Covering Up Murder is an Underrated Way to Spend an Affordable Evening With Your Significant Other: Entwined With You Chapter 1

"Kristen Bell gives the middle finger ask she pretends to apply lipstick"

For those of you that have defied the odds and actually looked forward to BBGT (or at least half of BBGT) doing Entwined With You, your time has finally come. [Matthew says: But I’m still going to be here on Ariel’s posts, adding my two cents and dick jokes.] In case you forgot, the last book ended with Eva discovering that Gideon had murdered Nathan, Eva’s rapist stepbrother who repeatedly sexually abused her as a child. So, you know, a generally loveable and affable fellow whose loss will be felt throughout the world.

Not to mention it was Detective Graves who revealed all this to Eva and was like, “Damn it, Eva I can’t prove Gideon murdered Nathan, but here is how everything went down blow by blow. I also don’t even really want to prove I’m right because the power of your love has moved me despite my surly and hardened exterior!” So obviously super believable and realistic all around. [Matthew says: Basically, the psychologist scene from Psycho, which was everyone’s favorite.]

Chapter 1

We open with Eva in a cab, contemplating how she really walks to talk to someone about her understandably complex feelings about her boyfriend having murdered someone for her. Granted, in the last book she appeared to have no complicated feelings about this whatsoever, but I guess Sylvia Day needed some way to get the ball rolling with this book. [Matthew says: Or she realized it was really fucking unbelievable.]

In case you’re wondering where all the sex is, here’s why Eva has just left Gideon’s apartment.

I’d left Gideon alone because I couldn’t trust Graves’s motives. I couldn’t take the chance that she’d told me her suspicions just to see if I’d run to him and prove that his breakup with me was a well-crafted lie.

Isn’t believing in true love motivation enough for you, Eva? I don’t think the motivations of people in this universe get much more complicated than that. [Matthew says: Certainly not in the Crossfire universe.]

You know, I almost applauded Eva for questioning this detective’s motives, but the fact is Eva did run right over to Gideon’s right after their conversation! Unless Graves bugged Eva during their Krav Maga class, which let’s face it, no one in this book is smart enough to do, Graves would have no way of knowing what kind of conversation Eva and Gideon were having in that apartment. This is just a contrived way for us to get Eva in a car alone thinking Gideon’s name dramatically. Seriously. Here is a direct quote.

Gideon

Moving stuff.

Moments later, as Eva is about to step into her apartment, a reporter stops her and asks if she’d like to talk about Gideon Cross. Jesus, Day, let me settle back into this book before throwing this kind of shit at me again:

A rock settled in the bottom of my stomach. She was so exactly Gideon’s type—tall, slender, dark-haired, and golden-skinned. So very unlike me.
“Are you sure you want to go down this road?” I asked quietly, intuitively certain she’d fucked my man at some point in the past. “He isn’t someone I’d want to cross.” (Gideon Cross.)

It’s a known rule in these kinds of books that any time you meet an attractive woman, she has probably fucked your man at some point in the past.

Within two more paragraphs, the book reminds us of both Dr. Terrance Lucas (evil doctor who helped covered up Gideon’s past sexual abuse) and Brett Kline (Eva’s ex-boyfriend who wrote a super romantic song about how amazing her blowjobs are and how much he misses her [Matthew says: You can even watch my rendition of that song, because, seriously, that song.]). Guess maybe they’ll show up again! The thing is, the way we’re reminded of them is so forced and doesn’t make too much sense.  I’ll paraphrase:

Reporter Lady: Talk to me about Gideon! My motives may be unclear, but damn it, we need our revenge.
Eva: No thanks, I’m cool.

"Kristen Bell gives the middle finger ask she pretends to apply lipstick"

Reporter: Gideon can’t do what he wants just becuz he has money!
Eva (thinks): Hmmm Dr. Terrance Lucas said something like that to me once…
Eva says: No, I’m still cool.
Reporter: Well, not all of us have a rockstar boyfriend to fall back on :((((
Eva (thinks): She must be referring to Brett Kline. The man who wrote the blowjob song about me! [Matthew says: …who is not her boyfriend so… reporter lady really showed up out of nowhere to suddenly be an antagonist.]

