Review: One With You - Sylvia Day

Gideon Cross. Falling in love with him was the easiest thing I've ever done. It happened instantly. Completely. Irrevocably.

Marrying him was a dream come true. Staying married to him is the fight of my life. Love transforms. Ours is both a refuge from the storm and the most violent of tempests. Two damaged souls entwined as one.

We have bared our deepest, ugliest secrets to one another. Gideon is the mirror that reflects all my flaws . . . and all the beauty I couldn't see. He has given me everything. Now, I must prove I can be the rock, the shelter for him that he is for me. Together, we could stand against those who work so viciously to come between us.

But our greatest battle may lie within the very vows that give us strength. Committing to love was only the beginning. Fighting for it will either set us free . . . or break us apart.

Heartbreakingly and seductively poignant, One with You is the breathlessly awaited finale to the Crossfire saga, the searing love story that has captivated millions of readers worldwide.

Crossfire Series:
Bared to You (2nd Read Review)
Reflected in You
Entwined with You
Captivated by You
One with You

Visit Sylvia Day's website for more information.

Review:
I've been a huge fan of the Crossfire series ever since Bared to You was first released, there is just something incredibly addictive about these characters that has kept me on the hook since I first met them and it's been quite a torturous wait to finally find out how everything ends for Eva and Gideon. One with You has been a long time coming and I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy and dive back into this world.

I hate to admit it but this wasn't the strongest book in the series, there were a lot of weird new plot threads thrown in that seemed to come out of nowhere and didn't really add much to the series, Eva and Gideon had to rehash a lot of problems we've seen them deal with already (although thankfully they have learned to handle things a lot better by now!) and, most disappointing of all, we are left without answers to so many threads that have been going on for several books by now. I just can't understand why we had to have a load of new drama with Eva's mother when we don't ever completely tie up the outstanding issues resolving the abuse Gideon suffered and the people who either covered it up or used it against him. We don't even find out how things turn out for Cary with Trey or Tatiana and the baby!

To me it felt fairly obvious in book 4 that the series had been stretched further than it actually needed to be and One with You hasn't really changed my opinion on that. Sylvia Day seems to throw in new problems just to up the word count without really paying attention to the different plot threads she had already started. I'd contemplated rereading the series before picking this book up but I'm actually really glad I didn't because I think I'd have been even more frustrated by the repetitiveness if it hadn't been a year and a half since I last spent time in this world.

Even though I have a lot of niggling issues with this book I did still find it an enjoyable story overall though. I absolutely loved catching up with these characters after such a long break, it was incredibly easy to slip back into their world and it just leaves me with a huge goofy grin on my face to see how far both Eva and Gideon have come from the first book, they have dealt with so many obstacles and they well and truly deserve their happily ever after. The chemistry between them is just as fantastic as always although in this case I'd actually have been happy to have more sex in One with You (which is funny since I complained there was too much in Captivated by You!). I honestly believe that their relationship is strong enough to last the test of time now.

This series, and these characters, have stolen a little piece of my heart and there is no doubt in my mind that I'll end up rereading all of the books again in the future. I'm also excited that Gideon's sister London is going to get a series of her own and I'm looking forward to the glimpse into Gideon and Eva's future that will give us. I'm a huge fan of Sylvia Day's writing and she continues to remain an automatic buy author for me.

Source: Received from Penguin in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Captivated by You - Sylvia Day

Gideon calls me his angel, but he's the miracle in my life. My gorgeous, wounded warrior, so determined to slay my demons while refusing to face his own.

The vows we'd exchanged should have bound us tighter than blood and flesh. Instead they opened old wounds, exposed pain and insecurities, and lured bitter enemies out of the shadows. I felt him slipping from my grasp, my greatest fears becoming my reality, my love tested in ways I wasn't sure I was strong enough to bear.

At the brightest time in our lives, the darkness of his past encroached and threatened everything we'd worked so hard for. We faced a terrible choice: the familiar safety of the lives we'd had before each other or the fight for a future that suddenly seemed an impossible and hopeless dream . . .

Crossfire Series:
Bared to You (2nd Read Review)
Reflected in You
Entwined with You
Captivated by You
One with You

Visit Sylvia Day's website for more information.

Review:
Fans have had to wait a long time for this latest instalment to the Crossfire series and with long waits come high expectations. I have to admit that as much as I loved the first 2 books in the series I was a little disappointed with book 3 so although I was looking forward to Captivated by You I wasn't quite as desperate as I had been with the last two books. In fact, this is the first time I hadn't reread the previous books just before the new release and I think that actually went in my favour. Since it's been well over a year since I read about this couple I was excited to spend time with them again, I enjoyed revisiting them and although the story is pretty much a repeat of the previous books in terms of drama and constant sex that didn't actually bother me this time around. Unfortunately I think anyone who has read the other books more recently are probably in for a little disappointment though.

