Sandy M’s review of Captivated by You (Crossfire, Book 4) by Sylvia Day
Erotic Contemporary Romance published by Berkley 18 Nov 14
As broken as they each are, as intense their relationship is as they try to make it work, I could read about Gideon and Eva for quite some time to come. I know some folks aren’t happy with the original two-book story being lengthened out to five books, but as damaged as they are, I’m of the mind that two books would have been too rushed to really get all their issues worked out satisfactorily. We also get to know them so much better over the long haul this way, good and bad. Getting to know them is as intense as their lives, and Sylvia Day makes you feel every instant of it.
Most of the intensity between Gideon and Eva comes from within. Especially from Gideon, because he’s the one who can’t get beyond his horrible past. Even talking about it throws him into a rage, which does happen late in the story when his stepfather discovers what happened to him years before. The man truly cares for Gideon and is horrified he never knew the circumstances. But Gideon can’t take it, and it’s Eva who faces his fury. At least Gideon knows his limits when it comes to his fear and guilt, and I admire his need to keep Eva safe – even from himself.
Though they’ve already married in secret, they’re planning a wedding for family and friends. So Eva has to deal with her divorced parents wanting to help in the preparations. She’s also in the middle of a huge work project, something that will blow up between her and Gideon when the truth comes out, as it always does. As often as she tries to get it through to Gideon she wants to be an equal partner in this relationship, the man is alpha to the core and does what he thinks is necessary to keep grief and stress and anything else close to that out of her life. Needless to say, it never goes over well with Eva.
Their sex life is as hot, sizzling, and powerful as ever. Along with Eva’s love and touch, it’s one of the few things that can soothe him when his beasts are riled up. Even this far into the relationship, which I realize is relatively short by most standards, they can’t believe they’ve found each other and how much love there is between them. That’s why they fight so darned hard to keep things on an even keel or to make things right when all seems to be going wrong. It’s these little instances between the twists in the relationship that I enjoy in getting to know these two.
When the blowup comes, this time Eva isn’t sure they can’t get past it. I can’t blame her for her anger and disappointment; Gideon does go too far. But then it’s difficult to be too angry and disappointed too long, because the man does do these things out of love. Misguided, perhaps, but you can’t doubt he loves Eva. Hopefully he’s learned this time around; starting over may be an option that will work. Book 5 will tell us that.
And I can’t wait for it.
Grade: A
Summary:
Gideon calls me his angel, but he’s the miracle in my life. My gorgeous, wounded warrior, so determined to slay my demons while refusing to face his own. The vows we’d exchanged should have bound us tighter than blood and flesh. Instead they opened old wounds, exposed pain and insecurities, and lured bitter enemies out of the shadows. I felt him slipping from my grasp, my greatest fears becoming my reality, my love tested in ways I wasn’t sure I was strong enough to bear. At the brightest time in our lives, the darkness of his past encroached and threatened everything we’d worked so hard for. We faced a terrible choice: the familiar safety of the lives we’d had before each other or the fight for a future that suddenly seemed an impossible and hopeless dream…
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
