Jump to content

* * CAPTIVATED BY YOU ++ SPOILER ++ CHAT * *


Kirsten

Recommended Posts

Hello everyone, I’m new to the group and have enjoyed reading everyone’s comments and opinions. In anticipation of the release of CBY, I re-listened to the first 3 books  and I think I’m ready to contribute my opinions as well, so here it goes:

 

Gideon: I enjoyed Gideons POV. I liked knowing what he was thinking and feeling while putting on his “steel façade†for the world, like when he negotiated with Mark on the Monday morning after his split with Eva. I was also glad that we were introduced to some of Gideon’s “friends†in this book. It gave us a look at a more relaxed side of him, but I was disappointed that none of his friends were just friends, and not employees or business associates. Arash is awesome, so glad to meet him,  but he is still Gideon’s employee. He can call Gideon on his sh*t but he still has to jump when Gideon says jump. Because of that they can never  really be “no strings attached†friends. Same with Arnaldo, yes he cares for Gideon very much, but he also owes Gideon his life for saving him after a bad break-up and financially backing him in the restaurant venture.  I think that on some level Gideon understands this and feels that without Eva he is truly alone, which would explain his sheer panic everytime he feels he may lose Eva. So glad he is opening up, even if he felt forced to. That is the only way he will heal. Hope he finds peace in the 5th book.

 

Eva: We have to remember that Eva is only 24 and had a difficult childhood. it is amazing that she has overcome so much and is still strong enough to go toe to toe with Gideon,  while attempting to drag him from the very dark place that he has hidden himself in for so long. But her youth and immaturity shows. For example she behaves badly in from of Arnoldo, but then is upset that he does not care for her.  She knows that Gideon has an empire and he had already told her that she should work for him so they could continue to build his empire together, but also it would eliminate the possibility of her inadvertanly working for any of his competitors. She knows this, and still either ignores or somehow does not know that that the Phaze one project  is in direct competition to her husband. That’s immature and irresponsible and naïve in the extreme. And yes Mark is talented but he is still a Junior associate and she should have known something was up because Gideon did the same thing with the Kingsman Vodka campain. Gideon offering Mark a job, knowing that It would result in Eva losing hers, was maybe not the best approach, but he is a ruthless business man and is not used to asking for permission before making a business decision. I can understand her fury but she should have already realized that life as she knew it to that point is essentially over as soon as she said “I doâ€. And honestly would she have said “Sure Gideon go ahead and offer my boss a jobâ€. Duh!! Of course not. That would have caused a huge fight as well. I understand Sylvia had to create a catalyst to force Gideon to finally open up, but I do hope we see some growth in Eva in the 5th book as she is getting tiring. And frankly I don’t enjoy seeing Gideon on his knees.

 

Brett: I do believe that Brett was manipulated by Christopher from the moment Eva was outed as the Golden girl, so I feel a bit bad for him in that respect. I think Brett thinks he has real feelings for Eva. I don’t think that his bad judgment about the video was done out of real greed, but out of manipulation by both Christopher and his band mates. Given Eva’s behavior in their past he may truly believe that she will be ok with the video. That he did not anticipate Eva’s reaction shows how little he truly knows her. I think he will make one last attempt, but will realize quickly that there is no hope.  There are just too many larger story lines to be resolved and I think, or hope this one will be resolved quickly.   I do think Brett will go some distance in redeeming himself with  re Christopher, and he has already taken steps in that direction by demanding that the video be re-done.

 

Cary: He was much more damaged than Eva because rather than a mom who swept in to remove the threat the way Monica did with Nathan, Cary’s damage was directly caused by his mother. Major damage. Eva was the first person who cares for him despite his beautiful packaging and the bonus was a new mom, Monica. I think that Cary’s pride, what he has managed to build of it, is taking a hit since moving to New York with Eva. I think the apartment and Monica and Richard’s generosity does weigh on his conscience and he  feels he needs to accept Gideon’s “pity†apartment because he cannot afford to live on his own with a baby on the way, again a hit to his pride. Further, being a model, he is back to being admired and valued only for his outside packaging. His anchor, Eva, is absent. She gives him value. She has a right to her life, but Cary, being so damaged, needs more of an anchor so he is adrift and behaving badly.  Tatiana would drive anyone to madness.  I hope that is resolved in a way that everyone is not to hurt and I hope  Trey stays in the picture for Cary’s sake. Also, I think that Cary may feel a bit left behind by Eva, but in the end he is very loyal and protective of her, which would explain his sometimes hostile reactions to Gideon, even after all Gideon has done for him. If he sided with Gideon out of appreciation, then he would only be selling his allegiance to the highest bidder and that is not Cary’s style. He is Eva’s best friend and biggest champion and that will not change no matter what. The Anne and Cary connection had not crossed my mind, but it’s possible and very scary! Anne is obviously a master manipulator and Cary is mentally weak right now, she could certainly use him to get to Eva without Cary’s knowledge. 

 

Corinne: Grrr!!!! After attempting suicide and murdering her baby, she is after Gideon again! She probably took a cab straight from the hospital to his office. She does not even mourn her child, all she says is “ I couldn’t believe it, after trying for so longâ€. That’s it, no sadness or guilt, Just  continuing to throw herself at Gideon! Wow!! And a tell-all book will remind him of all the good times and convince him that he does really love her!! Really? Wow!! Just Wow!!!  I do believe that she knew about the baby ( how could she not)  and agree that her goal was to get Gideon compromised and pass the baby off as his. The timing would have been off, but not by as long if she had managed it as soon as she returned to NY. Obviously as time went by that seemed less likely, which is why she is not mourning the baby.  She is obviously sick!

