I’ll admit that I was a bit leery when I learned that the next BlogHer Book Club selection was billed as ‘erotic romance.’ The previous selection, Diary of a Submissive: A Modern True Tale of Sexual Awakening, didn’t sit well with me (see my review here). But I was pleasantly surprised by Sylvia Day’s Reflected in You, Book #2 in her Crossfire series about intense office romance. I think it’s partly because the latter is a work of fiction, and partly because Day is skilled in putting together a compelling story.

After the smashing success of Book #1 in the Crossfire series, Bared to You (which I reviewed last week here), Reflected in You debuted at #1 on many best seller lists.

Reflected in You continues the saga of Eva Tramell and Gideon Cross, two independently wealthy, breath-takingly gorgeous twentysomethings who meet because they work in the same office building. There’s an instant, intense attraction. They enter into a heated relationship, but wait… Eva has many demons from her past that begin to re-surface. So does Gideon. It has all the makings of a soap opera, and this is what this book reads like.

I liked Book #2 about equally to Book #1. They’re quick, enjoyable reads and I ended up giving both books 3/5 on Goodreads because they’re entertaining, but not life-changing. I also decided that the main reason that I liked the books was not because of the romance, but because of the drama and the mystery behind them. In Book #2, we learn a little more about Gideon’s secretive past, there’s trips to Vegas and North Carolina, and there’s also a murder mystery.

Also, I like the character of Eva. She’s into martial arts, not ashamed of her healthy appetite, strong-willed and impulsive. I can relate to her. I am still on the fence about whether or not to like Gideon. While I understand he’s had a very traumatic past, he’s still way too controlling for my tastes.

I read Book #2 almost immediately after finishing Book #1. The story in the sequel picks up right where it left off at the end of Bared to You. Sylvia Day does a good job of reminding her readers of important characters and events throughout the book, without making use of a re-cap chapter, which oftentimes I find annoying in book series. I think, however, it would be difficult to pick up Book #2 and fully enjoy it without having read Book #1. There’s just too much back-story that you would be missing out on.

Book #3, Entwined with You, is due to come out in May 2013. In case you’re interested, you can pre-order it here.

To join in the discussion of Reflected in You on BlogHer, visit the campaign’s main page.

Disclosure Statement: This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club, but the opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.