I’ve read every
installment of the Inside Out Series so far and I’m so ready for the STARZ
mini-series. With REVEALING US, book three in this fab series by Lisa Renee Jones,
we finally discover all the secrets – or do we?
***purchased a copy for
my own personal reading but am sharing my honest and unscripted review.
Blurb for REVEALING US:
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?
* * * * *
Sara McMillan and Chris
Merit travel to Paris, France to find out if they truly are meant to be together
and to find out what’s happened to Sara’s friend, Ella Ferguson. Once in Paris,
Sara confronts a part of Chris’s life she must decide she can handle even as
she feels lost in a strange city, unable to speak the language, and not even
comfortable with the food. Chris has promised to reveal the truth about his
past, and she has promised to handle it without freaking out and leaving him,
but when she meets two women who are a great part of his past, she struggles to
pull an inner strength forward to resist running. When they discover someone
else is looking for Ella, Sara becomes concerned the events surrounding Rebecca
are repeating themselves, and dealing with Ava is more than enough right now.
Lisa Renee Jones managed
to keep us on the edge even as the series starts to come to a close - or does it? She manages to dangle yet another mystery in front of us at the end of this one, but not wishing to
give away too much, I’m not going to say anything more. REVEALING US by Lisa
Renee Jones may not be as intriguing, as edge of the seat, or addicting as the
first two books, IF I WERE YOU and BEING ME, were but it begins to give us closure even
as it dangles the carrot for more yet to come.
If you haven’t read this series, I don’t want to give away too much but I
highly recommend you do. There’s so much hoopla over that SHADES movie coming out, but this is the series you won’t want to
miss when it premieres on STARZ – dates still unknown, and we’re getting very
anxious, Lisa. ;-)
I highly recommend
REVEALING US by Lisa Renee Jones, not because it’s the best read but because it starts us on the road to closure, which we need for Sara and Chris. If you haven’t dipped your toes
into this seductively erotic romance series then by all means, do. Start with IF I WERE YOU, follow it with Rebecca's Lost Journals before moving on to BEING ME and
REVEALING US. And don’t miss the novellas, featuring Chris and Mark’s stories from their point of view, either. They
give great insight into the men, and then you'll want to read NO IN BETWEEN, the 4th book in the Inside Out series, just as I do. Next! Happy Reading Everyone!
REVEALING US, an Inside
Out novel by Lisa Renee Jones, Gallery Books, available in print and
ebook formats at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobobooks.
***click on links above or cover below for purchasing information, remember even pennies per sale using my links help keep this blog alive. Thank you.
Almost a year ago, well
it will be in August, I introduced you to a new trilogy by Lisa Renee Jones, the
Inside Out Trilogy. IF I WERE YOU was book one in the trilogy and because Lisa
knew it was going to be a long wait for book two, BEING ME, she filled in the
months and gaps with Rebecca’s Lost Journals. I’ve reviewed and discussed all
of these except the soon-to-be released BEING ME with you and I hope you’ve
ventured into this amazing trilogy that will someday be a featured mini-series
on STARZ. When asked if I would like to read and review BEING ME by Lisa Renee
Jones, I leaped, ran, celebrated, and promised to read it before release and
not to give out any spoilers. So, don’t ask, I’m not going to tell you any of
the answers to secrets that you will encounter in BEING ME, book two of the
Inside Out Trilogy by Lisa Renee Jones.
***eARC provided by
author in exchange for an honest and unscripted reviews and no spoilers.
Blurb for BEING ME:
"I arch into
him, drinking in his passion, instantly, willingly consumed by all that he is
and could be to me. . . ."
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? * * * * *
At the end of IF I WERE
YOU, we left Sara in the dark inside the storage unit containing Rebecca’s
belongings. Scared witless, believing the worst is about to befall her, Sara is
thankful when her phone rings, and it is Chris. He’s back in town and she can’t
be happier to see him. Now worried that Sara is in danger, Chris insists that
she stay with him and be under his protection – meaning he wants her to tell
him or his security where she is at all times. Well, Sara McMillan is not the
kind of woman to do as she is told - even by Chris Merit, the man with whom she’s
falling in love.