 

Monica: Get’s on my very last nerve! Yes she did the right thing by saving Eva from Nathan and removing her from that home. She obviously loves her daughter and Cary very much, but really!!?? Beyond that, her life’s ambition is to be the perfect arm candy for a very rich and powerful man and making herself worth her price tag. I find her shallow and irritating. She and Victor will NEVER get back together. She could never be happy with him, period, whether she loves him or not.

 

Victor: I think Victor’s eyes will be open in the 5th book relative to Monica. I think he will realize that he is in love with a beautiful memory and that the reality of Monica does not match his memory of her. I hope he is finally able to move on.

 

Chris Vidal: His reaction to Eva’s revelation about Gideon came out of nowhere. We really don’t meet Chris after the garden party in the first book and get absolutely no feel for his relationship with Gideon, beyond a fond “we can always hope†line.  I do not always agree with Eva’s methods in defending Gideon. I realize she thought Chris knew, but regardless, the subject of Gideon’s abuse is so sensitive and she just brings it up. I was not comfortable with that.  I was, however, so glad that there is someone else in Gideon’s corner willing to fight for him beside Eva. I am glad Chris left Elizabeth and unlike other’s opinions, do not believe that they will reconcile with Eva’s help. I don’t see Eva forgiving Elizabeth either, frankly, but Chris, no. Why? Because Chris tells Gideon that he has always considered him his own son. As a father it is his right and responsibility to protect and defend his children and not only did Elizabeth not protect and defend Gideon, but she did not allow Chris to do it either. She took away his right to be a real father to Gideon.  As a result, he lost his son, Gideon, without knowing why. Ultimate betrayal = no forgiveness.  I do hope that Chris and Gideon can move forward from here with a closer relationship.

 

Elizabeth Vidal: Just like the character in “Ordinary People†that Ireland compares her to, she deserves to end up alone. However, I would like an explanation as to why she took Gideon to Terrance Lucas, Hugh’s brother-in-law. How stupid and irresponsible. And then she believes him! Did she not follow up because she was embarrassed? stressed?  did not want to go through another scandal? going through a rough pregnancy with Ireland??? Whatever the reason, there is no excuse!

 

Ireland: Is a breath of fresh air. So cute and it’s so sweet to see how much she loves Gideon and Eva. I really hope that she is not collateral damage in any of the “battles†that Gideon is fighting with all of the folks trying to get him. That mysterious boyfriend who cannot publicly claim her because his grandparents lost money to Gideon’s dad, concerns me. I want her untouched!!

 

Anne and Terry Lucas: Don’t know why Terry Lucas is still with Anne after her various affairs, but he is obviously an idiot and now he is probably a very scared idiot because Eva and Chris know what he did to Gideon.  Anne is just scary and probably is manipulating and medicating Corinne. She does not seem to have any boundaries, certainly not professional ones, and is capable of anything. Using Cary to get to Eva and therefore Gideon is not out of the question for her. I see both of the Lucas’ losing their medical practices. One can hope!

 

Christopher Vidal – He is just so full of hate and jealousy towards Gideon. Not sure it is anymore than that. I am not convinced that he was molested. His behavior points more towards bitterness than damage. Just my opinion.

Hi lwasinger welcome to the forum; enjoyed reading all of your opinions. I feel guilty about not liking Eva right now in this book but as soon as I read the first 3 chapter excerpt I knew this book had a different vibe. I loved EWY soooo much and I think Gideva were so connected in those few weeks; what happened in that short time span for Eva to become confused and start sniping at Gideon for lack of a better term... She always had a Latin temper but suddenly it seems to be rearing its ugly head often and Gideon the unwelcome recipient. When they were in the limo going down to the Outer Banks I think this would have been a perfect time for Eva to lose her temper and say she had enough but she didnt say a word. You are absolutely correct that Eva is very young and had a difficult childhood. Even though Gideon is only 28 himself he has always had an uber amount of responsibility with his businesses and that developed the discipline he needed to survive his abuse. He says himself that he needs money too and it gives him the security he needs to feel good about himself in at least that way. Because of her abuse Eva has always been spoiled and coddled by Monica and Stanton and her Dad because he was never able to watch her grow up and even by Cary who must think of her as his life-saver also. And now Gideon thinks of her as his angel and treats her as such so she doesnt often experience the word no or rejection from any of her inner circle. Actually even though Eva needs to chill out , I didnt blame her for wanting her space from Gideon at the end and I didnt consider this one of her usual runners. Gideon knew he fu$$ed up as soon as he told Eva he offered Mark a job. He even went as far as to say he should probably have stuck with his original plan of slow seduction in getting Eva to work with him. But he just reverted to his alpha male persona as usual. Gideon is smart enough to know that wasnt going to go over well with Eva ...I have to say ...what was

he thinking???I hope they get back on track early in the next book. The opening scene may be their joint appointment with Dr. Peterson and their dinner date. I hope it is very romantic like when Eva went to dinner that first nite in EWY at their love nest apartment. We can only hope. :). :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 761
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Hello everyone, I’m new to the group and have enjoyed reading everyone’s comments and opinions. In anticipation of the release of CBY, I re-listened to the first 3 books  and I think I’m ready to contribute my opinions as well, so here it goes:

 

Gideon: I enjoyed Gideons POV. I liked knowing what he was thinking and feeling while putting on his “steel façade†for the world, like when he negotiated with Mark on the Monday morning after his split with Eva. I was also glad that we were introduced to some of Gideon’s “friends†in this book. It gave us a look at a more relaxed side of him, but I was disappointed that none of his friends were just friends, and not employees or business associates. Arash is awesome, so glad to meet him,  but he is still Gideon’s employee. He can call Gideon on his sh*t but he still has to jump when Gideon says jump. Because of that they can never  really be “no strings attached†friends. Same with Arnaldo, yes he cares for Gideon very much, but he also owes Gideon his life for saving him after a bad break-up and financially backing him in the restaurant venture.  I think that on some level Gideon understands this and feels that without Eva he is truly alone, which would explain his sheer panic everytime he feels he may lose Eva. So glad he is opening up, even if he felt forced to. That is the only way he will heal. Hope he finds peace in the 5th book.

 

Eva: We have to remember that Eva is only 24 and had a difficult childhood. it is amazing that she has overcome so much and is still strong enough to go toe to toe with Gideon,  while attempting to drag him from the very dark place that he has hidden himself in for so long. But her youth and immaturity shows. For example she behaves badly in from of Arnoldo, but then is upset that he does not care for her.  She knows that Gideon has an empire and he had already told her that she should work for him so they could continue to build his empire together, but also it would eliminate the possibility of her inadvertanly working for any of his competitors. She knows this, and still either ignores or somehow does not know that that the Phaze one project  is in direct competition to her husband. That’s immature and irresponsible and naïve in the extreme. And yes Mark is talented but he is still a Junior associate and she should have known something was up because Gideon did the same thing with the Kingsman Vodka campain. Gideon offering Mark a job, knowing that It would result in Eva losing hers, was maybe not the best approach, but he is a ruthless business man and is not used to asking for permission before making a business decision. I can understand her fury but she should have already realized that life as she knew it to that point is essentially over as soon as she said “I doâ€. And honestly would she have said “Sure Gideon go ahead and offer my boss a jobâ€. Duh!! Of course not. That would have caused a huge fight as well. I understand Sylvia had to create a catalyst to force Gideon to finally open up, but I do hope we see some growth in Eva in the 5th book as she is getting tiring. And frankly I don’t enjoy seeing Gideon on his knees.

 

Brett: I do believe that Brett was manipulated by Christopher from the moment Eva was outed as the Golden girl, so I feel a bit bad for him in that respect. I think Brett thinks he has real feelings for Eva. I don’t think that his bad judgment about the video was done out of real greed, but out of manipulation by both Christopher and his band mates. Given Eva’s behavior in their past he may truly believe that she will be ok with the video. That he did not anticipate Eva’s reaction shows how little he truly knows her. I think he will make one last attempt, but will realize quickly that there is no hope.  There are just too many larger story lines to be resolved and I think, or hope this one will be resolved quickly.   I do think Brett will go some distance in redeeming himself with  re Christopher, and he has already taken steps in that direction by demanding that the video be re-done.

 

Cary: He was much more damaged than Eva because rather than a mom who swept in to remove the threat the way Monica did with Nathan, Cary’s damage was directly caused by his mother. Major damage. Eva was the first person who cares for him despite his beautiful packaging and the bonus was a new mom, Monica. I think that Cary’s pride, what he has managed to build of it, is taking a hit since moving to New York with Eva. I think the apartment and Monica and Richard’s generosity does weigh on his conscience and he  feels he needs to accept Gideon’s “pity†apartment because he cannot afford to live on his own with a baby on the way, again a hit to his pride. Further, being a model, he is back to being admired and valued only for his outside packaging. His anchor, Eva, is absent. She gives him value. She has a right to her life, but Cary, being so damaged, needs more of an anchor so he is adrift and behaving badly.  Tatiana would drive anyone to madness.  I hope that is resolved in a way that everyone is not to hurt and I hope  Trey stays in the picture for Cary’s sake. Also, I think that Cary may feel a bit left behind by Eva, but in the end he is very loyal and protective of her, which would explain his sometimes hostile reactions to Gideon, even after all Gideon has done for him. If he sided with Gideon out of appreciation, then he would only be selling his allegiance to the highest bidder and that is not Cary’s style. He is Eva’s best friend and biggest champion and that will not change no matter what. The Anne and Cary connection had not crossed my mind, but it’s possible and very scary! Anne is obviously a master manipulator and Cary is mentally weak right now, she could certainly use him to get to Eva without Cary’s knowledge. 

 

Corinne: Grrr!!!! After attempting suicide and murdering her baby, she is after Gideon again! She probably took a cab straight from the hospital to his office. She does not even mourn her child, all she says is “ I couldn’t believe it, after trying for so longâ€. That’s it, no sadness or guilt, Just  continuing to throw herself at Gideon! Wow!! And a tell-all book will remind him of all the good times and convince him that he does really love her!! Really? Wow!! Just Wow!!!  I do believe that she knew about the baby ( how could she not)  and agree that her goal was to get Gideon compromised and pass the baby off as his. The timing would have been off, but not by as long if she had managed it as soon as she returned to NY. Obviously as time went by that seemed less likely, which is why she is not mourning the baby.  She is obviously sick!