Really I think Sylvia Day could have wrapped this up Gideon and Eva's story in three books, lets face it, the only reason to extend this to a series of 5 books was for the money. I think she would have been better off sticking with a trilogy and then writing a few spin offs about some of Gideon & Eva's friends. I would happily read a book about Cary or Ireland and either of those characters would have allowed us to revisit Gideon & Eva without them having to be the main focus of the story. As it is we've got a series that has been extended by a lot of unnecessary drama. Captivated by You finds Gideon and Eva plagued by ex partners (on both sides) who want to split them up and family members who either completely deluded or deliberately malicious. We also once again see Gideon and Eva having trouble communicating with each other in any meaningful way outside of the bedroom. We're now in the fourth book and they STILL use sex to resolve all of their issues which is getting more than a little frustrating. Thankfully that finally seems to be starting to change by the end of this book but in some ways it is a case of too little too late and I know plenty of readers will be really irritated by one particular turn of events.

I know that I've spent most of this review complaining so far so you're probably wondering why on earth I've given the book a 4 star rating but in spite of my issues Captivated by You is incredibly readable. I love this couple, they are dysfunctional and messed up and have more issues between them than they know what to do with but I love reading about them. They have fantastic chemistry, the sex scenes are always hot and perversely I was complaining about too little sex in this book when I'd been annoyed by too much of it in Entwined with You! I enjoyed getting half of the story from Gideon's POV, it feels like we're finally getting inside his head a little, learning what makes him tick and why he behaves in the way he does, and I'm glad that Eva is learning to stand her ground and fight for what she wants a bit more. This is a book I could have happily devoured in one sitting if life hadn't got in the way and as it was I ended up having 2 extremely late nights because I kept allowing myself "just one more chapter" over and over again before I eventually turned out the lights.

Do I think this series was extended unnecessarily? Yes. Was I frustrated by the number of issues thrown at the couple in this book, especially when we didn't get a resolution to any of them? Absolutely. Will I be reading the next book anyway? You can bet your life I will be! Syliva Day has created characters that I'm incredibly invested in, I want to see them get their happy ending and I want to see how things turn out for Cary and their other friends and family members too. I just hope we don't have such a long wait for the conclusion of the series and I really, REALLY hope that the final book focuses on resolving the issues they're already facing rather than adding more drama to the mix.

Source: Purchased

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Review: Entwined with You - Sylvia Day

From the moment I first met Gideon Cross, I recognised something in him that I needed. Something I couldn't resist. I also saw the dangerous and damaged soul inside - so much like my own. I was drawn to it. I needed him as surely as I needed my heart to beat.

No one knows how much he risked for me. How much I'd been threatened, or just how dark and desperate the shadow of our pasts would become.

Entwined by our secrets, we tried to defy the odds. We made our own rules and surrendered completely to the exquisite power of possession . . .

Crossfire Series:
Bared to You (2nd Read Review)
Reflected in You
Entwined with You
Captivated by You
One with You

Visit Sylvia Day's website for more information.

Review:
I have been a huge fan of the Crossfire series ever since I first read Bared to You so it feels like I had to wait forever for Entwined with You to finally be released. Gideon and Eva are my favourite dysfunctional couple and I have to admit to having a huge crush on Gideon so I was excited to spend more time with them both. I was a bit nervous when I discovered that the series had been extended from the trilogy originally planned into a five book series though, I was worried that there wouldn't be enough story to fill that many books and that we'd end up with a couple of filler books. It remains to be seen how much there is to learn in the next two books but I enjoyed this latest instalment and will be at the front of the queue for Captivated by You when it is released.

In the previous book we saw exactly how far Gideon is prepared to go to keep Eva safe but now he is facing the fallout. Not only does he have to try and come to terms with what he did but he also has to make sure nothing can be pinned on him and he can only hope that it doesn't change the way Eva looks at him. He is pushed into taking extreme measures to keep his secret and it shows just how far his and Eva's relationship has progressed when she is able to trust him no matter how bad things look. Their relationship still isn't perfect by a long shot but things are better than they ever have been. I really want to see the pair of them talk to each other more rather than constantly using sex as a way of communicating but it was good to see them start to get a handle on their jealousy issues and have a little faith in each other.

