Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
What a horrible book, total waste of time, the storyline is so booring, even the love scenes seem to be the same.. some pretty annoying cliches- all the men are soo handsome, all the expensive designer clothig... bleah, sorry I even began this book!
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Felt like rereading apparently
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
I don't think I've ever found a pair of main characters as insufferable as Eva and Gideon. Both characters are flat. Eva's behavior is honestly baffling. Her reactions are so all over the place and largely come off as childish. Gideon also is all over the place in terms of behavior. The inclusion of childhood trauma was clumsy.
The sex scenes do not make up for what a complete travesty this book is.
The sex scenes do not make up for what a complete travesty this book is.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Rape
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
oh em gee. I haven't read a book I disliked this strongly in awhile. Or one in which I liked so few (AKA zero) characters. Gideon & Eva are absolutely ridiculous. In this book, I think maybe a month passes? It's unclear. But during this time, I feel confident in saying that EVERY time they are together, they get into a fight. Eva runs off in a fit of anger/jealousy/pain and Gideon runs after her begging her not to leave him. Then they give in to their undeniable passion and have sex and say "we'll get through this!"
They're supposed to love each other so very deeply but neither of them have much personality honestly. So I'm not sure what the draw is for either of them. Aside from oh-gosh-our-sex-is-so-good-i-always-want-more. And you know what? The sex scenes are honestly pretty boring. And Gideon being a Dominant? Uhm, he's not really. Saying "hold the pillow" and "don't come" does not a Dominant make my friends.
They clearly both suck at being in a relationship, and particularly at communication within that relationship. I have no desire to read however many more books of these 2 idiots dancing around each other repeating the exact same pattern in slightly different situations.
Aside from the 2 MCs being totally lame, the plot is mostly nothing. Some OW drama, some untreated childhood traumas (CW: rape, child sexual abuse. No graphic description but mentioned a few times and a couple flashback type situations that are somewhat difficult to read), some my-roommate-also-has-trauma-and-I-need-to-get-him-back-on-track drama. But it all feels pretty bleh to me.
I have many qualms with various specific situations in the book but I think I've said enough lol.
If you want a better version of this I suggest CD Reiss's Submission series. While Monica isn't my favorite FMC she is exponentially better than Eva & Jonathan Drazen is everything Gideon Cross is trying and failing to be.
They're supposed to love each other so very deeply but neither of them have much personality honestly. So I'm not sure what the draw is for either of them. Aside from oh-gosh-our-sex-is-so-good-i-always-want-more. And you know what? The sex scenes are honestly pretty boring. And Gideon being a Dominant? Uhm, he's not really. Saying "hold the pillow" and "don't come" does not a Dominant make my friends.
They clearly both suck at being in a relationship, and particularly at communication within that relationship. I have no desire to read however many more books of these 2 idiots dancing around each other repeating the exact same pattern in slightly different situations.
Aside from the 2 MCs being totally lame, the plot is mostly nothing. Some OW drama, some untreated childhood traumas (CW: rape, child sexual abuse. No graphic description but mentioned a few times and a couple flashback type situations that are somewhat difficult to read), some my-roommate-also-has-trauma-and-I-need-to-get-him-back-on-track drama. But it all feels pretty bleh to me.
I have many qualms with various specific situations in the book but I think I've said enough lol.
If you want a better version of this I suggest CD Reiss's Submission series. While Monica isn't my favorite FMC she is exponentially better than Eva & Jonathan Drazen is everything Gideon Cross is trying and failing to be.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Rape
Minor: Child abuse, Rape
I seriously couldn't put the Crossfire novels down, I couldn't stop reading them... I just couldn't.
This book was like Fifty Shades of Grey... ONLY BETTER!
This book was like Fifty Shades of Grey... ONLY BETTER!
How do I differentiate a steamy novel from a straight out erotica?
And which category does this book fall into...
Less than 20% in and we already see the heroine almost-losing her breath over three apparently ridiculously handsome men. I enjoyed getting the visuals. But seriously?
A couple more pages in and oh lord, we have another Anastasia Steele. This Eva, can definitely get unreasonable sometimes. I mean, you already know the kind of guy you're with. And it's not like you two started dating under false pretenses— in the hopes for roses and chocolates every other morning and candle light dinners every other night. You know the guy you're with is a semi-christian-grey and that he's got serious issues. And this Gideon, he does try. He doesn't know what to do, or how to do it, but he tries so hard to make things work between him and Eva. But of course that Miss Dramatic has to run away from him every single change he gets. Of course she has to have super high expectations of him, expectations that should have no regard being related to Gideon— because you already know, he already has told so himself— that he's super messed up and not a relationship kinda guy. And she always has such high demands and sometimes I felt like she was mildly bipolar. Coz she goes on and demand he treats her well, but then when he does something nice she gets overwhelmed and takes it all the wrong way.