 

Monica: Get’s on my very last nerve! Yes she did the right thing by saving Eva from Nathan and removing her from that home. She obviously loves her daughter and Cary very much, but really!!?? Beyond that, her life’s ambition is to be the perfect arm candy for a very rich and powerful man and making herself worth her price tag. I find her shallow and irritating. She and Victor will NEVER get back together. She could never be happy with him, period, whether she loves him or not.

 

Victor: I think Victor’s eyes will be open in the 5th book relative to Monica. I think he will realize that he is in love with a beautiful memory and that the reality of Monica does not match his memory of her. I hope he is finally able to move on.

 

Chris Vidal: His reaction to Eva’s revelation about Gideon came out of nowhere. We really don’t meet Chris after the garden party in the first book and get absolutely no feel for his relationship with Gideon, beyond a fond “we can always hope†line.  I do not always agree with Eva’s methods in defending Gideon. I realize she thought Chris knew, but regardless, the subject of Gideon’s abuse is so sensitive and she just brings it up. I was not comfortable with that.  I was, however, so glad that there is someone else in Gideon’s corner willing to fight for him beside Eva. I am glad Chris left Elizabeth and unlike other’s opinions, do not believe that they will reconcile with Eva’s help. I don’t see Eva forgiving Elizabeth either, frankly, but Chris, no. Why? Because Chris tells Gideon that he has always considered him his own son. As a father it is his right and responsibility to protect and defend his children and not only did Elizabeth not protect and defend Gideon, but she did not allow Chris to do it either. She took away his right to be a real father to Gideon.  As a result, he lost his son, Gideon, without knowing why. Ultimate betrayal = no forgiveness.  I do hope that Chris and Gideon can move forward from here with a closer relationship.

 

Elizabeth Vidal: Just like the character in “Ordinary People†that Ireland compares her to, she deserves to end up alone. However, I would like an explanation as to why she took Gideon to Terrance Lucas, Hugh’s brother-in-law. How stupid and irresponsible. And then she believes him! Did she not follow up because she was embarrassed? stressed?  did not want to go through another scandal? going through a rough pregnancy with Ireland??? Whatever the reason, there is no excuse!

 

Ireland: Is a breath of fresh air. So cute and it’s so sweet to see how much she loves Gideon and Eva. I really hope that she is not collateral damage in any of the “battles†that Gideon is fighting with all of the folks trying to get him. That mysterious boyfriend who cannot publicly claim her because his grandparents lost money to Gideon’s dad, concerns me. I want her untouched!!

 

Anne and Terry Lucas: Don’t know why Terry Lucas is still with Anne after her various affairs, but he is obviously an idiot and now he is probably a very scared idiot because Eva and Chris know what he did to Gideon.  Anne is just scary and probably is manipulating and medicating Corinne. She does not seem to have any boundaries, certainly not professional ones, and is capable of anything. Using Cary to get to Eva and therefore Gideon is not out of the question for her. I see both of the Lucas’ losing their medical practices. One can hope!

 

Christopher Vidal – He is just so full of hate and jealousy towards Gideon. Not sure it is anymore than that. I am not convinced that he was molested. His behavior points more towards bitterness than damage. Just my opinion.

Hi lwasinger welcome to the forum; enjoyed reading all of your opinions. I feel guilty about not liking Eva right now in this book but as soon as I read the first 3 chapter excerpt I knew this book had a different vibe. I loved EWY soooo much and I think Gideva were so connected in those few weeks; what happened in that short time span for Eva to become confused and start sniping at Gideon for lack of a better term... She always had a Latin temper but suddenly it seems to be rearing its ugly head often and Gideon the unwelcome recipient. When they were in the limo going down to the Outer Banks I think this would have been a perfect time for Eva to lose her temper and say she had enough but she didnt say a word. You are absolutely correct that Eva is very young and had a difficult childhood. Even though Gideon is only 28 himself he has always had an uber amount of responsibility with his businesses and that developed the discipline he needed to survive his abuse. He says himself that he needs money too and it gives him the security he needs to feel good about himself in at least that way. Because of her abuse Eva has always been spoiled and coddled by Monica and Stanton and her Dad because he was never able to watch her grow up and even by Cary who must think of her as his life-saver also. And now Gideon thinks of her as his angel and treats her as such so she doesnt often experience the word no or rejection from any of her inner circle. Actually even though Eva needs to chill out , I didnt blame her for wanting her space from Gideon at the end and I didnt consider this one of her usual runners. Gideon knew he fu$$ed up as soon as he told Eva he offered Mark a job. He even went as far as to say he should probably have stuck with his original plan of slow seduction in getting Eva to work with him. But he just reverted to his alpha male persona as usual. Gideon is smart enough to know that wasnt going to go over well with Eva ...I have to say ...what was

he thinking???I hope they get back on track early in the next book. The opening scene may be their joint appointment with Dr. Peterson and their dinner date. I hope it is very romantic like when Eva went to dinner that first nite in EWY at their love nest apartment. We can only hope. :). :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm really curious about what a young Gideon overheard Elizabeth and Chris discussing that he assumed was the conversation Elizabeth had regarding Gideon's molestation claims. I know some have predicted that maybe Christopher was molested and that was what was discussed, but I doubt it. Chris' anguish and pain was way too real in CBY for us to believe he had heard anything about any of his children being molested by that disgusting creep Hugh or anyone else for that matter. That whole situation fascinates me and I really hope that in OWY Sylvia delves in deep in to what went down and the motivation behind each adult's actions and how they handled the situation.