Deanna, the reporter in question, says everyone’s got a dark side [Matthew says: Her reporting is getting dramatically more subjective as this scene goes on.] and that she thinks Eva will be able to give her some dirt on Gideon. Eva tells her maybe they’ll talk some other time, so she has the option to keep tabs on dis bitch.

Eva takes a shower, and when she gets out, Gideon is there waiting for her.

I’d given him a key, but he owned the building. Getting to me without leaving a trail that could be followed was possible with that advantage … just as he’d been able to get to Nathan.

Yes, that’s exactly the sort of comparison you want to make about your boyfriend, one that inspires confidence and comfort I’m sure.

Eva and Gideon tensely discuss their desperate need for one another and how they can’t breathe when they’re apart, and Eva admits to us that she must be twisted because she just doesn’t care he murdered her awful stepbrother. Guess her feelings weren’t so complicated after all. [Matthew says: Much like my feelings about not wanting to read this book myself.] They agree to hide the murder together, and Eva is like, “I felt a little weird that we were colluding to cover up a murder, but that’s what relationships and true love are all about, so it’s totes fine, and now it’s time to drop my towel and bone Gideon.”

And with that the first boning of Entwined With You officially begins, because nothing, and I mean nothing, is sexier than some good old fashioned colluding.

 

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8 comments

  1. AJ Reply

    Who the fuck are any of these people?!

    I’m sorry. I guess I just found the Crossfire series so stupid that I blocked out everyone who shows up in the books. Funny, I still remember Nora and fucking Patch from Hush, Hush, but not Eva or anyone else from this horrible series except for Gideon (who appears in my mind as a giant dildo of a grotesque black color).

    Speaking of horrible characters, I started reading Pamela out of morbid curiosity and already I hate Mr. B. He is undoubtedly the creepiest character I’ve ever had the misfortune to encounter in any book I’ve read or not-read. AGH

    • 22aer22 Post authorReply

      I know right, I think Sylvia Day must have even realized no one would be able to remember who these people were, so she tried to mention as many as possible during this chapter even if the way they were mentioned came out of the blue.

      I’m sure Matt will be really pleased (and apologetic?) that he’s gotten someone to read Pamela. My boyfriend told me he read some of it awhile back and that he couldn’t stand it, so bless you for trying it. I hate it and I’m just reading and commenting on Matt’s posts.

      Someone creepier than Gideon?! My God!!

  2. Madeline Reply

    Eva’s got conflicted feelings?!? Well that’s nothing new but her having suspicions about Graves: footage not found. Also this reporter clearly knew Gideon personally if she’s talking bout revenge and crap.

    • 22aer22 Post authorReply

      Eva had conflicting feelings about Gideon murdering someone for her for all of three seconds, but she has complicated feelings about every fucking thing else in this book! In the words of Gideon, “Damn you, Eva.” I’m sure he’s said that?

      Yeah, but what’s weird is that Eva thought the woman had fucked Gideon before she said anything remotely incriminating in that regard. It would have made sense if Eva grew suspicious when this woman was talking about getting revenge, but it was like the moment she walked up and asked if she could talk to her, Eva was like, “OMG SHE HAS FUCKED GIDEON CAUSE SHE LOOKS LIKE HIS TYPE.” Like Day was so excited to write this, she couldn’t wait like 5 sentences.

      • Madeline Reply

        “Detective” Eva strikes again! Making assumptions out of thin air!

  3. E.H.Taylor Reply

    Well, this opening does a great job of reminding us of the majority of reasons why Eva is such an unlikable character, so good job, Day?

  4. Kristin Reply

    Yay!! So glad to be reading Sylvia Day again!! I would say the book becomes more believable going forward but it doesn’t. It really is like Day read your spot on analysis of the previous books & decided to write this one just for you!

    • 22aer22 Post authorReply

      I would feel both honored and disturbed if she read this blog, and the conclusion she drew was, “I need to write an equally terrible book just to prove them right!”

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