Review: Revealing Us (Inside Out #3) by Lisa Renee Jones

 

Revealing Us (Inside Out #3) by Lisa Renee Jones

Publication Date: September 10th 2013 by Gallery Books

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

 

About the book:

The third installment in the sexy Inside Out erotic romance series—in the seductive tradition of Fifty Shades of Grey.

You've discovered Rebecca's secrets. You've discovered Sara's secrets. Now Sara will discover "his" deepest, darkest secrets...but will those secrets bind them together--or tear them apart?

My Thoughts:
Revealing Us, the third book in the Inside Out series was an exciting read filled with suspense.  We finally discover the secrets to Chris’ dark past, and he and Sara come a long way in their relationship.

I was apprehensive to start Revealing Us because I was still more than a little annoyed with Chris from the last book, Being Me.  He did exactly what he promised he wouldn’t, and then expected Sara to drop everything and come to Paris with him.  He didn’t just expect Sara to go, it was an ultimatum and after his past actions, that didn’t set well with me.  Fortunately, my opinion of Chris rapidly changed.

And I know very well that not only have the people you depended on in life let you down, but I also shut you out after Dylan died. That gave you reason to believe I’ll let you down, too, but you can depend on me. And I fully intend to prove that to you…..

“I love you, too, Sara. More than I’ve let you see, but I’m going to fix that.”*

One thing I love about this series is the author’s ability to create an atmosphere of suspense.  The mystery of Ella, (Sara’s schoolteacher friend who left for Paris to elope), and new accusations about Rebecca surface and lent an air of unease and danger to the story.  Also, we meet Amber, the woman in Chris’ dark past who tattooed him.  They were involved way back when and Amber clearly isn’t over him.  I was worried that she’d wreck things between Chris and Sara, but I was happy with the way they both dealt with her.  Well, mostly.  A bump in the road near the end made me want to strangle Sara for her stupidity, but thankfully it was short lived.

I was happy that Chris and Sara came together in mind and in heart, for the most part.  Chris finally agrees to open up to Sara (in his own time), and she’s determined to stick to Chris’ side no matter what he reveals.

“You can’t scare me away, Chris. So throw all the words you want at me. I’m still here. I’m not going anywhere.*

I did enjoy this book, but I felt some of the spicy scenes somewhat lacking in build-up and steam.  Also, I felt the big reveal of Chris’ secret was somewhat disappointing, and I couldn’t really make sense of why it made him feel so guilty toward Amber.  With all that said, I was pleased with where Chris and Sara ended in this installment.   We’re left on a “happy for now” kind of ending, but the story isn’t over. I didn’t know this going in, but there is a forth and fifth book planned.  No cliffhanger.  Well, not for the main characters anyhow. 

3.5 Suns

 



 

 

A copy was provided by Gallery Books through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

 

*Quotes taken from and uncorrected proof and may change in the final copy.

Review: Being Me (Inside Out Trilogy) by Lisa Renee Jones

Being Me by Lisa Renee Jones

Published June 11th 2013 by Gallery Books

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

About the book:

The sexy second installment in the Inside Out erotic romance trilogy, following If I Were You.

Fascinated by the dark fantasies in the journals she’s discovered, and the two men who have now found a place in her life, Sara McMillan finds herself torn between her new life and her past. Now, more than ever, Sara identifies with the lost journal writer, Rebecca, and is certain that something sinister has happened.

In the arms of the sexy, tormented artist Chris Merit, Sara seeks answers about Rebecca and ends up discovering things about herself she never knew existed. Chris forces Sara to reconsider who she is and what she truly wants from life, but not before his dark desires threaten to tear them apart. Her boss, Mark Compton, offers her the shelter to understand just what those needs mean to her, and what they might have meant to Rebecca, but can she trust him to lead her to a final conclusion to Rebecca’s story?

 

Brandie's Review:

Wow - book one left me with my jaw on the floor from a major cliffhanger and I was so glad I could immediately jump into this book. I loved this book even more than the first, and that’s saying a lot. Normally sequels rarely live up to my expectations, but I’m happy to say this one was everything and more than I expected!