I also wish we could get more insight into Geoffrey Cross and why he did what he did. Running a Ponzi scheme is a pretty despicable thing to do, but I can't help but feel that underneath it all he was a good man and a good father who lost his way somewhere along the line.

Is anyone else really nervous about OWY not being able to answer all our questions or wrapping up way too quickly? I trust Sylvia to tell her story as it should be told, she is great at what she does, but that is a lot to cover. I expect a book the size of those game of thrones books could give us the kind of closure we need.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

yes, Eva is only an entry level employee an assistant to a junior account manager. They got the Kingsman Vodka account because Gideon wanted another chance to meet Eva. Hopefully if they (mark and eva) didn't come up with a good RFP Gideon wouldn't have given them the account. As for LanCorp, they asked for Mark knowing (probably) that Eva was his assistant and they thought it was a way to "get" at Cross Industries. I believe they got the account (Will congratulated her for it), but they want Mark to head the project up, that is why Waters, Field and Lehman made a counter-offer to Mark to keep him. Then it dawned on Eva that she probably couldn't work on that account because of her relationship to Gideon.... Also, Gideon had made the statment that the people working on his GenTen account "that he owned their soul lock stock and barrel" in other words they were employeed by CI and NOT an outside advertising firm.

We don't know WHO Corrine's therapist is. Yes, she did make a remarkable recovery for her suicide attempt/losing the baby and her husband divorcing her. She broke the engagment off to Gideon mainly to get a reaction from Gideon. In fact she thought having s e x at the hotel was romantic.; but Gideon was relieved that she did break it off, he said "how can I get married and explain why we can't sleep in the same bed the entire night" We don't what type of s e x they had other than it was his first consensual one.

Yes, I too wondered how he took all those different women to the hotel and not be in the gossip pages....they did say that Gideon was a playboy.

all I can think of now, more to come later maybe!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gotta remind myself also this is fiction. We love these characters so much, we forget that. Lol

Spot on :)

Aften reading these books I'm wandering around in a Gideon universe.... It takes many days to break out of, and I feel kind of heartbroken and I miss reading more... Have to remind myself that he's not 4real haha. It's quite an intense reading experience (and don't want it to end after no.5) so thank you for this forum!!

My favourite part (like so many of you) is the confrontation between G and Chris sr, and at the karaoke night (Gideon's got Jason Wades voice, hoarse&sexy). G's song said so much, that no one else than Eva understood the total meaning of. So romantic â¤ï¸ and at the same time heartbreaking. He's struggling so hard to express his emotions (except when he can hit someone), but manage to do so throughout "hanging by a moment".

The feeling of being rejected when he needed the most to be seen, is devastating. He might at some point reconciled that he could never truly show his true self. If his own mother couldn't handle /believe him, why should anyone else? Then Eva comes along and stirs the foundation he's been building up to protect himself. I get the addiction he gets (as well as she) towards Eva, he sees another world he thought didn't excists for him...(or didn't allowed) A possibility to be loved and accepted. So I can see that he's "desperate for changing -starving for truth". Most people knows him professionally (or superficial) and therefore might see him as the complete package. He must have worked so hard to compensate for his flaws (emotionally) and lacks (all that anger must give him heaps of energy, otherwise I can't understand how he's capable to standing up lol) He's willing to let go of every defence just to be with the love of his life (that he finally found), even though he's headed into unknown territory. Instead of running away all the time, she should be more supportive of her husband. It's difficult for him to let of the control. Control is what's kept him safe throug out the years, it's impossible let go of that over night. She should work harder on her own issues, and stop running (and stop giving G more traumas). She must go easier on him... And hope she can do so in the 5th book.

It would be interesting to learn about Angus POV... He's one of few people who's been predictable in G's life.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Iwasinger "Christopher Vidal – He is just so full of hate and jealousy towards Gideon. Not sure it is anymore than that. I am not convinced that he was molested. His behavior points more towards bitterness than damage. Just my opinion."

Christopher has some idea Gideon wanted him dead since the day he was born - wonder what happened early on that either Gideon has forgotten about, or Christopher has misunderstood, yet neither of them has sat down and discussed it?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Iwasinger "Christopher Vidal – He is just so full of hate and jealousy towards Gideon. Not sure it is anymore than that. I am not convinced that he was molested. His behavior points more towards bitterness than damage. Just my opinion."Christopher has some idea Gideon wanted him dead since the day he was born - wonder what happened early on that either Gideon has forgotten about, or Christopher has misunderstood, yet neither of them has sat down and discussed it?

Yes that comment by Chris Jr chilled me to the bone ; I cant wait to get his backstory too...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

An observation on Gideon's anger issues

He was already an angry child after his father's suicide. During the course of his therapy Hugh taught him that m****bation would ease that, including looking at pictures of women who looked something like his mother, and moving on to include penetration. Angus somehow takes over the anger issues and Gideon takes up MMA finding physical exertion also controls his anger. He meets Corrine who looks physically like his mother and starts a relationship - probably not a good idea as he must already dislike his mother due to her not believing him. So is it possible there were some anger issues during that relationship but Corinne's voice soothed him with it's soft lilt. She wouldn't be aware of the abuse so I did wonder what it was she soothed him for?

Is it also possible that, prior to the therapy while he was the angry child feeling spurned by his father but still happy with his mother, when Christopher came along and undoubtedly Elizabeth and Christopher showed some preference for their child, Gideon did something that could have harmed the baby, which someone later told Christopher about? If so could his mother have been angry with him which would be the start of their poor relationship?

