Title: Bared To You (Crossfire #1)Author: Sylvia Day
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Published: January 1st 2012 by Berkley Trade
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
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...
After the whole Fifty Shades of Grey fiasco I became wary of books being associated with it (like this one). But when I saw that the Crossfire series is being optioned for a TV series and is in the early stages of development, I got curious enough to want to try it out. Plus, one of my blogger friends encouraged me. (Thanks, Louisse!) Three days after, here I am.... trying to write a review. Bear in mind that I started this novel with Fifty Shades of Grey (minus the BDSM) in mind so this review might contain a few comparisons. (Sad, I know. I apologize.)
I have a love-hate relationship with this book. For starters, there were a lot of similarities between Fifty Shades of Grey and Bared to You. Christian Grey and Gideon Cross were too alike that it bothered me at times; it gave me a slight feeling of déjà vu. Now I won't dive too much into details because I plan on creating a separate post on it. But I will say this: the similarities were a total bust for me.
Then we have Eva. Eva was nothing like Anastasia Steele of Fifty Shades of Grey... sort of. Alright fine, the biggest difference between the two ladies is the fact that Eva wasn't an innocent little virgin - which was great. That meant Eva wasn't naive about a lot of things like Ana. However they were similar in something - they were both moody. No, I don't think moody's the right word but that'll have to do for now. Eva had a lot of I love you/I hate you moments that it became tiresome for me at some point. I get that you're broken and that you've never felt this connection with someone before but make up your mind. Don't just go back and forth, being all tough one moment then feeling all weak the moment he touches you. Grow a pair!
Which now brings me to my major irritation: makeup sex. It's like Gideon's sole response to Eva's constant nagging whenever she'd demand for the truth or for Gideon to open up is sex. The sex put Eva in a happy mood... but does it ever fix the problem? Nope. Is the problem still there after? Yes. Will they argue about it again? Yes. Will they talk it through this time? Nope. It's a vicious cycle! Opening up is something that Gideon's not very comfortable with but at least have the spine to tell him no. The hot attraction was undeniable but you have to know when to keep it at bay.
Okay I'm done with my complaints. On to the reasons why I did like it. Off the top of my head: Gideon Cross. While I didn't necessarily like his similarities with Grey, he had some qualities that made me like him more. He was more direct in... err propositioning Eva, which was totally refreshing. No bullcrap or formalities. That's probably the thing I liked most about him. I also liked the chemistry between him and Eva. They were so good together when they weren't so caught up with their issues and drama.
I enjoyed Eva's friendship with Cary too. It was refreshing to see a best guy friend who's actually bisexual and didn't completely pose a threat. Cary's just as messed up as Eva and Gideon. He had his own issues to deal with and that usually involved Eva in the process because they were each other's support system. I wish to see more of Cary in the second book and how his character develops.
Next is the plot. While there were a lot of mysteries left unsolved and questions unanswered at the end of the book, I did like that there was a plot - a sensible one at that. Last is the fact that while it might have been insta love, the way Day wrote it made it bearable. The writing's definitely a plus for me. Day's vivid descriptions were just right; not the sloppy, cliched writing that I was half-expecting (sorry).
Overall, I liked it because it exceeded my expectations. I hope I get more out of Reflected in You because I'm dying to see some sort of progression in their relationship.
I have a love-hate relationship with this book. For starters, there were a lot of similarities between Fifty Shades of Grey and Bared to You. Christian Grey and Gideon Cross were too alike that it bothered me at times; it gave me a slight feeling of déjà vu. Now I won't dive too much into details because I plan on creating a separate post on it. But I will say this: the similarities were a total bust for me.
Then we have Eva. Eva was nothing like Anastasia Steele of Fifty Shades of Grey... sort of. Alright fine, the biggest difference between the two ladies is the fact that Eva wasn't an innocent little virgin - which was great. That meant Eva wasn't naive about a lot of things like Ana. However they were similar in something - they were both moody. No, I don't think moody's the right word but that'll have to do for now. Eva had a lot of I love you/I hate you moments that it became tiresome for me at some point. I get that you're broken and that you've never felt this connection with someone before but make up your mind. Don't just go back and forth, being all tough one moment then feeling all weak the moment he touches you. Grow a pair!
Which now brings me to my major irritation: makeup sex. It's like Gideon's sole response to Eva's constant nagging whenever she'd demand for the truth or for Gideon to open up is sex. The sex put Eva in a happy mood... but does it ever fix the problem? Nope. Is the problem still there after? Yes. Will they argue about it again? Yes. Will they talk it through this time? Nope. It's a vicious cycle! Opening up is something that Gideon's not very comfortable with but at least have the spine to tell him no. The hot attraction was undeniable but you have to know when to keep it at bay.
Okay I'm done with my complaints. On to the reasons why I did like it. Off the top of my head: Gideon Cross. While I didn't necessarily like his similarities with Grey, he had some qualities that made me like him more. He was more direct in... err propositioning Eva, which was totally refreshing. No bullcrap or formalities. That's probably the thing I liked most about him. I also liked the chemistry between him and Eva. They were so good together when they weren't so caught up with their issues and drama.
I enjoyed Eva's friendship with Cary too. It was refreshing to see a best guy friend who's actually bisexual and didn't completely pose a threat. Cary's just as messed up as Eva and Gideon. He had his own issues to deal with and that usually involved Eva in the process because they were each other's support system. I wish to see more of Cary in the second book and how his character develops.
Next is the plot. While there were a lot of mysteries left unsolved and questions unanswered at the end of the book, I did like that there was a plot - a sensible one at that. Last is the fact that while it might have been insta love, the way Day wrote it made it bearable. The writing's definitely a plus for me. Day's vivid descriptions were just right; not the sloppy, cliched writing that I was half-expecting (sorry).
Overall, I liked it because it exceeded my expectations. I hope I get more out of Reflected in You because I'm dying to see some sort of progression in their relationship.
My Rating
(Refer to rating system)
About the author
Sylvia Day
Sylvia Day (aka S. J. Day and Livia Dare) is the #1 New York Times and #1 international bestselling author of more than a dozen award-winning novels translated into over three dozen languages. She has been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Author and her work has been honored as Amazon's Best of the Year in Romance. She has won the RT Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice Award and been nominated for Romance Writers of America's prestigious RITA® award twice.
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