REVIEW by Jena: Reflected In You (Crossfire #2) by Sylvia Day (@SylDay)

Gideon Cross. As beautiful and flawless on the outside as he was damaged and tormented on the inside. He was a bright, scorching flame that singed me with the darkest of pleasures. I couldn’t stay away. I didn’t want to. He was my addiction… my every desire… mine.
My past was as violent as his, and I was just as broken. We’d never work. It was too hard, too painful… except when it was perfect. Those moments when the driving hunger and desperate love were the most exquisite insanity.
We were bound by our need. And our passion would take us beyond our limits to the sweetest, sharpest edge of obsession…

Reflected In You
by Sylvia Day
Series
Crossfire #2
Genre
Erotic Romance
Contemporary Romance
Publisher
Berkley (Imprint of Penguin)
Publication Date
October 2, 2012

THE ANGST! Geeez….
Okay, so I’ve actually read through the whole series to date now that I sit down to write this review, so I have a very clear perspective on which books I liked and which books I didn’t. Reflected In You was one that I didn’t hate, but it certainly wasn’t my favorite.
The series boasts two insanely damaged characters. Eva needs to grow a bit of a backbone and Gideon would do well to remove his head from his rectum. I found myself getting irritated with the characters throughout this entire book. At this point in the series, the reader knows that something in the realm of sexual abuse happened to Gideon as a child, but we still dont know the details. Eva has already revealed her horror story and yet he doesn’t see fit to give her a glimpse behind the curtain.
And that brings us to why this book made me twitch.
This relationship is infuriating. Hot and infuriating. I get why they’re so drawn together. They are two hotties who have perfect chemistry in the sack, but what chick in her right mind would deal with the Texas-sized pile of bullshit he puts her through? He demands honesty and full disclosure from her and then basically tells her to take a flying leap any time she wants info out of him. So then she goes digging, finds something out, and he gets pissy that she went digging. He’s high-handed and I spent about 50% of this book wishing I could kick him in the balls.
That being said, there is enough intrigue in the story arc that I loved the story itself. Character issues aside, the story is good, the flow is good, and the writing is solid. Sylvia Day has a beautiful way with words and I stand by my assessment that she should direct porn. lol
This book was an obvious attempt to jack up the angst quotient and she can proudly exclaim “Mission Accomplished.” Several parts of this book had me tearing up. So much of me is pulling for them to get their shit straight at this point that when it goes sideways, your heart breaks right along with the characters’.
And can I just say how much I adore Cary? He’s a great supporting character. I still haven’t got him totally figured out, but I am perfectly content to sit back and see where it goes.
Overall, the book was solid. Not the best in the series, but certainly worth the read. I feel like Reflected In You was an accelerant for the series. It didn’t have a terribly memorable title story arc, but it definitely helped propel the overall story arc quite a bit further.

The review copy of this book was purchased by the reviewer.

Coming April 5, 2016!

FROM #1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING AUTHOR SYLVIA DAY
The final chapter in the global blockbuster Crossfire quintet
Gideon Cross. Falling in love with him was the easiest thing I’ve ever done. It happened instantly. Completely. Irrevocably.
Marrying him was a dream come true. Staying married to him is the fight of my life. Love transforms. Ours is both a refuge from the storm and the most violent of tempests. Two damaged souls entwined as one.
We have bared our deepest, ugliest secrets to one another. Gideon is the mirror that reflects all my flaws … and all the beauty I couldn’t see. He has given me everything. Now, I must prove I can be the rock, the shelter for him that he is for me. Together, we could stand against those who work so viciously to come between us.
But our greatest battle may lie within the very vows that give us strength. Committing to love was only the beginning. Fighting for it will either set us free … or break us apart.
Heartbreakingly and seductively poignant, One with You is the breathlessly awaited finale to the Crossfire saga, the searing love story that has captivated millions of readers worldwide.

The Crossfire Series

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About Sylvia Day

Sylvia Day is the #1 New York Times, #1 USA Today, and #1 international bestselling author of over 20 award-winning novels sold in more than 40 countries. She is a #1 bestselling author in 28 countries, with tens of millions of copies of her books in print. Her Crossfire series has been optioned for television by Lionsgate. Visit the author at sylviaday.com