One thing I think I missed was the conflict that was so prevalent in previous books, there are things that happen that could have added more drama to the story but on the whole they were handled much more quickly and with a lot less stress than before. This is partly because of the growth that both Gideon and Eva have gone through but it does make for a less dramatic read and lets face it one of the reasons we love this couple so much is because of the drama! I never thought I'd hear myself say this (especially about an erotic romance novel) but I actually reached the point where I started to get bored of the constant sex scenes. As you'd expect from Sylvia Day the scenes were all well written and incredibly hot but there are only so many ways to describe inserting tab A into slot B before it starts to get a little repetitive. Gideon is still one of the sexiest literary heroes I've come across so I don't want to lose the sex scenes completely but I'm hoping to see a little less of them in the next book and I'd love more focus to be on the couple spending time together outside of the bedroom.

I was really pleased that we have finally started to learn a little more about Gideon's past, we are still left with plenty of questions about what happened to cause his nightmares but it was nice to get a few answers. I found myself getting incredibly annoyed with his mother in this book which surprised me because she has always seemed so nice before. Her attitude and behaviour was completely out of order this time around so it was nice to see Eva stand up for her man. I'm hoping for some kind of showdown with Eva's mother in the future too because she is driving me crazy with the way she stalks Eva, the way that everyone just panders to her only makes her behaviour worse. Then you have the side story with Cary that shocked me and made me want to shake some sense into him! I still can't quite believe what he's got himself mixed up in this time and I'm really hoping that he sorts himself out soon.

Although Entwined with You wasn't my favourite book in the series it was still a great book and I'm happy to have had my much needed Gideon fix. I'm glad that the story didn't end with a huge cliffhanger so as much as I'm looking forward to the next instalment I'm not quite as desperate to get my hands on it as I was this one. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Gideon and Eva and I find myself feeling happy that we have another 2 books to look forward to.

Source: Received from Penguin in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Reflected in You - Sylvia Day

Eva and Gideon return in Reflected in You, the second novel in the erotic romance Crossfire series, following on from Bared to You - this is the perfect read for those who loved Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. James.

Gideon Cross. As beautiful and flawless on the outside as he was damaged and tormented on the inside. He was a bright, scorching flame that singed me with the darkest of pleasures. I couldn't stay away. I didn't want to. He was my addiction . . . my every desire . . . mine.

My past was as violent as his, and I was just as broken. We'd never work. It was too hard, too painful . . . except when it was perfect. Those moments when the driving hunger and desperate love were the most exquisite insanity.

We were bound by our need. And our passion would take us beyond our limits to the sweetest, sharpest edge of obsession . . .

Intensely romantic, darkly sensual and completely addictive, Sylvia Day's Reflected in You will take you to the very limits of obsession - and beyond.

Crossfire Series:
Bared to You (2nd Read Review)
Reflected in You
Entwined with You
Captivated by You
One with You

Visit Sylvia Day's website for more information.

Review:
I absolutely loved Bared to You - in fact it was one of my favourite books of the year - so I couldn't wait to spend more time with Gideon and Eva in Reflected in You. I've had the paperback on order for months but when the release date was pushed back I couldn't wait and had to buy the Kindle version too. As soon as I got home yesterday I started reading and I literally devoured this book, Sylvia Day did it again and kept me up until 5am reading for the second time! I'm going to assume that anyone reading this review has already read Bared to You so this may contain slight spoilers for the first book - if you haven't started the series yet then you really need to!

This series isn't one you're going to enjoy if you don't like angst and drama in your relationships but for anyone who loves emotional upheaval and characters who are deeply flawed and psychologically damaged by their pasts then you're going to love Gideon and Eva. They both have serious hang ups about themselves and trust issues with each other and that doesn't make for smooth sailing in any relationship but it does make for gritty and realistic reading. The attraction between them is intense but it is about more than physical lust - they just both have difficulties explaining their feelings. Because they find it so hard to communicate they often use sex as a way of expressing themselves which can sometimes cause more problems than it resolves.

What I love most about them is that they both know they are messed up, they both admit to having issues and they are both determined to make a success of things. They understand that they are both going to have to compromise if they want to be together and they are both open to accepting the help of a couples counsellor to make things work. Because the story is told by Eva we get to see exactly what goes on inside her head, how her jealousy effects her and why she does the destructive things she sometimes does which allows us to relate to her and see her side of things. We know a lot less about Gideon's emotions and until quite near the end of the book we don't learn any more about his past than what Eva guesses from witnessing his nightmares. At times this makes him seem a bit closed off but although he finds it hard to express himself there are times when he manages to say exactly the right thing to make you fall for him. I'll be upfront and confess I am majorly crushing on Gideon right now, I didn't think I could like him more after Bared to You but I was proved wrong!

