Captivated by You by Sylvia Day
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Now Readers Get to Know Gideon’s Point of View
FINAL DECISION: By adding the point of view of Gideon, this book finally begins to address the deep problems that Gideon has. It truly feels like Gideon and Eva are moving forward even as things seem to be falling apart for them.
THE STORY: Gideon and Eva are married and while things should be going well for them, it seems that everything is falling apart. There are new pressures on their relationship from Eva’s work (dealing with a competitor of Gideon’s) and Gideon’s past is still haunting him. There are also dangers from a woman in Gideon’s past. All the forces against Gideon and Eva’s relationship seem to be circling. Rather than bringing them together, this may finally tear Gideon and Eva apart.
OPINION: This book finally gives Gideon’s viewpoint. The series until this point has been told solely from Eva’s perspective. By giving Gideon’s viewpoint, readers can see what pressure Gideon is under. He attempts to compartmentalize his life by denying the abuse he suffered as a child. I have liked the way that this series has dealt with both Gideon and Eva’s abuse. By giving contrasting ways that the two have dealt with their abuse, the book gives a bigger picture of survivors than most books portray. Denial, acting out, self-loathing, blinding anger, hate, revenge. Gideon’s failure to deal with his own abuse continues to threaten the happiness that both Gideon and Eva want. This series takes the long road to happiness but I think that the ability to go deeply into the emotions and thoughts of these two characters is fascinating. The plot is sometimes crazy like a daytime soap opera, but the path that Gideon and Eva have to travel never feels forced. By finally delving into the Gideon’s dark past, the pace of the story has increased with multiple conflicts and challenges arising simultaneously. Fans of the series will be pleased to see that progress is being made even as more challenges arise. If you haven’t read the other books in the series, you shouldn’t be reading this one first.
WORTH MENTIONING: There is only one more book left in the series and much to wrap up.
CONNECTED BOOKS: CAPTIVATED BY YOU is the fourth book in the Crossfire series. This book should not be read without reading the prior books in the series first. The series follows one couple and thus is highly dependant upon the events in the prior books.
STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.