[ 2016 | Review #108 ] : "ONE WITH YOU"

Title : “ONE WITH YOU"

Text copyright © 2016 by Sylvia Day, LLC.

Designed © by Steven Seighman

Cover design © by Olga Grlic

Photo-Illustrations by James Iacobelli

Cover photograph © James Guilliam / Getty Images

Author photograph © Paul Gilmore

Published by St. Martin’s Griffin (www.stmartins.com) 

( a part of Macmillan Corporate )

Printed in USA ;  first edition in April 2016

paperback ; 474 p ; ISBN 978-1-250-10930-9

Normal Price : IDR 165

Gideon Cross. Falling in love with him was the easiest thing I’ve ever done. It happened instantly. 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. Our greatest battle may lie within the vows that give us strength. Committing to love was only the beginning. Fighting for it will either set us free ... or break us apart.

After the previous book, frankly I’m not ‘looking’ anything new from this series, I even predict that this call ‘the last instalment’ is going end-up like others series that push to be born by its author – just because ‘it’ became sensational bestseller. I like the idea behind it, I even quite fond by how weird, absurb and crazy, the chemistry build between Eva and Gideon. That’s why I really surprise that this book – the last series, writtten with complexity and full intensity to describe how far Eva and Gideon reaching inside their dark-insane-monsters, open old wound and facing their most fear in life.

Starting with newlyweed, who keep their marrige ‘secret’ from everyone, and finally come to conclusive that they cannot hide that further more. Of course they must face peoples, specially the closes ones, like how Eva had to handle her mother frantic act’s knowing her only daughter already married behind her back, and how Eva’s father really hurt and disappointed with her action. Soon, Eva (and Gideon) had to let go Monica’s determine to make unforgettable (new) wedding of her daughter publicly. When Monica Trammel got her mission, no one can come in between, or facing the consequences.

Between Cary’s dispute regarding holding future custody of his baby with Tatiana – who he refuse to married, and Trey (Cary’s boyfriend) that avoiding him ‘coz that affairs, Eva really need her best friend to be happy again. But she also got bigger problems than just ‘new wedding’ ahead. Not only Corrine’s biography that gonna reveal her (past) relationship with Gideon Cross, but also Anne Lucas who looking many ways to hurt and humilated Gideon, really makes Eva worried by his safety. Anne even reaching into Cary, tried to use him to get into Eva’s and Gideon.

This book filled with emotional roller-coaster, and me as a reader got so involve with Eva and Gideon entangled’s love ... and did I mention earlier is quite hillarious too ? From the first chapter in first book, we already caught-up with ‘sex-machine’ to describe Gideon-Eva’s relationship, but this time they meant serious to take the next step as the vows they take in secret wedding. What do you think when Eva purpose to do ‘celibacy’ (that means not involving any kind se in their relationship) for couple week before their ‘public’ wedding ? Yeahh... I could picture Gideon’s face while reading that LOL.

“We need it to be something we do for fun, not because we’re counting on it to hold us together. We have something amazing together. It’s worth the effort to make us rock solid in every way.”

Despite how absurb that would gonna happening, I’m totaly agree with Eva who willing to take quite big step-back to re-evaluate their relationship. Sometimes when two people so passionately together, cannot make it into solid even long relationship in their marriage. Don’t make ‘sex’ as the main idea to get permission into marriage, it will not last longer than everyone expected. And this is not the only one reason why I’m so ‘liking’ this story, it also answers several questions regarding the main-issues that brought both Gideon and Eva together – their past as a victims of several sexual abuse.

Eva already close her dark-frightening past, with the help of Gideon, and she willing to do anything to help him too, including facing people who hurt Gideon the most : his family, specially her mother. I’m so glad that not all of Gideon’s family as ‘prick’ as his mother, the moment when his stepfather known the truth and gave his love (and remorse of Gideon burden’s all this years), is quite emotional. But the most scene that move me is when Gideon face the utmost darkest feelings he keep inside, willing to reveals himself into vulnerable conditions ...  

“Sexual abuse was private and personal, but in same way, we had to put it out there. It wasn’t dirty, shameful secret to shove into a box. It was an ugly truth, and truths – by nature – need to be aired ...”

