6 +++ stars!!!!
SQUEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!! OH. MY. HOLY. FREAKING. GOD. THIS. BOOK. IS. AMAZING!!!!
I’m re-posting this review to in anticipation for book 2 which comes out in a few short days!! 🙂
This book was absolute perfection for me!! It had me swooning, drooling and panting over Gideon Cross and had me reading for the better part of it with the world’s biggest grin on my face. It was the perfect blend of heart warming actions and lines, HOTNESS , and tortured hero (and heroine).
Bared To You was one of the only books ever where, the moment I was finished, I flipped it over and started again at page one and read it through right away again.
The story is told from the perspective of Eva Hammel, a 24 year old girl who comes from money but wants to make it on her own in the world. She chooses to start at the bottom and work her way to the top and gets a job in an advertising agency where she meets the guy who owns the company she works for (and pretty much everything in NYC) Gideon Cross and its just an instant connection between then. Intense sparks fly from the first glance. And things go from there 🙂
Gideon Cross is just pure perfection in my eyes! He is tortured, passionate, controlling, but isn’t afraid to admit he fucked up, tender, possessive, gorgeous , absolutely and utterly in LOVE with his girl… <3 <3 Gah! my heart is bursting here! <3
He’s so messed up but he’s trying his absolute best to be everything his girl needs him to be. I love how on the outside he’s this unobtainable larger-than-life god but on the inside, he’s just a man who wants to be loved by his girl.
“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.”
“What do you want, Gideon?” I asked softly.
He caught me to him and cupped my cheek in one hand. “I want to keep feeling the way I feel when I’m with you. Just tell me what I have to do. And give me some room to screw up. I’ve never done this before. There’s a learning curve.”
There are a lot of wonderful book couples out there but the thing that made me just LOVE this book was how fuctional Gideon and Eva were. Despite both having very messed up pasts, and both having their fair share of f*ck ups, they worked through everything functionally and passionately in a way that deeply warmed my heart. I loved how open and honest they learned to be with each other. They both made mistakes but they were understandable mistakes, nothing that make me want to throw my Kindle at the wall, nothing where I couldn’t understand the reaction they had, and they always talked everything through after. I loved how their love for each other made them stronger than any problems that came their way. It was so refreshing and heart warming.
[This relationship] is going to be a lot of work, Gideon.” I warned him.
“I’m not afraid of work.” He was touching me restlessly, his hands sliding over my thighs and buttocks as if caressing my bare skin was as necessary to him as breathing. “I’m only afraid of losing you.”
I pressed my cheek to his. We completed each other. Even now, as his hands roamed possessively over me, I felt a thawing in my soul, the desperate relief of being held – finally – by the man who understood and satisfied my deepest, most intimate desires.”
I loved how neither of them were man-whores or virgins before meeting each other. Not that I have a problem with either one. But it was refreshing and realistic that they had both been in a normal amount of relationships for a couple of mid-twenty year olds.
I also LOVED the side characters. Eva’s boss Mark and his partner Steven were delightful and fun. Her bi-sexual room-mate and best friend Cary was just so lovable. He was the ultimate big brother character with his own set of problems – I really really hope he gets a HEA. He so deserves one! We don’t get to see much of his past, but you can tell its really heart-breaking. I loved how he knew Eva so well, he just knew when something was wrong just by looking at her.
“I want there to be happily-ever-afters for the f*cked up crowd. Show me the way, Eva honey. Make me believe.” ~Cary
And did I mention how utterly HOT this book was?? I swear I was fanning myself from the moment they met (which was pretty much right at the beginning) till the very last page.
For those of you wondering about the connection between this book and Fifty Shades, I’d say they have about as much in common as Fifty Shades does with Twilight. Sure the basics are similar, mega-billionaire hero who is possessive of his girl… wait, no, that’s it actually. The BDSM element is utterly UNlike Fifty. There is no contract or anything like that, and it only comes up about 70% of the way through the book, and only briefly at that. Its more about the sexual control, but even then, its not about the kinky f*ckery the same way that Fifty was. But don’t let that deter you, this book is HOT, SEXY, deeply emotional, and a serious page turner….
“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.”
… and gah, the library scene!!! *dies* seriously HOTTTTT
I just loved seeing these two people from such tortured and broken pasts coming together, finding peace in each other, making things work… its a beautiful story!!
“I love you, Gideon.”
“God.” He looked at me with something that resembled disgust. Whether it was directed at me or himself, I didn’t know. “How can you say that?”
“Because it’s the truth.”
“You just see this”—he gestured at himself with a wave of his hand. “You’re not seeing the fucked-up, broken mess inside.”
I inhaled sharply. “You can say that to me? When you know I’m fucked up and broken, too?”
The ending was in a perfect place. Happy, resolved but leaving me biting my nails waiting for October to pleeeeease get here faster!!
“We’ll never be over, Eva.” ~Gideon
This is a MUST read!! It is definitely one of my absolute favorite books in the world now. I’m buying it in hard copy to put on my favorites shelf and know for sure that I’ll be rereading it many times!! *swoon*
*** CROSSFIRE SERIES READING ORDER ***
BARED TO YOU (Crossfire #1)
Buy on Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review
REFLECTED IN YOU (Crossfire #2)
Buy on Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review
ENTWINED WITH YOU (Crossfire #3)
Buy on Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review
CAPTIVATED BY YOU (Crossfire #4)
Buy on Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review
ONE WITH YOU (Crossfire #5)
Buy on Kindle | Buy in Paperback | Read my Review
Andie Wardlow says
Wow so beautiful…he’s to die for!!! Yummilicious!!!