Sara is determined to
discover what has happened to Rebecca. Her angst grows stronger when she
discovers that her friend, Ella, has still not been in touch since supposedly going on a
honeymoon with a man Sara has never met. Chris does his best to aid her with
both. He’s hired private investigators to search out the whereabouts of both
women, even as Sara goes against his wishes and makes her inquisitive inquiries
into galley clients and business. Her suspicions toward Ricco Alvarez, Mark
Compton, and even Chris remain strong. She’s still not ready to open
herself up to Chris completely until one evening when someone from her past
reappears and threatens to ruin things for Chris.
That’s it, folks – that’s
all you’re getting out of me! Vague, I know, intriguing – I hope!
Lisa starts BEING ME
exactly where we left off, in the darkness of the storage unit with Sara. Can
you ask for better continuity? Just as in IF I WERE YOU, we journey with Sara
through her actions (present tense) and her thoughts, her joys, her growing
love for Chris, and her anxieties.
BEING ME by Lisa Renee
Jones is everything I expected it to be and a bit more. We experience falling
deeper in love with Chris as Sara does. We see a side of him that is unexpected
as well as a side that breaks our hearts. Mark shows himself to have a sense of
humor and emotion that actually makes me want to know him even better and learn
what secrets he carries that motivate him to be the way he is. Everyone has secrets, some are revealed in BEING ME, while others are
driven deeper driving us to want them revealed all the more. There are answers
in BEING ME, but Lisa has, once more, left us in the end with more questions
that need answering, and a what will
happen next cliffhanger.
I hope you’ve been
following the Inside Out Trilogy by Lisa Renee Jones. If you haven’t ventured
into this amazing thriller contemporary romance series, I highly recommend you
do. You must start with book one – IF I WERE YOU – followed by four of Rebecca’s
Lost Journals: THE SEDUCTION, THE CONTRACT,HIS SUBMISSIVE, and MY MASTER.
After reading those, you’ll be ready, and starving, for BEING ME.
BEING ME, book two of
the Inside Out Trilogy by Lisa Renee Jones is an adventure in reading that
shouldn’t be missed. It has the answers you seek after IF I WERE YOU. It
creates more questions that will plague you until you can read the final book,
REVEALING US, but it keeps you mesmerized and intrigued. It keeps you turning
the pages in eagerness to experience Sara and Chris, while seeking out the pensive
relationship that exists between Sara and Mark.
I highly recommend BEING
ME by Lisa Renee Jones to all who read IF I WERE YOU and Rebecca’s Lost
Journals, and to anyone who wishes to experience a romance that will leave you
breathless, heart aching, and wishing you could reach into the pages and
comfort the men of the Inside Out Trilogy. This is not a stand-alone novel. You
MUST read book one and the journals to understand what’s happening in BEING ME,
but it’s so worth it, I can’t even begin to express how much. It will definitely leave
you craving more. Thank goodness the wait for the next installment is much shorter.
BEING ME, an Inside Out
Trilogy novel by Lisa Renee Jones, Simon and Schuster, release date – June 11,
2013 in print and ebook formats.
***Feel free to click on the above covers for purchasing information.
Back in August, I was fortunate enough to read and review book one of the Inside Out Trilogy, IF I WERE YOU, by Lisa Renee Jones. I was totally hooked by this incredible story of a woman's need to discover the whereabouts of a woman she'd only met through the journals left behind in a storage unit. We're still waiting for book two, BEING ME, due to release in June but in the meantime, Lisa has provided us with a wonderful diversion in the form of Rebecca's Lost Journals similar to those that Sara McMillan read and that drew her into the world in which Rebecca entered and from which she mysteriously disappeared.
If you haven't read IF I WERE YOU by Lisa Renee Jones yet, I implore you do and come on this fabulous adventure into mystery and seduction with Sara and the rest of us. If you have read this fabulous first installment of the trilogy that Lisa refers to as FIFTY SHADES OF GRAY meets BASIC INSTINCT, then I promise you will want to read Lisa's companion novella treats, REBECCA'S LOST JOURNALS. I call them treats because they are short little forays into the world that Rebecca encounters and clues to what may have happened to her and who might have taken her away - the question: who is her MASTER? I love the concept of writing Rebecca's story as her journal entries - the same kind of journal entries that drew Sara into the world of the art gallery and the mysterious world of BDSM while trying to discern if the man in Rebecca's life is Mark, Chris, Ricco or someone completely different.
