Reflected in You: A Crossfire Novel [Kindle Edition]

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 screws 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:

"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."

This was a really great read and I honestly couldn't put the book down! I can't wait for the next book and hope it is as good as this one. Fantastically written.

I am in two minds about this sequel - Bared To You is one of my favourite books and I have re-read it about 3 times. The love story between Eva and Gideon was mesmerising - two very flawed characters but you really had hope for them in turning their lives into something worth having. So I was really excited about this sequel and couldn't wait to download it. But as the story went on, I was a little disappointed...... Gideon is deeply unpredictable and Eva is on a constant see-saw of understanding him/not understanding him and there is very little from Gideon's side of the story. I wonder if the author is saving his side for another book but it left me feeling a bit frustrated at times. I know the story is meant to be dark and twisted between them but at times it was a little exhausting. I will read the third when it comes out but considering how much I loved the initial part of their story, this book left me a little bereft.