthless group of anarchists deep in the Cambodian jungle, anthropologist Jocelyn Hewitt is isolated in a dark prison cell. Without chance of rescue. Or hope. Until the man in the next cell reaches out to let her know she’s not as alone as she thinks.

CIA agent Oliver Shaw has been held prisoner for over two years. Forced to witness t...more

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Apr 30, 2012 Lucy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wow! Sometimes you pick up a book from a new author and you don’t know what to expect and you a pleasantly surprised how intriguing the story truly is.

This book was pretty dark since the beatings were to the point of brutal and the deaths sustained by Oliver’s co-workers were pretty gruesome, and even the antagonist’s stealing of children and using them to death in his sapphire mines was awful.

My pet peeve of breaking up the story with too many points of view was challenged in this story. We di...more

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Apr 20, 2012 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebooks, netgalley

Jocelyn is in Cambodia, trying to find out the real story behind what happened to her father, and to hopefully bring her father's remains back with her. While in Cambodia, she and her team are unexpectedly attacked, and Jocelyn is taken hostage. She finds herself in a stark prison cell, frightened and confused, but realizes that she isn't alone, as someone resides in the cell next to her.

Oliver has been held captive for two years, regularly beaten and tortured, and he is half the man he once was...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Christa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook-arc

I really liked Edge of Light. It had characters that I cared about and a very original storyline. I very quickly became caught up in the plight of Oliver Shaw and Jocelyn Hewitt. I thought that the story was interesting, and it kept my attention. I look forward to more by this author.

Trying to find the remains of her father, anthropologist Jocelyn Hewitt is imprisoned in Cambodia by a group of anarchists. She soon learns that she is not the only prisoner being held by her capturers. Oliver Shaw...more

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May 14, 2012 Jess the Romanceaholic rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-read, prisoner, prisoner-of-war, kidnapped, sexual-assault, physically-tortured, physically-imperfect-or-scarred, on-the-run, major-character-death, major-illness-or-injury, oh-noes-u-saw-me-nekkid, not-for-the-squeamish, steam-level-warm, netgalley

This is a Quickie Review. For the full review, please visit The Romanceaholic.

Expected Release Date: May 14, 2012
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: Carina Press
Author’s Website: http://www.cynthiajustlin.com/
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: No
Series Best Read In Order: N/A
Steam Level: Warm

With plenty of action, horror, and even a mystery of a lost treasure, I ended up staying up WAY too late reading because I didn’t want to put it down. While the “steam” wasn’t all that “steamy”, I...more

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May 03, 2012 J.L. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Hard hitting story. (Time to explain the story)

This is not one of the light heart 'girlie romance' books, but a realistic gritty and always deep story of one man's growth after he's hit rock bottom in his own hell. The heroine shows up void of hope as well, but tries to pull Oliver out of his near suicidal time in a nasty Cambodian rogue prison.

Not for those looking for strictly a sex-fling book. Well developed characters are difficult to find in most books, but Justlin shows growth and evolves...more

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May 27, 2012 D.C. rated it 5 of 5 stars

ABOUT THE BOOK: Taken prisoner by a ruthless group of anarchists deep in the Cambodian jungle, anthropologist Jocelyn Hewitt is isolated in a dark prison cell. Without chance of rescue. Or hope. Until the man in the next cell reaches out to let her know she’s not as alone as she thinks.

CIA agent Oliver Shaw has been held prisoner for over two years. Forced to witness the brutal torture and slow murder of his entire team, his spirit is not just broken, it’s crushed. He no longer believes in hope....more ABOUT THE BOOK: Taken prisoner by a ruthless group of anarchists deep in the Cambodian jungle, anthropologist Jocelyn Hewitt is isolated in a dark prison cell. Without chance of rescue. Or hope. Until the man in the next cell reaches out to let her know she’s not as alone as she thinks.

CIA agent Oliver Shaw has been held prisoner for over two years. Forced to witness the brutal torture and slow murder of his entire team, his spirit is not just broken, it’s crushed. He no longer believes in hope. Until he hears Jocelyn through the wall, and suddenly feels like a glimpse of light is trying to reach in…

Jocelyn’s heart aches for the tortured man whose presence and voice give her the courage to risk their escape. But first she’ll have to remind Oliver who he once was, what he once loved, and bring him back to life. Only then will they have a chance for freedom—and the kind of love neither ever thought possible.

REVIEW: One word. WOW. That one piece sums up this book in its entirety. I really don’t think I have adequate words to even begin to explain just how awesome this book is. Ms. Justlin has a way about her writing that paints a vivid picture in your head, draws you into her gripping story, and enthralls you to never put the book down. Her words flow with accuracy and as smooth as churned butter. She doesn’t go overboard in the explanation of scenes or the feelings in her character’s heads and leaves you with JUST the right amount of insight, enough for the reader to be able to picture it, feel it, and use their own creative minds to finish the picture.

