When Obsession Turns to Love

A Review of Entwined with You (Crossfire #3) by Sylvia Day


From the moment I first met Gideon Cross, I recognized something in him that I needed. Something I couldn't resist. I also 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...


After reading the first two Crossfire novels last Fall, and being left with quite a revelation at the end of Reflected in You, I was eager to get my hands on the third book, and was excited that it was going to be released on New Year's Eve. Happy New Year to me! Then the new year approached, I went to pre-order the Nook Book, and discovered that the publication date had been pushed out to May. I wasn't happy, but these things happen. A book that I should have been looking forward to, but wasn't, was releasing on the same day, so I thought that Entwined with You would be a good distraction from that. However, the next time I went to pre-order it, the publication date had been pushed out until June 4.

So release day finally rolled around, and I had a very important guest coming into town, so I didn't think I'd be able to get to the book. But I couldn't resist and I started it anyway, on release day. And I found that I couldn't put it down, finishing in two days after reading every moment I could.

Was the wait worth it? Did the end justify my feverish reading? Click through to find out.

***Mild spoilers from the first two books after the jump***



Eva and Gideon's relationship is an utter trainwreck that I cannot look away from, no matter how hard I try. They are two of the most damaged characters I've ever read, but it's moving to watch them grow as individuals and as a couple. They are completely obsessed with one another, in a way that I don't understand, but find fascinating to watch. Sometimes it's uncomfortable to see how consumed they are with one another, to the exclusion of everything in their lives, including their own sanity. But one of the reasons that I love to read is that I get to crawl inside other people's minds and learn what makes them tick, which is especially rewarding when the characters are so completely different from me. Eva and Gideon could not be more different, so watching their obsession grow and turn into something deeper and more meaningful, watching these two deeply damaged people heal one another, is fascinating.

After the pain the Eva went through in Reflected in You, and the resolution of that book, with the stunning revelation of what Gideon did to keep her safe, I was looking forward to seeing our couple get closer, but mostly eager to see the fallout from Gideon's actions. I knew it wouldn't be easy—a novel isn't worth reading if resolution is easy. But I was looking forward to seeing them trust one another and communicate with words instead of just through sex. And I was looking forward to them truly being together, after the gut-wrenching description of Eva's weeks without Gideon.

Entwined with You delivered on some of my hopes, but not on others. With the release being pushed out, and two books added to the contract, this book felt very much like filler. There was not a lot of resolution to the problems that have already been established. And while our lovers are, in fact, communicating with words, I felt that they took a step back, since they needed to keep it a secret for much of the book. One huge event occurred that I did not expect so soon, but was beautiful and totally worth the price of the book. Interestingly, while only a few current problems got resolution in this book, several more were introduced that will provide ample plot for the last two books.

Of course, I can't review a Crossfire book without talking about the sex! There are plenty of love scenes in this book, and as usual they are scorching. Sylvia Day excels at writing love scenes. From sweet and tender, to rough and dirty, Eva and Gideon's love life is almost enough to sell the book, even without factoring in the riveting tale of love and obsession. Look for the scene in the dance club. Oh yeah.

I have to admit I was surprised and a little irritated that the contract was extended by two books, and that this book didn't move the established problems along very much. Then I saw this video interview with Sylvia Day, in which she explains several things about the series, including her idea for its structure (pay attention at about the 3-minute mark). Now I understand and am happy again.

If you can't view the video, click here


While there is currently no release date for the next book, and it doesn't even have a title yet, I am already looking forward to the fourth installment in the Crossfire series. I'm rating this book based on its merits alone, but my rating might change upon completion of the series. If you haven't read these books and would like to, be sure to start the series from the beginning, with Bared to You. And be warned that every book is unputdownable. Including Entwined with You.


Have you read the Crossfire series, Saucy Reader? Are you as consumed as I am? What did you think about Entwined with You?


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