REVIEW: Afterburn and Aftershock

Afterburn and Aftershock, by Sylvia Day
Published March 11, 2014
Publisher: Harlequin
Format: paperback, provided by the publisher
Genre:  adult erotic romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Rating:  5 STARS

(From Goodreads) Never mix business with pleasure. Never bring politics into the bedroom. In a way I did both when I took Jackson Rutledge as a lover. I can't say I wasn't warned.

Two years later, he was back. Walking into a deal I'd worked hard to close. Under the tutelage of Lei Yeung, one of the sharpest businesswomen in New York, I had picked up a thing or two since Jax walked away. I wasn't the girl he once knew, but he hadn't changed. Unlike the last time we'd drifted into each other's lives, I knew exactly what I was dealing with... and how addictive his touch could be.

The inner circle of glamour, sex, and privilege was Jax's playground--but this time, I knew the rules of the game. In the cutthroat business world, one adage rules all: keep your enemies close and your ex-lovers closer...

Afterburn and Aftershock are the first and second halves, respectively, of a full story that were released at different times in digital-only format; Afterburn came out in November 2013 and Aftershock released in March 2014. Also released in March 2014 was both stories under one paperback cover.

 I remember walking into the Javits Convention Center last May for BEA 2013 and getting absolutely giddy with excitement at the sight of the big banner advertising Afterburn and Aftershock hanging from the convention ceiling. But, when it came time, I decided to wait until March and read both parts at the same time. I just knew that reading only half of this story would make me crazy and waiting would be torture. Now that I've read the whole story, I can safely say that I made the right call last fall.

Jax and Gia had a whirlwind affair two years earlier. Gia was completely in love with him and really thought they were in it for the long haul. Then, one day, he just stopped showing up and answering her calls and texts. Now, Gia is the assistant to a huge restaurateur in New York City, and while her professional life seems to be on track now, she still hasn't gotten over the devastation that followed in Jax's wake. All of a sudden, he makes a reappearance in her life, working for her employer's main competition. To make matters worse, he seems to want her back. But, Gia's trust in him was shattered, and she knows that if she allows him back in her life, and he leaves again, she won't recover a second time.

Jax was a wonderfully sexy enigma. For most of the book, I had a hard time figuring him out. He's definitely of the alpha male variety - he stalks, he demands, he broods, he leads.

He came into the bar with a sultry stride that made my hands curl into fists beneath the tablecloth. That walk of his was easy and smooth, confident. And yet, it somehow signaled to the female brain that he was packing heat between those long, strong legs and he knew how to use it.

There were moments when I wondered what Jax's motives were in regards to Gia. He obviously cared about her. He also seemed to like toying with her and making her angry. She certainly presented him with a challenge, and being a man at whose feet most women would willingly fall, this one that he seems to actually want, refuses to play his game, and that excited him.

There were moments, though, that Gia broke through his carefully-constructed and rehearsed facade. Those moments - THAT Jax - is what made this book amazing. If a man gushes and makes moonie eyes and is disgustingly sweet right from the beginning, the chase isn't nearly as much fun to read about. You know what I mean? It's the guys who you have to figure out - the ones whose motives you're not entirely sure of. Those are the ones who make me so excited to read that I'm willing to stay up into the wee hours just to find out what happens. Apparently, Gia and I are of the same mind on that topic.

   "I'm processing the fact that you're in love with me, Jax. Still, you bailed on me. And now you're sabotaging my work and your own chances with me."
   "Gia --"
   "I'm on to you, Jackson Rutledge." My voice was low and hard, unwavering. "I'm going to figure you out."
   "I'm an open book," he retorted.
   "You're a head trip... and your mystery-man days are numbered."

Gianna Rossi was one tough chick. Although Jax's family life is seriously messed up, I loved the fact that Gia's was rock solid. She has three older brothers and parents who are still married, all of whom love her to the moon and back. It sounds exactly like I'd picture a tight Italian family would be. Their dynamics were awesome to read about, and I love the protectiveness her brothers showed for her.

To say Gia's and Jax's relationship was volatile would be like saying the ocean is deep. But, what made their relationship sexy and fun and interesting as opposed to annoying or creepy or frustrating was the fact that it was apparent that they both loved each other very much. As I read on, it became apparent that there were reasons that Jax left Gia before, and I couldn't wait to find out what had caused him to leave something that he obviously cherished a lot.

