AUTHOR: SYLVIA DAY
Pages: 356
Date: 29/06/2013
Grade: 4-
Details: no. 3 Crossfire
Received from
Penguin
Through Nudge
Own
“Day
one of my life was the day I met you.” – Gideon
And so the story of Gideon and Eva continues. There is a lot I would
like to say about this story, but I’m conscious of how easy it would be to not
only spoil this story, but also things revealed in “Reflected in You” so I’m going to have to be a bit vague.
Officially Eva and Gideon are separated. With a police investigation in
progress it would be dangerous for them to advertise their connection for the
world to see. Yet being apart proves to be as impossible as being together is
inadvisable.
“Letting you go would kill
me, but I wouldn’t hurt you to keep you.” - Gideon to Eva
Spending time together means keeping secrets from those closest to Eva
though, something which makes her uncomfortable. To add to the pressure there
are the women who seem to pursue Gideon. We have Corinne, Gideon’s former
fiancée who is determined to get him back even though he makes it clear that he
is no longer interested in her and she is married to somebody else. And there
is Deanna Johnson, a journalist with a grudge against Gideon who is on a quest to
bring him down and doesn’t care what she has to do to achieve her goal. And
while Eva is getting a better grip on all her insecurities and does, deep in
her heart, know and trust that Gideon only wants her, she still can’t stop
herself from worrying about their relationship.
Gideon, however, isn’t the only one whose past won’t leave him alone. A
blast from Eva’s past in the form of Brett, the up and coming rock star, is
determined to get her back. And while she doesn’t have any deep feelings for
him, she can’t quite refuse to stay in contact with him nor stop her body from
reacting to his voice or presence.
And then there are the people surrounding these two. Eva’s best friend
Cary is still juggling two partners and getting into an ever deeper mess because
of it. Eva’s father is upset and angry when he finally learns the truth about
Eva’s past and the secrets that have been kept from him while her mother seems
to be upsetting Eva with almost everything she does.
Through it all and despite all the obstacles Eva and Gideon prove to be
an unstoppable force. And while it is clear that their troubles are not quite
over and they find themselves with more secrets to keep, they do find their way
back to each other, not just in private but also in public.
No, I do not consider that last paragraph a spoiler. After all, it has
been clear from the first book that these two characters will end up together
and get their happily ever after, no matter how long it may take.
And so we come across my biggish issue with this book. This was supposed
to be the third and final instalment in a trilogy. Except that now it isn’t.
Turns out that there will be two more Crossfire books before this story ends,
and I have my doubts about that particular decision. For all intents and purposes
the story of Eva and Gideon has been told by the time this book ends, because
by then they have committed themselves to each other as completely as they
possibly can.
“You own me, Eva. Wherever
I am, whatever I’m doing, I belong to you.” – Gideon
And:
“I can’t live without you
Eva. I can’t imagine even trying. Just the thought makes me insane.” – Gideon
Yes, it is clear that they will still face issues in the future, but
then, what relationship doesn’t? Which begs the question, what will Sylvia Day
be writing about in the two books that are, apparently, still to come? Is she
going to create more drama for her two heroes, or will we be reading about the
issues that trouble the secondary characters? I’m not sure I’m interested in
either if I’m honest. Secondary characters should be just that: secondary,
while piling more misery on Gideon and Eva feels like over-kill.
Don’t get me wrong; I really hope Sylvia Day pulls it off. I like the
way she writes, I enjoy her stories, her characters and the heat between them.
And that is part of the dilemma for me. I’m not convinced that it will be
possible to drag this story out without me falling out of love with it while I
also can’t deny that I will probably enjoy indulging in more of Eva and
Gideon’s passion.
So, where does that leave me and my opinion about this book?
First and foremost, this is, once again, a well written, gripping, very
sexy and easy to read book. The story is as captivating as it has been from the
start and the writing is so smooth that the pages almost turn themselves. While
Eva and Gideon can be infuriating as a couple, they are equally intriguing and reading
about the two of them is, for the most, a joy. So I will be reading the fourth
book when it comes out and reserve my judgement until then. I really hope that
Sylvia Day proves me wrong. I want the decision to extend this series beyond a
trilogy to be story-driven rather than a cynical exercise in money-making. I have
no idea what the future books will bring, but for now I’m willing to give this
author the benefit of the doubt.
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