THE SEDUCTION is volume one in Rebecca's Lost Journals by Lisa Renee Jones. I received the eARC of this novella and the second one, THE CONTRACT, as provided by the author in exchange for an honest and unscripted review.
Blurb for the SEDUCTION: An Inside Out novella...
The secret life of Rebecca and the men who have seduced her. These are the journals Sara never sees, but you the reader, will!
More details!
The journals read like stories and begin the first time Rebecca visits the gallery in the INSIDE OUT TRILOGY. You will meet Mark, Chris, Ava, Amanda, Ricco, and all the series characters as she does AND there are tons of clues to what happens in BEING ME in the first 4 serials. They are woven within the story ready for your discovery, as is Rebecca's dark, erotic journey.
In THE SEDUCTION, we meet Rebecca from her point of view as she writes in her journal. We discover her desire to work at the art gallery and rise above her current go nowhere career as a waitress. We encounter the world of art as she does, and we're given a voyeuristic view of her encounter with a man who changes her life and wishes her to become his submissive. We suffer her fears, her angst, and her hesitations as she wonders if she is getting in over her head.
Having read IF I WERE YOU, I loved this inside look into the mind of the character that drives Sarah McMillan's need to know in the trilogy. I love the little clues that are given here and there which only make me want to get my hands on BEING YOU all the more and wishing it was here already!!
I literally had THE SEDUCTION read in about 40 minutes. It was over almost as soon as it began which was okay because I knew there were more to come. Wonderful teasers that keep the reader's appetite for more of the INSIDE OUT TRILOGY going strong.
*************
THE CONTRACT is volume two of Rebecca's Lost Journals by Lisa Renee Jones. As stated above, I received an eARC from the author in exchange for an honest and unscripted review.
Blurb for THE CONTRACT: Same blurb as above. In THE CONTRACT, Rebecca has been presented with a contract by her "Master" and she must decide if she will agree to it or walk away. He tells her it's negotiable but she's not sure what he means. He keeps telling her that it's all about her pleasure but she has a hard time understanding that when the contract talks about punishment, his sharing her with others, and being under his control whenever they are together as her being in control. She questions the contract, she questions his desires, and when she tells him no, rather than take that as the final answer, he asks her to try everything at least once. He tells her that if she doesn't like it, that provision will be dropped from THE CONTRACT.
In THE CONTRACT, we're given even more clues about who the MAN might be and what kind of world Rebecca has been drawn into but I think I'm finding myself even more intrigued, and even more in the dark but definitely eager to read more. Yes, I'm addicted to the Inside Out Trilogy and now Rebecca's Lost Journals. You might laugh but I know if you read them too, you will be just as addicted. I had this one consumed in less than 30 minutes. Addicting!
Lisa Renee Jones has created almost a franchise of intrigue surrounding the mysterys, the sex, the danger, and the eroticism of the Inside Out Trilogy and readers are clamoring for more. How about you? Have you read any of this amazing series yet - if not, what are you waiting for? At the cost of 99¢ for each of Rebecca's Lost Journals, you can't go wrong for an amazing introduction to the Inside Out Trilogy.
This series was originally set to be a self-published endeavor by the author but shortly after IF I WERE YOU was released, Lisa's entire series was picked up by Simon & Schuster so her loyal readers weren't the only ones who saw an amazing future for this series. With THE SEDUCTION already available, THE CONTRACT releasing this month, and two more volumes from Rebecca's Lost Journals (HIS SUBMISSIVE and MY MASTER) due out by the end of May and BEING ME, the second book in the trilogy due out in June, there's plenty to keep your imagination active and satisfied - like any happy addict.
Happy Reading Everyone!
IF I WERE YOU, book one of the Inside Out Trilogy by Lisa Renee Jones, Simon & Schuster, available in print and ebook formats.
THE SEDUCTION, volume 1 of the Rebecca's Lost Journals by Lisa Renee Jones, Simon & Schuster, available in ebook formats.
