Bared to You, Sylvia Day

Bared to You, Sylvia Day

This month’s book of the month is Bared to You by Sylvia Day.  This is a not your average happy go lucky story but a real look at how life and love can’t always be neat, tidy and wrapped in a pretty pink bow.  If you are the type that likes each book in a series to see the couple reach their happily ever after and then move on to another couple then this isn’t the series for you.  However, if you are looking for a more realistic plot where the couples have to work things out over several books then this might be one to try.

Gideon is the ultimate billionaire playboy.  Never allowing anyone to get close, even to the point where he keeps a separate hotel suite reserved and set up for any possible hook-ups to avoid having to bring someone into his personal domain.  He has too distinct groups of women in his life - friends and one-night stands – never mingling the two.  That is until he meets Eva.  From the moment they meet the sexual chemistry they both feel is soul shattering causing Gideon to proposition her shortly after meeting her.  However, Eva has a troubled past of sexual abuse and needs a personal connection in order to feel comfortable enough to allow someone to get that close.  Which of course is exactly opposite of how Gideon runs his life and so begins their tumultuous relationship.  At first it is a cat and mouse game of Eva both playing hard to get and sticking to her principles.  This causes Gideon to have to really work for the chance to be with her and forces him to look at her as more then a quick romp.  But as their interactions begin to ramp up in intensity the connection between them grows and they are forced to work through some really tough situations.  Just when it appears they are going to be all right the reasons for Gideon’s previous self-imposed isolation begin to surface and the couple has to start facing Gideon’s demons along with Eva’s. 

This story is not for the faint at heart.  The couple uses sex as a coping mechanism so the scenes are often and very hot.  However, the issues they are dealing with also come up often and have the couple in a nearly constant state of drama.  Overall the characters are very likeable and will draw you in from the very beginning.  The story is very well written and the intimate scenes are very detailed lending more to the erotica category.

If you have read other reviews out there about this book there are multiple comments about stalker and seemingly odd behavior on the part of both characters.  In writing this review I tried to think back on the book as a whole.  As your reading the book some of the behaviors seem beyond creepy at the time.  But once looking back, both characters make it very clear on multiple occasions that their pasts make them struggle with trust, self-esteem and boundaries.  The second thing to consider as that these aren’t your normal characters they are the mega-rich and are therefore going to guard their privacy and research those around them for potential threats.  As a normal person who doesn’t have access to those kinds of resources it would be hard for any of us to comprehend their situation or their need to know as much as they can about those around them.  Any billionaire would have to by crazy to go into a relationship not knowing as much as they could about someone and their potential risk to their empire.  It makes sense that Gideon would find out as much as he could about her – even if to the average person it seems hyper-suspicious and invasive.

All in all this is a very good book.  If you enjoy a suspenseful dramatic love story then this won’t disappoint. 

Rating:  Four chocolate dipped strawberries