The suspense she drew up not only in the plot of the story but also in the chemistry between the characters was simply divine. Oliver breaks your heart with his self-loathing ways but still manages to work his way deep inside the same organ to hold tight. Josie is the extreme picture of a strong woman, one who has just the right amount of strength and gusto to save our dear hero from losing himself and letting go. I thoroughly enjoyed the spark between these two and the way they both saved each other from themselves, each in their own different, yet unique, ways.

The plot itself is one that is extreme yet a real part of today’s world. It’s also one that leaves you on the edge of your seat until the very end. I couldn’t put the book down with the combination of the chemistry, along with the plot unfolding.

If you’re looking for a very sweet romance, then this isn’t the book for you. While it holds a romance element, this isn’t a book for the weak of heart. It is one though, that will leave you gripping at the seams to continue, one that will have you staying up till 3am – just because you can’t let go, and one that will leave a smile on your face on down to the last word.

There is no doubt about it, five out of five stars for Ms. Justlin’s wonderful romantic suspense.
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Jun 12, 2012 Wendy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: jun-12

Jocelyn Hewitt, an anthropologist, joined a team in Cambodia to try and find the remains of her father and the cause of his death. Jocelyn and her team are attacked by a ruthless group of anarchists, in the Cambodian jungle, and she is taken hostage and placed in a dark prison cell.
CIA agent Oliver Shaw is in the next cell and has witnessed the torture and murders of his fellow agents and other prisoners for the past 2 years. A broken man, with no hope, he hears Jocelyn's pain and lets her know...more

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May 14, 2012 Christi Snow rated it 4 of 5 stars

A- rating

My Review:
Look at that cover up there. This is NOT a light-hearted, floofy romance. This book is gritty and it's harsh, but I thought it was so incredibly good. Half this book is spent with the Hero and heroine in captivity. They never even see each other face to face until right before their escape, so this is not a book about romance and flowers. Their surroundings are minimal. The beatings are harsh. The torture is truly inhumane. This book doesn't spare anything, so be prepared.

Oliv...more A- rating

My Review:
Look at that cover up there. This is NOT a light-hearted, floofy romance. This book is gritty and it's harsh, but I thought it was so incredibly good. Half this book is spent with the Hero and heroine in captivity. They never even see each other face to face until right before their escape, so this is not a book about romance and flowers. Their surroundings are minimal. The beatings are harsh. The torture is truly inhumane. This book doesn't spare anything, so be prepared.

Oliver is a CIA agent who has been a captive for two years. Not only has he been tortured and beaten, but he's had to watch all of his teammates slowly die. The only reason he's been kept alive is that he's also an artist. One of the Trinity (the lead baddie in this group of three baddies) uses his paintings as his catharsis. That doesn't mean that Oliver is spared anything besides the very basis of his life. Right now, he's doing nothing but surviving. This is a broken man with no hope left...until Jocelyn arrives.

Jocelyn is part of a government team who comes in and excavates human remains so that they can be returned to their loved ones. This trip to Cambodia is especially important (to the point where she lied her way onto the team) because they are there to excavate her father's remains. This quickly goes astray and we learn the team was brought there on false pretenses so that the Trinity could get hold of Jocelyn. She's the key to translating her father's treasure maps even though she was 8 yo when he disappeared/died.

Like I said this book is really pretty harsh, but it was an interesting read about the human spirit. Jocelyn is a strong, positive person and she refuses to let Oliver give up, although he is already way past that point. In his eyes, every person during his captivity has died because he wasn't strong enough to save them. He's terrified of getting attached to Josie because he knows that will seal her death penalty. It's heartbreaking to see how torn down he truly is, but I loved Jocelyn's spirit and belief in him. She knows he's a good person and refuses to allow him to blame himself for all those deaths. Through her, he starts to find redemption and the man he used to be. It was a slow transformation and almost painful to read, but it was so worth it in the end. This is just really a good book.
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May 15, 2012 Lhenry rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 15, 2012 Lynn Spencer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic-suspense

If you like your romantic suspense dark and gritty, Edge of Light is worth checking out. When I'm thinking of romantic getaways, a dungeon in Cambodia doesn't exactly top my list, so the setting of this book should be the reader's first clue that we're not getting a warm, cozy romp. However, the author manages to keep readers on the edge of their seats with this thriller and, even though the romance is understandably a bit more muted, it still worked and made for an enjoyable read.

