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alicia1566's review
3.0
Ok so there are a few things that are pet peeves of mine for books and one of them is when an author continually alludes to some deep secret from the past that the MC can't face or is afraid will come out, and then when it inevitably comes out it is something totally stupid that shouldn't have been feared...
Here comes a spoiler... You've been warned.
In this book her deep secret that she has to hide from the man she loves is that she was raped. Wtf?! As if anyone would blame a rape victim for that. It just baffled me.thst this was used in the story as some dark past she was so ashamed of... Jeeze.
I really like the mystery in this series and the sexy time is hot so I still give it four stars and would recommend it to a friend, but that one thing really annoyed me.
As far as romance goes it's pretty on again off again, the two characters can't seem to get out of their own way and get their sh#t together. I'm hoping the next book has more happiness and less downville.
Here comes a spoiler... You've been warned.
In this book her deep secret that she has to hide from the man she loves is that she was raped. Wtf?! As if anyone would blame a rape victim for that. It just baffled me.thst this was used in the story as some dark past she was so ashamed of... Jeeze.
I really like the mystery in this series and the sexy time is hot so I still give it four stars and would recommend it to a friend, but that one thing really annoyed me.
As far as romance goes it's pretty on again off again, the two characters can't seem to get out of their own way and get their sh#t together. I'm hoping the next book has more happiness and less downville.
stumpfed's review against another edition
5.0
Gaaahhhhh! I hate one major thing about this series. Truly hate it. Hate that it takes soooo long between books! LOL!
This installment finds us learning so much more about Chris, which I love because I'm pulling for him sooo much. Sara finally starts to come around on some of her issues and the mystery surrounding Sara's best friend and Rebecca escalates. Sara's obsession with the journals actually falls to second place to her relationship with Chris a few times in this book, which was much needed for us to watch these two fight to be together.
This was another solid book in every way. Just when you're about to toss the book out the window because of Sara's overreaction and stubbornness, there is another flare up of intrigue or naked Chris that you just can't stop!! I loved it. But, now I'm depressed because I know book 3 is such a long way off (well, anything other than tomorrow for this story seems like a long way off!).
This installment finds us learning so much more about Chris, which I love because I'm pulling for him sooo much. Sara finally starts to come around on some of her issues and the mystery surrounding Sara's best friend and Rebecca escalates. Sara's obsession with the journals actually falls to second place to her relationship with Chris a few times in this book, which was much needed for us to watch these two fight to be together.
This was another solid book in every way. Just when you're about to toss the book out the window because of Sara's overreaction and stubbornness, there is another flare up of intrigue or naked Chris that you just can't stop!! I loved it. But, now I'm depressed because I know book 3 is such a long way off (well, anything other than tomorrow for this story seems like a long way off!).
jamsu's review against another edition
4.0
Being Me continues Sara's love story with her artists Chris Merit and finding the trust about what happened to Rebecca.
Sara wants to trust Chris and it's important to understand him, He's important and their relationship is important to her but he's afraid that she's going to run when she finds out about his demons. Sara has her doubts not only because of his secrets but hers. It doesn't help either that she doesn't feel like she's good enough for him.
Chris is maybe a bit too over protective but I love how he just wants Sara to be safe. There's not only the fear of whoever is after Rebecca's diaries but Mark, Sara's boss. I love how their relationship doesn't stop Sara from being who she is but instead helps her face herself. He makes her face her past and she doesn't need to pretend to be something she isn't.
All in all I really enjoyed Being Me but after what Chris did, even though he had his reasons I wish there were some groveling. Also Sara needs to stop running to the one person Chris hates (the guy who reminds her about Michael) whenever she wants to know something about Chris. She wasn't ready to tell her past until she had to, so I don't get why she got so mad at Chris.
Sara wants to trust Chris and it's important to understand him, He's important and their relationship is important to her but he's afraid that she's going to run when she finds out about his demons. Sara has her doubts not only because of his secrets but hers. It doesn't help either that she doesn't feel like she's good enough for him.
Chris is maybe a bit too over protective but I love how he just wants Sara to be safe. There's not only the fear of whoever is after Rebecca's diaries but Mark, Sara's boss. I love how their relationship doesn't stop Sara from being who she is but instead helps her face herself. He makes her face her past and she doesn't need to pretend to be something she isn't.
