So it would appear that there are a lot of disappointed fans out there. The chief qualm among them being that the series was not concluded in book 3. I myself did think that book 3 would be the final one, but contrary to what lots of folks are saying, I say GOOD ON YOU SYLVIA. Who wrote the rule that a romance must be concluded within three books. I'm glad this series is continuing, rather than adhering to the norms of other 3 book series. What I think this reflects is that Sylvia has more to...

So it would appear that there are a lot of disappointed fans out there. The chief qualm among them being that the series was not concluded in book 3. I myself did think that book 3 would be the final one, but contrary to what lots of folks are saying, I say GOOD ON YOU SYLVIA. Who wrote the rule that a romance must be concluded within three books. I'm glad this series is continuing, rather than adhering to the norms of other 3 book series. What I think this reflects is that Sylvia has more to say - certainly her characters have a whole lot more depth. I'm pleased she didn't compromise the integrity of the story by trying to stitch it up in a limited space. As long as the story keeps the energy and tempo (and no, I don't just mean those steamy scenes) there is definitely more room to continue the story. The characters and their are interesting, the book is FABULOUSLY written (finally, someone who can ACTUALLY write well!), and there is enough intrigue to keep the plot rolling along. And to those that say Ms Day is "milking it"... Um please reflect on that statement. Of course she's milking it - who doesn't? We want her to make lots of money writing novels because she's an awesome (overused word, but apt nonetheless) writer. Smooth rides make for boaring stories, as we all knew when we started this series because in what realm is a romance ever not melodramatic? I'm in favour of these characters working a little harder for their happy ending. So, Ms Day, please, take your (cash) incentives, and keep on a-typing.

Often romances get most of their attention for the male characters. Don't get me wrong, Gideon is intriguing (and still mystifying...), but the show-stealers are Eva, and to a smaller (but no less effective) extent Cary. I'm so pleased that we finally have a strong female lead. She's intelligent, confident, funny and sassy but still warm and compassionate, and beautiful but this is never the overwhelming focus. I almost felt that even when Gideon was telling her how beautiful she is he was also intimating a more multifaceted meaning. All I can say is, Thanks for a female lead that can hold her own alongside an alpha male, be comfortable with her sexuality and still remain realistically human. And if there is any doubt in anyone's mind about whether or not to read this book or series, remember that polarisation (in terms of reviews) shows debate, which shows the readers are passionate about the series, and what they expect. Too few writers can evoke those kinds of reactions from their readers. And bottomline... the books are well written, and there is no doubt as to quality, even if you disagree about the plot direction.

Okay time to be honest. Before I started reading this book I had some skepticism because of some of the negative chatter in the book world. Yes I'm guilty for not staying in a little Crossfire loving bubble before reading it. Sue me, I'm human. And the negativity freaked me out. I read BARED TO YOU and REFLECTED IN YOU before I started this blog so I don't have reviews on them. To give you the cliff note reviews on them I will say that I ABSO-FREAKING-LUTELY LOVED THEM. So when there was talk...

Okay time to be honest. Before I started reading this book I had some skepticism because of some of the negative chatter in the book world. Yes I'm guilty for not staying in a little Crossfire loving bubble before reading it. Sue me, I'm human. And the negativity freaked me out. I read BARED TO YOU and REFLECTED IN YOU before I started this blog so I don't have reviews on them. To give you the cliff note reviews on them I will say that I ABSO-FREAKING-LUTELY LOVED THEM. So when there was talk of bad reviews I got scared. Would Sylvia Day do me wrong? Would one of my favorite series be ruined?

Well I managed to block out the negativity, avoided reading any reviews and put my big girl panties on to finally sit down and get reacquainted with Gideon and Eva. And I am damn glad I did. I didn't just love this book...I am enamored, smitten and besotted (yes I looked in a thesaurus for these terms) with it!

Before I start, I need to say that if you have NOT read BARED TO YOU or REFLECTED IN YOU, I strongly recommend you stop reading this review and go buy these two books first (purchase links below). Next, I need to say that this is a spoiler-free review. I promise I won't give away the farm, you're safe with me. Let's begin...

The story. I'm going to go as far as saying that I think this is the best book of the series so far. Yep I said it. The entire book is pretty much ALL Gideon and Eva. Yes, you still get to see everyone else in the Crossfire world. Cary, Eva's parents, Angus, Corrinne, Brett, Magdalene, Christopher, Gideon's mom, Megumi, Mark - they are all there. And you even meet a few new faces. However, this book was about Gideon and Eva - their relationship, their feelings for one another, their trust in one another, their love, their communication, them dealing with obstacles, just them.

Reading their story was like being in a room with clouds, rainbows and ponies - you didn't want to leave. Ms. Day took a lot of time with these two characters and showed so much character development that I fell in love with both of them more than I already was, which at one point I thought was impossible.

Every issue that was brought up in the first two books were addressed head on. There was no subterfuge, no drawing out of an issue, no skirting around an issue to deal with it later, no running away. I got more than I would think to ask for and then some. This book was clearly planned out and tied together a lot of the missing pieces by answering lingering questions.