Gideon then starts his series of one night stands in the f*** pad, makes enquiries to find out Hugh was his abuser and although Terry Lucas denied anything to do with Gideon when he spoke to Eva, it does look like Terry was the one consulted re Gideon's abuse (can't remember if that is said anywhere), and so far we are led to believe he covered up because Hugh was Anne's brother. But is that sufficient reason for him to have lied or is there more to that subject? Gideon confronts Hugh, who goes on to commit suicide. Presumably after that happened Gideon becomes aware of Anne Lucas, now could that be because he picked her up at one of the functions to be a one night stand (bearing in mind she's not his usual type, discovered who she was and decide to mess with her, or did he deliberately set out to have a relationship with her to take revenge on her husband? Did Anne instigate the kinky stuff or was it a direct result of Gideon's anger? It seems that with her, although he had difficulty getting it up, once it was up he could be at it for ages, spurred by his anger feelings.

The only other woman we know for definite he was involved with is Deanna, a one night stand who he didn't seemingly actually have s*x with but who was aware he had a dark side - how did she become aware of that? Had the dark side come out with any of the other women or was it just Anne (we know he said he was more depraved with Anne and that did not sit well with him and I suspect the flogging etc. mention was only with her and not the others where he probably used the toys in the conventional way). Was Deanna more annoyed because he did not come up to scratch via his dark side?

He had said that when Eva was 'fighting his cause' he was hard and lusted after her, and in CBY when she tells Chris Snr about the abuse he is angry and very turned on. Not sure if his anger is because she told Chris - bearing in mind Gideon thought Chris already knew so the surprise here was that Chris did not know - but not sure if Gideon's violent reaction was to discovering Chris did not know or just the fact that Eva was fighting his cause again.

Gideon spends very little time sleeping, when he is with Eva they are at it like rabbits for a lot of the night time, he's probably functioned on very little sleep for most of his life, angry thoughts mulling over in his mind, big business deals etc. My thoughts are leading to something I can't really conclude, he's a powerhouse when it comes to the length of time he is able to have s*x and doesn't seem at all exhausted at the end of it, whereas Eva, who is putting less physically into s*x, is wiped out. He's said he gets as much pleasure from getting her off multiple times than just getting himself off the once, but is part of the durability he shows coming from anger management due to the lack of control he feels when with Eva?

I'm probably barking up the wrong tree with a lot of that and happy for any comments/corrections.

I cannot believe how clever a writer Sylvia is, so much to read into what is going on in these books, I really cannot understand those negative reviews.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think negative reviews are just what some people love to do. When people like a book, they often don't bother to review it. A simple click of stars and that's it. My husband has never written a review. I usually do but not always. I made it a point to with this book. Some people thrive on bashing. You can tell from bad reviews that they never read other Crossfire books or don't get Sylvia's style. Or just love to bash. Not just book reviews. These books are amazing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting comments and I share many of your thoughts D500 :)

If he associate anger with s*x, his reaction towards Eva (when he overheard Eva and Chris Sr) is quite normal/ following his own pattern?! He also refers that he wants to punish Eva... To control /express his emotions he has to do something physically, like s*x and MMA. According to him being more aware of her in bed than himself, it could be that he feels he doesn't deserve it as much? When Eva takes control, it almost seems overwhelming for him?! Maybe he's experience is based on being the giver rather the receiver. For example he said that before Eva he took girls to the fu**pad that were preying on him (can't remember literally) so he could dominante them instead... That would give him a psychological satisfaction, and perhaps more than sexually!?

Not sure I made ant sense with what I just wrote lol

I completely agree with you that Sylvia is an amazing author! Like I tell my friends, there's a lot more to the books than the erotic parts. I have several books of Sylvia Day, although Crossfire series is my all-time favorite (have them both in Norwegian and English).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have seen two reviews of CBY (one on Good Reads, one on Amazon so could be the same person) where there is criticism of grammar and typographical errors in the book.

I used to proof read/amend documents as part of my job and I cannot say I spotted even one typo, and the grammar read ok to me - did anyone spot anything that I may have missed?

On Good Reads some of the reviewers who are of the 'it's a filler/rushed/nothing happening and too much sex' point of view think those who give 5 stars and think the book did have plenty happening are lieing. I for one would be telling the truth if I said I found CBY to be a good book and that there was plenty happening - Gideon's POV letting us see more of his character, the scenes where they do actually gel as a couple (which make it more unbelievable when Eva does run), their inter-action with Eva's dad, Cary, Ireland. The glimpses of Gideon's relationships (Corrine, Anne, his mother), the scenes with Chris Vidal Snr and the short one with Vidal jnr, there is sex in the book - there would have to be as this couple's main relationship is through sex - but I did not think the sex dominated the story, and some of it was necessary to see how Gideon was gaining Eva's trust in those matters (and sadly then losing it over not consulting her).

I think some people are missing the point about Crossfire. The series is not about twist after twist that will make your head explode .. its about 2 damaged people who truly love each other but has so many issues to work out both on personal and professional level. It is also a no leap in time book so a day-to-day happening was  vital. This was Gideons' POV  and there was a lot happening on his side of the story. Those reviewer were me off.  One of them even said , the Nathans' death wasn't wrapped up,, I was like WTH , Nathans death was resolved in BTY  through Graves info on Eva and first part of EWY.. To me I love love this series. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In regards to Corrine's health..mental and physical, I thought she would be out of the picture longer than she was. They would have to evaluate her kidney, liver functions for harm from overdosing. Also she would have obstetrical issues since she lost her baby at 4 months along. I thought she would have been too devastated at the moment to pick up her craziness so soon after her suicide attempt. I'm actually feeling Corrine is in need of major help. She really is very ill. She so desperate to have him back she hasn't even grieved for the baby she and Giroux wanted so badly. A tiny piece of my heart breaks for her.