THE CONTRACT, volume 2 of the Rebecca's Lost Journals by Lisa Renee Jones, Simon & Schuster, release date February 18, 2013 in ebook formats.
HIS SUBMISSIVE, volume 3 of the Rebecca's Lost Journals by Lisa Renee Jones, Simon & Schuster, release date April 22, 2013 in ebook formats.
MY MASTER, volume 4 of the Rebecca's Lost Journals by Lisa Renee Jones, Simon & Schuster, release date May 20, 2013 in ebook formats.
If you read my review of IF I WERE YOU by Lisa Renee Jones on Monday's post then you know that I absolutely raved over that book and can't wait to read the next one - soooooon!! If you haven't read my review then, by all means, CLICK HERE, and then hurry back because the lady herself, Lisa Renee Jones, is joining us today for a chat and a Giveaway!!
Lisa is the author of over thirty novels and novellas across several genres. I've now discovered that she writes excellent erotic romance as well as paranormals featuring vampires and werewolves. In 2003, the award winning author sold her Austin, Texas based multi-state staffing agency and pursued her desire to write. This is quite an amazing switch considering in 1998, her staffing agency, LRJ Staffing, was listed as the #7 growing women owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine and it had been recognized many times by The Austin Business Journal and praised by Dallas Women Magazine. I am personally glad she made the switch since I've benefited by having great stories to read. I am also very happy to have her here today so I hope you'll all join me in welcoming Lisa Renee Jones to UNWRAPPING ROMANCE.
Amy: Hi Lisa, it's an absolute delight to have you here with us today. Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to join us.
Perhaps you can tell us a little about yourself for the benefit of those who don't know you yet and maybe explain a bit about why you turned to writing.
Lisa: I spent many years in the corporate world and had a point where I had a big opportunity but it would demand another five years. It thought -- if I do this -- will I ever chase my dream or will I feel I’m too old? So I walked away and many people thought I was nuts. I have family that didn’t support me to the extreme. I love that Will Smith quote, "If you aren’t with me when I’m at the bottom you aren’t with me when I’m on the top." That didn’t mean anything to me until I dared down this path and I saw how hard it can be to keep going when people act like you're insane. I stuck with it though and I’m glad I did.
Amy: So are we, Lisa, so are we! That's a very inspirational quote - I'll have to remember that one. Your bookshelf consists of works from many different romance genres, including one of my faves, paranormal. So where do you get your inspiration?
Lisa: I never liked paranormal until I met Diego and he is a zombie - vampire -comic book freak. He got me into paranormal and that really opened doors. He also loves scary things so making me see scary movies helped me write scared better, I think. Because I get SCARED. I’m the one everyone wants out of the movie! : )
I have different frames of mind and music I use based on the genre. My Blaze are light and fun so I tend to have a light fun playlist and then dark and intense playlist for my suspense.
Amy: Ah, music can be quite the mood setter as all of us romantics know. : ) Is there a particular genre that you prefer over others or are you still testing the waters and so haven't found one yet?
Lisa: I love suspense. It’s what my first proposal I ever wrote was and I’ve come full circle back to it and that makes me very happy.
Amy: Well, IF I WERE YOU is definitely filled with suspense - especially that cliffhanger ending! You do a lot of series. I've heard some authors say that sometimes the next story starts writing itself even before the first one is done. Do you find this to be the case or does your muse simply drive you to keep the world she's helped you create going until she decides to do something else?
Lisa: Oh yes! It does. I know what is happening in the next book while writing the book I’m writing. The characters start talking to you and screaming their story. With IF I WERE YOU I know the complete 3 book arc so I ended book 1 ready and eager to dig into book 2.
Amy: Speaking of your newest release, IF I WERE YOU, which is the first book in the Inside Out Trilogy - you refer to it as Fifty Shades of Grey meets Basic Instinct. Before I read it, I heard whispering that it's even better than either of those. I can tell you, my dear readers - oh, wait, I already did in the review - it's a hundred times better than FIFTY SHADES. Were you inspired by either of these works or was there some other inspiration that led you to this series?