This is a part...more

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May 14, 2012 Scooper Speaks rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5
Favorite Lines: "He braced himself for her touch, and when her fingers met his skin he clenched his eyes shut. He couldn't get used to it. Didn't remember what to do. Would he eventually remember how to react, or was he forever doomed to straddle the line between pleasure and agony?" (p. 135-136, e-galley)

Edge of Light is a romantic suspense and my first introduction to Cynthia Justlin's writing. The story started with a bang. The reader is introduced to one man's psychological battle with t...more 3.5
Favorite Lines: "He braced himself for her touch, and when her fingers met his skin he clenched his eyes shut. He couldn't get used to it. Didn't remember what to do. Would he eventually remember how to react, or was he forever doomed to straddle the line between pleasure and agony?" (p. 135-136, e-galley)

Edge of Light is a romantic suspense and my first introduction to Cynthia Justlin's writing. The story started with a bang. The reader is introduced to one man's psychological battle with the mad man holding him captive. Oliver has been in captivity for over two years and he has given up. Until a new inhabitant in the cell next to his slowly begins to change things.

Jocelyn's friends and co-workers were murdered and she was taken captive. The reason behind the horrific even was unbelievable. As she sits in a cell day after day she begins to reach out to the man in the cell next to hers, determined to understand why he refuses to speak to her or fight the people holding them.

Edge of Light is heavy on the suspense and light on the romance.I say this because the romance takes the back burner to the characters surviving. Basically it's a book about a man rebuilding himself with the support of a good woman. Their coming together as a couple never becomes a priority. Both are trying to come to terms with the past and their present situation. It's an "in the moment" type of relationship that never made me believe they could find happily ever after together. If I take this book as a thriller or suspense, I'm satisfied. Tag it with romance, and my satisfaction begins to dwindle.

Justlin does an excellent job portraying evil. She types a story that unfolds at a steady (but quick) pace. She also managed to build the unfurl two major story aspects by simply putting the hero and the heroine in cells bordering each other. One, it forces the characters to get to know each other without privilege of appearance being involved. It also stretches the suspense because neither knows exactly what is happening in the other's cell. They can hear, but that increases the psychological terror as neither can see the damage imparted on the other.

I was immediately sucked into the story, but there were a few things that bothered me in addition to the light romance. I felt like the Justlin disposed of two major players a bit too easily. You'll have to read the book to know who I'm talking about. I expected more of a battle or a more violent end to come and it was a disappointment. But the absolute crappiest thing was the heroine's comments to the hero after they are out of danger. I couldn't believe Jocelyn and felt like she was insensitive and unworthy of Oliver.

I'd like to know what you think of the book if you've read it. What did you like or dislike about the story? Would you recommend it to others?
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Jun 19, 2012 Lori rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-netgalley

I really wanted to enjoy this book.... The writing itself is great, but the story kind of fell flat for me. I didn't exactly feel any kind of connection to the characters... I guess I should say - I didn't really feel their connection to each other either.. and considering what they went through, I really wanted to feel a connection between them. There is also the fact that there were just too many POV changes for my taste... it's nice to be able to get a glimpse at the entire situation but some...more

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Apr 28, 2012 Kimberly rated it 1 of 5 stars

Review written for www.books-n-kisses.com

DNF (which is very rare for me)... This is a very intense book with a lot of violence and I found it hard to read. This was not my kind of book. There were too many characters that they began to run together. If you enjoy intense books wrapped around violence and escape then this may be a book you would love to read. However I just could not do it.

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Jul 11, 2012 Nicole Luiken rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, thriller

Well-written romantic thriller set in the jungles of Cambodia. A prologue that surprised and plenty of tension and jeopardy. Both main characters, Josie and Oliver, were well-developed AND SO WERE THE VILLAINS. So nice to see.

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May 19, 2012 Jacquie rated it 4 of 5 stars

As hard a subject as this book covered, it was done well and in such a way that I couldn't stop reading. Can't believe how cruel people can be to one another

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Apr 26, 2012 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance

3.5 stars

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Dec 21, 2012 Elizabeth - Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews marked it as in-progress-set-aside

DNF, too gross and intense.

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Apr 02, 2013 Susan marked it as to-read

Mar 25, 2013 Gina Gooch marked it as to-read

Feb 10, 2013 Samantha marked it as to-read

Shelves: e-books

Feb 07, 2013 Kat Cantrell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jan 19, 2013 Natalia Sulca marked it as to-read

Jan 22, 2013 Meka rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic-suspense

Jan 16, 2013 Kate marked it as to-read

Shelves: to-read-romance

Dec 29, 2012 Brooke marked it as to-read

Nov 25, 2012 Caro marked it as to-read

Nov 24, 2012 Shauna Greaney rated it 3 of 5 stars

Oct 29, 2012 NeverDust marked it as to-read

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About Cynthia Justlin

Cynthia is a former Romance Writers of America Golden Heart® Finalist in Romantic Suspense. She started out writing contemporary romance, but when all her plots began to turn dastardly, she decided to stop fighting the urge to throw explosions, dead bodies, and evil villains into her books.

With her B.S. in the chemical sciences and her love of the periodic table (yes, she’s a geek and proud of it!...more

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