I could sit here and gush about all of my favorite parts, but I don't want to spoil anything for you and I have no doubt you will not be disappointed. Just trust me...this story was perfect.

Gideon. I think I can go on for hours about the Gideon we see in this book. This Gideon is different, still the same commanding, challenging, absolutely gorgeous, damaged man, but he's different. He's honest, trusting, romantic, endearing, open and dare I say...perfect?! Let's not tip toe around this here. The Gideon I met in the first two books was fantastic, but he had issues and he screwed things up with Eva more than a few times. Hell, he "broke up" with her in Reflected In You and was "with" Corrinne. Well let me tell you, Gideon has cleaned up his act and is prepared to atone for his sins.

The amount of love and devotion that Gideon has for Eva is indescribable - hell he literally killed for her! He would do absolutely anything for her and he made sure she knew and saw this in everything he did. If I ever doubted Gideon's commitment to Eva, every single doubt has been erased. I think Ms. Day just ruined me not only for all future men out there in the real world, but I think in the book world as well.

Gideon has to be one of the most damaged fictional characters I have ever read about. My heart broke for him in the first two books, but in this one...I just don't have any words. Unlike Eva, Gideon is still living in his nightmare of a past and dealing with the demons they bring. But, with the help of Eva, he is able to heal a bit and very slowly. I am hopeful that by the end of the series Gideon will have found peace.

Eva. Oh Eva how she has grown. In the prior books, I liked Eva but her insecurity and poor decisions always annoyed me. Just like this Gideon is different, so is this Eva. This Eva has strength, confidence (in herself and in Gideon) and clarity. She knows who she is and she owns it. She's still fiesty and stands up for herself to Gideon, Cary, her parents, and any other adversary. She's rational and reasonable and it is very easy to be in her head because her thoughts make sense. I think that is what made this book so amazing. Being in Eva's mind and seeing everything from her perspective was so easy to follow and understand.

Gideon & Eva. As much as I loved the past two books, I had my doubts about these two a few times while reading them. Sometimes I wondered if it was just a physical attraction that drew them together. I questioned whether their relationship would be as strong if the sex wasn't as good. All those doubts were thrown out the window with this book. The level of understanding, the magnetism they seemed to have to one another, the ability to know what the other is thinking, the lack of boundaries, the complete and utter honesty between them, the playfulness and banter, the balance of power, the acceptance they had for one another. It all just BLEW ME AWAY. Together these two can conquer anything and I look forward to seeing where they go in the rest of the series.

Because this book was mostly all about Gideon and Eva, there was a lot of sex (would you expect anything else from Gideon?). And I mean A LOT of it. Normally, repetitive sex scenes tend to bore me and I feel like sometimes they are used as fluff by authors. However, not Ms. Day. She managed to keep me entertained, engrossed and envious in every single scene that she wrote.

Because Gideon & Eva have such an intense connection, their physical scenes are equally as intense and explosive. As a reader, I felt the emotion behind every touch, taste and kiss. These two characters have histories of horrible sexual abuse. To see them exploring each other and taking one another to different heights sexually was breathtakingly beautiful. They were wonderfully written scenes and I would not change a single one - they were necessary and 100% added to the book's plot.

There is NO CLIFFHANGER in this book. You know where Gideon and Eva stand with one another and you have no doubt that they were meant for one another. However, this is NOT THE END of the Crossfire series. There are two more books on the way (dates currently TBD). For those speculating on the motivation behind the additional two books, they should have their doubts erased after reading this book. Although you are content with where Gideon and Eva leave off, their story is by no means over. There is still so much more to explore and address. If Ms. Day writes Books 4 and 5 the way she wrote this one, I may be begging her to write another two! Bring it on!

So I wholeheartedly recommend you read this book, especially if you read the first two. I do not recommend you wait until the series is out either. Why deprive yourself of an absolutely amazing book out of principle? This book was single-handedly one of the best books I have read all year. Sylvia Day hit it out of the park with this book and I cannot wait to see where she takes the story next.

What would it be like to have a man who would do anything for you? And I mean anything to keep you safe? Gideon Cross has crossed that line to keep Eva safe, but he's had to pretend to be losing interest in her to deflect any attention from them. In this book, Eva knows how far her love will go to keep her safe. He's risked it all and done something that could impact them terribly had he not planned the perfect crime so to speak. Now, working their way back to being publicly in a relationship...

What would it be like to have a man who would do anything for you? And I mean anything to keep you safe? Gideon Cross has crossed that line to keep Eva safe, but he's had to pretend to be losing interest in her to deflect any attention from them. In this book, Eva knows how far her love will go to keep her safe. He's risked it all and done something that could impact them terribly had he not planned the perfect crime so to speak. Now, working their way back to being publicly in a relationship again, Gideon wants it all. He wants that commitment. To know he won't lose Eva. With all that he's endured in his life, all he wants is her. Again, loved this book. I can't get enough of this series.