We pick up right where we left off in the first book, with Sara and Chris trying to figure out what happened to Rebecca. But along the way, they are also trying to figure out their relationship and how they can make it work. Sara doesn't want to be controlled, due to issues with her past, and Chris has his own demons keeping him from being truthful and being himself with her. They have to overcome a lot, which is part of the beauty of this story. It’s full of passion, suspense, mystery – but most incredible is their love story. They have an amazing love and connection and I absolutely LOVE them as a couple. There is no shortage of drama that will challenge their relationship – but it makes the story all the more amazing.

Thankfully, this book doesn't end on a major cliffhanger like the first. You will get your answers about Rebecca and some closure. It will, however, leave a lot of unanswered questions that will keep you anxious for the third book to be released! I can’t wait to read it!

5 Suns

Rachel's Review:

Being Me was a suspenseful and erotic sequel to If I Were You.  I was left with so many questions and on a painful cliffhanger with the last book, so it was nice to pick right up where things left off!

 

I immediately started reading this after finishing If I Were You and the situation with the cliffhanger is quickly resolved. Solving the mystery behind Rebecca’s whereabouts becomes more urgent given recent events, and growing concern for Sara’s and Rebecca’s safety.

 

The relationship with Chris and Sara is extremely intense, and HOT, but there’s always a push and pull with these two:

 

I try to resist the lure that is Chris, but the taste of him, familiar and almost brutally male, mixes with his anger and mine, and the effect is explosively passionate.  I want to shout at him, push him away, pull him close, strip away his clothes, and punish him for what he is doing to me, what he takes from me. What he makes me need.

 

I started to get a little whiplash with this back and forth.  For the most part it doesn’t last long, but still it was a little frustrating.  I do love the intensity and possessiveness Chris shows towards Sara, but he let me down a little in this installment, so I’m hoping he turns things around in the next book. 

As for Sara, I wish she would’ve shown a little more backbone with Chris. But you can tell they’re both madly in love with each other, and their passion explodes off the pages! Definite panty warning to be headed here: may cause them to ignite!!

 

I was really pleased to get some satisfying answers.  One huge one is the fate of Rebecca! But also, the reason why Sara is estranged from her father is revealed, and a little bit about Chris’s past also comes to light.  There is still quite a bit to figure out, so I’m counting down the days to Revealing Us which comes out September 10^th. Can’t wait!  

 

The Inside Out Trilogy is not to be missed.  Lisa Renee Jones has a way of pulling you into to her intense world, holding you captive, and making you want more.

 

A copy of Being Me was provided by Gallery Books through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Suns

 

 

 

Review: If I Were You (Inside Out Trilogy) by Lisa Renee Jones

If I Were You by Lisa Renee Jones

Published September 13th 2012

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

About the book:

When Sara McMillan finds a stack of journals in a storage unit, she’s shocked and enthralled by the erotic life the writer led. Unable to stop reading, she vicariously lives out dark fantasies through Rebecca, the writer—until the terrifying final entry.

Certain something sinister has happened, Sara sets out to discover the facts, immersing herself in Rebecca’s life. Soon she’s working at the art gallery Rebecca worked at and meeting Rebecca’s friends. Finding herself drawn to two dangerously sexy men, the manager of the gallery and a famed artist, Sara realizes she’s going down the same path Rebecca took. But with the promise of her dark needs being met by a man with confident good looks and a desire for control, she’s not sure anything else matters. Just the burn for more.

Brandie's Review:

This book was getting so much buzz, but when I read it had a cliffhanger, I held off until I could get my hands on the second book. And I’m SO glad I did because I hate cliffhangers – and this one was brutal.

Sara is an innocent school teacher living a boring life and trying to shake the demons of her past. She comes across some erotic journals of a woman named Rebecca, who’s disappeared and becomes determined to find her to make sure she’s okay. What she doesn’t expect is to be pulled into the same world, living out her dream of working with art, and being captivated by the sexy and artistic Chris Merit.

These two are sizzling together and it’s fantastic. I loved every minute they were together and getting to know each other. The suspense of figuring out what they both are hiding is SO good and keeps you turning the pages, along with the suspense of finding out what really happened to Rebecca.

This is a page-turner with serious heat. Any fan of Fifty Shades will love this book!