Lisa: I am so very flattered to hear that kind of whisper! Actually I wrote a large portion of this LONG before Shades. It sat on a New York desk for a year with two editors' approval. A division of the pub got closed right when finally the 2nd took it to the final 3rd and it was axed. However, in that year The Shades craze hit and for once having that kind of delay seemed positive. It made the market ripe for this story.
Amy: Well, fate obviously has a way of insinuating itself into our lives whether we want it to or not, doesn't it? I love that this story came out of reality and that your fella was so persistent that you write it. Thank you Diego! Lisa, you told me once that of all of your books, IF I WERE YOU, is the one you're most excited about us reading. What it is about this story that makes it so special to you?
Amy: As I said in my review, the first person/present pov of this story creates a real 'walk in her shoes' feeling and it works incredibly well. Like the trilogy starting with FIFTY SHADES OF GREY, this trilogy - INSIDE OUT - begins with IF I WERE YOU and continues through the next two books, so I'm curious, as my readers may be if they decide to become as addicted to this series as I am now - will we ever find out what happened to Rebecca and Ella? (both of whom seemed to have disappeared without a clue in book one)
Lisa: Yes, absolutely. In fact, you will get answers to Rebecca in book 2. Eventually you will find out about Ella, too -- but maybe not in #2. : )
Amy: Didn't think you'd give it away but it never hurts to ask. Love the mystery of it even as I have started to formulate my own theories. LOL! When it comes to your own reading, do you have any favorite authors or genres that you prefer and have they had any influence on your writing?
Lisa: I love Karen Moning- all of her books. I’ve never read one I didn’t like. She just makes characters come to life. For dark and gritty, I love Lauren McKenna. She has such raw sensuality to her books. They inspire me to greatness and I would have a fan girl moment with either of them.
Amy: This whole interview has been a fan girl moment for me. ; ) Okay, [taking a deep breath to relax] last question. If you could be ANY character in ANY book, not necessarily one of your own, which character would it be and why?
Lisa: Oh that is a tough question. I wouldn’t be any of the characters but while I’m reading a good book by a great author I sure feel like the character. I love so much when an author does that to me. I aspire to do that to my readers.
Amy: You have definitely succeeded with IF I WERE YOU - seriously, my dears, you literally experience being Sara McMillan in this story.
Lisa, thank you so very much for sharing your busy schedule with us and it's been an absolute thrill to have you here today. Congratulations on the release of IF I WERE YOU! I'm very much looking forward to the series and I hope we've inspired my readers, too. I hope you've enjoyed your visit as much as we enjoy reading your stories.
********************
It's Wacky Wednesday so we need a Giveaway!
Lisa has most graciously offered up a PRINT COPY of her upcoming September release from Harlequin Blaze - FOLLOW MY LEAD - as well as a $10 Amazon gift card to ONE LUCKY COMMENTER.
I'm also throwing into the pot an ECOPY of IF I WERE YOU to a SECOND LUCKY COMMENTER.
So that's 2 chances to win, my dears - 2 CHANCES TO WIN!
This Giveaway is OPEN TO EVERYONE - International included (void where prohibited by law, of course) but remember the formula for entry:
COMMENT + EMAIL ADDRESS = ENTRY
You must leave a valid email address with your comment in order to be properly entered in this Giveaway - I really hate dropping comments from the entries because there's no email address - so PLEASE leave your email address - remember you can write it out long to prevent SPAM, I don't mind. : )
QUESTION:
HAVE YOU EVER FOUND SOMETHING HIDDEN AWAY THAT INSPIRED YOUR IMAGINATION TO CONJURE A STORY AROUND IT?
This Giveaway will run until 11:30PM EDT, Friday, August 31st. Two winners will be chosen at random and notified by EMAIL (see why it's important) and then their names will be announced on a special Saturday post. Good luck Everyone!
THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!! THANKS FOR VISITING!
Giveaway Prizes:
Blurb for FOLLOW MY LEAD, book 2 in Stepping Up, releasing Sept 18, 2012:
Stepping Up is back!
This season is going to be hotter—and more scandalous—than ever!After the roaring success of the first season, the pressure is on America's
most popular reality dance show. And no one is feeling it as much as guest judge
and TV presenter Darla James. This opportunity could make her career soar…or
sink. But when her nemesis, the very hot and infuriating Blake Nelson, is asked
to join the show, too, Darla wonders exactly what she's signed up for!
