Tonight, I'm pretty excited because I'm finally bringing you one of my favorite series I've ever read! The books tonight were some of my first real glimpses at the romance genre, and I basically got sucked in afterwards. I'm talking about the Crossfire series by the one and only, Sylvia Day. I read the trilogy over three years ago, and waited for books four and five to be released before properly reviewing the complete set. Needless to say, that day is finally here! Let's delve into the world of Crossfire Industries, shall we?
Bared to You is where we first encounter the force that is Gideon Geoffrey Cross. He's brooding, isolated, and the master of his own universe, but little does he know, an encounter with a feisty blonde is going to change everything he's ever known.
Eva Tramell is a recent transplant to New York City from San Diego, California. Gideon Cross is the mogul of majority of Manhattan, one of the most eligible bachelors, and owner of Cross Industries. One day, when Eva takes a jog and visits where she'll be working as an administrative assistant to a massive advertising firm, she winds up in the lobby of the Crossfire, and in the path of one Gideon Cross. When they literally slam into each other, the ground shifts, and both of their worlds are forever turned upside down.
I just need to say that I am SO glad I met these two! To say I was obsessed with Gideon's intensity and Eva's strength right from the beginning is a total understatement. I had times when I wanted to keep Gideon in my own bed and other times, I was so angry with him that my heart broke...because I still loved him anyway. I can NOT get enough of this man or this couple!
If you want a sexy read similar to Fifty Shades but actually written well, I highly suggest this series!
My Final Rating: five out of five stars
Reflected in You means more Gideon, and more heartbreak! Mine was in my throat for such a chunk of this book and although I had faith in Eva and Gideon, I still worried nonstop.
When most couples are just starting out, their lives are like a fairy tale and everything is perfect. Gideon and Eva are not most couples, and I kind of admire them for it, because I just had a feeling in my gut that they'd fight for each other. Both of them have pasts consisting of abuse, and as two survivors, they must learn to navigate and build a life together, while also trying to banish their demons once and for all. It's when those pasts come back to haunt them, that all hell breaks loose, and they wind up on the brink of losing everything they've created as a couple.
What a sexy sequel. I couldn't put it down yet struggled with trying to pace myself just so I could spend more time with this amazing pair.
My Final Rating: five out of five stars
I love love loved the third installment in this series, Entwined With You!! I know some other reviews felt it was dragging when it didn't need to, but personally, I adored every second! With book two being the emotional rollercoaster that it was, it seemed like book three and their attempt at a happy ending wasn't possible. I'm so glad that us readers got something worthwhile after everything this couple had been through in their short time together.
I'm a total sucker for having all loose ends tied up and this did it and I STILL crave more of this couple. I know it seems pointless to keep going with this story to make books four and five, but I think since this series has been bought to be adapted for television, I could see it still going. Oh goodness, Gideon on my tv every week.. Now that makes a girl all warm and fuzzy inside. I can't wait!
My Final Rating: five out of five stars
I've waited over a year for more Gideon, and I finally got that with Captivated by You. Sylvia Day does NOT disappoint! I couldn't form words for this installment once I was done with it.
Gideon and Eva.. Will this couple ever catch a break? They really do get hit from all angles in this book, but I love how fiercely they hold onto each other to try and get through every obstacle. After book three was done, I breathed a sigh of relief thinking that they got their happily ever after and were in the clear from turmoil, and I was 110% wrong on all counts.
After a private vacation, the couple have a massive secret they're trying to keep under wraps and enjoy for a little while, but once they get back to Manhattan, it seems the world has turned against them, and their bubble of happiness bursts.
Gideon is a dream, as usual. I totally need one of my very own. He's fantastic, despite how shattered he has been throughout his life. Eva is such a good match for him, so I wish people would stop trying to destroy what they're trying to build together. I would personally enjoy some Cross babies next but who knows! I could NOT imagine what book five would bring, nor the television series! Sylvia could honestly write 20 books about Mr. Cross and I'd never tire of him, or his life with Eva. Now there's an idea!
My Final Rating: five out of five stars
The other day, book five, the last in the series, One With You was finally released. Despite a million interruptions, I finished it, and along with the bittersweet feeling of saying goodbye to this series, I'm also split in two on how I felt once I was finished. I'm sure most of you who have already read it may be wondering what I'm thinking once you see my final rating, but just hear me out. Honestly, I'll do my best to try to explain how my head is compartmentalizing aspects of this last installment.
I've adored this series since I first met Gideon and Eva back in 2013. These characters were absolute forces to be reckoned with, complete and total storms brewing, and I loved every tortured, agonizing, whiplash minute of their journey. From Bared To You all the way through to One With You, I've enjoyed seeing how this couple was able to grow and defeat not only their demons, but also every outside.
For roughly 80-85% of this book, I loved where it was going. I was so excited for everything the pair had coming their way for once. Loose ends were being settled and all the people who tried to tear these two apart were being put in their place. Gideon and Eva were waiting so long for their happily ever after, and I was thrilled they were finally on the same page and ready for the next chapter.
It was towards the end when a random situation with Monica (Eva's mother) happened that everything turned negative for me, and I wound up disappointed. It caused the ending to feel rushed and left too much up in the air and not quite as happy as one would imagine if you were Gideon or Eva.
Maybe it's because I hate endings (hello, guilty American here.. our shows and books go on for way too long), but if all that nonsense was going down out of the blue, the book could have ended there and then there could have been just one more story in the works. Having to crunch an ending into 50ish pages wasn't the way to go for me, and I was left a bit gobsmacked that after everything I went through with these two, that was all I would get as a way of tying everything up in a neat little bow. I'm trying to be okay with it, but for now, that ending along with the awareness of never having more Gideon and Eva in my life just leaves me feeling sad. If that makes sense.
The four stars I decided on at the end are because when it comes to the couple themselves, they were perfection as always. I just love their dynamic, and I always have. I refuse to absolutely pan one of my favorite love stories just because of a choppy ending that I didn't picture in my head. No, I'm not happy with it, but I was immensely satisfied for so much of the overall series that I just don't have the heart to feel entirely crushed beyond repair.
I suppose I'll just wait and see what licensing brings to the tv series (whenever that hits the small screen), and in the meantime, I'll keep my fingers crossed for at least a novella of some sort, because I just need more of these two, even if it's only a sliver.
My Final Rating: four out of five stars
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