Book & Audio Review: Crossfire Series by Sylvia Day

Bared to You
Relfected in You
Entwined with You

Crossfire Series

Author: Sylvia Day

Publisher: Penguin Publishing

Genre: Adult Romance

~Synopsis~

Bared to You: Gideon Cross came into my life like lightning in the darkness? He was 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... 

Reflected in You: 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? 

Entwined with You: From the moment I first met Gideon Cross, I recognized 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?

~Prelude~

Amazon has this amazing thing called Whispersync that allows you to buy discounted audio books from Audible.com if you already own the eBook. It isn't available for all titles but lucky for me, they had it on The Crossfire series. I usually listen to audiobooks in my car on the way to work but there were times when I just could not wait until the next morning to see what happens and I had to pick up my Kindle and read. Because of that, I ended up reading and listening to the series simultaneously. It was definitely an interesting experience. 

~Review~

This series.... I am at a loss for words right now as I process this review. I liked it, I mean I really liked it but I also had major issues with it. More specifically, I had major issues with Gideon and Eva. The writing was excellent and the plot was fascinating. Oh and the sex was steamy, insanely steamy. However, I have never encountered 2 characters with so many personal issues that getting involved with one another is utterly the worst idea imaginable. 

I could dig Eva. She was a sweet girl who wanted to build her own life and make her own decisions despite her crazy, controlling mother. Don't get me started on her, I'll rant about that later. Anyways, back to Eva. She has been through some very traumatic experiences that led to a rebellious stage. She is working really hard to get her life back on track and live normally. Then she meets Gideon Cross. She will never have a normal life again. When it comes to Gideon, I found Eva way too emotional and borderline annoying. With everything that happens between them by the end of EWY, you would think they'd been together for years instead of only 2 months. With everything Eva goes through, she needs stability and Gideon Cross is the opposite of that.

Gideon is the epitome of anti-commitment. The guy is rich, handsome and the ultimate alpah-male. However, he has some SERIOUS issues. He's only ever used women for sex but something about Eva draws him to her and he finds himself wanting more. He would do anything to be with her and protect her. Sometimes his actions showed that and other times they were the exact opposite. Let's take sex as an example. He uses sex to show Eva how much he loves her because he can't say the words but then he turns around and uses sex as punishment when he is angry at her. I like an alpha male, but Gideon Cross is too much for me.

Ok, Eva's mother. Let's start with how bat-shit crazy she is. I mean putting tracking devices on your 24 year old daughter? Oh, hell no! Also, she is shallow and selfish and downright irritating. The narrator even added to my annoyance of her with the voice she used to convey her. I did like her roommate and best friend, Carey. He is super supportive and always there for Eva. However, he had his issues too and I didn't always agree with his decisions. Let's just face it, EVERYONE in this book had issues. There are too many side characters to go into detail about but I'll list them and you can see how they may have added to the drama that filled these novels. We have Gideon's jealous younger brother, Christopher, his ex-fiance Corrine, who left her husband and came back to NYC for Gideon, and Eva's ex-boyfriend, Brett, who is now a rock star and wrote a love song about her. Imagine the trouble these people caused Gideon and Eva.

Gideon and Eva have the bumpiest relationship I have ever encountered. As I mentioned earlier, with all the crap that goes down between these 2, I had almost forgotten only 2 months have passed since they met. Every time things seem to be going well between them and they are happy, the ball drops; and it shatters. Gideon is constantly pushing Eva over the edge and away from him only to come groveling back and she falls for it. Every. Single. Time. They had incredible sex and I can't believe it is possible to have as much sex as they do. There's just no way. Great sex isn't enough though and Eva needs Gideon to open up to her emotionally, not just physically. That is hard for him to do because he doesn't like to be vulnerable. He wants everything from Eva but he isn't always willing to give that back to her from him. The more time he spends with Eva, the more he realizes he absolutely can't live with out her and he does open himself to her. While he can be over the top at times, I really did feel his love for her and towards the end he really did let his actions say the words he couldn't. While they are happy right now, this series is far from over and most likely more drama will ensue. I don't think it's possible to have anymore but considering everything else, I'm inclined to believe it is. We'll see what else can go wrong.

Overall, I enjoyed these books and it was really fun to read and listen at the same time. If you've read the books, you can understand some of the awkwardness that may come with listening to certain parts instead of reading them. While frustrating and over the top at times, the plot was still really interesting and it definitely kept me coming back for more craziness.

~IPOD Picks~

"I Need Your Love" by Ellie Goulding & Calvin Harris

"Clarity" by Zedd

"1000 Years" by Christini Perri

"Complicated" by Rhianna

"Just Give Me A Reason" by Pink & Fun

PURCHASE LINKS:

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE