Bared to You

A Crossfire Novel, Book 1

By: Sylvia Day

Narrated by: Jill Redfield

Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Sylvia Day comes the first novel in the Crossfire series - a provocative masterstroke of abandon and obsession that redefined the meaning of desire, and became a global phenomenon.

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...

©2012 by Sylvia Day. (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“If I were to recommend any book today to readers who enjoyed Fifty Shades of Grey… this would be the first one I would offer… Scorching love scenes.” ( Dear Author)

"An erotic romance that should not be missed.” ( Romance Novel News)

“Hot… page-meltingly hot.” ( Darhk Portal)

Disappointed in the end

This book was compared to Fifty Shades of Grey and that's a big reason why I went ahead and got it.

FSoG has been called 'abusive' and 'not a good example of a BDSM relationship'. I honestly think the people who have said that were listening to this book instead. The two main characters kept tearing each other apart and using sex alternately as a weapon and as glue to hold them together. Both had been sexually abused, but she got help and he wouldn't. He called himself a Dom and her a sub, but the only power exchange in their relationship was him making her hold on to something else while they were having sex.

The sex was fairly hot, it went a bit far on the vulgar language side for me (and I'm not prudish about that), so that should say something.

If all that wasn't bad enough, the ending was abrupt and half baked. I got down to the last half hour and was convinced that there wouldn't be a 'happily ever after' and I'm still not convinced there was even though the book is over. Frustrating.

Too much Sex

I got all three series, but in all fairness, there was just too much sex, and it could have been more discrete.

Very Good......but a definitely a copy

This is a very good read after Fifty Shades, but it is certainly a copied.

Pushes the Line

This story is well written and the narrator was great. I just had a hard time with the intensity. I didn't like the possessiveness and the neediness. It didn't feel like "love" really. It was obsession. It was too much love-hate, and it can be best described as UNHEALTHY. Not an uplifting love story. Lots of angst and fights and sex. I hated Gideon's thinking he owned Ava. The love scenes were very explicit and very intense and a lot of the time dirty. It was too intense for my taste.

Story as good, narrator better than Shades

I am a huge fan of the 50 Shades stories. Bared to You is written better and is narrated MUCH BETTER than 50 shades. Even though there are huge similarities between the two stories, the narrator seals the deal with regard to the better choice on audible. She is AWESOME. She keeps the narration separate from the character's voices, she animates when necessary and keeps your attention throughout. I am looking forward to the next installment of the Crossfire novels.

Heartbreaking

Bared to You is an erotica book and not for the faint of heart. But, the shocking aspect is not the sex (though the scenes are definitely steamy). The story(ies) of Eva and Gideon, separately and together that make this book memorable and very hard to put down.

Though many might disagree with me, I believe Bared to You and the whole "Crossfire" series is better than Fifty Shades of Grey. Don't get me wrong, I loved the interaction of Christian and Anastasia, but Gideon and Eva are more vibrant and more alive. And though they live in the lofty world of the rich and famous, they are very relatable.

If you are into erotica, this is a book that you should read/listen to. In fact, you should read the whole series. I first got this book via my Romance membership. I enjoyed it so much that I ended buying the whole series, though they are available to me via the Romance package.

This book is Rated M for Mature due to sex and violence.

Good book but...

Love the writer. She's very talented. But the female lead of this book has WAY too many insecurities. At times I wanted to smack some sense into her! The passionate love scenes were the book's best redeeming feature. Very descriptive and it draws you in.

Mr. Cross is as Hot as Christian Grey!

Where does Bared to You rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Great read!

What did you like best about this story?

The story and narration is wonderful!

What does Jill Redfield bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The words glide from her tongue.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Neither.

Any additional comments?

This book is as hot as the Fifty Shades trilogy. I can wait for the second book to come out on Oct. 2, 2012.

Jill Redfield Gives Good Sex!

4.9 Stars

Narration - Jill Redfield - Kick Ass with a Capital Kick! Jill Gives Good Sex! Really! Seriously the best Sex Scene Narration I've ever heard. She should get the Naughty Audie!

I guess I should finally review this since I just listened to it for, oh, I don't know, the 17th time???? ha ha!

Love this book. When I first listened to it, It really bothered me because it seemed that it was Sylvia trying to re-write 50 shades only moving them across the country to New York and making them a little more mature and worldly (oh and with better writing) I was annoyed that I wasn't getting a new fresh story. So, it really is the same, but different.

She made Ava an intelligent, knowledgeable, sexually experienced woman instead of the Virgin, made Gideon's apartment warm and inviting instead of a museum, made Ava tough and in shape so she could hang with her sex fiend. (in fact it almost seemed like those details were written as little digs) Both call their Dad's "Daddy". Someone is nearly killed in both series and our female MC's must sit vigil while their men are amazing.

There's so much that is the same, and yet so much that is different. This is a much better written book. Not all the repetition. A lot more character's and character development.

The only thing I wish she would have left out of the series is the whole "Dom" element. I'm really flying fast and loose with that term because he never says he's a Dom, but there's just unnecessary conversations about some of that lifestyle/safewords and to me, those scenes are poorly written and make Gideon seem kind of dumb about that whole thing. Oh GAH! and the one I hate the most is when Ava sincerely asks him what he sees in her - and she's not fishing for compliments etc. His reply? (I'm paraphrasing here) If you don't stop treating us like we're temporary, I'm going to put you over my knee and make sure you like it!" That was just - ack! I have no words. ANSWER her!

He threatens to spank her continually and never does...so just leave it out!

OK, Geez! Got it off my chest...So that's my 1/10th of a point deduction from a 5 star series!

This is just one of those books that I can start at anytime when I'm between books and thinking I just want to listen to something for a little bit before I get to my computer & Goodreads to decide what I'm going to read next and before you know it, I've listened to the whole book and don't really care what was next on my TBR. Not kidding about the 17 times. I'm sure it's close!

SO! Love the Book. Love the Series. Love me some Gideon!

That is all!

Surprised by the negative reviews

I loved this story!
A strong woman who is not begging fur a man a affection. A damaged Alfa who is smitten with the her.
If the roles were revered I would have hated this story!
Excited to read the next book!