One With You
by Sylvia Day
Published by St. Martin's Griffin
Book 5 in the Crossfire Series
Gideon Cross. Falling in love with him was the easiest thing I've ever done. It happened instantly. Completely. Irrevocably.
Marrying him was a dream come true. Staying married to him is the fight of my life. Love transforms. Ours is both a refuge from the storm and the most violent of tempests. Two damaged souls entwined as one.
We have bared our deepest, ugliest secrets to one another. Gideon is the mirror that reflects all my flaws ... and all the beauty I couldn't see. He has given me everything. Now, I must prove I can be the rock, the shelter for him that he is for me. Together, we could stand against those who work so viciously to come between us.
But our greatest battle may lie within the very vows that give us strength. Committing to love was only the beginning. Fighting for it will either set us free ... or break us apart.
RATED: 18+ CATEGORY: MOOD:
Steamy #ContemporaryRomance Drama
Violence
*Trigger
Trigger Warning: This series involves characters who are suffering from the trauma of rape and molestation. Please be advised.
One With You by Sylvia Day is the fifth and final book in the Crossfire series. In this book, we get narration from both Eva Cross, and Gideon Cross. The book starts off right where the last book ends, and spans a couple of weeks. What else will stand in the way of Eva and Gideon's vow renewal with their family and friends?
I am caught in the middle of liking this book, and frustration. I like it, despite the constant, unrealistic drama coming at them constantly, and the insta-love thing. I like that the two main characters are flawed, but are survivors. I'm frustrated, because One With You is supposed to be the final book. Final books end, typically answering all the lingering questions that a reader has when devoting time to reading it. I was even left irritated by the epilogue, which could have been used to answer said questions if Sylvia Day didn't want to write too much more, but instead fast forwards two weeks in time to their honeymoon. For the longest book in the series, there was a whole lot of filler, and not a lot of story.
Questions I am left with (you will need to highlight them, because the questions are spoilers in a way)
--------->So ... do all the exes just give up? The last time we see Brett, it seemed he was going to be more of a menace, but he disappears. Does Corrine publish the tell all book? Does Deanna continue to be a problem, or does she actually accept a job? Does Anne go to prison for her role in Monica's death? And as for Cary, who we have been invested in the whole series ... is he the father of Tatiana's baby? Do Trey and him get back together? It's enough to drive me nuts!<----------
I do think our main characters have finished their arcs decently. After five books, we are finally getting a more confident couple. Still victims to their personal insecurities and jealousy, but have a more solid relationship and understanding of one another. No more running. So while I feel like Gideon's and Eva's story is done, I hated being left with all these questions for side characters.
One With You was an okay ending to the Crossfire series. While I felt their love story was complete, there were still so many questions left unanswered, which is ridiculous with five books in the series, Sylvia Day couldn't find some room in there to conclude the whole story. At the end of One With You, there is a sneak peek of a Sylvia Day upcoming book, called So Close. I love sneak peeks, and since One With You was published in 2016, I figured, reading the sneak peek could lead to another TBR addition, that I didn't have to wait for. It was a great chapter, intrigued as hell ... but we are almost in the last quarter of 2020, and it is yet to be released. What the heck?!?
Arash: "More flowers? What's the secret to getting sent some of these?"
Gideon: "The right woman."
Gideon: "Fan site?"
Eva: "Yep. There are whole sites and blogs dedicated to you. What you're wearing, who you're dating, events you're attending."
Gideon: "Jesus."
Eva: "The one I went to had all your stats: height, weight, eye color, birth date ... everything. To be honest, it freaked me out a little that some total stranger knew other details about you that I don't, which is another reason why I think we need to date each other and talk more -"
Gideon: "I can recite stats while we're fucking. Problem solved."
Her grin was delighted.
Eva: "You slay me."
Eva: "Teenagers talk on the phone at night for hours because they have school and parents and can't be together. They spend all night chatting with their boyfriends about ... whatever. I never had that. I never ... I never had a guy like that. Anyway, i had this idea that we could have that for now ... while we're waiting. Late-night calls where we talk to just hear each other's voice."
He stared at me.
Eva: "It sounded better in my head."
Gideon was quiet for a long minute. Then he kissed me. Hard.
Gideon: "I'm that guy for you, Eva. Every milestone, angel. Every rite of passage ... Everything. And you're that girl for me."
Cary: "Why didn't he spend the night?"
Eva: "We're abstaining until the wedding."
Cary: "Are you fucking kidding me? I figured the honeymoon period lasted longer than that. Don't most husbands get laid a few years before they get cut off?"
Eva: "Shut up, Cary!"
Gideon: "Angel."
Cary: "I feel for you, man. Put a ring on it and bam, the legs slam shut."