And, Gia had to decide whether she could get over his reasons and the fact that he made her miserable for two years before she could decide whether to give him another shot. It's a big thing for her - it would be for anyone. Is the mere possibility of the ideal end game worth all the bullshit and potential heartache to get there?

"I've always seen white picket fences in your eyes when you look at me. I was positive I wasn't that guy. I was wrong. One of these days, when you're ready, I'll give that dream to you. And you're going to give me a gorgeous little girl or two with your dark curly hair and smiles that slay me."

Afterburn and Aftershock were told entirely from Gia's POV. The pacing of the story was perfect with just the right amount of flashing back (through Gia's inner musings) to tell the backstory of what happened between Gia and Jax two years earlier. There was political subterfuge, back-stabbing business deals, and super hot and sexy scenes, as only Sylvia Day can write.

Afterburn and Aftershock was the first book published for Harlequin's Cosmo Red Hot Reads series, which teams Harlequin up with the insanely popular women's magazine. As a result, after the story is over, the reader is treated to a few of Cosmo's famous quizzes, which I thought was a really fun addition, and a great way for them to showcase their epic partnership.

My only complaint is that the story went by too fast. I'm hoping that, perhaps, Ms. Day will do her own wheeling and dealing to get some more stories from this world to us. Perhaps something about one of Gia's brothers - say, Nico? Just sayin'. I'd be all over that.

REVIEW: Entwined With You (Crossfire #3)

Entwined With You (Crossfire #3), by Sylvia Day
Published June 4, 2013
Publisher:  Berkley Publishing Group
Format: paperback - I own
Genre:  Adult Contemporary Romance
To Buy:  Amazon  * Barnes & Noble * Book Depository

Rating:  4 STARS

(From Goodreads) From the moment I first met Gideon Cross, I recognized something in him that I needed. Something I couldn’t resist. I saw the dangerous and damaged soul inside–so much like my own. I was drawn to it. I needed him as surely as I needed my heart to beat.

No one knows how much he risked for me. How much I’d been threatened, or just how dark and desperate the shadow of our pasts would become.

Entwined by our secrets, we tried to defy the odds. We made our own rules and surrendered completely to the exquisite power of possession…

Gideon Cross. Gideon. Cross. Masculine. Sexy. Hot. Sweet. YUM.

Good Heavens. My review of Entwined With You has been reduced to single-word sentences. Maybe this should give you an inkling as to why:

"You're what drives me, Eva. Can you understand that? You're my heart and soul. If something ever happened to you, if would kill me too. Keeping you safe is goddamned self-preservation!"

I know, right? A total case of the "sighs."

I found out right before reading Entwined With You that the Crossfire series will be expanded into two additional books, for a total of five. After reading this book, I'm glad. Compared to Reflected In You, there was almost no action. Not a lot of forward plot progression. Instead of focusing on the forces around Gideon and Eva that threaten to pull them apart, Entwined With You looked more at how the two of them are now working together as an official couple.

In the previous novels, Eva had some serious trust issues, and thankfully, it seems that she's finally worked through those and now has a much more mature outlook on their relationship.

"Now I know what it's like to lose you, Gideon. How badly it hurts. If you shut me out, it's probably going to make me panic a little. You'll just have to be careful of that, and I'll just have to trust that your love is going to stick."

And, let's not forget about the sex. Oh yes - in true Sylvia Day fashion, there's lots of it, and it is absolutely amazing.

There are new plot devices that are introduced that will carry the story forward. Although Gideon and Eva seem to have reached a good place together, that doesn't mean that there aren't a hundred outside forces still trying to pull them apart. Brett the rock star is back and he still wants Eva. Corine is still around and her efforts to get Gideon back have reached epic proportion. Cary and his issues might be problematic. I expect plenty of drama in the fourth book.

And, in the meantime, I will just have to be content with re-reading my favorite parts of Entwined With You over and over again.

"I'd stop the world from spinning for you."

That silly line oddly touched me. "I love you."

"Liked that one, did you?"... "You'll never lose me, angel," he vowed. "Wherever you go, however far, I'll be right here with you."