Also she shares her past and trauma with him and seems to expect him to return the gesture asap. And when he doesn't, what does she do?
Yup, exactly. She runs away. Bolts out of the place.
74% in and it's been confirmed that this lady is dumber than dumb. She doesn't even let the other person finish talking before she opens her big mouth. Like you don't even know what the other person is trying to tell you and you're blabbering nonsense.
75% Omg they're so bloody dysfunctional outside the bedroom.
But... I'd like y'all to know that....
Eva is quite intelligent and capable most of the times, except when she is around Gideon.
Okay so apart from all that. The story was quite good. Fair pace. Quite an interesting storyline. Engaging writing style. And deliciouslt steamy. But more often than not, it gave the impression that sex was the solution to every problem between Eva and Gideon and I'm not totally on board with that. Eva always kept running off at the first sign of trouble and Gideon, well he almost never knew how to do anything right. Sure he had a lot of sweet gestures up his sleeve, but they got a bit psychotic and borderline stalkerish. And he was always so closed off and I get it if he couldn't bring himself to talk about his traumas, but there were a lot of other things about his past that he could and should have shared with Eva but he never did.
He had a fiancée what the hell?! I thought he had never felt this way about any woman before Eva. And I thought he had never loved a woman before? And you're telling me he already had a fiancée. Well ex-fiancée. But still.
What the actual F?
Also, he never mentioned any of this to Eva?!
And which category does this book fall into...
Less than 20% in and we already see the heroine almost-losing her breath over three apparently ridiculously handsome men. I enjoyed getting the visuals. But seriously?
A couple more pages in and oh lord, we have another Anastasia Steele. This Eva, can definitely get unreasonable sometimes. I mean, you already know the kind of guy you're with. And it's not like you two started dating under false pretenses— in the hopes for roses and chocolates every other morning and candle light dinners every other night. You know the guy you're with is a semi-christian-grey and that he's got serious issues. And this Gideon, he does try. He doesn't know what to do, or how to do it, but he tries so hard to make things work between him and Eva. But of course that Miss Dramatic has to run away from him every single change he gets. Of course she has to have super high expectations of him, expectations that should have no regard being related to Gideon— because you already know, he already has told so himself— that he's super messed up and not a relationship kinda guy. And she always has such high demands and sometimes I felt like she was mildly bipolar. Coz she goes on and demand he treats her well, but then when he does something nice she gets overwhelmed and takes it all the wrong way.
Also she shares her past and trauma with him and seems to expect him to return the gesture asap. And when he doesn't, what does she do?
Yup, exactly. She runs away. Bolts out of the place.
74% in and it's been confirmed that this lady is dumber than dumb. She doesn't even let the other person finish talking before she opens her big mouth. Like you don't even know what the other person is trying to tell you and you're blabbering nonsense.
75% Omg they're so bloody dysfunctional outside the bedroom.
But... I'd like y'all to know that....
Eva is quite intelligent and capable most of the times, except when she is around Gideon.
Okay so apart from all that. The story was quite good. Fair pace. Quite an interesting storyline. Engaging writing style. And deliciouslt steamy. But more often than not, it gave the impression that sex was the solution to every problem between Eva and Gideon and I'm not totally on board with that. Eva always kept running off at the first sign of trouble and Gideon, well he almost never knew how to do anything right. Sure he had a lot of sweet gestures up his sleeve, but they got a bit psychotic and borderline stalkerish. And he was always so closed off and I get it if he couldn't bring himself to talk about his traumas, but there were a lot of other things about his past that he could and should have shared with Eva but he never did.
SPOILER!!!!
He had a fiancée what the hell?! I thought he had never felt this way about any woman before Eva. And I thought he had never loved a woman before? And you're telling me he already had a fiancée. Well ex-fiancée. But still.
What the actual F?
Also, he never mentioned any of this to Eva?!
Read in 2012. I expected a deeper exploration of their emotional struggles, but instead, their relationship often felt repetitive and clichéd.
The writing felt overly dramatic at times, which detracted from the potential depth of the characters’ experiences. Although I appreciated the attempts to tackle themes of trauma and healing, they often felt underdeveloped and overshadowed by the focus on their physical connection.
Overall, Bared to You didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The lack of character development and reliance made it hard to stay engaged.
The writing felt overly dramatic at times, which detracted from the potential depth of the characters’ experiences. Although I appreciated the attempts to tackle themes of trauma and healing, they often felt underdeveloped and overshadowed by the focus on their physical connection.
Overall, Bared to You didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The lack of character development and reliance made it hard to stay engaged.
Pas sûre que je finiras la saga... J'ai encore le tome 2 dans ma PAL, et après on verra. Les personnages, Eva la première, m'ont vraiment gonflée, et pour les passés chargés, trop c'est trop...