Reading Reflected in You is like going on an emotional roller coaster; there is drama and angst; there are secrets and misunderstandings; there are arguments and punishment fucks but then you also have the hot sweaty make up sex and some incredibly sweet moments between them! Gideon swears he isn't romantic but he really, really can be. Eva sums it up herself when she says "The simple fact was, Gideon and I were the best and worst things that had ever happened to each other." They know how to push each others buttons in both a positive and negative way but they understand exactly what they are doing and are surprisingly insightful when it comes to their actions. This is one messed up couple who desperately deserve a happy ending and I can't wait to get my hands on Entwined in You to see if they get it!

I'm going to leave you with a couple of my favourite quotes:

"...It turns me on when you challenge me, Eva." His voice lowered and became rapier, dripping with sex and sin. "It makes me want to fuck you. For a very, very long time."

"I'd rather argue with you, angel, than laugh with anyone else."

“People get over love. They can live without it, they can move on. Love can be lost and found again. But that won't happen for me. I won't survive you, Eva.”

“I am obsessed with you, angel. Addicted to you. You're everything I've ever wanted or needed, everything I've dreamed of. You're everything. I live and breathe you. For you.”

Source: Purchased

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2nd Read Review: Bared to You - Sylvia Day

Our journey began in fire . . .

Gideon Cross came into my life like lightning in the darkness - beautiful and brilliant, jagged and white hot. I was drawn to him as I'd never been to anything or anyone in my life. I craved his touch like a drug, even knowing it would weaken me. I was flawed and damaged, and he opened those cracks in me so easily . . .

Gideon knew. He had demons of his own. And we would become he mirrors that reflected each other's most private wounds . . . and desires.

The bonds of his love transformed me, even as I prayed that the torment of our pasts didn't tear us apart . . .

Crossfire Series:
Bared to You (Read my original review here)
Reflected in You
Entwined with You
Captivated by You
One with You

Visit Sylvia Day's website for more information.

Review:
The first time I read Bared to You I had just finished reading Fifty Shades of Grey and was looking for something to fill the Christian shaped hole in my life (you can read my original review here). I felt that Bared to You was better than FSoG in so many ways but I think because I read both books so close together I didn't fall for Gideon as hard as I could have done. I felt that the writing style was a million times better, that the characters were easier to relate to and far less irritating and that the sex scenes were so much hotter but I didn't find myself quite as addicted to BtY as I was to FSoG.

In the run up to the release of Reflected in You I was starting to get more and more excited about revisiting Gideon and Eva and I decided that I was going to treat myself and reread Bared to You first. Since I started blogging I've hardly reread any books, in fact I can count on one hand the number of books I've reread in the last 3 years, so this isn't usual reading behaviour for me. I have to say that I'm so glad I changed my pattern though - I really liked Bared to You the first time I read it but I LOVED it the second time around and have now moved the book onto my favourites shelf! This is a book I would recommend to fans of FSoG but I would also tell you not to let the fact that the two books are compared to each other put you off. If FSoG pushed all the wrong buttons for you then I would still recommend checking out Bared to You - it is the start of an emotional roller coaster that will have you on the edge of your seat!

I can't get enough of Gideon and Eva. They both have their problems and have been messed up by their pasts but I love the fact that they are prepared to work through their issues. They know that it will take hard work to make their relationship successful but that doesn't stop them wanting to try. Their chemistry is off the charts steamy and everything about this book makes for addictive reading.

I'd forgotten how much I liked Eva's equally messed up room mate Cary too - I really hope we get to see him start to deal with his own issues as the series continues. Eva and Cary have been through a lot together and I love the fact that they are so honest with each other. They are true friends who cut through the bullshit and tell it like it is, they are protective of each other but they won't sit back and watch their closest friend press the self destruct button. I really hope that we see more of this supportive friendship and that Cary gets his own happy ever after too.

There are so many questions I want answers to, in particular I want to know what happened to Gideon and Cary to make them act the way they do (we have already found out about Eva's past). I really want to see Gideon and Eva make it work despite all the things stacked against them. I love this series for the drama and the angst but most of all I love it for the passion and the flawed but likeable characters.

I can't review this for a second time without pulling out a few of my favourite quotes to share with you (these may contain mild spoilers so you have been warned!):

“I’ve always seen you, angel. From the moment you found me, I’ve seen nothing but you.”

“He was the kind of guy that made a woman want to rip his shirt open and watch the buttons scatter along with her inhibitions.”