But the sparks—on camera and off—between Darla and Blake are brighter than a
Georgia firecracker, and all the tension between them has turned into wicked,
mind-blowing, melt-your-brain sex. If anyone finds out, it will be the end of
both their reputations—and the scandal of the television season. Then again,
with chemistry like theirs, it might be worth it!
Blurb for IF I WERE YOU, book 1 in the Inside Out Trilogy:
How it began….
One day I was a high school teacher on summer break, leading a relatively uneventful but happy life. Or so I told myself. Later, I’d question that, as I would question pretty much everything I knew about me, my relationships, and my desires. It all began when my neighbor thrust a key to a storage unit at me. She’d bought it to make extra money after watching some storage auction show. Now she was on her way to the airport to elope with a man she barely knew, and she needed me to clear out the unit before the lease expires.
Soon, I was standing inside a small room that held the intimate details of another woman’s life, feeling uncomfortable , as if I was invading her privacy. Why had she let these items so neatly packed, possessions that she clearly cared about deeply, be lost at an auction? Driven to find out by some unnamed force, I began to dig, to discover this woman’s life, and yes, read her journals—-dark, erotic journals that I had no business reading. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. I read on obsessively, living out fantasies through her words that I’d never dare experience on my own, compelled by the three men in her life, none of whom had names. I read onward until the last terrifying dark entry left me certain that something had happened to this woman. I had to find her and be sure she was okay.
Before long, I was taking her job for the summer at the art gallery, living her life, and she was nowhere to be found. I was becoming someone I didn’t know. I was becoming her…
The dark, passion it becomes…
Now, I am working at a prestigious gallery, where I have always dreamed of being, and I’ve been delivered to the doorstep of several men, all of which I envision as one I’ve read about in the journal. But there is one man that will call to me, that will awaken me in ways I never believed possible. That man is the ruggedly sexy artist, Chris Merit, who wants to paint me. He is rich and famous, and dark in ways I shouldn’t find intriguing, but I do. I so do. I don’t understand why his dark side appeals to me, but the attraction between us is rich with velvety promises of satisfaction. Chris is dark, and so are his desires, but I cannot turn away. He is damaged beneath his confident good looks and need for control, and in some way, I feel he needs me. I need him.
All I know for certain is that he knows me like I don’t even know me, and he says I know him. Still, I keep asking myself — do I know him? Did he know her, the journal writer, and where is she? And why doesn’t it seem to matter anymore? There is just him and me, and the burn for more. ************************* If you're interested in learning more about Lisa's awesome book list, please feel free to visit her WEBSITE, and follow her on TWITTER and FACEBOOK. Happy Reading Everyone!!
I've been reading paranormals written by Lisa Renee Jones for some time after discovering her quite by chance so when she first started talking about this new trilogy that she claims is FIFTY SHADES OF GREY meets BASIC INSTINCT, I knew I had to give it a try. I was fortunate enough to get an eARC of IF I WERE YOU, book one in the Inside Out trilogy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unscripted review. Boy, am I so glad!!
Blurb for IF I WERE YOU:
How it began….
One day I was a high school teacher on summer break, leading a relatively uneventful but happy life. Or so I told myself. Later, I’d question that, as I would question pretty much everything I knew about me, my relationships, and my desires. It all began when my neighbor thrust a key to a storage unit at me. She’d bought it to make extra money after watching some storage auction show. Now she was on her way to the airport to elope with a man she barely knew, and she needed me to clear out the unit before the lease expires.
Soon, I was standing inside a small room that held the intimate details of another woman’s life, feeling uncomfortable , as if I was invading her privacy. Why had she let these items so neatly packed, possessions that she clearly cared about deeply, be lost at an auction? Driven to find out by some unnamed force, I began to dig, to discover this woman’s life, and yes, read her journals—-dark, erotic journals that I had no business reading. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. I read on obsessively, living out fantasies through her words that I’d never dare experience on my own, compelled by the three men in her life, none of whom had names. I read onward until the last terrifying dark entry left me certain that something had happened to this woman. I had to find her and be sure she was okay.