All in all I really enjoyed Being Me but after what Chris did, even though he had his reasons I wish there were some groveling. Also Sara needs to stop running to the one person Chris hates (the guy who reminds her about Michael) whenever she wants to know something about Chris. She wasn't ready to tell her past until she had to, so I don't get why she got so mad at Chris.
raffaem's review
5.0
I feel like this sequel has been on my to-read/not-so-patiently-waiting-for list forever. I had to re-read If I Were You before beginning this one, because other than the major cliffy at the end I couldn't remember the fine details. So glad I re-read the first one in the trilogy because I fell in love with the characters again. There's a reason why I gave it 5 well-deserved stars and a prized place on my favorites list.
So on to Being Me...
This one is centered on the passionate yet at times tumultuous relationship between Sara and Chris. These two both have demons in their past, neither of which are willing to share. Chris' protective and controlling side towards Sara conflicts with her desire to maintain her independence and grow both personally and professionally. It's not until one night when Sara comes face to face with her ex-fiancé, Michael, that she's forced to reveal part of her past to Chris. Despite this reveal, Sara still cannot break through Chris' barriers to find out what's behind the pain in his eyes. All she knows is that Chris' dark past is the reason he needs physical pain to fight the emotional pain. Sara pleads with Chris to let her be what he needs, but Chris does not want to her to bear that burden. Although they aren’t ready to experiment with kink together, their innate chemistry is evident.
In the midst of all of this, Chris has private investigators searching for both Rebecca and Ella. This helps to ease the anxiety Sara feels over finding them, however she cannot stop drawing parallels between Rebecca and herself. She continually finds herself remembering passages from Rebecca’s diaries and applying them to herself.
Sara is trying to figure out who was Rebecca’s master and at times suspects Chris, but immediately dismisses these thoughts. Because after all she knows Chris, doesn’t she? Mark on the other hand is always a suspect. His calm, controlled demeanor screams Master, but there isn’t any proof he is responsible for her disappearance. And it’s not until the very end that we find out about Rebecca. Although we get questions answered, there is still much more to come in the third and final installment. I cannot wait for September!
ARC courtesy of Gallery, Treshold, Pocket Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
jaimejustreadsromance's review
5.0
How do I describe the emotions I went through throughout this book. I think I hit just about every one possible.
Picking up from the cliffhanger from If I Were You I was anxious to get right into this one. Then I was excited for Chris to be back in full force and ready to commit to Sara, no in between.
"You're inside me now, baby. All the rest was how I stayed outside myself and I'll be damned if I let it tear us apart."
The heat in this book was palpable damn near every page!
"Let's go home where I can fuck what you've made me feel out of my system and you can do the same."
The suspense was killing me. Where is Rebecca? What the fuck is up with Ava? How does Mark really fit into all of this? Where the fuck is Rebecca? What is really tormenting Chris?
Then whoaaa suddenly we get a glimpse into the darkness that Chris is trying to hide from Sara. I. Was. Shaking. I didn't know what was coming but is it wrong that I was sort of happy that it didn't go in a direction I was afraid of? I mean the actual direction is pretty dark and I just know that it probably hasn't even reached the surface yet.
I cannot wait to start Revealing Us. I'm giving my emotions a break to write this review and check Facebook than I'll be pulling an all-nighter on book #3.
Picking up from the cliffhanger from If I Were You I was anxious to get right into this one. Then I was excited for Chris to be back in full force and ready to commit to Sara, no in between.
"You're inside me now, baby. All the rest was how I stayed outside myself and I'll be damned if I let it tear us apart."
The heat in this book was palpable damn near every page!
"Let's go home where I can fuck what you've made me feel out of my system and you can do the same."
The suspense was killing me. Where is Rebecca? What the fuck is up with Ava? How does Mark really fit into all of this? Where the fuck is Rebecca? What is really tormenting Chris?
Then whoaaa suddenly we get a glimpse into the darkness that Chris is trying to hide from Sara. I. Was. Shaking. I didn't know what was coming but is it wrong that I was sort of happy that it didn't go in a direction I was afraid of? I mean the actual direction is pretty dark and I just know that it probably hasn't even reached the surface yet.
