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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