Bitsy's Books

This review evolves into more of a discussion of the slut-shaming and misogyny I've seen pop up over the course of this series, so it will be longer than my normal reviews.1.5 out of 5 StarsAfter Gideon made an astonishing sacrifice for Eva’s safety and happiness, Eva and Gideon must hide their relationship from their friends, family, and especially the police. Can they finally find happiness together? Or will their tumultuous pasts keep getting in the way of their future?I guess I’m a masochist because even though I hated Reflected in You (it was in my top five worst reads of last year), I couldn't help checking out Entwined with You. There is something compelling about Gideon and Eva’s fucked up relationship and since I already read the first two, why not read the final book? Well, surprise surprise this isn't the final book. The trilogy has been extended to a five book series. Many fans and readers were angry at the paper thin-plot, irrelevant secondary characters, and not getting the ending they had been promised. Since I thought Reflected in You was plot-less and mostly pointless, I wasn't as disappointed as others. Don’t get me wrong – those are absolutely legitimate criticisms and this book isn't good by any stretch of the imagination. But I surprisingly found myself entertained for the first 4/5ths of the book. For the most part Gideon and Eva were acting like adults and there was less anger/jealousy/possessiveness than in the last book. Gideon still has his “Watching Eva’s Every Move Through Security Cameras and Manipulating Elevators to Stalk Her” and “Having Security Follow Her During Girl’s Night” moments, but Gideon and Eva actually spent time together working on their relationship.Until the last 100 pages. The last 100 pages just ruined the book. Gideon and Eva started regressing to their old possessiveness and jealousy. Random subplots seemed to be thrown at a wall to see what would stick. ROCK STAR EX-BOYFRIENDS! ADULTEROUS PARENTS! SEX TAPES! RUSSIAN MAFIA! SECRET MARRIAGES! PREGNANT MODEL SLUTS! RAVENOUS REPORTER SLUTS! MENTALLY ILL EX-FIANCEE SLUTS! DID I MENTION SLUTS? Because seriously, how many evil ex-girlfriends does Gideon drive to distraction who then make it their mission to destroy poor wittle Eva? In the series thus far we have:1. Magdalene – friend-zoned BFF slut2. Corrine – the mentally-ill ex-fiancee slut.3. Deanna – the ravenous reporter slut4. Anne Lucas – the revenge fuck slut5. Tatiana – not actually Gideon’s, but she’s snobby and dresses promiscuously, so obviously slutCOLLECT THEM ALL!Oh wait, Gideon already did.These EVIL!slut characters are such insane caricatures – constantly plotting to ruin Eva and Gideon’s relationship and throwing themselves at Gideon. NOBODY like them exists in real life. They don’t further the relationship between Gideon and Eva. They just cause drama that leads the plot nowhere. The only reason they are in the narrative is to pad the books and for readers to vicariously hate other women through Eva. Eva’s few girlfriends don’t make up for the fuck-ton of slut-shamming that happens.However, the absolute nadir was when EVIL!slut Corrine tried to commit suicide by overdosing. When Gideon was a child, his father killed himself after being discovered for running a Ponzi scheme. So of course Corrine’s suicide is all about Gideon: “How could she not know what a suicide attempt would do to Gideon? She couldn't be that blind. Or had his reaction, his guilt, been her aim all along? It made me sick to think of anyone being that manipulative, but there was no denying the result. Gideon was back at her side” (327). Corrine just tried to KILL HERSELF, Eva! THE WORLD DOES NOT REVOLVE AROUND YOU AND GIDEON! Eva, someone who battled depression after her abuse, who was unable to function after Gideon “dumped” her, should empathize. But besides her callousness, Eva assumes that Corrine did this for attention and she couldn't be serious. Only men, like Gideon’s father, are serious about killing themselves and it’s a considered a tragedy. Suicidal women are frivolous attention-seekers. When it’s revealed that Corrine was pregnant and the suicide attempt killed the fetus, Corrine’s husband blames Gideon. Because Corrine couldn't possibly kill herself because of other reasons – as a woman her life must revolve around a man – specifically Gideon, the best penis to ever penis. But of course, this isn't about Corrine. She’s just a stupid bitch who tried to kill herself. It’s all about Gideon’s man-pain:“You are not responsible for this…Do you hear me? Only Corinne is responsible for what happened. She’ll have to live with what she’s done, not you and me” (340).It’s like Women in Refrigerators: Romance Edition! Actually, Gideon and Eva are somewhat responsible for what happened to Corrine – this woman needed help and she was ignored by the people she relied on because she was being a “crazy bitchy woman.” Her pleas weren't taken seriously because everyone knows women are hysterical and overemotional. Eva’s insistence that Gideon ignore Corrine and stay away from her probably played a part in Corrine’s downward spiral.In a way, the Crossfire series is much worse and more insidious in its treatment of EVIL!sluts than other romance novels. The trope of EVIL!sluts is widespread and a problem in romance, but usually the EVIL!sluts are humiliated and/or put down by the hero/ine and go off and sulk in a corner at the end. So far in the Crossfire series, Magdalene was used for sex and filmed WITHOUT HER KNOWLEDGE OR CONSENT BY EVA’S BEST FRIEND during one of these sexual encounters. The video was shown WITHOUT HER KNOWLEDGE OR CONSENT to Gideon and Eva. Corrine tries to commit suicide and loses her unborn baby. These women aren't just humiliated for being mean to the heroine and going after her man – they are completely disgraced and brought down. They are not humiliated, they are punished. There is a twisted catharsis in the book over the disgrace of these women that’s downright cruel and nasty. Having Magdalene eventually move on and most likely having Corrine find solace in the arms of her (shitty absent) husband doesn't make this “female-positive” – these characters are still harshly punished for being less than perfect women. Hell, in the second book even Eva is “punished” sexually by Gideon in a rather dubiously consented scene after she kisses another man to make him jealous. How fucked up is that?Day is a good writer, but the series has been spinning on its wheels for two books as the author and/or publisher try to pad out the books to extend the series and make more money. However, Day’s padding usually involves multiple female characters obsessed with Gideon and using mean girl tactics on Eva. What does this say about women and how they perceive each other? The series has serious issues with women and how they should act, who they should be, and how they should be treated. I don’t think this is intentional, but societal sexism is at work. “The evil slutty other woman who gets her comeuppance” is an easy plot device in many romance novels, and Entwined with You and the Crossfire series goes to that well over and over and over.