“You forget who submits, Eva,” he said gruffly. “I’ve given up control for you. I’ve bent and adjusted for you. I’ll do anything to keep you and make you happy. But I can’t be tamed or topped. Don’t mistake indulgence for weakness.”

“Oh, Eva." He rubbed his cheek against my damp face. "I must've wished for you so hard and so often you had no choice but to come true.”

“I want there to be happily-ever-afters for the fucked-up crowd. Show me the way, Eva honey. Make me believe.”

“Keep looking at me like that," he warned, leaning casually into the counter and sipping his coffee.
"See what happens."
"I'm going to lose my job over you."
"I'd give you another one."
I snorted. "As what? Your sex slave?"
"What a provocative suggestion. let's discuss.”

Source: Received from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review but I have also purchased a copy of the UK paperback.

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Review: Bared to You - Sylvia Day

Our journey began in fire...

Gideon Cross came into my life like lightning in the darkness—beautiful and brilliant, jagged and white-hot. I was drawn to him as I'd never been to anything or anyone in my life. I craved his touch like a drug, even knowing it would weaken me. I was flawed and damaged, and he opened those cracks in me so easily...

Gideon knew. He had demons of his own. And we would become the mirrors that reflected each other's most private wounds... and desires.

The bonds of his love transformed me, even as I prayed that the torment of our pasts didn't tear us apart...

Crossfire Series:
Bared to You (2nd Read Review)
Reflected in You
Entwined with You
Captivated by You
One with You

Visit Sylvia Day's website for more information.

Review:
I don't normally like to compare books in my reviews because I prefer to look at them on their own merit but because this was recommended for fans of Fifty Shades of Grey I'm going to make a comparison this time. I'm one of those people who ended up completely addicted to FSoG, I had a lot of problems with the writing style - the constant repetitions, the bad grammar and the poor editing to name a few - but I could not put it down and devoured the entire trilogy in record time.

I needed something to fill the FSoG shaped hole in my life and Bared to You was highly recommended. It is another book that was originally self published by the author and has now been picked up by a major publishing house after it became a big hit on Amazon and there is no doubt in my mind that it will appeal to FSoG fans. In my opinion Bared to You is a million times better that FSoG in a lot of ways - Sylvia Day's writing is so much better, there are no conversations with the inner goddess that made me want to scream, I liked Eva a lot more than Ana and the sex scenes are much hotter. So you'd rightfully be thinking that I'd recommend the story to FSoG fans.

However, I can't say I found it quite as addictive as FSoG. Yes, I devoured Bared to You. Yes, I stayed up until 5am in the morning because I couldn't but it down. Yes, I am definitely going to be reading the next two books in the series. Yes, I did fall for Gideon but I don't love him quite as much as I love Christian. Perhaps that will change as I get to know him better throughout the next two books but we'll have to wait and see. I still can't stop thinking about FSoG even though it has been nearly two months since I finished reading it and I don't know what I would have done with myself if the next two books hadn't been available for me to devour immediately afterwards. While I'm excited that I only have to wait until October for Reflected in You that wait isn't going to kill me. I have to say that I love both books as much as each other but in different ways, neither FSoG or Bared to You is perfect but they are both compelling and not to be missed.

One of the things I liked most about Bared to You was the fact that Eva and Gideon are both as messed up as each other. They both have terrible issues from their pasts that have deeply effected the way they behave in the present. This seems much more realistic to me and I like the fact that they are both going to have to deal with their past and make changes to their attitudes if they want to have a chance at a successful relationship. This isn't a case of one person having to "fix" the other, it's a case of two deeply hurt individuals who might have a chance at healing each others pain and working towards a happy future together.

As much as I loved the email exchanges between Ana and Christian in FSoG I loved the banter between Eva and Christian even more. I love the way she is adult enough to stand up to him face to face or over the phone. She is no simpering virgin but rather someone who knows exactly what she wants and how to get it. Gideon is very possessive and should come with a stalker warning, especially at the beginning of the story, but Eva won't put up with any of his crap and in her own way she behaves just as badly at times with her own jealousy problems. Gideon is rich, powerful and successful, sexy as sin as well as dark and dangerous - I don't know many women who wouldn't find themselves attracted to him. The chemistry between him and Eva is intense and the pages literally sizzle when they are in a room together. Their journey may not be an easy one but you feel like they have something worth fighting for.

If you're looking for a scorching hot contemporary erotic story with a gritty romance between two damaged people then I'd highly recommend Bared to You. I'll be eagerly awaiting the next instalment and in the meantime I'm definitely planning on checking out some of Sylvia Day's other books.

Source: Received from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

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