I cannot wait to start Revealing Us. I'm giving my emotions a break to write this review and check Facebook than I'll be pulling an all-nighter on book #3.
shaehutch's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Spice Level: 3.5/5
maferg01's review
4.0
As I predicted, I spent every free moment reading this story. The plot thickens and the atmosphere darkens. I love the relationship between Sara and Chris BUT I will say that I found the push and pull between these 2 characters felt a little much. Sara continues to do what she feels is right and Chris keeps trying to protect her and keep her in the dark. They compromise on something then the next situation happens and they are right back where they started. Now don't get me wrong. They are a really endearing pair, and maybe their reluctance to change makes them more realistic, but it felt a little repetitive. I really enjoyed this story, truly, but my heart wanted more outside forces vs internal drama. That ending though ... so good.
shannon_cocktailsandbooks's review
4.0
3.5 stars.
BEING ME picks up immediately from the ending of IF I WERE YOU. If you've read the book and you don't remember what happened...Sara, after fighting with Chris, finds herself sitting in Rebecca's storage unit looking through Rebecca's things when suddenly she's sitting in the dark.
Sara spends a lot of time in the dark. Chris keeps her in the dark about just about everything that doesn't concern his feelings for her and her safety. Every time they take a step forward in sharing, they end up two steps back in their relationship. I loved Chris, but he was very hard and heartbreaking with Sara. Sara opened up to Chris about her past and the one thing she thought would scare him away, but he refused to let Sara in...even when she begged. It made me want to hate him, but instead I was just really sad for both of them.
Sara is still very involved with trying to solve the mystery of what happened to Rebecca. We'll get resolution to that storyline by the end of this book and that outcome helps humanize Mark, owner of Allure Gallery (where Sara works). Mark's hard outer shell starts to crack and we see he can be affected by things. I'm hoping we get to see a bit more of Mark in book three.
As we move to the next portion of the story, I look forward to seeing how Sara and Chris deal with their relationship. It's clear their feelings for each other run deep, but I do wonder if they can ever get over all these emotional hurdles. I look forward to seeing just how Lisa Renee Jones is going to close out the series.
BEING ME picks up immediately from the ending of IF I WERE YOU. If you've read the book and you don't remember what happened...Sara, after fighting with Chris, finds herself sitting in Rebecca's storage unit looking through Rebecca's things when suddenly she's sitting in the dark.
Sara spends a lot of time in the dark. Chris keeps her in the dark about just about everything that doesn't concern his feelings for her and her safety. Every time they take a step forward in sharing, they end up two steps back in their relationship. I loved Chris, but he was very hard and heartbreaking with Sara. Sara opened up to Chris about her past and the one thing she thought would scare him away, but he refused to let Sara in...even when she begged. It made me want to hate him, but instead I was just really sad for both of them.
Sara is still very involved with trying to solve the mystery of what happened to Rebecca. We'll get resolution to that storyline by the end of this book and that outcome helps humanize Mark, owner of Allure Gallery (where Sara works). Mark's hard outer shell starts to crack and we see he can be affected by things. I'm hoping we get to see a bit more of Mark in book three.
As we move to the next portion of the story, I look forward to seeing how Sara and Chris deal with their relationship. It's clear their feelings for each other run deep, but I do wonder if they can ever get over all these emotional hurdles. I look forward to seeing just how Lisa Renee Jones is going to close out the series.
melagrossi's review
4.0
I received this book as an advanced reader from Netgalley in return for an honest review.
I loved the first book in the series and the companion journals we've been receiving piecemeal have been wonderful additions. This story helps to bring us through into Sara's world, as she figures out what life with Chris means, whether she should keep searching for Rebecca and her Master, where the hell Ella is and does any of it really mean anything.
Is she in over her head, can she really live Rebecca's life, if that's what she's even doing... This book was filled with passion, intrigue and so much more and kept me hooked until the end and very, VERY eagerly awaiting the final chapter to this saga.
I loved the first book in the series and the companion journals we've been receiving piecemeal have been wonderful additions. This story helps to bring us through into Sara's world, as she figures out what life with Chris means, whether she should keep searching for Rebecca and her Master, where the hell Ella is and does any of it really mean anything.
Is she in over her head, can she really live Rebecca's life, if that's what she's even doing... This book was filled with passion, intrigue and so much more and kept me hooked until the end and very, VERY eagerly awaiting the final chapter to this saga.