Before long, I was taking her job for the summer at the art gallery, living her life, and she was nowhere to be found. I was becoming someone I didn’t know. I was becoming her…
The dark, passion it becomes…
Now, I am working at a prestigious gallery, where I have always dreamed of being, and I’ve been delivered to the doorstep of several men, all of which I envision as one I’ve read about in the journal. But there is one man that will call to me, that will awaken me in ways I never believed possible. That man is the ruggedly sexy artist, Chris Merit, who wants to paint me. He is rich and famous, and dark in ways I shouldn’t find intriguing, but I do. I so do. I don’t understand why his dark side appeals to me, but the attraction between us is rich with velvety promises of satisfaction. Chris is dark, and so are his desires, but I cannot turn away. He is damaged beneath his confident good looks and need for control, and in some way, I feel he needs me. I need him.
All I know for certain is that he knows me like I don’t even know me, and he says I know him. Still, I keep asking myself — do I know him? Did he know her, the journal writer, and where is she? And why doesn’t it seem to matter anymore? There is just him and me, and the burn for more. * * * * *
This is Sara McMillan's story and when you read IF I WERE YOU, you will walk in her shoes in a way that will entice you, entrance you and capture you like no other story.
Tempted by a mysterious journal left by her neighbor and friend, Ella, Sara opens it and begins to read. She soon finds herself caught up in the erotic writings of a woman named Rebecca who is a complete mystery to her except for what she experiences through the woman's words. After being given free reign over the contents of a storage locker filled with Rebecca's possessions and even more journals, Sara embarks on a mission to discover who Rebecca is, where she has gone and what caused her to leave everything she owned in storage locker that has now been auctioned off to strangers.
As Sara steps into the shoes of Rebecca by being hired to take over the woman's job at an art gallery, we step into this new, exciting world of art, wine, expensive things, wealthy people and something far darker and possibly much more sinister. Lisa Renee Jones has chosen to write this extraordinary and suspenseful erotic romance in first person present and it works so magnificently well that you soon feel as if what you're reading is actually happening to you or wishing it was anyway.
IF I WERE YOU by Lisa Renee Jones is the first book in the Inside Out Trilogy. Lisa refers to it as FIFTY SHADES OF GREY meets BASIC INSTINCT and it's easy to see the connection to the first, although it's a hundred times better, but I began to wonder where the latter came in until I reached the last chapter. I'm not going to tell you anymore except to say that it is a cliffhanger. It's a cliffhanger that will have leaping from your chair and begging for more. It's one of the best cliffhangers I've ever read in a series.
Reading IF I WERE YOU by Lisa Renee Jones is not just a great read, it's a great experience. It's rich with sensation, emotion, and when Sara begins to fall in love with Chris, you begin to fall in love with Chris as well. By the way, Chris Merit makes Christian Grey look like a nobody when it comes to romancing with wealth. Grey may have an appeal to some but I think every woman who reads IF I WERE YOU will be wishing for a Chris Merit to sweep her off her feet. Don't get me wrong, he's a tortured broken hero but he's nowhere near as screwed up as Christian Grey and so much more believable and endearing. Sara has her demons to deal with also but she's so much more relatable that when she's hurt, angry, or confused - so are you. As the reader, you become Sara McMillan. IF I WERE YOU is a masterpiece of characterization, emotions, and most of all uses the magic of words to transport you into your own imagination so thoroughly that you feel you are living the book rather than just reading it.
I highly recommend to anyone who loves great story-telling, great romance, mystery, falling in love, and delighting in imaginative and intellectual sensuality that acts on the brain like foreplay - read IF I WERE YOU by Lisa Renee Jones. I can't wait to read book two - BEING ME. Thank you Lisa!
Happy Reading Everyone!
IF I WERE YOU by Lisa Renee Jones, self-published and available now in print and ebook formats.
Btw - be sure to stopy by on Wednesday when Lisa will join me to talk about herself and her books plus I do believe she's got a Giveaway. See you then. : )
I’ve read every
installment of the Inside Out Series so far and I’m so ready for the STARZ
mini-series. With REVEALING US, book three in this fab series by Lisa Renee Jones,
we finally discover all the secrets – or do we?
