Review: Bared To You by Sylvia Day

February 10, 2013 2 - 2.5 Stars, Contemporary Romance, Horrible Heroines, New Adult, Sylvia Day 6 ★★

Bared to You by Sylvia Day
Series: Crossfire # 1
Published by Berkley Trade on June 12, 2012
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 338
Format: Paperback
Source: Library
Goodreads
two-stars
Gideon Cross came into my life like lightning in the darkness…

He was beautiful and brilliant, jagged and white-hot. I was drawn to him as I’d never been to anything or anyone in my life. I craved his touch like a drug, even knowing it would weaken me. I was flawed and damaged, and he opened those cracks in me so easily…

Gideon knew. He had demons of his own. And we would become the mirrors that reflected each other’s most private wounds…and desires.The bonds of his love transformed me, even as i prayed that the torment of our pasts didn't tear us apart...

“Graceful,” “strong”, “sliding fluidly”, “moved with animal grace and arrogant economy”, “turning in a leisurely pivot,” and “easy and unhurried stride.”  If you had to guess, to whom or what do those phrases refer? A leopard?  Olympic champion sprinter Usain Bolt?  Figure skater Michelle Kwan?

 Certainly, those descriptions could apply to any or all of them, but in this case, these are phrases describing the walking habits of Gideon Cross, the love interest in Bared to You. I noticed all of these early on in the novel, and I decided I had to make note of them. Let’s also not forget to include: “every step he took commanded attention and respect,” and “walking with that sleek, confident grace.” And these were just in the first 100 pages. There were similar over-the-top descriptions of Gideon’s body, face, hair, clothes, and of course, his prowess. Oh, he’s also in his twenties and worth some $12 billion. So, it’s no surprise that Eva fell immediately for him, and of course, he was crazed for her in return.

There was other silliness – Gideon owns just about every building Eva sets foot in: her apartment building, her office building, and a nightclub. Everyone in Eva’s small circle is gorgeous, successful, and charming, and most are incredibly wealthy, including Eva herself. Yet, we’re supposed to accept that these are all very messed-up people, but the only real evidence we see of that is that a couple of them have bad nightmares. Gideon also has some bad habits including grabbing Eva by the elbow and steering her everywhere and shoving his hands through his hair. Seriously, I should go back and count the number of times those acts were mentioned.

A book like this is difficult to review, because so much of it makes me laugh and/or cringe, and yet, for reasons I don’t understand, I feel compelled to read it. I know some of it is due to just wanting to see what the fuss was about. Much of the story was repetitive; in the few weeks that the story covers, Christian and Ana (whoops, Gideon and Eva) fought, broke up, and got back together in spectacular fashion countless times. I didn’t like Eva. She is petty, spiteful, and manipulative. I’m sure others think she’s fabulous, but I found her much more distasteful than her Fifty Shades of Gruesome counterpart, whereas Gideon is immensely more likeable than that other dude.

I think it’s safe to assume that if you liked Fifty Shades of Grotesque, you will enjoy Bared to You. Sylvia Day’s writing skill is worlds beyond that of E.L. James. That may sound like faint praise, but it’s praise nonetheless. If you hated Fifty Shades of Gross, you will, like me, probably find this book to be at least slightly more tolerable.

Review posted at Goodreads and Amazon

Stephanie

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6 Responses to “Review: Bared To You by Sylvia Day”

  3. Go Flash Go

    Thanks for stopping by! I visited your blog – I’m not sure how to follow “via networked blogs,” and I don’t see the GFC option on your site. But I’m following on Twitter.

    As for Bared to You, it has tons of positive reviews, so there definitely is an audience.

    Stephanie

    Reply

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