Me too, I think Corrine was in a denial stage re Gideon and even before all the suicide and miscarriage , she was already suffering from depression. Im not pro Corrine , I dont like her at all but her mental and emotional state was really on a critical stage.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you remember Arash talking to Gideon ... He said that Gideon used to poke at Lancorp at least once a week!! This is a case of Lancorp poking at Gideon; the sleeping giant so to speak. Well, messing with Eva has woken Gideon from his slumber so Lancorp better watch out because Gideon wont let it pass a second rime LOL!!

oh i love Arash ,, their banter was comical. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

yes, Eva is only an entry level employee an assistant to a junior account manager. They got the Kingsman Vodka account because Gideon wanted another chance to meet Eva. Hopefully if they (mark and eva) didn't come up with a good RFP Gideon wouldn't have given them the account. As for LanCorp, they asked for Mark knowing (probably) that Eva was his assistant and they thought it was a way to "get" at Cross Industries. I believe they got the account (Will congratulated her for it), but they want Mark to head the project up, that is why Waters, Field and Lehman made a counter-offer to Mark to keep him. Then it dawned on Eva that she probably couldn't work on that account because of her relationship to Gideon.... Also, Gideon had made the statment that the people working on his GenTen account "that he owned their soul lock stock and barrel" in other words they were employeed by CI and NOT an outside advertising firm.

We don't know WHO Corrine's therapist is. Yes, she did make a remarkable recovery for her suicide attempt/losing the baby and her husband divorcing her. She broke the engagment off to Gideon mainly to get a reaction from Gideon. In fact she thought having s e x at the hotel was romantic.; but Gideon was relieved that she did break it off, he said "how can I get married and explain why we can't sleep in the same bed the entire night" We don't what type of s e x they had other than it was his first consensual one.

Yes, I too wondered how he took all those different women to the hotel and not be in the gossip pages....they did say that Gideon was a playboy.

all I can think of now, more to come later maybe!!

Im beginning to think Gideon did not bring that much women on his f.. pad. He said to Eva that there were just times that when he gets lonely and dont want to talk that he accept offers, He said he works hard and work out more so he was often tired. He must have made sure its a one time thing. The only women that cant let go of him were those he used more than once to get back to someone. also, I guess being kinky on the bedroom was natural for some and as long they were pleasured they dont find anything wrong with it. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Eva knew only after Detective Graves told her at the end of RIY. Eva should really stop being jealous of Corinne because Gideon always choose her.

So true. It was so apparent when Gideon spoke to Corinne for the first time in his office and he warned her to tread lightly where Eva was concerned . And also later he realized that he previously thought of Corinne as the young girl she once was not as she is now. I took that to mean that he was finally seeing for himself how manipulative and calculating she could be in her quest to get him back...No Eva should not fear Corinne; it is Anne Lucas that really has it in for her. :(. :(

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Im beginning to think Gideon did not bring that much women on his f.. pad. He said to Eva that there were just times that when he gets lonely and dont want to talk that he accept offers, He said he works hard and work out more so he was often tired. He must have made sure its a one time thing. The only women that cant let go of him were those he used more than once to get back to someone. also, I guess being kinky on the bedroom was natural for some and as long they were pleasured they dont find anything wrong with it.

True. A one night stand is just that. Those gals knew he was a playboy so that was their choice to make. Let's face it ; Eva knew this too she was just the lucky one because her and Gideon had that electric, soul deep connection the first time they met and everytime they are near each other !!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Iwasinger "Christopher Vidal – He is just so full of hate and jealousy towards Gideon. Not sure it is anymore than that. I am not convinced that he was molested. His behavior points more towards bitterness than damage. Just my opinion."

Christopher has some idea Gideon wanted him dead since the day he was born - wonder what happened early on that either Gideon has forgotten about, or Christopher has misunderstood, yet neither of them has sat down and discussed it?

Did Gideon said that Christopher was mad at him for seeing something that he did, but he didnt ..and Christopher was just imagining it?( (ok that wasn't the exact words but on that context) when they were young Christopher used to imitate Gideon thats why they decided to get him on a therapy.  Oh I hope he did not see Gideon and Hugh, and thought that was appropriate and did the same thing with Hugh .. (Ok that was a weird idea)  on a not so crazy, If Christopher Sr admired Gideon for everything he did and saving the Vidal Record.. what would Christopher Jr would feel.. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think some people are missing the point about Crossfire. The series is not about twist after twist that will make your head explode .. its about 2 damaged people who truly love each other but has so many issues to work out both on personal and professional level. It is also a no leap in time book so a day-to-day happening was  vital. This was Gideons' POV  and there was a lot happening on his side of the story. Those reviewer were ###### me off.  One of them even said , the Nathans' death wasn't wrapped up,, I was like WTH , Nathans death was resolved in BTY  through Graves info on Eva and first part of EWY.. To me I love love this series.