Eva: "Cary! I'm going to punch you."
Cary: "Who's going to pack your overnight bag if you do that?"
He knew me too well
Cary: "Don't worry, baby girl, I'll be ready with your bag and mine."
He looked at Gideon
Cary: "Can't help you, I'm afraid. Wait 'til you see her in that blue La Perla bikini I'm packing. You'll have the balls to match."
Gideon: "I'm going to punch you, too. You'll have bruises to match."
Eva: "I'm worth your while, asshat. Not my vagina."
Cary: "He's going to be hobbled by his blue balls by the time the wedding comes around. You can only prime a pump so many time before it has to blow."
Eva: "Gross, Cary."
Gideon: "I like when you feel confident and sexy."
Eva: "What if I need purple hair to feel that way?"
Gideon: "Then I will be fucking a purple-haired wife. As long as the inside remains the same, the rest if just wrapping."
Anne: "Eva. Don't you look pretty? Gideon is polishing you up nicely."
Eva: "Yeah, he polishes me a lot. Every chance he gets. Can't get enough, actually. He's got nothing left for you, so I suggest you find someone else to be crazy over."
Anne: "He's a monster. Did he tell you he's been in therapy since he was a child? He's been broke from birth. He's sick and twisted in ways he hasn't shown you yet. He's thinking he can hide it from you, his pretty little girl who creates just the right fairy tale. Beauty and the beast for the masses. A clever cover-up, but it won't hold. He can't suppress his true nature for long."
Her laugh slid over me like shards of glass
Anne: "Gideon is vicious and cruel at his core. He'll break you before he's done with you. If he doesn't kill you first."
Eva: "Who do you think monsters marry, you stupid bitch? Pretty little breakable girls? Or other monsters?"
I pushed up into her face
Eva: "You got the fairy tale right. But Gideon's the beauty. I'm the beast."
Gideon: "She's a tigress. I've got a few badges of honor from her scratches myself."
Gideon: "I feel the sudden urge to take you over my knee, and spank you, angel."
Amusement warmed her voice
Eva: "Try it, babe. See what happens."
Arash: "I think he's jealous you like me so much."
Eva: "Ha!"
Then I saw the way Gideon glared at Arash and my brows went up
Eva: "Seriously?"
Eva: "I have a Tarzan fantasy. You Tarzan, me Jane."
Gideon: "We've been married a month. Why am I just now hearing about this?"
Eva: "I figured I would give it a few months before I whipped out the freaky."
Arash: "Told him what?"
Eva: "That she couldn't be trusted. She's butthurt because he got her naked, then blew her off. Not that I blame her. I'd be totally humiliated if I showed the goods but couldn't make the sale."
Arash: "You have performance problems, Cross?"
Gideon: "You have your eye on unemployment, Madani?"
Eva: "She already played hide-the-salami with Gideon once. And she really liked the salami. Can't blame her there, either. I told you what a great lay he is."
Arash glanced at me, highly amused
Arash: "You did, yes."
Eva: "Blows the top of your head right off. Your toes curl and -"
Gideon: "For fuck's sake, Eva."
She looked at me innocently.
Eva: "Just trying to give some context, baby. And give credit where it's due."
Arash: "Whoa! As your attorney, I have to point out that pissing off your wife could cost you millions."
Eva: "He likes pissing women off. It turns him on."
Arnoldo: "Eva. So good to see you."
He kissed me full on the mouth. Stunned, I didn't react.
Gideon: "Off!"
Arnoldo: "I'm not a dog."
He looked at me with amusement
Arnoldo: "He's been pining for you. Now, you can release him from his torment."
Eva: "It's really good to see you, too, Arnoldo."
Arash came up next. When he lifted both hands to touch my face, Gideon's arm shot out between us.
Gideon: "Don't even think about it."
Arash: "That's not fair."
I blew him a kiss.
Dream:
Gideon: "You'll love her. She's amazing."
My dad grins
Dad: "Beautiful, too. I'd like a grandson. And a granddaughter."
Gideon: "Whoa."
I laugh
Gideon: "Let's not move too fast."
Dad: "Life moves fast, son. Before you know it, it's over. Don't waste it."
Eva: "This is a nice surprise. Are you heading out?"
Gideon: "Just wanted to see you."
Eva: "You've got it real bad for me."
Gideon: "It's highly contagious. Caught it from you."
Eva: "I'm surprised my nana let you escape."
He gave a short laugh
Gideon: "She says I remind her of your dad - well, she reminds me of you."
Eva: "Because I won't let you out of my greedy clutches?"
Gideon: "Because even though she scares me, I can't seem to walk away."
Check out the rest of the Crossfire series below