4 Suns

Rachel's Review:
Dangerous. For months I’ve had dreams and nightmares about how perfectly he personifies the word. Sleep-laden, alternate realities where I can vividly smell his musky scent, feel his hard body against mine. Taste the sweet and sensuous flavor of him—…..So good I’d forgotten there’s a price for overindulgence. And there is a price. I was reminded of this life lesson Saturday night. And I know now, no matter what he does, I cannot—will not—see him again.
--Rebecca’s journal Wednesday, March 7, 2012

And thus begins this haunting tale.  If I Were You was a story that had me on pins and needles pretty much through the entire read.  Erotic and full of suspense, my heart was racing and my blood pounding through my insides!  I’m still in knots.

Sara is a bored high-school teacher scraping by on her own.  When she discovers Rebecca’s journals filled with tales dark and erotic, Sara is overcome with curiosity and is drawn into Rebecca’s world.  What happened to Rebecca that would cause her to disappear with all her belongings abandoned in a storage locker? Soon Sara is working at the very gallery Rebecca worked for and is immersed in the very world Rebecca was/is a part of.

Enter two very enigmatic characters, Chris the rich and famous artist, and Mark, the haughty and arrogant gallery owner, and her boss. 

Mark is clearly a dominant man who revels in power play and mind games, someone who could easily be the dark erotic star of Rebecca’s journals. 

Chris is someone Sara feels an instant connection to through prior knowledge and idolization of his work.  But there is an edge and secrecy to him that both excites and disturbs Sara.  Chris is all easy going and flirty one minute, and dark, brooding, and dangerous the next. 

Sara is not without mystery either, and while we do get some of the pieces to this puzzle, we are far from getting a clear and fleshed out picture. 

This story was the perfect combination of thrill, mystery and passion.  Worrying about what happened to Rebecca, and what Sara was getting into kept me on the edge of my seat throughout! 

This ends on a cliff and I’m glad I have the sequel here ready to go!

 

4 Suns

 

 





Review: If I Were You by Lisa Renee Jones

If I Were You by Lisa Renee Jones
Published August 24th 2012 Gallery Books
Purchase: Amazon

About the book

When Sara McMillan finds a stack of journals in a storage unit, she’s shocked and enthralled by the erotic life the writer led. Unable to stop reading, she vicariously lives out dark fantasies through Rebecca, the writer—until the terrifying final entry.

Certain something sinister has happened, Sara sets out to discover the facts, immersing herself in Rebecca’s life. Soon she’s working at the art gallery Rebecca worked at and meeting Rebecca’s friends. Finding herself drawn to two dangerously sexy men, the manager of the gallery and a famed artist, Sara realizes she’s going down the same path Rebecca took. But with the promise of her dark needs being met by a man with confident good looks and a desire for control, she’s not sure anything else matters. Just the burn for more.

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My Thoughts
Sweet painful HELL!!! Who ends a book like that?!?!?!? Need the next one.... NOW!!

"We stare at each other and his scrutiny is so intense that I feel as if he's crawling inside me and searching my soul for confirmation I've spoken the truth."

Woah! This book was seriously intense and addicting! If I Were You by Lisa Renee Jones kept my attention from the first sentence all the way to the painful cliffhanger at the end. Jones sure knows how to deliver a dark and erotic story filled with a cast of complicated yet alluring characters. This book blends a perfect mix of mystery, seduction, and intrigue to keep you reading late into the night and screaming for the sequel when you stumble across the last paragraph. I can't believe I have to wait so long for the next installment!

In this story, we meet Sara McMillan who's come across a journal filled with erotic entries by someone named Rebecca Mason. Sara immediately becomes captivated by the painful yet sensual events that unfold in this diary and when she attempts to seek out the owner, she discovers that this gallery director is missing. Eventually, Sara lands herself a job in the same gallery Rebecca last worked at with the intention of trying to find out what happened to her. Sara soon finds herself in the middle of a dangerous power-play between the elusive yet controlling gallery owner Mark Compton and the complicated and seductive artist Chris Merit. Trying to decipher who she can trust and why they each want to control her, only manages to lead her down a dark and dangerous path.

The words Jones commits to page are nothing short of addictive and alluring. This author knows how to deliver hypnotic storytelling that leave us craving for more. I was definitely attracted to the cast of characters in this story. Both Mark and Chris prove to be equally elusive, yet captivating and I can't quite figure out who to fall for and who not to trust.

I have so many questions about Sara and Chris's past, as well as the whereabouts of Rebecca and Ella that I can't wait to get my hands on the next book. If I Were You has shot up my list of most anticipated sequels. Most definitely enjoyed this tale of seduction and mystery.

5 Suns

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