You’ll know I don’t (or rarely) like any kind of story, but again this is the best story written by Sylvia Day specially to close chapter about Gideon and Eva. Although some ‘decisions’ taken really surprise (and quite shocking) me as a reader, somehow the past about Monica Trammels – mother of Eva who ‘only’ known as ‘frantic mother’ ... reveals as many hidden secret along this series, I believe there is hope, big one, that no matter how hard and difficulties came facing into their life, their relationships, somehow Gideon-Eva’s marriage will last longtime. Is a happy-ending story, not too sweet but give me satisfaction and better conclusion of all ‘troubles’ the author put-up since the beginning of the stories. Bravo !!!

~ Conclusion ~

Untuk para penggemar serial ini, jangan terlalu kecewa dengan ‘buku terakhir’ perjalanan panjang Gideon dan Eva, dan jangan sampai terlewatkan karena kisah kali ini mampu ‘mengguncang’ emosi, bahkan nyaris menempati posisi 5 bintang (sesuatu yang lumayan jarang kuberikan pada genre bacaan ini). Jika kalian belum pernah membaca serial Crossfire, nah kuberikan jaminan saat mencoba membaca buku ini, ada ‘sesuatu’ yang akan menarik perhatian khusus untuk mengetahui, mengikuti dan menuntut penjelasan dari penulis menyangkut masa depan atau setidaknya kelangsungan hubungan mereka berdua.

Perlu kuingat terlebih dahulu, ini bukan tipikal kisah chessy romance dan walau sebagian besar adegan dikategorikan ‘ hot’ bahkan nyaris ‘vulgar’ (or absurb and unbelievable weird), jangan terhenti di satu sisi karena penulis akan membawa perjalanan yang menyentuh untuk mengungkap ‘sisi kelam’ dari pelaku maupun korban pelecehan seksual yang mampu membuat miris. Satu hal yang sering terjadi pada kasus-kasus serupa dimana tiada keadilan bagi para korban atau hukuman yang layak bagi para pelaku, karena hal tersebut acapkali terjadi dalam lingkup tertutup dan rahasia.

Sejauh mana keadilan ditegakkan jika pelaku adalah sosok yang cukup dekat, berhubungan erat bahkan merupakan bagian dari keluarga atau pihak yang mendapat kepercayaan penuh sebagai ‘penjaga’ keutuhan keluarga ? Sejauh mana para orang tua mampu melindungi atau mengambil tindakan yang tepat bagi anak-anak mereka yang mengalami tragedi yang akan menjadi luka permanen sepanjang hidup mereka ? Ini adalah salah satu alasan mengapa diriku ‘bertahan’ mengikuti serial ini, dan buku pamungkas ‘One with You’ jauh melampaui ekspektasiku, sangat menyentuh, kuat, dengan perkembangan karakter-karakter yang terlibat tak kalah menakjubkan.

Title : “ONE WITH YOU”

[ book 5 of CROSSFIRE Series ]

Text copyright © 2016 by Sylvia Day, LLC.

Rate : 4.5 of 5

Tentang Penulis :

Sylvia Day, adalah pengarang #1 New York Times dan pengarang internasional terlaris dengan puluhan penghargaan atas novel-novelnya yang dijual di 40 negara. Dia adalah pengarang terlaris #1 di 20 negara dan menjadi pengarang favorit pembaca di beberapa genre, dengan jutaan eksempla bukunya yang sudah beredar. Dia dinominasikan sebagai Best Author dalam Goodreads Choice Award dan karyanya terpilih dalam Amazon’s Best of the Year in Romance. Dia memenangkan penghargaan RT Book Reviewers’ Choice Award dan dua kali dinomimasikan sebagi penulis roman Amerika terbaik dalam penghargaan bergengsi RITA Award. Saat ini Sylvia Day menjadi presiden Romance Writers of America, asosiasi yang menaungi lebih dari 10.000 penulis. Proyek terbarunya antar lain dengan majalah Cosmopolitan dan Harlequin untuk meluncurkan Cosmo Red Hot Reads dari seri Harlequin. [ source : www.gramediapustakautama.com ]

[ more about the author and related works, just check at here : Sylvia Day  | on Goodreads | on Wikipedia | at Facebook | at Twitter ]

Best Regards,

@HobbyBuku