Aestas says
Haha he is rather heart stopping!! I saw him and just instantly went “Gideon!!”
Taryn @My Secret Romance says
Wonderful review! I can not wait to read this book!
Aestas says
Thank you Taryn 🙂 I think you will LOVE it!
Jennifer Naylor says
Great, great review! I am so glad I caved to the pressure and finally read this book. It was such a moving story I feel lost as to where to go next.
Aestas says
Jennifer! I’m so glad you loved BTY too!! I totally know what you mean – its a really hard story to move on from. I had to reread it before I could even look at another book!
Aestas says
Check out this teaser from book 2:
“See something you like?” he purred, pleasuring himself.
Astonished that he’d taunt me after denying me, I looked up… and my breath caught.
Gideon was smoldering, too. I couldn’t think of another word to describe him. He was watching me with a heavy-lidded gaze like he wanted to eat me alive. His tongue slid leisurely along seam of his lips, as if he were tasting me. When he caught the full lower curve between his teeth, I could’ve sworn I felt it between my legs. I knew that look so well… knew what came after it… knew how ferocious he could be when he wanted me that badly.
It was a look that screamed SEX. Hard, deep, endless, mind-blowing sex. He stood on the far side of my shower, his feet planted wide, his insanely ripped body flexing rhythmically as he caressed his beautiful cock with long, slow strokes.
I’d never seen anything so blatantly sexual or boldly masculine.
“Oh my God,” I breathed, riveted. “You are so fucking hot.”
aaaaand here’s another one:
“Gideon came closer, vibrating with anger. He was riveting always, but most especially when he was seething with passion. “It’s my place to stand beside you, and support you, and yes, just fucking look pretty on your arm sometimes. It’s my right, my duty, and my privilege, just as it’s yours in reverse.”
Keri says
I LOVED this book! Could not put it down until I finished it! October cannot get here fast enough! I’m sure I’ll read this book like 10 times over again until October comes….LOVE me some Gideon Cross!
Aestas says
I totally agree!! The second I finished it, I just had to start again at page 1. Never had that happen with a book before. And I know I’ll be rereading it in October as well :)) cant get enough Gideon!!
Brunt says
Can you pleaseeeee tell me what the name is of your versions of Gideon and Eva. His face is amazing and screams Gideon sex. 🙂
Brunt says
By the way…. Fifty sHades and Bared make me hate reality. :/
aimeesch says
Agreed :'(
Aestas says
@Brunt: The guy is Clayton Brannon and I’ll check the girl’s name later tonight when I get back to my computer 🙂
Brunt says
Thank you!
Rachel says
You do such a great job recommending these books! Love 50 and Just finished bared!! Love it!! I’m craving more! Any ideas of what to go with next!!
I’m grey n gideon obssessed
Aestas says
Thanks Rachel!!
I don’t really have any other ‘billionaire’ books to recommend, but I have plenty of other amazing reads in my 5 & 6 star rating categories for you to check out. Also, check out my Top 10’s lists.
But if there is a specific kind of story you are looking for, let me know and I’ll do my best to find you something similar 🙂
Brunt says
Do guys like Christian and Gideon even exist? Young, beyond gorgeous, richer than the riches could go & brooding? Haha
Kerry G says
Im also a huge fan of Bared To You and looking forward to Oct AND Dec, when the 3rd part comes out! I wonder if Reflected In You will shed some light into what happened to Gideon when he was younger…I have an idea, but Im not sure it is correct. GAH – hurry up and get here October!!
Lori says
Thank you for addressing this. I just finished BTY and I thought maybe I missed the explanation of what exactly happened to Gideon. I was about to re-read it, but I’ll move on to the rest of the books instead. Soooo looking forward to them!
Krystal says
I love this book so much. I’ve read it 3 times and if there weren’t so many other books I want to read, I could easily go there again and again. I still haven’t read Captivated by You (book 4) because I knew the wait for book 5 would be long. I think I will reread from the beginning once the last book comes out. Hopefully the story will all come together reading straight through ☺
Colleen Snibson says
I loved this series.
Nicole Newman says
I just recently reread this series. I Love, Love, Love it! I had just finished FSOG and was having a really bad book hangover and you had just done a review for the next book. I read both books in 3 days.
Georgiana Jabson says
I love this series. I’ve just finished FSOG and still have a Christian Grey hangover. I didn’t know at that time that I like my heroes to be an alpha and at the same time tortured and broken. So I searched on google for heroes like Grey and I stumbled on Gideon. And then, I searched for long reviews because I know that that’s where I’m going to get my feel of Gideon before I even read the book. And the way you describe Gideon, I just can’t help and fall in love with him even without reading the book first.
Cyndi Barber says
This was the first book I read by Sylvia Day, I was hooked from the beginning. Gideon is such the alpha. His past is scary but Eva is somewhat able to tame him. I have read the entire series and will more than likely read again in its entirety. This series should be made into a movie!!!
Angie craig says
Love it too!
Erin Daniels says
Loved this series so much. Gideon and Eva Always
Priyanka @forevershereads says
I re-read this book recently and I still love it so much. I love how emotionally mature they both are and work for their relationship rather than letting the drama drive them away. Hands down one of my favourite Billionaire romances!