I dont know why people that have barely read the books bother to post their opinions on those sites. Sometimes I think did we even read the same book? I have read this series numerous times lol an embarrassing amount of times and listened to them on the way to work a million times. The characters have so many layers... The emotion is raw and real and the sex is just the icing on the cake. I think it says something that when you read a book and it sticks with you and you find yourself thinking about it on and off throughout the day...That to me is the mark of a "good" read; but the fact that you want to talk about it with others as we do here makes it an "amazing" read. :). :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

True. A one night stand is just that. Those gals knew he was a playboy so that was their choice to make. Let's face it ; Eva knew this too she was just the lucky one because her and Gideon had that electric, soul deep connection the first time they met and everytime they are near each other !!!

Plus Gideon actually pursued Eva ; the other gals pursued him...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting comments and I share many of your thoughts D500 :)

If he associate anger with s*x, his reaction towards Eva (when he overheard Eva and Chris Sr) is quite normal/ following his own pattern?! He also refers that he wants to punish Eva... To control /express his emotions he has to do something physically, like s*x and MMA. According to him being more aware of her in bed than himself, it could be that he feels he doesn't deserve it as much? When Eva takes control, it almost seems overwhelming for him?! Maybe he's experience is based on being the giver rather the receiver. For example he said that before Eva he took girls to the fu**pad that were preying on him (can't remember literally) so he could dominante them instead... That would give him a psychological satisfaction, and perhaps more than sexually!?

Not sure I made ant sense with what I just wrote lol

I completely agree with you that Sylvia is an amazing author! Like I tell my friends, there's a lot more to the books than the erotic parts. I have several books of Sylvia Day, although Crossfire series is my all-time favorite (have them both in Norwegian and English).

Just to touch on Gideon being overwhelmed by Eva taking control during sex it in my opinion is literally a control issue. Being an abuse survivor Gideon has probably vowed to never not be in control sexually again. He was taken advantage of by someone who 'dominated' him. By being with all these women who are physically aggressive Gideon has been able to bring them to the f*ckpad and dominate them. Show them that they are at his mercy physically. While at the same time it mentally reminded Gideon that he was never going to be a victim again. Eva in the limo that very first time called the shots. It was the first time Gideon allowed someone else to control the when and the how. He broke his rules. To use one of Eva's lines he took a calculated risk by allowing her to 'top' him. For someone with his issues that is HUGE. It speaks volumes to the connection he felt with her and trust he had already begun to place in her.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just to touch on Gideon being overwhelmed by Eva taking control during sex it in my opinion is literally a control issue. Being an abuse survivor Gideon has probably vowed to never not be in control sexually again. He was taken advantage of by someone who 'dominated' him. By being with all these women who are physically aggressive Gideon has been able to bring them to the f*ckpad and dominate them. Show them that they are at his mercy physically. While at the same time it mentally reminded Gideon that he was never going to be a victim again. Eva in the limo that very first time called the shots. It was the first time Gideon allowed someone else to control the when and the how. He broke his rules. To use one of Eva's lines he took a calculated risk by allowing her to 'top' him. For someone with his issues that is HUGE. It speaks volumes to the connection he felt with her and trust he had already begun to place in her.

 

When Gideon was first chasing Eva around the Crossfire and all he was getting was sass, he asked Eva if she wanted to be seduced. But he was the one who ended up seduced in the back of his limo.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi guys! Long-time reader/follower, first time poster. These forums are what kept me sane throughout that long wait for CBY, so thanks to all of you for being so intuitive and clever with your predictions and hopes for this fourth book and keeping me entertained. ;)

There is something that has been bugging me about the book that I hope you guys could help me figure out. When Eva is going to San Diego and the whole Brett thing comes up, Gideon tells her that she needs to tell Brett that they're married. And then later, when he confronts Brett, he shows him the picture of their private wedding. Here's my thought, if that is the tactic that Gideon is using to get Brett to back off, why not use the same thing to get Corinne to back off? Corinne is pulling out all the stops as a last ditch effort, couldn't Gideon tell her that they eloped and that she should stop trying as it's too late? Why tell Brett but not Corinne? I know a big part of her story is that she's acting out of character and as you guys have astutely predicted, she may be Anne Lucas' patient which would explain a lot. But still, if they told her that they were married maybe she would pack her stuff and go back to her husband and just quit trying to eff everything up.

 

What happens if Brett tells Deanna they're married? What will she do if she thinks Gideon lied to her? All bets are off, and she'll no longer take his word? Run a story about his dark side? Maybe even about the existence of the sex tape? Hard to say -- but I don't entirely trust Deanna, and I think she's smart enough that if she finds out Gideon has been manipulating her (which he has and continues to do) then there's going to be trouble.

 

Gideon continues to have a double standard when it comes to Eva/Brett and him/Corrine. He should tell her he married Eva. Actually, Arash should tell her Gideon is married. Gideon needs to stop ALL contact with her.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Actually I think Anne is referring to herself and Corinne when she says this...I dont think Deanna is involved with Anne although who knows??!!

 

I think Deanna knows who Anne is, because Anne had been chasing Gideon at a society event Deanna was covering. The reason he picked up Deanna and took her to the hotel for the one-night stand was because of Anne. In EWY Deanna was trying to get dirt on Gideon from Eva and Maggie and at one point went to see Corrine. What if Deanna actually has gotten dirt on Gideon from Anne? About his dark sexual side, which Anne definitely has seen (and probably encouraged the kink during their affair: she comes across as sexually predatory.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...



×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.