Book #117 - Reflected In You (Crossfire #2)

Reflected In You (Crossfire #2), Sylvia Day
erotica
432 pages
Started 10/25/12
Finished 10/26/12
4 STARS

Really? Was the ending really realistic? Ok - so, maybe I shouldn't even be asking that question of a story in which a stinking rich, devastatingly handsome man falls instantly and totally in love with a hum-drum girl the second he sees her and wants nothing more than to dote on her constantly and ravish her six ways from Sunday every second of the day. And, yet, I still feel the need to ask if that ending was necessary. Because, other than that, I thought Reflected in You was better than Bared to You, the first in the Crossfire series.

Believe it or not, I think there was less sex in this book. *shock!* And, it was a good thing. *double shock!* There were so many questions left unanswered at the end of Bared to You - this book really got into some of the "whys" surrounding Gideon's many neuroses. And, now that Eva's craziness is all out on the table, she got on my nerves considerably less this time around too. She seemed to want to overcome her insane jealousy and her desire to run when things got hard. She really wanted to work at getting better. And, she and Gideon seemed good together for awhile. For, oh, about 20 pages or so. :)

True to form, there was still plenty of arguing and misunderstanding by these two completely messed up individuals. Although, in this case, the arguments seemed to be much more founded in legitimacy. Eva had every right to be mad and jealous and hurt and betrayed this time around. And, I found myself crying along with her at times.

The thing that bothered me most about this installment in the Crossfire series was that, for some unknown reason, the violence was ramped up. That kinda came out of left field at me, and I'm not really sure it added anything to the story. Well, ok, the one incident did, I guess. But, I still felt it was all not needed to move the story forward and to get the point across.

All in all, this was a really good book with a few missteps that I'm willing to overlook. I have a feeling I know where the third and last book will go. I think it will be a thrilling end. 

Book #100 - Bared to You (Crossfire #1)

Bared to You (Crossfire #1), Sylvia Day
360 pages
erotica, adult romance
Started 9/10/12
Finished 9/11/12
4 STARS

First of all - I remember in the beginning of 2011, I was hanging out on a parenting Web site and saw a mom who said she was aspiring to read 100 books that year. At the time, I remember thinking, "No way - that's impossible!" I love proving myself wrong.

Back to business. I read Bared To You, probably for the same reason that many people have. It's a "If you loved 50 Shades of Grey, you'll love this too!" book. And, I did love 50. A lot. And, honestly, I've kinda missed my 50 fix. After reading Bared to You, I can see why it's recommended for the fans of the 50 series.

Eva is poised to start a new life. She's moved across the country to New York to start her dream job at an ad agency. She has a great apartment with her best friend. She's finally starting to move past the horrible demons in her past. And, then she runs into Gideon Cross in the lobby of her new office building. I mean, literally runs into him. And, they both instantly know there's something between them that's intense and exciting. But, although insanely rich and devastatingly handsome, Gideon is just as messed up as Eva is. Time will tell whether that's a good thing or not.

Yes, the similarities are striking. Gideon is ridiculously rich and confident. It appears he's been abused as a child. He has control issues and stalkerish tendencies. And, he likes to have sex. A LOT. Eva has just graduated from college and has secured her first job. She has a serious lack of self-confidence. And, after meeting Gideon, she realizes she likes to have sex. A LOT.

But, Bared to You, is no Fifty Shades of Grey. Yes, one might argue that Bared is better written. And, I wouldn't put up much of an argument. But, Bared to You is missing a certain something. Fifty has a sort of excitement and happiness underneath it all that I felt was missing from Bared to You. Bared was heavy and much darker than 50. I felt like the world could've been developed more fully and colorfully. This guy is stinking rich - I want to read about that! It's part of the fun!

I really liked Gideon, but some things he did and said didn't jive with what I had in my mind. He gave in to certain things way too easily. A powerful man like that wouldn't capitulate so easily to a woman he barely knows. And, Eva - ugh. I don't get that woman. She flipped out over the tiniest things and let some major things slide. There didn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to it. It was infuriating.

All things being what they are, I did enjoy Bared to You. There are a lot of secrets yet to uncover (and a lot more sex to have too, I bet). I do anticipate reading the next Crossfire book.