Book Review: Bared to You by Sylvia Day

BARED TO YOU

By: Sylvia Day

Published:  April 3, 2012

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Warning:  The following review is about a book that may not appeal to everyone who reads my blog.


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… 

I received this book courtesy of Penguin and yes, I read it after I read FIFTY SHADES OF GREY.  I was skeptical because I wasn’t really excited about FIFTY SHADES OF GREY and didn’t think it deserved all the hype it was getting.  I will have to agree with many other reviewers that BARED TO YOU started out very similar to FIFTY SHADES GREY.  But, I do think that is where the similarities end.  In the beginning, I was frustrated and felt like I was reading the same story, but as I continued on, I became much more involved in Gideon and Eva’s relationship and their stories.  I was continually frustrated with Eva’s immature running away tactics and found parts to be unrealistic, but this isn’t a realistic type of novel.  This isn’t the typical relationship found in your neighborhood, but one that is set in NYC, with a billionaire for a boyfriend and two people with devastating pasts that interfere with moving them forward.

Women (and men too) read these type of novels for an escape.  We crave the romance and seduction and if the characters are likable and the story line isn’t too predictable, then the author and the reader have succeeded.  This was that kind of novel for me.  Yes, the sex was unrealistic and overtly descriptive, but still, I was wrapped up in the story.  It also wasn’t the type of sex that intimidated anyone or was violent, which I appreciated.

Eva and Gideon have a mutual respect and love for each other and both have devastating histories that would mess up anyone’s life.  Together, they find ways to cope and learn from each other which is normal….the limos, gifts, apartments, and parties aren’t normal, but play into the reader’s fantasies.  

The drama of Eva’s roommate and best friend Cary is also an added benefit to the story.  Day’s descriptions of the characters and the situations are very clear and each of them are likable and you easily root for them.  Aside from Gideon and Eva’s relationship, I am also just as interested in learning more about Cary and what is ahead for him in the next novel.

If you have joined in on the craze of these types of romance novels, then BARED TO YOU is not one to miss.  It’s sequel REFLECTED IN YOU comes out October 2, 2012, and I am planning to get a copy! (Incidentally I haven’t read the rest of the FIFTY SHADES OF GREY series.)  Day’s writing embodies both the physical aspect as well as the emotional part of relationships which makes it all the more captivating.  

Sylvia Day is a bestselling author of numerous novels and uses several pen names.  For more on her life and novels visit her website at www.sylviaday.com. 

I was provided a copy of BARED TO YOU in order to complete this review.  I was not compensated in any other way.  This review is my honest opinion.